Vampire hunting in Transylvania October 31, 2022 It’s been 125 years since Bram Stoker published Dracula, the novel partially set in the vast, untouched landscapes of Transylvania. Much has changed since then, but the destination remains—as one character puts it—”one of the wildest and least known portions of Europe.” With hillsides darkened by dense forests, pastoral farms toiled by horse and cart [...]
Ghost-chasing in Gothic Bath is a thrilling way to see the city October 31, 2022 THE WEEKEND: You might not think of Bath as the perfect place for a Halloween getaway, but there’s more to this city’s history than extravagant balls and witty debutantes. Mary Shelley was a resident and fans of gothic horror should check out the excellent House of Frankenstein, a highly interactive museum dedicated to the author [...]
Barbarian film review: Overstretched but inventive October 28, 2022 A surprise hit internationally, Barbarian has come out of nowhere to become a modern cult favourite. Set in Detroit, Georgina Campbell (Broadchurch) plays Tess, a woman in town for a job interview who has booked herself a rundown Airbnbstyle property. Upon arrival, she finds Keith (Bill Skarsgård) is already there, a double booking from another [...]
House of Hazelwood: Autumn Collection 2022 October 28, 2022 The family behind William Grant & Sons has one of the largest and most diverse collections of Scotch whiskies in the world. The House of Hazelwood, is dipping into their private inventory, selecting and bottling some of their most precious casks, and making them available to the drinking public. In the rolling Scottish countryside, just [...]
David Grutman, the “King of Miami” gives us his take on hospitality October 28, 2022 David Grutman is a hospitality impresario behind a string of restaurants, hotels and nightclubs in Miami. As he takes part in the AMEX Shaping Insights podcast, we caught up with him to quiz him on the state of hospitality Tell us about yourself I’m originally from Naples, which is about two hours from Miami, so [...]
Bros film review: Worthwhile LGBTQ rom-com October 28, 2022 Like Love, Simon a few years ago, new comedy Bros has had a fight getting to the big screen. The first gay romantic comedy released by a major studio, the film’s Imdb page was review bombed by online bigots prior to its release, while a disappointing opening weekend in the US led to some unfortunate [...]
Immerse yourself in Scorn’s thrilling hellscape this Halloween October 28, 2022 Scorn is the kind of game that makes you wonder what the whole deal is with humans. It’s designed in every way to be as unnerving, unpleasant and uncomfortable as possible, and yet it’s a compelling, even thrilling seven hours of your life. Designed by Serbian studio Ebb Software, it’s a love letter to Alien [...]
Things to do in London this weekend October 28, 2022 Last chance for London Literary Festival Talks and events largely with a climate focus are taking place at the Southbank Centre this weekend. It’s your last chance to attend, as the annual festival wraps up this Sunday. £ Various venues, until 30 October Comic Con Returns Michael Sheen, Tom Sturridge and Andy Serkis are a [...]
The Horror Show! at Somerset House is bizarre and brilliant October 28, 2022 The Horror Show! at Somerset House is hands down the weirdest major exhibition of the year. What sounds like a common-or-garden spooky Halloween show is in fact a kind of potted history of British counterculture from the 1980s until 2010. At least I think that’s what it is – after spending well over an hour [...]
Elton John’s new Tammy Faye musical is a glitter-ball triumph October 28, 2022 It’s hard to imagine a better team to assemble a new musical. James Graham: the prolific young playwright behind works including Best of Enemies, Quiz and The Vote. Rupert Goold: the Almeida’s artistic director who’s been involved in some of the best plays of the last decade. Jake Shears: the singer and songwriter behind the [...]