culturedleftfoot's recent activity
-
Comment on The film students who can no longer sit through films in ~movies
-
Comment on The Ghost in the Shell | First promotion video in ~anime
culturedleftfoot Link Parent@lou These are not only the best adaptations of GITS but really the only ones worth watching... with the possible addition of Ghost in the Shell: Innocence, depending on how much the underlying...@lou These are not only the best adaptations of GITS but really the only ones worth watching... with the possible addition of Ghost in the Shell: Innocence, depending on how much the underlying philosophical exposition of the franchise suits you (and if you find that bit's just a distraction, you might as well watch whichever you like because you're missing the point).
SAC Season 2 is definitely better than the first though.
-
Comment on The Ghost in the Shell | First promotion video in ~anime
culturedleftfoot Link ParentI still regret selling my copy.Does anyone remember the FMV sequences from the PSX game?
I still regret selling my copy.
-
Comment on I let my wife have an affair. Do I have to console her now that it’s over? in ~life
culturedleftfoot LinkMirror link here. Keeping in mind that what you would personally do or what would have optimally been healthy for the relationship before this point are separate from the question being asked, is...Mirror link here.
Keeping in mind that what you would personally do or what would have optimally been healthy for the relationship before this point are separate from the question being asked, is there an ethical response to advise here?
-
I let my wife have an affair. Do I have to console her now that it’s over?
27 votes -
Comment on Youtube channel recommendations 2026 in ~tech
culturedleftfoot Link ParentHis channel description lists about 20 videos that have been deleted from YouTube, which immediately made me more curious - why would so many vids be deleted while the channel itself survives?...GIFGAS
His channel description lists about 20 videos that have been deleted from YouTube, which immediately made me more curious - why would so many vids be deleted while the channel itself survives? I've never watched any trainhopping stuff before but I figured, given the name, it might be for some sort of community guidelines or safety policy or something, rather than DMCA strikes. So I do some searching and see that he posted this last year - YouTube is deleting all my videos. I was absolutely enrapt for the next hour I spent watching him trek along abandoned train tracks through the Spanish countryside and across the border into Portugal. He said it wasn't his usual type of video, but I could still see what you mean about his editing style and eye for photography.
I like learning about scenes and subcultures that I wouldn't find or gravitate to on my own, and it's always great to find the creators in those spaces making interesting, high-quality content. Thank you for recommending this, it's definitely a rabbit hole I'll pursue further.
-
Comment on [God’s thread] The art of somen: 300 years of Japanese handmade perfection in ~food
culturedleftfoot LinkThe owner spends ~16 hours a day making these noodles that are in such high demand that there's a one-year waiting list (?!) to buy them. The video I posted is better edited and has better...Step into the mesmerizing world of Saruwatari Seimenjo (Yuki no Ito Somen), located in Nankan‑machi, Tamana District, Kumamoto Prefecture. For over 300 years, this family-run noodle workshop has preserved the ancient art of handmade somen production—so meticulously crafted that it was once presented as a tribute to the Tokugawa shogunate.
The owner spends ~16 hours a day making these noodles that are in such high demand that there's a one-year waiting list (?!) to buy them.
The video I posted is better edited and has better captions, but this Food Tourism Japan video has a little bit more info, especially if you speak Japanese.
-
[God’s thread] The art of somen: 300 years of Japanese handmade perfection
9 votes -
Comment on Actual underrated films of the 2020s so far in ~movies
culturedleftfoot LinkSince the only titles I had that fit the criteria were shorts, I'll just add a reminder for anyone that needs it that RT Tomatometer scores aren't an indication of quality, only general consensus....Since the only titles I had that fit the criteria were shorts, I'll just add a reminder for anyone that needs it that RT Tomatometer scores aren't an indication of quality, only general consensus. A film that's universally reviewed as a decent 3/5 time-waster will score 100%, while another that's interesting and racking up five-star reviews, but is challenging and potentially divisive, will score lower.
They used to have the critics' score average too but it looks like they don't show it anymore.
-
Comment on So this is 2nd grade subtraction in ~science
culturedleftfoot Link ParentI imagine most people who are really good at math just remember them, because they've used them so much that it's just reflex. My mental arithmetic ability has drawn comments at various times over...I imagine most people who are really good at math just remember them, because they've used them so much that it's just reflex. My mental arithmetic ability has drawn comments at various times over the years and for me those subtractions are just recall... but that's after endless repetition. I don't remember ever making a conscious effort to memorize them or specifically being taught them when I was in school, but I do remember the breakthrough of recognizing patterns for certain combinations of minuend and subtrahend (as well as products for times tables) on my own. In my school/classes (which were outside of the US system), we did a lot of mental arithmetic testing, likely much more than the average US school today.
-
Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
culturedleftfoot LinkI think I came across Minishoot' Adventures during the Steam winter sale, and when I saw there was a demo, I downloaded it just because. I gave it a go for about three hours about a week ago,...I think I came across Minishoot' Adventures during the Steam winter sale, and when I saw there was a demo, I downloaded it just because. I gave it a go for about three hours about a week ago, found it quite good, and then immediately bought the full game for about $9 on sale (side note: I miss demos! I wish more games offered them, Steam's refund window isn't always the best fit). It's a charming indie twin-stick shooter kinda inspired by Zelda - it actually has dungeons - and I believe it was made by just two people. I do wish I had played on the hardest difficulty from the start (I tend to like shmups and have something like 500+ hours on Enter the Gungeon, but I don't actually play a lot of these games and I don't like bullet hell); I beat it on normal after 15-ish hours with a little less challenge than I would have liked. I've gone right back in to beat it on hard mode though, so I guess that should say something.
If you are interested, two things to note are that this game emphasizes positioning rather than timing (the dodge doesn't have I-frames, which is useful to know in advance of fighting bosses), and I had to manually copy my save from the demo into the folder for the full game to carry over my progress.
Recommended!
-
Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
culturedleftfoot Link ParentI got pretty far in Baba Is You pre-pandemic, almost clearing all the worlds, and then I stopped playing games for a while during COVID. I want to go back and finish it but I'm very sure I've...I got pretty far in Baba Is You pre-pandemic, almost clearing all the worlds, and then I stopped playing games for a while during COVID. I want to go back and finish it but I'm very sure I've forgotten some of the more esoteric applications of the rules. Fantastic game though!
-
Comment on Movies: Your personal year in review for 2025 in ~movies
culturedleftfoot Link ParentActually, I now remember that the first time I came across your three-star system was when you explained your experience with Howl's. Not sure when last you checked, but HMC isn't Ghibli's highest...Actually, I now remember that the first time I came across your three-star system was when you explained your experience with Howl's. Not sure when last you checked, but HMC isn't Ghibli's highest ranked film on Letterboxd. I'm not sure it ever was - Grave of the Fireflies is, and while Spirited Away is their most popular and most celebrated work, Grave is generally regarded as a slight notch above (although nowhere near as enjoyable). IMO Ghiblii's most popular films, the three that you mentioned, really don't have that much between them, so it could conceivably just come down to taste. For me, the only two films that truly stand a cut above the rest in the Ghibli catalog are Grave and The Tale of the Princess Kaguya - both from Takahata, not Miyazaki.
Paprika is indeed a little oblique in its explanation of its premise. If you don't make sense of the scene immediately after the opening credits, about the technology allowing them to enter people's dreams, it can be a fairly confusing ride. Still, visually, what a ride it is!
I don't have much desire to watch Anora myself. The theater I worked at carried it for months, and everyone came out with glowing reviews having seen it, so you're the first person I've come across with a negative opinion.
It sounds like preconceived expectations might have tainted your viewing experiences a bit last year.
-
Comment on Movies: Your personal year in review for 2025 in ~movies
culturedleftfoot Link ParentAh, I missed this! A few of your scores have made me genuinely curious. 2.5 for Paprika and Howl's Moving Castle? A 3 for The Godfather? Why did you rewatch The Breakfast Club? And what did you...Ah, I missed this! A few of your scores have made me genuinely curious.
2.5 for Paprika and Howl's Moving Castle?
A 3 for The Godfather?
Why did you rewatch The Breakfast Club?
And what did you think of Anora? (I haven't seen it but since it got so much acclaim)Also, do you think you have any trouble translating your personal three-star system to the five-star scale?
-
Comment on Movies: Your personal year in review for 2025 in ~movies
culturedleftfoot Link ParentI think it's more useful in that case to lower your 'midpoint' to 2 than to skew the curve right, because the vast majority of people are already going to skew the curve rightward. Just my opinion...I think it's more useful in that case to lower your 'midpoint' to 2 than to skew the curve right, because the vast majority of people are already going to skew the curve rightward. Just my opinion though.
-
Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
culturedleftfoot Link ParentHave you ever gotten so deep into any other game? Or another activity? 10k hours is a lot, especially on one game!Have you ever gotten so deep into any other game? Or another activity? 10k hours is a lot, especially on one game!
-
Comment on Concerning YouTube short I came across in ~society
culturedleftfoot LinkThe limited duration of AI clips used to be a marker you could use to identify them, but the endless jump cut style of YT shorts makes that hard to differentiate here. I wonder how convincing this...The limited duration of AI clips used to be a marker you could use to identify them, but the endless jump cut style of YT shorts makes that hard to differentiate here. I wonder how convincing this is to the generations who have grown up with them both? I think Gen Z is generally best at identifying AI content, I'd be interested to hear from them. Not sure if Gen Alpha is better or worse than millennials at this point.
-
Comment on Pasta al formaggio (mac & cheese): Italian chef Paolo Lopriore rewrites the American classic recipe in ~food
culturedleftfoot Link ParentYeah, that's my sticking point with this recipe - my suspicion that I'd find it kinda bland. Granted, I've never had sage butter before, and I know the ethos of Italian cuisine is to let the...Yeah, that's my sticking point with this recipe - my suspicion that I'd find it kinda bland. Granted, I've never had sage butter before, and I know the ethos of Italian cuisine is to let the ingredients shine... but to me, a good mac & cheese needs a blend of two or three cheeses.
-
Comment on Pasta al formaggio (mac & cheese): Italian chef Paolo Lopriore rewrites the American classic recipe in ~food
culturedleftfoot Link ParentI love the delivery in his Italian-English accent 😄. Gennaro Contaldo takes the cake though, the pops of Cockney in there just take me out lol.I love the delivery in his Italian-English accent 😄. Gennaro Contaldo takes the cake though, the pops of Cockney in there just take me out lol.
-
Comment on The "why does this movie exist" scene in ~movies
culturedleftfoot LinkI imagine a fair amount of action movies in particular are built around a specific sequence or stunt idea like that. I know Jackie Chan said that was his process when he started producing; in the...I imagine a fair amount of action movies in particular are built around a specific sequence or stunt idea like that. I know Jackie Chan said that was his process when he started producing; in the featurettes for the original Police Story, he said the script was written after the fact to incorporate ideas he had for the bus chase scene, the car busting through the hillside village, the telephone comedy sequence, and the shopping mall fight. I don't think the iconic pole stunt itself was something he had in mind until they found the specific mall to shoot in, but it definitely looks like The Event when you watch the film.
Paul Graham calls this the acceleration of addictiveness.