Better Late than Never on the Incredible "Logan"

"Logan" is now out on various forms of DVD and On Demand. This piece will spoil many parts of the film. If you have not seen "Logan", go watch it, then come back and read the article.

I finally got a chance to see "Logan", and boy oh boy was this movie incredible. RD, and everyone that was telling me how great it was, were one hundred percent correct. I have been pretty clear here on SeedSing that I despise "X-Men Origins: Wolverine", and that I am one of the few people that enjoyed "The Wolverine". But, "Logan" completely blows both of them out of the water.

First off, I was thrilled by the fact that is was rated R. Wolverine, and his powers, are brutal and vicious. This has only been shown in snippets in all the original "X-Men" movies and the 2 other stand alone Wolverine movies. Well, in "Logan", they show what those adamantium claws can do. There was an incredible scene to open the movie when some guys are trying to take Logan's tires off his car, and after he gets shot a few times, he then unleashes hell. He starts to get all angry and mad, his claws come out and he just obliterates these guys. He puts his claws through one guy's arm, he is holding a shot gun, and cuts it clean off. There are a couple of other guys that get claws through their head and brains. The other guys, they get the claws to the gut. It was brutal, bloody, violent, and I loved every second of it. I was immediately hooked. The movie is violent, there is cursing and I knew this wasn't going to be your typical super hero movie. When James Mangold directed "The Wolverine", it was off the beaten path, but with "Logan", this was like a modern, bloody Western. I am a big, big fan of modern Westerns. I love how brutal and unforgiving they are, and that was "Logan".

From the opening scene, we come to find out that Logan has become a drunken old man that is basically a taxi driver. The movie jumps to 2029, but other than the time change, nothing is really that different. Well, one thing is very different. Patrick Stewart, coming back as Professor X, is now in his 90's and is clearly suffering from an Alzheimer's like illness. He has done something horrible, wherein his mutant ability, and his deteriorating brain, caused him to kill a lot of people, including seven X-Men. Patrick Stewart is absolutely incredible in this movie, and I will voice the same sentiment RD has said, if he doesn't get, at least nominated for an Oscar, it will be very upsetting. He was incredible in his final role as Professor X. The scenes where he has his "seizures" are some of the most nerve racking, brutal and nail biting scenes I've seen in a long time. Stewart was amazing.

Stephen Merchant, as Caliban, the mutant that can track other mutants, was really good too. I've only known Merchant as a comedic actor, but he was really good in a pretty dramatic role. There was no real funny stuff from Merchant. His story is quite brutal, but he does go out like a god damn boss.

The main bad guy, Pierce, played by Boyd Holbrook, was a bad dude. He was very quiet and menacing in this role, and I loved it. He greets Logan early on, telling him what he needs from him, and it was very scary and very well acted. Holbrook, with his metal arm and all, was great throughout this entire masterpiece. He was such a bad guy, I'd put him up there with Bane in "The Dark Knight Rises".

The other bad guy, Dr. Rice, played by Richard E Grant, was basically a scientist gone mad. He was creating new mutants in a lab. In "Logan", especially after what Professor X did, the mutant race was all but gone. There weren't many left. In fact, the only three they showed in the movie were Caliban, Professor X and Wolverine. But, this doctor was creating an army of young mutants that he was going to use as weapons. One of these was a younger, more brutal, most vicious and more of a killing machine than the original Wolverine. They called him X-24, and he was a total badass. It was amazing to watch the scenes he was in. He was such a brutal killing machine.

There were a lot more younger mutants, but the one that stands out most was Laura, played brilliantly by Dafne Keen. She was Wolverine's daughter, essentially, because she was built with Logan's DNA, filled with adamantium and had claws in her hands and feet. She was a violent killing machine, akin to X-24, but she was only 11. This was an incredible performance by a first time actress, and I couldn't believe how awesome she was. Now, as a father to 2 young kids, I would've never let my children be in this movie, but props to Keen's folks for letting her do this because this was a once in a lifetime performance. I'd go so far as to argue she deserves an Oscar nod as much as Patrcik Stewart does. Her fight scenes were a thing of gore and beauty. The karate, the running, the fighting, the claw slashing, everything was just dynamite. She was the heart and soul of this movie.

Then, we have Hugh Jackman's last performance as Wolverine. I already stated at the top how violent he was, but Jackman went out with a bang. This was, by far, his best performance as Logan/Wolverine. He was the moody loner that fought for what he thought was right. He was also great as the reluctant "father figure" to Laura. He didn't want to be a dad, but when he needed to help her and his friends, he did what he could. Spoiler alert, but when X-24 kills him, I cried. I cried for 2 reasons. I will miss Jackman as Wolverine. He will always be Wolverine. No one else will be as good as him at that role ever. I also cried because he finally got his peace. He has seen so much death, to family, friends and loved ones, and had to live through it all. Well, when he says, as he is dying, "this is what it feels like", I was almost happy for him. He finally gets to be with all the people he lost.

"Logan" was amazing. It is probably the best "super hero" movie ever, and that is because it wasn't really a super hero movie. It was a Western with Wolverine in it. Much like "The Dark Knight Rises" is a crime movie, "Logan" is a Western. Both just happen to have super heroes in them. Much like RD, I will talk about this movie all year long, and it will most likely be my number one movie of 2017 when I do my year end stuff. "Logan" is an incredible display of film making. It is glorious.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He forgot to mention the part where Wolverine and Deadpool team up and star in a buddy cop film. That may be just a dream. An awesome dream.

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RIP Charlie Murphy

I finally got a chance to sit down and take a breath today in between feeding my kids and cleaning my house, and god damn if the news wasn't disheartening once again this year. No, I'm not talking about our abomination of a "government", and their many stupid actions, I'm talking about the loss of another actor/comedian/writer that has been a part of my life since I was 11 years old. Today we lost the great Charlie Murphy.

Charlie Murphy was a tremendous comedic actor, if he was in the correct role. Most of my generation knows of Charlie Murphy from his real Hollywood stories that he did on "Chapelle's Show". That will be his great legacy, and those stories are wonderfully absurd, hilarious, and most important of all, true. The stuff he says in those stories, and the things that happened are now part of our society's vernacular. I say, "cocaine is a hell of a drug", all the time. I don't do drugs of any kind, but that quote is so memorable, and came to us courtesy of Charlie Murphy's story about hanging out with Rick James. I used to try the, "what did the 5 fingers say to the face" joke all the time, but always chickened out when it came to its conclusion. His story about Prince being a great basketball player put me into the deepest wormhole I've ever gone on in the internet. And, when I finished my research, it was all true. Prince was an all state point guard in high school. But, I also walk around and say, "Game, Blouses" whenever I win anything. The player haters ball on "Chapelle's Show" was another big time hit for him. It was a perfect showcase for his brash sense of humor.

The stuff he did on "Chapelle's Show" will be his lasting legacy for sure, but he did so much more, at least in my life. As I said at the top, I remember the name Charlie Murphy being mentioned to me as an 11 year old. My father went on a trip for work, and when he returned home, he told me and all my brothers about this great movie he saw called "CB4". The movie starred Chris Rock as a wannabe gangster rapper who steals his identity from Charlie Murphy's Gusto. "CB4" is one of the greatest movies ever made, it is wonderful satire, and Charlie Murphy is one of the main reasons that movie is such a classic, at least in my home. He is so gritty, yet hilarious in that movie. He trades comedic scenes with Chris Rock, who is an all time great comedian/comic actor, with ease. The stuff with the car chase and in the club is classic satire comedy of real and wannabe gangsters. I was 11, and I thought it was funny even though I didn't get it. I watched "CB4" again around the holiday's, I got it as a gift, and now that I get the jokes, I loved the movie, and Charlie Murphy's performance, that much more.

After seeing "CB4", I, like most people, continued to follow Chris Rock, but Charlie Murphy was always on my radar. Yes, he is Eddie Murphy's brother, but he was so much more than just a famous person's sibling.

Following "CB4", I saw Charlie Murphy pop up in things like "The Players Club". That is by no means a great movie, but Murphy is very good in his minimal role. Then the "Chapelle Show" became the enormous hit that it was, and that opened up so many more chances at good roles for Murphy. He was great as a thief/criminal in the terrible movie "King's Ransom". But, his role was what got me through that movie, and it was simply because he was in that movie as to why I watched it. He was tremendous in the very underrated movie "Roll Bounce". That is a great movie about roller skating, but it is touching and funny, and Murphy is excellent as Victor, the garbage man. He then played a bunch of bit roles in low budget movies, but he was still steadily working, which is an accomplishment in and of itself. Most actors would do anything to be a working actor, and Murphy made it to that level.

Murphy then found a second life as a voice actor. He was the voice of Ed Wuncler III in one of my favorite cartoons, "The Boondocks". It was a great fit, and Murphy nailed that character that I had read in the comics and they now turned into a cartoon character. Whenever I go back and read old "Boondocks" comics, I always picture Murphy as the voice. He did some more voice acting, 2 episodes worth for Adult Swim's "Black Dynamite" cartoon series. Again, it was the perfect fit for him. He was in every single episode of another Adult Swim show, "Black Jesus", and he, and that whole series for that matter, were phenomenal. That was a very good show, and Murphy excelled.

So, yes, he got famous first for being Eddie Murphy's brother. Then, he went out on his own and was tremendous in "CB4". Then, he became himself with all the success and wonderful things he did on "Chapelle's Show", which led to him becoming a steady working actor. He had a great career.

What makes his untimely death so sad for me, I did not even know he was sick. I had no idea he had leukemia. This is a very sad day. Charlie Murphy meant a lot to me in what I looked for in a comedic actor. He kind of shaped my taste for what I look for when I watch comedies. He will forever be remembered, at least by me, as Gusto. And for that I am forever grateful to Charlie Murphy. This death, as a fan, really shook me up.

Rest In Peace Charlie Murphy. Now you can tell your hilarious and true stories wherever you are right now. You will be greatly missed.

Ty

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

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Better Late than Never on "Rogue One"

SPOILER ALERT - "Rogue One" has been out for a while, and people have talked about it for months. This article will also talk about major plot points in the movie. You have been warned. 

In what is becoming a never ending quest, I'm not saying that to complain by the way, my wife and I just recently watched "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story". I have been on this quest to see every "Star Wars" related movie since my daughter was born over a year and a half ago. "Rogue One" was currently the only one I hadn't seen. I wanted to go to the theaters, but it gets harder and harder the older my kids get. So, I bought it the day that it came out on DVD and Blu-Ray. My wife and I sat down last Thursday night, we were warned by several people to not let our 5 year old watch it, andfinally watched it.

The 2 of us could not have had completely different reactions to the movie. While I enjoyed the darkness and war story undertones set in a "Star Wars" universe, my wife said she was bored and would have just rather watched "The Force Awakens" or any of the other "Star Wars" movies, except for the prequels. When we finished, I told her I loved it, and that was when she dropped that hot take on me. I asked her why she did not like the movie and why would she rather watch the other stuff in the "Star Wars" cannon? She told me that she likes the other movies because they are more fun, have funnier scenes and she enjoys the fun and very fast paced atmosphere that George Lucas and JJ Abrams created with the original, and new, "Star Wars" movies. I get this argument.

There are definitely moments in "Rogue One" that could be deemed boring and or hyper violent, but my take on "Rogue One" was that is was a movie about war, it just happened to have "Star Wars" in the title. Had this just been a straight up movie about combat, and they used real weapons instead of blasters and everything we have become accustomed to in "Star Wars", I think it would have been considered an excellent movie about the brutality of war. Do not get it twisted, "Rogue One" is a very, very brutal movie. There is a happy ending, if you want that, but everyone, spoiler alert, dies. The only dude left standing in the end was Darth Vader. Sure, there was that very odd, yet cool scene with a CGI Carrie Fisher, RIP, but Vader is the only guy left standing to move on to the Death Star.

"Rogue One" erased all the bad stuff that the prequels did with Darth Vader, and restored him to the truly badass villain that he is meant to be. When he shows up in the middle of the movie and chokes out Ben Mendelsohn's character with the force, I got goosebumps watching that scene. Then, the last scene with him, again, spoiler alert, was horrifying. RD told me this, and I totally agree with him, that last scene with Vader is a straight up horror movie. It was so intense and scary and all the screams from the guys getting done in by Vader was terrifying.

Where my wife wasn't all that crazy about all the new characters introduced in "Rogue One", I liked them all. We both agreed that Chirrut Imwe, the blind guy with the awesome karate skills that thought he was like a Jedi, was the best new character, but we also liked his buddy, Baze Malbus, with the big armored suit and enormous blaster. They were both very badass. Riz Ahmed, as Bodhi Rook, the pilot that was captured by Forrest Whittaker's squad, was kind of a traitor, but he pulled through when he was needed. That dude is a very good actor. Speaking of Forrest Whittaker, his character, Saw Gerrera was awesome, and his death scene was brutal. Sorry for all the spoilers, but the movie has been out for awhile now. Diego Luna was very good in his role as Cassian Andor. I liked how he was a no nonsense badass that always seemed to do what was best for his people. Felicity Jones was incredible as Jyn Erso, the lead in the movie. I love that "Star Wars" is giving all the hero roles to females lately. It is a very nice change of pace. Jones was great throughout and I bought her as much as I did Daisy Ridley in "The Force Awakens".

I really enjoyed everything about "Rogue One". I really like war movies, and "Rogue One" is a movie about war. There are a few "Star Wars" call backs. There is Darth Vader obviously, but R2D2 and C3PO show up. There are Mon Calamari soldiers, like Admiral Ackbar, that help out the rebellion. There is the rebellion. And there's the Death Star. But, other than that, this was a brutal, violent movie about how tough war can be.

I get my wife's criticism. She likes to watch movies for fun that move seamlessly from one scene to another. When she watches a movie she wants to escape and just enjoy herself for 2 hours and not have to think. Me, I like movies that set up for big, big battle scenes. I mean, there are a lot of minor fight scenes here and there in the first 90 minutes. The one that immediately comes to mind for me was when the blind dude takes out about a dozen Storm Troopers, then his buddy finishes off the rest of them. But, the last 30 minutes is an incredible battle scene that is also tragic and horrifying. It was such a great final battle to what I consider a very good movie. The topping was that final battle scene with Darth Vader. It was so horrifying, but also very, very incredible.

So, while my wife wasn't the biggest fan of "Rogue One", I enjoyed the hell out of it. It doesn't rank up there with " A New Hope" or "The Empire Strikes Back", or even "The Force Awakens", but I do like it more than "Return of the Jedi", and all three of the terrible prequels. It was a hit for me. If you like war movies, I think you will definitely enjoy "Rogue One". I thought it was great.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He is glad his son did not see the last Vader scene in the movie. Ty does not want his son trying to slice the dog up with a fake lightsaber while he throws the dog on the ceiling. 

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Better Late than Never on the Incredible Film "Moonlight"

I just watched "Moonlight". I saw it yesterday for the first time and I cannot stop thinking about how great ofmovie it really, really is. I know that a lot of what I will say today has already been said, and the praise I will heap on it has already been heaped on from other places. But, I just saw it and I thoroughly loved every single moment of the movie.

Everything about "Moonlight" is perfect. The actors, the writers, the director, the story, the locations, it was all superb. As I said in my piece earlier this week about the Oscars, I was very much itching to see this movie. It arrived in my mailbox (Yes, Netflix still mails out movies) and as soon as my kids retired to their rooms for quiet and nap time, I shut myself off from everything around me and put all my focus on watching "Moonlight".

The movie is broken up into three chapters of the growth of a young gay black man in Miami and Georgia. In chapter one, we get the story of "Little". That was the main character's nickname as a child. His real name is Chiron, but everyone calls him "Little". It's a fitting nickname. He is small in stature, personality and grit. He constantly gets picked on and chased home by bullies from school everyday. He is also a confused young man. He doesn't know his place in the world. No one does at the age of 6 or 7 or 8, but Little is really confused and lost.

Little is hiding from bullies one day, and the local drug kingpin happens upon him in one of the abandoned crack houses. The drug dealer, played masterfully by Oscar winner Mahershala Ali, goes by the name of Juan, and he takes Little under his wing so to speak. He takes him from the crack house to get some food and tries to get him to talk. Little is so scared of everything, he does not say one word to Juan until he gets to his home and meets his girlfriend Teresa(Janelle Monae). She is a very pleasant and nice person to be around. She is a much better mother figure than Little's mom.

Little's mom, Paula, another great performance from an Oscar nominated actress, Naomie Harris, is a crack addicted, verbally abusive mom. All she does is berate and yell at Little. She is also very upset when she realizes he is spending a lot of time with Juan. She and Juan have a powerful argument on one of his streets.

Because Little needs an adult to look up to, Juan become the father figure that Little desperately needs though. He teaches him things about life. He teaches him to be the type of person he wants to be. He teaches him to swim. Even when Little comes home from school one day, after being chased and verbally harassed by bullies, he tells him that it is okay to be gay. Little doesn't really know what this means, but he knows that he can trust, and that Juan respects and loves him. Shortly after this heart to heart, Little realizes that Juan is also his mom's dealer, and that is too much for such a young kid to handle. He cuts off communication with Juan. We then get to chapter 2, "Chiron".

Chapter 2 of the movie focuses on high school aged Chiron. He is still very skinny and very tortured and trusts no one except Teresa and his life long friend Kevin. He still gets harassed at school. High school is hard enough, but add on being gay, having a drug addicted mom and being belittled everyday, Chiron had it much tougher than most. One of his bullies threatens to beat him up one day after school, and while Chiron is hiding out, Kevin bumps into him.

Chiron has always had a special place for Kevin in his heart. He loves Kevin. Kevin seems to be into girls during their conversation. But, one night, they are both hanging out on the beach, and Chiron has his first sexual experience with a man. This is one of the first, and probably only time in the movie that we see the character of Chiron smile. He looks like he may start to feel accepted, at least by one person. But, the very next day after school, Chiron's main bully convinces Kevin to punch him in the face three times, and then the rest of the bullies jump him. They put a pretty rough beating on him. It is really tough to watch. He is a helpless kid, and the only person he trusts, besides Teresa, has turned his back on him. Not to mention, his mom is more strung out than ever before and only talks to her son when she needs money for a fix. He is again, that confused scared little boy that he was in the beginning of the movie.

Chiron goes home after getting beat up, and shows up to school the next day looking for vengeance. This is one of the most powerful scenes in the whole movie in my opinion. Chiron walks through the entire school incredibly amped up and angry at the world, and when he arrives to class, he throws his backpack on his desk, picks up a chair and smashes it over his main bully's back. He then hits him with the broken chair a few more times before he is restrained, and we next see him being put into a cop car, and he and Kevin lock eyes before the cop car pulls off. This leads up to the final chapter of the movie, "Black".

In this chapter we see grown up Chiron, who is now a drug kingpin himself, driving a very similar car to what Juan had when they first met, he is ripped and has become a "gangster". He only goes by "Black" now, and he runs streets in Atlanta. He is the man when it comes to dealing. Juan has passed and he has lost contact with Teresa and Kevin and his mom. His mother still calls him all the time and wants to reconnect, but he has made an entirely new life for himself as "Black".

Chiron/Black's mom calls all the time, so one night he answers the phone, he assumes it's his mom, but much to his surprise, it's Kevin. They have a very short, but also very sweet conversation. Kevin apologizes for what happened in the past, and Chiron forgives him. He also tells him that he misses him. Kevin reciprocates, and tells him that if he ever goes through Miami again to find him. He is a cook now. We find out that Kevin went to jail as a young adult as well, found a love for cooking, so hence his new job as a chef.

Chiron decides to make his way back to Miami, this time as Black. He goes to visit his mother first, who is now in rehab. Their conversation is a long time coming and very moving, sad and gives them both closure. It's incredibly touching, yet sad at the same time, It is some masterful directing and acting by all involved. After he makes amends with his mom, he goes to see Kevin. When Kevin finally realizes that Chiron is in the restaurant, he looks to be filled with joy. They sit and they talk. They catch up. Kevin talks about his child and his child's mother. He tells him about his time in jail. He tells him about how he is making the best life for himself that he can. Throughout all this, Chiron is silent. He has reverted back to Little.

Chiron finally opens up to Kevin, and Kevin is not happy that he is a dealer and a "gangster". They proceed to Kevin's place after he gets off work to talk some more. While Kevin is going on about making his new life, Chiron finally opens up to him, telling him he is the only man that he has let touch him ever. I'm positive this is meant literally and figuratively. After saying this, we see tears welling up in Chiron's eyes. Kevin gives him a loving look. The movie closes on the 2 of them hugging each other on the couch, Chiron in tears.

This was a gripping, sad and difficult movie to watch. It's not difficult in the way "The Revenant" was, where I will never watch it again, I plan on purchasing "Moonlight". It was difficult because Chiron/Little/Black's life was so tough, and each actor portrayed that to perfection. Alex R. Hibbert as "Little", Ashton Sanders as "Chiron" and Trevante Rhodes as "Black" were each exceptional. They did not look all that alike, but I heard someone else say this, I cannot recall who, but they all had the same eyes and they all portrayed the pain and difficult life that this young man has. I was very much moved by this movie. As I said at the top, I cannot stop thinking about it. I have told everyone I know that they need to watch it immediately. I haven't seen many of the other Best Picture nominees, but I'm pretty damn sure that none of them will do to me what "Moonlight" did to me. "Moonlight" is a work of art and will go down as an all time classic. It was an incredible 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.

Ty Does not Watch the Dumb Oscars, but He still Has Some Thoughts

I said I'd have a follow up to RD's Oscars piece today, and I'm a man of my word. I'll get to other stuff later in the week.

First off, I totally agreed with pretty much all of RD's thoughts on all the categories. I don't really care about the sound stuff and the shorts. Don't get me wrong, those things are very important to movies, but I do not think the movie going public truly, really cares about those awards. I was very happy to see "Zootopia" win best animated movie. I very much liked the message and the animation and the story. It was a very well deserved win. I was so pumped that Masherala Ali won best supporting actor for "Moonlight". Ali is a wonderful actor, I loved him in "Luke Cage", and though I haven't watched "Moonlight" yet, I plan on seeing it tomorrow, I'm sure he is tremendous and well deserving. And "OJ: Made in America" is a must watch, and it won the award for documentary feature. These were my favorite things about the 2017 Oscars.

All the other stuff, save for Best Picture was predictable. The movie that won Best Foreign Language was a shoo in from what I read. Denzel Washington should have won Best Actor, but the academy gave it to a terrible, mean person, Casey Affleck. I felt real bad for Brie Larson, the presenter, because she does so much charity for victims of abuse, having to give him the award. Denzel is also a masterful actor. Viola Davis was more than deserving. This award was a long time coming.

Then we have "La La Land". As I said, I fully agreed with RD that the academy was going to reward a movie about white struggling jazz musicians, dancers and actors. That movie should have been called "Oscar Bait". And, for the most part, it won everything it was nominated for. I have no intention of watching this movie. I like the director, Damien Chazelle, I loved "Whiplash", but "La La Land" did nothing for me with the trailers. It's not my cup of tea. But, Chazelle won for directing, Emma Stone won for Best Actress and a few, not all, of the technical awards it was nominated in. I have nothing against this movie or the actors. I have made it wildly known my love for Ryan Gosling. I think Emma Stone is wonderful. I already said I love Chazelle's work with a movie like "Whiplash". But I was so excited when I read that "Moonlight" beat it out for Best Picture.

I've read and seen all the stuff that happened last night, with announcing the wrong winner. All that stuff just goes to show that EVERYONE expected "La La Land" to win, even Warren Beatty. But, for a movie like "Moonlight" to take the main prize, especially in this f'ed up political climate right now, makes me so in incredibly and irrationally happy. I haven't even watched it yet, but I'm so, so stoked that it won. This is a big deal for independent movies, which I love, and I'm filled with joy that "Moonlight" and Ali took home major prizes.

One more quick thing, screw the academy for not even nominating "Deadpool". The Golden Globes, and basically every other major awards show at least gave it a nod, but the academy decided movies like "Nocturnal Animals", "Arrival" (ed note: This film is is terrible) or "Hacksaw Ridge" were more deserving. Just give it a nod. You can nominate up to 10 movies, and "Deadpool" was most definitely one of the 10 best of 2016. The academy missed out on a big opportunity, but at least they cashed in a big opportunity with "Moonlight" last night.

Congrats to everyone involved with all the good movies and performances, it was a well deserved, great night for the people involved. Also, I heard that Jimmy Kimmel did a fine job as host, which I expected. Those are my takes on the 2017 Oscars.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He gave up on the Oscars when the best movie of the year, "Hunt for the Wilderpeople" received a non-record zero nominations. The Oscars are dumb. Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

SeedSing's Dumb Predictions for the Dumb Oscars: 2017 Edition

It is time for the 89th Academy Awards, and I have a few dumb things I need to get off my chest.

Last year we complained about how idiotic and pointless the Academy Awards have become. The night's top prize did not go to a movie beloved by audiences and critics alike (Mad Max: Fury Road). The Best Picture statue was given to Spotlight, a movie I bet 99 out of 100 people randomly surveyed would say they have never seen. That does not mean Spotlight is a bad movie, it is quite good actually, it just shows that the Academy Awards have no idea what movies are timeless, and truly the best films of the year. People remember Brokeback Mountain as a culturally important, and incredibly great film, while we all remember Crash as the terrible film the Oscars thought was a better movie than Brokeback Mountain. The Artist, The King's Speech, How Green Was My Valley, are forgotten footnotes who only come up in trivia questions, while classics like The Social Network, The Dark Knight, and Citizen Kane are films that get regularly listed as some of the greatest of all time. Even fairly good movies like Dances with Wolves, Shakespeare in Love, and Chicago are hated by people because those films "stole" Oscars that should have gone to Goodfellas, Saving Private Ryan, and The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. In short, the Oscars are dumb, and have been dumb for a very long time.

With that being said, why would SeedSing even do predictions for the Oscars. Because, dammit, we still love to watch movies. We also love to complain when our favorites are not honored. Complaining is awesome. The Oscars are the most watched awards show on television because movies represent the highest form of art in our American society. Movie stars are our royalty, movies are our mythology, and the Oscars bring it all together. 

Now presenting the SeedSing predictions for the 2017 Academy Awards.

Best Picture

When the Oscars expanded the field for Best Picture, the intent was to have more audience friendly mainstream movies make the filed. That has not happened. Deadpool should be in the list of 2017 Best Picture contenders, but it is not. The Academy decided that movies like Lion, Hacksaw Ridge, Manchester by the Sea, Fences and Hell or High Water could sit and lose and not excite any new viewers. 

Almost everyone thinks that La La Land will win the big prize, and why not. La La Land is a brave risk taking film that is about a white jazz musician, a white actress in LA, and uses classic Hollywood musicals as it's inspiration. How in the hell is that movie not going to win Best Picture. The producers should have just called the movie The 2017 Award Winner for Best Picture. There has never been a movie so focused grouped to what the Oscars award like La La Land. It exists to win the Oscar.

Some think that audience favorite Hidden Figures or indie success Moonlight may be an upset winner for the big statue, but that will not happen. The inclusion, and hope, for these films is just the Academy throwing a bone to the #OscarsSoWhite crowd. A win by either of these films would be justified, but La La Land is the brave tale of white people playing jazz and trying to make it Hollywood. The response to #OscarsSoWhite will be to give the whitest movie the biggest prize. La La Land is going to be 2017's Best Picture winner.

Personal note. My early pick for the Best Picture was going to be Arrival. Everything I heard about this movie made it sound like a better, modern, version of Contact. I was all in.

After I saw Arrival, I take any love back from that movie. It is terrible and incredibly stupid. Do not watch Arrival. 

Best Actor

Casey Affleck or Denzel Washington will win this award. The other contenders should practice their gracious clapping after they lose. Casey Affleck was a shoe in for Manchester by the Sea, and then some alleged disturbing allegations from his past started to make the news. The entertainment tried to keep it quite, but the reports kept on coming. Denzel Washington in Fences became the defacto safe pick for people who would not vote for Affleck. Denzel Washington will win.

Another personal thought. If Denzel was accused of what Affleck allegedly has done, Mr. Washington's career in movies would be over. Make your own conclusions to why this is.

Best Actress

Another two person race.

In one corner you have french actress Isabelle Huppert in Elle. She has already won a bunch of awards, is a legend in the business, and is almost universally considered to have given the best performance of the year.

Unfortunately in corner two we have young Emma Stone playing the struggling actress in La La Land. She wins the Oscar

Yet another personal thought. Elle is directed by Paul Verhoeven. I love Verhoeven films like Robocop, Total Recall, and Starship Troopers. Elle is not like any of those movies. 

Best Supporting Actor

This is the only category where any of the nominees could win. Mahershala Ali from Moonlight has won most of the early awards, and this may be the best award the beloved Moonlight will win all night.

Best Supporting Actress

Viola Davis in Fences. No question.

Other Awards

Best Director - It would be awesome to see Barry Jenkins from Moonlight win and make history, but Damien Chazelle directed the film about the white hero of jazz in LA. Chazelle will win.

Best Original Screenplay - The Lobster is inspired insanity, but it is not about struggling attractive white people in LA. La La Land wins.  

Best Adapted Screenplay - Anything except Arrival. Please.

Best Animated Featured Film - Enjoyable remedial meditation on racism that is Zootopia will win. The Batman Lego Movie better damn well win this award next year. I know it will not and I am already irrationally pissed. 

The other categories, also known as the speeches you will fast forward through - La La Land will win any category it is in. Just please do not let Arrival win anything. It's sound, design, and cinematography was great, but the actual movie is so bad I do not want it to be an Oscar winner. Please.

Rant over. That is how the 89th Academy Awards are going to shake out from the SeedSing perspective. I will leave everyone with one more prediction. Jimmy Kimmell should do a good job, I hope. Enjoy the show.

RD

RD Kulik is the Head Editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. Did you like Arrival? How could you, it is terrible. I mean what was the point? I can talk my way to time travel? Why is their gravity different? Do the heptapods ever wear pants?   Come tell us.

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

"John Wick: Chapter 2" is Way Better than Expected

I believe a pencil makes an appearance in the film

Holy shit was "John Wick: Chapter 2" incredible! I'm not going to spoil anything during this review, but man oh man was this movie absolutely awesome.

I was very late, admittedly, to "John Wick", but when I saw it, I loved it. I thought it was the perfect role and movie for an actor like Keanu Reeves. He doesn't have to say much at all and he gets to kick a ton of ass. He also gets to work on his martial arts stuff, which he is very much involved with. When I finally saw "John Wick", I could not sing its praises enough. I told anyone and everyone I knew who hadn't seen it to watch it immediately, and most of the return I got from them was positive.

When I heard they were making a sequel, I was pumped. When pictures started to float around the internet, I searched them out. When people were mentioned in roles for the movie, I pictured how I thought they'd do. I was very immersed in anything "John Wick: Chapter 2". I did not know if I was going to be able to see it in the theaters, but I was fortunate enough to have some free time this past Sunday, called my dad up, and we picked a time to go see it on the big screen. This is the best way to see a movie like this, I love my action and violence on the big screen. 

"John Wick: Chapter 2" this movie delivers in droves. There is barely any time to catch your breath from one action scene to the next. Even before the opening credits, there is a heart pulsing, fast paced action scene. It was incredible. I was in from second one of this movie. It was everything I loved about the first movie, but it was like they made the second one on steroids. A movie like "John Wick: Chapter 2" is so much more action packed and fun than any of the "Fast and Furious" garbage that has been pumped out the past couple of years. "John Wick: Chapter 2" is far and away the best action movie that is out in the theaters, and I see nothing changing my mind about that for the rest of 2017.

My only gripe, and it is not even a real gripe, is the few set up scenes to the action and violence. There was a few scenes, totaling maybe 15 minutes of film time, that the director and writers put in the movie to set up the reason why John Wick is doing what he does in this movie. It reminded me a lot of what the people behind "The Raid 2" did, but I do not need any of that stuff. I watch the "John Wick" and "Raid" movies for the action. It is such a throw away gripe, but if I had to say one bad thing about either, it was the pointless dialogue scenes. At least it wasn't on the level of a movie like "300".

But, other than that, this movie was perfect. It was exactly what I wanted from a "John Wick" sequel. The body count is enormous. The way some of the bad guys meet their demise is brutal and made me say things out loud in a theater. I haven't done that since I saw the Ryan Gosling movie The "Drive". The fight scenes were incredibly choreographed and a total blast to watch. The supporting actors in the movie were awesome. Common was incredible. The new bad guy was slimy and creepy and a punk. He was great. Ruby Rose was awesome as the main bad guy's number one bodyguard. Her performance is really good. She is going to be a big, big star, if she isn't already. Laurence Fishburne was chewing the scenery like only he could, and I could not take my eyes off of him when he was on screen. He was so god damn good in this movie. I loved the reunion of him and Keanu. They clearly have tremendous chemistry. Ian McShane was suave and cool as hell. He is such a great actor, and his role in this movie wasn't needed, but the addition was great. I grew to love his character. Everyone else that I did not name, they were all great. All the henchmen and assassins and the random people with one or two lines, it was all simply perfect. "John Wick; Chapter 2" is the perfect sequel. They knew what they had going into this movie, and they barely changed a thing. It was just as brutal and violent, if not more so, than the first one, and I thought that was the exact correct choice. The actors do what they do best in a movie like this.

Everything about this movie worked. I'm so glad I was able to see it in the theaters, and I highly recommend everyone go check this movie out. It rules.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. Although he is a pacifist, Ty does like his stylized hyper violence. Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

Playing Ten Questions with a New Five Year Old

Nothing is off the record here

My son turned 5 yesterday, and I decided that I wanted to interview him. I wanted to know how he sees the world. I wanted the insight of a 5 year old because, honestly, I do not remember much, if anything, from when I was 5. I asked him 10 very simple, easy questions. He answered them all as truthfully as he could, and then he asked me the same 10 questions. I thought this was an interesting idea, so I'm going to go through each question, his answer, why he answered the way he answered and my response when he interviewed me. Here we go.

Question one: Who is your favorite superhero? As you all know by now, my son loves superheroes. His answer was, very quickly, Captain America. When asked why, he simply said because he has a shield. Nothing else, just that he has a shield. Short and sweet. My answer to this question, Wolverine. When asked why, I told my son that I liked his powers and his claws. Both of us needed little to no time to answer this question.

Question two: What is your favorite movie? Miles thought about this one and finally settled on "Captain America: Civil War". See the running theme so far? When asked why it was his favorite, he said because of the battle scene in the airport. Now, full disclosure, that is the only scene of the movie he has ever watched. He hasn't seen anything else in the movie. I thought it was an interesting choice. My pick, "Napoleon Dynamite". When asked why, I told him that it was silly and goofy and I've seen it over 40 times. He was unimpressed.

Question three: What is your favorite TV show? He quickly answered "PJ Masks". You all know how I feel about this show. But, my son loves it because of the "superhero" theme. Simple and plain. When I was asked, I of course said "The Simpsons". It's the best show ever and I will not hear of anyone not agreeing with me.

Question four: What is your favorite book? His answered spoke so much to his age and the time we live in now. Without hesitation, Miles said, "Captain America: An Origin Story", on his Kindle Fire. He reads books off a tablet now. I still read paperbacks, but this generation of kids, everything is digital. When I asked him why this was his favorite, he said because it tells him everything about his favorite superhero. When he asked me, I said "Lord of the Flies". He asked me what is was about, I told him, and he said he wants to read it someday. This was a very proud moment for me.

Question five: What is your favorite sport? Miles said baseball, baseball, baseball. When I asked why, he said it is easy, he likes to hit and throw and play first base. It was a very child like answer, and I loved it. I was the same when I was his age. I told him that, but when he asked me the same question, I told him basketball. It is my favorite to play and watch. He thought I was going to say football, which I love, but I surprised him with basketball.

Question six: What do you like about school? He told me he likes his teachers, the stuff they teach him and playing with his friends. I thought this was a perfect response from a 5 year old in Pre K. That is exactly what I'd expect most 5 year olds to say. When he asked me what I liked about school, I told him recess. He was confused because recess is so short, but I told him I looked forward to it everyday.

Question seven: Who is your favorite family member, grandparents and cousins included? This may sound like an odd question, but he's 5, and he said he loves everyone! I was floored. He was being completely honest too! Anyone that knows Miles knows that he loves everyone and everything. I know I'm biased, but he's a damn good kid. When he asked me, I said besides Mom(my wife), I told him my brothers. I've been through it all with my brothers and they have all made me a better person. Thanks guys.

Question eight: Who is your best friend? Now, this may have been an answer based on who was around, but I think this is true for most 5 year old boys, he said Mom(my wife). When I asked him why, he said she is the nicest and sweetest person he knows and he loves her so much. It was very nice. When he asked me, I did not have as quick an answer. I have lost touch with a lot of people I used to consider my best friend, but when it comes down to it, my father is my best friend. We go to shows, games, movies and just talk about everything. He has always been there for me and he's always kept me level headed. Not only is he my dad, he is undoubtedly my best friend.

Question 9: What is your favorite food? He answered just as I thought, saying mac and cheese. This kid would eat it everyday if I let him. He said he loves it because it is gooey and cheesy and that his Grammy, my mother in law, makes the best. I told him my favorite food was steak. When asked why, I told him that I love meat. That is it and that is all.

Final question: What is your favorite restaurant? He said Chuck E Cheese. I think this place is gross, Miles loves it. This is the most 5 year old answer imaginable. That place is made for young kids. He even likes the food, where I find it inedible. My answer, The Block. It's a local Saint Louis butcher block that has the best meat I've ever had in my life. It is really great. If any readers not from Saint Louis come to town, check The Block out. It's incredible.

So, that is the life through the eyes of the newly minted 5 year old son, Miles Kulik. I loved this idea and I'm glad my wife suggested it. I had a lot of fun doing the interview and even more fun writing it. This was great. I hope you all enjoy this as much as I enjoyed doing it.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man. The other great thing about having a new five your old in the house. The dad can spend the weekend playing at an indoor water park. Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

Better Late than Never on the Strange, and Wonderful, "Swiss Army Man"

As I said last week when I reviewed "The Nice Guys", I'm catching up on movies from the past year that I did not get out to the theaters to see. Yesterday I watched one of these movies, and I cannot stop thinking about it. That movie was "Swiss Army Man".

I heard so much about this movie prior to seeing it. All the stuff that I heard though failed to tell me how great this movie is. I heard about the farting, boners, being alone in the woods, but, no one told me how heart warming and moving this movie was. I'm not kidding, this is one of the sweetest movies about friendship and survival that I have ever seen.

Both Paul Dano and Daniel Radcliffe are absolutely incredible in their roles. Paul Dano usually plays a troubled or disturbed person in most movies he's in, but in "Swiss Army Man", he is a guy lost at sea that is about to give up until he seems the corpse of Daniel Radcliffe's character Manny. This gives him hope that maybe he can survive. He is, for a Paul Dano character, a decent guy. When he meets Manny, he quickly finds out he's dead, but weird stuff starts to happen just when he is about to give up again. This is where the farting and boners come into play, but I love the way the the writers and directors used what could have been childish humor. It's first used as a joke,  but, the further we get into the story, the noises and movement in the groin region are used so excellently. With the farting, Dano realizes that Manny can do many things to help him get off the island he's stranded on. The farts propel him as if he is a jet ski that Dano can ride. It also helps him light fires and makes his arms and legs very strong. The boners are his "compass" home. Whenever Manny gets "aroused", his member points them in the direction towards home.

I know this sounds crazy, but this movie is really incredible. Some very uplifting and touching moments are peppered throughout the movie. Manny begins to live again by making this new friend, Hank(Paul Dano, obviously). Hank teaches Manny how to talk, to feel, to love, to react, to walk, to fear, all things we teach our children before they are fully functioning adults. The "montage" scenes in the movie are so well done I don't mind that we get multiples.

"Swiss Army Man" is, by far, the most unique movie I have seen in some time. But, it's not just unique, it is great. Dano and Radcliffe are really good actors and they take these roles that could have been a disastrous high school joke and make them heartfelt and have you rooting for their friendship. I highly recommend this movie. It has to be seen to truly appreciate its wonderfulness.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man. He is relaizes that he wrote about a heartwarming moving where farts and boners play a key role. It is really that good. Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

Defending the "Star Wars" Prequels Doesn't Mean You are a Nerd. It Means You have Bad Taste in Movies

If we could only throw the prequels into lava and rebuild them to be more badass

Recently I have heard from some friends, and comedians, that they did not like "The Force Awakens". I thought, that's weird because they like most of the other "Star Wars" movies, and I personally thought that "The Force Awakens" was incredible. When I asked my friends, or heard the random comedians on their podcast explain why they disliked the movie, I thought that their points were rather weak. They claimed that JJ Abrams ruined what the original trilogy did, they said that it was too similar to the original trilogy, some did not like the new characters and so on and so forth. I disagree. 

First off, JJ Abrams revived "Star Wars" after the disastrous prequels. That is a fact with no alternative version. 

Second, with all the "remakes" or "updated versions" or "prequels" being made now, I applaud the fact that "The Force Awakens" hearkened back to the greatness that was "Star Wars", "The Empire Strikes Back" and "Return of the Jedi". Those were great movies, as is "The Force Awakens". Again, there is no alternative telling of this fact.

Third, all the new characters are great. Finn, Rey, Poe, BB-8, Kylo Ren, all of them are perfect for the "Star Wars" universe. Anyone's alternative view of this fact is just plain lying. 

What this all leads me too, I think the whole "nerd culture", that has become not only acceptable, but extremely popular, has made these people that were once picked on, but are now revered and looked upon as a popular group of people, resent the fact that they are not unique anymore. So, to combat this newfound popularity, they have tried to find ways to try and return to being a "nerd", when "nerd" was uncool.

Now, I am not popular by any means, but I do not consider myself a "nerd" either. Also, I do not care if you identify as a "nerd", but the people that are condemning "The Force Awakens" and now saying that the prequels are better, stop it with that nonsense. The prequels are an unmitigated disaster. Those movies are absolute garbage, and anyone with functioning eyes, ears and taste can accept how bad those movies are. The narratives in all three are stupid. The action scenes, which may be the only good thing in those movies, are trite and pointless. When Anakin falls into that lava pit and becomes Darth Vader, I could not roll my eyes enough at how stupid that scene was. The new characters in the prequels, save for Jango Fett, are terrible. The prequels gave us quite possibly the most racist character in movie history since the crows in "Song of the South", in Jar Jar Binks. That was such a slap in the face of whatever the hell race and culture that George Lucas and company were trying to emulate. I know that Anakin became Darth, but he was a new character, and all he did was whine and complain. He was a brat. Padme, who could have been as badass as Princess Leia was instead, a "damsel in distress". It was disrespectful. Watto was just stupid and clearly a "lets see how far we can take CGI" excuse for a character. The only cool new character was Mace Windu, which they barely used and then killed in the third prequel. The prequels are trash.

This leads me to the main point today. The people that are condemning "The Force Awakens", and defending the prequels are contradicting themselves, and just trying to regain their "nerd" status. As I have said, if you talk to anyone that does not care about their status, or how "nerdy" they can truly be, they will tell you all the same stuff I have just written, and then some. I am no "Star Wars" expert, but I do know what a good and a bad movie looks like, and "The Force Awakens" is good, and the prequels, they are a flaming pile of trash. There is plenty of other stuff that the people that want to act like "nerd" culture isn't cool anymore can glomb onto. They do not need to bash "The Force Awakens" and defend the prequels.

To help the nerds so desperate to be different, I have some things for you to consider. How about comic books? Who really reads those anymore? That could make you feel "nerdy" again, if that is what you want so badly. Or, you can memorize who is on your favorite college football team. I can name every player on Michigan's football team, their coaches and their AD. Doesn't that sound super "nerdy"? I also know as much as there is to know about the mid 90's NBA. I know this stuff is sports, but I have put in as much effort and time as "Star Wars" "nerds" have put into knowing these minute, stupid, non essential things. Doesn't that make me just as much a "nerd" as die hard "Star Wars" fans.

What it all really boils down to, you can still like "The Force Awakens" and be a "nerd". So what if the movie is widely acclaimed and loved. So were the 3 original "Star Wars" movies. You do not need to defend the prequels. I do not think defending the prequels makes you more of a "nerd", it just shows me that you have shitty choice in movies and I need to stay away from you whenever you suggest a movie you'd think I'd like. I'm sure "Star Wars" fans will come at me, but the prequels are truly awful, and there is no argument to be had otherwise. Just accept that "nerd" culture is now cool, and no matter how far away you try to get from being a "nerd", you are now the popular kids that a lot of other kids want to be like. This is a good thing. But, defending the prequels is a bad and stupid thing. Those movies are dreadful and thank goodness for "The Force Awakens". It is a great movie, and you don't have to be a "nerd" to like it.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He thinks the idea of using "alternative facts" to paint bad movies as good ones is the most dangerous lie we have going in America. Nothing else is more damaging. Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

Better Late than Never on the Awesome Movie "The Nice Guys"

Nothing like a new movie with an old look on a new yet old media device

It is harder for me to get out to the theaters now, unless it is a children's movie, so a lot of things I wanted to see in the theaters, I have to wait until they come out on DVD and rent them. One such movie that I was kind of cool on, but still wanted to see, was "The Nice Guys". I'm a big Ryan Gosling fan and I think Russell Crowe, given the right role, script and director, is a very good actor. I saw the previews and thought the movie looked like it might be decent, so I decided that I wanted to see it. I could not find time to see it in the theaters, but I put it in my Netflix queue and it showed up at my house a week or so ago. It sat on top of my DVD player, and yesterday, I decided that I was going to finally watch.  

I put my kids in their rooms and turned the movie on, and I have to tell you, I loved this movie. Like I said, I was cool on it at first, heard some good things about it, got a bit warmer on it, then when I watched it, it is such a great movie. Had I watched it a month ago, it would have had a great shot at making my "Best Of 2016" lists that I did last month. I like Shane Black. I think he is a decent director. I thought that "Iron Man 3" was kind of boring, but it had its moments. It was also much better than "Iron Man 2". On the other hand, I love the movie "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang". That was a great, very underrated movie. Shane Black did a tremendous job with that movie, and kind of partially revived Val Kilmer's career for a minute. The thing that Shane Black may be best known for was the fact that he wrote the first "Lethal Weapon" movie. That is an all time great action/comedy movie. It still holds up and it is timeless, even though Mel Gibson is a terrible, terrible person.

In another great move, Shane Black brings something interesting and cool to "The Nice Guys". First of all, the movie took place in the late 70's, and the set pieces and shots that they got were exquisite. The movie looked like it was filmed in the 70's. It looked a lot like "Boogie Nights", and it definitely has to do with the fact that this movie has the pornography industry as a big player. "The Nice Guys" is not about the porn industry like "Boogie Nights", but the main plot has Crowe and Gosling looking for 2 female actresses that have dabbled in the industry.

The plot is beside the point, the 2 main characters are what make this movie. Russell Crowe plays Jackson Healy, a rough and tumble ex New Yorker that is muscle for hire. He goes out and beats up guys that may or may not be doing something wrong. For the most part, the people he beats up are bad dudes, but sometimes he gets it wrong. One time he does get it wrong was when he meets up with Ryan Gosling's character, Holland March. Healy goes to beat him up after he is hired by a lady that says he is "stalking" her, but March is actually a detective and he is doing his job. March, and Gosling's performance for that matter, is the best thing in the movie. He is a single father who lost his wife in a fire. He is a drunk and a low life. The detective life has really soured him on real life, and add on the death of his wife, he just does not like living, unless he is with his daughter. Gosling is absolutely hilarious in this movie. I know that I am a built in fan, but I am not over selling how god damn funny he is in this movie. He is the comedic element, and he nails it. He has so many great one liners and facial expressions that made me crack up while watching this movie. He is incredible in this movie.

When the 2 of them team up to work together, that is when this movie goes from good to great. It also takes a bit of a darker tone when they team up. This is when the whole porn industry comes into play. There is also a ton of gun fighting and fist fighting that happens. But, I love it all. I think it is perfectly spliced in with all the early comedy and the early tone of the movie. When it gets darker and more violent, there is still some great comedy. I also love the whole private investigator and detective teaming up type of "spy" or "thriller" movie. I'm always in for that type of movie.

The other actors in the movie are great too. Gosling's daughter, Holly(Angourie Rice), is really good. She is the perfect daughter of a drunk that has given up on life. She tells him like it is and makes sure he knows that he has a reason to live. She is also a total badass, and I think that is great. Kim Basinger, in a very small role, is really quite evil. I do not want to spoil anything, but she is a bad person, and she does a great job. Keith David, you may know him from season 6 of "Community" or as Mary's step dad in "There's Something About Mary" is another bad dude, and he is really good in the villain role. I could go on and on, the whole cast is great because this movie is great, but these are the five characters that really stuck out to me. Most importantly though, Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling are the reasons to watch this movie. Shane Black does a great job with these 2 super stars, and they really shine.

I am so glad that I finally watched this movie, and I cannot recommend it enough. Go check out "The Nice Guys", I think you will enjoy it as much as I did.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man. Is one of the last people standing when it comes to getting Netflix in the mail. The early 2000's are alive and well in his house. Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

Taron Egerton is the Next Great Movie Star

Taron Egerton is worth making out to the cinemaplex

My wife and I took our kids to see the movie "Sing" this past weekend. I'm not going to review the movie because I only saw half of it, my one year old was throwing a fit, so I had to walk around the hallways of the theater with her after the first 40 minutes of the movie. But, from what I did see, the movie looked cute, it seemed fun and the voice acting and singing was really decent. Reese Witherspoon was good, Tori Kelly was exceptional, Seth Mcfarlane was very good, Scarlett Johansson was good and Matthew Mccounaghy was pretty funny.

The person that struck me the most in the movie was Taron Egerton. He played Johnny, the English gorilla, and he was dynamite. I did not know that he could sing like that, but man does that dude have some pipes. This got me thinking, and I realized that everything I have seen Taron Egerton in, I have really enjoyed the movie, but more importantly, his performances in these movies. That is what I will be writing about today, the awesomeness that is Taron Egerton.

Taron Egerton is a young actor, 27, so hopefully we get a lot more from him, which I'm sure we will, but his short list of performances is pretty incredible. As I have already said, from what I saw in "Sing", he was the standout. He played the teenage gorilla that did not want to be a criminal, but rather a performer, really well. I bought his voice acting. I believed that he wanted to leave his life of crime behind and become a singer and a stage performer. He was really good. His cover over of the excellent Sam Smith song, "Stay With Me", was really, really good. Even when his character hit the wrong notes on the piano, Egerton's singing was on point. He was great.

So, this performance got me thinking about some of the other movies I have seen him in, and how much I liked those performances. He played the titular Eddie in last year's "Eddie and the Eagle". This movie looked like schmaltzy garbage when I saw the preview, but it was on cable a month or so ago and I watched the last half of it, and Egerton was great. He played this odd kid that wanted to be an Olympic skier. He was really excellent as Eddie. Hugh Jackman was listed as the star, or first billed, in the movie, but it was really Egerton, playing the lead role, that was the star of the movie. He took this sweet story of a kid trying to make it in a sport that he had no business being involved with and he made it believable. Yes, the movie has cliché scenes of making it, then not making it, a coach believing, then not believing, all the typical stuff in a movie like this, but Egerton played it with no fluff or schmaltz, and I loved that. He made this movie not only watchable, but very enjoyable. I would have never seen it had Egerton not been in it, and if it was not on cable, but I'm glad I watched the last half because it was pretty good.

Another movie that I recently saw, and have talked about on the podcast before, "Legend", gives us a very good performance from Egerton. It is a smaller role, but it is very memorable. "Legend" is an okay movie. Tom Hardy plays twin gangsters in 1960's London, and the movie is ripe with gangster clichés, but Hardy's performance and Egerton's small performance make this movie. Hardy plays the brothers, one of which is a suave and sleek go getter and the other is a gay, ass kicking, mean son of a bitch. Hardy is great at these dual roles. Egerton plays one of the ass kicking brothers friends/boyfriends in this movie. He is the one person that the ass kicking brother actually listens to and takes his words to heart. Egerton is really good in this role, which is pretty different from anything he has done so far. He is very flamboyant, but he is a tough guy too. He laughs and joins in anytime the ass kicking brother beats the hell out of someone for taking money, not paying debts or anything that sets the brother off. There is a great scene near the end where you can see legitimate worry on Egerton's face because he realizes that he loves this man, but he cannot do anything for him, because he is mentally unstable, and he realizes that he fed into his mental illness by joining in on everything that he wanted him to do. It is heartbreaking, and Egerton pulls it off. Like I said, "Legend" isn't great, but it isn't bad either and that is due to Hardy and Egerton's performances. The fact that he can trade acting blows with Tom Hardy should speak volumes to his acting prowess.

The movie that introduced me to the greatness that is Taron Egerton was "Kingsman: The Secret Service". I have written about this movie on the site already, but I didn't point out enough how awesome Egerton is in the movie. He is incredible. He is the star. He is hardcore in "Kingsman". He plays a punk turned spy so incredibly. His transformation that happens during "Kingsman" is so great. He becomes the spy that Colin Firth wanted him to become. He is so badass in the movie. The one scene where he punches the glass door so he and all the other recruits can survive a surprise test is super cool. The final fight scene between Egerton, the woman with blades as legs and Samuel L Jackson is one of the most incredible things I have seen in a movie in a long time. If you want to see a primo Egerton performance, watch "Kingsman". That is the cream of the crop, and the best thing he has done so far. There is a sequel coming out for "Kingsman", and I cannot wait to see it, mainly to see how great Taron Egerton is in it.

He has done a few other things that I have not seen yet, but I'm sure he is great in those as he has been great in everything I have seen him in. He has a few other things he is working on right now as well. I think that we need to start looking at Taron Egerton as a guy that is on the verge of stardom. He has been great in all the movies and television he has been in so far, and I only see him trending upward. This dude is a great actor, and I just wanted to point that out today. Taron Egerton is going to be a star.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He likes great movies and great football. Listen to his thoughts about the year in football on the latest 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.

Ty Wants to Applaud the Incredibly Awesome Meryl Streep

Cheers to you , Ms Streep

Almost a year ago, I wrote on this website how fed up I was with Meryl Streep movies. I thought that they did not get the same criticism and same harsh reviews that some similar movies did, and do. This was just coming off seeing "Ricki and the Flash", which I still think is pretty bad.

Today I need to unequivocally apologize and say that, not only do I think that Meryl Streep is NOT overrated, I know that she is one of America's greatest actors of all time. Her movies just aren't for me. Look, I'm not stupid. I can watch her in a movie and realize how great of a talent she truly is. She is the greatest actress of all time. I have no doubt in my mind about this. After seeing "Ricki and the Flash", I was just in the moment, and I wrote what I felt at the time. Had I slept on it, I probably never would have written that piece. But, that is how it goes.

Take "Ricki and the Flash" out, I can watch movies like "Death Becomes Her", "Julie and Julia", "Doubt", "The Devil Wears Prada", "Angels in America", "Adaptation" or "Marvin's Room", all of which I have seen, and realize she is the best actor on the screen. She has been in those movies with super duper stars like Goldie Hawn, Amy Adams(twice), Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Anne Hathaway, Jeffrey Wright, Nic Cage and Leonardo DiCaprio, and she is the best actor on screen by a wide margin. She is well deserving of all the accolades that she gets. She has earned it. She has been pretty incredible in everything she has done, so I get it now. She is above criticism. She is that level of star.

Same thing can be said for some of her former co stars. DiCaprio has been in some crappy movies too, but he never gets the bad exposure. Amy Adams is the new big thing, and for the most part, she is pretty good in everything she has been in lately, regardless if the movie is good or bad. George Clooney is another guy like that. He is so far removed from criticism, he can be in a movie like "Tomorrowland", and while it was critically panned, Clooney was never panned. It all makes sense now.

It is the same with star athletes. Michael Jordan's Wizards years are looked at as successful, but truth be told, he looked old and tired. Serena Williams may be the greatest tennis player of all time, but she recently had a poor performance and people just shrugged it off, as they should. It was a blip on her tremendous career. Nick Saban just got beat in the title game, but I do not think people will suddenly say he is overrated.

This all leads me to my 2 main points for today. First off, I was wrong, and I have learned to sleep on things before jumping to conclusions. Sure, I did not like "Ricki and the Flash", but that does not mean that Meryl Streep is "overrated". As I have said, she is probably our greatest living actor, and I do not think it is even close. I'm sorry for writing that Meryl Streep, and I take back all the negative things I said back then. You are a treasure, and I cannot wait to see what you do next.

Second, when accepting her Cecil B Demille Lifetime Achievement Award at the Golden Globes the other night, she gave one of the best speeches that actually gives me hope we will get through the next 4 years of this abomination of a government that we now have. I know I said I was done with politics, and I am, but I have to talk about this incredible speech that Streep gave.

I do not watch the Golden Globes. I do not watch any awards shows. I find them boring and useless. This goes for everything involving awards, be it movies, music, TV or sports. I cannot stand awards shows. So, I saw Streep's speech the next day on social media, and I was moved. She came right out and called out that monster that only 46 percent of the country voted for. Some people called her out with claims that she "lives in a glass house" and she doesn't know what the working class really thinks. I say to those people, shut your god damn mouth. She was speaking for the people that voted for Hilary. We all feel the same way as Streep. She was right. For that pig to mock the disabled, then lie about not doing it, then go on Twitter to rant about Streep, I mean, he is a train wreck, and Streep was just pointing this out.

I know that some people, Trevor Noah being one, and I really like Trevor Noah, said she didn't have to do this, but I disagree. People like me, my wife, 99 percent of my friends and my family, we do not have a platform to the whole world to call this monster out. Streep had that platform, and she not only used it brilliantly, she used in perfectly. Everyone was talking about it the night of, and are still talking about it today. I have loved the people on social media coming to her aid as well, not that she needs help, Streep can more than stand up for herself.

When idiots like Meghan McCain, who was born and raised with a silver spoon in her mouth, and knows nothing about the glass ceiling, comes out and says that Streep's speech is one of the reasons that Voldemort got elected, I loved seeing the response she got from famous people like Billy Eichner. He roasted her on Twitter, and it was glorious. I highly recommend going to read that thread. It is awesome. I already loved Billy Eichner, and now I respect and love him even more. I hope his defense of Streep gets her attention and she agrees to be on "Billy on the Street", which would be his dream come true.

I applaud Meryl Streep for using her platform to speak her mind. We live in a country that was built on free speech, and she used it the absolute correct way. This also shows these dipshits politicians that the "left" or "democrats" or "liberals", whatever you want to call us, are not going to be silent during this atrocious administration. As I have stated, I am going to fight the fight as quietly, but as hard as I can as long as this injustice goes on, and I'm more than thrilled that I, and at least 54 percent of the country, AKA the majority, have the wonderful Meryl Streep on our side. I love you Meryl Streep.

I am so sorry about my previous article, and I offer you my humblest apologies. You are a national treasure, and just like I'm ready to go to war with Run the Jewels, I am also ready to fight the good fight with you. Thank you for all you do, and all you will continue to do. You are one of a kind Meryl Streep. Thank you.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. Meryl Streep joins Ina Garten as something Ty, and all women over the age of sixty, can agree on. Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

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

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

Okay, let's get back to the countdown.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ty

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

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

If You Listen to the Critics, you Might Miss Out On Good Movies Like "X-Men: Apocalypse"

It is your choice alone to sit in the movie theater

Last night I finally got around to seeing "X-Men: Apocalypse". As you all know by now, I am a big X-Men fan. They are my favorite group of superheroes, Wolverine is the best superhero all time and I pretty much like all the mutants that make up the X-Men. I think their stories are the most unique and the coolest, by far. I have liked all the X-Men movies, with the exception being "X-Men Origins: Wolverine". It pains me to say that because of my love for Wolverine, but it is a bad movie. I almost put "X-Men 3" as the other bad movie because that ending is an abomination, but the first 3/4 of that movie is very interesting and kind of cool. The ending is just so, so terrible.

I put off seeing "X-Men: Apocalypse" for so long before the reviews were luke warm at best. The critics said that it was a waste of a good cast and the actors played cliché characters. They were hardest on Oscar Issac, who played Apocalypse, but I thought he did just fine. In fact, I enjoyed this movie.

My blog today is not a review, but more so an indictment of critics. But, I will give a short review. "X-Men: Apocalypse" is not even close to the same level as some other movies in the X-Men universe. "X-Men 2", "X-Men", "X-Men: First Class" and "X-Men: Days of Future Past" are all better movies than "Apocalypse". But,as I said, I enjoyed all 2 and a half hours. I was never bored, the story was interesting and I really liked the acting. Michael Fassbender, James McCavoy, Jennifer Lawrence, Nicolaus Hoult and the kid that played Havoc were all just fine reprising their roles. And the new people, the girl from "Game of Thrones" as young Jean Grey, the kid that played young Cyclops, the young Nightcrawler and young Storm, Psylock and Oscar Issac, I thought they all did a good job. I felt that "Apocalypse" was a fine addition to the X-Men pantheon. It was a good popcorn movie and I think most people would enjoy it if they watched it.

This all leads me to my main point. After the movie, I checked back on Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic and IMDB and other sites like that to see if I misread the reviews. Well, I did not misread anything. The movie scored a 44% on Rotten Tomatoes, hovered right around a 5/10 on Metacritic and IMDB and seemed to be considered a flop by most websites that compile critics reviews. I read most of the consensus' on each site, and they all said virtually the same thing. They said the movie was "overwrought with action and clichéd characters that take away from a compelling story and good actors".

I could not disagree more. First off, overwrought with action? It is a god damn superhero movie. Superhero movies are supposed to be filled with action because they have superheroes in them. The same critics did not say this about movies like "Captain America: Civil War" or any other X-Men movie, and I feel like all those had way more action scenes than "Apocalypse". "Civil War" was basically all action, and critics loved that movie. I think it is a better movie too, but it is not that much better than "Apocalypse". And all the other X-Men movies that these same critics loved, like "Days of Future Past" for instance, they loved the action scenes and said they added so much to the story. I love the scene where Magneto destroys that baseball field in "Days of Future Past", but there was also a very similar scene in "Apocalypse", and the critics claimed it was "overwrought with action sequences". That is totally baffling to me.

Then, to call the characters cliché, what were they expecting? These characters are already in the ether. They have all been established a long, long time ago by the creators of the X-Men comic books. They cannot be any more clichéd than the characters in the comic books that I'm sure these critics read and loved. That is such a blanketed, ill-conceived criticism, in my opinion. I understand when they say that about a movie that does not have established characters, but saying it about a superhero movie is asinine. If these characters are clichéd, so is Captain America, Iron Man, Dr. Strange, basically any superhero, that these critics gave wonderful, glowing reviews, they are all clichéd. They are all the same character that they are in the comic books, so they are clichéd versions of their comic book characters. I'm sorry critics, but you cannot have it both ways. If the people that made these movies started to add new characters themselves, rabid fans would demolish them on social media, and I guarantee that you critics would chastise the people writing these movies for adding new, unnecessary people in an established universe.

I just do not understand the hatred for "Apocalypse" coming from so many well-known critics. I feel like they need to bad mouth some movies sometimes just because. they have no real reason, they just want to dislike something, so they choose the new superhero movie coming out with big expectations, and that is the one that they are going to crush on their websites and papers. This may be the same thing that happened with "Batman V Superman", but that movie had a director with a known track record of being mediocre. The X-Men movies have a well established, albeit a creepy dude, directing these movies, and for the most part, they have gotten glowing reviews.

I guess what I'm really trying to say is, do not trust critics, me included. If you want to see, read or listen to something, do it. Do not base your decision on what these people say. I wish I hadn't waited so long to see "Apocalypse", but I read, and trusted these critics, and it was the wrong choice. I try not to listen to critics, but I made a mistake. I really enjoyed "Apocalypse", and I think most fans of superhero and X-Men movies will enjoy it too. Check it out, if you want.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He has not been kind to the movie critics this year. Hear him talk about it all on a classic X Millennial Man Podcast that is all about the Oscars.

Better Late than Never on the Violent, Funny, and Perfect "Keanu

That is one bad ass kitty

I know that I am rather late to the party, but I just recently saw the movie "Keanu", and I loved it. I was already a pretty big Jordan Peele and Keegan Michael Key fan before seeing this movie. They were the only decent part of the mid-series run of "Mad TV". I would only tune in to see their skits and stories. I was an absolutely avid fan of their show on Comedy Central, "Key and Peele". They brought a new kind of sketch show to cable TV that was an absolute homerun. I watched every episode, in real time, and some of their skits and bits were some of the funniest things that I have ever watched on television. One of their very first skits, involving 2 guys griping about their wives and saying that they called them a "bitch", but going as far away as outer space so their wives wouldn't hear them, is one of the most memorable things on recent TV. I was saddened when they ended the show after a short, but very memorable run.

I found out one of the reasons they ended the show was to work on this movie "Keanu". I know in a very old podcast, I mentioned how it was one of the movies I was most looking forward to in 2016, but it is hard for me to get to the theaters now, what with 2 kids, work and coaching. So, that is why I was so late to seeing this movie that I have been looking forward to for almost a year. When my wife and I finally had a night with nothing scheduled, we sat down and watched, and laughed, and were just absolutely blown away by how much we enjoyed this movie. I was predestined to like this movie for all the reasons I mentioned above, but I did not think my wife would like it as much as she did. She was laughing as hard, sometimes harder than I was, throughout the whole movie. She put her phone down to watch because she was enjoying the movie so very much. I was very happy that she liked the movie as much as I did.

Lets get back to my review of this movie. I thoroughly enjoyed every single second of "Keanu". I liked how much Key and Peele put their touch on this movie. At its bare bones, the movie is about 2 guys, one who is a pushover, Key, and one that is depressed because his girlfriend broke up with him, Peele, that are lifelong friends. Key's character comes to soothe and help Peele get through the breakup, but when he gets to his house, he sees that Peele has found a cat, which he names Keanu. Now, at the start of the movie, we see a humongous shoot out between two guys called the Allentown 2 take down an entire drug cartel. Throughout the whole shootout, we see this tiny kitty running away, dodging bullets and finding its way through downtown LA to Peele's apartment. Peele finds the cat, and he immediately starts to feel better about the breakup. He then proceeds to give Keanu his full attention. He loves this cat.

Then one night while he is out, some people come looking for his weed dealer, hilariously played by Will Forte, because they think he has the cat, but they soon find out that it is in Peele's house. The bad guys trash his house and steal Keanu. When Peele returns to his home, he is distraught to see that his kitty is gone. Peele then becomes obsessed with finding Keanu, and he drags Key along with him. This is when the movie gets crazy.

There are a ton of big time drug dealers involved in this little cat's life. They go to a strip club, hilariously named Hot Pretty Vixens, or HPV, and that is where they find a notorious drug dealer Cheddar, played by Method Man, who has become a very good actor I might add, and he has Keanu now. He has renamed him New Jack, and he also puts a bandana on his head. From this point on, Key and Peele have to act like they are the Allentown 2, as Cheese has confused them for these guys, and they continue this act because Peele wants his cat back. They have to go on drug deals, a hilarious encounter with Anna Faris playing herself is not to be missed. They have gun fights. They smoke something they call in the movie "holy shit". Key teaches young thugs about how great George Michael is, and that team work and team building exercises are important. Key starts to fall for a female dealer that he meets. All this stuff is great, has Key and Peele's comedic touches everywhere and is just so, so funny. Everything that they go through leads to one big shoot out, where you find out some things about some of the characters that we have already met, and it culminates very violently, but also very funny. Key and Peele end up in jail, spoiler alert, but while in there, they are looked at as bad asses because they are believed to have taken out the Allentown 2.

"Keanu" is a great movie that I am glad I finally got to watch. It is funny, but it is also very violent, has bad words and goes way further than any sketch they ever did on "Mad TV" or "Key and Peele". I recommend this movie, and you do not necessarily have to be a fan of Key and Peele's comedy to enjoy. My wife never watched either show, and she thought "Keanu" was great. Check it out.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He once had a roommate with two cats, but Ty could have cared less of they were stolen by drug dealers. Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

Better Late than Never on the Fantastic Film "Everybody Wants Some!!"

Any film with this backdrop will automatically get a pass.

About a week ago I finally got around to seeing "Everybody Wants Some!!". This was the most recent Richard Linklater movie. I think it came out earlier this year. I really, really enjoyed this movie. I am still thinking about a week later, so it obviously was well made.

The movie is basically a sequel of sorts to the much acclaimed cult classic, "Dazed And Confused". I heard some people, Linklater himself, saying it was a sequel of sorts to "Boyhood", but I don't buy that for a second. This movie was much more in tune with "Dazed And Confused" than "Boyhood". "Everybody Wants Some!!" takes place on the weekend before college starts at a school in Texas. The main character, Jake(Blake Jenner), is a freshman baseball player and he is moving into one of the two baseball houses the school has for the team.

From the start, we see the dynamics of new and old students in college. Jake, after driving around town and seeing lots and lots of things he likes, arrives to the house and is immediately met by two older teammates, Roper(Ryan Guzman) an McReynolds(Tyler Hoechlin). They are making a make shift water bed using the house's water hoses, and the two older teammates immediately start giving Jake a hard time. They make fun of him being a freshman and a pitcher. They claim they both dislike pitchers, as does every other position player. This is their way of "hazing" him, if you will. As Jake makes his way to his room, he meets some of his other teammates. When he makes his way to the water bed room, he runs into Finnegan(Glen Powell), Willoughby(Wyatt Russell) and Dale(J. Quinton Johnson). These guys are nicer, but kind of push Jake to the side and explain the benefits to anyone listening about a waterbed. When Jake finally makes his way to his room, we meet his roommate, an introverted loner that only wants to talk to his hometown girlfriend, Beuter(Will Brittain). He's your typical southern boy, always with a dip in his mouth and very standoffish. We also get to meet another freshman at the house, Plummer(Temple Baker), and he is so pumped to be in college, meeting college girls, getting wasted and playing baseball. He is your typical "jock" of the group.

Now that we have established the main characters, the movie is basically a mirror image for most college students of what it is like that first weekend before classes start. There is the "hazing" that I mentioned above, but it is never malicious. The players are all pretty good guys that just want these kids to have fun. There is a great early scene when 5 of the guys are driving around campus, rapping along with "Rapper's Delight", but putting their own spin on it, and telling all the ladies on campus about their party later that night.

On the first night, we get a baseball team party. It is loud, fun, hook ups happen, it is your typical college party movie scene. After the party, the next day they have their team meeting, and we meet some more players, most notably Jay(Juston Street), who has a supposed 95 mile per hour fastball, and this is where you get the whole team feeling from a sports/comedy/coming of age movie. I loved this scene. Sure, these are college students that want to party and have fun, but they are also athletes and this is an important meeting.

The next day at the house, while hanging out, you also get a sense of team with the guys challenging each other at pointless contests. There's some random little games going on, but the main thing that happens, one of the players bets McReynolds that he can't split a baseball in half with an axe. McReynolds is the star player of the team, and a sure fire first round draft pick. It was really cool to see him swing that axe and cut not one, but 2 baseballs in half. Everyone was in awe.

Later on, there are more parties. They go to a punk rock party with punk kids. They go to discos. They go to soul dance clubs. They go to a theater kids party. It was, as I said, a great representation of how, even when you are a 22 year old senior in college, that you don't really know your place in this world yet. Sure, McReynolds knew he was going pro, and Dale was probably going to be a pro as well, but other guys, guys like Finnegan, Roper, Jake, Plummer and Beuter had no idea where they would be in 1, 2 or 3 years, and isn't that what college is all about, finding yourself.

There is a great side story involving the character Willoughby, but I don't want to spoil it because it is awesome. His story is one of many reasons you should watch this movie.

"Everybody Wants Some!!" is a really, really enjoyably good movie. I had tons of fun watching it, and I think I will most likely purchase it. This movie captured college almost as perfectly as "Dazed And Confused" captured high school. That is one thing that Linklater, as a director, does really well. He knows how to tell a very good story involving growing up and coming of age. This movie was fantastic. Everybody should really check it out. You don't have to be a Linklater fan to enjoy it either, it is a really solid movie. Go watch "Everybody Wants Some". I think you'll really like it.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor of SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man. He wants to know what piece of pop culture did you discover a bit late. Tell us all about it. Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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Happy Halloween from SeedSing

The end of October is upon us. The trick or treaters are getting ready with their store bought costumes to come fleece the neighborhood of it's fun sized candy bars. In honor of the holiday, we here at SeedSing want to present a treasure trove of Halloween related content. Read, and listen, if you dare.

The Monsters Live on Chalie Brown's Street. 

It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown has been a Halloween staple for fifty years. The show has delighted generations of readers and views. What is hidden in this classic is a horror story of children without supervision, and the monstrous adults who feel like it is ok to bully a bald, and maybe depressed, kid. There are monsters hiding everywhere.

Treehouse of Horrors is One of the Only Good Things about Halloween

The Simpsons has been going strong for over twenty five years, and in that time the show has presented a triumvirate of Halloween stories every year. Revisit some of the greatest THOH episodes and see what the greatest show on television does with our spookiest of holidays.

Ty says Boo-Urns to Halloween

Pop Culture editor Ty is not a big fan of Halloween. Nothing gets him more annoyed than the terrible puns associated with the holiday. He does not care for "spooktacular" savings or listening to the dulcet tones of "Rocktober". Oh, and adults dressing up, that is not Ty's favorite thing either. Maybe next year the Halloween fad will fade away.

The X Millennial Man Podcast Episode XVII: Strip Clubs, Hangovers, and the Innocence of Halloween

Ty and RD talk about the scary real life consequences of Halloween. Did you know that strip clubs do not always let you enter when you have a mask on. Even on Halloween. Many adults like to dress up and drink on Halloween too. Most of the time, these adults end up forgetting the night's festivities and spend All Saint's Day praying in front of the toilet. Who says kids get to have all the holiday fun.

The X Millennial Man Podcast Episode LXVII: Trolls and the Other Monsters Who Live on the Internet.

The X Millennial Man was doing some internet research on Mad Max: Fury Road, and we learned that there are some men who are not happy with the movie. It seems these fellows do not like a movie that portrays women as strong, or stronger, than men. It also seems many of these upset men can not find dates. In order to express their frustration, these gentleman go to the internet and write about their troubles. It is frightening. Join Ty and RD as they read some of these tales of MRAs and MGTOWs.

We hope you enjoy a cavalcade of Halloween scares. If you really need a good fright, go ahead and read anything we have written on Donald Trump. That will keep you up at night. Have a fantastic All Hallows Eve. 

The Writers of SeedSing

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

Gene Wilder Gave Us the Gift of Pure Imagination

We have lost another big, big time legend. The great Gene Wilder passed away at the age of 82 reportedly in early August. I was late to his movies, but when I did see his stuff, I was immediately a fan. I loved his look, his style and, most importantly, his comedic chops. He was a funny, funny man. He made me laugh in pretty much everything I saw him in.

My first exposure to Gene Wilder was the classic movie, "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory". I saw this movie when I was very young, probably 8 or 9, and I didn't really understand it at the time. Actually, it kind of scared me a bit. But, when I was older, probably 16 or 17, I watched it again, and I was struck at how great this movie was. I had the preconceived notion that it still may be a bit scary, but I toughed it out and watched it again. The second time around, 8 or 9 years later, it was just great. I loved everything about the movie. I loved the jokes, the absurdity and the veiled horror in the movie. But, what I kept going back to, and the person I watched the most, was Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka. His performance in this role is absolutely timeless. From the moment he shows up with the cane, then proceeds to lose said cane and does a sommersault, to the way he deals with the bratty children, to the way he treats the oompa loompa's and to how he finally realizes that Charlie is the only child that is truly worthy to be in his chocolate factory, it was all greatbecause of Wilder's performance. "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory", after the second viewing, became a barometer for friendships and girlfriends for me. If new people that I met liked the movie, they had a leg up. If they mentioned Wilder's performance, I knew we were going to be friends for a long time. I still sit back and watch that movie to this day, and I'm still as moved by the movie, but more importantly, Wilder's performance, as I was when I watched it as a teenager. "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" is a great entryway to the genius that was Gene Wilder, especially for millennials. Don't waste your time watching Tim Burton's garbage remake. That movie is trash and Johnny Depp is no Gene Wilder.

After my renaissance, if you will, with Gene Wilder, I needed to see more. My dad and brothers told me to watch this classic comedy called "Blazing Saddles". It was at this time that I was getting more and more into comedy, be it stand up, TV or movies. They all raved about this classic Mel Brooks spoof of western movies. I was hesitant again, I'm not that big a fan of westerns, but I watched it anyway because Wilder was, at least I was told, genius in "Blazing Saddles". So, I watched it and was completely blown away by how great everything was in the movie. "Blazing Saddles" is the top tier of spoof movies. Every part, every role, every spoken word of dialogue, every set piece, everything was just perfect and hilarious. I was laughing the entire time. I look back at a movie like "Blazing Saddles" and I can't imagine anything like it would be made today, but back in the 70's, it was great fodder. And what makes this great is Cleavon Little, as Bart and Gene Wilder, as Jim. Their relationship throughout the movie is wonderful. The first scene where we meet Gene Wilder's Jim, in the jail, is classic. The whole back and forth about him being the fastest gun in the West and how he may have lost a step or two, but then proving to Bart that he still had it, all of it was hilarious and perfectly Mel Brooks and perfectly Gene Wilder. "Blazing Saddles" is so great, and it is made even better due to Wilder's performance. Wilder was a lock to give you a great performance, especially a deadpan comedic performance. He was like an all time great athlete. When people counted him out, he would achieve. When people expected greatness, he would go above and beyond expectations. And his performance in "Blazing Saddles" was masterful. The movie definitely stands the test of time. Watch it today, and I bet you will laugh just as hard as the people who first saw it in 1974.

After seeing "Blazing Saddles", I took a long break from Gene Wilder movies. It wasn't a conscious choice, I was in college, and had other stuff on my mind. When I met my wife, while we were still "boyfriend and girlfriend", she used to tell me that, if I liked Wilder so much, I should see "Young Frankenstein". It was many years later, after we had married, that I finally rented the movie, and we sat down and watched it together. I got the same feeling watching "Young Frankenstein", in my late 20's, that I got when I first saw "Blazing Saddles". "Young Frankenstein" was great, and Wilder was absolutely wonderful. He was the star of this movie. He was great in every facet. He was so weird, but so funny. His takes on horror where just perfect. He, and Mel Brooks, spoofed it fantastically. "Young Frankenstein" is a perfect comedy movie. Gene Wilder is so phenomenal in this role. With "Young Frankenstein", I made the decision that Wilder may be the best, or at least in the top three, of greatest comedic actors of all time. He was great in every thing that he did. And "Young Frankenstein" may be his coup de tat. As much as I love "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" and "Blazing Saddles", "Young Frankenstein" is a comedic work of art. It's classic.

I know that Gene Wilder has done countless other things, i.e., his work with Richard Pryor, all the other movies he did with Mel Brooks and popping up on TV shows here and there later in his career, but these three movies are what I will remember most from Gene Wilder.

It doesn't just stop at movies for me. I love the fact that, without him, we may have never gotten to see the genius that was Richard Pryor, and vice versa. They were one of the greatest comedic duos of all time. The two of them working together is like having Magic and Bird on the same team, or Michael and Scottie. They made each other so much better and pushed each other to do great things. His look was undeniable as well. There was no mistaking when Wilder walked into a room. Everyone knew it was him. Look at the iconic hair. When my son was a baby, he had the wildest hair I had ever seen, and we called him "baby Gene Wilder".

Gene Wilder was a genius and a legend. He lived a long, fruitful life and he will be missed. There will never be another Gene Wilder. He was truly one of a kind. He has influenced so many people that I like, among countless others. He was, and always will be, one of the greatest. Hopefully you are making people laugh wherever you are right now Mr. Wilder, and keep using your pure imagination in the afterlife. RIP

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. Follow him on twitter @tykulik.

Cloves and Fedoras: Go See the Incredible Movie "Hunt for the Wilderpeople"

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

Over the past weekend, I got the chance to see "Hunt for the Wilderpeople". I had been looking forward to seeing it since I saw the trailer and heard that it was directed by Taika Waititi. Waititi hit a home run with "What We Do in the Shadows", so I assumed his follow up would be just as good. I really enjoy Waititi, and he makes funny, but also kind of moving movies.

Well, "Hunt for the Wilderpeople" was not only as good as "What We Do in the Shadows", but, just as a movie in general, it was better. Sure, "What We Do in the Shadows" had more laughs, but that movie was made as a straight forward comedy. It did it's job. "Hunt for the Wilderpeople" definitely had it's funny moments, but there was more heart and more sweetness to this movie.

The movie is, if you want the bare bones, about a young, troubled kid that gets taken in by a lady and her husband. The couple can't have kids of their own, so they figure this is the next best way. The lady, Bella(Rima Te Wiata), or Aunt Bella to the young boy, was a very happy go lucky lady. She was always smiling and seemed to enjoy every moment of life. She always had a story to tell or a compliment to give. The husband, Hec(Sam Neill), or Uncle Hec, was more of a low key, keep to himself type of person. He much preferred hunting and hiking, usually, by himself.

Then, there was the boy, Ricky Baker(Julian Dennison). He was a ruffian. He had been in and out of juvenile hall. He didn't know his dad and his mom gave him up when he was a baby. He liked to cause trouble, and wherever he was, trouble usually found him. The Child Protective Service people found a home for him, and it was Bella's and Hec's. The lady that was in charge of CPS, Paula(Rachel House), was no nonsense and didn't take any of Ricky's crap. When they drop Ricky off at the house, he is hesitant to stay. He doesn't like being in the wild, Bella and Hec live in the New Zealand bush. He has no cell service and TV is not really an option. Ricky tries to run away the first night, but being the portly young fellow that he is, he doesn't get more than a hundred feet away before Bella finds him the next morning.

Bella and Ricky strike up a friendship after a few days. Bella is very nice to him, and she wants him to have the childhood he never really got. She shows him how to do things around the farm that need to be done. They pluck fur off animals. They shoot rifles. She even takes him hunting, and when Bella guts a pig, Ricky is freaked out, but he also kind of grows to respect Bella even more after seeing this.

Unfortunately, Bella unexpectedly passes away. We see Hec crying over her dead body, and Ricky walks up to this travesty. The funeral scene follows, and in classic Waititi style, something that can be so somber and down is made very humorous. Waititi plays the pastor laying Bella to rest, and he is one great comedic line after another during this scene. I'm not lying when I say that this funeral scene is one of the funniest funeral scenes I've ever seen in a movie. It's truly remarkable. Afterwards, Hec tells Ricky that he never really wanted him, so CPS was coming back to get him in a few days.

Ricky decides that he doesn't want to go back to that life, so this time he opts to run away for real. He even burns down a barn to try and get CPS off his trail. He again doesn't make it too far until Hec, finds him. After they get back together, a great story of a budding friendship and the love for family ensues. Everything that happens from this point on in the movie is great. There's humor, there's love for family, there are touching moments, there are not so happy moments. It really is just perfect. Even the chase between Ricky, Hec and CPS is fantastic.

This is a very, very good movie, that not enough people are going to see. The story, the directing and the acting are tremendous. Sam Neill is wonderfully quiet and subdued in the movie. He plays the role of wannabe loner and hiker very well. Rima Te Wiata, aka Bella, is very good in her limited role. She is so funny and springy and happy. She was great. Rachel House, as the CPS badass Paula, is great too. She constantly states, "no child left behind" over and over again, and it is equally as funny every time. But, the real star of the movie is Julian Dennison as Ricky. He is so good. He plays the rough and tumble kid with a heart of gold to perfection. He delivers some of the best lines of the whole movie. His timing and reactions are so on point. He is a revelation. If you go to see the movie for one reason, make it for Dennison's performance, it's that good.

I can't say enough good things about "Hunt for the Wilderpeople". It is definitely one of 2016's best movies, and I think it deserves, at the very least, some mention during Oscar season. I don't want to give away the whole plot because I think everyone should go and watch this movie. It is a great role for Sam Neill, and showcases some New Zealand actors and actresses a lot of us don't know, The movie also provides excellent side performances from the likes of Waititi and Rhy Darby. The film shows that Waititi is a very adept filmmaker, who is on the rise, but most importantly, it introduces the whole world to the talent of Julian Dennison. Go see "Hunt for the Wilderpeople". It is a wonderfully great movie.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. You can hear all about Ty's current thoughts on the 2016 Olympic Games and Rio by listening to the latest X Millennial Man Podcast. Download it for free. You need to also follow Ty on twitter @tykulik.