Ty Watches "Spaceman"

I'm going out of town for the rest of the week tomorrow, thus meaning I'm going to take the rest of the week off after today, but I wanted to leave you all with my review of the new Adam Sandler Netflix movie, "Spaceman". I will be back next week, but I wanted to get one more in before taking a few days off.

I was excited to see this movie. I am a big, unabashed Adam Sandler fan. I enjoy most of his stuff. There are definite duds, but for the most part, Sandler's stuff entertains me. And his recent stuff I have truly enjoyed. I loved "Hustle". "Uncut Gems" is one of the best movies I've ever watched. So, to see him take on another hard drama role, I was intrigued. He has been knocking it out of the park lately. I also like Paul Dano, Carey Mulligan and Isabella Rosselini, all of whom are cast in this movie. And I am lukewarm on Kunaal Nayar, who I only know from "The Big Bang Theory", a show I have only ever seen bits and pieces of. I have never watched a full episode of that show. So, this movie had a ton going for it before I even turned it on.

After watching and thinking about it this morning, I think the movie is fine. It isn't great and it isn't bad. It has good moments that seem to be buttressed by boring or dull moments. The performances are wonderful. I have to say that. Sandler nailed it again. He is a good actor. He knows what to do when given good work to act from. He also does good work when a director kind of pushes him to do good stuff. He delivers in this movie. I bought him as a lonely Russian astronaut. I was with him throughout the whole movie. I was sad when he was sad. I was lonely when he was lonely. It was a job well done. Carey Mulligan is about as reliable as it gets. She does very good work with a smaller role here. She is the co-star here. She is second on the call sheet. But she gives a very heartfelt, very meaningful performance. I enjoy her work. Ever since I saw "Promising Young Woman" I have been onboard for Mulligan's work in movies. Isabella Rosellini was hardly in the movie, but she has this air about her. She is a true legend and she brings in when she is cast. Kunaal Nayar was very good here. I dug his work in this movie. I also liked his time appropriate moustache. He did a solid job here. And Paul Dano, lending only his voice, was creepy and monotone and awesome. This is what I have come to expect from him. Everyone did their job and did it well. I have no qualms with the acting here.

My issue, the movie got very boring at times. It also came off pretentious from time to time. There are shots of Sandler in space that seem to stay on an image far too long. I understand that the mission needs to be addressed, but I don't have to see the same purple space scene over and over again for long stretches of time. There is also some stuff with the look and the dialogue that comes off a bit pretentious. This is a love story, but I don't need some stuff jammed in my face as a viewer. I get it. I understand what they are going after. But it came off weird for me sometimes. I feel like they could have cut the movie by about 20 minutes, make it a nice 85 minute long movie, and they would have had a hit on their hands. But, with the direction they chose, this is going to be a forgotten movie for some fans of the actors. It will kind of come and go.

Did I like it? Sure. Will I watch it again? No. But don't let that cloud your judgement. By all means, watch this movie, if only for Dano's role. It is different and weird and I truly loved his work in this movie. Otherwise, maybe skip this movie if you are on the fence. 

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 Trailer for "Spaceman"

Yesterday I watched the trailer for the movie "Spaceman". This is the new Adam Sandler movie that premieres on Netflix in March. Let’s discuss.

I have been an Adam Sandler fan from the moment I first saw "Billy Madison". I then went back and watched his stint on "SNL", and pretty much all of his other stuff. He had a fan for life from then on out. I even saw "Little Nicky" in theaters, on my birthday. I watched both "Grown Ups" movies in the theater. I have never finished "Ridiculous 6". I enjoy Sandler's work and will continue to watch almost everything he is involved in. So, this new movie "Spaceman" got my attention simply because I saw Sandler in a picture for the trailer.

I watched it, and I am amped to see it in a little over two months. The movie looks very cool. I am a fan of sci-fi space movies. The set alone will draw me in no problem. I like movies that take place in space because I know I will never go into space. So, I like to see how these writers and actors portray that on screen. I love the "Alien" franchise, minus some of the newer movies. "Blade Runner" is one of my all time favorite movies. I really loved watching "Gravity" in 3-D. That was the best way to watch that movie. That was the closest I think I will get to feeling like I'm in space. I'm a sucker for a space movie. So, I was sold based on that alone. Then I watched and focused on the story. I am all in now. It is about some NASA employees that go on lone space missions. They study and record what life is like, alone in space. I got a real "Black Mirror" vibe from the trailer. Carey Mulligan plays Sandler's wife, and she is one of the best actors in Hollywood. She always brings it, always does a great job and brings brevity to any movie she is in. In this trailer that comes across tenfold. Once she shows up I have an immediate reaction thinking this is an upper tier movie. Then the trailer tells us the movie is written by the people that wrote "Chernobyl". I never saw that show, but from what I read, it was pretty amazing and very grim. These are three key facts that very much intrigue me. As I said before, I'm all in on this movie. Throw in the fact that Paul Dano plays a talking spider, that is icing on the cake. This movie is going to be weird and awesome, hopefully. I cannot wait.

I also want to say, I love this new direction Sandler is going with his movie choices. He is doing some really interesting stuff and I'm here for it. I loved "Uncut Gems". It is a little overlong, but that movie is intense and Sandler crushes it in the lead role. It is criminal that he didn't get awards consideration. Then he did "Hustle". I like that movie even more. I am a sucker for basketball movies and Adam Sandler movies. Combine those two, what a recipe for success. "Hustle" also happens to be a very well made, well written and well acted movie. And now we have "Spaceman". Sandler is on a roll of movies that speak to me as a fan. These are not outrageous comedies, which he already has done and perfected. These aren't movies where he is letting his buddies goof around. These aren't paycheck movies that he is making to just get paid. He is taking real chances on interesting and different styles of movie. I love that and I love that he is stretching his chops. I hope he keeps doing cool stuff like this for a good long while. This 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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An Ode to the Great Movies from the Safdie Brothers

While channel surfing the other day I came across the movie "Good Time". For those that may not know, "Good Time" stars Robert Pattinson and Benny Safdie. They are brothers who are running from the police after a bank robbery gone wrong. Safdie is the brother with a problem and Pattinson is the brother trying to help the only way he knows how.

This movie is incredible. This is the third time I have watched it and it gets better every time. Pattinson delivers a powerhouse performance. This is the movie that I saw him in when I realized he could really act, that he wasn't just the kid from "Twilight". He and Kristen Stewart have gone on to have very successful careers since that movie.

What stood out most this time from watching "Good Time" was the direction of the Safide brothers. They both directed the movie. Benny Safdie was also in it, but he and his brother, Josh, are credited as co directors. This movie is anxiety riddled. It is fueled with intense moments. I found myself on the edge of my seat and I already knew what was going to happen. But watching Pattinson running around New York with all kinds of shady people made this movie that much more intense. Whether he is trying to break his brother out of a hospital with a police guard standing watch, or tricking a family into letting him in, or dealing with a formerly incarcerated alcoholic, it is all just pure chaos in the best possible way.

The Safdie brothers seem to thrive on making movies that freak you out without having jumor scares or built in scary stuff. There is a scene in "Good Time" where they are at a theme park after dark, and when Pattinson's character turns all the lights on, the noise from the park scares me. I think that is because I am so caught up in the madness that is occurring at any given moment. And nearly the exact same thing happens with the other Safdie brothers movie I have seen, "Uncut Gems". "Uncut Gems" is one of the best movies I have ever watched. They take another actor, Adam Sandler, and put him in these crazy situations, all of his own doing by the way, and Sandler nails it. It is his best non comedic performance in my opinion. When Sandler has good writers and directors attached to a genre he may not be all that comfortable with, he usually delivers. The Safdie brothers made a movie that fits that perfectly. Sandler is a degenerate gambler and habitually cheater in "Uncut Gems". He is slimy and smarmy. He treats people like human ATM machines. And he does pay a horrific price in the end, but again, it is all because he doesn't know when to quit. And the Safide brothers do a wonderful job of showing his day to day life in this movie. It is also anxiety fueled. There are moments in "Uncut Gems" that scare me and it is not a scary movie. The Safdie brothers get a tremendous performance from Kevin Garnett, who is essentially playing a heightened version of himself. They got The Weekend to play a total scumbag in this movie, and he nailed it. Idina Menzel, who plays Sandler's wife, is not your typical put upon wife in this movie. She is tough as nails and commits. I really feel like that is due to Safdie brothers direction. "Uncut Gems" is a must see movie. It was the last movie I saw in the theaters prior to the pandemic, and I was stoked to tell people that.

I guess what I am trying to get at today is how well the Safide brothers make these specific types of movies. They are scary without being horror. They have funny moments without being a comedy. These are crazy dramatic scenes without their movies being full on dramas. I don’t really know how to categorize their movies, and maybe that is exactly how they want it to be. All I know is, I am a fan of their work and I cannot wait to see what they do next. I read they are working with Sandler again, so that could be very cool. Until their new project comes out at least I have "Good Time" and "Uncut Gems" to hold me over when I want to be stressed out in a good way while watching a movie.

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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Ty Watches "Hustle"

I finished "Hustle" last night. I have been wanting to watch this movie since I first heard about it. I am a sucker for movies like these. It is a genre I am quite fond of.

“Hustle” is about a down on his luck basketball scout that finds a diamond in the rough. It tugs at my heartstrings. Growing up I used to watch movies like "Blue Chips", "The Air Up There" and "Cool Runnings" constantly. I couldn't get enough of the whole underdog scenario. As I get older I still watch a very high number of sports movies. I used to devour "The Program". That is a terrible movie, but it is about college football and Michigan wins their game in it. "He Got Game" is still one of my all time favorites. I adore the original "Space Jam". I love a movie like "Major League". I will even get down with some of the sports movies people consider not so great. So "Hustle" is my type of movie. Add on the fact that Adam Sandler is the star and LeBron James is producing. That is icing on the cake. I was in before I even watched one second.

Fortunately, for me, the movie is very well made. Sandler is excellent. This is further proof that Sandler can do more than comedy. He has a few funny lines here and there, but this is way more of a drama, and he nails it. It is akin to "Uncut Gems", except he isn't so slimy, or "Punch Drunk Love", except he isn't a pushover in this. Sandler is in his pocket and doing great, great things here. I was so happy to see him acting so well. I could say the same for a number of the other actors. Robert Duvall brings an air of gravitas to his very small role. Queen Latifah is simply wonderful as Sandler's wife. Kenny Smith, in what I believe is his first fiction role, is magnetic and believable as a super agent. There are tons of NBA players playing themselves, and that is perfect for a movie like this. Ben Foster is a total scumbag and he pulls it off. Heidi Gardner is stretching her "SNL" legs and she does a formidable job. Jaleel White is in this and I did not see Urkel once in him. But, outside of Sandler there were two other standout roles. First off Anthony Edwards plays a young brash soon to be first round pick named Kermit in this movie. He is awesome. He was, quite possibly, my favorite part of the whole thing. He is cocky and can back it up. He talks shit. He has a line where he asks a player where he is from and the player says Spain. Edwards says to him, and I quote, "that shit sounds wack". It was the funniest and best line in the whole movie. Edwards was phenomenal. But this was Juancho Hernangomez's movie. He is the player that Sandler's character is trying to get to the NBA. I think it was a brilliant move by the people involved to get a non superstar in this role. He isn't a big name so not everyone knows who he is, but he is in the league so the training and game play stuff looked and felt real. It was wonderful. Seeing him go through drills and get better felt very, very real. When he plays with NBA stars in this movie you believe he has the skill. He can play with these guys because he actually does. When he goes up against Edwards' character part of me felt like the director just let the camera roll and this was real gameplay. It totally worked. I applaud the decision to cast a guy like Juancho Hernangomez. This movie is a true crowd pleaser. You will find yourself rooting for this young man. This is a movie that people who don't like basketball will enjoy. It helps to know who everyone is while watching, but even if you don't, this is a story about redemption and overcoming obstacles. I don't know too many people who dislike stuff like that. There is cliche stuff and the movie is paint by numbers, but dammit it works. They got it right.

I highly, highly recommend this movie. I have already watched it again with my son, who is obsessed with the NBA, and he loves it too. Check out "Hustle". 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.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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Ty Watches "Uncut Gems"

Hello all. I am back from my week off, and I do have some very solid ideas for pieces I will be writing this week, and today I want to start off with something I have wanted to write since my birthday. I couldn't write it then because the movie wasn't released in Saint Louis yet. But, the movie came out here on Xmas eve, and I finally went to see "Uncut Gems" yesterday.

I tried to wait to write all of my "Best Of" because I wanted to see this movie because I assumed it would be on my list. Had I waited a bit longer, it would have been either number 1 or 2. I loved every single second of this movie. I read some audience reviews the day before seeing it because I was interested, and the people who gave it bad reviews were upset by the "vulgarity", "people talking over one another" and how "violent" the movie was. I guess the people who saw this movie expected a typical Adam Sandler movie. Well, it is nothing like a typical Sandler movie.

First off, this is an A24 movie. This movie was not from Happy Madison, so he had no producing credit, and pretty much no say as to how the movie was made. Also, the movie is rated R, they state that it is due to violence, language and sexual situations. So, seeing that, the people that may not have expected that, or liked it, should have known better. Finally, the "talking over everyone", a big part of the movie takes place in a busy jewelry shop in downtown NYC. The talking loudly over one another is exactly what I think it is in downtown NYC.

So, I am glad that I pushed those reviews out of mind, and went anyway. "Uncut Gems" was also, probably, my most anticipated movie of the year. I am a big time Adam Sandler fan, and when he does stuff like this, dramatic and sinister stuff, I am all in for it. I like it when actors try something out of their comfort zones, and Sandler absolutely crushes in this movie. He is exactly what I think a degenerate, cheating, scummy and down on his luck compulsive gambler is really like. He has zero redeeming qualities, and I think that is the point. I don't feel like we are supposed to root for him, or anyone for that matter, in this movie. There is no hero, no bad guys, just scummy people. And Sandler was king of them all. He was so good in this movie. I cannot overstate that enough. I hope he gets awards recognition, because he 100 percent deserves it. He should get all the accolades. I would love to see him get an Oscar nomination of this role. He is that good.

And he wasn't the only person that was great. Everyone did a splendid job. Kevin Garnett, in his acting debut, was incredible. He is such a charismatic dude, and that comes across tenfold. Julia Fox, who is relatively new, at least to me, was great. She is Sandler's girlfriend, on the side, and she is just as slimy as him. Lakeith Stanfield is quickly turning into one of my favorite actors. His scenes with Sandler in this movie are perfection. Also, his orange hooded sweatshirt at The Weekend's show, that is a beautifully shot scene. Idina Menzel, Sandler's wife in the movie, is so good as the woman who is fed up with her husband. The scene where she tells him off at his folks house during Passover is amazing. Judd Hirsch is solid in his minor role. The Weekend is one hell of a singer. The guys that play Sandler's brother's bodyguards are perfectly cast as the type of dudes that would do that job for a living. The kids in the movie were good. The acting was great across the board.

I also really dug the way the Safdie Brothers directed the movie, and had the movie scored. The while thing is frantic and fast paced and doesn't let you take a breath. I feel like they want you to be pushed to the brink with this movie, and they nail it. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time, and that ending, no spoilers, took me by complete surprise. All the stuff leading up to that, it was perfectly directed. I heard some say the score was odd, I disagree. I truly enjoyed it, and felt it added another cool feel to the movie. It was different and pushed my anxiety to the brink just like the scenes in the movie did.

I was predisposed to enjoy this movie. I really like what the Safdie Brothers do, "Good Time" is great, I am a big time Sandler fan, I like movies like this and was highly anticipating it. It met my expectations and then some. I took my dad to the movie with me, and was curious how he felt. He said it started a little slow for him, but once it picked up, he was fully on board. That is high praise coming from my father. So, the fact that "Uncut Gems" won him over as well, that is another feather in its cap. I think this movie will find a huge audience when it hits streaming, but I will say, I went to a 9:40 am showing on a Sunday morning, and the theater was about 60 percent full. That also made me happy.

Go see "Uncut Gems", in the theaters if you can. This is a very good movie, it proves that the Safdie's are legit filmmakers and that Adam Sandler is more than just a Netflix, goofy movie making actor. Given solid direction, and the right material, he can be a very, very good actor. He was awesome.

Ty

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

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

The Greatest Television Ever: "Undeclared"

Getting back to our debate about great TV shows, TV moments and seasons of certain shows, I'm going to talk about one of my favorite shows that only got one short, 17 episode season, but it was a phenomenal season and very memorable. The show I'm going to talk about today is "Undeclared".

"Undeclared" is one of the best, most underrated shows of all time. It was so far ahead of it's time and anyone that watched the show, and spent at least one semester in college, could relate to it 100 percent. "Undeclared" is the best representation of everyone's freshman year in college. Every topic they covered in their lone season, every college student went through one way or another. It was that relatable.

Take their pilot episode. Steven(Jay Baruchel), meets his roommates, Ron(Seth Rogen), Lloyd(Charlie Hunnam) and Marshall(Tim Sharpp) and they are stand offish at first because that's how 18 year olds act when they first meet. It doesn't help that Steven's dad, played by Loudon Wainwright, won't leave his side because he's depressed about his divorce and the fact that his son his going away to college. Steven also meets Lizzie(Carla Gallo) and he's immediately smitten. He was a nerdy high school kid that never really had any girlfriends, so he figures college is the perfect chance to change his image. He wants to be a cool guy now and he tries this on Lizzie, and it works. She sleeps with him that night, but we come to find out later that she has an older boyfriend, played by Jason Segel, that lives back home. Lizzie only slept with Steven because she was fighting with her boyfriend, and she wanted to get revenge. Steven thinks that they are now a couple, but after many conversations with his roommates, he comes to realize that he was just a pawn and that Lizzie wasn't going to leave her boyfriend. This is a great representation of all the things that could go wrong on your first day of college. Crazy stuff can happen that will forever alter your life.

We also meet Lizzie's roommate in the pilot, Rachel(Monica Keena), and she's one of the first characters I'd ever seen on TV that showed the same type of anxiety that I had when I went away to college. She was frightened, lonely and missed her high school friends and her family. I personally related to all of that. Now, Monica found ways to deal with her anxiety and her character only grew from there. I wimped out and left college after one semester.

That first episode had it all. It one hundred percent got the first day of college correct. I was hooked. Look at some of those names I mentioned too. People like Jay Baruchel, Seth Rogen, Charlie Hunnam and Jason Segel were all still relative unknowns while on this show. Now, most of them have had very successful careers, especially Rogen and Segel.

Back to some of the themes in the episodes that epitomize freshman year of college. There's an episode where Steven decides he wants to join a fraternity and he is put through hell, only to get his revenge on the president of the frat, played by Samm Levine. This episode was great. They made Steven do some stupid, childish things that no person should be made to so, but that's what dumbass fraternity guys do. Steven gets fed up, and with the constant urging from his roommates to not even join the frat, Steven and his roommates come up with a plan to make the president of the frat do the same stupid stuff. And, after they catch him and try to force him to eat an entire jar of pickles, he relents and says that all the frat stuff is stupid and lets Steven walk with no consequences. Or, there's the episode centered around Marshall's crush on Monica. Monica is so sweet and nice, but she is oblivious to Marshall's feelings and after she finally realizes this, it's too late to tell him she just wants to be friends, Marshall is in too deep and he will always love Monica. She doesn't reciprocate the feelings, but they stay friends throughout the show's run. We could talk about any episode with Lloyd and how he is a total ladies man and the envy of his roommates, but how not every girl is receptive to his moves. He has the smooth English accent, and while it works on most ladies, there is an episode where it totally backfires and he has to lick his wounds and realize that he may not be the ladies man he has made himself out to be. The character of Lloyd is a perfect portrayal of the student that comes from overseas and thinks they are the coolest guy, but they are just like every one else in college, just trying to find their way. They also have run ins with RA's, they go to a live Adam Sandler show and then get to hang out with him and his crew afterward, they have dorm parties and they talk and deal with the good and the bad like any real life college student would.

"Undeclared" is excellent. This show also had some huge guest stars. Some were recurring, others may have been on only once or twice. I just mentioned Adam Sandler, but some other guests were Jenna Fischer as a badass sorority girl, Amy Poehler as an over sexualized RA obsessed with Lloyd, Fred Willard as a professor that's lost his love for teaching, Will Ferrell as a Ritalin dealer that also has answer keys to finals and Martin Starr as Steven's super nerdy high school best friend. This was another Judd Apatow show that Fox gave up on way too early, much like "Freaks and Geeks". Apatow had a knack for grabbing these certain moments in young kids lives and portraying them perfectly for the TV viewing public. He hasn't made many great movies lately, but I will always be thankful to him for creating "Freaks and Geeks" and, more importantly for me, "Undeclared".

If you haven't watched "Undeclared", go back and check it out. I believe it may be streaming on Netflix (ed note: It unfortunately left Netflix late last year). and it is well worth your time. You'll thank me after you watch it, I promise you that, especially if you spent at least one semester in college. It is very, very relatable and extremely well made.

I will always have a spot in my heart for the great "Undeclared".

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man podcast. He left college because they had no major for podcasting, since the term and technology was yet to be invented. You must absolutely follow Ty on twitter @tykulik.

Ty's Mount Rushmore of Comedy Greats

I was pretty funny back in the day

I'm a huge fan of stand up comedy. I go to a ton of shows, I own a lot of comedy records, I watch specials on Netflix, Comedy Central, Showtime, basically any channel that puts comedy specials on and I listen to, primarily, comedy podcasts. I just love comedy and I devour it.

I've been thinking a lot lately about what four comedians would make my personal Mount Rushmore of stand up comics. A lot of people have crossed my mind. I'm a bit too young for guys like George Carlin or Bob Newhart. I like their stuff a lot, but it was well before my time. Some people my age really like guys like Adam Sandler, Dane Cook and David Spade. I used to like all three of these guys, mainly Sandler, but as I've grown up, their comedy does nothing for me now. It's hackneyed and tired. I'm a humongous fan of the alternative comedy scene that's blowing up right now, but, guys and girls like Doug Benson, Jen Kirkman, Maria Bamford, John Mulaney, Pete Holmes and The Sklar Brothers, just to name a few, have a long, long way to go to be on anyone's Mount Rushmore. I also love improv comedy. I really like people that can make you laugh by simply using a suggestion from the audience. People like Matt Besser, Eugene Cordero, Jon Gabrus, Amy Poehler and Lauren Lapkus are super, super talented, but they don't make my cut. I love all of these comedians, but there are four that stand head and shoulders above the rest, in my opinion. I'll count them down from four to one and tell you why they made my Rushmore. Let's get started.

Coming in at number four is the wonderful Tig Notaro. She's a comic genius. Her delivery is so perfect for her style of comedy. She's has a monotone, slower delivery that, when she hits that punchline, it totally pays off. She's silly without acting silly. She has a very calm demeanor while on stage. Her new special was fantastic, but I always go back to her album "Live". This was the album she put out right after she was diagnosed with cancer, she had a very rare, very intense disease that was literally eating her insides, her girlfriend just broke up with her and her mom unexpectedly died after hitting her head. She had all these terrible problems going on and she went on stage and let it all out for the audience that night. It's sad, it's heart breaking, it's devastating, but she makes it funny. She is such a tremendous comic that is finally getting the respect that she deserves. Tig Notaro is a powerhouse and everyone needs to check her out. She's awesome.

The third head on my mountain is Hannibal Burress. He's the youngest one on the list, but he is an absolutely hilarious stand up that is totally blowing up right now. He's part of the alt scene, but he's also a huge sports fan and a fan of rap music. That's not very common in the alt scene right now. He has some great bits about the NBA and when he makes fun of rap lyrics in his live shows, it's some of the funniest stuff I've ever seen. He also talks about the problems with meeting people and being young in Hollywood. He has some great bits about things I'd never think was funny. Talking about pickle juice or his first name or searching for jobs, he makes these everyday problems hilarious. I've seen him twice the past two years and each time, he absolutely destroys. I know he's gained a lot of notoriety for his Cosby bit, but he was up and coming well before that blew up. He is also a very funny writer and actor. He wrote for "SNL" and "30 Rock" and his stuff was great. He's also got his own show on Comedy Central, which I've written about, and he's fantastic on "The Eric Andre Show". Hannibal Burress is only going to get bigger and bigger. He's on his way to super stardom.

Number two was my introduction to the world of stand up comedy, Brian Regan. I was given his first stand up album by a friend of mine and I listened and laughed at that record so much, I had to buy three more copies because I kept wearing them out. He is also a "clean" comic. That means he doesn't swear during his live sets. In this day and age, that's incredible. He is a show man in every sense of the word. He is constantly moving on stage, his facial and body expressions add so much to his shows and he is the master at delivering a punch line. It's been said, in the comedy community, that he's one of the hardest comedians to follow. He crushes so hard, that the audience is all laughed out by the time the next comic comes up. That's the highest compliment a stand up can get, if you ask me. I've seen Regan five times live, and each show is better than the last. He sells out arenas and theaters no matter where he goes and his fans adore him. He's the only stand up that I've seen that does encores. He comes out and does one of his many famous jokes and the audience eats it up. I'm so glad that I was introduced to Brian Regan, He literally changed my life when it comes to stand up comedy. I had to find more people that did this because it was so funny and so great. Without Regan, I may have never gotten into stand up comedy.

Which brings me to the only comedian that surpasses Regan and that's Louis C.K. I mean, he is literally a genius. He's one of the hardest working people, not only in comedy, but in show business. Not only does he star in the best show on TV, "Louie", but he writes, directs, edits and produces it. That's so much work and he does it so very well. He also releases a new special every year with brand new material. Imagine how hard that must be. To come up with an entire new hour in comedy has to be one of the hardest things to do. I hear other stand ups talk about how it takes them 18 months to 2 years to come up with a new hour. Louis C.K. does that every single year, while doing his show and acting in movies and other TV shows. In his stand up, he talks about everyday life and it's completely relatable. He talks about kids, work, family and friends and he does it very vulgar and very, very hilariously. Go back and watch any one of his specials and I guarantee you will love it and laugh your ass off. There is nobody better in the comedy game right now than Louis C.K. I cannot end this blog without mentioning that he wrote and directed one of mine and out editor's favorite movies, "Pootie Tang". Next time you watch "Pootie Tang" think about that and you will fall in love with the movie. Louis C.K. is a true comedy genius and he's a once in a lifetime legend that I will always hold in very high regard. He's the best.

So, that's my Mount Rushmore of stand up comedians. I love these four people and I love that they are all still producing new material. It gets no better than these four comedians.  

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man podcast. His current source of high comedy comes from the jokes his three year old hears in pre-school. Follow Ty on twitter @tykulik.