winther's recent activity
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Comment on Babylon 5 S01E16: "Eyes" - Episode Discussion in ~tv
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Comment on Offbeat Fridays – The thread where offbeat headlines become front page news in ~news
winther LinkGuinness crowns the world’s loudest person at 122.4 decibelsGuinness crowns the world’s loudest person at 122.4 decibels
Guinness World Records last week acknowledged the 58-year-old Canberra resident recorded the loudest ever shout by an individual. He yelled “now” at 122.4 decibels.
That broke the previous record of 121.7 dB set by Northern Ireland schoolteacher Annalisa Flanagan in 1994. She had yelled an ear-piercing “quiet.”
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Comment on bubbles.town: Tildes but exclusively for blogs in ~tech
winther LinkJust to add, there are quite a few different blog aggregation sites with slightly different mechanisms. Powrss and Minifeed has a bunch of curated blogs and sites in their index, and provide...Just to add, there are quite a few different blog aggregation sites with slightly different mechanisms.
Powrss and Minifeed has a bunch of curated blogs and sites in their index, and provide overviews and most recent posts across the board.
Bearroll only tracks posts from Bear Blog blogs and is based on upvotes, but with an easier timeline overview that surfaces a bit more than the regular trending discover page.
And of course Kagi Smallweb for a random roulette style across thousands of blogs and websites.
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Comment on Midweek Movie Free Talk in ~movies
winther LinkI rewatched Showgirls and I think unironically that is a little masterpiece of satire. With Verhoeven's Starship Troopers the general consensus seems to be that behind the seemingly glorification...I rewatched Showgirls and I think unironically that is a little masterpiece of satire. With Verhoeven's Starship Troopers the general consensus seems to be that behind the seemingly glorification of fascism, there is a sharp satire of the media on war mongering. The same conclusion hasn't quite reached Showgirls yet, where it often either labelled as just stereotypical bad or "so bad it is good" kind of thing. It may be a stretch to call Showgirls a feminist movie, but it is in my opinion a very clear critical satire of the misogyny of Hollywood and hypocrisy of the sex industry. First of all, for all its nudity it is strangely unerotic. Compared to something like Striptease with Demi Moore, there isn't really much "male gaze" with how Elizabeth Berkley is filmed. That she got two razzies for this role is totally undeserved. She threw herself in that role with all she got and for the kind of character she plays, she delivers.
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Comment on Don’t call it a sequel. Or a reboot. Or a remake. Why certain words trigger Hollywood. in ~movies
winther Link ParentMaybe, but it still weird to frame it like people who enjoy watching one type of thing is ruining other things, when it is not true by simply looking elsewhere. People shouldn't be ashamed for...Maybe, but it still weird to frame it like people who enjoy watching one type of thing is ruining other things, when it is not true by simply looking elsewhere. People shouldn't be ashamed for liking something just because it is more popular than other things.
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Comment on Don’t call it a sequel. Or a reboot. Or a remake. Why certain words trigger Hollywood. in ~movies
winther Link ParentThere is plenty of innovation and original ideas outside mainstream Hollywood. Most of the rest of world cinema isn't doing franchises or sequels. It is easy to ignore all that and still enjoy new...There is plenty of innovation and original ideas outside mainstream Hollywood. Most of the rest of world cinema isn't doing franchises or sequels. It is easy to ignore all that and still enjoy new movies.
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Comment on What is your eleventh favorite video game? in ~games
winther LinkInteresting challenge, and I ended up with Stardew Valley as my top 10 is basically made up of nostalgia memories of Civilization, Doom, Serious Sam, Super Mario 64, Metal Gear Solid, Baldur's...Interesting challenge, and I ended up with Stardew Valley as my top 10 is basically made up of nostalgia memories of Civilization, Doom, Serious Sam, Super Mario 64, Metal Gear Solid, Baldur's Gate etc. But Stardew Valley is the only new game in recent years that really hooked me. Played it daily for hours when it came out and felt like such a breath of fresh air in game releases. A true well polished passion project is such a rare thing now. Simple gameplay, addictive gameplay loop, as challenging and relaxing as you want it to be.
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Comment on Midweek Movie Free Talk in ~movies
winther Link ParentFirst Cow didn't really connect with me at first, but could need a rewatch. In The Mastermind I found it refreshing how the male lead is on the surface the opposite of what society expects of him....First Cow didn't really connect with me at first, but could need a rewatch. In The Mastermind I found it refreshing how the male lead is on the surface the opposite of what society expects of him. He is not able to provide for his family, his wife fills that role. But the film doesn't ridicule or mock him either for his lack of competence. He really is just a different type of man that doesn't match the consensus expectations of him. Certain Woman allowed itself to be a bit more direct with clearly mocking specific types of men, most notably with the first story where the man refuses to listen to the genuinely good advice he gets from his female lawyer. That was really hilarious. But that movie also found common ground in all the gender conflicts, where I think the core message there was that everyone struggles with loneliness. On a related note, give Old Joy a watch too if you haven't. Another interesting depiction of male friendship and role expectations.
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Comment on Midweek Movie Free Talk in ~movies
winther Link ParentReichardt is certainly always interesting. I am always left puzzled and a little confused afterwards. Sometimes I like it more than others. My favorite being Meek's Cutoff for how it portrays the...Reichardt is certainly always interesting. I am always left puzzled and a little confused afterwards. Sometimes I like it more than others. My favorite being Meek's Cutoff for how it portrays the dread of being lost in the wilderness and with an ending that subverts your usual expectations. I was okay with The Mastermind too. It is an odd take on the heist genre, as it is neither a show of competence like in Ocean's or utter comedic failure, but more like a fumbling and accidental.
Through all her films, I find an interesting look at modern masculinity that I just don't find elsewhere. Funnily enough the least from male directors.
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Comment on Casual viewing - Why Netflix looks like that ~30+ min read in ~movies
winther LinkGreat read and it pretty sums up my experience and dissatisfaction with Netflix - and most other streaming services. Everything is reduced to "content", devoid of anything resembling ambition,...Great read and it pretty sums up my experience and dissatisfaction with Netflix - and most other streaming services. Everything is reduced to "content", devoid of anything resembling ambition, ideas or artistic vision.
We didn't have the Netflix DVD service in Denmark, but we had a similar service and it was really amazing while it lasted. Only have 2-3 discs at home at once removed any sort of decision paralysis, the catalog was vast and didn't change every week with things randomly disappearing and the quality of a bluray is still vastly better than streaming. Some services today are better than others, but you still have to pay for so called 4K UHD streaming to get quality that can match a 1080p bluray disc.
It is true that Netflix has mostly become the cable media empire it set out against originally, but maybe it also reflects a general cultural switch away from movies - as attention shift to series? Outside cinephile circles, I only hear people talking about the latest season of a show. Other than the occasional trip to the theater for the latest entry in a well known franchise, there just seems less overall interest in movies in general and it is no wonder streaming production reflects that. Wonder if there is any statistics on the percentage of streaming hours split on movies versus series.
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Comment on Searching for neighbours on the indie web in ~tech
winther LinkI don't have a button (perhaps I should), but I have tried making my site have a 90s Netscape color scheme aesthetics. I mostly participate in the blogging sphere of the IndieWeb, especially the...I don't have a button (perhaps I should), but I have tried making my site have a 90s Netscape color scheme aesthetics. I mostly participate in the blogging sphere of the IndieWeb, especially the monthly IndieWeb Carnival which is always a lot of fun.
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Comment on Midweek Movie Free Talk in ~movies
winther (edited )LinkHaven't been checking here so often, and a few weeks back I took a sort of mental "review reset" as I could sense it influenced my film watching by having a constant "trying to form an opinion"...Haven't been checking here so often, and a few weeks back I took a sort of mental "review reset" as I could sense it influenced my film watching by having a constant "trying to form an opinion" thought process going. It really helped just taking a week with only rewatching old favorites and not doing anything about that.
Well for the last week I ended up with some Hong Kong and Japanese crime action films, which all share a very aesthetic approach to the combination of lighting and music to form an atmosphere. Tarantino certainly took notes, most notably with City on Fire from 1987 which to say the least, "heavily inspired" Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs with how an undercover cop and a big jewel heist goes terribly wrong at the end. I really enjoyed Chow Yun-Fat in it as he masters a wide range of emotions, from being both a goofy womanizer to really terrified with where he ends up in the criminal underworld being undercover. Lady Snowblood from 1973 also heavily inspired Tarantino. The beautiful title song Shura no Hana is used in Kill Bill and the whole female samurai revenge parallels that plot also - including all the bloodspatter. I found the film to be very poetic, like a fable from a lost time, gorgeous looking scenes - but I was a little bored at times.
My Heart Is That Eternal Rose from 1989 and The Execution Game from 1979 are less about violence and more on forming atmosphere with neon lights, dark cityscapes and soft jazz. They take place in a crime world with hitmen and gangsters, but what I got from them was more the beauty from silence and small parts of sweet romance.
EDIT: And completely unrelated, I also wrote a small piece about my favorite actress Isabelle Huppert which I just want to share
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Comment on Movie fatigue in ~movies
winther Link ParentThat trilogy is indeed the pinnacle of spaghetti westerns and also what got me hooked to the genre. Italian genre cinema in the 60s and 70s is a hell of an interesting thing to get lost in. And...That trilogy is indeed the pinnacle of spaghetti westerns and also what got me hooked to the genre. Italian genre cinema in the 60s and 70s is a hell of an interesting thing to get lost in. And now Leone's trilogy barely seems like part of the spaghetti western genre to me, as they are somehow too big, too epic, too high production value. Anyways, feel free to ask anything if you need more recommendations :) What titles are you getting in the mail?
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Comment on Movie fatigue in ~movies
winther Link ParentI was in a similar place, and what worked for me was basically taking a very wild swing outside my comfort zone and find new inspiration from there. The streaming services only recommend you more...I was in a similar place, and what worked for me was basically taking a very wild swing outside my comfort zone and find new inspiration from there. The streaming services only recommend you more of the same, but never challenges you in new directions. I picked up Kieslowski's Three Colors trilogy and that somehow made me love French arthouse cinema all of a sudden. The various lists of "bests of movies of all time" are good sources for inspiration, just look at several of them. The IMDb has plenty of great movies, but they are also kind of similar and really only show one larger corner of the cinematic world. Sight and Sound or Letterboxd lists will offer something completely different.
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Comment on Movie fatigue in ~movies
winther Link ParentCriterion Channel is very VPN friendly. Basically only need it to signup. Along with Mubi, it will give a fantastic wide range of classic and modern film festival movies.Criterion Channel is very VPN friendly. Basically only need it to signup. Along with Mubi, it will give a fantastic wide range of classic and modern film festival movies.
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Comment on Last.fm is now independent in ~music
winther (edited )LinkI have been using Last.fm for more than 20 years now and that in itself is quite an achievement for a service to live this long. It has somehow kept its distance to the usual enshittification of...I have been using Last.fm for more than 20 years now and that in itself is quite an achievement for a service to live this long. It has somehow kept its distance to the usual enshittification of online services and its core functionality has barely changed at all. Which I have come to appreciate. It hasn’t been drowned in feature creep. It feels like a web service company from a completely different historic era and it somehow still exists.
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Comment on Babylon 5 S01E12: "By Any Means Necessary" - Episode Discussion in ~tv
winther Link ParentYeah Sinclair is getting away with quite a lot, but I like how you also get a sense of politics on Earth is also messy and full of different parties where some might oppose and others support...Yeah Sinclair is getting away with quite a lot, but I like how you also get a sense of politics on Earth is also messy and full of different parties where some might oppose and others support Sinclair and his methods. Makes for an interesting dynamic so it isn't just the frontier space station against the clueless Earth politicians.
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Comment on Cannes 2026 winners: ‘Fjord’ wins Palme D’Or in ~movies
winther LinkMungiu‘s winning film from 2007 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days was great so curious to see what made him win again almost 20 years later. If it is anything like his other films it will be something...Mungiu‘s winning film from 2007 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days was great so curious to see what made him win again almost 20 years later. If it is anything like his other films it will be something bleak and depressive and with overtones of political criticism of Western Europe.
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Comment on Babylon 5 S01E11: "Survivors" - Episode Discussion in ~tv
winther LinkFinally a proper Garibaldi episode. In the first part of the season he was a bit one dimensional and sometimes just used for comic relief. Here his alcohol problem gets established, which of...Finally a proper Garibaldi episode. In the first part of the season he was a bit one dimensional and sometimes just used for comic relief. Here his alcohol problem gets established, which of course isn't the last time it comes up. And as usual we have Sinclair obeying orders from Earth in malicious compliance creative ways, which is always fun.
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Comment on Babylon 5 S01E10: "Believers" - Episode Discussion in ~tv
winther LinkThis episode really shows what these science fiction can do with putting spotlight on non-easy moral dilemmas, especially when it comes to doctors and their ethics. They were also often good...This episode really shows what these science fiction can do with putting spotlight on non-easy moral dilemmas, especially when it comes to doctors and their ethics. They were also often good premise for great Star Trek episodes.
But in addition to the core dilemma, the episode also shows the whole diplomatic mess on the station as they can't get any of the other races to help them, because they of course have their political agenda and loyalties that supersedes wherever their moral compass lies.
This isn't just a constructed trolley problem scenario, it is a thing that doctors have to deal with - for example with Jehovah Witnesses refusing blood transfusions.
All around great episode that shows the crew as not always in complete alignment, but they can respect each other. And we get to see Ivanova in some great space flight action.
Another antagonist tries to dethrone Sinclair, almost succeeding. The highlight here is clearly Gregory Paul Martin as the ruthless colonel. The motorcycle sideplot was on its own sweet enough, but a bit too detached from the main plot.