winther's recent activity
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Comment on Why normal people aren’t using AI agents in ~tech
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Comment on Midweek Movie Free Talk in ~movies
winther LinkHaven't been to the cinema by myself in a very long time, only for seeing things with the kids like Toy Story and Super Mario Galaxy, but yesterday I caught a special event showing of Teenage Sex...Haven't been to the cinema by myself in a very long time, only for seeing things with the kids like Toy Story and Super Mario Galaxy, but yesterday I caught a special event showing of Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma and will be the highlight of the year for me. With that title and starring Gillian Anderson, it is tailormade for me personally. Sort of thematic/interpretive(?) spoilers below.
This film is made with so much love for the 80s slasher films like Halloween and Friday the 13th, but the good thing is that offers so much more than mere fanservice and references (though it has plenty of those too). You don't get a slasher pastiche, but a wild satirical sexual awakening story wrapped in a double meta-narrative reaching directly to the viewers (or me at least) own relationship with these type of movies. Katie Welsh writes in a review:
... a sharp, playful, sexy and surprisingly warm Hollywood satire about repressed millennials who have outsourced their sexual desire to the movies. The film is a loving send-up of film nerds who’d rather intellectualize and compartmentalize than truly feel in any sort of sensual or embodied way.
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The message here is to get out of our heads and into our bodies, and it’s OK if we need movies to do that.(hangs my head in shame)
The film is screaming its metaphors from the rooftop. The killer in this fictional franchise is literally called Little Death, acknowledging the established interpretation of slasher films connection between death and sex, and the le petite mort concept of orgasm being a little death. Part of the main idea in the film is the two female characters that can only find their own true sexual desire and get an orgasm through the killer, called Little Death, as they get stabbed to a bloody death by an enormous fishing spear.
There is enough self awareness in the film to make it genuinely ambiguous whether the over analyzing is really just an excuse to find an artistic reason to like seeing skampy clad teenagers screaming while they are "penetrated" by big sharp phallic objects. It really hits a personal nerve, as my wife is often looking at the tv and puzzled asking what the hell I am watching (I am not making it easy by being a fan of Italian giallo and Verhoeven), and there is undeniably elements of eroticism in these films. The screaming in terror and final breath as death occurs are eerily close to the sounds of pleasure, making these films sit in a conflicting place in your body when you watch them. What makes the film brilliant in my mind is that it refuses to give a definitive resolution to these of questions. There is a core message about going back to basics, "flesh and body fluids" and stop overthinking, but there is also enough self aware mocking satire of its own discourse, pulling the rug on the whole analysis, that fans or slashers are not given a completely free pass.
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Comment on Midweek Movie Free Talk in ~movies
winther Link ParentRun of the mill Hollywood are probably not good examples of many things, but what I am advocating a bit against is the notion of whether sex in movies is "necessary". Necessary for what? Plenty of...Run of the mill Hollywood are probably not good examples of many things, but what I am advocating a bit against is the notion of whether sex in movies is "necessary". Necessary for what? Plenty of things in movies can be deemed unnecessary on some parameters, but movies are a visual medium that convey more than just plot. You can communicate two people having sex by having a long explicit sex scene, or do it like they did in the 1930s by showing the couple embracing, panning the camera to the window and cut to breakfast the next morning. Or everything in between. I would say the movie landscape would somewhat boring if every depiction of people having sex would be reduced the 30s version. Same could be applied to many other aspects of movies. Like you can show someone getting shot completely offscreen or with full on blood brain splatter. Cut to the core, it communicates the same thing, someone is shot dead, but in general we accept that - "unnecessary" - violence at various levels of explicitness, is one element among many that makes a complete movie. The same can be said about depiction of eroticism in general.
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Comment on Midweek Movie Free Talk in ~movies
winther Link ParentDepends on the director of course, but it does seem like the concept of eroticism in film is becoming a lost form. Eroticism is different from porn, and maybe because hardcore porn has become so...Most movie sex scenes are just gratuitous with no chemistry. I'm not sure not wanting to see it is puritanical.
Depends on the director of course, but it does seem like the concept of eroticism in film is becoming a lost form. Eroticism is different from porn, and maybe because hardcore porn has become so easily accessible, the concept of proper erotic sexuality on screen is becoming harder to even accept as a possibility for viewers these days. Or filmmakers don't know how to do it anymore.
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Comment on Midweek Movie Free Talk in ~movies
winther Link ParentAdding Obsession to my list :) The code had weird priorities back then. Spoilers According to its Wikipedia article they were apparently more concerned with hints at infidelity and the self...Adding Obsession to my list :) The code had weird priorities back then.
Spoilers
According to its Wikipedia article they were apparently more concerned with hints at infidelity and the self inflicted miscarriage (abortion) than straight up child murder. -
Comment on Midweek Movie Free Talk in ~movies
winther LinkThe Criterion Channel has put together a great selection of Murderous Melodramas and I have been having so much fun with it. Does what it says on the tin - stylish excess, lovely Technicolor,...The Criterion Channel has put together a great selection of Murderous Melodramas and I have been having so much fun with it. Does what it says on the tin - stylish excess, lovely Technicolor, ridiculous melodrama combined with various scheming murder plots.
The highlight so far has been Written on the Wind (1956). The plot is full on soap opera, with rich oil barons and their mess of a private life. Not the least thanks to the performances, with Lauren Bacal's unimpressed demeanor and Robert Stack's desperation. Gorgeous environments and sets, a loud score screaming the emotional beats in capital letters and every character acting utterly self-destructive, yet it never tips over into ridiculousness or camp.
With Niagara (1953) we get Niagara Falls and Marilyn Monroe, a great combo. Fantastic setting with plenty of use of the beautiful location, delivering more than just scenery as it falls naturally into the narrative. Admittedly Monroe is more looks than acting capability here, but then Jean Peters makes up for it as she was the most interesting and fully fledged character. And arguably the true main character along with Joseph Cotten who plays Monroe's husband. Interestingly to see how Monroe is clearly depicted as the ultimate sex symbol, and when Max Showalter - playing the husband to Peters - tries to (literally) picture Peters like that, she isn't willingly playing along. Mirroring Peters' real acting career choices as well, at least according to her Wikipedia saying she did try to fight the Hollywood push to make her sex symbol. Monroe may get top billing and the immediate eye catching look, but I end up falling for Peters and her down to earth persona, her intelligence and genuine empathy where others were too occupied.
Leave Her To Heaven (1945) is somewhat like a prototype for this type of film. Lovely Technicolor texture everywhere. It is somewhat slower going and less bombastic than the movies from the 50s in this vein, but what it does have - is Gene Tierney as the ultimate archetype of a scheming psychopathic woman. Her jealousy is all consuming, her manipulation goes above and beyond - ending in a wild finale. I was quite surprised with how far it goes, especially with one quiet drawn out horrible scene, as it didn't expect that kind of display of calculated calm cruelty from Hollywood in the 40s. I admit it was a bit boring at times, but all worth it for where it ends up.
Also watched Desert Fury (1947) and Violent Saturday (1955), both a bit more crime noir feeling, with an added element of domestic soap opera drama. And jealousy galore of course.
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Comment on Midweek Movie Free Talk in ~movies
winther LinkAnyone wanna talk Dark City? With some caveats it went straight among my top 5 best science fiction. Spoilers The set design and overall look of this fantasy-ish Metropolis inspired city is...Anyone wanna talk Dark City? With some caveats it went straight among my top 5 best science fiction.
Spoilers
The set design and overall look of this fantasy-ish Metropolis inspired city is amazing, and we are just thrown into it without much explanation - keeping the feeling of "what the hell is going on" for quite some time. The theatrical release of this apparently ruined it by starting with a voiceover explaining the whole mystery, which thankfully was fixed in the director's cut.The comparison to The Matrix is hard to look past, as it really follows many of the same beats, look, themes and to an extent scenes as well. The Matrix has to reveal its premise earlier, or else Neo's training arc wouldn't make sense. Dark City can keep the confusion of the world going for much longer, making that gradual reveal much more satisfying. The downside however for me was the ending, which is just one big deus ex solution. The Matrix does the same thing basically, but that was more earned from the story, whereas here it comes almost out of nowhere.
I understand The Matrix ended up being the more popular film of the two, and had I seen Dark City at the same time I likely wouldn't have appreciated it for what it does. So not a bad thing finding out about this overlooked film years later.
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Comment on Midweek Movie Free Talk in ~movies
winther Link ParentNot sure I see why that would make the movie better. I see the whole film as sort of an anti-romance, as what the two people are sharing are not romantic love in the traditional sense of a romance...I liked Rental Family (2025) better. I have the same issue with this as I do with Brief Encounter (1945): this could be a really good movie if the main characters weren't already married to other people.
Not sure I see why that would make the movie better. I see the whole film as sort of an anti-romance, as what the two people are sharing are not romantic love in the traditional sense of a romance movie, but something entirely different. It is more like two half broken people finding some deep connection in a different country, but they are not falling in love - at least not in the way we usually see it depicted in movies. Which of course is the whole films "thing" so to speak, what has been discussed about it endlessly, the ambiguity of their relationship and how to interpret the final scene. Anyways, that whole non clear ambiguity and non-traditional romance that is hard to read is what I like about it.
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Comment on Atari makes Universal movie deal for ten iconic game properties in ~movies
winther LinkIf they treat like Futurama did, then it might work.If they treat like Futurama did, then it might work.
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Comment on I wonder if years from now hand written code will be antique in ~tech
winther Link ParentWhen I read about something like that, I wonder what kind of software you are running in what business - if I may ask? Because I am sort of in charge of the codebase for a smaller company in the...When I read about something like that, I wonder what kind of software you are running in what business - if I may ask? Because I am sort of in charge of the codebase for a smaller company in the saas business. We are about 40 people and I would be terrified to run it like that, as that would risk the livelihood of all employees if our service broke down for our customers if something hit production that only an LLM has looked at and understood. Any sort of breaking change or longer disruption could kill us quickly. So I have been extremely defensive with things that go to production and AI isn’t really speeding things much as pure code speed isn’t exactly the bottleneck. Are these setups where entire companies run on pure AI development just in less risky areas or larger organizations where code doesn’t hit production that easily? Or is it just greenfield projects and not on top of 10-20 years of legacy with risk of breaking things for existing customers?
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Comment on More people around the world now favour China over the US, Pew study suggests in ~society
winther LinkI hate it but it makes sense. In Europe we have authoritarian superpowers to both east and west, and then it make some sense to lean more towards the somewhat predictable stable one than the...I hate it but it makes sense. In Europe we have authoritarian superpowers to both east and west, and then it make some sense to lean more towards the somewhat predictable stable one than the insane, disrespectful and chaotic one. Also China doesn’t make outright threats to invade us as Trump does with Greenland.
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Comment on No WebGL, no AI, no bytes to spare. My new game is a 3D 90s fever dream in 1024 bytes! in ~comp
winther (edited )LinkI came to think of Kula World, the old PlayStation game, trying this out :) Amazing work. The demoscene has always impressed me with how much can actually be achieved with very small executeables...I came to think of Kula World, the old PlayStation game, trying this out :)
Amazing work. The demoscene has always impressed me with how much can actually be achieved with very small executeables or few bytes of code. The Farbrausch - fr. 08 64k demo was mindblowing to me when it released. And it is great to see the same application of skill going strong.
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Comment on Who cleans up after the vibe-coding party? in ~tech
winther Link ParentAI is definitely very efficient at giving other people work. On average, I think AI has made me less productive, because the non-developers in the company are moving very fast, which is impressive...AI is definitely very efficient at giving other people work. On average, I think AI has made me less productive, because the non-developers in the company are moving very fast, which is impressive in its own right and I understand their excitement as they get to automate internal processes that have normally been down-prioritized by the developers, because we need to focus on the customer facing product. However, their constant new ideas gives us more work for questions, new requests for data access, changes in existing internal tooling and several meetings with compliance on why we can't just give AI agents full access to our database and production system. All makes for less time to do actual development on our product.
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Comment on Midweek Movie Free Talk in ~movies
winther LinkBeen catching up on some 2025 releases. Miroirs No. 3 is yet another another film on misaligned identity by Christian Petzold. This time with Paula Beer becoming sort of surrogate daughter for a...Been catching up on some 2025 releases.
Miroirs No. 3 is yet another another film on misaligned identity by Christian Petzold. This time with Paula Beer becoming sort of surrogate daughter for a woman in grief. Beer is always enchanting to look at on the screen and like in Afire the remote cozy house for a setting forms the contrast to the rather cold narrative. There is not a lot of mystery present, as it was pretty clear early sort of what was going on - though the exact circumstances and its details were revealed later. The interesting part comes from seeing the characters react and move through the inevitable shattering of their false pretense. Beer's character does remain mostly unreadable throughout the film, keeping some element of mystery and ambiguity going, when most of the rest of the film resolves itself.
Sirāt by Oliver Laxe was a bit of disappointment despite a good start with fifteen minutes of pumping rave music, bodies moving in sync in hypnotic dance and almost no dialogue. Then the movie turns into a psychedelic nightmare version of a Top Gear roadtrip special going from bad to worse. With some vague suggestion at a military conflict going on in the background. Intriguing mix of themes and genres at first, and I was waiting for some sort of idea to form for where this heading. Not that the film needed absolute clarity or a big "AHA"-moment. It lives quite well within its very limited outside knowledge setting, but when the film does reveal its hand it felt dishonest to me. I guess there is some symbolic attempt behind it all or a political allegory, but how it was framed here was mostly stupid, comically so, when it tries so hard to go for shock and despair. It falls flat pulling the rug under itself.
The Secret Agent by Kleber Mendonça Filho felt very much like a Brazilian take on No Country For Old Men and Coen-style narrative in general. The 70s look combined with the tension of a dictatorship rule really drew me in at first, and I was intrigued by the narrative that deliberately leaves you without full information for quite a while. But gradually I started to get a little annoyed by this style, as it seemed more and more like artificial suspense. The "putting pieces together" became less interesting as I mostly waited for the movie to reveal itself where it was already going, like one long tease of exposition. The film is frankly too long. I did like the turnaround for where it finally went, as it refuses to give proper closure with an almost off-screen ending to what we think is the main narrative - again not unlike No Country For Old Men. It is a bold move and it did work in the movie's favor, as it ended up being more how history shapes people and society for decades, rather than the spectacular events from a short period in time.
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Comment on Blog owners, do you write under your real name, or under a pseudonym? in ~hobbies
winther (edited )LinkI use the same name as here which it part of my real name, and I link to other sites where my name is and it probably doesn't take a whole lot of digging finding more about me. Paradoxically I...I use the same name as here which it part of my real name, and I link to other sites where my name is and it probably doesn't take a whole lot of digging finding more about me. Paradoxically I have found this to make it easier to write open and honest, as when I have tried to be completely anonymous on for example Reddit, it made me slightly paranoid if people could find out anyway. And my wife deduced my Reddit account anyways simply by knowing me too well that it was easy to add 2 and 2, so it didn't work at all.
So while I don't write my full name as such, because that is not that important to me to have my site be a personal signature as such, but I write public with the knowledge that people who already know me can stumble upon my website and that actually make me more honest than if I tried to write under pseudonym with the paranoia of being "found out".
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Comment on Introductions | July 2026 in ~talk
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Comment on The end of reading is here in ~books
winther LinkMake poetry great again! I mean, if we can’t keep our attention for longer than the average TikTok video of 30 seconds, then maybe we can make poetry the new hot thing to read? Only takes half a...Make poetry great again!
I mean, if we can’t keep our attention for longer than the average TikTok video of 30 seconds, then maybe we can make poetry the new hot thing to read? Only takes half a minute to read a good poem and if you like it, no hassle needed to turn the page to read it again.
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Comment on Reddit will require you to be logged in to use old.reddit.com in ~tech
winther LinkI have been quite happy just browsing through eddrit.com, though it is of course read only.I have been quite happy just browsing through eddrit.com, though it is of course read only.
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Comment on Babylon 5 S01E16: "Eyes" - Episode Discussion in ~tv
winther LinkAnother 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,...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.
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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.”
It sounds like a solution trying desperately to find a problem. I am genuinely struggling to find any good usecase for where AI agent could be really useful in my personal life. The examples we see from the tech gurus are always bonkers, like Altman creating a podcast of his kids’ interests. Instead of talking to them ?
Compared to just a few decades ago, our lives are already heavily optimized by digital solutions. Do we really need more ?