Love Hurts

God damn Love Hurts isn’t good. It’s serviceable, but you’ll immediately see the flaws. It’s a bite on John Wick except people are in love and there is no dog. It opens in a world that the story has already been going for the last few years, and we’re expected to pick up the finale. If it was better, I am sure it would be a franchise just like John Wick.

I’m sad that this is Ke Huy Quan’s first leading man role. He’s deserving of an action film so much better. I want him to do the action In the Mood for Love. Let this man cook.

Anyhow, it wasn’t very good.

2 of 5

Paddington in Peru

I should’ve enjoyed Paddington in Peru more considering the previous entries in the series were solid fare. Unfortunately, Paddington in Peru missed it’s mark with me. Maybe it was the replacement of Sally Hawkins’s mother with Emily Mortimer that felt off. Perhaps it was the weird final act reveal of the true villain that felt out of place. Anyway, I didn’t fall for it as I had for the previous two. I guess I went in with high hopes for another movie to charm my pants off, but came away disappointed.

3 of 5 stars.

Economic Blackout

No shop Friday!

To protest against this wack administration, the plan is to not shop large box retailers and fast food conglomerates. Instead look to small, local mom and pop shops. Or even don’t buy anything at all.

Personally, I believe in the Mangione Method. Take dead aim. Take them down.

Thus Falls a Democracy

An important read on what’s happening with Trump, Musk, and their cronies. I would’ve made this a link of the day, but it’s too important to overlook.

We have ceded our country to people who never believed in democracy. We have started the fall of the United States of America. I don’t know where we will be in the future, but what’s certain is a government by the people, for the people is no longer.

Quote of the Day [12.26.24]

“To the Feds, I’ll keep this short, because I do respect what you do for our country. To save you a lengthy investigation, I state plainly that I wasn’t working with anyone. This was fairly trivial: some elementary social engineering, basic CAD, a lot of patience. The spiral notebook, if present, has some straggling notes and To Do lists that illuminate the gist of it. My tech is pretty locked down because I work in engineering so probably not much info there. I do apologize for any strife of traumas but it had to be done. Frankly, these parasites simply had it coming. A reminder: the US has the #1 most expensive healthcare system in the world, yet we rank roughly #42 in life expectancy. United is the [indecipherable] largest company in the US by market cap, behind only Apple, Google, Walmart. It has grown and grown, but as our life expectancy? No the reality is, these [indecipherable] have simply gotten too powerful, and they continue to abuse our country for immense profit because the American public has allwed them to get away with it. Obviously the problem is more complex, but I do not have space, and frankly I do not pretend to be the most qualified person to lay out the full argument. But many have illuminated the corruption and greed (e.g.: Rosenthal, Moore), decades ago and the problems simply remain. It is not an issue of awareness at this point, but clearly power games at play. Evidently I am the first to face it with such brutal honesty.”

Luigi Mangione
Manifesto on United Health

It’s Bad Boyyo…

Fudge. We lost.

Definitely feel like we’re going into some weird dark age. The cynic in me is really wanting to see them burn it all down. I really feel like it. I don’t want to.

In the long run, it will be fine. Will I be there to see it?

“You’ve gotten soft. You’re like one of those police dogs who’s released into the wild and gets eaten by a deer or something.”

Pixar is in trouble with sequelitis and Inside Out 2 is another example of that terribleness. It lacks the emotion of its predecessor. Funny, that, considering that there were additional emotions added to the four from the first film. Every new one was funnier than the new emotional antagonist. Ennui and embarrassment were fun. Anxiety not so much. The additions were not enough to make me like the film.

2 of 5 stars.

Deadpool & Wolverine

Deadpool & Wolverine should be the end of the Deadpool franchise. You can not go more meta than this film, the first serious foray of Fox’s mutants into the MCU. It has tons of cameos and many self-referential bits. If you are comic nerd, this is for you. Yet in order to top it, the fourth will have to be a remake of the first with a decidedly aware Deadpool knowing he’s in a remake/reboot.

Where will the fun be in that?

Actually, I enjoyed it because of all the cameos. Channing Tatum’s Gambit was outlandish and perfect. Wesley Snipe’s back together with Ryan Renolds? Witness! Jennifer Garner? Like that’s nuts that Marvel went and spent money to get these actors to reprise their super hero roles. Well done.

3 of 5 stars.