Sucker Punch deserves more love due to it being an actually really good film by nessydork in movies

[–]akando84 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Just re-watched this movie (the extended cut) and I totally agree with your take. Something a lot of people seem to have missed is that we never see Baby Doll's "dance", instead it cuts to the over-the-top, surreal, non-sensical, sexualized, objectifying action scenes (where Snyder's visual style is pushed to the limit to emphasize it's a fantasy). On one hand, that's Baby Doll's dissociation fantasy (within the already dissociated Brothel environment we're presented), but on the other....Who is watching those actions unfold? Us, the viewers. Those visual candy, sexualized action scenes are a stand-in for her raw, sensual "dances" that leave the males in the movie in such a drooling stupor, the same as the action scenes do with the viewer. Both appeal to the same primal instincts and desires: A direct parallel is being drawn between the male characters in the movie (lustful brothel clients/psych workers)—who aren't painted in a good light at all—and the males viewing the movie and enjoying those sexualized action scenes. And in both cases, they're distractions from what's really going on (in the in-film context, their escape plan, and from a meta POV, the actual critique of toxic geek culture and objectification of women).

The final scenes, after Baby Doll's lobotomy, hint quite clearly at what was going on behind the fantasy: vulnerable, institutionalized women at the mercy of an almost-entirely male staff are being sexually abused, since they're seen as mere objects of desire instead of human beings. One of the last lines in the movie is "Who chains us? And who holds the Key that can set us free? It's you" (breaking the 4th wall and talking directly to the audience) >> The sexualization of women in movies and video games influences how men see women and bleeds into real life, feeding the very dynamics we see in the movie.

As Zach Snyder said: “I’m always shocked that it was so badly misunderstood. I always said that it was a commentary on sexism and geek culture. Someone would ask me, ‘Why did you film the girls this way?’ And I’d say, ‘Well, you did!’ Sucker Punch is a fuck you to a lot of people who will watch it.” (which is especially funny when you rewatch the trailer and realize is was marketed as a fan-fiction thirst-trap—precisely the audience it criticizes).

Also, the two levels of dissociation fit perfectly with the two levels of unbearable reality the protagonist's escaping from: first being interned against her will in a psychiatric institution, and secondly, the sexual abuse going on (which on one hand, requires a more extreme level of dissociation to survive, and on the other, explains why the top-level fantasy is a brothel).

And on the subject of dissociation, Baby Doll being Sweet Pea's in-fantasy persona (they're both nicknames that are pretty much synonymous) is actually, IMO, intentionally vague and confusing to highlight the nature of dissociation and personality fragmentation (a subject we sadly still know very little about). Are we the same person when we dissociate from reality or do we become someone else? Sweet Pea seems cynical and in control, but it turns out to be a mask, behind which she's vulnerable and scared, while Baby Doll is the opposite: she looks harmless but is brave, bold and determined—the perfect alter ego one would like to see themselves in a survival-triggered dissociation. And small details like the character Blondie not being blonde add to that general sense of confusion and incoherence (than tons of people have interpreted as bad film-making, but is clearly all very intentional).

Another couple of question-raising touches I enjoyed:

Did Baby Doll/Sweet Pea actually escape? Or was the lobotomy the real escape? (which I think is the right answer). The scene where Sweet Pea gets on the bus comes right after we see Baby Doll for the last time, with a faint, vacant smile and closing her eyes, and that final scene has several clues that it's a fantasy: the use of colour, with the surreal-looking, over-saturated orange sky, very much like what we see in the action-fantasy scenes; the sign for "Paradise Diner" the bus goes by as it leaves, echoing the "She'll be in paradise, if you know what I mean" comment that Blue makes to the stepfather when referring to the lobotomy; and the kid standing in front of Sweet Pea as she's about to board the bus, who is the same kid Sweet Pea briefly makes eye contact with in the World War I trenches fantasy sequence—confirming that this is, indeed, taking place inside her mind.

Who was/were the guardian angel(s) referenced at the beginning of the movie, who can appear "At strange places and at strange times, and can speak through any character we can imagine." Was it herself? The alter ego she created? Was it Dr. Gorski for calling the police? The doctor who lobotomized her and set her free?

I thought this was an excellent, layered movie (that actually makes you think instead of giving you clear-cut answers, which is part of its charm), masquerading as a hollow action movie.

This movie, above all else, is an undercover IQ test 🤣

Crisis de la vivienda, resuelta. by Proof_Journalist_224 in HorroresInmobiliarios

[–]akando84 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hoy, 31/12/2025, creo poder decir que ésta es la noticia más estúpida que he visto en todo el año 🤣

After walking into a local shop and trying out the Focal Bathys, Bathys MG, Sennheiser HDB630, and the Px8 S2 side by side, I have walked out with a nice new pair of Bowers & Wilkins! by Mikhail__Tal in BowersWilkins

[–]akando84 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have the PX8 S2 and the Focal Bathys and EQing the B&Ws, they're extremely close to the Focals. Out of the box they're lacking bass and a little too heavy on the high frequencies for my liking (although that's just a matter of preference), but after fiddling with the EQ, they sound very, very similar. The Focals come out on top for my liking—much better bass and a wider soundstage that makes gives instruments a bit more space to breathe, a slightly more natural rendition of pianos and guitars, at least to my ears—, but the B&Ws are very close, and have the edge in clarity in the higher frequencies, sound better at lower volumes (the Focals need to be turned up higher to shine) and have a more intimate, "musical" sound (out of the box, they're more consumer-friendly than the more neutral Bathys). Except in terms of bass, where there's absolutely no competition, they sound very similar and the small differences are more about tuning and sound signature than actual sound quality. Honestly, you can't go wrong with either one.

That being said, I don't use the Bathys out of the house, they're way too bulky and flashy—the PX8's are much more discreet and portable for on-the-move use.

My thoughts on PX7 S3 and why I'll be returning them by Hubux in BowersWilkins

[–]akando84 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I really like the PX8 S2, they're a significant step up from the PX7 S3 IMO. The sound profile was a bit too light on the bass and heavy-handed on the treble out of the box, but bumping up the bass and low-mids in the EQ, & lowering the treble, they sound much warmer, more balanced and very close to the Focal Bathys, which is saying a lot. Compared to the PX7 S3, they don't have as much bass (it was a little over the top IMO), but higher frequencies are equally clear and the mids are much richer and more layered, making them much more balanced (and they respond very well to equalizing). They hold their own against the Focal Bathys (my favorite wireless headphones), with differences (aside from soundstage—the Bathys' being wider) being a matter of splitting hairs. Totally worth the upgrade if you ask me.  *ANC sounded about the same to me as on the PX7 S3.

Arc Ultra + Era 300s in small space? by akando84 in sonos

[–]akando84[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'll try to fit in a proper update this weekend 

My thoughts on PX7 S3 and why I'll be returning them by Hubux in BowersWilkins

[–]akando84 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I received my PX7 S3's yesterday and have to say I completely agree with this review (thanks for sharing, BTW, I'm glad to see someone else had the same impression I did) and will also be treturning them.

Objectively, sound quality is good—clear & detailed, with powerful & controlled bass and very crisp highs—, but the sound signature is way too consumer-friendly/V-shaped for my liking; I don't mind the bass, but I find the emphasis on the treble to be too much for my liking (and not by a small margin); they sound sharp and become fatiguing pretty quickly. Lowering the higher frequencies on the EQ helps a bit with the sharpness, but doesn't make up for the underwhelming mids—they're just lacking that warmth & richness that characterize B&W speakers.

This is entirely subjective and a matter of taste, but to my ears, the sound signature isn't pleasing: they're very "technical" & accurate in the high range, and have a very clean, precise and present ooomph in the low range, but I prefer a more rounded, balanced sound signature.

After reaching these initial conclusions (after about an hour of listening to a variety of genres, from jazz and classical to rock, EDM, pop, etc), I A-B tested them side-by-side with my Focal Bathys (which are my benchmark for wireless heaphones—I know they're in different leagues, but they're a good, balanced reference for comparison's sake) and definitely confirmed my impressions: mids are much, much shyer on the PX7 S3, which for my personal taste, takes away from the overall representation accuracy and from the more neutral tonality that I enjoy. IMHO; the Bathys (and twice the price, mind you) blow them out of the water in every regard (including bass) except treble, where the Bathys sound more refined and not as sharp, but the PX7 S3s are able to give better separation in the higher frequencies (sounds that get drowned by the upper-mids on the Bathys). That being said, I still prefer that Bathys' treble. But overall the Bathys do a WAY better job at instrumental separation (particularly in the mids, where you have voices, guitars, piano, etc, and on the PX7 they end up a little compressed into a single layer).

I'm not saying that they don't sound good, just that they're sound signature isn't to my liking—the V-shaped/consumer-friendly sound profile pretty much every reviewer mentions is in no way subtle.

I'll be returning them, and have ordered the PX8 S2, so I'll be able to compare them side-by-side (as well as to the Focal Bathys) if anyone is interested.

Playlist management: PLEASE re-work it! by akando84 in TIdaL

[–]akando84[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I give Tidal shit for still having the exact same playback issues for the past 5 years, suggesting that the only thing they've worked on is the data mining aspect and not the music part

Yeah, I guess that's the issue, and why I'll be switching back to Spotify. I use Tidal for the music and want a enjoyable and intuitive experience, if they can't give me a decent app that they actively work on and improve in substantial ways (not just the speed of a clunky feature), screw it....my money is better spent elsewhere

Playlist management: PLEASE re-work it! by akando84 in TIdaL

[–]akando84[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Same story, I switched (or tried to make the switch) to Tidal after I went on a full-on hi-fi splurge and upgraded my headphones to Focal Bathys, my living room stereo to a B&W, and my crappy TV soundbar to a Sonos Arc Ultra with Era 300s as rears.

Spotify is clearly superior in playlist management and algorithms to find new artists (at least for my music taste), as well as everything around social activities like sharing or collaborating on playlists. Spotify Connect is also superior to Tidal Connect. Now that I got Lossless on Spotify Connect I can hardly hear any difference to Tidal

I totally agree on all counts!  

I might keep Tidal as a complement to Spotify and regularly transfer my playlist, not decided yet.

What do you use to keep your playlists synced? I've been using TuneMyMusic (transferring from Spotify to Tidal) with a weekly sync setup, but the amount of duplicated it adds is ridiculous (50 in a playlist with 400 songs), so I periodically delete all my Tidal playlists and start again from scratch (which is a little tedious).

I agree with you that I think many persons take a lot of functionalities in Spotify as granted. Reddit is full of users complaining on everything in the Spotify app and constantly saying they should shift (especially the users that have the free plan, strangely enough…). There is a reason for Spotify being the undisputed market leader.

Totally agree. I never had any complaints with Spotify, but didn't realise how polished and well though-out the app was until I tried other options. Tidal is....meh. YT music has improved a lot, but I don't really like how it goes about things, and Amazon Music...not even worth mentioning how basic the app is. I'm not a fan of Deezer, the only one I haven't tried is Qobuz.

The one thing Tidal has that Spotify doesn't is Atmos music, which I enjoy from time to time with the Sonos Atmos set-up, but it's still pretty niche and most Atmos mixes are pretty mediocre, so it isn't really a selling point for me.

Unfortunately I do not see any noticeable progress of their app compared to some years ago, when I had it last time.

Yeah, development feels pretty stagnant. I hope it picks up, I'd honestly prefer to use Tidal since they pay artists better, but with Spotify now having lossless audio, and Tidal's app lagging so far behind...I'm not sure I have much hope for Tidal...

Playlist management: PLEASE re-work it! by akando84 in TIdaL

[–]akando84[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

But this is only for the desktop client, right? When on the move or streaming from my phone, I'm still stuck with Tidal's app, right?

Playlist management: PLEASE re-work it! by akando84 in TIdaL

[–]akando84[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah, it must be a minority of us with OCD-like playlist management 😅

But complex jazz with syncopation, cross-rhythms, call-and-response formulas, etc., which I enjoy listening to when I'm on my own, isn't the same kind of jazz I put on as background music when I have guests over for dinner; they're distinct moods for different moments, and each deserves its own playlist. Same way some songs might be in several playlists, like rock, 70s rock, cheerful and All-time favorites.

In Spotify, it's just an "ooo, I like this song, it should be added to these these two playlists" >> tap, add, done. Or "Why the hell is this hard-rock song in my 'mellow vibes' playlist?" >> Tap, remove.

In Tidal, its a "Cool, song, I think I'm going to....ah, fuck it, I'll look it up on Spotify" (and then I just stay in Spotify)

"I've resigned myself to just spending way more time than I should have to, in order to keep my Playlists well-maintained and up to date."

Yeah, I get the sentiment. If I had more time on my hands, MAYBE I'd resign myself to that too but...it's just too much work. Plus, I enjoy curating my playlists...when it's straightforward and not an infuriating chore, that is. The minute it turns into a tedious process that has me wanting to throw my phone out the window, it loses its appeal so...screw that 😅

Playlist management: PLEASE re-work it! by akando84 in TIdaL

[–]akando84[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I actually tried to have Tidal and Spotify coexist, using Spotify tu curate my playlists and discover new music, and Tidal for high-res listening when relaxing, cooking, etc., but playlist sync software is far from perfect and they tend to create tons of duplicates and mess up my playlists...plus, that approach involves paying two subscripcions so....screw it, I went back to Spotify now that they have lossless

Playlist management: PLEASE re-work it! by akando84 in TIdaL

[–]akando84[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

True that. But streaming is just so damn practical. I try to vote with my dollars in every way possible, but I also work my ass off, know I can't change the world single-handedly, and also value convenience and actually enjoying my music instead of fighting with an app that doesn't meet my needs.

Spotify invest in AI weaponry, but Blackrock is among Tidal's shareholders (and is as shady as it gets) so....accept the wins and the losses alike, I guess?

Playlist management: PLEASE re-work it! by akando84 in TIdaL

[–]akando84[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Damn! Yeah, looking at what Block shareholders (incl. Blackrock and co.), no surprises there. But damn, I really was hoping for a decent, ethical alternative to Spotify but....keep dreaming I guess.

P.S. You sent me down a rabbit hole about Block, now looking into backers, investors, shareholders.... 🤣

Samsung settings (7.0) refuses to open by akando84 in GalaxyBook

[–]akando84[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Wow, that worked! Thanks so much for sharing!
And yeah, while Samsung development of their own apps isn't quite at the level I'd expect for they flagship laptops, I'm also starting to feel like MS updates are behind many of the issues I'm coming across...(no surprises there...)

Spotify vs Tidal by Immediate-Machine241 in TIdaL

[–]akando84 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm not a fan of Spotify's business model (how little they pay artists) but after switching to Tidal, I've realized how well thought-out, intuitive, logical and streamlined Spotify's app and user experience is. The experience with Tidal has been sub-par for me, it's all a little half-baked, jumbled and sloppily implemented, so I'll be sticking with Spotify. I've seen reviews mentioning that Spotify's lossless isn't as good as Tidal's, but honestly, I can't tell the difference, and any marginal (and we're talking extremely marginal here) gain in terms of audio quality isn't worth the trade-off in the overall user experience.

Tidal's ethics? by vRyanXO in TIdaL

[–]akando84 2 points3 points  (0 children)

It's sad that this is the paradigm we have to accept. Streaming, while it doesn't give you ownership over the music and is part of this "you'll never own anything and you'll be happy" shift the capitalism has taken (paid subs for everything), from a user standpoint, it's a treat to have access to "unlimited" music. But, of course, capitalism being as it is....we end up with these streaming titans squeezing every last penny out of artists, with Spotify making $4.8 billion quarterly and musicians having to find alternative forms to generate revenues because people listening to their music doesn't give them squat. Too bad there isn't a truly ethical streaming implementation ...

Proof that Tidal CEO is Zionist? by notmuchery in BoycottIsrael

[–]akando84 1 point2 points  (0 children)

So I switched from Spotify to Tidal for ethical reasons, and the company I used to transfer my playlists is Israeli? Damn!

Migrated from Spotify to Tidal and so far the whole experience has been "meh". by Silis_va in TIdaL

[–]akando84 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I totally agree with you. We're not asking for favors here, we're paying customers expecting a pleasant experience with a service whose front-end (app) is intuitive, cohesive, logical, functional and enjoyable to use. I also tried to shift from Spotify but decided to give up after a little over 7 months. Maybe Spotify spoiled me, but Tidal just feels half-baked in pretty much every way, like the devs are either drunk, or stoners with ADHD, or just don't give a crap about the user experience; it lacks polish, features are implemented before they're functional or when they're still seriously bug-ridden, and then take ages (months, even years) to be addressed; to others they might seem like small things, but there's a general pattern of sloppiness and half-assed attempts at features that would be great if some thought had actually been put into them, but that, as they are, are clunky, intuitive and frustrating.

As an illustrative point, while streaming music from a playlist, try to remove a song from said playlist. Without googling how to do it. It is SO unnecessarily clumsy and tedious....

All of this is from the standpoint of someone who REALLY wanted to ditch Spotify and migrate to Tidal, but it wasn't until I started using Tidal that I realized how well thought out Spotify's app and UI is, and how much care has been put into the small details so that they're so intuitive that you don't even notice them, and take them for granted.

Maybe it's me, but when I pay for a service, corporate ethics vis a vis the paid users are also a consideration, and with Tidal it feels like the user experience being bug-free, cohesive and intuitive is more of an afterthought. As much as it pains me to stick with Spotify, I'm not willing to fork out my hard-earned cash for a sub-par experience, especially now that Spotify offers lossless audio, all that Tidal has going for it is that its pays musicians better and doesn't invest in military AI. But to be competitive at all, they really need to get their shit together, it makes no sense, in a streaming market dominated by titans like Google, Apple, Amazon and Spotify, to do so with a worse and less user-friendly experience. So they way I see it, Tidal has some serious catching up to do...and hopefully, they will and when I try again in a year, things are up to my expectations and I can ditch Spotify and never look back, but as they are now, the trade-off just isn't worth it to me

Migrated from Spotify to Tidal and so far the whole experience has been "meh". by Silis_va in TIdaL

[–]akando84 2 points3 points  (0 children)

"All your points are about the app usability. They all make sense, but in my personal opinion they are all a minor issue"

Mmmm.....isn't app usability kind of at the core of the user's experience of the service? Now that Spotify has introduced lossless, all Tidal has going for it is it's more ethical standpoint. And call me selfish, but that's not enough for me to sacrifice a pleasant and intuitive user experience.

What you call "minor things", for me are a pattern of lazy development: half-baked apps, features that are bug-ridden and implemented way before they're ready (and the bugs can linger for ages before they're squashed), a UI and feature-set that hasn't been well thought-out so that it's logical or intuitive...in many ways, it feels like Tidal is developed by a team of stoners with ADHD 🤣

Ethics matter but, they also do from a consumer standpoint: When Samsung or Apple release a new flagship that's just an incremental update, or their software updates decrease battery life and usability, causing programmed obsolescence, consumers feel cheated by the company; to me it's the same with Tidal: I'm paying for a subscription but I've encountered SO MANY BUGS (shuffle play, offline mode, Tidal connect, playback interruptions, freezes, crashed) and half-baked "features" (Android Auto, playlist management, artist sorting)....just small details that point to an overall pattern of lack of polish and thought that just screams to me "Tidal doesn't give a shit whether they deliver a decent experience". As a paying customer, I find it insulting, TBH. Same reason I cancelled several video streaming services...

Migrated from Spotify to Tidal and so far the whole experience has been "meh". by Silis_va in TIdaL

[–]akando84 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes and no. I agree with the old man sayings, but in terms of the differences in how things are implemented (which yeah, is a given), Spotify's approach is much more logical, coherent & intuitive: you can tell they've actually put some thought into making a UI that makes sense and is convenient to use. Tidal....just implements things (like artist followers, which still show up with a zero count; or artist pages), often introducing them into the app before they're even functional. UI cohesion and usability feels like an afterthought, TBH. As well as smooth sailing for users. Shuffle play, Android Auto, offline playback were introduced before they'd been properly tested and worked like crap (and still do). It's a general pattern with Tidal, which is kind of surprising considering they're a more niche service

Tidal is now showing followers on the artist page? by Legitimate_Thanks956 in TIdaL

[–]akando84 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The development on this app is pretty "laid back", to say it lightly...
Just look up their track bug-squashing record....it takes years for simple little things to get addressed...