It’s infectious, the love “Freaky Tales” has for the Oakland, California, of the mid-1980s.

You need not have grown up then and there — as one of the film’s co-writers and -directors, Ryan Fleck, did — to appreciate it, although having done so surely would give you all those nostalgic feelings Fleck is hoping to conjure. Shooting in Oakland in late 2022 and early ’23, the production clearly went to great lengths to re-create aspects of the city, a world away, if only 12 actual miles and some water, from its Bay Area neighbor, San Francisco.

Plus, two Oakland legends, rapper Too $hort and Golden State Warriors star Eric “Sleepy” Floyd, serve as significant characters in “Freaky Tales” AND make cameos in it. The former also serves as the film’s narrator, helping to establish its fun-and-fuzzy tone in its opening moments, informing the viewer that “Oakland in ’87 was hella wild,” talking about an electricity in the air and even throwing in a bit about some “cosmic green (expletive).”

In select theaters this week, “Freaky Tales” is the latest effort by Fleck and his filmmaking partner, Anna Boden, whose credits include 2006’s “Half Nelson,” 2015’s “Mississippi Grind” and, most notably, 2019 Marvel Cinematic Universe entry “Captain Marvel.” The generally entertaining “Freaky Tales” debuted in January 2024 at the Sundance Film Festival and certainly has that gritty, on-a-wing-and-a-prayer, film-fest feel.

Four separate but interconnected tales comprise “Tales,” helping it to stand out from the cinematic pack. (While Fleck, in the film’s production notes, cites mid-1980s flicks “Repo Man” and “The Last Dragon” for helping to inspire its retro feel and B-movie visual style, the nonlinear, overlapping structure and a few characters crossing paths in a diner feel like nods to Quentin Tarantino’s beloved 1994 jam, “Pulp Fiction.”)

If you don’t count a member of Hollywood royalty who makes a cameo as a man behind the counter at a video store (hint: Fleck and Boden directed two episodes of last year’s acclaimed historical limited Apple TV+ series “Masters of the Air”), the biggest names in the cast are “Star Wars” franchise alums Pedro Pascal and Ben Mendelsohn.

Neither appears in the first chapter, “The Gilman Strikes Back,” centered around 924 Gilman Street, a since-closed underground music club important to the East Bay punk scene, which produced such acts as Green Day and Rancid. Despite the fiery music played there, it’s home to a crowd that believes strongly in nonviolence.

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However, after a gang of skinheads invades the club, attacking both audience members and performers, folks such as patrons Tina (Ji-young Yoo) and Lucid (Jack Champion) consider whether they may have to change their ways to defend their turf.

Music is also a key component to the second tale, “Don’t Fight the Feeling,” in which up-and-coming female rap duo Danger Zone — Barbie (Dominique Thorne) and Entice (Normani) — are offered the chance to take on Too $hort (Bay Area rapper Symba) in a rap battle. (As with Tina and Lucid, we meet them outside the Grand Lake Theatre — after they’ve seen “The Lost Boys” — where they, too, have a not-so-pleasant exchange with the driving-by Nazis.)

Pascal (‘The Mandalorian,” “The Last of Us”) is front and center in the chapter that follows, “Born to Mack,” as Clint, a pain-imposing debt collector on what is supposed to be his last job. That takes place in the back of the aforementioned video store, outside of which sits Clint’s very pregnant wife (Natalia Dominguez) in their car.

Man, that last day on the job just never goes smoothly, does it?

Lastly, we get “The Legend of Sleepy Floyd,” built around a coordinated series of robberies of the homes of Warriors players during a home playoff game against the Los Angeles Lakers in which Floyd scored an astonishing 29 points in the fourth quarter.

The big operation is put together by “The Guy” (Mendelsohn, “Captain Marvel,” “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”), who by this point already has had a not-so-comfortable interaction with Barbie at the ice cream shop where she and Entice work. It’s fair to say

The Guy will come to regret one house making the final cut of those to be hit on May 10, as “Tales” climaxes in a Tarantino-esque slice of revenge porn featuring Sleepy (Jay Ellis) striking back. (Regardless of what actually happened on that day in 1987, liberties have been taken here given the, well, mystical abilities possessed by the movie’s version of the hooper.)

This cropped image is from a promotional poster for “Freaky Tales.” (Courtesy of Lionsgate)

As a character famously says in “Pulp Fiction,” personality goes a long way, and “Freaky Tales” has a lot of it. A few sluggish stretches are outweighed by the incredibly well-executed throwback look of the film, with credit going to, among others, production designer Patti Podesta (“Jurassic Park,” “Memento”) and costume designer Neishea Lemle (“Hidden Figures,” “Black-ish”).

Its title borrowed from a 1987 Too $hort song, “Freaky Tales” ties together elements from its four stories more than you may expect by the time we get to its quirky but fitting epilogue.

According to the production notes, it took awhile — and several pitches — for Fleck to convince Boden they should make his love letter to 1987 Oakland. The world’s at least a slightly more colorful place now that they have.

‘Freaky Tales’

Where: Theaters.

When: April 4.

Rated: R for strong bloody violence, language throughout including slurs, sexual content and drug use.

Runtime: 1 hour, 47 minutes.

Stars (of four): 2.5.

By Abby Badach Doyle, NerdWallet

When you’re saving for your first home, it’s natural to wish for a helping hand. It might even feel like everyone else is getting a check from Mom and Dad. But if you don’t have a financial head start, where should you begin?

The good news: Homeownership isn’t just for the lucky few with a windfall. In fact, most first-time homebuyers don’t wait for one. According to the National Association of Realtors, only one in four first-time buyers used a gift or loan from family or friends to fund their down payment.

If you don’t have gift money to help buy a house, you’re not alone. Here’s your guide to getting it done.

Stop the mental doom loop

From high prices to mortgage rates, there’s a lot that feels unfair in today’s housing market. Scrolling through a social feed full of success stories can add to feelings of guilt and shame, says Rahkim Sabree, a financial therapist and accredited financial counselor.

“Too often, especially with social media, we start kind of getting whisked away in the possibilities of what can be — and that’s when we start comparing our journeys to other people’s,” he says.

The solution: Focus on your own values and priorities. After all, social media only shows someone’s highlight reel.

“We don’t know what it is that they have had access to, what kind of debt they had to go into and what longevity looks like, unfortunately, in their purchase,” Sabree says.

It may sound simple, but a can-do attitude can be a major power move. Once you’re in the right headspace, try an online calculator to see how much house you can afford. With a realistic budget, you can move from planning to action.

Assemble your squad

You don’t need a big check from your parents — but you do need a team of homebuying pros to have your back.

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If the whole process seems overwhelming, start with a housing counselor certified by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Anyone can benefit from their advice, especially buyers with credit challenges or a history of bankruptcy. HUD-certified counselors are available for free or at a low cost.

Next, find an experienced buyer’s agent who knows your local market. A great agent can spot a deal fast and hustle to get your offer accepted.

Then, find your mortgage matchmaker. Get pre-approved with at least three lenders to make sure you’re getting the lowest interest rate.

Another option: Have a mortgage broker shop around for you. Brokers charge a fee, but they have access to wholesale pricing and can often negotiate a lower rate than you’d find on your own.

Boost your budget

It’s no secret: There’s free money up for grabs for first-time homebuyers. If you don’t look into down payment and closing cost assistance programs, you could be leaving thousands of dollars on the table.

Start by looking at state housing agencies, local governments and nonprofits. Other sources include your employer, labor union or mortgage lender. Most money is set aside for first-time buyers with incomes below the area median, but some programs welcome repeat buyers or higher earners.

Arica Rucker, broker owner with Century 21 Rucker Real Estate in Charlotte, North Carolina, says most of her buyers don’t have family gifts, so they’re excited to discover they can get a financial boost.

“They’re in disbelief,” she says. “But then we run into the reality of them not really having money saved for the out-of-pocket expenses.”

The lesson: Even with down payment assistance, you’ll still need cash on hand once you go under contract. Have money saved for upfront expenses like your earnest money deposit, home inspection or moving costs.

Get creative

To snag a deal, consider less common options like short sales or foreclosures. If you’re up for the responsibility of being a landlord, you can look into “house hacking” an investment property, like a live-in duplex. These are all more complex transactions, but an experienced agent and loan officer can coach you through it.

Some creative financing options are riskier than others. Your homebuying squad can also help you understand the pros and cons of borrowing from any retirement funds you have saved, like a 401(k).

“Ideally, you would not touch that money,” Sabree says. “But in a situation where an individual doesn’t have access to gift money and they need to be creative around how to make the acquisition, certainly that’s something that they can do.”

Stay centered

Focus on your own journey, not someone else’s. Gift money helps, but it doesn’t guarantee an easier path. An inheritance can come with the massive weight of grief. A gift from living relatives can come with its own challenges, like blurred boundaries or an uneasy feeling that you “owe” the giver.

Instead, take charge of what you can control: Getting scrappy to reach your savings goals.

“Get a plan, write it down, make it specific,” Rucker says.

Sabree, who specializes in overcoming financial trauma, says it’s normal to shut down when you feel overwhelmed. In a state of despair, you might even convince yourself it’s foolish to want to buy a house at all.

Instead, when emotions run high, show yourself some compassion and try to stay focused on your goal.

“Make sure that you’re grounded in the now, right?” he says. “Make sure that you can feel the floor beneath your feet.”

Don’t dwell on the gift you didn’t get. You haven’t missed out — you’re just getting started.

Abby Badach Doyle writes for NerdWallet. Email: abadachdoyle@nerdwallet.com.

The article No Gift Money? No Problem: How to Afford a House On Your Own originally appeared on NerdWallet.

By WILL WEISSERT

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump promised tariffs that would raise U.S. import taxes high enough to mirror what other assess as trade penalties on American goods.

What he’s actually imposing is based on far more complicated math.

Here’s a look at how the White House got its numbers:

Why do the new tariff rates often differ by country?

The Trump administration has declared an “economic emergency” to bypass Congress and impose a 10% tariff on nearly all countries and territories. It has set even higher levies for about 60 nations that it says are the “worst” offenders.

The 10% global tariffs take effect at 12:01 a.m. Saturday. The higher tariffs set for specific countries are due to kick in at one minute past midnight on April 9.

Among the so-called worst offenders is China, which Trump argues protect its producers through “malicious” trade practices in addition to tariffs. Those efforts include actions such as imposing value added taxes on all goods, dumping overproduced products on markets to artificially deflate prices, or manipulating currency.

To determine how much higher those nations’ rates should be, the White House says it calculated the size of each country’s trade imbalance on goods with the United States and divided that by how much America imports from that nation.

It then took half that percentage and made it the new tariff rate.

Why not just charge reciprocal rates?

The White House says its calculations kept new tariffs from going even higher for many countries and demonstrate that Trump is being “kind” to global trading partners.

The administration maintains that creating a baseline levy with few exemptions is necessary to keep China and others from skirting the new tariffs by manufacturing goods and then shipping them to Vietnam, Cambodia, Mexico or elsewhere to then be sent to the U.S.

That’s why the White House list of tariffed locations includes obscure places like the Heard and McDonald Islands, which are uninhabited. They are 2,550 miles (4,100 kilometers) from the coast of mainland Australia, which claims them as a territory.

Is every country affected?

No. Canada and Mexico are excluded because they already are facing 25% taxes on most imported goods that Trump announced last month, in an attempt to force both to crack down on fentanyl smuggling into the U.S.

The White House originally said all others would be affected by at least the 10% tariff. But administration officials clarified on Thursday that countries already subject to stiff U.S. sanctions — for example, Russia due to its invasion of Ukraine, as well as Iran, North Korea, Cuba, Belarus and Venezuela — will not face the new, 10% global base tariff.

Official said that is because sanctions and other existing barriers mean the U.S. has so little trade with those places that deficits are minimal.

Why is Trump doing this?

The president has spent months insisting America was at its wealthiest at the end of the Gilded Age in the late 1800s and early 1900s, when it imposed high tariffs as the key means to generating revenue for the federal government.

Trump even suggested Wednesday that the U.S. moving away from higher tariffs and toward a federal income tax in 1913 helped trigger the Great Depression of the 1930s — a claim that economists and historians roundly reject.

A more contemporary explanation might be found in Project 2025, a comprehensive blueprint compiled by leading conservatives about how to shrink the federal workforce and push Washington further to the right. It spelled out how Trump might impose high tariffs around the globe, giving his administration more room to negotiate lower levies with trading partners in exchange for U.S. priorities.

White House officials insist the new tariffs are more about closing trade deficits, stimulating U.S. manufacturing and generating government revenue than eventually negotiating new trading deals.

But Trump has shown he is willing to back off on threats of tariffs in exchange for offers of concessions. His administration has said the president is always ready to make deals, a sign the new tariffs may prove to be more bargaining chip than permanent policy.

Why do US trade imbalances matter?

American trade policy created a U.S. trade imbalance worth $1.2 trillion last year, a gap that some experts believe should be addressed in order to ensure the country’s long-term economic strength.

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But many economists say the trade imbalances that Trump is looking to correct are based on more than countries just using high tariffs or protectionist trade practices to boost their own exports. Basing the White House’s tariff math solely on trade deficits, for instance, fails to take into account U.S. consumer demand.

Americans relish buying BMWs assembled in Germany, as well as French wine and coffee beans from Guatemala, and their spending can fuel trade imbalances regardless of the tax and tariff policies of the countries producing those goods.

That means any attempt to close U.S. trade gaps by tariffs will likely mean increasing the cost of imported goods that Americans are buying, which in turn could hurt the economy because of increased inflationary pressures.

Associated Press writers Josh Boak and Zeke Miller contributed to this report.

By MARÍA VERZA and FABIOLA SÁNCHEZ

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico celebrated Thursday having dodged the latest round of tariffs from the White House taking aim at dozens of U.S. trading partners around the world, but was also quickly reminded that in a global economy the effects of uncertainty can’t be entirely avoided.

President Claudia Sheinbaum said the free-trade agreement signed by Mexico, Canada and the U.S. during Trump’s first administration had shielded Mexico.

Now her government will focus on the existing 25% U.S. tariffs on imported autos, steel and aluminum, while accelerating domestic production to safeguard jobs and reduce imports.

“During my last call with President Trump, I said that, in the case of reciprocal tariffs, my understanding was that there wouldn’t be tariffs (on Mexico), because Mexico doesn’t place tariffs on the United States,” Sheinbaum said.

Economy Secretary Marcelo Ebrard noted that despite having free-trade agreements with the U.S., many countries were targeted by the tariffs U.S. President Donald Trump announced Wednesday on what he dubbed “Liberation Day.” Trump framed the tariffs as a way to bring manufacturing jobs back to the U.S.

Noting that Mexico dodged the latest round of tariffs, Ebrard said swaths of Mexican exports including agricultural products like avocados, clothing and electronics will continue to enter the U.S. without import duties.

Sheinbaum, meanwhile, encouraged companies producing in Mexico who had not been exporting under the free-trade agreement for various reasons to take the necessary steps to qualify. She cited major German auto producers as an example.

Qualifying for the free-trade agreement could involve anything from doing paperwork to making adjustments to the sourcing of a product.

Despite Trump’s latest tariffs not being imposed on Mexico, the uncertainty they created and the interconnectedness of the North American auto supply chains meant it didn’t take long for the effects to touch Mexico.

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Stellantis, maker of auto brands including Dodge and Jeep, announced that it would pause production at its assembly plant in Toluca west of Mexico City for the month of April while it assesses the tariffs’ impact on its operations. A similar temporary production halt was scheduled for an assembly plant in Canada and some 900 workers were to be temporarily laid off across several plants in the United States.

That uncertainty is part of the reasons why Sheinbaum is pushing Plan Mexico, an initiative to promote and cultivate more domestic production.

As an example, she cited a collaboration between her government, local universities and Mexican companies Megaflux and Dina to produce electric buses for public transportation.

Ebrard said recently that the buses represent not only a technological advance in Mexico, but also a “strategic decision” in favor of Mexico’s industrial sovereignty.

At a factory in Mexico City, the electric buses called Taruk — trail-runner in the Indigenous Yaqui language – are already in production. Megaflux Director General Roberto Gottfried said the company hopes to deliver some 200 by year’s end.

He noted that some 70% of the Taruk’s components are produced in Mexico, including its motor, but the lithium batteries that power them come from China.

In a country where one out of every three people use public transportation every day, developing this sector domestically is critical, Gottfried said.

Despite the global economic challenges presented by the uncertainty caused by tariffs, he said, Mexico’s large internal market gives the initiative a competitive advantage to develop and weather the storm.