Novocaine succeeds in merging the genres of action, comedy, and romance, creating a distinctly quirky cinematic experience. While it does not innovate within the genre, it provides a refreshing interpretation of established tropes bolstered by commendable performances and a compelling soundtrack.

Each week on Polygon, we round up the most notable new releases to streaming and VOD, highlighting the biggest and best new movies for you to watch at home.

This week, Captain America: Brave New World, the latest Marvel superhero movie starring Anthony Mackie and Harrison Ford, soars onto video on demand following its theatrical premiere in February. There are a few other exciting titles to rent this weekend, including The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie, *[The Woman in the Yard](https://www.polygon.com/horror/549113/woman-in-the-yard-ending-ex

As a lover of The Expanse, I recently picked up The Mercy of Gods by James S.A. Corey and ended up binging it in a day while waiting for work. Spoilers ahead.

The book is set on a world inhabited by two competing forms of life: carbon-based organisms introduced by humans around 4,000 years ago, and the native crystalline lifeforms. Just as a team of scientists makes a genetic breakthrough—enabling these very different life forms to coexist—they detect a gravity anomaly that functions as an “Outside Context Problem.”

Now, as a newly subjugated species, the scientists must prove to their new overlords that humanity still has something to offer to the vast, interconnected web of civilizations that make up the alien polity.

As a soft science fiction space opera, I really enjoyed the book. The Carryx, with their striking orange-and-blue morality, are fascinating, and humanity’s attempts to "humanize" them predictably fall flat. I do wish it had been longer—the 400 pages flew by—and the “

The full review is available here

English review at BudgetLightForum
German review on my website

Summary

The Cyanlamp M12R from Cyansky combines many good ideas: A spotlight for throw, that can also be used as a headlamp when clipped to a cap. A floodlight that evenly illuminates at close range. There are also RGB LEDs with various effects and work great as a beacon or marker. The flashlight can be attached either with the large clip, an eyelet or the integrated magnet. It can also be switched on and off with a simple gesture control.

However, there is still room for improvement in the implementation: Starting with the cool white light with low CRI, the unattractive color shift of the spotlight, to the simple driver that cannot keep the brightness constant. In addition, it doesn’t indicate whether you turn on the spotlight or floodlight.

![](https://lazysoci.al/api/v3/image_proxy?u

Review and Steam link. Recent release, March 12, 2025. As a Linux and Mac gamer I am delighted to report this works on Steam Deck (and thus Linux) and Mac as well as on Windows.

Each week on Polygon, we round up the most notable new releases to streaming and VOD, highlighting the biggest and best new movies for you to watch at home.

This week, The Monkey , the new black comedy horror thriller from director Osgood Perkins ( Longlegs ), screeches and bangs its way onto VOD. That’s not all that’s new to rent and purchase this week, as Steven Soderbergh’s spy thriller Black Bag , starring Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender, also comes to VOD, along with Naoko Yamada’s The Colors Within , _[Paddington in Peru](https://www.pol

The full review is available here

English review at BudgetLightForum
German review on my website

Summary

With up to 600 lumens, the tiny Nitecore TINI3 achieves an impressive brightness for its size and with the adjustable color temperatures it adapts to any situation. The practical OLED display provides information about brightness, battery level and remaining runtime. Thanks to its small size and a weight of just 20 g, it is barely noticeable on your key ring, but is always ready for use.

It would have been nice to have an (optional) automatic lockout to prevent the flashlight from turning on in the pocket if you forget to lock it manually. Time will tell whether a glass would have been useful to protect the TIR optic. Other than that, the TINI3 is pretty much perfect.

![](https://lazysoci.al/api/v3/image_proxy?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sammyshp.de%2Fbetablog%2Fuploads%2F20250228_Nit

These non-slip mats can be used to hold things steady if you only have the use of one hand.

This lady for example uses one to open a pill bottle.
And here's a review from a guy with one arm.

The full review is available here

English review at BudgetLightForum
German review on my website

Summary

The Nitecore EDC23 flashlight has been my everyday companion for a few months. The Nitecore EDC29 is the perfect alternative when more light is needed. The two UHi 20 MAX LEDs are not only quite bright at 6500 lm, but also produce a wall of light in Lumin Shield mode. I also like the great UI with two buttons and the “Rapid Lock” lockout using a slide switch.

Given the compact design, it is not surprising that the flashlight heats up quickly and cannot maintain the high brightness for long. In the lower levels however, the constant current driver keeps the brightness pretty constant. Unfortunately it is not possible to choose freely between the wide and narrow beam for each brightness level. The permanently installed rechargeable battery can also be seen as a disadvantage.

![](

A good bit of literature has studied the problem and arrived to recommendations that overlap in parts & depart in others with this playbook.

[A former parliamentarian of the Hungarian government studied its slide into illiberalism, and suggested remedies for the current, similar trend in the US.][antidote] Resist in the courts & media, and build a powerful social base at the state & city level throughout the country. The latter means

the Democratic Party must reconnect with the working class to preserve liberal institutions

Doing that means

1. "creating new and strengthening existing local organizational structures, especially labor unions". Do not "on issues important to the active base only" such as "media freedom or democracy": this leads to "failures of mass mobilizations". "[E]ngage with [ordinary people] outside elections, focusing on issues that matter to them".
2. "[T]o push through popular reforms that elites oppose", free "the party from elite

cross-posted from: https://lemm.ee/post/56619187

More than meets the eye, again and again.

At first, things seem quiet and unremarkable. A cliché premise, cliché developments, cliché characters... Actually, things didn't seem quiet and unremarkable at all; Re:Zero seemed boring and uninteresting. More of that ever-pouring slop Japanese webnovels insist on becoming, more of that persistent stench of mediocrity and the unbridled numbness of barren creativity.

Re:Zero is just more of the same old, same old.

At first...

But, at first, even the normal is strange. Even as we're born, we cry. We're confused, lost, terrified as the world that we now take for granted assaults our senses and wrecks our mind and body alike. Voices endless, smells, feelings, all of it is so much---too much! What makes life beautiful aren't the large pieces that we all have in common, but the small distinctions that make us unique. One would assume death is the same, of course.

All o

cross-posted from: https://lemm.ee/post/56619187

More than meets the eye, again and again.

At first, things seem quiet and unremarkable. A cliché premise, cliché developments, cliché characters... Actually, things didn't seem quiet and unremarkable at all; Re:Zero seemed boring and uninteresting. More of that ever-pouring slop Japanese webnovels insist on becoming, more of that persistent stench of mediocrity and the unbridled numbness of barren creativity.

Re:Zero is just more of the same old, same old.

At first...

But, at first, even the normal is strange. Even as we're born, we cry. We're confused, lost, terrified as the world that we now take for granted assaults our senses and wrecks our mind and body alike. Voices endless, smells, feelings, all of it is so much---too much! What makes life beautiful aren't the large pieces that we all have in common, but the small distinctions that make us unique. One would assume death is the same, of course.

All o

The full review is available here

English review at BudgetLightForum
German review on my website

Summary

For years the Wurkkos TS10 has often been recommended when people are looking for a small EDC flashlight with lots of functions. Compact, fun, great light and also inexpensive. Over time, different colors and materials such as titanium, brass and copper were added.

If you think the TS10 was too small and not bright enough, you should take a look at the new Wurkkos TS10 Max. It has a larger 18650 battery with four times the capacity and Nichia 519A LEDs with even higher light quality, but is otherwise very similar to the classic TS10.

![](https://lazysoci.al/api/v3/image_proxy?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sammyshp.de%2Fbetablog%2Fuploads%2F20241220

The full review is available here

English review at BudgetLightForum
German review on my website

Summary

How does someone come up with such an idea? The Cyansky Vanguard is a great toy for flashlight enthusiasts and gun lovers – definitely a flashlight with a high fun factor. What makes it so special? Its unique design, which is slightly reminiscent of a Glock and that it is loaded with a “9 × 19 mm” battery after the slide has been pulled back. Crazy!

As a flashlight, it is a pretty decent thrower. The beam shape is perfectly fine, but it has a strong green tint. The (matching) green laser is a nice extra. After all, you need something to shoot with, right? When it comes to the buttons, design comes before ease of use.

Got curious? You can preorder the Cyansky Vanguard now here on Kickstarter.

![](htt

The full review is available here

English review at BudgetLightForum
German review on my website

Summary

When you first see the Nitecore EDC31, it may not appear that special. But a closer look reveals its special secrets. A compact EDC flashlight with a touch of tactical flair, a rather unusual LED with nine dies and a super simple control scheme with a two-stage electronic switch. While most modes are optimized for throw, the “Lumin Shield” mode impresses with a bright and floody wall of light. I also like lockout with a slide switch, called “Rapid Lock”.

Given the compact design, it is not surprising that the flashlight heats up quickly and cannot maintain the high brightness for long. In the lower levels however, the constant current driver keeps the brightness pretty constant. Unfortunately it is not possible to choose freely between the wide and narrow beam for each brightness

The full review is available here

English review at BudgetLightForum
German review on my website

Summary

Despite its slim head, the new Sofirn SR12 is a real thrower – the deep reflector and the Luminus SFT-25R make it possible. With a length of only 112 mm and a diameter of about 24 mm, it should still fit easily into your pocket, making it perfect as an EDC flashlight. It becomes even more interesting when combined with an optional short battery tube for 18350 batteries, which reduces its length to 79 mm.

![](https://lazysoci.al/api/v3/image_proxy?url=https%3A%2F%2Flemmy.world%2Fpictrs%2Fimage%2F9fb0670d-9a34-4466

The full review is available here

English review at BudgetLightForum
German review on my website

With this little review I wish you a merry Christmas! Have fun, but don’t overdo it with the lights. The tree should not start to burn at any time! �*

Summary

When the Wurkkos TS10 was released in mid-2022, only few might have imagined what a great success this flashlight would become. Compact, playful, great light and also affordable. Over time, different colors and materials such as titanium, brass and copper were added.

The Wurkkos TS10 SG is a successful update of the classic TS10. With the new optics and the Luminus SFT-25R, the throw has been significantly increased. Otherwise everything has remained the same. There’s a reason the TS10 has enjoyed great popularity for years.

![](https://lazysoci.al/api/v3/image_proxy?url=https%3A%2F%2Flemmy.world%2Fpictrs%2Fimage%2Faed6dc02-