Opinion - Paul Hickey: Wordle wins and woes and movie theatre experiences

Paul says it seems like the movie theatre industry may be bouncing back. Photo / Getty Images

I do love a good challenge. I think that's why I've been hooked on Wordle since the day I found out about it.

If you are not on the Wordle train yet, it is a daily challenge to word out a mystery five-letter word.

You have six attempts to get it right, and you get clues along the way with hints as to which letters you have correct and which are in the wrong place.

What started out as a lockdown fun game which a man came up with for his wife, once he put it online it took the world by storm, and is slowly making its way into the daily life of many Kiwis.

While it is interesting to share my daily score with everybody, it is the battle with myself to win that actually drives me the most with Wordle.

For the sake of the story, I am (as I write this) still at 100 per cent successful with daily solves, having missed just one day in the past 50 days.

It is for both these reasons that I found these new stories hard to fathom.

Many players feel that since The New York Times bought Wordle in late January, the viral word game has become more difficult.

So difficult in fact, that Google Trends data shows Google searches for "today's Wordle" have increased by 196 per cent since The New York Times bought the game.

The two most difficult words — and most popular days for cheating — appear to be February 15's "AROMA," and February 19's "SWILL."

I'll keep challenging myself, and despite the fact I will hate losing, look forward to the game actually beating me!

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One of the activities that took a massive hit during the pandemic has been the movie industry, including here in Rotorua.

It does seem, however, that the industry may be bouncing back, as box office information from where the world is moving shows that people are flocking back to the movies.

I hope that trend continues because I would hate for the recent trend of 'straight to streaming' for blockbuster movies to become the norm.

You can't beat the theatre experience with a shared group, the lights dimming and the excitement of seeing the latest movie on the massive screen. And let's not forget the compulsory popcorn!

I've been to Reading Cinemas in Eruera St for a couple of movies in recent weeks, and as usual have loved the experience.

Lucky the seats are comfy because The Batman is a long flick at 3 hours and 10 minutes.

But that is short compared to a movie called Logistics.

Clocking in at a total of 35 days and 17 hours, the 2012 Swedish experimental film is by far the longest movie ever made.

It started with the question posed by filmmakers Erika Magnusson and Daniel Andersson: where do all the gadgets come from?

They attempted to answer that question by following the life cycle of a pedometer. The story begins at a store in Stockholm, where the item is sold, then moves backwards to chronicle its journey to consumers.

Logistics takes viewers on a truck, a freight train, a massive container ship, and finally to a factory in China.

The trip unfolds in real time. And yes, at 857 hours, it's the longest film ever made.

I think I will give that one a miss if it opens here. The storyline seems pretty weak.

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Paul Hickey is your local host on The Hits Rotorua weekdays between 9am and 3pm. Featuring Rotorua news, information, and giveaways, plus trending stories from around the world. Listen on 97.5FM or download the iHeartRadio app. PLUS follow The Hits Rotorua and Paul on Facebook and Instagram.