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    1. Primer (2004) - My spoiler free review of possibly the most complex and headscratch enducing time traveling themed sci-fi movie of all time.

      Hello fellow Tildos! I normally never write reviews, but i just had to after i finished watching. It's also an easy way for me to continue practice my English/writing skills, feel free to pm any...

      Hello fellow Tildos! I normally never write reviews, but i just had to after i finished watching. It's also an easy way for me to continue practice my English/writing skills, feel free to pm any feedback that you might have :)


      The first time i put on the movie Primer closer to it's release i ended up putting it on the shelf half way through or so, i was probably to tired and not in the mood, because it´s one of those movies that requires your full attention.

      Years went by and i forgot all about the sci-fi indie that shook Sundance back in 2004, only for it to emerge not long ago when i made another list of movies to either watch or re-watch once more, as i do now and then. I usually make these lists with a theme, or dedicated to a specific genre, this time it being sci-fi.

      During my time watching this super low budget movie made by the software engineer Shane Carruth(his background really shows off in the movie) i had a hard time not thinking about the high quality of cinematography. We are shown some really nice angles right from the start, and very appealing lines of symmetry all the way through, similar to scenes found in movies made by Wes Anderson for example. Same goes for the acting and writing, - some of the dialogue really got me captivated. Every scene had things to say about the characters early on, but it also leaves enough out to keep you curious of who they really are, and what their motives might be, character development, check. An example of this is how they used wardrobe + setting to describe said characters, which obviously was very limited due to the extremely low budget, I have not looked up the actual numbers, but i think i have watched enough indie movies to identify extreme cases like this one. They did a lot with how little they had, which is an art in itself in the business of movie making. This probably bit me in the butt a bit(in a good way, no not that way, grow up:), instead of trying to figure out the time paradoxes, i was captured by how well the movie was made.

      After i finished watching i had an ocean of questions. Questions i wont mention here because it might spoil the experience for you. This is a good tell that it's a movie in my taste in a sense that it leaves gaps in the story for you to fill in yourself, it´s a type of storytelling i enjoy, but also a type of storytelling that many dislike.

      There is no hand holding in this movie, no explanation at the end, it trusts you to re-watch the movie until you have figured it out, or at least think you have, which is bold, but also embraces the charm of time traveling themed story's in a way, making you travel back in time by rewinding and figure out the time-lines. Or do as i did and watch an explanation video on youtube for closure.

      I understand now what all the fuzz was about, why it won prices at sundance, and why it became such a strong cult classic almost instantly.

      If you want a mind bender, and a movie that treats you with the respect that you can think for yourself, this might be something for you. If you are into sci-fi, and especially time travel, it's a must watch as long as you can allow yourself to get confused more then you usually get by this type of movie. I also recommend watching this when you have a fresh and rested mind, not after a long day of work.

      7.8/10 - will paradox again sometime in the future

      28 votes
    2. What is a contradiction or dissonance you live with on a regular basis?

      For example: knowing that you should eat healthy but still buying junk food. It can be something internalized, externalized, or a mix of both. It can be from your own cognition, society, your...

      For example: knowing that you should eat healthy but still buying junk food.

      It can be something internalized, externalized, or a mix of both. It can be from your own cognition, society, your career, your field of study--anything is fair game.

      • What is the contradiction/dissonance?
      • How does it impact you?
      • What do you do, if anything, to address or mitigate it?
      32 votes
    3. What is something you have done, or not done, that you are still regretting today?

      For example: I remember that I had a really short fuse when I was in highschool. One day, I was having a bad day anyway, and a friend of mine made a comment about my appearance. I slapped him. I...

      For example:
      I remember that I had a really short fuse when I was in highschool. One day, I was having a bad day anyway, and a friend of mine made a comment about my appearance. I slapped him. I don't know why I thought it was a good idea. We then got into a fight which ended our friendship. I didn't apologize and haven't had the chance to do so since.

      I am still thinking what the friend feels about the situation today and I am ashamed that this happened.

      19 votes
    4. How do you wake yourself up in the mornings?

      I often have a really hard time getting myself to wake up and get out of bed in the mornings in time to go to work or whatever else I need to do. I was hoping people might be willing to share any...

      I often have a really hard time getting myself to wake up and get out of bed in the mornings in time to go to work or whatever else I need to do. I was hoping people might be willing to share any good strategies they use to get themselves up and going every day.

      26 votes
    5. What are good, modern right-wing values anyways?

      I'm in too much of a left-wing echo chamber, to the point where anything conservative or right wing appears to be 'evil' or not necessarily purely right-wing. For example, conservatives generally...

      I'm in too much of a left-wing echo chamber, to the point where anything conservative or right wing appears to be 'evil' or not necessarily purely right-wing. For example, conservatives generally promote family values and the family as the foundational unit of a society. But this too often gets grouped together with same/opposite sex marriage arguments. Another point is small government, but that often manifests in deregulation in areas where regulation is now necessary (e.g. environment).

      So, what does it mean to be an ethical right-winger today and in the next decade?

      40 votes
    6. Setting aside the musical content (if you can), what are the best music videos you know?

      This very impressive video for Weval's Someday, done by Páraic Mc Gloughlin (warning, possible seizure-inducing imagery), got me thinking. It's a great track in and of itself, but the sheer...

      This very impressive video for Weval's Someday, done by Páraic Mc Gloughlin (warning, possible seizure-inducing imagery), got me thinking. It's a great track in and of itself, but the sheer quality of the work on the video just wowed me. It came from a totally different angle than I envisioned in my mind when just listening to the song... yet when I read his take on it, it made perfect sense.

      Otherwise, the White Stripes' I Fell In Love With A Girl and Alt-J's NSFW-ish vids for Every Other Freckle also come to mind, both the male and female versions. Also, This Is America by Childish Gambino. I'm struggling to think of other videos that really struck me, but that might just be my poor memory. Any suggestions?

      Edit: Forgot some classics!

      The Spike Jonze-directed Drop from The Pharcyde, with a nice peek behind the curtain here. A (Canadian?) rapper named Shad did a really cool tribute to that video with his own Rose Garden that put a nice spin on it.
      Jamiroquai's Virtual Insanity (and another peek behind the curtain here)
      Hype Williams + Busta Rhymes was always a gold combination, and their best collab was probably Gimme Some More
      A-ha - Take On Me
      Another NSFW one, D'Angelo's Untitled.


      I also just remembered coming across Sour's Hibi no Neiro a few years ago and thinking it was such a really cool concept to essentially crowdsource a music video... reminds me of what Youtube used to be like.

      One of my favorites from the new school is A$AP Mob - Yamborghini High, so trippy.
      Another is Vince Staples - Señorita.

      25 votes