#Film restoration industry

[queerbauten]

the “missing the point” meme except it’s for the Interstella 5555 rerelease, and the point being missed is “of course the notoriously shambolic anime industry is using AI to upscale a film; Daft Punk were almost certainly unaware (or, at the very least, unable to do anything about it); none of this would be surprising if you were paying attention to the actual issues with AI and labour” in favour of “I can’t believe Daft Punk would use AI :(“

[shadesofbrixton]

Streaming Content for Cult Fandom

So I went poking around trying to find a free streaming source for Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell and stumbled on this YouTube account of a guy named Owen Davies who is remastering some series that are difficult to find streaming these days. His mission is charming:

Somehow, my channel seems to have turned into a project to remaster and preserve pre-HD media (films, TV shows, miniseries, etc.). I hope you enjoy what's here. [...] I don't monetise my channel or any of its content. It wouldn't be right to do so, since most of it is original work by industry professionals that I've just attempted to clean up and polish with a modern HD/4K shine. YouTube is my hobby, not my source of income. If you run across any ads on my content, I assure you they've been put in place by the legal rights holders in order to gather revenue - which is what allows me to legally make most of this content public :^)

If you need a free, easy way to stream the following shows, he has them in lovely organized playlists ready to go:

Stephen King's Rose Red (2002)

The Nightmare Worlds of H.G. Wells (2016)

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell (2015)

The 10th Kingdom (2000)

Dead Like Me (2003)

Farscape (1999)

Merlin (1998)

Jim Henson's The Storyteller (1988)

Roar (1997)

...and lots more! A lot of "cult" TV content that has been kicked to the curb by its original streaming providers, or is only available in specific countries. In an age when digital content is just disappearing because CEOs consider it too expensive to bother retaining, it's really cool to see someone doing restoration work that also makes things available to the public for free.

ETA: I know there's debate around losing the "grittiness" of old media and whether 4k restoration removes that magic. I get that debate! For me, this is more about preserving content that is disappearing/hard to access. Okay, enjoy the show!

[afeelgoodblog]

The Best News of Last Week

⚡ - Charging Towards a More Electrifying Future

1. The Kissimmee River has been brought back to life—and wildlife is thriving

The Kissimmee River in Florida was straightened in the 1960s, causing a sharp decline in wildlife and ecological problems. But in the 1990s, a $1 billion restoration project was initiated to restore the river's natural state.

Today, nearly half of the river has been restored, wetlands have been reestablished and rehydrated, and wildlife has returned, including rare and threatened species. Already the biological impact of the project has become clear. As the wetlands have come back, so have the birds.

2. Plastic wrap made from seaweed withstands heat and is compostable

A cling film made from an invasive seaweed can withstand high temperatures yet is still easily compostable. The material could eventually become a sustainable choice for food packaging.

Scientists started with a brown seaweed called sargassum. Sargassum contains long, chain-like molecules similar to those that make up conventional plastic, which made it a good raw material. The researchers mixed it with some acids and salts to get a solution full of these molecules, then blended in chemicals that thickened it and made it more flexible and pliable.

3. An Eagle Who Adopted a Rock Becomes a Real Dad to Orphaned Eaglet

Murphy, a bald eagle that had been showing fatherly instincts, has been sharing an enclosure with an eaglet that survived a fall from a tree during a storm in Ste. Genevieve. Murphy, his rock gone by then, took his role as foster parent seriously. He soon began responding to the chick’s peeps, and protecting it.

And when, as a test, the keepers placed two plates of food in front of the birds — one containing food cut into pieces that the chick could eat by itself, and another with a whole fish that only Murphy could handle — the older bird tore up the fish and fed it to the eaglet.

4. World's largest battery maker announces major breakthrough in energy density

In one of the most significant battery breakthroughs in recent years, the world’s largest battery manufacturer CATL has announced a new “condensed” battery with 500 Wh/kg which it says will go into mass production this year.

“The launch of condensed batteries will usher in an era of universal electrification of sea, land and air transportation, open up more possibilities of the development of the industry, and promote the achieving of the global carbon neutrality goals at an earlier date,” the company said in a presentation at Auto Shanghai on Thursday.

This could be huge. Electric jets and cargo ships become very possible at this point.

5. Cat with '100% fatal' feline coronavirus saved by human Covid-19 medicine

A beloved household cat has made an “astonishing” recovery from a usually fatal illness, thanks to a drug made to treat Covid-19 in humans – and a quick-thinking vet.

Anya​, the 7-year-old birman cat, was suffering from feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), a “100% fatal” viral infection caused by feline coronavirus. That was, until Auckland vet Dr Habin Choi​ intervened, giving Anya an antiviral used to treat Covid-19 called molnupiravir.

6. Kelp forests capture nearly 5 million tonnes of CO2 annually

Kelp forests provide an estimated value of $500 billion to the world and capture 4.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide from seawater each year. Most of kelp’s economic benefits come from creating habitat for fish and by sequestering nitrogen and phosphorus.

7. Medical Marijuana Improved Parkinson’s Disease Symptoms in 87% of Patients

Medical cannabis (MC) has recently garnered interest as a potential treatment for neurologic diseases, including Parkinson's disease (PD). 87% of patients were noted to exhibit an improvement in any PD symptom after starting medical cannabis. Symptoms with the highest incidence of improvement included cramping/dystonia, pain, spasticity, lack of appetite, dyskinesia, and tremor.

----

That's it for this week :)

This newsletter will always be free. If you liked this post you can support me with a small kofi donation:

Buy me a coffee ❤️

Also don’t forget to reblog

[gojuo]

hotd was destined to fail because condall and hess are terrified of the dany stans who have held this fandom hostage for years now because they've been throwing a half decade long temper tantrum over stanning a villain and not being able to cope with the fact that they fundamentally do not understand asoiaf or the characters. but to add to that, costume dramas in general nowadays are garbage 90 percent of the time because the type of people in the film and tv industry are very much the blue haired gender studies white women and men who literally cannot imagine developing or analyzing media without projecting the most woke tumblrina 2024 values onto the plot and characters.

i still can't believe 5 years later after the ending of s8 there are still people who think george is gonna end his book series steeped in anti-war and anti-WMDs messaging with dany and jon in a loving marriage ruling over westeros and restoring house targaryen to its former glory while bringing back the dragon population to save the world .... these are the people i have to share a fandom space with. jesus christ.

[the-cat-and-the-birdie]

Will never understand the use or appeal of character ai

like genuine question... can you not just imagine that?

like within your mind's eye?

In terms of aphantasia I can understand, but aphantasia effects external material too, like not being able to visualize fanfiction or ai writing either. As they completely lack a minds eye with any kind of literature.

So like, that aside - can you genuinely not imagine it yourself?

Is it that difficult? To just sit there and imagine it?

Why must you resort to a machine in order to do that?

They can say comforting words-

Okay, but can you imagine them saying comforting words without the assistance of an AI? Yes? So - What's the problem?

Why take advantage of systems you know infringe on and endanger many people and careers, when you can literally just sit there and do nothing and get the same experience

By imagining it.

Imagining things and daydreaming deliberately is not a bad thing or inferior to works feed to you. In fact, they can have even more of an impact as they are personalized to you.

If your imagination or creativity is not strong enough and you are aware of that - even more reason to actively try to strengthen it.

Imagination of nonexistent scenarios contribute directly to the ability of forethought and critical thinking. The more you go out of your way to imagine things, the more you'll see possibilities and solutions in real life you wouldn't have before.

The more you are able to visualize things without assistance, you become more able to practice compassion and empathy.

Because you don't need to be shown/live something directly to understand or put yourself in said situation.

Ones imagination is a very vital thing, not just to ones creativity - but to their wellbeing, critical thinking, and memory.

You are better off just imagining it, truly.

Instead of restoring to the convenient option of using technologies that you know can harm people IN THE NOW.

Like - yes, you wanna hear Hobie say 'I love you'. - Close your eyes and imagine it bro.

Free and you can do it anywhere. As far as we know we're the only mammals on Earth capable of this gift.

You don't need to use AI character voices that are actively putting voice actors out of their jobs.

You DON'T NEED character ai chat bots that write fanfic for you when writers are STILL STRIKING because large studios want to use the SAME technology you're using for the SAME purpose.

The more you interact with these bots and technology, the smarter and more advanced they become. They learn with every interaction. The more you use them, the more dangerous they become.

I work in the film industry. We're still lights out, and it's getting worse.

JUST IMAGINE IT.

This post may sound preachy, but just try it once. Turn off everything and go somewhere and find the perfect song and sit there and do nothing but imagine the character. Complete focus on your fantasy.

IT'S FUN

For the sake of screenwriters and fanfic writers and voice actors and fan artists and everything else

JUST IMAGINE IT.

[lintwizardlyart]

==>

==>

The anthem of absolution is a gentle song. Sussurant whispers through the background of your life in time with the metronome tick of the doomsday clock in your dreams, now magnified by the empty rolling plains into a proclamation of triumph. For the first time in ten years you step outside your prison, and for the first time in your nineteen years you see a blue sky.

>Frolic through the seussian fields

Yeah this is pretty great.

>Find your next victim

Your big-ass ella purnell eyes spot a lone IMP clinging to a nearby pylon.

>Aim

==>

==>

==>

==>

==>

HAMSTERSPRITE: Nice shot.

>Level up

As you reach the respectable rank of MAXFEASANCE AGENT on your ECHELADDER for your accomplishment--the value of the single BOONCOIN in your GRIFTWALLET responding appropriately with your new notoriety--it occurs to you that in your excitement, you're skipping pretty far ahead in the timeline. What, do you expect a hypothetical audience to have some preexisting framework by which they could intuit the context of your adventure or something? That would be silly.

>Rewind a bit.

No, no, too far back.

>Skip ahead.

Oh come on! Spoilers!

>Find a happy medium between past and future.

That's more like it.

Your name is QIRSMIT though you prefer to go by SMITTY to your extremely small circle of online friends. You live on the tidally locked techno-industrial powerhouse planet of LUSTRIUM, an arbitrarily large number of years in the future removed from the hypothetical audience to this internal monologue. That planet will be destroyed shortly, this you know, or at least have a pretty good hunch about.

This is because you are some kind of PROPHET, with the ability to foretell disaster derived from the strings of numbers you see in your dreams. You turn these numbers into STATISTICAL DATAPOINTS that you compare to the present performance of the Lustrium economy to predict IMMANENTLY DEPRECIATING STOCKS AND CURRENCIES with unerring accuracy.

This has been your job for your entire life, ever since your adoption by the cyborg broker hivemind known collectively as the SHAREBEARS, after you were delivered to the roof of their building by a fortuitous meteor. While not particularly personable, they are attentive to your needs and quick to indulge the many interests you pursue in your free time.

These interests include OLD EARTH MOVIES though the films the Sharebears obtain for you are more often than not related to the stock market and/or data analytics. You enjoy a well-plotted graph, but in your free time you prefer the more mystical studies of SACRED GEOMETRY and OBJECTS OF MATHEMATICAL INTRIGUE.

You enjoy building elaborate MARBLE COURSES and running races, both because it is a practical study of PHYSICS AND ENTROPY as well as very fun to see little glass balls roll down a chute. You have damn good aim with a SLINGSHOT too in case those little glass balls aren’t moving fast enough.

You have an interest in the ancient art of the JAPANESE MANGA and own rare print volumes of your favorite series. You can also amuse yourself for many hours by playing with your dear PET HAMSTER. You are also a bit of a GAMER, particularly virtual reality and simulation games as a substitute for rather limited freedom.

You used to have a lot more freedom, but as the lynchpin of the Sharebears operation there have been several attempts on your life by rival broker organizations over the years. One psychic attack nearly succeeded, resulting in a long stay on the PSYCH MOON to restore your capabilities.

==>

Now you spend your nights floating in a somnotank of PSYGEL to insulate your mind against unseen threats, and live inside a hermetically sealed reinforced glass bunker at the center of the Sharebears cavernous trading floor. The value of your abilities has provided you with a comfortable life and secure employment, you couldn’t ask for more and on Lustrium alone there are much worse ways to live.

But you often wish you didn’t feel so…bunkertrapped. dwellingenclosed. abodenfixed. There’s probably a good word for it.

>Examine Shorts poster.

SHORTS is your favorite film of all time, quite possibly the greatest film ever made. Given to you by the Sharebears after a misinformed assumption about it's content due to the title. On first watch, your eyes were opened to a world of compelling nonlinear narrative structure, the antique but timeless humor of the year 2009, and whimsical all-ages wishing-rock-related hijinks. You have watched it many times since.

==>

You dearly wish Toby “Toe” Thompson, Loogie Short, and “Nose” Noseworthy could be your friends. Helvetica Black was your first crush, and while you since question your prepubescent taste, there is something undeniably attractive about a girl with a rocket bike who can turn into a giant wasp. You assume the characters in the film are either entirely fictional, or as you have more recent reason to believe, long dead.

>Look at wishing rock.

For your fascination with the film is also a matter of predestination. When you arrived on Lustrium as a meteor-borne infant, one of the things you brought with you was a rainbow-colored rock. Pretty but unremarkable, until your first exposure to Shorts led you to the astounding discovery that your mundane trinket was the very same wishing rock from the film. There is simply no other explanation.

However, your rock does not grant wishes, you assume it’s power was either exhausted, or it is waiting for the right conditions to activate once more.

You have written up a long list of carefully-worded possible wishes in anticipation of the day it does.

From a speculative rp project with @alpha-bread and @scrambo surrounding an oc sburb session. Got bit by the homestuck artbug HARD and figured I'd compile my work thus far.

[gayest-historian]

Events Leading to Stonewall

In honor of the Stonewall riots' anniversary I'd like to take a minute to talk about what led up to them.

The Stonewall riots, taking place June 28th, 1969, were a series of riots that started at the Stonewall Inn between police and LGBTQ+ protestors. The events leading up to them are just as important as their impact on today so a few of these events will be discussed in this post. Obviously I cannot cover them all but I plan on talking about more in their own posts.

After WW2 many Americans began efforts to restore the country to it's pre-war state and prevent change from occurring in the social order. During this time any groups considered "um-american" were deemed security risks, among these groups were gay men and lesbians. The reasoning behind this was that, according to the US State Department, they were deemed susceptible to blackmail. According to a report chaired by Clyde R. Hoey: "It is generally believed that those who engage in overt acts of perversion lack the emotional stability of normal persons" These actions led to 1,700 federal job applications being denied, 4,380 people being discharged from the military, and 420 individuals being fired from federal jobs, all due to suspicions of homosexuality.

In 1952 homosexuality was listed in the DSM as a mental disorder by the American Psychiatric Association. The reasoning behind this choice was a belief that homosexuality stems from an unreasonable fear of the opposite sex. Despite numerous studies contradicting this belief, including those of Evelyn Hooker, the APA did not remove homosexuality from the DSM until 1974. The lasting damage of this decision can be seen even today with many queer people still being seen as mentally ill for their identity.

The Hays code was originally implemented in 1934, also being known as the Motion Picture Production Code. Created by a Catholic man named Martin Quigley in 1929 the purpose of the Hays code was to enforce "morals" in the film industry in order to not badly influence american citizens, particularly children. Some examples of Inclusions prohibited by the Hays code include: Profanity, ridicule of the clergy and seuxla perversion (including homosexuality). The frustration regarding these rules could be felt at the time within the queer community and even today with tropes like queer-coded villains.

I hope this post helped to provide some context surrounding the events that kickstarted the Stonewall riots. Looking back at these events gives us both context for how far we've come aswell as how far we still need to go.

[rq-producerperson]

Hello!

Basic question: any tips for getting into a career involved with creative stuff? (Anything, but specifically audio design and writing.)

Additional information about my specific situation I suppose: I'm heading into my second year of college, and have been working towards getting my degree in anthropology with the hope of going into artifact preservation/restoration. However that's kind of always been a... Second priority, I suppose, as I've always wanted to make a living off of my writing, but assumed that even if that was really possible, I should get a degree in something else.

Last year at school I was working as a stage tech for the college of the arts there (mainly for concerts, not theatre), and I loved it a ton and genuinely wouldn't mind a career in that vein.

The last three months I've been working a shitty assembly line job (9 hour days in a windowless room doing the same thing over and over and over and-). The only plus side to it is I've had plenty of time to listen to stuff, and I've gotten really into Magnus. The Q&A episodes and things like that made me realize that there are other things I could do (and love) in a creative vein than just writing. I'd also never considered that my enjoyment of doing tech for live stuff might translate outside of that, but I really genuinely think it would.

So next year I'm taking a bit of a jump and I'm going to be taking some of the introductory journalism courses at my school. (There's a film and media production emphasis under the major with plenty of room for more fiction-oriented work. And then grad school is something I've been seriously considering since I learned the word anthropology, so that's still very on the table if I choose to pursue this.)

This has been a really big switch for me, and quite frankly I'm terrified of getting stuck at a job like the one I currently have for the rest of my life, with a creative degree just rotting in the corner. (At least with anthropology there would probably be another five+ years of school after undergrad, so that was less of a looming issue.)

Just... Any advice on getting my foot in the door? Especially with hopes of eventually moving out of the states?

Sorry for such a long ask, I'm very bad at being brief. :p

Thank you!

Heya, thanks for the Ask. I’ve had this one sitting for a while thinking of the best way to answer, because the truth is that life is variable so I struggle to give what I feel is meaningful advice when the landscape is always shifting.

However, I’ll do my best with what I know.

The keys that I think are best are Patience, Perseverance, and People.

First, Patience.

I’ve mentioned this a few times but it’s important to remember, life changes quickly and the creative market is constantly shifting. Being able to pursue a job in the creative industry means having the patience to wait for the right wave to paddle to, the right gust to lift you up. But like with nature, there is never a guarantee that the winds or tides of fate will flow your way. There’s an element of chance to it.

You have to be prepared to change and take chances when you feel they are right for you. Shoot out before you’re comfortable and you’ll sink, wait too long and you’ll miss a great wave. I can’t give an answer to when is best to know your ready or what the right chance is to take. I CAN however advise that waiting, watching, and learning is the best chance to take that shot. So, learn as much as you can and stay curious and adaptable.

Second, Perseverance

When you have decided a path to trod, a wave to ride. You commit. Know how to move with the current and keep your focus. It’s easy to keep laying out options, but when you have found that Moment that’s right for you to act on your chosen course, you can go in half way.

Before RQ and during the first half of my employment here I was always working two jobs. I’ve done retail, freelance, post graduate work, office administration, accounting, entertainment hosting, you name it. I was an office assistant when I started at RQ but quickly knew that even though I couldn’t make money with it (it was still just Alex in a Yurt at that time), I wanted to commit to it, to make that job the best thing I could do, and I kept a simple day job to make ends meet. I got lucky, I found a mentor who taught me how to advocate for myself and that I had a creative voice after spending years being beaten down. But I also had the conviction and perseverance to know there was something worth building on.

And we did that together.

Which brings me to my last point, People.

You hear a lot in the creative industry that it’s “about Who you Know” and that’s true, but not entirely in the way you think. Learn about people, what their strengths are, how they compliment each other. Surround yourself with likeminded people that want to attain the same goal, have the same passions. Breaking through the creative industry cannot be done in a vacuum. Always make sure you have a support network of other passionate, skilled, and dedicated humans.

Don’t know how to meet people? I bet you do more than you think. Fandom was my in, not just from shooting my shot, but for teaching me how to work creatively with others. (I still try to do art companion work with fanfic writers when I can)

So yea, maybe it’s a standard answer or underwhelming, but the truth is there is no magic key. There’s Skill, Luck, Determination, and Community that make these kind of jobs possible.

[visit-new-york]

Central Park is a famous and iconic urban park located in the heart of Manhattan, New York City. It is one of the most visited and well-known parks in the world, covering an area of approximately 843 acres (341 hectares). Central Park offers a wide range of recreational, cultural, and natural attractions for both residents and visitors to enjoy.

Here are some key features and aspects of Central Park:

History: Central Park was designed by landscape architects Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux and was officially opened in 1858. It was created to provide a green oasis in the midst of the rapidly growing and industrializing city, serving as a place for relaxation, recreation, and cultural enrichment.

Landscape and Design: The park's design incorporates a diverse array of landscapes, including open meadows, woodlands, ponds, lakes, and formal gardens. It features winding pathways, picturesque bridges, and scenic vistas. The design was influenced by the "romantic" or naturalistic style, with the intention of creating a harmonious environment where visitors could escape the hustle and bustle of the city.

Attractions: Central Park boasts numerous attractions, including:

The Central Park Zoo: A small but popular zoo within the park.

The Central Park Conservatory Garden: A beautifully landscaped formal garden.

The Great Lawn: A vast open space often used for concerts and events.

The Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir: A scenic jogging and walking track around a large reservoir.

Bethesda Terrace and Fountain: An iconic gathering spot with stunning architectural features.

Strawberry Fields: A tribute to John Lennon, featuring the "Imagine" mosaic.

The Loeb Boathouse: Offering boat rentals and dining with a view of the Central Park Lake.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art: While not technically part of the park, it is located along its eastern edge, often referred to as the "Museum Mile."

Activities: Visitors can engage in a wide range of activities within Central Park, such as jogging, picnicking, biking, bird-watching, horseback riding, and ice skating in the winter. The park also hosts various events, including concerts, theater performances, and outdoor movies during the summer months.

Conservancy: The Central Park Conservancy is a private, nonprofit organization that plays a significant role in maintaining and preserving the park. It raises funds for park improvements, restoration projects, and ongoing maintenance efforts.

Filming Location: Central Park has been a popular location for movies and television shows over the years, making it instantly recognizable to audiences around the world.

Central Park's enduring popularity and iconic status make it a must-visit destination for anyone traveling to New York City. It provides a peaceful and natural escape in the midst of the urban jungle and serves as a testament to the value of green spaces in urban planning.

[cipheramnesia]

The Menu, to me, is such a fascinating movie. I'm going to come back to it and watch the way it's filmed more carefully. but the first time through is such a tantalizing and layered discussion about work, wealth, and inevitably life under capitalism.

What I particularly love about it is that at a very surface level reading it offers a sort of "introduction to systemic inequality," an easy to swallow metaphor of humanity literally consumed by exploitation to the point of annihilation, wrapped around a peppy little survivor girl finale. For me, stripping away all the tasty deeper subtext, it still fulfills the most basic component of a popular film, which is "having a good time." You do not need to try and "get it," you can simply enjoy it by itself if you like.

However, as soon as we get into the finicky details of the movie, especially our "final girl," it starts to get really interesting because the initial surface metaphor starts to fall apart and demand a more complex level of thought. (This will feature some spoilers.)

What I find fascinating is that our protagonist is a sex worker. The entire grand metaphor proposed by our chief antagonist, the chef, is you can divide the world into the served and servers. He has arranged what he thinks is a perfect and flawless illustration of this grand truth, and one unforeseen change fully undermines his entire thesis. She's a worker who provides a service, she's someone getting served by workers in the process of that service. Her job and her life weaves between both worlds and although it's possible to make some larger sweeping generalization, to do so would take the nuance away from the lived reality of most people who are at once point or another both things. This undermining of the chef's thesis is very much the point of the movie, not to suggest there is no class or wealth inequality, but rather as an entry into moving past the surface level binary view of "haves and have nots" into a more complex idea of how wealth and power affects people in different places of the hierarchy.

The movie itself presents each new act as a new item on the menu, which is a well-considered choice, as each step forward reveals more information that builds the complexity of the ideas in the movie and whets your appetite to consider it further. The plot, the characters, and the action in the film progress in a way that mirrors the kind of experience the menus title cards before each segment are describing. The restaurant itself being totally isolated, with every employee committed to their jobs with a cultish intensity lays a groundwork for the production of the idea that individual lives are disposable not just in the literal sense, but metaphorically, a quick sketch of the modern expectations of a workforce by capitalist society to consider their personal lives as disposable in comparison to their jobs. Ralph Fiennes' casting as the chef adds a kind of metatextual level to the proceedings, as he himself is an aspirational actor for many other working actors in the film industry. The way he is worshiped by his devout employees while viewed as someone meant to perform on demand by his employers is the kind of deeper exchange that our modern hierarchy expects from us. You can find a higher place in the world so long as you are always willing to trade yourself to anyone who can afford to purchase you.

This level of exchange, where we as individuals are the actual consumable goods in some way is more at the heart of the Menu than a simple binary division of class. It is also the reason to have a protagonist who is, in a literally sense, her own medium of exchange. The surface metaphor of everything as transactional and finite is deliberately broken time and again, because the antagonist, a chef, is unable to see a world more complex than his own route of understanding it, through food and cooking. He sees everything as abstracted, consumable without any possibility of restoration, resources as something which can only be exchanged but never increased or distributed. He is not the villain in the movie, that role remains with characters like the stockbrokers, the old wealthy gentleman, and our protagonist's date for the evening. But he is the antagonist because of his fundamental idea of the world aligning with the villains (even while ostensibly there to kill them) and in conflict with the fundamentally reasonable position of our protagonist, that she ought to live.

I would enjoy dissecting The Menu scene by scene because there's simply so much going on in it, for me personally. I think there's something excruciatingly interesting to be said about the protagonist being a sex worker, in particular because the movie itself does not chose to view this in an exploitative way, but rather uses it to serve the larger idea that humanity cannot, in fact, be broken down into a consumable resource alone - that giving of yourself does not mean a loss to yourself. I also believe there is a distinct turning point in the movie where Ralph Fiennes sits down at a table, which is to me a huge change. It is the movie making an effort to draw a line under the real thesis, that even the antagonist who insists throughout the movie that he exclusively exists as one who serves, who gives himself up one bite at a time until he is exhausted, even he is someone who cannot exist in his own idea of a false binary.

The chef here is not wrong in recognizing the existence of exploitation, or even necessarily incorrect in his ideas of addressing it through violently usurping those in power. I would argue that overall the conclusion of The Menu doesn't disagree with the notion of hierarchical exploitation innate to modern society. If anything, it serves to illustrate even more how much this trend is ultimate a downward spiral of inevitable and total destruction.

However, it is a movie that is meant to be optimistic, a movie about hanging on to our human connections even when we have some exchange between each other. It's about caring for other people, caring about what they do for us, or caring about what we do for others. The conclusion, and our survivor girl, are a recognition of that hope and that potential which still exists.

(edited from bad casting memory)

[darcytaylor]

Here is my theory on Luke and why he is acting like this

Let’s face it: Luke is the lead this season, but the writing, especially that in part 2, makes him look like a secondary character. Nic is taking the spot light, and rightfully so; Luke gets some but will never measure up. He will come back to be a side character again, perhaps with as much as or a bit more screen time compared to other side characters. So far his Bridgerton identity seems to be either the brother of the leads in other seasons, or Pen/LW’s love interest. I wouldn’t be surprised if Luke wants something more.

It occurs to me the he might even want to depart from B’ton as soon as possible (once S4 is done) in order to land a different, more central role that matches his preferences of a darker character (he did mention this at least in one interview). If that is his choice, detaching from B’ton now is actually gonna help making his departure easier.

To be fair, Luke actually can do whatever he wants now. Many of you might disagree, but it seems Luke has evolved from more or less a theatre nerd to a sexy tv star who frequents fashion front rows and influencer events. Just his this sex appeal and the public recognition from S3 would be enough to land him fashion gigs and brand deals that keep him going until the filming of S4 when he will be busy for at least a few months. Being seen with A keeps people talking about him as they watch how he slowly launches her despite the outrage from B’ton and Polin fandom.

If everything fails (we predict so), Luke is still contracted to be in S4, and with Polin’s popularity he will have sufficient airtime and enough fan support to restore his relevance at least to a certain level. He can easily win fans over again by serving Lukola/Polin moments (because by that point whoever left in the restaurant would be starved), and who knows whether A will still be around then.

Of course this is just a theory and it might not be true, but to me it explains a lot of his choices at the moment.

This is honestly a pretty good take on what could be happening. While I don't agree with all of it, it all could be true.

Nicola is definitely taking the spot light, but I think that has to do with her going for everything that has been thrown at her and working her ass off, while also knowing what her fans want to see.

Luke could have had that, had he not made certain moves in the past year. I think that moving his social media to be more 'business' is a good choice (in the long run), especially if that's what he needed to do for his mental health.

But when he decided to do it, was at a weird time. Right before the promo tour? It was a choice that effected him negatively because he hasn't connected to the fans, he hasn't acted like a main character in the show that he is the main character for. He could have been the internets boyfriend, but his choices failed him in regards to that.

Productions, people in the industry, brands, see what the fan engagement is like. They know what people are talking about. They want someone that doesn't bring drama. Luke currently brings drama unfortunately. That will hinder what Luke is able to do. I don't believe that he has the option to do anything he wants at the moment, because if he did we would probably have heard something by now (I could be wrong in this). His PR moves hindered him from that.

Does he have the talent to do more than Bridgerton? Yes, I believe he does. And it's sad how the whole situation turned out in the end.

Could Luke want to leave Bridgerton after season 4? Maybe. But I also think that he will stick it out for as long as possible (especially at this point in his career) because as the saying goes "why bite off the hand that feeds you?"

[toulousewayne]

My DCU Aesthetic: Gotham City

I have entire folder of pictures and ideas of what I want Gotham City to look like in the next film. I’m excited for what James Gunn has planned, but this is what i would do to our favorite crime riddled city. *I will be using photos to serve as visuals. I do not claim them as my own.*

Wayne Enterprise:

I loved the animated series and still watch it. I loved the Dark Deco style and I feel like the next live action Gotham City should borrow from that style especially when it comes to older buildings or those with wealth. Wayne Enterprises is not the original Wayne Tower however. Wayne Enterprises is a new building and housed most of the new branches. Like Wayne Pharmaceuticals, WayneTech, Wayne Entertainment,etc. While the WayneTech is the largest of several divisions Bruce Wayne does invest his time into the other divisions which has their own heads. Like Lucius Fox being the head of the WayneTech division and Tim Drake was once the CEO and the head executive over several departments and still acts as CEO when Bruce can’t attend to certain issues.

-

GCPD:

I think GCPD is one of the if not the oldest building in Gotham. It houses all of Gotham Finest, as well as the home of the Bat Signal. Commissioner Gordon runs the police for and wants to maintain order as well as restore the order within the precinct. Prior to him joining it the police department was extremely corrupt and made dealing with the mob. The building is old and has went through several revisions and additions like the major crimes building and the maximum security holding cells to hold and temporary hold some of Gotham’s most infamous and dangerous criminals until further transportation.

-

Old Gotham:

Old Gotham is the largest and south most port of the city. A lot of old family industries are rooted here along with a lot of businesses , the financial district and Gotham’s fashion district are located here. It also where most of the other popular locations are like Slaughter Swamp,Blackgate Prison and Lady Gotham.

-

New Gotham (Somerest)

New Gotham is the small and most central of the three larger islands. It’s the island that connects Arkham Island to the mainland. It is also where newer companies and corporations have housed the building on this island since its restoration from No Man’s Land. Gotham’s East End is here protected at lot by Catwoman herself. Chinatown is also here as well.

-

North Gotham (Burnley):

North Gotham is the north most part of the city. This is also the most historic part of the city with a lot of wealthy residents and city officials residing in this area. Gotham State University is also in this area and has several popular small shops, Townhomes, City Hall,cafè, and as well as several prominent landmarks like Gotham Cathedral and several other smaller churches like Devity Church.

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Wayne Manor:

Stately Wayne Manor located in the Bristol district, just outside of the city limits. It’s where some of the upper class residents. Most of the older families settled here but a lot of them in last few decades relocated to the city living in penthouses and townhouses. It’s also home to several of Gotham’s oldest and most prominent schools.

-

Gotham City Map:

I used this map and different variations when I am talking about my version of Gotham city, as well as thinking of locations within the city for storytelling. As well as a additional one I found that looks like a an irl map of Gotham, which is part of New Jersey.

[nepheia]

04 ∙ why i say this album is xiao zhan in a bottle

[ ✼ part 4 of the self is not me, but us series ]

you're probably tired of hearing me talk about loops like chels why r u so obsessed???

the common meaning associated with 'loop' is to put something on repeat, right? at first glance, that sounds totally out of alignment with xz, who has said very strongly before that he wouldn't go back for anything. 

but consider: to loop also means to start again.

and xiao zhan has begun again many, many times before.

he started again at the age of 25, when he debuted as a singer. he started again after what happened in 2020, rising from the ashes to chart the rest of his career. 

he starts again in every single film he makes and every single stage he performs. every role is a clean slate, where he has to walk out of his previous characters to live the life of new ones. but more than that, he starts again because he approaches each project with the same kind of beginner's sincerity that has endeared him to so many — sincerity for the art form, sincerity to learn, sincerity for doing the work and doing it right.

i also really loved how connection was shown differently in the narrative storytelling element (the circular loop) vs. the visual storytelling element, the linear tree bridging the three different title tracks:

the whole illustration has a sense of upward direction and looks like a journey, just like the album listens and reads and tells like a journey. the journey of xz through different junctures of his life:

xz was thrust very abruptly into the clutches of fame as a relatively late industry newcomer / when cql blew up, and into the eye of the storm in 2020. it would've been an entirely human reaction to constantly be battling the chaotic din of emotions, a bloody war within the mind (us). a crushing sort of sadness (restoration). constantly looking over his shoulder, wondering when the other shoe will drop, a fear of being a spectacle and an almost despondent resignation (all the same).

but he, the incredible and bright person that he is, refocuses on the self (glimmering). rises above the noise, takes the time to sift through his own thoughts and really ponder his place in the world (confessions of a night walker). what matters most to him, where he wants to go, and ultimately what he can and wants to do (drifting).

he makes peace with the fact that he might have to start again, but he's stronger and wiser and more resolute for it (return to zero). he charts his course (lighthouse), looks ahead (don't look back), and — well, comes back with his star burning even brighter than before.

of course, this is only my opinion, and i would never claim to speak for him in any way, but seeing all this become creative inspiration for his music almost feels like catharsis. i am so grateful — and quite frankly a little surprised — that xz decided to be this vulnerable with the first proper collection of music he's ever put out. i'm glad it's not only laden with positive messages. it's not a sugarcoated, polished look at a celebrity. it's all the many parts that make a person: the best and brightest, the dark and desolate, and everything in between.

it's like he's finally ready to speak about the story, and finally ready to let it go.

he's set to only go forward now, to go upwards, and — in his favourite words — to be 越来越好 (better and better). he's taking the lessons with him but closing that chapter in his life, with

❝ a goodnight left for my past ❞ 🌙

ZHANZHAN YOU MUST ONLY LIVE WELL FROM NOW ON OK!!!!!!!!!!! ;_;

⋆

←  prev ┊ part 3: the dark whimsicality of drifting: a visual analysis →  next ┊ part 5: whenceforth do the night walkers go? screens as a means of travel

[intogenshin]

Metropolis influence on Fontaine

Metropolis is a 1927 German silent film about a city divided into upper class surface and working class underground that focuses on the impact of industrialization, at the same time serving as a dystopian allegory for the Bible. If you know any other fictional work with a similar setting, chances are it was inspired by Metropolis either directly or indirectly. 

The original footage suffered cuts during the Nazi regime, and although it was restored in the following decades, there’s still missing scenes that are filled with black screens and text. The most complete version is available on YouTube

Visuals

Director Fritz Lang said he was inspired to create the architecture of the city on his trip to New York. Both Metropolis and Fontaine feature ridiculously tall buildings with suspended highways (in Fontaine these are for the Aquabus) that intend to express a futuristic look yet follow the trends of its time.

It is notoriously influenced by the Art Deco movement, which Fontaine also relies on for its overall design (geometry, symmetry, bright colors)

From Wikipedia:

During its heyday, Art Deco represented luxury, glamour, exuberance, and faith in social and technological progress. The movement featured rare and expensive materials, such as ebony and ivory, and exquisite craftsmanship.

The underground workplace of the city also looks like a giant factory, similar to the Fortress of Meropide. 

Ideology

Due to the depiction of an exploited class that the elites profit off and the harsh conditions of industrial labor, it is largely considered to be an anti-capitalist movie.

A random review in The New York Times from 1927 acknowledges the antagonist as a capitalist:

We see a similar dynamic between Fontaine City and the Fortress of Meropide, whose convicts produce the mecha that the nation relies on. The convicts stay in the prison after finishing their sentences because they suffer discrimination in the surface, and at Fontaine Research Institute seems to prioritize scientific advancement instead of the lives and health of their workers.

However, to put it simply, a Marxist story it is not. Neither of them.

The Fontaine chapter briefly addresses the inequality between the surface and underground, but doesn’t engage with it any further. And although the plot of the AQ quickly deviates from the themes of class struggle to focus on the bigger picture, it doesn’t betray the narrative of the source material either.

The politics in Metropolis are centrist at best, the workers are lured into committing acts of violence without a purpose other than chaos by an idol of false belief (depicted in the movie as a robot, but it’s meant to be a parallel of pagan gods in the Bible). This same false idol temps the upper class men in the surface into self indulgent pleasure and violence, so the movie equates the motivations of the working class to revolt against a unjust system to that of the ruling class who maintain and abuse that system. Both are naive, unthinking, acting on carnal desire and senseless chaos.

The thesis that the movie presents is one in favor of keeping the hierarchical status quo between the dominating class and the class that is dominated. As if inherently assigning an intellectual role to the upper classes and a manual labor role to the lower, the surface is called the “head” and the underground is called the “hands”, which should be mediated with a “heart”.

Fritz Lang admitted this fault decades later:

“I was not so politically minded in those days as I am now. You cannot make a social-conscious picture in which you say that the intermediary between the hand and the brain is the heart. I mean, that's a fairy tale—definitely. But I was very interested in machines. Anyway, I didn't like the picture—thought it was silly and stupid”

As a side note —and why it matters that the interpretation of the film doesn’t confuse anti-capitalist themes with Marxist ideology— Goebbels, the chief propagandist of the Nazi Party, personally approached the director to ask him to join because Hitler watched and liked Metropolis. Lang refused and escaped Germany due to fear of being targeted for his Jewish ancestry, but the book that the movie is based on was written by his wife, who would join the Nazi Party herself later.

The story aims to maintain the status quo of class while promoting Christianity, a double indoctrination of sorts. It wasn’t odd that Goebbels would value it as a tool for propaganda.

Christianity & Plot

Both stories are based on the Bible, specifically the apocalyptic texts in the Old Testament. 

The protagonist plays the role of the messiah (ya boi Jesús) that must mediate between “head” and “hands”, an allegory for the messiah’s role in the Bible that reconciles God with humanity (after the whole dying for their sins business). He switches place with a worker and experiences the underground by himself, the same way god sends his son slash third part of himself to live as a human.

Neuvillette plays this role in the AQ, acting as the “mediator” between the power of the Sovereigns and humans. Beyond that there’s not much similarity with the movie (unless you’re a neuvifuri shipper), but they do make the same points in regards to Christian myth. Neuvillette also has his own arc of living among humans and learning to “be” one.

On the other hand, the character Maria represents Christian values and belief, and acts as a sort of prophetess for the underground people. She preaches about a mediator who will come to save them, and it is her who awakens the protagonist’s curiosity to venture down the underground city. So it is her who basically brings the Jesus figure into the world like a Virgin Mary expy. The two fall in love later.

This would be our Focalors, the real god of Fontaine who plans for Neuvillette to help the nation from the start.

The antagonists of the movie are the major of the city (who fulfills the role of the kings in the Bible) and a mad scientist (who fulfills the role of the devil), both conspire to create a robot version of Maria in order to suppress the workers uprising. Robot Maria represents an idol of false belief, in the Bible these are the pagan gods that people follow into their own ruin.

The mad scientist betrays the major and also sends robot Maria to the surface, where she spreads chaos in the form of the Whore of Babylon, an apocalyptic omen of the Bible.

This is our Furina, except Genshin subverts the character by making her the human part of Focalors instead. Furina’s official title (“Regina of all waters, kindreds, peoples and laws”) is a reference to the Whore of Babylon, and in the context of the AQ it’s meant to signify that Furina has caused the end of the archon rule in the nation.

In the movie robot Maria is burned at the stake by the workers in the middle of their violent frenzy, and they discover she is a machine while the real Maria is alive —Christianity wins. In Fontaine, Christianity kills herself (😭) and the apocalyptic idol of false belief stays alive. Perhaps the true values the people should follow are humane ones and not religious, who knows.

A flood also takes place during the climax of the movie, caused by the workers’ revolt, which the protagonist and the real Maria contain to save the children of the workers. Although not Christianity per se (the original book had a lot more of occultism than the movie) the role of the Grim Reaper, a rather symbolic character, seems to be paralleled by Arlecchino. It’s a character that represents the influence of robot Maria on the city as she spreads chaos, they work in unison while being two characters independent from each other.

[weirdbird74]

Just went to see the "remastered" Interstella 5555 at the theater.......... good god the blatant AI upscaling was egregious 😬 i don't think i've ever struggled so hard to enjoy something.

I'm very out of the loop so im curious to know who the hell's decision this was, and whatever happened to the original print? there has to be a better way. i refuse to believe there isn't. to call the product screened tonight a "remaster" or "restoration" is downright silly.

And how ironic is it, that an animated film about a band of artists being exploited at the hands of the evil entertainment industry, uses AI for its re-release?? HELLO????????

[longjiaojiao]

finish watching The Boy and the Heron, or the more accurate name: What Life Do You Want to Live.

plot free, but I felt that the point of this film was not in the plot at all. This is not a fairy tale like Hayao Miyazaki's previous works, but a song of war, change, and choice.

In the world of the tower, all the birds are participants of the war(WW2). Parrots are believers in fascism and imperialism, pelicans are the ones who Join wars just for staying alive. The words of the Pelican before his death explain this: "We have nothing to eat, the fish are in the sea but we can't catch them, we try to fly high, but we can't get off the island anyway, in this world, we either starve to death or risk being killed by fire to eat those souls. We don't really have a choice."

The whole tower fell from sky during Japan's Meiji Restoration era, it represents Western culture and Western values, and everything in this tower is Western style. Heron is a propagator of the Western world, he is not a black and white role, and his plot also shows that Western values are not all enemy.

The stone represents modern industry, so the militaristic metaphor of "iron and blood" is clearly reflected in the film. In the world of tower, those who rule the world use these stones to build a world, but the tower is so fragile that someone has to stabilize it every day.

If I keep talking about this I might actually reveal the plot, I'll shut up here also because there are some things I haven't figured out yet. I love this movie so much I don't even know where to start. every thing, every thing about this art work is amazing.