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I'm trying to think of the specific examples, but there are multiple times in Woody Allen's filmography where characters straight up walk out of the frame leaving the space empty for a bit but audibly continue the conversation off screen.

(I wrote up a whole other response before I realized I had glossed over the "non-violent" part of your question. Oof.)
posted to Ask MetaFilter by brundlefly at 5:18 AM on February 11, 2024

I visited over a decade ago and the most memorable dinner we had was at Eau Vive. It's run by nuns but you don't have to be religious to appreciate it. Is it touristy? Well, not exactly, but definitely a unique experience.

Seconded. I went here maybe 25 years ago and it's stuck with me, obviously partially because of the nuns but also because it was just plain good.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by brundlefly at 11:50 PM on August 26, 2023

"We are a way for the cosmos to know itself." - Carl Sagan
posted to Ask MetaFilter by brundlefly at 7:51 AM on February 5, 2023

Fun fact: I was once stalked by cassowaries while I was attempting to deactivate an animatronic Tyrannosaurus. They are scary beasts.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by brundlefly at 10:52 AM on October 12, 2022

This may seem like an odd choice but the scene in Jurassic Park 3 where Téa Leoni finds her boyfriend's body. When his rotting corpse falls down on her and she gets tangled up against him in his parachute cords she flips the fuck out in a way that feels very human. It's comedic, but it's comedic because it's not a romanticized version of "discovering the body of the man you love."
posted to Ask MetaFilter by brundlefly at 3:02 AM on February 14, 2021

A lot of the scenes from War of the Worlds had a very raw, traumatic, post-9/11 kind of feel

I love the scene right after the first attack where Tom Cruise's character suddenly realizes that he's covered in the ashes of people and freaks out and runs to the bathroom sink to wash himself.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by brundlefly at 3:11 AM on February 14, 2021

Ha! Rhaomi, I just watched half of Marble Hornets today, and it's what inspired me to ask this question. I'm really digging it. I've had the general idea for this story for years, but Marble Hornets made me think the YouTube channel format would work better than a traditional feature. The only reason I didn't mention it in my question is that Marble Hornets kinda starts off as creepy genre fare. Investigation into Alex's disappearance and what not. Jay doesn't start with Apple product unboxings… [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by brundlefly at 2:14 AM on January 14, 2020

Hijacking a parade float in order to sing an impromptu version of "Twist and Shout"
posted to Ask MetaFilter by brundlefly at 10:54 PM on August 22, 2019

1) a
2) cis man
3) I live with a straight cis couple. They generally just go into their bedroom for a while when they come home, then maybe putter around later.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by brundlefly at 10:52 PM on August 22, 2019

Using a modem to dial in to the local library system to reserve books.

Getting excited about CGI in movies. There were reviews of Congo that expressed dissatisfaction that the killer apes were practical suits instead of digital.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by brundlefly at 8:54 AM on August 3, 2015

Ah, hell. I missed the "besides" in the question. Disregard!
posted to Ask MetaFilter by brundlefly at 8:57 AM on August 3, 2015

In LA, Tower records and The Wherehouse had porn rentals.

I worked at Tower in New Orleans around 2002? 2003? We rented out porn there as well.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by brundlefly at 12:01 PM on August 5, 2015

I'm a big dinosaur nerd, and during the late 80s and early 90s my parents took me on several trips to cities with big natural history museums. At each museum (other than the Smithsonian) the dinosaur exhibit was closed so they could be updated to reflect new "Dinosaur Renaissance" science: warm bloodedness, tails held aloft, terrestrial sauropods, etc. Me being into dinosaurs during that period was a mixed blessing.

(This has continued to be a problem. I… [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by brundlefly at 12:07 PM on August 5, 2015 marked best answer

Weapons suggestions are also welcome; my current plan involves a spear with rainbow fletching but I'm open to other ideas.

Some sort of anti-sea lion weapon? I'd say a club, but that's baby seals (and pretty morbid).
posted to Ask MetaFilter by brundlefly at 2:54 PM on April 13, 2015

Gizmo
posted to Ask MetaFilter by brundlefly at 6:03 PM on December 1, 2014

I have a couple of friends who work in this area. Mainly with Food First, so they might be worth looking into.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by brundlefly at 6:37 PM on November 16, 2014

Some book recommendations from my friend in the area:

Stuffed But Starved by Raj Patel

Food First: Beyond the Myth of Scarcity by Frances Moore Lappe

Food Rebellions: Crisis and the Hunger for Justice by Eric Holt-gimenez and Raj Patel

I hope those help!
posted to Ask MetaFilter by brundlefly at 6:58 PM on November 16, 2014

Also some organizations worth looking into: Via Campesina, Landless Workers Movement (MST) in Brazil, Korean Women's Peasant Association, The Detroit Black Community Food Security Network...
posted to Ask MetaFilter by brundlefly at 7:04 PM on November 16, 2014

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon
posted to Ask MetaFilter by brundlefly at 6:48 PM on November 16, 2014

The Manchurian Candidate and The Conversation are two of my favorites in this genre.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by brundlefly at 6:43 PM on November 16, 2014

The Cone of Silence in Get Smart.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by brundlefly at 6:35 PM on November 16, 2014

I worked in the listening room at my college library. I had long stretches of alone time for reading, web surfing, writing, et cetera. Every hour or so a music student would show up to check out Bitches Brew. 75% of our patrons just wanted Bitches Brew.

The pay was for shit, obviously.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by brundlefly at 10:10 AM on September 26, 2014

If I'm understanding the concept properly, David Cronenberg. For example, VIDEODROME and (ahem) THE FLY.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by brundlefly at 3:11 AM on June 16, 2014

X: The Man With the X-Ray Eyes
posted to Ask MetaFilter by brundlefly at 12:14 AM on July 12, 2013

I'm not seeing anything out of the ordinary in that screenshot, but if there's an issue with your screen it won't show up in a screenshot.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by brundlefly at 5:12 PM on June 27, 2013

Brin has already been mentioned, but Heart of the Comet springs to mind. It's been a while, but I don't recall anything particularly outlandish or out of our grasp.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by brundlefly at 12:26 PM on June 14, 2013

po822000: ""Don't play games with me. You just killed someone I liked - that is not a safe place to stand. I'm the Doctor and you're in the biggest library in the universe. Look me up. ""

See also: The Doctor telling off the Atraxi.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by brundlefly at 4:49 PM on April 30, 2013

Yeah, in my experience, the IRS will be super friendly and accommodating once it's clear you're making a good faith effort to pay. Have an accountant help you set up a payment plan.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by brundlefly at 1:44 PM on April 11, 2013

Holy shinola. Christ on a cracker. Sweet baby Jesus. Fibber McGee!
posted to Ask MetaFilter by brundlefly at 1:04 AM on March 27, 2013

Attending a lecture and nodding vigorously at things the speaker is saying, as though the rest of the audience needs to know you approve.

In the same vein, attending a screening of a cult film and muttering famous lines right before they happen. You're at a packed screening of ARMY OF DARKNESS. We all know the "boom stick" line. None of us are impressed that you do too. Argh!
posted to Ask MetaFilter by brundlefly at 12:31 AM on March 16, 2013

No issues for me yet. I, too, updated when the Gmaps app came out (which I'm digging so far, btw).
posted to Ask MetaFilter by brundlefly at 12:47 PM on December 18, 2012

I love the scene in the first Hellboy film where it's totally literal and he saves a box full of kittens from a drooling, tentacled beastie.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by brundlefly at 9:45 PM on December 15, 2012

These are great, guys. Thanks for the recommendations. In case anyone else is interested, Amazon reviews for T-Rex and the Crater of Doom also lead me to Night Comes to the Cretaceous: Dinosaur Extinction and the Transformation of Modern Geology and Rain of Iron and Ice, the later of which is more broadly about comet and asteroid impacts.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by brundlefly at 11:21 AM on December 7, 2012

There's Phoebe Cates' famous monologue about the death of her father in Gremlins. Although that may be more darkly humorous than you're looking for.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by brundlefly at 11:14 AM on December 7, 2012

The bit about alchemy makes me think Camp Concentration as well, but the rest doesn't sound right. There was no surgery-as-punishment. The inmates were given a disease that turned them into geniuses, as I recall.

Does that sound familiar?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by brundlefly at 12:11 PM on December 2, 2012

Camp Concentration is pretty great though. You should pick up a copy either way.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by brundlefly at 12:12 PM on December 2, 2012

SKYFALL SPOILERS

dobbs: "at the end, the Bardem character has an opportunity to kill the Finney character. He does not. Why? The only logical reason is that the filmmakers don't want to (possibly because of a sequel, but who knows?).

Killing him would

[...]

d) be the first "substantial" character--whom the audience connected with--to die so far, thereby heightening the… [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by brundlefly at 10:23 PM on November 16, 2012

Gizmo.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by brundlefly at 7:02 AM on November 15, 2012

Edward Drinker Cope vs Othniel Charles Marsh

Team Edward! Team Othniel!
posted to Ask MetaFilter by brundlefly at 12:38 AM on November 3, 2012

In the same vein as the Laundry novels is Résumé with Monsters. Sort of a Mythos version of Office Space. It's been a while since I've read it, but I recall enjoying it.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by brundlefly at 4:27 PM on October 12, 2012

I've experienced this as well. At the risk of venturing into gross territory, I've encountered it a few times when I've been sick and vomiting or dry heaving.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by brundlefly at 12:36 PM on September 13, 2012

I associate it with the "fast headcrab zombies" in Half-Life 2.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by brundlefly at 6:14 PM on September 5, 2012

Alternative to the student editions mentioned above: Adobe offers subscriptions to their products on a monthly basis. You might try signing up for that for a month so you can get your footing with the Mac versions.

I recently did this with Premiere and AE for a short term project and it worked out nicely.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by brundlefly at 11:52 PM on June 30, 2012

Omni Consumer Products, the evil corporation from RoboCop.

(I'm surprised that hadn't been mentioned yet.)
posted to Ask MetaFilter by brundlefly at 11:06 PM on June 25, 2012

There's always this. Unfortunately, I don't know the title of the film.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by brundlefly at 12:29 PM on May 16, 2012

Hiroshima.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by brundlefly at 11:40 AM on April 9, 2012

• someone distributing Acme Instant Holes
• giant foosball table manned by colossi

posted to Ask MetaFilter by brundlefly at 4:11 PM on February 24, 2012

Rudy Rucker's work is not as overtly humorous as Hitchhiker's but it has a nice sense of the bizarre and absurd. I highly recommend him.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by brundlefly at 4:22 PM on November 17, 2011

It's running terribly for me as well. It's disappointing to hear I'm SOL.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by brundlefly at 3:50 PM on October 28, 2011

I recently re-read Startide Rising, and while the prose is pretty mediocre (people seem to "grin" a lot), I still enjoyed it. Some neat concepts in that book, I thought.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by brundlefly at 4:41 PM on August 12, 2011