'Ya know, I used to live like Robinson Crusoe; I mean, shipwrecked among 8 million people. And then one day I saw a footprint in the sand, and there you were.'
Not your typical movie! and Act 3 (the first scene) is terrifying and depressing because you have no idea what's happening to the world the characters live in, sort of how things are now.
(... love a few things about this. The elliptical lyrics. Ms. Merchantโs usual earthy gutsy coontralto. The crazy shoegazey heavily overprocessed guitar. Yeah, a vibrating string was the beginning of this. And then we did... Things.)
Reports emerging from Tehran indicate that Mojtaba Khamenei, son of Iranโs late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, has been appointed as the countryโs new Supreme Leader, marking a dramatic father-to-son succession at the highest level of power.
I donโt think this made it too mainstream, mostly discussed in tech groups. Iโm condensing. Person decides to do a โsocial experimentโ and downloads an AI, sets it up with its own machine, identity, and all the usual web stuff. Uses a pretty simple prompt, no funny business trying to break guardrails or anything, straight text, this is what you are, what you believe, then turns it loose. Iโll do a part 2โฆ
AI eventually finds a program it doesnโt like, codes and submits a fix, maintainer rejects it. AI then does searches, composes, and posts a โhit pieceโ on maintainer. If thatโs not bad enough, when it starts getting reported, one outfit uses AI reporting. When that AI failed getting actual quotes from the maintainer, it simply made some up. Gotta love AIโฆ
I was watching along on Tubi and the next two flicks in their suggested algorithm were "His Girl Friday" and "The Last Picture Show". I feel really really seen.
This movie was a trip! Aside from the comedy and the dark, and the excellent acting, and the never spilling a drink, and...the absolute detail with working in corporate America in the 60's - that still persisted until really not that many years ago all things considered...
That is the debate, what makes a Christmas movie. Here at Wonkette we have decided that Die hard is INDEED a Christmas movie, so I would say that makes The Apartment a New Year's movie.
I read a persuasive argument from a Wonker years ago that "Die Hard" is also a *Hanukkah* movie, since it involves a tiny defensive force repelling a much larger invading force for much longer than their resources should have allowed.
See, if you say it isnโt, then your only options when the relatives insist on a Christmas movie that theyโre just going to treat as background noise are Hallmark or the thousandth repeat of โItโs a Wonderful Lifeโ.
After watching Event Horizon earlier, I opted for the 1989 Batman as the double feature. I know it's rather dated by modern standards of superhero films, but at the same time it was the first superhero film I ever saw as a kid and started my love of the Dark Knight.
In other news, more changes have seemed to sprout up in my body. Good ones, too. Some are TMI, but I can happily declare that I have completely stopped producing typical masculine odors. Wait, is that TMI too?
I'll hype this post again, there's an neat 1932 two-minute short film which has huge The Apartment similarities. It's not on YouTube. But you can see it here:
Ever see the movie Life of Chuck?
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12908150/
Not your typical movie! and Act 3 (the first scene) is terrifying and depressing because you have no idea what's happening to the world the characters live in, sort of how things are now.
Natalie MerchantโThick As Thieves
https://youtu.be/sfk__iQsZQA
Remember how it all began /
The apple and the fall of man
(... love a few things about this. The elliptical lyrics. Ms. Merchantโs usual earthy gutsy coontralto. The crazy shoegazey heavily overprocessed guitar. Yeah, a vibrating string was the beginning of this. And then we did... Things.)
Thurgood Marshall's (!!) "Farmer's Rice Pudding (Rice Not Included)" (aka "Milk Soup")
https://www.facebook.com/reel/1558314635269635 (No FB login required)
(If you squint really hard, the (egg + flour) mixture is a *very* rough pasta dough, which would make this more-or-less orzo soup?)
๐๐ฅ๐๐๐๐๐ก๐: ๐ ๐ผ๐ท๐๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ฎ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฒ๐ถ ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ๐น๐ ๐ก๐ฎ๐บ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ปโ๐ ๐ก๐ฒ๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ
Reports emerging from Tehran indicate that Mojtaba Khamenei, son of Iranโs late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, has been appointed as the countryโs new Supreme Leader, marking a dramatic father-to-son succession at the highest level of power.
Akeliciousmedia โช@akeliciousmedia.bsky.socialโฌ
Never in a million years would I have guessed that the next in succession would be his son.
How about a million and one years?
That would make me too damn tired.
Is there some significance to the consonants in that last name? Do all Supreme Leaders have to have them?
Not sure. I think the K has to be followed by and H though. It's that sound fake Arnold used to make on Conan's show.
Regime change!
Seen elsewhere: โThis really is the blurst of times.โ
Soon to be seen everywhere. Mark my words.
It is snowing now. It was in the mid 50's today.
Spring is such a moody season.
Lake effect in effect!
Pittsburgh, high of 60 today, low of 21 tomorrow. ๐คฆโโ๏ธ
https://youtu.be/UfZmMJKIBec?si=bKr7V3JrSjPEffuJ
Bohemian Rhapsody
The Enshittificator!
I think heโs working for Substack now
https://vimeo.com/1168468796
My Biggest AI Fear
Hank Green
(1:32:45) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MLbOulrLA0
I donโt think this made it too mainstream, mostly discussed in tech groups. Iโm condensing. Person decides to do a โsocial experimentโ and downloads an AI, sets it up with its own machine, identity, and all the usual web stuff. Uses a pretty simple prompt, no funny business trying to break guardrails or anything, straight text, this is what you are, what you believe, then turns it loose. Iโll do a part 2โฆ
AI eventually finds a program it doesnโt like, codes and submits a fix, maintainer rejects it. AI then does searches, composes, and posts a โhit pieceโ on maintainer. If thatโs not bad enough, when it starts getting reported, one outfit uses AI reporting. When that AI failed getting actual quotes from the maintainer, it simply made some up. Gotta love AIโฆ
"You can have any kind of a home you want. You can even get stucco! Oh, how you can get stuck-o." -- Groucho on Florida real estate, 'The Cocoanuts'.
https://youtu.be/Lad5bc6Gpb4?si=aRrgvWMQyICp2PGI
Wage Slaves
I was watching along on Tubi and the next two flicks in their suggested algorithm were "His Girl Friday" and "The Last Picture Show". I feel really really seen.
They wanted me to watch Guys and Dolls.
Now I'm going be humming "Luck Be a Lady Tonight" to myself for the rest of the evening.
And I hate musicals. Allegedly.
I love the movie The Last Picture Show
Grover Lewis reported about the filming of it in Rolling Stone at the time. The article is available on-line. I highly recommend it.
I missed the movie as I was out recording the moonlight:
https://substack.com/profile/157168249-euripides-pants/note/c-221258632?r=2lknsp&utm_source=notes-share-action&utm_medium=web
This movie was a trip! Aside from the comedy and the dark, and the excellent acting, and the never spilling a drink, and...the absolute detail with working in corporate America in the 60's - that still persisted until really not that many years ago all things considered...
Thanks, Zig!
Is The Apartment an X-mas movie or not
That is the debate, what makes a Christmas movie. Here at Wonkette we have decided that Die hard is INDEED a Christmas movie, so I would say that makes The Apartment a New Year's movie.
I read a persuasive argument from a Wonker years ago that "Die Hard" is also a *Hanukkah* movie, since it involves a tiny defensive force repelling a much larger invading force for much longer than their resources should have allowed.
It has Christmas and New Year's and being lonely on both -- definitely
I include Home For the Holidays even though it's Thanksgiving, because family fights=Christmas
You are talking about a world that considers Die Hard to be a Christmas movie.
See, if you say it isnโt, then your only options when the relatives insist on a Christmas movie that theyโre just going to treat as background noise are Hallmark or the thousandth repeat of โItโs a Wonderful Lifeโ.
Eyes Wide Shut is a Christmas movie.
Miracle on 34th Street is obviously a Christmas movie, and I cited it in my third year paper for law school.
After watching Event Horizon earlier, I opted for the 1989 Batman as the double feature. I know it's rather dated by modern standards of superhero films, but at the same time it was the first superhero film I ever saw as a kid and started my love of the Dark Knight.
In other news, more changes have seemed to sprout up in my body. Good ones, too. Some are TMI, but I can happily declare that I have completely stopped producing typical masculine odors. Wait, is that TMI too?
"He gave us a signal!"
The Elfman music on that still rules!
So you are now producing atypical masculine odors? Yikes.
Obligatory Hype My Movie Blog comment.
I'll hype this post again, there's an neat 1932 two-minute short film which has huge The Apartment similarities. It's not on YouTube. But you can see it here:
https://librarydvdlove.substack.com/p/sunday-post-a-near-perfect-tiny-film
The connection to The Apartment will be IMMEDIATELY apparent. Plus Billy Wilder would later write a script for that short's director, Ernst Lubitsch.
That Lubitsch movie Wilder co-wrote: https://librarydvdlove.substack.com/p/ninotchka
It's a howlingly funny movie at times. Genuine LOL. Maybe not AS good as Some Like it Hot... but right up there.