Zombie

A beautiful film indeed. Two people, so different in every way, whose meeting is so unlikely yet ‘see’ each other for who they are and ‘connect’ (as EM Forster wrote) Miriam Margolyes is exceptional, and the handsome Alistair Nwachukwu is definitely a young actor to watch out for (Spoiler alert: he really did get to go to a prestigious drama school and on a scholarship - fully paid just like JJ) Thanks so much for posting this - I shall definitely watch it again! https://www.instagram.com/p/DVOc9qrCrLp/# https://thecontending.com/lee-knight-interview/

Crochet and knitting has always been a manly activity https://www.thecraftygentleman.net/2015/08/16/the-manly-history-of-knitting/

ChatGPT (+ now Grok) has done pretty well for itself since this thread started 2 years ago, extending from just pure text to every kind of interaction humans might want - images, video, audio, the ability to understand and communicate using ordinary speech in most languages, and much more it’s becoming an essential tool for business, education, healthcare, government and many other areas too …including, under current UK govt plans, the justice system The UK govt is so impressed with AI’s ‘cost-saving potential’ that it plans to replace juries with AI for most jury trials Now, England has had jury trials for over 800 years since Magna Carta 1215 (actually 1225) So this is quite a big change a British lawyer thought it might be a good idea, before this is rolled out, just to check out ChatGPT (and Grok) to see if these AI systems are up to the job Because law is complicated, ‘facts’ can be tricky to pin down, and deciding guilt or innocence is quite a big deal So this lawyer came up with some simple ‘scenario’ tests for ChatGPT (and Grok). Although the conversations in natural language are impressive (they surely pass the Turing Test), pretty soon he got them wrestled to the ground +tied down, rodeo-style

“Mr Lovin’ “ £9.38 so what’s yours? 🧐

invariably the seller will make clear in the listing the region code (or region free) because they don’t want the hassle of return before buying I also check out review sites like blu-ray.com and dvdbeaver.com which provide a lot more information about releases they’ve reviewed (eg language option, subtitles etc, video/audio quality etc) do the work and you should be happy with what you buy

try this thread

printed words since at least 1440 (and first printed pictograms /pictographs c 3000-3500 BC) computer coded words are so arriviste

Sexy AI it’s scary that we’re now getting aroused by computer code 😮

English tenses - a nightmare “So, who’s driving?”, said the Penguin, looking disapprovingly down her beak at Brad and Steve, lolling in their seats, legs spread wide open with no care for the spectacle they presented. Brad burped. Loudly. Steve thought for a moment. Or, rather, tried to think. ”We couldn’t agree who was the designated driver”, he replied, speaking slowly and with exaggerated precision in order to avoid slurring but having particular difficulty with “designated driver”, which he had to repeat several times until he was satisfied he had correctly enunciated the phrase (he hadn’t).

I’ve watched it several times on Channel 4 (who produced and distributed it) and the ending always lifts the spirits Interestingly this was an adaptation of a West End stage play by the original (gay) playwright (Jonathan Harvey) for C4 who made it as a TV movie, but it was so well received they then released it theatrically and it went on to garner several international film awards pretty sure I’ll watch it again next time it’s on!

I think “messy queer” is my kind of cinema - like Sebastian (figuratively - above) and God’s Own Country (literally🤣)

personally I’m bored with the coming-out trope, the well-worn cliche of ‘gay films’ - BM seemed dated at the time and I’d no wish to watch it then or now. Sure, there’s still a need in some cultures, perhaps giving wider audience insight into those cultures, but in Western cultures they surely had their day a while back? what’s great is seeing films now that feature gay themes and characters and where being gay is relevant to the story, but not the focus

SEBASTIAN 2024 Although this film is written and directed by a gay director (Mikko Mäkelä) and the lead role is gay (Ruaridh Mollica, also gay in real life) and presents gay life and gay issues and writing throughout, it isn’t a ‘gay film’. It’s a film about a young man’s self-discovery and, along the way, his sex life (some very explicit gay sex scenes), loneliness, family, his need for love and affection, insecurity, vulnerability, rejection, deceit, exploitation, friendship, and ‘achievement’. The film’s central premise is ‘lived-experience’ and the titular role is sweet natured 25yo magazine journalist Max’s alter ego as sex worker ‘Sebastian’, listed on ‘Dream Boys’ to gather material about his client experiences for Max’s first novel. This premise is neatly echoed in an early scene at the magazine office where one IMDB reviewer comments: “In discussing an assignment for a Bret Easton Ellis report, a dispute surfaces (when)… the boss says, "I do think it best that queer writers cover queer authors" and that it is not a matter of optics but sensibility and sensitivity. This exchange illustrates an often-heard idea when it comes to art. Does it change if artists experienced, lived, what they write about? Does sensitivity and sensibility presuppose experience that translates, and is legible, as artistic quality?” Ruaridh carries the whole film. His performance is outstanding (all the parts are very well played) and the camera is on him almost all the time. His beautiful face is so expressive you know exactly what thoughts are going thru his mind when he’s not speaking in his soft spoken Scottish lilt. You cannot fail to care for him and where his double life is taking him. Some reviews disliked the ending, but I found it entirely consistent with the film’s narrative and very satisfying. I don’t know what streaming services are like in terms of censorship but you really do want to see the full unedited version (110mins). I picked up the blu ray for about £8 and I know I’ll want to watch it again so, for me, that’s good value. Strongly recommended. https://www.indiependent.co.uk/sebastian-review-a-brilliant-performance-and-a-fresh-take-on-the-sex-worker-genre/

this is a British /Finnish indie co-production (it had US distribution) and is on my To Watch list (bought the BR) and has an interesting premise: can a writer write authentically about a lived experience if he (or she) hasn’t lived that experience? lead actor Ruaridh Mollica plays the writer and is bisexual (oh the irony had he been straight! ) Will report back when I’ve watched it Edit to add: this premise ties in with the Netflix series, "Special", in W_L’s earlier post

how Real Men 💪 scream…

The Way We Were - is now forgotten… for most of the 20th century boys swam naked in schools across the USA and this wasn’t a choice - it was compulsory But here’s the thing - this has been officially ‘forgotten’, erased from social memory Pt1 (2+3 on YT)

IMDB gives this a “Severe” rating (Oooo Matron!) and says: ”Multiple sex scenes between the two main characters. Contains male rear nudity. No frontal so far.” the disappointment and hopeful expectation in those last 4 words is palpable…

careful what you wish for… …and beware the Monkey’s Paw

Architect builds Death Ray… When architect Rafael Viñoly designed the ‘Walkie-Talkie’ building in London (officially ‘20 Fenchurch Street’) he built a solar powered ‘Death Ray’… https://www.dezeen.com/2013/09/06/we-made-a-lot-of-mistakes-with-this-building-says-walkie-scorchie-architect-vinoly/

Nooooooo, please don’t stop, Krista!

ethics, n. a system or set of moral principles; frequently with modifying word e.g. business ethics: “airline and airport business ethics permit treatment of customers as cattle, including herding them into confined spaces, then denying them food, water and accommodation and any information when the sh1t hits the fan”;

no longer resolved never again to submit to the asymmetric (and therefore egregiously abused) power dynamic between airports/airlines and customers (…except, maybe, for one exception next year)

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Star Trek Brave New Worlds - oh dear… 3 years late, this finally hits UK ‘free to air’ 🎉 reviews were great: ‘true to TOS’, ‘original characters’, ‘best of the spin-offs…’ I was excited but three quarters thru S1E01 I’ve given up: the turgid dialogue is all plot, and worse the screenwriters feel they must explain the meaning of every ‘hip’ phrase one character says to another, where the meaning is obvious from context but it’s a ‘23rd century’ idiomatic arrangement of words that maybe viewers won’t understand because they’ve never heard that particular exact same arrangement of words before so it’s continual: Spock: plot Pike: plot plot Security Officer: invented idiom by ‘clever’ scriptwriter (meaning obvious ) +immediate explanation of idiom meaning… Nurse Chapel: more plot and then there’s the usual dull CGI-heavy visuals. TOS was shot on film, the restored BR discs (≈14.4 Mbps per show, much higher than streaming ≈5Mbps) are a pleasure to watch, bright colourful images, engaging characters and HUMOUR! All this was missing DNF’d

Distribution maps used to love these in school geography classes strangely, Mr Slidewell (or was it Glidewell? 🧐 ) never showed us these distributions… World favourite gay porn searches (Pornhub - 2024) US favourite searches