#Dylan Clark Productions

[demifiendrsa]

The Penguin | Official Trailer

The Batman spinoff series, The Penguin, will premiere on Max on September 19, 2024.

Poster

[stefanoavvisati69]

The Penguin: lo spin-off di "The Batman" prossimamente su Sky

L’attesa è finalmente finita per noi fan dell’universo DC Comics! “The Penguin“, l’attesissimo spin-off della serie “The Batman“, sarà presto disponibile in esclusiva su Sky e in streaming solo su NOW. Colin Farrell torna a vestire i panni dell’iconica nemesi di Batman, in una serie che promette di approfondire l’ascesa al potere del boss mafioso Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot. Continue reading…

[gbhbl]

Horror Movie Review: Bird Box Barcelona (2023)

Bird Box Barcelona is a spin-off sequel to Bird Box (2018).

Bird box Barcelona is a post-apocalyptic horror film that was written and directed by Alex & David Pastor. Releasing in 2023 via Netflix, the film serves as a spin-off sequel to Bird Box (2018) which is based on the novel of the same name by Josh Malerman. That’s right; there isn’t a Sandra Bullock in sight. Instead, we once again see that the world is plagued by mysterious entities that…

[man-down-in-hatchet-town]

VHSCC OH MY GOD

(no spoilers)

Starkid nation, you aren't ready.

So let's start with the obvious. Look, I spent thirteen years growing up with Starkid. That initial Michigan gang are deeply special to me and I will always miss Dylan, Brian R., and Corey in any show they aren't in. And this one's no different. But just as Janaya came in and took over Belle from Britney so flawlessly, Curt, Brian, and AJ were all WONDERFUL in their new roles. The gentle-but-high-energy, truly decent, romantic himbo charm Curt brought to our Springsteen boy Jim (you all are going to LOVE Jim, I promise) perfectly offset the defiant, sneering anger of Young Scrooge in "That Scrooge." Brian's reactions (particularly to the "rather take my own life" line) were so funny and some of my favorite parts of the show. And AJ... this is now my favorite thing AJ has ever done. And that's saying something. The smaller casting shake-up moments (Joey as Fezziwig, other little line re-distributions) were so fun as well!

The new act 1 is PERFECTION. I was actually surprised by how absolutely hysterical it was? Like, I won't tell you what was up with that clip on Instagram of Brian, Lauren, and Joey doing a freak-out dance, but I can tell you that their whole Act 1 deal threatened to steal the show every. Single. Time. I already mentioned Curt as Jim, but you will also love Della, who is so funny and real and truly carries us through the start of the show (Janaya is a STAR and she Curt have brilliant chemistry). Ali did a terrific job of balancing the sadness and hope that are both at the center of the devastating little Match Girl. And Jamie's Grandma... well, honestly I have no idea how to talk about Jamie's song without giving stuff away.

But the real star of the show in Act 1, as he should be, was our man Clark. I can't emphasize enough how much he nailed the writing of this whole new act. I mentioned that the new stuff is hilarious, but it's also deeply heartfelt, and also sad exactly when it needs to be. Like, the transition after Jamie's song? I can't really talk about it yet, but what that moment does with emotion is unreal. And, as expected, every song is a banger! My one complaint about this show, and it IS a big one, is that there is no cast recording of the Act 1 songs. I want to listen to them all the time.

But the good news is, I CAN listen to Christmas Carol as much as I want! The classic that started it all is back, with so many people reprising the hell out of their truly iconic roles (God I love the VHS Cratchits), and better than ever. I traditionally hate change, and I love the version of VHSCC Live! we already have so much, but I think I somehow loved this version even more? The staging is alive and clever and there are some additions and changes, particularly in "Final Ghost"/"Christmas Day," that frankly blew my mind and somehow managed to elevate the material even further. I can't wait for the digital ticket to come out so that I can talk about them. To put it simply, James Tolbert mastered his Starkid directorial debut like you won't believe. I'm so proud of him and grateful for the larger role he's taken in Starkid since they moved base to LA.

Also, the Ghost of Christmas Past is extra unhinged this year? Jaime pulled out all of the impish stops and it was the BEST.

Basically, everyone more than delivered. I haven't talked about Meredith yet but she rocked it in the band and continued to validate the hell out of my opinion that "3 Spirits" is the dark horse best song in the show.

And a special shout-out to June Saito for continuing to be a costuming GENIUS. I always love her work and this production is no exception. I honestly wanted to give the return of the Bob Cratchit costume its own round of applause.

You know, the world is a mess and everything is pretty much terrible. It's been a hard year in an impossible decade. But every once in a while you come across some art that takes all of that, acknowledges the truth of it, and somehow pulls back the curtains to harness the joy and hope that's still there under the rubble. To me, Starkid in particular has always been about finding and holding onto the hope and the beauty and humanity that allows us to endure an existence that can so often feel bleak. And VHSCC is maybe the most perfect encapsulation of that idea.

So thank you Clark, James, Meredith, Brian, and everyone who worked so hard on this little bit of magic. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Let's make a little light.

[onlydylanobrien]

Dylan O’Brien Sets ‘Twinless’ With James Sweeney Directing & Starring; Republic Pictures Takes Global On Three Point Capital & David Permut Production

EXCLUSIVE: Dylan O’Brien is set to headline in James Sweeney‘s dark comedy Twinless, which the latter wrote and will also star in. Republic Pictures has taken global rights to the movie. Cameras are currently rolling on the movie in Portland, OR. O’Brien will executive produce.

The pic follows two young men who meet in a twin bereavement support group. An unlikely bromance develops between them. Twinless follow Sweeney’s directorial debut, Straight Up, which notched the filmmaker a Best First Screenplay nom at the 2021 Independent Spirit Awards.

Three Point Capital is financing the film with Ali Jazayeri, David Gendron and Liz Destro also serving as EPs.

Twinless is produced by Academy Award nominated producer David Permut and Permut Presentations (Hacksaw Ridge, Face/Off) whose most recent Netflix movie, Rustin, garnered Colman Domingo a Best Actor Oscar nomination.

Miky Lee (Parasite) Vice Chairwoman of CJ and who most recently executive produced the Oscar nominated film Past Lives, serves as EP.

Permut Presentations Director Of Development Alex Astrachan co-produces.

Permut said, “I was absolutely knocked out by James’ first film Straight Up and was determined to work with him. I immediately responded to the originality and provocative concept of Twinless. The dark comedy depicts complex characters in such an irreverent, emotional and hysterical way. The chemistry between Dylan, who portrays the role of identical twin brothers, opposite James’ character is absolutely combustible.”

O’Brien’s most recent film is the independent feature Ponyboi, in which he plays a villainous pimp and small-time drug dealer, recently premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. He will next be seen in the upcoming films SNL 1975 (from director Jason Reitman) as Dan Aykroyd, Caddo Lake (from the writing-directing team of Logan George and Celine Held, and producer M. Night Shyamalan), and Anniversary (a thriller co-starring Diane Lane, Kyle Chandler, Zoey Deutch and Phoebe Dynevor). The $1.7 billion grossing star is well-known to audiences from his work in The Maze Runner franchise, as well as the hit MTV series Teen Wolf.

Permut also recently produced the Paramount+ series hit, Lawman: Bass Reeves from Taylor Sheridan, which stars SAG nominee David Oyelowo. His upcoming high priority slate includes Being Heumann written and directed by Academy Award winner Sian Heder (CODA) at Apple, Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris’ (Little Miss Sunshine) film The Invite, and Face/Off II at Paramount, the sequel to Permut’s 1997 hit film, to be directed by Adam Wingard.

Sweeney is repped by UTA, 2AM and Brecheen Feldman Breimer Silver and Thompson. O’Brien is repped by WME, Principal Entertainment, and Lichter, Grossman, Nichols, Feldman, Rogal, Shikora & Clark and Permut is repped by John Tishbi at Pearlman & Tishbi.

Three Point Capital, established in 2009, is a financier and service provider in the film, television, and commercial industries. They have financed over 400 films, including The Butler, Clerks III and the Oscar-winning Manchester by the Sea. They most recently provided funding for the upcoming Michael Keaton starrers Know Goes Away and Goodrich, the Nicholas Cage starrer Longlegs, the Tina Fey/Jon Hamm comedy Maggie Moore(s) and the recent Sundance premiere Rob Peace.

Paramount Global Content Distribution is revitalizing the former Republic Pictures label, originally founded in 1935. The newly branded acquisition label will leverage Paramount Global’s vast worldwide distribution channels, across home entertainment and third-party distribution platforms to distribute a wide range of acquired films. Republic Pictures is an acquisition-only label under Paramount Pictures.

Source: deadline.com

[byneddiedingo]

One Hour Photo (Mark Romanek, 2002)

Cast: Robin Williams, Connie Nielsen, Michael Vartan, Dylan Smith, Gary Cole, Evie Daniels, Paul Kim Jr., Eriq La Salle, Clark Gregg. Screenplay: Mark Romanek. Cinematography: Jeff Cronenweth. Production design: Tom Foden. Film editing: Jeffrey Ford. Music: Reinhold Heil, Johnny Klimek. 

Robin Williams gives a fine performance in One Hour Photo, but it remains just that: a performance, a tamping down of his familiar manic presence into the persona of the repressed, furtive Sy Parrish. He works in the photo processing department of SavMart, a vast and impersonal big box store. He lives alone, and his chief human contact is with his customers, who bring him their rolls of film to be developed. Their snapshots give him a glimpse into the lives of people who have families and children and celebrate events like weddings and birthdays. He also gets a glimpse of the secret lives of people, who bring in shots revealing their sexual proclivities, but he chooses to concentrate on the happy families, especially the Yorkins: the beautiful Nina (Connie Nielsen), her handsome husband, Will (Michael Vartan), and their cute 9-year-old son, Jakob (Dylan Smith). His admiration for the Yorkins grows into an obsession, and from that writer-director Mark Romanek spins the plot. One Hour Photo is supposed to be a thriller, in which we watch uneasily as Sy's obsession curdles into something malevolent. But by showing us Sy talking to the police at the start of the film, he deprives us of that surprise. There's a slackness in the narrative that works against the suspense, and Sy's breakdown and eruption into violence feels less like an integral part of the character than a plot device. Romanek also gets distracted into making a satiric point about the soullessness of the megacorporate entities embodied by SavMart, turning the store manager (Gary Cole) into the villain who pushes Sy over the edge. For many people, however, watching Williams perform is enough to overcome the movie's flaws. 

[disastergenius]

Celebrating 15 years of Team Starkid with my (current) ranking of all of their shows and brief thoughts on them.

VHS Christmas Carol

I don't know how this became my favorite. The music is top tier, I've liked every version of it.

I was initially nervous to watch it because I wasn't sold on the original format, but it grew on me.

Also it's the second best adaptation of A Christmas Carol (the best is still the Muppet Christmas Carol)

2. A Very Potter Musical

My first ever Starkid show.

I watched it with my sister on our very old computer. I was in maybe 6th grade and had become quite obsessed with musicals and Harry Potter, so it perfectly combined my interests.

I truly was not totally sold on it just because 6th grade me was not prepared for all the cursing and the dirty jokes (6th grade me was a very different person) but Granger Danger fully hooked me

I still hold that Granger Danger is the best Starkid song, i do not care that it gets (over)played all the time. I also love that they keep having to come up with new ways to perform it (my favorite/the best being the LeakyCon one with Meredith directing the rest of the cast who only half-remember it)

Definitely ranks high just because it was the first and nostalgically I love it so much

3. Trail to Oregon

It's so fun as a concept and one of the few shows I like that really uses audience participation and makes it work.

Joey credited as "Everyone Else" and every shot with Clark in the background

I like the smaller cast, it's such a feat to run a show like that with 6 cast members

4. A Very Potter Sequel

it's ranked 4th but it probably actually ties with Trail to Oregon

I watched it after AVPM (so my second starkid show) and it did not disappoint

I do think it is stronger than AVMP for most of it

I quote Draco a lot

5. Twisted: The Untold Story of a Royal Vizier

Definitely my favorite parody they've done. There's a great video that breaks down why it works so well: they've nailed the style.

Around the same time I first watched Twisted was also around my Wicked phase so that helped a lot.

Dylan Saunders knocks out it out of the park as Ja'far, he puts so much depth into the role. It works as an actor and for the part and helps a lot of the humor since Ja'far is the straight man of the show.

The entire soundtrack slaps including the bonus demos

6. Nerdy Prudes Must Die

The songs are great

The production value on their shows has gone up exponentially, and they make good use of it. The effects are so so good

I've never been more uncomfortable as when the words "dirty girl soup" were first said

7. Black Friday

probably tied with NPMD but

I think plot-wise it is better than NPMD, and overall so are the songs. I think maybe the live version that's on youtube is what makes it slightly below NPMD because everyone was sick so it sounds very different between the live and recorded.

the garland and lights becoming wiggly is peak set design

I think it has some of the most memorable songs

the return of Dylan Saunders and his lovely ballads

Take Me Back is a top tier love song for Starkid

8. Starship

Probably the 3rd Starkid show I saw

Joey Richter absolutely sells the performance (he's not carrying it because the whole cast is great) and is fantastic as the lead

puppets! so many puppets!

9. Holy Musical B@tman

my previous exposure to Batman at this point had been the 60s Adam West TV show so really this is like the spiritual successor of that, so honestly i was totally unfazed by the number of puns, I just assumed that was how Batman media was

Jeff Blim as Sweet Tooth is great, but I also love Joey Richter's in the Apocalyptour

"you got my hopes up so high, then mugged and shot them in an alleyway!" i quote an unreasonable amount

10. The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals

tbh I did not super like the show when I first watched it but it grew on me overtime. I think i really started to enjoy it when I went back to watch it after they announced Black Friday was going to be a sequel

11. A Very Potter Senior Year

it's so long guys

I think Joey Richter is the best part of it, Sidekick was fantastic

i do love that they got basically everyone they could to come back and do it

most of the callbacks work really well and make it fun

12. Ani: A Parody

fully gonna admit I haven't seen the full show itself, but I do really like the music

it is truly in the Star Wars spirit

13. Firebringer

I really wish I liked this show more, I think it's a fun concept and overall was fun

the opening number is really good musically

i think the humor and the unnecessary cursing didn't really work for me

14. Me and My Dick

I just think overall this show isn't to my taste but it's quite fun

[ithinkyouhealedmyheart]

Ghostwriter ch 24

Unbetad Unedited Unhinged || AO3 Wattpad

Character(s): Kendall Knight, James Diamond, Carlos Garcia, Logan Mitchell, Katie Knight, Gustavo Rocque, Kelly Wainwright, Arthur Griffin, Mercedes Griffin, Jennifer Knight, Veronica Clark oc, James Clark oc

Pairing(s): Kendall Knight/Female Original Characters, James Diamond & Female Original Characters, Jennifer Knight & Male Original Characters, Kendall Knight & James Diamond & Carlos Garcia & Logan Mitchell

Somehow, James Clark got a job as a production assistant for an action movie. He often worked late with the SFX team, which frequently tried to cut costs by skipping safety measures. For a man in his early sixties, this didn’t seem like a job for his age, but he proved everyone wrong. He wasn’t some frail older man who hobbled around with a hunched back. He took care of himself. Even when Veronica was younger, he would make fun of the other people his age who were deteriorating. He viewed them as people who gave up on their lives and were waiting to die. That wasn’t who he was. Although he was diagnosed with prostate cancer, and there was nothing they could do because it wasn’t anywhere close to being stage 1, he wasn’t going to give up. He had the rest of his life to live. The government told him he was healthy. And every other doctor's visit told him he was healthy. Even though some man in a white coat told him he had six years left to live, he doubted it. His father lived longer than the doctors told him. 

“Hey, James. How do you keep everything so organized without labels?” A twenty-something blonde was lounging in the breakroom with a Pop Tiger magazine. 

“It’s easier than you think once you pull your face away from that phone,” James remarked. He slotted quarters in the vending machine for a Diet Coke. 

“Ouch. I don’t have an eidetic memory like you,” 

“It’s not an eidetic memory. I pay attention to my actions and don’t panic under pressure.” 

“Okay, I do not panic under pressure.” The young man frowned and flipped a page. He put the magazine down and gasped. “Hey, man, don’t you have a daughter named Veronica?” 

“Yes? What about her? She’s a writer for some boyband.” 

“Read this,” 

“Dylan, what are you going on about?” James sighed and took a seat at the table. The young man slid the magazine toward him. 

“No, I’m serious. Read this.” 

James took his reading glasses from his pocket, picked up the magazine, and leaned forward. As far as he knew, Ronnie worked and learned at Rocque Records. He had no idea the extent of her learning, but he was sure she was in good hands. If she had a problem or if something happened, he could trust his teenage daughter to talk to him. The Pop Tiger article was formatted with white text on a colorful and bright background. The older man squinted to read the words. There was a reason why he never picked up a Pop Tiger magazine. They were so colorful, and sometimes reading them was straining for his eyes. He was partially glad that Ronnie never asked for one of them. 

A couple of days ago, the band was featured on Backstage Access, where Ronnie appeared during the show's last moments. The editor, Christiana Fraiser, detailed how fun and down-to-earth the band members were. The interviewer and editor were surprised to learn that Ronnie was writing music for the band, which was soon overshadowed by predictions and theories about his daughter's love life. Like any father would, he didn’t want to think about his daughter dating. He may have been surprised she somehow made friends rather quickly. He was worried about what she would do with such a complicated relationship. It adds layers to societal conventions and more unspoken rules. 

Of course, James had no room to speak. He had a couple of relationships in high school, but as things change and evolve, so do relationships. Growing up, he had the upper hand because no one wanted to mess with him. Some of his classmates feared him, but Ronnie was meek and skittish. She needed time to thrive in a different environment. Initially, he was worried about moving to Los Angeles because of that. Whenever a significant change happened in their lives, Annette and Ronnie shut down. He stood by and watched during Ronnie’s childhood because Annette specifically asked for him to take a step back. He “cared too much” about their daughter, and Annette didn’t like how much Ronnie cried. The girl was learning about the consequences of her actions. Of course, she was going to cry. 

James choked on his saliva. He reread the sentence, leaning closer to the page as if that would enhance the words. At first, he thought he was seeing things, but the words were bold. His heart was disappointed, but the pang of discomfort overshadowed it. Had he made Ronnie feel like she couldn’t tell him anything? As much as James hated Kendall, he would have been over the moon to find out they were dating. He would want to do the same thing as every father and intimidate the boyfriend. It wasn’t like that opportunity wasn’t taken from him. He could intimidate Kendall whenever he wanted, and he had practically already intimidated him and his friends, but it would have been different if Ronnie and Kendall had been dating. 

“Good for her. My younger sister goes crazy over Big Time Rush.” 

“Yeah…” James slid the magazine back to Dylan and stared blankly at the middle of the table. 

“Are you okay, man?” 

“Yeah, yeah. Just… Thinking.” 

“Don’t tell me you just found out.” Dylan’s jaw fell open. 

“Okay, I won’t.” 

“No way!” Dylan gasped. “Was she keeping this from you? That must suck,” 

“I know.” James’ jaw clenched. It was as if Dylan was trying to rub it in his face. 

Technically, James was her last relative. If Ronnie had needed to share anything, she would have had the decency to tell him about her boyfriend. It would have put him at ease if she told him. Had he made her think he would judge her? Was she afraid to let him know? James furrowed his brows. Was this how Annette felt when Ronnie kept things from her mother? Did Annette make her feel safe enough to tell her things like this? 

It seems they didn’t have a close relationship like he thought. James had tried his hardest to be a safe confidant for his daughter so she wouldn’t end up doing something she would regret. Unlike most parents, he was okay with his teenage daughter smoking weed as long as she was safe about it. And if she ever started drinking, he would want her to drink at their apartment or house where he could keep an eye on her. Mary, his mother, told him often that he was going soft and letting his daughter walk all over him, but that couldn’t be the farthest from the truth. 

The workday went by in a blur. He was stuck in his head, but then again, he had no idea what he was doing as a parent. He and Annette had their first child at forty. His wife wanted a child badly, and James couldn’t deny her. He loved his wife. They got engaged in June when they conceived their daughter. When Ronnie was one, they had their wedding, and their daughter was the flower girl. That was the first time Annette’s family tolerated James and his family. It was also the first time they tolerated Annette. He had met her five older brothers beforehand, but they were increasingly on edge because their father had died and entrusted quite a bit of money to Annette. It caused the six of them to fight. 

When Ronnie was older, Annette’s family only tolerated his wife because of her daughter. Except, when Ronnie cried about her cousin Jordan making fun of her, Annette saw nothing wrong. It was just girls being girls. But James knew something was wrong. As a kid, Ronnie loved meeting new people. She was a social butterfly but grew quiet and avoidant at her cousin's house for some reason. He was essentially an outsider watching through a window as his daughter grew up because Mary and Annette had a problem with how he wanted to raise his child. He watched his wife and daughter fight and watched his daughter become a shell of herself when her mother and grandfather died. 

“Oi, Clark, congrats on the famous son-in-law!” One of his coworkers clapped a hand on his shoulder as he passed. 

James blinked twice. He knew the other guys were making fun of him for it, but he couldn’t shake the twinge of sadness creeping up his neck. He was distraught that his daughter didn’t tell him. Maybe he made her think that she had to hide things from him. Perhaps he wasn’t taking as active a role as he should be. After work, he went to the coffee shop on the corner. He couldn’t stand the taste of coffee and could only tolerate it when it was iced. His sister, on the other hand, absolutely loved coffee. She drank it all hours of the day. Yet she wondered why her sleep schedule was abnormal. 

He rubbed his eyes and assumed it was because he was tired, but the woman in line standing in front of him looked a lot like Jennifer Knight. 

Because he didn’t like coffee, he chose the most straightforward thing the barista could make when it came his time to order. The girl couldn’t be any older than his daughter, with long black hair slicked back under the visor. Her nametag read A. Torres. He slipped a five-dollar bill in the tip jar when she wasn’t noticing. He could see the dark circles under her eyes. 

“James?” 

He stopped at the counter on the other end. A sign hung above it labeled this was where you picked up your order. The woman who looked like Jennifer Knight was Jennifer Knight. From the looks of it, she had an iced matcha. Her perfume was somewhat floral, reminding him of his father's. 

“Ah, Mrs. Knight. How are you?” Much like his daughter, he was caught off guard, which was alarming. 

“You can call me Jen! We’re friends, aren’t we?” 

“Of course,” James cleared his throat. “I hope the boys aren’t causing you much trouble.” 

“Not at all! The four of them have been friends for a few years, so I’m used to it.” 

“I see, I see.” 

“I don’t mind caring for your daughter either if you need a vacation.” Jennifer’s eyes sparkled. She was warm and inviting. James couldn’t help but think Annette would have loved to be friends with her. 

He twisted the ring on his finger absentmindedly. The simple gold band caught the light at the right angle. 

“Oh, I see you’re married! Is your wife back in Vermont?” Jennifer tilted her head. 

“Ah, no. Unfortunately, she is not in Vermont.” 

“Oh?” Jennifer’s expression changed. “Oh, I am so sorry! My condolences. How long has it been?” 

“Four years,” 

“How has Ronnie been? I can’t imagine what that was like for either of you,” 

“We’re carrying on with our lives. There’s no use in wallowing in pity. I don’t doubt she hasn’t struggled with it, but she’s putting on a brave face.” 

“That makes things complicated. How is everything? How are you adjusting to Los Angeles?” 

A barista called his name, and he picked up his coffee. 

“I found insurance and a doctor. I have a stable job as a production assistant.” James took a sip of his iced coffee.” All in all, I’d say the transition is going well.” 

“Good, good. If either of you need help, don’t hesitate to ask. My son and his friends get along well with your daughter, and I’m glad they’ve welcomed her with open arms so quickly.” 

“Yes, about that…” James sucked a breath in. “Did you read the Big Time Rush interview in Pop Tiger?” 

“Oh, I don’t bother with the magazines.” Jennifer waved her hand about. “They always managed to spin any truth into a lie for dramatization.” 

“Well, yes, but the article featured talks in detail about my daughter and your son.” 

“Kendall’s trying to make it up to her because he wasn’t so nice initially.” Jennifer didn’t quite understand what was wrong with the article. She sipped on her matcha, and a thought bubbled to the surface. “Are you just getting off work? It’s 10 A.M.” 

“That's why I have coffee,” James chuckled and shook the cup gently to stir the artificial sugar that had settled at the bottom. 

“You stayed on set all night?” 

“The shoot went late, and I had to help with the SFX and prop teams.” James leaned his head back, stretching his neck. “I can’t wait to go to bed.” 

Despite being unable to find a job in Hollywood, Jennifer Knight didn’t mind taking a stroll downtown. She needed a break from staring at the four walls of apartment 2J while doing her kid's laundry. Jennifer loved doing their laundry and caring for them, but even parents need a break occasionally. That morning, she witnessed her son and his friends fight over the latest Pop Tiger magazine because their interview had been featured in an article. They were waiting for the episode of Backstage Access to air. Katie, of course, had nothing to do with the chaos. She innocently made herself breakfast and would glance up to see who was winning the fight. In the end, James must first look at the Pop Tiger article. 

Today, she had a few errands she told everyone about last night. It wasn’t uncommon for her to be out of the apartment. On her list was grocery shopping, followed by a quick stop at a coffee shop and then to the library to find that book Logan was looking for. Could Logan look for it himself? Yes. But would he find time with everything his friends rope him into? No. 

First on her list, though, is grocery shopping. 

As she expected, the parking lot was packed. Unfortunately, her parking space was far from the supermarket, but she wouldn’t let that get her down. She needed the exercise. On the large windows were colorful posters advertising products at a discount. Jennifer had already picked through the paper for all the coupons she needed and more. Half off oranges, buy two and get one free on toilet paper, four for five dollars on frozen fish sticks. Various customers were out and about in parking lots. Young children were helping their parents put away the groceries, and elderly couples shuffled to their cars clutching the shopping carts like their lives depended on it. 

When Kendall was younger, he loved going grocery shopping with his mother. No matter what, he would attempt to carry the heavier items for her. When he was thirteen, he stopped going and expressed his need for independence, but also because he wanted to stay home and watch Katie. Jennifer didn’t know why, but she was glad he wanted to spend time with his little sister. Their mother had always worried their six-year difference would be a problem. When Katie was born, her son wanted nothing to do with his sister, but somewhere down the line, that changed. 

“Mom! Can I get a chocolate bar?” Mrs. Knight passed by the checkout aisle at the front of the store. A little boy stretched the word “mom” in a whiny voice as he pleaded with her. 

One of the wheels on the shopping cart she pushed was stalling. Since it moved, it wasn’t that big of a deal. It wasn’t much of an inconvenience. She moved around other customers and employees in matching uniforms with green aprons and striped ties. The air smelled fresh. Her purse was nestled in the part of the shopping cart that small children would sit in. She sifted through her purse for the grocery list as she stopped in the refrigerated section with cheese, eggs, and milk. Four teenage boys and a pre-teen girl eat much more food than one would think. Checking off items in the dairy section, Jennifer grabbed a jumbo pack of eggs, string cheese, and two things of milk. 

After the grocery store, she quickly stopped at the coffee shop around the corner, where she ran into James Clark. Although many adults in the Palm Woods were watching over their children, Jennifer hadn’t interacted with many of them. She had only spoken to Tyler’s mother once and hadn’t seen many other parents. The only other adult she talked to frequently was Buddha Bob, the janitor. It was nice to stop and chat with someone around her age after being surrounded by teenagers all day in the Palm Woods. James Clark may not be very talkative, but at this point, she enjoys sitting in silence with another adult, unlike the loud chaos of four teenagers running around and destroying everything they touch. The boys were endearing and always attempted to clean up after themselves. They were kept out of trouble with Ronnie around, but she had to deal with the relationship drama tenfold. 

Of course, Jennifer was worried Kendall would find a way to get between Ronnie and her boyfriend, but she hoped that wasn’t the case. Although he had these budding feelings for her, Kendall wasn’t the type of person to do something like that. His feelings for Ronnie seemed to be venturing into rebound territory, but she got him to focus on his feelings for longer than usual. Jennifer should stay unbiased, but she was rooting for her son. 

Kendall fell head over heels for Jo, and when they broke up, it was as if nothing could fix his broken heart. As a mother, she couldn’t help but hope he would have another romance that would make him as happy as his relationship with Jo. It wasn’t that she was comparing them. She would never compare the girls to each other, which would be rude. But she did wonder what would become of the band if they were to get together. What if they broke up? Would the band get torn apart? Jennifer wasn’t anticipating their downfall, but she was very cautious. Her son wasn’t the best when it came to complicated feelings. If Curt and Ronnie ever broke up, she was sure that there would be a multitude of complex emotions. 

On her way back from the library without the book Logan asked for because there were no more copies, the mother stopped at a bookstore and decided she might as well buy it for him. Logan never said that she couldn’t buy it for him, and if anything, it was better than having a library book since he didn’t have to take it back when he was finished. It doesn’t mean she didn’t want to support local libraries, but she also wanted to support Logan’s interest in the medical field. It was something his mothers, Joanna and Linda, cultivated, and just because he’s in a boy band doesn’t mean he shouldn’t work toward his dream. 

The book he wanted was on the human anatomy and nervous system. Since she had frozen food items in her car, she was on a time crunch as she browsed the shelves for the specific book. Initially, she thought she would be in and out in fifteen minutes, but it took longer. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed someone and turned. Again, she runs into James Clark at a bookstore. The red-haired woman assumed he would have already been home by now. 

“James?” She raised a brow. 

The older man turned around with some books tucked under his arm. He was startled to see her. She crossed her arms and tilted her head. 

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you’re following me.” 

“Apologies,” James chuckled and lifted his glasses. “Last night, my daughter asked me for a few books, but it slipped my mind.” 

“I’d think with all the running around after my son and his friends, she wouldn’t have time to read,” 

“It’s mostly music theory, books Gustavo asked her to buy.” James smiled sheepishly even though he was standing in the romance section of the bookstore. Unfortunately, that section was right next to medical sciences. 

“If she’s into romance novels, I suggest “The Girl from Honeysuckle Farm” by Jessica Steele. It’s a wonderful read and won’t take up much of her time.” Jennifer smiled. 

“Thank you. I don’t read romance novels myself. I have always enjoyed books about war and history, even as a little kid.” James chuckled. “So, this is a bit out of my expertise.” 

“Don’t worry. I have so many more recommendations if you need them, but I have groceries in the car.” 

“I uh… Shouldn’t keep you from your errands.” James plucked the book from the shelf and adjusted his glasses over his nose. 

“See you later,” Mrs. Knight waved and made her way to the cashier at the front. 

Hopefully, the parents wouldn’t run into each other again. It was already awkward, and Jennifer wasn’t sure how to interact with other parents, which might be why she couldn’t make friends. Of course, there could be different reasons why she couldn’t make friends with any of the other parents at the Palm Woods. One mother-and-daughter duo did say that she and Katie were far too overcompetitive. 

The day was relatively unassuming, but Jennifer was nearly run over by her son, who was carrying Ronnie over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. He and his friends passed by her in a blur. She could hear the din outside of the Palm Woods lobby and shrugged. Whatever they got themselves into, they could get themselves out of. Unfortunately, while they were busy with their situation, the woman was left alone to carry her groceries to her apartment. 

At least she thought she would be alone until she ran into James again. 

“We must stop running into each other,” Jennifer laughed awkwardly. Multiple bags were hanging off her arms, and she struggled to get into the elevator. 

“Perhaps there’s a reason we keep running into each other. Here, let me help with that.” James took some of the plastic grocery bags from her. 

“Oh, you don’t have to–” 

“I just saw your song and his friends. Why aren’t they helping you?” 

“I– I honestly have no idea.” Jennifer shrugged. “But, thank you,” 

“Of course! We may not live next to each other, but what are neighbors for?” 

“Well, when you put it that way…” 

Mrs. Knight, with Mr. Clark's help, got all of her groceries in apartment 2J. Her daughter, Katie, was lounging on the orange couch in front of the television. She barely glanced up from her handheld gaming system but did a double take when she noticed the older man. 

“Oh, hey, Mr. Clark!” The brunette paused her game and tossed the console to the side. “Mom, let me help you put the groceries away!” Katie smiled wide and jumped to her feet. 

“That’s lovely, sweetheart! Do you know what your brother is up to?” 

“When do I never know what Kendall is doing? The four dorkwads are trying to clear up whatever PR drama is circulating Ronnie and Curt.” 

“Ronnie and Curt?” Mr. Clark furrowed his brows. “What PR drama?” 

“Well, Curt went on an interview, and Lindy Lam from Starstruckk said his girlfriend was cheating on him.” Katie shrugged. “It’s been all over gossip news stations.” 

“Oh.” Mr. Clark nodded slowly. “Those two are dating. Not Kendall and Ronnie?” 

“Why would Kendall and Ronnie be dating?” Mrs. Knight asked as she put the milk in the fridge. 

“Cause of the article in Pop Tiger– Ah, never mind.” Mr. Clark sighed and shook his head. “At least they’re not dating. What a relief.” 

“Doesn’t mean my brother doesn’t want to date Ronnie.” Katie slid into one of the stools at the breakfast bar. “Haven’t you seen how he acts around her? He gave her his sweatshirt, you know, the blue one.” 

“What?” Mr. Clark’s eyes twitched. 

“Katie! That’s enough. You don’t need to stress the man out.” Jennifer scolded. “Now, put the cans in the cupboard, please. Busy hands mean you won’t stop to chit-chat.”

[mckeyhanphoto]

My Year Of Dicks (2022) from Sara Gunnarsdottir on Vimeo.

ACADEMY AWARD ® NOMINEE - BEST ANIMATED SHORT FILM

Hilarious and genre-mashing, an imaginative fifteen year-old is stubbornly determined to lose her virginity despite the pathetic pickings in the outskirts of Houston in the early 90’s. This charming, animated, retro-romantic-comedy pulls no punches with its female-forward look at sexual awakening. Created by Pamela Ribon from her critically-acclaimed memoir.

___________________ Instagram: @myyearofdicks Twitter: @myyearofdicks Website: myyearofdicks.com/

Commissioned by FX Productions Production Companies: Cat’s Pajamas / Wonder Killer ___________________

Created & Written by Pamela Ribon from her critically-acclaimed memoir "Notes to Boys (And Other Things I Shouldn't Share in Public)"

Directed by Sara Gunnarsdóttir

Produced by Jeanette Jeanenne

Music by Adam Blau

Sound Design by Trevor Gates

Animators: Josh Shaffner Grace Nayoon Rhee Amanda Bonaiuto Brian Smee Isabelle Aspin Kevin Eskew Cassie Shao

Cast: Pam - Brie Tilton Sam - Jackson Kelly Karina - Klarissa Hernandez Joey - Chris Elsenbroek David - Sterling Temple Howard Wally - Mical Trejo Robert - Sean Stack Clint - Dylan Darwish Dad - Chris Kelman Mom - Laura House Natalie - D Ribon Upton Diane - Martinique Duchene Kelly - Pamela Ribon Anais Nin - Pamela Ribon Teen Driver - Ira Carling

Backgrounds by Isabelle Aspin Simon Estrada CJ Walker

Cleanup and Color - Kyle Brooks

Compositing - Ethan Clarke

[arg-machine]

machine HQ's AI Project...

AI. Hate it or love it, looks like it’s here for good. From Asimov’s robots with their positronic brains to dystopian visions of Arthur C. Clarke’s HAL 9000 and the more-recent global domination attempts by Skynet – arg, like all science fiction aficionados, has long been familiar with the idea of artificially-intelligent machines, systems and networks...

Now, a digression. Many, many, many years ago, arg maintained a small personal website where he’d periodically feature science-and-tech news. In one such nugget, he’d written about how he’d love what he called a “mind-to-motherboard” interface – a system that’d let the user create digitally simply by envisioning an idea in her/his/their mind.

From all the recent hype surrounding AI products, arg thought that this interface has indeed been brought into existence – though he did realize that ideas still had to be “transferred” to the machine manually before the system could work on them. Even then, it sounded like something arg would definitely like to try out for himself…

AI? But why? Friends of machine HQ will recall just how often arg has complained about the limitations he currently faces – everything at machine HQ is created on a mid-level laptop and with no other equipment: see, for instance, this post, this post and also this one. This limitation hits the hardest when it comes to creating images, as arg is frequently unable to fully translate his ideas visually, owing to the limited computing power of his laptop.

AI appeared to offer a way out… and so arg decided give it a try a while back. “Nothing fancy,” he thought, “let’s learn the intricacies of directing AI by getting it to visually interpret the titles of some of my favourite songs.”

Note: arg has been listening to these songs for a long time, and has had his own visual interpretations of them [or their titles] for years. His aim was to get the AI to process these interpretations and then generate visuals that came as close as possible to them.

So that’s what he did, creating one such image daily for one month with a free online version of this AI text-to-image model. This produced around thirty images... and that’s what machine HQ's AI Project is all about.

The machine HQ-directed AI interpretations… The images – all interpretations of song titles – are arranged alphabetically. As stated, there are around thirty images… which means this is going to be one long post! Later this month, arg will create a Spotify playlist that will feature all the songs cited by the project.

Now let’s start, and see if you can guess the songs without reading the descriptions below the images; and remember: each image can be clicked for a larger version.

Songs: All Along the Watchtower [1967] and Tombstone Blues [1965] Artist: Bob Dylan

Simply entering this 1967 song’s title typically produced just a lone watchtower [see top inset for a sample]. So – and this, just as arg had expected, became a regular occurrence – arg had to point the AI in the direction he wanted with precise and detailed instructions [down to the characters, the time of day, viewing angle, weather, texture type, architecture, environment etc.] before he got something that came close to how he had visualized the song’s title.

The second inset [the bottom one] shows an AI-only interpretation of the title of another song by the same artist. Look at it: it’s got tombstones… and it’s blue! Not exactly how arg interpreted the title himself, but he kind of liked how the image looks, and so decided to feature it here as an inset.

Song: Autumn Leaves [1945] and Sketches of Spain [album, 1960] Artist: Various/Miles Davis

A near-literal visual interpretation of a popular jazz standard, this one. The AI produced an acceptable-but-predictable version on its own [see top inset for a sample], and arg felt the interpretation could be much improved by adding a trumpet to the scene…

The bottom inset shows another interpretation – this time of the title of an album – by the AI without any intervention from arg who, not being sure of what locations were being sketched, had to take the AI’s “word” that they were indeed from the specified country. He later combined the separate sketches into the single image seen here.

Song: Crawling King Snake [1941] Artist: Various/John Lee Hooker

You’d hate to come face-to-face with this dude, eh? Cool as this image may look, the AI generated it only after arg – once again – provided detailed and exact directions. Without them, the AI kept rendering generic snake images [see inset for a sample]…

Song: Crystal Planet [1998] Artist: Joe Satriani

Whoa! A planet made of pure crystal! Though the AI did generate vistas of outer space [see inset for sample], this particular interpretation required detailed directions – including the planet’s texture, the star, the rays, the [much] larger planet etc.

Song: Dark Star [1968] Artist: Grateful Dead

A psychedelic rock classic, this song is best heard performed live by the band [legendary, of course!]. This [the main image] is arg/machine HQ-directed AI interpretation. The AI-only interpretation – which is also pretty decent – can be seen as an inset.

Song: Diamonds on The Soles of Her Shoes [1986/87] Artist: Paul Simon

This fine song – one of the pioneers of World Music – has been a favourite at machine HQ. Not just this song, but the album it’s from has been played countless times over the years. And if you, like arg, always wondered what such shoes looked like… well, now you know! The original AI-only images came close enough [see inset for sample] and arg only had to get the AI to adjust the viewing angle, render some clothing and add more… well, bling!

Song: Dude Looks Like a Lady [1987] Artist: Aerosmith

For some reason, the AI kept generating images of attractive women [inset shows a sample] or men dressed in women’s clothes. That was not what arg had in mind – the song’s title is quite specific – and so he had to issue stern, exact directions. This image – quite close to what arg had in mind – was the result.

Song: Elephants and Flowers [1990] and Raspberry Beret [1985] Artist: Prince

A favourite of arg, this is how he has always visually interpreted the song’s title, with an extra dash of cuteness added! The top inset shows a sample of the less-cute-but-otherwise-acceptable images the AI produced.

The bottom inset is an AI-only interpretation of a second – very popular – song by the same artist. This one didn’t require any directions from arg, as he was satisfied with the AI-generated visual.

Songs: Fool on The Hill [1967] and Happiness Is a Warm Gun [1968] Artist: The Beatles

Two song titles interpreted visually here. Both songs are classics and remain popular. The inset shows how AI got the first song title almost right [see top inset for a sample] – arg, however, had always visualized a jester, and therefore directed the AI to create the main image [providing details of the time of day, precise location, viewing angle etc.] that you see here.

The other song title – well, the AI kept generating images of smiling, happy people brandishing firearms. Again, that wasn’t what arg wanted. At all. He wanted what you see in the bottom inset, and so got the AI to create it.

Song: Freewheel Burning [1984] Artist: Judas Priest

Here’s how arg has always visually interpreted this heavy metal classic’s title: a night scene featuring a burning wheel with a pronounced science-fiction touch! See inset for a sample of the tamer-but-otherwise-accurate AI-only interpretations, when supplied with just the song’s title.

Song: The Girl with The Sun in Her Head [1996] Artist: Orbital

Another machine HQ favourite, this mid-1990s electronica track. While arg wasn’t too displeased with what the AI generated [see inset for sample], he had always visualized the girl in a field of sunflowers. So there she is…

Song: Hammer to Fall [1984] Artist: Queen

Well… see the inset for a sample of the type of image the AI repeatedly generated. This was so far from arg’s own visual interpretation of the title that he got to work, till he got the apocalyptic scene he wanted. Of course, the hammer hasn’t fallen yet in the song, but arg decided to show what happens once it does – destruction, panic and mayhem. More fun, in other words!

Song: Heartbreak Hotel [1956] Artist: Elvis Presley

This one shouldn’t need any explanations. The AI-only images – the inset shows a sample – usually got the spellings wrong [note the extra ‘L’ in hotel]. arg, however, wanted period architecture and an arid landscape, at a certain time of the day. He also wanted correct spelling. After giving the AI precise directions, he got this image. The AI threw in a human figure [which he hadn’t specified] as a bonus!

Song: Hey Joe [1966] and Voodoo Chile [1968] Artist: Jimi Hendrix

Meet Joe – not the happy dude in the top inset: he’s what the AI kept generating – but the one in the main image. Joe’s goin’ somewhere with that gun in his hand, and you want to know where…

Unhappy with the happy photos the AI was generating, arg stepped in with his own directions to steer the AI towards his idea – a much darker image, of the type that he’s always visualized. So here it is…

The other inset shows an interpretation of the title of a second song by the same artist. This one didn’t require much input from arg, who only had to specify an African American child with a high cuteness quotient!

Song: Highway to Hell [1979] Artist: AC/DC

Demons… from Down Under! This [main image above] is the sort of vision arg’s mind had conjured up way back in his school days, when he first read this classic rock track’s title on the 1979 album it’s from... and here’s that vision realized, several decades later!

When given the song’s title alone, the AI generated generic highway-and-red-skies images [inset shows a sample]. To get the fiercer, horror-oriented image you see here, arg had to give the AI detailed directions [because the devil, as always and particularly in this image, is in the details!]

The only thing he forgot to get the AI to add to the scene is a Demons Crossing: Drive Fast… Or Be Eaten! sign!

Song: Insane in The Brain [1993] Artist: Cypress Hill

arg wasn’t too pleased with the kind of visuals the AI was generating for this song’s title on its own. These typically featured a human brain in strange, abstract environments – see inset for a sample, which shows a human brain on fire. arg, on the other hand, had always wanted a human face to go with the insanity. After giving the AI specific directions to this end, the main image above was created…

Songs: Jumping Jack Flash [1968] and Dead Flowers [1971] Artist: The Rolling Stones

The top inset shows a sample of the type of images the AI generated without any machine HQ intervention. It’s a literal interpretation of this classic song’s title… and not acceptable to arg, who had always imagined the song’s titular character to be a non-corporeal and sinister entity, always manifesting itself with a flash and lots of smoke! So he got to work, and directed the AI to render Jack as he [arg, that is] has always wanted him [Jack] to look like… so heeeeere’s Jack!

The second inset interprets another song by the same band. Here, arg directed the AI to render a bouquet-like arrangement, and also specified what flowers to include. Nothing fancy.

Song: A Love Supreme [1964] Artist: John Coltrane

Looks funky, doesn’t it? This is a machine HQ-directed AI interpretation of a legendary 1964 jazz track [from an album with the same name]. Again, simply entering the title typically generated romantic images of happy couples [see inset for a sample]. So arg decided to give the AI some precise directions to get it to produce a more abstract visual – one that comes somewhat close to his own interpretation [which has always been rather abstract]…

Song: Material Girl [1985] Artist: Madonna

When provided with just the song’s title, the AI went on generating renderings of young women [see inset for a sample], getting the “girl” part of the title right. Then arg stepped in, gave precise instructions to create an image that comes closer to his own [somewhat-literal] visual interpretation of the title. Here it is…

Songs: Moonchild [1969] and Moonchild [1988] Artists: King Crimson and Iron Maiden

Many music lovers will point out that there are multiple tracks with this same title. True – arg himself is aware of at least two, both of which he has tried to interpret visually here. First, however, let’s take a look at what the AI created – see top inset for a sample. Upon arg’s intervention and after being properly directed, the AI generated the more celestial and fantasy-oriented main image you see here. He freely admits that he had Botticelli’s Birth of Venus in mind when directing the AI.

Inset two shows arg’s interpretation of the second song, which is much darker and heavier. This image, of a pretty-but-menacing supernatural/extra-terrestrial female entity, was created to arg’s satisfaction only after he directed the AI to generate the entity’s eyes and horns as per his specifications.

Song: Space Lab [1977] Artist: Kraftwerk

Ooh! Outer space… where this laboratory is located! Funky! The inset shows a sample of what the AI generated when offered just the song’s title. It shows a laboratory as well, but the images looked a little staid… and there was no hint of outer space! The main image – created after arg specified the viewing angle, the interior, the laboratory’s location etc. – on the other hand, looks more dynamic… and arg loves the view from that window!

Songs: Space Oddity [1969] and Life on Mars? [1973] Artist: David Bowie

Though the AI’s own visual interpretation of this classic song’s title is good enough [see top inset], arg felt his own interpretation, developed over the years, came closer to the song’s atmosphere. So he directed the AI to generate the main image… and here it is.

The other inset is a visual interpretation of the title of a different song by the same artist. Guided extensively by arg, the AI generated this rather fanciful [and quite unscientific] Martian vista.

Songs: Space Truckin’ [1972] and Smoke on The Water [1972] Artist: Deep Purple

As can be seen from the sample of the images the AI generated for this song’s title [top inset], it [the AI] came pretty close to arg’s own interpretation… only, he has always visualised a much grander vista with multiple [colossal] planets, stars and galaxies making their presence felt strongly. He, therefore, directed the AI to generate this interpretation [main image] instead.

The other inset shows the interpretation of a second, legendary rock/metal track by the same band. This one is only AI, as arg didn’t see the need for any further directions.

Song: Speed Demon [1989] and Thriller [1983] Artist: Michael Jackson

Again, while the AI got the general idea right [see inset], arg wanted the rider to sport a helmet [with funky red horns!] and a more modern motorcycle that was colour-coordinated with the rider and his outfit. He also wanted a more dramatic, darker image with more sense of speed. The main image is what the AI created following arg’s directions.

The legendary status of the second song – and of its video – makes a new interpretation totally redundant. But arg decided to include one anyway. See the bottom inset – this is a recreation of a scene from the video’s famous transformation sequence, as generated by the AI following specific directions issued by arg. Not too complicated, this one.

Songs: Spiral Architect [1973] and Fairies Wear Boots [1971] Artist: Black Sabbath

Without arg’s input, the AI produced images that all resembled the one seen in the top inset: architecture with a distinct spiral element. Not good enough for arg, who always envisioned something more awe-inspiring, like an outer-space scene with a gravity-defying, mysterious alien machine… like the one you see in the main image. By the way, don’t be surprised if this device – or a variation of it – turns up in The Apocalypse Project [links elsewhere] in the future...

The other inset shows arg’s interpretation of a second song by the same band. He directed the AI to focus on the lower half of the mythical being’s body – with only a part of her colourful wings visible – to highlight her… boots!

Song: Stairway to Heaven [1971] Artist: Led Zeppelin

This one should be easy too! The inset shows a sample of the [rather predictable] interpretations the AI came up with on its own. Again, arg had always imagined a… well, sleeker and more abstract scene. So he provided precise details of what he wanted… and here’s the result!

Song: Tea in The Sahara [1983] Artist: The Police

This one required some off-AI adjustments. First see the passable interpretation the AI generated [inset]; for his own interpretation [main image], arg first got the AI to generate what he wanted [the camel, the sun etc] and then imported the image into an image editor and selectively blurred certain background elements, creating the depth-of-field effect you see here. [That he could’ve possibly directed the AI to achieve this effect occurred to arg much later… but that’s okay: a little elbow-grease never hurt anyone!]

Song: Water Girl [1986] Artist: Zakir Hussein [R.I.P], Hariprasad Chaurasia, John McLaughlin, Jan Garbarek

Inset: sample of the AI’s interpretation of the song’s title. Main image: arg’s take. That the AI could follow his instructions – which were quite detailed – this accurately and generate this sweet Indian village scene was indeed a delightful surprise to arg.

Songs: Welcome to The Machine [1975] and Shine on You Crazy Diamond [1975] Artist: Pink Floyd

Many, many, many years back, arg had created – for that “small personal website” he mentioned in the introduction – a rendering of a 3D scene: his own interpretation of this song’s title. That version showed a young boy facing the viewer, as he looked into “The Machine”.

For this new version, arg thought he’d create a scene from the other side, with the boy’s back to the camera, so we – the viewers – could also get a look at what he faces… and here it is – a 2024/25 “remix” of arg’s original interpretation from the early 2000s. As usual, the top inset shows how the AI interpreted this classic’s title.

The bottom inset shows an AI-only interpretation of the title of another song off the same album as the first one. Though aesthetically not too impressive [compared to the kind of visuals the band is known for], arg is including it only because he was amused by the AI’s [visual] allusion to another legendary album by the band. Fans of the band will recognize it too!

…so, what’s the verdict? Once arg was reasonably satisfied with an image, he imported it into an image editing application and tweaked/refined it further [brightness/contrast adjustments, major colour palette modifications, selective blurring and the like]. Occasionally, he’d have to add or remove elements as well. All these alterations always brought the image even closer to his own interpretation.

And now, here’s what arg has learnt about using AI, and he will use a simple workplace metaphor here: as of now, it’s best to treat AI as a resourceful and technically-skilled “intern”, whose “work” needs to be checked/verified rigorously by the user [the “boss”, if you will], who must then employ his/her/their analytical skills, experience, intuition and imagination to shape the final output...

...and that is exactly what AI currently means to arg: a technically-skilled assistant who must be guided with very precise directions to achieve the result he wants, and not what it [the AI] thinks is right.

Overall, however, arg must admit that has been quite happy with this AI Project: the severely-restrictive conditions he currently operates in makes AI a viable alternative to watching his laptop struggle with complex 3D scenes… and then take hours to render them [it’s like watching paint dry, but substantially more boring].

With that, good reader, we come to the end of this lengthy magical, mystery AI tour. Hope you enjoyed it as much as arg did!

Up next! Unless he’s derailed by obstacles and problems, arg has plans to post new content from the various machine HQ projects – Professor Fear, The Lost Saucers, the Marvinverse and yes – The Apocalypse Project [here, here and also here] in the coming weeks! And then there’s the machine HQ AI Project Spotify Playlist... so stay tuned to the machine HQ blog and the machinstagram too!

[atplblog]

Price: [price_with_discount] (as of [price_update_date] - Details) [ad_1] This is a combination pack specially created at a great price . It has the two movies together " Dawn of the Planet of the Apes " and " Rise of the Planet of the Apes " , all in all two great movies at an excellent price. Is Discontinued By Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ No Language ‏ : ‎ English Package Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 18.03 x 13.76 x 1.48 cm; 300 g Item part number ‏ : ‎ Fox1466/1631_1-MIG Director ‏ : ‎ Rupert Wyatt, Matt Reeves Media Format ‏ : ‎ DVD Run time ‏ : ‎ 4 hours and 38 minutes Actors ‏ : ‎ Andy Serkis, Jason Clarke, Gary Oldman, Keri Russell, Richard Ridings Subtitles: ‏ : ‎ English Studio ‏ : ‎ Excel Producers ‏ : ‎ Peter Chernin, Dylan Clark ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00UOIBHZA Country of Origin ‏ : ‎ India Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 2 Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ Excel Packer ‏ : ‎ Excel Productions Audio Visuals Pvt Ltd Importer ‏ : ‎ Excel Productions Audio Visuals Pvt Ltd Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 300 g Net Quantity ‏ : ‎ 1.00 count [ad_2]

[demifiendrsa]

The Penguin | Official Teaser 2

The Batman spinoff series, The Penguin, will premiere on Max in September 2024.

Poster

[droughtofapathy]

What is your favourite female duet?

What is your favourite group/ensemble song?

Is there a musical that means a lot to you that isn't one of your favourites? What made you feel that way about it?

What's the weirdest musical theatre related experience you've had?

Talk about a performance in a role that you can't forget.

What is your favourite female duet?

"There's Always a Woman," specifically sung by Vicki Clark and Jan Maxwell.

Honorable mention to Audra McDonald and Kelli O'Hara duetting "Lily's Eyes."

What is your favourite group/ensemble song?

"A Weekend in the Country" is a classic.

I'm also partial to anything Marquee Five sings.

Is there a musical that means a lot to you that isn't one of your favourites? What made you feel that way about it?

Everyone and their second cousin absolutely hated "Girl from the North Country." The tour reviews and word-of-mouth are especially brutal. Every time I'm perusing a thread on worst musicals, there it is. But I saw it three times and I actually loved it. It was so depressing. Just tragedy after tragedy. And I like that. And it was really more of a play with music, than a musical proper, but the performances were so incredible (note: I saw it on Broadway, not on tour). I fell deeply in love with Luba Mason from the moment she sauntered onstage and sat down at that drum set. I don't know Bob Dylan. I don't care about his music. But damn, those songs really hit in this show.

I was there for the proshot taping, and it's been almost three years. Where is my proshot? Why is the UK getting a screening first? Fuck them. I don't give a fuck about them (love you, voltives). I want to see it again, and that's all that matters.

What's the weirdest musical theatre related experience you've had?

Probably being one of four Asian child actors in an otherwise all-white production of The King and I at my local community theatre. This was many years ago, and I don't know that they'd do it now, but they did it then. And I said it was weird then, but did any of the white people in charge want to talk about it? Nope.

Equally weird was that there were several other teenagers in the cast, and all the girls (except me) over thirteen were cast as the King's wives. I was too short, apparently, so I was with the children. My "mother" was a girl my age. Tuptim was played by a pasty white, blonde-haired, blue-eyed woman who dyed her hair black because she said the wig was ugly. The adult "wives" were stage mothers, and it showed. Community theatre is a cutthroat place.

Anyway, that was my last onstage role.

Talk about a performance in a role that you can't forget.

It's been over three years, but Deirdre O'Connell's performance in Dana H. remains the most otherworldly performance I've ever seen. It's a harrowing true story, adapted for the stage in a fascinating and novel way, and the way she embodied that role all without moving from that chair... It haunts me.

[lesterplatt]

Academy of Lions "Do The Work" from Stuart A. McIntyre on Vimeo.

A commercial for a Toronto based Crossfit gym Academy of Lions

Production Company: Steam Films / Consul Media Producer: Paul Matthews Director: Stuart A. McIntyre Cinematographer: Kris Belchevski & Stuart Campbell Location Sound: Adam Clark Editor: Graham Chisholm Assitant Editor: Dylan Atkinson Colourist: Wade Odlum Sound Director: Stephanie Pigott Sound Engineer: Jared Kuemper

Post-Production Facilities: Stealing Time Alter Ego Pirate Radio & Television

[swashbuckler5e]

The Batman

The Batman is a 2022 American superhero film based on the DC Comics character Batman. Warner Bros. Pictures, DC Films, 6th & Idaho, and produced by Dylan Clark Productions and Warner Bros. Distributed by Pictures, it is a reboot of the Batman film franchise. The film was directed by Matt Reeves, who wrote the screenplay with Peter Craig. It stars Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne/Batman with Joey Kravitz, Paul Dano, Jeffrey Wright, John Turturro, Peter Sarsgaard, Andy Serkis and Colin Farrell. The film sees Batman, who has been fighting crime in Gotham City for two years, uncover corruption while pursuing the serial killer Riddler (Dano) who targets Gotham's corrupt elite.

[ellabina]

Exploring Adam Sandler And Rob Schneider Movies

All Cast: Adam Sandler (Bobby Boucher), Kathy Bates (Mama Boucher), Fairuza Balk (Vickie Vallencourt), Henry Winkler (Coach Klein), Jerry Reed (Red Beaulieu), Larry Gillard Jr. (Walter), Blake Clark (Farmer Fran), Peter Dante (Gee Grenouille), Jonathan Loughran (Lyle Robideaux), Rob Schneider (Townie)

Director: Frank Coraci

Network: Touchstone Pictures

Release Date: November 6, 1998

IMDb Rating: 6.1

Country: USA

Budget: $35 million

Revenue: $185.9 million

Run Time: 89 minutes

Release Platform: Theatrical

Where to Watch: Netflix

The Waterboy is a 1998 sports comedy film starring Adam Sandler as Bobby Boucher, a water boy who discovers his football tackling talent and joins a college team. Rob Schneider has a supporting role as overly enthusiastic townie and fan, providing big laughs in just a few scenes.

Schneider's trademark weird energy played off Sandler's manchild humor perfectly in their first team-up. As a dimwitted Cajun redneck obsessed with Boucher, Schneider stole the spotlight despite minimal screen time. While critics found the film juvenile, it became a major box office smash for Sandler.

All Cast: Adam Sandler (Sonny Koufax), Joey Lauren Adams (Layla Maloney), Jon Stewart (Kevin Gerrity), Cole Sprouse (Julian 'Frankenstien' McGrath), Dylan Sprouse (Ben 'Frankenstein' Mcgrath), Josh Mostel (Arthur Brooks), Leslie Mann (Corinne Maloney), Rob Schneider (Nazo)

Director: Dennis Dugan

Network: Columbia Pictures, Enzo Productions, Out of the Blue... Entertainment

Release Date: June 25, 1999

IMDb Rating: 6.4

Country: USA

Budget: $34.2 million

Revenue: $234.8 million

Run Time: 93 minutes

Release Platform: Theatrical

Where to Watch: Prime Video

Big Daddy is a 1999 American comedy film directed by Dennis Dugan and starring Adam Sandler as immature 30-year-old Sonny who adopts a 5-year-old (Cole Sprouse) to impress his girlfriend and prove he can be a responsible dad. Rob Schneider plays Middle Eastern delivery man Nazo in a small but hilarious role.

As with The Waterboy, Schneider maximized laughs in limited screen time as part of Sandler's ensemble. His crazy accent and chemistry with Sandler demonstrated their comedic wavelength. Big Daddy marked one of Sandler's biggest 90s hits thanks to the interplay with Schneider and rising child star Sprouse.

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