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Articles by Dirty OldTown
[TRAILER] Henry (Adam Sandler) is a marine veterinarian in Hawaii who spends his evenings cultivating flings with tourists. But when he meets Lucy (Drew Barrymore), a girl with a quirky problem when it comes to total recall, he realizes it's possible to fall in love all over again... and again, and again. That's because the delightful Lucy has no short-term memory, so Henry must woo her day after day until he finally sweeps her off her feet.
[TRAILER] A freak accident gives 12-year-old Little League player Henry (Thomas Ian Nicholas) a 103 mph fastball, leading the Chicago Cubs to sign him to a big league contract. Unprepared for such a high-pressure environment, Henry falters until aging fastballer Chet Steadman (Gary Busey) takes him under his wing. Also starring Amy Morton, Bruce Altman, Dan Hedaya, Daniel Stern, Eddie Bracken, Albert Hall, W. Earl Brown, and John Candy. Directed by Daniel Stern. Written by Sam Harper.
[TRAILER] Alex Ross Perry’s slippery experimental mockumentary about the American indie rock band Pavement is split into several competing segments: there’s a biopic being filmed called Range Life: A Pavement Story, a jukebox musical ramping up known as Slanted! Enchanted! A Pavement Musical, the conceiving of a museum exhibition of their archives named “Pavements 1933-2022: A Pavement Museum,” and a 2022 reunion tour which will welcome their first shows together since 2010.
Romania has thousands brown bears than previously thought
Romania is said to have the largest brown bear population in Europe and possibly the largest concentration in the world. The thing is, the number that is usually cited--8,000 bears--was arrived at with dated techniques using prints and sightings. Since switching to a census using genetic data, new results indicate Romania may have closer to 13,000 bears, more than rest of Europe combined (a figure that like the earlier one, excludes Russia), in a country a little smaller than Oregon.
Same question, same cousin, one year later
Last year, we asked for gift ideas to take with us to our favorite Romanian cousin. She's ten now and we'll be seeing her again in July. Just as before, she has loving awesome parents who give her thoughtful and clever gifts. We enjoy being the weirdo American cousins who show up with awesome junk from an ocean away that the exchange rate means she would never otherwise get. Last year's hit was a Bitzee. What should we do this year?
Movie: Dorm
[TRAILER] When 12-year-old Ton transfers to an all-boys boarding school, he's taunted by his peers and terrified by their tales about the ghosts that inhabit the school. Ton is utterly miserable until he befriends a mysterious fellow pupil. A nuanced blend of supernatural horror and coming-of-age drama, with a distinctly Thai point-of-view. Starring Charlie Trairat, Chintara Sukapatana, Sirachuch Chienthaworn, Suttipong Tudpitakkul, Jirat Sukchaloen. Directed by Songyos Sugmakanan.
14:1 he gets in on the first ballot
Major League Baseball Commish Rob Manfred has removed Pete Rose, the "Black Sox" and anyone who is dead from the permanently ineligible list. One (conspiracy?) theory is that Mansfeld did this to appease Donald Trump. (slate) (ungated) For a more amusing take, Defector has got you. (gift link)
Grauniad: Why millennials are now considered achingly uncool
Cringe! How millennials became uncool. A guide to Millennial-Gen Z conflict, from the Guardian. Longreads introduces the story, continue reading an ungated version. The internet had been my space before and now there was this whole wave of new people with no experience or credibility! Sounds not unlike the Eternal September to me, who has a lot of trouble telling these two cohorts apart, especially w/r/t denim. Joke’s on them, I was never cool.
[TRAILER] O.C. and Stiggs aren't your average unhappy teenagers. They not only despise their suburban surroundings, but they also plot against them. They seek revenge against the affluent Schwab family, who embody all they detest: excess. Director Robert Altman adapts a series of stories from National Lampoon magazine into a cynical parody of the 80's teen movie. Shot in 1983, but not released theatrically until 1987. Starring Daniel H.
[TRAILER] A 26-segment horror anthology that showcases death in all its vicious wonder and brutal beauty, with segments by Nacho Vigalondo, Angela Bettis, Nobouro Iguchi, Timo Tjahjanto, Ti West, Hélène Cattet and Bruno Forzani, Adam Wingard and Simon Barrett, Xavier Gens and others. « Older The Handmaid's Tale: Exodus...
How the Orbán family’s economic empire was born
A dinasztia (The Dynasty) is a 2025 documentary by independent Hungarian journalism group Direkt36 delving into how PM Viktor Orbán and his family and friends amassed tremendous wealth over several decades through public procurement contracts, generous loans by government-adjacent banks, and other means tied to Orbán being in power.
Also starring Nelsan Ellis, Dan Aykroyd, Viola Davis, Craig Robinson, Octavia Spencer, Lennie James, Jill Scott, Fred Melamed, Craig Robinson, Aloe Blacc, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Allison Janney. Directed by Tate Taylor. Screenplay by Jez Butterworth, John-Henry Butterworth. Story by Steven Baigelman, Jez Butterworth, John-Henry Butterworth. Produced by Brian Grazer, Mick Jagger, Tate Taylor, Victoria Pearman for Imagine Entertainment/Jagged Films/Wyolah Films. Cinematography by Stephen Goldblatt.
(Romanian: Capra cu trei lezi) [TRAILER] Secluded from the world, a single mother of three (Maia Morgenstern) must defend what's left of her family from a cold-blooded killer (Marius Bodochi), at all costs. Adapted from Ion Creangă's 1875 folk adaptation of the Big Bad Wolf fable, this Romanian folk horror film from 2022 makes the mother and her three offspring into humans, but leaves all of the bloodshed, horror, and violent retribution. Also starring Razvan Ilina, Antonio Gavrila, Silviu Corbu.
[TRAILER] Years after the failure of Hungary's 1848 revolution, surviving partisans, led by Sándor Rózsa still operate as outlaws. In order to root out Rózsa, the army rounds up suspects and jails them in an isolated fort. The authorities do not have the identity of the guerilla leaders, who are supposed to be present among the prisoners. However, they know enough about some of the suspects to apply perfidious forms of coercion effectively. (Hungarian title: Szegénylegények "poor fellows", i. e.
Starring Andrzej Seweryn, Jerzy Trela, Iwona Bielska, Jan Frycz, Henryk Bista, Grażyna Deląg and Krystyna Janda. Written and directed by Andrzej Żuławski. Based on The Lunar Trilogy by Jerzy Żuławski. Produced by Jerzy Kawalerowicz for KADR. Cinematography by Andrzej Jaroszewicz. Edited by Krzysztof Osiecki. Music by Andrzej Korzyński. Production took place from 1976 to 1977, but was interrupted by the Polish authorities due to concerns from the communist government about its content.
You Can't Smash an Egg With a Teaspoon
Googling a made-up phrase and appending "meaning" delivers confident wrongness from Google AI [Bluesky thread]. You can't lick a badger twice, but if you stare at the sea you'll eat your beans. My personal favourite: The saying "Never eat a pink Weetabix" is a mnemonic device used to remember the compass directions. It stands for North, East, East, Terrible (as a way to make it easier to remember) bix, and Bix is for South West. It's a common way to help students remember the compass directions.
[TRAILER] A poor fishing village is governed by dark tradition: every family must give away a daughter to the sea creatures who inhabit the waters nearby. In turn, the sea creatures are hunted by the men of the village. Saved from this ordeal as a baby by her father, 12 year-old Hayat (Basima Hajjar) is shunned and considered a curse. When Hayat's mother gives birth to her new-born brother, Hayat must accept the brutal custom by sacrificing herself to these creatures or find a way to escape.
[TRAILER] Acclaimed graphic designer Saul Bass (known for, among other things designing the logos for AT&T, Quaker Oats, and United Airlines and creating the title sequences for several Alfred Hitchcock films) directed this sci-fi yarn about a cosmic event that speeds up the evolution of ants, putting ants and mankind on a collision course. Starring Nigel Davenport, Michael Murphy, Lynne Frederick, Alan Gifford, Robert Henderson, Helen Horton, David Healy. Directed by Saul Bass.
FCC chair announces hard line against "biased" broadcasters
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr is taking a hard line against broadcast TV stations accused of bias against Republicans and President Trump. To pressure broadcasters, Carr is invoking the rarely enforced news distortion policy that was developed starting in the late 1960s and says the FCC should consider revoking broadcast licenses. C'mon...
All right meatsacks... let's get to work.
"You would like us to rebuild the deranged robot in order to catch another one?" M3GAN 2.0 (YT Trailer) goes full Terminator 2: Judgment Day, with the killer child robot returning, this time to defend Cady against a new robot. The film is a sequel to 2023's M3GAN (FF link), which was, btw, 93% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.
23andme: download then delete, or must you wait?
I'm downloading my 23andme data and intending to delete my account there as well. It says a few pieces of this info will emailed to me "within 30 days." Does this still happen if I am immediately delete afterwards? Or must I wait for the emails to arrive first so as not to interrupt the process? Hazarding a guess and making up reasons that might support that guess isn't interesting or helpful. Does anyone know the answer to this?
[TRAILER] A group of aspiring rappers unknowingly run afoul of both a violent gangsta rap mogul (Ice T) and an ancient evil after stealing a forbidden treasure. As their dreams of fame turn into a nightmare, they find themselves fighting for their lives as the ruthless, rhyme-spitting Leprechaun (Warwick Davis) and his Zombie Fly Girls pursue them through Compton. Directed by Rob Spera. Screenplay by Doug Hall, Jon Huffman. Story by William Wells, Alan Reynolds, Rob Spera, Doug Hall.
On a Mission to Fix Wikipedia's Famously Bad Celebrity Portraits
Wikipedia portraits are famously bad, so much so that there's an Instagram page dedicated to them. They're amateurish. They're old. Sometimes, like in the case of English footballer Kyle Bartley, they're just weird. (Is that a referee’s finger in his mouth?) WikiPortraits, a group of volunteer photographers, has been covering festivals and shooting celebrities specifically to improve images in the public domain.
It is possible to arrest someone for crimes against humanity
New Site Ready for Beta Testing || ChatGPT policy updated || February Site Update || Non Profit transition FAQ Former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte was arrested on an ICC warrant for crimes against humanity in Manila. According to his daughter, who is currently the country's vice president, “As I write this, he is being forcibly taken to The Hague tonight.
[TRAILER] Buck Russell (John Candy), a lovable but slovenly bachelor, suddenly becomes the temporary caretaker of his nieces (Jean Louisa Kelly, Gaby Hoffmann) and nephew (Macaulay Culkin) after a family emergency. His freewheeling attitude soon causes tension with his older niece Tia, loyal girlfriend Chanice (Amy Madigan) and just about everyone else who crosses his path. Also starring: Elaine Bromka, Garrett M. Brown, Laurie Metcalf, Jay Underwood, Anna Chlumsky.
Christ, What an Asho
In a triumph of graphic design and branding, Major League Baseball’s new ‘Overlap’ hats are going viral for all the wrong reasons. These are gonna become either priceless collectibles or fantastic thrift store finds very soon. posted by Going To Maine at 11:00 AM on March 11 [3 favorites] Oh... wow... these are horrible and hilarious. How in the world does this even get to the prototyping stage without someone noticing how bad the designs are and just mocking the whole idea into oblivion?
Movie: Dark Match
[TRAILER] A small-time wrestling company accepts a well-paying gig in a backwoods town only to learn, too late, that the community is run by a mysterious cult leader with devious plans for their match. Starring Ayisha Issa, Steven Ogg, Sara Canning, Chris Jericho. Written and directed by Lowell Dean. Produced by Rhonda Baker, Don Depoe, Michael Feehan, John K. MacDonald, Michael Peterson for Dept.9 Studios/Blue Finch Film Releasing. Distributed by Shudder. Cinematography by Karim Hussain.
FiveThirtyEight is no more.
ABC shuts down FiveThirtyEight and pulls the plug on its website. The last 15 or so employees of the once influential data aggregator are set to be laid off by Disney’s ABC News Group, according to a Tuesday report by the Wall Street Journal. (Archive.ph) The main URL already redirects to ABC News. re "538" EVs . . . I came back from Japan in mid-2000, two years away from qualifying for a PR. What a fucking mistake that was. posted by torokunai2 at 11:41 AM on March 6
[TRAILER] For reasons unknown, a flautist and an astronomer find themselves drawn to one another. But, when the flautist stumbles upon a secret regarding his late father, the two wind up in a celestial duel against the ancient Master Flautist for earth's future. Pakistani/French director Jamil Dehlavi directs this surreal fantasy with striking visuals that make use of real locations in Turkey.
[TRAILER] In the Australian outback, a vicious wild boar kills and causes havoc to a small community. Starring Gregory Harrison, Arkie Whiteley, Bill Kerr, Chris Haywood, David Argue, Judy Morris, John Ewart, John Howard. Directed by Russell Mulcahy (Highlander). Written by Everett De Roche. Based on the novel of the same name by Peter Brennan. Produced by Hal McElroy. Cinematography by Dean Semler. Edited by William M. Anderson. Music by Iva Davies. 58% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.
Fanfare Roundup: The Work Is Mysterious and Important
THIS WEEK IN FANFARE... NEW MOVIES: Captain America: Brave New World, for those still loyal to the MCEU; Apple TV's action/romance/sci-fi yarn The Gorge; Hulu's mob wives drama Fresh Kills; and harrowing 1972 Olympics drama September 5. AND IN TV: season three of Yellowjackets is hot off the fire; season three of The White Lotus checks in; new episodes of Severance, Paradise, The Pitt, and Abbott Elementary. Meanwhile, SNL turns 50 years old and throws itself a big party.
Postcard Ledges/Rails
I have a lot of postcard-type items I would like to display on a rotating basis. I've seen ledges that people simply rest photos or postcards on and that seems ideal. Not sure if I'm looking for the wrong search terms or just impatient, but it feels like I'm not seeing what i want. Google fu this all you want for me. All I need are reasonably priced, shallow wooden ledges/rails with a lip to hold postcards. What can you find? I do not want to build or make anything. Strictly doing this via shopping.
The Week of Living Dangerously: Your FanFare Roundup
THIS WEEK IN FANFARE... NEW MOVIES: Oscar contenders Emilia Pérez, Nickel Boys, and I'm Still Here; also, another Nosferatu. AND IN TV: New episodes of Severance and The Pitt; new Secret Service drama Paradise; and season posts for season two of Elsbeth; and Poconos-set murder mystery The Madness. Also, there was a football game and that was a pretty big deal. Recently Released Movies: Nosferatu - Not that one. This is a Kickstarter-funded one filmed in 2016, but just now making it to wide release.
Swearing may also be a sign of intelligence
“Words can change the way a patient thinks, feels, and performs. Swearing, or uttering a word that is considered taboo, is an often-ignored part of our language, even though over 50% of the population swears “sometimes” or “often”.
Making You the You You Are
THIS WEEK IN FANFARE... A list of Best Documentary Feature Nominees. NEW MOVIES: Sophie Thatcher tries to be the perfect girlfriend, ends up running for her life in Companion; Captain Underpants author Dav Pilkey's Dog Man scampers onto screens; Mark Wahlberg plays against type in Flight Risk. Meanwhile, people still have a lot to say about Nosferatu and Star Trek: Section 31. AND IN TV: A new episode of Severance and its fictional self-help book The You You Are gets a real e-book.
The You You Are
January Site Update || Calmer Vibes Chill Thread, Version 3 || FAQ about Non Profit transition THIS WEEK IN FANFARE... A list of Best Documentary Feature Nominees. NEW MOVIES: Sophie Thatcher tries to be the perfect girlfriend, ends up running for her life in Companion; Captain Underpants author Dav Pilkey's Dog Man scampers onto screens; Mark Wahlberg plays against type in Flight Risk. Meanwhile, people still have a lot to say about Nosferatu and Star Trek: Section 31.
[TRAILER] An investigation into abuse and missing children at an Indian residential school in Canada ignites a reckoning on the nearby Sugarcane Reserve. A 2025 Academy Award nominated film in the Best Documentary Feature Film category. Currently streaming in the US on Disney+/Hulu. You can check the film's JustWatch listing to check for your services/location. « Older Movie: Porcelain War... | Movie: Absolute Beginners... Newer »
[TRAILER] Journalist Shiori Ito investigates her own sexual assault, seeking to prosecute the high-profile offender. Her quest becomes a landmark case, exposing Japan's outdated judicial and societal systems. A 2025 Academy Award nominated film for Best Documentary Feature Film. Visit the film's listing at JustWatch to see streaming options in your area. « Older King of the Hill: Pigmalion... | Movie: No Other Land... Newer »
[TRAILER] Under roaring fighter jets and missile strikes, Ukrainian artists Slava, Anya, and Andrey choose to stay behind and fight, contending with the soldiers they have become. Defiantly finding beauty amid destruction, they show that although it’s easy to make people afraid, it’s hard to destroy their passion for living. A 2025 Academy Award nominated film in the Best Documentary Feature Film category. Not yet streaming in most areas.
“Many of us have decided we don’t want to be in bed, doom-scrolling"
"Now in College, Luddite Teens (previously) Still Don't Want Your Likes" (NYT gift) If they’re all carrying flip phones, I feel they haven’t quite gotten the point. posted by Lemkin at 11:21 AM on January 30 I feel like we Elder Millennials lucked out in being born in the sweet spot: young enough to be proficient and comfortable with technology/social media but old enough that it wasn't basically the air we breathed since birth.
American Eagle Flight 5342 Crashes in DC
A US Army helicopter has collided with American Airlines Flight 5342. AA Flight 5342, operated by PSA Airlines, was en route from Wichita, KS to Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington, DC. AA Flight 5342 is reported to have carried approximately 60 passengers. Rescue operations are ongoing in the Potomac River area where both aircraft are reported to have crashed.
And the Oscar goes to FanFare
THIS WEEK IN FANFARE... FIRST OFF (INSIDE): a list of 2025 Oscar nominated films with posts.
Obstinate clinging to the freezing and impossible
Fog, freezing, lashing winds, and baseball... On Saturday, June 5, 1914, the wind at San Francisco's Ewing Field was so strong it “lifted many a cap from the head of the players and tossed it about the diamond." Only 200 people showed up in similar conditions for Sunday’s baseball game. From then on, newspaper reports mostly just took note of when the weather was actually good, or if the team actually drew a crowd in spite of the conditions.
[TRAILER] In 2005, average in every way private Joe Bowers (Luke Wilson) is selected to take part in a secret military experiment to put him in hibernation for a year along with a woman named Rita (Maya Rudolph). The slumbering duo is forgotten when the base they are stored on is closed down and are left in stasis until 2505. When they finally wake up, they discover the average intelligence of humans has decreased so much that Joe is now the smartest man in the world.
Is it time to quarantine and perhaps ban Twitter?
To be clear, I am not asking to debate the gestures, or the individual, his actions, or entertain the incomprehensible and obscene opinions of the ADL or other compromised political entities. I would ask politely that people who need that debate go elsewhere.
[TRAILER] David Lynch fashions two separate but intersecting stories, one about a jazz musician (Bill Pullman), tortured by the notion that his wife is having an affair, who suddenly finds himself accused of her murder. The other is a young mechanic (Balthazar Getty) drawn into a web of deceit by a temptress who is cheating on her gangster boyfriend. These two tales are linked by the fact that the women in both are played by the same actress (Patricia Arquette).
[TRAILER] In the year 10,191, the most precious substance in the universe is the spice Melange. The spice extends life. The spice expands consciousness. The spice is vital to space travel. The spice exists on only one planet in the entire universe, the vast desert planet Arrakis, also known as Dune. Its native inhabitants, the Fremen, have long held a prophecy that a man would come, a messiah who would lead them to true freedom. This post is for the 1984 adaptation by the late David Lynch.
Society to Advocate for the Return of Intermissions in Movies
FANFARE THIS WEEK...
How to Stop Calls from United Lending, 1-877-200-2515
I get 5-15 phone calls and voice messages a day from "Morgan" at "United Lending" asking me to call 1-877-200-2515 about my loan application. I don't have a loan application. I've done the obvious/usual (see more inside) to no avail. I need these calls to stop. Is there an app I can use that is better enough than Google/Android's built-in screening to be worth paying for? I am willing to pay.
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