Daily Archives: October 25, 2023

Reformation has captured the sartorial style of French-American model and actress Camille Rowe with a new capsule collection.

Inspired by decadence, richness and hedonism, the line of winter essentials includes slip dresses, mens wear-inspired separates, T-shirts, sequined skirts and gowns and regeneratively-grown cotton denim.

The 15-piece line, which comes in a variety of color ways including black, nude, Barbie pink and forest green, ranges in price from $48 to $378.

A longtime fan of the Los Angeles womens wear brand, Rowe released a summer line of 70s-inspired staples with Reformation in 2014.

Rowe was an early consumer of the brands vintage pieces when she moved to New York in 2010, including the Laurien and Beyla dresses, which served as inspirations for the new silhouettes.

A paragon of chic and effortless French girl style, Rowes styling across the campaign is simple and understated.

In keeping with Reformations commitment to sourcing more eco-conscious materials, the line includes deadstock fabrics, Bluesign Certified eco-silk, Regenerative Nativa Wool and its 90-percent recycled cashmere blend.

The line also features denim styles made in Turkey with regenerative organic cotton.

Earlier this spring, the brand announced plans to become fully circular by 2030, based on the Ellen MacArthur Foundations guiding principles for a circular economy.

Reformation said it plans to transition to renewable and regenerative versions of virgin inputs, which make up 13 percent of its material profile today.

The collaboration with Rowe is the third in a string of Reformation collabs this fall, including a two-piece sneaker drop with Paris-founded footwear brand Veja.

The brand also released a collaboration with theNew York City Balleton a 19-piece line of balletcore-inspired fashion.

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Heres a look at some recent offerings in the scary movie genre. Submitted photo

Lovers of the fantastic and horrific often find theres no better time of year than the month of October to embrace all things terrifying.

This is when homeowners adorn their homes with gruesome decor to prepare for Halloween. The weeks leading up to Halloween also are times when horror movies both classic and newly released take centre stage.

Plenty of films will have viewers hiding behind their buckets of popcorn in the theatre or gripping the sofa pillows at home. Heres a look at some recent offerings in the scary movie genre.

Five Nights at Freddys This film is a terror-filled adaptation of a popular video game. It centres around a nighttime security guard at Freddy Fazbears Pizza who quickly learns that the animatronic mascots of the establishment are alive and filled with malice. The movie is poised to have a PG-13 rating, so it may prove a bit too scary for younger children even if they play the video game.

Knock at the Cabin M. Night Shyamalans newest thriller follows a small family whose vacation in the woods is interrupted by strangers who say the apocalypse is upon them unless one of the family members kills another. Dave Bautista has a standout role.

Talk to Me A group of friends discover how to conjure spirits using an embalmed hand. They quickly get hooked on the thrill of discovery, and one goes wild releasing terrifying supernatural forces.

Evil Dead Rise A young aunt is stuck in an apartment complex while her sister becomes a Deadite who is determined to kill her own children. Gory scenes abound in this installment in the Evil Dead series.

Infinity Pool A psychological horror, this movie follows a couple on a vacation as they venture outside the resort. They meet a mysterious woman who introduces the couple to a culture of hedonism, horror and violence.

M3EGAN Viewers looking for a film that mixes something a little scary, a little silly and a little heartfelt may find it when watching M3EGAN. The titular character is a life-like doll programmed to be a childs companion and a parents ally. But as horror movie fans know, you cant always trust dolls.

Scream VI This long-running slasher series gives fans another installment. The main characters have moved to New York City only to find they are pursued by another Ghostface. Some great fight scenes keep viewers engaged.

The Nun II Sister Irene once again comes face-to-face with Valak, the demon nun who is responsible for murder and the spread of evil.

Horror fans can enjoy a new crop of thrilling and scary films this Halloween.

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Latest additions to the Halloween horror movie canon - Two Row Times

Towa Bird has shared her new single Drain Me!, a wildly ecstatic expression of all-consuming lust. The latest offering from her highly anticipated debut album (due out soon via Interscope Records), Drain Me! finds the Hong Kong-born artist working with Mikky Ekko (an artist/songwriter/producer known for co-writing and featuring on Rihannas nine-times-platinum single Stay).

Co-written by Towa, Mikky, and Luke Niccoli (Carly Rae Jepsen, Gwen Stefani), Drain Me! centers on a bold but delicate vocal performance from Towa, who perfectly conveys the mind-bending exhilaration of surrendering to desire. Check out the video for track below.

Drain Me! is about love! And sex! And pleasure! And pain! says Towa. Its a song about being young and having fun, being impulsive and f_____g and saying, f__k you. Drain Me! is about hedonism in its purest form.

As Towa reveals, Drain Me! came to life in a breakneck burst of inspiration, beginning with a spontaneously composed guitar part echoing her infinitely imaginative musicality. Produced by Niccoli and featuring backing vocals from Mikky, the result is a two-minute head rush that fully channels the dizzy energy of its creation, unfolding in woozy synth lines and pogo-ready rhythms.

Working on these lyrics made me feel like a schoolgirlI felt giddy, says Towa. The writing process mirrored the song itself: fast, fun, and gratifying. When I listened back to the first demo from Luke and Mikky, I was overwhelmed by a feeling of control. I knew that this piece was the (sticky!) glue that would bring the whole project together.

The video for Drain Me! offers an up-close look at Towas ability to immediately captivate the crowda rare and powerful feat for an opening artist as she captivates audiences while touring With Rene Rapp. With its whirlwind collage of live footage and real-life scenes captured on a hand-held camera, the hyper-saturated visual ultimately gives fans a fascinating glimpse into Towas world.

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By now, 99.9% of music fans know (and love) the 1977 song, Hotel California, by the Los Angeles-born band, the Eagles. Its haunting mood, lyrical depth, its warning, and its topic: dangerous hedonism. But what if we took a step back and considered the song to be more of a template and less of an individual song?

What does that mean? Well, to find out we reached out to ChatGPT to see what the artificial intelligence system would create when prompted to rewrite Hotel California about the state of Texas. Both states are large and important. But while one is known for sunshine and celebrity, the other is known for cowboys. Below you will find the beloved classic in Lone Star style.

[RELATED: Every Song on the Eagles Classic Rock Album Hotel California Ranked]

Hotel Texas

(Verse 1) On a dusty highway, in the Lone Star State, Warm winds in my hair, and a cowboys fate, Up ahead in the distance, I saw a neon sign, It read, Welcome to Texas, the land of the pines.

(Pre-Chorus) I thought I heard a fiddle playing sweet melodies, And I knew I had to stop, and feel that Texas breeze.

(Chorus) Welcome to Texas, such a dusty place, Such a big space, with a rugged grace, Plenty of barbecue, and a Lone Star embrace, You can check in anytime, but you can never leave.

(Verse 2) In the heart of Austin, or the streets of Big D, Theres a feeling in the air, its wild and free, And Im chasing the sunset, down the Gulf Coast shore, Where the Gulf meets the desert, I cant take no more.

(Pre-Chorus) I thought I heard some twang, guitars and rolling plains, I knew I had to stay, in the Lone Star domain.

(Chorus) Welcome to Texas, such a wild place, Such a vast space, with a cowboys grace, Plenty of rodeos, and a Lone Star embrace, You can check in anytime, but you can never leave.

(Bridge) Mirrors on the ceiling, the stars in the sky, One last tequila shot, and I knew I couldnt fly, And the barkeep said, Weve been living it up here, With our boots on the ground, and a Texas cheer.

(Verse 3) They gathered in the courtyard, in the warm summer air, The cowboys and the dreamers, they were all there, They said, We are all just prisoners here, of our own device, And in the masters chamber, they gathered for a Texas slice.

(Pre-Chorus) They strummed guitars in the night, and sang the songs so well, I knew I had to stay, in this Texas spell.

(Chorus) Welcome to Texas, such a vibrant place, Such a big space, with a friendly face, Plenty of wide-open skies, and a Lone Star embrace, You can check in anytime, but you can never leave.

(Outro) So live it up in Texas, with the sun on your face, In this Lone Star state, where theres no better place, Plenty of memories, and a Lone Star embrace, You can check in anytime, but you can never leave.

To any Texans reading this, how did the AI bot do? Does it feel authentic, does it feel true to the spurs-wearing state? Does Hotel Texas do justice to the Lone Star state? While the Eagles are hard to channel perfectlyespecially when it comes to this famous songits at least a good start to the idea of writing songs for every region in the U.S. using Hotel California as a template.

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We Asked AI to Rewrite the Eagles Hit "Hotel California" about ... - American Songwriter

Stigma is a word we often use to explain why people who struggle with anxiety or depression dont seek treatment. The stigmas around mental health take many different forms, from a fear of being judged to feelings of personal responsibility. These stigmas mean that sometimes individuals with mental health issues refrain from seeking any treatment. People continue to suffer because of a misunderstanding over what a mental illness is and how the condition can be improved.

In this article, I will try to support the conversation around mental health stigmas by shedding light on the ideas of normal mental health.

I am not here to tell you what is normal, because the person that is the most normal is a statistical outlier themself. People vary; they see the gold and white dress as blue and black, hear Yanny or Laurel, and vividly remember different events and facts that matter to them and never to others. We are all inherently very different, psychologically speaking.

Nonetheless, there seems to be an ideal state of mind when it comes to being happy, not stressed out, or philanthropic and sociable. Where these notions come from, I do not know. Maybe they originate in everyones head, or maybe they are propagated by large corporations that get you to buy products because they sell the idea that their product will make you a happy or moral individual.

But there is no ideal state of mind. There are only different states of mind that are all equally valid. In my view, the key to destigmatizing mental health is to acknowledge that we are allowed to be stressed out, to hate working on labs, to just want to huddle under blankets as it gets cold and dark. Its okay to feel bad emotionsthey are real as well.

Mental health stigmas derive from the idea to feel depressed, anxious, or lonely is to be an outsider. But considering that it is estimated that 20 per cent of all Canadians will have some form of mental illness in any given yearand I havent even touched on culturally dependent stigmas regarding LGBTQ2+ issues, culture differences in mental health acceptance and awareness, and so forthI daresay it is just as normal to be mentally unwell than it is to be well.

So why are we so vigilant about wanting to be healthy and well? Well, that is difficult to answer. Maybe it is our genetic drive to survive. Maybe it lies in our nature as humans to want to feel well and submit to hedonism, which requires the absence of illness. Maybe we want to be like the people we see on social media: perfectly healthy and doing well. Or maybe it is something else entirely. Regardless, despite our instinct to want to feel good, it is just as common for any human to struggle with feelings of pain, sadness, anger, fear, stress, and loneliness.

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There's no such thing as normal mental health - The Medium - The Medium

Remarkably few of us experience life like Mark Hamill does. By this, we mean an existence informed by a recurring role in a handful of films that, for millions of people around the world, has frozen him in time and space deep, deep space.

His life is informed but not shaped by having played Luke Skywalker informed, but not formed around. Thats the difference between Hamill and other actors seen by the public as a fictional persona they played decades ago or worse, those performers who resent that double-edged sword.

On one side of that blade, theyll live on forever via action figures and any kind of paraphernalia one can imagine.

Cutting in the opposite direction is the tendency for that immortality to rob an actor of being seen as anything else.

Where others might have taken out those frustrations on reporters or children especially the ones who grew up, but never outgrew that hero worship Hamill exercised the wisdom of a Jedi and took his career in the opposite direction. Seeing him in Mike Flanagans The Fall of the House of Usher, a gothic-style horror series based on the works of Edgar Allen Poe, fits the audiences expectation that Hamill spent decades carving out.

As the Usher familys amoral fixer Arthur Pym, a ruthless lawyer who kills the familys enemies without question and with extreme efficiency, Hamill follows a pattern established over many roles in which he makes himself known but doesnt headline.

Hamills family attorney, dubbed the Pym Reaper by their adversaries and the many children of family patriarch Roderick Usher (Bruce Greenwood), is ever-present but typically silent, speaking only when necessary. Pym can circumvent cops and influence judges. He tells the petulant Usher children what to say and how to say it, and to keep them in line he lets each know how easily he can destroy whatever padlocks they have on their fortress gates.

Hamill makes him sound like a man whose fingernails and teeth should be stained with blood and graveyard dirt, with a timbre crackling with broken headstone fragments. It is the voice of a man who has seen and done so many terrible things that he cannot be moved to anger, only impatience for humankinds naivete.

Mark Hamill in "The Fall of the House of Usher" (Netflix)Flanagan, who writes or co-writes seven of the shows eight episodes, saves the details of Pym's crimes for a finale on which he collaborates with Kiele Sanchez, directed by Michael Fimognari. Pym's sin ledger is recounted to him by Carla Guginos mysterious immortal Verna, and upon hearing it, he doesnt try to explain himself or even flinch as she reads his lifes filth back to him. Pym sits there and takes it, slightly slumped into his too-large overcoat, peering at her from under his fedora's brim.

"Were a virus, I think, he tells her. People, I mean.

The first three Star Wars films yielded one megastar in Harrison Ford, and his celebrity is probably more attributable to his solo turn as Indiana Jones. Han Solo is a space pirate while Indy is many archetypes in one an action hero, a professor and a romantic lead. Luke Skywalker, in contrast, is a holy knight. There was never a failed moral test demanding he redeem himself, and never a girl for him to chase. (You know that that kiss with Carrie Fishers Leia doesnt count.) He was, and is, eternally linked to some neutral and neutered concept of what is best about us.

Looking at Hamills old role that way, it makes sense that people, children and casting producers especially, could only picture him as Luke. Instead of resigning himself to this publicly, anyway Hamill removed his face from the equation and doubled down on the malleability of his voice.

While Hamill worked steadily throughout the 1980s and 90s on Broadway and appeared in TV guest roles and smaller movies, one was more likely to encounter Hamills thoroughly disguised voice in the likes of Batman: The Animated Series, Spider-Man or Avatar: The Last Airbender, where he established the voices of The Joker, Hobgoblin or Fire Lord Ozai respectively. We wouldn't bother mentioning these if Hamill's renditions weren't brilliant or tough, if not impossible, to top. A stand-out voiceover makes a person check the credits, and when his name matches a recognizable character the viewer can only say themselves, "Of course it's him."

Hamills voicework resume is extensive and varied, but when it comes to the marquee titles you may notice a pattern: instead of campaigning to play a famous hero, he embraces the Dark Side. In the Transformers franchise he voices Megatronus, the first Decepticon. In the 2021s Masters of the Universe: Revelation, he shows up as Skeletor. Heck, in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, he lends his versatile expression not a Jedi, but a Sith called Darth Bane. That entirely removed any possible shock at seeing his name in the credits for the 2019 remake of Chucky as the voice of the films titular homicidal toy.

This intentional project curation piques our interest by surprising us, as he did by showing up in an indelible episode of What We Do in the Shadows as Jim the Vampire, a monster so fearsome that he forces Laszlo to assume a new identity: Jackie Daytona.

Much earlier in his career probably around the time that he lost out playing the lead in the film version of Amadeus to Tom Hulce despite having portrayed the role on Broadway to much critical acclaim Hamill has demonstrated a preference for roles that bring him joy if not outright tickle him. (That much was obvious in 2001, when he showed up in the fanboy full-service pump that was Kevin Smiths Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back as a character called Cocknocker.)

In his next film, he co-stars with Tom Hiddleston in a Flanagan adaptation of Stephen Kings The Life Of Chuck.

Bert (Bert Kreischer) and Albert Kreischer (Mark Hamill) in "The Machine" (Sony Pictures)Whether he intended to or not, all these choices planted seeds for a harvest thats been steadily ripening in recent years. His turn in The Fall of the House of Usher comes after his work in The Machine, Bert Kreischers action-loopy and unapologetically dumb comedy where Hamill plays Berts father demanding and emotionally withholding father Albert who ends up accompanying his boy on an adventure with Russian mobsters.

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Albert excels at nagging his son and appearing to do the wrong thing at every turn, including ingesting enough designer party drugs to make a featuring criminal heavy think twice about the old man. Those scenes showcase Hamills facility for tapping into hedonism, a part of him were accustomed to hearing within his portrayals of cartoon villains but not seeing in the flesh. In Albert, though, he joins the light and the dark giving us a man who is part joker he emotionally tortures his son enough to impress the gun-toting baddies while never letting the audience forget that hes on the side of, if not good, then doing better than he did before.

Hamills digital likeness has appeared in The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett, and in sundry profiles by the likes of CBS News and Esquire, hes made it abundantly plain that while he has no interest in playing Luke Skywalker again, hes also agnostic about the whole affair. In the same way that Fisher viewed herself as Leias custodian, Hamill probably recognizes he may never be fully finished with the Lucasfilm universe.

Now, at long last, the larger TV and movie audience can appreciate how much more hes capable of aside from the part that keeps his name on our minds more than four decades after he stepped into it for the first time. Hamill was always willing to let Luke go to move forward, which he does each time he takes on a new voice. In The Fall of the House Usher" he assigns his face a soulless crook who cant help slicing his way from the edges of the action into the spotlight. And that makes us like him all the more.

"The Fall of the House of Usher" is currently streaming on Netflix.

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You want a taste of Chaos in a video game? Chances are youre going to be meeting Papa Nurgle sometime soon. Nurgle is very easy to imagine their minions are throngs of plagued minions, your classic video game zombie, so everything from Darktide to Chaos Gate - Daemonhunters throws bloated corpses at their players until you cant take it any more.

Dont get me wrong, I love these games (Daemonhunters especially), but there are so many oozing pustules a man can face. Darktide is teasing some non-Chaotic opponents in the near future, but its assumed that the Poxwalkers and Plague Ogryns will remain alongside your new foes. There are three other Chaos Gods, but you wouldnt know it if you were only immersed in the worlds of Warhammer through its video game adaptations. Maybe youd know Khorne, with all his blood and skull and war and more skulls, but have you ever heard of Tzeentch or Slaanesh?

Related: What Happens When Space Marines Retire?

Slaanesh is avoided for a reason, albeit not a good one. Traditionally, Slaanesh was the God of excess. In the 90s, this was depicted entirely as lust, with unbridled boobs shoved in your face with every kit of Daemonettes. Warhammer video games want to keep that age rating down as much as possible, so they eliminate any Slaaneshi ideas immediately. However, Slaanesh is about much more than sex.

The Prince of Pleasure delights in all things decadent. Although hedonism is a core tenet of their realm, their vices dont prejudice. Pride, indulgence, gluttony, and of course those carnal desires are all welcome under Slaaneshs umbrella. Just be careful, because that umbrella is probably made of a flayed guardsman.

Games Workshop has been branching out with its recent Slaaneshi models. Take the Infernal Enrapturess for example, who plays enchanting melodies on a harp made of the stretched tendons of an unfortunate soul, likely still breathing. Age of Sigmar has introduced Lords of Hubris, Pain, and Gluttony, each embodying their respective sins. Theres a whole world of non-sexual Slaaneshi options, if you want your flesh-rending daemons to be more kid-friendly.

Tzeentch has no such sexual deviancy. The God of trickery, destiny, and sorcery is fickle and deceitful in equal measure. In many ways, theyre the perfect video game antagonist. Imagine a roguelike where a Tzeentchian sorcerer or Lord of Change is shifting the fabric of reality as you play through each run? Thatd be a belter Silver Tower adaptation Gee Dubs give me a call.

The problem with Tzeentch isnt so much a worry about ratings, but a question of difficulty. All the twists and turns may be difficult for players to follow, and the trickery and deception may be tricky to code. If every pathway could be a trap, mirror, or other falsehood, the number of available options could get overwhelming for developer and player alike.

However, Age of Sigmar: Realms of Ruin is tackling that problem head on, and were going to see the forces of Tzeentch unleashed on the battlefield later this year. I couldnt be happier that developer Frontier Developments is pushing the boat out and showing love to some other Chaos deities. Im not sure I could have taken another Nurgle game.

Realms of Ruin will likely take it easy on the trickery, at least for the multiplayer portion of the game. It will lean heavily into the spellcasting, but maybe its narrative counterpart can offer something more. The Weaver of Destinies may be pulling the strings throughout the entire campaign, tricking our plucky band of Stormcast Eternals into dead-end fights against opponents of far greater strength.

I noticed the surprisingly high production quality of Realms of Ruins single-player mode in my very first demo, with fully voice-acted characters and stunning cutscenes complementing the frantic battles that I expected. The newly revealed promise of Tzeentchian treachery makes me even more excited to dive in. The game did the impossible of making Stormcast interesting, so I cant wait to see how it weaves the strands of fate into a rich tapestry of duplicitous drama.

Next: You're All Wrong About Warhammer 40,000's New Mechanicus Model

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