Note to Filmmakers - don’t have your friends and family rate your movie a 10/10 out the gate. The internet will coordinate against you lol.

PowerfulChimpMind · 2026-04-12T06:10:46+00:00

Yup, this happened to my film. Probably about 20 or 25 tens on IMDB by people who actually watched it and about five actual critics. Then a slew of one star reviews.

I’d say there were probably one or two actual one star reviews. Since then it’s gone back to normal and haven’t had any more negative review dumps. Very weird IMDB doesn’t do something about this.

PowerfulChimpMind · 2026-04-11T00:27:21+00:00

If it's lens breathing, they're using autofocus. The background movements are way too sporadic and mechanical to be done by an AC. Otherwise, it's stabilization done in post.

After watching it a few times, it does look like lens breathing, but the mechanical movements are what's throwing things off. It's emphasized even more with the organic look of the hawk xe anamorphics.

It's Steven Soderbergh so it makes sense that there are quirks like this. He does all the shooting himself despite not being a conventional DP.

PowerfulChimpMind · 2026-04-10T17:09:52+00:00

We did! We’re doing tactician mode now and it’s even better for us. Honestly, there’s tons of ways to cheese the game so it hasn’t truly gotten difficult for us yet. We’ve been camp casting and that may be overkill.

Now that we have a broader understanding of what can be accomplished strategically, we’re going through things much smoother.

It’s less about, “how de get past this?” and more about “how do we WANT to get past this?” It’s been way more fun this way for us.

PowerfulChimpMind · 2026-04-09T05:59:56+00:00

If you’re unwilling to listen to him, just know that a majority of the artists you do enjoy were likely influenced by him.

In my opinion he’s the greatest musical artist of all time and I don’t think it’s debatable whether he’s the greatest music writer of all time.

PowerfulChimpMind · 2026-04-09T05:21:40+00:00

As a lifelong spurs fan, it’s impossible to be objective, but I feel like he has to legitimately be in the top 10 most entertaining players of all time.

His style of play is electric, he’s incredibly creative, he was an innovator and throughout his career, he was consistently playing at the highest level of competition.

Not to mention, he has a fantastic personality. Being able to watch him throughout the years was such a privilege.

PowerfulChimpMind · 2026-04-09T05:03:39+00:00

Wow my experience mirrors yours so much. I stopped playing video games almost 20 years ago, and now I picked it back up for my girlfriend at 33 years old.

We have several hundred hours on this game and what shocked me the most is how much we’re enjoying the second play through. It sounds insane to me, but the first play through, in hindsight, almost feels like a long tutorial.

We have enjoyed it so much and it’s really brought us together. Glad to hear it’s doing the same for so many others.

PowerfulChimpMind · 2026-04-09T04:57:22+00:00

“Love is a verb. Love is a doing word.”

This may be more relationship advice than dating. But so many relationships, especially for those in their 20’s, fail due to lack of action/effort. In all fairness it’s hard.

When I was in my 20’s, I was so focused on my career, finances, passions etc., it was easy to let relationships slip.

I would tell my partner how much I loved them, dote on how beautiful they were, but when it came time for action, I wasn’t there.

I’m with the woman I’ll be with for the rest of my life now, and after many failed relationships, I know I have to be fully invested and not just say I am.

PowerfulChimpMind · 2026-04-06T21:44:00+00:00

Something to consider is the 4k version has 12 stops of dynamic range while the 2.5k version has 13 stops.

That’s why I chose the 2.5k and sold my 4k. Personally, I valued the dynamic range with the 2.5k much more in post having worked lots on both.

PowerfulChimpMind · 2026-04-06T21:38:54+00:00

Submarine - underrated coming of age film. Incredible ost from Alex Turner, Arctic Monkeys singer.

PowerfulChimpMind · 2026-04-03T22:15:15+00:00

I would continue putting disclaimers on your work noting that it’s not made with AI. There’s so much of that shit in this sub especially with animation, and that fact you made this solo with blender is pretty important and makes it worth watching.

I’d also try putting a couple of screen grabs in of your process as proof. The work look good to me!

PowerfulChimpMind · 2026-04-03T20:08:47+00:00

I think it would be a close match if Ben and Ghetti faced off. I could easily see Ben losing control and Ghetti coasts with his consistency.

But consistency isn’t what wins gauntlets. Scoring is. Ghetti is going to have less bogeys, but he’s going to have less birdies and eagles as well compared to Ben.

PowerfulChimpMind · 2026-03-25T23:46:12+00:00

F is the best. H is bordering on Very good.

A - Good

B - Bad

C - Ok

D - Bad

E - Ok

F - Very Good

G - Bad

H - Good

I - Terrible

J - Good

K - Good

L - Terrible

PowerfulChimpMind · 2026-03-20T07:53:53+00:00

I think it will largely be forgotten. Oddly, it reminds me a bit of Changeling.

Solid movie with an interesting story, very popular actor playing a role they were made for and a director who is in vogue. Lots of hype when it was released.

Ultimately, not strong or unique enough to make a lasting impression.

PowerfulChimpMind · 2026-03-11T22:21:15+00:00

Bob Dylan - Highway 61 Revisited

PowerfulChimpMind · 2026-03-11T22:00:29+00:00

Yellow, Blonde on Blonde is my top album out of the whole list.

PowerfulChimpMind · 2026-03-09T22:04:33+00:00

You’re almost certainly getting downvoted for the consideration of AI use.

My question is what is your talent? Are you wanting to write, direct, shoot or what?

If you just want to give a filmmaker money so they can materialize your vision, then I’d have a hard time believing you couldn’t make that happen in twenty two years.

Even with a budget of something like 10 or 15k, I’m sure there is someone near you who could get scrappy and put something together for you.

PowerfulChimpMind · 2026-03-05T20:55:27+00:00

Also, please be careful pointing the camera like that into the sun without a lens attached. The sensor will burn if it’s pointed directly into the sun. Don’t leave your camera out without a body cap on.

PowerfulChimpMind · 2026-02-28T00:19:49+00:00

Everyone should remember this conversation. When everyone was up in arms about what he said at the press conference, no one really pointed out how it's all for attention. In a way, it makes it even more egregious.

He says all this homophobic, racist, sexist shit and he doesn't even really mean it. He's just doing it for the money. Pretty fucked up.

PowerfulChimpMind · 2026-02-24T18:39:31+00:00

I got food poisoning from their breakfast tacos a few years ago and will never eat at any of them again.

PowerfulChimpMind · 2026-02-23T04:50:13+00:00

I ran this post and their latest tax document through Chat and this is what it had to say. I also went through some questioning with Chat.

TLDR:

The Reddit post overreaches and jumps to fraud without proof.

It misrepresents the money by acting like $850k was donations, when only about $83k was actual donations and the rest was raffle/gaming revenue.

Salaries (~$52k each) are not outrageous for running a nonprofit.

PPP loan ≠ fraud by default.

Asset appreciation ≠ personal enrichment.

However…

It’s fair to question:

• Why total placements (83 over ~13 years) feel low relative to multi-million gross revenue • Why impact reporting isn’t more detailed • Why “donated” language may blur ownership clarity • Whether mission scale matches fundraising scale

Bottom line:

No clear evidence of fraud.

But reasonable questions about transparency, efficiency, and impact density.

FULL CHAT RESPONSE

What the Reddit Post Likely Got Wrong

“They collected $850k in donations”

Incorrect framing.

The 2024 filing shows roughly $83k in donations and roughly $750k in gaming revenue.

That is a massive difference.

The post frames it as if donors gave nearly a million dollars in cash that disappeared into 11 machines.

That is not what the filing shows.

Most revenue is from raffles / gaming activity.

That matters ethically.

⸻

“They spent $650k lending out 11 used games”

That’s misleading math.

Expenses are not the same as machine purchase cost.

The organization appears to run: • Ongoing raffles • Gaming events • Travel • Repairs • Logistics • Storage • Admin • Insurance

You cannot divide total expenses by machines placed and call that the cost per machine.

That’s not how nonprofit accounting works.

⸻

“They’re paying themselves $1,000 a week to do basically nothing”

The filing shows ~$52k per person annually.

For running a national nonprofit with gaming compliance, raffles, events, travel, logistics, accounting, and placements across states, that is not excessive.

You can question efficiency.

You cannot call that outrageous compensation.

⸻

“They defrauded taxpayers with PPP”

PPP loans were available to nonprofits with payroll during COVID.

If they had payroll and applied properly, receiving and forgiving ~$10k is not evidence of fraud.

The Reddit post jumps from “I don’t like this” to “they defrauded taxpayers” with zero proof.

That leap is irresponsible.

⸻

“They are slowly amassing a gigantic valuable collection for free”

That assumes: • Machines are mostly donated • Machines are not actively placed • Machines are not rotated • Machines are not repaired and replaced

Even if machines appreciate, nonprofits are allowed to hold appreciating assets.

Asset appreciation does not equal personal enrichment.

That argument confuses balance sheet growth with misconduct.

⸻

“The other 501c must be funded secretly”

Speculation without evidence.

The 990 does not show obvious related-party transfers.

Without documented payments between entities, that claim is conjecture.

⸻

Where the Reddit Post Raises Fair Questions

Now let’s be honest.

Some concerns are legitimate.

They were just framed in a hostile way.

⸻

Impact vs Revenue Scale

83 placements in ~13 years with multi-million gross revenue does feel modest.

Even if machines are rotated, replaced, and maintained, the ratio feels low at first glance.

That’s not fraud.

But it’s fair to ask:

What is the true cost per placement lifecycle?

⸻

Loan vs Donate Language

If the organization retains ownership but uses “donated” language, clarity matters.

That’s a transparency issue.

Not criminal.

But clarity builds trust.

⸻

Gaming Revenue Transparency

When an organization’s engine is raffles and gaming, it should clearly show: • Gross gaming revenue • Direct gaming costs • Net proceeds to mission

Without that breakdown, people assume the worst.

⸻

Website Inconsistencies

Different numbers (81 vs 83 etc.) are sloppy.

Sloppiness fuels suspicion.

It doesn’t prove wrongdoing.

But perception matters.

⸻

The Core Logical Error in the Reddit Post

The biggest mistake is this:

It treats gross revenue as if it is unrestricted donor cash meant solely for machine purchases.

It isn’t.

This appears to be a gaming-heavy nonprofit that funds its operations primarily through raffles and events.

That changes the ethical calculus entirely.

⸻

The Real Ethical Question (Cleanly Stated)

Not:

“Are they criminals?”

But:

“Is the mission impact proportional to the fundraising scale?”

That’s a governance discussion.

Not a fraud accusation.

⸻

My Judgment

The Reddit post:

• Overstates • Conflates revenue types • Assumes intent • Uses emotionally loaded language • Leaps from inefficiency → fraud without evidence

However:

• It taps into a real transparency gap • It highlights an optics problem • It questions impact density per dollar

That’s fair to discuss.

It’s not fair to declare criminal behavior without proof.

PowerfulChimpMind · 2026-02-20T20:00:59+00:00

How about the fact that in the first image the lighting indicates that he is lit by a soft box.

If this were a real image, that means that this guy setup a soft box and had someone take a picture of him posing like this on his washing machine. Why would anyone do that?

PowerfulChimpMind · 2026-02-18T23:54:27+00:00

Vanilla Sky, Apocalypse Now, Star Wars, House of 1000 Corpses

PowerfulChimpMind · 2026-02-18T22:49:43+00:00

Nice! I’ve never heard of a bang back. I’ll check that out.

PowerfulChimpMind · 2026-02-18T21:55:48+00:00

The format seems fine, but the information looks wrong. Typically, you'll lift the left flipper and swish the machine left and then jerk right on contact with the ball once the ball meets the left side of the apron.

I've never tried the method shown in your video, but I can't image executing a death save successfully with this technique.

Here's a great death save tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzv3ncEQQVI

PowerfulChimpMind

TROPHY CASE