winther's recent activity
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Comment on Apple, Netflix Amazon want to change how they pay Hollywood stars in ~movies
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Comment on Midweek Movie Free Talk in ~movies
winther LinkSince we are looking at Cannes films in movie of the week, I have been catching up with some Palme d'Or winners. That made for somewhat of a emotionally draining extended weekend, because Cannes...Since we are looking at Cannes films in movie of the week, I have been catching up with some Palme d'Or winners. That made for somewhat of a emotionally draining extended weekend, because Cannes sure like their misery porn.
Rosetta from 1999 is a low budget realistic social drama about a young girl living in poverty with her alcoholic mother. She desperately tries to hold a job, while fighting with her mother who prostitutes herself for booze. She doesn't demand much in life, just want to be self sufficient with a normal paying job. A real tragic story on poverty with no light at the end of the tunnel.
Dancer in the Dark from 2000 is Lars von Trier highly acclaimed movie starring Björk as the lead. She plays an immigrant living in a trailer in someones backyard, working hard at a local factory trying to save up enough money to give her son an eye operation. Or else he will slowly go blind as she is. But through misfortunes that she is not to blame for, things go badly wrong and she ends up in prison. Another tragic tale of terrible things happening to good people. Stellar performance by Björk and the musical aspects weirdly enough works so well, even though it is also vastly out of place for the setting.
To end on another downnote, Elephant from 2003 deals with a depiction of a school shooting. It doesn't try to explain or understand anything. It is simply a cold showing of "the how" and the randomness of a regular day in high school with all its low scale drama without reason can turn into a bloodbath. But compared to the other two films, this didn't do that much for me. I am fine with movies having more questions than answers, but this didn't seem to do anything at all.
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Comment on Movie of the Week #29 - The Zone of Interest in ~movies
winther LinkMy initial reaction to this was that it felt very methodical, technical and cold. Shots are stationary and usually wide shots from a distance. We never get really close or personal with anyone....My initial reaction to this was that it felt very methodical, technical and cold. Shots are stationary and usually wide shots from a distance. We never get really close or personal with anyone. But it is not a character study. The Höss family is neither humanized or demonized. Instead we see how normalization works, where even the most horrible thing can be normalized into just another regular day. This was underlined with that small scene with the nazi officers and engineers discussion new approaches better efficiency in Auschwitz. Handled like any ordinary factory pipeline with input and output. Because that is exactly what mass murdering have been deconstructed to for them. I don't think I have thought about the holocaust process quite like that before. Even though this movie heavily relies on the viewer knowing what is going beyond the walls, I still think it adds a new unique reference point for that time in history.
The technical achievements in this is top tier filmmaking. They did their homework with the pre-production on that house, the sound design is immaculate and every piece of camerawork is exactly where it needs to be. Worthy winner for Best Sound with how the "background noise" is put at the same level of the sounds of what we see on screen. Maybe I didn't get the full experience at home, but still enough to get the intended impact from that sound design.
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Movie of the Week #29 - The Zone of Interest
Warning: this post may contain spoilers
We continue with Cannes films with The Zone of Interest which premiered at Cannes in 2023 where it won the Grand Prix award. It also won two Oscars for Best International Film and Best Sound.
Besides any thoughts on this movie, do you think this adds anything new to the already long list of WW2/Holocaust movies?
The rest of the schedule for May is:
- 20th: Luxury Car
- 27th: The Tree of Life
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Comment on From Tildes to Reddit to Mastodon - the current state of "Text Rich" social networks on the Interwebs in ~tech
winther (edited )Link ParentI am not advocating pursuing anything in particular. I think the fragmentation and diversity of social networks is a good thing. I am not sure it is beneficial for us as a society with everyone on...I am not advocating pursuing anything in particular. I think the fragmentation and diversity of social networks is a good thing. I am not sure it is beneficial for us as a society with everyone on the same big networks. Smaller niche online communities don't tend to bring out the worst in people like it appears to do at the big platforms. So I think we are on the same page here.
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Comment on From Tildes to Reddit to Mastodon - the current state of "Text Rich" social networks on the Interwebs in ~tech
winther LinkThey aren't very popular comparetively speaking. The image and video based social networks like Instagram and TikTok with quick 3-7 second content have hundres of millions of users. And Reddit is...They aren't very popular comparetively speaking. The image and video based social networks like Instagram and TikTok with quick 3-7 second content have hundres of millions of users. And Reddit is going that route as well. Text based media is already super niche. And will likely stay so as the internet will become increasingly diversified.
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Comment on Should moderation be more transparent? in ~tildes
winther Link ParentVery well put. These sort of things have ruined many subreddits where people get unhealthy invested in the meta of things, which just drains energy from mods and other users. I can understand the...Very well put. These sort of things have ruined many subreddits where people get unhealthy invested in the meta of things, which just drains energy from mods and other users.
I can understand the frustration of being on the receiving end of having a discussion locked down, but as you say it can also be a good reason to take a breather. Many times a discussion has simply run its course and will benefit from being locked preemptively. Not necessarily because of any malice but simply an assessment of everyone has had their say and it will likely not benefit of running any longer.
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Comment on In streaming milestone, Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery team on bundle featuring Disney+, Hulu and Max in ~tv
winther Link ParentI have lost almost all interest in streaming series. Every service constantly puts out new series and the majority is just so mediocre and the good stuff tends to get stretched out declining in...I have lost almost all interest in streaming series. Every service constantly puts out new series and the majority is just so mediocre and the good stuff tends to get stretched out declining in quality after a few good seasons. The Handmaids Tale and Billions come to mind here. And the straight to streaming movies are not much better. The only thing I happily pay for now is Criterion Channel, which excels in having actual curated recommended content instead of just filling their catalogue up and letting a horrible "recommendation" algorithm do the rest.
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Comment on Midweek Movie Free Talk in ~movies
winther (edited )LinkHBO has made a few interesting straight-to-cable western movies that all have potential, but also some shortcomings from being tv productions. The latest one I saw was Bury My Heart at Wounded...HBO has made a few interesting straight-to-cable western movies that all have potential, but also some shortcomings from being tv productions.
The latest one I saw was Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee from 2007 based on a non-fiction book of the same name, focusing on the period of the conflict between the Sioux and the United States in the 1870s and the story of Charles Eastman / Ohiyesa, the first Native American to be a certified doctor and known for his work on Sioux history. The movie is noteworthy for telling the story from the viewpoint of the Natives, without the usual "white savior" issues and definitely not trying to downplay the violence. It comes of as a bit of a history lesson at times, but at its core a really tragic story about loss of cultural identity.
A more traditional violent western comes with The Last Outlaw from 1993 about a gang of bank-robbers bringing death and chaos with them The city sends a posse after them and the gang have their own bloody rivalry between the leader and the second in command. The former leader gets picked up by the city posse and he sets to "help" them, but of course he is just out for revenge. Plenty of shootouts in this long chase through the desert. Also noteworthy for Mickey Rourke as the gang leader and Steve Buscemi in a cool minor part.
From 1999 there is The Jack Bull starring John Cusack and John Goodman, with another traditional western conflict between greedy landowners and a small time horse trader. It leads up to the usual big shootout, but instead takes a turn into a tragic justice drama with bigger political complications.
What I find interesting about all these is that I think there is a small masterpiece hidden somewhere in all of them, if only the script was given proper treatment with better cinematography, directing and in some cases also acting. But then there is also the charm of these tv productions that reminds me of random movies I saw late at night in my parents summerhouse during summer vacation. These movies are perfect for that setting. I assume they are all streamable on the HBO service.
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Comment on Tildes Video Thread in ~misc
winther LinkI don't normally follow speed running news, but this video on a speed run of Wii sports was really fascinating with how the unique combination of luck and perseverance makes these crazy record...I don't normally follow speed running news, but this video on a speed run of Wii sports was really fascinating with how the unique combination of luck and perseverance makes these crazy record speed runs.
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Comment on Movie of the Week #28 - Pan's Labyrinth in ~movies
winther LinkIt took me a little while to settle into this movie, because with the exception of LOTR, fantasy is not something I watch much. The combination with a real world 1944 and the dark fantasy setting...It took me a little while to settle into this movie, because with the exception of LOTR, fantasy is not something I watch much. The combination with a real world 1944 and the dark fantasy setting worked quite well, keeping things tangible and upheld the mystery of what actually happened. It was like a twisted combination of The Neverending Story and Schindler's List. Vidal is basically Amon Goeth. Some of the CGI stuff was a bit hit and miss that sometimes pulled me a bit out of the movie, but the overall style and atmosphere held things together.
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Comment on "No CGI" is really just invisible CGI in ~movies
winther Link ParentWhile it is all fake, there is still some tangible physicality (if that is a proper word here) that CGI hasn't quite mastered yet. There is a noticeable difference if what is on screen is just CGI...While it is all fake, there is still some tangible physicality (if that is a proper word here) that CGI hasn't quite mastered yet. There is a noticeable difference if what is on screen is just CGI enhanced of something that is physical present or if it is entirely CGI. The more in the foreground it is, the harder it is to get right. Fury Road is well known for its use of real cars and explosions, but there was plenty of CGI in the background where landscapes where changed or the five cars the filmed were multiplied digitally in the background. The unnoticeable CGI usually falls in that category, which I think what is meant by fake versus real. There is a threshold of fake we can tolerate until it becomes uncanny valley.
The same applies to old school effects of course. Like back screen projection is generally fine for shots inside a car, but when the entire scenery of people walking outside is a back screen projection it looks just as weird as a totally CGI rendered background.
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Movie of the Week #28 - Pan's Labyrinth
Warning: this post may contain spoilers
I have been looking forward to this month, since I think it is the first time I haven't seen any of the movies before. The theme is Cannes and we start with Guillermo del Toro's Pan's Labyrinth which premiered at Cannes in 2006 and received a 22 minute standing ovation.
Besides any thoughts on this movie, are you familiar with other of the Guillermo del Toro's filmography?
The rest of the schedule for May is:
- 13th: The Zone of Interest
- 20th: Luxury Car
- 27th: The Tree of Life
14 votes -
Comment on Midweek Movie Free Talk in ~movies
winther LinkThe Teachers' Lounge This was the German entry in this years Oscar nominees for best international picture and I think it deserves at least the same level of attention as Anatomy of a Fall (which...The Teachers' Lounge
This was the German entry in this years Oscar nominees for best international picture and I think it deserves at least the same level of attention as Anatomy of a Fall (which was awarded in other categories). They are even somewhat similar with the theme of a crime investigation, but where Anatomy of a Fall used a courtroom to mercilessly dissect a persons private personality, this is less about character exploration and more of an uncomfortable lense at group dynamics, social status, rumors, school politics and how even the best of people with the best intentions can have something totally spiral out of control. It provides even less resolve and answers than Anatomy of a Fall with no clear explanations, which can be very frustrating and challenging, but I love the boldness of it and how the film manages to create so much tension and personal drama on the nature of doubts with a relatively minor plot about some small time theft in a regular German school. I only know Leonie Benesch from Das Weisse Band but she is outright amazing here as well, where we really get her most inner thoughts and doubts and inner monologue just from facial expressions and body language, while still maintaining a personal boundary where we never really get to know her.
There is an interesting interview with the director here.
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Comment on Midweek Movie Free Talk in ~movies
winther Link ParentUh, I have a soft spot for these classic massive epics and while The Ten Commandments isn't near the level of something like Ben Hur or Lawrence of Arabia I still think it has some charm despite...Uh, I have a soft spot for these classic massive epics and while The Ten Commandments isn't near the level of something like Ben Hur or Lawrence of Arabia I still think it has some charm despite its age.
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Comment on ‘Ideal’ movie running time is ninety-two minutes, poll claims in ~movies
winther Link ParentThe ads is also a big annoyance for me. Like I already pay almost €18 for a ticket, which in my opinion should be ad free. Knowing this I do sometimes just arrive 15 minutes late but it is silly...The ads is also a big annoyance for me. Like I already pay almost €18 for a ticket, which in my opinion should be ad free. Knowing this I do sometimes just arrive 15 minutes late but it is silly you have to do that, and it messes with my general sense of punctuality.
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Comment on ‘Ideal’ movie running time is ninety-two minutes, poll claims in ~movies
winther Link ParentThe so called "best movies of all time" have the length they need. Like 12 angry men is 97 minutes and Casablanca 102, though on average the movies on those lists do tend to be on the longer side....The so called "best movies of all time" have the length they need. Like 12 angry men is 97 minutes and Casablanca 102, though on average the movies on those lists do tend to be on the longer side. But then, most movies don't need to be at that sort of level and more often I think a movie could be shorter than I wished it was longer.
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Comment on ‘Ideal’ movie running time is ninety-two minutes, poll claims in ~movies
winther LinkNot sure how much can deduced from this sort of poll, especially since it is being contradicted by the types of movies that actually sell tickets. Still, it is an interesting discussion and I am...Not sure how much can deduced from this sort of poll, especially since it is being contradicted by the types of movies that actually sell tickets. Still, it is an interesting discussion and I am generally in the camp of thinking many movies are too damn long these days. Always good exceptions and a good movie has the proper length it needs and all that, but I get weary especially by action movies that are stretching the two and half hour marks.
As a columnist in response to this survey says:
I have watched epic films that have zapped by very quickly, and I have watched films that were short in theory (usually commercial Hollywood pictures) but whose every minute seemed to last as long as Wagner’s Ring Cycle. Let’s not tie ourselves to a 92-minute rule.
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‘Ideal’ movie running time is ninety-two minutes, poll claims
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Comment on AI video won't work in Hollywood, because it can't make small iterative changes, former Pixar animator says in ~movies
winther LinkThis interview with the people behind the Sora made short film "Air Head" goes into some detail about how it is definitely much more manual work than simply writing a few prompts. Most technology...This interview with the people behind the Sora made short film "Air Head" goes into some detail about how it is definitely much more manual work than simply writing a few prompts.
Most technology developments goes through a overestimation in the short term but underestimated in the long term, and I think we are still very much in the overestimation phase. It is anyone's guess when and how long the long term will be. But it is not a natural given than progress comes linearly fashion, sometimes thing hit a plateau and where the last 20% takes 80% of the effort or more. The current AI models are not their infancy, but the culmination of decades of research and many of the limitations are not like small bugs that needs to be fixed. There are fundamental limitations with the approach that isn't just fixable with a few more years of work. Like we have some NP-hard problems in computer science that have been known for several decades, that simply can't be solved with non-exponential algorithms. I think we are seeing some sort of plateau with the current tech of AI. The hype 2 years ago would have us believe that we by now should have amazing AGI that could do everything, because people just extrapolated half a years of progress and thought it would keep going like that. It is pretty clear that AI didn't just explode exponentially in capabilities.
I am sure there are a ton of details all parts need to examine rigorously, but in concept it does sound like an improvement. Not too far removed from how for example good DVD sales could help talents financially long term before streaming removed that revenue stream. Hopefully it would also lead to better shows and movies for us consumers in the future.