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"I still remember when I first used VR, I hadn't cried so much for a long time. Especially being someone that was failed by the NHS [National Health Service]," Levia*, a trans woman living in Britain, explained. "Many trans people cry when they finally feel whole in VRChat."

Transgender people don't fit into society's cisheteronormative understanding of sex and gender, resulting in the feeling of being excluded and underserved. In 2022, the U.S. Transgender Survey found that of respondents who'd been to a doctor in the last year, 48 percent reported at least one negative experience, such as being refused healthcare or being misgendered. Conservatives continually seek to restrict gender affirming care in the U.S. and UK. This, combined with hate crimes on the rise, has contributed to 41 percent of trans people attempting suicide at some point in their lives.

SEE ALSO: People are having sex in VR using Bluetooth sex toys

Society is failing trans people, and some are turning to virtual reality (VR) to affirm their gender identity, seek resources, and create community. 

An egg-cracking machine

Metaverse game VRChat, where users can embody any avatars they like from e-boys to furries to a cursed Marge Simpson, is one of the biggest VR social platforms by user numbers. According to users Mashable spoke to, it's also the most common social VR platform trans people are playing. One of the main reasons that VRChat is used over other options, like Meta Horizon Worlds, is due to how freely you can customize your avatar.

Being able to select from a wide range of avatars in a broad spectrum of art styles is fun for anyone, as you can visually embody anyone or anything you'd like. Looking at yourself in the mirror as an avatar, seeing your movements perfectly mimicked by the digital suit you're wearing, is riveting. But, for transgender people especially, this visual embodiment can be life-changing.

"When I put this avatar on and saw myself in the mirror, I was like oh — my egg cracked at that moment," Penny Buttercup said, looking at herself in the mirror wearing the feminine avatar that changed her life two years ago. "I felt like me, in a way I never had before." 

"Egg cracking" is a metaphor for when a transgender person realizes their gender identity. In contrast to the idea of "being in the closet" for gay and lesbian identities, which suggests people are intentionally hiding their identity, people who haven't cracked their egg aren't consciously aware they are trans.

I felt like me, in a way I never had before. - VRChat user Penny Buttercup

"It's like a self-produced protection that people develop in order to deny the possibility that they could come out or transition," Cáel M. Keegan, associate professor in critical sexuality studies at Concordia University, said. "We're in an egg but we don't know we're in an egg."

Now looking back, Penny realizes she was in an egg the whole time. There have been signs throughout her life, from not wanting to go shirtless on the beach to creating a chromosome-swapped superhero alter-ego for herself as a kid. But she never realized what it meant until she put on a cute anime avatar at the age of 30.

For this reason, some have described VRChat as an "egg-cracking machine."

Finding your avatar — for a price

"There's a special moment that happens when somebody embodies an avatar, because we're not just staring at a puppet anymore. When you put on that VR headset, you can see your hands and you can see the nuance of your movement. You are that avatar," Tizzy, the founder of the largest trans community in VRChat, Trans Academy, told Mashable. "For trans people who deal with gender dysphoria, that is incredibly powerful."

As a result, finding the perfect avatar to embody is of the utmost importance for the trans community. The sheer number and variety of avatars publicly available is astounding: over four million. 

"I was having a lot of trouble finding a publicly available avatar that felt like 'me,' I couldn't find that perfect outfit." Zerelic, a trans VRChat avatar creator, told Mashable. "So instead I decided to, metaphorically, teach myself how to sew."

Zerelic is now the unofficial "avatar person" for the VRC Trans Academy, and was recently equipped with the task of creating the official avatar for the academy.

Using online marketplaces, like Gumroad, individuals can purchase avatar templates (called bases) as well as clothing, accessories, hairstyles, and more. Using this method, creating an avatar could cost anywhere from $30 to $300, according to Zerelic.

To do this, you still need some proficiency in tools like Unity and Blender, while being content with the options publicly available — limiting your creativity. In turn, some create, or hire someone to create, their avatar from scratch.

The creator will then need to understand how to use software like Blender, Unity, Photoshop, and Substance Painter in order to get perfect results. Due to this, paying someone to create an avatar from scratch is a costly process, with the most complex avatars being priced above $5,000.

While this may seem a lot for a virtual avatar, it's much cheaper than the hefty price tag that comes with transitioning in real life — $140,000 for some. 

"Avatar creation can be a literal lifesaver. It enables people who may live in areas where it's too dangerous to do so, or people who just aren't in a good enough financial situation, to still be allowed to be who they truly are," Zerelic said. "I can't count the amount of times I've felt gender euphoria simply from being in my avatar and seeing myself move around in it."

That said, VR itself comes at a cost: Even the cheapest headsets on the market start at $299, requiring a level of monetary privilege to purchase. 

For those who can partake, they identify extremely closely with their virtual persona. Some VRChat users' avatars influence their chosen name and style, or even serve as a reference for facial feminization surgery.

I can't count the amount of times I've felt gender euphoria simply from being in my avatar and seeing myself move around in it. - VRChat user Zerelic Creating community

Trans people have created communities on the internet since the earliest chat rooms and forums became available.

"It wasn't really until the invention of the internet that we got these kinds of disparate trans communities where people could exchange information," Keegan, who is also special editor of arts and culture at Transgender Studies Quarterly, said. "Since then, it really has been the primary way that trans people engage with one another."

Prior to the internet, trans activists were publishing in print (see: Virginia Prince and Lou Sullivan) but anti-obscenity laws stunted this practice, Keegan explained. So it wasn't until the early internet chat rooms that we saw a boom in distribution of trans resources.

The VRC Trans Academy is just the next evolution of this deep-rooted history. Founded in September 2022, the non-profit organization aims to offer resources, classes, and foster a loving community for trans VRChat users. 

Now with almost 22,000 group members, the Trans Academy regularly hosts workshops and lectures in their VRChat world. The most popular are classes that focus on feminizing, masculinizing, and androgenizing voices. 

"Being authentically perceived by ourselves and others can be such an affirming thing. Voice can play an important part in that perception in both VRChat and in real life," Tizzy explained. "Voice training isn't something that is always accessible, oftentimes being gatekept by location or finances. Our ultimate goal at the Trans Academy is to create accessibility."

The trans and wider LGBTQ+ community have relied on distribution of resources and information through groups like the Trans Academy for a long time, as institutions often lag behind.

SEE ALSO: When virtual reality meets psychedelic therapy

"[Doctors and institutions] often know less about the resources than trans people do," Keegan said. "There's a whole history of this with the AIDS crisis where it was members of the queer community, in groups like the Treatment and Action Group of Act Up, who knew more about the virus than medical researchers did."

In the face of institutions repeatedly failing their community, trans people have consistently found themselves in internet spaces to support each other — VR is no different.

If you visit the VRC Trans Academy on any day, you'll be greeted with a warm hug from trans and queer people. Everyone openly discusses their identities, vents about troubles they're facing in their life, and supports each other in times of need. 

"VR creates a lot of accessibility for community," Tizzy explained. "If somebody is in a city or a small town where they're unable to have access to other trans people in real life, you can log into VRChat. And you can suddenly have access to tens of thousands of people who are all going through what you're going through."

While VR presents a beacon of hope for many, the high cost serves as a barrier for entry. As a result, there exist numerous narratives untold, communities unformed, and struggles unacknowledged.

"The readable history of trans identity tends to be a white one. It's what ends up getting studied or written about," Keegan said. "There are all kinds of other ways that this happens that aren't as easily investigated."

Historical oversight isn't novel, it's a recurring pattern. Accessible stories are often the ones that form our history books, leaving behind libraries of untold tales and unexplored truths.

VR is a powerful tool for trans people, albeit an inaccessible one for now.

"I think of the me in the virtual space as the me I aspire to be," Levia finished. "So I'll work towards it."

* Names for VRChat players are their online personas, some of which have transferred to in-person names.

Since the dawn of the internet, users have gone online to escape. They've flooded forums to build community when the outside world was lacking, and they've delved into fantasy worlds, fanfiction, and original characters to explore the limits of personal identity.

In the '00s, online accounts, from the blinged-out Myspace pages to fantasy RPG profiles, were exaggerations of real-life personalities or total aliases, intended to obscure reality in favor of something completely different than who they are IRL. 

But in modern times, the internet is fiending for authenticity — even if it's hard to distinguish. Anonymity is less popular; users are building avatars that more accurately represent themselves in the real world; and platforms are catering to the demands of young users who view online spaces as mirrors for their everyday lives, as the internet becomes less fantasy and more reality. Among those are the 71.5 million daily active users on Roblox.

SEE ALSO: The women fighting to make women and girls safe in the digital age Making Roblox players into Roblox designers

According to the platform's 2023 Digital Expression, Fashion, and Beauty Trends report, more than half of Roblox's Gen Z (17-24 years old) users believe customizing their online avatars is more important than styling themselves in the real world. Around 70 percent of users polled stressed the importance of having a diverse range of skin tones, body sizes, hair colors, textures, and styles, while the year racked up more than 165 billion avatar updates among users. 

"These findings echo what we see on our platform: self-expression through digital identity and fashion is an essential part of people’s experience," Roblox wrote. "And 40 percent of Gen Z feel it’s easier to present their authentic selves in the metaverse than in the physical world."

Despite growing alarm from parents and children's advocates about the safety of the platform, Roblox continues to dominate as a favored digital space for people of all ages. It's not just a gaming platform for young kids, but a quickly growing metaverse marketplace and incubator for young digital designers and engineers. 

"40 percent of Gen Z feel it’s easier to present their authentic selves in the metaverse than in the physical world." - Roblox

Jasmine (@Jazzyx3) and Lona (@Lirn) are some of Roblox's most popular, self-taught designers, and they represent a facet of the user base that began as regular, kid players but have now transitioned Roblox into an adult career. They're also leading the charge as Black designers building User-Generated Content (or UGC) for other users of color, most specifically in a variety of diverse, multicultural hairstyles and accessories. Some of their most popular creations include Jasmine's "Long Dreads" and "Light Brown Parted Afro," and Lona's "Bantu Knots," "Locs Pigtails," and " Headscarfs" designs.

Modern gamers and designers are adding to a complicated history of Black hairstyles in games, as well as other advocates for diversity options like skin color and body type. Many online still don't understand the call for representative gaming, a sentiment on full display when Lona took over Roblox's Twitter account to explain her work on natural hair styles.

Tweet may have been deleted

"The way I see it, creation should be representative," Lona has said of her work. "I set out to create authentic Black hairstyles for avatars. It’s a technical and complex design, but I knew I could do it with passion and flair."

The 23-year-old designer started as a developer in 2020, but had been playing since she was 10. Lona and her brother would create custom illustrations for niche Roblox communities, known as groups, in order to earn in-game currency known as Robux. This built foundation skills that would set her up for an easy transition into UGC design using platforms like Blender, the free, open source 3D graphics software. In those early days, Lona would convert hairstyles from other games or mimic the styles of celebrities for what were essentially Roblox cosplayers, or those performing in virtual concerts. 

Lona's multicultural hairstyles offer users a more authentic gaming experience. Credit: Roblox/ @Lirn

Jasmine, who's also in her 20s, similarly started using Roblox young, joining the site as a player almost 15 years ago. She tells Mashable she's always been a creative, whether making art offline or on, and loved diving into other people's creations. Like others on the platform, she started off making 2D and 3D clothing for Roblox clans or roleplay groups, and later designed character's hair to reflect her real-world styles.

Forgoing her plans to be a nurse, the designer now does Roblox full time — and not just professionally. Jasmine was friends with Roblox interns, lives with fellow Roblox designers, spends most of her free time on the platform, and even met her fiancé through Roblox. She still works and plays with many of her original Roblox friends, which she equates to observing the evolution of your high school graduating class. 

"It's a unique position to be in," she said. "That's my every day, real life and online vocabulary. It feels like there's no off switch. But I love it."

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Both Jasmine and Lona are now part of the UGC catalog program, which enables creators to build and profit from assets like game models, avatar options, and audio that aren't created by Roblox or its administrators. These assets are then available for download or purchase (using Robux) on Roblox's marketplace, or catalog, which debuted in 2019. 

"Back then, it was complex because we were limited to keeping it under a certain poly count limit so the game wouldn't slow down," she said. "I would use Blender, I already had experience with it, and Photoshop to create the textures, and then use Roblox Studio to import." Roblox Studio, now housed in the platform's Creator Hub, is the site's creative game engine, which lets players build and test their own worlds, games, and more, she explains. Jasmine began once Roblox introduced the ability to upload a user's own 3D models. 

Now, Roblox has enabled more UGC creators — many of whom might not easily access the support and resources needed to have game design careers — to create assets for themselves and others, usually through an online network of communities and requests. "I uploaded the headscarf one," Lona recalled to Mashable, "and I was getting tons of Twitter DMs asking me to make something from their culture." Lona received a similar response to her pigtail locs design, the first natural hairstyle she created for the platform.

Creators like Jasmine and Lona commune off Roblox too, in Discords specifically for Black UGC creators, which share job opportunities and technical and personal support. They get inspiration from other online places, like Pinterest and Twitter, as well as media like their favorite TV shows.

Lona thinks Roblox UGC skills should be taught to as many young people as possible, maybe even in schools, because it's enabled her to find a space in a predominantly male, predominantly white industry. Jasmine, whose work crosses over with many real-life brands, called for more opportunities for creators to work directly with companies on the platform and build professional connections.  

View this post on Instagram Turning Roblox communities into careers

In a 2023 interview with Mashable's Elizabeth De Luna, model, investor, and Roblox fan Karlie Kloss spoke of the platform's potential to inspire, support, and build career opportunities for young women as it merged tech and fashion. "A fashion publication used to play that curation role, and I think still does, but the next generation is going other places for that influence, that taste-making," she told Mashable. "What we're really hoping to do is kind of act as a curated space that can both elevate and invest the design talent on the platform." 

Kloss built her own UGC world, Klosette, in 2022, enabling users to design and wear their own clothes while working through a Sims-like promotion toward fashion editor-in-chief. Socialite Paris Hilton made a similar move last year, launching her "Slivingland" complete with limited edition digital fashion items. 

But regular users still make up the majority of UGC customization and sales, with some turning the process into multi-million dollar businesses. In Sept. 2023, Roblox announced it was expanding its creator offerings to facilitate this further, opening up the marketplace to non-UGC creators and introducing new creator subscriptions. Roblox also launched several AI helpers, like Code Assist, an AI-powered scripting resource for coders, and Assistant, available to creators and brands that can answer questions about building, growing, and monetizing Roblox creations, the site explains.

Tweet may have been deleted

There's a huge, real-dollar market for digital designs, especially ones that enable more specific personalization. In addition to requests for more diverse styles and customization options, the 2023 Roblox report outlines a brand-driven feedback loop in which users express demand for real design-inspired UGC, and then seek to purchase those items to wear in the real world, a practice Roblox calls "twinning." Brands, then, will need to work with and for the designers who have already pioneered the market.

SEE ALSO: 'Queering technology': Meta's mixed reality drag show blends VR, design, and fashion

Jasmine and Lona have both been selected to create Roblox designs for big brands, like Forever 21 and Gucci, as well as collaborations with celebrities, like Swedish House Mafia. Jasmine's simple Forever 21 beanie was a massive success, prompting the box brand to launch a real-world version of the winter hat. "That was my first ever brand deal I ever got involved in. I didn't think the beanie would become such a big statement," said Jasmine. "I think with the online space of accessories, and the brands coming on [Roblox], it's almost like a test run of what would work in this reality."

And Roblox users continue to make calls for a wider range of accessories and custom designs. "I think the demand comes from the previous lack. The rarity of it," Lona explained. "Playing as a girl, I only wore one hairstyle." 

Tweet may have been deleted

While users take representative customization into their own hands, platforms follow in their wake. Roblox is driving itself into the creator economy with force, with the demands of Black and multicultural designers becoming more technical alongside the platform's evolution.

"If it wasn't for the community, you wouldn't see so much progress," said Lona. "It has shifted. The only limit, something that would actually benefit us as Black hair creators, would be… transparency. That hasn't been added into the catalog yet."

In Alice Rohrwacher's La Chimera, the past is so close you can almost touch it. In fact, many characters do.

The film's central band of Italian tomb robbers — or tombaroli — regularly pillage gravesites peppered throughout the Tuscan countryside. They physically force historical artifacts into the present, transporting them from their longtime homes of soil and stone to buildings of glass and steel, where they'll be sold to the highest bidder.

SEE ALSO: 'Sing Sing' review: Colman Domingo delivers in prison-set friendship drama

But the past lingers here in other ways, too. Our head tomb raider, an Englishman named Arthur (Challengers and The Crown's Josh O'Connor), is haunted by visions of his lost love Beniamina (Yile Yara Vianello). But are these memories, dreams, or some more ghostly calling? La Chimera thrives in that fuzzy area between life and death, past and present, creating a gorgeous fantasy that is charming and melancholy in equal measures.

La Chimera invites us into a tale of tomb raiders. Melchiorre Pala, Josh O'Connor, and Vincenzo Nemolato in "La Chimera." Credit: Courtesy of Neon

Our first introduction to Arthur is not that of an Indiana Jones-esque archaeologist, but of a disheveled man down on his luck. Just released from jail for some good old-fashion grave pillaging, Arthur curls up asleep in a train car, wearing a rumpled white suit. There's something alluring about him: The three local young women sitting nearby can't help but ask where he's from. Yet there's something volatile to him too. A remark from a passing salesman about how bad Arthur smells draws his ire, provoking a miniature fistfight that sends all the train's passengers scurrying away from this angry foreign stranger.

SEE ALSO: 'Riddle of Fire' review: A dreamy fantasy adventure with 'Goonies' flair

It's in this state of rage that Arthur arrives back home in Tuscany, where his fellow tombaroli await his return. Despite Arthur's initial desire to keep his distance — especially from the mysterious antiques dealer known as Spartaco (Alba Rohrwacher) — it's not long before he's back in the tomb-raiding business. Turns out, he has a knack for finding ancient burial sites using a dowsing rod, an ability that leads the tombaroli to describe him as a kind of sorcerer.

Rohrwacher and cinematographer Hélène Louvart lean hard into the magical realism of Arthur's mysterious power. The scenes of his searching are filmed with lingering care, while his moments of discovery lead to the entire world being flipped upside down. It's a striking motif, one that recalls the image of the hanged man in tarot decks (which is also referenced in one of La Chimera's posters).

Alice Rohrwacher crafts a soft fantasy with La Chimera. Luca Gargiullo, Melchiorre Pala, Vincenzo Nemolato, Ramona Fiorini, Josh O'Connor, and Giuliano Mantovani in "La Chimera." Credit: Courtesy of Neon

Arthur's gift is far from the only fantastical element in La Chimera, which is so full of magic it welcomes us into a near-dream state. The recollections of Beniamina tout imagery that would be right at home in a fairy tale: Flocks of birds mid-flight, lost figures wandering through gorgeous landscapes, and a trailing red thread that pulls Arthur towards some impossible treasure.

Elsewhere, Arthur often visits Beniamina's mother Flora (Isabella Rossellini) in her massive house, which is so vast and beautifully frescoed that it may as well be a palace. Apart from Arthur, Flora's only companion is her music student Italia (Carol Duarte), whom she treats more like a maid. Sometimes her flock of daughters stops by as well, but their constant gossiping and scheming about Italia recall wicked stepsisters more than loving family members.

It's with these bricks that Rohrwacher builds the fantasy of La Chimera, along with some lighter touches. A musical troupe's song all about Arthur and the tombaroli makes for a charming accompaniment of their exploits, situating us in what feels like a much older adventure film. At times, characters turn to the camera to confide directly in the audience. At others, footage is sped up to create delightfully herky-jerky chase scenes. There's a real sense freedom in all this experimentation, and you can't help but get swept up in Rohrwacher's vision.

Josh O'Connor is superb in La Chimera. Carol Duarte and Josh O'Connor in "La Chimera." Credit: Courtesy of Neon

Throughout these fantastical interludes, Rohrwacher and O'Connor keep La Chimera rooted in Arthur's loss and pain. While the tombaroli hunt artifacts for financial gain, his quest walks the line between needing money and needing to find some greater meaning. Early mentions of a door to the afterlife clue us into the true purpose of his constant searching, even as elements of his life (like a possible romance with Italia) bind him further to the world aboveground.

O'Connor proves achingly excellent as Arthur, threading the needle between his desperate quest and the more grounded aspects of his time away from the tombaroli. That balance is present throughout the film, but especially in a party scene that sees him yearning for Italia one minute, then digging like a madman in the dirt the next. It's an unexpected combination of charming and haunted, and O'Connor nails every beat. You find yourself wanting to jump down in the dirt alongside him and search for the many buried treasures La Chimera still has in store.

La Chimera is now in theaters.

TL;DR: Through March 31, PDF users, take note — a lifetime subscription to PDF Expert's Premium Plan for Mac is just $109.99 for a limited time (reg. $139.99).

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TL;DR: Through April 2, add some organization to your workflow with Microsoft Visio 2021 Professional on sale for just $24.97 (reg. $249).

Across industries, professionals have come to rely on visually communicating data and processes. Not only does it help others understand what you have to say in an easier way, but it also helps organize and gives everyone an easy-to-understand reference to turn to. 

Microsoft has been a trusted name in efficiency software for decades. Its Visio Professional 2021 for Windows offers a streamlined way to support data and process communication — and it's on sale for just $24.97 (reg. $249) through April 2.

Whether you're a business professional, an IT developer, an HR leader, a teacher, or a student, Visio can make it easier to do your job. This tool is packed with templates to help you create stunning diagrams, flow charts, org charts, and more. Your IT staff can even use Visio to create networking maps.

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TL;DR: Through April 2, a lifetime subscription to LazyApply Job Application Basic is on sale for just $59.97 (reg. $149).

One of the universal truths is that everyone has to look for a job at some point in their lives. Whether you're looking for your first job or looking to make a move out of your current position, having the right tools can make all the difference. Something to consider that could make the process less time-consuming is LazyApply. A lifetime subscription is on sale for just $59.97 (reg. $149) through April 2.

Gone are the days of applying for jobs one by one, which can take a lot of time. LazyApply is a Chrome plug-in that allows you to submit many job applications across a variety of platforms — like LinkedIn and Indeed — with just the press of a button. In fact, LazyApply says you can apply for up to 1,000 jobs all in a single click.

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A lifetime subscription to LazyApply Job Application Basic is on sale for just $59.97 (reg. $149) until April 2 at 11:59 p.m. PT.

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TL;DR: Through March 31, turn your car smart with this 7-inch Wireless Car Display with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto Compatibility for just $78.97 (reg. $139).

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Don't let an outdated control center hold you back from enjoying the convenience and connectivity of modern technology. 

Bring your older car into the digital age and enjoy all the benefits of Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and phone mirroring with this 7-inch Wireless Car Display for just $78.97 (reg. $139) through March 31.

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The '90s was a time of epic soundtracks, from Clueless's pop extravaganza to Romeo + Juliet's swoony seduction to Trainspotting's frenzied club mix. But before all these came The Crow: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, featuring original songs from The Cure, Nine Inch Nails, My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult, and Stone Temple Pilots. While grunge was mainstream by 1994, a soundtrack this hard-edged — flaunting heavy metal alongside goth rock — was far from common. But this album did more than sing the song of the eponymous anti-hero; it also sang of the lost Brandon Lee. 

Inspired by James O'Barr's comic books, The Crow was to be Lee's launchpad to stardom. As the forlorn lover Eric Draven, who is resurrected from the dead on the anniversary of his fiancée's murder to seek vigilante justice, Lee would get to flex his acting chops along with his physical prowess. However, the Alex Proyas-directed movie would define Lee's legacy, not only because of his powerful performance as an avenging angel, but also because a notorious accident on set led to Lee's death at 28. 

The Crow and its soundtrack went on to become a major hit, spawning sequels, a short-lived Canadian superhero TV series, a soon-to-hit reboot, and a legion of fans who've adored this tale of loss and love for decades now. 

As the soundtrack reaches its 30th anniversary, it hasn't lost a bit of its entrancing power. Hitting play is like time-traveling back to my teen years, lured into the rush of hormones and emotions from the opening bird cries of The Cure's "Burn." Seeking to uncover how The Crow soundtrack came to be a three-time platinum hit that changed the soundtrack landscape and gripped a generation, Mashable reached out to Jeff Most, who produced the film and executive produced the soundtrack with Jolene Cherry, the music supervisor of the 1994 hit. 

In separate interviews, they shared their recollections of the long and difficult journey of two and half years to not only complete the film after the death of their beloved leading man, but also to pull together an album that extended The Crow beyond the movie. 

The Crow soundtrack began with Eric Draven getting a job.  Brandon Lee as Eric Draven in "The Crow." Credit: Pressman / Most / Kobal / Shutterstock.com

In the comics, it's unclear what revenant Eric Draven did for a living, though — according to Most — creator O'Barr imagined he'd have a job like housepainter or something decidedly unglamorous. For Most, who had worked as a radio DJ and produced a television series called Top 40 Videos, making Draven a musician could give the character a sharper context for the movie. Plus, it would allow for a rocking soundtrack that could be a "very emotive way to show this artistic side of [Draven]."

Developing the screenplay with credited screenwriters John Shirley and David J. Schow, Most pitched the idea to O'Barr: What if Draven was in an alternative band? "I'm not talking about a successful rock star," Most explained. "He's [part of] a small independent group. Maybe they put out a record, you know, [but they're not] a big act yet — [he’s] just a guitarist in a band." 

O'Barr was sold. But the soundtrack Most had in mind wasn't such an easy sell to execs. 

The Crow soundtrack broke new ground by rejecting the status quo. 

Leaning into the comic's dark aesthetic, Most and Cherry sought to create a soundtrack of hard rock and heavy metal, ultimately bringing in Rage Against the Machine, Rollins Band, and Pantera. But more than that, Most wanted only original songs, or covers that couldn't be found anywhere else. 

"We are creating a world in which an avenging angel can come back," Most said, "And I don't want the classic soundtrack thing of you're watching a movie and you hear some song and you've heard it on the radio 100 times and it takes you to a place. I want everything to be organic to the film." 

Cherry warned Most he'd be turned down flat by record executives, as conventional wisdom dictates you pick an established hit song or several to assure the album will sell. And he was, repeatedly. Until Trent Reznor came onto the scene. 

The Crow soundtrack wouldn't exist without Trent Reznor.  Trent Reznor performs as Nine Inch Nails in 1994. Credit: Ian Dickson / Shutterstock.com

Long before Reznor teamed with his Nine Inch Nails bandmate Atticus Ross to compose Academy Award-winning scores for David Fincher's Facebook drama The Social Network and Pixar's spirited animated adventure Soul, the famous lead singer was the lynchpin to getting Most's soundtrack going. 

Most hoped Nine Inch Nails might do a Joy Division cover, since the '70s English rock band was an influence on the comics. (Aside from referencing songs, O'Barr even included a dedication to the late guitarist/lyricist Ian Curtis in one book.) 

Cherry noted that several musicians were sent the script and comics to strengthen the pitch, including Reznor. Intrigued, Reznor invited Most to his home in Benedict Canyon, where he was also recording NIN's second album — specifically, the Cielo Drive home where Sharon Tate and friends were murdered in 1969.

Spending the afternoon with Reznor and his dog, Most remembered, "I went through the bands I wanted [to get for the album], and he was like, 'I love all these bands, but no one's gonna let you make this album, Jeff.' And I said, 'Trent, I really believe if you say yes, I'll be able to do it.' And he goes, 'I'm in. Can I pick whatever Joy Division song I might want to do?' I said, 'Any one you want.'" 

Reznor picked "Dead Souls" — one of the most stunning songs in Joy Division's catalog —and just as Most predicted, Nine Inch Nails' involvement drew the interest of record execs. Interscope and Atlantic signed on to put out the album, and Most and Cherry were officially on the hunt for the perfect tracks to fill it. 

The Cure's Robert Smith broke new ground with "Burn." Robert Smith of The Cure Credit: Herbie Knott / Shutterstock.com

The iconic English rock band The Cure seemed a no-brainer for inclusion on The Crow soundtrack, as their songs were quoted through O'Barr's comics. Most anticipated this would make it easy to get frontman Robert Smith onboard, as he'd clearly approved the lyrics' use and therefore must be familiar with Eric Draven's story. So, it was quite a shock when Smith's rep said he'd never heard of The Crow. 

"I went back [to] O'Barr," Most shared, "And I said, 'James, you know, you've got 'used by permission' all over the place [in the comics] and Robert Smith [has] never heard the comics.' And he goes, 'Well, yeah. Every time I'd ever seen lyrics used [in comics], it has 'used by permission,' so I just added that.'"

Despite this copyright confusion, Smith liked the comics — once he did see them — and the script. So, for the first time in his storied career, the legendary British rocker wrote a song specifically for a movie. 

While some acts wrote songs purely based on the screenplay, some of the film’s footage was transported to London for Smith to see. The resulting track, "Burn," is 6:39 seconds of scorching hot yearning. The song kicks off the album, and is given a place of prominence in the film; it plays over Eric's macabre makeover early in the movie. Lee's physicality is on full display as his Eric is rattled with flashbacks in the abandoned apartment he once shared with his late fiancée; he frenziedly applies the now-iconic black-and-white face paint in a shattered mirror while Smith sings, "Just paint your face, the shadows smile / Slipping me away from you." 

And just like that, The Crow is born. 

How did Brandon Lee's death change The Crow soundtrack? Brandon Lee and Rochelle Davis as Eric and Sarah in "The Crow." Credit: Moviestore / Shutterstock.com

In the wake of Lee's death, the team behind The Crow grappled not only with grief but also with how to finish the film to preserve Lee's incredible performance and legacy. For Most, his own pain over the loss of a friend influenced two major decisions on the album. The first was to change the song that Stone Temple Pilots had on the album.

Ahead of the release of their debut album Core, the California rock band was one of many groups to send demos in for consideration. Most and Cherry liked their sound. "They were the first ones to turn out a song," Most said, "They loved the material. They wrote something right away." Initially, their song "Only Dying" was picked to play in the movie and on the soundtrack, its lyrics evoking Eric Draven's gallows humor, making light of the character's death. But after Lee's tragic passing, Most said, "It was just disrespectful to use it." 

STP understood and came up with another offering, the haunting "Big Empty." Most said of hearing it for the first time, "I jumped up and down. I was like, 'Oh my god, what a beautiful song.'" 

Most added he passed on another song — which would go on to be a massive hit — because he worried about how it might reflect badly on his late friend, Lee. "I'm probably copping to this for the first time," Most said, "The one song that I should have included but didn't… That was Radiohead's 'Creep,' which kind of hangs over my head. I should have put it on the record." 

Radiohead, Smashing Pumpkins, and White Zombie didn't make The Crow cut. Here's why.  Billy Corgan of Smashing Pumpkins performs in 2000. Credit: Jorge Leal / EPA / Shutterstock.com

Released ahead of The Crow's production wrapping, "Creep" was Radiohead's debut single, and it would go on to appear on their first album, Pablo Honey. Though initially unpopular, the track went on to gain momentum when it was reissued in 1993, becoming a defining anthem of the "slacker" era. But for Most, the song’s lyrics ( "I'm a creep / I'm a weirdo") stung when connected to Lee in any way. So, he passed. 

"It was after the loss of Brandon," Most said, "And maybe I was very emotionally affected. When I heard the lyrics, I just worried. But in hindsight, I should have been more objective." 

Ahead of putting out their hit record Siamese Dream, Smashing Pumpkins had written a song for The Crow. But as the American band prepared their album, their reps asked for this song back to include there instead of on The Crow soundtrack. "The song 'Silverfuck' is actually written directly for The Crow," Most shared, "And if you read the lyrics to 'Silverfuck,' that's like a 10-minute opus — it's written for The Crow." 

Some lyrics in the song seem to speak from Eric's perspective about his lost love, Shelly Webster: "And she was my lover, so sweet / And she was my angel / And what I've recovered of me / I put into a box underneath my bed." 

For Most, however, the hardest loss to the soundtrack was a White Zombie song that was axed — but not by his call. 

Rob Zombie at the premiere of "200 Cigarettes." Credit: Bei / Shutterstock.com

"I don't want to put anybody under a bus," he explained, "But there was a record company president who said, 'These guys will never sell 50,000 records in their entire career.' And I said, 'You are 100 percent wrong. These guys have an amazing sound. The song is great.'" According to Most, the exec countered, "It can't be on the record, because they're not going anywhere. You're just wrong."

The song was "Babe Ruth," a track the heavy metal band performed live while playing Wilmington, North Carolina, where The Crow was in production. Before the song was rejected, Most invited Rob Zombie to set before the band's tour moved on. "Rob hung out on set, became friendly with Brandon and the whole crew. We were shooting at night. So it was lovely. We're just hanging out and shooting the shit."

While White Zombie didn't make it onto this album, the massive success of The Crow and its soundtrack gave Most more power on its sequel. So as he readied for The Crow: City of Angels, he knew whose band was at the top of his soundtrack wishlist. 

"When I went to put the second soundtrack together, the first person I went to was Rob." Most recalled, noting the metal singer asked, "'Can I cover a KC and the Sunshine Band song?' And I'm like, 'Sure, whatever you want, Rob.'" 

The resulting cover of "I'm Your Boogieman" went on to earn a Best Metal Performance nomination at the 39th Annual Grammy Awards. So, Most and Zombie had the last laugh.

It can't rain all the time.  Jane Siberry performs at The Bottom Line on Oct. 10, 1996, in New York City. Credit: Al Pereira / Michael Ochs Archives via Getty Images

While much of The Crow soundtrack is metal and rock music that's fit for headbanging, the final track is a gentle ballad, "It Can't Rain All the Time," performed by Canadian singer/songwriter Jane Siberry.

"It can't rain all the time" is a line of dialogue from Eric as he's trying to bestow some hope upon surly street urchin Sarah (Rochelle Davis). It also serves as a way to prove his identity to Sarah upon his return, not to mention its thematic resonance. It's probably the most memorable line in the movie.

David Schow wrote that line, then Siberry expanded on it to create the song's lyrics. Cherry noted it was she who picked Siberry and brought her together with Graeme Revell, the former frontman for industrial/noise band SPK whom Cherry calls a "brilliant composer." Their collaboration concludes the album and plays over the film's end credits. 

After so many tracks that express Draven's pain and anger, Most said Siberry's final notes "let the audience decompress, in a very kind of beautiful, lyrical summing-up… It was just such a sweet and eloquent song that really allowed the audience to take a breath after watching this very emotional film." 

After years of negotiations and collaborations, dozens of artists, and untold demos, Most and Cherry released The Crow soundtrack on March 19, 1994, nearly two months before the film's successful theatrical release. The album would sell 3.8 million copies in the U.S., going triple platinum. Most would make more Crow movies, and Cherry would soon create another hit soundtrack, for 1995's Batman Forever. Yet both expressed how this movie and this soundtrack is special to them. 

Cherry told Mashable, "It was such a miracle that the film and the soundtrack are remembered in the way that [they are] — with so much passion from everyone. People always say, 'You know, that shaped my years in high school,' or they always have such interesting, amazing things to say about it, that it really became sort of a pivotal supernatural force of its own."

Most offered, "We got to curate something for a moment in time. We were really able to do something, where we really took the essence of the film into the music, and vice versa, and allowed it to become something very personal. You know, we only watch movies so many times, but we listen to albums infinitely more. I think it was a great opportunity to be able to do something groundbreaking."

"I'm really grateful for that," Cherry concluded, "Because I think it set up Brandon Lee to be remembered forever."

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon The Crow: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Shop Now

My reaction to Renegade Nell, in one word? Delight.

SEE ALSO: 'Renegade Nell' cast dishes on the adventure show's big stunts

The new fantasy/adventure series from Happy Valley creator Sally Wainwright punches through Disney+'s more franchise-focused TV offerings, standing and delivering an original period piece that is oodles of fun. Thanks to its remixes of British folklore and history, as well as a star turn from Derry Girls' Louisa Harland, Renegade Nell proves to be as fierce and funny as its highwaywoman heroine.

What's Renegade Nell about? Bo Bragason, Florence Keen, and Louisa Harland in "Renegade Nell." Credit: Rekha Garton / Disney

That heroine is recently widowed soldier Nell Jackson (Harland), returning home after a stint at war. While the show will see her rise to notoriety as a feared highway robber, she certainly didn't set out to live a criminal life. In fact, Renegade Nell's opening scene sees her taking down a whole group of highwaymen in badass fashion. She's throwing lightning-fast punches, tossing grown men aside like they weigh nothing, and even deflecting bullets with her bare hands.

SEE ALSO: 'Renegade Nell' trailer stands and delivers a kickass 18th century outlaw

If any of that sounds strange or even supernatural to you, you'd be right. Nell is actually under the surveillance of Billy Blind (Ted Lasso's Nick Mohammed), a winged spirit who flies into Nell's mouth whenever she's in danger and gifts her heightened strength and speed. Billy believes he's been sent to protect Nell because she's meant to accomplish great things. What great things? Neither knows for sure.

Before Nell can fully process why she has a sidekick straight out of a fairy tale, she's framed for the murder of a lord and forced to go on the run with her younger sisters, Roxy (Bo Bragason) and George (Florence Keen). With the law turned against her and dark magical forces nipping at her heels, Nell will have to rely on her quick wits, her friends and family, and her newfound powers to clear her name. She'll also cause some good, old-fashioned disruption along the way.

Renegade Nell is a rollicking (if overstuffed) fantasy romp. Bo Bragason, Ényì Okoronkwo, Frank Dillane, Louisa Harland, and Florence Keen in "Renegade Nell." Credit: Robert Viglasky / Disney

In addition to Nell's attempts to prove her innocence, Renegade Nell has a number of subplots in play that introduces a cast of colorful characters. There's the sinister Earl of Poynton (Adrian Lester), who recruits noble siblings Sofia Wilmot (Alice Kremelberg) and Thomas Blancheford (Jake Dunn) — whose father Nell is suspected of killing — into a plot that would wreak havoc across England. Roxy strikes up a sweet relationship with the Blanchefords' former stableboy, Rasselas (Ényì Okoronkwo), who reveals his past as a slave taken from Benin. And in the upper crusts of society, the tabloid mogul (and immaculately named) Lady Eularia Moggerhangar (Joely Richardson) hopes to profit off Nell in any way she can.

In its attempts to juggle all this material, in addition to the supernatural Billy Blind arc, Renegade Nell can occasionally feel unfocused. But even so, there's something charming in the way it throws everything from magic to musical numbers at the wall. The phrase "something for everyone" rings especially true here.

SEE ALSO: 'The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin' review: As wickedly fun as its title

Love historical TV shows? Feast your eyes on Renegade Nell's take on 18th century England and all that entails — royal intrigue, wigs galore, and practical sets that feel refreshingly tactile when compared to other Disney+ shows' overuse of digital backgrounds. Looking for something that will play well with kids and adults alike? Renegade Nell's levels of violence and magic are perfectly suited for younger audiences, while still intense enough to thrill action-lovers. (Notably, stunt coordinator James Embree was Daniel Craig's double on Spectre and No Time to Die.) Plus, viewers of all ages can appreciate Renegade Nell's focus on the struggle between the haves and the have-nots, and on Nell and Billy's subsequent attempts to make a real change — even if these themes of class struggle do get lost somewhat in an action-packed finale.

Louisa Harland proves she's a star in Renegade Nell. Louisa Harland in "Renegade Nell." Credit: Rekha Garton / Disney

The glue holding all of Renegade Nell's madcap fun together is none other than Harland, who's proven her comedic chops time and time again in Derry Girls. Here, she gets to unleash her full power as a leading lady.

Harland makes a meal out of Renegade Nell's often laugh-out-loud dialogue, with animated expressions that switch so perfectly on a dime that I often had to rewind line deliveries to take in every facet of her performance. In the show's devilishly fun fight sequences, she commits to the action like a demon unleashed — fitting, given Billy Blind's magical involvement. There's no stopping her magnetic, swashbuckling hijinks, to the point that it's only inevitable that at least one of her highway robbery "victims" becomes enamored of her.

Harland also has crackling chemistry with everyone in Renegade Nell. At times, she's a caring big sister to Roxy and George. At others, she becomes a reluctant partner to people she'd rather leave behind, such as Rasselas or dandy-turned-highwayman Charles Devereux (Frank Dillane). Her dynamic with the latter is particularly scream-worthy: The two trade barbed insults and threats, yet they always come back to save each other's skin. Dillane often plays Devereux as endearingly pathetic, which makes it all the better when he is overcome with surprise and elation by Nell's sheer boldness. Yes, everyone should be this excited to see Nell in action — and the same goes for Renegade Nell as a whole.

Renegade Nell is now streaming on Disney+.

With the 2024 total solar eclipse coming to the United States on Monday, April 8, a lot of us are looking to the stars.

And there's nothing that will give you an existential crisis (or make you appreciate your life) more than taking a gander at space. From stars to planets to galaxies, there's a whole lot out there beyond our little floating rock — and a telescope is the best way to view the heavens.

Whether you're a beginner stargazer or a seasoned astrophotographer, there are a lot of telescopes and telescope accessories on the market. It's easy to drop a few thousand dollars on the higher-tech models. To get guidance on how telescopes work, the different types of telescopes, and how to shop for one, we turned to the experts.

We chatted with Bart Fried, the Executive Vice President of the Amateur Astronomers Association in New York City, and founder and past president of the Antique Telescope Society. Fried is also a longtime member and former board member of the Custer Institute, as well as a member of the Astronomical Society of Long Island, and the Amateur Observers Society of New York, among other astronomy societies. We tapped Fried's 40 years of experience to learn what you need to know before bringing home your own telescope for stargazing.

Plus, if you're interested in watching the upcoming eclipse, we've added some tips on safely viewing the eclipse with telescopes.

How does a telescope work?

"What a telescope does, is it gathers light," Fried told us. "The diameter and the size of the aperture, the opening of the telescope, determines how much light it will gather. So, the bigger the telescope in aperture, the greater the light gathering, and that equates to being able to see fainter objects and things that are farther away as well."

Fried noted that a telescope doesn't actually magnify. Instead, it brings the light to a focal plane, which can then be looked at through a telescope's eyepiece. The focal length of the eyepiece determines the magnification that you get. A longer focal length will limit the field of view but increase the magnification, which is good for looking at planets and the moon. A shorter focal length does the opposite — it increases the field of view, which is ideal for looking at galaxies and other large deep space objects that are dimmer and further away.

SEE ALSO: The James Webb telescope's first stunning cosmic images are here

"You can think of an eyepiece like a little mini microscope, Fried said. "You're looking through the eyepiece at this focal plane, and that's how you see the image."

The length of the telescope also affects your viewing experience. Longer telescopes with wider apertures will produce crisper images, but they'll be more expensive.

What to consider before buying a telescope

Fried gave us a few rules every aspiring stargazer should consider before taking the plunge on a telescope:

1. Is your telescope going to be moved around, or will it live permanently in a room or protected outdoor location? Weight and portability matter when it comes to purchasing a telescope, and a telescope that's too big or heavy to carry probably won't get used much, unless you're planning to park it in a room, pointed out the window forever. For folks wanting to move their telescopes to the backyard and other outdoor locations, buying a telescope that you can realistically lift is essential.

2. Consider where you live and where you're going to use your telescope. If you live in an urban area with a lot of light pollution, you won't be able to see as much as you would be able to in a more rural area. City dwellers have no need for telescopes with very large light buckets, due to the light pollution they're dealing with. If you live in or near a city, you'll generally be better off with a small-to-medium-size refractor. Fried stressed that picking a telescope that's appropriate for your location will ensure you use it more.

3. What is your budget? Different kinds of mounts will run you different prices, and the more high-tech the telescope is, the pricier it will be. Planning out a budget will help you determine if you're in the market for a refractor telescope with a simple alt-azimuth mount, or if you're searching for high-tech telescopes with motored mounts and built-in GPS tracking.

4. What kinds of things are you interested in looking at? Different telescopes are better for looking at different things in the sky, so if you want to look at the planets regularly, you might opt for a different telescope than if you're just looking at stars. For example, Fried asserts that good quality small to medium-sized refractor telescopes are especially good at viewing the planets. Larger reflectors tend to be better for viewing deep-space objects.

Reflector telescope vs. refractor telescope

"Reflectors have a mirror, and the tube is open at the front and it gives you more aperture for your money," Fried explained. "But they are a little bit more difficult to use if you have a mount that tracks."

Refractors tend to be long and skinny, with the quintessential telescope shape, while reflectors tend to be wider and more cylindrical.

Here are the best features of a refractor telescope:

• Beginner friendly

• Generally more portable

• Great images of planets

Refractors often require an additional part called a star diagonal, which allows you to see through the eyepiece without craning your neck upward. Star diagonals give you a 90-degree bend so that you can look down through the eyepiece, instead of looking up. Fried says that a "reasonably good quality star diagonal is worth investing in, even from the beginning."

And these are the best features of a reflector telescope:

• More aperture for your money

• Gathers a lot of light (which isn't always optimal depending on location)

• Better on deep-space objects

There's also another category that is a sort of combination between a reflector and a refractor — Schmidt-Cassegrain telescopes (also called catadioptric or compound telescopes). "And in theory, they give you the best of both," said Fried.

Schmidt-Cassegrain telescopes often boast high-tech features like GPS, object location, and motorized mounts. These kinds of telescopes know what date and time it is, and are armed with a database of heavenly objects. To look at a particular star or planet, all you need to do is put it into the database and the telescope does the rest for you.

In theory, this sounds like a better option for beginners, but Fried warns that these kinds of telescopes can be difficult to use and take a lot of learning when compared to manual telescopes.

How to view the 2024 total solar eclipse with a telescope

On Monday, April 8, 2024, a historic solar eclipse will come to the skies above the United States. The path of totality will pass from Texas to Maine, giving many people the first eclipse experience of their lifetimes. (Head to the Nasa Eclipse Explorer to see a map of the eclipse's path.) Even if you aren't in one of these states, residents of all 48 contiguous states will be able to view a partial eclipse on April 8 as well.

However, be warned: You can't point a telescope at the sun and view the eclipse without causing serious damage to your eyes. In order to safely observe the sun, sun spots, and partial and total eclipses with a telescope, you'll need a special solar filter that meets the ISO 12312-2:2015 standard for direct solar observation (NASA has additional tips for safely viewing the eclipse).

When buying a solar filter, you'll first need to make sure it's compatible with your telescope. We've included one solar filter for telescopes in this guide, but your telescope will likely require a different size or type of filter. You can find a wide range of solar filters at B&H Photo Video. As an alternative, you can also buy solar binoculars instead of telescopes.

What kind of telescope eyepieces do you need?

If you want to get a higher power, you could technically opt for a longer telescope every time, but that's pretty impractical. Instead, to adjust your telescope's power, you can swap out your current eyepiece for eyepieces with different focal lengths.

Any telescope you get will likely come with some starter eyepieces, and those will definitely get you started at looking at the cosmos. If you're a more advanced stargazer, Fried says that upgrading your eyepiece will give you a wider field of view for the same magnification, as well as offer sharper images with higher contrast.

Fried recommends that beginners save room in their budgets for a few extra eyepieces, but especially recommends a mid-tier quality Zoom eyepiece. "Zoom eyepieces have a rotating barrel," Fried said "And it will change the focal length of the eyepiece." These types of eyepieces are basically like getting four or five different eyepieces in one, since they're adjustable.

Fried says these types of eyepieces are especially good for looking at double stars, among other things. "When I look at close double stars under low power, they look like single stars," he mentioned. "As I'm observing, I'll slowly start to rotate the barrel of my zoom, and it pulls you in closer and closer, because you're increasing the magnification. And all of a sudden that single star splits. Nothing's cooler than that."

Decent zoom eyepieces can range from $50 to hundreds of dollars, but Fried recommends the mid-range options.

What type of telescope mount should I get?

There are a handful of different telescope mount types, but the three we'll be talking about are the Alt-azimuth, Dobsonian, and equatorial. Here's the lowdown on each type:

• Alt-azimuth mounts are the simplest type of mount. These types of mounts can move your telescope up and down, left and right, and are very easy to use manually. Alt-azimuth mounts don't track stars or planets, and are best when used with low to medium-power telescopes. They're fairly inexpensive.

• Dobsonian mounts are a specialized type of alt-azimuth mount. These mounts are extremely lightweight because they're almost always made of plywood. They're decently inexpensive, stable, portable, and easy to use. The bottom of a Dobsonian mount is essentially a lazy Susan, and is typically used with reflector telescopes.

• For slightly more serious observing, an equatorial mount is a good choice. Equatorial mounts line up with the pole star and can track the motion of whatever you're looking at. These mounts aren't necessarily bad for beginners, but they do take a little bit of practice to master. Non-motorized equatorial mounts feature a slow-motion handle that keeps whatever you're looking at centered in the field of view — which helps when used under high power. If you spend a bit more money, you can also get a motorized equatorial mount, which tracks whatever you're looking at automatically.

Advice for new stargazers

"Every beginner should join an astronomy club, because you can try other people's telescopes for free," Fried urged. "You can try everybody's telescope, decide which one you like, and learn a little bit about [astronomy]."

Astronomy can be an expensive hobby to get into, so doing your research via a club can help you make a smarter purchase.

In terms of telescope type recommendations, Fried recommends a six or eight-inch reflector or a four or six-inch refractor. Of course, these recommendations may change depending on your location, the desired portability, and your desired budget.

When asked for brand recommendations, Fried let us know that buying from a retailer who will service your telescope if you run into any problems is more important than any specific brand. "I strongly believe that a beginning astronomer should buy from a reasonably local dealer," he said.

If you have an issue with your telescope as a beginner, Fried explained that you're much more likely to stick with astronomy if you can take it to your local dealer for any repairs. If the dealer you bought it from is far away and you need to pack up the telescope and ship it back to get it returned, you might get discouraged and give up on the telescope altogether. Before buying, look for a telescope that has a good warranty, and try to buy from a retailer that has locations in your area in case you need your telescope serviced.

Now that you have the knowledge of the different types of telescopes, here are some recommendations for reflector telescopes, refractor telescopes, eclipse telescopes, and more:

Imagine for a moment the teen dreams of John Hughes collided with the goth and gunk of '80s-era Tim Burton, and you'll have an inkling of what Lisa Frankenstein has in store for you. 

Heavy influenced by '80s comedies from both of these iconic filmmakers as well as Mary Shelley's horror-spawning novel Frankenstein, screenwriter Diablo Cody and director Zelda Williams have birthed a coming-of-age romance where weird girl meets undead boy that’s as unholy as it is hilarious. 

Cody, who scribed the Oscar-winning teen comedy Juno and the cult-adored horror comedy Jennifer's Body, has forged her career in tales of misfit girls coming of age through cutting jokes, clever catchphrases, and carnage — be it emotional, psychological, bloody, or all of the above. Lisa Frankenstein is the sister film halfway between Juno's folk-pop quirkiness and Jennifer's Body's gnarly, boy-eating wrath. In Lisa Frankenstein, the titular heroine is allowed to be charming, messy, horny, and even murderous. And we're invited along for the wild ride. 

SEE ALSO: Diablo Cody and Zelda Williams play the 'Lisa Frankenstein' Newlywed Game Lisa Frankenstein re-imagines Mary Shelley with '80s weirdness. Credit: Michele K. Short / Focus Features

The '80s were lush with absolutely bonkers comedies, ranging from the horny sci-fi of Hughes' Weird Science and Julien Temple's Earth Girls Are Easy to the macabre humor of Joe Dante's The 'Burbs and Michael Lehmann's Heathers to the goth and gross splendor of Burton's Beetlejuice and Edward Scissorhands (which yes, was technically 1990). All of these were movies that sunk their teeth into concepts of love, sex, and death with relish. Nothing was sacred, so teen boys might accidentally turn a bullying brother into a literal pile of shit, and teen girls might retort, "Fuck me gently with a chainsaw."

This is the era for which Lisa Frankenstein pines. And though the movie's set is peppered with more cheery iconography from the era, like sneaker phones, REO Speedwagon sheet music, and Care Bears, this gleefully fucked-up comedy walks solidly in the footsteps of those that come before. For here is a movie that isn't afraid to wear its oddball heart on its sleeve, combining the horny and horrific, the goofy and the gross, to dynamic effect. 

SEE ALSO: How to watch 'Lisa Frankenstein' at home: When is it streaming? Kathryn Newton and Cole Sprouse make a monstrous power couple.  Credit: Michele K. Short / Focus Features

The Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania actress stars as Lisa Swallows, a new kid in high school who's struggling to make friends, despite the earnest efforts of her stepsister Taffy (a winsome Liza Soberano), a chipper cheerleader reminiscent of Juno's perky bestie, Leah. Because of a dark event in her past, Lisa doesn't share the joie de vivre of her classmates, and so imagines she might be better understood by the long-dead bachelor buried in a nearby abandoned cemetery. (She likes the look of his headstone.)

What might have only been the stuff of confusing sex dreams becomes a bit of a nightmare when The Creature (Sprouse, caked in mud, bugs, and decay) rises from the grave to help Lisa find her bliss. 

Teen girls' paths of self-discovery are often winding and dramatic, but Lisa swiftly moves from pining and peer pressure to mayhem and murder. You see, The Creature's happy to lend Lisa a figurative hand in terms of fashion tips and self-preservation. But when he literally needs a hand, homicide is a homespun solution that catches on — with Lisa finding her inner Dr. Frankenstein, stitching fresh corpse bits to her beastly bestie. 

Lisa Frankenstein is wonky, weird, and wondrous.  Credit: Michele K. Short / Focus Features

Making her feature directorial debut, Williams gets off to a wobbly start. The film finds its footing through a barrage: There’s a flashback, a drug trip, an allusion-studded dream sequence, and a clunky meet-cute. It can be tricky to get a beat on who Lisa is beyond all the flare. But Newton and Sprouse find their rhythm. She evolves into a cocky big mouth with grand ideas and even grander gestures; he gives a nearly wordless performance that relies heavily on physical comedy with some nuanced grunting. (As May December has shown, Riverdale is truly a masterclass for young actors.) 

Lisa's world is brought to brilliant life not only by a candy-colored, neon-streaked, and gore-stained production design, but also by some stellar supporting turns. The Fall of the House of Usher's Carla Gugino seems to be channeling John Waters' Serial Mom as a menacing stepmother who spouts insults along with misapplied new-age terminology. With a dopey grin and an unflappable pluckiness, Joe Chrest is a pitch-perfect parody of many an '80s dad: nice and oblivious. Then there's Soberano, who nearly steals the show. 

Credit: Michele K. Short / Focus Features

Because Taffy is pretty, peppy, and popular, teen movies have trained us to hate her. But Soberano complicates matters by making Taffy a undeniable delight. Though the character seem like a throwback bimbo, Cody's script has a sex-positive and empathetic approach that embraces this smiling stepsister into the sisterhood of misfit teens. She may not be a weirdo, but generously offering her wardrobe, her optimism, and her tanning bed, Taffy is more than just an ally or plot device. While the romance between Lisa and the Creature gets daffy and deranged, it is unexpectedly this big-hearted cheerleader who keeps the film's stakes grounded. As Lisa Frankenstein frolics into a truly bonkers third act, a single long shot of Taffy's reaction lingers on, as do some of Cody's sharpest one-liners. 

Colorful and chaotic, Lisa Frankenstein might look like a quirky confection perfect for Valentine's Day. But Cody rarely delivers something so simple or safe. Be it Juno's purposefully alarming love triangle, Jennifer's Body's complicated portrait of female friendship (and queer girl lust), or Young Adult's anti-heroine's determined refusal to grow the fuck up, Diablo is a provocateur who delights in pop culture. This time, her teen tale collides with horror, trauma, and putrid vomit, making a rom-com that is at times messy — but is ultimately a delightfully deranged treat. 

In that way, she and Williams have hit the sweet spot of those '80s comedies that have come before. Because, if we're honest, many of them have wonky bits. But we loved them just the same. And just as the children of the '80s claimed those creepy comedies as our own, I suspect the new generation will clutch Lisa Frankenstein, seeing every wart as a jewel in its crown. 

Lisa Frankenstein is now streaming on Peacock.

Apple's new iPad Pro and iPad Air are coming a little later than anticipated.

In early March, we've seen reports that Apple is about to launch new iPads and MacBooks, but only the latter part actually happened, with the company launching two new MacBook Air devices.

Now, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman claims that Apple is planning to launch new iPad Pro and new iPad Air devices in "early May."

According to the report, the new iPad Pro models will come with OLED displays, and the iPad Air will appear in a 12.9-inch version for the first time (currently, iPad Air is only available with a 10.9-inch display).

It may not feel this way given how busy Apple has been (the company launched the Vision Pro mixed reality headset in February, and it followed up with new MacBook Air devices in March), but we haven't seen new iPads in ages. The iPad Pro was last refreshed in October 2022, and the iPad Air got an update in March 2022.

The new iPad Pro and iPad Air are also likely to come with faster chips and improved accessories, including a new Magic Keyboard and Apple Pencil for the iPad Pro.

Earlier reports said that the new iPad Pro models will be thinner than current models, and that they'll be available with a matte screen option.

SEE ALSO: Apple's iPad Pro could come with a matte display

Gurman claims that Apple actually did plan to unveil new iPads in March, but the company delayed the launch due to the manufacturing complexity of the new screens, as well as some delays on the software side.

TL;DR: A lifetime subscription to Tykr Stock Screener is on sale for £79.28 with code GET20, saving you 89% on list price.

While it's initially intimidating to wager your hard-earned cash on stocks, investing is also one of the only ways you can grow your money. But it's understandably a scary venture for newbies, especially those not well-versed in the stock market just yet.

If that's the case for you, Tykr is a tool that can help you navigate the complexities of the stock market. And for a limited time, you can grab a lifetime subscription to its premium plan for under £80 with the code GET20.

Tykr is a stock screener developed to hold your hand in the chaotic world of investment. It provides educational tools to teach you what you need to know about investing, giving you the proper support to make informed investment decisions.

With Tykr, you can find investment opportunities in a matter of seconds. It supports over 30,000 U.S. and international stocks, exposing you to a broad spectrum of options to diversify your investment portfolio. But instead of just providing a mere list, it organises stocks in various categories to guide you in identifying their financial strength. You'll know when a stock is considered a potential buy, something to watch, or is overpriced. The higher its assigned score is, the safer an investment vehicle it's supposed to be.

It's not sorcery. Tykr uses open-source calculations to analyse each stock, allowing you to have a look at how computations are made. Of course, you'll also get risk management lessons along the way so you can work on minimising your losses as you grow your portfolio.

Normally retailing for over £700, you can grab a lifetime subscription to Tykr's premium plan for £79.28 with code GET20.

Opens in a new window Credit: Tykr Tykr Stock Screener (Premium Plan Lifetime Subscription) £79.28 at the Mashable Shop (with code GET20) Get Deal

Remote work offers many benefits, but the lack of community can cause some workers to feel isolated and lonely. If you manage remote employees, take these steps to combat loneliness on your team. Show recognition. Be proactive about celebrating people’s personal and professional wins. This could take the form of writing individual thank-you notes or scheduling […]

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Oh hey there! If you're here, it must be time for Wordle. As always, we're serving up our daily hints and tips to help you figure out today's answer.

If you just want to be told today's word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for March 29's Wordle solution revealed. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

Where did Wordle come from?

Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once. 

Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Wordle.

What's the best Wordle starting word?

The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.

What happened to the Wordle archive?

The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles used to be available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it. Unfortunately, it has since been taken down, with the website's creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times.

Is Wordle getting harder?

It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn't any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle's Hard Mode if you're after more of a challenge, though.

Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

A kingdom.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no letters that appear twice.

Today's Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with...

Today's Wordle starts with the letter R.

SEE ALSO: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. What's the answer to Wordle today?

Get your last guesses in now, because it's your final chance to solve today's Wordle before we reveal the solution.

Drumroll please!

The solution to Wordle #1014 is...

REALM.

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

Reporting by Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.

Connections is the latest New York Times word game that's captured the public's attention. The game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for March 29's Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

What is Connections?

The NYT's latest daily word game has become a social media hit. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications' Games section. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

Tweet may have been deleted

Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer. If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.

Tweet may have been deleted

Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.

Here's a hint for today's Connections categories

Want a hit about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:

• Yellow: Words that convey something to a great extent

• Green: Disney icons

• Blue: Shades of blue

• Purple: Words that are also body parts

Featured Video For You Connections: How to play and how to win Here are today's Connections categories

Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:

• Yellow: Especially

• Green: Disney Characters

• Blue: Kinds of Blue

• Purple: Body Parts Plus "Y"

Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.

Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.

Drumroll, please!

The solution to Connections #292 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Especially: MIGHTY, PRETTY, REALLY, VERY

• Disney Characters: DAISY, GOOFY, HAPPY, LADY

• Kinds of Blue: BABY, NAVY, SKY, TIFFANY

• Body Parts Plys "Y": ARMY, COLONY, LIVERY, SHINY

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

Is this not the Connections game you were looking for? Here are the hints and answers to yesterday's Connections.

Streaming on Spotify is a seamless experience, most of the time. But when the Wi-Fi or cellular signal disappears, so does your music. To ensure you'll never be caught music-less on a plane, train, or anywhere else again, you can download songs from Spotify to listen to offline.

How do you know when a song, album, or playlist is available offline? Look for a little green circle with a black arrow inside. If that icon is sitting next to a song, album, or playlist, then that content is available for offline listening.

Don't see the circles? We've put together a short how-to to help you download to your heart's desire, but to use it you must:

• Be a Spotify Premium subscriber.

• Plan ahead. You cannot download content after you've lost cell service.

Now, let's get into the good stuff.

Total Time

• 5 minutes

What You Need

• The Spotify App (mobile or desktop)
• An internet connection

Step 1: Log in to your Premium Spotify account and find an album or song you want to listen to offline.

Downloading songs for offline use is only available on Premium Spotify accounts, so if you don't have one yet, you'll need to purchase a subscription. Learn more about Premium pricing right here.

Step 2: To download a full album, click on it and tap the icon that looks like a gray circle with an arrow inside it.

Once tapped, the arrow inside the gray icon will change to a white square to indicate that the album is being downloaded. Once the download is complete, a green version of the arrow icon will replace the gray one.

Credit: Mashable composite / Spotify screenshot

Step 3: To download a song, click the three dots next to the track and select "Add to Playlist" from the menu. Create a new playlist and add the song to it.

Spotify does not yet allow users to download an individual track. Instead, tracks must be added to a playlist, which must then be downloaded.

Credit: Mashable composite / Spotify screenshot

Step 4: Repeat Step 3, adding all the songs you want to download to this new playlist.

Step 5: Click the "Library" tab in the lower right hand corner of the app. Navigate to your new playlist. To download it, tap the gray circle icon with an arrow in it.

Once tapped, the arrow inside the gray icon will change to a white square to indicate that the playlist is being downloaded. Once the download is complete, a green version of the arrow icon will replace the gray one.

Credit: Mashable composite / Spotify screenshot

Once upon a time, kids (and kids at heart) longed for the biggest present in the pile. But size doesn't matter when picking out the best tech gifts. Some of the year's top gadgets are small enough to fit inside your pocket, and thanks to digital downloads, many popular gaming gifts take up no physical space whatsoever.

Our tech gift guide includes some of the best new releases of the year, most of which we've written about and reviewed. From the new Nintendo Switch OLED Mario Red Edition to new Amazon devices, we've focused on the gadgets our editors really loved this year — the true drool-worthy I can't believe you got this for me gifts.

Here are over 50 of Mashable's favorite gift-worthy gadgets and tech gifts.

We've all been there: You pull out your AirPods case, flip the top, and realize your earbuds have become very small (very expensive) petri dishes. And though you may not know how they got so dirty, you're sure that things have to change. The Apple AirPods are particularly prone to building up of gunk, mostly because they have so many nooks and crannies for that stuff to hide in. Here are a few ways to battle the build-up.

Clean your AirPods using tools you have at home

Giving your AirPods a glow-up doesn't take much, and you can make it happen using tools you may have lying around your home.

• Toothpick: Use toothpicks to ease gunk out of tight spaces. Just be sure to clean gently, as the mesh panels in your earbuds can pop out or dislodge.

• Q-Tip: Use a Q-Tip to pick up particles along the curves of your AirPods and inside your charging case.

• Soft makeup brush: Use a clean makeup brush to remove detritus from the black mesh on your AirPods.

• Microfiber cloth: Grab any microfiber cloth — those small square pieces of fabric that are often included with sunglass, eyeglass, and phone purchases — and gently rub to remove dust and dirt from your buds.

Check out how to use these household items to clean your AirPods in the video below:

Invest in tools to clean your tech

Splurging for tools made specifically for cleaning electronics isn't necessary, but having them handy can make it easier to regularly touch up and care for your devices so they don't get so dirty to begin with.

OXO's double-sided cleaning brush is a huge help for small electronics. Use the rubber end to remove debris in and along the thinnest crevices of your device and brush dust away with the soft bristles on the other side.

Opens in a new window Credit: OXO / Amazon OXO Good Grips Electronics Cleaning Brush at Amazon
Shop Now

To clean the exterior of your device, Apple recommends using a wipe with 70 percent isopropyl alcohol or 75 percent ethyl alcohol — just be careful around that pesky mesh, which is sensitive to liquid. These small disinfecting pads are the perfect size for disinfecting small handheld devices and can be popped in your purse for a quick, convenient clean.

Opens in a new window Credit: Mashable Composite / Med Pride, Amazon MED PRIDE Alcohol Prep Pads $3.99 at Amazon
$4.47 Save $0.48 Shop Now

Unlike most social media companies, Elon Musk's X does allow users to publish adult content. This wasn't a new policy instituted by Musk either. Even under the old, then-Twitter leadership, X-rated content was permitted. Twitter, or X as it's now called, has long-been the mainstream social media service of choice for those who work in the adult industry or just like posting adult content.

New screenshots uncovered by developers who track changes within mobile apps show that X is apparently planning to require users who create groups on X, called Communities, to label their community as "adult content" or "NSFW."

Tweet may have been deleted

According to Bloomberg, X is testing the adult labeling feature out now.

Communities that feature adult content will be required to be labeled as "adult content" by the group's administrators, or the adult content can be automatically removed by X.

SEE ALSO: Elon Musk says Grok AI will be available to premium X users 'later this week'

"You must enable this setting if your community contains adult-sensitive content," reads the rules for this Communities setting. "Omitting this will result in automatic filtering of all adult-sensitive content within your community."

Communities has been a feature on X since its Twitter days, first launching in 2021. The feature allows users to create discussion groups around a specific topic or niche that other Twitter users can join. Users then post in those communities just like they normally post on the platform, but those posts only exist within those communities instead of on the users' and platform's public feeds. 

The Communities feature never really took off. However, Musk has attempted to reinvigorate the feature in recent months. A Communities tab has been added to the main sidebar menu on X, and the platform lets users pin Communities to their profile page to promote the groups. The official X account for Communities, @HiCommunities, also posted for the first time since Oct. 2022 just this month.

X and X-rated content

X has struggled with how to handle porn and other adult content on its platform. 

At one time before Musk acquired the company, then-Twitter was reportedly looking into monetizing adult content with a feature that would compete with the adult content creator subscription service OnlyFans. However, as The Verge reported, the company found that it did not have the resources to moderate, police, or "accurately detect child sexual exploitation and non-consensual nudity at scale." As a result, those plans were scrapped.

Musk's platform already blocks advertising partners' ads from showing up on adult content as most mainstream companies do not want to associate with X-rated content, making the content non-monetizable on X itself.

However, outright removing adult content from the platform could backfire as the social media platform Tumblr found out years ago. 

In 2018, Tumblr banned adult content after building a community that came to expect that type of content on the platform. In just a few months, Tumblr lost 30 percent of its traffic as well as a chunk of its user base. Tumblr would later reverse that decision, but the platform has yet to ever fully recover from banning adult content.

Is X making this "adult content" labeling feature in order to further build out the struggling Communities feature? Or is the label being built on top of a little-used feature in order to possibly test out how instituting the label across the platform would work out? We'll continue to monitor how the "adult content" label on X evolves.