Author: Press Room
The Dark Knight came out way back in 2008 but is remembered to this day as one of the best Batman movies ever made, one of the best sequels ever made, and to some one of the best films ever made, point blank. A lot of thanks is due to actors Christian Bale, who played the duel role of Bruce Wayne/Batman with the perfect mix of suave smarminess and gravel-voiced intensity; and Heath Ledger, who was terrifying and hilarious as the Joker. Ledger’s performance in particular has become iconic, to the point where there are persistent myths about it. But…
Science fiction can be a perfect genre for ensemble casts. Look at movies like The Thing or even Sunshine, which I still think is a great movie that no one talks about. These films work because they rely on a somewhat larger cast of characters and the paranoia that comes with it. As with most things in science fiction, I love films like these. But during this Halloween season, I’ve been on the lookout for something different entirely. Primarily, I’ve been seeking small casts, typically one or two characters, that evoke the equally paranoid feeling of being trapped in space.…
Like many people my age, I might be just a little addicted to technology. Wherever you may find me, you will likely find me there with my phone, laptop, or something with a screen attached to it. Even the study of technology has informed much of my writing, often through the lens of pop culture, including how movies and shows have inadvertently predicted the future. But sometimes I just feel that desire to completely disconnect from being connected to everyone and everything all the time. Technology is a truly great thing, but it can also be exhausting. Like Bo Burnham…
There came a point, not so long ago, when I realized that my Netflix algorithm had become a Black Mirror of a different kind, reflecting the very worst parts of my persona. Sure, I went through a phase of watching true crime documentaries and the occasional horror flick, but suddenly every other recommendation was for macabre titles, as if Pennywise the clown was somehow pulling the strings. It didn’t stop there. My thoughts turned to Spotify and its recent questionable recommendations. I recall writing an article about how AI is taking over music streaming, in which I referenced the platform,…
In 2023, Warner Bros. released the Barbie movie, which went on to make well over a billion dollars at the box office. Mattel immediately got to work planning how to bring some of its other iconic toys to the screen, and other companies followed suit. Board games and children’s toys have inspired movies and TV shows before, of course; for instance, Dungeons & Dragons is a tabletop role-playing game, but it’s one where story, characters, and setting are all baked into the experience. It’s easy to imagine how you could turn that into a movie, and many have tried over…
Prime Video is host to a number of great original sci-fi shows, including Fallout, The Boys, and The Expanse, which is one of the few sci-fi series that can really hold a candle to heavy-hitters like Andor. But you’ve already heard of those. But I’m taking things back to the early days of the streaming service, back to 2015, when Amazon took a big swing with a sci-fi show called The Man in the High Castle. That series built a decent-sized fanbase during its four seasons on the air, but has largely passed out of the conversation. It deserves better.…
Most employees in the UK see a tax code printed on their payslip, P60 or P45—but few actually understand what it means. Yet this seemingly simple set of numbers and letters determines how much tax you pay, whether you’re receiving the correct personal allowance, or if HMRC believes you owe additional tax. For many, especially those with multiple incomes, benefits in kind, or pension income, the tax code silently adjusts their take-home pay each month. Understanding it is the first step to ensuring your employer or pension provider is deducting the right amount of tax—not too much, not too little.…
Most people claw their mitts around a gamepad when playing games. One controller rules them all, with a D-pad, buttons, thumbsticks and triggers. But life wasn’t always so tidy. Early arcades were a mad lab of experimentation – a mess of oddball controls while everyone figured out what ‘standard’ could be. Take Defender. This hard-as-nails sideways scrolling Space Invaders had a stick that only went up and down, along with a bevvy of buttons for thrust, fire, reverse, smart bomb and hyperspace. Meanwhile, Tempest had you spin a dial to whirl a spaceship around 3D vector webs, while Centipede’s trackball sent your Bug Blaster skittering at speed around…
Soundtracks generally aren’t meant to draw too much attention to themselves; they’re supposed to play in the background of a movie or show, setting the stage without stealing the spotlight. That’s why soundtracks are a popular choice for background music when people want to work, study, or do chores; they occupy the ear without being overly distracting. But that undersells how unique and transporting a great soundtrack can be. Science fiction especially seems to inspire some great soundtracks, maybe because it allows the composer to think beyond the bounds of our world. What’s music like out there in space? Some…
The Kindle is great at collecting highlights. But when exported, they aren’t so good at helping us truly understand them. That’s where ChatGPT comes in. I have been experimenting with the Kindle + ChatGPT combo for a while. By pairing my Kindle reading with a few smart prompts, I turn every book into a one-to-one class. Here’s how I use ChatGPT, week by week, to move from passive reading to a deeper understanding. 1 Build context before reading Prime your curiosity and map the author’s ideas. Saikat Basu/MakeUseOf It takes me around four weeks to finish a thick non-fiction book…