Ty Watches "Black Mirror: Eulogy"

Episode five of this season of "Black Mirror" has been one of the best they've ever done. "Eulogy" brought all the best in everyone involved. I mentioned Peter Capaldi's performance in my write up yesterday, and while that was a great performance, the work that Paul Giamatti did in "Eulogy" is second to none. "Black Mirror" has had a myriad of great performances, but this one, at the moment, is the best I've seen so far.

"Eulogy" starts off with Giamatti's character doing some gardening and his phone rings. He goes to retrieve it, and we find out that someone he knew in his past has died and he is left thinking how to move ahead. From here Giamatti is given a chance to go back and remember his times with this person. It is essentially a robot in the cloud that can let people go into pictures and relive these moments that they have long forgotten or moved on from. Giamatti gives a wonderful, heartfelt and grieving performance. His attitude changes on a dime when he revisits his past. He is acting opposite a voice for most of the episode and he absolutely nails every single scene. I was along for the ride with him. Seeing his past life, going through this grief, trying to figure out how to process it all, Giamatti delivers every single time. I felt for him. I was angry at him. I wanted him to find peace with everything he was going through. I wanted to see this person because we had no pictures of her face. I wanted to understand more about their past. The voice on the other side of the memory device, she gave a pretty good performance as well. She pushes Giamatti. She wants him to remember this stuff. She wants some clear answers as to what happened in the past. She also may have a little secret that Giamatti doesn't know about until close to the end.

"Eulogy" is a tour de force for Paul Giamatti. When I see him give us a performance this good it makes me remember how good of an actor he truly is. Giamatti is reliable, solid and sometimes, like this episode, we get to watch absolute gold like this. He knows how to do everything on screen. He can pull from so many other things, be it in his personal life or his research on other roles. Giamatti has become an actor that everyone can rely on and expect to see damn good work from in whatever role he is playing. So when he takes it to another level, like he does in "Eulogy", it makes me respect him that much more. I am always a little skeptical when I see a big star commit to a show like "Black Mirror", but this is what makes this show so awesome. Paul Giamatti was all in and went for it. He understood the assignment and he nailed it. I would love to see him get some kind of awards recognition for this performance.

Paul Giamatti and "Eulogy" gave us one the best episodes in the illustrious run of "Black Mirror" and I'm very grateful for 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 "Black Mirror: Plaything"

Episode four this season of"Black Mirror", "Plaything", features one hell of a performance from a pretty famous actor. This whole episode takes us back to "Bandersnatch". I know some people had issues with that movie, but I did not. I liked it quite a bit. I watched it a bunch of times and took the story in a ton of different directions. "Bandersnatch" was a choose your own adventure movie in the style of "Black Mirror".

"Plaything" takes place after the events in "Bandersnatch", but it only brings back a few people from the movie. Will Poulter is back and so is the guy who runs the video game company with him. Will Poulter shines in his minimal screen time. He is a good actor, he knows this role very well and he is a delight to watch. He also plays an insane person who is capable of horrific things. But, in "Plaything" he is making a new game that brings a lot more to the table than most games. Peter Capaldi is the actor that gives a virtuoso performance here. When the episode starts we see him going into a convenience store and kind of robbing it, but it seems like he wants to get caught. The police descend upon him and put him in cuffs. They then run his license and find out he is guilty of way more than just robbery. This is when the episode takes us back to the time after "Bandersnatch" and the new video game Poulter's character is making. We learn a lot about a young Capaldi here. He is a loner that tests videogames and writes about them for a prominent tech magazine. He has one buddy who gives him drugs, but that is about all he is good for. He is summoned to meet Poulter and test and then write about his new game. He steals the game and that's when things start to go nuts. All the while we cut back and forth between the past and the current version of Capaldi. He is magnetic in his performance. You feel for him even though he is not such a great person. The police and the psychiatrist are both doing their best to break him, but he is so singularly focused on his goal that he never stops doing what he thinks he needs to do. And he is simply awesome. I don't know much about Capaldi as an actor. I understand he was the Doctor during one of the many "Doctor Who" runs. Other than that, I would see him pop up in shows and movies, and while he was memorable, this performance in "Plaything" is one of a kind. He commands the attention of the viewer. He shines brighter than anyone else. The other actors are doing their best, and they are doing really good work. But, they are just not at Capaldi's level. He plays this unwell person perfectly. The faces he makes throughout the episode transform from pitiful to arrogant. He never lets go of his mission at hand. He has a job and he is going to fulfill his duty. I was truly in awe of him here. It makes me want to search out more of his stuff and compare it against this performance.

"Plaything" was a solid episode in a very solid season to this point, but it was another wonderful performance from a seasoned actor. When you watch this episode, pay attention to Capaldi's work. It's a masterclass. 

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 "Black Mirror: Hotel Reverie"

Continuing my recap of each "Black Mirror" episode this season, I'm here to talk about one episode that I think will be talked about for years to come, "Hotel Reverie".

Issa Rae stars as a modern movie star, Brandy, who is sick of playing the roles she keeps getting offered. She is either a love interest or the lead of some run of the mill indie drama. She is speaking with her agent one day and an offer that he seems to think is nothing big takes Rae's attention. Her agent is going through all the roles being offered and he tells her about an old classic being remade for the modern audience, but in a new way too. The movie is called "Hotel Reverie". And it stars Emma Corrin, who is playing Dorothy. There is a whole preamble when the episode starts that shows clips from the movie intercut with news stories about Dorothy's personal life. Dorothy had a tough life. Dorothy wasn't able to live the life they desired. Dorothy had to hide a ton of things. I should also mention that "Hotel Reverie" is owned by a dying studio that is looking for any type of project to get them some money. That is where Redream comes into place. Awkafina plays one of the, I think, leaders of this new company. What Redream does is make old movies with one new star and films them in real time. It is like a play come to life of an old classic. Brandy is obsessed with this movie and that is why she jumps at this role. Brandy also wants to play the co lead, who was a man back when they first made this movie. Awkwafina is all for this, so they give her the role. She gets sent an envelope with the script and her lines and everything. We also happen to see a USB fall to the ground that Brandy doesn't notice. So, when Brandy arrives on set, she is ready to go, but she doesn't fully understand what Redream is doing. She relents and agrees and is sent into this world that Redream has built. It is all artificially created people and they all seem to think they're real. Brandy is stunned, obviously, at first, but then she gets into acting mode and goes for it. Then things start to go a little haywire. Everything has to be perfect, but like most "Black Mirror" episodes, things aren't always what they seem. As this episode unfolds it becomes about so much more. The episode shows love and how it comes and goes and can be devastating. We get an idea of what AI could become if it were ever to gain sentience and feeling. We see an upstart company dealing with some harrowing issues all along the way by not coming up with their own ideas. And I loved it all. Issa Rae gives a wonderful performance. I believed her every step of the way. I felt for her. I wanted her to be happy. But Emma Corrin really shines here. They give us a performance for the ages. Playing the original Dorothy and the AI version, they give us two separate but equally incredible performances. There are some scenes that Corrin takes to another level that really shined through.

I still sit in my home and think about things from this episode daily. I was so enamored with "Hotel Reverie". I love the whole idea of Hollywood not being unique enough anymore. I love seeing love stories, good and bad. And when actors go for it and nail it, that is the cherry on top. "Hotel Reverie" is an achievement that I truly loved watching. 

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 "Black Mirror: Bete Noire"

The second episode in this new block from "Black Mirror" is called "Bete Noire". I have read some stuff online about this particular episode that I don't necessarily agree with all that much. Some people have said it is not one of their best and a low point for this season. So far I have loved the four episodes I've seen. So, to see some people denigrating this one felt a bit off base.

I really like the whole idea of "Black Mirror" doing an episode that takes place inside a new aged candy shop. I kept thinking of Willy Wonka, until the episode got into the meat of it all. I was all in on this chocolatier making up new and exciting treats. Then everything starts to go a bit awry when she sees an old classmate of hers. She never really liked this girl all that much. Well, maybe that's not it, she never really thought about this girl much.

The main character, Maria, played by Siena Kelly, was a popular kid in school and had a lot of friends. This seems to lead to others being made fun of by the "cool" kids. The "outsider" here is Verity, played by Rosy McEwen. She seems a little off from the jump. She is very forthcoming, but also awkward when she runs into Maria at her job. Verity is part of a focus group trying a new chocolate, and after the trial, she speaks with Maria in the restroom, an awkward place for a conversation. It is here when Verity drops a bunch of stuff on her. She moved on from her high school days, found herself and was applying for a job at the chocolate company. Maria didn't even think they had an opening. Maria relays all this info to her boyfriend, who is very nonchalant about everything, which is how I probably would react in this scenario. But it doesn't stop there between Maria and Verity. Verity always seems to be right about everything. People are constantly taking her side in every single debate or argument. It gets bad enough that Maria is asked to take a leave because her boss and coworkers think she is openly attacking Verity, with no proof of the acts she is claiming have occured.

This episode resonated with me because it is a clear case of gaslighting. Verity knows what she is doing and she goes at it hard. It is wild to see the tables turn on Maria. She goes from one of the top chocolatiers in the UK to yelling at everyone at her job. We come to find out more about the highschool days between the two of them and what Verity is really up to now. The scene that the two actors have in Verity's bedroom is wild and tense. I was nervous and I could feel my heart racing as I watched it all unfold. There are other actors that help this ctory move along, but make no mistake, this is all about the battle between Verity and Maria. I found myself so, so angry at Verity by the end. And I was fully on Maria's side about halfway through the episode. But, like only "Black Mirror" can do, I was questioning everything I thought by the end of the episode. That is what this show does best, and "Bete Noire" is another fine example.

I thought this episode was wonderful, and when everything came into focus, my mind was blown. McEwen and Kelly both give powerhouse performances and I'm intrigued to check out some of their other work. I'm glad I watched this one and didn't pay much attention to the critics on the internet. "Bete Noire" worked for me and I'm still thinking about stuff from it to this day. That is the mark of a good 45 minutes of tv for me. 

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 "Black Mirror: Common People"

The 7th season or series or whatever it is called "Black Mirror" was released on April 10th. I've already seen four of the six episodes. My wife asked me the other night if I wanted to finish it off. I did, but I also wanted to wait.

"Black Mirror" is, quite possibly, the best show on tv. I get excited when a new whatever gets announced. I read all about the casting and everything. I just want to know what I'm going to get into, and how much I'm going to like it. What I want to do for this newest release is write about each episode after seeing it. I already said I have already watched four, so I'm going to focus on one episode for the next few days, and when my wife and I watch the final two episodes, I'll come back and tell you all how I feel about those. So, for my blog today I'm going to focus on the first episode of the new whatever, "Common People".

This episode is reminiscent of early "Black Mirror". It starts out all nice and quaint. We see a couple celebrating their anniversary and seem to be having a good time. Chris O'Dowd and Rashinda Jones play the couple. I love this pairing. They seem to have great chemistry and play really well off one another. As I said, the two of them are in what seems like a solid relationship. But, they can't have kids. Jones' character also seems to have issues with headaches. One day, she plays a school teacher, and she collapses in class. It turns out she has a pretty invasive brain tumor. It doesn't seem like she is ever going to wake up from the coma she is in. Then Tracie Ellis Ross shows up. This is when the show goes back to its roots. Ellis Ross plays a salesperson who tells O'Dowd that she is part of a team that can save his wife's life, if he decides he wants to try an invasive and new surgery. I'm not going to spoil anything from there on out, but I am going to try and talk about it the best I can without spoiling anything. The surgery is basically a subscription type of deal. While watching, my wife made mention that Jones' brain was basically a cell phone now. The rules, the money, the issues that come with all of this, and how they tell the story, is what makes "Black Mirror" so excellent. At first I was totally on board with the surgery. I told my wife I'd do it, and if she was in a situation where this was possible for me, I'd want her to do it. But, as the episode kept unfolding, my desire for this kept waning. It got bad. All of the things that make having a cell phone annoying, Jones' character was living that reality. It was bleak. It made me sad. And with this company becoming more and more of a thing, it was called Redream in the show, it kept getting more and more expensive. And Ellis Ross was exceptional as the spokesperson of the company. She never raised her voice, she never got mad, she always kept her cool. It also turns out that she is a little more involved than what is led on at the beginning. But what makes this episode really work was O'Dowd and Jones' performances, along with Ellis Ross. As things get tougher, their lives get harder. O'Dowd resorts to doing things he may not want to do. Jones has to sleep pretty much all the time. And Eliis Ross keeps hitting them with more and more bills and new prices.

This episode was an excellent way to start this new series or season. It was a throwback and set the whole thing in motion. It made me want to see more, but my wife said she needed a break, which I also understood. An episode like "Common People" is what makes "Black Mirror" so great. The writers know the material and that shines through here. 

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 "Companion"

I mentioned on Wednesday how I've been catching up on movies lately. Another movie I wanted to talk about this week is "Companion". Let’s discuss.

I remember seeing a preview for this movie months ago and it blew me away. The preview was great too because it didn't reveal too much. All I saw was Jack Quaid and Sophie Thatcher sitting at a table and having a conversation. That was it. They didn't have any type of big reveals and they didn't show any other scenes or people. For all I knew, it was about a couple in trouble. The conversation the two were having seemed fraught. With all this in mind I knew I wanted to see this movie. In fact, my wife and I tried to see it on Valentines Day, but it was already out of the theaters by that point, which is another topic for another day that I have issues with at the moment. But, it was cheap to rent on Amazon last Saturday, it was my turn to pick a movie and I jumped at renting "Companion".

Right off the bat, this review will have minor spoilers. Also, I loved this movie. I was all in from the first moment until the very end. This movie is worth watching and worth talking about. The story of "Companion", in a Cliff's notes version, is about a couple that goes away for a weekend to a cabin to spend time with some friends. The couple in question is Jack Quaid and Sophie Thatcher. They are young and seem very much in love. Thatcher's character seems to be obsessed with Quaid's character. She does literally everything for him. From telling him what to do to carrying their bags, she is all in and willing to do whatever. She also has odd quirks that we notice off the jump. She likes to thank and talk to computer objects. There's an early scene when they are driving, the car is a self-driving car by the way, and when they arrive, she waits to get out until both her and Quaid have thanked the car. She never eats or drinks any food. She is quick with an answer to every question. When told to "go to sleep", she instantly stops talking and rests. It all seems a little strange. We come to realize pretty early on, after an accident at the house, that Thatcher is in fact a robot. She is a "companion" doll that people in this world can buy, program and set to be their partner. When this was revealed, it made me buy in even more. And then we have the aforementioned "incident" that changes the whole course of the movie. We see that Quaid isn't this perfect boyfriend. He's actually kind of a prick. My hat is off to Quaid for this performance. I didn't think he could play this type of character, but he nailed it. After the "incident", Thatcher  really shines. This is her movie. She is the driving force. And she is amazing. I can't wait to see more of her leading roles in upcoming movies. The friends are pretty great too. Lukas Gage and Harvey Guillen play another couple at the cabin. Guillen shines, playing what I have to imagine is a heightened version of himself. He is a star. Gage, who's character also has a secret, really shows his worth when his twist occurs. He was great. Rupert Friend is barely in the movie, but he is memorable. And Megan Suri does a whole lot that is integral to the plot and she was pretty awesome here.

I'm starting to realize that when it comes to the "horror" genre, these are the types of movies I like. This was more thriller than horror, and there were comedic elements that I really enjoyed. Those cut the tension. But, what it all boils down to was Thatcher's performance and she did a remarkable job carrying this movie. I was incredibly impressed with her performance. And, the movie is barely over 90 minutes long, which is perfect.

Seek out "Companion", it is pretty damn 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 "Saturday Night"

During last week and so far this week I have been catching up on some movies that I've been putting off. One such movie is "Saturday Night".

A good amount of people whose opinion I appreciate, told me to watch this movie. I used to watch "SNL" a ton back in the late 90's and early 2000's. I watched all the way through The Lonely Island's run, but then I kind of fell off. During that time I went back and watched older episodes. I decided I wanted to watch episodes from the 70's and 80's. I kind of fell in love with the earliest episodes during that time. I got way more into the minutiae of comedy at that time, so learning about some of the earliest writers rooms, reading and educating myself on people like Micahel O'Donoghue and Rosie Schuster was a total blast for me. So, when the people that recommended the movie told me it was about the first live airing of "SNL", that was all I needed to know to watch. Other stuff came up, but I was finally able to watch it all in one sitting yesterday. And I totally loved it.

I was all in on this movie from the first frame. I really enjoy movies that seem frenetic, especially when they take us back to a very important time in history. And let us not get it twisted, "SNL" changed the game when it comes to live sketch comedy. No other show in that genre would be here now if it weren't for "SNL". There would be no "Key and Peele", no "Chapelle Show", no "MadTV" without "SNL". This movie focused on the 90 minutes leading up to the first airing of the show. We got to see all the behind the scenes stuff. I really liked seeing how rough rehearsal could be. I liked watching the castmates cutting loose with one another. Seeing Lorne Michaels constantly on the move made for an intriguing story. Seeing old classic actors walking around trying to figure out what the show was going to be, and then dismissing it, that stuff moves me. I'm sure it is all made more grandiose for movies, but I don't really care. If a movie is well made, and "Saturday Night" most definitely is, I can overlook that stuff.

The casting here was amazing. I was shocked at how authentic they made it feel. Gabriel LaBelle, who I have never heard of, played Michaels. He was magnetic. He totally embodied everything that I have to imagine Michaels was going through that night. But he always stuck to his vision. The casting of the first cast was great too. Dylan O'Brien shined as Dan Akyroyd. He became him. Lamorne Morris brought brevity and hilarity to Garrett Morris. Ella Hunt brough the wit and constant upbeat attitude of Gilda Radner. Emily Fairn was so incredible as Larraine Newman. Her performance made me appreciate Newman's genius even more. Kim Matula embodied Jane Curtin and brought the feminist badass out in her. Matt Wood was quietly wonderful as John Belushi. And Cory Michael Smith brought out all of the asshole in Chevy Chase. Nicolaus Braun did double duty, nailing it as both Andy Kaufman and Jim Henson. I do want to shout out two other performers as well. I mentioned my fandom for O'Donoghue and Schuster earlier. Well, Tommy Dewey was absolutely perfect as O'Donoghue and Rachel Sennott continues to build her resume higher and higher with each role. She's awesome as Schuster. And Cooper Hoffman is wonderful as a young Dick Ebersol.

It was clear from watching how important "SNL" is to Jason Reitman. He directed this movie beautifully. It showed on screen. I highly recommend this movie for fans of "SNL" and sketch comedy in general. To see the start of it all was pretty great. Go watch this 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 "The Righteous Gemstones" Final Season Premiere

The fourth, and final season premiere of "The Righteous Gemstones" was this past Sunday. My wife and I got caught up on it this past Wednesday. Let’s discuss.

I love this show. I have been a fan since day one. In fact, I'm a big fan of Danny McBride. And when he and David Gordon Green work together on a tv show, that is a sweet spot for me as a viewer. With this final season of "Gemstones", I'm curious to see how they wrap it all up. The last season finale felt like a series finale, but I guess HBO wanted more and McBride and co decided they could do one final season.

I figured we would get put right back into where we left off for this final season, but the creators and writers had other ideas. The fourth season premiere took us all the way back to the 1800's. We opened on a church service in Virginia. I figured the preacher giving the sermon was going to be a Gemstone and this would show us the beginning of the family cheating people out of money. While that was the case, the preacher was not a Gemstone. In fact, after the congregation was let out there was one person left in the church hiding out in a pue. That person happened to be Eli Gemstone, and this character was portrayed by Bradley Cooper. We are then taken through Cooper's path from thief to killer to chaplin during the Civil War to huckster to, finally, his coming to believing in a higher power.

Cooper was absolutely fantastic. He was funny. He was rude. He was ruthless. He was brutal. And I couldn't take my eyes off him when he was on screen. He really embodied everything the Gemstones would eventually become. He stayed around in the church to rob the priest. When the priest fought back, he shot him. Then some soldiers showed up to let him know that the preacher was going to be their chaplain moving forward. Cooper then proceeded to steal the preacher's identity and make him look even worse than he did before leaving the church. As chaplain, Cooper was aloof and skating by. He didn't care about these people who were on their deathbed. He wanted to get drunk and play cards. Even when one soldier figures him out, he goes in on a deal with that guy to steal from a higher up in the war, and then he killed him. When he was actually pressed into battle, the cowardice showed. While people were shooting and being shot around him, he ran and eventually hid. When he was about to be executed with the other soldiers, he got a pass because he was a "man of God". Even still, realizing his life would be spared, he was reluctant to give the soon to be dead a sendoff. He finally did, he gave a great speech and then you could see the shift in his attitude. He looked like he cared. His words carried and he finally realized what a bad person he was and it was time to change. Cooper did all of this, did it well, in forty minutes. That's a powerhouse performance. It also got me very hyped for the final season. I love that we got a backstory that showed how scummy the Gemstones have been their entire existence. And I assume it will only grow from here.

Bradley Cooper should get awards consideration for this episode because he was so dynamic. It was wonderful. 

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 "Mickey 17"

Last Friday my dad and I went to see "Mickey 17". I was going to write about it right after seeing it, a quick reaction, but I decided I wanted to sit on it and give the movie more thought. I wanted the weekend to sit with it. I'm glad I did.

Right off the bat, I really liked the movie. I'm a Bong Joon Ho fan. I love "Snowpiercer" and "Parasite". The love for those movies put me in a pretty good head space heading into "Mickey 17". What I enjoyed the most about "Mickey 17" was the humor. This is a funny movie. There's jokes and some of the things Robert Pattinson does as his version of each Mickey made me laugh out loud. Speaking of Pattinson, he is truly wonderful in the movie. He gets to do a ton and he nails it. With each new Mickey there are subtle changes and Pattinson brings all of them to life. The two main Mickey's, 17 and 18, are who we spend most of the time with and Pattinson plays both. Each Mickey is totally different and that is fully due to his performance. I thought he was amazing and he has become a better actor with each movie. He has upped his game, picks cool projects and I want to see what he is going to do next.

The other cast members are solid too. Naomi Ackie plays Nasha, Mickey's partner. She is badass and super cool. She knows this whole society they live in is nuts and she lets everyone know. She gives a great performance. Steven Yeun is Mickey's buddy, and he is an asshole. He is only out for himself. He will do anything to get ahead no matter who he has to screw over. Yeun is so reliable and so good as an actor and I am a fan. Mark Ruffalo is over the top in the best possible way. He is putting on a show as the villain and I grew to despise his character pretty quickly. I have to believe that was the point. He was so annoying and so stupid and Nasha lets him know it. Toni Collete plays his wife and she is equally despicable. She makes "sauces" and is always in her husband's ear. She is always telling him what to do in a way that will only benefit the two of them. And then we have the "creepers". These are the alien creatures that live on the planet they are travelling to in the movie, Nilfheim. They have a pretty great turn in the movie and it makes it all come together in the end.

Along with the acting, the story is great. This is clearly an allegory for how messed up the US is under this current "administration". Ho made his own version of it and set it in the near future. He kind of nailed it when it comes to what a trip on a spaceship away from a rotting Earth would feel like. It looked truly miserable. But Ho made it funny, made it work and made it a blast to watch. And I love the stuff he did with the "creepers".

This is a very good movie that I want more and more people to see. It is a fast two hour and seventeen minutes. And Pattinson is so good in his role. I highly recommend it. And go to a theater if you have the chance. The movie deserves to be seen on a big screen. 

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 "Sly Lives"

I'm currently finishing the new Hulu documentary, "Sly Lives". Let’s discuss.

I am a Sly and the Family Stone fan. I was introduced to their music a long time ago by my dad. I'm sure at the time of him playing it for me I got nothing out of it. I bet I just figured that my dad was showing me "old" music he liked. But, as I got older, and more into music, I heard more and more artists I liked talking about their music or covering songs at shows. I was intrigued. I asked my dad about it and I'm sure he informed me that he had played his music for me in the past. But, since other artists I liked were now talking about it to me, I wanted more. I started to dive deeper and deeper. I knew "Everyday People", "Thankyoufalettinmebemiceelf" and "Dance to the Music". But as I searched more and more into their catalog, I found more stuff I liked. Songs like "Family Affair", "If You Want Me to Stay", "Hot Fun in the Summertime", and so on and so forth. I dug the music because it was funky and I could bop my head along to it. I never really paid full attention to the music until I got even older. I would then, and still do now, listen to the lyrics and realize that Sly Stone had something important to say. He used his talent to talk about what was going on in the world. I realized that he had this vision for the world and I agreed with his vision. It also helped that his band was made up of black and white people and boys and girls. He wanted input from everyone. Sly didn't see color, he saw music. I love that.

The documentary tells you about all of this and tells it great. They have some very influential and important people talking about his genius. Questlove directed the movie, and with this and his last doc, "Summer of Soul", I feel like he has cornered the market on docs about funk and soul music from the 60's and 70's. He knows the topic and knows it well and he puts that out there on full blast. I love it. He was able to secure interviews with former band members, D'Angelo, Andre 3000, Nile Rodgers, Chaka Khan and Q-Tip, to name a few. To hear these heavy hitters talk about Sly Stone was amazing. Of course they talk about the music, but they also talk about so much more. I didn't realize how deep and connected people are to Sly Stone. I had no idea he was a producer and DJ before he was a renowned musician. I was floored when I realized he produced "Somebody to Love". I didn't know he came up in the church and later used that in his music. His family, when he was a child, was very important to his development as an artist. I didn't realize the drug issue stuff. I knew a bit about it, but didn't know how rough it truly was. The performance from Woodstock was eye opening. Questlove was able to get these videos of performances and interviews that were amazing for a fan like me to see for the first time.

I love this movie. If you know any little thing about Sly and the Family Stone, if you know one song, this movie is required viewing. I cannot recommend "Sly Lives" enough. It is instantly on my shortlist for best movies of 2025 already. "Sly Lives" is incredible. 

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 "Cunk on Life"

A week or so back I wrote about the character Philomena Cunk, played by Diane Morgan. I adore this character. I loved "Cunk on Earth". It is one of the funnier series I've watched on Netflix. I wanted more Cunk material, and Netflix recently released "Cunk on Life", a 70 minute long documentary that is very similar, if not the same, as "Cunk on Earth".

This time around it was one long extended episode masquerading as a movie. It started the same and had the same vibe to it. But, after 22 minutes, the documentary just kept going, and I loved it. This is one of the best short movies to come out in 2025. Like I said, it has all the elements of the show that I like, it's just an extended version. They still did chapters, but with each new chapter the movie kept going. Cunk was there asking her questions, as straightforward as possible, and the experts were trying to answer them to the best of their ability. And these questions were riotous. When she talks to the sex expert, and the faces she makes and the stuff she says about her ex, I was howling. When she is looking at paintings and talking about how much she dislikes them, and then asking a question to the expert, who we don't know is on screen until they're spoken to, genius. When she goes on and on calling DNA d and a, and the expert has to constantly correct her, that was a dynamite bit. And some of the scenes that she had actors come on and shoot that seemingly lasted forever, I'm thinking of Thomas Hubble and his wife being intimate, it was the best kind of squirming in my chair humor. All along though, and the thing I adore about Cunk, she kept a straight face. She never broke. She has to know that what she is saying ois outrageous, but she just plows ahead, and it is all the better for it.

I really loved this movie. My only true gripe is that I wanted it to be longer, but that isn't the British way when it comes to content. I feel like they just want to give you a tiny little taste, and then have you begging for more. And I like that. I don't always need my appetite to be sated by shows and movies. I can sit and think about all the hilarious stuff Philomena Cunk can do in the future. And Diane Morgan may very well be done with this character. Maybe this was the last we will see of Philomena. And if that's the case, what a way to go. I mean, she has cornered the market on cringe interviews. She has surpassed Ali G. She is better than anyone at "The Daily Show", which is a show I also adore. She does this better than anyone in the game. I do hope this doesn't pigeonhole her, but there are much worse outcomes for someone who works in television and movies.

"Cunk on Life" is brilliant and a must watch for fans of her work. I was late to Morgan's stuff as Cunk, but I'm glad I found it and was told by friends and family to watch. Watch this movie, but also watch her other work. Morgan is one of the better minds working in comedy tv and movies right now, and "Cunk on Earth" and "Cunk on Life" more than prove that. 

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 "Severance"

I fully understand that I'm late to all of this, but "Severance" is one hell of a tv show. I just started to watch the first season this week, and I have already seen all of season 1. I have watched half of the first episode of season 2, and I'm all in.

"Severance" isn't the freshest idea in the sci-fi world, but damned if it isn't one of the best written and acted shows. I find myself endlessly floored at the performances that the actors give. This is a whole new world for Adam Scott and he is absolutely nailing it. I always find it fascinating when an actor who is so entrenched in one genre, I'd say comedy for Scott, does something totally different. It shouldn't be a surprise, Adam Scott is a professional actor. But, going from a very joke heavy show like "Parks and Rec", to doing hard sci-fi like "Severance", this is an accomplishment from him. He does such a wonderful job. Britt Lower matches him punch for punch. She is rebellious and knows this whole world that this show has created is not good. She does a fantastic job, and the big twist with her at the end of season 1 makes her role that much more impressive. John Tutturo is in this show and he shows us all why he is one of the better actors working right now. The two versions of himself in the show couldn't be more different, but I find myself rooting for each one. There are scenes with him and Christopher Walken, another powerhouse performance, that are sweet and heartbreaking in one shot. The work the two of them do together is beautifully done, and Tutturo steals the show for me. Zach Cherry is the "comic relief", but he also does some heavy stuff here. I have always liked Cherry's work, but he is on another level in "Severance". I cannot wait to see what his character does in season 2. Outside the four main actors, Trammel Tillman is so menacing and nice and singularly focused on the task at hand. He has quickly become my favorite character in the show. Jen Tullock, as Scott's sister, and Michael Chernus, as Scott's brother in law, bring a realness and a grounding to this show that is a nice break. And Patricia Arquette is on a whole other level here. I realized watching this show that I had not seen much of her work. She is magnetic and outstanding in this show.

The writing takes this show to a different level as well. For a sci-fi series, the things that happen are easy enough to follow. The show isn't weird just for the sake of being weird. From what I've seen to this point, whenever something odd happens, it has a nice payoff. I like that questions get answered. When the actors deliver the written lines, I believe what they're saying is coming from their character's perspective. This show is so good on every single level. Even the way it is shot, it is cool to look at on my screen. Oh, and the opening credits sequence to season 1 is one of the coolest openings in tv history. I usually skip through the intro of a show, but not here. The music and the animation is so rad.

Look, "Severance" is a critically acclaimed show. It has been nominated I assume. I'm not telling you all anything new if you already watch the show. But if you don't, and you may be on the fence, watch it. It is so well done and so interesting and 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 "Cunk on Earth"

Over the past week I watched the show "Cunk on Earth". I loved it. It was that dry British humor that I really enjoy when done right. Let’s discuss.

I like the whole idea of making a serious talk show, then flipping it on its head. This is akin to a prank show. Philomena Cunk is there to ask some of the dumbest questions one could hear on subjects like the renaissance or religion or social media to experts. She does all of this with a very straight face too. That makes it even funnier. But I'm not here to talk about the show today. As I said, I think the show is great and everyone should watch it. If it didn't have swear words I'd recommend they show it in schools. It's very informative. What I want to talk about today is the character of Philomena Cunk.

The actor that portrays Cunk is named Diane Morgan. I don't know of anything else she has ever done. This character is the first thing I've seen her perform in. But this is one of the most memorable and funny characters I've ever seen on tv. Philomena Cunk wants to be an expert in certain fields. She has all the questions one could want the answer to, if one was a child. She goes out there and asks some of the dumbest questions I've ever heard, but the way she phrases them, and how straight of a face she can keep, it is a true work of art. She is stoned faced the entire time. She never, ever breaks character. There was a moment in an episode I watched yesterday where she made the expert and the crew laugh, but the whole time she kept asking why everyone was laughing and this was a serious thing. She kept that going for a full minute before they went to the next shot. She kept it going so much that I felt that the expert felt bad for laughing. And this is what she does in every episode. She was talking with a gentleman that was playing music out of a phonograph, and the questions that followed were uproarious. She asked a line of questions that were all about sending a message to the singer of the song coming out of the phonograph. The gentleman seemed so frustrated and confused. But Cunk kept at it. She wouldn't let up. It was great. I like when she asked about Lincoln continuing to be president after he was shot at Forbes Theater. The expert there seemed annoyed, but she never let up. Stuff like that cracks me up. Another thing she did in every episode was make some kind of joke when they were doing shots of her "thinking". She would look at her phone from time to time, only to rush to put it away when she realized the camera was on her. She would read a book and complain about how boring it is. She would make up an entire scenario and act it all out, which was fantastic to see. But I think the thing that made me like this character so much was how hard Morgan commits. She never lets up. She seems destined to have this be what she's remembered for in her career. I don't think she cares about being pigeonholed. I believe she has created something unique and damn near perfect.

If you're contemplating watching the show, do it, simply for Morgan's transformation into Philomena Cunk. It is a sight to behold. 

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 "A Complete Unknown"

Yesterday my mom and I went to see "A Complete Unknown". Let’s discuss.

I was a bit skeptical going into this movie. I usually enjoy music biopics, but when it's an artist that I like, I get a little hesitant. I have yet to see the Bob Marley fictional biopic "One Love". Marley is my favorite artist of all time, I have watched documentaries about him, I have dove about as deep as one can into his music catalog. He is too important to me to watch someone else play him. I know that I would be too hypercritical about a fictional movie centered around Bob Marley. And while I adore Bob Dylan, he is not on Marley's level for me. I've also kind of fallen off a bit from music biopics. I thought the Freddy Mercury movie with Rami Malek was bad. I have not seen "Rocketman", and don't know if I'll ever see it. I rewatched "Ray" during COVID and it didn't hold up for me like the first time I saw it. I am a snob about music, and when the story is fictional and given the Hollywood treatment, I tend to tune it out. But, with a push from my mom, and my newfound fandom of Timothee Chalamet, I decided to give this one a go.

I'm glad I did. I appreciate my mom urging me to go with her. I thought this movie was excellent. I should have known with James Mangold directing that the audience was in good hands. He did great with "Walk the Line" and "Logan" is my favorite "superhero" movie. He is a good director, and he knows how to shoot musicians. Chalamet is a revelation here. He could have made his version of Dylan a cliched impression. He could have just used a funny voice and kind of walked his way through this movie. He didn't do that. As my mom said, he embodied Dylan. He became him. From his look to his voice to even playing guitar and singing the songs himself, Chalamet absolutely knocked it out of the park.

My mom also said something else that really stood out to me after the movie too. She said that she could see Chalamet becoming a new age Humphrey Bogart or Cary Grant. This kid is hyper talented. He seems to pick good movies most of the time. I love his portrayal of Paul Atreideis in both new "Dune" movies. I thought he did a superb job as a young Willy Wonka in "Wonka". I like his stuff in movies like "Don't Look Up" and "Ladybird". And after seeing him play Dylan, he is now one of my favorite actors working today. And he definitely had help.

Scoot McNairy, as a sickly Woody Guthrie, helped move the story along. I thought Ed Norton did great things with his version of Pete Seeger. Elle Fanning was great as Dylen's first partner after he moved to NYC. Monica Barbaro was wonderful as Joan Baez. Boyd Holbrook was convincing as Johnny Cash. I mean, pretty much everyone in this movie seemed to understand the assignment and ran with it and did some great things.

I also liked that the story of the movie was Dylan's early rise to fame and him playing at the Newport Folk Festival up until he goes electric. And I thought the way they handled the whole ordeal of him going electric was perfect. This movie never got cliche and sappy. They showed Dylan's genius, but also how tough it would be to collaborate or be in a relationship with him. I felt bad for Pete Seeger after Dylan's rise to fame because he became a second hand person in his life.

I loved this movie. The reason to see this and watch it again and again is Chalamet's performance. He is dynamic and I hope he continues to do cool stuff in his acting career. He is a talented dude. 

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 "Kinds of Kindness

After over three days of viewing it, I just finished Yorgos Lanthinmos' latest movie, "Kinds of Kindness". This is a movie I was looking forward to after watching "Poor Things" and falling in love with it instantly. I also happen to be a Lanthimos fan. I like "The Favourite", "The Lobster" is one of the most underrated movies, and as I previously mentioned, "Poor Things" was amazing. I was going into "Kinds of Kindness" with high hopes. The cast was also pretty stellar. Emma Stone, Jesse Plemons, Hong Chau, Willem Dafoe, Margaret Qualley are all in this movie and I enjoy most of their work.

With all that being said, with all the expectations, this was one of the weirder movies I've seen in a long, long time. That doesn't mean I disliked the movie. I enjoy weird movies. I like movies that sit with you after you see them. I want a movie to challenge me from time to time. I want to go back and read multiple things about some of these movies to see what I may have missed. "Kinds of Kindness" gave me all of that.

The movie also frustrated me too. And that's fine. I think what frustrated me most, outside of the 164 minute runtime, was how disjointed the finished product was. This is a movie told in three parts, with three different stories and the actors playing multiple roles. That's all well and good, but I almost wished Lanthimos just decided to make three shorts. Or he could have chopped this up into one two hour long very good idea of a movie. The movie is also unexpectedly gory and sexual. There are some things in this movie that made me uncomfortable to watch. I'm becoming more squeamish the older I get, but some stuff in here felt a little gratuitous. There's a lot to ingest with each story and it comes at you in shocking and wild ways.

Outside those few complaints I had, this is an okay movie. Plemons is doing a masterclass here. His performances in the three different stories are pretty damn great. When he is given solid material and doesn't always have to play a creep, he can do some good things. I especially loved his performance in the second story. It's quite clear that Emma Stone trusts and respects Lanthimos and he seems to bring out some of her best work. The third story, which follows a cult and its members, is where Stone really buys in and pulls out all the stops. She is tremendous there. Dafoe and Chau don't have as much screen time as Plemmons and Stone, but when they're on screen they're great. Qualley is in and out of the first two stories, but she pulls double duty in the third one, and she goes toe to toe with Stone. The movie is, while still very odd, very thought provoking. I was getting a little sleepy eyed with about 40 minutes left, but then some stuff started to happen which jarred me awake. I had to see what was going to happen next. The movie kept my attention better than others. I also appreciate the fact that Lanthimos went a little sci-fi with the second story. I understand that "Poor Things" is about reanimation, which is very sci-fi, but in this movie, which is a hard drama, he adds a little sci-fi spice and I like that. I like when people take chances.

All in all, "Kinds of Kindness" is a good movie. It has all the tools to be good. Hell, it has everything it needs to be great. But, it is incredibly weird. The movie is niche. It can be shocking here and there. It has unsettling things happening left and right. I will most likely never watch the movie again. But, I'm glad I was able to see it, finish it and write about it today. I don't know if I'd recommend it to everyone though. If you do watch it, what I will say, expect the unexpected. And go in with an open mind. 

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 "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.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram.

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