TV Crew Travels to Rural China, Interfered with by Chinese Officials
The Way of Water crosses 2 billion earnings line
Trilobites. With Tentacles! (Ocean-going wood louse is earliest known example of “sexual combat”)
Somtow Sucharitkul’s orchestra played pieces from The Polar Express during this year’s Children’s Day. (He’s the guy producing an opera based on Plan 9 From Outer Space)
Indian discovery reveals home life of some dinosaurs
Maurizio Manzieri reveals the poster for Eurocon 2023
Donald F. Glut (author known for novelizations) announces the re-release of his first film Dinosaur Valley Girls
Kevin Standlee (Chair, WSFS Mark Protection Committee) attempts to set the record straight (once again) about what WSFS can and can not do regarding the Chengdu Worldcon
Steve Lehto discusses “Robot Lawyers” on his legal podcast
THEM! To! Get! A! Remake! The much-loved 1950’s giant ant movie is slated for a remake by Michael Giacchino (Werewolf by Night), owing to his “keen eye for a retro genre aesthetic”.
Mini-Editorial. I sure hope that keen eye is truly keen, as I am generally not in favor of “re-makes”, believing as I do that it is generally impossible to catch lightning in a bottle, twice. I get the whole update and make relevant for a new audience thing, but that kind of flies in the face of the fact that the original was made to be relevant for an entirely different time and audience. I believe it’s much better to take what you want from the aesthetic that appeals to you and create something wholly new instead. THEM! is, after all, at its heart both a monster movie and a cold war, red scare flick (the ant’s living in a communistic society, you know, which must be destroyed with flame throwers so as to entirely eradicate everything Un-American in a most horrific way). Fear of the bomb ain’t what it used to be these days, even despite Putin’s sabre rattling. Beyond that, and despite our declining educational system, most folks these days are at least dimly aware that “giant ants” of the size depicted in the film are an impossibility. That alone is one giant hoop to jump through if the remake is not to be laughed at. Fingers crossed that this won’t be another failed update like that nanites eat everything except Keeanu’s love interest/Gort is waaaay too big flick.
Earth’s core may be doing funky stuff.
Rob Caswell wants you to check out this Tom Tomorrow cartoon depicting the real horror lurking behind the Republican Party
The Doomsday Clock Moves Closer to Midnight
Ray Nelson, popularizer of the Propeller Beanie as a Fannish symbol, has died.
Video warns of the coming of the AI Dungeon Master
From the “You Really Can’t Make This Shit Up Department”: A dog has fatally shot a man. (So much for Clifford Simak’s depictions of the future.)
Frank Wu is excited to announce that his collaborative story written with Jay Werkheiser and published in Analog has been selected for the Top Hard Science Fiction anthology
When I was in college, the Liberal Arts programs were being replaced by English 101 classes for a growing MBA program. We all made fun of those students who wanted to be captain’s of industry but needed basic English classes in college. Therefore, it is no surprise to me at all that the ChatGPT AI program has passed the Wharton Business School’s MBA Exam.
Speaking of Intelligence: Marines foil a military AI detection system by pretending to be a box. (If you’re thinking something along the lines of Wile E Coyote cartoons, you would not be far off.)
This “Juden Raus!” (Jews Out!) game wasn’t even popular with Nazis.
Scott Edelman discovers a new definition for “Zombie”
Tom Easton has had one of his speculations confirmed: Little Giant Home Genetic Engineering Kit
Den Veldron has a new release Drunk Slutty Elf & Zombies
Bruce Boyd models a favorite Star Trek Scene
“Sea Monster” washes ashore in Texas
Roman City unearthed in Luxor, Egypt
Animation illustrates the huge number of NEOs, as a small asteroid passes really close to Earth
German Parliament commemorates LGBTQ Holocaust Victims for the First Time
South Korean space probe offers stunning image of Earth and Moon together
Usman Mlk addresses the Tom Monteleone/HWA Kerfuffle And here’s the Post from Monteleone
The Ray and Diana Harryhausen Foundation notes a landmark – the 60th anniversary of the release of Jason and the Argonauts
Late Breaking: D&D drops its plans to update its OGL (beware D&D fans. This may only be a temporary retreat. So much at stake – D&D media franchise, AI based online play….)
Source: Auto Draft
