"Scrooged" is the Best Movie for the Holiday Season

Today I have an idea that I have been thinking about for quite some time now. There are a ton of holiday movies, and since we are in some holidays and almost at some other holidays this time of year, I have finally come up with what I consider to be the best Xmas movie. My family has celebrated Xmas my entire life, so the holiday movies I watch this time of year center primarily around Xmas. I have seen all the hits. I love "Elf", "Home Alone", "A Christmas Story", to name a few. I have also enjoyed some more modern holiday movies. I found myself really liking "Happiest Season", which was just released last year. But there's one movie I consistently go back to this time of year. It is my comfort food for Xmas. It lets me know that we are fully in the Xmas season.

The best holiday/Xmas movie, for me, is "Scrooged". "Scrooged" gets it totally right. From start to finish this movie is damn near perfect. I have no notes for it. First of all, the cast is dynamite. Bill Murray is perfectly cast as Frank Cross. He is the Scrooge here. He is a cynical executive who despises the holiday season. While it could've been cliche or phoned in, Murray's attitude as Cross is perfect. This is what I imagine Murray acts like in his real life. It wasn't too much of a stretch for him and he totally nails it. Karen Allen is his love interest, Claire Phillips. She is wonderful here. She's light and cheery. She embodies the people who live for this season. But, where she could have played this as constantly happy, she nails the little drama moments. She also plays unhappy, in the alternate universes, very well. Allen is such an underrated actor. And this role, for me, is her tour de force. I come away even more impressed by her performance with each new watch. The ghosts that visit Cross are well played too. David Johansen as the ghost of Xmas past is great. I love that he plays the role as a cabby. I love how gross his cigar is that he's constantly chomping on. I like how he has no problem showing Cross all of his past problems. I really love this role. Carol Kane is as perfectly cast as Murray is in this movie. She plays the Ghost of Xmas Present. What makes her so electrifying in this movie is how evil and mean she is. She is constantly hitting Cross. She is trying to wack some common sense into this hate filled, awful man. She pulls no punches and she is willing to literally harm him to try and get him to see the error of his ways. And Pat McCormick, the Ghost of Xmas Future, shines in his small role. He doesn't get a ton to work with, but he really adds some much needed drama to this comedy movie. These five are great, but some of the side characters are awesome too. Bobcat Goldthwait is excellent as the disgruntled co-worker. John Glover seems nice, but reveals his sliminess eventually. Robert Mitchum is a scrooge himself. Alfre Woodard is electric as the studio head with a young kid. I mean, this cast is amazing.

What makes me really think this is the best holiday movie, they get the tone perfectly. This movie portrays how gloomy and dark the holiday season can be. It shows cynicism better than any other holiday movie. But it also has a heart. After the ghosts visit Cross, this movie has a ton of heart. It's almost too gloomy for a bit there, but then the writers, actors and director nail how cheery and fun the holiday season can be. Murray, after seeing all three ghosts, is so happy that his crew is taken aback for a moment. They don't trust his happiness because of who he is. But, in the long run, they buy it and go along with it. And I love that.

The holiday season can be good and bad and "Scrooged" tells the best version of that real life situation. I'm sure everyone will have their opinions as to why I'm wrong, and that's okay. Please, tell me why. But, for me, "Scrooged" totally nails the feelings and attitude that this season brings. And I love it so much for that. 

Ty

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

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"Venom" is a Bad Movie that I Enjoy

While on vacation last week my wife and I were looking for a movie to watch before bed. We wanted a quiet night in our room with a movie we could just vedge out to before going to sleep. We were lucky enough to stumble upon the first "Venom" movie with Tom Hardy.

I do want to say, right off the bat, this is a bad movie. When you look at its bare bones, there's nothing really redeeming or good about it. It's dull, weird and doesn't make a whole lot of sense. It's objectively a bad movie. But, in this rewatch, I was astounded at some of the things we both noticed.

First off, this cast is absolutely stacked. Tom Hardy is an award nominee and has won a few here and there. He's a method actor and he takes his work too seriously. I enjoy his acting, but I bet he is a pain to work alongside. Michelle Williams plays his ex. She is an award winner for sure. She is a multiple Oscar nominee. She is in some of the best movies of the 2000's. She was a tv star who made the leap to movies with ease. Riz Ahmed plays the villain. He is a multi time award nominee. His performance in "The Sound of Metal" is one of the best acting performances I've ever seen. He is wonderful in "4 Lions". Ahmed has made one hell of a career for himself. Jenny Slate is a comedy queen. She makes great movies for A24. She is one of the best at portraying the 90's in some of the movies she has been in lately. That is a bunch of heavy hitters in a movie that lives in the "Spiderman" universe, and isn't animated. We were taken aback when we realized this last week.

Another thing we noticed was Hardy's dual role in this movie. He plays Eddie Brock. He is a "rogue" writer. He does the grimy and gritty stories. He wants to expose what he deems to be the bad guys. He and Williams also have pretty good chemistry when they are still a couple in the movie. I buy their made up relationship. Hardy also plays the voice of Venom, and it is wild, wild stuff. Venom is loud and rude. Venom knows what it wants and tells Eddie all this. The two of them actually have back and forth before we even know that Brock is infected with Venom. And on this watch I loved every single second of this dual role. It was hilarious. You can tell that Hardy totally bought in and took this role seriously. He didn't just phone it in. He wanted this role and he wanted people to know that he wanted the role. Some actors would just cash a paycheck while filming this movie. Not Hardy. He bought in. We were both impressed that he was actually going for it in this awful movie.

The last thing we noticed was how sweaty Hardy was the whole time. He looked like he had just run a marathon. And he looked this way pretty much the whole movie. Even before he was Venom, he still had an unkempt, grimy look to him. I attribute this to the fact that Hardy probably didn't want to comb his hair or take a shower while making this movie. I'm not saying he didn't do these things, it just looked that way to us. It was quite the look.

Finally, I cannot emphasize how bad of a movie "Venom" is. But, if you look for some fun things about it, like my wife and I did, you may find yourself enjoying it a bit more. I know we did and it was a much better viewing experience for the both of us. 

Ty

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

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2024 Year in Review: Best Movies

This week I'll be doing my best of 2024 lists. I enjoy doing these and I like to do them right before the holidays. Just like years past, I'll do my top five movies, tv shows, music, sports moments and podcasts/podcast episodes. Let us tarry no longer. I'm going to start the week with my top five movies of the year. I have not seen every movie I intended to see in 2024. That means movies like "Anora" or "Y2K" are not on my list because I have yet to find the time to watch them. I also want to see many more movies that came out, but I forgot or the timing never really worked out for me. But, I think I paired my list down pretty well and the five movies I picked were the best, in my opinion, that I watched in 2024.

Coming in at number 5 I have "Self Reliance". This was a movie I watched by chance. I was listening to a podcast that Jake Johnson was on and he was promoting this movie. I like his work. He said that Anna Kendrick was involved, as was Andy Samberg, playing himself. Both of those added to my curiosity. It was streaming on hulu, and after the podcast episode I turned the movie on. I really enjoyed what I saw. "Self Reliance" is a movie where a guy has a chance to win a big sum of money if he can avoid being assasinated for a certain amount of time. All he has to do is constantly have someone by his side, and the people out to get him cannot go after him. Along the way there's twists and turns that make this movie even better. I found myself rooting for Johnson's character. I wanted to know more about why Anna Kendrick was so willing to help. I liked the whole Andy Samberg of it all. This was a cool, unique idea of a movie with a stellar cast. It was well written, only 90 minutes long and totally paid off. I think everyone should seek this movie out so more movies like this can be made in the future.

At number 4 I have "Deadpool and Wolverine". I have grown weary of timelines and superhero stuff, but this movie did it right. The right jokes were made. The right timeline was picked. It was a great vehicle for the superheroes involved. Ryan Reynolds understands Deadpool and knows how to write and play him onscreen. Hugh Jackman is Wolverine, and this version has been my absolute favorite to this point. To get X-23, Blade, Elektra and Gambit involved was perfect. I enjoyed Chris Evans in this movie. The villain was mean and nasty, but also understandable. I knew why she was doing what she was doing. It made sense to me. This movie is fun, vulgar, hyper violent and one of the bloodiest movies I've ever seen. It was also a blast to watch.

At number 3 I have "Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga". RD and I debated about this movie to no end. I loved it, but said it wasn't as good as "Fury Road", which I personally think may be the best movie ever made. He consistently told me it was a totally different movie. I get that. Anyway, "Furiosa" is grimy and gritty in all the right ways. To see the world created that we all know from "Mad Max" was incredible. Chris Hemsworth played an excellent villain. Anya Taylor Joy was magnetic as Furiosa. I loved the origin story and getting to finally see why Furiosa was at Immortan Joe's camp. I found this movie enthralling and dynamic. George Miller made a colorful yet gritty movie work to perfection.

At number 2 I have "Dune:Part 2". Denis Villenuve knows how to make the seemingly unmakeable movie. He has adapted the "Dune" books into something that is not only watchable, but fantastic and easy to understand. Timothee Chalamet is wonderful as Paul Atriedes. Rebecca Ferguson has embodied his mom and preacher of what she considers the gospel. Zendaya is remarkable. She absolutely crushes her role. Javier Bardem and Josh Brolin bring mild comedic elements to this dreary world. The sandworms look real. The battle scenes are epic and beautifully shot. "Dune:Part 2" has one of the best shifts in tone and color when we see where the Harkonnens live and fight and plot. There are no notes for this movie. It is damn near perfect.

At number 1 I have "The Substance". I have not seen a movie this unique, this refreshing in years. There's no other movie out there right now, or in the past decade plus for that matter, that comes close to being what "The Substance" is. Demi Moore is simply amazing as Elisabeth Sparkle. She is perfect for the role of a superstar who other people think has aged out of her fame. Margaret Qualley is just as good as the younger version of Sparkle. She takes it all in stride and is more than game for what this movie is telling the audience. Collie Farageat had an idea and went for it, hitting an absolute homerun. This movie will make you queasy. It is meant to unnerve the viewer. There are some very disturbing images. But when you let it wash over you and you allow yourself to be in for the ride, you will end up thinking about this movie over and over and over again. I've already watched it three times, and I can't wait to watch it again. I want to see more and more of what I may have missed on my first three viewings. "The Substance" is a movie that needs to be seen and then talked about. It's so damn good.

That's it for my top movies in 2024. Come back tomorrow for my top music of the year. 

Ty

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

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"A Real Pain": Exploring Heritage, Humor, and Heartache

Sometimes the best movie-going experiences come from taking a chance. That’s exactly how my kids and I ended up watching Jesse Eisenberg’s A Real Pain. Instead of picking the movie first, we started by choosing the Hi Pointe Theatre, a local gem with a classic charm that reminds me of simpler times. Known for its mix of older films and thoughtfully selected new releases, it’s always a pleasure to visit. Once we settled on the Hi Pointe, we scanned the listings and landed on A Real Pain. A quick read of the synopsis sparked our interest, and the movie’s connection to Polish heritage gave it even more appeal for us. As someone who is 1/4 Polish (making my kids at least 1/8), I was curious to see how the film would handle themes tied to family roots. 

The story follows cousins David (Jesse Eisenberg) and Benji (Kieran Culkin) as they travel to Poland to honor their grandmother. What starts as a somewhat comical road trip evolves into a poignant exploration of family, identity, and the unresolved tensions that shape who we are. I found myself relating deeply to David, particularly his frustration with Benji. On the surface, Benji comes across as the “cool guy,” exuding charm and charisma. But as the story unfolds, it becomes clear that beneath his empathetic façade lie selfish motives and trauma-induced instability. This dynamic felt strikingly familiar, highlighting the challenges of navigating relationships with people who can be both magnetic and overwhelming. 

Kieran Culkin delivers a standout performance, capturing the raw vulnerability of Benji’s character. Watching his interactions with Eisenberg’s David was a rollercoaster—hilarious in one moment and emotionally intense the next. Their dynamic reminded me of the complexity of family relationships, where love and exasperation often go hand in hand. 

One of the film’s strengths is its ability to weave humor and heartfelt moments seamlessly. It had us laughing one minute and reflecting on family bonds the next. The Polish backdrop added another layer of depth for me. Seeing the characters confront their heritage and shared history made me think about my own roots and the connections that tie us to the past. 

The intimate, nostalgic setting of the Hi Pointe Theatre made the experience even more special. Watching a film with this kind of emotional weight in a theater steeped in history enhanced its impact. It reminded me of the simple joy of sitting down with my kids and getting lost in a story together. 

Final Thoughts: 

A Real Pain is a film that resonates on multiple levels. From its humor to its heartfelt exploration of family and heritage, it offers something meaningful for everyone. For those who enjoy stories that dig into the complexities of relationships while still finding moments of levity, this movie is a 

must-watch. And if you’re lucky enough to catch it at a theater like the Hi Pointe, you’ll find the experience even more memorable.

Kirk Aug

Kirk is a writer, beekeeper and a fellow traveller on spaceship Earth. Follow Kirk on instagram @kirkaug

Better Late Than Never on "Escape From New York"

When the pandemic started I made the decision to go back and watch a good amount of classic movies that I've missed over the years. I have made good headway, but there are a ton of movies considered classics, and I've only made a small dent on my list. I've kept up as best I can, and this weekend it was my turn to pick the movie for date night. One movie I have been circling for quite a long time was "Escape From New York". I have become a big John Carpenter fan since the pandemic, and the "Escape From" movies are some I have missed. Well, that was remedied this weekend by us watching "Escape From New York".

I have to say right off the bat, I loved this movie. Every second of it was exactly what I wanted out of an action movie. "Escape From New York" takes place in the futuristic world of 1997. I love this about older movies as well, seeing what the actors, writers and directors all predicted what the future would be like. It's pretty wonderful. The island of Manhattan has become a prison, and all criminals have inhabited certain areas of it and are living horrific lives. Kurt Russell plays Snake Plissken. Plissken is one of the coolest characters that has ever existed. He's mean, gruff, angry all the time and has a certain set of skills. He is 1981's version of Liam Neeson from "Taken". Plissken needs to save the president who has been kidnapped, and we go along on the ride with him for 90 plus minutes. I can see why Russell was considered such a big star back in the early 80's. He is good looking. He has this rough side to him. He speaks the coolest of anyone I've ever heard on film. He carries himself like the movie star he was/is. I was glued to the screen every second he was on camera, which is the majority of the movie. He was exceptional. I could tell how much he loved this role and this movie. It showed on my tv. There are other actors in this movie that are doing some nice work, Romero comes to mind, but none did what Russell did while he was on screen.

I also love the way Carpenter directs this, and all of his movies, for that matter. He makes action and scary movies, but he lets you live in the world they have created. It's not non-stop action. There's not the constant threat of a jump scare coming at any moment. Carpenter builds the world within the movie. He lets us get to know the characters. We find reasons to root for or against them. He tells a story with his direction. They don't make action movies like that anymore. No one wants to sit and figure stuff out. We just want it fed to us like babies. Carpenter didn't do that. He wanted the viewer to figure things out for themselves, and I appreciate that. He's telling a story, but he lets us figure things out on our own. I miss action movies like that.

All in all, "Escape From New York" is instantly one of my favorite movies. I loved every single second of this movie. I loved the performances, mainly Russell'. I want more directors to take a page from Carpenter's work and build the world and story. I highly recommend this movie if you haven't seen it yet. It is one of the better movies that has been made. 

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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"Total Recall" (The Original) is Still a Great Movie

Recently I rewatched the original "Total Recall". I hadn't seen this movie since I was in my early 20's. I remember liking it then, but it had been awhile. I found it on Amazon and decided that last week was a perfect time to revisit the movie.

As I sat back, I kind of forgot most of the plot and the movie. But, in this rewatch, I was stoked at how much I still love the movie and how it still holds up. I was all in. When the movie started it all flooded back to me. Every little plot point and big scene came to the forefront of my mind. I could remember where I was when I first watched the movie and I was just as happy this time around. This is when Arnold Schwarzenegger was at his biggest point of stardom. He could do no wrong in the action movie genre. He was a heavy hitter and he barely had to act. He just had to emote, beat some bad guys and flex his muscles. "Total Recall" was a perfect movie for him to star in at that time in his acting life. Sharon Stone wasn't in it much, but she was great as well. But, this is all about Schwarzenegger. He did some great things in this movie. The action sequences were wonderful. The ending fight scene was pretty epic and awesome. He also had very good chemistry with both of the female leads. He also seemed to be having a good time during filming of this movie. When he got to do the scene where he was talking to his past self on the computer, that was pretty ahead of its time and executed very well.

This was also the time that Paul Verhoven was in his bag. He was crushing the ultra violent ultra intense action movie. There was no one better than Verhoven at doing this. To have the ability to make both "Robocop" and "Total Recall" in a short period of time, that is the work of a true professional.

I did managed to watch some of the updated remake they did, and it is not even close to the original. The newer one is dark and dreary. They take themselves too seriously. They aren't having the same amount of fun that the original movie had to its credit. It's just not the same. They didn't need to remake or update the original because the original is a classic. That was proven tenfold to me on this revisit.

I think a bunch of people are going back and watching old movies from their childhood because we are sentimental, but there's something unique and different and fun about the original action movies from the 80's and the 90's. They're campy and fun. They don't take it seriously. They understand how absurd these movies can be, and they just go for it. That's cool to me. I like that they were willing to have fun and enjoy themselves. Graphics are too good now. CGI is fully taking over movies, which is a bummer. And everyone wants to be brooding and moody in movies now. Actors, and I don't blame them, want awards. Not too many actors like to have fun and have a good time making action movies now, save for Keanu Reeves.

I definitely recommend going back and rewatching the original "Total Recall". It's from a forgotten time in Hollywood and it is a nice blast from the past when doing a rewatch. 

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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Better Late than Never on "Paprika"

Over the weekend my son and I headed over to his uncle's house for our monthly movie night. We let his uncle pick since he hosts, and he has pretty good taste in movies. He is trustworthy and reliable. This month he picked an anime called "Paprika".

This is the first anime I have ever seen. I have wanted to watch some before, but I have passed it up time and time again. I was pleased that this choice was made and the time to watch anime had finally come. I have never heard of this movie, I saw a preview awhile back, which looked rad and we settled down to check it out. This movie is great. I was interested the whole time. The story was intriguing, the animation was incredible and it was only 90 minutes long. This was a win in every situation for me.

For those that may not know, "Paprika" is about a company that makes a machine that can enter into people's brains and people that are awake can see what is going on. The host mentioned to us that they had heard Christopher Nolan got the idea for "Inception" from this movie. That is very easy to see after watching "Paprika". The whole idea here is that a person, Paprika, can enter dreams and guide people through them. Good and bad, Paprika helps them get through it, and when it gets bad, she wakes them up and they go over the dream together. There is a hitch in their plan, when a very powerful person starts to go into everyone's dreams and uses that to take over the world. We see a bunch of different people going to sleep, entering their REM cycle and having some of the wildest dreams I've ever seen put on film. There are carnivals, chases, lookalikes, mystery, deceit and some truly terrifying images that some have in their nightmares. When things start to come together in this movie, it gets tense in all the best possible ways. I was sitting on the edge of my seat waiting to see what was going to happen. The climatic scene is pretty wonderful. The imagery, the way the story wraps up and what follows is pretty cool and very well done.

And while the story is very, very well done, the animation sets this movie aside from all other movies. The screen is filled, the entire movie, with something and something is always moving. Be it in a police officer's office, the blinds are all there and when the wind blows they move. When they enter a bar in a computer world, the liquid in the bottles move. The bartenders are constantly making facial gestures. The carnival scenes are truly a thing of wonder. To fill up all of that screen time with some of the craziest imagery I have ever seen must have taken a very, very long time and must have been done by some super talented artists and filmmakers. The fact that they took the time, the care and the process to go through all this means they really cared about what they were going to put on screen. I appreciate that as a viewer, and it made the movie even better.

I highly recommend checking this movie out if you have not seen it yet. Seeing this makes me want to watch more anime in the future. "Paprika" is a very, very good movie made by some very talented people. 

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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R.I.P. James Earl Jones

James Earl Jones passed away at 93 years old yesterday.

James Earl Jones is one of the most famous actors that has ever been. He is Darth Vader's voice. He was excellent in "Coming To America". He is the voice of reason in "Field of Dreams" and "Sandlot". He did so much work that was important to so many different people. Everyone is a fan of his. I have never come across anyone that doesn't like any of his work. There are two things for me that made me love him instantly as an actor. The first, "Lion King".

This is my all time favorite Disney movie. I saw it on opening day. I saw the 3-D version when they released that on its opening day. My dad and I would watch it together all the time. I adore that movie. And as I get older, and probably when I was a kid too, Mufasa was the best. I loved his wisdom. I loved his love for his kids. I felt like he was the best version of a father. My dad loved this role, and I related Mufasa to him. They were one in the same. I cried and cried and cried when Mufasa was killed. I didn't want to believe it. When he came back in Simba's dream, I wished it was real. All of that is due to James Earl Jones. His voice and line delivery were perfect. He sounded like a wise father. He sounded like he gave the best advice. His voice was comforting. It made me feel safe as a kid. I was so late to the "Star Wars" game that Mufasa was James Earl Jones, not Darth Vader. He was only Mufasa in my eyes, and I was so happy with that. Mufasa is my all time favorite Disney character and one of my all time favorite movie characters. I was instantly in love with the animation, but it was the voice that really pulled me in. For James Earl Jones to be able to pull all of that off in an animated movie, that is a true sign of his greatness.

The second thing, James Earl Jones was the voice of Michigan football. The first time I went to the Big House, and heard his voice over the loudspeaker, I was stunned. It was Mufasa, but he was talking glowingly about my favorite football team. I asked my dad, and he informed me that James Earl Jones was a Michigan alum. I did not know that until that day, and it made me like him even more. On my return trip to Ann Arbor, I anxiously awaited his voice over. When it came booming over the speakers I was transported back to the first time. His voice was so iconic and so easy to listen to, especially when talking about Michigan football. I wanted to run through a wall after hearing him speak. He had me, just a fan, pumped for the game. I cannot even fathom how the players and coaches felt hearing that. Having a legend that is an alum doing the voice over work has to feel amazing. The voice, the tambre, the way he said certain things, it will get you totally fired up to watch and play a football game in front of 100,000 plus fans every home game Saturday. I am sure, and very hopeful, that Michigan does something to honor him this Saturday. It would be perfect and fitting and deserved.

Rest In Peace James Earl Jones. I'm sure you're commanding whatever room you are in now with your powerful and iconic voice. 

Ty

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

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Better Never than Late on "Avatar: The Way of Water"

Over the weekend my wife and I watched the new "Avatar" movie, "The Way of Water". Let’s discuss.

I was lukewarm on the first "Avatar". I found it boring, the bad guys were cliche and it was way, way too long. I went to the theaters to see it and I spent more time playing with the strings on my sweatshirt than watching the movie. It looked neat and all, but I just couldn't get into it. So, when my wife said she wanted to watch the newer "Avatar", I had my doubts, but I did go in open minded.

First and foremost, this movie is incredibly beautiful. It is one of the prettiest movies I've ever seen. It is so colorful and so bright and just really cool to look at on my tv. I'm sure it looked even better in the movie theater. I bet it was a true experience in IMAX. The new storyline with the kids I enjoyed very much. I was in when they had to move and the kids were super bummed. I liked how the other Avatar kids would bicker and fight amongst each other. The writers treated their storylines as if they were human kids. I appreciated that. I like that they went there. The middle child in the Sully family was, by far, the best kid actor in the movie. I bought every twist and turn. I rooted for him. I wanted him to do good, which he does. I really enjoyed the kids' story in the movie. It was very relatable. And I really liked the way they interpreted whales in the movie. I like that they could communicate with the people. I enjoyed how they added an opening at the back of the whale's body where the Avatars could communicate with them. I, next to the kids' story, liked the whale stuff the best.

Outside those three things, this movie was not really for me. As beautiful as the movie looks on screen, none of it is real. It is all CGI. It is all computerized. My wife turned to me at one point and asked what I thought they were acting against. I couldn't give her an answer. I had nothing. I understand that CGI is here to stay and that it makes real cool stuff happen in movies, but when it makes 99 percent of a blockbuster movie, that is where I kind of check out. I also did not care for the adult stories in the movie. The Sully's were moody and a real bummer. I understood what they were doing and why they were doing it, but still, it was a real bore. I felt the same about the other adults. When they go to water land in the movie, the parents there are just as bad. They may actually whine more. They bring back the Marines in this one, the bad guys, but this time they are younger Avatar versions of themselves. Look, they need to give these bad guys some depth or more of an arc. They are as cliche in this as they were in the first movie. It is a bad and boring take on villains. I am not a fan of the way the "Avatar" writers portray villains. I mentioned above how much I liked the kids in the movie. Well, there was one kid that I found to be very annoying. That was Spider, the human who wants to be an Avatar. The kid tries his best in the movie, but he comes off very annoying. My wife didn't even like him, and she is very forgiving with movies like these. Finally, this movie is over 3 hours long. That is far too long for any movie. We watched it at home and it took us two days to finish. I cannot imagine seeing it in theaters. I felt like Milhouse because I just wanted them to get to the fireworks factory. And when they do finally get to the fight scene, which was rad, after the fight ends there is still a good 15 minutes of movie left. I wish movies would go back to being 90 to 100 minutes long. That is all you really need to tell a good story. I do like some 2 hour plus movies, but they are few and far between. And this movie surpassed 3 hours, it was too much.

Watch the movie if you want to see some cool CGI stuff, fast forward through a good portion of the movie. Otherwise, you can skip 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 "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 "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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Why Do You Care That Robert Downey Jr is Back in the MCU?

It was recently announced that The Russo Brothers and Robert Downey Jr will be returning to the MCU. The Russo's are going to direct some of the new movies and RDJ is going to be playing Dr Doom. Let’s discuss.

I saw this news, thought to myself that it was a cool and smart idea and then kind of forgot about it. That was until the internet exploded with people appearing to be very upset with this news. I guess, because RDJ played Ironman, this new role of his will mess with the lore of the entire MCU. This rip in the space time continuum of these superhero movies has upset nerds and non nerds alike. They are mad and they are letting the world know how mad they are.

Again, I saw the news and kind of left it where it was. I don't go too hard on news like this. It doesn't affect my day to day, so why should I care? RDJ is a very good, very accomplished actor and the Russo Brothers have made some of the better superhero movies. On paper, this all seems like a solid idea and the best shot to make better movies and make the "Fantastic Four" finally work on screen. They are putting a lot behind this movie. They got RDJ, they cast good, solid actors in the four lead roles and they have good writers attached. That is good considering how bad the last couple of iterations of these movies turned out to be. But, to the super fans, they are up in arms.

When I think about it, I don't really care because this is all make believe. Superheroes and supervillains do not exist. This is all a fantasy world. None of this affects our day to day lives. We have way, way bigger fish to fry than who plays who in a make believe world. We live in a time, where no matter what, some group of people are going to be mad about something. We all have far too much access on the internet, and we all feel like we have to put it out there. I'm doing it right now. But my gripe is with the people acting like this news has ruined their day, or in some cases, their lives. We have far too many Comic Book Guys living among us now, and they are letting their opinion be known. They want to fuss and complain about every little thing that doesn't fit what they want out of these movies. The people who whine are the same people, sorry RD, that complain about "Star Wars". Again, I go to "The Simpsons" when airing my grievances. When Comic Book Guy complained about Poochie, Bart asked him a great question. That question, "what do they owe you after giving you years of great tv and free entertainment", or something like that. That is the exact question I want to ask everyone that is so up in arms about RDJ playing Dr Doom. Who cares? He is an actor. His job is to make the unreal come to life, and RDJ is damn good at doing just that. He seems like a great fit to play this role. I'm kind of interested to see what he does with a villain role as opposed to being a hero. I want to see his take on being the bad guy. And I could care less if it messes with the MCU time frame, or whatever. They have already messed everything up with multiple universes and bringing the dead back to life. No one was this upset when the supposed deceased Avengers returned in "Infinity War", at least I think that was the movie where they came back. No one seemed to care when Dr Strange messed with all the stuff that happened to Scarlet Witch. We all just accepted it as the MCU reality. But, for some reason this news has made the masses very mad.

Get over it. It doesn't affect us at all. Try to control the things you can control. Don't let a movie casting disrupt your whole day. Just look forward to what they are going to do with the movie and go watch it when it comes out in theaters. Then form an opinion. That is going to be my plan moving forward. 

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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"Major League 2" is on the Short List of Worst Sequels Ever Made

About a month ago I decided to revisit one of my favorite movies when I was a kid, "Major League". It holds up. It is still as funny and biting and cool as I remember. It makes me laugh harder than some modern comedies. I also find myself as intrigued by the ending as the first time I saw the movie. I know what the outcome is going to be, but I still get nervous. So, due to my OCD and other issues, I have decided to rewatch all three "Major League" movies. I like to finish what I start.

The other day I turned on "Major League 2". It is streaming on Netflix and I had some laundry to fold. It was an easy choice. I remember the movie not being that good, but hey, it is an old sports movie so I figured I'd enjoy myself. Well, I finished it this morning, it has been raining all damn day here, and this is a bad, bad movie. There is really nothing that is redeeming or good about it. I was trying to find something, anything that would bring me back to thinking it may be okay. Tom Berenger is okay in this movie. He is still moving along like the original Jake Taylor. But, the bite from the first movie is gone. He is old, a has been now. He has settled down. He is a coach. He isn't the same guy we all grew to love in the first movie. Charlie Sheen cannot handle the role of trying to be the good guy millionaire that is trying to leave his old life behind. He is dull in this movie. He is boring. He is not funny. There aren't any jokes like he was popping off in the first movie. They completely recast Willie Mays Hayes. Wesley Snipes is gone. Omar Epps takes over. Epps is fine, but they never address the fact that it is a totally new actor playing a beloved character from the first movie. I think the writers just figured we wouldn't notice. That is a spit in the face to the viewer. I found this to be the most annoying part of watching this sequel. They totally changed Dennis Haysbert's Pedro Cerrano. He is a buddhist now, which I'm cool with, but what made him so great in the first movie is gone here. He was a silent homerun hitter who would curse out Joboo in the first movie. Now he is saving birds when he hits them with a ball. It is a bizarre, unnecessary change. Corbin Bernsen's character is relegated to owner, which is fitting, but he is annoying and flat out stupid in this movie. I do think Rachel Phelps, the old owner, knows what type of movie this is supposed to be, and she is okay in her very minimal role. And Bob Uecker is always electric. He is wonderful as the announcer. He always delivers. They bring on a few new characters, but they add nothing. Rube has a good joke in a minor monologue, but he is so dumb and so oblivious to the real world that it is hard to watch his performance. The "bad guy", Jack something or another, is a cliche dickhead of a baseball player. You hate him from the moment he steps on screen. He has none of the charisma that Clue Haywood had in the first movie. Randy Quaid's crazy ass is in this movie. He is dreadful and we all should have known that he wasn't all there just by watching him put on an abysmal show in this movie. And I cannot go without mentioning Tanaka. This is a very, very offensive portrayal of an Asian baseball player. I understand that work is work, and I'm sure he got paid well for this movie, but it is really tough to watch on screen. I don't get how some writers got away with this.

This is such a disappointing sequel to what I consider to be a classic. This is case and point for why some things are left at one. Certain movies and tv shows don't need sequels or prequels. It is fine to just leave some stuff in one version. I know that the third version of this series is even worse, but I'm still going to watch it. From what I remember there is a young Walton Goggins in the third movie. But man oh man is "Major League 2" a terrible, horrible, not nearly as fun sequel to the incredible "Major League". 

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 "A Quiet Place: Day One"

My wife and I went to see "A Quiet Place: Day One" last weekend. Our kids were staying with grandparents for an overnight visit, so we used that opportunity to go on a date. We went to a movie we wanted to see and had a nice, quiet dinner at home.

We saw the first two "Quiet Place" movies in the theaters as well. The original movie is incredible. It is truly unique. It has a totally different take on a post apocalyptic world. It was an interesting idea that really worked for me as a movie goer. I was all in on the sheer fact that John Krasinki was directing it, and the fact that it happened to work, that was an added bonus. The second installment I was a little cooler on. It is still a good movie, but it just didn't hold the same weight as the first one for me. I liked the idea of seeing the family move on now that the dad had died, but it was more of the same. I knew going in that the monsters attack based on sound, that they cannot see and that water is how you can somewhat defeat them. I was hoping for a little more from the deaf child, but I felt like they didn't push that narrative hard enough. That being said, I liked the whole idea of a town surviving in that world. I thought it was a cool concept. And, spoiler alert, to see how it all came crashing down was a devastating ending, but it was also well done and came across almost flawlessly.

Going into "Day One", I was both skeptical and excited. I was skeptical because we all know this story by now. If you have seen any of these movies, you know the jist. We get the nuance by now. We understand the rules. I was excited though because I wanted to see how this all started. I thought maybe we would get some kind of story telling us why and how the monsters came to Earth. And the fact that they were focusing this story solely in New York City, one of the loudest places on the planet, I was all in for them doing that. So, we got our popcorn and water, sat down in a very comfortable theater and sat back and watched.

We did not get a reason why the monsters attacked, but I was okay with that. I figure that if something like this happens, it will just happen. There doesn't need to be some bigger explanation as to why someone or something decides to attack. I assume with monsters like they have in these movies, they are just out for blood. And that is as acceptable a reason as I need. But, outside of that, this movie didn't really work for me. Lupita N'Yongo is fantastic. She is a damn fine actor and she more than pulled her weight here. But we already know how this all plays out. I wasn't as stoked on seeing the first day of this as I thought I would. When it happened in the movie I sat there and thought, okay, be quiet and get to water. I understand that the storytellers and actors have to do their job and pretend that they don't previously know all this stuff. But if you have seen any of these movies, just like I said above, we know the rules by now. I just didn't buy into the people and how they dealt with this horrific event like I did in the first movie. I already know what the monsters look like as well. And they look great in this movie, and we see them a ton, but the shock and awe wore off for me in the second installment. I didn't really buy any other actors' performances outside of NYong'o's. I wasn't as scared and jumpy as the previous movies made me.

I was talking to my wife and a friend of mine after seeing this movie and telling them that I think they have mined this idea for all it is worth. They can't really tell a new story at this point. They should have stopped after the first movie, but it was a surprise hit and the powers that be want all the money they can get. I get that, but what was once a really cool and different idea has become cliche and, for lack of a better word, boring. Monster movies shouldn't be boring. The monsters should make it exciting. And while I'm not fully on board with this movie, it is good, just not for me. The movie looks great, has one great performance and doesn't linger. But, I could figure out everything that was going to happen, and that is not something I'm always able to do.

Save yourself the time and just watch the first "Quiet Place". Or, if you're a completionist, watch "Day One" and only focus on Lupita N'yongo. She is the only good reason to see 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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SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.