Ty Watches "Teen Titans Go!: The Night Begins to Shine"

With everyone being home at my house for the last four plus months, I have seen some shows and movies that would have never really been on my radar. I've seen so many more episodes of "T.O.T.S." than I'd like to admit, my daughter loves it. I have watched all the variations of "90 Day Fiance". My wife and I turned on a show on TLC last night, that network is pure trash now by the way, called "My Pregnant Husband". It's wild the stuff I have seen. Add on the fact that there were no sports, and I frankly didn’t really have a say. But, one show I have really taken to, one show I actually want to sit and watch, my son introduced me to. The show is "Teen Titans Go!".

Now, I know I heaped praise on the movie when it came out, putting it in my top five of the year. But, prior to that, I had never actually watched an episode of the cartoon. I had seen bits and pieces, I know the show that is on Cartoon Network now is a silly recreation of an old cartoon, and there is a live action, hyper violent version of the show on that DC channel. But, I have come to really enjoy, and appreciate what the comedic cartoon version of "Teen Titans Go!" does. This show is funny. There are very well written jokes. There are things for both kids and parents. My four year old daughter loves it. My wife does too. The show is very well made. And there is one set of episodes, I think it is an hour long special, that is one of the funniest, most unique and coolest things I have seen on TV.

The special is called, "The Night Begins to Shine". This special is all about the Teen Titans getting together to, essentially, save music for the greater good. And for a show that is all about the jokes and quips and one liners, there are very few in this. This is about as straightforward as this show can get. Sure, there is funny stuff like Beast Boy meeting one of the band members and constantly being hounded by a bird with clues, and Cyborg gets the crew all riled up at the beginning by singing the song, and even the fake band created for the special has their moments. And Cee Lo Green and Fall Out Boy make an appearance and are given some solid jokes to perform. Other than that, this is a straight up, hardcore, lets save music for the greater good special, and I adore it. We watched it just yesterday for, I think, the 10th time as a family, and it still held up as well as the first time. The animation, they go to this outer space world, that they refer to as "radical", and the Teen Titans look like versions of their old selves from the old cartoon, is phenomenal. The story, about why music is so important and needed and how it brings people together, is great. The minimal jokes I mentioned, they are all perfectly timed and perfectly delivered. And the music, it is very catchy and very fun. The band they created for the special is called B.E.R., and they play 80's style synth rock, except they are good. They have the song "The Night Begins to Shine", which is, according to the episode, the greatest and most important song ever written. Cyborg is so enamored with the song, he is kept in the space world while the other Titans have to help him escape. All the stuff with the members of B.E.R., how they all get found and reunite, is so wonderful.And seeing them transform into their robot forms and play their music to save the world, it is one of the coolest things I have seen. I love everything about this special. I am growing to love this show too. But this special is unique and cool and I know they are making a second part, which I will most definitely watch, and I love it all.

This is one thing I am truly glad that I have been exposed to by my son while we have all been at home. This is a show I would have just considered a "kids" show, and not paid any attention to. But. my son knows my love for music, seems to like a lot of what I like, and I am so happy he had me sit down and watch this the first time he did, and was even happier when he suggested we all watch it again for, as I said, at least the tenth time. Check out "Teen Titans Go!" if you haven't already, watch a few episodes to get the gist, and then watch "The Night Begins to Shine". I promise you you will not be disappointed, and I bet you will suggest it to other family and friends. It is truly 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 "Palm Springs"

On our quarantine date this weekend my wife and I sat and watched "Palm Springs".

This is the Lonely Island movie that won Sundance, and sold for a record amount of money, which was a record by 69 cents, and that is hilarious to me. But, the movie was obviously well received, and got good feedback. I am a sucker for a lot of stuff that comes out of Sundance, and is considered a "darling" movie, and "Palm Springs" got all that attention and then some. Add on the fact that Andy Samberg, who is quickly becoming one of my favorite actors, is the star, and I am going to give it a very fair shot.

So after my wife watched the preview and said she'd love to see it, we turned it on, and the next ninety minutes were wonderful. I loved this movie. It more than lived up to the hype. I am not going to spoil much, if anything because I really want people to watch and support this movie, but I will give you a little outline. The movie is like a newer generation "Groundhog Day", except with much more cursing, and way more sexual situations("sexual situations", what am I a hundred?). Andy Samberg plays Nyles, a guest at a wedding, and he ends up reliving the same day over and over and over again. He doesn't exactly know how it happens, or does he, but he is just reliving the same day. Nothing changes, so he just decides to roll with it eventually, and he decides he doesn't care anymore. He has tried to find ways out, be it suicide, or other, but nothing has worked. So, instead of trying to leave, he simply gives in. He does the same thing, but changes up the situation from time to time. One day he'll fight with his girlfriend, the next he is nice to her. He hooks up with all different people, the best being when he claims to have hooked up with the bride's dad, played by Peter Gallagher. That scene is a riot. But there is one night where he sees someone new. He decides to give a speech to save her, and they go to hook up out in the desert. Only, the hookup doesn't end like they both want. Nyles is being hunted by Roy, who is played by JK Simmons, and man is he great, and the girl he is with, Sarah, played by Cristin Milioti, goes to try and help him, and then realizes she is trapped in this infinite loop. She goes to Nyles and finally gets him to explain what is happening but she doesn't buy it. She thinks he is crazy, and she decides to drive all the way home to Austin so she won't fall asleep there. Well, she wakes up in Palm Springs again, and from there on out the movie just becomes more and more hilarious. When Sarah finally starts to buy in and join Nyles on some crazy adventures, That's when I truly fell in love with the movie. They go out and constantly find ways to wreck the wedding. They do copious amounts of drugs. They get drunk everyday. They fight bar patrons. They even did a dance at said bar, and that was some of the funniest dancing I have ever witnessed. I cannot imagine how many takes that took to get that full shot. It was glorious. Throughout all this stuff, Sarah and Nyles start to realize they have feelings for one another. They have an intimate evening, but when they awake again, they both have different reactions. Sarah realizes she has done something wrong, and Nyles, well, he may or may not have been lying to Sarah this whole time. They have their argument, and Sarah disappears. She eventually comes back, and she has a plan that just might get them out of this loop. Nyles isn't so sure, he has grown accustomed to this life, and that is where I will leave this review because it gets so wild and crazy from there.

All in all, like I said above, I loved this movie. Samberg showed some real chops. He has always had the comedy, but in this movie he had to show other emotions, true emotions, and he nailed it. I already said how great Simmons was, and so were the other bit actors they got to be in this movie. But Milioti, she is the star of this. She owns this movie as much, if not more so, than Samberg. She is funny, dark, mysterious, quirky and excellent in everything she does in this movie. I was blown away by her performance, and I shouldn't have been. She was great in "30 Rock", and was totally awesome in her episode of "Black Mirror". She is a damn good actor. Check out "Palm Springs". It is on Hulu, it is short and it rules. This is definitely one of the best movies I have seen in 2020.

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 Eric Andre's Comedy Special "Legalize Everything"

Last night I was able to sit down, finally, and watch Eric Andre's new stand-up special, "Legalize Everything".

I loved it, of course. I am a big time Andre fan. I have watched his talk show on Adult Swim multiple times. I loved his role on "Man Seeking Woman". Any time he pops up in a movie, even in a very small part, like in "Popstar", I always end up laughing. And one of the more upsetting live show misses for me was when I was supposed to see him in Saint Louis, but he had to cancel the show due to scheduling conflicts. He never rescheduled, and who knows what will happen with live shows given the current situation. I wished I had gotten to see him. But, luckily, I have all this other content of his to watch, and now this new stand-up special. Since I didn't get to see him live, this was my best case scenario. And as I said, I loved it.

Eric Andre is like the Tasmanian Devil of comedy. He is a total ball of energy on stage, but he can also turn on a dime and really slow things down and tell some funny ass stories. I also appreciated that it was just under one hour long. He gets in and out, and crushes while he is doing his show. The live show was what I wanted to see as well. I mentioned the energy, he has great jokes, he talks about deep stuff that he makes funny, and his crowd work is impeccable. I am going to spoil much because people need to check this out.

Andre is a bit different than most stand-ups out there today. He is so high energy and so wild and so crazy, but it is all done with a tremendous amount of humor. I also liked the cold open of the special where he pretended to be a police officer in New Orleans, where the special was taped, and he walked around getting high, giving people pills, telling people he took evidence, just doing everything illegal, and seeing real people have real reactions, it was like watching his talk show. He then proceeded to crush from the moment he stepped on stage. Oh, he also went through the crowd when he was introduced, and was yelling and getting everyone hyped up. It was great. When he took the mic, he talked about so many different things. He did a good chunk at the beginning about drug use, which was hilarious. He talked about smoking pot with his mom, his experience with MDMA, his one time Xanax trip at Coachella, the bad cocaine in NOLA. It was so funny. He then did a classic bit about the show "Cops", and how ridiculous that they have reggae music as their theme music. It is funny, and timely. The stuff about religion, and Plymouth, Massachusetts was tremendous, and I am totally on board with his thoughts. I howled when he climbed onto an audience member, and told him to stop being weird. The thing with the phone, and texting, that is going to be a classic bit. When he spoke about his early career stand up, and the exploits that happened, again, cackling with laughter. The bit with the souvenir he got in Cuba was great, as was his story about being in the Red Light District in Amsterdam. The whole damn thing is great.

I am a fan, so I knew that I was going to enjoy this special. I do think people who may be on the fence about him will enjoy it too. Like I said, it is wild, but he does tone it down from time to time, and does very funny stories, of which he calls back later in the special. Eric Andre is awesome, and this special is great. I highly recommend checking 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 "Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga"

On a whim the other night my wife asked if I wanted to watch the new Will Ferrell movie on Netflix, “Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga”.

I was taken aback for a few reasons. I didn’t know he had a new movie for one. I didn’t know both Rachel McAdams and Dan Stevens were in it. I didn’t know that Pierce Brosnan played Ferrell’s father. And I had zero idea it was about a singing contest called Eurovision, which is a singing contest that invites bands and singers from all over the world, and it’s a real thing. I guess, according to some research, Ferrell became obsessed with this singing contest when his wife showed it to them on a trip. I think she’s of Swedish decent, and she thought he’d enjoy it. Well, it turned into an obsession, and he made a whole movie about it. And he sings and dances and acts and produces the whole damn thing.

While “Eurovision Song Contest” is a bit overlong, it is funny and sweet. Ferrell is hilarious as usual. He plays the lead character Lars. Lars is a dreamer ever since he saw ABBA on Eurovision as a young kid after his mother passed away. He got up and danced at the wake afterward at his home, and while all the adults laughed at him, he swore he’d win Eurovision one day. While at said wake, Sigrit, Rachel McAdams, got up and danced and sang with him. She was mute up to that point in her life. From that point we see them as grownups working in a new song for their band Fire Saga. It’s as European as it gets too. The song, the attached video, the costumes, it all screams European, and I loved it. It was silly, but fun. And while Ferrell is his usual funny self, McAdams matches him, and dare I say, surpasses him. She is so funny in this movie. She’s so quiet, yet naive. She loves Lars, but he loves Eurovision more. She sticks by his side no matter what, even if it’s to her detriment. McAdams really goes for it, and she absolutely crushes it. She is the star of this movie by far. I adored her performance. Dan Stevens plays Russian singer Alexander Lemtov. His performance is so over the top, but it’s supposed to be. He’s so full of himself and his music. He’s also hiding who he truly is. He may be the “bad guy”, but he’s really not. He just wants what’s best for his career and Sigrit’s. She has real talent that he sees, and Lars doesn’t. Also, the fight scene between Alexander and Lars near the end is one of the funniest things I’ve seen in awhile. Brosnan is great as the gruff dad. He doesn’t like the career path his son has chosen, and he lets him know it. Even when he eases up on him, he’s still kind of a jerk, as he’s supposed to be.

While the performances are great, I like that Ferrell is into this world, he invites real contestants to perform full on song and dance performances a few times in the movie. He really lets the singers shine, really gives them their moment, and it’s so cool and so much fun. Like I says before, the only thing I’d change is the length. It’s a hair over two hours, and that’s a little too long for a comedy like this. Other than that it’s a great, funny movie. Ferrell is good, but McAdams shines. I’d recommend it simply for her performance. But, it’s pretty great for everything else it does. Check it out if you haven’t, and if you enjoy Ferrell’s sense of humor. It’s uniquely him. I like that, and I think you will too.

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 "Da 5 Bloods"

Yesterday, after five separate viewing experiences, I was able to finish the new Spike Lee movie "Da 5 Bloods".

Right off the bat, I liked this movie. I like it more than "Black Klansman". I think it is one of Lee's stronger, more recent movies. I like the way it was shot, more on that later. And the acting was top notch. This is a good movie.

Before I get into why I liked it, I want to point out my little critiques, the stuff I would have changed. I felt the movie was a bit overlong. It was 2 hours 35 minutes in fact. I feel like it could have been an hour less than that. Spike Lee could have cut a good chunk of some stuff out, mainly the love story stuff, and the movie would have been just as good. The movie also had a little too much cliche stuff in it. That could have been on purpose, or just a coincidence. Either way though, some of it felt a bit too heavy handed, and the way I watch movies, I would have cut that out. And there was a group of activists that were a bit too featured in the movie. They help move along the story when we get to the thick of it, but they could have been shown a little less for me. Look, I get that this is all personal stuff, and the way I watch movies, but I would have cut that stuff, or could have done without it, and this would have jumped from a B+ to an A+ movie for me.

All that stuff aside, this is a very, very good movie. The opening sequence is one of the more powerful, and intense things I have ever seen in a movie. The way Lee added it to the movie, showing everything, was very powerful, intense and made me flinch, all in a good way. Lee's direction was masterful, as it always is. He is one of these guys that has honed his craft, he is exceptional at it, and he just flat out knows what he is doing. The way he directed the "flashback" scenes, and I know I am being coy, that is because I don't want to spoil anything, was like nothing I have ever seen before. The movie looks like a modern movie, and then when he does the flashback stuff, it looks like a grainy war movie. It was so unique and interesting and cool. Also, the shots he got from the jungle in Vietnam, and the city at night time, that was rad. He really shows two different worlds in the same country. It was awesome.

The main thing that puts this movie over the top is the acting. It is so god damn good. Everyone, as far as the main characters go, did a very good job. In fact I felt that Chadwick Boseman was the "weakest" one in the movie, but he has a very small role, only seen in flashback and has very few lines. What he did was great, he just didn't have a ton to do. He is also part of the most moving scene in the movie. As for the rest of the "5 Bloods", the guys were great. Isiah Whitlock as the party going, fun loving guy that just happens to be a sharpshooter. He also has a hero's sendoff. Norm Lewis is great as the affluent former soldier who has lost it all, but wants to be true to their friend's memory and promise. His death is brutal and unexpected. Clark Duke, as the medic, is really good. He is quiet yet powerful. When he speaks, it holds weight. His words are important and the guys listen when he talks. Johnathan Majors is funny and moving. He has some great moments in this movie. He has intense moments as well. But it gets no better than Delroy Lindo. His performance is a masterclass in acting. He does things so perfectly in this role. You cannot take your eyes off him when he is on screen, which is a ton. His portrayal of PTSD and panic attacks is all too real. The way he treats his friends and family, he is an angry dude that needs to come to terms with his past, which he eventually does. If he doesn't win the Oscar for best actor this year, I'd be totally shocked. He is magnetic.

I like this movie. I recommend this movie. I think this movie is important given the current climate, and what is going on all over the world. "Da 5 Bloods" is definitely worth your time, just know it is a long watch. But, it is worth 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 "Long Gone Summer"

Yesterday I watched the most recent 30 for 30 "Long Gone Summer". The doc was about the summer of 1998 when Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa chased the home run record set by Roger Maris.

I lived through this moment in time, and I vividly remember the chase because I live in Saint Louis, and I am a Cardinals fan. That was one of my main motivations for watching this movie. I also wanted to see how much they talked about steroids in this era, and how much of a part it played in both guys, and eventually Barry Bonds, breaking such a hallowed record. And yes, records in baseball, for some reason, are held in higher regards than in other pro sports. So the fact that three guys in four years broke the record, people had lots of questions. But I will touch on that in a moment.

As for the movie, it was just fine. It wasn't great, it wasn't bad, it was just fine. This is unfair to the movie, but I am now going to be comparing the every 30 for 30 to "The Last Dance". That was epic, perfect and one of the best movies I will ever see. So I know comparing this movie to it is not fair. But it just didn't fully live up to the hype for me. A lot of the footage, I remember seeing. I was 16 when this happened, loved baseball, played baseball, so it had my full attention. Baseball also needed something to get back in people's good graces after the 1994 lockout, and this home run race was the remedy. I remember McGwire starting off hot. I remember Ken Griffey Jr being right in it. I remember Sammy Sosa coming on super strong in June. They covered all this, but they didn't really add anything new. I don't think they put in anything that your average baseball fan doesn't remember from that era. They talked about Kerry Wood, but he was the hot phenom at the time. They mentioned Harry Caray's death, and everyone knew about that. They mentioned Sosa's unexpected explosion in June, but that is what got the world's attention. They talked about how hard it was on both guys, but anyone that watched could see it in their faces, especially McGwire's. Sosa loved the limelight, and he shined in it. McGwire just wanted to hit baseballs. I also remember not being a fan of either guy, even though I was, and still am, a Cardinals fan. I was always a Griffey Jr guy.

What I am trying to say is, I already knew all the stuff they were getting into with this movie. I watch 30 for 30's because they give me new info, or tell me about someone I never heard of before. This was almost a paint by numbers doc. It was softball question after softball question. They did not really dig deep into what I was hoping they would, steroids. And that is on me I guess. I was going into this movie thinking it was going to be a salacious take down of both guys, and both guys would come clean about their steroid use. And, I mean, I guess they did, but it was kind of half hearted admittance. McGwire said he used steroids, but only for injuries, which is B.S. Sosa said, "everyone was doing it", which isn't really an admission, but also kind of is. But they did all that in the last ten minutes of the movie. They spent an hour and a half praising these guys, showing legions of fans cheering for them and how they overcame adversity, only to switch at the end to say, "they may have used steroids". There is no may, they did. This could have been like the Lance Armstrong doc. They could have delved so much deeper into the seedy world of steroid use in baseball in the mid to late 90's and early 2000's. They chose to go in a different direction, which is fine, it just wasn't what I wanted or expected. Sosa and McGwire almost come off as good guys, and they both are not, at least in baseball terms. They both took PEDs. They both cheated the game. They both fell off after this one magical season. They both were called into congress to talk about PED use. And "Long Gone Summer" just kind of glossed over all of that in favor for watching a baseball fly over a wall.

It was nice to go back in time and see a ton of cool stuff that I watched as a teenager, but this movie could have been better, at least for me. I wanted more steroid talk, more salacious stuff. "Long Gone Summer" went for sympathy, and that is their prerogative. Now I know to watch "The Unauthorized Bash Brothers Experience" if I want what I deem to be the truer story, and I'm totally cool with that. I'm glad I watched, but I don't see myself revisiting it like I do with so many other 30 for 30's.

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 "Snowpiercer" Series Premier

Last week either TNT or TBS, pretty sure it is TNT, premiered the television series "Snowpiercer". I am an avid fan of the movie. I loved it in fact. It is definitely in my top five movies of all time. I love the story, the acting, the look and the direction. It is one of those rare perfect movies.

So when a TV series was announced, I was excited, but also a little skeptical. I mean, sometimes you just need one. Sometimes there doesn't need to be a sequel, prequel or TV series. Some shows have pulled this off, "Fargo" comes to mind, but in more cases than not, it just doesn't work. It waters down the original thing we loved so much in the first place.

I went into the premiere episode with some hesitation, but also willingness to see how they try to pull it off. The best I can say for the premiere, it was interesting. I'm not in a place where I feel like I can say it is good or bad in my opinion yet. It needs some more time. But, the premiere had me interested. It kept my attention. I noticed that I wasn't checking my phone, that it had my full attention. To me those are all good signs. Those are signs of a show that I am willing to give more than one chance. I also liked how much they didn't really stray from the material from the movie. They have a similar story line. The world starts to get bad, there is a worldwide freeze, a bunch of people bored a humongous train and as time goes on, the train starts to develop a class system. The upper class people are closer to the front, their kids get to go to school, they can procreate, they have access to the best food and comforts of modern society. They are all good. Even the middle of the train has some of the same elements, just not to degree that the rich people have. They also have an area dedicated to rave type people. They have a working class section. And then they have the people in the tail. This is the bottom class. This car is filled with people that have lost loved ones, their entire family didn't make it on the train in the beginning, they are shunned, they cannot procreate, they have to eat protein bars made from scraps. Basically, they have it the worst of all. This was where Chris Evans was in the movie, and this is where we meet Daveed Diggs in a similar role. I like Daveed Diggs, but I have only seen him in less dark material. I have to get over that hump myself, but I will say, he was really good in the premiere. I believed him, and I am actively rooting for him. Also, the scene where he gets taken away, and then fed a hot bowl of tomato soup and a grilled cheese, he played that very, very well. I'm sure I will grow to like him even more, I just have to start buying him in the role. Jennifer Connelly, who is an amazing actress, is very calm in her role, almost too calm. She has a certain charm that definitely has me thinking she may not be the sweet hospitality lady she is portraying herself. And the ending of the premiere, and I will not spoil anything here, kind of proves what I was thinking. I also want to point out that I thought the initial battle scene was done very well, for a TV show. They can't go as big as the movie, but they did a very solid job. I also liked how they broke down the classes very quickly in the premiere.

As I said, I still need some time, but the pilot kept me in. The pilot makes me want to watch more and more. I have tried to stay away from apocalyptic stuff since the pandemic started, but "Snowpiercer", at least for one episode, doesn't make me think about the bleakness we currently live in. I'll be tuning in this weekend for the next episode, and if you liked the movie, I suggest you should to. I have my hesitations, but for one episode, they have me. Hopefully that will continue. 

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 Last Dance" Parts 4 and 5

Episodes 5 and 6 of "The Last Dance" aired last night, and like the first four, this doc just continues to get better and better, and more revealing. I love this whole thing, and I am actually a little upset that there are only four more episodes. There are only two more weeks. I could watch this for another 10 to 20 episodes easily. That is how intriguing and wonderful this has been.

In episode 5 we got a look at a little bit of everything following the Bulls first title in 1991. We also got a dedication to Kobe Bryant prior to the start. The first part of the episode started with the 98 All Star game that featured the two going head to head. We even got a talking head interview with Bryant, and it was eye opening to hear him say the things he said about Jordan. Hearing him talk about his importance, and how if it wasn't for Jordan, he wouldn't have been the player he was. He even said how much he disliked the comparisons, and people asking who would win one on one. He all but squashed that, and let it be known that Jordan is the GOAT.

From there we got a glimpse into the 92 team that repeated. This was great because we got to see this team really rise to dominance, and see Jordan kind of take basketball to a whole other level. BJ Armstrong even said that he wasn't playing basketball anymore, he was simply out there to find new ways to win. That is how dominant, and great and maniacal he was as a player. The matchup between him and Clyde Drexler was supposed to be close. It wasn't. This series featured "the shrug" game, where MJ hit 6 threes in the first half, and scored 35 in the same half. He outplayed Drexler every step of the way. He said that he wanted to show how much better he was, and that it pissed him off that they were even comparing the two. Jordan is better, and will always be, and he proved that.

We also got a look at the Dream Team where, once again, and as usual, Jordan was the alpha. He was the dude. He was the guy. The video tape of a practice game was awesome. The way he and Pippen dominated Toni Kukoc was wild. They wanted to prove Jerry Krause wrong, and while Kukoc turned out to be a fine player, Jordan and Pippen proved they were better, and more important.

The episode also got into his cultural impact, what with his shoes and commercial appeal. It had to be hard to be Michael Jordan. That was the big takeaway for me from episode 5.

Episode 6 starts off with how hard it was for him to deal with the fame. It seemed like he had no time to just be alone, or away, or with his family. He was pulled in a million different directions. From there we dig into his gambling. This added to his competitive nature. There is a scene where he is betting with his handlers who can get a piece of change closest to the wall without touching it, and when he got beat by one of the dudes, you could tell it irked him very much. We then shift back to 93, with the Bulls working on their first 3 peat. This was also when they started to dig a little deeper into his gambling, referencing Sam Smith's wonderful book "The Jordan Rules". This was the same time they started to try and dig up dirt on him. They figured he couldn't be as perfect as he appeared. This is the episode I have been waiting for. This is where it got grimy and gritty and down and dirty. Apparently Horace Grant was the first one that spoke up, but it seems like there were plenty of other people. Jordan said it was Grant, but Grant said he didn't say a word. Who knows, but I do know that Grant wasn't too thrilled with the attention that MJ and Pippen were getting over him. But being the genius of basketball that he was, his play didn't waver a bit. In fact, he just kept getting better. It seems like it fueled him.

Then we shifted to the rivalry between the Bulls and Knicks in the early 90's. The Knicks tried to be the new era "Bad Boys", but the Knicks weren't as dirty, and easier to root for. They also weren't nearly as good. They did some stuff. They went up 2-0 on the Bulls, we got the famous Starks dunk. But, other than that, they were no real threat to the Bulls.

We did shift from there back to his gambling, which people blamed for the Bulls dropping the first 2 games. This was also when we meet a guy named Slim Buller, who was a badass dude that gambled with him all the time. Apparently, Jordan spent a good amount of time with this gentleman. This was when people started to really push on the gambling, and if he was an addict or not. This was the first time I have seen Jordan a little defensive in the talking head interviews. He was near over explaining what he was doing. But, as he is want to do, he responded as he always did, and came back and dominated the Knicks in four straight games. We also got to see the epic game 5 finish, with Charles Smith getting blocked four times, right at the rim. Poor guy.

That win pushed the Bulls to their third finals appearance in a row, this time to face the Suns and league MVP Charles Barkley. That series was an okay one, but it still gave Jordan the platform to prove is greatness over everyone else, which he did. This 6th episode started to show more of the asshole that Jordan was, and maybe still is, and that was great. I have been waiting to see this side of him. This was one of the things at the very top of my list that I wanted from this doc. It closed out nicely with them getting ready for the 98 playoffs, and as I am every Monday now, I cannot wait for the next two episodes.

"The Last Dance" has been so worth it so far, and it is only going to get better and better the rest of the way. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing, the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast, and the greatest basketball writer on the internet.

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Ty Watches "Dave" Season One Finale

Last night my wife and I watched the season one finale of "Dave". This was a show that I was excited for when I first heard about it, and the full season did not disappoint at all. It was very different from what I was expecting, but in a very good and surprising way. Yes, the show had plenty of comedic moments, but there were also very moving, sad, thought provoking and boundary pushing stuff. This is why FX is so far ahead of the curve of other networks. They give people shows, and they let them go off in whatever direction they want.

In one particular episode of "Dave", they talk about weird sexual fetishes, but it was a solid portrayal of people doing for others in a relationship. Dave and his girlfriend Ally worked to find a medium ground together. There was another episode that focused primarily on Dave's hype man GaTa. GaTa was a total unsung hero this first season, probably my favorite character, and to see his back story, involving hospitalization due to bi polar disorder, was moving as hell. There was one episode that solely focused on Els, the producer friend of Dave's, that shows his relationship, his friendship with Dave and his trepidation to move up in the music industry. Basically, FX let Dave Burd and his people do what they wanted, and it worked so god damn well.

The finale was on a whole other level. It started with him rapping about his career, ending up in jail and being forced to do things he didn't want to do. The first five minutes or so were just that. It was essentially a music video. Then they smash cut to his record label people being totally appalled with the song. They didn't like what the song had to say, they didn't want to release it and they were all very offended by everything. Dave didn't care. He kept calling this song his "life's work", and his "triumph"., But everyone around him, except for Benny Blanco, which, bravo to his performance on this show, he was great, did not want him to release the song.They thought it would stop him in his music career before it even really started. There was great stuff with him and his buddy, who is his manager now. They fought and argued, and even though his buddy relented, you could tell he was upset. The scene with him and Els, where Els tells him he is going on tour with another rapper for six months, was telling for both. Els thought Dave would be happy for him, but like he has been all season, Dave was selfish and upset. Even GaTa, who stands by him no matter what, thought it was wack to release the song without telling his label. As I said before, the only person who told him to release it was Blanco, explaining that there would be two outcomes. He said that people would love the song, and the label would have to give him full control, or it would bust, and the label would drop him. He posed it as a win win for Dave. Dave was all set to do it on "The Breakfast Club", a very popular and influential morning hip hop show. He flew to New York with GaTa and his manager and was fully intent on releasing the track. Then the show did what it has done all season and totally stunned me in the best way possible. During the interview Charlamagne the God, one of the hosts of the show, kept pushing him. He kept asking him tough, racial questions. He kept asking him why he was copping other culture. He pushed and pushed. He asked questions Dave had never considered. Even with GaTa's help, Dave was stuck. He didn't know what to do. You can see the wheels turning in his head about whether or not to actually release the track. The head guy from the label showed up as well, thus making it that much more high stakes for him. When the time came to play the track, Dave decides he is simply going to free style. He made the right choice, but now he had to prove that he could actually rap. Charlamagne made sure to tell him, quite persistently, that eight million people were currently listening, and that he was going to mess up. Well, Dave turns the beat on, and just like in the premiere episode, he goes on to spit an incredibly long, intricate and dope song. The way he weaves in and out of words, the way he combines stuff, his voice, his lyrics, Dave Burd is a good rapper. The show makes a joke all season long that he thinks he is the greatest rapper of all time. And while I don't think that he is, he is a very good, very unsuspecting rapper. This last shot proves that tenfold. And when they finally get to the end of the song, he goes on to say something about his real name, kind of like, "and my name is.........", and he pauses. Charlamagne asks him, "what's your name", and the show cuts to end credits with just DAVE in all caps.

I was stunned. I had goosebumps. I was super duper impressed. I said out loud, "GOD DAMN I LOVE THIS SHOW!". I cannot wait for season two. "Dave" was great in every sense of the word. I highly recommend it. It is one of the better shows to come out in 2020. I truly do love this 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 "Miracle Workers" Season 2

Yesterday I finished season two of “Miracle Workers”. I really enjoyed the first season, but didn’t know if they’d do another one. I thought it was going to be one season and out. Then it was rumored that they were going to do an anthology type thing, with the same actors playing different characters in different stories. I loved this idea. When I found out they were going to do a dark ages season, I was even more on board. I enjoy reading about that time, and throw in the fact that Simon Rich was going to put his spin on it, this was a home run for me.

This season two experiment did not disappoint. As I said, they brought back all the main people, Daniel Radcliffe, Steve Buscemi, Geraldine Viswanathan, Karan Soni and Lolly Adefope. But this time around they had different roles. Buscemi and Viswanathan were father and daughter, and Jon Bass, who had a smaller role in season one, was the son. Buscemi was a hard working guy who was just happy to be alive and have healthy children. He was great. Bass was a dolt and a dummy, but he was also super nice and really loved his family. Viswanathan was the smartest person in the town, a hard working idealist they wanted bigger and better things. She was so good in this part of the anthology. She was great in season one, but she excelled as the star of season two. She had the funniest moments of the season, she had the most growth, she revealed the most, she crushed it. I was so impressed by her performance. Adefope, who was quietly amazing in season one, was great here as well. She had a bigger role this time around too. I really enjoyed her stuff with the convent, and his into it she got. She was fun, grounded and kept a level head. Radcliffe was great, as usual, as the black sheep prince of his royal family. He was all about love, affection and helping others. His family was filled with murderous tyrants, his dad, the king, played by Peter Serafinowicz expertly, was the most vicious of all. But Radcliffe was just different. He wanted what was best for the town, the people and, mainly, Viswanathan’s character. Their scenes together were so sweet, even when they fought. Karan Soni was solid, like he always is, as the Lord who works for Radcliffe’s family. He was funny, dry and quick witted. The episode where he goes to trial to help out a goat is hilarious. He truly owns that whole episode. He also had a heart of gold, and was rewarded greatly in the season finale. As for the other actors, they did great in their small roles.

What I liked most about this part of the anthology was how they joked about the dark ages. Be it war, religion, money, entertainment, it was all done so well. To open a series with a live execution, and to play it for laughs, I mean, it was perfect. The stuff with school, and how it was so ridiculous, simply hilarious. The “concerts” and live entertainment was downright absurd, and I loved it. The way they represented class was also done so well. I love this series, and I want it to stick around.

I’m a humongous fan of Simon Rich as well. He did some great stuff while writing for “SNL”. I am one of the biggest fans of “Man Seeking Woman”. And now he has “Miracle Workers”. This one seems like it has the most staying power simply because Radcliffe is attached. But everyone else is fantastic that is involved with this show. I cannot recommend it enough. Watch this show so TBS will continue to let them make more and more. It is so good.

Ty

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

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Ty Watches "Curb Your Enthusiasm" Season 10 Finale

This past Sunday "Curb Your Enthusiasm" had its tenth season finale, and it was tremendous. This whole season was fantastic for that matter. They went above and beyond and just went super silly with it all in the tenth season.

When it started with Larry and Leon walking and talking, and Larry breaking some tourists selfie stick, I knew we were in for some good old fashioned "Curb". From there on out, it was pretty wild and pretty hilarious. From Larry getting back together with Cheryl for a moment, until he forced a allergic reaction due to talcum powder, to him not giving Clive Owen the praise he felt he deserved, to his interactions at Timothy Olyphant's wedding in Mexico with everyone, to the painting he commissioned for Susie, to the "ugly versus good looking" section at a lunch spot, to pretty much everything else. But, the major plotting point of this season was the "spite store".

Larry had a ton of run ins, but the major one was with Mocha Joe. We first met Mocha Joe early in the season, but he was a thru character the whole time. They started off okay, but when Larry criticized his scone, then his wobbly tables and then the temperature of his coffee, they were in a battle. Larry tried to prove that his coffee wasn't hot enough by sticking his nose in it, a bit revisited later by Jon Hamm, which was hilariously pulled off. After his first run in with Mocha Joe, Larry realized that store space next to Mocha Joe's was open. He, of course bought it, and decided he was going to open a spite coffee shop. He then got really into it, and started to so some odd things, but things that Larry David would definitely do. He installed bathrooms, but only for number 1's. He got self heating cups to keep the coffee hot. He made his own scones. He had coat racks at each table. He made sure his tables were secure to the ground. He took it very seriously. He was so serious, that all the way to the finale, there was a news story talking about all these other people opening spite stores. Jonah Hill had a spite deli. Sean Penn, a spite bird shop. Even Mila Kunis opened a spite jewelry shop. All of this was so perfect, so funny and so Larry David.

There was a few other plot lines in the finale as well. There was one with Chaz Bono, playing a Funkhouser, who had transitioned from female to male, and may have made his "member", a bit too big. Or, there could be Larry's run in with the fireman, and their sirens. Or Larry bringing up a ridiculous question to a couple friend of Jeff and Susie. Or even the stuff involving the "Big Johnson" club with Leon. It was all played so well, so perfect and so true to what makes this show so very wonderful.

I don't know when, or even if, we will see "Curb Your Enthusiasm" again. I hope we do because it is one of the best on TV. But, if this is it, they went out with a total bang. This is a finale, a whole season for that matter, that I will never forget. It was one for the memory books, and it was one of the greatest seasons of TV in history. What a spectacle.

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 "Love is Blind"

I, like I hope most Americans are doing right now, am quarantining myself(I don’t have CoronaVirus), social distancing and only leaving the house to run, go to the store as needed and to take a little drive to clear my head. So, I need things to watch and do when I have down time and don’t want to go nuts thinking about this pandemic.

Welp, my wife said some friends of her said we should watch the Netflix dating show “Love is Blind”. We watched it all in a weekend, and it was as trashy, ridiculous, dumb, wild and fun as I hoped it would be. I was on the fence because I’m not a huge fan of dating shows. I think they’re all a little pointless. I know we live in a society where online dating is the best way to meet someone, or if you can’t do that, go on a reality TV show. Most of them follow the cliched format, and so does “Love is Blind”. But only for a minute.

The show starts out like most dating shows. They interview people, they have them all live in a house that’s filled with alcohol and no internet or TV and they film it all. The difference with “Love is Blind”, during the “dates”, the people cannot see one another. They sit in a room that is cut in half by what I think is a mirror and they just talk. They get to really know one another. They find out things about each other that would have never been done if they could look at each other. That is the brilliance of this show. It’s not like any other dating show I’ve seen. It’s not “Married at First Sight” or “The Swan” or “Joe Millionaire”. Those shows were almost a parody of dating shows. And while “Love is Blind” is a ridiculous dating show, at least they, for a few episodes, show how open people can be when they can’t see one another.

Then the premise, or the conceit if you will, of the show goes off the rails. When two people feel that they’ve really connected, they can’t just say they want to date or get to know the person, they have to get engaged. Then, if that’s not enough, when they finally do meet one another, after they’re engaged, they get to go on a trip to Mexico. It’s all honeymoon phase right off the top. They don’t see any foibles or anything truly intimate. Sure, some insecurities start to come out, and you can see some of the people truly regretting their decisions. But still, with one exception, the couples are all happy and living in this great moment. But then they come home and they’re all housed in the same apartment complex. This is when it gets real. This is when the fights, all the insecurities, the stupid pointless little tiffs start to rear their ugly heads. These couples get into ridiculous, pointless fights. Oh, they’re also given their phones back, and they get back to “real life” when they move into the apartments. This, of course, causes even more senseless drama. They then have to meet families, which is awkward and hilarious. Then, in the season finale, this is when they have to decide if they’re going to get married or not. Mind you, they’ve only been together for right around a month. They’ve only lived together for two weeks. They’ve only had one interaction with their soon to be spouse’s family. None of that is not nearly enough time to truly get to know someone, especially someone you’re about to spend the rest of your life with.

Of the five couples, only two went through with it. But, it was so very, very awkward to see the couples, who they had get tuxedos and wedding gowns, invite friends and family and have a ceremony, not go through with it. There was a reunion special, but it wasn’t much to write home about.

In the end, “Love is Blind” starts off super strong, gets better, then gets uncomfortable, then just kind of fades. I definitely recommend it, especially in our current situation. It’s a nice departure, and a good way to escape, even if it’s just for an hour per episode. I think you should check it out, especially if you are looking for something to distract you.

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 "Black Monday" Season Two Premier

On Sunday Showtime had a two episode season two premiere of “Black Monday”, and it was great.

I was intrigued by this show last year when I heard David Caspe, creator of “Happy Endings”, one of the best and most underrated rated shows of all time, had created it. I then saw the cast, people like Regina Hall, Andrew Rannels, Don Cheadle, Casey Wilson, Paul Scheer, Yassir Lester and Horatio Sanz, and it made me even more pumped. Season one did not disappoint. “Black Monday” is one of those rare shows that perfectly straddles their line of comedy and drama. The show is definitely more comedic, especially darkly comedic, but they nailed the dramatic scenes. All the stuff that came out during the first season was handled very, very well. I don’t want to spoil anything, especially since we all should be social distancing and self isolating. Go binge watch the first season while we are all supposed to be indoors.

Season two picked up seemingly a few months, maybe five or six, right after the first season wrapped up. Regina Hall is now in charge, along with Rannels. She runs the firm that Cheadle was running, and Rannels, who is in DC trying to expand his political career, is looked at as a wunderkind. He is plastered all over magazine covers, and is a household name. Hall, on the other hand, is handling business back in NYC. She is the boss, and she acts like it and she deserves it. She has worked too hard to not be in this position. But, she does have some demons that she needs exorcise. Lester and Sanz still work at the firm, but they’re the only dudes. Their couple of scenes were great, and fitting for their character arcs to this date. Meanwhile, and again, I’m going to try to not spoil much, Scheer and Cheadle are living in Miami. They’re living a separate life from what they did in NYC. And while Scheer seems to enjoy his life, Cheadle looks like he’d rather be anywhere else. The scene that introduces us to Scheer in season 2 is amazing. The music, the clothes, the mustache and the rollerblading, it was just so perfect. Cheadle meanwhile, he has quit cocaine, a big part of season one, and is playing in a hotel band. Also, speaking of looks, his hairdo is amazing. I love it.

The first two episodes of season two have me very excited to see where things go from here. This show is so well made. It’s well written, directed and acted. They have pros all across the board on this show, and it shows. The ending of the second episode has me fired up for the rest of the season as well. Seriously people, especially if you’re looking for a new show to binge in our current state, I cannot recommend “Black Monday” highly enough. This show 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 "Dave" Season Premier

Last night FX premiered the first season of "Dave", and I am going to talk about the new show.

For those that may not know, Dave is better known by his rap name Lil Dicky. Lil Dicky was brought to my attention by a friend of mine about a year ago. I knew nothing of him, I was sent a video, and I enjoyed it quite a bit. It was absurd and funny, the beat was good and Lil Dicky can rap. His raps are also ridiculous and hilarious. His beats are rad too. But, I am relatively new to Lil Dicky. I then saw some trailers for this new show, and they were pretty damn funny. I decided I was going to watch the show, and I was prepped to watch the premiere last night.

Now, I have only seen the first episode. There were, without my knowledge, two episodes last night. I wanted to watch both, but I have a new puppy and a daughter with a cold and a bad cough, so I was exhausted and ready for bed at 9:45 last night. But man was that first episode phenomenal. It hit everything I was hoping for.

First off, Dave, AKA Lil Dicky, is funny and goofy and nerdy and perfect. I know he is playing himself, or maybe a heightened version of himself, but still, he is so god damn funny. I related to him so much. The stuff with him trying to get real rappers to respect him, it was so funny and relatable. To see him put in these wild situations, and his reactions, they were funny, but also seemed very, very real, especially the scene with YG at the end. When he is pushed to rap, so he can be on YG's Instagram story, the fear, but then crushing his verses, I loved every second of it. Also, this dude can rap. Like, for real. The verses he spits during this scene are legit. He is good at grooving and rhyming with the beat, he can go on and on for seemingly endless amounts of time, his lyrics are ridiculous, but they also work. Lil Dicky is a legit rapper. That much is proven true in this premiere episode.

Outside Dave/Lil Dicky, the rest of the cast is really solid. Taylor Misiak plays his girlfriend, Ally. She is a kindergarten teacher, and she is the one person that can keep Dave grounded. She almost seems too good for him. Also, the whole tweet they talk about in the ep, it is played for great laughs between Dave and Ally. Also, his rap scene, when he mentions her, brilliant. Dave's best friend is played by Andrew Santino, and he is funny as the serious and un fun version of Dave. He has a miserable job, which he hates, and he lets everyone know about it. YG was really, really good in the premiere. He was funny, being himself and he crushed. Travis "Taco" Bennett as the studio sound engineer Elz, was so, so good. He is friends with Dave, but he also doesn't want Dave to make him seem like a square. Dave's parents, and their scene involving Dave taking out his Bar Mitzvah money, was priceless. It was like looking at my parents on screen if I were telling them what Dave told them. Also, in that scene, the little child who kept staring at him while he was on the phone, and that look that Dave gave him, hilarious. But the true star outside Dave/Lil Dicky was GaTa, as himself. He was so good, so funny, revealed a ton about his true character in the ep, and made me laugh the whole time. From when they meet at the beginning in the studio, to where they end up, I loved it. I cannot wait to see their friendship blossom throughout the series.

"Dave" is another top notch show from FX. I truly hope they give this show time to grow and find itself because I feel like this could be a humongous hit for them. I'm stoked to watch the second ep tonight, and the rest of the season for that matter. This is one of the better new shows on TV. Check it out for sure.

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 "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.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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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.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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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.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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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.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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