Ty Watches "Aaron Rodgers: Enigma"

During the holiday break my family, all of my family that is, went to stay at a nice cabin in a local town to celebrate. During the down times I'd sit and watch tv with my dad. One show we came across was "Enigma" on Netflix. This is the three part documentary series about Aaron Rodgers. It tells the story of his time in the NFL, his injuries, recovery and how he spends his free time.

I've made no bones about my feelings for Rodgers. I despise him. I loathed him when he was the QB for the Packers, was bummed when they drafted him and the whole deal with him now makes me sick to my stomach. This show does the job of showing that side of him, but they glorify him. From moment one I was angry watching this. There's a ton to make you gruffled and angry, but his whole attitude and demeanor is enough to make people dislike him. The way he speaks, how he talks about himself and the people around him is gross. He is always calling himself a "perfectionist". He calls football a "craft". When he goes on his ayahuasca retreat, more on that in a minute, it is the most cliche nonsense you will ever hear in your life.

Now, full disclosure, I only watched one and a half episodes. I had to call it midway through the second one because it was making me visibly angry to my family. I went and played pickleball to wash the taste of this terrible show out of my mouth. But, what I did see, what I gathered from almost two hours of tv, Aaron Rodgers is a prick. I think my dad said it best when he said, "Aaron Rodgers is going to die an angry, sad and lonely person". That is the best way to put it. When he talks on this show it is all about him and all about his wants and needs. He backtalks trainers. He explains away why he can't have any romantic partners. He makes mentions to his family in the past tense. He "thanks" them for treating him like he was soft when he was a kid. When he has people over to watch games with him, we never see them and it is never any of his teammates or people he works alongside with. During the ayahuasca retreat, he is there solo. No one wants to come with him. When they're in a big drum circle, he seems like he is lonely. When they go into the tent to sweat out their toxins, explaining that they're using nature's medicine, which is nonsense, I go run outside to sweat out a cold, he doesn't interact with anyone outside of the tent. He doesn't let people in because he seems to know that he will push them away. There was a scene where he went to a doctor and he basically ran the show. Everyone around was telling him that he wasn't going to play that year, but he kept insisting. His insistence looked like such a heavy weight that one of the people he was with just sighed and kind of gave in. They didn't want to fight anymore. That is how some people deal with toddlers, but Rodgers is a fully grown adult. I found him to be miserable and boring. When he and RFK went on a hike together and talked politics it was one of the dumbest conversations to ever be recorded. RFK and Aaron Rodgers are two of the dumbest, wannabe smart guys around. When that moment happened, that was a telling sign to me that I wouldn't be finishing this show. I found it abhorrent and thought it was glorifying this mean and gross person.

I don't know what Rodgers goal was with this show because all it did was make me angry. My dad said it best and I couldn't agree more with his sentiment. Rodgers is a miserable person who will have no one to yell at or tell what to do when he is out of the limelight. I do not recommend this show. Not at all. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Ty Watches "Nosferatu"

I'm a Robert Eggers fan. I have three of his four movies now, and all 3 I have enjoyed very much. Last week my dad and I decided we were going to see "Nosferatu". We try to see a movie during the holiday season and this was one that we both wanted to see. I had high expectations because I love "The Lighthouse" and "The Northman" is one of the coolest movies that has ever been made. The early reviews were also very favorable. As we settled in and sat back, I was ready to love Eggers vision for "Nosferatu".

And, it delivered on every level for me as a movie goer. This movie was an absolute homerun. I have only recently seen the original from 1922, and Eggers and crew do that movie some solid justice. The story is pretty much the same, but they added dialogue and made it a little more understandable. We also get to see Count Orlok early on in this movie, and we get to hear his horrifying voice. Bill Skarsgaard does an admirable job as the Count. He plays him menacingly and unforgiving. He is a truly wretched being, and Skarsgaard nailed it. I am more impressed with each role I see him in. He is a good actor and he seems to have found his niche in Hollywood. Lily Rose Depp is undeniably great as Ellen, the one whom Orlok is obsessed with. She is pitch perfect here. The convulsions and visions also felt very real to me. Depp never dives into cliche stuff with this role. She embodies this sickness and it shows on screen. Nicholas Hoult is very good as the husband. You buy his naivete at first, but then when he encounters Orlok, his whole outlook on the world changes, and Hoult embraces the madness incredibly well. You can see the agony and fear on his face when he goes to sell the Count the new home he is purchasing. Aaron Taylor Johnson and Emma Corrin give very good performances as the married couple friends of the Hutter's, who take on Ellen when Thomas is sent away. They have a family and a life, but all that is on hold when Ellen comes to stay with them. You see their grief and frustration. Ralph Ineson, a buddy of Eggers I presume, is wonderful as the doctor trying to help Ellen with her issues, but he won't buy into the occult. Instead, he enlists his former professor, played excellently by Willem Defoe, to take on the patient. Defoe is magnetic. I loved every single second he was on screen. Defoe is one of my favorite actors, and he is more than game for this role in this movie. From his dusty jacket to acting with live rats, Defoe nails it here. And I'd be remiss if I didn't mention Simon McBurney as Knock. He is Orlok's pet so to speak. Everything he does is in service to Orlok, and he will go to great lengths to get the job done.

Outside of the cast, the cinematography and the story are dynamite. There are some shots in this movie that are impeccable. When Hutter meets the chariot that takes him to the castle at a fork in the road, that was an amazing shot. Every time we get more of a glimpse of Orlok, it gets spookier and spookier. The castles are big and beautiful to look at on screen. The story is simple enough, but the actors have totally bought in and they really sell it to the viewer. I was on the edge of my seat the entire two plus hour long runtime. I didn't want to miss a thing. For as gross and gory as some of the stuff in the movie was, it was all needed to move along the plot and let us know why we were in certain situations.

"Nosferatu" is truly an achievement and a movie I think a lot of people should see on a big screen. I cannot recommend this movie enough. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Ty Watches "The Penguin"

I finished "The Penguin" a few days ago and I have some thoughts. I will not spoil anything in this piece because I think people should watch this show. I also want to say, the time for spoilers should be well past by this point, but I want to respect the wishes of people that may not watch stuff in real time, or their version of binging is like mine, where I watch a few episodes a day over a week. There, got that out of the way.

"The Penguin" caught my interest from the moment I saw him in "The Batman". He was barely onscreen, but I was intrigued. I also liked the costume and makeup that Colin Farrell wore and I wanted to see more of him in this world. They announced the show and I was stoked. Then I forgot about it until RD mentioned it to me. I started watching right away because RD usually recommends good stuff to me. I was in from the jump. I liked how dark and grimy the show was on my tv. This may have had names of people from comic books and superhero movies, but this show is not in that genre. This show is something totally different. This is a hard crime drama. It reminded me of "Goodfellas". It has all the tropes, in a good way, of classic crime stories, some of the characters just happened to be called The Penguin or Selina Kyle. I will say though, when The Penguin is called that, he is very angry and hates that name. It is bad for him. He doesn't like it at all.

The events of the show take place right after the ending of "The Batman". The story immediately picks up, but this is about the crime families within Gotham and the introduction of a new drug called bliss. From there on out we meet some new villains and new people that I've never heard of before. Colin Farrell is Oz. He is amazing in this role. He takes it on headfirst and he absolutely nails it. Cristin Milioti plays Sofia, who is totally new to me. She is fantastic. I found myself openly rooting for her even though she is as villainous as the worst people in Gotham. Milioti needs to get proper recognition for this part. And Rhenzy Feliz plays Vic. He is a down on his luck kid who Oz catches trying to steal his rims from his car. Oz spares him and takes him along on his journey to becoming the top drug guy in Gotham. Feliz is pretty great as well, acting up to the level of Farrell when they're on screen together. There are more people involved, but these are the three main actors and each one is better than the next.

I really enjoyed watching this show as it unfolded. There are a few episodes in the middle that lag for just a bit, but they're worth it in the long run. This show needs these episodes to build up the world the creators have created. I also want to say, and this is no spoiler, this is one of the saddest, most depressing endings to a tv show that I've ever seen. I sat on my couch after the finale and let it sink in and that was the biggest feeling I came away with in the end. It is so sad and probably the only way they could've ended this season. I don't know if they're going to make any more episodes. I hope they do, but it wouldn't be the worst thing if they didn't make anymore and just let this one epic season stand on its own.

I highly recommend watching this show. Don't go into it expecting a typical comic book thing because you will be disappointed. But, if you go into it expecting a hard crime drama, it will be one of the best things you'll see on tv all year. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Ty Watches "The Substance"

I watched "The Substance" yesterday. This movie came on my radar a month or so ago and I have wanted to watch it ever since. I was going to rent it on Amazon when it was in the theaters, but it was far too expensive. But, yesterday I was able to watch it online for free. I made sure to set aside my afternoon so I could really focus. From what I had read prior, this is a movie that needs your full attention. So I sat down and sat back, ready for the ride.

I want to say right at the top, I liked this movie. I never found it boring or slow. There seemed to be something that kept my attention at all times. For a movie that clocks in at around two hours and twenty minutes, it never drags. This movie will hold your eyes and the story will keep you coming back for more. "The Substance" is about a fading movie star that hears about a drug that can make a younger, better version of yourself. That's the long and short of it. Demi Moore plays the aging star, Elisabeth Sparkle. She is removed from her job and she is trying to find meaning in her new life. She decides to use the substance, and this is where Sue, Margaret Qualley, comes into play. This is the younger version of Elisabeth. This version is primed and ready for stardom and will do almost anything to continue her rise to fame. Again, this is the short version because I don't want to spoil anything today.

Moore is fantastic in this movie. I have seen her in stuff before, and have always thought she was a fine actor. She does good with the roles she's given and has earned her fame. In this movie, this may be her best work in my opinion, as well as a lot of other people. She does some amazing things in this movie. She also really goes for it. She holds nothing back and she is more than willing to play a fading star. It feels like a perfect role for her because she can relate, not that she is fading at all. Demi Moore is still one of the most beautiful people I have ever seen on screen. And she acts the absolute hell out of this role. She better damn well get awards consideration. Qualley does some damn fine work as well. She is so good at playing the younger version. She is on her game and really shines. I've seen her in other movies, but this is a real co-starring role here. She is up to the task and is right there step for step with Moore. It's kind of rad to see these two acting opposite each other. They both do some wonderful work.

Now, and this isn't a spoiler at all, this is a full on body horror movie. Some of the stuff I saw made me cover my eyes and made my stomach turn. They hold nothing back. You see it all and they hold on shots for a real long time. Even when people are eating or putting makeup on or showering, they hold onto shots for an uncomfortably long amount of time. That is by design. The writer, producer and director, Collie Fargeat, has said that she is a Cronenberg fan and that "The Fly" was a big influence on her. That comes across tenfold in "The Substance".

As I said at the top, I like this movie. I've been thinking about it all day today. But this movie is not for the faint of heart. There are some wild twists and turns. There's some real disturbing images. And they don't shy away from any of it all. Watch this movie if you're curious and you want to see Margaret Qualley and Demi Moore go blow for blow in the acting category. They're more than worth the watch. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Ty Watches "The Penguin"

Last week RD texted and asked if I had seen "The Penguin" yet. I told him I had not, but I wanted to. He said the first episode was pretty epic, and I trust his opinion on things like this, so I decided that I was going to watch it that day.

I'm glad RD told me about this because this show is pretty damn great. I saw "The Batman", where this version of The Penguin was first featured, but he was barely in the movie. And that is a long, long movie. So, when it was announced that they were going to do a series featuring this version of The Penguin, I was interested. I feel that, when given the proper material, Colin Farrell can do some great work. That is happening here for sure. Farrell is excellent in this show. He is also unrecognizable. The makeup people are doing a bang up job. Farrell has been transformed into what I have always envisioned this villain to like. He has messed up teeth, with some gold teeth peppered in there. His limp is due to a foot injury and him having to wear a brace. He over dresses. He tries too hard on his look. They nailed it. Farrell also makes this version sound like a true New York crime boss. He has the accent down to a T. He sounds and acts like a true New Yorker, or at least tv and movie versions of New Yorkers.

Farrell is not alone here on the show. Cristin Milioti is playing a new villain, at least to me, Sofia Falcone/Gigante. She is tough. She takes no prisoners. The episode when we see her backstory, how she got to where she is in today's version of the show, her performance should be studied in acting classes. This is a masterclass. I'd be shocked if she doesn't get award consideration for this performance alone. But, she continues to shine with each passing episode. She terrifies me. But I also cannot look away from what her character is doing on the show. I'm also enjoying Rhenzy Feliz as Victor Aguilar. His role could have been cliched. He could have been a typical kid that, due to dumb luck, found himself working for The Penguin. But he adds layers to his portrayal. He has past issues that haunt him. He has personal stuff that he hasn't fully dealt with in his life. He ended up working for Oz by pure happenstance. but what they have done so far with him has been pretty damn great. These three really bring this whole show to life.

And, if you are reading this thinking it's just another superhero show, think again. I thought that for a second, but after watching the first episode, that's not the case. I'm almost caught up on the show, and to this point, this is a crime show that happens to have characters that share names with comic book people. This is as hardcore as "The Godfather" or "Goodfellas". This is akin to gangster movies that my mom watches and that I have come around on big time since I was a kid. I never think about this as a DC show or a superhero/super villain show. The only time that comes to mind is when they flash the DC logo after each episode. This is not that. This is a hard crime drama that also happens to be incredibly violent.

"The Penguin" is a very good show that has gotten better, for me, with each passing episode. I highly recommend checking it out. It's good stuff. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Ty Watches "Frank" Again, and Again

Yesterday I watched the movie "Frank" for the third time. Let’s discuss.

I really enjoy this movie. For people that don't know, "Frank" is about a band writing a record and then performing it live. Well, that is the short of it. The movie has a bunch of layers. It's about music. It's about input from your band members. It's about wanting fame. It's about mental illness. It's about the indie rock scene. There is a ton to see in this movie.

Michael Fassbender plays Frank, and he is wonderful. He totally embodies this role. I should mention that he wears a humongous plaster head for almost the entire movie. Fassbender's Frank is a genius song writer, but he has some serious mental health issues that he has not properly dealt with yet. I read that the movie is based upon some stuff that kind of happened to the writer in their real life. That's wild.

Outside Fassbender, the rest of the cast is great. The guitarist and drummer are first timers and they are in a band in real life. They do a very good job here. Maggie Gylenhall plays the theremin player, and she kind of helps Frank in his daily life. She is an egomaniac, but she has a good heart. Domhnall Gleeson plays the co lead in the movie, and he shines. He wants all the fame. He wants to be remembered for his music. He wants people to love him, which is a problem on its own. Seeing where they start and end up is pretty great. I love watching them record the album. It shows how crazy and how much of a perfectionist some musicians can be. Frank is relentless in his work. He wants all of his ideas to work. Most do, but him pushing the other band members really shows how awful it can be to record with a genius. Scoot McNairy plays the band manager, but he has problems all his own. He is constantly trying to be Frank, but knows he cannot be Frank. It haunts him. That shows tenfold when they finish the record.

I love when the band goes to play South By Southwest. That is a great representation of how wanting fame can be a real disease. Gleeson wants so badly to be famous that he will do whatever it takes. He doesn't care about anyone else's feelings, he just wants fame. His other band members are crumbling around him, but he continues to push until they all leave him behind. Frank has real trauma, and his original members can help. But Gleeson doesn't see that and he pushes too hard. When they finally break apart and go deal with some of their issues, the ending is very fulfilling.

"Frank" is a very, very solid movie. Watching it yesterday made me realize that stuff like this doesn't get made anymore. Movies are all prequels or reimagining ideas or sequels. There are hardly any new ideas. "Frank" is a very good takedown of music and the music industry. It also tells some very good stories about mental illness and how debilitating it can be. I want more movies like "Frank" or "Everything Everywhere All at Once". And less superhero stuff. Give me original ideas. And, watch "Frank". It is well worth your time. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Ty Watches "The Umbrella Academy" Final Season

My wife and I just finished the fourth and final season of "Umbrella Academy". The final season kind of came and went with no real shock or people talking about it all that much. I had forgotten about it for a bit because my wife was watching "Love Island" and we watch "Umbrella Academy" together. She was into that show, I started a different show and just waited until it was time. That time came, and it went for me without much of a whimper as well.

The fourth season was fine. It was short, it was action packed and it had its moments. It was definitely better than the third season, which I thought was nearly unwatchable. But, that is not saying much in my opinion. The first season of the show was rad. I was all in. I wanted to know the story, I liked all the characters and it kept me fully interested. I couldn't wait to get more. My wife and I actually ripped through the first season very fast. When the second season aired, I was just as in. I was all about Klaus' story. He annoyed me in season 1, but they gave him some depth and he became my favorite character. I liked what they did with all the other characters. I like how the story progressed. I felt like they were going in a very good direction.

Then the pandemic hit. This may have been an unexpected blow to the show. I mean, the pandemic was rough for everyone. "Umbrella Academy" definitely suffered. The third season was not very good. You could tell it was filmed during a pandemic. It relied very heavily on CGI. They only really had one set that they shot the show, the hotel. I got a very bad sinus infection near the end of the third season, missed the last three episodes, and it didn't matter. I didn't care what happened. I will say, the third season had very few moments. We got a great Lila story in season 3. Eliot Page got some good stuff to work with to further his story. And 5 continued his run as a very good character on the show. But that was about it. Like I said, it had a pandemic feel to it, too much CGI and nothing really memorable. But, I was excited for this final season. I was curious to see how they wrapped everything up. I wanted to see how they closed out the characters.

With that being said, I had forgotten a bunch about what happened in season 3, so when they showed up as regular people in the final season, that was a surprise. From there, it was very hit and miss for me. Monkey Man was funny. Diego and Lila had become sad. Victor seemed kind of dour. Alison got more boring. 5 was still pretty cool, and the stuff with him and Lila was alright. But poor Klaus. They underutilized him a ton here. He wasn't himself. He was whiny and sour. I didn't like how they portrayed him in the final season. Even as it progressed, he never found his footing like he did in season 2. I'm also very tired of the whole "timeline" thing that superhero movies and shows do now. It is a catch all that is relied on far too much. Writers can make up anything they want and say it is due to a different timeline. And they used it way, way too much in this final season. I was also not overly thrilled with how wrapped up the characters. It felt rushed.

With all this being said, "Umbrella Academy" gave us four seasons of entertainment for free. The creators, writers and actors owe us nothing. I will say, while I did not enjoy the last two seasons, the first two seasons are great. If you want to watch this show, just watch the first two seasons, then catch up via the internet with what happens in the end. That's the best way to go about watching this show in my opinion. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Ty Watches "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice"

I have just returned home from seeing "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice". This is a movie that has been on my radar since it was announced. I love the original movie, and getting the band back together, as it were, only made me more excited for this movie. I am not the biggest fan of decades long sequels, but this is one exception that I will happily make. I enjoy, for the most part, the work that Tim Burton does, especially when it comes to weird ghost/goth type stuff. He has a good mind for stories like these. So, my expectations were pretty high going into this movie.

My expectations were met. This is a good example of how to make a sequel in the 2020's, without going over the top with fan lip service. Sure, most of the original cast is back to reprise their roles, but they do so much more and yet they were able to keep it light, goofy and damn near whimsical. The joy of the first "Beetlejuice" movie is how much fun it looked like everyone was having. That shows up in the sequel as well. The heavy hitters that come back are great. Catherine O'Hara, Winona Ryder and Michael Keaton reprise these famous roles and build on them. O'Hara is a delight as Delia Deetz. She is just as funny and oblivious as she was in the original. And there may be some "Schitt's Creek" Easter eggs in there for fans of that show. Ryder as Lydia Deetz is just as wacky and smart as before. She has a TV show now, but the sight of Beetlejuice makes her even more paranoid. And Keaton as Beetlejuice is one of the great movie characters of all time. He's gross and mean and manipulative. He is also funny, and damn if I don’t root for him from time to time in this movie, just like I did for the original. The newcomers are welcome surprises. Monica Belluci is terrifying and menacing as Beetlejuice's ex. She barely has any lines, but the story of her, as told by Beetlejuice, is quite funny and informative. Jenna Ortega is killing it as the new goth kid in movies and shows. She has the look and can really pull it off. She is also wonderful in this role. I have not yet watched "Wednesday", but I feel like she gets to build as Astrid, Lydia's daughter, a different type role in a movie like this. She has layers. Willem Defoe, as an actor who died on set, is hilarious. He has a catchphrase. He is always being handed coffee that he never drinks. He is clearly having the best time of any actor on set. He is one of my favorite working actors, and anytime he is in something I'm about to watch, it makes me smile. And then we have Justin Theorux. I'm always a little lukewarm on him, but he is starting to grow on me in roles like this. He is funny and douchey and just a cliche of a hanger on. But Theroux makes it work. My wife and I kept saying to each other that we thought he was the funniest one in the whole movie. Outside of the actors, the set was great. They kept the old time look. The effects look like they do in the original. There isn't a big time CGI budget for this movie. That made me like it even more. And the jokes and call backs went just far enough. They were never overkill. They were a nod to the fans. They did the right amount.

I loved this movie. I was smiling the whole time. There wasn't a scene that felt unnecessary. They used what they needed and they used it correctly. We also saw the movie on one of those new Ultramax screens, and that was cool too. I love this movie and I highly recommend it. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Ty Watches "KAOS"

I recently started the Netflix show "KAOS". I kept seeing ads for it popping up on my social media and it interested me. I like when people take sci-fi/mythical stuff and put that with everyday things. I enjoy when writers take something that has been around forever and put it in the present day. Add on the cast, and this show seems to be made for me.

The first episode opened with the Dire Straits song, "Money for Nothing", and we see Zeus, played by Jeff Goldblum. He is an egomaniac. He is conducting storms above the clouds, all the while complaining about humans because they want water and air. He is whiny and wants everyone to tell him how great he is all the time. He is a child in a grown person's body. Hera, Zeus' wife and sister, is played by Janet McTeer. She is manipulative. She is constantly talking Zeus down. She wants him to be a better ruler. She is always telling him to calm down. She is also horrible to her stepson, Dionysus. Nabhaan Rizwan plays Dionysus, and he is my favorite character up to this point. He is funny, fun and wants his dad to recognize him. He wants to do something to help his personal legacy. But, he is still childlike and doesn't really have any common sense. He partners up with Orpheus, Killian Scott. These two are on a mission to get someone back that Orpheus loves. Oh, and Orpheus is the world's biggest rock star. His partner, Riddy, Aurora Perrineau, has some stuff she has to work out on her own. But she is on a mission that she may not be fully aware of just yet. In later episodes we meet Poseidon, Cliff Curtis, Hades, David Thewlis, Persephone, Rakie Ayola and Medusa, Debi Mazar. They're all pretty wonderful, especially Poseidon. We also get to know Ari, Leila Farzad, and Caeneus, Misia Butler. They are going to, at some point, team up with Riddy to try and get some stuff done.

What I think I have liked most about the show is how they portray the gods. They are stupid and crazy and egotistic. They act like kids. They think they can't get hurt or be overthrown. They are petulant little kids, with a tremendous amount of power. Goldblum is amazing in this show. I am such a big fan of his, and to see him take on a role like this, as a villain, is a sight to behold. And he is nailing it. Outside Dionysus, whenever Goldblum's Zeus is on screen, I am excited to see how horribly he is going to act next. I should mention, Stephen Dillane plays Prometheus the whole time. He is the narrator and Zeus' only "friend". I am very much enjoying Dillane in this role. I only know him as Stannis Baratheon from "Game of Thrones". That role was kind of bland and boring, for me, on that show. Here, in "KAOS", Dillane is magnetic and fun. He is the funniest person on the show. He also is the only god that seems to be a rational thinker. He does some bad stuff, but he is repenting and wants what is right.

I am so glad that I started this show the other day. I am fully in after three episodes. I'm really curious to see where it goes from here. There's only eight episodes in the first season, so I got five left and I cannot wait to see how they wrap it up. I highly recommend this show. It is pretty cool. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Ty Watches "Chimp Crazy"

Last night my wife and I finished the short docuseries "Chimp Crazy". We actually watched the first three episodes over the weekend, and then finished it off with the finale last night. Let’s discuss.

This is some pretty interesting stuff going on here. I am not going to spoil anything, which will be tough, but here we go. The long and short of this docu series is about people who buy and sell and own monkeys. These people are pretty terrible that are at the forefront of this series. The guy who created and directs is Cam Goode. This is the same guy that made "Tiger King". "Tiger King" came at the exact right time. We were on lockdown and we all needed something to take our minds off what was happening. Everyone watched it, everyone had an opinion, RD and I did a podcast about the show and then it was kind of gone. I know some people who cringe now whenever "Tiger King" comes up. It is almost upsetting how much we all consumed and talked about the show. "Chimp Crazy" feels different. Yes, the people are trashy, they are lowlifes and they have zero common sense. But what happens here is, in its own way, worse than "Tiger King" Every person that Goode has talked about in his two main shows are pretty awful people. They do horrible stuff to animals that don't deserve it one bit. The animals are their toys. They own them so they can make friends and find some minimal form of fame. "Chimp Crazy" tells that story better than "Tiger King". We get a real good look at how absurd and ridiculous the world of owning exoctic animals can truly be. Monkeys and camels and sheep and goats should be able to live free. If they are unfortunate enough to end up in a zoo, at least they are getting the correct food and care they need. The people in "Chimp Crazy" leave monkeys in cages when they get older. They feed them McDonald's and have them drink full sugar Powerade. They barely interact with the monkeys when they get too big. And when they do interact with a grown monkey, bad things happen. That should be expected, but these people continue to make the same mistakes over and over again. Friends will be attacked, the monkeys will get taken away, or worse, and then they will get another monkey. No lessons are ever learned from people who think they can domesticate wild animals. It is incredibly frustrating. It is also entertaining for someone like me. I found myself so intrigued by what was going on from episode to episode. When big things happened, I couldn't wait to watch more. I wanted to see what would happen next. I wanted to see how the story would unfold. I was so curious and just wanted to watch more and more. I was happy with the mini series. I was invested from the jump and found the ending to be satisfying for what the material was giving me.

I definitely recommend watching this series. It is intriguing and funny and sad and nuts. It is worth your time. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Ty Watches "Sign Stealer"

I was on the fence about watching the new Netflix doc, "Sign Stealer". I am, as you all know, a super fan of Michigan football. They're the only sports team that I truly love. I care deeply about the outcome of each game. It is a problem, I've been working on it for a long time and have gotten better, but I still care. Some would say too much. So, the idea of a doc that focuses on Michigan's "scandal" from their title winning season seemed like a bad idea. But I read some reviews of it from people that I like, and they said it wasn't all that bad. I am also a big fan of the whole "Untold" series that Netflix does. It is a nice mix of true crime and sports. I like to watch stories about both those things. So, probably against my better wishes, I tuned in to "Sign Stealer" yesterday.

As I sat down to watch I tried to have an open mind. I wanted to hear everyone's side of the story. I wanted to hear from Connor Stalions himself. This is the first time he has spoken about the whole thing since the story broke. But, it was hard for me to tamp down my love for Michigan football while I watched. Look, the whole idea of "Untold" on Netflix is to reveal hard hitting, real life journalistic stuff. The next "Untold" I'm going to watch is about the murder of Steve McNair. I've also seen them take on the Manti Teo catfishing incident, a crime boss buying his son a hockey team, these are real criminal acts.

The whole thing behind "Sign Stealer" is about a low level employee deciphering signals from other teams, a custom that most high level division 1 football teams do. This is not a crime. This is not even fully illegal. It is a gray area, but still, not illegal. The only illegal thing being done, according to the dumbass NCAA bylaws, is advanced in person scouting. What the hell does that even mean? Can low level coaches go to college football games just as a fan? Can they invite friends and family? Can they just be regular fans? I guess not, according to this one rule. I agree that what Stalions did was shady, but he was not the reason that Michigan got better at football. It was nice to see Mike Barrett talk about this on the record. He was there. He put in the work. He made himself a better player and a better leader. So to hear his side of the story was enlightening. Then you have this new person in this that I truly hate, Brohio, talking about how "shady" and "upsetting" this whole situation became for him as a fan and a message board moron. The fact that he calls himself that, that he would lend his "intelligence" on this matter and expect people to take him seriously is the funniest thing to come from this doc. In the end, what I read prior to watching the doc said that if you're a hater or a fan, there is nothing in this that will change your mind. Fans of other schools are going to claim that this lays it all out there and the sanctions should be coming. Michigan fans are going to say it is no big deal, because it is no big deal. For Netflix and "Untold" to take this low level issue and make it akin to true crime docs was unnecessary. But, they need to strike while the iron is hot on this topic, before it fizzles into nothing.

What we watched in "Sign Stealer" will not change the outcome of last season, and the last three years of Michigan football. They are the reigning champs. They've beaten the university of Ohio State fair and square three years in a row. Teams had a chance to beat Michigan after Stalions was let go, and they still couldn't do it. Michigan will keep their trophy, keep their titles and keep all their wins over the past three years. I guess you can watch this doc if you want, but there is nothing in here that will change your mind either way. Go Blue. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Ty Watches "Jackpot"

It was my pick for date night movie last weekend, and since Paul Feig was recently on "CBB", I decided to go with his new movie, "Jackpot!". He made it sound good on the podcast, the cast sounded great and Feig tends to make pretty funny movies. Add on the fact that it was deemed an action comedy, that was all I had to hear. As we sat down post dinner, I was kind of excited for what we were about to see. I was wrong.

I hate to say it, but this was a bad movie. There was nothing that was even remotely redeeming for me as a viewer. The premise is really good too, which makes it an even bigger bummer that I did not like this movie. "Jackpot!" takes place in the near future, 2030, and everyone who lives in LA, if they choose, is eligible to win a big lottery if they're name gets picked. The winner has 24 hours where, if someone can kill them without using a gun, they get the prize. See, the premise is pretty solid. It definitely has legs. And, casting Awkwafina as the main character and winner, should've been a homerun. Putting John Cena in there as her helper and protector had a chance to work. And Simu Liu playing an over the top bad guy was a nice change of pace for him. I thoroughly enjoy these three actors, I like their other projects, they make me laugh and Awkwafina and Simu Liu have really good chemistry. But, it simply didn't work. My wife said it best when she told me, "this movie doesn't know what it wants to be". She was totally right. At moments it was pure action. Then they'd do something they thought was dramatic and somber. But that would be buttoned by a joke, that didn't work ever. This movie did this for the whole 100 minutes. It would jump from genre to genre to genre, I guess thinking that the audience wouldn't notice. But my wife and I noticed, and I'm sure a bunch of other people noticed. Awkwafina is underused. She excels when she can kind of go off in a movie or show. She was way too understated in this role. John Cena plays the same character in every movie it seems now. He's good at playing a big goofball, but it can be tiresome and it didn't mesh well here. When he would get into fights in this movie I would just say to myself, well he is going to kick their ass. There was no arc for him. He stayed the same person the whole time. I knew he was going to be fine in the end. There were zero moments, for me, when I thought he was in true danger. As for Liu, he was almost too over the top. He was cliche in his role. He became a 90's action movie villain far too much. And I couldn't buy him as a bad guy. Liu is too nice a dude in real life for me to ever buy him as a villain. He is Shag Chi and Ken to me. He is a handsome dude that can kick butt. He isn't some kind of monster that they tried to portray him as here.

I couldn't find anything I liked in this movie. This should have worked for me, being a fan of everyone involved, but it didn't. Sometimes people that you're a fan of will make bad stuff. It is a fact. "Jackpot!" is that for me. Feig, Awkwafina, Cena and Liu missed the mark here. I do not recommend this movie. It is not good. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Ty Watches "VelociPastor"

I put some movie reviews on the back burner the past couple weeks due to my football previews. Now I'm back to resolve this issue. The first movie I want to talk about is "Velocipastor". Let’s do this.

Now, the title should tell you all you need to know about this movie. This is a movie that was made around 2017, and the people involved knew exactly what they were doing. They had an idea, they ran with it, they made it cheap and they had fun. I read that this movie was based on a trailer, which makes sense. The synopsis of the movie is, as much as I remember, as follows, a pastor gets the power of a prehistoric animal and he, with the help of a sex worker, decides to rid the world of evil. That synopsis alone was more than enough for me to watch. A few friends of my wife and I told us that they either saw it and loved it, or wanted to see it. The movie is a little under 90 minutes, which is even better.

The movie starts with the pastor waving to his parents, who then explode in a car fire. We don't see the parents, but we see some writing on the screen that says, "car is on fire". What a start. From there it only gets wilder. The pastor goes away to China, on the advice of his mentor, and this is where he collects the dino tooth that gives him his power. He is hiking, some ninjas take out a lady running from them, and as she is dying she gives the pastor the tooth. He returns to America, and his church, after this craziness. Meanwhile, the sex worker is having a tough go of it with her employer. He is loud and mean and just not a good dude at all. Later, the pastor goes out to the woods because he hears a noise. Then he starts to morph into the velociraptor, taking out the people that are messing with the sex worker. The sex worker takes the pastor to her place to let him sleep off the night. By the way, the "violence" that occurs is hilarious. It is nonsensical and I was laughing my ass off at the "action". The sex worker tells the pastor what he did, he doesn't believe her, but then the sex worker's boss comes into confession, confessing to many crimes, including being the person to start the car fire that took his parents. The pastor's arm then morphs into the dino arm and he takes care of the bad boss. He then returns to the sex worker's house and says that he wants to work with her. While they are ridding their neighborhood of crime, the sex worker and pastor become close. But, the pastor's mentor is not happy with what he is seeing. He takes the pastor to see a witch doctor. But, the mentor tells us a story about his past. This was nuts. This was the funniest part in the whole movie to me. To shift focus, to tell this story and to put it in a war, chef's kiss. We return to the witch doctor's place, and while they are doing their work on the pastor, he becomes hungry. He starts to morph and while it's happening, he rips his mentor's eye out. This takes us on another excursion to the bad guys in the movie, a cabal of ninjas who sell drugs to kids. The pastor's mentor is not happy with what he is seeing, but he gets taken out by the bad guys. This is all leading to a bug showdown between the pastor, the sex worker and the bad guy ninjas. The fight starts great, with one of the main bad guy ninjas revealing that he is the pastor's brother. We get some flashback shots we've already seen, but this time the brother is in the background, going unnoticed. Another great idea by the movie makers here. There's a big fight, the pastor takes out his brother, but the sex worker gets taken out as well. This is when the pastor morphs back into his dino form, and he tries to take out the main bad guy ninja. He gets paralyzed by the bad guy ninja, or so we think. But, his injury was just a ruse. He still has dino arms and he gets rid of the main bad guy ninja. We then find out that, not only is the sex worker okay, but now she is pregnant. The movie ends with the pastor and the sex worker deciding they are going to continue their work, as a couple.

Look, this is by no means a good movie, but it wasn't made as a good movie. Like I said, the creators of this knew exactly what they wanted to do, how to make the movie, and they nailed it. I highly recommend everyone watch this. It is so worth the minimal time it takes, and it is funny as hell. Watch "Velocipastor". You will not regret it at all. What a dynamite movie. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Ty Watches USA vs Serbia Men's Olympic Basketball

I was able to catch one hell of an ending in the men's Olympic semifinal yesterday between Serbia and the US. I was doing other things when the game started, but I would check my phone periodically, looking for the score. Serbia was in total control of that game, from what I saw. through the first three quarters. I saw that Serbia was leading by 16 at one point, and they took an 11 point lead into halftime. I wasn't too nervous because I figured the US would turn it on in the third quarter and roll to an easy victory. I forgot to check the score for a good 10-15 minutes, and boy was I stunned when I saw Serbia had a 13 point lead going into the fourth quarter. I figured the US was cooked and they would be playing for bronze. I finished the recording I had with RD, and when signing off he told me that the US cut the lead to five. This was when I decided I had to turn it on. I told my son to come watch the game with me. He likes the Olympics and he loves basketball, so he was more than happy to watch the end of the game with me.

When we turned it on the lead was four in favor of Serbia 76-72. But it looked like the US had turned the lightswitch on on both ends of the floor. I saw Embiid get a paint touch, on soft ass Nikola Jokic, and he made an easy turnaround jumper to cut it to two. The US then suffocated Serbia, got a rebound and LeBron drove to the rim with no issues. Not one Serbian player tried to step in front of him. He cruised to the hoop to tie it up. Serbia got a couple free throws, but then it was Steph time. He came off a screen, had as wide open a look as he may ever get and he rimmed in a three. The US didn't look back. Serbia had a few chances to tie it, but the US tightened up and hit some clutch jumpers and clutch free throws. The US won 95-91 and will face France in the Gold medal game tomorrow afternoon.

I will admit that I was frustrated watching the end of the game. I'm a child of the 90's, I think Jordan is the GOAT and I am of the firm belief that the 92 Dream Team is the best assembly of basketball talent the world has ever seen. I did lean over to my son and say, "the Dream Team would've been up by 30 at this point". I was heated, I like this collection of current players and I expected a total blowout. That is not the case anymore. The talent has evened way more than back in 92. I need to check myself and calm down when making big statements like that. The US did what they had to do and they won. Steph was absolutely incredible on the offensive end. I think he ended up with 36 points. LeBron was the leader he has been throughout his entire career. He ended with 16 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds. He is the only Olympian to record multiple triple doubles in Olympics play. He is truly astonishing to watch play the game of basketball. Embiid finally showed up and showed out. He is so much better at basketball than Nikola Jokic, and he showed as much yesterday. I don't care what the Zach Lowe's and stats nerds say, based on pure eye test, Embiid is a better defender, a better shooter, he cares more and he loves the game. What more could you want from a basketball player? Kevin Durant continued his wonderful run off the bench for Team USA. He has been a mid range killer in these games and he continued that trend yesterday. He had this beautiful moment where he flashed open for an elbow jumper and hit nothing but net to put the US up by four late in the fourth. He has been the guy that can get you a bucket when you most need it in these Olympics. Devin Booker did his job spacing the floor and bringing the ball up. Jrue Holiday, when he locked in, played incredible defense. Anthony Davis played his part in less minutes than he is used to. I mean, it has been so cool watching these superstars let go of egos and play the game as a team. They are doing what is best for everyone on the squad, not just themselves.

I do want to give Bogdan Bogdanovic a shout out. He was the only Serbian I saw yesterday that looked like he wanted to win. I feel like the rest of that team took on Jokic's ho hum attitude. Not Bogdanovic. He was out to win yesterday. He stayed attacking. He wanted the victory more than any of his other teammates. He was the best Serbian on the floor by a million miles. I've grown so tired and so bored of all the love that Jokic gets, so it was refreshing to see a different Serbian going all out yesterday. But it still wasn't enough.

The US survived and advanced. They have a very tough gold medal match coming up against the host country. France is big, they protect the rim and they have the fans and refs in their favor. I hope the US comes out with some fire in their bellies and puts away France early. If not they are in for another battle. But the US really showed some pride and grit and it was damn exciting to watch yesterday. I can't wait for the Gold medal game now. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing, the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast, and the greatest basketball writer on the internet.

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Ty Watches "Deadpool and Wolverine"

Over the weekend we saw "Deadpool and Wolverine". Now, I'm going to stay spoiler free, so this may be one of my shorter blogs to date. Let’s discuss.

This movie needs to be seen to see all the easter eggs and possible spoilers if you miss it in the theaters. The cameos are more than worth the price of admission, plus they add a bunch to the overall story. That being said, I have grown a little weary of superhero movies. I'm over the extended universe. I don't like the multiple universes stuff. None of these heros have to go away anymore. Writers can just say that their version of the hero or heroes is alive in a different universe. It has been overplayed. And this movie kind of does that for a minute, until they totally make fun of the whole idea. This was a big point in this movie's favor. I've also grown tired of most superhero movies being one of two genres, either trying to be hard comedy or hard drama. They try to make stuff over the top funny or depressingly bleak. "Deadpool and Wolverine" goes full comedy. They are having a damn good time. They have a few moments of drama here and there, but they are always undercut with something hilarious. This was another factor that had me enjoying this movie.

Another point, for me, most of the new movies that come out are anywhere from two and a half hours to three plus hours. We get long, drawn out movies that seem to take forever. I love both new "Dune" movies, but those movies are very, very long. Hell, most superhero movies are super long now. The new "Flash" movie that came out a year ago is damn near two and a half hours long. The newer "Batman" movie is a few minutes under three hours. It has gotten out of hand. It feels like the people involved are just trying to jam as much into a movie as they can, and if it eclipses three hours, so be it. "Deadpool and Wolverine" is just a hair over two hours, and that includes opening and closing credits and post credit scenes. The movie kept my attention. I knew I wouldn't have to sit in the theater for too long. I knew I would most likely not have to use the restroom during the screening. I knew it was going to be fast and quick and full of jokes and that is what I want from my superhero movies. They nailed it with the length here.

This movie is also incredibly bloody and violent. I leaned over to my wife at one point and told her that it was the most blood I have ever seen on screen to this point in my life. This is a very gruesome movie that is not to be taken lightly.

Finally for me as a viewer, I'm a sucker for anything Wolverine, and this new version is my favorite. Wolverine is brash and rude. He is a drunk. He is mean and violent. He wants to destroy anyone he deems to be in his way. That is exactly what we get from Hugh Jackman in this movie. He is free to curse and crush, and that is exactly what he does in this movie and I'm here for it all. Give me this Wolverine every single time.

"Deadpool and Wolverine" is a true must see. I'm so glad my wife convinced me to go and assured me it would be different from other superhero movies. She was right and I wholeheartedly recommend checking it out. It is awesome.  

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Ty Watches "The Boys" Season 4

The other night my wife and I finished season 4 of "The Boys". This is a show my wife and I started during the pandemic. RD suggested it to us in fact. We loved it from the start. This show is violent and fast and intriguing and funny and fascinating to watch. To take on superheroes in this fashion, making some of them very, very bad people, is a great hook. It does things other shows don't even think about doing. Some of the stuff they have gotten away with, it is amazing that they are even able to show it to the public.

I was stoked for season 4 after season 3 ended so upsetting. We start off pretty much where we left off, but this season proceeded to be one of the most depressing seasons of television I've ever watched. I had to remind myself multiple times that this show is not real. None of this is based on a true story. Some of the things that are being done on the show cannot possibly happen in real life. That is how damn sad this fourth season of the show is.

"The Boys" takes on what is happening in the real world right now. You have the alt right versus the progressive left. We see the rich superheroes, and their friends and supporters, as the alt right. They say things this season that have been said to me about being a liberal. I squirmed at times hearing Homelander or Firecracker talk to people who don't side with them. I would have to take a good long break after some episodes because they perfectly portrayed the alt right as I see them. The progressive left is highlighted by the titular Boys. They are all back and they are fighting the alt right. They have also added Starlight. She and Hughie are a couple and they are fighting together. Starlight is the face because she is a superhero. She is the leader of the left. She gets scoured by the alt right. It was all too real to watch. Again, seeing the way she was treated all season made me sick because it felt so real. The way the right in this show does their news, leaks their news, has their rallies, it all looks like Fox News and what the alt right follows and listens to nowadays. The progressives are left to hide and fight with whatever little means they can find. Some want to run, others are willing to die for what they believe in. All of this is way, way too real. It is a nearly perfect parallel to what is happening right now. And not one side can change the other side's mind.

It is shocking how realistic this show about lab created superheroes was this entire season. I would sigh and think how poignant it is in today's political climate. I love this show, but this season was such a downer. I was depressed after every single episode. It made me sad. Seeing how these characters have grown or changed this season was shockingly upsetting. I would find myself ruminating on episodes days after watching them. After watching the finale I sat in my bed and was terrified at the outcome, because something similar could really, truly happen in America.

I will always and forever recommend "The Boys", but this season is a tough watch. This season will make you feel all sorts of ways. I'm curious to see how they close it all out in their fifth and final season, coming sometime soon I believe. I'll watch for sure. But season 4 is a season I will most likely never watch again. It really bummed me out. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Ty Watches 'House of the Dragon" Season 2 Finale

"House of the Dragon" closed out the second season last night. Let’s discuss.

I have been on board all season with this show. If you go back and read a past blog of mine, I wrote how I was waiting with such anticipation for the big battle they've been building towards all season long. I hoped it was coming. It felt like it was coming. They had a scene in an earlier episode that was akin to foreplay, in which we saw the bad side of battle and saw what the dragons are capable of doing. All of this had me so pumped to what I assumed was going to be one of the most epic battle scenes in television history. As my wife and I sat down to watch, we were both on the edge of our seats. With each passing minute we both felt that we were getting closer and closer to this tremendous battle. The armies were finished forming. People on both sides pledged their allegiance. We had big dinners the night before. We saw some dragons flying. We even got a glimpse into the future, with White Walkers and Danerys mind you, and it felt like it was time.

Sorry for the spoilers by the way.

After the meetup between Rhaeynera and Allicient, I figured it was going to be just a matter of time. I looked down at my watch and realized that we had less than ten minutes left in the finale. I figured, well, this is going to be a quick war scene. Maybe they would come in with a bang, have some epic stuff happen, close with a big kill, and then it would be on to the next two years before season 3.

That, unfortunately, didn't happen. After the meeting between the two queens, we see all the people that have some kind of importance traveling. The armies are on the move with their flags. The dragons are circling around waiting to get shit done. The king is being quietly moved to his new home. Some people are showing the prince regent that they don't trust his move. Allicient's dad is still in jail. One of Rhaeynera's step kids has found her dragon. The new riders are being fit with armor. It is a bunch of slow shots of people traveling to fight a war. And it went black while watching all of this.

I sat there confused. I, along with almost every other viewer, had been waiting for a war. This is what the whole season has been building to. This is what it is supposed to all come down to to close out the second season. We were supposed to see war. But we saw, as we have all season, people prepping for battle, people getting themselves lathered up for a fight. I am of the belief that tv shows owe us nothing, and I'm still at the point today. But come on dude. The fans have waited all season long for a war. At least on "Game of Thrones" we would get a bunch of battles during the season. That show was always building towards the biggest battle, but we got something like an appetizer from time to time. We saw fights, we saw bloodshed, we saw people dealing with their own reckoning. "House of the Dragon" season 2 was a tease. We got none of that. We saw people prepping for eight straight episodes. I still think this show is amazing, and it kept my attention. But, throw us a bone. Give us a taste. Let us see one of the main things we come to see when we watch this show.

I'll still definitely watch season 3, but this finale left an unappetizing taste in my mouth. There was a ton of pomp, but no circumstance. I was bummed, and now we have to wait for 2 more years to hopefully see this battle. That is a drag. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Ty Watches "The Real Bros of Simi Valley: The Movie"

Years ago I watched a show on Facebook. That sounds weird to say, but it is true. One day I was scrolling on my feed and came across something I found interesting and funny, so I clicked on the link. The two reasons were, one, I'm a Jimmy Tatro fan and two, it looked like a spoof of all the reality real housewives stuff that I actively avoided.

Tatro is a funny actor. If you don't know him, he was the star of the first season of "American Vandal". He was also the co-star of "Home Economics" and had a small role in a movie I loved, "Theater Camp". The guy works. Then, I love when funny people spoof nonsense reality shows. I adored "Burning Love". Kevin Hart did something similar with "Real House Husbands" which was also hilarious. I devoured both shows. So, seeing funny and smart people spoofing real housewives stuff, I was psyched to click on the link.

The show was called "The Real Bros of Simi Valley". I watched the hell out of this show. It was short too. There were three seasons. Each episode was anywhere from 6-12 minutes. And it was nonsensical hilarity. They made fun of all of the classic tropes of real housewives shows, or better for me, they constantly made fun of shows like "Laguna Beach" and "The Hills", both shows I also watched. When I found the show I watched as much as I could in a few days. Then I waited for more. It was great.

It seemed like it just went away. Then I saw the people from the show popping up on social media recently as the characters from the show. I was intrigued. I found out they were making a movie and that it was going to be on the Roku Channel. I get that channel, as does everyone that owns a Roku, and patiently waited for "The Real Bros of Simi Valley: The Movie". They were going to do a high school reunion type movie. I was hyped.

I watched it the day after it was released, and holy hell is it a funny movie. It was nostalgic to see them all again as their characters. And the movie is downright hilarious. They bring along all the reality tropes and play them off so goddamn well. From the start of the movie, where they think they are going to have to fight, but they are all brought together by Xander, Tatro, getting a new truck, it was dynamite. From the truck to making fun of Xander's brother for not "burning" to Johnny being picked on to some of the girls starting a podcast to everyone living a "lifestyle", it all worked. They had a ton of guest stars in the movie. They brought on little known comic actors who shined in their small roles. The jokes were flying. I found myself laughing harder and harder at every joke. I loved how they kept making their trucks bigger and bigger. I appreciate that they stuck to their ignorance from the show. And their arrogance. In the reality tv world it seems like everyone that is on one of those shows takes themselves far too seriously, and they recreated that perfectly. This movie was a total home run. They didn't have to make it, but the fact that they did and that it works makes it that much sweeter.

I love this movie. I highly suggest watching this movie if you watched any of the show when it was on Facebook. It helps to know who the people are and why they act the way they do. That is why you should check out both. This movie is awesome and the show that came before is even better. Watch both. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Ty Watches "Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire"

Over the weekend my wife and I, and our children as well, watched "Godzilla X Kong". We were all calling it "Godzilla Kisses Kong" halfway through due to the x meaning kisses in x's and o's. My wife was very excited for this movie. These types of movies are right up her alley. She was stoked the moment she remembered it was now streaming. So, as we do most Friday nights, we sat down for our home movie viewing and all four of us watched.

First off, this is not a good movie. The story is nonsensical. After seeing a Godzilla movie that was amazing, "Godzilla Minus 1", "Godzilla X Kong" was not even close to its level. The people in this movie, and there are some pretty good actors, are nonessential. We would have scenes with actors like Rebecca Hall, Dan Stevens and Brian Tyree Henry all sharing the screen and I couldn't care less what they had to say. The humans in this monster movie were so uninteresting and, quite frankly, useless in this movie. They are there to move the story along and tell us, the viewer, what we are about to see next with the monsters. They offer nothing else. They are strictly the voice for the voiceless. Again, I like those three actors quite a bit, but they had no real reason to even be in this movie. I remember saying to my wife while watching that I had had enough of the humans. I just wanted to see the monsters doing monster activities.

And that is where this movie thrives. The monsters make this movie worth watching. Godzilla and King Kong are the only reasons to watch this movie, and while it is not a good movie, these two monsters make it one of the most fun movies I have seen in a long time. A movie doesn't have to necessarily be good for me to have a good time. That is more than the case for "Godzilla X Kong". When we get past the scenes with the humans, and we get straight up monster action, I was more than there for all of it. Seeing the humongous King Kong at the opening of the movie ripping a dog monster in half, it was amazing. Seeing the green goo spill onto his body was rad. I felt bad for his toothache as well. That bummed me out. When we met the baby Kong, that was dope. Baby Kong had a bad side, but he ended up doing the right thing. Godzilla was incredible to look at as well. This Godzilla went from blue to purple to pink and it was cool. When Godzilla suplexed King Kong, I scoffed, but then watched it again. And it ruled. To see Godzilla do an old school wrestling move on King Kong, then to do it correctly into a pyramid in Egypt, I don't think it gets any cooler than that. Even a minor monster like Mothra was pretty amazing to see in this movie. When the three of them decide to team up, and do so by screeching and growling, it was akin to when the Avengers came back in "Infinity War". And I'm not being hyperbolic about it at all. I got chills when they teamed up. Oh, and we cannot forget the underground apes that are bad that cause the original King Kong to get a metal arm. That's right, King Kong gets his arm frozen, then has an attached metal arm affixed to his body, which he then uses to crush not only his enemies, but also full on cities. I thought I would hate it, but I loved it. It was super useful and pretty integral to the ending of the movie.

Look, when one sits down to watch "Godzilla X Kong", they need to lower their expectations. This is not a movie that is going to make you sit and reflect. You will not be asking many questions afterward. But you will have a good time. You will enjoy the fight scenes. You will eat all of your movie snacks. My expectations were low, and this movie greatly exceeded every single one of them. I wholeheartedly recommend "Godzilla X Kong". It was an absolute blast. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Ty Watches "The Bear" Season 3

I just finished season 3 of "The Bear" the other night. Let’s discuss.

I started off super strong, watching three episodes in a row the night it was released. But then I made a decision to slow down and take my time. Recently I have found myself not binging tv shows that much anymore. I like the anticipation and waiting. I remember having to wait a week for a new episode of a show I watched. That was cool. I had all these theories of what could happen. I vividly remember talking with friends and neighbors about who we all shot Mr Burns after that famous "Simpsons" episode. I just like the feeling of watching shows a little bit spread out now. That is why it took me a little longer to finish this season.

I do want to say, I read headlines and heard other people say that they thought this season was weak. I have been trying to figure out why they were saying all of this. After finishing the season I sat there and thought about what I just watched and I have to say, I thought it was damn good.

"The Bear" has all but cemented its place as a great tv show. There are no truly bad episodes. Each new show gives me more and more to think about. With each passing season I grow more and more attached to the characters on the show. I have grown to love the episodes when they tell us a single story about one of the characters. The episode solely based on Tina this year was wonderful. This show owes the viewers nothing. It is one of the heavier hitters to come out in a long, long time. Sure, there are some flaws here and there, but every show has that. The simple fact that "The Bear" has a hit rate of over 90 percent, that is pretty amazing.

I feel like wanting to be counter culture, or be a nonconformist or just try to have a "hot take" has really taken over the internet. People always want it to be the best thing that they have ever seen. The problem with that, we all have different takes on what we view. Most hated the series finale of "Game of Thrones". I thought it was fine. I don't care who became the overseer of everything or that the white walker's death wasn't as intense as some hoped. I was able to seperate the sheer fact that "Game of Thrones" is a fantasy world. Dragons and zombies and all that wild sci fi stuff is not real. It is pure fantasy. So whoever "wins" in the end, cool. I'm not going to get up in arms about it all. I know some hated the series finale of "Lost". Again, I didn't mind it. I don't care that they were all in a sort of, spoiler alert for a decades old show, "purgatory". Take the show as a whole, and it was dope as hell. I hear all these nerds talk about how "The Simpsons" was only good for a ten year run, between seasons 2-13. I still love that show and find something I adore in every episode, new or old. It is still one of the best written shows that has ever been on tv. I think, no matter how good and well beloved something is, there is going to be a small group of people that say it is bad. Unfortunately, the people doing that now work for major internet sites and publications. They put their opinion out there and the viewers just run with it and tell everyone that they feel the same. It is a true bummer because no one can ever just like a thing that most others do. Some people are just here to be a contrarian. I am glad that it is not me.

Back to the topic on hand, "The Bear" was as intense, as poignant and funnier than it has been to date. I'm very interested to see how they handle the ending of season 3 in season 4. I want to see Natalie and how she and her husband are handling life as new parents. I want to know what Sydney decided. I'm curious to see where Marcus and Tina are with the restaurant and their place there. I want to know if Carmy and Richie are cool again. I want to know what Unc decided to do after taking The Computer's advice. I'm just as engaged and curious as I was after seasons 1 and 2.

I recommend season 3 wholeheartedly and don't read into what the internet says and what your friends or family may regurgitate what they read on the internet. "The Bear" is still easily one of the best shows on tv, with season 3 only further cementing its place. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.