winther's recent activity
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Comment on Midweek Movie Free Talk in ~movies
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Comment on Babylon 5 S01E08: "And The Sky Full Of Stars" - Episode Discussion in ~tv
winther LinkA very important episode for the bigger story arc, but it is still very little we actually learn. Mostly more confused as we barely see anything more than Sinclair was somehow involved when the...A very important episode for the bigger story arc, but it is still very little we actually learn. Mostly more confused as we barely see anything more than Sinclair was somehow involved when the Minbar surrendered, but not much substantial yet.
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Comment on Babylon 5 S01E07: "The War Prayer" - Episode Discussion in ~tv
winther LinkIn terms of its theme it is told a tad heavyhanded but it does have wider reach than a simple token episode. They don’t solve the problem in the end. It is clear that there is a rising faction...In terms of its theme it is told a tad heavyhanded but it does have wider reach than a simple token episode. They don’t solve the problem in the end. It is clear that there is a rising faction against aliens and it will be part of the larger story arc. We are still very much in the setting things up stage of the series, and I think it strikes the right balance of being self contained stories and building things further. Especially in how we get deeper understanding of both Lando and Ivanova in this episode.
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Comment on Midweek Movie Free Talk in ~movies
winther Link ParentBilly Wilder is really one of the all time great directors of that era in Hollywood. Clearly a noir, with everything that comes with that, but closer to something like Sunset Boulevard with its...Double Indemnity
Billy Wilder is really one of the all time great directors of that era in Hollywood. Clearly a noir, with everything that comes with that, but closer to something like Sunset Boulevard with its witty dialogue. It is impressive how a movie can basically start with the ending, and still be gripping all the way through.
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Comment on Midweek Movie Free Talk in ~movies
winther LinkI splurged and got a 4K player and Ben Hur as my first UHD title. Hard to imagine a better showcase with the absolute greatest of all film epics. A story and a film that is larger than life in all...I splurged and got a 4K player and Ben Hur as my first UHD title. Hard to imagine a better showcase with the absolute greatest of all film epics. A story and a film that is larger than life in all aspects. Still as engaging from start to finish as the first time I saw it. This film manages to circumvent my usual taste, as it is more or less the opposite of subtle, melodramatic, clear cut good and evil, and heavy in religious message. But the epic music, the classic heroic characters, and the biblical scale of events simply wins me over in a way that is impossible to resist. There is no dull or bad scene across the almost 4 hours. The pacing holds, without missing a beat. The high paced scenes like the chariot race is just as gripping as the scenes with the big emotions like the valley of the lepers. The big budget Hollywood blockbuster peaked here.
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Comment on How are we all feeling about piracy these days? in ~movies
winther (edited )LinkI am not a saint, but I have barely pirated anything in many years. General media access is on all accounts pretty great and substantially cheaper than 20-30 years ago. I paid around €25 for new...I am not a saint, but I have barely pirated anything in many years. General media access is on all accounts pretty great and substantially cheaper than 20-30 years ago. I paid around €25 for new movies on VHS and DVD 25 years ago, and that is about the same a 4K UHD disc costs today - not even considering inflation. And despite price increases in streaming, it is still comparatively cheap - depending on your usage of course.
Not to say I am still annoyed at the general unpredictability of availability of stuff, where things move around all the time. And I don't understand why regional agreements is still a thing in this day and age. Why isn't a streaming catalogue by default global.
I don't mind paying for what I consume. I also mostly read and watch niche stuff, so if I want the stuff I like to exist in the future, I need to actually pay for it. It is one thing to say that Disney or Tom Cruise has enough money, but on every production there is hundreds if not thousands of working class people living paycheck to paycheck like everyone else.
What annoys me most is the length of copyright. I like to watch older movies, and it really shouldn't be this difficult to find movies from the 30s, 40s or 50s. Everyone involved in those things are long dead and things should be in public domain a lot sooner. With one caveat though that older movies also need restorations and it is valuable work to have old films newly scanned from the original negative and getting a proper quality release. I would argue that part of that should to some extent be down to government funding to preserve cultural significant works.
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Comment on Babylon 5 S01E06: "Mind War" - Episode Discussion in ~tv
winther Link ParentSpeaking of comedic character, I know Garibaldi grows a lot over the series, but it is a bit jarring seeing him often in the role of short dumb laughs, like when he clearly has dirty thoughts...Speaking of comedic character, I know Garibaldi grows a lot over the series, but it is a bit jarring seeing him often in the role of short dumb laughs, like when he clearly has dirty thoughts about Talia in the elevator. And in terms of mind reading jokes, it gets old fast. Star Trek also had plenty of those.
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Comment on Babylon 5 S01E06: "Mind War" - Episode Discussion in ~tv
winther Link ParentFor me this is really Walter Koenig's crowning achievement, more so than in Star Trek. Of course, his character is a lot more interesting and gets more screen time, but he clearly fits the role...For me this is really Walter Koenig's crowning achievement, more so than in Star Trek. Of course, his character is a lot more interesting and gets more screen time, but he clearly fits the role perfectly from the very first scene. And keeping with the Star Trek comparison - which I admit is still very much the mode I am watching this in, but it will diminish at some point I guess - this and the previous episode really highlights that Babylon 5 allows for a lot more religious themes, spiritual beings and elements less rooted in known science, at least compared to what Star Trek superficially tries to stick to most of the time.
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Comment on Midweek Movie Free Talk in ~movies
winther Link ParentM is an incredible film. Yes it is old, but also very pure in the sense that everything is just built around the paranoia and tension from the fear of this murderer on the lose. A modern movie...M is an incredible film. Yes it is old, but also very pure in the sense that everything is just built around the paranoia and tension from the fear of this murderer on the lose. A modern movie would have several side plots, character arcs or layers, which can be fine, but also strips away the simplicity that this movie shines from. Not quite the same thematically, but I can recommend I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang from 1932 for another example of a great films from the pre-code 30s that also benefits greatly from its narrative simplicity.
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Comment on Midweek Movie Free Talk in ~movies
winther Link ParentIn terms of realism it is more far fetched, but very convincing within itself.In terms of realism it is more far fetched, but very convincing within itself.
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Comment on Donald Trump posted on Truth Social this morning that "a whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again" as his threatened attacks on Iranian infrastructure loom ahead of deadline in ~society
winther Link ParentThere is also a response of sorts on the request from Pakistan to extend the deadline which I hope at least seems like a way out, and Trump has done similar things before. At least unusual to say...There is also a response of sorts on the request from Pakistan to extend the deadline which I hope at least seems like a way out, and Trump has done similar things before. At least unusual to say there will be a response later if that response is a firm “no”.
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Comment on Donald Trump posted on Truth Social this morning that "a whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again" as his threatened attacks on Iranian infrastructure loom ahead of deadline in ~society
winther LinkI don’t recall even Putin saying something that horrendous. He has said Ukraine belongs to Russia, not threatened with total annihilation like this. The crazy thing is how normalized these...I don’t recall even Putin saying something that horrendous. He has said Ukraine belongs to Russia, not threatened with total annihilation like this. The crazy thing is how normalized these statements from Trump have become. I honestly have no idea whether tomorrow will be another TACO moment or nuclear war.
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Comment on Midweek Movie Free Talk in ~movies
winther Link ParentGreat classic court room drama. I could listen to Stewart for hours doing his law speech. He persuades both the jury and the viewer, and it was only when the movie finished I realized how much I...Anatomy of a Murder
Great classic court room drama. I could listen to Stewart for hours doing his law speech. He persuades both the jury and the viewer, and it was only when the movie finished I realized how much I have likely been manipulated to his portrayal of the case. And just to throw in another courtroom movie from the 50s, Witness for the Prosecution is arguably even better (in part because of Marlene Dietrich).
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Comment on Midweek Movie Free Talk in ~movies
winther Link ParentI watched with kids and I basically agree with you. I don't have good enough memory of the first one to really compare, but I remember it as having a bit more "setting up the characters" stuff....The Super Mario Galaxy Movie
I watched with kids and I basically agree with you. I don't have good enough memory of the first one to really compare, but I remember it as having a bit more "setting up the characters" stuff. What I do think this movie deserves some credit for, is that it is actually a proper game-movie. Most previous movies based on gaming franchises have tried to adapt narrative structure and conventions from movies into a game world, and it rarely works that well. This "movie" is much closer to how a game like plays out. The rhythm and narrative structure, if you can even call it that, follows more close with gaming conventions than movies. So it is clearly not a very good movie if you expect to see a movie like you are used to, but I honestly think it works pretty well if the emphasis is shifted to game.
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Comment on Nvim 0.12 released in ~comp
winther Link ParentThere are also the cautionary tales of jumping too far quickly, for example Linus Torvalds went from 0.12 to 0.95 of Linux, thinking it was almost done. Took 2 years and plenty of 0.99 patches to...There are also the cautionary tales of jumping too far quickly, for example Linus Torvalds went from 0.12 to 0.95 of Linux, thinking it was almost done. Took 2 years and plenty of 0.99 patches to get to 1.0.
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Comment on Babylon 5 S01E05: "Infection" - Episode Discussion in ~tv
winther LinkThis felt somewhat similar to a storyline I have seen a couple of times in Star Trek, with an ancient autonomous "intelligent" weapon system be awakened thousands of years later. While always a...This felt somewhat similar to a storyline I have seen a couple of times in Star Trek, with an ancient autonomous "intelligent" weapon system be awakened thousands of years later. While always a cool premise, I don't think the Babylon 5 version adds much new or interesting. Apparently, Straczynski also thinks this was one of the weaker episodes.
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Comment on According to a poll, Finns now trust the US as little as Russia and China and overall social trust is on the decline in ~society
winther Link ParentAssuming the US get a free election and the Democrats win by a landslide, and that is a lot of ifs, in my opinion it would still require a Nuremberg-like trial to regain some trust. If it is just...Assuming the US get a free election and the Democrats win by a landslide, and that is a lot of ifs, in my opinion it would still require a Nuremberg-like trial to regain some trust. If it is just business as usual with the same GOP in opposition and not in prison for their massive list of crimes, then the rest of the world can not trust for the whole thing to repeat.
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Comment on Quentin Tarantino and Sylvester Stallone are teaming for a 1930s-set series filming in black and white with “1930s cameras” in ~tv
winther Link ParentThese days, I think in practice it has more to do with the taste of the directors and cinematographers, than what is technical possible. Whenever I watch a modern film and think it looks great, 4...These days, I think in practice it has more to do with the taste of the directors and cinematographers, than what is technical possible. Whenever I watch a modern film and think it looks great, 4 out of 5 times when I look up the technical details, it is shot on film. A few manage to fool me, and I believe it is certainly possible to achieve a similar look digitally, but in practice the current trend in how most movies look these days are going in a different direction.
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Comment on Midweek Movie Free Talk in ~movies
winther LinkI watched Double Jeopardy from 1999 yesterday, and it was the right time to watch something like that, as in a different state of mind I would likely have scolded it for how ridiculous and cheesy...I watched Double Jeopardy from 1999 yesterday, and it was the right time to watch something like that, as in a different state of mind I would likely have scolded it for how ridiculous and cheesy it is. But after a long with complex database performance tuning, a simplistic 90s thriller with obvious twists and entertaining set pieces was just the right thing for me on a Friday night. The basic premise of that you can do a crime for free if you already have been wrongfully convicted of it, is of course bonkers, but it makes for a good excuse for Ashley Judd to kick ass and be clever, and Tommy Lee Jones bringing his a game even though the script doesn't.
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Comment on Babylon 5 S01E04: "Born To The Purple" - Episode Discussion in ~tv
winther LinkDon't give away the homeworld! Sort of a slow almost mellow episode, but the underlying diplomatic tension is high. I find that an interesting way to deal with high stakes diplomacy. Mollari is...Don't give away the homeworld!
Sort of a slow almost mellow episode, but the underlying diplomatic tension is high. I find that an interesting way to deal with high stakes diplomacy. Mollari is the main event here and we get to see his soft side, while also learning how and why he is powerful.
I was again however a little annoyed and how easy they can yet again get Talia to bend psi cop rules. A bit too convenient to pull out.
This had the intended effect on me, with how it highlights the almost mundane normalcy of Auschwitz. It was refreshing to see a film that knew that everyone already knew about the holocaust and in Auschwitz, so they don't need to show the atrocities (could double feature with Son of Saul if you really want to have a heavy film night), which gave room for something else. Like small pieces of dialogue when the nazi engineers discuss "input" and "output" like it was any other factory. The ending is probably hit and miss for most people, but it got to me, as it caught me completely unprepared. First total confusion as there is a very dramatic shift like you have turned to a completely different movie, and then it all makes sense.
I get that. This is clearly a film meant to be frustrating and setting more questions than answers. The dreary setting and mood got to me though. His state of mind fits perfectly within the completely dead and barren landscape of a large gravel pit. And yes the ending is really pulling the rug under you, completely shattering everything that went before.