Better Never than Late on "Crank"

Over the weekend it was my turn to pick the movie and I picked "Crank". I have just watched a bunch of long and kind of depressing movies lately. I wanted something light, something goofy, something I could just sit down and kind of zone out while I watched. I have also heard a good amount of comedy podcasters I like recommend this movie. The 90 minute run time was more than I needed to pick. So we watched and I have some thoughts.

Right off the bat, this movie made me motion sick. For people who may not know, the plot of "Crank" is a hit man gets shot with poison and he has to keep his heart rate dangerously high to stay alive. Pretty simple. But the way the movie was shot was very chaotic. It opened with the perspective of the hitman waking up and stumbling over to the tv. From the start the movie was choppy. It jumbled up and down. It reminded me of "Cloverfield". I kept trying to refocus my eyes just to watch. There were moments of steady camera work, but a lot of it was very bumpy. I get why they did it, but it makes for a tough watch.

The movie is also very problematic. Female characters are very basic, they use slang terms that are highly offensive, the CGI is not great, it is a big mess. Amy Smart is a solid actor, but she is given very little to do here. She is just his girlfriend. She has nothing else going on. That bummed me out. Jason Statham is fine in action movies like "Lock Stock and 2 Smoking Barrels", or "Snatch". He is even funny in "Spy". "Crank" tries to meld both action and comedy, but it did not work for me. I didn't laugh at all, except for how ridiculous some stuff I saw was. Statham tried to play it straight, but the other actors don't really have comedy chops. The tone did not work for me as a viewer at all. The action was kind of cool, but it could have been done better. Again, this movie came out in 2006 so CGI made big, big strides. A movie like "Jurassic Park" is a great example. They did CGI wonderfully. And it came out 13 years before this movie. The CGI in this one looked bad. It looked like a first time student was given the reins. It was quite the bummer.

I read that this movie took a lot of its influence from "Grand Theft Auto". I have never played that game but I have heard that it is incredibly problematic. I have heard all the bad stories about it before. I do not think it was a good idea to base an entire movie on a problematic video game, but maybe that is just me. And the way this whole story unfolded was simply absurd, and not good absurd. This movie wishes it were "John Wick". I wouldn't be shocked if the people who made "John Wick" were slightly influenced by this movie, but they are much, much, much more talented than the people who made "Crank". And the ending was utterly nuts. I could not believe what I was watching. My wife fell asleep and when I woke her up to go to bed she asked what she missed. I told her and she audibly guffawed. It was nonsense.

I guess a movie like this is not for me. I am starting to realize how problematic movies from the late 90's and the early 2000's are, and it is depressing. And, I hate to harp on this, but the effects were terrible. They were so, so bad. I would not recommend this movie. It is not even bad in a good way. I wish I had picked something else. Oh well, there is always next Sunday. 

Ty

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

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Ty Watches "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever"

My wife and I finally watched "Wakanda Forever" this weekend. We love the first "Black Panther" movie. It is one of my personal favorite superhero movies. I think it was different and cool and fun and has the best music of any superhero movie. I am also a big time Chadwick Boseman fan. I saw his movies before and after "Black Panther" all the way up to his final role, of which he was tremendous, in "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom". But we had been putting this one off because we weren't fully ready to see how they would handle his death. Our date nights also got interrupted by real life for the past month. And the movie clocks in at about 2 hours and 40 minutes, so we really needed to be ready for a long night. We got that and took advantage.

Right off the bat, I really enjoyed "Wakanda Forever". I saw some of the less than favorable reviews, there were not many, but those reviews seemed off to me. I thought they did an excellent job of handling Boseman's death. The whole beginning was a fitting tribute to his wonderful job as Black Panther. It made me sad to see the funeral, but it was necessary to move this story along. We had to know what happened in this fictional world. From that point on I thought the writers and filmmakers did a stupendous job of moving the story along. I have my own personal issues with Letitia Wright and where she stands on certain issues, but she can act and she is tremendous as Shuri. I wanted to get mad at her for what she said about COVID and the vaccine mandates, but I eventually got to a point where I was able to separate the art from the artist. She was the right person to be the lead of this franchise moving forward. It makes the most sense. Even before Boseman passed I told my wife that if they move on from him that Shuri would be best. Angela Bassett is in a class all her own. She owns her screen time in this movie. She is more than deserving of her Oscar nomination. She played this role to perfection and I ached for her character. That was how stupendous she was in this movie. In a movie where there is no true lead actor, she was the closest. She was top notch. The little bits we got from Lupita N'yongo and Danai Guerra were also great. They have taken over as these characters and I am invested where they take them from here. N'yongo had the most heartbreaking scene in the movie and my wife and I definitely teared up during the post credit scene. Winston Duke is a delight and M'Baku is one of my favorite characters of all time. I cannot picture anyone else playing that role. Michael B Jordan has one scene in this movie and he is amazing. Kilmonger is my favorite villain of all time and he brings the heat yet again.

As for the new villian, Namor, was pretty damn cool as well. I loved the backstory of why he is doing what he is doing. He is a much cooler Aquaman. I told my wife that one of the things I love about these "Black Panther" movies is how well they tell the audience why the villain is the villain. I got it with Kilmonger and I got it with Namor.

The battle scenes were epic as well. Ryan Coogler knows how to direct a battle scene better than almost anyone else out there right now. And while the movie is long, it never felt that way to me. I was invested in the stories. I wanted to see why they were doing what they were doing. I loved the stuff at MIT and with Ri Ri, who is now Ironheart. I was saddened by what happened to Bassett. The whole montage of Shuri making a suit was awesome. Seeing where N'yango was now was important.

Where "Tar" felt every second of 2 hours and 40 minutes. "Wakanda Forever" was a blast to watch. I definitely recommend checking it out. It is on Disney + if you have that service, and it has to be streaming elsewhere. Watch this movie ASAP. 

Ty

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

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Ty Watches "M3GAN"

Last night I watched "M3GAN" on Peacock. I really wanted to see this movie. I remember seeing the trailer and trying to get someone to go to the theaters with me to see it. I could not convince anyone I knew. Even after it got solid reviews, no one was interested. So I waited. My wife is on a work trip and my kids were in bed, so last night was my best opportunity.

I absolutely loved this movie. I was on board for everything they did in this movie. I had heard some people compare it to "Chucky" and "Robocop". Those people were 100 percent correct. "M3GAN" is scary, goofy, silly, hilarious at times and does a great job of taking on modern insecurities most people have. When I was texting my wife after watching last night I told her it was the funniest "Black Mirror" episode I have ever seen. And that is as big a compliment as I can give this movie.

For people that may not know, "M3GAN" is about a little girl who loses her parents in a car wreck. She goes to live with her aunt, who is an advanced toy designer, and she creates this doll to play with her. As you can imagine, with modern day technology, the doll becomes sentient and aims to hurt/kill anyone who harms the young girl she has been paired to. This movie does a fantastic job not taking itself too seriously. There were moments where I was cracking up. Anytime Megan sings in the movie it was funny to me. It was also creepy as hell. They did a wonderful job straddling that line. The writers, directors and actors all did a great job being funny without being cheeky, and being scary without jump scares. The movie is also a slow burn when it comes to the full Megan story arc. The writers really take their time to tell the story of this movie. They want to establish these characters. They clearly leave space in there for sequels to be made. Stuff like that makes me happy as a watcher. I want to know these people. One of the reasons I love "Robocop" so much is because they tell his backstory. They do the same in "M3GAN".

Allison Williams excels in this movie. She is believable as this tech genius put in an impossible situation. She is also believable as a person who keeps to herself, who doesn't have time for nonsense and who really wants to help her niece. She also has some hilarious moments in this movie. I enjoyed her acting quite a bit. The young girl, Cady, did a fantastic job as well. She played her horrible situation to perfection. But it was the people behind Megan who made this movie as fun as it was to watch. Megan is such a great idea for a character and they pulled it off so damn well. Anytime she got that desire to harm someone, I was frightened of her. When she would do these horrible acts, it grossed me out. She ripped off an ear and did some terrible things with a power washer. When she starts to become a person unto herself she is as creepy as it gets. The fight scenes are truly amazing as well. And that dance, the dance that took over the country for a bit, was totally worth the hype. It was dope.

I think what I liked most was the take on modern technology and how kids can become addicted. It spoke volumes. It rang almost too true. When Cady doesn't get to see Megan for short bursts, she loses it and that scared me as much as anything else meant to scare me in this movie. I like when people take on modern technology and point out its many foibles.

I loved watching this movie. I knew what I was in for and did not take it too seriously and that is the way to watch. As I stated before, the comparisons to "Chucky" and "Robocop" are perfect. That is the only way to watch a movie like "M3GAN". I definitely recommend it and it is a total blast. The laughs and scares are there and I cannot wait to see where they take it from here. 

Ty

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

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Ty Watches "Tar" and Has Some Thoughts

Yesterday I watched "Tar". I have heard lots of good things about this movie, a lot of people I read and listen to have talked about it and it is on Peacock, which is a streaming service we happen to subscribe to in my house. I knew I needed a good amount of time so I made sure I got everything done before noon so I could watch it all in one sitting. I prepared myself for a long movie and turned it on. What I witnessed next, I have some thoughts on.

First things first, Cate Blanchett is amazing here. She does a masterful job of playing Lydia Tar, who the movie is based on. She truly embodied this character and made it her own. You cannot take your eyes off Blanchett while she is on screen, which is 99 percent of the movie. The way she portrayed this character, the fact that she learned how to conduct and play piano, among other instruments and how she played the more frightening parts really worked. The hype is real and very, very well deserved.

Outside of Blanchette, I do not understand what I watched. This movie is 2 hours and 40 minutes long and I was pretty much confused the entire time. The movie started with a dark screen followed by credits and someone singing in the background. I thought I messed up the stream. I assumed I started it at the end. I paused it twice to check the time. I was instantly confused. Then, as the movie unfolded, I just could not make heads or tails of what I was watching. There were long, long moments of silence. The quiet scenes may have been put in to provide suspense or tension but it just left me wanting more. I came away annoyed at these long, seemingly never ending silent scenes. Then when Blanchett would have a scene partner it felt like it was a monologue off. Blanchett would go on for minutes and then whoever she was talking to would get their turn. The acting was superb, but after three or four scenes of this it just felt tired. I did like the way they mentioned the pandemic and the stuff with cancel culture was great. But I felt like they were trying to make Lydia Tar, sometimes, feel like a victim. From the research I did after I watched the movie, Tar was not the best person.

I think what frustrated me most with this watch was how little extensive knowledge I have of music and composition. I'm sure the people that love this movie know music much better than I do. They are smarter than I am as well. They would go into great detail talking about the writing process and how hard of a job it is to conduct. I did like the conducting scenes, but there were far too few of them in this movie. But even during those scenes, Blanchett would speak in German and there were no subtitles. I had no idea what she was saying. I could not grasp what she was getting at. And then she would talk to other people involved in music and all of that flew right over my head. I love music. I play guitar. I was in a crummy band before I had kids. But when it comes to classical music I am as green as they come. I think "Tar" was made for people who know all this stuff. I think the people involved made it for people who know how to read music, for people who understand the ins and outs of composing music. I do not have that luxury because I never learned how to read anything more than tablature.

So, while Blanchett is magnetic and an absolute delight to watch on screen, "Tar" was not for me. I guess I am not smart enough or I just don't get it. I was utterly confused for the entire screening. I said to my dog at one point, "I have no idea what is going on man". And he is a dog, who unfortunately cannot talk. I would say, if you want to watch this movie, go in knowing as much as possible about classical music or go in and just enjoy Blanchett's mesmerizing performance. Other than that, it is very frustrating. 

Ty

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

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The "Zombies" Don't Offer Much for the Parent Viewer, Except for the Incredible Dancing

My daughter has recently gotten very much into a trilogy of movies called "Zombies". I have had the great pleasure of watching two of them this past weekend. We had planned on watching all three but we couldn't find the time. Let’s discuss.

These movies are by no means bad, but they are not great either. There is some stuff to like and some stuff I would give a hard pass to. I think the actors do a fine job with the poor material they are given. The plot is a very thinly veiled attempt at desegregation. The actors are much older, for the most part, than the characters they are playing. The acting can be hammy in spots but decent in others. The movies are clearly made for kids. These are definitely just for kids. There is really nothing here that is for the parents that are watching along. But my daughter loves them and I love spending time with her doing things she likes.

During my time watching the first two movies something struck me though that I really do appreciate though. There are dance numbers galore in these movies. These are pretty much musicals for all intents and purposes. The soundtrack for each movie may be more important than the movies themselves. And the dance numbers are integral to what happens with the plot. It is like a music video with each new song. A lot of the actors are singers or have singing in their background. They are also dancers or trained in dancing at some point. That much is blatantly obvious. But these dance numbers, they are a spectacle. They are big and bold and boisterous. They are fun. I find myself tapping along and singing with some of the songs. I watch the actors dance and am endlessly impressed by what I am seeing.

I guess, what I am trying to say is, the dance numbers in these movies make them worth a watch if you are a parent. While watching the second movie over the weekend there was this very intricate cheerleading dance number and I said to my wife, she was watching with us, how impressed I was with the whole sequence. There was a humongous stage. The actors were lock and step with one another. No mistakes came across on camera. Some of the actors were doing some highly acrobatic things that had me sit up in my seat. The way they bounced on wires and made wall climbing look balletic was so cool. I was extremely interested in how all of it came together and how well everyone was doing. I cannot fathom how many takes it took to get it all, but they got what they wanted and it looks wonderful on film. I read, as stated above, that a lot of the actors come from musical backgrounds, but what they are doing in these movies is amazing. Like, this is close to Olympic level gymnastics they are doing here. And the dancing is so damn good. I like when the zombies dance. They look like zombies but they all have really good moves. The werewolves in the second movie dance even better than the zombies or humans in the first one. The humans, namely the cheerleaders, are highly impressive. I was blown away by what I saw. There is a scene in the first one where the main human goes to zombie land and does a full on dance number with all the zombies and it is great. It looks like a steampunk arena and the dance moves are awesome. The school president scene in the second movie is dope as well. I don't know, I am just intrigued by what I watched when it was a dance number in these movies. I like that they are able to do these highly athletic things.

It is these dance scenes that make these movies watchable for me. My daughter loves it all, from start to finish. And while I may not be into the movie much, the dance numbers are worth the 80 minutes each movie lasts. They are that enjoyable. 

Ty

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

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Ty Watches "Knock at the Cabin"

Last weekend my wife and I went back to the theater and saw "Knock at the Cabin". I have not been inside a theater for a movie since early 2022 when I saw "Everything Everywhere All at Once". My wife had the day off and wanted to go out for lunch and a movie. She picked lunch and I picked the movie. She was also pretty adamant that we went to a theater. It was cool. There was us and two other, older couples for a noon showing.

I have wanted to see "Knock at the Cabin" since I first saw a trailer about two or three weeks ago. I have liked, or at least been into, the past couple M Night Shyamalan movies. "Glass" wasn't great, but at least all the "superheroes" in Shyamalan's previous movies got together and made something that had stuff that worked. "Old" crumbled at the end, but up to that point it kept my attention. And "Split" is a very good movie, full stop. So "Knock at the Cabin" had won a place in my brain. I wanted to see this movie. I am a big Dave Bautista fan and to see him playing this type of character really piqued my interest. He is usually used as Drax or as a big guy that is there for comedy relief. I did like his character in "Glass Onion", and his small role in "Blade Runner 2049" is extremely memorable. Those are about the only time he has ventured away from typecasting and they both worked. So seeing him playing this soft spoken doomsdayer type really pulled me in. I then read what the movie was about  and that made me even more amped.

The long and short is a family goes on a vacation and they are met by four people who say they have to kill one of their own or the apocalypse will occur. Pretty easy premise to follow. It is like a thriller version of "Sophie's Choice". Bautista is the lead. Rupert Grint, Nikki Amuka-Bird and Abby Quinn play the doomsday people. They each explain that they have had visions and they came together to try and stop the apocalypse. Jonathan Groff, Ben Aldridge and Kristen Cui are the family that has to decide if they will live alone with the three of them as the world ends, or if they will make an awful sacrifice to save the world.

I really wanted to love this movie going in. I had high hopes. The movie got solid reviews as well, so I was hyped. The movie, for me, fell a little flat. There are things I love in this movie. The creepiness, the quietness, the sacrificing, the stories being told, the tension, that stuff worked and worked very well at points. Groff and Aldrigde played great off each other. They had wonderful chemistry and they were tremendous in this movie. The little girl was exceptional. She has a very bright future. And Dave Bautista was phenomenal. He was quiet and spoke very matter of factly and that made him even more frightening. Even a good amount of the twists and turns work very well. But it was some of the other stuff around the movie that didn't totally hit for me. The twist was predictable. For a director like Shyamalan, even in his bad movies, the twists usually work and I have a hard time seeing them coming. This one was pretty easy to follow. Some of the disasters and diseases were a little on the nose. They pulled a lot from COVID and modern news. I think I wanted a fresher take. Some of the stories the doomsayers told were familiar and tired.I get why they were inserted into the movie but I wanted a different point of view.

I think mostly, for me, the biggest problem was my expectations were far too high. I should have lowered them a bit. My wife said she liked the movie okay, but it was a little flat at points. I wish I had gone in with her point of view.

"Knock at the Cabin" is an okay movie with a great performance from Bautista. But I wish I had waited until it was streaming to watch. At least I got to have a date with my wife and that made it worth it. But the movie just didn't fully hit me the way I was hoping it would. 

Ty

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

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The Only Good Thing About Groundhog Day is the Movie "Groundhog Day"

get back in your hole

Today is Groundhog Day. I never "celebrate" it because who cares if it is going to be colder longer or who? It doesn't really matter. In Saint Louis it is going to be cold until late March or early April anyway. But I was over at my folks house this morning, one of my coffee hangouts with my dad, and my mom was watching "Groundhog Day".

I adore this movie. It is one of my all time favorites. I enjoy the tone of the movie. I like the whole idea of reliving the same day over and over again. The cast is damn near perfect. I am a Harold Ramis fan and I enjoy his directing. I also love how dark the movie gets. When my dad and I got back to his house we got to see the moment when Bill Murray's character realizes what is going on and he sees what happens when he dies. For a comedy this is bleak. He drives a car off a cliff. He gets in a bathtub with a plugged in toaster. He steps in front of a moving truck. That is some dark stuff. But it is played for comedy and it works. When he grabs the toaster from the lady at the restaurant in the hotel, she is confused. Then the lights kind of flicker and she just nods and moves on. When Chris Elliot and Andi McDowell are identifying his body after the car crash, Elliot is bringing funny faces and one liners. And even when he realizes that suicide won't work, the way he starts to treat some people is hilarious. The back and forth with him and Stephen Toblowski is comedy gold. Toblowski is such a great character actor and he goes toe to toe with Murray. When he is mean to McDowell she gives it right back to him. She is strong and not going to take his BS. And even when the "lesson is learned" in the movie, it isn't hokey or corny. It is sweet. It works. The chemistry Murray and McDowell have felt real. I bought it.

I adore "Groundhog Day". I know Murray has had some problematic stuff come out recently and that stinks. But dammit I find his movies funny and wonderful. "Scrooged" is my favorite Christmas movie. "Caddyshack" is one of the greatest comedies of all time. I was a humongous "Ghostbusters" fan as a kid. I think he is one of the best "SNL" cast members of all time. And "Groundhog Day" is another homerun. I also know that he and Ramis fought a ton, and apparently they did it a lot on the set of this movie. But they made a damn good, classical comedy movie with "Groundhog Day". It works and they work. They were a comedy dream team.

Watching the movie this morning made me miss Ramis too. He died too young, too soon. It was tragic when he died. I go back and watch his movies a lot more now and it was cool to revisit one of his best today.

Again, I think making today a "holiday" is nuts and we all know it is not a real holiday. My kids are at school today. My wife is working. We aren't exchanging any gifts or giving out any treats. But if you do want to celebrate this day, if you are looking for something to do, watching "Groundhog Day" may be the only real solution there is. And that is a damn fine solution to come to. "Groundhog Day" is a classic made by comedy geniuses with a tremendous cast. And the movie totally holds up. Go watch it. It rules. 

Ty

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

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I am Not in a Hurry to See the New "Avatar" Movie

In preparation to watch the second "Avatar" movie whenever it comes to Disney +, it may be on there now, I have no idea, but my wife turned on the original "Avatar" the other day. We watched about 90 minutes of it before we went to bed. Let’s discuss.

I have been saying on this site and the podcast ever since it went up that I did not care for "Avatar" when it first came out in 2009. I saw it in the theaters with a very good friend who really wanted to see it. I figured I'd go because it was getting a ton of buzz, the critics loved it and we had a chance to see it in 3-D. I found myself bored and not enjoying it. Granted I was 26 at the time, a movie snob and was predisposed to not like it. I am not a James Cameron fan. I find him off putting. He seems like he is very arrogant. And with some stories that have come out about him, I do not feel bad saying this. I also only like two of his movies. I love "T2" and "Aliens". Those are legit excellent movies. But I have not liked much else he has directed. "Terminator" is fine. I do not like a single second of "Titanic". I have no desire to watch stuff like "Aliens of the Deep" or "Ghosts of the Abyss". I openly dislike "True Lies", much to my wife's chagrin. But I went into this rewatch of "Avatar" with more of an open mind. I decided I was going to let my predispositions wash away and just view the movie as a "critic". I was not looking to poke holes in anything. I wanted to see if, with 16 more years of life added on, that maybe I would enjoy it more. I am also a little curious about the new movie. Maybe it is the hype train again and maybe I will be fooled again, but people I listen to seem to like the new movie. Even people who disliked the first one seem to like this new one. And I am not being one of these fans that is just hating on "Avatar" to hate on it. I could literally careless if it is good or not. I do not care about the box office. None of that stuff matters to me. I just wanted to rewatch the first one to see if I was wrong, or what I was wrong about, and to see if it made me want to see the sequel.

So, as previously stated, we got through 90 minutes of the first one. This was not due to boredom or lack of not wanting to finish. We have two kids, my wife works a full time job and we only have time to watch a little bit of something before we both get tired. Yes, I get it, we are old. But in this 90 minute rewatch I noticed a few things. First off, the movie looks incredible. It is beautiful. Even on our home television it looked stunning. The effects look modern. And that is something that Cameron has always had a good hold on. He knows how to do special effects maybe better than anyone in the business. He is a genius when it comes to that. This was a part that I did not appreciate when I first watched this movie. It is visually stunning. That is about where my praise ends though. Well, Sigourney Weaver is wonderful in the movie too. I like how badass she is. It is like her character from the "Alien" franchise moved into the world of "Avatar". Okay, that is where my praise stops. Other than Weaver and the effects, the movie still bored me. I do not care about the military storyline. The bad guy, or guys in this movie, are cliche. You can tell just by looking at them. Then when they speak the point is further driven home. Sam Worthington is not great here. He is dull and boring and not the leading man I want to root for. Zoey Saldana is so underused. She is too put upon and not given nearly enough to do in the movie. The actors they put in the movie to be the comedy relief are using tired and dumb jokes. Nothing in this movie made me laugh. I do have to say, the last hour is supposed to be when the movie really picks up, and we get the big battle scene, but I have not had the urge to go back and watch it yet because I don;t really care what happens. I also kind of remember it being ridiculous. I remember "The Simpsons" doing a parody of it, and that was a million times better for me to watch. My wife also made a good point while watching. She kept saying that the original "Avatar" is a lot like "Pocahontas". She is 100 percent correct. I mean, watch them side by side and I bet you can see far too many parallels.

At this point, I do not know if I will ever watch "Avatar 2". I enjoyed the visuals of the first movie. But the story and most of the acting fell flat. For me. Time will tell, but right now, at this very moment, my desire to finish the first and watch the second are nearly null. 

Ty

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

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Better Never Than Late on "The Kingsman"

Over the weekend we watched the two sequels to the movie "Kingsman". Let’s discuss.

I liked the first movie quite a bit. My wife did too. It is fun, gross, funny, action packed and has some good music. The story is also well done. As is the directing and acting. Colin Firth is really amazing in this movie. It is a departure for him, and he totally crushes it. He is the true star of it to me.

The second movie is okay. It is a solid sequel. It keeps the fun and ups the gore. The addition of Julianne Moore was solid as well. She chews the scenery, but that is what I assumed they asked her to do. The meat grinder in her village is wild too. But, it is not as good as the original. Most sequels aren't as good as the originals. There are exceptions, but the second "Kingsman" is not one of them. But still, I enjoyed my time watching the movie.

The newest one, a prequel called "The King's Man", was unnecessary. It is streaming on HBO Max and we had a free night at home Saturday. My wife really wanted to watch it to complete the trilogy, so we watched it. This movie is so different from the first two. There is no more of the fun. This one takes itself incredibly seriously. I don't know that I could pick out one single joke from the whole two plus hours. That is to be expected when Ralph Fiennes is the star of your movie, but he proved in "The Menu" that he can do jokes. He has decent comedic timing. But he is a more serious actor. But why place him as the lead in a movie trilogy that is supposed to be loud and goofy and silly and violent? That was miscasting in my opinion.

The story is also weird and hard to follow. There is a family in the beginning and the wife gets killed. Common story. But instead of going into the whole spy world thing that "Kingsman" has become known for, they focus on war. This is pretty much a straight ahead war movie. I did not expect that, and for me, it did not work. They have some wild follies, but even they came off as boring. Each bad guy was bland, except for Rhy Ifans. He played Rasputin and I feel like he was the only one that had seen the previous movies. He looked to be having the time of his life, but it also made him feel wildly out of place. He does have the best fight scene in the movie too, but it happens so fast and so early that by the end I had forgotten he was in the movie at all. The plot with Fiennes and his kid was so after school special-y as well. He wanted to go to war, his dad wanted to protect him, his dad loosened the strings and then his son, spoiler alert, dies carelessly in the war. It was so odd and felt like it was in a totally different movie. Even as they build the whole spy world, far too late in the movie, it felt tacked on. It felt like Matthew Vaughan, a director I really like, forgot what movie he was making until the very last few minutes. The major fight scene at the end with Fiennes and Djimonou Hounsou was boring. They also sorely under utilized Honsou. He could have been great in this movie. And then, when they were quickly wrapping things up, they tried to bring in fans of the original. They used the codenames, they gave them the look, but at that point it was far too late. They also introduced three characters, characters that seemed like they have big plans for the future, but it just fell flat.

I was not a fan of this movie. It lacked all the fun of the first movie. It lacked the gore of the second movie. They changed the tone far too much. I did not expect to see a hard war drama, but that was basically what we got. Oh well, they can't all be winners I guess. 

Ty

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

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"Office Space" is Still an All Time Great Movie

Last week I was looking for an older comedy to watch. I have been revisiting movies that I thought were classics when I was a teen. The return rate has not been great for me. "Dodgeball" did not hold up for me. I have talked at length with people about how awful the "American Pie" movies are. They are very problematic.

So when I turned on "Office Space" last week I truly did not know what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised that there were only a few problematic things in the movie. There are some not so savory words said by Michael Bolton. But other than that, that movie holds the hell up. I found myself laughing as hard as I did when I was 17.

The whole idea of the movie is very present as well. Most people hate their jobs. Most people don't want to go in on their day off. Most people have had the thought of getting rich quick. That is all here in the movie. I was so happy that it still made me feel the same way. When Ron Livingston recites the line, "I did nothing and it was everything I hoped it would be", it made me roll around laughing as much as it did twenty plus years ago. The stuff with his neighbor, and how he can hear everything and just comes over on a whim, excellent. When he tells Peter what he would do with a million dollars, and just blankly stares at him, loved it. When Michael Bolton is rapping at the beginning, while in traffic, that is super relevant and super hilarious. All the people mispronouncing Samir's name, that stuff is still going on today. Americans refuse to learn names that appear too tough for them to say. When Michael Bolton goes off on his name, Funny or Die has done a skit wherein Bolton plays himself saying the lines. That sketch came out only a few years ago. Bolton is in on the joke. I haven't worked in an office in eight plus years, but my wife does and I hear stories from her all the time. They may not have the same words or people, but the story is always the same. When people ask Peter if he has "a case of the Mondays", that most definitely is still going on I bet. I have to imagine most people do not like their boss, or they talk about them behind their backs. Bill Lumberg is the epitome of a crummy, no good, power hungry boss. He has such little power and tries to wield it with some kind of humongous authority. The way he treats Stephen Root's character is what I have to imagine most bosses do when they feel threatened. Peter is challenging Lumberg and getting away with it, so Lumberg takes Milton's stapler and keeps moving his office. It is a pathetic show of authority. Gary Cole does a masterful job in this role. This is an amazing performance. Jennifer Aniston is not doing her "Friends" thing, and I feel like this is one of her best roles ever as well. She is funny, powerful and commanding. She doesn't take any nonsense. She goes toe to toe with Peter.

The best thing, the thing that makes "Office Space" relevant still is the inner office dynamics. I used to work in an office and I know all of these people. Again, my wife has told me countless stories about all of these same people. The office clothes are so familiar. The way people speak to one another about TPS Reports is all too real. Having multiple different bosses is still a thing. And my personal favorite thing, the thing that I was howling at, is the one dude always nodding his head during an all office meeting. That person is an annoying teacher's pet and Mike Judge nailed it.

"Office Space" is a great movie and I am happy that it is not as problematic as some other movies from my teenage years that simply do not work. "Office Space" is definitely worth a rewatch. 

Ty

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

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Ty Watches "The Menu"

Over the weekend my wife and I watched "The Menu". I went into the movie not knowing anything, purposely, and that is the best way to watch.I will do my best to keep my review spoiler free.

The plot of the movie is rather simple. There is a restaurant on a secluded island and only the select few get in. I believe there were a total of twelve diners at the restaurant in the movie. The chef is devious, does some messed up stuff and makes the diners watch it all unfold. There is mystery, intrigue and even some good laughs. The movie is also scary at times. I found myself jumping here and there at certain points. The scares are not out of place either. They are not shoehorned in to frighten the viewer. They were necessary and crucial to the plot.

I really adored this movie. Being three days removed from watching it, I find myself still thinking about what I saw. I have also read a number of reviews and theories online since finishing the movie. The writer is stellar. As I mentioned, there are jokes in this movie that made me laugh out loud. I did not expect that from this film. There are also well made points about the fine dining world and how unnecessary that whole crowd has become. The acting was top notch as well. Anya Taylor Joy is becoming one of my favorite actors. She is excellent here. Her attitude and the way she carries herself was wonderful. Nicolas Hoult played off type, for him, in this movie. He is an asshole. He is one of these "foodies" who thinks he knows better than everyone else. Even the actors with bit parts, Judith Light and John Leguizamo to name a few, crush the scenes they are in. With this movie, and "Encanto", Leguizamo is having a real moment, and I'm here for it. But Ralph Fiennes is superb. He is so eerie, so emotionless, so scary. It is such a great role for him and he absolutely crushes it. My wife even said she thought this was right up there with Lord Voldemort as far as creepiness goes for Fiennes. He even gets off jokes and they absolutely land.

What I love most about this movie, what I keep going back to, is the way they send up the highfalutin restaurant world. This restaurant is on a secluded island that you have to take a yacht to get too. Sp pretentious. The cover to get in is astronomical. I believe Hoult's character says "1250 a person". That is nuts. The way the sous chefs all act is so ridiculous and cultish. I love a show like "The Bear", but even that takes itself too seriously with the food at times. "The Menu" is, for all intents and purposes, spoofing that world. They are making fun of that world. They are poking a hole in the theory that fine dining has become this show of fulfillment and how rich or poor you are. The lady who plays the restaurant reviewer is so perfectly skewered by Fiennes' chef. Her lackey is what I imagine all lackeys are like in real life. Hoult is as douchey as these upper crust "foodies" can be. He is always pooping out his phone to take pictures and then explaining why this food is so next level. Even Judith Light and her husband are awful. They are considered "regulars" here, but they cannot even remember dishes from previous meals. They continue to go to show off their status. It is too perfect.

I like this movie. I enjoy how scary and funny it can be at times. I thought they paid excellent detail to this renaissance in fancy dinner culture. They skewer it better than anyone has to this point. I have been watching a ton of "Top Chef" lately, and when I watched this movie I thought of how Padma Lakshmi and Tom Colicheccio would have acted if this place were real. It would be hilarious. Watch this movie. It is on HBO Max right now. I cannot recommend it enough. 

Ty

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

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For Some Reason Ty Decides to Watch "Morbius"

A lot of the movie podcasts I listen to have been talking about "Morbius" lately. A lot. It has been a very big topic of conversation for some odd reason. All this talk had me intrigued. I obviously know about this movie. How can you not at this point? I am also fully aware of the bad press and critical reviews it got after its release. None of this is news to me. But hearing funny people I like talk about how wild this movie is, it piqued my interest. I had to know what all the fuss was about.

So I watched it. I did not know where I was going to find it, but it is right there, front and center, on Netflix. I turned it on the other day and was floored by what I watched.

This movie is bad. Really, really, really bad. There are no redeeming qualities. There wasn't a single part of this movie that I found likable. I didn't get what they were trying to do with this little known character. I should have known something was off when it said "In association with Marvel". Marvel has given their name to crap like "Venom", but they only wanted "association" with "Morbius". Then, as the movie unfolded, I found myself quite bored. That is the best way I can describe my main emotion watching this hunk of junk. The movie is dull. It is gray and dreary. The dialogue is slow and quiet. The action sequences are filled with slow motion and stuff that every other movie before it has already done. I saw Keanu Reeves dodge bullets in "The Matrix" while I was still in high school. I've seen way cooler vampire imagery in "Blade" and "What We Do in the Shadows". I've heard better quips in every single other Marvel movie. This is just a flat out bad movie. I do not like Jared Leto. Never have, never will. I think one of the few movies where he is the main character that I enjoy is "Requiem For a Dream". He is barely in "Blade Runner 2049", and that is a good thing. He won an Oscar for "Dallas Buyers Club", but go watch his performance. It is offensive. Other than that he is not good in his movies. And "Morbius" is no exception. He is rough. He walks with crutches and that feels offensive. His line readings are dull and tired. He has no chemistry with anyone on screen. And he was supposedly real tough to work with on this set, which should surprise no one. Matt Smith, who is a very good actor, is given no favors here. His dialogue is bad. The direction he was given is wrong. He is being led astray in this movie. His talents are useless here. The female lead is a stereotype. She is just there to be a female voice. She is the only actor here who is any good, but she is given so little to work with. Much like Smith, her talents are wasted. Tyrese Gibson and Al Madigral are no good as the cops. They seem to care too little about vampires and their facial expressions never change. Madrigal is a brilliant comedian, but he is left to be the straight man in this movie. Again, another talented person being asked to do the things that they don't do well.

This whole thing is a mess. I finished it the other day and fell asleep for a few minutes during the final battle. That should tell you all you need to know about this dreadful movie. I was moved by people much funnier than me talking about this movie, but it was a total waste of time. I see why the critics were so critical of this movie. I hope they stop right here and do not make any more of these because they will not make any money. "Morbius" is bad. Even at 1 hour and 47 minutes it feels LONG. Don't watch it. Save yourself the time. 

Ty

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

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Ty Watches "Vengeance"

Over the weekend my wife and I watched the movie "Vengeance" on our date night. I had heard about this movie a while back. I do not remember exactly where I heard about it, probably a podcast, but it intrigued me.

For those that may not know, "Vengeance" is a movie written and directed by BJ Novak, Ryan from the American "Office". His character is a podcaster who goes to a remote town in Texas to help investigate a possible murder. That is the Cliff's Notes version. The movie received pretty positive reviews, I like BJ Novak and I enjoy podcasts very much. It hit all the marks for me. And the movie delivered.

Again, I enjoyed this movie quite a bit. It wasn't what I thought it was going to be, and that is a good thing. The movie constantly surprised me. I really liked the direction and sudden changes that they made throughout. BJ Novak took this personality, this famous podcaster personality, and flipped it on its head. He goes to this town because a girl he had a fling with suddenly died. Her family called him, thinking he was her boyfriend, and got him to come out to help investigate. At first it seems like she overdosed, but the family suspects foul play. Novak's character takes this story and flips it. He wants to do an episode of his show where a family won't accept things and give us other stories to justify a sudden death.

Outside of Novak the main cast is great. Issa Rae is his producer. She is wonderful. Rae is such a reliable actor and she always hits the mark. She was wonderful here. Boyd Holbrook plays a mourning brother and he is a delight. It may sound weird to call his character a "delight", but it is true. He is funny. He has a plan. He loves his family. He was very good here. Dove Cameron and Isabella Amara are the sisters and they are equally funny. They have little to do, but when they get time to shine, they own it. J Smith Cameron is the mom and she is perfect as a grieving mother trying to come to grips with her new reality. Eli Bickel is fascinating as the youngest brother that everyone dumps on all the time. He was fantastic. All the other bit parts, like a cartel leader, the brother's best friend, random town people, even Lio Tipton, who plays the deceased, do great with their small roles.

Surprisingly, it was Ashton Kutcher that really shined here. This is a role that is perfect for him. He got to play a music executive who has some dark secrets. He was so good. He was understated. But when he had a monologue to give, he really hit a home run. I was floored at how impressed I was with him in this movie. It gives me hope that he will continue to do stuff like this. This role proves to me why he is a professional actor.

I liked this movie a lot. It was a paint by colors murder mystery, but had more edge to it. The jokes were great. The story moved very well. Novak seemed to have a blast making this movie and it shows on screen. I love the route they took with podcasts and how they have gotten so big. But what I loved most was the way the finale unfolded. They could have gone one way but they chose, in my opinion, the right way to go. Even my wife said she liked the direction they took. They did it the right way, and the best way they could have finished the movie.

I definitely recommend this movie. It is on Peacock if you have that streaming service, and I'm sure you can rent it on VOD or Amazon. Go check this movie out. It is a good change of pace and totally worth your time. 

Ty

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

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Ty Watches "Glass Onion"

Last night my wife and I watched "Glass Onion: A Knives Out Murder Mystery".

It was incredible. I cannot overstate how wonderful this movie was. I told my wife last night I need to start waiting to do my best of lists until after the new year. This movie is so great that it might be my favorite movie of the year. I still love "Everything Everywhere All At Once" and "Hustle", but "Glass Onion" is on a whole other level. I was in awe the entire watch last night. There is not a moment wasted in this movie. Every actor is absolutely owning their role. The way the story unfolds is magical. This review is going to be spoiler free. I want to let that be known up front. I am doing that because I am so very happy that I knew nothing going in. I only knew the cast and the name of the movie. That is the only info you should go into this viewing experience with. To watch it unfold like I did last night was the absolute best. I wouldn't have wanted it any other way.

Like I said, the story is masterfully done. The twists and turns and fake outs, it all worked on me. It was all that I needed to see to be satisfied. I loved every little detail the writers put in. Again, nothing was wasted. There are no throw aways or pointless storylines that drag on for zero reason. It was perfect.

This cast is amazing as well. From top to bottom they crush it. I did not think I was going to like Kate Hudson, but I ended up loving her. Her commitment is otherworldly. She has wonderful acting ability when directed properly and given well written material. Dave Bautista continues to surprise me. Much like Hudson, when given good material he really shows up. He did a great job. Leslie Odom Jr is proving himself to be more than a stage star. He commits to his scientist role and never hams it up. This is a solid performance from him. Kathryn Hahn continues to prove why she is one of the best actors working right now. I wanted her to have a bit more to do here, but when she is asked to shine she does that and then some. She is such a good actor. This role makes me even more excited for the "Agatha" show on Disney plus.

The real stars, the ones that shine brightest in this movie are Edward Norton, Daniel Craig and Janelle Monae. They are tremendous. Norton is chewing scenery in the best way possible. He is going for it and he is achieving his goal. I could not believe how much I enjoyed him in this movie. He is a delight. Craig, the only returning actor from the first movie, is back and better than ever. He is sillier and more profane in this movie. He is having a great time and it shows. The accent is on point. The monologues are excellent. The way he unfolds the mystery is amazing. He is at the top of his game here. He really hits a homerun. But the best acting job is Monae far and away. She is simply the best here. She has a lot to do and she does it all so very well. If Craig hits a homerun, Monae is hitting a grand slam. She is perfectly cast. She did her work. She is showing off and it is all done so gracefully. I loved her in this movie. This is a prime role for her and she is going to become an even bigger star off of this role. She is exceptional.

"Glass Onion" has the feel of an older movie. That is a compliment. The music is great. The costumes look like they are from the 50's. The scenery is second to none. I want to go to Greece today. The movie is modern as well. The story of this crew has a very modern feel. The places they stay are very up to date and very high tech. The way they handle COVID is the closest I have seen to real life yet on screen.

Look, I cannot recommend this movie enough. This is a sequel that may be better than the original. The movie is about 2 hours and 15 minutes but it never felt long. I could have watched another 2 hours happily. "Glass Onion" rules. Go watch it now. 

Ty

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

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2022 Top Five - Movies

Today I have my top five movies of 2022. There have been a ton of movies released this year. I have seen a good portion of them. There are some movies I haven't watched yet, but will soon and may have to put some addendums on this piece in the future. I also watch more movies now than ever. When the pandemic started my wife and I started to have quarantine date nights. These nights included ordering dinner from a local restaurant and picking a movie to watch. We turn off our phones and pay attention. It was one of the first things we implemented at the start of the pandemic and we still do it to this day. It kept me sane at the start of COVID. It is one of my favorite things. That being said, let's get to my countdown.

I do want to shout out two movies that just missed the cut for me. "Nope" was great. I loved the imagery. I loved the story. The alien was scary and unique. And the Gordy story line was terrifying. Jordan Peele is an amazing director. I also really enjoyed "Weird". It was a perfect parody movie of a parody singer. I expected a lot from it and it exceeded all of my expectations. Daniel Radcliffe and Evan Rachel Wood were magnetic. They gave award worthy performances. "Weird" is a movie everyone should seek out. Okay, now to the top five.

At number 5 I have "The Northman". This movie is tough to convince people to watch, but when they do, they always come back and tell me they liked it. It is brutal. They speak in Viking tongue from time to time. It is dark and bleak. But the performances are wonderful. Alexander Skaarsgard was electric. The two big fight scenes with him were incredible. Anya Taylor Joy is up to task and crushes her performance. They are a great duo. This movie is violent and gory and the pacing is weird. But it is a movie that is so great when you give in and enjoy the watch. Nicole Kidman plays a villain. The imagery is incredible. "The Northman" is a ride but a worthwhile and fun ride in the end. The final battle scene is one of the coolest things I have ever witnessed in a movie. It is amazing.

At number 4 I have "Prey". This is the best version of "Predator" for me. They tell the best story. The Predator looks cool as hell. The acting is dynamite. I love that they take us back to the 17 or 1800's. I love that it is through the eyes of a Native American tribe. I love that a female is the lead, and the movie's biggest badass. And the fight scenes in this movie are great. When the Predator and a bear fight, that is awesome. When the Predator hunts people down, it is terrifying and enthralling. The fight scene with the lead, her brother and the Predator is dynamite. The fur trapper massacre is fulfilling since they were so evil. "Prey" is a perfect action movie for the modern era.

At number 3 I have "RRR". This movie is nuts and amazing. It is over three hours long. It took me three sittings to finish it. The movie switches from English to Hindi the whole time. The two leads are portrayed as superheroes even though they are regular dudes. There are tons of Bollywood dance scenes that totally rule. Some scenes in this movie are some of the best action scenes I have seen. The opener with one of the leads and a tiger is amazing. When the two leads are fighting the bad guys and one is riding the others shoulders, just wow. The whole back plot of some vicious diseases ravaging a neighborhood, too real. Seeing the war that is depicted was incredible. "RRR" is a movie I never would have watched if not for the urging of friends and people on podcasts raving about it. I'm glad they did and I'm stoked I watched.

At number 2 I have "Hustle". This is as paint by numbers as a sports movie can get and it totally worked on me. Adam Sandler is wonderful in this movie. He can really act when given good material. Add on his love for basketball and this is a perfect movie for him. Queen Latifah is excellent as his wife. She could be put upon and moody, but she never is. She handles her life situation great. Juancho Hernangomez was the perfect choice for Bo Cruz. He is not too big a star, but he knows what it takes to make it to the NBA. The training scenes felt real with him. Ben Foster is a perfect foil. Anthony Edwards was awesome and looked to be having a blast. Robert Duvall is barely in the movie, but he owns his scenes. I love this movie. My son loves this movie. So do his teammates on his basketball team. "Hustle" is a near perfect sports movie.

At number 1 have "Everything Everywhere All at Once". This was an easy pick for me. This movie is an absolute homerun. This movie has it all. This is one of the most emotional movies I have ever watched. This movie made me laugh and cry in equal measures. The performances are second to none. Michelle Yeoh is electric. Ke Huay Quan is a revelation. Stephaine Hsu is truly a dynamo. Jamie Lee Curtis is awesome. This movie is simply the best. The way they do the multiverse stuff is the best use ever on screen. The movie is more about family dynamics as opposed to superhero stuff. It is about immigration, divided family, coming to terms with loved ones and living the best possible life you can, in any universe. "Everything Everywhere All at Once" has moved me in no way any other movie has. It is not only the best movie of this year, I believe it is one of the best movies ever made.

That is it for movies. Come back tomorrow for my top TV shows of 2022. 

Ty

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

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Ty Watches "I'm Totally Fine"

Over the weekend my wife and I watched the movie "I'm Totally Fine". I heard about this movie while listening to "This is Important". This is the "Workaholics" guys podcast. I enjoy this podcast quite a bit. It is not a rewatch show. The guys get together once a week and just chat about life. They talk about past projects, their lives, Buzz Ball drinks and current projects. One of those current projects is "I'm Totally Fine".

Kyle Newachek and Blake Anderson are in the movie. Kyle Newachek is a producer. Harvey Guillen, who Newachek works with on "What We Do in the Shadows", has a bit part. But the stars of the movie are Jillan Bell, who was a main character on "Workaholics", and Natalie Morales, one of Bell's best friends. The movie has a fairly simple premise. Bell and Morales are best friends, they own a soda company and Morales' character suddenly passes away. Bell is left to grieve and spends a weekend on a getaway all by herself. She shows up at the AirBnb she is staying in and things kind of start to go nuts. Bell and Morales had a party planned on that weekend, but Bell forgot to cancel everything. They show up and she cannot get them to go away or not set up. So Bell is left to a bunch of food and party supplies. After a night of drinking, where she downs a full bottle of champagne, Bell falls asleep by a fire. While asleep, the lights in the house flicker and flutter and it gets windy and loud outside. When she wakes up she is groggy and hung over. She eventually drinks some water and clams down. While waking up someone hands her a coffee. She thanks the person using her best friend's name. She then fully wakes up and realizes she is seeing a person who looks exactly like her deceased friend. She starts to freak out. She believes she is hallucinating. She figures this is all in her head. The person who looks like her friend keeps telling her she is an alien who has come down to Earth to give her 48 final hours with her best friend. The alien has all of her memories and can communicate. Bell goes along with this thinking it is all in her head. But when she really dives in, she goes for it.

This is where the movie really grabbed me. I was hooked. To see the two of them go on adventures, have a party, tell secrets and revelations, it is all so well done. Bell and Morales have tremendous chemistry. You can tell they are friends in real life. Bell controls this whole movie. She is doing some of her best work. She handles this situation with her character in a very relatable way. She crushes it. Morales is so good as this alien. She talks like a typical alien the whole time. And while you think it would wear you down, it never does. She is so believable and does a wonderful job as an alien who is starting to have human emotions. Newachek and Anderson are there, but their parts are so small. This is Bell's movie and she nails it. Morales is there too, but Bell is the star. I loved watching her performance.

I've been thinking about this movie ever since Friday night. I have also thought about what I would do if this situation actually happened to me. If I was given 48 hours with a newly deceased. close friend, what would I do? They ask and answer this question so well in the movie. It is a tough, and deep question, but the way they handle it is tremendous.

I want more and more people to seek this movie out. I like small movies like this. The story is also unique and fresh. This is not a remake or a retelling. This is not a sequel. This is a fresh idea and a fresh movie. Check it out. Seek it out and check it out. It is really wonderful. 

Ty

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

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I'm So Ready to Go See "Cocaine Bear"

Bear regretting last saturday night

The other day I was checking out previews for upcoming movies. The impetus for this was checking out a good amount of best of lists and that turned into a deep dive which turned into what I want to see in 2023. I am also a big fan of movies that are released in theaters and on streaming at the same time. Anyway, during this deep dive I came across a bunch of people talking about a movie called “Cocaine Bear”.

I had actually heard the “Workaholics” guys talk about this movie a month or so back on their podcast. But I thought they were making a joke. I had no idea this was a real movie that was actually being made. So when I read what people were saying, I was shocked. Then I came across a two minute preview. I mean, of course I watched it right away, and of course it looks amazing.

The trailer was red band, which is the only way you should watch this trailer, and it was gory and bloody and foul and looks nuts. In said trailer we see the bear ingest the cocaine and madness ensues. The bear is on a murderous rampage. The bear’s face is soaked with blood, as is its fur. The bear is fast. It seemingly needs no sleep. It’s superhero tough. It climbs a tree in a matter of seconds. There is a scene in the trailer that shows it sniffing and choosing random body parts to eat. It’s wild! Then we have the humans involved. This cast is wild. Ray Liotta is in this movie and he looks crazy. I don’t know if it’s his last movie, but if it is, what a way to go. Keri Russell is the lead. I love this new direction she’s gone in post “Felicity”. Alden Ehrenreich and O’Shea Jackson Jr work for Liotta’s character, at least I think. Ehrenreich looks rough and Jackson Jr is missing a hand! Margo Martindale fires a shotgun out of the back of an ambulance. Isaiah Whitlock Jr is playing a cop. Jesse Tyler Ferguson is in this movie. The cast is absolutely incredible, and if the trailer is any indication, they’re giving it their all. They all look to be taking this insane situation seriously.

The thing that got me the most when watching the trailer was the whole “based on a true story” tag. I know that means they are glorifying the whole thing, and they will go over the top. But when you think about it, a bear did, indeed, ingest cocaine and went nuts. The writers took this true story and ran with it. I literally cannot wait to watch this movie. Hell, I might even go to the theater to see it on a big screen. If you haven’t seen the trailer, or even know about this movie, go check it out online right now. You will not be disappointed.

Ty

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

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Where are the Good Thanksgiving Centered Television Shows and Movies?

While walking past my wife's home office this afternoon I noticed some turkey stuff on her screen. As I got a closer look it was tv actors in turkey outfits or eating turkey. I asked what they were doing and she said they were having people put down their favorite movies or tv shows centered around Thanksgiving. It seemed like a relatively normal thing that offices do.

After looking at her screen for a minute I went for a run, and then my wheels started to turn. I think a lot when I am out on my own running. So I started to think of tv shows or movies that I enjoy centered around Thanksgiving. I have not seen "Planes, Trains and Automobiles" from start to finish in my lifetime. I remember my mom really liked a movie called "Home for the Holidays", which is solid but also very depressing. "Thankskilling" is also a solid option, but that is a movie that is so bad it is good, and I wouldn't necessarily call it a "Thanksgiving" movie.

My mind wandered to tv shows. There are a lot of tv shows that show a Thanksgiving, or feature a turkey, but no show has a real "Thanksgiving" episode in my mind. And let me be clear, these are tv shows that I watch. I've never seen "Friends". I stopped watching "New Girl" after two seasons. I do not watch a whole lot of regular channels tv programs. But I do watch a ton of "Simpsons". I was racking my brain. They have the episode where Homer is Mr Burns' prank monkey, but that is more of a Christmas episode. It centers on Homer being Santa in the Thanksgiving Day Parade. They also have other episodes that feature a turkey, but again, Thanksgiving is not the holiday being celebrated. I noticed someone on my wife's computer put the episode of "Seinfeld" on there where Newman imagines Kramer as a turkey. But this is not a Thanksgiving ep at all. This is all about Kramer using butter as sunscreen and shaving cream and he sits outside for too long. He also stays in his hot tub too long. There is not even a mention of any holiday within the twenty-two minutes. The closest I can think of a tv show that fully features Thanksgiving is "Bob's Burgers". They have full eps dedicated to the holiday. But, even within these shows, it is all about Bob's joy of cooking the meal. They do not give thanks. There is no real fighting. They do not have turkeys everywhere. The episodes are wonderful, some of my absolute favorites, but they do not scream out Thanksgiving like other shows do with other holidays. Hell, even a show like "The League", which is all about football, barely even mentions the holiday outside of one episode in a late season. I mean, look at a show like "The Office". Their Christmas episodes are legendary. I could say the same thing about "The Simpsons''. Outside "Treehouse of Horrors' ', they tackle Christmas the best. Back to "The Office '', they did a Valentine's Day episode that was classic. "Parks and Rec" also had some really excellent Valentine's Day episodes.

I just do not get why Thanksgiving does not get the love on the shows I watch. But please, tell me some good Thanksgiving stuff you all watch. I want to know what to seek out, what I should be watching this time of year. I am going to remedy my lack of seeing "Planes, Trains and Automobiles", but I need more recommendations. I want more as well. Enlighten me everyone. Tell me what to seek. Thanks in advance.

Ty

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

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Better Never Than Late on "Don't Worry Darling"

A while back I wrote about all the off screen drama involving the movie "Don't Worry Darling". The trailers and the cast and then all that nonsense had me pretty hype to watch the movie. I also loved "Booksmart", Olivia Wilde's first movie, so I figured she was due for another solid outing. I was on board to see this movie. And it is now streaming on HBO Max. My wife also wanted to see it, it was her turn to pick the date night movie and she picked "Don't Worry Darling". We sat down and were both excited.

The movie, for me, did not deliver. Now, my wife liked the movie. She enjoyed her viewing experience. And Florence Pugh and Chris Pine did a very good job with little material to work with. Those are the things I enjoyed about the movie. But everything else fell very flat for me. It was not worth all the hype. The story and most other performances just didn't work for me. The direction felt clunky and forced. Some of the acting was very blah. And the stuff that was left on the cutting room floor, according to internet research, probably would have helped. But I was not feeling it.

Pugh, as previously stated, was solid. She did a great job in fact. She is very good in these horror/psychological roles. She knows how to do that. But Harry Styles is not a great actor. He tried very hard in this movie, but I just didn't buy his performance. He has a scene where he has to cry and act upset and it looked like a first time actor trying way too hard. He did some things well, but most of it was very forced and not so good. At least he can sing. Nick Kroll was underused. He did not get a chance to shine in a role that is very different for him. I wanted more. I could say the same for Kate Bertlant, who I also like very much. She had moments where it looked like she was going to go through some stuff, but they cut her off or cut away from her character. I wanted to know so much more about her. Her husband, played by Asif Ali, only had a handful of lines. He was not fleshed out at all. Kiki Layne had a very juicy role, got to do some decent stuff, but she was the person who was cut the most. Her role was, seemingly, very important to the story, but she was more under utilized than Kroll. That was a bummer. Pine's wife, played by Gemma Chan, had this eeriness to her, but she never got fleshed out either. That seemed to happen a lot in this movie. Wilde gave herself a supporting role, and it felt like they wrote her character more than any other supporting actor. She had a backstory and stuff that happened to her, but I was not given enough time as a viewer to really care about her. What happened was sad and devastating, but they did not reveal any of it until the very end. There was no time.

Therein lies my biggest problem with the movie. They had a great idea, they had a solid cast, they had people game for this movie, the set pieces were dope, but they did not go far enough with this story and these people living in this world. The movie was a shade over two hours, but it felt unfinished. It felt rushed. It felt like they were all trying to not get COVID, this movie was filmed during a surge from what I read. It just did not tell this interesting story in an interesting way for me. The way they got to the twist was slow, but once they were there, they went too fast. Pugh tried her best to pull it off. Pine was a great villain, but the rest was just too bland. When they flashed back and forth, Styles looked like a bad guy from an early 2000's indie movie, and not in a good way.

I don't know. The movie had all this press and all this build up, but it just didn't hit home with me. And that bums me out. I really wanted to like this movie. Or, at the very least, I wanted this movie to give me a story. I wanted it to be memorable. But it was just a very bland and boring movie that did not deliver. Oh well, at least I have the off screen nonsense to look back on in the future. What a bummer.

Ty

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

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An Ode to the Great Movies from the Safdie Brothers

While channel surfing the other day I came across the movie "Good Time". For those that may not know, "Good Time" stars Robert Pattinson and Benny Safdie. They are brothers who are running from the police after a bank robbery gone wrong. Safdie is the brother with a problem and Pattinson is the brother trying to help the only way he knows how.

This movie is incredible. This is the third time I have watched it and it gets better every time. Pattinson delivers a powerhouse performance. This is the movie that I saw him in when I realized he could really act, that he wasn't just the kid from "Twilight". He and Kristen Stewart have gone on to have very successful careers since that movie.

What stood out most this time from watching "Good Time" was the direction of the Safide brothers. They both directed the movie. Benny Safdie was also in it, but he and his brother, Josh, are credited as co directors. This movie is anxiety riddled. It is fueled with intense moments. I found myself on the edge of my seat and I already knew what was going to happen. But watching Pattinson running around New York with all kinds of shady people made this movie that much more intense. Whether he is trying to break his brother out of a hospital with a police guard standing watch, or tricking a family into letting him in, or dealing with a formerly incarcerated alcoholic, it is all just pure chaos in the best possible way.

The Safdie brothers seem to thrive on making movies that freak you out without having jumor scares or built in scary stuff. There is a scene in "Good Time" where they are at a theme park after dark, and when Pattinson's character turns all the lights on, the noise from the park scares me. I think that is because I am so caught up in the madness that is occurring at any given moment. And nearly the exact same thing happens with the other Safdie brothers movie I have seen, "Uncut Gems". "Uncut Gems" is one of the best movies I have ever watched. They take another actor, Adam Sandler, and put him in these crazy situations, all of his own doing by the way, and Sandler nails it. It is his best non comedic performance in my opinion. When Sandler has good writers and directors attached to a genre he may not be all that comfortable with, he usually delivers. The Safdie brothers made a movie that fits that perfectly. Sandler is a degenerate gambler and habitually cheater in "Uncut Gems". He is slimy and smarmy. He treats people like human ATM machines. And he does pay a horrific price in the end, but again, it is all because he doesn't know when to quit. And the Safide brothers do a wonderful job of showing his day to day life in this movie. It is also anxiety fueled. There are moments in "Uncut Gems" that scare me and it is not a scary movie. The Safdie brothers get a tremendous performance from Kevin Garnett, who is essentially playing a heightened version of himself. They got The Weekend to play a total scumbag in this movie, and he nailed it. Idina Menzel, who plays Sandler's wife, is not your typical put upon wife in this movie. She is tough as nails and commits. I really feel like that is due to Safdie brothers direction. "Uncut Gems" is a must see movie. It was the last movie I saw in the theaters prior to the pandemic, and I was stoked to tell people that.

I guess what I am trying to get at today is how well the Safide brothers make these specific types of movies. They are scary without being horror. They have funny moments without being a comedy. These are crazy dramatic scenes without their movies being full on dramas. I don’t really know how to categorize their movies, and maybe that is exactly how they want it to be. All I know is, I am a fan of their work and I cannot wait to see what they do next. I read they are working with Sandler again, so that could be very cool. Until their new project comes out at least I have "Good Time" and "Uncut Gems" to hold me over when I want to be stressed out in a good way while watching a movie.

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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