Too Good Short Film: A Heavenly Comedy Starring Jean Smart and Lil Rel Howery

Sometimes the final page of one’s book turns unexpectedly and it’s… the end.  Such a fate befalls the hero of Too Good, who finds himself outside the pearly gates with hardly a by your leave.  No problem, though – he’s lived a good life and God seems a fair kind of deity… or does she?

Starring Jean Smart as God and Lil Rel Howery as the hapless mortal whose life has been rather surprisingly curtailed, Too Good is a five minute slice of heavenly fun.  As it is so short, too much chat about what happens would only provide you with spoilers, so just sit back and enjoy this.  It was written and directed by Meron Alon and produced by Arjun Yadav.  If you are wondering where you have seen God before (that sounds like a truly metaphysical question, but I am talking about the actor!), Jean Smart has been around for a while. Quite a while (though not as long as the celestial being she plays with great relish).

She has enjoyed one of the most versatile careers in American acting. Smart first gained widespread recognition as Charlene Frazier on the television sitcom Designing Women and then went on to earn critical acclaim in dramatic roles in series such as 24, Watchmen, Mare of Easttown, and Hacks, (multiple major awards along the away). She has maintained a strong commitment to serious stage work, too, appearing in Broadway and regional theatre productions including The Man Who Came to Dinner and a revival of Piaf. Her career is notable for the range of roles she has played, moving effortlessly between comedy, drama, and theatre over more than four decades.

Lil Rel Howery you will probably remember from his “breakout” role in the acclaimed horror film Get Out. Since then, he has become a familiar face in both comedy and mainstream cinema, appearing in films such as Free Guy and Judas and the Black Messiah while continuing to build a successful career as a stand-up comedian and actor.  So Too Good has a great combination of acting talent (the kid and the nun are funny in their own way too) – enjoy!

Giorgi Potskhishvili: The Rising Ballet Star Wowing Audiences in Don Quixote

For me, one of the standout young male dancers in Europe right now  (if not the standout) is Giorgi Potskhishvili.  He is exceptionally strong technically (especially in classical roles like Swan Lake) and considered a rising international star, still relatively early in his peak career.  These excerpts from the Dutch National Ballet’s  Don Quixote, performed with Prima Ballerina Anna Tsygankova, show off his exemplary talents perfectly.  The first round of applause is one of delighted spontaneity – and the rest is a series of explosive jumps, precision, and stage energy that has been engaging audiences since he started his professional career in around 2018 (if my memory served me well).

The young Georgian is widely praised for his outrageously high-flying jumps, fast and precise turns, and an unusual sense of power and attack in his movement that makes him stand out on stage. Critics often highlight how he combines athletic virtuosity with control, so even his most daring steps remain clean and secure rather than messy or overextended. This could be in part down to his childhood - his early training in Georgian folk dance seems to have given him a grounded, energetic quality and exceptional stamina compared to many classically trained dancers. As a result, he is especially effective in bravura classical roles that demand showmanship and technical fireworks, where his strength, speed, and stage presence can really come to the fore.

Take a look and prepare for your jaw to meet the floor.

Edmund the Magnificent: David Bradley and Ian McKellen Bring a Pig's Tale to Life

There are a number of popular stories about pigs, most notably Charlotte’s Web, The Tale of Pigling Bland and Babe (we could throw in Animal Farm for good measure, but maybe that would spoil the mood).  There’s even the Three Little Pigs, if you want to explore the murkier depths of your childhood. So, here’s another one for your collection - Edmund the Magnificent.

This short film (rather gleefully narrated by Sir Ian McKellan) stars David Bradley (Argus Filch in the Harry Potter, Walder Frey in Game of Thrones not to mention The Doctor in Adventures in Time and Space) as a farmer who wants to revitalise his failing farm.  He buys a piglet from a local breeder (Mark Bonnar - Doctor Who, Shetland, Line of Duty, Guilt) and rears him to become the saviour of the farm – a new champion boar.

This pig gets spoiled in a way that Charlotte's Web's Wilbur could only dream of. When Edmund reaches maturity, he is introduced to a lady pig but there is no Discovery Channel action between the two of them.  Almost by chance, the farmer discovers that Edmund is in fact a card-carrying member of the rainbow club.  With no chance of piglets, the farmer falls into despair and must not only confront his farm’s imminent closure, but events from the past that ha has kept buried for years. If this all sounds a little depressing, fear not. This story has a happy ending – but I will leave you to discover how it resolves for yourself.  Needless to say, I hope it leaves you with a smile on your face.

Watch Edmund the Magnificent below:

Where Did the Elements in the Periodic Table Come From? The Amazing Story of the Universe

We all have to learn about the Periodic Table of the Elements at school, but have you ever wondered where they actually came from?  I have to say, I wish that there had been videos like this when I was younger, because although it may have been explained, it certainly didn’t stay in my head between then and now. So, courtesy of the Royal Observatory Greenwich we have a short, but perfectly formed.

To cut a long story short, 13.9 billion years ago the whole universe was squashed into a space the size of your head – and it was unimaginably  hotter.  Then, the universe began to rapidly expand in what we know as The Big Bang. But we didn’t have elements, just yet.  Particles came along – electrons being among the first. Quarks also appeared, and soon they started binding together to form protons and neutrons. Protons of course (!) are the basis of the smallest element in the universe – hydrogen.  I’m going to leave the rest up to you to discover!

Doggles – Dogs in Sunglasses

Image Credit Flickr User mphoenix

You have probably seen them, those cool dogs chilling with their sunglasses on.  Over at our sibling site the Ark in Space there is a whole gallery of dogs in shades.  Seeing is believing!  I am not sure that I can ever remember seeing a dog in sunglasses before, but I have to say these pampered pooches seem very happy to have these vital accessories - perhaps they're all social media influencers trying to nab a juicy client?  Whatever the reason, they certainly look very cool.

Spider-Noir Was Not Nicolas Cage’s First TV Show – This Was…

Having just finished Spider-Noir (and thoroughly enjoyed it), I felt the need to read a few reviews of the show to see if my opinion matched with those of the critics.  It did – Spider-Noir is widely considered an entertaining and visually unique show, with a distinct and very stylish noir aesthetic.  However, several of the reviews stated that this was Nicolas Cage’s first TV show – something that isn’t quite correct…

In fact, Cage has dipped his toe in to TV waters once or twice over the years, most notably taking a co-starring role in 1981’s The Best of Times.  At that time, he was billed as Nicolas Coppola (his real name). It was broadcast by ABC on July 13, 1981 – and as it was a TV Pilot, it was most likely shot a few months earlier. As Nicolas Cage was born on January 7, 1964, this means he was 17 years old at the time of broadcast and was probably 17 during filming as well (assuming filming took place in spring 1981).  

What If He-Man Worked at a Grocery Store? Prince Adam’s Funniest Career Move

Prince Adam of Eternia, the alter-ego of He-Man, has lost everything to his sworn enemy Skeletor.  He has even had to sleep on his friend Ram Man’s couch. Now down at heel, he needs to find himself a job.  Where else would he go but to the Job Centre for Cartoon Characters, which puts him to work at a supermarket immediately…  In this case it is Asda (if you live in America, think Walmart – which did own Asda till 2021, but that’s another story).

Unfortunately, poor old Adam is in for something of a shock when he meets the supermarket manager…  but never mind, he has the perfect job for our young prince. Created by British comedian Leigh Francis, this sketch is well-timed in some ways, with the He-Man movie just having hit cinemas.  At least it gives us a good idea what could happen if the movie bombs… 

Alone - A Lonely Robot Finds a Friend

I enjoy a simple story, well told.  As such Alone fits into that category perfectly.  Set aboard a future spacecraft, it tells the story of a robot given the lonely job of cleaning, polishing and maintaining everything while the humans on board wait out the journey in suspended animation.  After a while, the robot becomes lonely and decides to take some action to remedy the situation.  Soon, there are two robots. However, every action has a reaction – and soon there are issues aboard the spaceship.  There are difficult choices ahead…

This animated short was created by students at the UTS Animal Logic Academy in Australia.  It’s not long, but it’s perfectly formed.  There is a dash of WALL-E, a slither of R2D2 and a dash of Silent Running in the design of the robots – but they come across very well as their own creations.  The list of names involved is far too long to include here, but I would like to say a thank you to everyone involved in this wonderful creation!

Top Casino Movies to Watch This Year

Casino movies never really go out of fashion. One year it's poker. The next it's a casino heist. Then somebody discovers an old classic and suddenly everyone's talking about it again. Part of the appeal is that these movies rarely focus on gambling alone. The cards, chips and roulette wheels are usually sitting in the background while something else is happening. A scam. A friendship falling apart. A bad decision getting worse.

If you're looking for something to watch this year, these are a few movies that are still worth your time.

The Sting

Some older movies feel outdated. The Sting doesn't. Image

It’s all about a con, and the less you know going in, the better. Paul Newman and Robert Redford do most of the heavy lifting, but the script deserves a lot of the credit too. It's one of those movies where you think you've figured things out, then realise you're probably a step behind. There are bigger casino movies. There are louder casino movies. Very few are this satisfying.

Jan Ravnik's Stunning Dance Video Interpretation of ROSALÍA's 'Berghain'

The official video for Berghain by ROSALÍA featuring Björk & Yves Tumor was an emotional roller-coaster (and probably one of the best of last year). Now, Jan Ravnik (above), Slovenian professional dancer director and choreographer has released a dance video of the track – and its as startling as the original in its own way.  Ravnik strips away almost all the symbolism - no forest, animals, orchestra, or religious imagery—and focuses entirely on the body as the storyteller.  From the opening, where we see him slide down a precipitous wall (which isn’t a wall – how did they do that?), the tone is set.  Using a wonderful ensemble of dancers, the movements mirror the lyrical content – and the dancers’ fluid (often erratic) movements seem symbolic of the feeling of being overwhelmed by intense emotion – this is heartbreak but it’s transformative. 

This is viscerally powerful dance – incredibly physical and simply boiling with emotional energy.   It’s little wonder that Jan Ravnik's performance in Berghain is so captivating – and that he elicits the same level of intensity from the ensemble. Having worked with global stars including Taylor Swift, Mariah Carey, Bruno Mars and Lewis Capaldi, he has earned a reputation for combining technical brilliance with powerful emotional expression, making him one of the most respected dancers working today.  It is great to see him combine his talents into this dance video – I think I must have already watched it about ten times.  I suspect you will want to watch it more than once at least!  

Who Was Mary Anning? Watch the Animated Story of Britain's Pioneer Fossil Hunter

This animated short, created by the Natural History Museum in London, tells us the story, in animated form, of Mary Anning.  She was born in 1799 and only lived till she was 47, but left a legacy as a pioneering palaeontologist who really should have received much more recognition while she was alive, frankly.  What got in her was her gender – she was barred from belonging to any of the serious scientific “clubs” of the time simply because she was a woman.  Not that it stopped her – she discovered the first ichthyosaur – not to mention an almost complete plesiosaurus and spent her life collecting and studying fossils on Britain’s Jurassic Coast.

This video is a great introduction to Anning and is suitable for young and old audiences alike – who will no doubt take away different things from this story of someone who refused to give in doing what she loved simply because she was born with the “wrong” body parts.  As much as anything else, Anning’s discoveries massively increased our understanding of life on our planet millions of years ago and many of her discoveries are still on exhibit at the Natural History Museum.  Watch the animated story of Mary Anning’s life below.

Kazuho Monster Suitcase Dance - A Fantastic Blend of Popping, Moonwalk and Robot Movements

Kazuho Monster is a Japanese dancer, model and social media performer best known in his home country for his extraordinary "animation dance", robot dance, and moonwalk-style illusions. His real name is Kazuho Horino (堀野 一穂), and he comes from Hadano in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan.  Describing himself as the world’s most off-stage dancer, he does what it says on the label and dances anywhere, anytime, any place.  I am new to this dancer and I must say this video has massively impressed me, not just for the variety of movement that you can see on display, but his technical control which allows him to make this all seem very, very easy, casual even.  But don’t try most of these moves at home unless you want a hernia!

Kazuho Monster is known for “animation dance”, which is a recognised style name in Japan. It refers to dance that looks like stop-motion or cartoon-like movement with robotic or unreal body control.  In terms of the English-speaking world, we would probably refer to his style as a robot-moonwalk-popping hybrid.  He’s not that easy to pin down!

In this video, he has just purchased a RAWROW hard-shell suitcase and is set to take off on a trip somewhere. However, the suitcase seems to have other ideas and refuses to move!  There is one particularly clever sequence in this video where it seems to hang in mid air while Kazuho tries to pull it this way and that.  It’s incredibly clever – and Kazuho must have some pretty serious upper body strength to carry this move off, which he does perfectly. 

Does the suitcase finally comply with its new owner’s desire to get to the plane on time? Watch the video and find out!

Spider-Noir Opening Title Sequence: A Perfect Blend of Noir Visuals and KIRBY's 'Saving Grace'

The opening title sequence for Spider-Noir, the new superhero series developed by Oren Uziel for MGM+ and Prime Video (and produced by SPTV) is slick, stylized and dark – a perfect match for the series starring Nicholas Cage, Brendan Gleeson and Li Jun Li. I had to double-check another cast member, Lukas Haas, and sure enough, the last memory I have of him is when he played the part of the Amish child who witnesses a murder in the 1985 Harrison Ford vehicle Witness.  There are plenty of other familiar faces in the show, but back to the opening title sequence. The title sequence was created by Digital Kitchen, the long-running design and motion graphics studio behind title work for shows such as Dexter, Narcos, and True Detective.

The sequence establishes a pulpy, and haunting tone which fits perfectly into the film noir genre, with the use of dark imagery and evocative music used to introduce us to the world of alternate New York City, telling us, handily enough, that Spider our erstwhile hero, has not been spotted fighting crime for a while.  We see Ben Reilly (Cage) as well as some of the other characters who will feature in the series using broken mirror imagery, which serves as a visual metaphor for both the protagonist’s fractured identity as well as the state of the city in which he lives.  This imagery perfectly reinforces the show’s dark, noir-inspired tones (even though I have chosen to watch it in colour), highlighting the theme that he really isn’t the man he was (before he was the man he was!) and is trying to put his life back together whilst at the same time being haunted by his own history as well as a personal tragedy.  I particulalry like the way we learn about what has been happening in New York and to Spider-Noir through the newspaper headlines that are interspersed throughout the title sequence, which establishes the backstory - a nice touch (and yes, it's been done before but this feels very fresh).

The chosen track is spot on, too. It is “Saving Grace” by KIRBY and is a great choice. It was written specifically for Spider-Noir rather than being an older song that was reused. It creates a smoky, cinematic mood with a dash of melancholy, and has an introspective, haunting quality which, like everything else about this intro, sets the tone for the show beautifully.

The opening is attracting a lot of attention, with one commenter on YouTube saying “This is definitely one of my favourite tv openings ever.”  By the number of likes on that comment, they are not alone in their thoughts.  I, too, think it is pitch-perfect for the show.  Another says “We may skip a lot of intros but not this one”  while a third admits “I’ve never skipped the intro even once .. one of the greatest opening themes I’ve ever heard”.  High praise indeed – and a quick addition from myself – I love it!

How Stalin Rose to Power: Brutality, Strategy, and Animated Satire

Depending on how you look at him, Stalin was either brutal, bloodthirsty gangster or.., well, a brutal bloodthirsty gangster with a plan.  Regardless on where you stand on the man and his legacy, learning about his rise to power is not one of those boring history lessons you had to sit through at school, because there was so much bloodshed that it makes a Game of Thrones look like an Enid Blyton adventure in comparison.  He certainly did have a knack for getting where he wanted to be (the top) and those who underestimated him never saw it coming. And even if they did, there wasn't much, apparently, that they could do.

So, the story of his rise is QI.  It’s made even more interesting, here, because Netherlands-based Mitsi Studio has taken it upon themselves to tell the story in the form of an animated (tragi) comedy.  This comes complete with character animations that, if they were timelords, are seemingly the new incarnations of Michael Bentine’s Potties (do you remember Potty Time? Well, that puts a sell-by date on you for sure).  This video shows Stalin's rise – and we are promised a second instalment in the near future which shows what happened when his absolute power was secured (more blood).  This is great fun – very knowing and ironic (“because Russia is Russia” is given as the reason why the Royal Family were murdered).  Watch it below:  It may seem a little callous to laugh at such a bleak time in history but, you know, comedy is comedy.

Gargoyles – Glorious Gruesome Grotesques

Gargoyles – they are strange, bizarre, unpleasant or just plain ugly. They have been hovering around our towns and cities for centuries, for so long that it can be forgotten that they have meaning and purpose. Take a tour of the weird world of the gargoyle.

Image Credit Flickr User Beggs

A gargoyle is a carved stone grotesque statue, and they were designed to convey water away from the roof and the sides of large buildings. We associate them mostly with medieval times thanks to a certain hunchback but they have been around much longer than that. They are more than just scary statues as if they were not there then the mortar between the stones of their buildings would, in time, erode away and the building would fall over. Many gargoyles take the shape of animals and – lost to our modern minds – these creatures were chosen for a purpose. This is why...

Oniko - オニコ

I’m dying to, but if I told you what Oniko means in Japanese, that would probably set off the spoiler alert sirens! So, I won’t – I will just urge you instead to watch Oniko, a collaborative group project by Masters of Animation and Visualisation 2025 students at the UTS Animal Logic Academy in Sydney, Australia.  Don’t look up why it’s called the Animal Logic Academy – I’ve done it for you.  It isn’t a bizarre veterinarian college with a quirky little animation wing added on at the back. It’s named after the famous Australian animation and VFX studio Animal Logic, which partnered with the University of Technology Sydney to create the academy.  So, now on to the animation - and it is rare to see such an exquisitely crafted piece from a professional animation studio, let alone from a group of students.  I suspect that might sound a little patronising, which I don't mean in any way - I can only give the highest praise for this exceptional piece of art.

It opens with a young high-born woman fleeing a palace in Edo-period Japan, carrying her infant son in a sling.  She escapes through the snowbound landscape as seemingly supernatural samurai pursue her through the darkness.  When there seems to be no escape for her something inexplicable happens that will change her life – and that of her baby – forever.  Developed by the student cohort through all its stages of development and production, Oniko will leave you on the edge of your seat to the very end.  Already, commenters on YouTube are calling for a sequel of for this to be developed into a full animated movie.  I can only say that I agree with them!

This Hunchback of Notre Dame A Cappella Medley Performance Gave Me Chills

This brought a tear to my eye, but I’m at a funny age (or so I’m told).  However, when this video came my way (thank you mysterious YouTube algorithms), it combined two things. First, it’s music from my favourite Disney animated movie, The Hunchback of Notre Dame.  Secondly, it features my two favourite songs from the film – The Bells of Notre Dame and Out There.  They’re not back to back either, the latter segues seamlessly in and out of the latter (and vice versa) in a gorgeous medley. My reaction? Bloody Hell! Forgive me for getting a little Ron Weasley there, but this is fantastic.  The voices are pitch perfect. Plus. all of the singers seem to be having a whale of a time; they are absolutely in their element.

It looks like Swedish acapella quartet Ringmasters bumped into London-based classical ensemble VOCES8 in a bar, discovered they had a mutual love for all things Quasi, and said “Hey! Let’s put on a show!”.  Or maybe not.  In fact, the songs by Alan Menken were arranged by Aaron Dale, and adapted by Rasmus Krigström.  It must have taken some rehearsal time, too, to get this to the point at which we witness it – it’s incredibly emotive (re the tears), full of genuine feel for the characters and the storytelling (well done, chaps) and allows full ensemble participation.  To cap it all and make it feel even more astonishingly good than it already is, the only instrument used throughout is the human voice.  Fly, my pretties, fly!

Mensa, Mensa, Mensam… and Other Memories of Learning Latin

'In wine there is truth, in water there is health'

Back in the day - 1979, when I was a 14 year old schoolboy, Year 10 loomed menacingly (we called it 4^th form back then) and we had to choose our options for O’ Levels - an academic rite of passage for UK kids.  These would, a few years after I did them, be renamed GCSEs in yet another governmental attempt to reinvent the wheel – standing for General Certificate in Secondary Education.  If you’re not from the UK, these are the main qualifications kids do when they hit 16 (sometimes before, but usually at that age). The “O” in O’ Level stood for “Ordinary”, so I suppose the name change made the process of gaining the qualifications (a Herculean task, which it remains to this day) seem rather more dignified than merely scraping through something “ordinary”.  Without irony, the next Level, which was and still is called A’ Level stood and stands for “advanced” so you can see the logic in changing the name, at least. Image

Still with me? Now when it came to our “options” – we had some choice.  Nationally, every school had to offer English Language and Literature, with Maths the bitter cherry on the top of the compulsory subject sundae.  We also had to choose at least one science (from Physics, Chemistry and Biology). Then there was RE – Religious Education. There was an O’ Level for this, from which my school bizarrely opted out, meaning we had to be the donkeys without a carrot, forced to attend some seriously boring classes without even a tantalising glimpse of an exam to at least make it seem something more than a waste of everyone's time.  We also had to do PE (Physical Education), which again was not examined but for the most part was fun. So much for options!

Pride the Musical: The Beloved 2014 Film Heads to the National Theatre

Do you remember the charming, touching and funny 2014 film Pride? It was based on the true story of the unlikely coming together of two groups, during the miners’ strike in the UK, over 1984-85.  On one hand, you had the miners, Welsh (although the strike was across the whole of the UK), small town and a little insular. On the other hand, a group called Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners (LGSM) who were from London - the big smoke - formed to support the long-lasting strike and oppose the then government in its policy of pit closures.

You might watch the video below and think “I can’t remember that song in the film” – even though this new stage cast belt it out wonderfully.  You would be right – the song You Stood By Me was written for a new stage production of this much-loved story.

Well now, cariadau – they’ve only gone and done that thing that people seem very fond of doing these days. They’ve turned it into amusical.  To be fair, I can’t think of a movie that would lend itself better to the full musical treatment.  For a start, much of it is set in Wales, and that’s the land of song – so far, so obvious!  Oh and also, half the characters in it are gay (is that too stereotypical? I’m afraid you will have to live with it).  When you think about it, this was the ultimate destiny for the story…

(No, this isn't the official poster; it's just a little fun I had to help illustrate this post to try and capture the 1980s colour tones!).

At the heart of Pride is the idea that people who seem completely different can discover common ground through solidarity, empathy and shared struggle. No one is portrayed as perfect by any means – both groups have fears, stereotypes (them again) and prejudices.  Yet those barriers gradually break down as people recognize their shared humanity.  It shows us that solidarity between ordinary people (even vastly different ordinary people) can be stronger than division.

So, here’s a preview of one of the songs from the new musical, which is due to open on 11 June at the National Theatre in London.  Tickets are already going like Welsh cakes and are pretty much sold out till July – which says a lot about how anticipated this new musical is.   Have a watch and a listen – this is great.

If you would like a to learn a little more about this project, below you will find Pride writer Stephen Beresford chatting with Welsh Mining Community Members Dai Donovan and Siân James, as well as original LGSM Member, Jonathan Blake, all whose remarkable story inspired the hit-film turned new musical.

Gloucestershire Cheese Rolling 2026: Britain Loses Its Own Craziest Tradition to International Competitors

Out of the many fine British traditions that have inexplicably failed to take off outside of the country, cheese-rolling stands tall and proud – or possibly lands flat and painfully depending on whether you are a competitor or simply a spectator. The 2026 cheese-rolling championship has just taken place in the county of Gloucestershire (Cooper's Hill to be exact) and – as an event like this warrants – naturally made that evenings national 10 o’clock news.  Well it would, wouldn’t it?  Yet chasing a large wheel of cheese down a very steep hill isn’t just for Brits – apparently.

This year, both male and female winners were from abroad (I believe they are referred to as “Johnny Foreigners” in some drinking establishements in some parts of the country by some people).  The men’s race was won by Tom Kopke from Germany, whose sanity is no longer in any doubt because he’s won it three times altogether (including this year).  After all, you can’t be mad if you have won something so often… can you? I’m personally intrigued about what training he must do to prepare for the 1:2 gradient slope and how he decides which direction down to take in pursuit of the 3kg wheel of Double Gloucester cheese which can get up to 70mph in speed.  Sane or not, he certainly blitzed the competition again. Ah... is that too soon?

Alice Hougault from France won the more genteel (OK, that’s not the right adjective) women’s race, meaning that no British folk were able to out-compete the international competitors.  As one commenter on YouTube has declared with tongue ever so slightly in cheek: “Bloody German coming over here and winning our cheese rolling competition.”  Another, rather more despondently pointed out: “If we cant even win this, how are we going to win the world cup?”.  I have to include this last one – “I camembert the thought of losing to a German. I bet everyone were cheesed off and couldn't brielieve their eyes.”

So, over to the very serious news report from the BBC…

Stephen Fry Discusses a Portrait of Oscar Wilde

When it comes to comparisons, Stephen Fry has certainly been compared to Oscar Wilde any number of times.  It didn’t help that he played him in a 1997 film, I suppose. Yet if you are going to be compared to someone, you could do far worse than Wilde.  Of course, that wasn’t always the case and here, courtesy of the National Portrait Gallery in London, Fry talks about his discovery of Wilde and the connection he feels to the man is obvious – he gets quite emotional at one point in this short.  One can only wonder at how Wilde would have judged Fry’s recent turn as Lady Bracknell in a controversial but nevertheless very popular revival of The Importance of Being Earnest.

This video is part of a series by the National Portrait Gallery which gives people the opportunity to discuss a portrait that has shaped their lives.  It’s a lovely idea and I hope it long continues.  Watch Stephen Fry wax lyrical over Oscar below.

GCSE English Language Paper 2 2026 Predictions: What AQA’s Questions and Unseen Texts Could Be

As an English teacher in the UK, I enjoy the short period of peace between the two GCSE Language Papers.  Paper 1 for 2026 has come and gone (I’m writing about the AQA exam). We now have a short respite from its brutal body blow before Paper 2 arrives in the ring and socks us squarely in the jaw for the knockout punch. OK, being an English teacher doesn’t necessarily make you much good with metaphors - I will admit that much. However, it also gives me some time to play my annual guessing game and to try and predict what is coming at us in Paper 2.

Before we look at my predictions for Paper 2, you are probably asking whether I got them right for Paper 1.  You can read my predictions for Paper 1 here, but essentitally - and at the risk of sounding a little Vicky Pollard (look her up) - yeah, but no, but yeah.  I did say “I am going to take a punt on the late 50s” and also this: “If they go with an American author, I am pretty sure they have been itching to use something by Shirley Jackson for years...”.  As luck would have it, the text for Paper 1 was Shirley Jackson’s “Haunting of Hill House” from 1959.   Although I did finally settle with other texts as my primary predictions (two were from 1959!), that’s not bad really, is it?  It taught me something (again) - always go with your gut.

Part of Your World in Japanese – From The 2026 Little Mermaid Musical in Maihama, Japan

In August, Japan will be getting a new version of The Little Mermaid musical. It is a very well-liked story and versions of it have been staged over the years but this production looks very special (if you like that kind of thing!). I always enjoy listening to familiar songs in other languages, to see how different they sound and feel. This is an incredibly sweet rendition of Part of Your World, sung by Rina Tachibana, where Ariel sings with a gentle sense of longing and wonder, capturing the same emotional heart of the original while giving it a soft Japanese theatrical style.

The new production is based at The Maihama Amphitheater, a live performance venue located in Maihama, an area in Urayasu near Tokyo. It sits close to Tokyo Disney Resort.  How does this all come about? The Disney–Shiki Partnership is a long-term licensing and production collaboration between The Walt Disney Company and Shiki Theatre Company, one of Japan’s biggest theatre companies.

In simple terms, Disney writes and owns the musicals (like The Little Mermaid, The Lion King, Frozen), and Shiki is the Japanese company that stages and performs them in Japan. They translate the shows into Japanese, cast local performers, and run long-term productions in dedicated theatres across cities like Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya.  In this case it is the Maihama Amphitheater.  Take a look at Part of Your World below – and if you are anything like me, you are probably weighing up a visit to Japan in August!

Wolf, Are You There? (Loup, y es-tu?)

This is dark.  Created by a group of Rubika students, this animated shorts tells the story of Mischa, a girl who seems to be left pretty much to her own devices by the adults who surround her.  The short is symbolicaslly rich – Mischa makes a violin out of paper, which perhaps shows the fragility of anything beautiful or special in her world.  As she proceeds around the apartment in a vain attempt to play for the “monsters” who inhabit the apartment (ie the adults) she is met with ill-temper, disregard and finally interest, but not in her music.

The wolf of the title is always there and always closing in… “Loup, y es-tu ?” (“Wolf, are you there?”) is a very well-known French children’s game and song. It’s commonly played in nursery and primary schools in France and other French-speaking places. The game works a bit like “What’s the Time, Mr Wolf?” in English-speaking countries.  Whether or not the wolf will eat Mischa in the end, you must discover for yourself.  This is an incredibly striking animation, which will stay with you afterwards.  The design, from characters to backgrounds is outstanding.

Well done to the Rubika students involved in the creation of this remarkably mature yet sombre piece of art with deep psychological undertones.  It was directed by Louise Laurent, Alizée Vandevalle, Emma Fessart, Jeanne Galland, Célina Lebon and Annouck François, with music by Mathis Coopman and sound design by Louise Laurent. This is a challenging watch but a rewarding one.

Bordeaux Architecture in Motion: A Beautiful Hyperlapse Tour of the City

Bordeaux is, of course, famous for its wine (and rightly so).  Yet there is more to the French city than fermented grapes – its architecture is simply amazing,  When you considers its long history, this might not be surprising, but its extent leaves many visitors (very pleasantly) surprised.  One visitor last year was Kirill Neiezhmakov, who is famed for his hyperlapse photography and has been featured here many times on Kuriositas.  Before you experience this, note that none of the footage you are about to watch was shot with drones or gimbals (a pivotal support mechanism) which may leave you wondering just how this was made...  You can learn more about this by going to the video on YouTube.

Neiezhmakov catches many of the city’s famous buildings here, from the Place de la Bourse to the Grosse Cloche to the Grand Théâtre de Bordeaux.  Apparently, some buildings were clad in scaffolding during his visit, but the result that we see looks like a gloriously sunny trip to one of France’s most famous cities (it rained, but we don’t see that!).  Bordeaux has always looked great and this video is a perfect showcase for the remarkable and ancient city.

Yaxlont: A Delightful Twist on the Monster Under the Bed Story

In the just slightly alternative reality we are presented with in Yaxlont, monsters who live under the bed are real and anyone can see them (well, the kids at least – it isn’t made clear whether adults can).  They befriend a child who needs them and usually fade away when the child hits eleven or twelve years old.  This isn’t the case with Joe (played by Joe Barber who you might remember from Adolescence) who is seventeen and still has “Yax” with him.

There is a small problem, though, which comes in the shape of Jess (Emily Burnett).  Jess needs help with her homework and Joe (somewhat smitten) brings her home to study, much to Yax’s horrified chagrin.  Played by Freddie Meredith (who was in a number of episodes of Andor – and many other TV shows), Yax comes across as a fully-formed and highly sympathetic… monster under the bed.   Yax and Joe have something of a fine bromance going on between them, but perhaps Yax should have researched what happens to adolescent boys a little bit before the helping with the maths homework in the bedroom scenario.  Perhaps, too, he has become a little set in his ways - but Yax's learning curve is about to become a lot curvier.

Written and created by Uncle Shortbread (Arthur Studholme and Cosmo Wellings), and presented by the BBC, this comedy short is something of a delight.

How I Finally Grew Delphiniums Successfully

Delphiniums are not considered impossible to grow in the UK, but for a casual gardener (ie lazy) they can prove to be something of a challenge. So, I’m more than happy to have had my second year of beautiful delphinium spikes in the garden.  However, it was a bit of a slog getting to this point!  As you can see from the picture above, this year they are already in full bloom.  OK, some members of the RHS might sniff a little, but I am very happy with their iridescent blueness – a very cheery addition to the garden.  However, not every year has been as happy as this…  

The pictures are all from May 2026.

The first year I tried to grow delphiniums, I bought them from seed and followed all of the instructions to the letter.  The seedlings poked up, had a look around and in a fit of flowery nihilism, decided it wasn’t worth the bother hanging around.  I think perhaps I tried to look after them too much - maybe I overwatered them or just simply put them off existing by my overexcitement at their presence. The second year, I bought some bare roots -and they came up.  Unfortunately, a storm came and flattened them.  They didn't try again. That was that for another year.

The Close – What Life in the UK is Really Like

If you are thinking of settling in any of the nations of the United Kingdom, then you are probably aware that you will have to take the Life in the UK test (which assesses applicants’ knowledge of British history, values, laws, traditions, and everyday civic responsibilities for citizenship).  However, I would advise you to watch this, as it is more informative about what really goes on here. So, instead of learning about Welsh Christmas traditions, or what the Scots do at Easter – or any of the other things that most of the people who were born in the UK don’t know about either, learn from this animated short instead.

The Close, by Birdbox Studio (and here hosted by the BBC) takes a close look (ah, couldn’t resist it) at everyday life in an average British street.  There’s the mum trying to get three dogs and a kid organised (sorry, that’s three kids and a dog), the grumpy old lady next door, the bashful teenagers, the one-night-standers, the randy decorators, the middle aged cyclist who really shouldn’t be wearing lycra, the home-worker with homicidal kids, the fellah who has a strange idea about masculine ideals. They’re all here. And so is the American interloper, the grey squirrel, who just wants to climb a tree but doesn't look like he has passed any tests for that recently.  Put these elements together and you will get a real impression of what life is like on a quiet British street.  Of course, like anything else British, behind the calm exterior there is usually just sheer chaos.

Hats off to writer and director Ant Blades and the team for creating something so funny and memorable. So, rip up your Life in the UK book and watch this instead.  You still might not pass the test, but at least it won’t have cost you fifty quid. And you might have learned something useful.

Temptation – Will Dave the Bungling Bear Get his Tasty Treats?

Meet Dave. Dave is a bear.  And he is hungry – always hungry.  And there is candy and other sweet treats everywhere.  Of course, in time-honoured toon tradition, he must have a nemesis who stands in his gluttonous path.  But spare a thought for Dave – he has two, in the shape of compulsive hoarder Roy the Squirrel and Audrey, the “Fearless Leader” of the local scout pack.  Oh dear. Poor Dave.  Will he ever manage to get his furry mitts on the goodies or will Roy and Audrey forever stand in his way?

He certainly has his work cut out for him, as did the bunch of Rubika students who produced this outstanding (and gleefully violent) animated short. The film was created by Camille Canonne (who came up with the original idea), Laura Bouillet, Michael Hoft, Catherine Le Quang, Pauline Raffin and Martin Villert, with music and sound design by Julien Auclair and Arthur Romain. Voice performances are provided by Arthur Romain, Julien Auclair and Coralie Vallias.  This is a superlative piece of animated glee, especially when you take into account that these are students working on a limited budget.  Fantastic – take a look below.

GCSE English Language Paper 1 2026 Predictions: What AQA’s Unseen Text Could Be

As an English teacher in the UK, each year I play a guessing game.  The game is “What will be the unseen text for GCSE English Language Paper 1?” (AQA board) and sometimes I am pretty close. Can I get it right in 2026?  (Here are my Paper 2 predictions).

Last year, for example, I told my students I expected something like John Wyndham’s The Chrysalids to turn up, as science fiction hadn’t featured for a while in GCSE English Paper 1 (not since Ray Bradbury’s A Sound of Thunder in November 2018). Now, I didn’t get the novel right – it was The Midwich Cuckoos – but I did get the novelist.  

You're probably not too impressed with that, but you can go to the back of the class and be quiet for once.  Regardless, here are my predictions (aka guesses) for this year.