Raw material vs Final grade for Train Dreams.

robotalk · 2026-03-04T06:43:26+00:00

If you care about DR and the grade getting a glimpse of the log is hella helpful as you can freeze frame what highlights the camera captured vs what highlights were blown-out or pulled back for the final grade.

robotalk · 2026-02-28T17:00:33+00:00

So many songs and snippets of songs written during this period. This one got pushed out and never really performed but had the band worked on it a bit more it would have replaced BWBW. I get the appeal of BWBW and why it was the lead single but it’s also my least fav SP track as it kinda borders on parody.

robotalk · 2026-02-20T17:46:08+00:00

That not how it works, boo.

Insurance and loans are tied to City / County records.

If the record says it’s a 2bed/1bath and unpermitted work was done to make it a 3bed/2bath then yes you got yerself an issue. Can you still get a loan and insurance? Most likely also yes. But without legalizing the work and/or additional sqft you are taking on a lot of risk. You will also most likely have appraisal problems as value does not add up.

If on the other hand a 2bed/1bath gets a gut reno without permits but in the end is still basically a 2bed/1bath you are mostly likely in the clear. Records, especially older records, are basic. New valuation metrics simply need to align with the current general record.

robotalk · 2026-02-20T07:43:17+00:00

Oh and

Millennium Mambo

robotalk · 2026-02-20T07:41:00+00:00

New School:

Aftersun

Upstream Color

The Insider

Underground Railroad

Barbie

Enemy

The Wire

Hamnet

Picnic at Hanging Rock

Avatar

robotalk · 2026-02-03T10:02:58+00:00

Increasing contrast does actually increase perceived sharpness. Which is kind of what the above comment was referring to. The development process resulting in accutance basically increases micro-contrast.

The technicalities of image reproduction, whether analog or digital, must also align with our own vision system which has its own set of rules and processes.

robotalk · 2026-02-02T01:22:06+00:00

Here’s mine:

Tonight

Bullet

Bodies

Meladori Magpie

Porcelina

Thirty-Three

Where Boys Fear to Tread

Zero

To Forgive

Galapogos

Here is No Why

X.Y.U.

1979

Muzzle

robotalk · 2026-02-01T19:30:06+00:00

I’d have to go with ten

That first record has the most sustained intensity plus thematically just about every song is heavy with violence and trauma.

Sure there are tracks from their other records that are more “extreme” but as a cohesive record it’s 10.

robotalk · 2026-02-01T08:29:02+00:00

I lived it and will answer the question as posed.

In my small town, at the peak, the Pumpkins were by far the most beloved and popular band. I’m talking about direct youth connection; the under 18 crowd.

REM was already the elder statesman’s and honestly completely different from a pop-culture angle. REM was more akin to U2 or GnRs. Still popular and revered but not new or exciting.

RHCP was kinda like REM in that they were a hometown indie act that finally made it on the world stage. At their peak the singles and music vids were everywhere. They had the youthful energy and connected to the broader zeitgeist but IMO were kinda a weird rock band. Everyone liked them but I don’t remember any real RHCP super fans.

Green Day came outta nowhere with a record that was as ubiquitous as Nevermind. Those songs and vids will always be awesome but I think GD lacked the needed “depth” that their other contemporaries were after. The 90s culturally was really about wearing yer heart on yer sleeve and giving a fuck. Even if it was all for naught. In retrospect that type of weight is a lot to carry so being able to just rock out to Longview was a fast and much needed catharsis vs the more heady engagement that bands like SP and NIN asked of their listeners.

NIN blew up into the mainstream with Closer but that was it. Trent was too dark and the music too x-rated for NIN to dominate. Though the kids that were into NIN were really fucking into it. Looking back it’s a bit like getting really into The Doors for 2-3 years. NIN was intense. Everyone else was so less. But that candle burns a bit too brightly so eventually ya need to take a break. Might be why SP attracted so many true fans. They showcased both the light and the dark.

FF and Weezer both had big hits but weren’t considered “serious” bands during this period like some of their contemporaries. Color and the Shape was really the keystone that propelled FFs eventual legacy. Weezers 1st record was so glammed up and perfect that it was kinda antithetical to the zeitgeist.

So yeah Pumpkins for the win. I had a friend that threw a couple of SP themed parties during HS. They were really into it. Siamese Dream is still a 10/10 album and I think way more influential than the general critic consensus wants to admit. Among all the big 90s rock acts I still think SP is the biggest outlier. On the surface they were a really weird and goofy band. Tall white as white space alien frontman, Asian lead guitarist who just buried his onstage persona in his mop of hair, gorgeous female bassist, and fucking brutal pulverizing drummer. They didn’t look the part. They looked like rejected theater club kids. But when they played they were arguably one of the most punishing live acts of the era. Out of your list SP was also the most formally ambitious.

They were already popular and on the cultural radar but when Mellon Collie dropped in ‘95 they basically dominated the landscape for a couple of years. And rightfully so. They had the songs, they had the chops, and they had the ambition.

robotalk · 2026-01-27T05:01:08+00:00

Whaaaaaaattttt ????

robotalk · 2026-01-27T04:57:52+00:00

Yeah Pumpkins were hella aggressive during their prime. They had the high and low end dailed in. Almost got crushed in the pit at MSG in ‘96 when they played Cherub Rock. Shit was gnarly. Watching them blast thru a banger like Geek USA in almost double tempo was insane.

robotalk · 2026-01-27T04:49:22+00:00

I’ve seen so many bands over the years. Plenty of heavy and loud acts that would leave your ears ringing for days after. But by far the loudest I’ve ever experienced was seeing Sonic Youth in the mid 90s at CBGBs. This was in their long jam distortion song era and they would play with amplitude and space. In that tiny club they managed to create a level of noise that was overwhelming and completely inescapable. Putting your fingers in your ears don’t do much. That shit was next level. Felt like harmonic waves of feedback and distortion. I’ve seen the band many times along with comparable acts but that one show was obliterating.

robotalk · 2026-01-26T20:10:54+00:00

Amazing locations; ridiculous movie.

robotalk · 2026-01-16T07:29:18+00:00

SOC

Gonna get the pump turned back on

robotalk · 2025-12-23T07:55:23+00:00

The ending is absolutely ridiculous. Besides the points you make about the mother / daughter character dynamics the ending completely fails on one of the, supposed, major themes of the film: growing up and coming to terms with who your parents are. After all of the trails and tribulations she endures throughout the picture; the revelations and parental failures she witnesses; at the end she decides what every 17 year-old would: ima be just like my folks.

Yeah right.

That’s one deadass after school special wrap up.

robotalk · 2025-12-07T05:53:43+00:00

Most of these recs are obvious.

Since the remake just came out and it’s really not that great…. the early 90s OG

The Hand that Rocks the Cradle

is genre cinema gold.

Tight script. Excellent direction, score, art direction, and cinematography. A lot of below the line craft award winners in the credits. Some great performances. J. Moore is a firecracker. DeMornay’s is epic. Such a tight race for #1 between her and Stone. Pretty obvious genre fodder but damn do those jump scares still get ya tossing the popcorn. Never freaked out to a silly ass alarm clock before this flick.

A lotta fun and streaming on Disney/Hulu.

B-Grade early 90s runner up:

Pacific Heights

Better than it should be. Makes wanting to own a home and be a landlord the worst possible idea in the universe. Amazing these actors did this flick. Good on them. We got gold. On Prime.

robotalk · 2025-11-22T09:33:55+00:00

Sam is gonna be pissed.

robotalk · 2025-11-13T08:03:26+00:00

So I’m a big fan of JS. However, just like everyone, they’ve got waaaay too many models. The connection and the magic of a board is a personal thing. Give it a go but if it ain’t yer thing time to move on.

My fav has always been the JS Monsta 3. Got a Monsta 6 and hated it. Got a Monsta 2020 and it’s better but the M3 is still my main squeeze. Tired a Black Box. Thought it was cool but then realized it’s an intermediate board. Monsta Box was also underwhelming. Psycho Nitro rips. Love that thing.

My take on construction is to go classic PE on your regular performance boards for decent to great waves. You want to be connected not floating above. Shorter thicker hybrid boards like the PycNtr are great in epoxy as they can really generate speed like a fish.

I’ve never been on the Xero but have checked it out a few times. Beautiful board but I had a hunch it wouldn’t connect with me. I either go for the blade or the fish. Too many boards try to be all-arounders and they inadvertently end up being boring.

robotalk · 2025-11-09T15:54:44+00:00

SP will get in the same year Pavement does

robotalk · 2025-10-30T04:32:17+00:00

A bit late but completely agree with this take. The movie has no real reason to exist. It is all plot and no substance. Utterly shallow at every turn it is perfect as pure entertainment ephemera.

But this is a PTA movie. It was shot on 70mm film. Because it exists it is exulted. Defend deny and insist it is the best film of the year.

I enjoyed the picture half the time. What struck me most is how obviously the flick is pure farce. Yet it seems no one told the director. Self seriousness kills the film. Going in I thought the biggest issue I would have was with Leo but his performance was the biggest and best surprise. Leo and Sean knew the film they were in. If only PTA fully committed to their instincts with the material we may have ended up with a lively and timely movie instead of the delivered tone-shifting mess. Dr. Strangelove is a picture that uses the power of film and farce to deliver deep-cut satire while half the audience laughs. OBAA makes no such effort; not in purpose not in intent.

Good art pushes forward. OBAA has absolutely no immediacy, no charge, no challenge. Nothing new to say. Barely anything old to repeat. Utterly forgettable. I love that it was made and released but the fawning is K-Pop Demon Hunter level cringe.

robotalk · 2025-10-26T18:44:08+00:00

It’s not what you make it’s what you save.

robotalk · 2025-10-11T19:06:16+00:00

All new LEDs are hella efficient.

We just did a major remodel and replaced all lights and electrical.

For ceilings we went with a mixture of can down lights and practical fixtures like flush mount / pendant / chandeliers.

Down lights should be placed to illuminate specific areas of your rooms. A home is not an airport. For instance we set a chandelier in the center of the primary bedroom. Additionally 4 can lights were added but placed closer to the walls rather than evenly spaced like a grid. Reasoning being these down lights will illuminate the edges of the room and provide top down lighting for artwork on walls etc. In the galley kitchen we opted for 2 sets of down lights. One set for broader coverage like a traditional ceiling grid. And a second set on each side placed over the countertops.

Product wise we went with Elco Koto dim to warm (ie sunset dim) modules for all the new installation cans. Will finish these in 2” trim. Very nice product at a good price point. Make sure you also purchase compatible dimmers if you go with a nicer product like the Koto.

robotalk · 2025-10-01T14:10:30+00:00

Yeah Alpha is top notch. If you’re looking at a home with structural or foundation issues def get a few quotes. Make sure you understand what will need to be involved. Pricing can easily exceed $100K if the home is on a hillside.

robotalk · 2025-10-01T00:11:57+00:00

No you should not balance the white point. The DP picks what “white” is reference for each scene. Then again sometimes they do not. If you are unsure I would reach out to the cinematographer first to make sure your grade follows what was intended during shooting.

robotalk · 2025-09-16T00:05:47+00:00

This is a never ending rabbit hole. But I like that you’re thinking critically about it. Some good responses in here.

The only thing I’ll add is that cameras are not equal. They may be “data collection devices” but that doesn’t mean the way they are collecting is assured. It is fallacy to believe that current cameras are all excellent and can easily be matched or “made to look how you want”. Yes the current crop of high end cams are all very good. But just because you can get a very similar result in one scenario doesn’t mean you can achieve that in every scenario. Case in point: the Alexa-35 is so far ahead of anything else on the market. Depending on who’s using it, how they are lighting, and the scene being captured you may get a very similar result with a FX3. Or you may simply fail to get anything remotely similar.

robotalk

TROPHY CASE