The UK’s legendary horror studio, Hammer films, has been delighting fans over the past few months with reissues of classic movies from their illustrious back catalogue, carefully restored to allow 21st Century viewers to enjoy them with the blood reds and midnight blacks as vivid as when they were first made decades back.

You’ve probably already noticed that it’s getting darker a little bit later but did you know that tomorrow is the vernal, or spring, equinox?

Easter is again looming, and this year, for all those of you looking for a stimulating and cerebral alternative to the ubiquitous egg, or else something a little more menacing than a chocolate bunny, Alchemy has come-up with a distinctly more engaging option – ‘The Alchemist’ chocolate Mini-skull.

A good craftsman doesn’t just use the material they work with. They learn to work with it, appreciate it, respect it.

The first round of the famous London Fashion Week has recently passed and among all the new clothing and shoe designs, there was one accessory that dominated the runway yet again: the satchel.

Can there be anything eerier than a reborn doll? How about one of Bean Shanine’s undead reborn dolls?…

Absinthe has enjoyed something of a revival over the last 20-or-so years.

Set in a disturbingly plausible near future, where our obsession with celebrity has – almost literally – taken on the lethally contagious character of a virulent plague, Antiviral is chillingly compelling filmmaking. For those tired of predictable thrillers and brainless horror sequels, this bleak, original movie is both thoroughly thought-provoking and effectively stomach-churning.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIZb50HiBCo

Anyone whose ever had the misfortune to suffer a rodent infestation in their homes can tell you how loud such unwelcome guests can be, especially considering they have such little feet. Yet imagine if the mice or rats in question decided to tool up and don medieval armour in order to mount their assault… And if the cats, by way of an animal arms race, responded by doing the same… These are the sorts of curious fancies that the remarkable work of Jeff de Boer inspires. For Jeff is a Canadian artist whose attracted international acclaim with his unique, fully functional, life-sized suits of armour for cats, mice and rats.

Every year, around three million people congregate to Italy’s famous canalled city to celebrate the Carnival of Venice. This annual masked event started off as a Catholic celebration and runs until midnight on Shrove Tuesday, which marks the beginning of Lent and a period of fasting. In the past, games and feasts were a traditional part of festivities but these days, many revellers come to the city to enjoy music and dancing as well as getting dressed up.