Notices by Todd Vaziri (tvaziri@mastodon.social)

As spotted by Ryan Estrada on Bluesky, HOLY SHIT

Paramount+ created a thumbnail for "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan" where it genAI-filled a closeup shot of Shatner, giving him a sensible haircut and a suit and tie.

LEFT: Paramount+
RIGHT: The shot from the movie

@Infoseepage both

Important "Legend” (1985) update.

I own the Universal 2011 Ultimate Edition of "Legend" Blu-ray (whose transfer I do not like), and recently saw the movie in a theater which used this same transfer, which was a big disappointment.

I just picked up the 2022 Arrow Blu-ray and I can confidently say the Arrow transfer is much better! More to come.

Oh, look!

“The End of Oak Street” (2026) teaser
https://youtu.be/IoHWPAN6FPg?si=L-2GqItGIyel0Zg_

@Gargron “I miss when movies were professionally lit, when actors were intentionally blocked, and when more than teal, orange and beige were allowed to be on the screen.”

I mean, come on. Unless you typically speak in hyperbole, this is gibberish unless it's coming from someone who wants nothing to do with the art form.

@Gargron it just seems like you don't like movies

I can give you twenty movies made in 2025 that challenge what you wrote in the above post and you'll scoff at every single one. It just seems like you don't like the medium (past a certain year).

my tie tonight

@Gargron I think you should stop watching movies

here we are

this is not an ad for Criterion Channel but you should probably subscribe to Criterion Channel

look at this special "Stunts!" collection that's now playing - I mean my god

https://signup.criterionchannel.com

bad news for Tim Cook - he made it into Kat Abughazaleh's self-made attack ad

NOT GOOD TIM

https://youtu.be/4yXsd87Zgb4?si=c_6Rp7R1rmi9pg_V

huh that’s weird

OpenAI’s president is a Trump mega-donor
https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/867947/openai-president-greg-brockman-trump-super-pac

my face when someone tells me "Christopher Nolan REFUSES to use 'CGI'"

"I don't like movies that *rely* on 'CGI'" is a ridiculous thing to say.

"Nouvelle Vague" (2025), directed by Richard Linklater, visual effects by CGEV.
https://youtu.be/1p0G-lGZkL4?si=jya5zjbQyZh61zMX

Going to the visual effects Oscar bake-off:

“Avatar: Fire and Ash”
“The Electric State”
“F1”
“Frankenstein”
“Jurassic World Rebirth”
“The Lost Bus”
“Sinners”
“Superman”
“Tron: Ares”
“Wicked: For Good”

https://variety.com/2025/film/awards/oscars-shortlist-2026-casting-score-sinners-1236610054/

more in season two

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.

To be clear - "Mad Men" was originally mastered in HD in 16:9, so this isn't an issue of "exposing more film negative to fit a new aspect ratio", like "Friends" and "Seinfeld".

In addition, it seems like "Mad Men" season one titles/episodes are jumbled on HBO Max. The vomit scene is in "Red in the Face", but on HBO Max it's labeled "Babylon". (The one labeled "Red in the Face" is actually "5G", too.) Some interesting QC issues afoot.

sorry but you know i had to do it