In Darkness (2018)

“In Darkness” is a psychological thriller that had its European premiere at the Edinburgh International Film Festival and has Natalie Dormer (“Game of Thrones”, “The Tudors”) in its lead role, yet I can’t remember how it first came to my attention. It’s been on my list of films to watch for quite a while now...

Why You Should Visit Port-en-Bessin-Huppain (Normandy Blogs #1)

Summers in Normandy are a wonderful thing. There’s sunshine, stunning coastal scenery, great food, and a sense of peace and relaxation that everyday life makes you forget is possible. I’ve been returning to this part of France every year for about a decade now but its charm still hasn’t worn off. We may visit the...

5 Independent Films Worth Watching (#1)

The definition of an “independent”/“indie” film is actually quite complex and debated within the film industry. Every festival, awards ceremony, academic, critic, etc. has their own criteria to which a film must conform to be truly independent. For some it’s about financing whereas for other it’s the aesthetic or content. There are, however, certain features...

How to Get Out of a Reading Slump (or at least try to)

Reading slumps are something every avid reader will experience at one time or another. They’re often unexpected and can be extremely frustrating when you just want to finish the book you’ve started or move onto the next one. Something you usually enjoy becomes almost a chore. It’s not always an easy thing to shake but...

5 Female Authors I Love

In honour of International Women’s Day, I thought I’d write a short post about just five of my favourite female authors. Gender never really crosses my mind when it comes to choosing which books to read. Why should it? It has no significant impact on the quality of the writing or story-telling. And there are...

Victoria & Abdul (2017)

After the death of her husband, Queen Victoria formed a number of friendships with men in service to her that were deemed unsuitable by members of her family and certain royal advisors. One such friendship, towards the end of her life, was with an Indian clerk who soon became her teacher/“Munshi”. King Edward VII (a.k.a....

Jackie (2016)

On the 22nd November 1963, a family was shaken by the tragic death of a loved one. At the same time, a country lost its leader. The assassination of John F. Kennedy is a well-documented moment in history. A quick Google search will give you footage of the shooting, details on the autopsy report, and...

King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (2017)

After his uncle murders his father and seizes the crown, young Arthur flees and finds himself growing up in a Londinium brothel. There Arthur (Charlie Hunnam) lives a less than honest life and has seemingly forgotten his true identity. But everything changes when he manages to pull Excalibur from the stone. He starts to remember...

Wonder Woman (2017)

Tony Stark v. Bruce Wayne. Thor v. Superman. DC and Marvel are constantly being compared against one another and, in terms of films, audiences tend to gravitate towards one over the other. I am definitely guilty of opting for Marvel every time and keeping my expectations low when it comes to the latest DC release....

Remember Remember the Fifth of November…

On 5th November 1605, a man named Guy Fawkes was discovered trying to light 36 barrels of gunpowder intended to blow up the Palace of Westminster during the state opening of Parliament. A Catholic plot to replace King James I and shift power was foiled, its culprits executed. If an anonymous letter warning Lord Monteagle...

Thor: Ragnarok (2017)

After an unexpected revelation about an elder sibling, Thor and Loki find themselves trapped on the planet Sakaar and under the control of the Grandmaster (Jeff Goldblum). Whilst Loki befriends him, Thor is forced into being a gladiator and reunited with a work colleague, the Hulk, in the arena. The pair must escape and return...

Their Finest (2017)

Set in the 1940s, “Their Finest” takes a look at the British film industry and a production team during the Second World War. Catrin Cole (Gemma Arterton), a Welsh woman supporting her struggling artist husband in London, is hired by the Ministry of Information to write “the slop”/women’s dialogue for their short information films. After...

Philippa Gregory & Women in History

Every British school kid learns the rhyme about Henry VIII’s wives, the burning of heretics by Bloody Mary, and Elizabeth I’s victory over the Spanish Armada. But what do we know about them beyond this? About the other women at court who fought hard to survive such turbulent times? My guess is not as much...

Split (2017)

Slowly but surely, I’m starting to cross off a number of films from a long list that I’ve been adding to over the last couple of years. It certainly helps that many of them are now appearing on streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime. Some are mainstream or franchise-based whilst the rest were noted...

Tips for Transcription

Whether you choose to go freelance or find a more permanent position, being able to accurately transcribe audio files is an opportunity to earn some relatively easy money. Assessments within my degree have taught me the conventions of transcription, allowing me to take on some freelance work after graduation and I would definitely recommend it...

Pirates of the Caribbean: Salazar’s Revenge (2017)

As you get older it becomes more difficult to make concrete plans with friends. Gone are the days where you were almost guaranteed to see them at school and when free time was in abundance. With myself in final year of university and my friend in full-time work, we were shocked to discover that we...

Everyday Essentials for the Commuting Student

Commuting is usually defined as travelling some distance between home and work on a regular basis. The word “commuter” is so often associated with people in suits and uniforms heading into the city. With the rise in tuition fees, an increasing number of university students in the UK are living at home whilst working towards...

Tips for Handling Exams – The Day Itself

May is the start of constant revision, stress and often sleepless nights for students who don’t cope well during exam season. Trying to memorise everything they’ve been taught in a short space of time. But the worst part, without a doubt, is the day of the exam itself. It’s when all of your hard work...

How to Make the Most of Lectures

The most obvious piece of advice anyone can give about university lectures is to just turn up! But we already know that, right? It’s what to do once you’re there that really matters. I know from experience that going to those 9ams and staying alert throughout is a constant struggle. Cold dreary mornings, a common...

Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016)

According to numerous magazine and online articles, hours of our lives are spent flicking through Netflix as we search for something to watch. It seems shocking, whilst at the same time highly plausible. I mean, how often do you load the website and choose a film or TV show instantly? After going through each category...

How to Meet Essay Deadlines

Essays were a regular occurrence during my time at college and university. Over the years, I developed techniques to help me achieve my deadlines and avoid those last-minute panics that could lead to silly mistakes. My 10 Tips for Meeting Essay Deadlines Start well in advance (if possible) – The more time you have to...

Arrival (2016)

Amongst a series of deadlines, I was lucky to find the excuse of a trip to the cinema being somewhat related to my degree. A bit of a stretch perhaps, but that’s what we told ourselves as we went to see the new sci-fi film “Arrival”. The plot centres around a linguist, Louise Banks (Amy...

Alice Through the Looking Glass (2016) & A Question of Privacy

Last weekend was my friend’s 20th so, to celebrate, we went out for lunch and a film - “Alice Through the Looking Glass”. After not having an opportunity to see each other for a while, it was good to spend the day in the sun catching up. The only slight disappointment was that the film...

How to Make the Most of Revision

Exams are the worst. It can often feel as though they’re just memory tests set to make us miserable at the end of each academic year. You spend ages trying to commit as much information as possible to memory and yet the stress you put yourself under to do this is unhelpful as most of...