Disney's obsession with live-action remakes has long been a major pet peeve of mine, and for (in my eyes, at least) understandable reasons. After all, the legendary animation company has laid the groundwork for millions of childhoods around the world, its movies moving past the point of being legendary to practically synonymous with magic and creativity as a whole. These movies are (for the most part) works of art with little need of remaking, and though I will always applaud

“It was a pleasure to burn. It was a special pleasure to see things eaten, to see things blackened and changed.” These are the opening lines of Ray Bradbury’s well-known dystopian novel, Fahrenheit 451, and etched in fire, they open as a haunting, doleful reminder of our personal inner arsonist. Bradbury envisions a future American society where books are outlawed, owning them criminalised, and where teams of “firemen” assist in systematic book-burnings to cleanse society of

Warning: Spoilers for Seasons 1-8 of Game of Thrones follow: Well winter came and went, and after 8 years and 5 books, the saga of Game of Thrones finally bid adieu to the world of television. And though HBO's hit series is now at an end (whose writers must now presumably have more money than the Lannisters themselves) after an admittedly lack-lustre final chapter, the phenomena that is Game of Thrones (or for those 'true' fans, A Song Of Ice And Fire) continues to impact pop

The Runnymede College Drama Club’s spectacular production of Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest was a 1920s-themed experience drenched in witty humour, a diegesis of unveiled identities, with an unanticipated muffin fight that viewers would surely remember! Set within a 24-hour time-period at Jack Worthing’s countryside house, viewers were introduced to the main characters: the bantering Jack Worthing and Algernon Moncrieff, who in the act of “Bunburying”, both cla

George Orwell's "1984" is one of the English novelist's most acclaimed and well-known works, a prescient piece of modern classic literature whose insights into the brutal nature of totalitarianism and its insidious forms of mental manipulation remain as timeless and relevant now as they were back in 1949 when the novel was first published. The breadth and scope of the novel's influence are tremendous - one need only look at the litany of political terms which it has spawned t

1984 is a science fiction novel which is set in an alternate 1984 where the whole world is immersed in totalitarianism. The narrator is omniscient and tells the story of Winston and Julia in a world which is constantly at war - although the narrator is also limited in that they do not know everyone’s thoughts. Winston is the protagonist and he does not believe the ideas of the party. The society they live in is full of lies and manipulation. Winston, as a matter of fact, work

The book I have read during the holidays is ‘Heroes’, by Stephen Fry. It is a retelling of the stories of Greek mythological heroes, an adventure and fantasy book that I couldn’t put down. It is set in Ancient Greece, with Stephen Fry, a British national treasure, narrating in the third person. He describes famous myths, like the Labours of Heracles and the Argo, and writes about stories of lesser known heroes, like Oedipus and Atalanta. No matter which hero or heroine he pre

‘How I Live Now’, written by Meg Rosoff is a novel based on young love between two teenagers in the 1940s during the Second World War. This book fits into many genres including romance, adventure and a hint of mystery. It is a diverse book, full of plot twists that create a sense of intrigue as such unexpected events occur. The characters are all extremely unique as they each possess a strange feature. For example, Edmond is an English boy who seems to have the ability to rea

Kurt Vonnegut is known for his eccentric and darkly satirical style; however, nothing can prepare you for this novel. A strange blend of fact, fiction, an unreliable narrator and highly imaginative descriptions give a painfully striking depiction of World War II. Like many people of his generation, Vonnegut describes the war and, in particular, the bombing of Dresden as one of the most important events of his lifetime, which is also the cornerstone of the protagonist’s life;

Freddie Mercury is, arguably, one of the greatest performers who ever lived. Instantly recognizable and iconic due to his flamboyant, eccentric stage-persona, outrageous dress sense and angelic voice, Mercury was the figurehead of Queen, one of the most popular and enduring rock bands in history. Yet, as many know, there is more to the man than the music, the costumes and the performances. Decades after Mercury's tragic death at the hands of the AIDS virus, he has been elevat

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by JK Rowling Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone is a book I really recommend to people who like books about magic and fiction. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone is about a boy called Harry whose parents are killed by a very dark wizard and left to live with the Dursley’s (his uncle, aunt and cousin), the only family he has. But soon he finds out that he is a wizard and goes to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry where he me