Ty Watches "The Eternals"

Last Friday for date night my wife picked "Eternals". It was finally streaming, we both wanted to watch it, we are both Marvel fans and we figured if we started it early enough, we could watch it all in one sitting. We started it at 6:30pm our time, sent the kids downstairs and we were able to finish it in one sitting.

As I have been saying since 2022 started, I am being more hopeful this year, but man did I not like this movie much at all. It definitely had some solid parts. There was stuff that made me laugh. My son had to explain a few things, and when he did, I liked some of what I was seeing. I thoroughly enjoyed, spoiler alert, the mid credits scene with Harry Styles. I thought Kumail, the deaf lady and Brian Tyree Henry did a very good job in their roles. And it was visually beautiful. But this movie was boring. Angelina Jolie and Salma Hayek are barely in it. And Jolie's character had this cool glitch, but it was seemingly resolved with no real reason. I like the idea of giving no names, or up and coming names a shot, but when you throw Jolie and Hayek on posters, I was under the notion that they would be in the movie much more.

This movie did not feel like a Marvel movie. My wife and I almost simultaneously said it felt like a DC movie. Marvel movies are bright and fun and funny, even when they are bad. DC movies, even when they are good, are dour, sad affairs. That was what "Eternals" felt like to me. It was almost exclusively at night. And when it wasn't, the fight scenes were in the woods or in the clouds. Even the final battle was surrounded by erupting volcanoes which obscured a lot of my viewing experience. The villain was weird. There were absurd guitar riffs that seemed out of place. All of that stuff, the darkness and the crummy 80's esque hair metal music was so akin to what DC does. I mentioned a few times to my wife that this was more boring than "Thor 2", which is saying something when talking about Marvel movies.

What made me most annoyed, not even annoyed just kind of bummed out, the actors, minus the three I mentioned did not do great with the source material. The leading actors, Sersi and Ikaris, were way to melodramatic for these roles. I get they are supposed to be gods, but they were far too doom and gloom. They never seemed to have fun. Jon Snow, I do not know the actors names, sorry, was also barely in the movie, and he just seemed stuffed in for future "Eternals" movies. Everyone else treated the movie like it was a hard drama. I wanted so badly to have more Kumail in the movie because he was the only one that felt like he knew he was in a Marvel movie. He and Tyree Henry as well. They both had a good time with their roles. But not everyone else. And while I really enjoy Chloe Zao, "Nomadland" is amazing, she just does not seem to be a superhero movie director. And that is fine. She just took the material way, way, way too seriously. Superhero movies, for me, need to be like "Thor 3" or "Black Panther". Those movies are simply having a good time, with some little elements of drama. "Eternals" just took itself way too seriously and it made for a convoluted and dull movie. It simply wasn't for me.

Maybe I am not smart enough or I do not get what they were trying to do, but I did not like "Eternals". Oh well, maybe the second one will be more fun. I will be sitting here being hopeful.

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 "Silicon Valley" Series Finale

“Silicon Valley" ended its six year run on HBO last night. I have been a fan of the show since it started. I like Mike Judge, and I was on board right away with the casting of young, improvisers being put in major roles. I knew of Kumail Nanjiani from his standup only before this. Thomas Middleditch was a regular on podcasts and did improv shows that I would see on YouTube. I knew Martin Starr because he has had some roles in hit TV shows and movies. I, unfortunately, wrote a whole thing talking about how good TJ Miller was on the show, and it turns out, he is a scumbag. I wish I could take that one back. Zach Woods was familiar to me because of "The Office", but I had never seen him in such a big role. So, to see all these actors getting a real shot at something was great.

The beginning of the show did not disappoint. It was funny and active and well written and very well acted. They added the right people, told good stories and seemed like they were having so much fun making the show. I continued to watch because I am a loyalist, some may say OCD, but some of the stories started to feel stale and already done. But, it was still funny and still had the cast that I just talked about in glowing terms. So, I stuck with it. It was announced that this sixth season would be the last, and it felt like a fitting time to close all these stories. And this final season was a perfect send off for this show.

All of the people had made it to where they thought they wanted to be, but there was also that similar trouble that they ran into every season. Each episode portrayed that very well. I liked the new story lines and the added actors for this final season. And the finale was a great, great sendoff. I like how they did the flash forward and flash back. I liked how they showed them realize their dream from the first season, only to see that it wasn't what they expected, or even wanted, in the end. I like how they tied the main characters stories up. Each person, where they were 10 years in the future, made sense. To see Dinesh and Gilfoyle still working together, and still fighting one another was great. To see that Jared was working with old folks, and treating them like parental figures, was so very right for him. Seeing Big Head as the president of Stanford, it was fitting for the idiot that always failed upward throughout the series. Jian Yang taking over as Erhlich Bachman made me so very happy. I thought they were going to bring him back, and when they didn't, I was stoked. And making Richard a professor in "tethics" made me so happy and it made me laugh very hard as well. Oh, and Gavin Belson becoming a philanthropist and author was so fitting. He never really worked for anything after starting Hooli, yet he still was super rich because the super rich stay rich, somehow, The final scene with Richard was great as well because it showed that he never really grew out of his anxieties, or his absent mindedness. I also loved when they went back to the house they all started in and Jared took out the blue and yellow ball and they shouted "ALWAYS BLUE! ALWAYS BLUE!", until it was yellow. That is a throwback to the very early days of the show.

This was the perfect ending to a show that was very, very good. Mike Judge created a very cool world, made me interested in the tech world and got a great cast of people to put in his show. I will forever be a fan of his, and "Silicon Valley" is another feather in his cap. I cannot wait to see what he does next.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. Ty’s tv OCD is so bad that he feels the need to complete the entire arc of the “Saved By the Bell” universe. The new class is up next.

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" Silicon Valley" is Thriving Without TJ Miller.

Two episodes into "Silicon Valley" season 4, and I have got to say, the show does not miss TJ Miller one bit.

I have gone to bat for Miller on this website, but due to recent allegations, and his recent actions, I have lost a ton of respect for him. He was accused of harassment, and his choice to attack the lady that accused him was so bizarre and distasteful. Then, I have read story after story about how hard he was to work with during the last season of "Silicon Valley". He comes off as holier than thou, like a diva and someone that was just brutal to be round while filming. So, with all this, I was not sad to see him leave the show. Also, most of the stuff he has chosen to do since announcing his departure from "Silicon Valley" has been pretty rough (cough "The Emoji Movie cough). But, I was very curious to see how the show went on without his character, Ehrlich. He was one of the main guys after all. I'd say he was probably second in line to only Thomas Middleditch on the show. He was also very, very funny on the show. I enjoyed his portrayal of Ehrlich. I'm sure he was just being himself, a real asshole, but he was good at doing that.

Well, spoiler alert people, when Gavin Belson left him in that opium den at the end of the third season, I did not know how they would handle it this season. And, like I said at the top, 2 episodes in, they have done it very well. Jian Yang, the young Asian gentleman that lived in his house, the incubator they call it, has taken over control of the place. He hated Ehrlich, for many, many good reasons, and now, he is a younger, more heartless version. He has stopped at nothing so far to take over the house. He wants the place, and he wants it badly. His story line has been, quite possibly, my favorite part of this season so far. He has gone so far as to cremate an enormous pig just to prove that Ehrlich Bachmann is dead. His choice to continue to try and destroy him at the end of the second episode was epic. Changing the locks on the guys that used to live there at the end was cold blooded and awesome. Jian Yang has been amazing so far on the show.

As for the other characters, and their story lines, it has been seamless. Richard is still trying to create his new internet. He is solely focused on that and nothing else. Not seeing Midleditch and Miller in scenes together hasn't been nearly as weird as I thought it would be. Hendrix has his own things to do, and watching him code this past Sunday was pretty awesome. As far as Gilfoyle and Dinesh, Martin Starr and Kumail Nanjiani, go, they never really needed Ehrlich around. There whole thing since this show started was one upping each other, yet remaining friends. They are clearly best friends that just happen to hate one another. The chemistry between Nanjiani and Starr is pretty awesome. They work off one another so well and, next to Jian Yang, they are the absolute best part of this awesome show. Zach Woods is still all twitchy and weird and will stop at nothing to help Richard get Pied Piper, their company, off the ground and running. Woods' transformation as someone that worked for the bad guys first, Hooli, which is essentially Google, to where he is now just proves how great of a comic actor and improviser he is. He is just as good as every other main character on this show. Even the expanded role of Belson is totally worth not having TJ Miller on the show anymore. He has gone through tons of changes, is still super competitive and evil, and I cannot wait to see him and Richard come to the inevitable blows that this season is leading to. In last Sunday's episode, when Belson fires Banksy, that was comedic gold.

What this all boils down to is the genius of Mike Judge. To lose such an important character and not miss a beat speaks volumes to his talent as a writer and director. Some may have ended the show if they lost such an important piece, but Judge realized he still had a ton of talent, and now he is working in newer, younger talent that is probably not such a headache. I was more intrigued than skeptical how they approach the loss of Miller. But, they have handled it perfect and I still look forward to watching this show every week.

Losing TJ Miller has not made "Silicon Valley" worse. Quite the opposite has happened. New actors are getting more time to shine, and guys like Thomas Middleditch, Kumail Nanjiani, Zach Woods and Martin Starr are still crushing it. Everyone should still be watching "Silicon Valley" because it is so great. Well done Mr. Judge.

Ty

Better Late than Never on "The Big Sick"

I am finally getting caught up on TV shows and movies that I have meant to see, and I finally saw one of the movies that I really wanted to see it the theaters. That movie is "The Big Sick".  

I am a big Kumail Nanjiani fan. I love him as Dinesh on "Silicon Valley", I love his bit roles in some good and not so good movies and I have been a fan of his standup from day one. When I heard about this movie that he and his wife wrote, loosely based on their relationship, I was intrigued. Then, the movie got big time buzz when it was screened at a bunch of different festivals. Everyone was saying that they loved it. The movie sold after the Sundance Film Festival I believe, for somewhere in the 12 million dollar range. That is enormous for a movie that is basically an independent movie. This made me want to see the movie even more. Then the critical buzz came, and it was nothing but shine. Pretty much every critic found something to like about this movie. I do not usually care what critics say, but when a movie gets somewhere in the high 90's percent critical consensus on Rotten Tomatoes, that makes me think it is a movie worth checking out. I could not see it in the theaters, family and kid stuff got in the way. But, I finally saw it when it was released on DVD and Blu-Ray.

This movie is everything that the critics and the fans said it was. I love this movie so much. It is so touching and funny and sad and just perfect. This is a true star turning role for Kumail Nanjiani. He owns this movie. He is playing himself, but he brings such great emotion, perfect comic timing and just controls everything that this movie is supposed to be. It helps that he co wrote it, but damn it, was he great. Zoe Kazan, playing his now wife Emily, is just as good. She could have come off as a clichéd type love interest, but she is not. She is just as powerful and moving and funny, all the way up to when she is put in a coma. For those of you that don't know, Kumail met his wife Emily at a comedy club, they struck up a romance, broke up due to cultural stuff and then she got sick and was put in a medically induced coma. That is what "The Big Sick" is about. I'll touch more on the plot in a moment. Ray Romano and Holly Hunter are tremendous as Emily's folks. Holly Hunter is the fiery southerner who will do anything to get her daughter healthy. Ray Romano is great as the quieter, but can also be fiery, dad that has a troubled past. They are tremendous actors to begin with, and that shows in this movie. Kumail's family, Anupam Kher plays his dad and Zenobia Shroff plays his mom and Adeel Akhtar play his brother, are all wonderful. Every time that Kumail's mom brings an Indian woman over to meet Kumail, it is funny and awkward. Kumail's dad is a bit softer on him, but he still wants his son to be a faithful Muslim. Kumail's brother is hilarious. Every line he talks is so funny and witty and just perfect. As far as the other standouts from the movie, I love Aidy Bryant, Bo Burnham and Kurt Brauholer. They all play Kumail's friends that perform at stand up clubs in Chicago, in hopes of getting into the Montreal Comedy Festival. They each bring a different character to their roles, and they all nail it. Kurt Brauholer is truly wonderful as the comic that just shouldn't be doing standup.

Getting to the plot, "The Big Sick" is a great, modern love story about family and culture. It is amazing to me that people from Pakistan still believe in arraigned marriage. It was amazing to see Kumail express to his parents how he thinks this is not for him. To watch their disappointment, but then acceptance, is truly wonderful. To see the beginning, middle, break and reuniting of Kumail and Emily is so great, sad, funny and perfect. This movie perfectly captures what a new romance for people in their mid to late 20's is about. The stuff in the hospital, and at Emily and Kumail's apartments, with Kumail and Emily's parents is just awesome. Their distance, then getting close to each other is so great. Watching a boyfriend and the girlfriend's parents going through this horrific event is masterfully done in this movie.

"The Big Sick" is amazing. I really think everyone should see it. It is a movie that could have been ripe with clichés, but Emily Gordon, Kumail Nanjiani and Michael Showalter, the director, wouldn't allow that to happen. They are too talented for that. This movie is really, really good and my only gripe, I wish I had seen it sooner. I hope this brings on bigger and better things for Kumail, I guess it has, he just hosted "SNL", and Emily Gordon, because they deserve it. Watch this movie, it is a must see.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He had some cultural differences when he was dating his wife. She came from a culture where she was good looking, and he came from one where he was ugly. They worked their way through the differences.

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Cloves and Fedoras: Ty encourages you to join "The Meltdown"

Cloves and Fedoras is Seed Sings reviews for little known pieces of pop culture (or older pieces).  Feel free to contact us with your own submissions of undiscovered gems that must be known.

Tonight on Comedy Central the second season of "The Meltdown with Jonah and Kumail" premiers at12:30am/11:30pm central time.

Being a fan of stand up comedy, especially alt comedy, I'm very excited for this show to be back. It's a simple premise. Jonah Ray(from his podcast "Jonah Raydio") and Kumail Nanjiani(from his two podcasts, "Indoor Kids" and "The X Files Files" and the TV show "Silicon Valley") host a standup show in the basement of a comic book store. This is a great showcase for comics that aren't on the level of a Louis CK or even a Nick Swardson, both I'm a big fan of, but for comics that are contemporaries of Jonah Ray and Kumail Nanjiani. That's not to say that pretty famous people don't appear on season one. One episode ended with Weird Al Yankovic doing a pretty awesome and hilarious music medley. Nick Offerman, you may know him as Ron Swanson from "Parks and Recreation", shows up and works on his standup. Marc Maron, the podcaster that just interview President Obama, did two sets on season one. Those are some big time names in comedy. But, while having these famous people on, this show is more for up and coming alt comics. People like Gabe Liedman and Jenny Slate did their routine in season one. Neal Brennan CRUSHED during his five minute set. Garfunkel(Riki Lindholm) and Oates(Kate Micucci) did their comedy music on an episode. I'm a big fan of all these comics and this was the perfect showcase for them.

The Meltdown has been going on for a decent amount of time, but Comedy Central decided to make it a TV show last year. That was a great decision by them. Jonah Ray and Kumail Nanjiani make a great team hosting the show. They're both great standup comics in their own right, but the two of them hosting this show as a pair is phenomenal. They have a great back and forth and their "yes anding" is top of the line. They're so funny.

Another cool thing about the show, you get to see the comics hanging out backstage. One episode last season had Doug Benson on and while he was performing, Jim Gaffigan was backstage giving Doug Benson a hard time, totally throwing him off his timing while doing his set. It was hilarious. Backstage, we get to see Nanjiani's wife, Emily V Gordon doing her thing. She basically runs the whole show. She gets the comics on stage when they're up and keeps things fun and loose backstage. She's pretty great at her job. This season has pretty great lineup from what I've seen so far. Comics like, Ron Funches, Brett Gelman, Cameron Esposito, Kurt Braunholer, the girls from "Broad City", and one of my personal favorites, Hannibal Burress. This show is really awesome and it's an excellent showcase for these comedians. Everybody needs to get on board with this show so that Comedy Central will continue to air it. I highly recommended watching it.

It's fantastic.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for Seed Sing.  He practices his stand-up in the basement with his three year old. Follow him on twitter @tykulik.