Andrew Todd
@andrewtodd.co.nz
NZ/Can writer/director, consultant, and recovering film/games critic (RIP BMD). NZ Writers Guild board member. 1/2 of Freak Development. Working on SPECTRUM, SO LONELY I COULD DIE, and others. Inspired by actual events.
Imagine being such a good actor that you're considered the greatest of THE CENTURY, and your brother fucks it all up for you by going and killing the President, in a theatre no less.
February 10, 2026 at 1:53 AM
Imagine being such a good actor that you're considered the greatest of THE CENTURY, and your brother fucks it all up for you by going and killing the President, in a theatre no less.
Reposted by Andrew Todd
Ten years ago a game called Firewatch came out and I wrote an essay on how we were slowly being deprived of hearing other human voices every day. I think the piece holds up, and is only more relevant as AI con artists attempt to scrub humanity from even more of our lives.
On Firewatch and the Power of Human Voices in Video Games
Sometimes it works, ironically, by making you feel even more lonely than before.
www.vulture.com
February 9, 2026 at 5:44 PM
Ten years ago a game called Firewatch came out and I wrote an essay on how we were slowly being deprived of hearing other human voices every day. I think the piece holds up, and is only more relevant as AI con artists attempt to scrub humanity from even more of our lives.
Reposted by Andrew Todd
It's the theme to Tenebrae and it's not even up for (internal) debate
What film score would you do your free skate to if you were an Olympic figure skater? It's gotta be Phantom Thread for me sorry
February 9, 2026 at 5:06 PM
It's the theme to Tenebrae and it's not even up for (internal) debate
Reposted by Andrew Todd
I'm convinced AI is our generation's radium - a discovery with genuinely useful applications in specific, controlled circumstances that we stupidly put in everything from kid's toys to toothpaste until we realised the harm far too late where future generations will ask if we were out of our minds.
February 8, 2026 at 10:23 PM
I'm convinced AI is our generation's radium - a discovery with genuinely useful applications in specific, controlled circumstances that we stupidly put in everything from kid's toys to toothpaste until we realised the harm far too late where future generations will ask if we were out of our minds.
No. I hate it. I only ever want to see things from inside my own prewarmed cultural niche. Which is why I think the Super Bowl LXI halftime show should be: Star Trek
Watched the halftime show. I guess where I fundamentally depart from MAGA is that, when I see something like this, celebrating a culture that's not quite mine, with some references I don't get, something that's not For Me ... I *like* it. I like seeing inside other worlds. Why wouldn't you?
February 9, 2026 at 9:18 AM
No. I hate it. I only ever want to see things from inside my own prewarmed cultural niche. Which is why I think the Super Bowl LXI halftime show should be: Star Trek
Honestly if Tarantino's hemming and hawing over his 10th film results in a bunch of screenplays that other filmmakers end up directing, that's a better outcome than a pile of unproduced scripts
February 9, 2026 at 5:01 AM
Honestly if Tarantino's hemming and hawing over his 10th film results in a bunch of screenplays that other filmmakers end up directing, that's a better outcome than a pile of unproduced scripts
This article has "prewritten like an obituary" all over it
‘The Mandalorian and Grogu’ Super Bowl Trailer: ‘Star Wars’ Finally Returns to the Big Screen
Watch the new Super Bowl trailer for 'The Mandalorian & Grogu.'
www.indiewire.com
February 9, 2026 at 3:24 AM
This article has "prewritten like an obituary" all over it
Reposted by Andrew Todd
I never noticed this either.
February 8, 2026 at 7:09 PM
I never noticed this either.
It is absolutely BONKERS that in the 24th century people just casually run highly detailed holographic simulations of other people's likenesses. Not bonkers that it happens - of course it does - but bonkers that it's basically accepted practice
February 9, 2026 at 12:57 AM
It is absolutely BONKERS that in the 24th century people just casually run highly detailed holographic simulations of other people's likenesses. Not bonkers that it happens - of course it does - but bonkers that it's basically accepted practice
That Mandalorian/Grogu spot had a net negative impact on my interest in the movie, which I can't imagine was the intent. It'll sell a bunch of tickets to normies though I'm sure
February 9, 2026 at 12:36 AM
That Mandalorian/Grogu spot had a net negative impact on my interest in the movie, which I can't imagine was the intent. It'll sell a bunch of tickets to normies though I'm sure
I'll be honest: while 1.5C was a good goal, the way it's been hammered on has created a sense that if we pass it, we're just doomed in a "what's the point" kind of way, and I think that's had a suppressive effect on action tbh
The world is poised to overshoot the goal of limiting average global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, as for the first time, a three-year period, ending in 2025, has breached the threshold.
Climate scientists are predicting devastating consequences.
Climate scientists are predicting devastating consequences.
There may be no turning back this climate crisis
As warming breaches a critical threshold, scientists fear cascading consequences.
www.motherjones.com
February 8, 2026 at 10:24 PM
I'll be honest: while 1.5C was a good goal, the way it's been hammered on has created a sense that if we pass it, we're just doomed in a "what's the point" kind of way, and I think that's had a suppressive effect on action tbh
"This version of Logic Pro will no longer be updated" bitch I will cling on to the subscription free version with my cold dead hands
February 8, 2026 at 9:43 PM
"This version of Logic Pro will no longer be updated" bitch I will cling on to the subscription free version with my cold dead hands
brb gonna make a course on how to copy and paste some other grifter's AI book wholesale and sell it yourself because AI output can't be copyrighted
February 8, 2026 at 8:35 PM
brb gonna make a course on how to copy and paste some other grifter's AI book wholesale and sell it yourself because AI output can't be copyrighted
Reposted by Andrew Todd
I have yet to see any evidence that there is a market for AI-generated books outside of people being tricked into thinking they are not AI-generated books. AKA, it is a project of scamming and deceiving people, and really should be treated as fraud
February 8, 2026 at 6:55 PM
I have yet to see any evidence that there is a market for AI-generated books outside of people being tricked into thinking they are not AI-generated books. AKA, it is a project of scamming and deceiving people, and really should be treated as fraud
Reposted by Andrew Todd
Second time in 3 days I’m posting this Vonnegut quote wrt AI.
February 8, 2026 at 4:57 PM
Second time in 3 days I’m posting this Vonnegut quote wrt AI.
There's nothing that makes me warm to a YouTuber more than when they flub a line, readjust themselves, start the line over, and forget to edit the flub out
That's right: nothing. Content doesn't matter, production value don't matter. Gimme dat flub
That's right: nothing. Content doesn't matter, production value don't matter. Gimme dat flub
February 8, 2026 at 3:00 AM
There's nothing that makes me warm to a YouTuber more than when they flub a line, readjust themselves, start the line over, and forget to edit the flub out
That's right: nothing. Content doesn't matter, production value don't matter. Gimme dat flub
That's right: nothing. Content doesn't matter, production value don't matter. Gimme dat flub
Nothing infuriates me more than when tech companies remove (or paywall) functionality via software updates.
No, not even that other infuriating thing you're thinking about.
No, not even that other infuriating thing you're thinking about.
February 7, 2026 at 11:39 PM
Nothing infuriates me more than when tech companies remove (or paywall) functionality via software updates.
No, not even that other infuriating thing you're thinking about.
No, not even that other infuriating thing you're thinking about.
Reposted by Andrew Todd
This is a pretty good example why, even outside of creative, if I find out your business uses AI at any point in your workflow, I lose 90% confidence.
It’s not an ethical concern, it’s a competency one. I assume you’re an idiot if you think these things can work reliably in any critical role.
It’s not an ethical concern, it’s a competency one. I assume you’re an idiot if you think these things can work reliably in any critical role.
I don’t want to laugh at a small business but also VERY funny
February 7, 2026 at 10:12 AM
This is a pretty good example why, even outside of creative, if I find out your business uses AI at any point in your workflow, I lose 90% confidence.
It’s not an ethical concern, it’s a competency one. I assume you’re an idiot if you think these things can work reliably in any critical role.
It’s not an ethical concern, it’s a competency one. I assume you’re an idiot if you think these things can work reliably in any critical role.
Waste of money. I could've done it with only five or six planes
Not only did they bring a small private army, but among the waste of taxpayer money was BRINGING A FULL PLANE OF FOOD.
To *Italy*.
To *Italy*.
February 7, 2026 at 8:41 PM
Waste of money. I could've done it with only five or six planes
Reposted by Andrew Todd
Btw, related to this, I've come to believe one of the worst things about social media is that it makes you believe the average person is a give-a-shit type of person. That thing that matters a lot to you and everyone you know here? Most people would hear you reference it and think "huh."
Like if you're on bluesky, you're very likely not normal. You're someone who was on twitter (already not most people) and then decided to change platforms due to some opinion about how it was run. So you're a highly engaged, atypical person.
February 7, 2026 at 6:23 PM
Btw, related to this, I've come to believe one of the worst things about social media is that it makes you believe the average person is a give-a-shit type of person. That thing that matters a lot to you and everyone you know here? Most people would hear you reference it and think "huh."
Monitor's on the fritz. Phone can't make calls anymore. Gonna be an expensive month folks
February 7, 2026 at 7:24 AM
Monitor's on the fritz. Phone can't make calls anymore. Gonna be an expensive month folks
Imagine someone who controls the space you live in just deciding to make things more financially difficult for you
In a city packed with mighty real estate titans, they are the small ones.
New York landlords say they are at their breaking point as Mayor Zohran Mamdani begins to implement even more aggressive tenant-friendly policies.
New York landlords say they are at their breaking point as Mayor Zohran Mamdani begins to implement even more aggressive tenant-friendly policies.
NYC’s small landlords say they won’t survive Mamdani plan to freeze rent
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani has criticized landlords and vowed to freeze what tenants in rent-stabilized apartments pay monthly.
www.washingtonpost.com
February 7, 2026 at 3:50 AM
Imagine someone who controls the space you live in just deciding to make things more financially difficult for you
Ian McKellen playing Gandalf again?! Has the man not suffered enough
February 7, 2026 at 3:45 AM
Ian McKellen playing Gandalf again?! Has the man not suffered enough
Reposted by Andrew Todd
production of The Muppet Show should not be dependent on petty vulgarities like “ratings” or “revenue.” it should be preserved as a vital function of american culture. it should have a taxpayer-funded budget rivaling the CIA
February 7, 2026 at 12:40 AM
production of The Muppet Show should not be dependent on petty vulgarities like “ratings” or “revenue.” it should be preserved as a vital function of american culture. it should have a taxpayer-funded budget rivaling the CIA