the main shift in pixar films over the last 30 years is from stories about *being a parent* to stories about *being parented*
it’s not particularly subtle either
toy story: obvious metaphor for parenthood. two toys swallow their pride and realize their role as caregivers of a kid
monsters inc: two buddies have their friendship tested as they try to get a child back home
Sep 6, 2024 • 8 tweets • 3 min read
thinking about the minecraft movie trailer, and why it feels wrong
i think the issue isn’t just that it’s cringe
it’s that it’s taking something genuine and earnest, and making it self-referential and incredulous about itself
minecraft is a quiet, earnest game
you drop into an empty world, cut down trees, build a house. the house is lopsided and a little funny looking, but you made it, and so it matters
the game doesn’t point and snicker behind your back, “hey, get a load of this”
Aug 5, 2024 • 7 tweets • 3 min read
there’s an interesting parallel between AI art and early-20th-century architecture
we’ve all seen victorian architecture right? the classic gingerbread house. lots of ornate detail and mouldings
this was directly made possible by the industrial revolution
detail and ornament used to be the product of hand labor. they were a sign of wealth and luxury
but suddenly, they could be mass produced
factories spun up. you could pick products out of a catalog and decorate your house like a cathedral. people went wild
Feb 15, 2024 • 4 tweets • 2 min read
people don’t realize this but WALL•E is a straightforward retelling of genesis
the autopilot is god. the captain is adam. EVE is eve. and wall-e is satan
wall-e lives alone in a blighted world of trash. his only friend is a cockroach (symbolizing pestilence)
he comes to paradise to tempt EVE with the forbidden fruit - an act that goes against their directive