"Bull Durham" is the GOAT of Sports Movies

The movie "Bull Durham" has been on cable recently and I have watched it twice in the past month.

I love this movie. I think, as do many other people, that it is the best baseball movie of all time. I love "The Sandlot" and "Major League". I get down with "Little Big League". I finally watched "The Natural" from start to finish very recently. While all of those movies are very good, they are not at the level of "Bull Durham" for me. It is funnier than all of those movies, even "Major League". The jokes hit harder and they last longer. The baseball is so much better. It is filmed better and the actors look like they can actually play the game. The drama is understated and played off so much better in "Bull Durham". The love triangle is so well done. The stuff with Kevin Costner being this ragged, angry minor league lifer feels very true to life. I have to imagine that is how a minor league lifer would feel. I would bet they are bitter. Tim Robbins being this hotshot, young idiot was too good. He was magnificent in the role.

While watching it recently my son joined me. He was confused, but he was asking questions. That is his way of saying he likes something without actually saying he likes it. I knew he was intrigued, especially when they played baseball in the movie. That is high praise from him.

I think what makes "Bull Durham" the absolute best is the ending. All of the other movies I mentioned end happily. The Cleveland baseball team makes the playoffs at the end of "Major League". The kids in "The Sandlot" go on and have successful lives. Even the kid that gets into music in the 60's seems okay at the end. In "Little Big League" the Twins get beat by the Mariners, but everyone loves the young kid turned coach. They give him a standing ovation. The fans won't leave until the whole team comes out of the locker room. And in "The Natural", Robert Redford hits a homerun and all of the lights explode. It is this cathartic moment for Redford. He is back to being the star he was before he was hurt. But in "Bull Durham", Costner ends up breaking the minor league home run record, but we only know because Susan Sarandon tells us as the narrator. She even says that the papers do not mention his record at all. Costner is also not on the Durham Bull either when he breaks the record. He is on yet another minor league team. He does end up with Sarandon, but not until he leaves to break this record. He also has visions of becoming a coach. He selfishly leaves Sarandon alone, after being intimate with her many, many times, to do something for himself. And, when we see Costner and Sarandon at the end, they are dancing, and they seem happy, but if you watch the whole movie you can tell this relationship will not last. They have been at each other's throats the whole time. Sarandon picks Robbins over him. Costner may say he made the choice, but that is just his ego. The only person that has a "happy ending" is Robbins. But to get there he has to break Sarandon's heart. He gets called up to the majors and he, much like Costner's selfishness, does what he wants when he wants. So, how truly happy is this ending really?

I love this movie from start to finish. It is the absolute best baseball movie, and may be the best sports movie of all time. 

Ty

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

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We Don't Need a Steamboat Mickey Snuff Film

The other day I saw that Steamboat Mickey was put into public domain. This is happening more and more with some of the older cartoon characters. They have been around forever, and when the time comes, they enter the public domain. That means that anyone can use the intelligent property and do what they want with it. And, after reading some other articles, ones that mention Steamboat Mickey becoming public domain, people already have ideas.

Apparently they are making a horror movie based on this character. I don't know what the movie is going to be about, or when it is coming out, but the pictures definitely indicate a horror movie. I saw one that had a ragged looking Steamboat Mickey looking over what I assume is New York City. I also saw another picture portraying Steamboat Mickey as a villain. The character had devious eyes and was giving me very creepy vibes. It is going to be a horror movie for sure. I also saw that they have done this with Winnie the Pooh. I guess they made a movie last year, a horror/gore movie, based upon Winnie the Pooh. I do not know if any of Pooh's friends were there or not, but they did show Pooh entering an area with a hot tub, a young lady in said hot tub, and Pooh looking like they were up to no good. I do know that this Winnie the Pooh horror movie was blasted by critics. When I was doing my research for my best of lists, this Winnie the Pooh horror movie was on almost everyone's worst list. They crushed this movie every chance they had. I have not seen it, and I don't plan on ever seeing it, but I am not a fan of people taking these public domain characters and making some schlock, horror and gore porn.

These are cartoon characters that I grew up with. I think my folks grew up with them. They have been around forever and they gave many, many kids wonderful memories. Pooh was a big deal to me. I used to read the books and watch any movie that Pooh was involved in when I was a kid. I also watched a ton of Mickey cartoons as a kid. When I watch "The Simpsons" with Steamboat Willie, it instantly takes me to Steamboat Mickey. So, for people who have money and the ability to make movies, to do this, it really bums me out. I don't want to see these characters doing horrible, unspeakable things just because they can now. Just because they're in the public domain doesn't mean they need to be doing horrendous stuff. I understand that no one can do anything to the people using their image, but why not make a cartoon movie about them again? Or why not make a live action comedy with the characters? They could have all the public domain characters appear in a movie together. That would be much, much more fun. But to make gore/horror porn, that is not what I want to see as a fan. I'm not interested in that at all, and I think most people would agree with me on this. Stop doing shock just to shock. It is overdone and hackey. 

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 Dial of Destiny"

Over the weekend my wife and I watched the newest "Indiana Jones" movie. I believe the subtitle is, "The Dial of Destiny". I say I believe because we did not manage to finish the movie.

This is a long, long movie. The runtime, I looked it up, is 2 hours and 37 minutes. That is far, far too long for a movie like this. I do have to say, I have only seen two previous "Indiana Jones" movies prior to this, one of which is "Kingdom of the Crystal Skull". That movie is a pile of garbage. It is nonsensical, poorly written, the actors seem to have mailed it in and it is just plain bad. The other "Indiana Jones" movie I saw prior to this is "Temple of Doom", and I was young and do not remember much. I have heard people say it is good, but I honestly could not tell you my feelings on it. I have zero recollection. So going into "Dial of Destiny", I had no real expectations. We turned it on and we watched almost all of it.

RD talked to me about the movie on the podcast recently, and I remembered him saying that the action scenes were too long. I scoffed at this. I didn't think an action sequence could be overlong. Well, "Dial of Density" proved RD right and me wrong. The action pieces in this movie are big and expensive looking, but man oh man are they far, far too long. I was watching and thinking, a la Milhouse, "when are they going to get to the fireworks factory". The sequences go on and on and on and on. They seemingly have no end in sight. They would take a slight break to reset the scene, but then it would start up and go on and on again. The opening scene of the movie is an action piece on a train. It should be exciting and fun, but the fact that it goes on for nearly eight minutes is absurd. I didn't realize they could overstuff action like they did. And the deaging digital technique they used on Harrison Ford looked odd. It looked as if the head on the body was going to fall off. He eats food in one scene and it just looks odd. I couldn't make heads or tails of what I was seeing.

I also should mention that I had no idea that this movie was taking place in the 60's. I assumed, wrongly, that this movie was in the present time. This is my ignorance due to only seeing two movies, but it confused me nonetheless. I didn't understand Indy talking about his kid dying in the war. I didn't know what war he was referencing. They showed protesters, but I didn't know what they were protesting. I was confused.

The story was convoluted as well. His old partner's daughter comes into play. She is a grifter who ends up helping Indy, alongside her kid friend. There is time travel. No one acts surprised about said time travel, except for Mads Mikkelsen, who is way miscast here. He is a bad dude too, so I have zero feelings for his grief anyway. When we checked to see how much time was left, which was twenty minutes, we decided to call it there. They were in the past era, Indy and Phoebe Waller Bridge had no real freakouts about where they were, the bad guys had died in a plane crash and I fully didn't care how the movie ended. My wife said, "I'm sure it all works out for all of them", and I'm certain she is right.

I like Harrison Ford. I enjoy his acting. "Blade Runner" may be the best movie ever made, and Ford's acting is awesome. But "Dial of Destiny" is a miss. This movie was too long, too boring and took too long to get the point. I know I won't end up finishing it either. 

Ty

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

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Best of 2023 - Movies

This week I'll be doing my "Best Of" lists. As I do every year, I will do my personal top 5 picks in movies, music, television, podcasts and sports. I enjoy doing these. I like to go back and see other people's lists and see if I agree or disagree. It's also a good way to reflect on the year in pop culture for me, and to see what I have missed and need to catch up on over the next few months. I'm going to start with my top 5 movies of 2023.

Before I get into my list it needs to be said that I have not yet seen "Oppenheimer", "Poor Things", "The Holdovers" and many other movies I am excited to see. I have two young kids involved in many after school activities, so getting to the movies is a tough one for me. Just keep that in mind.

Coming in at number 5 for me in 2023 is "Cocaine Bear". This movie has a senseless and, for lack of a better word, stupid plot. A wild bear ingests some cocaine that has fallen out of a plane and goes on a rampage. And I loved every second of this movie. I was howling at some of the things I saw. This movie is hilarious. It is also incredibly gory. This movie has some of the most gruesome kills that I have ever seen in a movie. The actors are clearly having a good time, led by Kerri Russell who is magnetic. The story, as I said, is so dumb, but the writers and actors took it all in stride and really made something entertaining, funny, gory and an absolute blast. I did watch it on Peacock, but I kind of wished I got out to the theater to see it. This deserves to be seen on a big screen. "Cocaine Bear" is one of the funnest movies that came out all year.

At number 4 I have "M3GAN". Here we have another gruesome and gory movie. What does that say about me? That is for another day I guess. "M3GAN" is "Robocop" for a new generation. The doll of M3GAN is meant to be a comfort to a girl who loses her folks to a car accident at the beginning of the movie. M3GAN is not that. She is a murderous doll who will stop at nothing to protect this young girl. At times I sided with the doll. Other times, the things she did were horrendous. But the movie kept my attention. The dance that the doll does coming out of an elevator has become very viral and very big in pop culture. Allison Williams continues to prove time and again how good of an actor she can be with proper material. The young girl that plays Williams' niece does a great job. But this movie is all about the idea of AI becoming more destructive than good and how we try to come to grips with all of that. I was astounded that a movie like this could make me think of things like AI and all the good and bad it could bring. "M3GAN" is a total blast and I have watched it way more than once since it came to streaming.

At number 3 I have "John Wick: Chapter 4". These movies continue to get bigger, more and more violent, more and more outrageous and longer and longer. And I am totally here for it. "JW4" is an achievement in non-stop action in a nearly 3 hour movie. There are so many beautifully violent choreographed action scenes that come at you relentlessly. This movie is long, the longest in the series to date, but it never drags. There is always something to keep your attention. They find ways to keep the story moving from one movie to the next. I cannot imagine they are going to stop anytime soon because these movies keep adding characters and keep having John Wick stick around. Keanu Reeves is doing some of the best work of his career with this character. It is a perfect fit for him. I cannot wait for the next chapter to come out and see where they go from here. "John Wick" is the best action series that has come out in a long time. I hope they keep making these and they keep making each one longer and longer.

At number 2 I have "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse". I don't know how they do it, but these are the coolest looking movies I have ever watched. I feel like it is watching a comic book come to life. The way they weave in multiverses is the best way to do it. You need to be animated for all of this to make any kind of sense, and the writers here are at the top of their game. The way they have introduced us to multiple Miles Morales' is an achievement unto itself. I don't even care that the movie ends on a major cliffhanger. That just means I get to see another one of these exceptional movies. I do have superhero fatigue, but not with the "Spider Verse" movies. These movies tell the best, and most intriguing superhero stories. Give me more and more of these, just like "John Wick".

Finally, at number 1 I have "Barbie". There is no better movie that came out this year. "Barbie" is an instant classic. To take a toy and make a movie this profound and intriguing, Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach are true geniuses. Gerwig's idea for this movie was perfect and no one else could have done what she did with this movie. She made a movie about Barbie that is going to go down in history as an all time classic. Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling need to be considered for Oscars. So does America Ferrera. To give these famous Barbies and Kens faces, like Issa Rae and Simu Liu, was such a wonderful idea. My wife and I took our kids to see it and they both seemed to have a good time. I have not stopped humming "I'm Just Ken" since I saw this movie this summer. I will think about random scenes daily and laugh or contemplate my life. Margot Robbie gave a masterclass in making this plastic doll come to life. I had super high expectations before seeing this movie and it well surpassed any of those with flying colors. "Barbie" is an achievement unlike any other on this, or anyone else's best of 2023 list. It was always going to be "Barbie" for me, I just had to see it and see it on a big screen. It is now streaming, so if you haven't seen it yet, rectify that and watch it instantly. You will be blown away.

Those are my top 5 movies of 2023. Come back tomorrow for my top 5 albums/music I discovered, or rediscovered this year. 

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 "Force Majeure"

Last week I saw the 2014 movie "Force Majeure". I have wanted to see this movie for quite awhile, and it was on cable so I finally rectified it and sat down and watched from start to finish.

I enjoyed this movie a lot. I thought it moved very well, it was a good story, the actors did a wonderful job and it was one of the funnier movies I've ever seen. I waited too long to see it, but I did and I enjoyed it. But that is not all that I wanted to say about this movie.

The story of the movie, for those that do not know, is about a family on a ski trip in the Alps and it looks as if an avalanche is going to swallow them all at breakfast. But, the avalanche stopped and did no damage at all. But that is not the whole story. When it looked like it was going to be disastrous the husband of the family ran off and left his wife and kids to fend for themselves. The movie then deals with the aftermath of his decision. And that has been on my mind ever since I finished the movie.

I really liked the way they handled this whole scenario. The husband made a cowardly decision. He ran off and only protected himself. He cared about his well being over everyone else's. I would like to think that if I were in this situation that I would act differently. I would love to say that I took action and protected my family. But I do not know what I would do. I have, luckily, never been in a situation like this one, or something equivalent. What I liked about the way they broached the whole thing was seeing it from different people's perspectives. The husband is trying to play it off. He claims he didn't run. But when pushed, and shown proof that he did, he claims he was going off to help others. While that is all well and good, he should watch out for his family first. That makes the most sense to me. The husband did a cowardly thing, resists that he was wrong, but does eventually get to make it up to everyone. The way the actor handles some of the situations in the movie make it hilarious as well. There is a scene where he starts to cry uncontrollably and it is cringe at first, then hilarious, then sad. They manage to show three different reactions in a five minute scene. It's masterful. The wife, you can tell, is furious. She is upset with his decision. She wants him to own up to what he has done. She has clearly lost a little respect for her husband. She tries to dull it with wine, but that makes her open up about her frustration even more. The actor playing the wife was amazing. I felt her pain and grief a bunch. I also sympathized with her when the husband tried to gaslight her into saying he was actually helping. It is another wonderful performance. The friends who show up, an older man and his 20 year old girlfriend, show us two other sides to the entire event. They also have some of the best, and funniest, moments in the movie. The whole scene at the hotel elevator was wonderful. When the guy goes skiing with the husband, that is some hilarious way to try and show male bravado on screen. When the man and his girlfriend are up all night arguing over nonsense, it is funny and relatable.

"Force Majeure" is a very well made movie. It is dark, funny, dramatic and very well made. I really enjoyed every minute of it. I highly recommend seeing it yourself. It will make you question how you would react if you were in a similar situation, and that makes it that much better. Check this movie out. 

Ty

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

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Ty Watches the Trailer for "Furiosa"

The trailer for "Furiosa" came out this morning and you better believe I watched it asap. We've made no secret about our love for "Fury Road" on this site and podcast. My review was given a title along the lines that I gave the movie "10 Thumbs Up". RD has said, and I find myself agreeing with him from time to time, that it may be the best movie ever made. So when they announced "Furiosa", we were both already in. Now with the trailer coming out, and watching it, I want to throw all of my money at this movie.

The trailer is amazing. It takes me right back to the feelings I had when I first saw the trailer for "Fury Road". This new movie is a prequel I guess. But we get to know the story of Furiosa now. We get to find out how she became the super badass that she was in "Fury Road". Charlize Theron is not reprising her role, and I do not think she even has a cameo. But that is what I'd expect from an origin story. This time Ana Taylor Joy is playing a young Furiosa, and she looks just as bad ass. There is a moment in the trailer where she smears oil on her head and it takes me right back to the first time we see Theron as Furiosa in "Fury Road". There are also shots of the world pre the economic collapse, to give us even more backstory. They do also show the mechanical arm in the trailer, so I am assuming we get to see how that all came about. We also get a very rugged and ravaged looking Chris Hemsworth. I didn't even know it was him at first glance. I thought it was the guy that played Tormund in "Game of Thrones". But it is Hemsworth with some shaggy hair and a very unkempt beard. He also has a funny way of speaking in this trailer, and he looks to be a real villain, which will be very cool to see him play a role like that in a George Miller action movie.

Going away from the main two actors, we get a lot of the world that we have all grown accustomed to in this "Mad Max" world. It is a dessert. There are crazily built cars everywhere. There are the albino soldiers. We see a young Immortan Joe. There are people that are going to help Furiosa. We got to see her family before everything went haywire. It looks like there is going to be a massive amount of car chases and things getting blown up. Taylor Joy has a pretty big body count from the trailer alone. There is one scene where she sets a trap for a car chasing her and the car gets ravaged by a pointy, sharp gate.

The movie looks amazing.

What I loved most about this trailer was the opening scene though. It starts with a crawl, giving us information. We then see Taylor Joy as Furiosa walking into a desert, away from her abandoned bike, and she looks hurt. She says a few words and then we are thrust into this chaotic world that Miller has created. Why do I love this so much you ask? Because this is how Miller starts all the good "Mad Max" movies. The formula works and I get an idea of what I am in for from the jump.

I can't wait to see this movie. That should be very clear. There is no official release date as of yet, but we do know that it will come out in 2024. The sooner the better for me. "Furiosa" is going to be one hell of a movie, and this trailer is pretty phenomenal. 

Ty

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

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What is Comic Actor Seth Morris Doing in a Hallmark Christmas Movie

We are officially in the Hallmark Xmas movie holiday in my home. My wife loves these movies, I like to watch them with her and critique them like a jerk and they go down smoothly. They are easy to watch, I don't have to pay full attention and they can be fun. Last night I did pay more attention than normal to the movie we watched though. Let’s discuss.

Now, I have grown to know a good amount of the actors in these movies, they use mostly the same actors, but the one we watched last night had a new cast mate, a person who I enjoy in their other avenues. This actor is Seth Morris. I know Morris from his many appearances on "CBB" as Bob Ducca. He hosts a show of his own called "College Town". He had a one off series on Earwolf back when they started trying those out. He had a nice little series run on "Happy Endings". He appeared on "The Kroll Show" and "Workaholics" in very memorable roles. The dude stays working and I enjoy the stuff that he does. So, when I saw him in the sequel to "Haul Off the Holly", I was kind of stunned. This doesn't seem like an avenue he ever wanted to pursue. This seems so far off what he normally does when he works. This is a very out there choice from Morris. It reminded me of when Kristen Wiig and Will Ferrell did a Lifetime Movie and they didn't make fun of it. They actually took that seriously. So when I watched Morris in "Haul Off the Holly", I kept trying to find reasons as to why he would take this role.

First off, the most obvious reason is the paycheck. Actors have to work to get paid and from what I have read, these Hallmark movies pay a pretty solid fee to the people in the movie. But I really let my mind wander during the screening last night. I thought that maybe he did it as a dare. I like to imagine that Morris was at an improv show and some of his buddies dared him to do this. And from what I have heard from his comedy, Morris probably thought that he'd show them. So he took this role and took it seriously and did a good job. I also like to think he is friends with people in the movie or people that work at Hallmark and he just wanted to give one of these movies a shot. So the people he knew pulled some strings and got him in one of their movies. I even thought that he may have had to audition for this role and won the casting crew in the room. He seems like a charming, nice dude, and that probably came off very well to the people at Hallmark. And make no mistake, Morris is not acting any goofier than normal. He is not, from what it appears, doing a bit. He is not out there cracking jokes and poking fun. He is not doing this as a meta thing to see what happens. I feel like Morris got this role , took it seriously and realized that these Hallmark Xmas movies are a real thing with real potential.

It is still baffling to me that this actor was in this Hallmark movie. I am still asking myself more and more questions. I'm still going through random scenarios. But in all likelihood, Morris auditioned, was cast, saw a nice payday and ran with it. And I say good for him. It was pretty cool to see an actor I like doing something way out there and different. Maybe more actors will do the same. Time will tell. 

Ty

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

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Whatever Happened to Pauly Shore

Over the weekend my wife and I watched "Encino Man". It was my weekend to pick the movie and I am still on my kick of movies that I loved as a kid. I have kind of run the gamut on sports movies from back then. We have either watched them all, or my wife has seen some that I used to adore. So "Encino Man" was more along the lines of something I cherished.

This movie does not hold up in my opinion. For an 85 minute long movie it feels long. It is too scattered. They couldn't fit every idea they may have initially wanted in the end. Brendan Frasier was good, so were some of the smaller role cast members, but all in all, "Encino Man" is not as great as it was in my child's brain.

The big reason I loved this movie, why it held so much weight for me, was Pauly Shore. When I was 10 and 11 years old there was no one funnier than Shore. I watched pretty much all of his movies. Obviously I loved "Encino Man". But I also watched "Son in Law" on almost a daily basis for a couple months. I saw "BioDome" in theaters. I may be one of the few people who actually enjoys, or enjoyed, I haven't seen it in ages, "In the Army Now". I even watched "Jury Duty" the week it came out on video at Blockbuster. I went through it all with him. He was my guy. As I got older I moved on to, what I consider, funnier, smarter comedians and actors, but Shore has always held a place for me. I simply like the dude as an actor.

After this recent "Encino Man" viewing I got to thinking, where and what has Shore been up to lately. The last time I made it a point to listen to him talk was when he was on "WTF with Marc Maron". I've always been an in and out listener to "WTF", but when Maron has someone on that I want to listen to, I make sure to download the episode. This was an eye opening interview. Shore really let it all out. He told his story. I grew to like him even more after this podcast appearance. I kind of understood why he did what he did when he did it. It all made sense to me. Then on some rewatch stuff I noticed he was in an episode of "Workaholics". He played this tortured, captured version of himself. The guys get him out and party with him, but his appearance on the show was purely fan service, and I have to imagine the "Workaholics" guys love him. This made me want to see more, or hear more from him. I have yet to see "Pauly Shore is Dead", but it is on my list. I hear it is a good movie, and Shore is more than game at poking fun of himself. He's in an Adam Sandler movie I want to see called "Sandy Wexler". I understand that movie is on Netflix forever, I just haven't gotten around to it yet. And I guess he does a good amount of voice work in animated series. So the guy stays working.

Everyone needs to remember that there was a time, mostly the early to mid 90's, where Shore was one of the biggest comedy stars in the world. He was everywhere and he was funny. He found a niche and ran with it. I would walk around my house as a kid, and I still do it now, and tell people to "not weaze the juice". I'd also call myself the "Weasel". I'd say "heeeyyyy budddyyyyy" so much that I am certain it annoyed people. This was all because of my fandom of Shore. He was my guy until I discovered "SNL". And I have found myself wondering why he was such a hit with me when I was a young kid since Friday. I think it is his brand of comedy. He appeals to kids. He says weird stuff that sounds funny and 10 and 11 year olds love it. I fully believe my son, who is 11, would think Shore is hilarious. And this is not a knock. I think if a comedian or a comedy actor can find something that works, they should run with it. Shore's comedy just happens to be juvenile, and that is totally fine.

Since watching "Encino Man" I feel like I want to go back and watch some of the movies I mentioned above. I don't think they will hold up, "Encino Man" was very bad, but who knows. Maybe it will make me relive some of my childhood memories when I watched these movies over and over again. But I do want to say, I am, and always will be, a Pauly Shore fan. He still makes me laugh. 

Ty

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

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"Little Big League" Stands as One of the Greatest 90s Sports Movies

It was my pick during date night for the movie and I went with another sports movie from the 90's that I adored. The movie was "Little Big League”. A quick synopsis of the movie, the owner of the Twins dies, gives the team to his grandson who is 11, grandson takes over as coach and after the team buys in, he leads them to a turnaround. It is your typical 90's sports movie story. But there is one big difference. And this difference is why I think this may be the best 90's kids sports movie. Let’s discuss.

First off, the movie is good on its own. It has some cliche stuff in it, but not as much as other 90's sports movies. The kids in this one aren't as precocious as other kids. The adults are funnier and looser in this movie. The baseball players, some real MLB players, don't have to actually act. They can just be themselves, and that is the best use of their talents. But the best thing about this movie is the ending. Spoiler alert for a movie that came out 30 years ago, but the Twins do not win in the end. They don't even make the playoffs.

That is what I instantly loved about this movie, even when I first saw it as a 12 year old. "Little Big League" shows everyone that you can still have a good time even if you don't win it all in the end. The fact of the matter, the way they portray the Twins at the start of this movie is that they need a miracle to even have a chance at the playoffs. And the way they show the progress, the frustration, the ups and downs of a long season, it is all about as realistic as any 90's kids sports movie that has ever been made. Major League Baseball has a grueling 162 game season. That is a ton of time. So there are going to be good times and bad times. This movie shows that.

Another this movie also shows how tough it would be for a bunch of professional baseball players to buy into an 11 year old coaching the team. I do not think any player would ever truly buy in, but in the fantastical world that this movie made up, the idea of these guys deciding to play for him, it works. The main character has a vast knowledge of baseball. He knows the game inside and out. He is smarter than some of the coaches on staff. It works. But it is that final game that makes this movie as great as it ended up being. The Twins and Mariners have to play each other to get in the playoffs. They have a deciding playoff game to see who gets the last Wild Card spot. And it goes back and forth. Ken Griffey Jr blasts a three run homer early on to give the Twins a 3-0. The Twins find their way back into the game with some base hits and then one of their players hits a three run homer to tie the score. Then it is back and forth. Neither team scores until they end up in the 12th inning. The Mariners get the go ahead run on a single. So it is 4-3 in the bottom of the 12th. The Twins come to bat and quickly get two outs. This is another thing I like about this movie. There is no pomp and circumstance. The count doesn't go to 3-2 every single time. The Twins ground out and line out on a few pitches. Then a guy gets a base hit and the Twins best batter comes up. He and the coach have a little chat and he comes up to hit, but not before the Mariners bring in Randy Johnson as a reliever. This would have been a perfect time to really milk the count and make the scene hyper dramatic, and I totally would have bought it. But this movie zigs whenever I think it will zag. The first pitch is high and tight and then Lou Collins, the Twins star player, crushes a 1-0 pitch to left center. It looks like it is going to clear the fence and put the Twins in the playoffs with a 5-4 win. All the while though, Ken Griffey Jr is chasing the ball down. They pan from Collins to Griffey Jr a few times before Griffey Jr robs the home run and ends the Twins season. It is exhilarating and unexpected. I love that. The Twins didn't have to win to make this movie as awesome as it ended up being. The crowd still loved the team. The Mariners respected their opponent. The players grew to love the 11 year old coach. They were all super bummed when he announced he wasn't coming back to coach the next year. And the crowd was still there waiting to give the coach and the team a standing ovation. Again, the Twins didn't even make the playoffs. But they rediscovered their love for the game and made the team fun to watch again.

I love this movie and I loved it even more on this rewatch. Go check out "Little Big League" and find out what makes it so incredible for a 90's sports kids movie. 

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 Flash"

Yesterday was a quiet day at my house. I went out for a run in the morning, then my mother in law came over and we had brunch. We spent the rest of the day relaxing and watching tv. I was getting bored of the NFL games so I started to channel surf. I came upon HBO and the new "Flash" movie was on. Let’s discuss.

I remember seeing the preview and thinking it looked kind of cool. I have talked to some people who had seen it and they said it wasn't very good. But I figured it was on, it had just started and my wife likes superhero movies, so we watched it.

The people who told me it was no good were 100 percent right. I sat down and really focused on the movie. I think I really wanted to like it. I was ripe to be a fan. But the movie is bad. There are zero redeeming qualities. Nothing works and that really bums me out. This movie should be decent. The story should work. It should be a looser, more funny superhero thing. That is the direction they should take Barry Allen, aka the Flash, with these movies moving forward. But this one decided they wanted to straddle the line between comedy and drama. They tried to really shoehorn the family drama that Allen has to deal with. The problem was that they would have these really emotional scenes then they'd button them with a joke. Or the dramatic scene would drag on and on. It didn't work. Then we have Ezra Miller as the lead. I wanted to think Miller could pull this off, they are not bad in other iterations of these DC movies. But they were very bad in this movie. They tried way too hard. They are also not a very good person and I read that a lot of the other cast had a ton of problems with them. Going into this movie knowing that made it harder to get on board.

Then we have the whole plot of this movie and seeing how it unfolds. So in this version the Flash figures out that he can travel back in time by running super fast. It should be cool, it should work. It does not. The way they show Flash pull this off is downright dumb. The CGI is awful. Where the Flash ends up is so ridiculous and unbelievable. He figures out how to go back to save his mom, but of course, his whole world gets flipped. There is another version of the Flash that doesn't have his powers yet. This character that Miller plays got on my nerves. This version of Barry Allen is stupid and naive. This version is always laughing and they played him as a stoner. I could not buy it, even in a superhero movie. What should have worked was the different versions of different heroes they had in the movie. They had Ben Affleck and Michael Keaton's Batman. They brought back Michael Shannon's Zod. This should have worked, on the very least, a nostalgic level. It fell incredibly flat. Keaton seemed to be phoning it in. Affleck looked disinterested. Shannon was only ever on a newscast from what I saw. I just did not like what I was watching at all.

About an hour into the movie I went to grab something from my room and when I came back in the living room my wife decided she wanted to play the Switch. I couldn't blame her. She asked if I wanted to finish the movie and I quickly said no. I didn't want to waste anymore time on it. After an hour I was done and I do not plan on going back to it anytime soon.

This movie should have been watchable. It should have been funny. It should have had much better CGI. It did not and it suffered. I do not recommend this movie at all. It is not good at all.

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 "Theater Camp"

Over the weekend my wife was out of town so I watched the movie "Theater Camp" on Hulu. She wasn't interested, I knew she was going out of town, so I took advantage and cued it up. I wanted to see it when I first heard about it, and this seemed like a perfect opportunity.

I loved this movie. It is kind of a perfect movie for me. I like indie movies, comedies and I especially like mockumentaries. This is all three rolled into one. For people who may not know about this movie, the plot is pretty simple. Amy Sedaris owns a prestigious theater summer camp. She is recruiting kids for the upcoming summer session and, while watching a performance, she has a seizure and slips into a coma. I promise it is funny. While she is in the hospital her son, an excellent performance from Jimmy Tatro, has to run the camp. This is a perfect role for Tatro. He plays an influencer who is in over his head. He doesn't know how to run the camp. He is self indulgent. But, he does have a heart of gold. Deep down he is a good dude. The top two counselors are played by Ben Platt and Molly Gordon. They nail it as well. Platt, who I am not the biggest fan of, plays this role great. He is narcissistic. He holds people back. He is always fighting with everyone. But he truly cares about his job as a theater teacher. Gordon plays a hippyish actor who is trying to find her place. She was in love with Platt's character, but acts like she doesn't like him romantically after he comes out of the closet. But, you can tell the attraction is still there. She also gets to do a little bit of dramatics, which is used right next to comedy in a great way, and she nails it.

Those are the three main characters, but the rest of the cast does great in their bit roles. Noah Galivn is awesome as the tech guy who has some talent and gets a chance to showcase it. Caroline Aaron is great as Sedaris' business partner. She has some of the funniest lines in the movie. Ayo Edebiri is a lying counselor who just needs a job. This is a departure from her usual roles, but being the dynamite actor she is, she crushes it in this movie. She also has the coolest clothes in the movie. Nathan Lee Graham and Owen Thiele are exceptional as teachers who thrive in a theater camp scenario. The students are great too. This movie works on every level. The teachers are smug and arrogant. But they love what they do. They take their jobs very seriously and that comes through. But this movie is really about Tatro, Platt and Gordon. They command the audience. When they are on screen, especially together, they make all of this movie work. You can tell that Platt and his partner have been working on this story for a long time. You can see Gordon's influence as well.

Seek this movie out. It really deserves to be seen by many people. They need to keep making movies like this because these are some of the best comedies out there right now. "Theater Camp" is awesome. Go watch it. 

Ty

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

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"The Program" Lives on as a Cheesy Sports Melodrama

A few weeks back I wrote a piece about my love of 90's sports movies, mainly kids sports movies. I was a kid back then, I love sports and these were right in my wheelhouse. I mentioned a bunch of movies I loved from that era, but most of them were comedic in nature. I do like a bunch of dramatic sports movies as well, but comedy is always my go to option.

For date night this past week it was my choice to pick the movie. Since I am in this rewatch era of old sports movies I loved, I stayed on that trend, picking "The Program". My wife asked me what it was about and I told her it comes off as a hard drama about the ills of running a college football team. She made a face, but I told her it is funny how melodramatic the movie comes off. That perked her up and we proceeded to watch.

I want to say, right off the bat, this movie still rules. I loved every second of it. It felt as good to watch it as a 40 year old as it did when it came out when I was 12 years old. I also realized that I shouldn't have been watching this movie when I was 12, but I turned out just fine. But what makes this movie so rewatchable, what I still love about it to this day, is the melodrama. This movie takes itself far too seriously. There are so many scenes that end in fights, or realizations, or finding one self, or having to deal with consequences. I swear, the ending of almost every scene has one of these cliches tacked on. A guy on the team takes steroids and his team chastises him for it, but they don't kick him off. He then sexually assaults a coed on campus, and they only suspend him. It isn't until the second time he is caught with steroids do they kick him off the team, but only after he makes a season saving tackle. That is absurd. One of the only decent people in the movie gets all of his glory taken away from him due to a clean block that destroys his leg. Alvin Mack had everything in front of him, he was going to make millions in the NFL, but then his leg got obliterated by a pulling guard who he was shit talking. Then they pan to his house and I swear to you his family lives in the 1800's. That was totally unnecessary and undeserving. But when you watch "The Program", that is almost expected. The tutor, played by Halle Berry, is in a love triangle with the vet running back and the hot shot running back recruit. And she gets everyone involved in this triangle. And the resolution is laugh out loud funny. The QB, who also happens to be a Heisman candidate, is a drunk. He also likes to say he "lives life on the edge". He rides a motorcycle and goes to rehab. He gets a girlfriend and treats her like dirt. But not to worry, she is still completely into him. I also appreciate that he cannot beat Michigan in this movie. But this QB's story might be the most melodramatic thing I've ever seen in a sports movie. It is wild. The coach's daughter sleeps with the backup QB and takes his tests. The coach finds out and is pissed, but when his star QB goes to rehab, again, hilarious, the coach has to vouch for this backup in front of the school board. That scene is meant to be serious, but I can't help but to laugh every time I see it. I mean I could go on and on and on.

This movie is so of its time. From the fashion to the choice of actors to the dialogue, it has the early 90's all over it. James Caan gives it his all, but he cannot save this movie from the melodrama. Halle Berry is the best part, outside of the football action, but she has horrible dialogue to work with, and I feel like the director just let her do her own thing. Look, I love this movie. I will watch it a bunch more. I found it incredibly watchable on this go round. But it has so many faults, mainly the melodrama.

I highly recommend you all check it out. It will take you back and make you laugh. "The Program", for being a sports drama, is hilarious and kind of stupid. And that is why I adore this movie. 

Ty

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

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The Writers Won the Writers Strike

The writers' strike has finally ended. I was hesitant to write about this yesterday because they had a tentative agreement that went into effect at midnight. I wanted to wait until that came and went with no interruptions. I did not know what the studios were capable of, or how they might try to screw the WGA, but they didn't and midnight came and went and, for the time being, the writers' strike is over. Thank goodness.

This strike went on far longer than I think any of us expected. I was starting to get worried that it might drag on into 2024. I would hope the writers would do that if necessary, but that would have meant no work for them for a year. That would have meant more reality shows for us viewers at home. That is not a world where I want to watch tv. Reality shows are the bottom of the barrell when it comes to tv. Sure, they can capture you and make you watch, but it feels like being kidnapped and just buying in. It is like Stockholm Syndrome for casual tv viewing. But now that the strike is over, for the next three years, we should be getting back to scripted tv. That is a much better world to watch tv. We will get better, newer ideas. I have to imagine there are writers out there who have fresh ideas that they cannot wait to pitch.

I am sure/hopeful the actors strike will follow soon, and when that happens we will get shows back that feature writers as actors. I cannot watch to see what they do with the next season of "Abbot Elementary". "The Bear" should only get stronger from here. I am curious to see what they come up with on "The Simpsons" and "Bob's Burgers". I want to see how FX comes back. I would bet a lot of money that they are going to hit home run after home run. Larry David is seemingly doing one more season of "Curb Your Enthusiasm", and I wonder how he will incorporate the strike, because you know he will find a way to make it uncomfortably hilarious.

I guess my main takeaway, from a tv watching perspective, is that this will hopefully kill or slow down reality shows and dating shows. They are everywhere because they are cheap and you don't really need writers for these shows. But now, especially with the writers hopefully coming out of the strike with fresh ideas, we get new and interesting tv.

I also love it for late night television. The hosts can get back to doing their thing with their writers. Late night tv is a staple in many households, and with the writers getting back to work, the jokes should be flying frequently and hilariously.

This is also good for movies. I know that A24 hasn't had to strike because they did the right thing and opted to do what the writers wanted. But all these other studios are back in business in the writers room. Hopefully this slows the production of remakes and superhero movies and we get cool stuff like "Everything Everywhere All at Once". I want cooler, more unique movies to come from this and I think there is a great possibility of that happening with the strike ending.

This is a good day. This is good news. This shows that workers rights are important and that unions work. The writers stuck to their guns and came out on top. This is a happy day everyone. We should have good tv and movies coming back now. Hooray. 

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 "Pretty Woman"

Over the weekend my wife showed me the movie "Pretty Woman". I had never seen it before. I have obviously heard of it before watching, and know of the most famous stuff from it, but I have never sat down and watched from start to finish with no interruptions. I was excited to see the movie because it feels like a cultural touchstone, especially for someone my age. I also tend to have the belief that Gary Marshall was a very good director.

So we watched. I paid full attention. I put my phone next to me and put it on vibrate. I barely looked at it. I wanted to consume this movie with almost my full attention. Unfortunately for me, the next two hours were pretty dull.

Now, don't get me wrong, this movie has its moments. Julia Roberts is wonderful in the movie. You could tell she was going to become a massive star after this movie. She has whatever "it" is needed to make it in Hollywood. I found her funny, charming, sweet and a delight to watch. The music is very much in the pocket of early to mid 90's glam pop. The songs were recognizable and memorable. I found myself bopping my head along from time to time. And the clothing couldn't have been more perfect for the era. It brought me back to a time with wild t-shirts, big shoulder pads and oversized suits. I'm talking about David Bryne from "Stop Making Sense" oversized. Hell, it was even great to see Hector Elizondo in a more understated and quiet role for him. He was fine and dandy in this movie.

Outside of those things, this movie was boring. Nothing really happens in it after Richard Gere picks Julia Roberts up off the road. They have their moments together, but it is never eye grabbing. The movie had my attention, but it didn't really force me to focus. What we essentially see is a couple meeting and deciding to stay together. There is the fact that Roberts plays a sex worker, but they hardly touch on that in the movie. It is mentioned, but never really shown outside of the first meeting and Gere paying her to stay with him for a week at the hotel. Her line of work could have played a much bigger part in this movie, but they hardly mined anything of note from it. We also have Jason Alexander playing the creep of all creeps. Even if I didn't have an idea about his role in this movie I could have picked out he was the bad guy right away. He was a cliche of a bad guy, even by 90's movie villain status. That whole scene at the end with him was gross as well. It made me sick to my stomach. We also have a great opportunity for Laura San Giacomo to really shine as a co-star. But she is a victim of this movie feeling like it needed to give Richard Gere more to do. She is in barely any scenes and it feels like she never gets to stretch her wings. And then we have Richard Gere. Gere is a fine actor, but this movie wastes his talent. He is quiet and brooding the whole time. I felt like I was watching a movie from Bruce Wayne's point of view. Minus the final scene of him walking up the ladder to meet Roberts at her apartment, he never really cracks a smile or raises his voice. It is almost as if he speaks in a whisper the whole movie. It was frustrating.

I wanted to like this movie. I had heard so many great things about it, I knew about the famous stuff, but the movie didn't live up to the expectations I built for it in my head. This was a miss for me. I'm glad I saw it, but I don't think I'll intentionally ever watch it again. 

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 Little Mermaid"

My daughter is home sick from school today, she is fine, just a mild cold with a cough, and when the kids stay home they get to pick the tv show or movie we watch after the doctor appointment. My daughter wanted to watch "The Little Mermaid". I thought, cool, I haven't seen that movie in a long, long time. So I went to turn on the cartoon, the one I know of, and that was when she stopped me and told me she wanted the live action "Little Mermaid". I had totally forgotten that they made a live action version. She reminded me that she and my wife saw it in the theaters with my mother in law. That was when it clicked with me that they did make it, and it was easily findable on Disney +.

I turned it on not expecting much or to even be fully paying attention. These live action remakes have been pretty subpar up to this point. But I was fully in right after they did the "Under the Sea" song. This was a visual feast. I loved every choice that they made while doing this musical number in this movie. It was pretty tremendous and the movie never lost my attention from that point on. This is a very good live action remake. I think it is the best one to date. Halle Bailey is simply amazing as Ariel. She has a powerhouse of a voice. When she sings you cannot help but listen. She takes these famous songs and makes them her own. She also happens to be a solid actor. She embodied the cartoon character. She had the red hair. The way they made her mermaid tale was very cool, and looked very real. When she comes on land and cannot talk, which should be very hard to do, she totally nailed it. I bought it from the jump. She is a star. Melissa McCarthy was pretty superb as Ursula. She looked like she was having a great time doing this, never really taking her foot off the pedal. She chewed the scenery in the best possible way. She also looked like the cartoon character, but more palatable. My hat is off to the makeup and animation team for achieving that masterfully. Prince Eric, I don't remember the actor's name, was fine. This movie isn't about him though. Awkwafina as Scuttle, a new character, was funny and my favorite in the whole movie. She even got to rap and she crushed it. Daveed Diggs was pretty good as Sebastian. You have to get over the fact that he is doing a very cliche Jamaican accent. But once you do it is easy to buy into his performance. He is a great performer and singer and that dude gives every project he is in his full go. He doesn't let up for one second. I really loved the back and forth between him and Scuttle. I kind of want a Sebastian and Scuttle side movie where they fall in love. But make no mistake, this is Halle Bailey's starring role and her introduction to the entire world. And she hit an absolute homerun. She is incredibly talented and is going to be around for a long, long time.

I definitely recommend this movie for parents with young kids and for people who grew up as a child of the 90's just like me. You will appreciate how well they interpret this movie and even the added stuff feels classic. The live action "Little Mermaid" is a pretty decent movie. 

Ty

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

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It is Time to End the Writers and Actors Strike

I was watching tv the other night and I did not record the show, so commercials were a must. When I would watch commercials in the past there were plenty of ads for upcoming tv shows and previews for movies. That was not really present last night. Every commercial was either a local ad or something akin to an infomercial. I was kind of taken aback and was frustrated.

It then hit me that the strike was what caused the commercials to be different. There are no new shows coming out. The movies that are coming to theaters were finished months ago. There is nothing new. There is nothing different. There is nothing too fun coming out. It is a bummer.

This all makes sense and is necessary. The writers and actors strike is a needed thing right now. Actors and writers are being taken advantage of by the studios and they are not asking for too much in return to end all of this and bring back better content. I cannot take many more reality shows, game shows or reruns. I can only go back and watch so much of the older tv shows that I used to watch. I have been watching "Workaholics" today, and I love that show, but I've seen it a thousand times. I want newer stuff. I want to see the movie they were planning on making. Maybe that can come back if this strike ends. My wife and I watch "Brooklyn 99" before bed every night. Again, we love the show, but we have seen it so much that we fall asleep to it. That is the sign of watching one show more than enough. I recently finished the first season of "Twisted Metal" on Peacock and I loved it. They also ended the first season on a major cliffhanger. I'd love to see where they take the show from here. And I simply cannot do all the reality stuff that they are doing on streaming services now. I don't want to see another dating show. I'm so fed up with "Love is Blind" and "Sexy Beasts". They all end up the same and it is dull and boring. I can only watch people getting hammered and saying nonsense when they think they are acting smart. It is maddening. I'm also over all the game shows. There are too many of them and they are all melding together. I don't want to see people competing for scraps just to be on tv. I want the original content back. I want more "Twisted Metal", "What We Do in the Shadows", "Only Murders in the Building", "The Simpsons", all the good stuff. I want to see all of this stuff come back. I also want way more movies. I want to see cool, new stuff. I don't want any remakes or superhero stuff either. I want stuff like "Everything Everywhere All at Once". I want to see more mind blowing stuff like "Barbie". Give me cool, interesting material.

To get that material we need the writers and actors back. They need to get their fair share. They deserve to be properly compensated. They have earned the right to get a raise and to not be replaced by AI and Chatgpt. I have used both, but they don't carry the same weight as real people doing real work. I want to turn on my tv in a month or so and see commercials for new tv shows and movies. I want to see content made by real people for real people. That should be the case and should be the case sooner rather than later.

Time to end this studio execs and big wigs. Time to stop being so stubborn and stupid. Time to give the writers and actors what they have earned. It is time to end this strike. 

Ty

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

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The 90's Were the Golden Age of Kid's Sports Movies

I've been on a kick lately watching kids sports movies from the 90's that I loved as a kid. With my downtime I like to watch shows and movies, and for the past couple weeks I have been craving older sports movies. It all started one afternoon when I heard some people on a podcast mention the movie "Rookie if the Year". I adored that movie as a kid. It had everything I wanted in life. Kid breaks his arm, it heals weird, he can throw super fast and he ends up on the Cubs. It was an absolute dream. From there I would endlessly watch movies like "The Sandlot", "Little Big League", "Little Giants" and "The Mighty Ducks" among many, many others. I watched them all. Even some movies that were not, by definition sports movies, like "3 Ninjas", I watched because they had a few sports scenes. I couldn't get enough.

As I got older though I kind of left those movies behind. I have become a bit snobbish when it comes to movies. RD calls some of my early reviews "Cloves and Fedoras", and he is not wrong. I prefer indie movies. I love a good documentary. I want to watch movies that make you think. But I have been craving movies that I used to enjoy. I have had these feelings of wanting to go back and see if these movies still hold any weight for me.

I am very happy to say that I still get the same feelings when watching these movies. I understand that they are fantastical and you have to remove any kind of sense when watching. That makes it more fun for me now as a father, husband and a 40 year old. I have enjoyed watching these movies with my wife and I think she has had fun too. She has said she is at the very least. But my love for these movies is not the basis of this blog today. I could go on and on and on about my love. But today I want to take the time to tell you all about the straight line each of these movies have. They all have similar plots and villains and endings. They have the old hand, the young star and the family. They are all fun and satisfying because they are all the same. You can watch any of these movies and know how it will finish. It is comforting.

Let's look at "Rookie of the Year" real quick. Kid breaks his arm, conflict. It heals weird, but he can throw hard all of the sudden, fantastical. Goes to the Cubs and learns under the veteran, Rocket, played by Gary Busey, yikes. The villain is the Mets and their slugger. Henry Rowengartner strikes him out with an underhand toss and the Cubs win. It is stupid and phony and wild and I love it. They were even able to get a love story with the mom. This is how a 90's kids sports movie goes.

Take "The Sandlot" next. Star player plays with his buddies, they beat the bullies, the nerdy kid gets the girl, the star player and the new kid are best friends into adulthood, the villain is a dog who turns out to be nice and each kid has their own happy ending. It is my favorite sports movie.

"The Mighty Ducks" have the grisled former hockey star in town deemed with coaching the rag tag misfits. He turns them into a respectable squad. He gets a team from the rival team to come play for his team. The villain is the coach's former coach. He is still a jerk. They beat them in the finals. The kid closest to the coach on the team essentially sets his coach up with his mom. It is almost too perfect.

"Little Big League" brings us a genius kid who isn't good at playing baseball, but knows the game incredibly well, he ends up coaching the Minnesota Twins. He is tasked with the job from his grandpa. He helps turn the Twins around after some skepticism from some vets. The main vet helps him out though, takes his side and that is when things turn. The villains on the team come around but this movie finds a way to make Ken Griffey Jr a villain. I couldn't believe it. The only way this movie differs, and why I still love it to this day, is that the Twins don't win in the end. But they all have fun.

"Air Bud" is the wildest of them all. This movie is about a dog who plays receiver for a local kids team and is the star. This is the most fantastical of them all and it is endlessly watchable for me.

"Little Giants" is great because it features brothers versus brothers. Ed O'Neill is the "villain", but he is actually a good dude in the end. This movie is so great because it gives the little guy the limelight. The "nerds" find a way to beat the jocks and it is a fun football movie. It is also one of Rick Moranis' last roles and he crushes it here. The movie also introduced all of us to Becky, The Icebox, O'Shea. She is a kids sports movie legend.

"Space Jam" is wildly odd and weird and not very good. But I can watch that movie time and again and be very happy.

I could list more and more movies here, but they all have the same, safe and watchable premise. These movies are by no means good, but damn are they fun. I cannot wait to watch more of these because the rewatch of the first couple has been so well remembered. I suggest you do the same if you grew up similar to me. These 90's sports kids movies still rule. 

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 "Barbie"

Now that I am done with the football talk I want to get to some things that I have seen or done or listened to the past couple weeks and have been waiting to tell you all about. The first thing I want to talk about is "Barbie".

Me, my wife and kids all finally went to see the movie two Sundays ago. I have been pestering my wife to see it and told her the kids should come. The movie is a phenomenon and I felt like it would benefit the kids to see it. They had typical reactions. My son, who is 11 and focused solely on sports said it was a "6 out of 10". My daughter loved the colors and seeing Barbieland, but when it got to the more serious stuff she was not interested. My wife and I absolutely loved the movie. I mentioned on the podcast last week how much I adore this movie. I fully believe it is going to go down as one of the best, and most impactful movies to ever come out.

"Barbie" tells a great story about acceptance and being okay with who you are and how it is fine to be sad sometimes and that everything is never going to be as perfect as one may want their lives to be. I was moved by this movie. I laughed harder at this movie than some of my favorite comedies of all time. The imagery was astounding and cool. They used old style techniques and made them modern day. It was highly impressive. And the acting was superb. Margot Robbie knocked it completely out of the park. She was fully engrossed in this role and gave it her all. She played funny and heartbroken to perfection. She blew me away. Ryan Gosling was what I imagine Ken would be like if the doll came to life. I fully believed he was Ken. It was terrific. He was the funniest person in this whole movie. America Ferrera spoke for all of us in our early 40's and how tough life can be with kids nowadays, especially kids with an opinion. Ferrera is wildly underrated and this role should push her to the fame she deserves. Even the smaller roles, those were nailed. Michael Cera as Allan was my favorite. Issa Rae as president Barbie was pitch perfect. Will Ferrell as Mattel CEO was spot on. Simu Liu as a rival Ken was the best foil you could want for Gosling's Ken. Kate McKinnon as Weird Barbie was an example of how great a comedic actor McKinnon is. I was blown away by everyone. To see all the Barbies and Kens, that was quite a feat.

What got me most was Greta Gerwig's directing and her and Noah Baumbach's script. The directing was second to none. Gerwig controlled every aspect of these super talented actors and pulled the best out of them. To get drama and comedy the way she did, that work should not be overlooked. She should be the odds on favorite at the Oscars for best director. There should be no question. The script was even better than the directing. Gerwig and Baumbach told a relatable, real life story using Barbie and Ken dolls. They found a way to make a real life story out of dolls. There were moments in this script that were the best of the best. The way they tackled the stupidity of the patriarchy to Barbie dealing with an existential crisis to America Ferrera dealing with her daughter growing up and being over Barbie, it all worked. I bought it all and wanted more and more.

This is one of the rare perfect movies. I cannot find a flaw anywhere. Any early skepticism I had was instantly erased. I cannot recommend this movie enough. I think everyone should see it. It is a feat that will not be met for a very long time. "Barbie" is destined to become a classic and I am stoked that I saw it in a packed theater during week four of its release. What an accomplishment. 

Ty

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

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Think Getting Your Kids to School is Tough? Watch the Documentary "On the Way to School" to See What Some Kids Go Through for an Education

This is the week parents start sending their kids back to school. My kid starts on Thursday. My kid also goes to school nearly 20 miles from our home. I have to get up a bit earlier, so does he, and we have to spend 30-40 minutes each way so he can get a world class education. My story is not unique, many parents alter their lives to make sure their kids are in good schools. My story, along with many American parents, is an inconvenience.

Back in 2013 a French documentary called “On the Way to School” was released. The movie is just over an hour long, yet it has occupied a good chunk of my mind over the last decade. The documentary follows four kids in different countries and what they do to just get an education. It is a fascinating and inspiring film.

The movie starts with a young Kenyan child who lives in a hut in the desert. He and his brother have to take a two hour journey every day across the desert to go to school. On their journey they have to be careful to not run into any wildlife like lions and elephants. The two boys make the same journey back at the end of the day. They do this every single day. Along the way they need to stop to fill containers with fresh water and carry them on the journey. The oldest boy is 11 years old. The boys never complain and feel grateful that they have an opportunity to get an education.

The next child we are introduced to a Moroccan girl named Zahira. She along with a few friends take a four hour journey, through mountains and on foot, at the beginning of each week to reach their school. The girls stay for the week and make the journey home when school is done for the week. The only really complaining comes when one of the girls forgets to wear proper footwear for a trek through the mountains.

Our third child is an 11 year old Argentinian boy named Carlos. He and his sister have to cross the Patagonia by horseback to get to school. The journey takes almost two hours each way. This will be the last year of school for Carlos before he decides to go away to a school he will live at or if he gets a job.

The final child is an Indian boy named Samuel. Samuel is in a wheelchair and goes to school with his two brothers helping him. The trip takes over an hour and the terrain are sand, water, and city streets. Again, Samuel is in a wheelchair and during their documented trip a tire gets wrecked, and the boys need to get it repaired. Their spirit is never broken, and Samuel tells the documentary crew that he is going to school so he can one day be a doctor and help kids like him.

The stories of these four journeys are intercut with each other. There are subtitles so you do not have to be native in any language to understand and watch. Each kid shows a quiet determination and an interest in bettering their lives through education. Although each of these children live in very low-income households, they movie never wants you to pity these kids. The journey these kids take, some of them each day, is more inspiring than it is depressing. “On the Way to School” is an incredible film.

This week when we are all dreading the changes in our lives as school starts, I know I will try to temper myself pity by thinking of what I saw in “On the Way to School” The movie can be found on most streaming services for purchase and it is on some services for free with ads shown during the movie. When your kids complain about the bus, car, or walk to school, have them watch “On the Way to School”. They may still complain, but maybe they will have a little better perspective.

RD

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

Come and support us and the podcast on Patreon.

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If “Barbie” Offends You Then You’re an Idiot

Last weekend my wife and I saw the new “Barbie” movie. It was great and weeks after the movie opened the theater was almost sold out. When we left there was a line waiting to get into the next showing. I am not here to review the movie today, go out and see it for yourself. What I am here to do today is to call out all the snowflake man babies who are screaming about how “Barbie” is a man hating screed. I am here to call out the idiots.

 Notorious white male victimhood screecher Ben Shapiro famously started the anti-“Barbie” misogyny with his nearly hour long temper tantrum after paying to see the very successful film. He cried about the word patriarchy. He whined about the pro women messages in the film. He even went out and bought a bunch of Barbies and proceeded to light them on fire. Ben Shapiro is a soft skinned loser, but he is not alone.

 In the weeks since “Barbie” has premiered other white male crybabies decided to get on the unsuccessful anti-“Barbie” bandwagon. Professional idiot Elon Musk used his failing platform to whine, Fox News has dedicated numerous hours crying, and television town idiot Bill Maher has decided to offer his dumb opinions. These brainless wonders have fed their blind followers their latest crybaby crusade.nIt is the only thing they can offer society. How very sad for them.

 What is it about “Barbie” that has these morons up in arms? The movie is fun, subversive, and entertaining as hell. Do they hate the fact a woman directed the successful film? (Yes) Do they hate the fact that Margot Robbie is outstanding in the lead role? (Yes) Do they see themselves being made fun of in the guise of the Kens? (Yes) I think the thing these lonely loser men really hate about “Barbie” is that the movie acknowledges and celebrates all different kinds of women and highlights the modern struggles of mothers. The white male crybabies hate “Barbie” because it shines a bright light on why these men are doomed for extinction in the very near future.

 The thing I have enjoyed the most during our era of “Barbie”, outside of the actual movie itself, is that once again the white male crybabies are being proven wrong again. Every time society produces a piece of art that exposes and threatens their fragilty, these men all cry out in unison, and they are always wrong. “Barbie” is their latest made up culture war, and they are losing, badly. The Shapiros, Musks, and Mahers are a disappearing breed. Their schtick is annoying and tiring. Here’s hoping that “Barbie” is the meteor that makes their breed extinct.

 Also, go see “Barbie”. It is awesome.

RD

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

Come and support us and the podcast on Patreon.

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