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Friðrik Þór Friðriksson’s “Children of Nature”

My review: https://opus.ing/reviews/children-of-nature-fridrik-thor-fridriksson One of my all-time favorite films, “Children of Nature” had its premiere in Iceland 35 years ago today. It’s a gorgeous film about two senior citizens whose journey back to their childhood home grows increasingly otherworldly.

Halo: Campaign Evolved

My ★★★ review: https://opus.ing/diet/538260 Even with all of the reworked graphics and visual updates, it’s hard not to feel like the entire thing is a bit superfluous and unnecessary, like it’s an extended tech demo more than anything else.

One of my all-time favorite films, Friðrik Þór Friðriksson’s “Children of Nature,” had its premiere in Iceland 35 years ago today. It’s a gorgeous film about two senior citizens whose journey back to their childhood home grows increasingly otherworldly. My review:

Even with all of the reworked graphics and visual updates, it’s hard not to feel like the entire thing is a bit superfluous and unnecessary, like it’s an extended tech demo more than anything else. My ★★★ review of #Halo: Campaign Evolved: opus.ing/diet/538260

I’ve been listening to the new Durutti Column album all day, and it’s a remarkable piece of work. I’m so glad Vini Reilly’s still with us and still making gorgeous music like this song.

Zakè and @milieu.bsky.social’s ambient techno collaboration has been stuck in my head all week long. On a related note, never discount the value of a trumpet denouement in ambient music.

“[T]he film made me very nostalgic for the days when I used to be in a band… the scenes of #GlenHansard (lead singer of The Frames, and the male lead) and his friends jamming together, melding somehow into one and creating something much greater than the sum of its parts were just beautiful.”

The only way to beat AI is to make ourselves sound dumber, I guess.

Manisha Krishnan@manishakrishnan.bsky.social

Authors and journalists are doing more first-person (hello 2010s blogging) and embracing "mistakes" in writing to prove they're not chatbots. There's even an “anti-Grammarly" app that leaves in typos and signs off "sent from my iPhone" to create more authenticity: www.wired.com/story/more-t...

I’m continually fascinated by the apps made possible by @atproto.com. Case in point, @grain.social, a photo-sharing platform by @chadtmiller.com that feels like a cleaner, simpler Instagram. My full review here:

“Masters of the Universe” by Travis Knight (2026)

My ★★★ review: https://opus.ing/diet/538143 A movie that fully and completely embraces the silliness of its subject matter, for better or worse. #MovieReview

“The Odyssey” by Christopher Nolan (2026)

My ★★★½ review: https://opus.ing/diet/538073 I enjoyed and appreciated the ambitious scope, but it also feels like it could’ve been so much better. #MovieReview

A movie that fully and completely embraces the silliness of its subject matter, for better or worse. My ★★★ review of Travis Knight’s “Masters of the Universe” (2026): opus.ing/diet/538143

I enjoyed and appreciated the ambitious scope, but it also feels like it could’ve been so much better. My ★★★½ review of Christopher Nolan’s #TheOdyssey (2026): opus.ing/diet/538073

This weekend’s Opus newsletter features articles on “Calvin and Hobbes,” World Cup 2026, the music of David Eugene Edwards, “Dirty Pair,” Charlie Kirk, and much more. Enjoy!

“Rain Temple” by 2814

2814’s transcendent “Rain Temple” — an album that completely shattered my expectations of what a #vaporwave release could be — was released 10 years ago today. My review from 2016: https://opus.ing/reviews/rain-temple-2814-2016-dream-catalogue

2814’s transcendent “Rain Temple” — an album that completely shattered my expectations of what a #vaporwave release could be — was released 10 years ago today. My review from 2016:

Apple TV’s “Neuromancer”

I was a bit uncertain about Apple’s upcoming adaptation of William Gibson’s #Neuromancer novel, but this first teaser has me feeling more optimistic. Watch here: https://opus.ing/p/apples-neuromancer-adaptation-teaser

I was a bit uncertain about Apple’s upcoming adaptation of William Gibson’s #Neuromancer novel, but this first teaser has me feeling more optimistic.

“The Inspector Wears Skirts” by Wellson Chin (1988)

My ★★★½ review: https://opus.ing/diet/538053 This Hong Kong response to the “Police Academy” films boasts some of the most delightfully insane action sequences I’ve seen in a long time. #MovieReview

“Disclosure Day” by Steven Spielberg (2026)

My ★★ review: https://opus.ing/diet/538021 Big themes and bravura filmmaking notwithstanding, it’s a surprisingly ineffective film from one of our greatest filmmakers. #MovieReview