Dan Slevin
@danslevin.funeralsandsnakes.net
Gentleman of Silverstream. Writer, broadcaster and sometime CEO. Reviewer of films at substack.funeralsandsnakes.net and RNZ.
Pinned
Here's a quick pinned intro post for all those welcome new arrivals. I'm a film and tv critic for RNZ in Aotearoa New Zealand, broadcasting every Friday on Nights with @emiledonovan.bsky.social, and occasionally as a reliever on At the Movies.
Reposted by Dan Slevin
When a big media company uses genai slop instead of human made art, it is not just taking a job away from one artist to make that thing but *multiple* artists involved in all the things.
The entire artist-hiring pipeline gets destroyed in favor of chugging from the hot dogshit pipeline.
The entire artist-hiring pipeline gets destroyed in favor of chugging from the hot dogshit pipeline.
November 15, 2025 at 9:37 AM
When a big media company uses genai slop instead of human made art, it is not just taking a job away from one artist to make that thing but *multiple* artists involved in all the things.
The entire artist-hiring pipeline gets destroyed in favor of chugging from the hot dogshit pipeline.
The entire artist-hiring pipeline gets destroyed in favor of chugging from the hot dogshit pipeline.
I saw the ratshit Coca-Cola AI ad at the cinema last night so they are now very much on the boycott list.
When a big media company uses genai slop instead of human made art, it is not just taking a job away from one artist to make that thing but *multiple* artists involved in all the things.
The entire artist-hiring pipeline gets destroyed in favor of chugging from the hot dogshit pipeline.
The entire artist-hiring pipeline gets destroyed in favor of chugging from the hot dogshit pipeline.
December 4, 2025 at 8:14 AM
I saw the ratshit Coca-Cola AI ad at the cinema last night so they are now very much on the boycott list.
For Aotearoa physical media collectors the arrival of IKEA is a godsend. Ten years ago I imported six of these from Australia at something like twice the price. Now we can easily combine these and some Billys to make a beautiful book, CD and DVD corner. www.ikea.com/nz/en/p/gned...
GNEDBY shelving unit, white, 202 cm
GNEDBY shelving unit, white, 202 cm GNEDBY is a collector’s dream, a slim and shallow shelving unit that swallows a lot. Perfect for CDs, DVDs or other small things you hold dear. Adjustable shelves; ...
www.ikea.com
December 4, 2025 at 2:49 AM
For Aotearoa physical media collectors the arrival of IKEA is a godsend. Ten years ago I imported six of these from Australia at something like twice the price. Now we can easily combine these and some Billys to make a beautiful book, CD and DVD corner. www.ikea.com/nz/en/p/gned...
If, like me, your life was never the same after watching Jools Holland’s Walking to New Orleans in 1985, you’ll be delighted and surprised to know that a lightly edited version is now on BBC iPlayer (with wrap, commentary and extras from Holland).
December 3, 2025 at 11:04 AM
If, like me, your life was never the same after watching Jools Holland’s Walking to New Orleans in 1985, you’ll be delighted and surprised to know that a lightly edited version is now on BBC iPlayer (with wrap, commentary and extras from Holland).
Books are perfect gifts and the Listener 100 is a great place to start. Buying those books from independent bookshops is a gift that keeps on giving. Here’s the Bookhub guide that will point you at your local bookshop for every title.
bookhub.co.nz/c/nz-listene...
bookhub.co.nz/c/nz-listene...
bookhub.co.nz
December 3, 2025 at 10:26 AM
Books are perfect gifts and the Listener 100 is a great place to start. Buying those books from independent bookshops is a gift that keeps on giving. Here’s the Bookhub guide that will point you at your local bookshop for every title.
bookhub.co.nz/c/nz-listene...
bookhub.co.nz/c/nz-listene...
Reposted by Dan Slevin
Wrong heading. Should be - Massive US tech companies steal from NZ authors & only compensate a few.
NZ authors among global payout out after AI chatbot trained on pirated books
NZ authors among global payout out after AI chatbot trained on pirated books
Award-winning author Catherine Chidgey's books have been caught up in a class action in the US which saw Anthropic AI agree to pay up to $2.6 billion.
www.rnz.co.nz
December 2, 2025 at 4:52 PM
Wrong heading. Should be - Massive US tech companies steal from NZ authors & only compensate a few.
Reposted by Dan Slevin
‘Stoppard never learnt how many lives he saved by writing Arcadia’
December 2, 2025 at 9:11 AM
‘Stoppard never learnt how many lives he saved by writing Arcadia’
Reposted by Dan Slevin
RNZ hits live listener target a year early
RNZ hits live listener target a year early
Just-released survey figures show 500,300 live listeners in a typical week for RNZ National aged 10 or older, up from 475,800 in the last survey.
www.rnz.co.nz
December 2, 2025 at 1:40 AM
RNZ hits live listener target a year early
Todays' newsletter going out in five minutes. Link in comments!
December 2, 2025 at 2:13 AM
Todays' newsletter going out in five minutes. Link in comments!
Reposted by Dan Slevin
www.stuff.co.nz/home-propert... good, but also they were never student flats. They were social housing.
Controversial student flats building set for demolition before the year is out
The university says the buildings, which have deteriorated significantly since being purchased in 2014, pose an unacceptable risk to students and the wider community.
www.stuff.co.nz
December 1, 2025 at 10:48 PM
www.stuff.co.nz/home-propert... good, but also they were never student flats. They were social housing.
One of a kind.
November 30, 2025 at 9:56 PM
One of a kind.
“wasterwater”
November 28, 2025 at 10:40 AM
“wasterwater”
Remember the days when a “cancelled export order” meant you could just buy a leg of lamb on impulse? Piled high they were.
November 28, 2025 at 6:17 AM
Remember the days when a “cancelled export order” meant you could just buy a leg of lamb on impulse? Piled high they were.
At a loose end so I’ll play.
Introduce yourself with five concerts you’ve been to:
Spandau Ballet
Mandy Patinkin
The Ranchsliders
Paul Kelly & The Coloured Girls*
Ry Cooder with Nick Lowe and Joachim Cooder
*I really miss that band name.
Introduce yourself with five concerts you’ve been to:
Spandau Ballet
Mandy Patinkin
The Ranchsliders
Paul Kelly & The Coloured Girls*
Ry Cooder with Nick Lowe and Joachim Cooder
*I really miss that band name.
November 28, 2025 at 4:30 AM
At a loose end so I’ll play.
Introduce yourself with five concerts you’ve been to:
Spandau Ballet
Mandy Patinkin
The Ranchsliders
Paul Kelly & The Coloured Girls*
Ry Cooder with Nick Lowe and Joachim Cooder
*I really miss that band name.
Introduce yourself with five concerts you’ve been to:
Spandau Ballet
Mandy Patinkin
The Ranchsliders
Paul Kelly & The Coloured Girls*
Ry Cooder with Nick Lowe and Joachim Cooder
*I really miss that band name.
As I’ve said here on a number of occasions, this is the “how hard can it be” government and they are finding out but they still don’t care.
Sadly, details are what governing is all about. Not caring about details is why the current government has put us in the ditch.
November 28, 2025 at 4:24 AM
As I’ve said here on a number of occasions, this is the “how hard can it be” government and they are finding out but they still don’t care.
Reposted by Dan Slevin
PickPath has been chosen by Creative Capital Arts Trust (the people behind CubaDupa and NZ Fringe) and Wellington City Council to help encourage active transport options for Wellingtonians of all ages to get to this year’s Glover Park Christmas Market on Saturday 29 November.
1/7
📸Jinki Cambronero
1/7
📸Jinki Cambronero
November 28, 2025 at 1:04 AM
PickPath has been chosen by Creative Capital Arts Trust (the people behind CubaDupa and NZ Fringe) and Wellington City Council to help encourage active transport options for Wellingtonians of all ages to get to this year’s Glover Park Christmas Market on Saturday 29 November.
1/7
📸Jinki Cambronero
1/7
📸Jinki Cambronero
Just finished the final episode of Tangata Pai on ThreeNow. What a great series. Deserves a big audience but I fear it hasn’t had the promotion it needed. Going to review this one with @emiledonovan.bsky.social on RNZ Nights tomorrow.
November 27, 2025 at 9:01 AM
Just finished the final episode of Tangata Pai on ThreeNow. What a great series. Deserves a big audience but I fear it hasn’t had the promotion it needed. Going to review this one with @emiledonovan.bsky.social on RNZ Nights tomorrow.
Reposted by Dan Slevin
There’s a staggering amount of money being spent in Wellington at the moment supporting Avatar (and the Gollum films are recruiting craft crews now). We would be an even more impoverished industry and culture without the rebates.
November 26, 2025 at 10:04 AM
There’s a staggering amount of money being spent in Wellington at the moment supporting Avatar (and the Gollum films are recruiting craft crews now). We would be an even more impoverished industry and culture without the rebates.
Reposted by Dan Slevin
This is the Bond we could have had.
November 26, 2025 at 8:52 AM
This is the Bond we could have had.
I dare Doocey to Google “AI” and “Mental Health”. He’ll see the stories we are reading today about AI encouraging self-harm.
📢 A new AI tool will be a "real game changer in providing faster and real time access to support", says the mental health minister.
👉 Report issues, make suggestions
👉 Report issues, make suggestions
Mental health data won't be misused by new AI navigation tool - minister
www.rnz.co.nz
November 26, 2025 at 8:49 AM
I dare Doocey to Google “AI” and “Mental Health”. He’ll see the stories we are reading today about AI encouraging self-harm.
Many users feel like they're looking at an angry little guy. Does this octopus really want to fight me?
November 26, 2025 at 8:35 AM
Many users feel like they're looking at an angry little guy. Does this octopus really want to fight me?
Today was my work Christmas* function.
*We don’t specify a particular end-of-year celebration.
*We don’t specify a particular end-of-year celebration.
November 26, 2025 at 7:46 AM
Today was my work Christmas* function.
*We don’t specify a particular end-of-year celebration.
*We don’t specify a particular end-of-year celebration.
Actually Netflix, not DocPlay. Bloody good all the same.
For once, The Untold Story Of Ed Sullivan really does lift the lid on the life of a man who had the brains and the balls to make it in a profession that would have seemed highly unlikely for someone who had started out as a sports announcer.
#DocPlay #TVReview #WatchNow
https://tinyurl.com/2fe58zr3
#DocPlay #TVReview #WatchNow
https://tinyurl.com/2fe58zr3
November 26, 2025 at 7:28 AM
Actually Netflix, not DocPlay. Bloody good all the same.
This is the episode of It’s Garry Shandling’s Show where Maria the maid is being deported to Guatemala.
November 26, 2025 at 6:36 AM
This is the episode of It’s Garry Shandling’s Show where Maria the maid is being deported to Guatemala.
Reposted by Dan Slevin
In the hawker food markets in Singapore, the protocol is to leave a pack of tissues on your table to indicate that the table is occupied. There are people who wander around selling tissue packages.
November 26, 2025 at 5:11 AM
In the hawker food markets in Singapore, the protocol is to leave a pack of tissues on your table to indicate that the table is occupied. There are people who wander around selling tissue packages.