tomorrow-never-knows's recent activity
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Comment on Minute Cryptic in ~hobbies
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Comment on Midweek Movie Free Talk in ~movies
tomorrow-never-knows Link ParentFunnily enough, I came away from the movie with kind of the opposite take ha. For much of the first act (two even) it felt more like Spielberg directing in 'Russo Bros. Studio-Approved Mode'...Funnily enough, I came away from the movie with kind of the opposite take ha. For much of the first act (two even) it felt more like Spielberg directing in 'Russo Bros. Studio-Approved Mode' rather than a proper 'Spielberg Movie.' I felt it would have been more engrossing from the get-go if it had of kicked off with a bit of pure mystery, similar to Close Encounters... opening, rather than an
spoiler
Abrams-esque 'ooh, shiny McGuffin' thing.
I still enjoyed it overall, there were a couple of strong scenes with some proper tension, likealong with big Spielberg-y moments such as thespoiler
the train scene and 'possessed girlfriend with a knife' chase,spoiler
invisible fire truck escape.
What I liked most was actuallyspoiler
the final act's disclosure scene. Not gonna lie, I got a few shivers during that one, but I agree that it was so stupid how we got there - the antagonists just giving up and fucking off rather than being properly beaten was pretty damn lazy.
Totally agree on Wyatt Russell though, that dude is always great. I'd say it's worth seeing in theatres, but it was shot in 35mm so, yeah, no need for IMAX or anything. -
Comment on Midweek Movie Free Talk in ~movies
tomorrow-never-knows (edited )LinkFor no reason in particular, the past two weeks turned out to be very productive in my movie watching. Caught a couple in cinema (gotta love those Monday saver deals) with the rest viewed...For no reason in particular, the past two weeks turned out to be very productive in my movie watching. Caught a couple in cinema (gotta love those Monday saver deals) with the rest viewed comfortably at home. Here's the rundown, with some arbitrary scores for funsies.
The Brutalist (2024), 4/5
Really engrossing tale about the immigrant experience in post-WWII America. Adrian Brody gives one hell of a performance, along with possible career-bests from Pearce and Jones. Also, serious props have to go the Corbet's direction and Jancsó's editing for the snappy pacing, I think it only ever dipped once over the 3.5 hour runtime.Obsession (2025), 3/5
It's a standard 'cursed monkey paw' setup but executed very well. It all hinges on two things: 1) Inde Navarrette's excellent lead performance; 2) Curry Barker's deft handling of humour and tension. What worked best for me was the dark humour, of which there are many hilarious moments, and the creepier scenes where the editing really shines. Ironically, it was the straight up gory 'shock scenes' that I felt suffered from some lazy writing and were either telegraphed a mile off or just randomly shoehorned in.Babylon (2022), 3.5/5
Basically Chazelle's Boogie Nights, with a bit of Wolf of Wall Street style OTT thrown in. Maybe a half hour or so too long, though that's mostly in the tail and I would hardly touch the first ~90 mins. You could say it's a tad overindulgent but Chazelle cutting loose can be a ton of fun, and you still have some really poignant scenes peppered in there.A Minecraft Movie (2025), 2.5/5
This is currently my kid's favourite movie so this is probably the third or fourth time I've seen it now. A lot of it actually works for me, some good gags and setups, and Jason Momoa is out there 100% embracing the silliness. Mandatory extra half point for Matt Berry.Mortal Kombat II (2026), 2.5/5
Doesn't top the original, but does improve on the very solid reboot. Karl Urban is a big reason for that, and I was delighted to see Josh Lawson back for another hilarious turn as Kano.Disclosure Day (2026), 2.5/5
If Spielberg is doing a movie about aliens, I'm there, no questions asked. Overall, it bears the greatest resemblance to Close Encounters... with an extra splash of his early 2000's chase movies. There are some good action set pieces, and, if you can suspend your disbelief enough, some of that signature Speilberg magic does show up in the ending. Still, nowhere as engrossing as his best work unfortunately.Boogie Nights (1997), 5/5
So glad to finally catch this on the big screen for the 4K re-release. One of the funniest, saddest, and sweetest tales of found family ever made. Incredible ensemble casting, stylish direction, a jukebox soundtrack, and nerve-wracking moments of tension all roll together so beautifully throughout. -
Comment on Casual viewing - Why Netflix looks like that ~30+ min read in ~movies
tomorrow-never-knows LinkGreat read, thanks for sharing! The Culver City 'billboards bubble' thing was a new one to me, which, while pretty shitty is also kinda hilarious in another regard. Netflix really has sunk to the...Great read, thanks for sharing! The Culver City 'billboards bubble' thing was a new one to me, which, while pretty shitty is also kinda hilarious in another regard. Netflix really has sunk to the bottom of the streaming tier for me; possibly the last original productions I really enjoyed were Squid Game S1 and Stranger Things S4. The only one in our household actively watching it is my 7yo (who is also the reason I'm forbidden from cancelling) - though I will give them one thing, they are literally the only streamer that gives me an option to block specific shows from accounts.
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Comment on Tildes Survey #8: What is your favorite video game? (Results) in ~talk
tomorrow-never-knows LinkVery difficult to choose a single game. Before voting I'm going to work through some of the most significant games of my modest career and hopefully the proper answer will illuminate itself along...Very difficult to choose a single game. Before voting I'm going to work through some of the most significant games of my modest career and hopefully the proper answer will illuminate itself along the way.
Super Mario World (1990)
My first console was a SNES and with it came a 'Super Mario Allstars + Super Mario World' cartridge, and that was all I needed to get going and start levelling up my skills properly. It really was 2D platforming perfection, and even years later I was still finding secrets and techniques that had eluded me as a child.Pokemon Red (1996)
One of my most cherished gaming memories is picking this up on the way to a weekend in my grandparent's house, getting there, promptly plopping myself down on the sitting room carpet with my trusty OG Gameboy, and getting sucked into a magical world for the next several hours. Then there was all the fun and feuding of trading with friends in the school yard, and the great sense of achievement when I finally caught all 150.Final Fantasy VII (1997)
This one opened my eyes to the amazing cinematic-scale potential of narrative and score in videogames. While most folks tend to focus on the big famous character death late in the story, it was the deaths that happen midway through disc 1 that really rocked me and made my 8/9yo self put down the controller in shock for the first time.Tony Hawk's Skateboarding (1999) / Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 (2001) / Tony Hawk's Underground (2003)
This a hard toss-up as the first one arrived with perfect timing as I was just getting into skateboarding and deeper into rock music, and took up an ungodly amount of hours of my time. The third one upped the ante on absolutely every aspect, and took up an ungodly amount of hours of my time. And then THUG introduced a story (!) which I still replay every few years, and so, has took up an ungodly amount of hours of my time.Deus Ex (2000)
I had played straight-up 'Puzzle' games before but had never considered the possibility that a level's design may work as a puzzle in itself, nor that there may be multiple ways to approach a solution and that it was totally down to my own imagination to do so. Coupled with the super cool Matrix-esque visuals and conspiracy-laden story, this was another one of those major gaming-as-artform mind-expanders for me.Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (2002)
The story, the gameplay, the vibes, the killer soundtrack, and the sandbox with endless opportunities for fucking around to my much-too-young heart's content. It has been surpassed in almost all regards by its various sequels but this one still holds an unbeatable 'time and place' factor for me.Mass Effect (2007)
Not the most innovative in the list but this just ticked every box for my sci-fi loving self, and has held up to multiple replays over the years. The sequels get a lot of praise for upping the action and spectacle but I keep coming back to the original for the vibe and mystery (plus I'm pretty sick of cover shooters at this stage). Having said that, my best experience with the series was a complete back-to-back replay I did a few years ago; this also happened to be my first time playing the ME3 DLCs which I absolutely adored (for different reasons) in the context of this playthrough.The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings (2011)
I got this for free from Xbox Live just as I was going on a week or so of work leave with no plan in mind. Somewhere in act 2 I got absolutely hooked and ploughed right through to the end of the Roche path, and then immediately returned to a chapter 1 save to blast through the Iorveth path, all side quests included. Shortly after this I tore through all the Witcher books and it remains one of my favourite fantasy series to this day (despite the best attempts of the Netflix creatives to dissuade me).The Talos Principle (2014)
I never expected the team who released the riotous action-fest of Serious Sam to deliver a gorgeous philosophical adventure of this calibre, nor to build it on such an addictive backbone of puzzles and meta-puzzles that range from tinglers to outright melters. The meaty DLC is also essential to the experience, and the sequel is an even grander experience.Outer Wilds (2019)
The journey of discovery this game takes you on is incredible, and particularly special in how it hinges progression entirely on your own curiosity with compounding 'a-ha' moments as it works towards its beautiful ending.Some honourable mentions: Half Life (1998), Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty (2001), Hitman 2: Silent Assassin (2002), Half Life 2 (2004), Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow (2005), Alpha Protocol (2010), Portal 2 (2011), The Last of Us (2013), Pillars of Eternity (2015), Disco Elysium (2019), Cyberpunk 2077 (2020), Elden Ring (2022), Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (2025)
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Comment on Movie fatigue in ~movies
tomorrow-never-knows (edited )LinkYou didn't give many specifics so here's a broad splash of high quality films that tick a bunch of different boxes. Go with whatever sounds most interesting and feel free to ask for more specific...You didn't give many specifics so here's a broad splash of high quality films that tick a bunch of different boxes. Go with whatever sounds most interesting and feel free to ask for more specific recs if any of these happen to land well with you.
The Third Man (1949) - classic noir about a writer who lands in Vienna and soon finds himself investigating the death of his friend who had offered him a job there.
Rashomon (1950) - in an effort to figure out the circumstances surrounding a murder of a samurai, the events are retold from multiple perspectives, but each tale is more contradictory and puzzling than the last.
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1955) - based on a Tennessee Williams play, this a fantastic drama about family dysfunction as it burst to the fore during a birthday party.
Dr Strangelove (1964) - hilarious black comedy war satire with absolutely inspired performances from Peter Sellers.
The Conversation (1974) - thriller about a surveillance expert who faces a moral dilemma when one of his recordings picks up a murder plot.
Jaws (1975) - a great white shark terrorises the small seaside community of Amity Island. Yeah, you've probably seen this one, always worth a mention though.
Monty Python's Life of Brian (1979) - comedy about a humble lad navigating life in Roman-occupied Jerusalem who gets mistaken for the messiah.
Amadeus (1984) - follows the fictitious, one-sided rivalry between the composers Antonio Salieri and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
The Last Emperor (1987) - follows the life of Pu Yi, the last emperor of China, from his reign beginning as a young child through to his incarceration as a war criminal by the Red Army.
Boyz n the Hood (1991) - coming-of-age story following four boys growing up amidst the violent gang culture of South Central Los Angeles.
The Silence of the Lambs (1991) - a young trainee FBI agent is tasked with interviewing a genius psychiatrist serial killer in order to gain insight that may help them capture another killer still at large.
Dazed and Confused (1993) - follows a bunch of Texas high schoolers on the last day of school in 1976.
Lola rennt (Run Lola Run) (1998) - a young woman has 20 minutes to find 100,000 DM in order to save the life of her boyfriend from the mobsters he works for.
Almost Famous (2000) - follows a teenage aspiring journalist who lands a gig with Rolling Stone magazine to go on tour and write an article about a band on the cusp of achieving stardom in the 1970s.
Lost in Translation (2003) - a faded '70s movie star and a young newlywed feeling adrift in their lives find connection while in Tokyo.
Memories of Murder (2003) - follows two detectives, one a local and the other an outsider, as they struggle to solve a case of rapes and murders in a small Korean town in the late 1980s.
There Will Be Blood (2007) - an epic about a ruthless oil prospector at the turn of the 20th century.
Die Welle (The Wave) (2008) - a history teacher starts a class experiment to explore the nature of fascism only for the experiment to start spiralling out of control.
I'm realising now a disproportionate number of those films are focused on heavy drama and murder ha. Here's some bonus comedies:
Some Like it Hot (1959)
Blazing Saddles (1974)
National Lampoon's Animal House (1978)
Airplane! (1980)
Trading Places (1983)
Groundhog Day (1993)
Kingpin (1996)
Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (2007)
Black Dynamite (2009) -
Comment on The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Songs of the Past announced in ~games
tomorrow-never-knows Link ParentI have hundreds of hours of playtime in Cyberpunk 2077 but never came across anything that I took to be transphobic, is there anything specific you're referring to here? The crunch situation was...I have hundreds of hours of playtime in Cyberpunk 2077 but never came across anything that I took to be transphobic, is there anything specific you're referring to here?
The crunch situation was very bad, and CDPR management rightfully received a lot of backlash over it. Thankfully, more recent interviews with employees suggest there's been significant changes for the better in the work culture there, e.g., by employee's account, an anti-crunch policy was introduced and actually enforced during Phantom Liberty's development. A union has also since been setup. If the point of boycotts are to highlight and punish bad practices then shouldn't corrective actions also be acknowledged?
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Comment on The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Songs of the Past announced in ~games
tomorrow-never-knows LinkAn unexpected announcement, but a very welcome one to be sure. CDPR have even teamed up with Fool's Theory to get some original Witcher devs back in the mix.An unexpected announcement, but a very welcome one to be sure. CDPR have even teamed up with Fool's Theory to get some original Witcher devs back in the mix.
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The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Songs of the Past announced
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Comment on Ferrari unveils its first all-electric car, the four-door Luce in ~transport
tomorrow-never-knows Link ParentHa very apt comparison, though design-wise I might still take this over the horrendously tacky shit Nissan has been releasing over the past two decades (GT-R aside).Ha very apt comparison, though design-wise I might still take this over the horrendously tacky shit Nissan has been releasing over the past two decades (GT-R aside).
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Comment on The 100 best novels of all time published in English in ~books
tomorrow-never-knows Link ParentI'm surprised it's 'Kafka on the Shore' that gets two votes and not 'Wind-Up Bird Chronicle,' or even 'Norwegian Wood.' 'Kafka...,' while enjoyable, always struck me as verging on self-parody,...I'm surprised it's 'Kafka on the Shore' that gets two votes and not 'Wind-Up Bird Chronicle,' or even 'Norwegian Wood.' 'Kafka...,' while enjoyable, always struck me as verging on self-parody, it's the Murakamiest Murakami.
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Comment on ‘Michael’ passes $700 million worldwide at box office in ~movies
tomorrow-never-knows Link ParentIt's about the dude who ripped off Al Yankovic's "Eat It."It's about the dude who ripped off Al Yankovic's "Eat It."
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Kneecap - Big Bad Mo (2026)
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Comment on The Stephen Colbert exit interview: “I did not expect it to end this way” in ~tv
tomorrow-never-knows Link ParentI mean, that sounds like a pretty reasonable moderate position, he even makes a point about political relativism there in that he doesn't agree with the "Right" because in reality what the term...I mean, that sounds like a pretty reasonable moderate position, he even makes a point about political relativism there in that he doesn't agree with the "Right" because in reality what the term now embodies has swung so far along the spectrum it's become an extremist position which he doesn't support. As for the 'no booing' thing, he basically explains his reasoning there with the Obama quote - why boo when there is a more effective alternative that works to disempower your opponent?
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Comment on Did wokeness leave us worse off? (gifted link) in ~society
tomorrow-never-knows Link ParentI was searching for broad phrasing there but, yeah, 'failings' wasn't the most apt word for what I was trying to convey, rest assured no trivialisation intended! And thanks for the background...I was searching for broad phrasing there but, yeah, 'failings' wasn't the most apt word for what I was trying to convey, rest assured no trivialisation intended! And thanks for the background information, I wasn't sure how active usage of the term was in America in those intervening years.
The political climate here is quite different and I have had no experience of anything of the severity of what has happened with the targeting of CRT, DEI, etc., but I do appreciate where you're coming from and your frustrations with this line of discussion are very understandable.
I just don't get the idea that we can appease them with the blood of trans people and immigrants.
May be a digression but this did stand out to me. Are you referring to the Democrat party specifically here, have they taken to selling out trans and immigrant people to try grab more votes?
No one operationalizes their terms anymore and it really breaks down the conversation
Yup, preaching to the choir there.
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Comment on Did wokeness leave us worse off? (gifted link) in ~society
tomorrow-never-knows Link ParentI think you've manage to pinpoint exactly where this conversation has gone out of phase, cheers! Yes, I did previously note that I share the sentiment that 'woke' as a movement hasn't gone far...I think you've manage to pinpoint exactly where this conversation has gone out of phase, cheers! Yes, I did previously note that I share the sentiment that 'woke' as a movement hasn't gone far enough, so I thought that had made it clear that my thoughts are following the actions and attitudes of individuals working in the name of 'woke.' You've also highlighted one of the key issues with the article, and also a real bugbear of the comments here, in that the term 'woke' hasn't been fully defined. It goes back to my earlier comment about my issues with woke not being rigorous enough to stand as a formal movement, and I would consider this a direct consequence of (as I understand it) the loose spirit in which the term was coined, that is, in encouraging a general state of awareness towards the failings of social and institutional norms. That it has now, as a movement, come to encompass a largely ill-defined array of leftist ideologies is working to its detriment, and has made it easier for bad actors to toxify the term. Also worth bearing in mind, outside the US, woke as a term has only really caught on within the last ~10 years, so for many it is quite divorced from its long pre-BLM cultural origins, and arrived with many of its modern political attachments, often inferred from online discourse, and so was frequently received as being reminiscent, however incorrectly, of the political correctness of the '90s / '00s many were already familiar with.
Key to my own opinions here is that I don't see 'going too far' as a relative judgement, where extremist behaviour on one side winds up setting the bar at murder. For me, 'too far' can just mean being an insufferable dick to others, or else, more benignly, having fallen into absurdity. Yes, you can travel very, very far beyond that line, and, for sure, there's a lot more runway on one particular side of it, but that's where it sits for me. To say something has 'gone too far' isn't a scathing indictment of a whole concept or movement, it can just be pointing out where some of the edges have gotten too sharp or squirrelly.
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Comment on Did wokeness leave us worse off? (gifted link) in ~society
tomorrow-never-knows Link ParentI genuinely thought I was engaging, and tried using two different readings of your question in the hopes of providing a satisfactory answer. Regarding the issue that was put forth relating to...I genuinely thought I was engaging, and tried using two different readings of your question in the hopes of providing a satisfactory answer. Regarding the issue that was put forth relating to language policing, my point was that it has gone too far at times, not that it is wrong in and of itself, while you have said you don't agree and, as I read it, you believe that it can't so long as there are assholes out there still using slurs (please correct if I have stepped too far in my interpretation there). I think at this point we are starting to get stuck in the weeds a little so before going any further I would just like to confirm where we stand on one point: do you believe it is at all possible that those on the left could go too far in their methods, even though their intentions may still be sound?
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Comment on Did wokeness leave us worse off? (gifted link) in ~society
tomorrow-never-knows Link ParentAh, I think I see where we are misaligned here. Is it right to say that in your question you mean to take the effect of 'woke' as an entire movement? The article title may imply as much, in...Ah, I think I see where we are misaligned here. Is it right to say that in your question you mean to take the effect of 'woke' as an entire movement? The article title may imply as much, in fairness, but, again, things get more granular in the content, which is what I'm responding to. Overall, no, I don't think it has left us worse off, quite the opposite. And I agree with you, there was a window within the cultural moment to make some really great advancements. Back to my earlier comment, I don't think 'woke,' as it developed, was strong enough to push things as far as they should have gone and we ended up with, in effect, some patchwork fixes rather than the deeper changes necessitated. I'm not saying the idea behind woke has left us worse off, only that the implementation has been flawed.
So, in answering your question, I was speaking to the parts that have gone wrong, not the totality. I am coming from this whole topic from a position of: "okay, we missed some opportunites and right now things are getting worse, so, instead of always focusing on the other side let's take a moment here to look at where we might have gone wrong and ask how can we better hone our approach." This is what I've been trying to get at, and was hoping to see local Tilderinos providing better answers for than we got in the NYT piece.
Also, just to clarify, I'm in Europe and have only been to the U.S. once briefly, so I can't speak to the specifics there and am likely missing oceans of implied context here. There is a caveat in that when I am discussing terms and concepts of American origin, i.e., woke, it is going to be heavily coloured by how these ideas have landed within my own culture. But in saying 'us,' as I have above, please understand that I am searching for commonality in what I take to be shared ideals of egalitarianism and acceptance.
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Comment on Did wokeness leave us worse off? (gifted link) in ~society
tomorrow-never-knows Link ParentWhen well-meaning folks get crucified for making honest mistakes in their language, or for simply not keeping lock-step pace with cultural developments. I'm referring to an overzealous militant...When well-meaning folks get crucified for making honest mistakes in their language, or for simply not keeping lock-step pace with cultural developments. I'm referring to an overzealous militant wing here, and a rare exception I think, who aren't really helping the cause with their hostility. When does that ever change a persons mind? Compassion is the only way forward for real, long-term change.
On a larger level, I think woke encompasses a nice sentiment that works on more casual grounds, a simple way of signalling ones general social views, but lacks enough rigour or cohesiveness to hold up as any sort of robust philosophical movement. I feel the end result has been turned into a sort of 'political correctness 2.0.' If we want to discuss issues of discrimination and inequality then I think perhaps the likes of intersectionality would make for far more useful tools for examining the depth of issues we face in our societies today.
I would like to politely reiterate my earlier question though as I was genuinely curious in my asking: what was it in my initial comment that made you think I had an issue with any person choosing the pronouns that make them most comfortable? I see from your other comments that you don't want to engage with the article, and if it was just based off an assumption you made on that, then fair enough. But if there was something in what I said, then, yeah, that's someting I would like to know so as to avoid causing offense in the future.
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Comment on Did wokeness leave us worse off? (gifted link) in ~society
tomorrow-never-knows Link ParentNone whatsoever, that's just basic courtesy. Forgive me, but what had you thinking I was implying otherwise? To clarify, the linked discussion touches on several more points than pronouns....None whatsoever, that's just basic courtesy. Forgive me, but what had you thinking I was implying otherwise? To clarify, the linked discussion touches on several more points than pronouns. Personally, I disagreed with their particular stances more so than not, but I think the broader idea behind the conversation merits some discussion, and that there's a few nuggets in there that the community here could handle with a bit more nuance than they did.
Holy fuck, there's actually method to the madness! Thanks for posting this, I'm pretty handy at regular trivia crosswords but cryptics always messed with my head ha.