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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Best of 2019: Best of Everything Else

Super writer/critic extraordinaire Ty has already covered the best albums, the best movies, the best television shows, the best podcasts, and the best sports moments of 2019. Today I am going to give the rest of the stuff of 2019 some love. We will cover books, tech, video games, and a few other corners of society not given the top five/ten treatment by our publications. Let’s get started.

Best Video Game of 2019

Untitled Goose Game is the game we needed in our lives at this very moment in history. It appeals to young and old alike, and for very different reasons. I talked with a nine year old about the game, and then spun the game as an allegory for President Trump.

As for the game itself? You are a goose, and you are here to terrify a small village. You get from place to place by solving puzzles that involve your goose stealing things, scaring kids, and causing general mayhem.

It is awesome.

Best Movie Trailer for a Movie Released in 2019

This should have been the first trailer for Joker, but then Cats came along. A movie trailer needs to be memorable, and oh boy was the Cats trailer memorable for all the wrong reasons. The movie looked horrifying and stupid at the same time. I spent most of my time watching and rewatching the trailer asking myslef why would such an such actor be in this thing. My answers never came. Cats shows us that the best of us need to be told every now and then. The trailer was our first warning.

Best Movie trailer for a Movie Released after 2019

In 2019, the DC movie Universe started to catch up with Marvel. Aquaman came out in late 2018, but was the top movie in the early months of 2019. Shazam was a modest hit, and well like by the critics and the audience. Joker was a megahit and the most talked about movie of the year. Then around Thanksgiving we were given our first look at Wonder Woman 1984. The setting was spot on, the music was incredible, and the movie itself looks amazing. June 5th, 2020 cannot get here soon enough.

Best Book of 2019

Great new books come out every year. What is truly the best is usually left up to a person’s personal preference. Many times the best book we read in a given year came out in a previous year. The best book for 2019, or the most important to read book, is George Orwell’s 1948 novel 1984.

In 1948, George Orwell understood the dangers of screaming fake news and blind loyalty to a government that has an agenda counter to the benefit of the people they serve. In 2019 we live in 1984’s world, and we do not care. It could never happen to us is what we said when we first read Orwell’s dystopic story. In 2019 we need to read 1984 to acknowledge the fact we live in this society.

Best Tech of 2019

It is hard to judge new technology until we have seen it in action for a year or more. All the big tech sites with praise anything Apple, and then quietly say how bad the tech was years later, see the Apple Pencil and Macbook keyboard.

Apple is not alone in the blind praises bestowed by the tech media on the companies and personalities the writers so desperately want to have access to. That is why the Tesla Cybertruck is the best tech of the year.

The cybertruck look stupid, it will be grotesquely overpriced, and it will be bested by a real car company in the not so distant future, but the Cybertruck will be considered the first heavy duty pickup to normalize the idea of an all electric truck for the masses. In the not so distant future when Tesla is gone, the tech media will continue to remind us that the Cybertruck was “first”. They will not be totally wrong.

Best Written Thing on the Internet

In 2019 the website Deadspin.com entered a death spiral. The owners decided to lay down the law on the creators, and the creators revolted. The end of one of the most important internet sites had dawned. Before the true endgame, former editor Megan Greenwell wrote an insightful and scathing piece about the current state of internet journalism. We live in a world where traditional journalism, i.e. newspapers, radio, and televsion, has been sacrificed on the alter of capitalism. The internet was where real journalism was still breathing it’s survival breaths. Then the corporate raiders came for the internet. Clicks, likes, and trash were valued more than the talents of creators. Megan Greenwell saw this, was fired, and then left the last parting shot. Forget about all the “traditional” media think pieces on the world around us. Megan Greenwell gave us a true look into the future we are moving towards. Read her words and be wary.

Best Visual Thing on the Internet

The Peloton is stupid. Exercise is good, but the cult like, false view of wealth, that the Peloton sells is poisonous. The company/cult’s newest ad reflects the toxic image the overpriced spin bike is selling.

Enter a hero. Ryan Reynold’s owns a gin called Aviator and he sought out the woman in the Peloton ad. Together they made the greatest ad of the year. Who knew that gin was more progressive, and respectful, than an exercise device. Now we know.

These are just a few of the things I saw in 2019 that made an impact. While companies like Peloton and any trust fund idiot that owns a website tried to push society backwards, we had heroes like Megan Greenwell, Ryan Reynolds, and an untitled goose to give us the catharsis we need. In 2019 we were also gifted with the reminder of what was warned in 1948, and we were able to observe pop culture’s hubris with Cats. All in all there were scares and hope in the year 2019 of the common era.

Bring on the 20’s.

RD

RD Kulik is the Head Editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Ty Watches "Detective Pikachu"

As RD and I talked about on a recent podcast, I did take my kids, mostly because my son begged me, to see "Detective Pikachu". I talked on that pod how I was kind of reluctant to see the movie. I am a Pokémon novice. More correctly, I know next to nothing about Pokémon. I do know who Pikachu is. I know some other names of some other Pokémon. I knew that Ryan Reynolds was the voice of Pikachu. But, other than that, I was lost. My kids uncle did come with us, and thankfully, he knew a ton about Pokémon. He was able to talk to my son about everyone in the movie. He knew just as much, if not more, than he did, so it was nice for my son to have someone who he could converse with about the deep characters in the movie.

All of this leads me to my personal review of the movie. "Detective Pikachu", from a true outsider's perspective, was an odd, but fun movie. I do need to say, the look and feel of the movie was pretty cool. This movie took a real shot, and I think they hit a double. No homerun, not even a triple, but they accomplished a little something that made it memorable for me, and it has nothing to do with the story. The story, if there was one, was absurd, but I expect that from a Pokémon movie. That is my one very nitpicky thing about the movie. From an adult, and a parent's perspective, going to this movie, don't expect a cohesive story. The movie jumps and changes at the drop of the hat. Yes, there is a bad guy, a fake out and something that seems like a thru line, but outside of that, it kind of goes off the rails. But, when I really look into it, especially through my son's eyes, that doesn't matter. The movie was very nice looking. The way they shot it, they really made the world of Pokémon pop. And that is another thing, about shooting this movie, they did it on 35 millimeter film. That is wild. That is taking a chance. That was a baller move. I respect that. This is, for all intents and purposes, a kid's movie, yet they shot it on real film. That took some guts. I also appreciated the fact that they tried to make this a noir movie for kids. It also resembled old school detective movies. Hell, it is called "Detective Pikachu". I am a big fam of noir and thriller movies. It is one of my favorite genres. So, for a kids movie to attempt the noir, again, I respect the effort. I really enjoyed the thought that went into this choice, the lingo they used with the characters and the "dark" tones to try and set up a noir feel. It was fun.

All in all I'd give "Detective Pikachu" a solid B-, maybe a C+. It isn't the best movie in the world, but I have seen a lot worse kids movie. I was never bored for the 90 plus minutes run time. I liked the look. I enjoyed the feel. I had no idea what was going on, but my son absolutely loved it, and that was why I went to see this movie. It achieved its goal for me. My son has not stopped talking about it since we saw it last Saturday. He and his friends are all talking about it too. This movie knows its targeted audience, and they won all those people over. And, for a non Pokémon fan, it kept my attention. It was an okay movie, and fans of Pokémon, I'm sure, will love it.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He feels cheated because they never made any big budget movies about his favorite toys. Where is Ty’s Pogs movie?

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We are So Ready to Go See "Deadpool 2"

Today the newest trailer for "Deadpool 2" was released, and the movie looks absolutely amazing.

I have said before that I am not big on trailers, I do try to avoid them, but with the whole "Deadpool" franchise, the trailers are part of the whole movie watching experience. It all started with the trailer for the first one being like nothing we had seen before. It was crazy, violent and had all the fourth wall braking that everyone wanted from the character of Deadpool. The movie makers and Ryan Reynolds took the love for the different trailers for the movie and ran with it. They started to do things like, have intros, have Deadpool speak to the audience beforehand, they added crazy music videos and nonsensical stuff, that didn't even make the movie, and it all worked to perfection. You needed to see all the trailers to understand any of the little jokes that were placed in the first movie.

Now, I have watched every single teaser trailer and any other videos attached to "Deadpool 2". I loved the whole old school painting show spoof trailer that Deadpool did. The poster of the entire cast in character sitting around a dining room table was so awesome, and I seriously considered making it my screen saver on both my phone and computer. There was another teaser that had Deadpool acting out all the stuff between him and Cable, the villain, with action figures. It was hilarious. My favorite teaser trailer though was the very first one. This 45 second trailer showed Deadpool walking around in street clothes, hearing a crime, going into a phone booth, a la Superman, trying to get his suit on, and completely missing the criminals. It ended with him sitting next to a presumably dead guy and just chit chatting with him. This trailer was attached to the excellent movie "Logan", and it felt so perfect in its place. The movie theater in the background of this trailer had "Logan" on the marquee as well. It was great.

Well, when I woke up today I saw that there was a brand new trailer, and as soon as I dropped my son off at school and sat my daughter down for breakfast, I watched it. It makes me want to see the movie so much more than I already did. It started out with Deadpool holding some cue cards that read 3,2,1. After he dropped the 1, he covered up his private parts, and the trailer started. I was blown away. I do have to say, if you haven't seen the trailer yet, and you want to watch it, do not watch it at work, or if you have kids and they are present. It is filled with curse words and there is a ton of blood shed. It is brutal and funny in all the right ways, just make sure you are watching it in the right context. But, when the trailer kicked off, it started with Deadpool's usually fourth wall breaking and joke making. I swear, this role is the perfect role for Ryan Reynolds. You can tell, just from the preview, that he loves this role so much. He also fought for this role, so you know he also giving it all he has. He is amazing as Deadpool.

Throughout the trailer we see all the fighting and cursing and crazy shit we have come to expect from this movie. At one point we see Deadpool running towards the taxi from the first movie, and the driver is deep into an Air Supply song before Deadpool smashes the window, gun shots follow, and then the driver snaps to and takes off, telling Deadpool that he is "living the dream". From there on out it is pure insanity. We see Cable, played by Josh Brolin, and he looks like a real badass. I'm super excited to see how he does with this role. And, if the preview is any indication, he is going to crush it. We also see Colossus and the young girl, the Negasonic Teenage Warhead I believe her name is, being recruited to join Deadpool's team, which he calls X-Force. A very funny moment from the preview is when he reveals the name, and Zazie Beets, who is awesome, tells him that the name is redundant. I loved it. I'm pretty sure Terry Crews is also in this movie as one of Deadpool's new members on his super hero team. I was also pleased to see that Deadpool and is girlfriend are still together, and she is still just as crass as he is. My favorite thing though was the reveal of Julian Dennison. He was amazing in "Hunt For the Wilderpeople", a movie that I have talked about a bunch of times. And, I knew he was going to be in this movie, but I didn't know in what capacity. Well, he seems to have a very big role as the child that Cable is trying it get, and Deadpool and the X-Force are trying to save. I'm so pumped that people like Zazie Beets and Julian Dennison are started to get cast in big time movies. They deserve it. My absolute favorite part of the new trailer was when we see Deadpool about to get shot, he puts his hand on the gun, the bullet rushes through his hand, then he turns the gun on the bad guy, and we see blood spatter.

This movie looks so badass and I am so pumped to watch it. I didn't see the first one until it came out on video. I will not make that mistake again. My wife and I will definitely be seeing "Deadpool 2" in the theaters. This trailer rules, and if you have even the slightest inkling to see "Deadpool 2", watch all of the teasers, but make sure you watch this new full trailer. It will get you just as excited as I am to see the movie. What a great, great preview. Well done.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He has the mutant power of being able to crush 64 ounces of Gatorade in the time a normal person would drink 32.

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The SeedSing 2016 Year in Pop Culture: Best, and Worst, in Movies

Day 2 of my "Best Of" lists will be my top 5 movies from 2016, and I'll throw in one bad one for good measure. But, I need to address the death of Carrie Fisher very quickly. SCREW YOU 2016. YOU ARE THE WORST. THIS IS A TRAGIC, TRAGIC YEAR AND IT NEEDS TO END NOW. 2016 HAS STUNK.

Okay, let's get back to the countdown.

My number 5 movie of 2016 is "Midnight Special". This movie totally flew under the radar. I heard, nor saw, next to nothing about this movie until it was available for renting from Netflix, and it came up as recommended for me. I saw no trailers, no reviews, nothing. But, I thought the story sounded pretty cool, l liked the cast, which included Michael Shannon, Joel Edgerton, Kirsten Dunst, Adam Driver and Jaeden Lieberher and I saw that Patton Oswalt was talking about it on Twitter, so I rented it. Man am I glad that I did. This movie was super interesting and very unique. It was an indie take on superhero movies, but it was so much more. It touched on moral and ethical issues. There was talk of family and friendship being so important. The story between the dad and the son, who had the super powers, was tremendous. The chase scenes, and any other scene that featured the kid's powers for that matter, were quiet, but incredible. I loved this movie so much, and I find myself thinking about it a lot still, and I watched it a few months ago. I highly recommend people seeing this movie, even if you are not a superhero fan. The movie is more about a father-son relationship than any superhero stuff. "Midnight Special" deserved to be talked about more, and I think it is one of the best 5 movies of the year.

At number 4, I have "Deadpool". This movie got the opposite attention than a movie like "Midnight Special", but that was not only a good thing, it was an incredible thing. All the previews and mini videos that Ryan Reynolds did as Deadpool were so incredibly awesome, funny and very much needed for this movie. Reynolds worked so hard to get this movie made, and I love the fact that he was out there beating the drum so loudly gearing up to its release. Then, the movie came out, and it was an absolute home run. Everything about this movie was new and different. Deadpool breaking the fourth wall and talking directly to the audience the whole time was innovative and hilarious. The way the story was told was much like "Citizen Kane", in the way the story jumped time between past and present. The movie was wildly violent, but that is exactly what I wanted out of a movie that boasted that it was not a superhero movie, but a violent comedy. The opening scene was one of the best things I have seen in movies in quite some time. Starting out as Deadpool, but going back and forth, while wasting bad guys, between his present and his past was awesome. This was the perfect role for Reynolds as well. Any time he can quip, that is what he does best, it usually works well for him, even if the movie isn't that good. Fortunately for Reynolds though, "Deadpool" is awesome. This is one of the best "superhero" movies, but do not watch it with any child under the age of 17. This movie is violent and vulgar to a very high degree. I love "Deadpool".

My number 3 movie of 2016 is "Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping". This is another pop culture thing, much like "Atlanta", that I have been beating the drum for since I heard about it. "Popstar" was the newest movie from the Lonely Island, and it was the perfect skewering of the ups and downs of celebrity life in the pop music business. This was probably the funniest movie that I saw all year. Andy Samberg was wonderful in the starring role, Conner 4 Real. He did such a great impression of a dirty version of Justin Bieber/Macklemore. Every step and bit of this movie was perfect. The idea of how selling out has become the norm, great. The fact that you have to be so in touch with your fans in this day and age, but how they can turn on you on a dime if you have one misstep, exceptional. Seeing the downfall of a "one hit wonder" was done so well. Seeing that person trying to make a come back and failing at this task, again, perfect. "Popstar" was everything I wanted it to be, and so much more. Samberg was great, as I said, but so were Jorma Taccone, Akiva Schaefer, Chris Redd, Sarah Silverman and Tim Meadows. Meadows was exceptional in fact. He was the second best person in this movie. The unfortunate thing for "Popstar", no one went to see it in the theaters, and that is a shame. This movie is underrated, did not get the credit it deserved, but it will become a "cult classic". I guarantee this.

At number 2, and some may say this is cheap, but I don't care, I have "O.J.: Made in America". People may say it is cheap because it was a 5 part documentary series on ESPN, but for all intents and purposes, this was a 7 plus hour documentary, that was released in a few theaters in its entirety, so I count it as a movie. This is the best, hands down, documentary that I have ever seen. This told a tragic story of a tragic person so, so well. This was a perfectly made movie. We got every bit of detail we could have ever wanted out of the tragic tale that is O.J Simpson's life. From his high school to college to pro to after NFL to acting to everything after that, it was all covered in great detail. I do not know how anyone can watch this movie and not think that he was, at the very least, somehow involved in the horrific death of 2 people. Things got even worse for him after the famous trial, but things were bad for him all the way back to his college days. O.J. was/is a troubled person, and this movie shows us that tenfold. "O.J.: Made in America" is a true classic, and everyone should take the time to watch. It is dark, tragic and great.

My number 1 movie of 2016 is, "Hunt For the Wilderpeople". This movie was phenomenal. Everything about "HFTWP" was done perfectly. The actors, mainly Sam Neill and Julian Dennison, did a tremendous job. Taika Waititi did an awesome job of directing this gem. The writers were awesome. The setting and the shots were beautiful. "HFTWP" was just downright perfect. The story is about a young juvenile delinquent that goes to live with his aunt and uncle, but so much more happens. There's adventure, comedy, thrills, drama, sadness and a great chase scene near the end. This was another movie that did not get its just due until much later in its run in the theaters. This was such a well done, funny and moving movie. I truly believe that both Dennison and Neill deserve Oscar nominations for acting, and Waititi deserves one for directing. I have seen this movie already about a dozen times, and it never gets old. "Hunt For the Wilderpeople" was the cream of the crop when it comes to movies in 2016. This was one of the good things to come from this not so good year. Go see it now, I know you will love it as much as I did.

Now, for my one bad movie, it has to be "Batman V Superman". This movie was dreadful. Ben Affleck was terrible as Batman/Bruce Wayne. The guy who plays Superman, I do not even remember his name, was so god damn boring and terrible as Superman/Clark Kent. Amy Adams was whiny and way too involved in this movie as Lois Lane. Doomsday was too dark and hard to see, and way too CGI for my taste. Gal Gadot was the only good thing about this movie, as Wonder Woman, but she was hardly in this piece of garbage. "Batman V Superman" was so awful. I fast forwarded through most of it, to get to the fight scenes, but even those were terrible. Batman had some of the dumbest lines ever spoken in a movie, and Superman would destroy him in a real fight with one punch, but this guy playing Superman needed to brood a bit too much before he could even fight Batman. Also, screw the ending of this movie. So god damn lazy. Zack Snyder is making terrible movies that should be easy to make, or at the very least, they should be watchable, which "Batman V Superman" was not. This movie was absolute garbage.

That does it for today. Come back tomorrow for my top 5 albums of 2016.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man podcast. He thought Batman V Superman was about a famous Supreme Court case involving Sigmund Freud and the New Hampshire Parks Department Head of bat sanctuaries. He wishes that he was right. Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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