Arthur Augustyn

I run a part-time news blog about Stamford, CT. Also post about AI, movies, and video games (KOTOR).

[Rob Henderson @robkhenderson]

In Obsession, the main male character was more terrified of asking a woman out than he was of being in a relationship with a murderous BPD woman who feeds him his own cat: https://t.co/lbVAiFxaxL

[Arthur Augustyn @ArthurAugustyn]

@JosephKahn @patrickjkalyn If you’re skeptical of this response — remember AI lacks the ability for true innovation. If you are doing something that’s “never been done before” it may be very critical. Alternatively a positive response from AI may indicate “derivative” but we don’t know. Not enough data.

[Arthur Augustyn @ArthurAugustyn]

@patrickjkalyn @JosephKahn I work in AI adoption and this is good advice. The reason it works is because the AI models are hardcoded to be nice to the user — I think Joseph has picked up on this — saying it’s “my friend” allows it to be critical while keeping the user happy.

[Arthur Augustyn @ArthurAugustyn]

@spqr_sulla @LegacyKillaHD you know I was on the fence on your original tweet but this one confirmed it was garbage

[Arthur Augustyn @ArthurAugustyn]

I think Nikki replicates behavior men experince, but I wouldn’t call the movie “calling women out on their shit.” Though it is wild how many women relate to Nikki — not because they dated some dick — but because of how she behaves. Even the character doesn’t want to behave that way!

[Derek Thompson @DKThomp]

In 2019, there were about 150,000 people working in autism therapy.

Six years later, there were 654,000—more than the number of people who work in mining and logging, or telecommunications, or at the US Postal Service.

[Arthur Augustyn @ArthurAugustyn]

@koralinadean Costs driven by labor. If your movie costs $10M it’s already a risk. You need to mitigate it with either marketing or stars — which are expensive. You’ll have sub $1M, sub $10M and $100M+

[Arthur Augustyn @ArthurAugustyn]

@davo_arid They haven’t been developing stars for decades

[Arthur Augustyn @ArthurAugustyn]

@ingelramdecoucy I loathe this stupid song. Cannot fucking stand it.

[CT Election Guide @ctelectionguide]

State Rep. Josh Elliott exceeded the fundraising mark over the weekend needed to qualify for public financing against Governor Ned Lamont for the August Primary.

His formal application is expected to be submitted next week. He will receive a $3,750,355 grant if he met the requirements according to state election regulators.

The grant will allow Elliott to give his message to a larger audience against the popular governor.

[unusual_whales @unusual_whales]

AMC Entertainment, $AMC, saw the highest attendance for May since 2019

[Arthur Augustyn @ArthurAugustyn]

@n1t3w0rk Posted elsewhere but the most realistic thing about Obsession is they’re all in their mid 20s with no career or financial bedrock at all. The one guy with a house inherited it from his grandma.

[Fred Barrett @fred_beretta]

Hilarious that these “box office analysts” can’t get it through their skulls that The Backrooms is, in effect, an “established brand.” You just weren’t aware of it because you’re over 40.

[Arthur Augustyn @ArthurAugustyn]

@ZODIAC_MF Mitch unlike Marcellus does in fact look like a bitch.

[Arthur Augustyn @ArthurAugustyn]

Audience members reclaiming movie theater etiquette by shamelessly telling people to shut up is the turning point for everything that sucks about this decade.

Management is not coming to help you. That thing that sucks? You need to do something.

[Arthur Augustyn @ArthurAugustyn]

@LAHohn_Sports @ElectroExtant @FilmUpdates an unrealistic expectation

[em 🇮🇪🔻🔻 @nocturnalfem_]

most realistic part of this movie was that they were all mid 20s working a regular minimum wage retail job, having not yet furthered their careers

[Arthur Augustyn @ArthurAugustyn]

Point in the text is good, but mostly retweeting for the clip. One thing I loved about Obsession is it totally sells the horror angle, but once you're distanced from experiencing the events for the first time the movie is very funny. "DON'T DO THAT!!!"

[frostzy @lmkifiwin]

a horror movie made for $750,000 is about to become one of the most profitable films ever made.

Obsession - shot in 20 days in Alabama by a 26-year-old YouTuber with no stars in the cast - is now eyeing a $250 million+ box office finish. that's a return north of 300 times its budget. it's already the highest-grossing release in Focus Features history.

now look at what the industry spent that same money on:
- Joker: Folie a Deux - ~$200 million budget. a punchline.
- Mickey 17 - ~$118 million. forgotten in a month.
- The Mandalorian & Grogu - $165 million, 7 years, the entire Lucasfilm machine. it's currently losing the weekday box office to... Obsession.

Hollywood keeps insisting you need $200 million, a pre-sold IP, and a marketing budget the size of a small country to make a hit. then a guy with a camera, a wish-granting toy, and three weeks in Alabama outearned all of them on a rounding error of their catering bill.

the most profitable movie of the year cost less than a single second of screen time in the average blockbuster. turns out audiences never wanted the budget. they wanted a good movie.

[frostzy @lmkifiwin]

a horror movie made for $750,000 is about to become one of the most profitable films ever made.

Obsession - shot in 20 days in Alabama by a 26-year-old YouTuber with no stars in the cast - is now eyeing a $250 million+ box office finish. that's a return north of 300 times its budget. it's already the highest-grossing release in Focus Features history.

now look at what the industry spent that same money on:
- Joker: Folie a Deux - ~$200 million budget. a punchline.
- Mickey 17 - ~$118 million. forgotten in a month.
- The Mandalorian & Grogu - $165 million, 7 years, the entire Lucasfilm machine. it's currently losing the weekday box office to... Obsession.

Hollywood keeps insisting you need $200 million, a pre-sold IP, and a marketing budget the size of a small country to make a hit. then a guy with a camera, a wish-granting toy, and three weeks in Alabama outearned all of them on a rounding error of their catering bill.

the most profitable movie of the year cost less than a single second of screen time in the average blockbuster. turns out audiences never wanted the budget. they wanted a good movie.

[ally @missmayn]

these new horror movies are hitting because young folks are scared of different things.

home invasions don’t work because no one owns a home. slasher movies are unrealistic when everyone has ring cameras and life360.

liminal spaces and being forced to date a bad guy? horrific