Shoppers are still buying store brands at the grocery store and beyond to save money.However, many store brands are now as good as the name brands that they're meant to compete with.Retailers from Walmart to Amazon Fresh have launched new store brands this year.Shoppers are still reaching for store-brand items to save money on everything from organic milk to business casual clothing as inflation slows.However, store brands aren't just about saving money. Many are the same quality as what national brands offer.For many shoppers, one response to inflation has been buying more store-brand items to save money instead of choosing big-name brands produced by the likes of Unilever, Procter & Gamble, and many others. Food inflation hit 1% in October, according to federal data. While that represents a slowdown from the peak rate of over 10% in 2022, shoppers are still spending historically high shares of their budgets on food.Increasingly, though, store brands at Costco, Nordstrom, Aldi, and other retailers are also arguing that they're every bit as good as those national brands.Costco, which has long sold products under its Kirkland Signature store brand, started selling Kirkland Signature Oxi Powder and Kirkland Signature Food Storage Bags, "both offering significant value to the national brand alternatives," CFO Gary Millerchip said on an earnings call earlier this month."Kirkland Signature continues to grow at a faster pace than our business as a whole," Millerchip said.Other major retailers have launched new own brands this year. Amazon launched Amazon Saver, a brand meant to "help grocery budgets go further," the company said in September.Walmart announced in April that it would launch Bettergoods, a new store-brand line that includes organic milk and plant-based shredded mozzarella. The goal is to expand the number of "trendy, health-conscious offerings" among Walmart's own brands, CFO John Rainey said in June.Walmart reported earlier last month that the number of customers who purchased its store-brand products grew during the company's third quarter.The expansion isn't just limited to food. In February, Target announcedDealworthy, a store brand for non-food items, including electronics and toiletries, with most priced under $10.Meanwhile, Nordstrom had "double-digit" sales growth for its own-brand clothing during its third quarter across both its department stores and Nordstrom Rack, its off-price chain, the company said last month. Nordstrom's own-brand products carry "lower price points that oftentimes are more attractive to the young customers," president and chief brand officer Peter Nordstrom said on an earnings call.Sales of store-brand groceries or "private-label" items, as they are known in the grocery industry rose 6.3% in value to $216.8 billion in the US in 2023, according to Circana.Circana said store brands made up 25.5% of grocery items sold in 2023, up from 24.7% the previous year.Over the last few years, discount grocery chain Aldi has attracted some customers looking for low food prices. Studies of Aldi's prices regularly find that its prices undercut rivals, including Walmart.One of the main reasons is that the chain sources 90% of everything at its stores from its own brands, Scott Patton, a vice president of national buying and customer interaction at Aldi USA, told Business Insider in an interview. Using private brands gives Aldi more say in setting prices than it would with national brands, Patton said.Aldi quality tests 35,000 products a year for its store brands, Patton said. Many of the items that make it to the shelves at Aldi don't look much like own brands, though. One of the retailer's best-selling items is its Choceur dark chocolate, which comes in a pack of five bars for just over $2, Patton said. "You might even not know it's a store brand," he said.In the past, many customers viewed own brands as cheap both in terms of price and quality. However, Patton said Aldi views its own brands as a chance to win over budget-conscious customers while also offering decent quality."We are not going to skip on quality just to get a lower price, period," Patton added.Do you work in the grocery industry and have a story idea to share? Reach out to this reporter at abitter@businessinsider.com

Timothe Chalamet playing Bob Dylan in "A Complete Unknown."Macall PolayJames Mangold spoke to Business Insider about his Bob Dylan biopic "A Complete Unknown."Mangold explained why Timothe Chalamet spoke in Dylan's voice on set even when he wasn't filming."A Complete Unknown" is in theaters now.Writer-director James Mangold remembers exactly where he was and what he was doing five years ago when he decided to make a Bob Dylan biopic.He was in Canada for the world premiere of his 2019 movie "Ford v Ferrari" at the Toronto International Film Festival. In the midst of final prep for the screening in his hotel room, he paused to have a meeting with Timothe Chalamet, then a young actor on the cusp of superstardom.It didn't take long for Mangold to realize he'd found his Dylan, and by the time Chalamet left the room, the two agreed to make a movie on the life and times of one of the most beloved singer-songwriters in American music.Things might not have gotten off the ground as quickly as they'd hoped COVID, Chalamet went and made the first "Dune" movie, Mangold made "Indian Jones and the Dial of Destiny" but throughout those five years, the two continued to stay in contact and made separate pilgrimages to see Dylan.Finally, "A Complete Unknown," which depicts Dylan's rise to fame alongside Joan Baez (Monica Barbaro) and his controversial switch from acoustic guitar to electric in the mid-1960s, will see the light of day (it hits theaters Christmas Day).Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon in "Walk the Line."20th Century FoxMangold is one of the few directors working today who has the skill and studio maneuvering know-how to pull off a Bob Dylan biopic. Already having found success doing a Johnny Cash biopic in 2005 with "Walk the Line," which earned Joaquin Phoenix as Cash a best actor Oscar nomination and Reese Witherspoon as June Carter an Oscar win, Disney's Searchlight Pictures arm knew the project was in capable hands."A Complete Unknown" is not a carbon copy of "Walk the Line." For "Line," Mangold delved deep into the Cash/Carter dynamic, with "Unknown," which he co-wrote with Jay Cocks ("Gangs of New York"), the filmmaker examines the myth-building of Dylan and how his talents elevated folk music in the 1960s beyond what musicians in the genre like Woody Guthrie (Scoot McNairy) and Pete Seeger (Edward Norton) ever dreamed."A Complete Unknown" director James Mangold.Kate Green/GettyBut just as Mangold used "Walk the Line" as a showcase for Phoenix's talents, he's done the same with Chalamet for "A Complete Unknown." From talking in the unique Dylan voice, doing his own singing, and even growing out his fingernails (more on that later), Chalamet immersed himself in the auro of Dylan, resulting in the best performance so far of his career.Business Insider chatted with Mangold over Zoom about Chalamet's dedication to the role, whether the disappointing box office for "Dial of Destiny" has made him hesitant about developing his upcoming "Star Wars" movie, and whether he thinks Dylan will ever watch "A Complete Unknown."You've now had sit-downs with Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan while making their biopics. Have you developed a go-to icebreaker for when you first meet legends?No. I don't have one. But the good thing is the script is the icebreaker. They've invited me into their homes or their spaces because they've read a script I've written. So we have something to talk about. I mean, when I met with Bob the ice breaker was charmingly him waxing poetic about loving my old movie "Copland." So that in itself was trippy and flattering.Bob Dylan at a press conference, London, 1965.Stanley Bielecki/ASP/Getty ImagesDo you think Dylan will ever watch "A Complete Unknown"?I have no idea.What's your gut telling you?I honestly have no idea. The reality is I spent a lot of good time with him and I felt like I got a good feeling for him. He does things when he's ready, he gets involved with things when he's ready, he makes comments when he's ready. I sympathize with his quandary. Do I ever want to watch a movie where some dude is playing me and acting out significant moments in my life? Is that going to be nothing but pleasant or is it going to be weird as hell? So the fact that he took the time to read my script, give me notes, give me advice, chip in ideas, show me where he would make lifts in some songs, and give me the benefit of his wisdom and his insight about that period so I might even dig deeper into those scenes, that was a huge gift and all the generosity I could ever expect from him.Watching D.A. Pennebaker's Bob Dylan documentary, "Dont Look Back," confirmed something that's in your movie: Dylan had some gnarly fingernails.Yeah.Timothe Chalamet sporting long fingernails while holding Elle Fanning on the set of "A Complete Unknown."Gotham/GC Images/GettyDid Timmy grow those out or were fake nails put on him?Yeah, he was growing them. If you look earlier in the movie, there are some scenes where they aren't as long. By the end, he had some full-on Nosferatu going on.A lot has been written about Timmy being Method during filming, specifically speaking in the Dylan voice when you weren't shooting. I would imagine a lot of that has to do with him just not wanting to lose the voice, right?Timmy's not the only person whose ever done that, that's true for most of the actors in my movies doing dialects, they don't just do it and fall out of it the second the scene ends because James Mangold and Timothee Chalamet on the set of "A Complete Unknown."Macall Polay/Searchlight PicturesThere's a fear of losing the voice.Well, you're also trying to make it more and more internalized. You're trying to make it something you don't have to think about. So, if you're turning it on and off, you're kind of making yourself hyper-aware of it. If you're just deciding to live in it, that's a whole other deal.Boyd Holbrook plays Johnny Cash in the movie. Was there ever a thought to call Joaquin Phoenix to see if he would do the Johnny Cash scenes?The thought occurred to me, but then I realized he'd be 20-30 years too old to be playing the part.But you know movie magic, James, the hair and makeup department would have helped him look younger.Okay, but then what am I servicing? This kind of meta-movie universe stuff that has plagued us enough? I'm a big fan of making a movie and giving the public the movie. Don't try to suture the movie to another movie, just own it. Otherwise movies just become this hyper-expensive television series in which we never stop making new episodes every couple of years.Harrison Ford in "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny."LucasfilmAnd speaking of episodic films, you're currently developing a "Star Wars" movie. Are you less confident working on that seeing what happened with the reception for "Dial of Destiny"?Well, "Dial of Destiny" has an 87% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. I mean, yes, they would have hoped it made more money, but I actually don't have a lot of shame about a movie that's liked by 87% of its fans. The issue with "Star Wars" isn't my worrying about if there's an angry or resentful group that is somehow disappointed in what I did in "Dial of Destiny," honestly, that's their prerogative, that's part of what makes movies great is you can think they're awesome or you can think they're terrible. I can't please everyone and I'm sorry they don't like it. We do our best, if I could please 100% of everyone all the time, I would, but that's a tough thing. But in relation to "Star Wars," the bottom line is I don't even know if that's the next movie for me. That's something that Beau Willimon and I are working on writing and all the other tripwires and judgements along the way. I don't want to make it unless it's excellent.This interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.Read the original article on Business Insider

Donald Trump is getting donations left and right from the biggest names in business.Ford, GM, and Toyota are among the latest to give $1 million each to Trump's inaugural fund.Business leaders are angling to get or stay in his good graces and help shape his policymaking.The latest business trend? Donating $1 million to Donald Trump's inauguration.Business leaders across industries are trying to get on the president-elect's good side ahead of his return to the Oval Office, and some are breaking out their wallets or their company's to do so.A handful of automakers recently joined the mix, with Ford, GM, and Toyota each planning to chip in $1 million to the President-elect's fund.In finance, Citadel founder Ken Griffin also reportedly plans to give $1 million towards Trump's inauguration, and Goldman Sachs and Bank of America will donate unspecified amounts to the fund. Crypto exchange Coinbase is in for $1 million, and Robinhood for $2 million.Tech leaders and firms kicked off the donations to Trump's inauguration.Meta previously confirmed to BI that it's donating $1 million to Trump's inaugural fund. Amazon told the Financial Times it's giving $1 million to the fund and will also air the inauguration on Prime Video. Uber and its CEO, Dara Khosrowshahi, each gave an additional $1 million.Sam Altman is kicking in $1 million of his personal money to the inauguration fund, OpenAI confirmed. Altman said in a statement to multiple news outlets, "President Trump will lead our country into the age of AI, and I am eager to support his efforts to ensure America stays ahead."As for the tech leaders, some may be trying to make peace with Trump after he repeatedly criticized them in his first four years at the White House and subsequently sued some of them. Trump has been vocal about wanting to go after Big Tech in his second term as well.Trump's victory in November set off a chorus of CEOs publicly congratulating him as well as taking phone calls with the president-elect and making trips to Mar-a-Lago.Trump and recently Bezos met for dinner, joined by Elon Musk, and multiple news outlets reported Apple CEO Tim Cook also traveled to Mar-a-Lago to dine with the president-elect.The Information reported that Google CEO Sundar Pichai would also travel to meet with Trump. In its landmark antitrust case against Google, the Justice Department asked a judge to force Google to sell off Chrome, its web browser. President-elect Donald Trump at the New York Stock Exchange. Spencer Platt/Getty Images Zuckerberg and Trump shared dinner at Mar-a-Lago last month months after Trump had threatened to imprison Zuckerberg if reelected. Meta's president of global affairs, Nick Clegg, told reporters earlier this month that Zuckerberg "is very keen to play an active role" in Trump's tech policymaking.Other big names in business watched Trump ring the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange earlier this month on the same day he was named Time's Person of the Year.Onlookers reportedly included Pershing Square CEO Bill Ackman, Citigroup CEO Jane Fraser, Target CEO Brian Cornell, Mastercard CEO Michael Miebach, Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon, and Verizon CEO Hans Vestberg.

The older my kids get, the harder it is to keep them part of Christmas and the old traditions. Our youngest daughter is off travelling, which involves text message photos from Bangkok nightclubs with comments like, Check out the size of THIS spliff, dude! Middle son flies off to his girlfriends on Boxing Day. Oldest has added a festive shift of dog-sitting to her duties in the animal hospital and so she is around for just a few hours on Christmas Day. Wed also had a bit of a row on the 23rd and were not really speaking.It was going to be tough to make Christmas 24 a memorable one. But I had a plan. And that plan was Just Dance 2025.Back in the day, I was too self-conscious to play the initial arcade incarnations of dancing games, but would marvel at those nimble athletes who strode Londons Trocadero like colossi, attracting adoring crowds with their Dance Dance Revolution skills.Dancing Stage MegaMix was later set up on the PS2 in what I used to call my basement gym. The treadmill and bike were hardly touched, but every day I would leap around on the mat, becoming what I am sure was the greatest dancer to the Cures The Love Cats of the mid-2000s.I am Ray Liotta in the final act of Goodfellas, except he didnt have an ugly Christmas sweaterThis years Christmas Day plan was this: nice leisurely breakfast. Prepare the bits for the show-stopping mushroom wellington I am making as a peace offering for the Vegan Dog-sitting Daughter. Pick her up. Spend 10 hours waking my teenage son. Open gifts. Surprise them with Just Dance. Finish making dinner. Clear the decks. Then dance the day away until I have to take Dog-sitting Daughter back at 8pm.A Christmas Eve snowstorm complicates things, as do the dozen Christmas Day calls to assorted family in different time zones. Time is already spinning out of my control, as is my Honda Civic on the snowy roads. So I turn back and borrow someones truck to pick up the oldest, losing more time. I am Ray Liotta in the final act of Goodfellas, except he didnt have an ugly Christmas sweater and stress-induced rosacea.What was supposed to be leisurely gift-unwrapping has me barking out opening instructions as if were attacking an enemy outpost.You, son. Move up the left side of the tree. Get the one from Granny. On my count open!You need to relax, Dominik, says my wife. Its Christmas.But we have to play a fun game of Just Dance 25! I scream.Can we play Just Shoosh 25 instead? offers my son.I have one hour left until my oldest has to leave, and Christmas dinner is three oily towers of mushrooms, spinach and onions sitting by a vegan pastry blob that is refusing to defrost.I cant do it all. I cant do Vegan Christmas and play Just Dance 25.Dads sometimes have to make tough decisions. I am Bruce Willis, and this is my Nakatomi Plaza.Forget the dinner! I cry. Set up the Switch!But I wont have time to eat, says Dog-sitting Daughter.Ive got roast potatoes and carrots. Ill put them in Tupperware, I reply. Thats totally vegan!Nothing now stands between me and Just Dance 25 but a protracted game setup process will kill any Christmas fun. And even though I made it painfully clear that I needed four Switch controllers, my son has not charged his.skip past newsletter promotionSign up to Pushing ButtonsFree weekly newsletterKeza MacDonald's weekly look at the world of gamingPrivacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.after newsletter promotionThankfully, it turns out we can use our phones. Thats the good news. The bad news is that my wife has a strange superpower which means nothing electronic works in her hands. She takes an eternity to set it up. Finally, we fire up the first song: Lady Gagas Poker Face. One of our favourite family tunes ever. Here we go!Here we dont. No one knows which onscreen character they are supposed to be following. It is total chaos.Next up: Green Days Basket Case. Also rubbish.I am losing them. This will be the worst Christmas ever.Then, in the corner, I see four letters that give me hope.Abba. Dear old Abba. Glorious Abba.Abba save Christmas yet again. Photograph: AlamyWe rattle through three of their tunes in quick succession. Something clicks into place. Unfortunately, it is one of my wifes hips and she taps out to put together the roast vegetable package for our departing daughter.It is me against the kids. But they make the mistake of choosing Gloria Gaynors I Will Survive. A song I have danced to on four different continents. I know every beat of that song. Within moments I am shirtless, I am a man possessed. I destroy them.Next they select Boogie Wonderland, which has us in hysterics because it allows each of us a turn in the spotlight. Its clever. It is magical. We are falling into each others arms. It is joyous. Just Dance has saved Christmas.We send videos of the madness to our faraway daughter who replies with IM WEAK!!!, which apparently is a good thing.People ruminate on the meaning of Christmas: is it a religious thing, a family thing, a party thing, a food thing or a post pictures on Facebook of the expensive stuff you got to piss other people off thing? For me, its a memories thing. And we just created another beautiful one that will warm all of us, no matter where we are next year.

By Ed Cara Published December 26, 2024 | Comments (0) | A new study shows that cold-related deaths have significantly increased in the U.S. since 1999. fhm via Getty Even as the climate warms, the cold is becoming a deadlier threat to Americans. New research this month shows that cold-related deaths have significantly increased in the U.S. over the past two decades. Researchers at Harvard Medical School conducted the study, which aimed to better count the deaths caused by cold temperatures in the U.S. They found that the countrys cold-related mortality rate has more than doubled since the late 1990s, with deaths especially increasing in recent years. Important risk factors for the rise in deaths likely include extreme weather events tied to climate change, homelessness, and social isolation, the researchers say. Extreme temperatures on either end of the thermometer can be life-threatening. While recent research has shown that heat-related deaths have risen in recent decades, cold weather tends to be deadlier in general. A 2021 study found that the cold was responsible for about three-fourths of extreme temperature deaths worldwide in 2019, for instance (there were an estimated 1.7 million deaths overall that year).The Harvard researchers note that cold-related deaths in the U.S. have been studied only minimally, and little is known about how this burden has changed over time. To address this knowledge gap, they analyzed death certificate data collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, focusing specifically on deaths where cold was recorded as either an underlying or contributing cause. Between 1999 and 2022, there were just over 40,000 cold-related deaths in the U.S., the researchers found. After adjusting for age, they found that the mortality rate had risen from 0.44 cold-related deaths per 100,000 people in 1999 to 0.92 such deaths per 100,000 people in 2022. Much of this jump was the result of a significant annual increase in deaths between 2017 and 2022. The teams findings were published this month in the journalJAMA.There has been a rightful focus on heat-related deaths given the undeniable nature of global warming, lead study author Rishi Wadhera, a cardiologist and public health researcher at Harvard, told Gizmodo in an email. However, our study findings serve as a striking reminder that cold-related deaths also remain an important public health issue. While their study isnt designed to identify any specific reasons for this increase, Wadhera and his colleagues do highlight some possible factors.Climate change is known to raise the risk of both hot and cold extreme weather events, for instance. But its also likely that more Americans today are at greater risk of being left out in the cold than before, particularly people with unstable living situations, Wadhera notes. For example, we know that the number of unsheltered people in the US has risen over the past several yearsthis is a population that is most exposed to outside weather, including cold snaps, he said.Levels of homelessness in the U.S. have generally increased since 2016 (the early years of the covid-19 pandemic were a notable exception, thanks in part to generous relief programs). In 2023, chronic homelessness surpassed record numbers set in 2007, when modern data collection efforts began, according to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (their report this year is not yet out). Substance use and social isolation may also increase peoples risk of being exposed to unsafe conditions, temperature included. Certain trends emerged in the teams data showing who was most vulnerable to cold-related deaths. Regionally, the mortality rate was highest in the Midwest, where winters can be especially brutal, for instance. The highest mortality rates across racial and ethnic groups was seen among Native and Black Americans, respectively, and the highest death rate age-wise was seen in people over 75.The authors say that more research has to be done to unpack exactly why cold-related deaths have been increasing. At the same time, there are already steps that policymakers can and should take to prevent these tragic losses of life, such as making sure that vulnerable populations are living in homes with reliable indoor heating or expanding access to warming centers. Our findings should raise awareness that injury and death due to cold weather exposure is possible especially for older populations who have more health conditions, unsheltered people who are most exposed to outside weather, and low-income populations who may not have access to adequate indoor heating, Wadhera said.Daily NewsletterYou May Also Like By Margherita Bassi Published December 15, 2024 By Isaac Schultz Published December 10, 2024 By Matthew Gault Published November 13, 2024 By Lucas Ropek Published November 12, 2024 By Matthew Gault Published October 30, 2024 By Matthew Gault Published October 28, 2024

Another year has passed, which means its been another year of having our wallets drained by the oodles of fantastic toys and collectibles that came out in 2024. Heres just a few selections, from action figures to model kits to very, very large spaceships, that took pride of place in our collections this year. Hot Toys The Dark Knight Joker (Batsuit Disguise) The combination of Hot Toys and Heath Ledgers Joker seems perfect. An instantly recognizable, legendary character, paired with the detail and care of a top-end collectibles company. But in 2024, that went a step further with the Batsuit Disguise release, which was a limited edition reimagining of the character that wasnt from a movie. It was just inspired by fandom. Almost a DC Studios What If?, Joker stuns in a purple and green Batsuit with all the devious weapons to match. Its thrilling to look at and allows us to imagine what couldve been had Ledger not tragically passed. Lego Lord of the Rings Barad-Dur It might not shine as brightly as Legos grand return to Middle-earth with the Rivendell set, but Legos trip into Mordor is still a worthy follow-up. Sure, the scope of a spiky, 32-inch tall dark tower is grand, but the Lego Barad-Dur excels in ways a little closer to hobbit-size. Packed with a ton of great minifigures and some wonderful little details to break up all that villainous black structure, its a worthy addition to anyLord of the Rings collection with the space for it, at least. S.H. Figuarts Across the Spider-Verse Spider-Punk Bandai Bandais put out a lot of Spider-Men over the years, and theSpider-Verse movies have given it the chance to make even more ever-spindlier Spiders. So it says a lot that the cream of the crop (so far at least) isnt Peter or Miles, but Hobie Brown. Based on his design in Across, the Figuarts Spider-Punk blends great articulation and killer accessories with some genuinely astonishing paint work. It captures Hobies gangly frame from the film perfectly, and its clear Bandai had a lot of fun going to town on Hobies messy, but intricately detailed jacket and suit.Star Wars: Galaxys Edge Kyber Crystal Set When Star Wars: Galaxys Edge opened at Disneyland, one of the coolest draws for collectors were the kyber crystals. These tiny collectibles offered both beauty and mystery in equal parts. And when a second series dropped recently, Disney decided to commemorate the original magic with a limited edition set of every single kyber crystal from the startincluding the ultra rare black crystal, the only time its ever been sold on its own. The case also came with Jedi and Sith holocrons, which allow you to unlock the crystals, and a nifty display case. Sure, its super bulky, but it makes you feel like a Jedi (or Sith) relic hunter, proudly displaying your wares for everyone to see. Lego Legend of Zelda Great Deku Tree 2-in-1 Its been a long time comingpeople have been begging Lego to work with Nintendo on aLegend of Zelda collabbut was it worth the wait? Absolutely. Lego juked where everyone expected it to jive with this wonderful tribute to both Breath of the Wild and Ocarina of Time, using their shared connections on the twisty-turny timeline of the franchise to anchor a set that celebrates two of the most beloved entries in the series through one location. Its a little too much of a pain to easily swap between either version of the Great Deku Tree, but theres still a ton of great detail and building techniques regardlessand, of course, some amazing minifigures.Hasbro Marvel Legends X-Men 97 Hasbro The Marvel Legends series has gone from strength to strength this year, but it did mutantkind right with the excellentX-Men 97 subline. All these figures turned out so well, translating the animated aesthetic into action figure form, that its almost impossible to pick just a single one as the best of the bunchtruly, they have us dying to see more X-Men rendered in this style. But if we had to pick just one, the first ever Hasbro Madelyne Pryor figure is a definite highlight. Alien: Romulus Facehugger Mask Alien: Romulus was the first Alien movie that came preloaded with merch, so we got all kinds of cool action figures and books and whatnot. But our favorite was a piece Disney was so high on, it gave one to every single person at the Alien panel in Hall H at Comic-Con this year: a facehugger mask. Which is perfect, right? Facehuggers literally jump on someones face and hug it, like a mask, so making one into a mask is both a screen-accurate representation of the film, and a fun costume item. Whoever came up with the idea deserves a raise. Hasbro HaslabStar Wars The Vintage Collection Ghost A very recent entry on this list, but Hasbros grandestStar Wars Haslab vehicle yet is an utterly wonderful tribute to one of the very best parts of the franchise inRebels. Its by no means perfect, from either the compromises its forced to make due to scale (while still turning out bigger and wider than your whole torso) or to the baffling decision to include everyonebut Sabine and Chopper in the sets massive $500 crowdfund investment asking price. But its an absolute joy to play with, and packed with tons of detail in and out to be worth hours of fiddling with. Bandai 30 Minutes Fantasy Liber Knight/Holy Knight Bandai Bandai kicked off the fantastical spinoff to its popular30 Minutes Mission mecha line this year with a blend of clean, sci-fi-influenced robot design and classic fantasy archetypes in the Knight. Released for both of the two factions in30 Minutes Fantasys stories, the Knight and its optional upgrade set to a Holy Knight are wonderfully designed model kits, bringing30 Minutes usual clear, modular design ideology to a great trad-fan-meets-sci-fi hybrid aesthetic. We cant wait to keep bolstering our plastic party with even more classes! Hasbro Transformers One Ultimate Energon Optimus Prime The release of an animated Transformers film this year, of course, came with lots of cool toys and merchandise. Transformers of all shapes, sizes, and even eras. And while we admit we didnt play with them all, the one we keep coming back to is the Ultimate Energon Optimus Prime. At roughly 10 inches, its a perfect size that you can either play with it or display ita nice balance for both adult collectors and their children. Its got great details. It transforms (of course). It makes you feel like youre once again watching the amazing movie.Hasbro Star Wars Black Series Mae Its been a great year for the Black Series line, but its secret best strength came from an unlikely source: one of the figures released for The Acolyte, and not even one of the myriad Jedi. Instead, Mae slunk out of the shadows and into our hearts with a genuinely great little toy. It goes above and beyond the Black Series usual punching weight for accessories, and it feels like Hasbro finally nailed cloth elements with her hooded cloak fitting better than most Jedi robes. Theres just a ton of miniscule detailing that comes together to create a fantastic action figure Mezco One:12 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Mezco There areso manyTMNT figure sets out there, and it feels like weve had enough this year to clog up the boys sewer home and then some thanks to the franchises 40th anniversary. But in a sea of half-shells, one set stood easily triumphant in Mezcos One:12 take on the turtle brothers. A fantastically detailed art style inspired by the classic comics and beloved retro toys in equal measure, great articulation, and a ton of cool accessories for each member of the team, this set was the best celebration of the TMNT in a year filled with similar attempts at revelry. LegoStar Wars Lukes Lightsaber There were lots of cool Lego Star Wars this yearand every year, franklybut we cant stop thinking about the free gift. Fans who ordered Jabbas Sail Barge got a Lego lightsaber set that just made us wonder why the heck doesnt Lego do these ALL THE TIME? 1:1 props from Star Wars? In Lego? Theyre so freaking cool. Its an idea so good and simple we cant believe it hasnt happened before. Also, the set was crafted to perfection, even coming with its own kyber crystal. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, whats next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.

Savannen Nursery / Nordic Office of ArchitectureSave this picture! Kirstine MengelEducational Architecture, Day CareSkibby, DenmarkArchitects: Nordic Office of ArchitectureAreaArea of this architecture projectArea:912 mYearCompletion year of this architecture project Year: 2019 PhotographsPhotographs:Kirstine Mengel, ImarkenManufacturersBrands with products used in this architecture project Manufacturers: AutoDesk, Troldtekt, Lunawood, AG Gulve, Adobe, Gerflor, Phnix Tag, Rationel, Trimble Navigation Landscape: Vega LandskabProductstranslation missing: en-US.post.svg.material_descriptionMore SpecsLess SpecsSave this picture!Text description provided by the architects. The design of Savannen Nursery is based on a desire to create optimal spaces for children's development in downscaled and home-like surroundings. The design is very similar to the archetypal Danish house with pitched roof, windows and a door as imagined by a child and defines a composition that is far less institutional. Further downscaling was achieved by partitioning the building into small units resulting in a cluster structure with niches for varied types of recreation and play zones. The small units provide overview and structure a safe and manageable environment for all children, especially emotionally sensitive children.Save this picture!Save this picture!The design and the materials have been chosen to minimize the project's carbon footprint and to give the nursery a green, sustainable profile. The implementation of integrated sustainable solutions is based on a holistic approach to architecture. We believe that good architecture is about working in a visionary and responsible way - always based on context and strong local anchoring.Save this picture!The detailing and the materials are always carefully chosen for their ability to patinate and stand the test of time. At Savannen Nursery the sustainable, durable and local timber demands minimal maintenance and create a warm, friendly and tactile experience for the children. Each building has a different paneling, providing each space with a unique identity.Save this picture!The name, Savannen ("savannah") is inspired by its context on the open farmland at the edge of the village, Skibby. The exterior spaces become a seamless extension of the interior, encouraging children out into the fresh air. The playground is designed for both play, reflection and learning, and the spaces are divided into different zones according to the context. The terraces closest to the building and the spaces formed between the clustered volumes are safe and home-like.Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!Further away from the building, play becomes more of an adventure. Here the landscape is wilder like an open field or savannah and there is space to hide, to be invisible. A fence separates the site from the forest, although against this, the structure of the fence is almost invisible, the trees becoming the natural perimeter of the site.Save this picture!Project gallerySee allShow lessProject locationAddress:4050 Skibby, DenmarkLocation to be used only as a reference. It could indicate city/country but not exact address.About this officeMaterialWoodMaterials and TagsPublished on December 26, 2024Cite: "Savannen Nursery / Nordic Office of Architecture" 26 Dec 2024. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/952537/savannen-nursery-nordic-office-of-architecture&gt ISSN 0719-8884Save!ArchDaily?You've started following your first account!Did you know?You'll now receive updates based on what you follow! Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors, offices and users.Go to my stream

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A giant robotic frown is the first thing you see while flying behind Astro Bot into a droopy, rain-stricken tropical island. A handful of glowing purple locks hold the colossal metal creature to the ground. Destroy them, and the entire world around glows with transformation.Free Big Brother--a standout Astro Bot planet--sees a level transform with emotion. Beginning as a darker tribute to Shadow of the Colossus, it evolves into the epitome of platforming joy that rivals exploring the sunkissed secrets of Super Mario Sunshine's Delfino Plaza. Raindrops grow fewer and fewer before the colossal and friendly creature becomes the final stages of the level itself.Whether it's Ape Escape or Uncharted, Astro Bot is adept at recreating the feelings that the franchises it showcases made us feel. The adrenaline of ruin-destroying gun battles or the awe inspired by the scale of a toy-sized Jrmungandr are both apparent, even if the feelings only last for a few moments.Continue Reading at GameSpot

Today, we'll be discussing every game in the Batman Arkham Universe and seeing how they stack up against each other from worst to best.