19 posts shown.
I was thinking about this the other day while scrolling through some release calendars, and it really got me wondering about the shifting landscape of how we actually *consume* art. It feels like we’re living through this weird, transitional era where the very concept of a "premiere" is being fundamentally redefined.
For decades, the hierarchy was so clear-cut. You had the prestige of the festival circuit, the exclusive window of the theatrical run, and then, much later, the secondary life on home video or cable. There was a sense of eventfulness to it. If a director you respected was putting something out, you knew there was a specific window of time where you could sit in a dark room with a hundred strangers and experience that vision exactly as it was intended. It felt communal, almost sacred in a way. There was a certain social currency in having seen something "in theaters" before it became part of the general conversation.
But lately, that window is shrinking—or in some cases, it’s being bypassed entirely by a massive, looming shadow. We’re seeing more and more instances where the prestige of a global festival debut is immediately followed by a very brief, almost polite nod to traditional cinemas before a massive streaming platform swallows the whole thing up. It’s as if the theatrical release is becoming a mere formality, a "prestige marker" to signal to critics that this is "important" art, rather than a genuine attempt to engage an audience in a shared physical space.
I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with this. On one hand, I love the accessibility. I love that I can watch a masterpiece from halfway across the world on my couch without spending forty bucks on a ticket and gas. The democratization of high-quality cinema is a beautiful thing. It means niche, soulful, or experimental films that might have died in obscurity twenty years ago now have a global audience of millions at their fingertips.
On the other hand, I can't help but feel like we're losing something visceral. There is a psychological difference between watching a film on a 65-inch OLED in your living room—where you can pause to grab a snack, check your phone, or talk to your spouse—and sitting in a theater where the world is blocked out. There’s a specific kind of focus that a theater demands of you. It’s a commitment. When the medium shifts to "content on demand," I feel like the "art" part of the equation gets diluted. We start treating films like background noise or something to be "cleared" from a watchlist, rather than something to be experienced.
I also wonder about the impact on the creators themselves. If the goal is to build a massive, global conversation through a streaming algorithm, does that change how directors approach their pacing or their visual language? Do they start subconsciously composing shots that look "good" on a smartphone or a tablet, rather than shots designed to overwhelm a massive screen? It feels like the "prestige" label is being used to bridge the gap, but the actual experience of the art is being squeezed into a smaller and smaller box.
I don't want to be the guy shouting at clouds, but I do feel a sense of mourning for the "event" of cinema. We are moving toward a world where everything is available, everywhere, all at once. But if everything is an event, is anything actually an event anymore?
Do you think the convenience of streaming is worth the loss of the theatrical "event" culture, or are we just watching the slow death of cinema as a communal experience?
Harold Rivera47 said:What are you even talking about? Of course they deny it!
I honestly think you've got it backwards. Modern Germany is essentially the legal successor to Hitler's Third Reich. Now, look at America—it isn't the legal successor to Nazi Germany, even though members of those old armed forces were eventually granted status within the American military. To make things even more interesting, that specific decision was signed by none other than Jimmy Carter. That's the very same Jimmy Carter who has spent years barking about how those old units weren't part of the actual American military or the National Guard.
bluecyclist64 said:That's a lie. You didn't provide an example.
And right there, we see a textbook case of spin—the kind you know all too well, so I won't bore you by repeating myself.
None of you in the Mark's circle, not even you, ma'am, have provided a single instance of hate speech originating from LGBT organizations.
The way you treat them is reminiscent of how the Nazis treated Jews in the 1930s—fabricating accusations and leveling false charges.
Then you act surprised when the LGBTQ+ community calls you out.
Don't get worked up now; save that energy for referendum day. Which is obviously coming, much to your dismay.
http://www.nytimes.com/news/US-referendum-on-marriageCongress won't hide behind the Supreme Court: Marriage referendum to be called soon
I think we’re about to see the real hate speech once those radical activist groups start going all out, publicly labeling anyone who votes to include this provision in the Constitution as a fascist or a bigot. It’s going to be a mess.
rowdytiger13 said:Well, if they just went ahead and euthanized them all—exactly how some people here seem to suggest I would—I don't think we'd ever actually get to that point.🙂
(responding to redbear12)
Honestly, don't you think everything this LGBTQ+ lobby is pushing has already crossed the line into blatant fascism and totalitarianism? If things keep going down this path, we’ll be looking at a future where people end up behind bars just for saying "being gay isn't okay." This isn't going to fly in America, no matter how much you all dream about it.
restlesscrane152 said:Look, the point of the comparison is to show that the attack count against LGBTQ+ people isn't just a bunch of "isolated incidents" like some people here want to claim. If these were truly just "isolated incidents," they'd be happening to everyone equally, not just targeting specific groups. That’s exactly why I brought up Catholics—following your logic, they wouldn't be spared from these "isolated incidents" either. They'd get jumped just for being Catholic, just like how other groups get "exceptionally" targeted. Is that clear enough now?
Activists want to frame certain attacks (which sometimes have nothing to do with sexuality, just like the attacks on Stjepan Mason had nothing to do with anti-fascism) as organized terror by the majority against a minority.
But if this is hitting one specific group disproportionately, how can you call it accidental? Does society just hunt them down like dogs? No, but that doesn't mean there isn't a massive problem.
It's not some wild conspiracy; it's just the facts on the ground.
The fact of the matter is they don't have equal rights.
What rights are we even talking about here? They have the exact same rights as any other citizen in America, but just like how neither I nor anyone else has the right to marry their pet dog, they don't have the right to enter into a gay marriage. They can register whatever they want if they're looking to embarrass themselves—that's on them, not me. If they end up becoming a laughingstock later, well, that's their business. But at the same time, nobody has the right to go out and physically attack them, just like those gay leaders don't have the right to claim that everyone who opposes this lifestyle is some kind of religious fascist. But hey, that's exactly what they say.
restlesscrane152 said:You totally missed the point. Let me break it down for you:
"Željka Markić's initiative isn't an endangered minority (like the LGBTQ+ community is)."
So yeah, they aren't a marginalized group, which means all that talk about them being "persecuted" as a minority? Total nonsense.
Let me get this straight: in America, you can call a Catholic a clerical fascist or a Catholic Taliban because they belong to the majority, but you can't call a gay man a slur because he belongs to a minority? Because of logic like yours, I am going to be voting YES in the referendum with absolute pleasure.
Jack Cook7 said:Here we go again. Just another installment in this endless, multi-year saga of media hit pieces that—if you ask me—are doing nothing but stirring up unnecessary drama and inciting hate for absolutely no reason.
I can't believe this stuff keeps happening. I was just scrolling through Index and saw this latest mess—honestly, it’s getting ridiculous at this point. You see these headlines and you just have to shake your head. It feels like every time we think things are settling down, some new drama pops up out of nowhere. It’s wild how much noise there is around these issues lately. One minute everyone is acting like everything is fine, and the next, it’s a total circus. Honestly, if you aren't paying attention, you're missing half the story, but even when you *are* paying attention, it’s exhausting! Just one thing after another. Anyway, what do you guys think? Is it just me, or is the whole situation getting more absurd by the day?
Title: Markić and his crusade to "destroy the LGBT portal!" Clearly, they’re spiraling because the referendum isn't going their way.
I can't even begin to process this excerpt. It’s just... wow.
Jurčić: They’re freaking out, so now they're throwing around lawsuits!
Honestly, the groups fighting for LGBT rights aren't even blinking at this latest stunt from the "In the Name of the Family" initiative. They just filed a criminal complaint against that activist site Crol.hr, and yeah, it’s exactly what you'd expect.
Marko Jurčić told Index that this whole move is a dead giveaway. He thinks Željko Markić and the "In the Name of the Family" initiative are totally panicking because their big referendum plan isn't going exactly how they dreamed it would. Now, they’re just out there suing everyone in sight to try and stay relevant.
"This whole initiative is just a massive scam targeting everyday citizens by manipulating signatures," Jurčić said. "Since they can't seem to find a way to fast-track democracy, they’re resorting to these rushed, desperate moves and filing baseless lawsuits. On top of that, 'In the Name of the Family' and healthieducation.com share the exact same bank account, which basically proves they're the same organization. While 'In the Name of the Family' plays it safe with neutral language, their other project—the healthieducation.com initiative—is absolutely loaded with hate speech and violent rhetoric. It’s a textbook case of double standards."
Look, Crol.hr is just running a standard news site here. They’ve got actual journalists doing their jobs, and they're super quick about scrubbing any comments that cross the line into hate speech. It’s pretty routine stuff. But then you have Željka Markić—she actually filed a formal complaint after the site had already wiped out all those hateful comments herself! So, the site did its part, and she still went ahead with the legal report.
He’s out here claiming that Americans need to wake up and realize that "In the Name of the Family" and healthieducation.com are actually just two different faces of the exact same organization, all run by the same person.
Sanja Juras, who heads up the legal team over at Kontra and their Index initiative, was just pointing out that Section 325 of the Penal Code isn't some random rule. She says the whole reason they put that specific part of the Penal Code in there was to protect vulnerable minorities from being targeted by violence. Basically, it’s about keeping people safe.
"Look, Željko Markić’s little initiative isn't some marginalized group fighting for rights—it’s basically just a group set up to stir the pot and spread hate against the LGBT community," Sanja Juras told us. She also pointed out that they can't even lean on that article, and honestly, they don't have a leg to stand on for filing any complaints since Crol.hr already wiped out all those nasty comments. At the end of the day, this is just a direct attack on a news outlet trying to report on protecting LGBT human rights.
Here’s what Marko Jurčić had to say:
Marko Jurčić told Index that this whole move is just a dead giveaway. He thinks Željko Markić and his "In the Name of the Family" group are starting to panic because their big referendum plan isn't going exactly how they dreamed it would. Now, they’re just out there suing everyone in sight.
This whole initiative is nothing but a massive scam designed to play people with their signatures. Since they can't find a way to fast-track democracy, they’re just resorting to these desperate, half-baked moves and filing totally baseless lawsuits.
It’s pure manipulation, plain and simple. This whole referendum process is just dragging on because the people in power are throwing everything they can at it to stall us. You've got the administration, Marko Jurčić, and those LGBT lobbyists all working together to block progress—and honestly, they conveniently forget the "Q" whenever they address the public. Terms like "a total fraud against the citizens," "signature tampering," "rushed moves," or calling things "baseless accusations"? That’s textbook. It's a classic case of weaponizing buzzwords just to throw shade and make the other side look bad. Total manipulation.
Picture this: first, you go out of your way to grind the democratic process down to a halt. Then, the second the other side points out how painfully slow everything is moving, you flip the script and accuse *them* of manipulating things, being in a total panic, and making reckless moves.
If that isn't straight-up manipulation and Machiavellian scheming, I don't know what is. Maybe it's just pure panic.
Here’s another thing Sanja Juras said:
"The initiative led by Željko Markić is not a threatened minority, but rather a group created specifically to incite hatred against LGBT people."
The first part of that statement is complete nonsense. "The initiative led by Željko Markić is not a threatened minority"—what is that even supposed to mean? Can someone please explain that one to me?
Then comes the second part, which "logically" follows the first: "but rather a group created specifically to incite hatred against LGBT people."
She’s claiming that the group represented by Željko Markić exists solely to spread hate.
Now, this is getting into legal territory. Ms. Juras is throwing around accusations against a legitimate organization, claiming they were built for the express purpose of fueling hate toward a specific group, all without providing a single shred of actual evidence. Honestly, it feels like Ms. Juras is the one publicly inciting hatred here. It’s about time these groups were held to some actual common sense.
Let them, let them. For years now, I've felt that people like them should be taken down mercilessly, but strictly using their own tactics—through the legal system, things like referendums, civil lawsuits, and so on. Now they're clearly confused that their own weapons have been turned right back against them, so they're just whining and crying about it. Let them whine. We'll just sit tight and wait for the day when a referendum is finally called.
Drew Allen2 said:Hey everyone. I'd suggest you all head over to this site, http://www.politicalcompass.org/ , and if your English is up to it, take this test: http://www.politicalcompass.org/test .
It'll spit out where you land on the so-called political compass. Seems pretty interesting to me.
You can see how it works right here...
http://www.politicalcompass.org/images/bothaxes.gif
Basically, left versus right shows if you're a liberal or a conservative. Then there’s the other axis... for example, if you fall below the line, you lean more toward anarchy, whereas staying above it means you favor more authoritarian control.
Cheers. Let's see what you all get! 🙂
Total right-winger, yet the scale puts them as a moderate authoritarian leftist. Maybe their standards for left and right are just totally skewed.
Chloe Sullivan88 said:God, the sheer joy of it all. 😍
Where on earth did you people get the impression I was leaving this forum? 🤷 😂
And coming from brightwolf85? That actually caught me off guard. 🙄
Who else am I supposed to debate health education with? 🤣 ☕
Hey, love you too! Things just get heated sometimes when we're debating.🙂
No hard feelings.
Chloe Sullivan88 said:He didn't mention the open sea disputes, the real estate mess, or the military service issues involving the Republican Party because then he’d have to write "Republican Party" way too often—and that wouldn't fit his narrative that certain Democrats ruined America.
He wrote "Republican Party" once, but "Democrats" three times.
That’s why I asked why he didn't include the specifics, like how the Republican Party handled the maritime borders with Canada. Wasn't that exactly what Jaca was negotiating behind closed doors at Trakošćan? 🤣
Exactly. They're all cut from the same cloth, both the Republicans and the Democrats. Does anyone actually believe the Republican Party is out here defending national interests? They'd probably sell off half of American territory just to get two Mercedes-Benzes. On the flip side, the Democrats would do the exact same thing just to protect their old communist-era criminals. They're just two sides of the same coin.
Chloe Sullivan88 said:It’s funny how you’ve managed to frame everything so perfectly so that the Democratic Party takes the fall for the American economy, even though the Republican Party has been in power almost the entire time.
Ah, you right-wingers... even when you pretend to be against both the Democrats and Republicans, you’re always subtly trying to convince everyone else that the Republican Party is the only way to go.
Why didn't you put the Republicans in parentheses when talking about the Canadians, the real estate, or the military draft? Or would that clash too much with your little narrative?
We see right through you people; you'd cost us dearly. Honestly, most of us are already tired of your amateurish little tricks. 😂
What exactly did I get wrong here, other than pointing out that while the Republican Party is actually responsible for some of those scandals instead of the Democrats? Everything else is pretty much on the mark.
Chloe Sullivan88 said:I’m afraid you won't be getting any luck there. There are more of us than you think. ☕
My posts will still be relevant ten years from now; yours? Not so much. :P
Oh, I know there are plenty of you—that’s exactly why you’re fighting so desperately. You’re clawing, scratching, whining, screeching, and begging at every turn, all just to find some way to block a single referendum. It’s the only way you can prevent people from seeing your true numbers and realizing the actual balance of power between your "progressive" crowd and the rest of us "backwards" folks.
Chloe Sullivan88 said:God, the sheer joy of it all. 😍
Where on earth did you people get the impression I was leaving this forum? 🤷 😂
And coming from brightwolf85? That actually caught me off guard. 🙄
Who else am I supposed to debate health education with? 🤣 ☕
Whether you're writing from Canada, the USA, the Netherlands, or wherever else your heart desires, go ahead—I really don't care. Actually, it would be a huge relief if all you self-proclaimed "progressives" and "social justice warriors" decided to make that move and just collectively emigrate at once?
Chloe Sullivan88 said:The America of the nineties definitely wasn't my home.
As for America today? There’s just too much negativity. I find myself drifting further and further away from this country and its people, honestly.
Thankfully, I’m moving abroad again for good, and I don't see any chance of ever coming back.
To be fair, the US isn't my only home anyway. ☕
Safe travels—not a "see you later," but a final goodbye.
rapidskipper12 said:The interest rate is 3.7% annually, which breaks down to 0.30833% per month. That means on an amount of $3.25, you’re looking at $10 after one month.
So, if I'm following this correctly, what's actually the difference between putting money in a CD for one month versus locking it away for 12 months if the interest is calculated on an annual basis? It sounds like you could just withdraw the full interest amount once the year is up, right?
Nicole Long28 said:Interest rates are always expressed on an annual basis, I suppose.
So, just to be clear, if I put my savings into a CD tomorrow, when would I actually see that interest hit my account if I'm looking at a one-month term?
Hey there! I have a quick question and was hoping someone could point me in the right direction. So, right now, JP Morgan Chase is running this promotion where you can lock in your savings at some pretty specific fixed interest rates...
Here is the link:
So, here is what I am trying to figure out. If I understood this correctly, let's say I put away $3.25 for a one-month term at a 3.70% rate, does that mean after that month is up, I can just walk away with a total of $3.50? Or is there some kind of catch I'm missing? If anyone here knows their way around banking stuff, I would really appreciate the help.
hollowtinker18 said:Is Tramal or Lumidol-nisam actually considered a narcotic, or is it just hovering on the edge? I got my first dose in the hospital, prescribed by a surgeon to deal with some brutal pain... It comes in blisters or as drops—a bottle with 400 drops. The thing is, the tolerance builds up insanely fast and it absolutely wrecks your stomach. For example, during the first few days, 15-20 drops would kill the pain and make me feel a bit lightheaded... then after about ten days, I needed three times that amount just to feel the same effect. I ended up getting hooked. There were times I’d polish off an entire bottle in a day, and yeah, I spent plenty of time throwing up.🤣
Then I find out this so-called "medicine" is mostly handed out to people dealing with cancer pain or those nearing the end.☕
Tramal has been my old, reliable friend when it comes to meds.
It’s definitely my go-to painkiller.
crimsonwalker80 said:I am going to attempt to articulate this with as much precision as possible, though, quite frankly, even I struggle to pin down a definition for this sensation.
I’m twenty-two years old, and looking back, I can recall these episodes occurring since I was just a child. It always follows the exact same trajectory; I recognize the onset instantly, knowing full well that I am about to embark on this experience again within the next few minutes. It typically strikes when I am exhausted—perhaps during a mid-afternoon nap or just as I’m drifting off to sleep. Suddenly, my perception of the objects surrounding me undergoes a radical shift. Objects seem to gain this immense mass, yet simultaneously, I harbor this bizarre impression that they have shrunk in scale and are hovering right within arm's reach; for instance, if I’m lying in bed, I get this overwhelming sense that I could simply reach out and grab the doorknob across the room.
Inside my mind, things become even more surreal. These aren't hallucinations in the traditional sense, but rather an intense internal sensation—a constant, paradoxical tug-of-war between thoughts of something being gargantuan and something being microscopic. There is this quiet voice that manages to be piercingly loud at the same time, almost as if it’s shouting at me, all underscored by a mounting sense of dread. Then, I experience this sensation of hurtling through something perfectly smooth and level, only to plunge headlong into a chaotic nightmare of jagged edges and sharp protrusions, moving through it all at breakneck speed. None of this manifests physically; it is purely a phenomenon existing within my consciousness. The moment I attempt to focus on one specific sensation, it slips from my grasp, only to reappear in some other part of my periphery that I wasn't attending to. I am perpetually submerged in this medium, unable to truly grasp its nature. It feels as though I am constantly on the precipice of understanding exactly what is happening, but the truth always eludes me by a hair's breadth.
The entire episode lasts about five minutes before vanishing entirely without any lingering physical aftereffects. What infuriates me most is this absolute inability to comprehend the mechanics of it. Once the event concludes, the memory begins to fade immediately, making it incredibly difficult to describe the sheer intensity of those few minutes. It is as if my brain switched into an entirely different operating mode. This doesn't happen often—maybe just a couple of times a year.
In the past, I kept this to myself because the sheer strangeness of it was frightening, but I was stunned last year when, during a conversation with my college roommate, I realized he experiences the exact same thing. He tried to explain his version, but he too found himself stumbling for the right words. However, we are both certain that we are navigating the same type of "disorder"—this strange duality of something being tiny, quiet, and yet massive and deafening, combined with that feeling of passing through a specific medium. He described it somewhat like traveling through a tube that isn't hollow, but is instead completely solid.
I would be immensely grateful if anyone else who experiences such phenomena would share their accounts. Does anyone know what this might be? Is it a recognized condition? Is there any literature or research on this topic? Most importantly, is this something serious, and should I be seeking out a psychiatrist to discuss it?
I actually get a very similar feeling myself from time to time. For me, it’s like a total "blackout" hits out of nowhere. It only lasts for a few seconds, but while it's happening, I get this intense sense of relaxation and a complete loss of perception... it's like nothing exists around me, almost like I'm floating in a total vacuum... So strange...