winther's recent activity
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Comment on Meryl Streep: it’s ‘hardest thing’ for men to see themselves in female characters in ~movies
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Meryl Streep: it’s ‘hardest thing’ for men to see themselves in female characters
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Comment on The Lord of The Rings: The Rings of Power | Season 2 official teaser trailer in ~tv
winther Link ParentIsn't that the estimated budget for the entire 5 seasons? Still, adjusted for inflation the original trilogy was $514 million. It is hard for me sometimes to understand the costs of these things....Isn't that the estimated budget for the entire 5 seasons? Still, adjusted for inflation the original trilogy was $514 million. It is hard for me sometimes to understand the costs of these things. With more than 20 years of advancement in technology, I would assume it would be possible to make something that looked better and cost less. Though it is comparing apples to oranges here with a movie and tv show.
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Comment on GPT-4o in ~tech
winther Link ParentIt becomes one of their biggest considerations after the public notices it and the media goes the round on it. Even though there was warnings that these thing would happen several years before...It becomes one of their biggest considerations after the public notices it and the media goes the round on it. Even though there was warnings that these thing would happen several years before these models were released. So clearly, they aren't in practice doing a very good job of it. At least they take pretty big risks and prioritize getting stuff released fast and early, and hope they can fix the problematic stuff later. It is not their top priority.
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Comment on GPT-4o in ~tech
winther Link ParentThis is pretty clear from the various "mishaps" from these generative models spewing out stereotypes and biased responses. Something people with expertise in other areas have tried to raise...This is pretty clear from the various "mishaps" from these generative models spewing out stereotypes and biased responses. Something people with expertise in other areas have tried to raise awareness and warning on for years, back when it was just called machine learning. Yet largely ignored by the tech companies and then they act surprised when exactly that thing happened.
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Comment on Some observations about some of the conversations here in ~tildes
winther (edited )Link ParentMaybe I am misreading you here, but how is it hostile to have different viewpoints in a discussion? Contrarian is just an opposing viewpoint and without that, we just have an echo chamber. I would...Maybe I am misreading you here, but how is it hostile to have different viewpoints in a discussion? Contrarian is just an opposing viewpoint and without that, we just have an echo chamber. I would say it is more about the overall tone of the discussions, which I think in most cases are pretty levelheaded here on Tildes.
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Comment on GPT-4o in ~tech
winther Link ParentThat is already happening. There are various AI companion apps out there, virtual girl/boyfriend type of things, and communities around them where people tell they spend hours each day with their...That is already happening. There are various AI companion apps out there, virtual girl/boyfriend type of things, and communities around them where people tell they spend hours each day with their personal AI chatbot. I also fear the worst, that this is just going to get even more people lonely as they seek out virtual social interactions instead.
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Comment on Megalopolis | Teaser trailer in ~movies
winther Link ParentYeah, I am getting some Cloud Atlas vibes here. Which isn't a good thing.Yeah, I am getting some Cloud Atlas vibes here. Which isn't a good thing.
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Comment on GPT-4o in ~tech
winther LinkI might already be old fashioned with regards to technology, but I am not seeing myself using something like this regularly. It would be weird having random conversations with tasks and commands...I might already be old fashioned with regards to technology, but I am not seeing myself using something like this regularly. It would be weird having random conversations with tasks and commands with a computer at home, even less in public and at work. Typing stuff on a device has some basic level of privacy. But maybe social norms will change around that in a generation or less.
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Comment on Apple, Netflix Amazon want to change how they pay Hollywood stars in ~movies
winther LinkI am sure there are a ton of details all parts need to examine rigorously, but in concept it does sound like an improvement. Not too far removed from how for example good DVD sales could help...I am sure there are a ton of details all parts need to examine rigorously, but in concept it does sound like an improvement. Not too far removed from how for example good DVD sales could help talents financially long term before streaming removed that revenue stream. Hopefully it would also lead to better shows and movies for us consumers in the future.
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Comment on Midweek Movie Free Talk in ~movies
winther LinkSince we are looking at Cannes films in movie of the week, I have been catching up with some Palme d'Or winners. That made for somewhat of a emotionally draining extended weekend, because Cannes...Since we are looking at Cannes films in movie of the week, I have been catching up with some Palme d'Or winners. That made for somewhat of a emotionally draining extended weekend, because Cannes sure like their misery porn.
Rosetta from 1999 is a low budget realistic social drama about a young girl living in poverty with her alcoholic mother. She desperately tries to hold a job, while fighting with her mother who prostitutes herself for booze. She doesn't demand much in life, just want to be self sufficient with a normal paying job. A real tragic story on poverty with no light at the end of the tunnel.
Dancer in the Dark from 2000 is Lars von Trier highly acclaimed movie starring Björk as the lead. She plays an immigrant living in a trailer in someones backyard, working hard at a local factory trying to save up enough money to give her son an eye operation. Or else he will slowly go blind as she is. But through misfortunes that she is not to blame for, things go badly wrong and she ends up in prison. Another tragic tale of terrible things happening to good people. Stellar performance by Björk and the musical aspects weirdly enough works so well, even though it is also vastly out of place for the setting.
To end on another downnote, Elephant from 2003 deals with a depiction of a school shooting. It doesn't try to explain or understand anything. It is simply a cold showing of "the how" and the randomness of a regular day in high school with all its low scale drama without reason can turn into a bloodbath. But compared to the other two films, this didn't do that much for me. I am fine with movies having more questions than answers, but this didn't seem to do anything at all.
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Comment on Movie of the Week #29 - The Zone of Interest in ~movies
winther LinkMy initial reaction to this was that it felt very methodical, technical and cold. Shots are stationary and usually wide shots from a distance. We never get really close or personal with anyone....My initial reaction to this was that it felt very methodical, technical and cold. Shots are stationary and usually wide shots from a distance. We never get really close or personal with anyone. But it is not a character study. The Höss family is neither humanized or demonized. Instead we see how normalization works, where even the most horrible thing can be normalized into just another regular day. This was underlined with that small scene with the nazi officers and engineers discussion new approaches better efficiency in Auschwitz. Handled like any ordinary factory pipeline with input and output. Because that is exactly what mass murdering have been deconstructed to for them. I don't think I have thought about the holocaust process quite like that before. Even though this movie heavily relies on the viewer knowing what is going beyond the walls, I still think it adds a new unique reference point for that time in history.
The technical achievements in this is top tier filmmaking. They did their homework with the pre-production on that house, the sound design is immaculate and every piece of camerawork is exactly where it needs to be. Worthy winner for Best Sound with how the "background noise" is put at the same level of the sounds of what we see on screen. Maybe I didn't get the full experience at home, but still enough to get the intended impact from that sound design.
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Movie of the Week #29 - The Zone of Interest
Warning: this post may contain spoilers
We continue with Cannes films with The Zone of Interest which premiered at Cannes in 2023 where it won the Grand Prix award. It also won two Oscars for Best International Film and Best Sound.
Besides any thoughts on this movie, do you think this adds anything new to the already long list of WW2/Holocaust movies?
The rest of the schedule for May is:
- 20th: Luxury Car
- 27th: The Tree of Life
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Comment on From Tildes to Reddit to Mastodon - the current state of "Text Rich" social networks on the Interwebs in ~tech
winther (edited )Link ParentI am not advocating pursuing anything in particular. I think the fragmentation and diversity of social networks is a good thing. I am not sure it is beneficial for us as a society with everyone on...I am not advocating pursuing anything in particular. I think the fragmentation and diversity of social networks is a good thing. I am not sure it is beneficial for us as a society with everyone on the same big networks. Smaller niche online communities don't tend to bring out the worst in people like it appears to do at the big platforms. So I think we are on the same page here.
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Comment on From Tildes to Reddit to Mastodon - the current state of "Text Rich" social networks on the Interwebs in ~tech
winther LinkThey aren't very popular comparetively speaking. The image and video based social networks like Instagram and TikTok with quick 3-7 second content have hundres of millions of users. And Reddit is...They aren't very popular comparetively speaking. The image and video based social networks like Instagram and TikTok with quick 3-7 second content have hundres of millions of users. And Reddit is going that route as well. Text based media is already super niche. And will likely stay so as the internet will become increasingly diversified.
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Comment on Should moderation be more transparent? in ~tildes
winther Link ParentVery well put. These sort of things have ruined many subreddits where people get unhealthy invested in the meta of things, which just drains energy from mods and other users. I can understand the...Very well put. These sort of things have ruined many subreddits where people get unhealthy invested in the meta of things, which just drains energy from mods and other users.
I can understand the frustration of being on the receiving end of having a discussion locked down, but as you say it can also be a good reason to take a breather. Many times a discussion has simply run its course and will benefit from being locked preemptively. Not necessarily because of any malice but simply an assessment of everyone has had their say and it will likely not benefit of running any longer.
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Comment on In streaming milestone, Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery team on bundle featuring Disney+, Hulu and Max in ~tv
winther Link ParentI have lost almost all interest in streaming series. Every service constantly puts out new series and the majority is just so mediocre and the good stuff tends to get stretched out declining in...I have lost almost all interest in streaming series. Every service constantly puts out new series and the majority is just so mediocre and the good stuff tends to get stretched out declining in quality after a few good seasons. The Handmaids Tale and Billions come to mind here. And the straight to streaming movies are not much better. The only thing I happily pay for now is Criterion Channel, which excels in having actual curated recommended content instead of just filling their catalogue up and letting a horrible "recommendation" algorithm do the rest.
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Comment on Midweek Movie Free Talk in ~movies
winther (edited )LinkHBO has made a few interesting straight-to-cable western movies that all have potential, but also some shortcomings from being tv productions. The latest one I saw was Bury My Heart at Wounded...HBO has made a few interesting straight-to-cable western movies that all have potential, but also some shortcomings from being tv productions.
The latest one I saw was Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee from 2007 based on a non-fiction book of the same name, focusing on the period of the conflict between the Sioux and the United States in the 1870s and the story of Charles Eastman / Ohiyesa, the first Native American to be a certified doctor and known for his work on Sioux history. The movie is noteworthy for telling the story from the viewpoint of the Natives, without the usual "white savior" issues and definitely not trying to downplay the violence. It comes of as a bit of a history lesson at times, but at its core a really tragic story about loss of cultural identity.
A more traditional violent western comes with The Last Outlaw from 1993 about a gang of bank-robbers bringing death and chaos with them The city sends a posse after them and the gang have their own bloody rivalry between the leader and the second in command. The former leader gets picked up by the city posse and he sets to "help" them, but of course he is just out for revenge. Plenty of shootouts in this long chase through the desert. Also noteworthy for Mickey Rourke as the gang leader and Steve Buscemi in a cool minor part.
From 1999 there is The Jack Bull starring John Cusack and John Goodman, with another traditional western conflict between greedy landowners and a small time horse trader. It leads up to the usual big shootout, but instead takes a turn into a tragic justice drama with bigger political complications.
What I find interesting about all these is that I think there is a small masterpiece hidden somewhere in all of them, if only the script was given proper treatment with better cinematography, directing and in some cases also acting. But then there is also the charm of these tv productions that reminds me of random movies I saw late at night in my parents summerhouse during summer vacation. These movies are perfect for that setting. I assume they are all streamable on the HBO service.
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Comment on Tildes Video Thread in ~misc
winther LinkI don't normally follow speed running news, but this video on a speed run of Wii sports was really fascinating with how the unique combination of luck and perseverance makes these crazy record...I don't normally follow speed running news, but this video on a speed run of Wii sports was really fascinating with how the unique combination of luck and perseverance makes these crazy record speed runs.
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Comment on Movie of the Week #28 - Pan's Labyrinth in ~movies
winther LinkIt took me a little while to settle into this movie, because with the exception of LOTR, fantasy is not something I watch much. The combination with a real world 1944 and the dark fantasy setting...It took me a little while to settle into this movie, because with the exception of LOTR, fantasy is not something I watch much. The combination with a real world 1944 and the dark fantasy setting worked quite well, keeping things tangible and upheld the mystery of what actually happened. It was like a twisted combination of The Neverending Story and Schindler's List. Vidal is basically Amon Goeth. Some of the CGI stuff was a bit hit and miss that sometimes pulled me a bit out of the movie, but the overall style and atmosphere held things together.
I think this is an interesting topic and while there are always exceptions and some generalization here, I do think there is some truth to it that generally women have less of a problem of identifying with male characters than the other way around. Just looking at my own list of watched movies, and there is a huge overweight of movies with male leads and directed by men. There is some chicken and egg problem as well, as you generally have to actively seek out movies with more prominent female roles on or off the camera, whereas most list of "great movies in history" are filled with male heavy films.