Watched Watch the Warhammer 40,000 Secret Level animation now from Warhammer Community
Secret Level has landed on Prime Video

A satisfyingly graphic introduction to the incredible violence of the grim dark future and the Emperor’s chosen.

It neatly establishes the in-universe pecking order of human vs. post-human, with the Astartes dismantling their opposition in short order. It also showcases the more esoteric aspects of the lore and the greater threats facing humanity.

However, while this short amply demonstrates the power of the Space Marines, it also highlights their weakness as a storytelling device. Stoic, honour-bound warrior monks with little to no personality beyond their varying levels of savagery or tactics in battle.

If the Warhammer 4k Universe wants to succeed on screen, it will need to deliver a lot more humanity than taciturn giants undertaking various acts of sacrifice and mutilation, no matter how gloriously realised.

Watched The Hunt (2020) by an author from letterboxd.com
Twelve strangers wake up in a clearing. They don't know where they are—or how they got there. In the shadow of a dark internet conspiracy theory, ruthless elitists gather at a remote location to hunt humans for sport. But their master plan is about to be derailed when one of the hunted turns the tables on her pursuers.

Easily the best of the recent “one woman army” movies.

★★★½

My review

Watched Attack the Block (2011) by an author from letterboxd.com
A teen gang in a South London housing estate must team up with the other residents to protect their neighbourhood from a terrifying alien invasion.

Watched on Tuesday December 3, 2024.

★★★★★

My review

Watched Home Alone (1990) by an author from letterboxd.com
Eight-year-old Kevin McCallister makes the most of the situation after his family unwittingly leaves him behind when they go on Christmas vacation. But when a pair of bungling burglars set their sights on Kevin's house, the plucky kid stands ready to defend his territory. By planting booby traps galore, adorably mischievous Kevin stands his ground as his frantic mother attempts to race home before Christmas Day.

I’ve no idea how many times I have seen this but it still makes me laugh.

The soundtrack is perfection. It’s probably not up there in most people’s minds as one of William’s best but it completely elevates the movie from good to classic.

And the Marley reconcilliation sub-plot? Just lovely. Gets you right in the Christmas feels.

★★★★★

My review

Today, in the UK, we’ll find out if it’s OK for humans to continue to die in intolerable pain, the likes of which it would be illegal to inflict on an animal.

Watched Monster House (2006) by an author from letterboxd.com
Monsters under the bed are scary enough, but what happens when an entire house is out to get you? Three teens aim to find out when they go up against a decrepit neighboring home and unlock its frightening secrets.

As a “kid’s first horror”, it does the job but the explanation for the haunting is both bizarre and kind of naff.

★★★

My review

Read Microsoft starts boiling the Copilot frog: It's not a soup you want to drink at any price by Rupert Goodwins

I work with data in the UK public sector. For me, the accuracy of that data is paramount. I’ve certainly been in roles where the accuracy of the data was an unwelcome fact. While that’s not the case in my current role, I do have general concerns about the employment of AI in this area. This is along the lines of:

“We know it’s not completely accurate, but we also know no-one is really looking at it too closely, so what is the value of being accurate?”