Memento Movi - A Cinematic Progress Bar for Life
November 13, 2024 10:33 AM Subscribe
Memento Movi - A Cinematic Progress Bar for Life
Memento Movi is a little toy app I made. The user enters date of birth and life expectancy, and chooses from a list of movies. The site then shows a frame from that movie that represents your place in your lifespan. So, for instance, a twenty-year-old who selects Star Wars will likely get a frame from Tattooine, but a sixty-year-old who selects Jaws will be on the boat.
Memento Movi is a little toy app I made. The user enters date of birth and life expectancy, and chooses from a list of movies. The site then shows a frame from that movie that represents your place in your lifespan. So, for instance, a twenty-year-old who selects Star Wars will likely get a frame from Tattooine, but a sixty-year-old who selects Jaws will be on the boat.
Role: sole creator
This project was posted to MetaFilter by DirtyOldTown on November 20, 2024: A Cinematic Progress Bar for Life
OK, I like this!
I tried several movies and, when the image came in, it didn't click with me....until I tried "The Blues Brothers." Then I actually laughed out loud because I know that one in enough detail that I had a moment of amusement at my memory of the scene in question -- which was then swamped by the thought, "Oh, dang, there's just a few more scenes, then the concert and the car chase and the credits! And then...I die??"
In other words, the icy hand of death on the piano keys was Ray Charles all along. (Or something.)
posted by wenestvedt at 5:56 AM on November 14 [2 favorites]
I tried several movies and, when the image came in, it didn't click with me....until I tried "The Blues Brothers." Then I actually laughed out loud because I know that one in enough detail that I had a moment of amusement at my memory of the scene in question -- which was then swamped by the thought, "Oh, dang, there's just a few more scenes, then the concert and the car chase and the credits! And then...I die??"
In other words, the icy hand of death on the piano keys was Ray Charles all along. (Or something.)
posted by wenestvedt at 5:56 AM on November 14 [2 favorites]
Hah!
This is a really fun and creative idea.
I had a hard time finding movies I know well enough to pick. (I was looking for Hair; didn't see it.) Hamilton was the only one that actually worked well for me. (The Martian and Lord of the Rings: Return of the King gave me not super iconic images; My Neighbor Totoro seemed to pull up some blank stills.)
I just really like the idea, though, and the interface is nice and straightforward and easy to use.
Very cool - thank you so much for sharing it with us!
posted by kristi at 9:45 PM on November 14
This is a really fun and creative idea.
I had a hard time finding movies I know well enough to pick. (I was looking for Hair; didn't see it.) Hamilton was the only one that actually worked well for me. (The Martian and Lord of the Rings: Return of the King gave me not super iconic images; My Neighbor Totoro seemed to pull up some blank stills.)
I just really like the idea, though, and the interface is nice and straightforward and easy to use.
Very cool - thank you so much for sharing it with us!
posted by kristi at 9:45 PM on November 14
This is fun! Thank you for making this! I am almost 66% done with Repo Man!
posted by zerobyproxy at 7:30 AM on November 15
posted by zerobyproxy at 7:30 AM on November 15
Very fun. I tried "The fifth element" and got a frame of Mila Jovovich looking hot (which could be any frame in the movie, mind), which doesn't correspond to my life at all. Tried "The Holy Grail" and got tim the enchanter blowing up a tree, which, if I'm the tree, seems right. Tried "Snatch" and got the guys holding up the hitman with their prop guns and looking worried. Which also seems right.
posted by maxwelton at 10:21 PM on November 15 [1 favorite]
posted by maxwelton at 10:21 PM on November 15 [1 favorite]
Surprisingly affecting!
posted by latkes at 5:50 AM on November 19 [1 favorite]
posted by latkes at 5:50 AM on November 19 [1 favorite]
[What a fun and neat idea, thanks for sharing! We've added it to the sidebar and Best Of blog!]
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 4:36 AM on November 20
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 4:36 AM on November 20
In the trash compactor on the Death Star, fittingly
posted by gottabefunky at 9:23 AM on November 20 [1 favorite]
posted by gottabefunky at 9:23 AM on November 20 [1 favorite]
Didn't work for me. But I chose The Adventures of Baron Munchausen all the same.
posted by y2karl at 12:06 PM on November 20
posted by y2karl at 12:06 PM on November 20
It turns out most movies do not really get going until after the 48% mark, so now I feel flush with youth and possibility. Theoretically I have one hell of a midpoint coming up.
posted by grandiloquiet at 2:00 PM on November 20
posted by grandiloquiet at 2:00 PM on November 20
so good! reminds me of Bryan Boyer's very slow movie player. Was tempted to combine the projects but it looks like you'd only get a few frames a day which is probably too slow to feel meaningful?
posted by q*ben at 9:46 AM on November 21
posted by q*ben at 9:46 AM on November 21
Tried it for my dad, but as he is in his 90s all he got were end credits... :0
posted by senor biggles at 4:32 PM on November 21
posted by senor biggles at 4:32 PM on November 21
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