Five feature-length action adventures based on the Marvel comic.

In 'X-Men' (2000), mutants Professor Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart) and Magneto (Ian McKellen) are former friends, but look set to become mortal enemies when fascist US senator Robert Frank Kelly calls for the registration of all humans with abnormal powers. While telepath Xavier, who runs an altruistic academy for superhuman 'X-Men', wishes to enlighten non-mutants and break down the prejudices which divide them, Magneto believes that the only solution is for the mutants to take over. Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) - an aggressive loner with an admantium skeleton and the ability to heal his body of any wound - and teenager Rogue (Anna Paquin), who can absorb the life force of others simply by touching them, are selected by Xavier to join his academy, but it isn't long before Magneto's followers are attempting to capture them so that they can assist in his plan for world domination.

In the sequel, 'X-Men 2' (2003), Xavier, Wolverine and the X-Men find themselves in the firing line after a failed assassination attempt on the president points the finger at the school. It was in fact the mysterious teleporter Nightwalker (Alan Cumming) who ordered it, and, in an attempt to clear their names, the X-Men are led into a trap set by the evil William Stryker (Brian Cox), a mysterious scientist apparently working for the government. As it soon becomes evident that Stryker's agenda is to destroy all mutants, the X-Men need to call in the help of many of their old friends and foes, including Magneto, if they are to stop him.

In the third film, 'X-Men: The Last Stand' (2006), the mutants are given the option of giving up their powers and becoming human after a private laboratory supported by the government finds a way to use the DNA of a powerful boy to correct the mutants. However, Magneto opposes and decides to join a force to fight against the government and kill the mutant boy. Meanwhile, Jean Grey (Famke Janssen) resurrects, uncontrolled by Xavier, and with the personality of the powerful Dark Phoenix. She destroys Cyclops (James Marsden) and Xavier and allies herself to the evil forces of Magneto, making them almost invincible.

The fourth film in the franchise, 'X-Men: Origins - Wolverine' (2009) is a prequel to the other three films. Hugh Jackman reprises his role as Wolverine, who, some 20 years before the action of the original movie, is seeking revenge on his half-brother Victor Creed (Liev Schreiber) for the death of his girlfriend, and eventually signs up to the ominous Weapon X programme.

Finally, 'X-Men: First Class' (2011) charts the beginning of the saga, following Professor X (James McAvoy) and Magneto (Michael Fassbender) through their formative years in the 1960s as they come to terms with their newfound superpowers. Initially close friends who work together to fight against evil, the two men are driven apart by a conflict of opinion that ultimately leads to the eternal war between Magneto's Brotherhood and Professor X's X-Men.

Double bill of children's features that mix CGI animation and live action to follow the adventures of the Smurfs. In 'The Smurfs' (2011) after being chased by dark wizard Gargamel (Hank Azaria), the Smurfs find themselves transported from their village in the Middle Ages to modern-day New York. There they seek shelter in the home of Patrick Winslow (Neil Patrick Harris) and his wife, Grace (Jayma Mays), but with Gargamel on the loose, the Smurfs are running out of time to get back to their village. In 'The Smurfs 2' (2013) when Gargamel kidnaps Smurfette (voice of Katy Perry) and steals her away to Paris, the rest of the Smurf gang team up with their human friends Patrick and Grace to try and retrieve her from his clutches. However, with Smurfette the key to Gargamel's plans to transform his latest minions, the Naughties (voiced by Christina Ricci and J.B. Smoove), into Smurfs, this will be no simple task - not least because Smurfette seems rather taken by the Naughties...

Based on the characters created by Peyo for the 1980s television series, this family comedy is a mix of CGI animation and live action. After being chased by dark wizard Gargamel (Hank Azaria) the Smurfs find themselves transported from their village in the Middle Ages to modern-day New York. There they seek shelter in the home of Patrick Winslow (Neil Patrick Harris) and his wife, Grace (Jayma Mays), but with Gargamel on the loose, the Smurfs are running out of time to get back to their village. The film features the voice talents of Jonathan Winters, Katy Perry, Alan Cumming, George Lopez and Paul Reubens.

A decade after the legendary Mask of Loki wreaked havoc on the life of an unsuspecting adult, cartoonist Tim Avery's new son is born with the Mask's spectacular powers, turning the household upside down.

But Loki has come looking for his mask and is willing to do whatever it takes to get it back.

Ten years of luminous photographic portraits of Hollywood celebrities who attended the most exclusive and glamorous after-party of the year For the past decade, photographer Mark Seliger has set up an elaborate pop-up studio inside the annual Vanity Fair after-party on Oscar Night, producing exquisite portraits of Hollywood’s A-list personalities in the immediate afterglow of cinema’s biggest event of the year. Vanity Fair: Oscar Night Sessions gathers the best of these portraits in one volume and includes a foreword by Vanity Fair editor in chief Radhika Jones, as well as an afterword by actor Alan Cumming, who sheds light on what it’s like to be in front of Seliger’s lens on the night of nights. With more than 200 portraits, featuring names such as Lady Gaga, Robert DeNiro, Donald Glover, Jessica Chastain, Taika Waititi, Spike Lee, Regina King, and Timothée Chalamet, this over-the-top collection will be the talk of both the publishing and film worlds.

Toommy is twenty-nine, lives and loves in London, and has a morbid fear of the c word (commitment), the b word (boyfriend), and the f word (forgetting to call his drug dealer before the weekend). But when he begins to feel the urge to become a father, he starts to wonder if his chosen lifestyle can ever make him happy. Faced with the choice of maintaining his hedonistic, drugged-out, and admittedly fabulous existence or chucking it all in favor of a far more sensitive, fulfilling--and let's face it--sober lifestyle, Tommy finds himself in a true quandary. Through a series of adventures and misadventures that lead him from London nightspots to New York bedrooms and back, our boy Tommy manages to answer some of life's most pressing questions--and even some he never thought to ask.

Family comedy sequel featuring a blend of CGI animation and live action based on the iconic characters created by Peyo for the 1980s television series. When the dastardly Gargamel (Hank Azaria) kidnaps Smurfette (voice of Katy Perry) and steals her away to Paris, the rest of the Smurf gang team up with their human friends Patrick (Neil Patrick Harris) and Grace (Jayma Mays) to try and rescue Smurfette from Gargamel's evil clutches. However, with Smurfette the key to Gargamel's plans to transform his latest minions, the Naughties (voiced by Christina Ricci and J.B. Smoove), into Smurfs, this will be no simple task - not least because Smurfette seems rather taken by the Naughties...

Pierce Brosnan makes his 007 debut, replacing Timothy Dalton as Britain's most celebrated secret agent. On his first post-Cold War mission, Bond is sent to blow up a Soviet chemical weapons factory with agent 006 (Sean Bean). Nine years later, Bond becomes involved in the break-up of the Soviet Union, and soon finds himself involved with a blitzkrieg of stolen helicopters, beautiful female assassins, Russian Mafiosi and the race for a vital piece of weaponry - the credit-card sized 'GoldenEye'.

Family comedy sequel featuring a blend of CGI animation and live action and based on the iconic characters created by Peyo for the 1980s television series. When the dastardly Gargamel (Hank Azaria) kidnaps Smurfette (voice of Katy Perry) and steals her away to Paris, the rest of the Smurf gang team up with their human friends Patrick (Neil Patrick Harris) and Grace (Jayma Mays) to try and retrieve her from his clutches. However, with Smurfette the key to Gargamel's plans to transform his latest minions, the Naughties (voiced by Christina Ricci and J.B. Smoove), into Smurfs, this will be no simple task - not least because Smurfette seems rather taken by the Naughties...

Box set containing all three films from the hugely popular 'X-Men' film franchise based on the long-running Marvel comic strip. In 'X-Men' (2000), mutants Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart) and Magneto (Ian McKellen) are former friends, but look set to become mortal enemies when fascistic US senator Robert Frank Kelly (Bruce Davison) calls for the registration of all humans with abnormal powers. While telepath Xavier, who runs an altruistic academy for superhuman 'X-Men', wishes to enlighten non-mutants and break down the prejudices which divide them, Magneto believes that the only solution is for the mutants to take over. Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) - an aggressive loner with an admantium skeleton and the ability to heal his body of any wound - and teenager Rogue (Anna Paquin), who can absorb the life force of others simply by touching them, are selected by Xavier to join his academy, but it isn't long before Magneto's followers are attempting to capture them so that they can assist in his plan for world domination. In 'X-Men 2' (2003), Professor Charles Xavier, Wolverine, and the Academy for Gifted Youngsters, aka the X-Men, find themselves in the firing line after a failed assasination attempt on the President points the finger at the school. It was in fact the mysterious teleporter Nightwalker (Alan Cumming) who ordered it, and, in an attempt to clear their names, the X-Men are led into a trap set by the evil William Stryker (Brian Cox) - a mysterious scientist apparently working for the government. As it soon becomes evident that Stryker's agenda is to destroy all mutants, the X-Men need to call in the help of many of their old friends and foe, including Magneto (McKellen), if they are to stop him. In 'X-Men 3: The Last Stand' (2006), when a private laboratory supported by the government finds the cure for the mutants, using the DNA of a powerful boy, the mutants have the option of giving up their powers and becoming human. However, Magneto (McKellen) opposes and decides to join a force to fight against the government and kill the mutant boy. Meanwhile, Jean Grey (Famke Janssen) resurrects uncontrolled by Xavier and with the personality of the powerful Dark Phoenix. She destroys Cyclops (James Marsden) and Xavier, and allies to the evil forces of Magneto, making them almost invincible.

From the creation myth of Izanagi and Izanami designed to explain the origins of the island of Japan, to the hundreds of kami (gods or spirits) and monsters populating the tales, Japanese legends tell the story of the land, the nation, the people and the divine heritage of the emperors of Japan. Often bloody and fantastic, the tales are a powerful, rewarding read, gathered together in the gorgeous, deluxe hardcover binding of the Flame Tree Epic Tales series. The latest title in Flame Tree's beautiful, comprehensive series of Gothic Fantasy titles, concentrates on the ancient, epic origins of modern fantasy.

If you were to put David Sedaris and Glenn O'Brien in a blender and add a dash of New York and Hollywood gossip, you would wind up with Alan Cumming. Described by Time magazine as one of the most fun people in show business, Cumming is a genuine triple-threat as a successful stage, television, and film star whose real-life vivacity, sophisticated wit, and charm tend to match that of his onstage personalities. In his third book, You Gotta Get Bigger Dreams, he has composed a collection of true-life adventures-or rather, misadventures-that is sure to make the reader laugh out loud. This volume recounts the hysterical and sometimes embarrassing encounters that only Cumming could experience, from awkwardly enter- taining Elizabeth Taylor at Carrie Fisher's birthday party to being on a movie set with Helen Mirren and being mocked for wearing Croc sandals to making a friend's day by chasing down Oprah at a glitzy gala for a prized photograph with her. These forty-five stories are humorous novellas, each featuring memo- rable photographs-many simply snapshots taken by Cumming-that document or illustrate the tale told.

Haiku poems about the natural world and the seasons are well known, but many poets have used the genre to capture the evocations of love. Combining elegant and restrained haiku with lively senryu poems, all aspects of romantic love are explored here with humour, satire, wit and compassion. Poems by both men and women from the 1600s to the present day are beautifully illustrated with images from the unrivalled collection of Japanese paintings and prints in the British Museum. From the tender and the melanch oly to the witty and the ribald, the poems and images in Haiku: Love comment on the most universal of human emotions.

'No one ever fully recovers from their past. There is no cure for it. You just learn to manage and prioritise it. I believe the second you feel you have triumphed or overcome something, anything - an abuse, an injury to the body or the mind, an addiction, a character flaw, a habit, a person - you have merely decided to stop being vigilant and embraced denial as your modus operandi. And that is what this book is about, and for: to remind you not to buy in to the Hollywood ending.' Baggage chronicles the actor's life in Hollywood and the ways in which work has repeatedly whisked him away from personal calamities to sets and stages around the world. Taking us through the highs and lows of his career, his struggle with mental health, each failed relationship or encounter with a legend (Liza! X-Men! Gore Vidal! Kubrick! Spice Girls!), every bad decision or moment of sensual joy, Cumming shows how every experience - good or bad - has shaped who he is today: a happy, flawed, vulnerable, fearless middle-aged man, with a lot of baggage. Startlingly honest, both poignant and joyous, Baggage shines a light on how to embrace the complicated messiness of life.

Baggage is the story of Alan Cumming's life in Hollywood, taking us through the highs and lows of his career, from his struggle with mental health and failed relationships to encounters with legends (Liza! X Men! Gore Vidal! Kubrick! Spice Girls!). Cumming shows how every experience - each bad decision or moment of sensual joy - has shaped who he is today: a happy, flawed, vulnerable, fearless middle-aged man, with a lot of baggage. Startlingly honest, both poignant and joyous, Baggage shines a light on how to embrace the complicated messiness of life.

Love in a Cold Climate is the wickedly funny sequel to Nancy Mitford's The Pursuit of Love which is now a major BBC series and Prime Video series directed by Emily Mortimer starring Lily James, Andrew Scott and Dominic West 'How lovely - green velvet and silver. I call that a dream, so soft and delicious, too.' She rubbed a fold of the skirt against her cheek. 'Mine's silver lame, it smells like a bird cage when it gets hot but I do love it. Aren't you thankful evening skirts are long again?' Ah, the dresses! But oh, the monotony of the Season, with its endless run of glittering balls. Even fabulously fashionable Polly Hampton - with her startling good looks and excellent social connections - is beginning to wilt under the glare. Groomed for the perfect marriage by her mother, fearsome Lady Montdore, Polly instead scandalises society by declaring her love for her uncle 'Boy' Dougdale, the Lecherous Lecturer, and promptly eloping to France. But the consequences of this union no one could quite expect . . . NANCY MITFORD'S WICKEDLY FUNNY SERIES CONTINUES IN DON'T TELL ALFRED. ***** 'Peerless' Zoe Heller 'Entirely original, inimitable and irresistible' Philip Hensher, Spectator 'A comic genius' Independent on Sunday

DISCOVER THE NEW MEMOIR FROM ALAN CUMMING. BAGGAGE: TALES FROM A FULLY PACKED LIFE PUBLISHES 28 OCT '21 'One of the most memorable, heart-stopping autobiographies I have ever read' STEPHEN FRY WINNER OF THE SLIGHTLY FOXED BEST FIRST BIOGRAPHY PRIZE 2015 THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER ATTITUDE MAGAZINE'S BOOK OF THE YEAR A beloved star of stage and screen, Alan Cumming's life and career have been shaped by a complex and dark family past - full of troubled memories, kept buried away. But then an unexpected phone call from his long-estranged father brought the pain of the past hurtling back into the present, and unravelled everything he thought he knew about himself. Not My Father's Son is the story of his journey of discovery, both a memoir of his childhood in Scotland, and an investigation into his family history which would change him forever. 'Equal parts memoir, whodunnit and manual for living . . . beautifully written, honest . . . I was completely sucked in' NEIL GAIMAN

'No one ever fully recovers from their past. There is no cure for it. You just learn to manage and prioritise it. I believe the second you feel you have triumphed or overcome something, anything - an abuse, an injury to the body or the mind, an addiction, a character flaw, a habit, a person - you have merely decided to stop being vigilant and embraced denial as your modus operandi. And that is what this book is about, and for: to remind you not to buy in to the Hollywood ending.' Baggage chronicles the actor's life in Hollywood and the ways in which work has repeatedly whisked him away from personal calamities to sets and stages around the world. Taking us through the highs and lows of his career, his struggle with mental health, each failed relationship or encounter with a legend (Liza! X-Men! Gore Vidal! Kubrick! Spice Girls!), every bad decision or moment of sensual joy, Cumming shows how every experience - good or bad - has shaped who he is today: a happy, flawed, vulnerable, fearless middle-aged man, with a lot of baggage. Startlingly honest, both poignant and joyous, Baggage shines a light on how to embrace the complicated messiness of life.

This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. This book may have occasional imperfectionssuch as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed worksworldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book.++++The below data was compiled from various identification fields in the bibliographic record of this title. This data is provided as an additional tool in helping to ensure edition identification: ++++ Fairy Tales: First Series, Adapted To Children Reading The Third School Reader; Home And School Library Hans Christian Andersen Jenny H. Stickney Ginn, 1899 Fiction; Fairy Tales, Folklore & Mythology; Fiction / Fairy Tales, Folklore & Mythology; Social Science / Folklore & Mythology

"Kareem cradled her close to him, tucking her between his arm and his body, trying to keep her head above the thrashing, pounding waves, but Kate fought against him and slipped from his grasp. Moments later, she resurfaced beside him, and as he reached for her once more, she gripped his head between her two hands and screamed into his face. "Hawklight Find Hawklight He can't swim Leave me I can make it back to the boat " He opened his mouth to argue, but she yelled him down. "Don't you understand? Find Hawklight " A flash of lightning lit her face. Her eyes were wide, fearful, and pleading." The world of Bexus, a hostile place of magic, adventure, and tremendous danger, is once again in peril, and only Kate Gallagher can help. The Hornshurst Talisman, also known as the Toki-Moai, has been stolen, and the citizens of Hornshurst want it back-at any cost. Because of the theft, the city-states of Hornshurst and Cherath have led Bexus to the brink of another crippling war. The Council of Hogarth orders Kate to intervene and wield the power of the crystal that she wrested from Varak only months ago, but Kate has discarded the stone. Once this fact becomes known, she must agree to track down the thief and return the talisman to its rightful owners to avert the war. But Kate and her companion, Hawklight, are not the only ones seeking the Toki-Moai. Fate has played its hand, and Kate cannot begin to comprehend all that she may lose in order for the quest to succeed.

"Kareem cradled her close to him, tucking her between his arm and his body, trying to keep her head above the thrashing, pounding waves, but Kate fought against him and slipped from his grasp. Moments later, she resurfaced beside him, and as he reached for her once more, she gripped his head between her two hands and screamed into his face. "Hawklight Find Hawklight He can't swim Leave me I can make it back to the boat " He opened his mouth to argue, but she yelled him down. "Don't you understand? Find Hawklight " A flash of lightning lit her face. Her eyes were wide, fearful, and pleading." The world of Bexus, a hostile place of magic, adventure, and tremendous danger, is once again in peril, and only Kate Gallagher can help. The Hornshurst Talisman, also known as the Toki-Moai, has been stolen, and the citizens of Hornshurst want it back-at any cost. Because of the theft, the city-states of Hornshurst and Cherath have led Bexus to the brink of another crippling war. The Council of Hogarth orders Kate to intervene and wield the power of the crystal that she wrested from Varak only months ago, but Kate has discarded the stone. Once this fact becomes known, she must agree to track down the thief and return the talisman to its rightful owners to avert the war. But Kate and her companion, Hawklight, are not the only ones seeking the Toki-Moai. Fate has played its hand, and Kate cannot begin to comprehend all that she may lose in order for the quest to succeed.

Kate Gallagher has returned to Hogarth only to learn terrible news: as he was leading a secret expedition south, her estranged friend Hawklight was murdered by unknown assassins. Driven by guilt because she created the rift in their friendship, Kate vows to avenge his death. But as she begins to sift through the facts about his mysterious mission, she uncovers a diabolical plot that threatens to resurrect the spectre of Varak in the form of a new overlord of Bexus. Time is running out as Kate and her friends embark on a perilous adventure to prevent the unthinkable from happening. Unfortunately, others are constantly a step ahead in the race, and throughout the quest Kate and her companions are ruthlessly pursued in an attempt to prevent them from succeeding. Kate's destiny is inextricably entwined in this twisted power struggle, as she alone possesses the capability to prevent another tyrant from enslaving the planet. But she has yet to discover that there is a steep price to pay as an old nemesis seeks to settle a score.