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.

Tim Burton directs this fantasy adventure based on the bestselling book by Ransom Riggs. When Jacob Portman (Asa Butterfield)'s grandfather dies, he leaves him clues to a mysterious place called Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob determines to discover the story behind this strange establishment and the unusual Miss Peregrine (Eva Green), he finds that the peculiar children in question are so-called because they have extraordinary powers and it is his destiny to protect them from an evil force intent on destroying them. The all-star cast includes Judi Dench, Samuel L. Jackson, Chris O'Dowd and Rupert Everett.

Superhero action prequel to the first three 'X-Men' movies. The film 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. Kevin Bacon, January Jones and Rose Byrne co-star.

Double bill of film fantasies. 'Stardust' (2007) is an adventure based on the bestselling graphic novel by Neil Gaiman and Charles Vess. When a young man, Tristan (Charlie Cox), tries to win the heart of his beautiful but cold object of his desire Victoria (Sienna Miller) by going on a quest to retrieve a fallen star, his journey takes him to a mysterious and forbidden land beyond the walls of his village. On his odyssey, Tristan finds the star, which has transformed into a striking girl called Yvaine (Claire Danes). However, Tristan is not the only one seeking the star. A king (Peter O'Toole)'s four sons - not to mention the ghosts of their three dead brothers - all need the star as they vie for the throne. Tristan must also overcome the evil witch, Lamia (Michelle Pfeiffer), who needs the star to make her young again. As Tristan battles to survive these threats, encountering a pirate named Captain Shakespeare (Robert De Niro) and a shady trader named Ferdy the Fence (Ricky Gervais) along the way, his quest changes. He must now win the heart of the star for himself as he discovers the meaning of true love. Neil Jordan directs the Irish drama 'Ondine' (2009). Syracuse (Colin Farrell) is a poor fisherman whose life is changed forever when he fishes a beautiful live woman (Alicja Bachleda) out of the sea. His young daughter, Annie (Alison Barry), is convinced that the mysterious beauty must be a mermaid. Theories abound about the girl's origins as she transforms the lives of Syracuse, Annie and the local townsfolk. Stephen Rea and Dervla Kirwan co-star.

Action comedy based on the Marvel comic strip. Run-of-the-mill high school student Dave Lizewski (Aaron Johnson), disillusioned with his humdrum life, is inspired by the heroes of the comic books he loves to become a real-life superhero called 'Kick-Ass'. His first attempts to fight evil-doers meet with little success, but undeterred by his various setbacks Dave perseveres and eventually joins forces with mysterious vigilante Big Daddy (Nicolas Cage) and his daughter Hit-Girl (Chloë Moretz) to bring down local crime boss Frank D'Amico (Mark Strong).

Tim Burton directs this fantasy adventure based on the bestselling book by Ransom Riggs. When Jacob Portman (Asa Butterfield)'s grandfather dies, he leaves him clues to a mysterious place called Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob determines to discover the story behind this strange establishment and the unusual Miss Peregrine (Eva Green), he finds that the peculiar children in question are so-called because they have extraordinary powers and it is his destiny to protect them from an evil force intent on destroying them. The all-star cast includes Judi Dench, Samuel L. Jackson, Chris O'Dowd and Rupert Everett.

Bryan Singer directs this blockbuster superhero sequel based on the characters from the Marvel comic strip. With a storyline that alternates between the past and present, the film acts as a direct sequel to three separate films, 'X-Men: The Last Stand' (2006), 'X-Men: First Class' (2011) and 'The Wolverine' (2013). When the survivors of the battle in 'X-Men: The Last Stand', led by Magneto (Ian McKellen), Professor X (Patrick Stewart) and Storm (Halle Berry), discover that total annihilation now awaits humans and mutants alike, they send the ageless Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) back in time to try and change the course of events. In the past, Wolverine must team up with the younger incarnations of the X-Men seen in 'X-Men: First Class', Charles Xavier (James McAvoy), Magneto (Michael Fassbender) and Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence), to avert disaster. Will he succeed?

Superhero action prequel to the first three 'X-Men' movies. The film 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. Kevin Bacon, January Jones and Rose Byrne co-star.

Bryan Singer directs this blockbuster superhero sequel based on the characters from the Marvel comic strip. With a storyline that alternates between the past and present, the film acts as a direct sequel to three separate films, 'X-Men: The Last Stand' (2006), 'X-Men: First Class' (2011) and 'The Wolverine' (2013). When the survivors of the battle in 'X-Men: The Last Stand', led by Magneto (Ian McKellen), Professor X (Patrick Stewart) and Storm (Halle Berry), discover that total annihilation now awaits humans and mutants alike, they send the ageless Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) back in time to try and change the course of events. In the past, Wolverine must team up with the younger incarnations of the X-Men seen in 'X-Men: First Class', Charles Xavier (James McAvoy), Magneto (Michael Fassbender) and Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence), to avert disaster. Will he succeed?

The greatest super hero story of all time is finally here! Acclaimed writer Mark Millar ("Wanted") and award-winning artist John Romita Jr. ("Amazing Spider-Man") unite for one of 21st century's most outrageous and acclaimed series! Dave Lizewski is just an ordinary American teenager. He has a MySpace page, he loves comic books, and he is unable to find a girlfriend. Then an idea hits him: why not become a real life super hero? Soon, his life will never be the same again. Soon to be a major motion picture directed by Matthew Vaughn and Jane Goldman, "Kick-Ass" starts where other super hero stories draw the line, taking comic book realism to a whole new level! Warning: This title is for adults only!

For students of modern literature, the works of Virginia Woolf are essential reading. In her novels, short stories, essays, polemical pamphlets and in her private letters she explored, questioned and refashioned everything about modern life: cinema, sexuality, shopping, education, feminism, politics and war. Her elegant and startlingly original sentences became a model of modernist prose. This is a clear and informative introduction to Woolf's life, works, and cultural and critical contexts, explaining the importance of the Bloomsbury group in the development of her work. It covers the major works in detail, including To the Lighthouse, Mrs Dalloway, The Waves and the key short stories. As well as providing students with the essential information needed to study Woolf, Jane Goldman suggests further reading to allow students to find their way through the most important critical works. All students of Woolf will find this a useful and illuminating overview of the field.

Bryan Singer directs this blockbuster superhero sequel based on the characters from the Marvel comic strip. With a storyline that alternates between the past and present, the film acts as a direct sequel to three separate films, 'X-Men: The Last Stand' (2006), 'X-Men: First Class' (2011) and 'The Wolverine' (2013). When the survivors of the battle in 'X-Men: The Last Stand', led by Magneto (Ian McKellen), Professor X (Patrick Stewart) and Storm (Halle Berry), discover that total annihilation now awaits humans and mutants alike, they send the ageless Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) back in time to try and change the course of events. In the past, Wolverine must team up with the younger incarnations of the X-Men seen in 'X-Men: First Class', Charles Xavier (James McAvoy), Magneto (Michael Fassbender) and Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence), to avert disaster. Will he succeed?

As a paradigmatic modernist author, Virginia Woolf is celebrated for the ways her fiction illuminates modern and contemporary life. Woolf scholars have long debated how context whether historical, cultural, or theoretical is to be understood in relation to her work, and how her work produces new insights into context. Drawing on an international field of leading and emergent specialists, this collection provides an authoritative resource for contemporary Woolf scholarship that explores the distinct and overlapping dimensions of her writings. Rather than survey existing scholarship, these essays extend Woolf studies in new directions by examining how the author is contextualized today. The collection also highlights connections between Woolf and key cultural, political, and historical issues of the twentieth century such as avant-gardism in music and art, developments in journalism and the publishing industry, political struggles over race, gender, and class, and the bearings of colonialism, empire, and war. A valuable critical touchstone for researchers, the volume will also complement graduate scholarship in English literature, literary theory, context studies, and modernism and postcolonial studies."

Jane Goldman offers a revisionary, feminist reading of Woolf's work. Focusing on Woolf's engagement with the artistic theories of her time, Goldman analyzes Woolf's fascination with the Post-Impressionist exhibition of 1920 and the solar eclipse of 1927 by linking her response to a much wider literary and cultural context. Illustrated with color pictures, this book will appeal not only to scholars working on Woolf, but also to students of modernism, art history, and women's studies.

Superhero action prequel to the first three 'X-Men' movies. The film 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. Kevin Bacon, January Jones and Rose Byrne co-star.

For students of modern literature, the works of Virginia Woolf are essential reading. In her novels, short stories, essays, polemical pamphlets and in her private letters she explored, questioned and refashioned everything about modern life: cinema, sexuality, shopping, education, feminism, politics and war. Her elegant and startlingly original sentences became a model of modernist prose. This is a clear and informative introduction to Woolf's life, works, and cultural and critical contexts, explaining the importance of the Bloomsbury group in the development of her work. It covers the major works in detail, including To the Lighthouse, Mrs Dalloway, The Waves and the key short stories. As well as providing students with the essential information needed to study Woolf, Jane Goldman suggests further reading to allow students to find their way through the most important critical works. All students of Woolf will find this a useful and illuminating overview of the field.

When it comes to crime in Dreamworld, the sprawling Florida vacation resort might as well be never-never land. That's because the bad things that happen there never reach the press. As an ambitious rookie cop on the community's security force, twenty-five-year-old Sylvia Avery toes the company line, smoothing over disturbances that might tarnish the utopian image of Dreamworld and its hugely popular ImagiNation theme park.

But that flawless facade is shattered when a horrific murder-suicide takes place "on property." Thrown into a company-sponsored cover-up, Avery discovers bizarre and disturbing experiments taking place at Dreamworld's ultrasecret research center. Torn between her loyalty to her new boss -- and lover -- and a need to uncover the terrifying truth, Avery enters the dark and twisted world beneath Dreamworld's picture-perfect surface. Now, in a place where fantasy rules and illusion is everything, Avery is about to come face-to-face with a cold and deadly reality.

Two of Virginia Woolf's most influential works, To the Lighthouse and The Waves reveal the quintessence of her experimentation with narrative technique in depicting the passage of time and the nature of human consciousness. This guide includes an outline of the critical reception of Woolf's work -- placing these two texts in the context of her oeuvre -- as well as extracts from her own writing on these novels and an exploration of the birth of Woolf studies in the mid-twentieth century.