Ty Watches "Whitmer Thomas: The Golden One"

While scrolling through the comedy portion of Twitter and Facebook recently, I kept seeing people talking about Whitmer Thomas’, a comedian and actor, new HBO special, “The Golden One”. Full disclosure, I did not know who Whitmer Thomas was at the time. I looked into his IMDB to see if I knew him from anything, and while he’s been on some shows I’ve watched, I still came up empty. But, the way people were taking about this special, I kept going back, reading stuff and I decided I really wanted to see it. I guess to see if the hoopla was legit. It happened to be airing on HBO this past weekend, so I recorded it and watched it yesterday.

This special is amazing. It is unlike anything comedy special that I have ever watched. It straddles the line as a comedy special and a documentary. I’m not going to spoil anything, but I will get into bits and pieces.

The special opens with Whitmer looking at old photos with the director, and then he reads a note his mom wrote him when he moved to LA. He goes on to say something along the lines of, “she wrote that, and then I wrote a bunch of jokes about jacking off”. That was when I knew I was in for something good. The special then follows him back home to, I think either Gulf Shores or Floribama, if that’s a place. He filmed this special in his hometown. This is where the documentary portion comes into play. The special goes back and forth from his stand up to him talking to family and friends. He reconnects with people. He gets into deep conversations with people. All of this is spliced with him telling jokes on the topic, and singing songs. And his songs rule. I’m not a huge emo guy, but Whitmer Thomas’ renditions were so good. I also appreciated that he had a screen behind him with the words, almost like karaoke. Thomas can also play and sing, making the music that much better. The songs also help to explain his jokes even further, which I also really enjoyed.

What really makes “The Golden One” stand out is the honesty. Whitmer Thomas is brutally honest in this, and I absolutely love that. “The Golden One” is the most honest, heart breaking, moving, funny, insightful, interesting and coolest stand up special I’ve seen in quite sometime. I’m bummed at myself for not knowing about him, or this special sooner.

Seriously people, go seek this out. It’s so unique and puts the stand up special on its head, in a good way. My hat is off to Whitmer Thomas. He’s a genius, and this special proves that tenfold. Go check it out.

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 "Medical Police"

Yesterday I finished season one of "Medical Police" on Netflix. I used to watch "Children's Hospital", I loved it in fact, and when I heard they were going to do a spinoff show on Netflix, I was in. The thing that made "Children's Hospital" so great was how weird and off the wall it was. That was the calling of a great show on Adult Swim, and "Children's Hospital" nailed that. So does "Medical Police".

“Medical Police”is just bizarre and goofy and funny and wild and obscure and pokes fun at itself and, it just does all of that so damn well. This show focuses on two of the doctor's, Rob Huebel's and Erinn Hayes characters. And they get thrown into this wild scenario where they need to help stop a worldwide virus. And the show has all of the oddness of the original. Huebel and Hayes are so hilarious, and they nail the roles. The guest stars are also amazing on the show. The people they bring in, who have been on "Children's Hospital", are pretty big time. Ken Marino reprises his role. As does Lake Bell and Malik Akerman. So does Rob Corrdry. Jon Hamm shows up in one episode. Fred Melamed has a multiple episode arc. Jason Schwartzmann is hilarious as "The Goldfinch". Michael Cera is in one episode, and it is as a voice over speaker. Henry Winkler is there, playing the doctors office manager. It goes on and on from there. But the true stars are Huebel and Hayes. Huebel is his usual brash, yet not as cool as he thinks he is, type character. He is funny, he is charming, he is goofy, he does some cooling fighting stuff, he does it all. Rob Huebel is a very good, very underrated actor, and this show really lets him show off his chops. Hayes, to me, is the star of this show. She is funnier than Huebel. She is the funniest one on the show in fact. She also does some cooling fighting stuff. She takes the most comedic chances on this show. When she exposes her brains in the season finale, I was cracking up. The comedic timing she displays is wonderful. And she is, by far, the smartest person on the show. To see her go through all the comedic things she does on this show, just to get a laugh, makes me like her more and more. She is so god damn funny.

When I watched “Medical Police”, the show kept my attention because of how goofy and odd it was. The fight scenes were more funny than balletic. The back and forth between all the characters is wonderful. The writing and directing is too perfect. The people involved in this world know alternative and absurd comedy, and this show really shows that off. I hope Netflix lets them continue to make more and more seasons. This show definitely has an audience, especially people like me, and we will all continue to tune in whenever they put out a new season.

It is pretty obvious, especially if you enjoy this style of humor, that I recommend this show. It's 10 episodes, each is about 25 minutes long and it is hilarious. Go check it out. You will find yourself laughing quite a bit.

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 "Better Call Saul" Season 5 Premier

Season five, I believe the penultimate season, of “Better Call Saul” kicked off this past Sunday and Monday with two new episodes, and they were great. I’m a fan of this show.

Originally I was on the fence when they announced it, but when I saw that Bob Oedenkirk and Vince Gilligan were attached, I started to get more on board. Then I watched the first season, and loved it. The same can be said for the next three seasons. They’ve all been great. They have also brought back characters from “Breaking Bad”, many of which I really liked. Mike Erhmantraut, Gus Fring, Lavell Crawford’s character, they’re back and they’re just as wonderful. I also love the new additions. Kim Wexler is wonderful, and I hope she gets an okay outcome, although I don’t think she will. Michael McKean was exceptional as Jimmy/Saul’s bigger, much more successful and smarter brother. McKean’s partner, who I know from “Saved By the Bell: The College Years” is smarmy and slimy and perfect. All the gangsters and dealers, it’s like a glimpse of the “Breaking Bad” future.

As for Jimmy/Saul, he started out the series as a guy that just constantly gets beat down by life. He is getting passed up for every law job, his brother is clearly better than him, he’s looked upon as a second class citizen, things just don’t go his way. As the show has continued, you can slowly see the transformation. He is clearly getting sick of his lot in life, and he’s determined to change it. And, he does it pretty underhanded, and he’s pretty shady. You could really see the transformation at the end of the past season, especially when he does the double finger guns at Kim after winning a case and tells her “it’s Saul Goodman”.

That continues directly at the start of the new season. We do get to see him in Omaha at the Cinnabon he works at, his criminal hiding out/protection stuff. But when they flash back to him becoming Saul, he’s really becoming Saul. He has the Bluetooth, the cheesy clothes, his signature hairdo and his scamming ways are front and center. The way he convinced a lobby worker to jam up the elevator so he could get another lawyer to help him, and his clients out, was Saul at his best, and seemingly earliest. When he also tries to convince Kim to play along with him when she’s struggling with one of her cases, it just oozes slime from his part. And bless her heart, Kim doesn’t want to do immoral and unethical things with him, but she does truly love him, she goes ahead and uses his plan, even though she hates every second of it. And the stuff with Mike and Gus is as thrilling and nail biting and has all the intensity that “Breaking Bad” had. The same can be said for the Mexican drug cartel, especially when they picked up Saul at the end of the second episode. I literally cannot wait to see what happens next week.

All in all though, this show is Bob Oedenkirk’s vehicle, and he is driving it like a master driver. He’s so good in this role. Any hesitations I may have had at the start, they’re long gone by now. This is one of the best shows on TV, and I’m so glad it’s back on, and taking us on this ride once again. “Better Call Saul” is not “Breaking Bad”, hardly any shows are, but this is an excellent off shoot of that wonderful series. And I feel like this season is going to be truly amazing. I’m so happy it’s back.

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 30 for 30's "Vick"

One of the few things I think ESPN still does well is their "30 For 30" docs. Be it television movies or podcasts, this is a property they still seem to nail. I think it is because they aren't being star gazers, or trying not to hurt anyone's feelings. The "30 For 30" series is about as raw as they get on ESPN, and I feel like that is why it is still solid. And their most recent one on Mike Vick's story is a good representation of why this still works.

I am an unabashed Vick fan. I loved him in college, he made me root for the Falcons when he was first in the league, and while I adore dogs, and am a dog owner myself, I was one of the people who thought that his punishment was way, way out of line. This "30 For 30" covers all of that. The movie is right around four hours long, it was broken into two separate two hour parts, and I feel that every minute is totally worth your time. I also feel like this is a movie that will have a wide appeal. You don't have to be a sports fan to find something that will leave you asking questions or shaking your head at this movie. I would even venture to say that people who don't like Vick, who think his crime was heinous, would find something they like about this movie.

As for the movie, like I said, it covers his life leading up to today. There were things that I never really knew about Vick either until I saw this movie. I knew he grew up in poverty, and that he lived in the projects, but I didn't realize the type of sports talent that his hometown, Newport News, Virginia, produced so many great athletes. You could just name Vick and Allen Iverson, and that would be more than enough. This seemed like a place where you had no other options besides playing sports, and Vick was a super athlete. I knew he was a coveted recruit, but I also didn't know that he was going to go to either Syracuse or Virginia Tech. I didn't realize Syracuse was very close to getting him, and that was due to Donovan McNabb, who played a very big part in Vick's life. To see his journey in college, he was so god damn electric, to the number one overall pick in the draft was great as well. It brought me back to that time in my life when I was obsessed with where players I liked were going to be playing professionally.

When Vick made it to Atlanta, and got his 100 million dollar plus contract, this is when it seemed to kind of go sideways for him. He said in interviews that he was never going to turn any friends or family away, but when he got that money, it became clear to him that not everyone had good intentions, but he still kept them on his personal payroll. This is where the whole dogfighting thing comes into play. Now, I want to say before I go on, I love dogs. I have a dog. I can never, ever see me putting hands on him for anything. I am a clichéd dog lover. And what Vick did, with his involvement, he never personally fought the dogs, is very, very wrong. I needed to say that. But, to see that his involvement was minimal, that he was never charged with fighting, that he seemingly only provided the house and the area for these dogs to fight, it is insane the way he was treated by the majority of the world. He was looked at like a real criminal. He did something wrong, but he was not a murderer, a robber, an abuser, a steroid user. He didn't do anything close to what a ton of modern NFL players do, and constantly get away with now, yet he had to serve real time for some dog fighting. That drove me nuts. There was even parts in the movie where idiots like Tucker Carlson and Rob Thomas, the lead singer of Matchbox 20, said he deserved to be executed. That is a humongous overreaction, and I wonder if these people would have said the same thing if the person involved in this were Peyton Manning. Hell, Ben Roesthisberger has been accused of rape twice, and the people of Pittsburgh love him. Manning had a report come out that he was harassing female trainers in college, and that was swept under the rug. But Mike Vick is a part of some dog fighting, and he goes to prison for almost two years? Don't tell me this wasn't racially driven. It was one hundred percent that, and because he was a multi millionaire. Also, the people of PETA can sit on it. They are so holier than thou, and I am sick and tired of all their "missions" that they claim to be passionate about. I cannot stand PETA. But, to see Vick come out on the other side, make it back to the NFL, pay off his debts, get two more big time contracts, be a premiere player and help to stop dog fighting and help all animals was a great pleasure. He truly did turn his life around, and what he did was pennies compared to what the NFL lets guys get away with now.

Also, Roger Goodell is still a monster, and every time he was on screen, I felt like giving him the finger.

This "30 For 30" was great though because the story is a positive one. It has a message. It shows someone overcoming tough situations and being the better for it. I really enjoyed this movie and it made me like Mike Vick more than I already do. I highly recommend this movie. It is wonderful.

Ty

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

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Ty Watches "Parasite"

I just finished the movie "Parasite".

Literally, I just got done watching it. I waited to write because I wanted to see this movie and give my instant reaction. I usually like to wait a day or so before talking about movies, but "Parasite" is on a whole other level from most movies I have watched. I think, and this isn't being a prisoner of the moment type thing, that this is one of the most important, and essential movies of the 21st century.

The way this “Parasite” breaks down class, society, the rich and the poor, how obsessed we have become with objects, it all rings true with the modern age. This was like a really, really, really good, and important, episode of "Black Mirror", except Bong Joon Ho, who is easily one of my favorite directors, told, and directed, this story so well. I have, and I don't know how, been able to not be spoiled by anything from this movie by the internet or friends that have already seen it. I stayed away from all the chatter because I wanted to watch with as little knowledge as possible. I knew the basic stuff, how the movie was about the upper and lower class people in Korea, but that was it.

So, when my father came over today, and we watched, it was, in all honesty, like I was seeing it for the first. It was exactly that case in fact. For the next two plus hours I was enamored with what I watched. I thought the directing, the acting and the script were pitch perfect. Side note, I don't mind reading movies, but for those that still don't know, the movie is in Korean with English subtitles. I don't feel that having to read what they were saying took anything away from the experience.

Another thing in the film’s favor, the acting, it was top notch. I loved how the movie started with the lower class family struggling to get wifi, getting off other people, taking very odd jobs just to make a little money and letting the fumigation going on outside come into their home to get rid of stinkbugs. I also found that, once the brother of the main family got into the wealthy house, that they wealthy family was very well acted, especially the mom. She played a simpleton, who was easy to fool fantastically. She was tremendous. I know the movie itself has gotten a ton of awards, and nominations, but if she doesn't have a best actress nod, I don't know what the hell is wrong with people. The same thing can be said for the dad of the lower class family. He was incredible as well.

As the movie progressed, and you saw how this family manipulated the rich family to get into their lives and make money, it was unsettling, unnerving and I couldn't take my eyes off the screen. The way they treated that mom, how they convinced her that none of them knew each other, it was great, and slimy. And while I am not going to spoil anything, but lets be honest, I think I may be the last person who wanted to see this movie that hadn't yet, the twist near the end was way out of left field, and it is what I have come to expect from Joon Ho. I thought it was pitch perfect. It was as unsettling as everything else that was in this masterpiece.

There is no other movie like "Parasite" out there right now. It is a totally original story told so very well. As I said, I feel like this is so important for right now. The obsession with wealth and an online presence and getting out of the lower class, "Parasite" tells this story perfectly. I am still in shock, and still amazed at what I just saw. I liked this movie slightly more than "Uncut Gems", and you all know how I felt about that movie. I still think "Us" is the best movie of 2019, but "Parasite" pushes "Uncut Gems" to three, and takes over the two spot for me. This movie is why I need to start seeing as many of these movies as I can while they are still in the theater. And since "Us" got zero Oscar love, which is so god damn stupid, I am going to be pulling big time for "Parasite" to win all of the awards. It is a different movie, but this ranks right up there with "Mad Max: Fury Road" for me. I will be talking about, and thinking about this movie for a very, very long time.

What a masterpiece.

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 Lighthouse"

I finally watched “The Lighthouse”, and I have some thoughts.

First off, I really wanted to see this movie. This was one of the movies in 2019, after I saw the first trailer, that I was totally in on. I thought the trailer was great, and I enjoy both Willem Defoe and Robert Pattinson. I tried to see it in the theaters, but timing never worked out. I did have time yesterday, so I rented it on Amazon.

I want to say, at the beginning, I enjoyed this movie. I was captivated, it kept my attention, and I’m still thinking about it today. I even had a dream last night where I was in a light house myself. Also, Defoe and Pattinson are exceptional in this movie. The movie is, for the most part, just the two of them, and they nailed it. Each has moments of monologues that are near perfection. Defoe has a few that should be studied in acting classes. When Pattinson’s character reveals his true self, that monologue was tremendous. Their performances were absolute powerhouse performances. I was amazed at their acting, and the direction from Robert Eggers.

I also really enjoyed the black and white, shockingly. I am not a huge fan of modern movies choosing this route, but for a movie like this, it was almost needed. The movie takes place in a light house and a cottage on a small remote island in the 1890’s. I think black and white was the correct way to go. I also liked how real the sound was in the movie. The fog horns, the inside of the house, the water crashing from the ocean, the bad weather, it was all heightened by the sound put into the movie. Even the super loud moments, I enjoyed. I also liked the old timey sailor speak, especially from Defoe. He sounded like he was straight out of “Moby Dick”. All the “aye sir”, “lad”, “hark” and “triton”, I liked with that accent. I also thought the story, of Pattinson’s character literally going insane, was well written, acted and directed. I was on board for it all.

Yet, there were some things that I was befuddled by. The whole “mermaid” thing was really weird. It seemed almost unnecessarily weird. I get that Pattinson is going nuts, but this “mermaid” was odd. Also, her screech laugh was the only time the loudness bugged me. Her, and I cringe writing this, the whole thing with her genitalia was just weird for the sake of weird. I also could’ve done without the whole seagull scene. Those who’ve seen the movie know what I’m talking about. Those that haven’t, it was incredibly brutal and seemed like it lasted forever. It reminded me of “The Simpsons” when Homer is Krusty, he’s at Krustyburger and the hamburglar character shows up and Homer pummels him and the little kid says, “stop, he’s already dead”. That was how the seagull scene hit me. I also could’ve gone without watching Pattinson act like he’s masturbating. It was too up close and personal. Again, I felt that it’s supposed to symbolize his insanity, but still, too up close and personal. And, as much as I liked the sailor speak, it was difficult to understand at times. But, those are my only really gripes with an otherwise very well made movie.

To me A24 is making some of the coolest, and most innovative movies at the moment. They seem to like to take chances, and let their directors and actors push themselves to the limit, and see how far they can go. All in all, I’m glad that I watched this movie. I don’t think that I’ll ever watch it again, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t good. Also, to see Defoe and Pattinson’s performances was more than worth the rental price. If you like weird stuff, shot in black and white that really pushes the limits of a psychological thriller, I recommend this movie.

Ty

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

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Ty Watches "Killer Inside: The Mind of Aaron Hernandez"

Yesterday I finished the “Killer Inside” the Aaron Hernandez docu series on Netflix, and I’ve got to say, it was pretty eye opening.

I’m a football fan, one of the many people who root against the Patriots, and I knew of the story involving Hernandez and the murder of Odin Lloyd. This series shouldn’t have felt new to me, but I learned so much more than I thought I knew. I knew of him being convicted, that he was accused of a double murder, of which he was acquitted, that he got in trouble with fights in college and that he had pretty violent tendencies when he entered the NFL.

What I didn’t know, well, there was a lot of stuff. I had heard rumors that he was bisexual, and this series confirmed it. The QB from his high school team was featured a good amount in this, and he confirmed that they had some sexual encounters in high school. There was also another theory tossed around that he had a lover while in prison. What I found eye opening in this docu series was how much he, his high school friend and another pro player who stayed in the closet until he retired, tried to suppress this. I mean, who cares? Why was Hernandez so afraid to be his true self? Why was he so opposed to revealing this?

Another thing I learned from watching this that I never knew, that may explain why, his father was pretty abusive, not accepting of that lifestyle and that Hernandez, according to his older brother, was sexually abused as a child. I knew none of this. Also, that doesn’t make it okay to do what he did, quite the opposite, but it may explain why he was so violent. He had all these inner demons he couldn’t let out, and instead of seeking therapy, or just accepting who he truly was, he acted out with violence. He wanted to be a gangster, but he was a phony gangster. He tried so hard to hide who he was because of his past, that he went the exact opposite way of what he should have done.

I also found out that he had a fractured relationship with his mom because, after his father died, she almost immediately hooked up with another guy who tried to be his dad. Hernandez didn’t like this, so he started staying with his aunt, who let him do whatever he wanted. That was bad. That was when he fell in with the wrong crowd. I also didn’t know that he grew up in a fairly affluent town in Connecticut. This was a total assumption on my part, but from what I saw, I gathered he grew up in a not so good town. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Granted his parents were violent, but he grew up in a home with two parents and a brother. He had tons of friends in high school, excelled at sports and seemed like he had a normal enough childhood, at least on the surface. So, I guess this is where the whole wannabe gangster thing came from.

After he left Connecticut and went to Florida, that was when he started to change it seems. What I already knew was how slimy and robotic and mechanical people like Urban and Shelley Meyer, Rob Gronkowski, Tom Brady and Tim Tebow are. All of them had interviews shown during the doc, and they all had the same cliche, “I won’t comment on that”, “he seemed like he changed” or, “I’m going to leave if you keep asking me questions” answers to everything. They offered absolutely nothing, yet they spent the most time with him. In fact, the only people who kept it real were his high school friends that appeared in the doc. They laid it all out there, bare bones, and I was glad they did.

I also learned that, even in death, he was impulsive, stupid and selfish. He thought he could clear his name, and take care of his fiancé and child if he offed himself due to some archaic rule in Massachusetts. And while it worked for maybe a year, Odin Lloyd’s mom, who is a saint, was able to convince the courts to overturn this rule, and get the conviction back on Hernandez’s record. Odin Lloyd’s mom wanted her son to be remembered, and she achieved that goal.

I highly recommend this 3 episode series on Netflix. Each ep is about an hour long, it’s eye opening and you don’t have to be a football fan to enjoy this. This ranks right up there with any true crime series that is on TV right now. It’s good stuff with very solid reporting. Check it out.

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 "Awkwafina is Nora from Queens" Series Premiere

The other day I was able to watch the premiere episode of "Awkwafina is Nora From Queens", and I have to say, this show looks like it is going to be great. I am a fan of Awkwafina. I have seen her in some of her roles, movies like "Crazy Rich Asians", "Ocean's 8" and "Neighbors 2", and her character has always left an impressions on me. She is hilarious, she is loud and she hits the right comedic note almost every time. So when I saw that she had a show on Comedy Central, that she co created, I was going to watch. And, like I said, the pilot didn't disappoint.

The show is about a late 20's person with no real ambition or direction in her life. She lives with her dad and grandma, is an Uber type driver and likes to sleep in and get high. She has a close friend who is willing, and able, to help her out if needed. But other than that, she is on her own, and she is going nowhere. In the pilot, Awkwafina's humor and acting shined through. She was hysterically funny. The way she talked, what she talked about, how she talked about certain tings, I was in stitches. There is a scene where she is sleeping in her car, and a tow truck guy comes to tell her that she is in a no parking zone. What happens from there, how Awkwafina acts as Nora was riotous. From the arguing, to the fact that she wasn't wearing any pants, it was perfection. And there was plenty of other moments that made me literally laugh out loud. The hoarding stuff was great. The interactions with her and her dad, played by BD Wong, was hilarious. The stuff with her tech savvy cousin was pretty funny. The way the show was shot, and how they cut from scene to scene was pretty inventive and cool. I was in for all of it. One of my favorite scenes was between her and her friend, when she decides she needs to get her own place and ends up crashing with her, when Nora is upset and crying, but still taking bong rips, I was absolutely cracking up the whole time. And this was all do to how Awkwafina portrays Nora.

I really feel like this show is going to prove to people how versatile, and funny, Awkwafina is as an actress. I know she raps, that she has done dramatic things, and played the goofy best friend, or been the comic relief in most things. But, she is the star in "Nora from Queens". The show goes as she goes, and if the pilot is any indication, this show can last as long as she wants it to. I don't think they will get to a point where they run out of funny material that she can pull off. I'm all in on this show. I cannot wait to watch the next episode, and the rest of the season for that matter.

This is a really good, really funny new show that I think people should definitely check out. 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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Ty Watches "Dolemite is My Name"

Yesterday I sat down and watched "Dolemite is My Name", and I have to say, this is one of the funniest, and most heartfelt movies that I have seen in some time. I watched the preview for it about a month ago, and I knew then that I was going to enjoy it, I just had to find the time. I had an open afternoon, and watched it while I folded laundry.

This movie totally delivered as well. I am an Eddie Murphy fan, but some of his stuff lately isn't that great. It is funny because he is in it, but it just doesn't hit like "Beverly Hills Cop" or "48 Hours" did. "Dolemite is My Name" hit, and hit a god damn homerun. When Murphy is given range to be filthy, use a ton of 4 letter words and act like a comedian, he crushes his roles. That was what made him so great in a movie like "Dream Girls". He got to act like a hyper version of himself. Casting him as famed vulgar comic Rudy Ray Moore was perfect. It was almost as if he was born to play this role. He embodied it as well. I fully believed he was Rudy Ray Moore resurrected. He was just as filthy and funny and hard working and a hustler and a perfectionist, just like Moore aimed to be. To see Murphy play him from his lowest point was exceptional. To see him play him as he makes his rise, well that was even better. Murphy was astounding. The fact that he didn't even get a sniff from the Academy for the Oscars shows how unimportant that awards show has become. To pass him up for Joaquin Phoenix's Joker is so stupid. To pass him up for anyone playing a real life person, which I thought the Academy loved, is asinine. He should have been, at the very least, nominated. I think his snub is even bigger than Adam Sandler getting nothing for "Uncut Gems". Watching this movie made me remember that Murphy is a star. He was exquisite.

But it wasn't just him. Everyone involved with this movie was great. Wesley Snipes should have also gotten awards consideration. His character was so holier than thou and high and mighty and acted like he was too good for all of this, and Snipes absolutely nailed it. Just like with Murphy, it made me remember that Snipes is a really, really good actor. Titus Burgess is wonderful as Moore's record store buddy and friend. To see him in a role like this, outside of "Kimmy Schmidt", was great for a fan like me. Burgess was funny, but he was also grounded. It was great. Da'Vine Joy Randolph, as his comedy partner, was wonderful. She was tough, beautiful, funny and I loved every second she was in this movie. I couldn't take my eyes off the screen when she was there. Even actors in smaller roles, like Craig Robinson as the singer in a band and Mike Epps as a friend of Moore's, they both shined when they were on screen. Robinson is a great singer as well, and getting to hear him do the Dolemite theme was dynamite. Keegan Michael Key, as the writer of the movie, was wonderful as well. It also helped that we got cameos from both Chris Rock and Bob Oedenkirk.

As I said, the movie is a riot, but it also has some heart in it. I feel like it is a true journey, filled with all the ups and downs, about becoming a Hollywood star, and how hard that can be. But Murphy's portrayal as Moore had me rooting for him all the way. And he was never really mean to those that helped him. He didn't treat them like lesser than him. There was no scene that shows him acting like he is better than everyone else. He was a dude that worked hard, and appreciated all those that helped him get to where he got. Rudy Ray Moore became a star, but it wasn't all him. He had help from a ton of people, and I feel like this movie did a great job of showing that.

I highly, highly recommend checking this movie out. I feel like we are getting an Eddie Murphy renaissance at the moment, and this movie is the catalyst to all of that. What a winner.

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 "Hot and Heavy" Series Premier

I have talked many times on this site how I now enjoy reality TV, and how TLC has become a channel my wife and I watch a ton lately. We love a good "90 Day Fiance", my wife likes "My 600 Pound Life" and "Say Yes to the Dress", and she has even gotten me to watch a "Gypsy" marathon show every now and then. Last night we decided that we were going to watch their newest show together. We saw a preview for said show, and we were immediately intrigued and decided then that we would watch this show when it premiered. The show in question, it is called "Hot and Heavy".

So, for those that may not know, this show is about, and I LOATHE this term, "mixed weight" couples. And if you think that sounds absurd, you are very, very right. Anyway, this show is about guys that are supposedly in good shape that date women that are overweight, or in some cases, as one doctor put it, "morbidly, and grotesquely obese". Yes, this show is as insensitive as this minor description may have you thinking it is right now.

The couples, there are three of them, each have their own little 5 to 10 minute blocks where they talk about their "mixed weight" relationships. We have one couple where the guy, his name is Rusty, is married to his wife, I think her name is Trish, and she weighs around 330 pounds. This guy Rusty is a real piece of work. He says some pretty upsetting stuff to his wife, that he thinks is cute and fun. It is not. And in this premiere episode, when the wife decides to see a doctor about a possible weight loss surgery, the husband is so offended that she would do this without him, and he is very opposed to her getting the surgery to lose weight, Never mind the fact that she is a diabetic, and the surgery could help her live longer and conceive a baby. None of that matters to this moron. He wants her to stay big, no  matter what. This gentleman clearly has a fetish, but he won't admit it.

There is another couple, they are from Canada, and they had a baby after only 2 weeks together. I do have to say, for how absurd this show is, this couple seems to be legit in love. But, TLC definitely hired a couple of kids to yell at the lady while she is eating ice cream, and they even call her a cow and moo at her. I mean, this was totally unnecessary and rude and unneeded, but TLC had to find a way to manufacture some drama with this couple. They don't seem to really fit in with this show, and it seems like TLC is going to have to fabricate some stuff if they keep this couple on.

There is one final couple, that also seem genuinely in love, but all the outside people are real pieces of work. The guy and girl seem to have a solid connection, but the girl is always putting on a show when she meets new people. She amps up the personality, and it is a struggle to watch. As for the guy, well, his family and friends are very mean people, and they say some super hurtful things about his girlfriend. When he asks her to come out to meet his friends, every one of them, except the wife of another friend, were just awful. They gave her odd looks, they acted nice to her face but said some rude stuff behind her back and they just seemed artificial. The guy's family, especially his mom, were straight up rude, except his sister. His sister could care less what the girlfriend looked like, as long as he was happy. But the mom kept talking about how she used to be heavy, and how she doesn't want her son to have to take care of someone that is bigger than him. She came off extremely mean and nasty. It was upsetting.

All this leads me to say, I guess TLC is at a point now where they will make up some nonsense like "mixed weight" couples, and just slap it together and throw it on camera. This show was offensive to heavy people, was mean, is ridiculous, and didn't have to ever be made. But, TLC must have accomplished their goal because I am here talking about it today, I told my folks about it, I'm sure my wife is talking about it at work today and it was blowing up on social media last night. And I hate to say, I will most likely watch the rest of this season, and if it comes back, I will probably watch it again. It is unnecessary, but also kept my attention. That is embarrassing, but true.

I will watch "Hot and Heavy", I will complain about how people treat other people and that means TLC has won. They broke me.

Ty

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

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Ty Watches "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.

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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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Ty Watches "Frozen 2"

This past weekend my wife and I took our kids to see “Frozen 2”. This was more for our daughter, who loves Anna and Elsa, but our son loved the original “Frozen”, my wife LOVES the music and I think the animation and imagery is very beautiful. We bought tickets to an early-ish evening show on Friday, and the theater was filled with kids and parents. That’s usually a good sign.

I want to get the cynical stuff out of the way first, I did not really care for this movie. It felt like an unnecessary sequel. I think the people behind it had such a big hit with the original one, they just assumed everyone would want a sequel. And while I think the fans may have wanted it, I don’t think the average movie goer, or parent that takes their kids to see this, necessarily needed, or wanted it. I didn’t think the story was totally thought out. The sad stuff that Disney does so well was undone in this movie. The animation, while still pretty, wasn’t updated or made to look sleeker. The songs do not have the staying power of the original. There is nothing close to “Let it Go” in this one. And it just felt kind of long and boring, to me. Again, this is the critical side of me. I’m writing on this site to review movies, and this is my honest review. I’d much, much rather watch a movie like “Moana” 10 times out of 10 over “Frozen 2”. It’s a far superior movie.

When I take off my critic hat, and put on my dad and husband hat, I can see the draw of this movie. My wife, as I said, loves the whole ethos of “Frozen”. She’s bought into the whole created universe, loves the music and digs the story. And I can see why. She likes movies like this. “Frozen 2” is, at its core, a musical. There is much, much more singing in the sequel than was in the original. The dialogue is there to set up songs, and she adores that stuff in movies. And she really likes the songs. We listened to the soundtrack right after the movie, I gave my opinion, and she couldn’t have disagreed more. She’s now almost memorized all the songs, and I can hear her humming them around the house. This was exactly what she wanted to see out of this movie.

As for my kids, putting the dad hat on now, they both liked it fit different reasons. My son loves him some Olaf, and boy oh boy, was he heavily involved and goofy as ever. He also likes Christoph, and he has moments solely given to his character, so much so that he does a weird, 90’s esque music video song. It was weird and seemed out of place, and my son loved it. He was cracking up the whole time. My daughter loves loves loves Elsa, and she is front and center in this one. This “story” is all hers, and she is all over this movie. When she was on screen at the very beginning, my daughter screamed, “yeah!!!!! There’s Elsa!!!!”. That was worth it. She was so amped and invested whenever she was on screen. She fell in an ocean at one point and my daughter screamed with terror, as did most of the kids in the theater. Whenever Elsa would sing, my daughter sat as quiet and focused as I’ve seen her in her four years on Earth. She was more in than my wife. It was pretty cool to see. I wonder if this is how they see me when I watch Michigan football games.

So, when I get my critical mind out of the gutter, the movie was worth the price. The three other people i was with, my family, all enjoyed the hell out of themselves. This was what they wanted, and they had an absolute blast.

While I wasn’t much of a fan, I’d still recommend this movie because 75 percent of my family loved it, and are still talking about it and singing the songs. Oh, and we now have to buy some merchandise for the holidays. So, Disney truly accomplished what they wanted out of this movie, good for them. If you’re on the fence, take your whole family to see “Frozen 2”. Their joy will make it more than worth the time and money.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. In Ty’s world, if you want to make a sequal to a beloved kids movie, make “Babe 2: Pig in the City”. Do that and you will never have to make another film in the series. (BTW - Babe 2 rules)

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Ty Watches "The Good Place" Mid Season Finale

Last night was the mid season finale of “The Good Place”, and it was a tremendous episode. The entire 22 minutes were centered around Chidi, who is excellently played by William Jackson Harper. The whole episode was about the people waking him up from his slumber, and it flashed back to all of his crucial memories over his life on and off Earth. It was great.

For those that may not know, Chidi is infamous for being the most indecisive human being ever. He cannot make even the easiest of choices. It was so bad, his lack of urgency caused him to lose his life. I know this sounds dire, but in the context of “The Good Place”, it is put across hilariously. Anyway, when Michael(Ted Danson) goes to snap his fingers, we get to see all these moments. It started for him as a baby, when his parents asked if he liked the name Chidi, and he immediately cried. We then see him struggle to pick a chair in elementary school, breaking up with a girlfriend because he thinks philosophy can keep them together, to his dean at college telling him his thesis is too much, to his friends questioning him, to him being in the good place and struggling there, we see it all. And Harper is so good at portraying this indecisive genius. His quirks and quips she questions are never ending, so much so that it is exhausting.

Near the end of his memories you can see a different Chidi. After finding Eleanor(Kristen Bell), he seems more sure of himself, more confident. Right before he gets his mind wiped, the season 3 finale, he writes a note and gives it to Janet(Darcey Carden), and asks her to hold onto it until they meet again, if ever. When Michael finally finishes the snap, Chidi wakes up and is asked how he feel. He looks relaxed, and he says, “I feel great”, and I totally believed him. He looks, for the first time in his afterlife, like he is calm and confident. He has a look of assurance we’ve never seen from him. He asks all of his friends if he’s been annoying for the last 300 years, and they kind of blow it off to tell him that he needs to save all of humanity and Earth. Just when I thought he would revert to his norm, he says okay, and that he will try. He then asks Janet for the letter, and inside it reads, “there’s no “answer”, but Eleanor is the answer”. It was so sweet and touching and perfect.

“The Good Place” just continues to get better and better, and surprises me with something new almost every episode. This mid season finale sets up the actual finale perfectly, and I’m so stoked to see how they finish it up. In a show with a great cast, great writers and great direction, this episode was an absolute home run. My hat is off to all of the people that work on 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 "El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie"

Yesterday I watched "El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie". I enjoyed it. The movie was dark, bleak, depressing, hard to watch and, flat out, brutal. But, that was exactly what I was hoping for, and expected to see. When we last left Jesse Pinkman, he was not in a good place. He did get out, spoiler alert for a show that ended nearly a decade ago, but after that, he was officially on the lam. That is where this movie pretty much picks up.

What I enjoyed about this movie the most was the fact that Jesse had, for himself, a somewhat happy ending. He got the closure that I felt his character deserved. Jesse immediately goes on the run, in the El Camino after Walter White rigged up the gun that shot the place up, and he knows he needs to hide. We find him next running into Skinny and Badger. He goes to their house and says he needs to stash the car. He is led inside, eats a ton of cup of noodles and crashes to sleep. When he wakes up he freaks, thinking he is still in the cage that the neo Nazis put him in to cook. When he realizes he isn't anymore, he cleans himself up, shaves and goes out to get his vengeance.

From this point on, there are a ton of silent scenes and flashbacks and Jesse trying to find a way to get out and start over. The silent scenes in the movie were incredible. It showed a broken man that was trying to get himself back together again. When he is searching around houses looking for money or when he has his freak outs when he wakes up or when he is caught by some random guys pretending to be cops, those were super intense. I was on the edge of my seat, just waiting to see what would happen next. The flashbacks really helped jog my memory, which I liked. If there was something I was a little cloudy on, I would most likely get a flashback, and that would help me remember who the character was, or the situation we were in in the movie. I appreciated that from the movie.

The stuff with Aaron Paul and Jesse Plemons character, the soft spoken yet insane killer neo Nazi, were so wild and so essential. RD told me, and I then went on to read, that Jesse Plemons said that, for him, this was one of the oddest buddy movies he has ever been a part of. That is 100 percent true. Plemons character takes Jesse out of his cage to help him with a job, and the stuff they do, and talk about, you would think that these guys are buddies. Then a flashback comes, or Jesse grabs a gun, or cowers when Plemons talks to him, and then you remember, Plemons is a bad, bad dude. He killed people that Jesse loved, and that he is one of the people that are keeping him in a cage so he can cook for them.

But, when all is said and done, Jesse gets the best possible outcome. He gets his vengeance. He gets his chance to start over. He gets to leave a letter for the only person left that he truly cares about. And he drives off with a small smile on his face, the first time they show that in the movie.

I feel like "El Camino" was a perfect way to close the story on all things "Breaking Bad". It perfectly wrapped up any loose ends that the finale, which was great, might have left over. I feel a sense of closure now with this movie, and was very happy with how it all turned out. "El Camino" is worth your time, and it is a great ending to a great show.

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 "Big Mouth" Season 3

Last Friday I finished season 3 of "Big Mouth", and it continues to be the best show about puberty that I have ever watched.

I love this show, and I love what the writers do to show kids how tough and embarrassing and crazy and messed up puberty can be. I wish they showed this show in middle schools, they won't because it is so very dirty and uses bad language, because I feel like it would make the students feel okay. It would let them know that puberty is tough for every single person out there. I also think it is the perfect show for people my age because it is so easy to relate to. I remember going through puberty, how tough it was, and I was just your average run of the mill kid in middle school. There was nothing spectacular or terrible about me. I was the definition of average in middle school, and puberty sucked for me too.

The third season of "Big Mouth" touched on some really great concepts, and added a few new characters that were really funny. The subjects that they touched on in season 3 were things I went through, stuff I did and was/am still embarrassed by, and it all really hit home. They talked about school uniforms in the season premiere, and it was a great discussion on how differently boys and girls are treated at that time in their life. Another episode, it crossed about 2 episodes in fact, Nick and his family are obsessed with their phones. None of them can live without them, and when the phones get taken away, they freak out. I live that daily with my son and his Switch. He is crazily obsessed with that thing, and it is getting tough. also, that episode makes me happy that cell phones weren't a thing when I was a kid. The Florida episode is a perfect encapsulation of what the rest of America thinks Florida is. Also, the secondary storyline of Andrew and his cousin was absolutely hilarious. There is one episode that is entirely dedicated to the story of a young Duke Ellington. Jordan Peele is great as Duke, and to hear him tell the story of how he became to be a great jazz pianist was funny and enlightening. There's another episode where the boys rank the girls on looks. I did this same thing, I am embarrassed that I did it, and this episode flooded me with memories. It shows how gross and mean middle school boys can be, and I was once the exact same way. This was probably my favorite episode of the season. There's another one that is pretty much about the SAT, or any standardized test, and that portrayed the anxiety those tests give 12 and 13 year old, and it is unnecessary anxiety. The "Disclosure" musical episode was so niche, and so god damn hilarious. We were also introduced to Thandie Newton's character Mona, another hormone monstress. The secondary story too, where the "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" guys come in and fix Coach Steve was dynamite. And the season finale, where all the kids get "super powers" was so good. This is where Andrew and Nick get in their first real fight, and that was, dare I say, emotional to watch because, again, I went through that exact thing in middle school.

There is a ton of side stuff that was perfect this season too. Jay coming out as bi sexual was awesome. Also, Jay being taken in by Nick's parents when he is abandoned by his family was great. The addition of Ali Wong's character, Ali, was perfect. The stuff with Jessi's power, making people tell the truth, really gave us some insight into what her character may be doing next season. Andrew Rannels character finally getting a boyfriend was a long time coming. And anything that featured Coach Steve was ridiculous and hilarious.

"Big Mouth" is one of the best shows currently on TV. I was stoked that Netflix gave it such a long term deal. Nick Kroll and Andrew Goldberg have struck lightening in a bottle, and I cannot wait to consume more and more of the show. It is fantastic. And season 3 keeps showing that the show is only getting better and better.

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 "Watchmen": Season Premier

Yesterday I was able to watch the series premiere of "Watchmen" on HBO. I need to say, and I already told RD this, this may be one of my shorter blogs because I do not want to spoil anything at all. This is a premier, and I feel like the rest of the series is going to rule, but I was absolutely blown away by what I watched for an hour.

This is already way different from the movie, and I mean that in the best way possible. The opening scene was one of the most harrowing and disturbing things I have ever watched, and when RD told me it was a real incident, I was even more horrified. From there on out, I was incredibly intrigued by everything I saw. Regina King is awesome and she is one of the most kickass characters I have ever seen on TV. Also, Sister Knight is one of the coolest super hero names I have ever heard. Don Johnson as the sheriff was crazy and wild and had an edge to him. Tim Blake Nelson had the coolest mask, more on that in a minute, and is playing a character like I have never seen him play before. They seem to be the main characters at the current moment, but Louis Gossett Jr looks like he will be playing a very pivotal role in the show.

As for the show, man was it weird, and man was it good. Again, I am not going to go into tremendous detail, but it was incredible. I already mentioned the opening scene, and from there on out, I was impressed. The show takes place in 2019, so the original "Watchmen" characters aren't involved, yet. The new era of "Watchmen" clearly lives in a wild police state, where the police cannot show their faces, and their are some real bad people out there trying to get rid of them. Also, at one point, it rained squid from the sky, which was wild and dope as hell. The premiere sets up this scary vision of a new world, one that isn't too far off from real life because of how racist a lot of people are right now, and I was scared and unnerved and couldn't take my eyes off the screen. Regina King seems to be one of the most badass officers on the show, and like I said, she is wonderful. The premiere was violent and scary and cool and innovative. It reminded me a ton of the series premiere of "Lost", in the fact that I have so many questions, and I can't wait to see where they take it from here. That also makes sense to me because Damon Lindelof is one of the writers and creators of "Watchmen" (note: not Alan Moore)..

This show needs to be watched by everyone for so many reasons. It is so cool and so universally its own. Yes, it takes from the graphic novel, but the main characters, at least so far, are completely new. Just watch the show. Please. It rules.

Ty

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

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Ty Watches "The Righteous Gemstones" Series Premier

Last night my wife and I watched the new Danny McBride show "The Righteous Gemstones" on HBO. I have been anticipating this show, as I stated on a previous podcast, and boy did the pilot, for me, live up to the hype.

This show has all the elements that I have come to expect from McBride, Jody Hill and David Gordon Green, but amped up by ten. No show of theirs will live up to "Eastbound and Down", that was lightening in a bottle, but "Vice Principals", and now "The Righteous Gemstones" are excellent. What i really enjoyed about "Vice Principals", and I have written about this before, was how comedic, yet dark, it was. That show was excellent, and it had a great run. What I found in the pilot of "TRG" was that, while still funny, this show may be their darkest yet. There was some wild stuff that went on in the pilot episode. I am not going to spoil anything, but man did stuff gets nuts at the end.

What I want to focus on more today is the plot and the actors. I love the plot of this show. I am a non religious person, not at all, so to see a show that sends up the whole Evangelical TV minister, and makes them sinister and evil and only interested in making more money than any person could ever need. We have all seen how awful some of these TV ministers, Joel Osteen comes to mind first, are really are behind the scenes. That is what this show shows us. The three main characters, John Goodman as the patriarch and main minister Eli, Danny McBride as the screw up, yet thinks he is more important than he really is Jesse Gemstone and the gullible and wet behind the ears youngest son, Adam Devine as Kelvin Gemstone, are all great in their own ways. Goodman is menacing and in a deep state of depression. His wife has died and his family is constantly fighting each other. Add on the fact that he is trying to be the only game in town, he is a bad dude. Goodman is perfect for this role. McBride is perfect in the role of an asshole who is way in over his head. He seems good on the surface, but he has some demons that he is fighting, and he refuses to go it alone. He wants to drag all kinds of people into his own mess. And Devine, in a very different role for him, is so innocent and maybe has some kind of soul and just wants to help people. They are all great. The third child of the family, Edi Patterson as Judy Gemstone, is definitely the smartest one of the family, but she doesn't get her due because she is a female. Patterson was a revelation on "Vice Principals", and now, in a much bigger role, I feel like she is going to shine.

Outside of the Gemstone family, the supporting actors so far are really good. Tim Baltz is Patterson's soon to be husband, and he is a pushover and hilarious. Dermot Mulroney, as a rival minister, is kind of badass, and I actually found myself rooting for him in the episode. Casidy Freeman as Amber Gemstone, McBride's wife, is so good and menacing herself. She had the line of the episode to me when Baltz's character said that the family is backwards and they never give women a chance, Freeman speaks up, but before going into her rant, she asks McBride if she can speak. Even a guy in a super small role, Tony Cavalero as Keefe, the former Satan worshiper who is now working for the church and has found God, I found him absolutely hilarious. Everyone, so far, has been wonderful, and I cannot wait to see where they take the characters from here on out. I have also seen that Walton Goggins, one of my very favorite actors, is going to show up in upcoming episodes, and I'm sure that will rule. It is not only the characters that I cannot wait to see where they go, it is the story too. Like I said, no spoilers, but the way the pilot unfolded, things are going to get wild in this first season. It should be dark and hilarious.

Look, I am a McBride fan. I am predisposed to like what he does, and a show like "The Righteous Gemstones" is perfect for his sense of humor, and what he wants to do on a show. I have a feeling this will be one of my favorites from 2019, and I cannot wait to see how the next 8 weeks pan out. I highly, highly recommend this show. It is really good.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. Ok people, one spoiler. Never in your life will you see the efficiency of a Land Rover running over not one, but two people. It was shockingly awesome

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Ty Watches "The Lion King"

I have spent the last 2 weeks talking about football, so today, I want to take a break from that and write about the new "Lion King" movie.

My wife and I decided to take our kids to see it last weekend, along with some of her family, and I was excited. I love the original, it is one of my all time favorite movies. And when I saw the cast for this new one, I got my hopes up very high. I know other critics have come out lately and said some negative things, calling it pointless and saying it looks weird and the songs are odd.

I disagree. I enjoyed the hell out of this movie. I thought it was fun, sad, looked cool and I really enjoyed the music. The fact that they got these animals to look so real with CGI work is stunning to me. It legitimately felt like I was watching real life animals speak to one another and sing songs. It looked like something that could have been on the National Geographic Network. It felt so real. I almost immediately forgot that it was CGI, until the animals started to speak. And the voice actors, for the most part, I thought were great. I'm a big time James Earl Jones fan, and he nailed it this second go round with Mufasa. It was comforting to hear a familiar voice right off the bat. He was excellent. Alfre Woodard as Sirabi was great as well. She empowered the loyalty, yet fierceness that the character brings in the movie. Young Simba and Young Nala, the actors escape me right now, were cute and fun and when they sang "I Just Can't Wait to be King", it brought me right back to childhood. Chiwetel Ejiofor, as Scar, was scary and menacing and made me forget that Jeremy Irons was the same guy in the animated "Lion King". Donald Glover was a perfect choice for grown Simba. He has a unique, well known voice, and he can sing. His renditions of some of the classic songs were great. Billy Eichner, as Timon, and Seth Rogen, as Pumba, were the best for me. They were funny and witty and charming and really brought on the essence of the original Timon and Pumba, with a little updated flair. Billy Eichner was truly wonderful. He was the best one in the movie in my opinion. John Oliver as Zazu was a good choice. They kept the character British which I liked. Keegan Michael Key and Eric Andre, along with Florence Kasumba, were frightening and funny as the hyenas. My only minor criticism would actually be for Beyoncé. She was the only one I didn't really let myself get lost into like I did with the other animals. I love Beyoncé, but this role, and her performance, felt kind of forced. It almost seemed like she didn't really want to be there. I felt like she was reading her lines off the script as they recorded her lines. She is wonderful, but acting just may not be her thing.

Outside of the cast and the look, the music was all good. They had all the classics, along with a refurbished "Be Prepared", which I was appreciative of because I didn't need my kids to be as freaked out as I was as a kid.

I do want to point out that, in a movie where CGI is used to make the animals appear real, it does get violent. But, imagine what would really happen if some lions got into a fight, or there was a stampede, or if some hyenas had you trapped. It would be scary, and this movie showed that.

All in all though, I found myself really enjoying the movie, and the experience of sharing it with my kids. My wife and I loved it, and we were glad that our kids had a good time with it too. I'd say, ignore the critics that are saying mean things about the movie. The critics trashing it, for the most part, are clichéd , hackey critics that only like Oscar bait. If you liked the movie as a kid, and you have kids of your own, or just a grown up kid, I'd highly recommend seeing it. It was great.

Ty

Ty Watches "Yesterday"

Yesterday was finally able to go out and see one of my most anticipated movies of 2019, "Yesterday". I talked about it on the pod, I wrote about the trailer, I love Danny Boyle as a director, I am a big time Beatles fan, as I said on the pod, I think they are the greatest band ever, and I really, really wanted to take my dad to see it. I bought tickets for us, and we went, and this movie more than lived up to my personal expectations.

I saw the tepid response from critics, and that is exactly why I don't let critics dictate which movies I go see. I knew that I wanted to see this movie, and I was pretty sure that I would find myself enjoying it. I was right. "Yesterday" is one of the better "feel good" movies I have watched. After watching it I was happy, in a good mood and I wanted to listen to nothing but the Beatles, and the soundtrack, to the movie.

For starters, Himesh Patel, who was the main character Jack, was outstanding. I have never seen him in anything before this, but he absolutely blew me away. For him to show the angst, guilt, confusion and illusion of fame the way he did was tremendous. I mean, imagine waking up in a world, one in which you are a struggling musician, and finding out that no one but you knows who The Beatles are. How would you deal with that scenario? I know that I for one would have trouble remembering all the lyrics. But, to see Patel decide to claim them as his own, then become famous overnight, then have to deal with everything that comes with fame, it was a great job on his part.

Also, the thing the critics seemed to have the most problems with, I enjoyed the love story. Sure, I will always take more Beatles songs over pretty much anything, but this is a big Hollywood movie, and love stories are the name of the game. And Patel's love interest, Ellie, was very well represented by Lily James. James has been in a good amount of some of my favorite recent movies, most notably "Baby Driver", and she is nailing it. In "Yesterday" she is Jack's manager, driver and producer, but she is also in love with him, and has been since they were kids. She is vulnerable and wants him to love her back, and she does such a good job. Joel Fry, as Rocky, was hilarious and fun the whole time. He was the true comic relief. Jack's parents were great and believable. Ed Sheerhan, as kind of a stylized, arrogant version of himself, was great. Kate McKinnon was evil and villainous and hilarious. The cast was just tremendous.

What I think I loved most about this movie was how they showed the current generation reacting to hearing Beatles music for the first time. When Jack gets released from the hospital and he plays "Yesterday" on an acoustic guitar, his friends are blown away. They have never heard anything like it before. They are crying at how beautiful it is. When Ellie hears Jack play songs like "I Saw Her Standing There", or "All You Need is Love" or "And I Love Her", you can she her love for Jack grow and grow, and she wants him so badly to love her like the lyrics in the songs do. When Sheerhan, in a great scene, challenges Jack to a "song off", and Jack comes back and plays "The Long and Winding Road", he is so moved he calls Jack Mozart, and himself Salieri. It is remarkable. When McKinnon gets a hold of him, she decides that, since she claims he doesn't have the right "image" yet, that they are going to release his genius to the world one song at a time until they get his look right. To see his likes and retweets and the amount of followers go up and up and up, it is truly how we consume music nowadays. When he decides, the day before his album is to be released, to play a concert on the top of a hotel, his version of "Help" is not only a great, sped up version of the song, it holds so much more meaning because of how much he is struggling with what he is doing. When, in a great one scene moment, Lamorne Morris, who plays the head of A and R at the music company, goes on his spiel about getting the buzz out on social media, and finding the right album title and getting Jack's look just right, and the pictures that surround him and all the yes men and women around the table, it is too perfect.

"Yesterday" is a wonder of a movie. I loved every single second of what I watched. I cannot wait to see it 4, 5, 6 more times. I will buy it when it comes out on Blu Ray. I have already been telling my wife how great it is, and how much I can't wait to show it to her. This movie is the perfect movie for Beatles fans. But, I also think it is a great movie for anyone that loves music, and for people my age, and also my father's age. To all the parents that played Beatles music for their now grown up kids, go out and see this movie together. I think seeing it with my dad made it that much more enjoyable. I cannot recommend this movie enough. Please go see it.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He is unaware that adding Beatles music to a movie will automatically make it good. Check out “Across the Universe” to see how adding the Beatles can not save the most terrible of films.

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