Torres del Parque | Peter Lievano, Flickr UserTorres del Parque, designed by Rogelio Salmona and completed between 1964 and 1970, is one of the most iconic examples of 20th-century Latin American architecture. Situated in the heart of Bogot, Colombia, these three brick towers redefine high-rise living and exemplify Salmonas commitment to designing in harmony with the urban and natural environments. The projects architectural significance lies in its ability to integrate modernist principles with regional and cultural sensitivity, making it a landmark that inspires architects worldwide.Torres del Parque Technical InformationArchitects: Rogelio SalmonaLocation: Bogot, ColombiaArea: 32,000 m2 | 344,400 Sq. Ft.Project Year: 1964-1970Photographs: Flickr Users, See Caption DetailsThe Residential Complex of the Park sought to demonstrate that it was possible to propose architectural and spatial concepts for Bogot that contradicted the trend towards enclosure, the neglect of the landscape, luminosity, or the attributes of materials. Rogelio SalmonaTorres del Parque PhotographsSatellite View Peter Lievano, Flickr User Peter Lievano, Flickr User Peter Lievano, Flickr User Lauritape, Flickr User Geroh, Flickr User Elisa Izquierdo, Flickr User Rodrigo A Rocha, Flickr User Alejo Ache, Flickr UserTorres del Parque Architectural AnalysisRogelio Salmonas philosophy was deeply rooted in the idea of contextual modernisman approach that emphasizes the importance of architecture responding to its specific site and cultural context. With Torres del Parque, he achieved a harmonious balance between form, function, and place, cementing his legacy as one of Latin Americas most innovative architects.The design of Torres del Parque is a masterclass in formal and spatial innovation. Salmonas architectural language is characterized by its use of locally sourced brick. This material grounds the towers in Colombian tradition and allows for intricate patterns and textures that play with light and shadow. The towers cylindrical forms break from conventional high-rise geometry, creating a dynamic visual interplay with the surrounding landscape.The projects spatial dynamics are equally compelling. Salmona prioritized creating communal spaces that foster social interaction, such as the terraces and internal courtyards that connect residents and the outdoors. Each unit is designed to maximize natural light and ventilation, seamlessly blending interior and exterior environments.Vertical urbanism, a concept explored in Torres del Parque, challenges the typical anonymity of high-rise living. Salmonas design fosters a sense of community by integrating shared spaces and emphasizing human-scale interactions, even within a towering structure.Good architecture will become ruins. Bad architecture disappears. But for you to know it is a ruin, you have to wait a lot of time. I hope the [Del Parque] Towers not to be ruins today but one thousand years from now. Rogelio SalmonaIntegration with ContextOne of Torres del Parques most remarkable achievements is its seamless integration with its urban and natural surroundings. The project is adjacent to Bogots Independence Park, and Salmonas design intentionally blurs the boundaries between the built environment and the parks greenery. The terraces and courtyards act as transitional spaces that invite nature into residents daily lives.Cultural sensitivity is at the core of the project. By employing local materials and drawing inspiration from traditional Colombian architecture, Salmona creates a design that resonates with the citys identity. The brick towers, with their earthy hues and tactile surfaces, feel intrinsically tied to Bogots landscape and heritage.Environmental considerations further underscore Salmonas forward-thinking approach. Passive design strategies, such as natural ventilation and the strategic orientation of the towers, address Bogots temperate climate while minimizing the need for mechanical systems. These choices exemplify how thoughtful design can achieve sustainability without sacrificing aesthetics or functionality.LegacyTorres del Parque has left an indelible mark on Colombian and global architecture. The project is celebrated for its innovative use of materials, human-centric design, and ability to create a meaningful dialogue between architecture and its context. It has become a symbol of Bogot, embodying the citys resilience and cultural richness.However, no architectural work is without its challenges. The density of the towers and the complexity of maintaining their intricate brickwork have posed ongoing issues. Additionally, the projects reliance on public and communal spaces requires continuous stewardship to preserve its original vision.Torres del Parque PlansFloor Plan | Rogelio SalmonaElevations | Rogelio SalmonaUnits Floor Plans | Rogelio SalmonaSketch | Rogelio SalmonaTorres del Parque Image GalleryAbout Rogelio SalmonaRogelio Salmona (19292007) was a Colombian architect renowned for his innovative use of materials, especially brick, and his commitment to integrating architecture with its cultural and natural contexts. Born in Paris and educated in Bogot, Salmonas architectural philosophy was shaped by his time working with Le Corbusier in Paris. Upon returning to Colombia, he developed a distinct style characterized by harmonizing modernist principles with regional traditions. His work, including landmarks like Torres del Parque and the Virgilio Barco Library, emphasizes communal spaces, environmental sensitivity, and a deep connection to the local context. Notes & Additional CreditsDesign Team: Rogelio Salmona and collaboratorsMaterials: Locally sourced brickTotal Area: Approximately 32,000 square metersStructural Engineer: Guillermo Gonzalez ZuletaClient: Caja de la Vivienda Popular

C.1958 photo before demolition. Courtesy of Library of Congress. Built in 1828, Dexter Asylum was a poor farm, an institution housing the indigent, elderly, and chronically unemployed, located in the East Side of Providence, Rhode Island. Poor farms were common before the introduction of Social Security and welfare benefits in the United States, considered a progressive method for dealing with poverty. Ebenezer Knight Dexter (1773-1824) was a wealthy mercantile trader in Providence, who in 1800, built Rose Farm, a gentlemans farmhouse on what was then, the outskirts of Providence. Upon his death in 1824,he bequeathed to the town 40-acres of the farmland to the north for use as a poor farm or almshouse site. The building was completed by 1828 and was originally three stories, and later expanded with a mansard roof and dormers sometime later in the 19th century. Dexter also stipulated that a stone wall would surround the site, and parts of it remain to this day. As with many poor farms and almshouses of the period, residents worked farmland and cared for pigs and a herd of dairy cows; they lived in this large building, strictly segregated by sex. Residents were essentially inmates, indentured for periods of six to twelve months, and could not leave the property without a ticket of permission.In the interwar period, inmate population there declined and changing views on how to assist the poor caused the City to abandon the facility. After decades of legal troubles and stipulations of the Dexter will, in 1956, the plot was auctioned off, and Brown University purchased the site. The grounds are now used by some of the Brown University athletic facilities. The city set aside the money from the sale to create the Dexter Donation, which gives annual grants to assist the citys poor, providing an enduring legacy of Dexters Asylum.

All images courtesy of the artist and Somewhere Tokyo, shared with permissionRice Straw Sculptures by ARKO Contemporize a Traditional Japanese MaterialDecember 23, 2024ArtCraftKate MothesRice harvests produce straw, a natural byproduct of the dried grain. Traditionally, the material could be used for a wide variety of objects from tatami mats to food wrappers to carrier bags. Many of those products are now made using synthetic materials, and rice straw is more often used for ceremonial or sacred decorations like Shinto shimenawa festoons, which are installed around the New Year and can range from a few centimeters to several meters long.For Tokyo-based artist ARKO, rice straw finds a contemporary application in elegant wall hangings. I started thinking that it should be something new, apart from the old traditions, given that there must be a reason why straw vanished from our life, she says.Interested in the organic nature of the medium, ARKO embraces how environmental changes can influence the look of the work as a reminder that the fiber originated from the ground. Sometimes moisture in the air makes the pieces feel heavy or the straw will emit a scent. Most of the time she maintains the natural color of the thin stalks, occasionally dying layers black or using contrasting string to hold the composition together.In modern times, straw has been replaced by artificial materials and is manufactured with the premise of environmental pollution. (It) is mass-produced and discarded in large quantities, ARKO says. Although she doesnt prescribe a ritual meaning to the work, the sculptures evoke the laws of nature and the great power of life that are often overlooked in modern society where economy takes priority.ARKO is represented by Somewhere Tokyo, and you can find more work on her website and Instagram.Next article

AI arrived, security troubles were dodged, and after years of development, real-time Linux finally made it into mainstream Linux. Here's what shook up the open-source world this year and what it means for 2025.

Sky has revealed details on its latest its various subscription service delivery platforms and it includes some of the most useful upgrades subscribers have seen to date.Particularly welcome is the addition of Apple AirPlay support to Sky Glass TVs. Its long felt a bit incongruous that groundbreaking proprietary TVs capable of streaming in all the hundreds of channels that make up the full Sky subscription package havent been able to team up with Apple devices as effectively as most other premium TVs can these days. But the latest update to Entertainment OS, Skys home-grown user interface, can now stream videos, photos, music and more from your iPhones, iPads or Mac computers.Sky Glass has just received the latest in Sky's ongoing run of software upgrades. Photo: SkyAlso likely to be much appreciated by many subscribers to Skys services delivered on either its Sky Glass or Sky Stream (which uses a set stop streaming box to stream Skys channels into any TV) platforms will be the new improved Skip Ads feature. If you subscribe for this (it adds 5 a month to your service costs), you can now use a new dedicated button to skip through ads with just a single click.One of the most demanded features by users since Sky Glass and Sky Stream launched has been the facility to just go straight into the next episode of a TV series without having to trawl through the menus or use the Entertainment OS search features to find it. Sky has now finally answered this call by adding a new next episode on screen when an episode finishes. In fact, if you cant be bothered even to reach for the remote to select this new button, the latest firmware update will also automatically start playing the next episode after a countdown.Another new feature of the latest Sky Glass and Stream update is the ability to add actors to your playlist. Just hit the + button on the remote with a favourite actor highlight, and theyll appear in a People rail in your personalised playlist menu from where you can instantly access any films or shows starting them that are currently available on Skys service.MORE FOR YOUImproved Favorite Channel systemYou can now also add favorite channels to your Sky Glass or Sky Stream home screen, and allocate each its own number on your remote control. Or, in a very clever new touch, you can just tap refresh and your favourites will update with the channels that the Glass or Stream has noticed youve actually been watching the most.In a bid to try and add more character to Skys unique personalisation services, meanwhile, the latest Sky update introduces new character avatars individual members of your household can choose to attach to their personal profiles. New avatar options available include Jamie Redknapp from A League Of Their Own, and Nicolas Galitizine from Mary & George, offering more grown up options alongside previously available kids favourites such as Paw Patrol and Peppa Pig.The last component of Skys latest update brings good news for Amazon Music Unlimited subscribers, who can now stream music through the Amazon Music app on Sky Glass and Stream in HD audio quality. This offers twice the quality of the previously available standard definition streams.Related ReadingSky Introduces New Cut-Price Entry-Level Subscription PackageSky Glass TVs Now Available At Currys At Special Discount PriceSky Unveils New Features For Sky Glass And Sky Stream Including A Game Changer For Live Sports Fans

Not all security features involve AIAFP via Getty ImagesWith so many new security features, regardless of device or platform, seemingly revolving around AI this or AI that, its refreshing to find something that can stand alone yet still be thought of as significant: say hello to Google Pixel 9 smartphone fingerprint scanning even when the display is off. Heres what you need to know.New Google Pixel 9 Biometric Update Makes Fingerprint Scanning Even QuickerIts hard to get excited about old-fashioned fingerprint scanning when facial recognition pretty much rules the roost when it comes to smartphone security and convenience rolled into one biometric feature. Yes, I appreciate its a contentious issue, but Im firmly on Team Face ID here. I do, however, still use fingerprint scanners on a bunch of Android-powered devices, and its far from a dead donkey in the biometric scanning stakes.Nor, for that matter, is there anything really old-fashioned about the biometrics that Google Pixel 9 smartphone users get access to: an under-display ultrasonic fingerprint sensor. Again, while there is some argument to be had, most technical experts will agree that, from the Pixel 9 security perspective its more accurate than the older optical fingerprint sensor used on Pixel 8 devices. And, lets be honest, pretty much everyone can agree its a tad quicker as well. The latter point is relevant to the latest update news as Google dropped a second Android 16 developer preview on Dec. 18, which, thanks to the sharp-eyed Mishaal Rahman at Android Authority, we know now contained an impressive upgrade to the under-display ultrasonic fingerprint sensor for Pixel 9 users.MORE FOR YOUActivating The New Google Fingerprint Scanner Feature For Pixel 9 UsersRahman was the first to spot that, unlike Pixel biometric implementations before it most of the time, the latest update didnt demand that your screen is active before using it. I discovered a new setting called Screen-off Fingerprint Unlock under Settings > Security & privacy > Device unlock > Face & Fingerprint Unlock > Fingerprint Unlock, Rahman reported, Its description says that you can use Fingerprint Unlock even when the screen is off. Now, I admit, that doesnt sound anything revolutionary but, believe me, in real-world use a split-second delay can sometimes make all the difference when being bothered to activate fingerprint protections or not. Smartphone users are not, on the whole, a patient lot.As I have said many times before and will continue to do so, usability and security must go hand in hand. Anything that can help this, even if it is just something as seemingly minor as fingerprint scanning being a little bit quicker, a little bit less bothersome. This is a massive win as far as I am concerned. So, well done, Google; lets hope it doesnt take too long for this update to become a reality for all users.

AI tools rapidly infiltrated peoples lives in 2024, but AI lawmaking in the U.S. moved much more slowly. While dozens of AI-related bills were introduced this Congresseither to fund its research or mitigate its harmsmost got stuck in partisan gridlock or buried under other priorities. In California, a bill aiming to hold AI companies liable for harms easily passed the state legislature, but was vetoed by Governor Gavin Newsom.This inaction has some AI skeptics increasingly worried. Were seeing a replication of what weve seen in privacy and social media: of not setting up guardrails from the start to protect folks and drive real innovation, Ben Winters, the director of AI and data privacy at the Consumer Federation of America, tells TIME.Industry boosters, on the other hand, have successfully persuaded many policymakers that overregulation would harm industry. So instead of trying to pass a comprehensive AI framework, like the E.U. did with its AI Act in 2023, the U.S. may instead find consensus on discrete areas of concern one by one.As the calendar turns, here are the major AI issues that Congress may try to tackle in 2025.Banning Specific HarmsThe AI-related harm Congress may turn to first is the proliferation of non-consensual deepfake porn. This year, new AI tools allowed people to sexualize and humiliate young women with the click of a button. Those images rapidly spread across the internet and, in some cases, were wielded as a tool for extortion.Tamping down on these images seemed like a no-brainer to almost everyone: leaders in both parties, parent activists, and civil society groups all pushed for legislation. But bills got stuck at various stages of the lawmaking process. Last week, the Take It Down Act, spearheaded by Texas Republican Ted Cruz and Minnesota Democrat Amy Klobuchar, was tucked into a House funding bill after a significant media and lobbying push by those two senators. The measure would criminalize the creation of deepfake pornography and requires social media platforms to take down images 48 hours after being served notice.But the funding bill collapsed after receiving strong pushback from some Trump allies, including Elon Musk. Still, Take It Downs inclusion in the funding bill means that it received sign-off from all of the key leaders in the House and Senate, says Sunny Gandhi, the vice president of political affairs at Encode, an AI-focused advocacy group. He added that the Defiance Act, a similar bill that allows victims to take civil action against deepfake creators, may also be a priority next year. Activists will seek legislative action related to other AI harms, including the vulnerability of consumer data and the dangers of companion chatbots causing self-harm. In February, a 14-year-old committed suicide after developing a relationship with a chatbot that encouraged him to come home. But the difficulty of passing a bill around something as uncontroversial as combating deepfake porn portends a challenging road to passage for other measures.Increased Funding for AI ResearchAt the same time, many legislators253-page report about AI, emphasizing the need to drive responsible innovation. From optimizing manufacturing to developing cures for grave illnesses, AI can greatly boost productivity, enabling us to achieve our objectives more quickly and cost-effectively, wrote the task forces co-chairs Jay Obernolte and Ted Lieu.In this vein, Congress will likely seek to increase funding for AI research and infrastructure. One bill that drew interest but failed to pass the finish line was the Create AI Act, which aimed to establish a national AI research resource for academics, researchers and startups. It's about democratizing who is part of this community and this innovation, Senator Martin Heinrich, a New Mexico Democrat andMore controversially, Congress may also try to fund the integration of AI tools into U.S. warfare and defense systems. Trump allies, includingexpressed interest in weaponizing AI. Defense contractors recently told Reuters they expect Elon Musks Department of Government Efficiency to seek more joint projects between contractors and AI tech firms. And in December, OpenAI announced a partnership with the defense tech company Anduril to use AI to defend against drone attacks.This summer, Congress helped allocate $983 million toward the Defense Innovation Unit, which aims to bring new technology to the Pentagon. (This was a massive increase from past years.) The next Congress may earmark even bigger funding packages towards similar initiatives. The barrier to new entrants at the Pentagon has always been there, but for the first time, we've started to see these smaller defense companies competing and winning contracts, says Tony Samp, the head of AI policy at the law firm DLA Piper. Now, there is a desire from Congress to be disruptive and to go faster.Senator Thune in the spotlightOne of the key figures shaping AI legislationbill aimed at promoting the transparency of AI systems. While Thune has decried the heavy-handed approach to AI in Europe, he hasspoken very clearly about the need for tiered regulation to address AIs applications in high-risk areas.Im hopeful there is some positive outcome about the fact that the Senate Majority Leader is one of the top few engaged Senate Republicans on tech policy in general, Winters says. That might lead to more action on things like kids' privacy and data privacy.Trumps impactOf course, the Senate will have to take some cues about AI next year from President Trump. Its unclear how exactly Trump feels about the technology, and he will have many Silicon Valley advisors with different AI ideologies competing for his ear. (Marc Andreessen, for instance, wants AI to be developed as fast as possible, while Musk has warned of the technologys existential risks.)While some expect Trump to approach AI solely from the perspective of deregulation, Alexandra Givens, the CEO of the Center for Democracy & Technology, points out that Trump was the first president to issue an AI executive order in 2020, which focused on AIs impact on people and protecting their civil rights and privacy. We hope that he is able to continue in that frame and not have this become a partisan issue that breaks down along party lines, she says.Read More: What Donald Trumps Win Means For AIStates may move faster than CongressPassing anything in Congress will be a slog, as always. So state legislatures might lead the way in forging their own AI legislation. Left-leaning states, especially, may try to tackle parts of AI risk that the Republican-dominated Congress is unlikely to touch, including AI systems racial and gender biases, or its environmental impact.Colorado, for instance, passed a law this year regulating AIs usage in high-risk scenarios like screening applications for jobs, loans and housing. It tackled those high-risk uses while still being light touch, Givens says. That's an incredibly appealing model. In Texas, a state lawmaker recently introduced his own bill modeled after that one, which will be considered by their legislature next year. Meanwhile, New York will consider a bill limiting the construction of new data centers and requiring them to report their energy consumption.

Rumor mill: AMD is reportedly skipping the Radeon RX 8000 nomenclature for its next-gen RDNA 4 discrete GPU lineup. Instead, the successors to the RX 7000 series are said to be named RX 9000, with a possible launch during CES 2025 next month in Las Vegas. The information was originally shared over the weekend by Chiphell editor Napoleon before being reiterated by multiple other sources. According to the original post (which has since been removed), the next flagship graphics card from Team Red will be marketed as the Radeon RX 9070 XT a naming scheme similar to that of Nvidia's current GeForce RTX lineup. One of AMD's board partners has since unofficially "confirmed" the change.Reliable AMD leaker Hoang Anh Phu confirmed the new name and claimed that the RX 9070 XT will be announced at CES 2025 alongside the Ryzen 9 9000X3D. He added that the company will also announce FSR 4 at the same event. The tipster had earlier hinted that the Ryzen 9 9000X3D will debut by the end of January 2025.In another X post, Phu claimed that an unidentified card seen in a recent AMD ad is the RX 9070 XT. The card was originally spotted last week by an eagle-eyed Redditor who noted that it did not match any recent GPU from the company. The card features a triple-fan design with a black and silver color scheme, and has an LED-backlit Radeon logo on the side.Another new leak has seemingly revealed the identities of all the upcoming Radeon RX 9000 GPUs for desktops and laptops. According to tipster @All_The_Watts, the lineup will include the 9070, 9060, 9050, and 9040 alongside the flagship 9070 XT. On the mobile side of things, the RX 9000 series will have the 9070M XT, 9070M, and 9070S.An early listing by French retailer Grossbill-Pro (via @momomo_us) also seems to have confirmed the 9070 XT and 9070, but the listings have now been removed. Still, with the leaks flowing in from so many sources, it appears that the rumors about the RDNA 4 cards being launched as the RX 9000 series are indeed true, and they will likely debut at CES next month. // Related Stories

Something to look forward to: The streaming revolution has hit the gaming industry well and truly. Encouraged by major players like Microsoft and Sony, other companies are now looking to make a dent in the market, too. The latest to join the fray may be Sega. In a recent chat with the BBC, Sega's newly appointed president Shuji Utsumi indicated that the company is exploring a Netflix-esque subscription model for its titles. He stated that subscription services are interesting to Sega, and the company is evaluating opportunities that such a model would provide.While he did not provide specific details, Utsumi made it clear that some kind of streaming gaming service is under consideration.The move makes sense from a business perspective. With the likes of Xbox Game Pass and PlayStation Plus already dominating the market, Sega is likely realizing that its best shot at competing is by throwing its own hat into the ring with a dedicated service for its iconic games and franchises.Sega earlier this month also removed over 60 of its classic games from digital storefronts across PC and console platforms, which left many scratching their heads. Hopefully, those titles will make a comeback through this subscription service if and when it arrives.That said, there are also concerns brewing that a Sega streaming platform could just end up fragmenting the market even further and forcing gamers to shell out for yet another monthly subscription on top of everything else. Some industry insiders warned the BBC that it could even lead to Sega pulling its games from existing services to make its own platform more enticing. // Related StoriesThen again, for the legions of die-hard Sega fans out there, having a one-stop subscription shop for all their favorite Sonic, Yakuza, and other classic titles could be a dream come true.Beyond teasing this new subscription, Utsumi suggested that the legendary gaming brand may have overemphasized cost-cutting and lost its way when he took the helm, adding that he's aiming to restore some of that old "rock and roll mentality."He even teased that the company is hard at work on "a quite challenging, quite exciting" new Sonic game, though he didn't reveal whether it'll be a follow-up to the beloved Sonic Adventure series or something new entirely.

Anya Taylor-Joy in Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga Warner Bros. / Warner Bros.Its pretty silly to get hung up on how much money a movie makes. To obsess over box office is to think like a studio executive or maybe worse, like the analysts who fill trade columns with their salivating desire to see, say, Kevin Costner lose his shirt on an ambitious, big-swing passion project like Horizon: An American Saga. Movies live forever, the actor-director told IndieWire this past summer. Its not about the opening weekend. Amen to that, brother.All the same, dismay is a totally natural response to seeing something you love greeted with a big, fat shrug. Horizon fans felt that pain once the first chapter of Costners planned multipart epic landed with a thud back in June. Yours truly, meanwhile, has reserved his sympathy pangs for a different Saga another Western of sorts, and another meaty prologue released by Warner Bros. How, in a year when every major hit was a franchise play, when people saw almost nothing but sequels and prequels and part whatever of bifurcated stories, could so many have slept on a movie as magnificent as Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga?FURIOSA : A MAD MAX SAGA | OFFICIAL TRAILER #2To be clear, George Millers latest trip to the grungy, burning-rubber nightmare tomorrow wasnt entirely neglected. Reviews were mostly admiring, if qualified in their praise. And a quick search of X and Letterboxd will reveal a flurry of reverently posted screenshots and pithy praise. But by the cold calculus of receipts, Furiosa is a flop. Globally, it barely recouped its $160-plus million budget, and it fell well short of what its predecessor the 2015 death-race extravaganza Mad Max: Fury Road had made in theaters nine years earlier.Recommended VideosThat nearly decade-long gap between entries is probably one big reason the turnout for Furiosa was soft. Not that the R-rated fifth installment of a franchise that ignited back in the 1980s would have been a sure thing even in the immediate wake of the last installment. Were talking, too, about a Mad Max movie without Mad Max or, for that matter, any of the same stars. And people tend to forget, after the Oscar wins and the best-of-the-decade hosannas, that Fury Road didnt exactly make a fortune either. Just how much of a halo effect could be expected from it?The public indifference to Furiosa stings, at least for those of us who regard it as one of the true visions of 2024 a blazing fallen-world opus with soul and style and flabbergasting visual imagination to burn. An absolute spectacle. How did this grand production come nowhere near the money made by Dune, to name yet another Warner Bros. epic of death and sand? What really stings, though, is the nagging feeling that Furiosas box office performance was disappointing, in part, because the people who did see it found the movie kind of disappointing.Even if you disagreed, even if you adored Millers sprawling prequel, you could see the logic of their lukewarm takes. After all, Fury Road is a very hard act to follow. With that Mad Max saga, Miller sped to a new Valhalla of virtuosic vehicular mayhem. By tethering a two-hour chase sequence to Charlize Therons star performance as a metal-armed, big-rig liberator, the mighty Furiosa, he made a Mad Max every bit as allegorically resonant as it was bewilderingly exciting. Racing towards its 10th anniversary, it doesnt seem hyperbolic at all to identify it as one of the greatest action movies ever banged into improbable existence.Warner BrosThats a lot to top, and even critics who liked Furiosa couldnt resist drawing unflattering comparisons. The carnage, they noted, was much more digital, with Miller cutting back a little on the daredevil stunt driving and practical effects work of Fury Road two elements that contributed to its downright mythologized reputation as a masterpiece forged from a troubled production. What really vexed the underwhelmed was how Miller had followed an action movie of ruthless forward momentum with something baggier: a deliberately paced chronicle with only intermittent glimmers of Fury Roads gas-guzzling lunacy.Furiosa, it must be confessed, does not reach the same heights of jaw-dropping splendor. Truly, the worst that can be said of it is that its not Fury Road. But isnt that also whats special about the film? Its not trying to be a movie youve seen already. Miller, whos never really repeated himself with this series (every Mad Max is kind of its own eccentric thing), draws a direct line of continuity to Fury Road without mimicking its tight time frame and daisy-chained set piece structure. Having already perfected that form, what would be the point of recycling it?FURIOSA: A MAD MAX SAGA [ 4K - HDR ] Octoboss assault on the War Rig Part 1 of 2 (2024)The opportunity to fashion an origin story for Therons instantly iconic action heroine (played, this time, by Anya Taylor-Joy with the radiant ocular expressiveness of a silent-era starlet), became a chance to take a longer, wider view of The Wasteland to make a kind of Dickensian epic about growing up in the franchises dystopian outlaw Outback. Told in chapters and across several decades, Furiosa forgoes the speed-demon gallop of its predecessor in favor of a leisurely, novelistic burrow into the politics and culture of this dead-end world. That may not be what everyone wants from a Mad Max movie, but its remarkable to see Miller once more rethink the franchise he launched 45 years ago.Furiosa is the longest Mad Max movie by a long shot. Its also maybe the weirdest and the saddest and the bleakest. There are times where it barely plays like an action movie another bold gambit on Millers part. Because its laying out the tortured backstory of its title character, Furiosa cant deliver the kind of cathartic happy ending of sorts that Fury Road offered. Miller pointedly undercuts the primitive satisfaction of his revenge-movie plot, in which Taylor-Joys orphaned Furiosa eventually confronts her mothers killer, the ruthless desperado Dementus (Chris Hemsworth, delivering the darkly charismatic performance of his muscle-man career). One might wager that the deliberate anticlimax of this hefty film is one reason audiences and critics didnt embrace it quite as heartily.Warner Bros. PicturesBut anyone with working eyes should have been able to appreciate Furiosa on the most basic, right-brain level. Did the fixation on Millers heavier deployment of CGI blind folks to the staggering, undiminished beauty of his imagery? On the cusp of his 80th birthday, the Aussie legend is still operating at a pinnacle of grand canvas blockbuster craftsmanship. The movie unfurls one great shot, moment, or sequence after another. An opening nocturnal pursuit through the desert. A siege on a war rig every bit as amazing as Fury Roads best pageants of blood and steel. The crucifixion of Furiosas mother as seen in the reflection of our heroines welling adolescent eye. The film uses the desert as strikingly as David Lean and Sergio Leone did.Warner Bros.Some objected to Furiosa on principle to the notion that Therons character and her history needed to be fleshed out further. Owen Gleiberman, in a on Hollywoods franchise obsession, called it an epic prequel to a movie that was better off not having one. Its a sentiment shared by critic Mike DAngelo, who wrote that none of that backstory is necessary to us, the viewers seeking insane automotive thrills. Did Fury Road demand two-and-a-half hours of retroactive setup? Not really it worked splendidly in isolation, with the characters redemption arc implied rather than explicated. But the two films nonetheless inform each other in a rather dramatically productive way; they feel of a piece, even in their stylistic disparity. Returning again to Mad Max, Miller justifies Hollywoods relentless exploitation of old IP through the sheer force of his conviction.Fury Road was a miracle. Somehow, Miller had convinced a risk-averse Hollywood studio to give him $150 million to crash cars in the desert. The very existence of such an idiosyncratic blockbuster a personal vision in the guise of a shameless reboot, blown up to IMAX scale is difficult to fathom. Furiosa undeniably sits in that films shadow, in multiple respects. But its a miracle, too: a weird, moving, operatic addition to the mythology Miller has been unfurling, on and off, since the late 1970s. The muted reaction to Furiosa makes you wonder if, in a weird way, people are now taking for granted the directors ability to get these crazy-ambitious genre reveries off the ground. Another decade, another Mad Max. Yawn!Warner Bros.It seems increasingly unlikely, though, that Miller will pull it off again, and not just because hes getting older. Furiosa bombing all but kills the prospects of The Wasteland, another Mad Max prequel he was kicking around just as the first chapter of Horizon bombing will probably dry up all studio funding for more. This is the real and maybe the only reason to care about how much money a movie makes: When audiences ignore something audacious, a door closes.But Furiosa will endure, shiny and chrome. This writer suspects that its fan base and reputation will only expand with time, and that down the road, further removed from Fury Road, cinephiles will feel perplexed that it wasnt celebrated more upon release. One day, the films opening weekend will be just a speck in the rearview mirror. As Costner put it, movies especially ones this special live forever.Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is now streaming on Max, and available to rent or purchase from the major digital services. For more of A.A. Dowds writing, visit his Authory page.Editors Recommendations