The hottest Review Substack posts right now

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Review: The Oulipo and Modern Thought

Eclecticism: Reflections on literature, writing and life • 8 implied HN points • 25 Feb 24
📚 Literature Analysis Review Techniques Authors
  1. The Oulipo movement plays with constraints and mathematical devices to create new writing, advocating for unique approaches in literature.
  2. The Oulipo group was against surrealists, focusing on a mechanical approach to writing that aimed to cut out the author, leading to innovative ideas like computer-generated creative content.
  3. The Oulipo's methods are now embraced beyond the group itself, with the term 'Oulipian' belonging to everyone interested in creating new forms of literature.
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Ethan Coen's "Drive-Away Dolls", Reviewed by Joel Coen

I Might Be Wrong • 6 implied HN points • 27 Feb 24
🎨 Art & Illustration Film Review Satire Comedy
  1. Joel Coen gives a scathing review of Ethan Coen's film 'Drive-Away Dolls', calling it a major disappointment and creatively bankrupt.
  2. The review reveals underlying sibling rivalry between Joel and Ethan Coen, shedding light on their complicated relationship and personal jabs.
  3. The review humorously criticizes various aspects of the film, highlighting the lack of talent attributed to Ethan Coen and his wife's involvement in its creation.

A Movie Night

Unstable Orbits • 67 implied HN points • 23 Jul 23
🎭️ Culture Movies Review Art Entertainment
  1. The movie Barbie had a unique and immersive experience with homages to cinema masterpieces.
  2. Barbie had a deep and thought-provoking storyline, but faced issues due to marketing confusion and age-appropriate content.
  3. Oppenheimer lacked focus on scientific aspects, leaned towards politics, and had unnecessary elements like sex scenes.

"My Maria," B.W. Stevenson (1973)

The Lost Songs Project • 58 implied HN points • 08 May 23
🎶 Music History Review
  1. The song 'My Maria' was not an original by Brooks and Dunn, but rather by B.W. Stevenson in 1973.
  2. The song 'My Maria' by B.W. Stevenson peaked at #9 on the Hot 100 and has 9.2 million streams.
  3. There is a well-organized archive of Billboard magazines where one can find interesting musical history.

Halo: Fall of Reach Book Review

Brian Knapp’s Newsletter • 39 implied HN points • 17 Jul 23
📚 Literature Sci-fi Review Action
  1. The book 'Halo: The Fall Of Reach' provides a great backstory on Master Chief and the UNSC military outpost planet Reach.
  2. The story reveals the disturbing history of Master Chief, including abduction from family, scientific experiments, and military training.
  3. Reading the book reminded the reviewer of the original 'Halo' vibes and was a fun, nostalgic experience.

The Bermuda Depths

The Leftovers • 79 implied HN points • 20 Sep 22
🎭️ Culture Film Nostalgia Community Review Memory
  1. Childhood memories can have a lasting impact on our lives, even if we remember only fragments of them.
  2. Nostalgia can be powerful, leading us to seek out and revisit things from our past that hold special meaning.
  3. Shared experiences from childhood can create connections with strangers around the world, uniting people in unexpected ways.

The High Realm Trilogy

Trantor Publishing • 39 implied HN points • 07 Apr 23
📚 Literature Review Children's Books Storytelling
  1. When choosing books to review, focus on those that are enjoyable, not well-known, and offer something interesting to discuss.
  2. Creating children's literature with conservative values is important to provide alternatives to modern ideological narratives.
  3. In storytelling, it's crucial to balance delivering moral lessons with engaging and entertaining narratives.

For Valentine's Day, I Have Decided to Rip the 1999 Rom Com "Simply Irresistible" a New Asshole

I Might Be Wrong • 2 implied HN points • 14 Feb 24
🎭️ Culture Film Actors Review Entertainment
  1. The movie 'Simply Irresistible' from 1999 starring Sarah Michelle Gellar involves a magical crab helping a struggling chef find love.
  2. The film takes place in New York City, adhering to the Romantic Comedy Location Act of 1994.
  3. Sarah Michelle Gellar was cast to play a role originally written for Holly Hunter, despite Gellar being much younger than the character she portrayed.

The X-Files - S01E06 - "Shadows"

Never Done • 19 implied HN points • 12 Feb 23
🎨 Art & Illustration TV Show Review Analysis Entertainment Fiction
  1. The episode of X-Files, S01E06 - "Shadows", was created due to the network's request for more episodes where Mulder and Scully help people.
  2. The balance between main and side characters in the episode could be improved, with an emphasis on a possessive ghost storyline and figuring out who is pulling the strings.
  3. The FBI raid on the company and the resolution involving a floppy disk felt a bit hokey, making it the least favorite episode for the author.

Mastering the Inner Game of Leadership

The Leadership Lab • 19 implied HN points • 30 Nov 22
💼 Business Leadership Coaching Career development Review Collaboration
  1. Effective leadership involves playing both the outer game (interacting with the team) and the inner game (becoming the leader you aspire to be). Focus on the inner game to unlock your true leadership potential.
  2. Mastering the Inner Game of Leadership offers a three-week intensive group coaching program to help individuals unlock their leadership potential by overcoming limiting beliefs and leveraging strengths.
  3. Attend the annual Leadership Review sessions to reflect on your leadership journey, gain clarity on growth goals for the upcoming year, and optimize your leadership effectiveness.

Jiao Tu's Endeavour

Trantor Publishing • 19 implied HN points • 11 Nov 22
📚 Literature Review Fantasy Adventure Science fiction Character
  1. The story of Jiao Tu's Endeavour is a unique blend of science fiction and fantasy/adventure, featuring a generation ship with humans in stasis and animals running the show, developing complex societies.
  2. Jiao Tu, an uplifted rabbit character, embarks on a quest to rescue a kidnapped mousling, encountering dangers, allies, and a cult, showcasing a strict code of ethics and manners inspired by Eastern traditions.
  3. The narrative focuses more on action and adventure rather than hard science fiction elements, with world-building sprinkled throughout the story, catering to reader preference for a patient detailing of setting.

Months Late Game Review ... Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. The Good Things.

The Bottom Feeder • 2 HN points • 30 Aug 23
🎭️ Culture Gaming Review Entertainment Technology Video Games
  1. Video game criticism is rushed, but thoughtful analysis takes time to assess what works and what doesn't.
  2. Zelda games are unique in their niche popularity, combining puzzle elements with combat, and creating an open-ended exploration experience.
  3. Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom introduces fascinating game design elements like weapon durability and a physics engine that enhances gameplay.

Super Mario Bros. (2023)

The Author Is Dumb • 3 implied HN points • 16 Apr 23
🎭️ Culture Movies Entertainment Opinion Art Review
  1. The Super Mario Bros. (2023) movie lacks depth and original storytelling, focusing more on fan service.
  2. Current Hollywood trends prioritize fidelity to intellectual property over creative storytelling.
  3. Despite its entertainment value for young audiences, the film misses the opportunity to incorporate classic story elements for a more enriching experience.

We should just let GPT write Black Mirror from now on

Machine Learning Everything • 1 HN point • 22 Jun 23
🎭️ Culture TV Series Review Imagination Technology Society
  1. Season 6 of Black Mirror was disappointing due to lack of originality and exploration of impactful themes.
  2. Episodes lacked new technology and focused more on past settings rather than current tech issues.
  3. Consideration towards letting GPT generate Black Mirror episodes that challenge collective memory and centralization of narrative.

Looking back at the Star Wars sequel trilogy

Tom Thought • 0 implied HN points • 25 Aug 23
🎭️ Culture Film Analysis Review
  1. The Force Awakens was a good start to the trilogy, introducing iconic characters, but lacked depth in worldbuilding and character arcs.
  2. The Last Jedi had interesting storytelling and character dynamics, but caused problems for the trilogy as a whole due to divisive creative decisions and backlash.
  3. The Rise of Skywalker is widely criticized for retroactively ruining the previous films, showcasing a lack of understanding of what makes Star Wars compelling.

Xgau Sez: March, 2023

And It Don't Stop • 0 implied HN points • 15 Mar 23
🎶 Music Review Legacy
  1. Robert Christgau provides insights on standup comedy and recommends comedy albums like Richard Pryor's _Live in Concert_
  2. Christgau reflects on the evolution of Afrobeats/Afropop and the rhythm-based nature of South African amapiano
  3. Artists sometimes lose creative steam, but Neil Young stands out for his enduring genius in the music industry

Asteroid City Redux

Aerial Shot • 0 implied HN points • 28 Jun 23
🎨 Art & Illustration Film Analysis Critique Review Interpretation
  1. The movie 'Asteroid City' explores themes of grief and the search for meaning through complex storytelling.
  2. The film uses parallel stories to depict walls of grief that slowly break down in the characters' journey.
  3. Key elements in understanding the movie include symbolic representations of grief, letting go of the past, and embracing the present moment.

St John Marylebone

Greed • 0 implied HN points • 05 Dec 23
🍲 Food & Drink Restaurant Review London
  1. St John Marylebone is described alongside The Ivy Cafe in London.
  2. The original prestige of The Ivy has diminished due to expansion and dilution of quality.
  3. Access the full article with a 7-day free trial subscription to Greed.

Review: ‘Confederates’ — Civil war, culture war

The Charlotte Ledger • 0 implied HN points • 11 Feb 24
🎭️ Culture Theatre Review Race History Theatre Art Race Society History
  1. Dominique Morisseau's play 'Confederates' raises thought-provoking questions about racism and justice in American culture.
  2. The play explores the complexities of black characters navigating societal expectations and pressure.
  3. The performances by actors Nonye Obichere and Valerie Thames in 'Confederates' are highlighted for their depth and authenticity.

Book Review: "Anthropocene Reviewed" by John Green 4/5

Poczwardowski Notes • 0 implied HN points • 12 Mar 22
🎙 Podcasts Review
  1. The reviewer gave 'Anthropocene Reviewed' by John Green a 4/5 rating, appreciating it despite having listened to most of it on the podcast.
  2. Each review in the book explores different aspects of our current age and concludes with a star rating, prompting reflective thoughts.
  3. The essays in the book inspired intellectual exploration and contemplation, offering the reader new perspectives and enriching experiences.

Book Review: "On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction" by William Zinsser 4/5

Poczwardowski Notes • 0 implied HN points • 12 Apr 21
📚 Literature Review Writing Nonfiction Advice Examples
  1. The book provides practical advice that improves writing for any kind of work.
  2. The use of examples from American writers adds value, even though some readers may not be into the literary history aspect.
  3. The main message is that simple writing style doesn't mean a lack of intelligence; in fact, it can be powerful.

Indie review: blog2doc, converting blogs to Word documents

The Tech Bubble • 0 implied HN points • 22 Apr 24
🕹 Technology Review Business Model Recommendations Pricing
  1. Consider starting with identifying customer problems before developing a solution.
  2. Pivoting an idea to meet a more pressing need, like offering a complete backup service, can lead to more value and market demand.
  3. When structuring pricing for a service, consider the value it provides customers and whether it justifies a monthly fee or a pay-per-use model.