Was there a movie with the same name as this? Last year?

No the last one with the same name came out in 2016...

Some other spin-off? A similar story with a different title? From a different angle? Same deal as with Zack Snyder's recent Justice League? It feels so familiar... maybe I'm thinking about Birds of Prey...

It's not a retake entirely this time but... such a similar thing. But good. Idris Elba! Heya! Margot Robbie always delivers too. The cast's great.

The style's just the perfect blend of crazy and playful too - more so than in the last one - or the spin-off, and though they occasionally mix in a little cliché cute and over-the-top gore I can't complain at all, I'm happy they're as playful as they are here. With the in-movie texts and titles too.

It feels like a new age. When even DC make a movie like this.

Like B-movie grindhouse just went mainstream.

And the crazy isn't everything either. There's atmosphere, there's class, there's comedy - there's a blend of everything that'll maybe not leave a permanent mark on you but definitely leave you thoroughly entertained!

The whole suicide thing feels like a repeat though. You know how it'll go. But Pete Davidson and Hula Borg cameos? Hell yeah. I like those details. And the experience overall is ferocious and thorough. Harley's such a good character too. Can't get enough of her.

Some Resident Evil 4 inspirations too maybe? Some places; some beings seem somewhat familiar.

 rated 4.5/5: almost awesome

(more…)

Action. Bizarre, a little. But feelgood. Slice of life. Starring a small but gritty cast in a dusty little town out in nowhere. They scenery's refreshing.

Frank Grillo plays a part, but Scott Caan's the highlight, and Marianne Rendón and Billy Blair. J.K. Simmons ain't bad either.

It's one of those movies that really doesn't end the way you expect it to. In the best possible way. Pulp Fiction style - but without the theatrics.

It's all about the encounters, and relations, and the absurdity but also... the heart of it all. And a hardle of balls.

Really solid movie. Above average.

Action? Just a little, but when it's there it's real.

Authentic all the way.

 rated 4/5: fo shizzle

I'm waiting on a welder. A propane implementation for our air heat pump. Apparently it's been leaking - probably lightly over a long period of time. There was barely any coolant left. I wonder how much of a fire hazard it's been during that time. Right now plenty of windows are open - and there's a device in the washing room to erase any trace of potential propane that may there linger - we have additional ventilation in the washing room too. But during winter the windows definitely aren't so open.

Have we lit any matches there recently...

We've had an issue with odors seeping in via our neighbors too. The best way to troubleshoot such an issue is to light a special kind of match close to wall and ventilation - coincidentally very close to the propane-leaking air heat pump - and see where the smoke goes...

I got up at 7 AM today for the cause. The troubleshooting. The fuming looming. They had two big-ass fire extinguishers with them for worst case scenarios, and I'd cleaned out the washing room yesterday, which was a big-ass job. Wealth accumulates. A wealth of dust. A wealth of items. Cleaning utensils pots paper and boxes full of empty glass jars in abundance.

It's currently 10 AM, and they're still working the issue. I didn't expect it to go on this long.

Since I abide my time upstairs as they do their bidding in the downstairs area - wary of whatever hazardous gases may seep through those rooms - I've been impressively productive this fine morning. And since the sun is still on the bedroom side of the house (just across the hall, a few meters away, but still) the computer area's remarkably airy and cool, still. This is the usual time I rise. Around ten. A little earlier more recent weeks.

It feels good. To maybe not be up with the sun, but to be up, and cool, and managing. Early enough to feel good about it.

I meant to write up a post about how haywire this Spring's been earlier.
I asked a friend a stupid question yesterday - been overthinking mortality in lieu of mom's ongoing heart palpitation issues post-covid. They're doing better though, and I'm feeling better today. Watched a video of a nurse-in-training who'd managed to make a Camper out of a Camaro, and boiled shrimp from the backseat. It looked a little cramped, but also tasty, with sesame seeds noodles and some extra spice...

Maybe this Spring isn't so bad after all. It's all relative.

Celebrated Midsummer with relatives last Friday. Celebrated a cousin's 30th Birthday this Monday - bestowed upon him a promised round of Minigolf at this place, one of the oldest Minigolf courses in Sweden, with an adventure golf course and a normal one, and an unlimited number of rounds for the same entrance fee on a good day. Looks promising.

The Poland trip was nice too - taken earlier with that same cousin.

I do mean to post a recap eventually - hopefully before Christmas.

I also managed to time in the best weather ever on my two trips up North so far. Not a cloud in sight. Sunshine all day all night. And relatively warm water, but cool enough that it'd be refreshing after a session of body-building ardor in the advent garden.

Here's a list of unfortunate events thus far this Spring though - I scrawled them down earlier so I might as well post 'em - though better to move on:

• Mom caught covid. Still has heart palpitations and a loss of taste a month later.
• Dad caught covid after her. He's doing better.
• I caught covid first. All good now though.
• The cousin I went to Poland with caught covid too. His mom had a stroke. They're doing better.
• Air heat pump broke. We've had issues a couple of months now - hopefully this'll get resolved today.
• Car broke down earlier this Spring - fortunately right by the repair shop. They replaced the fuel pump for the third time within the last
  ~2 years. For free, since the last time they replaced it was a month ago. They'd forgotten.
• Car broke down again one day before the drive North. Had to be towed to a repair shop - apparently a hose to the fuel pump had come loose - lost some fuel.
• Car was still not running perfectly during the trip - which made it a somewhat nervous trip. Tried adding a bottle of fuel injection cleaner along the way and eventually it seems that might've fixed this!
• Car is difficult to start sometimes after fuel pump issues, seems like the ignition cartridge may need replacing too.
• Greenhouse collapsed entirely this winter. Neighbor let us know. I've picked and vacuumed most of the glass shards, at least some ~50 kg glass. The partially intact frame remains. We ponder potential uses or dismantling actions this summer.
• The car battery on my little VW Polo did not survive the winter this year. Ordered a new one - it arrived this Monday - hopefully I'll get that car going again on the next trip.
• Had to cancel six flights due to those covid and heart palpitation uncertainties (four of mine) and move a hotel booking to October.
• My work days were cut in half from May to August - at least - we'll see then. Company finances are strained and uncertain.
• Train issues, strikes and delays all Spring - due to limited staffing they'll have replacement buses from the start of July until mid-August. I'm fortunately away most of this time - or working from a distance, but the one day I will have to commute in it'll take ~5 hours back and fourth. Airport trips have become a bit more difficult too.
• Airport strikes may happen just in time for my main trip. Hoping they come to an agreement before then.
• Big bro's girlfriend broke her shoulder.
• Big bro and girlfriend bought a new puppy that does not get along well with their other dog, and it seems she's allergic to it. Thus the puppy cannot stay.
• The puppy developed difficulties moving around. Apparently it's sick. They know not with what. It may be genetic. It cannot be returned to buyer. They're insured for 100,000 SEK and have used up a third of that on treatments thus far...
• I broke one of our lawnmowers. Metal handle just snapped in half.
• Broken bee glass, broken umbrella foot, broken zipper on my favorite jacket, broken other things, I thought our freezer up North was broken too... had just missed a switch there though! Whoop. Though all newly stocked freezer contents simmered in room temperature for three days and spoiled.

I was hoping to attend some Gröna Lund concerts this Spring/Autumn, but by means of budget I think I'll skip those this year. The artists aren't that great overall, and MGK plays on the wrong day, though I would have liked to see Trippie Redd. Plus commuting time there suddenly doubled due to those limited staffing issues/replacement buses.

One of their rollercoasters just derailed and one gal died too - something that has never happened before, not since Gröna Lund first opened way back in 1883! Nor in (the current owner's) Park & Resorts proud and safety-attentive something like fifty-year history!

They still have no idea why or how it could happen.

The Swedish Krona is currently at an all time low compared to the USD/EUR - which will further impact import prices and finances, but interesting things are happening in Russia, with the Wagner Group potentially dissenting, and the weather's been beautiful - barely a single drop of rain for a month or so here - surrounding lawns are parched and yellow.

I've watered mine though. I tasted my first home-grown strawberries (Fragaria × Vescana actually - it's a hybrid between regular strawberries and smaller 'wild strawberries') yesterday - we have those too, and it hasn't been too hot for comfort thus far.

I sleep alright. My bedtimes are improving. I do alright in daytime too. I've eaten out a few times (did I mention Bro Park?), cleaned up the house, packed my stuff already - mostly, have plenty of fresh Moroccan mint in the garden and a commercial haircut for a change - presently I feel good!

It is raining up North, and our crops there are as of today finally all planted and ready - some actually sprouting already. I did my bidding while I was there, managed most of the groundwork - recovering parents are busy fixing the rest for the next week or so, and then...

Fingers crossed everything goes as it's supposed to now!!!

Hope my flight leaves as it should. Hope I'm on it. Hope I don't catch something before then (I have been feeling something...). Or after, for that matter.

At least I'm getting a tan man. At least I'm moving. At least I feel good. So maybe things aren't all bad. Maybe things are turning around after all.

This spring blows. But the wind blows too. Through the windows June... I'm heading back to fan land.

And I'll dig dirt till I can't stand in that grand land.

Yeah.

Education: The path from cocky ignorance to miserable uncertainty.

Human activity has caused a massive rise in sea level.

Most of the planet is flooded.

Survival is a constant fight for land and resources.

Two continents remain. At war.

It might seem... almost peaceful. But with that mass of water there's no peace. It rages. The waves big. No place to one and each. And yet when the storm calms down... maybe it's not so bad after all?

But then the paranoia starts brewing.

There's a four man crew. Low on rations. Who've stayed longer than they should have. Who get no response from their replacement team. They're stranded in the water, on what seems like a small military fort, getting on each other's nerves, just nearing the breaking point...

It's not the uplifting kind of movie, but it is powerful, and desperate, and leaves you feeling. A little like LOST did, but with a better end - or a worse one - depending on how you see it.

It's well acted. Well filmed. Well cast. It's not much but... a little goes a long way on the ocean.

In loving memory of Silas Pullen. Wonder who they were...

 rated 5/5: friggin awesome

El Gringo, Adventures of Johnny Tao, surf, martial arts, sand, Mexico, love, beer, a run for your money.... this most definitely is.

What a wonderful ensemble of crazy people there are in this one. Fun-loving, angry, romantic - a Pulp Fiction like mingle of intertwining fates with one guy dead center of it, the unkillable Snag - played by Ben Milliken.

I felt like he had more charm than character initially, but as the story unfolds so does my respect for him.

Maybe there won't be a sequel, but maybe there won't be an equal! I thought this'd be just the regular action but it really is abundantly clear, when it's over that there was more stuff to this chair then I'll ever uncover. Another life, another lover. Another story, another tale. Revenge... may sequels here never grow stale.

What a wonderful ensemble. They're dusty mad rabid and wonderful, with a crazy Mexican stand-off and good characters going out at the flick of a lightbulb... reminds me of The Big Hit with Mark Wahlberg as well. And even more so the Seven String Samurai gem I found recently.

I really really LOVE movies like this. The atmosphere. The people. The everything about this! I don't know what ingredients exactly make the mixture, or what said mixture is, but whatever it is they made it!

It reminds me of The Desperado too, or more so the one that came before it, El Mariachi...

It feels old - though new, it's dusty and true. They do what they do. Hell yeah. They do what they do.

And hopefully this is but the beginning.

Looking forward to the next chapter.

 rated 4.5/5: almost awesome