culturedleftfoot's recent activity
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Comment on Movies: Your personal year in review for 2025 in ~movies
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Comment on Movies: Your personal year in review for 2025 in ~movies
culturedleftfoot Link ParentHuh, I didn't know anything about that. I'll check it out, thanks.Huh, I didn't know anything about that. I'll check it out, thanks.
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Comment on Movies: Your personal year in review for 2025 in ~movies
culturedleftfoot Link ParentRe: Japan, I'd also highly recommend Hiroshi Teshigahara's Woman In The Dunes. If you're open to anime (and I wouldn't blame you if you aren't, at least not without strong qualifiers), Satoshi Kon...Re: Japan, I'd also highly recommend Hiroshi Teshigahara's Woman In The Dunes. If you're open to anime (and I wouldn't blame you if you aren't, at least not without strong qualifiers), Satoshi Kon simply did not miss, and Isao Takahata made two of Studio Ghibli's three masterpieces, Grave of the Fireflies and The Tale of the Princess Kaguya.
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Comment on Movies: Your personal year in review for 2025 in ~movies
culturedleftfoot Link ParentOh yeah. I've got at least four more of his movies lined up and Chungking is at the front of the queue.Oh yeah. I've got at least four more of his movies lined up and Chungking is at the front of the queue.
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Comment on Movies: Your personal year in review for 2025 in ~movies
culturedleftfoot LinkI gotta say, reading through these year in review threads (and also the weekly what are you reading/watching/playing threads), I seriously wonder where the hell you all find the time! I watched...I gotta say, reading through these year in review threads (and also the weekly what are you reading/watching/playing threads), I seriously wonder where the hell you all find the time!
I watched ~30 movies this year, a huge leap up from my usual tally of 3-5, and that was with deliberate effort to broaden my film horizons. Considering how many and the kinds of movies I've added to my PTW list, what I actually ended up watching didn't follow much rhyme or reason beyond what I was in the mood for at the time.
Highlights
12 Angry Men - Excellently shot and acted.
A Fistful of Dollars - I thought I would have made it through the Dollars trilogy but I only got to this one. I'd seen it in parts many times before but this is the first I can remember watching it all in one go. Surprise surprise, it's still great.
The Breakfast Club - Can anyone watch a John Hughes movie and not want to go back to the 80s? Can it be that it was all so simple then?
In much the same way that Hayao Miyazaki is a master at capturing children's sense of wonder, I think Hughes had a knack for distilling a somewhat-mischievous, somewhat-rebellious aspect of youth that I can't find the words to properly describe right now... even when his actors are plainly in their 20s.Broker - Last year I came across trailers of around 6 films that I'd take note of and plan to watch 'one day' before realizing Kore-eda was behind all of them. This is the first I've actually watched, and I will make my way through the rest next year.
In The Mood For Love - Hoo boy, I think my computer's still smoldering from playing this. I need some more Wong Kar-Wai.
Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence - I first learned of Ryuichi Sakamoto in the early aughts by randomly downloading the main theme of this film's score, and the haunting, bittersweet melody instantly intrigued me. I took forever to get around to watching the movie it was meant for, but it was absolutely worth the wait, and so fitting besides.
Piece By Piece - I knew many of the stories beforehand, and I'm probably a bit of a sucker for Lego. Still, I quite liked how they represented Pharrell's creativity.
The Last Samurai and The Twilight Samurai - I knew Hiroyuki Sanada by reputation more than résumé when he wowed everyone with his decades of experience with samurai portrayals in 2024's Shogun series, so this year I vowed to watch some more of his work in that vein. The battles and the theme of honor in The Last Samurai made it a favorite of mine upon release, and with a more mature perspective today I can say that it still is, while recognizing that the performances of the Japanese cast were probably the ones really carrying the film. I really enjoyed finding Sanada in the main role of an almost diametrically-opposed jidaigeki film in The Twilight Samurai. It's quite understated throughout, but when it bursts into life you realize you were in skilled hands all along. It may well have two of the most realistic, best-performed, and perhaps best-filmed sword duels in cinema.
Disappointments/lowlights
Tokyo Story - not bad per se, but I was underwhelmed. I was sold it as a potential greatest-movie-of-all-time candidate, but I much prefer Kurosawa's Ikiru which hits similar notes.
Idiocracy and Office Space - Not for me I guess.Also Watched
2 Days in New York
Abigail's Party
Airplane!
Bazodee
Coonskin
Good Hair
Lupin the Third: Jigen's Gravestone
Lupin the Third: Goemon's Blood Spray
Lupin the Third: Fujiko's Lie
Mid-August Lunch
Nemuri Kyōshirō 3: The Man with No Tomorrow
Police Story
The Phoenix: Karma Chapter
The Raft
Senna
Take the Ball, Pass the Ball
War GameI also finished making my way through all of the ESPN 30 For 30 docs that I was interested in (about 1/3 of them all), having started in mid-2024. I'm not sure how much I should consider them films though, despite what Letterboxd says. I could go on and on about how many of them I'd recommend even if you aren't invested in the featured sport (26 Years: The Dewey Bozella Story, Once Brothers, Maradona '86, Into The Wind, No Más, Hillsborough, Bad Boys, Ali: The Mission, Ceasefire Massacre, What Carter Lost, Believeland, Year of the Scab...) but O.J. Made in America is the absolute must-see.
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Comment on Movies: Your personal year in review for 2025 in ~movies
culturedleftfoot Link ParentAny thoughts on La Bête? I never got around to watching it.Any thoughts on La Bête? I never got around to watching it.
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Comment on I can't describe it, but I know it when I see it in ~life
culturedleftfoot Link ParentHm. I think the narrative thread in audiobooks engages your brain's language processing function in a way that music, even with lyrics, does not; I imagine that function being active also limits...though that feels different than a narrated story for reasons I can't quite put my finger on.
Hm. I think the narrative thread in audiobooks engages your brain's language processing function in a way that music, even with lyrics, does not; I imagine that function being active also limits the complexity of original thoughts we can synthesize in parallel. I'd probably be classified as an auditory thinker or something and I find it waaaaaaay harder to concentrate in a room full of loud conversations than comparatively loud general noise.
I wouldn't be surprised if there is some variation for people who think in images as opposed to words, those with internal monologs vs. without, etc. though.
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Comment on Street Fighter (2026) | Sneak peak in ~movies
culturedleftfoot Link ParentWhy do you think it's an SF2 movie? Have they said that somewhere? El Fuerte and other characters (according to canekicker) are included... this is why I asked my question in the first place.Why do you think it's an SF2 movie? Have they said that somewhere? El Fuerte and other characters (according to canekicker) are included... this is why I asked my question in the first place.
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Comment on Street Fighter (2026) | Sneak peak in ~movies
culturedleftfoot Link ParentI mean, SSF2 is part of the SF2 series. I'll count Cammy and Akuma in that group. I haven't played or paid real attention to Street Fighter since around the year 2000 and I thought I recognized...I mean, SSF2 is part of the SF2 series. I'll count Cammy and Akuma in that group.
I haven't played or paid real attention to Street Fighter since around the year 2000 and I thought I recognized all the characters they focused on, which seemed rather odd to me. On second watch there are three or four highlighted that I don't know, so I guess my first impression fooled me. Also, this isn't actually the release trailer, so I suppose I should wait until then to judge.
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Comment on Street Fighter (2026) | Sneak peak in ~movies
culturedleftfoot Link ParentI wasn't trying to say anything. I asked a question, primarily because I'm sure there are people here with a better grasp of the SF rosters than me, and I didn't want to assume that my impression...I wasn't trying to say anything. I asked a question, primarily because I'm sure there are people here with a better grasp of the SF rosters than me, and I didn't want to assume that my impression of Capcom potentially being concerned that their characters since the last movie having no mainstream recognition was accurate.
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Comment on Why Namibia exceeded all our expectations | First days driving across Africa’s emptiest country in ~hobbies
culturedleftfoot Link ParentWow, living the dream! Super jealous, but I love it.Wow, living the dream! Super jealous, but I love it.
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Comment on Street Fighter (2026) | Sneak peak in ~movies
culturedleftfoot LinkAre any of the umpteen characters they've introduced since SF2 important enough to be included in this? Doesn't look like it from the trailer. If not, what does that tell Capcom?Are any of the umpteen characters they've introduced since SF2 important enough to be included in this? Doesn't look like it from the trailer.
If not, what does that tell Capcom?
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Comment on Reading my first Stephen King novel - What are your favorites? in ~books
culturedleftfoot LinkIt's been a very long time since I read his stuff, so at this point I probably couldn't get into super detail about why I liked each one, but I do remember Firestarter and Misery as my favorites....It's been a very long time since I read his stuff, so at this point I probably couldn't get into super detail about why I liked each one, but I do remember Firestarter and Misery as my favorites. I think Thinner was alright as well.
I'm not into horror, so that precludes a large chunk of his work.
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Comment on Brown University shooting leaves two dead, nine injured as police search for killer in ~news
culturedleftfoot LinkIf she was a student at the actual school where that occurred, that's absolutely crazy. Experiencing two school shootings in 7 years? Flipping hell.Weissman has testified before state lawmakers in support of an assault weapons ban about her experience as a middle schooler in Parkland, Florida, where a shooter in 2018 killed 17 students and teachers, and injured others.
If she was a student at the actual school where that occurred, that's absolutely crazy. Experiencing two school shootings in 7 years? Flipping hell.
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Comment on Twenty years of digital life, gone in an instant, thanks to Apple in ~tech
culturedleftfoot Link ParentIs it not reasonable to expect companies to allow for their customers not being perfect?Is it not reasonable to expect companies to allow for their customers not being perfect?
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Comment on I don't care much for symbolism in ~creative
culturedleftfoot LinkPresumptive interpretation of literature, or really any media on the whole, has been a pet peeve of mine for a looooooooong time and I try to maintain a very healthy level of skepticism. The human...Presumptive interpretation of literature, or really any media on the whole, has been a pet peeve of mine for a looooooooong time and I try to maintain a very healthy level of skepticism. The human mind is complex and an author's subconscious can bleed into their work without conscious intent, but I think you have to be careful about imputing motivations to people whose minds' inner workings you are not privy to. It's quite like relationships; a friend of mine told me once that the biggest thing she learned about romance is that no matter what, you have to stay on your side of the fence. As soon as you start telling yourself that they did this to you because you just know they thought xyz, you're in trouble. You can go by words and actions, but you can never know someone else's logic.
Having said that, pretty much every reply in this thread has good perspective worth considering, both for and against the search for symbolism.
I tend to use elements that are universal, well-known, and easy to interpret as symbols.
I think the skill and mastery of it all is using enough familiar symbols/cues to allow the reader to relate while also including the references and symbolism which make your viewpoint unique. The best artists can seduce the reader into discovering more, or let them enjoy it as is without sacrificing on quality. And it's not always the end of the world if some things are not immediately recognizable... as @stu2b50 mentioned, fuzzy edges are useful.
There's a similar phenomenon when it comes to interpreting hip-hop lyrics. As rap music has grown to become the new pop, more and more people unfamiliar with a lot of the context from which the music derived attempted to decipher codes, slang, and references unfamiliar to them... so you end up with Genius.com, which is essentially Wikipedia for lyrics - just because it's on there does not mean it's true, it's just someone's opinion. I can't tell you how many ridiculous song transcriptions and lyric interpretations I've seen on there over the years, but the unsuspecting user takes it as authoritative.
Lupe Fiasco, who is at the very least one of the top three greatest lyricists/writers in hip-hop history by any reasonable metric, even released a music video poking fun at his own fanbase for the depth of the rabbit holes you can go down if you don't recognize where to stop: Precious Things.
To be fair, Lupe is an extreme exception; he can pack so many double-, triple-, and quadruple-entendres into his music to layer levels of meaning and meta-narrative, and draw references from such ridiculously disparate sources/topics, that there's almost always an angle you haven't considered. There's an oft-quoted meme among his fans - "It's hard to be a Lupe fan, go to Harvard to be a Lupe stan."
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Comment on I don't care much for symbolism in ~creative
culturedleftfoot Link ParentI used to get so pissed off when teachers would posit those kinds of connections with no further supporting context elsewhere in the work. Like, bro, how am I supposed to take you seriously? This...I used to get so pissed off when teachers would posit those kinds of connections with no further supporting context elsewhere in the work. Like, bro, how am I supposed to take you seriously? This widespread college lit idea that any interpretation is valid if you can support it is probably responsible for the ridiculous glut of bad media analysis on Youtube, which doesn't even make sense because these opinions often don't stand up to the most rudimentary examination. I don't have much patience for it.
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Comment on Gianni Infantino seems to be doing everything to be considered the worst FIFA president of all time in ~sports.football
culturedleftfoot LinkNot exactly published by a bastion of sports journalism but all the critique rings true, and it doesn't come anywhere near covering all his problems. His brown-nosing and shameless whoring of the...FIFA President Gianni Infantino has, as expected, awarded US President Donald Trump with the "Peace Prize." The same peacemaker who literally renamed his Defense Department to a War Department.
Was anyone surprised? No - because Infantino has been consistently working to become the worst FIFA president in history.
He talks about "sport without politics," yet he has politicized FIFA to the maximum
"FIFA cannot solve geopolitical problems," said Gianni Infantino when asked about the situation in Gaza. Similarly, he spoke about "sport without politics" in connection with Russia's aggression against Ukraine.
He also responded before the 2022 World Cup to calls to exclude Iran due to the brutal suppression of protests:
"We know that football does not exist in a vacuum, and we are as aware as you that there are many political challenges and difficulties worldwide. But please do not allow football to be dragged into any ideological or political confrontation."
Yet, Infantino drags football himself into every political story that interests him. His admiration for Putin was already evident in 2018. Yes, he inherited it, even though he himself had become "great" and organized the "best World Cup in history" after Russia started the war against Ukraine. But none of that mattered because he awarded the FIFA president a medal.
Not exactly published by a bastion of sports journalism but all the critique rings true, and it doesn't come anywhere near covering all his problems. His brown-nosing and shameless whoring of the sport is embarrassing, and it saddens me how there seems to be no serious objections being raised, especially when Infantino's rise to the presidency was supposedly to clean up FIFA's image after all of the shenanigans in the Sepp Blatter era.
When I was a kid my dad always used to say FIFA was the biggest mafia in the world, and the decades haven't proven him wrong.
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Gianni Infantino seems to be doing everything to be considered the worst FIFA president of all time
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Comment on After 42 years, Gainax officially closes in ~anime
culturedleftfoot LinkCrazy that things got so acrimonious with Anno. He still wanted to keep the name alive despite all the drama. Personally, I wasn't really interested in most of their output tbh, but I liked most...Crazy that things got so acrimonious with Anno. He still wanted to keep the name alive despite all the drama.
Personally, I wasn't really interested in most of their output tbh, but I liked most if not all of the shorts that they've released, and Royal Space Force is fantastic.
As someone who does not get Tarantino at all, is this a compliment? :P
Also, Prime Minister seems to be ratings-bombed on IMDB, almost 70% of the ratings are 1/10. Even half of the NZ votes are 1/10. Any ideas why?