Every so often, I find myself plagued with the memory of a movie scene that I just can’t quite place. I may remember the events and images of the scene vividly; but I cannot for the life of me remember which movie it actually comes from. Yes, this is a small problem in the grand scheme of things. But yes, it still provokes the occasional aggravated scream. And if you struggle with the same gripe, there’s good news.
A new AI called “Flim” (which we found via Boing Boing) digs up screenshots from movies based on simple image keywords. Say you’ve got a scene in mind that takes place in a toolshed. Or one that involves a beagle. Or another that prominently features a pancake breakfast. Just type in any of those keywords (“toolshed,” “beagle,” “pancakes”) and let Flim locate matching screenshots for you.
Lionsgate
In some cases, Flim’s offerings are extensive. Inputting word “sweater” results in 797 corresponding images. Other outcomes veer sparse; for instance, there are only seven images drawn up when you type in “lima bean.” In each case, however, the findings are impressively versatile. (The oldest of the latter lot being Edward Ludwig’s 1954 picture Lost Treasure of the Amazon; more recent examples include Richard Stanley’s 2019 film Color Out of Space and Antonio Campos’ The Devil All the Time from 2020.)
Columbia Pictures
While Flim can prove useful for jogging your memory, it has other utilities as well. For whatever reason you might seek movie screenshots of denim jackets, candlesticks, pangolins, or peanut butter, Flim has you covered. The website allows a few grace searches before asking you to register (though registration is free of charge). And as of yet, the program remains in beta, so you might find a few kinks during usage. But our cursory searches have thus far been pretty impressive, and duly entertaining. (You’ll never know how many movies feature epipens until you buckle down and ask a dutiful AI.)
Featured Image: Newmarket
