'In our current AI hype hellscape, restricting “AI-authored content” is not a terrible idea. (If I hadn’t been caught in the crossfire, I would have gone “huh. good.” and moved on with my day.)' Jiaqiao Liu (MA21) on their book Dear Alter, disqualified from the Ockhams for using AI - or does it?

We can trick Donald Trump into a boxing ring, right?

They are SO. CLOSE.

David Cronenberg would have rejected this for being too on the nose

I’m not the biggest fan of boxing as a concept, but I do think we’re at the point where the only thing that’s going to prove to some people that they aren’t the main character with pro level skills at anything they want is to be punched in the face repeatedly.

Good movie! boxd.it/bIW4A3

Hey, New Zealand, now that you're on holiday get some friends and/or family together and watch my crazy silly found footage sci-fi film GUT INSTINCT on the best system you can find. Have some chewy candies prepared. Ideally some buckets as well. You'll see. ondemand.arovideo.co.nz/film/gut-ins...

GBV fans, take note of this Sharp Pins recommendation. (Haven't listened to the other record yet.)

the extremely rare phenomenon of the “Threads banger” @timduffy.bsky.social

Remember, in a world of Gigans, be a Mothra.

Remember that end of history guy? He wanted to be remembered for having an even worse take

Gift link, probably the funniest thing the Wall Street Journal has done this year.

I'm not sure how much the Oscars/YouTube decision considered international audiences - Europe's asleep at that time, after all - but historically speaking watching the Oscars from New Zealand has been a giant pain in the ass, and it being on YouTube ends that problem.

I watched the first half of the Disney doc and I finally understand what he's doing with decoupling performance capture and cinematography and it breaks my brain. Have any other films even attempted it? I feel like everyone else is still in motion capture land.

So this article has been clowned on for its headline, and fair enough. I read to the bottom, whcih reveals it's funded by Arnold Ventures. Who at first seemed kind of noble, until I kept reading. The founder of Arnold Ventures is on the board of Meta. And also cashed in on Enron's last days.

Hi! My compilation album 'Diorama' is not set to 'name your price'... machinefabriek.bandcamp.com/album/diorama More info in this Substack post: machinefabriek.substack.com/p/diorama

Do something that brings you unalloyed joy at least once today. There's more to the world than its all-too-undeniable horrors, and while I certainly don't know how we fix all of *gestures broadly* this, I'm pretty sure part of it is keeping the best parts of ourselves alive and thriving

From the reactions I'm seeing from conservatives, we might have just had the "Have you no sense of decency, sir, at long last?" moment.

This clip comes from the 2nd part of "Edith's Crisis of Faith," one of the most truly upsetting episodes of network TV ever produced in the U.S. and a landmark of empathy for LGBTQ+ persons. That this also happens to be a Christmas episode in the wake of this week's news is almost too much to bear.

He lands this whole moment & the punchline so hard.

Literally the first thing I thought of when I heard the terrible news.

Relatedly: I'd love to read a good article on the fallout from the race to embrace NFTs and what was thrown to the wayside in the process. So much capital in creative institutions must have evaporated, with invisible but real ramifications.

One of the less obvious reasons this is a terrible idea is that recaps aren't just a summary of the most important stuff that happened last season, but remind viewers of the seemingly trivial stuff that's going to be important in the upcoming season, something an AI can't know.

Here’s the write-up of my chat with James Cameron from yesterday. The audio version covers even more ground and plays on Culture 10 after the 1pm news. www.rnz.co.nz/life/screens...

Seeing reports that Peter Greene had died. The one-two of LAWS OF GRAVITY and CLEAN, SHAVEN to launch his film career (with a memorable PULP FICTION scene not long after) is about as good a start as any actor’s ever had.

Gotta get those subscriber numbers up to Nuzzi levels… Thechinesecinema.com

The Carl Rinsch case mostly boggles my mind because there are so many people who would love to get $55 million to make a project and so few do. And yet he's just one of many filmmakers who seem to lack appreciation for the job. (Admittedly, most of them wind up in director's jail, not real jail.)

Just a reminder that Shaw Bros. is sharing a lot of movies in excellent transfers that have been hard to find in the US and Canada. They're all free and you can find them here: www.youtube.com/@ShawBrosCin... #cinejanes

I joined @letterboxd.social when it was in early beta back in 2011, and have been an avid supporter of the site ever since. And now I couldn't be more excited to have IT ENDS as a launch title on the new Letterboxd Video Store! letterboxd.com/video-store/...

Two NZ features playing Sundance!

My list of the 20 best films of 2025.

The Punk Testament.

This is funnier than the SENTIMENTAL VALUE joke. (via Vikare)

THE YETI SPEAKS (whose two halves use the same letters, in the same order):

Cattet and Forzani put more thought into shooting a carpet than some directors put into their entire film and if REFLECTION IN A DEAD DIAMOND were just a dizzyingly photographed kaleidoscopic ode to Eurospy and fumetti writ large it would be more than satisfying. It's SO much more.

Not gonna commit to "favorite" but this Kandinsky is a banger

Through a sale I discovered DSR Lines, an electronic outfit that makes lush oscillator beds. Today I learned it's the project of David Edren, who has a bevy of organic electronic albums that will take me ages to sort through. Here's one that caught my ear. tidal.com/browse/album...

I think one reason I love @letterboxd.social is that they retain a lonely committment to the notion that the year should be ended before you provide a wrapup or best of for the year. (So do the Skandies, of course. But who else?)

Born on this day in 1943, Happy Birthday, MARY WORONOV! 🎉

"If there’s no one there, no spontaneity, no genuine improvisation... maybe it’s music-shaped sound rather than music proper." That critique of AI comes from ... an AI. It's part of Damon Krukowski's interview with Claude, Anthropic's AI agent, and is a fantastic, insightful, mind-spinning read.

"If there’s no one there, no spontaneity, no genuine improvisation... maybe it’s music-shaped sound rather than music proper." That critique of AI comes from ... an AI. It's part of Damon Krukowski's interview with Claude, Anthropic's AI agent, and is a fantastic, insightful, mind-spinning read.

"No one is helpless. No one is beyond helping." One part of the Log Lady's message in Twin Peaks: The Final Dossier I read today. All of the Log Lady's segments in the extra intros and supplemental material is getting to me way more these days. Think I used to just gloss over them.

Honestly can only think of a few movies I've watched more than 6 times that I didn't make. Too paranoid of missing out. But this is one. (BOTTLE ROCKET is another, mostly 'cuz it was my third DVD and easy to convince non-folmy friends to watch.)

This is great. "There was always something quietly Ballardian about Margo and Jerry."

Will stop posting and watch a movie soon, but I just discovered INTRCPTR's debut ep and it won't be until that's over, because it's driving instrumental rock that rules and makes me want to start a band like this. The only problem is I want to play every instrument. tidal.com/browse/album...

Fave moment in JAY KELLY is when Adam Sandler checks his pockets when leaving the hotel, confirms he has what he needs, and I flashed back to "Phone Wallet Keys" youtu.be/e9N6_Tj9u2U?...

I can't believe we're still talking about the acting opinions of someone who, putting his own questionable talents aside, cast Eli Roth *multiple times*, but Matthew Lillard was picture-stealingly great just this year in THE LIFE OF CHUCK.

Was mulling indie rock dis tracks on the drive in. Off the top of my head, Sebadoh is the king ("Gimme Indie Rock" and "The Freed Pig"), but also Alan Licht's "Calvin Johnson Has Ruined Rock for an Entire Generation", Pavement's "Range Life", and Chocolate USA's "The Feelies Show". What'd I forget?