Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol is one fine example of Victorian literature at its best. The story has been adapted by various artists over the years across multiple art forms, each trying to capture what Dickens’ book so vividly brought to life. The book first hit shelves in December 1843, and today—a mere 178 years later—the festive holiday season remains dominated by that story, inspiring all kinds of merchandise and products every year....

For everyone outside the UK, it’s the London middle-class accent that’s generally seen as “the British accent” that represents the British Isles. But there are so many other British accents, each with its own unique twists that differ from the prim and proper speak of London southerners. Cities in the UK like Manchester, Liverpool, Newcastle, and Birmingham each have their own signature dialects, too, with their surrounding areas all speaking in derivative accents....

Yes, you’ll need a proper internet connection to stream. Yes, you’ll have to sit through advertisements. But you won’t have to pay a single cent, and you’ll find some pretty good shows out there. Of course, you’ll also have to slog through hundreds of not-as-interesting TV shows to find the good ones. And you’ll have to dig through those to find the good geeky ones. Or just look below, since we’ve done the hard work for you!...

Long ago, Nintendo helped pioneer the genre with the original Donkey Kong arcade game, then went even further with their plumber mascot, Mario, who’s best known for his platforming games. The Nintendo Switch continues in this tradition, offering players a rich library full of great platformer games to enjoy. If you’re looking to jump your way to victory, there are some must-plays here. Here are our picks for the best platformer Nintendo Switch games, including a healthy mix of modern hits and re-released classics....

Furthermore, writers are statistically more prone to self-harm—in fact, writers are twice more likely to commit suicide than others—as we’ve tragically seen in the world’s greatest authors and poets. Here are some of the greatest genius writers who were known to suffer with mental illness (and, as a byproduct, substance abuse), whose lives deserve to be remembered and celebrated. 10. Anne Sexton (1928–1974) The Pulitzer Prize is considered the highest honor in the world of literature and journalism....

Much like modern vampire movies, the vampires in anime are often modernized with cool and classy outfits, able to blend in with their respective societies. But most of all, they’re charming and likable. Vampires can appear in any genre of anime, even if they mainly tend to feature in horror and dark fantasy series. That makes sense, of course, since vampire stories often involve blood, and blood comes from violence....

From ye olde fantasy worlds to epic historical biopics, these films will take you back in time to worlds before modern technology—back to when sword fights, chivalrous knights, and royal power plays dominated. Here are our picks for the best medieval movies as well as movies that take place in medieval-inspired settings. 12. King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (2017) Guy Ritchie reimagines the myth of King Arthur in his playful and visually stunning fantasy drama King Arthur: The Legend of the Sword....

And so, most of the time, I find myself in a group of three. But I don’t consider that to be a bad thing, especially because there are so many great board games that are great for three players. In fact, many popular board games actually offer the best experience with just three players, even if they support larger counts. If you’re like me and your gaming group is primarily a trio, here are the best board games for three players that you need in your collection....

When you’re playing local multiplayer games on your couch, your mood can jump around. That’s why we aren’t focusing exclusively on couch co-op games or competitive games; we’re including both because it’s fun to play both when you’re on the couch. Here are our picks for the best local multiplayer games on Xbox Game Pass that you can play on your couch! 15. Unravel Two Unravel Two is a great cooperative platformer game to play with someone who may not have much gaming experience....

Founded by Daniel Katz in 2012, the studio is an infant compared to big players like Universal Pictures, a world-renowned company that’s been around since 1912. Even so, A24 has already made its mark such that audiences will check out a film simply for being A24. The independent American company is known for its cutting-edge and gorgeously-shot works of art that combine avant-garde elements with Hollywood foundations. Movies by A24 tend to be darker, more daring, and even neon-lit, while being approachable....

No matter how high a Barbarian’s strength, no matter how dexterous a Rogue might be, no matter how many spells a Wizard knows, they’re toast if they don’t have magic weapons and armor—or, at the very least, completely ineffective against whatever the Dungeon Master brings. But while magic weapons and armor have an important role to play in D&D, they’re not always the items that players fondly remember. As important as they are to gameplay balance, they aren’t what players will talk about when the final scene of the campaign comes to a close....

And when a kid’s movie does its villain well, he can be the kind of character that even adults can enjoy watching on screen. Which is a good thing, given that they’ll likely have to sit through that same movie a million times at the request of their kiddies. With that in mind, here are some of the best kid’s movies where the villain is fun, interesting, or downright awesome....

Mainstream anime series are often localized when they’re brought over to Western audiences, and that means some lines of dialogue are translated with creative liberties taken. The end goal is for tricky lines to be more relatable to Western audiences. But adapting an anime for Western audiences isn’t an exact science, and it’s certainly not a simple process. Differences in culture that don’t exist in the West—including certain language idioms and societal norms—make it tough to do direct translations....

But a great trading board game is more than just an activity where cards and pieces trade back and forth between hands—it’s an activity where players learn about each other, then exploit what they know. And while that might sound antagonistic and mean, it doesn’t have to be. In fact, many trading board games are light and fun, bringing friends and family to the same table and facilitating interaction. Here are my picks for the best trading board games full of negotiation and bartering, with wildly varied options depending on what exactly you want in a board game and who you’ll be playing with....

With the advent of today’s Golden Age of Television, that’s changed. British TV is now home to some of the greatest TV series the world has ever seen, and most of that’s due to the performers. Here are my picks for the best British TV actors across decades of British television, who have portrayed the most uniquely British experiences. 8. John Thaw John Thaw is a man who came from the classical era of British TV....

However, after Warner Brothers stopped pushing their filmmakers to make “Marvel movies in DC clothing” after significant backlash from critics and box office results, the DCEU began to find its footing. Allowing Zack Snyder to finish The Justice League was a signal from the studio that they knew they’d done wrong in the past and wanted to atone for their mistakes by giving fans the gift they wanted. Adopting a policy of working with auteur-driven filmmakers and allowing them to finish their vision for their movies has begun to work well for the DCEU, with movies that now look like they have a universe worth investing in as a member of the audience....

Cat girls are somewhat rare in anime, but they’re one of the unique character types that you’ll only find in anime (at least for now). Cat girl characters are becoming more popular because their mannerisms and personalities often make them adorable and lovable. In that sense, anime cat girls are usually designed for fan service—and for that, they certainly succeed. But more and more, we’re seeing anime cat girls who go against that type in different ways, including those who are badass, powerful, scary, or even creepy....

But underneath their socially awkward facades, you’ll often find stories that have them dealing with the most difficult challenges. In life, social anxiety and social awkwardness are generally taken as light obstacles—but they can be far more complex and strenuous than they first appear to those who don’t suffer from these issues. Here are the best movies about social anxiety and awkwardness, that display an understanding of the realities that such people face and paint them as fellow humans worthy of dignity....

Sound design, music tracks, and line delivery come together in establishing the emotional tone of a movie—and that’s no more apparent than when sound is intentionally omitted, like the silence of the boxing ring in Martin Scorsese’s Raging Bull. On the opposite side from Quentin Tarantino’s crafty character conversations are movie characters who speak very rarely or not at all. These silent characters can make a few lines go a long way, with each syllable hitting with that much more impact....

But did you know that Spielberg has also been involved in several projects beyond movies? Namely, TV shows! Through his company Amblin Entertainment, Steven Spielberg has directed, written, and produced all kinds of TV shows that bring his cinematic expertise to the small screen. Here are the best Steven Spielberg TV shows that range genres from sci-fi to war epics to family-friendly fun. 10. SeaQuest DSV SeaQuest DSV is set on a world where humanity occupies the seas, with the level-headed Captain Nathan Bridger commanding the SeaQuest DSV submarine....