Ben Rowe
@cineastbenrowe.bsky.social
Calgary Cinematheque Programming Co-ordinator, Scream Scene Podcast co-host, Dungeon Master, he/him.
Reposted by Ben Rowe
It is an absolutely delightful irony that the richest man in the world is universally acknowledged to be a huge fucking loser who not a single living person envies in any way at all
Remember folks: if you have any small amount of artistic talent, any sex appeal, or can make your friends laugh, the richest man on earth is crying screaming throwing up because he can’t be you.
December 7, 2025 at 12:23 AM
It is an absolutely delightful irony that the richest man in the world is universally acknowledged to be a huge fucking loser who not a single living person envies in any way at all
Reposted by Ben Rowe
Theater going requires wages not to stagnate so tickets become too expensive to be a regular treat, it requires paying theater employees well so there incentive to keeping them clean, well run spaces, Netflix sucks, but it's the end stage of a disease of endless growth that's been at it for a while.
December 7, 2025 at 12:04 AM
Theater going requires wages not to stagnate so tickets become too expensive to be a regular treat, it requires paying theater employees well so there incentive to keeping them clean, well run spaces, Netflix sucks, but it's the end stage of a disease of endless growth that's been at it for a while.
Reposted by Ben Rowe
a billionaire who sees undermining political sovereignty as an alternative to paying a relatively minor fine is a problem that will have to be dealt with eventually
Elon Musk is against the European Union being the European Union —he posted this after X (fka Twitter) was fined for violations of the EU’s Digital Services Act.
December 6, 2025 at 8:53 PM
a billionaire who sees undermining political sovereignty as an alternative to paying a relatively minor fine is a problem that will have to be dealt with eventually
Reposted by Ben Rowe
Thread, and yup. I was also a pro film critic for years and now that I do work in film/TV I keep my vicious thoughts about these media to myself. Even more so in publishing, where I am high enough up the food chain that me being shitty to someone could have actual repercussions.
I spent the first 10 years of my career as a famously vicious film critic. I was effusive with love but wrote some famous takedowns that often went viral. There was a 2 month period where my careers overlapped. I wrote a SAVAGE takedown of an admittedly deserving film that went around town…
December 7, 2025 at 12:42 AM
Thread, and yup. I was also a pro film critic for years and now that I do work in film/TV I keep my vicious thoughts about these media to myself. Even more so in publishing, where I am high enough up the food chain that me being shitty to someone could have actual repercussions.
The best film adaptation of Wuthering Heights is, in my opinion, Andrea Arnold's from 2011 and even that still felt like half a movie. There's never really been a truly faithful adaptation and obviously this new upcoming one is anything but. But if I had to recommend a version, it'd be the 2011.
December 6, 2025 at 8:28 AM
The best film adaptation of Wuthering Heights is, in my opinion, Andrea Arnold's from 2011 and even that still felt like half a movie. There's never really been a truly faithful adaptation and obviously this new upcoming one is anything but. But if I had to recommend a version, it'd be the 2011.
RIP to a real one.
Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, prolific actor known for his roles in “Mortal Kombat,” “Last Emperor” and “Man In The High Castle,” has died at 75
Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa Dies: ‘Mortal Kombat, ‘Last Emperor’ & ‘Man In The High Castle’ Actor Was 75
Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, the actor best known for his roles in the Mortal Kombat films, The Last Emperor and The Man in the High Castle, has died.
deadline.com
December 5, 2025 at 3:42 AM
RIP to a real one.
Reposted by Ben Rowe
YOU ASKED FOR IT FOR SEVEN YEARS --- IT'S FINALLY HERE!
DUMPSTER RACCOON CINEMA proudly presents the long-rumored DIRECTOR’S CUT of 1990s beloved cult classic bomb, CAPTAIN AMERICA (1990) – with SPECIAL GUEST (and POSTER ARTIST!) comic superstar writer CHIP ZDARSKY! revuecinema.ca/films/dumpst...
DUMPSTER RACCOON CINEMA proudly presents the long-rumored DIRECTOR’S CUT of 1990s beloved cult classic bomb, CAPTAIN AMERICA (1990) – with SPECIAL GUEST (and POSTER ARTIST!) comic superstar writer CHIP ZDARSKY! revuecinema.ca/films/dumpst...
December 4, 2025 at 8:48 PM
YOU ASKED FOR IT FOR SEVEN YEARS --- IT'S FINALLY HERE!
DUMPSTER RACCOON CINEMA proudly presents the long-rumored DIRECTOR’S CUT of 1990s beloved cult classic bomb, CAPTAIN AMERICA (1990) – with SPECIAL GUEST (and POSTER ARTIST!) comic superstar writer CHIP ZDARSKY! revuecinema.ca/films/dumpst...
DUMPSTER RACCOON CINEMA proudly presents the long-rumored DIRECTOR’S CUT of 1990s beloved cult classic bomb, CAPTAIN AMERICA (1990) – with SPECIAL GUEST (and POSTER ARTIST!) comic superstar writer CHIP ZDARSKY! revuecinema.ca/films/dumpst...
Reposted by Ben Rowe
All I want for Christmas is for the worst people in the world to experience some consequences
December 3, 2025 at 8:03 PM
All I want for Christmas is for the worst people in the world to experience some consequences
Reposted by Ben Rowe
“the USPS must turn a profit” makes me want to set things on fire
they put a clause in the fucking constitution about postal service, that’s how important it is
nothing in there about “only if you can make money on it”
they put a clause in the fucking constitution about postal service, that’s how important it is
nothing in there about “only if you can make money on it”
🚨SCOOP: Amazon is preparing to sever ties with USPS and expand its shipping network as a true coast-to-coast rival.
It could cost USPS more than *$6 billion* a year in lost revenue, and lead Amazon to dominate yet another facet of the economy.
USPS posted a *$9 billion* loss in 2025.
It could cost USPS more than *$6 billion* a year in lost revenue, and lead Amazon to dominate yet another facet of the economy.
USPS posted a *$9 billion* loss in 2025.
Amazon explores cutting ties with USPS, building its own delivery network
Amazon looks into expanding its nationwide delivery network and giving up its longstanding partnership with the U.S. Postal Service.
www.washingtonpost.com
December 4, 2025 at 6:32 PM
“the USPS must turn a profit” makes me want to set things on fire
they put a clause in the fucking constitution about postal service, that’s how important it is
nothing in there about “only if you can make money on it”
they put a clause in the fucking constitution about postal service, that’s how important it is
nothing in there about “only if you can make money on it”
Reposted by Ben Rowe
Cannot stress how bad shit is about to get if you want to build any kind of PC.
Crucial is shutting down — because Micron wants to sell its RAM and SSDs to AI companies instead. It’s already getting hard to build an affordable PC, and the exit of the longstanding provider of consumer memory is going to make that even more challenging www.theverge.com/news/837594/...
Crucial is shutting down — because Micron wants to sell its RAM and SSDs to AI companies instead
Another blow to PC gaming.
www.theverge.com
December 3, 2025 at 10:03 PM
Cannot stress how bad shit is about to get if you want to build any kind of PC.
Reposted by Ben Rowe
I don’t want to be pollyannish about the past, but it was basically inconceivable twenty years ago that a president would say this publicly
Trump: "It’s a hellhole right now. And those Somalians should be out of here. They've destroyed our country. And all they do is complain, complain, complain. You have her. She’s always talking about the Constitution provides me with – go back to your own country and figure out your constitution."
December 3, 2025 at 11:01 PM
I don’t want to be pollyannish about the past, but it was basically inconceivable twenty years ago that a president would say this publicly
Reposted by Ben Rowe
it's wild how the positive use cases are like "save 5 minutes reading a long doc" and "write a generic email faster" and the negative use cases are "get encouraged to dive deeper in psychosis, misogyny, or suicidal thoughts" and we're still on the fence about overall value
New from 404 Media: ChatGPT told a violent stalker to continue running his misogynistic and threat-filled podcast despite the “haters,” and to visit more gyms to find women. The man stalked women in multiple states, including touching and following from work
www.404media.co/chatgpt-spot...
www.404media.co/chatgpt-spot...
ChatGPT Told a Violent Stalker to Embrace the 'Haters,' Indictment Says
A newly filed indictment claims a wannabe influencer used ChatGPT as his "therapist" and "best friend" in his pursuit of the "wife type," while harassing women so aggressively they had to miss work a...
www.404media.co
December 3, 2025 at 6:17 PM
it's wild how the positive use cases are like "save 5 minutes reading a long doc" and "write a generic email faster" and the negative use cases are "get encouraged to dive deeper in psychosis, misogyny, or suicidal thoughts" and we're still on the fence about overall value
Reposted by Ben Rowe
a load-bearing component of “the magic of Christmas” is the invisible domestic labor of moms
you are now realizing how much she was doing for you and instead of just thanking her you’ve decided it’s about the decline of civilization
you are now realizing how much she was doing for you and instead of just thanking her you’ve decided it’s about the decline of civilization
Because you're an adult you fucking muppet. You gotta pay the magic forward.
December 3, 2025 at 6:35 PM
a load-bearing component of “the magic of Christmas” is the invisible domestic labor of moms
you are now realizing how much she was doing for you and instead of just thanking her you’ve decided it’s about the decline of civilization
you are now realizing how much she was doing for you and instead of just thanking her you’ve decided it’s about the decline of civilization
Reposted by Ben Rowe
This is absolutely real. The current HBO Max version of this "Mad Men" episode "remastered for 4K" did not include an updated visual effects shot, which originally painted out the crew and equipment. Not just that, the HBO Max episode titles/order is jumbled for s01.
HBOMax has started showing a 'remastered' 4K Mad Men and they’ve messed things up so during Roger’s oyster vomit scene you can now see the crew men with the vomit hose on the right
December 2, 2025 at 3:59 PM
This is absolutely real. The current HBO Max version of this "Mad Men" episode "remastered for 4K" did not include an updated visual effects shot, which originally painted out the crew and equipment. Not just that, the HBO Max episode titles/order is jumbled for s01.
www.polygon.com/drak-pack-19...
The screenshots used in this article show exactly why AI upscaling cartoons looks AWFUL.
The screenshots used in this article show exactly why AI upscaling cartoons looks AWFUL.
Bring back the coolest vampire cartoon of 1980
Drak Pack mashed up classic monster movies with superhero shows, for a weird, unique dynamic. Here's why new fans are coming on board now.
www.polygon.com
December 1, 2025 at 11:52 PM
www.polygon.com/drak-pack-19...
The screenshots used in this article show exactly why AI upscaling cartoons looks AWFUL.
The screenshots used in this article show exactly why AI upscaling cartoons looks AWFUL.
I'm 20 hours in and yes Yakuza 0 is as good as everyone said it was. And yes I should have started playing these games years ago. As someone who put hours and hours into Shenmue on my Dreamcast 20 years ago, these games feel right to me.
December 1, 2025 at 9:57 PM
I'm 20 hours in and yes Yakuza 0 is as good as everyone said it was. And yes I should have started playing these games years ago. As someone who put hours and hours into Shenmue on my Dreamcast 20 years ago, these games feel right to me.
Reposted by Ben Rowe
Sure, they've made an environmentally catastrophic mass hallucination disinformation plagiarism Clippy that will destabilize the world, but also their other goal is to replace human workers entirely and let us humans starve. A boycott of AI is the most important boycott of your entire life.
"All of this falls apart if humans don't adopt the tech. This is why you've seen Meta cram its lame chatbots into WhatsApp and Instagram. This is why Notepad and Paint now have useless Copilot buttons on Windows. This is why Google Gemini wants to "help you" read and reply to your emails."
Analysis: OpenAI is a loss-making machine, how can it survive?
Don't call it a bubble! Loss-making monster OpenAI is on the hook for $1.4 trillion (with a T) in compute commitments. How can this go on?
www.windowscentral.com
November 30, 2025 at 9:17 PM
Sure, they've made an environmentally catastrophic mass hallucination disinformation plagiarism Clippy that will destabilize the world, but also their other goal is to replace human workers entirely and let us humans starve. A boycott of AI is the most important boycott of your entire life.
Reposted by Ben Rowe
"The housing crisis is because of the illegal immigrants" they say and their base keep drinking that sweet sweet koolaid...
December 1, 2025 at 1:30 AM
"The housing crisis is because of the illegal immigrants" they say and their base keep drinking that sweet sweet koolaid...
Reposted by Ben Rowe
DOGE was created for data theft and infrastructure dismantling and it wildly succeeded on both counts within the first few weeks of its existence. It will take a generation to rebuild what it destroyed and the breach of data is unprecedented.
Bye bye, “DOGE”.
It no longer exists as a “centralized entity”, according to the Office of Personnel Management.
@reuters.com
www.reuters.com/world/us/dog...
It no longer exists as a “centralized entity”, according to the Office of Personnel Management.
@reuters.com
www.reuters.com/world/us/dog...
November 23, 2025 at 3:01 PM
DOGE was created for data theft and infrastructure dismantling and it wildly succeeded on both counts within the first few weeks of its existence. It will take a generation to rebuild what it destroyed and the breach of data is unprecedented.
Reposted by Ben Rowe
So the guy selling COVID supplies to the government was hoping for more intense COVID waves, a direct outcome of policy decisions by a government he influenced through dozens of channels.
November 30, 2025 at 6:48 PM
So the guy selling COVID supplies to the government was hoping for more intense COVID waves, a direct outcome of policy decisions by a government he influenced through dozens of channels.
Reposted by Ben Rowe
The death of browsing is part of the reason art is the way it is now. Our opinions are largely fed to us by algorithms. Spending a spare 15 minutes wandering around a bookstore or comic shop or video rental place was how you found stuff you wouldn't ordinarily pick up and thereby expanded your taste
Bookselling is like the most "people go to the store and buy what looks cool to them without a particular agenda" type business left, and your purchases have a huge influence on what is ordered, what is displayed, and what is recommended.
November 29, 2025 at 6:44 PM
The death of browsing is part of the reason art is the way it is now. Our opinions are largely fed to us by algorithms. Spending a spare 15 minutes wandering around a bookstore or comic shop or video rental place was how you found stuff you wouldn't ordinarily pick up and thereby expanded your taste
Reposted by Ben Rowe
Started watching episodes of Fearful Symmetry from the @dungeonscrawlers.bsky.social and it is such a treat. Decided to do some drawing for fun tonight and sketched out some fanart of @rhiannonheld.bsky.social ‘s character Artemisia.
November 30, 2025 at 6:12 AM
Started watching episodes of Fearful Symmetry from the @dungeonscrawlers.bsky.social and it is such a treat. Decided to do some drawing for fun tonight and sketched out some fanart of @rhiannonheld.bsky.social ‘s character Artemisia.
The dance scene that went viral in Wednesday season 1 is such a great example of why old people need to let go of the reigns of pop culture.
November 30, 2025 at 6:03 AM
The dance scene that went viral in Wednesday season 1 is such a great example of why old people need to let go of the reigns of pop culture.
Old timers will remember when anime had routinely very very bad dubs with extremely amateurish performances. But we hit a golden age where in so many cases the dub really was just as good as watching subbed!
AI has made everything worse -- worse subs, and now: worse dubs. Much, much worse.
AI has made everything worse -- worse subs, and now: worse dubs. Much, much worse.
The only thing less human than these AI dub performances is the decision to sign off on them
A company this big can pay human actors a decent wage, not produce slop that intentionally removes the human element.
A company this big can pay human actors a decent wage, not produce slop that intentionally removes the human element.
November 30, 2025 at 5:38 AM
Old timers will remember when anime had routinely very very bad dubs with extremely amateurish performances. But we hit a golden age where in so many cases the dub really was just as good as watching subbed!
AI has made everything worse -- worse subs, and now: worse dubs. Much, much worse.
AI has made everything worse -- worse subs, and now: worse dubs. Much, much worse.