#eryk my beloved

[mariacallous]

On January 1, Mike Neville gave Midjourney the following prompt: “Steamboat Willie drawn in a vintage Disney style, black and white. He is dripping all over with white gel.”

There’s no polite way to describe what this prompt conjured from the AI image generator. It looks, very much, like Mickey Mouse is drenched in ejaculate.

At the start of every year, a crop of cultural works enters the public domain in the United States. When copyright expires on particularly beloved characters, people get excited. This is an especially eagerly anticipated year. An early version of Mickey Mouse, colloquially known as Steamboat Willie, entered public domain in 2024 after nearly a century of rigorously enforced copyright protection. Within days, an explosion of homebrewed Steamboat Willie art hit the internet, including a horror movie trailer, a meme coin—and, of course, a glut of AI-generated Willies. Some are G-rated. Others, like “Creamboat Willie,” are decidedly not. (Willie doing drugs is another popular theme.)

While a contingent of the people sharing naughty Willie images are simply goofing around, others had surprisingly sober-minded intentions. Neville, an art director who posted his image on social media using the handle “Olivia Mutant-John,” has a lively sense of humor, but his experiment wasn’t solely a scatalogical joke. “My interest in generating the assets was to explore copyright thresholds and where the tools are currently,” he says. He’d noticed that it was easy to find examples of copyrighted characters on popular image-generating tools (a point also recently made by AI scientist Gary Marcus, who posted AI-generated depictions of SpongeBob SquarePants as an example) and wanted to see how far he could push an image generator now that Steamboat Willie was in the public domain.

Neville isn’t the only person conducting AI Willie experiments with copyright on his mind. Pierre-Carl Langlais, head of research at the AI data research firm OpSci, created a fine-tuned version of Stable Diffusion he called “Mickey-1928” based on 96 public domain stills of Mickey Mouse from the 1928 films Steamboat Willie, Plane Crazy, and Gallopin’ Gaucho. “It’s a political stance,” he says.

Langlais firmly believes that people should be paying closer attention to where AI tools get their training data; he’s working on several separate projects focused on creating models that train exclusively on public domain works to that end. He whipped it up in hours, because it’s essentially a filter laid atop of Stable Diffusion, not a totally custom data set. (That would be a far more labor-intensive project.)

As anything related to AI artwork tends to stir up controversy, he’s been pleasantly surprised by the joyful reception his tool has received online; because it is built on a tiny set of low-quality images, the works it creates tend toward the rough-hewn and glitchy. (“You should not expect consistently good results from Mickey-1928,” his project description warns.) Langlais originally intended to add to the data set to improve its quality, but now he’s going to leave it as is. “I think people liked that it was slightly bad,” he says. “It created some funny results.”

Others liked it precisely because of its political valence. “It’s pretty satirical,” says emerging technology researcher Eryk Salvaggio. The Steamboat Willie iteration of Mickey Mouse entering the public domain is a big deal partly because people love all things Disney, but also because Disney played a role in shaping contemporary copyright protections specifically to shield this character. As Salvaggio points out, people nicknamed the Copyright Term Extension Act of 1998—which, as its name suggests, extended copyright terms—as the “Mickey Mouse Protection Act,” because Disney lobbied aggressively in favor of prolonging copyright.

“This particular Mickey Mouse, from Steamboat Willie, is now in the public domain at a time when questions about what we can grab and use are up for debate,” Salvaggio says. “It’s an interesting confluence.”

At least some of the AI-generated Steamboat Willie images are explicit middle-fingers to Disney. On the social network Bluesky, for example, a user called Virtual Balboa posted an image of Willie smoking a joint. (They asked to be identified by their pseudonym so their family “doesn't get swatted by some random lunatic.”) In an email, they detailed their motivations for creating doobie-smoking Willie. “I love the idea that Disney will be forced to spend money and resources looking at my stupid pictures to check if they are too far removed from Steamboat Willie to count as public domain,” they wrote.

While people like Langlais and Neville are experimenting with Steamboat Willie in part to test the guardrails put in place by generative AI companies, Virtual Balboa is deeply skeptical that enhanced copyright protections will benefit regular people: “Any guardrail-type laws will be written by computer-illiterate geriatrics and only make life harder for people trying to use ‘ethical AI’ to do legitimate work.”

Putting aside considerations of how digitally savvy regulators may or may not be, the rush to remix Steamboat Willie with AI tools demonstrates, once again, the growing inescapability of these products.

[estelscinema]

BEST OF SIFF: ROUND 3

YEAR OF THE FOX: DIRECTED BY MEGAN GRIFFITHS

A 17-year-old, Ivy, who was adopted as an infant into a wealthy and notable Aspen family, is navigating the fallout of her parent's bitter divorce.

Nearly all coming-of-age stories are identical, with the teen learning to cope with their life and self in a self-discovering fashion. So I was surprised to see Year of the Fox take a much darker approach to the classic story. Though the story implementing Eyes Wide Shut Aspen addition may not have worked due to its predictability and unbelievability, I still respect it for taking a different approach. Sarah Jeffery shines in her performance of perfectly capturing a teen coming of age, with all the hormones and emotions that come with it. Overall, I enjoyed this movie for what it was, and I respect it for taking a different approach to its story.

My Rating: B

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STELLA: DIRECTED BY TYLER DOEHRING

Chef Ciro Oliva wants nothing more than his Neapolitan pizzeria Concettina ai Tre Santi to be the first of its kind to earn the converted Michelin Star, but that's easier said than done with the notoriously secretive organization.

If you are not craving pizza by the end of this documentary, then you have no soul. Stella is a mouthwatering documentary of the quest for a pizzeria to attain a Michelin Star. It masterfully showcases the art of pizza making like no one has before. It truly honors the chefs behind the pizza making, where you wonder how haven't they earned a Michelin Star. Overall, if you have some pizza cravings, their movie is perfect for you.

My Rating: A-

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FILIP: DIRECTED BY MICHAL KWIECINSKI

941, the Warsaw ghetto. Filip, a young Polish Jew, with his beloved Sarah, are getting ready to perform in a cabaret to earn a living. During the premiere, a shootout takes place, during which Sara, as well as Philip’s relatives sitting in the audience, are killed. Two years later, the man works as a waiter in the restaurant of an upscale hotel in Frankfurt.

As for Holocaust and WW2 movies, the era has been pushed to all the boundaries you think they could. However, 80 years after the war, the era can still reveal some unique stories. Filip gives up a glimpse of a Jew hiding in plain sight in Frankfurt, Germany, as he struggles with his race and his sexual desires in a country that wants to see him hang. It's a fascinating character study into the psychological trauma and strength needed to survive Nazi Germany. Eryk Kulm is the heart of this film with his powerful and heartbreaking performance. If you have a chance to see this, definitely go watch it.

My Rating: A-

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IRATI: DIRECTED BY PAUL URKIJO ALIJO

Western Pyrenees, year 778. When his land is threatened by the ruthless armies of the Frankish emperor, a Basque warlord asks for help from his ancestral gods.

When the official program was released for SIFF, the moment I saw the picture for Irati, I knew I was done with it, and it did not disappoint. Irati is a fun fantasy adventure that highlights an underrated mythology. The story is fascinating as it's filled with great characters and stunning character design. The story masterfully weaves Spain's pagan mythology that highlights its unique nature. Furthermore, the battle sequences are spectacular, given its limited budget. Overall, Irati is a lot of fun and definitely worth a theater experience.

My rating: B

#film #cinema #movies #movie #filmmaking #filmmaker #moviemaking #moviemaker #cinephile #cinematography #film community #film is not dead #film review #movie review #film critic #movie critic #film festival #siff #year of the fox #stella #filip #irati

[majestyrising]

Diary of the Order

This got way longer than I meant it to. It’s some backstory on Colt and his son:

Eryk is for sale for 500g/500kt via cr. If you want to skip the buildup and just want the lore for the kid, then skip to the last diary entry.

Pings: @jollyroger-fr, @fusefr, @hellkite-fr, @archaic-fr, @kattafr, @mask-fr, @deadlanddisciple

Warnings: Violence, questionable consent, body horror, imprisonment, abuse of a minor, child death, and religious nutcases. Very dark. You’ve been warned.

25th of the Month of Rot. Celebrations begun early this week in anticipation for our most Beloved Mother’s Feast. We have spent day and night praying and killing in her honour. The streets and tables run red. It is a glorious sight, but something remains on my mind. We have nothing new to offer here- the Ouroboros warriors are imperfect. Many still go mad, double during the Beloved Mother’s feast. It cannot be helped; I will not play God. Any the Beloved Mother claims are Hers. There must be something else. Another venue of devotion. We watch the glow of her Holy Veins below us, but we sit above them, elevated- perhaps it will deign to answer me.

30th of the Month of Rot. I have seen what the Holy Veins do first hand, a great number of times. I have seen them Bless and warp individuals and whole colonies into something glorious, but oft they lose any semblance of dignity, of tact. It is a temptation, yes, but it will not do. As I sit, there is blood drying across my face. I can hear the cries of the Ouroboros behind me. I cannot claim to know Her Holy words, nor do I claim to know Her Intent. Perhaps, though, there is something I know.

31st of the Month of Rot. Concrete evidence is what I require- what we all require for our true salvation. There must be physical evidence of our devotion, of our pact to the Beloved Mother; she must see, through the eyes that split this land, that we are her Most Holy. The Feast is over now, to our collective misfortune. Spirits wane in the lull. A merchant approached me as I contemplated our dilemma earlier this day, sharing my woes and worries. She may be our first volunteer.

4th of the Month of Rock. The first experiment failed. Bathing in the Holy Veins is unpredictable. It cannot be measured nor understood. Small amounts had differing successes- but caused only third degree burns and a low-level mutation, increasing appropriately with the amount applied. A last-ditch attempt was made to salvage success from failure, but consuming the Holy Vein orally cannot be done. We shall mourn the loss of life; but she will go the Beloved Mother in death.

13th of the Month of Rock. A shipment of metal ore led to a breakthrough. With physical labour and magically blessing, and a small degree of luck and precision, there is a tool that can siphon away some of the Holy Veins. There was an argument- to the bone, there are now several injured for their troubles- but my argument stands. We all feel it. The unrest, the distrust. We need something to show ourselves, to ourselves, to Her. The experiment begins in earnest.

24th of the Month of Rock. The second experiment has failed. The tools remained steadfast, but the mutation remains unpredictable and wild. Three were injured, but the information will help us. A warrior left us this time, one of the Enkindled Ouroboros. A fine woman indeed. I shall personally commend her to the Beloved Mother’s side.

2nd of the Month of Silence. The fifth experiment has failed. Our tools remain strong, our binding hexes now steady, the physical restraints remain to be seen. Today they succeeded, but I grow wary and weary of them. We cannot take more of our own. I have decided to allow an expedition to the north. Mother willing, this will return fruitful.

14th of the Month of Silence. The seventh, eighth, and ninth experiments have failed. Their lack of devotion is a stumbling block- they mewl and cry out like children. It is disgraceful, and their deaths were a waste. I believe I may need to cut the tongues of further volunteers.

28th of the Month of Silence. The twelfth experiment has failed. Binding hexes have been re-established by the Enkindled Ouroboros, the chains are now supplemented with magic and have been packed deep into the earth. We require another ore shipment. I remain, as always, Her Servant.

1st of the Month of Ice. The nineteenth, twentieth, and twenty-first experiment have failed. I believe their lack of devotion to be more than a mental strike. Without the infusion of Her at birth, they are weak. Too weak to take the burden.

2nd of the Month of Ice. The twenty-second experiment has failed. It was the closest yet, however. A woman with eyes of ours was injected at midday. A tangle of limbs grew from her, with teeth that extended from her fingertips. She cried, yes, but it was truly incredible. I have never seen such a powerful display- I fell to my knees in awe. She survived several hours, but by midnight she had faded from this world. Yet I am bolstered by our success. We shall take more.

21st of the Month of Ice. The thirtieth experiment has failed.

5th of the Month of Shadow. The thirty-seventh experiment has failed.

7thth of the Month of Shadow. The forty-first experiment has failed.

19th of the Month of Shadow. Success rides in on jubilation and a thousand trumpets. It began as all the rest. A dozen. We hosted them as Beloved Guests, fed and bathed them, freshened their magics, we treated them as Holy. Seven were young, the rest older. We took them out to the edge of the cliff. Two grew wild with terror, apparently lacking any faith. The first injection was magnificent. Mushrooms bulged and broke the inside of the first’s skull, towering up until shadows were cast upon us. The mushrooms and fat ballooned out before, within minutes, crumbling to ash and dust. The second groaned and wept as eyes open along their exposed spine, their fingers began to divide. It was truly a sign of Her power to see the body divide into pieces, parts, and begin to replicate. I recall words being hurled at me but in tongues I do not understand. I could pray it was Her, but I am no fool. The third simply screamed. My ears ring as I write, my hand shakes for excitement for even now I recall what came after. The boy- who could have predicted- a small boy, barely out of his teenage years, who waited patiently for us. I saw fear in those wide eyes, but I saw acceptance. His skin began to bubble and boil, and peel away like water. My words do no justice to this sight. His skin fell away, and muscle and bone began to drop, unnecessary. But the injection had worked, and as his muscle dropped away, her Holy Veins instead wrapped around him, meshing and weaving through the gaps. Through his fingers and feet, a part of his jaw and crest of horns. I did not breathe, did not dare breathe to interrupt. I am pained to tell you that we left him then to continue with the rest; for they have survived, these pretenders, and I could not bear to have faith in him yet. I write this from three days passed. The boy survived into the night, and we took him in to commend him for his bravery and devotion. The Ouroboros prayed for him and stayed with him during the night, but he had survived a second night. Only one other had- but she had tried to kill one of the warriors, and was forced to be neutralised. But the boy- I went to see him before writing this, as the Ouroboros fed him spiced wine and began to drape him with jewellery of bronze and stone- he is a masterpiece. The Holy Veins live in him, like sunset bled into honey. It shifts from red to orange and green, almost a solid but to touch would be to burn. He has little strength as I write this, but I pressed a feverent kiss to his brow and told him of his most Holy fate.

1st of the Month of Wind. The boy lives. He told me today that his name is Colt. A name I will allow; for it must be a strong name. For now, he will stay within the temple with the Unkindled Ouroboros.

11th of the Month of Wind. There is a problem. He is Most Holy’s Vessel, this we cannot deny. Yet he is quiet, subdued. He has little power. The Holy Veins take their toll on him. Unpredictably, they slough off and reconstitute, leaving him all but paralysed. After all my work, this cannot be the end.

28th of the Month of Wind. An idea came to be as I prayed this morn. What the boy, Colt, lacks, is motherhood. The Beloved Mother is- clearly- our Mother. He cannot be that. I have devised a new plan. I will bring this to the Ouroboros first, for I may require their help.

2nd of the Month of Water. The Enkindled Ouroboros agree; the Unkindled appear divided. No matter. The plan will go on ahead with another excursion. I will pray for a strong candidate, for all our good faith, and for the Beloved Mother to bring us the worthy.

7th of the Month of Water. A candidate. She calls herself Asizora. She appears wary of us- but our good hospitality won her over quickly enough. Colt appears to like her. A good sign. They will be allowed one week before the experiment begins.

20th of the Month of Water. Three failures. Asizora was seized by the Enkindled Ouroboros before I truly had a chance to question her. There is little left to mourn now; in their anger, they tore her limb from limb. This does not phase me- although Colt appears incredibly distressed, there is little he can do. The children have not inherited the Holy Veins- they mewl and cry and have only the shimmering, false bellies of Asizora. I will allow the Ouroboros to do as they please.

5th of the Month of Nature. There are two more candidates. The first is a pilgrim who has been here for several weeks previous, Ethni, and the second came to us today, Marisha. Ethni has fit in well, and I will allow her more time. She has met Colt several times but she stays quite far from the temple. Marisha is new. She will have 10 days.

10th of the Month of Nature. Two eggs. The Unkindled Ouroboros have taken to guarding these from their Enkindled kin. I will not intervene. Colt appears more aware this time, and when he has the energy he sits with them. He is a masterpiece, a beautiful artwork when the sun shines upon his skin. I wish he was more powerful, truthfully, but I do only the Beloved Mother’s work.

15th of the Month of Nature. One failure. One success. I would be pleased, but the success- with molten gold and fever- is another boy. This will not do. The failure has been dealt with, as has Marisha. Colt refuses to part with the boy. I will allow him some time, if only for my own misplaced pity. He will not have long before he must go. I cannot keep more than one of them alive; not with the resources Colt takes, and not without alerting Ethni to our goals. No. The strife between the Ouroboros wears my patience thin. The child must go, with or without being enlightened to his destiny and his Holy purpose. It seemed I spoke too rashly. One of the Unkindled took the child and ran. I do not know who nor do I know where; they refuse to tell which of them it was. No matter, I must punish them all for insubordination. If the child lives, then he will be a reminder of our Devotion. Perhaps next time, we shall have what we deserve.

#fr lore #clan lore #my lore #colt #aaaand other characters who i won't name cus SPOILERS #this side plot has been in my brain for 6 months now #the order of virtue #vito