Notices by Nicholas Whyte (nwhyte@wandering.shop)

@taiyo Yes, I think we said hello in passing!

Interesting piece about AI development in China, including two photos taken at the conference I attended in Beijing last month. I don’t think people in the West realise just how far ahead in the game China has got.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/apr/21/humanoid-workers-and-surveillance-buggies-embodied-ai-is-reshaping-daily-life-in-china

Why Abraham Lincoln grew a beard. (He died 160 years ago today.)

https://www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/archive/2025/04/abraham-lincoln-beard-portrait/682392/

The Ravelli Conspiracy, by Robert Khan and Tom Salinsky

https://fromtheheartofeurope.eu/the-ravelli-conspiracy-by-robert-khan-and-tom-salinsky/

It's actually great fun.

British Comics Artist R.E. Burke Still Being Held In US Detention Camp

https://bleedingcool.com/comics/british-comics-artist-r-e-burke-still-being-held-in-us-detention-camp/

Thank you everyone for nominating in the 2025 Hugo, Lodestar and Astounding Awards!

We have a long weekend of tallying ahead of us…

41) Hamlet (1948)

Olivier stripped the original 4h down to 2½. Behind the camera he convinces as much as in front of the camera as the lead character. 19-year-old Jean Simmons impresses as Ophelia. Stanley Holloway’s vignette is glorious.

https://fromtheheartofeurope.eu/hamlet-1948/

36) Chicago (2002)

The film is not at all subtle in calling out the celebrification of criminals and the flaws of a justice system driven by showmanship.

https://fromtheheartofeurope.eu/chicago-2002/

35) Spotlight (2015)

Pretty good. Hugely sensitive topic, but concentrates on the shoe leather worn out by the journalists in pursuing the story, illuminating it with the details of the crimes that had been committed. It’s a subtle approach which works.

https://fromtheheartofeurope.eu/spotlight-oscar-winning-film/

32) The Godfather (1972)

The script is lucid and the cinematography adds. "I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse" is an unforgettable line. The acting nominations were all well deserved. And the music is just tremendous.

https://fromtheheartofeurope.eu/the-godfather-film-and-novel/

31) Unforgiven (1992)

A violent film. Plot is driven by women who collectively plan and fund a mission, even if the focus of the story is on the men who implement it. Clint Eastwood and Morgan Freeman superb. (Less sure about Hackman.)

https://fromtheheartofeurope.eu/unforgiven/

76) Gone with the Wind (1939)

Could easily have lost an hour and been better. First half has a tremendous impetus, but once the war is over, the narrative thrust has gone, and we slip into a series of somewhat disconnected episodes. Also, racism.

https://fromtheheartofeurope.eu/gone-with-the-wind/

74) The Hurt Locker (2009)

Iraq is a real country, with real people, but not in The Hurt Locker. Much unpleasant gore. I liked the fact that the protagonist is a real asshole. I think most of us have worked at some time or another with people like him.

https://fromtheheartofeurope.eu/the-hurt-locker/

75) The Departed (2006)

2.5 hours long. Lots of people get killed. None of the characters is especially likeable. But the central theme of identity, involving two double agents operating in opposite directions, is fascinating and well executed.

https://fromtheheartofeurope.eu/the-departed/

73) Ordinary People (1980)

A story of father/son growth with the mother walking out. To be honest they are not just "ordinary" people, they are rather dull people as well. But the leads are all strong, even if I did not think all that much of their material.

https://fromtheheartofeurope.eu/ordinary-people-1980-film-and-1976-book/

70) Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014)

Central character is unattractive and it’s difficult to sympathise with his (self-inflicted) problems. Maybe I’ve read too much sf not to find it all a bit glib. Good cinematography and music.

https://fromtheheartofeurope.eu/birdman-or-the-unexpected-virtue-of-ignorance-writerjonleaf/

71) Gentleman’s Agreement (1947)

Anti-semitism is a serious issue, but this is not a very good film about it. In the year when the state of Israel was created, there might be more than being barred from posh hotels? Wooden performance from Gregory Peck.

https://fromtheheartofeurope.eu/gentlemans-agreement-1947-and-book-by-laura-z-hobson/

69) Annie Hall (1977)

A few *very* funny lines, but protag thinks he is more interesting than he is, and his failed relationships are largely his own fault. We are supposed to find this sympathetic and interesting, but I found it sad and rather boring.

https://fromtheheartofeurope.eu/annie-hall/

68) Going My Way (1944)

Harmless; I guess the wartime mood in 1944 helped this feelgood escapism went down well with the public for reasons that we can understand. I didn’t find any of it awful, but I didn’t find any of it terribly memorable either.

https://fromtheheartofeurope.eu/going-my-way-1944/

66) My Fair Lady (1964)

Higgins’ misogynistic treatment of Eliza is awful – constant negging, and pretty close to gaslighting. But there are some wonderful songs, and one or two utterly stunning visuals. My absolute favourite sequence is the Ascot scene.

https://fromtheheartofeurope.eu/my-fair-lady-1964-pygmalion-1938-and-the-original-script-by-bernard-shaw/