"Semi-Pro"" is a Movie Worth Revisiting

I enjoy most sports movies. When the movies focus on sports I watch and play, that makes it an even better viewing experience for me. Over the weekend I revisited one such sports movie from the recent past that I like quite a bit. Let’s discuss.

After I run on Sunday mornings, and get cleaned up, I usually take a rest on the couch. Sometimes I doze off, other times I just want to chill and watch something on the tv. So, yesterday I searched on Max for something to pass the time. Eventually I came across the ABA movie, "Semi-Pro". This movie stars Will Ferrell, and it is about a fictional ABA team, the Flint Tropics. This was when Will Ferrell had a ton of heat on him. He had a blank check and he could do whatever he wanted. I feel like he was given this because of fans like me. I enjoy pretty much every Will Ferrell movie. Even in the adjectively bad movies, I find something to cling to and find myself laughing and laughing. Now, "Semi-Pro" is not a bad movie, far from it. I think it is very funny, the actors totally buy in and they all seem to be having a good time. They also get to cast all of their friends, the basketball is not that bad and the wardrobe is second to none.

For those that may not know, the ABA was a small rival to the NBA. The ABA was more fun, there were more fights, they introduced the 3 point line and dunk contest and the league was full of dysfunction and a form of thievery. "Semi-Pro" has it all, but they imagine a world where it wasn't a foregone conclusion that the Nets, Pacers, Nuggets and Spurs were always going to be the teams that the NBA inherited. In "Semi-Pro", the Kentucky Colonels, Spirits of Saint Louis and the Flint Tropics have a shot to be chosen by the NBA. All they have to do is finish in the top four of the league. This is the baseline story of the movie, but all the while there are jokes flying, solid basketball being played, silly arguments, dope funk music and Will Ferrell and his buddies having a great time on set.

First off, Ferrell plays Jackie Moon, the coach, owner and starting forward of the Tropics. He has a humongous curly afro and has "written" a hit song. He is hilarious. Patti LaBelle plays his mom too. It was so funny when she showed up in the movie. Alongside Ferrell, we have Andre 3000, Woody Harrellson and some other comedy buddies, all having the time of their lives. The point guard for the team has some of the best, most understated jokes in the whole movie. Andy Daly and Will Arnett are the announcers. Their back and forth is tremendous. Andy Ricther and Tim Meadows work with Ferrell and for the Tropics. The whole "jive turkey" scene is one of the most nonsensical and hilarious scenes in movie history for me. Kristen Wiig plays an animal tamer. Paul Rust and Jason Sudeikis are lifetime fans of the Tropics. Jackie Earl Haley, coming off an Oscar nomination, plays a hippy who happens to also be a fan. Rob Cordry is married to Maura Tierney, and he happens to be obsessed with Woody Harrellson's character. David Koechner is the commissioner of the NBA. Matt Walsh is a priest who moonlights as an ABA ref. I mean, the list of comedic names in this movie is truly staggering and makes it all the more funny. For that reason alone, this movie is worth the watch. But, as I said before, the basketball is very well filmed in this movie. Andre 3000 has some skills. When they show them figuring out how to do an alley oop, not only is it funny, but it also looks great. Harrellson obviously has skills due to his time in "White Men Can't Jump". It is no secret that Will Ferrell enjoys basketball. The actors in this movie have enough skills to make it look realistic. Finally, for me, the music in the movie is rad. It is all 70's funk, which I adore. The bass is thumping, the guitars are groovy and the singing makes me yearn to listen to more Parliament. When Ferrell is driving to the club after the first scene in the movie, he is listening to an old school funk song and I find myself singing along with every rewatch of this movie.

"Semi-Pro" is an underrated gem from the late 2000's. It is much better than the critics gave it credit for, and better than you probably remember it being if you have only seen it once. Yesterday was probably the 5th or 6th time I have seen it, and I cannot wait to watch it again. "Semi-Pro" has a special place for me. It is pretty wonderful. 

Ty

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

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Ty Watches "Iron Claw"

I had a free afternoon yesterday and I used it to watch "The Iron Claw". This is a movie I have wanted to see for a while now. I had tried to see it in the theaters with my dad, but the timing was never any good. Too many things going on with my kids. But, he and my mom had seen it recently, and my dad told me that I should watch. He wanted to get my thoughts on the movie. So I sat down and tuned in.

Right off the bat, this is a very, very well made movie. The wrestling looks real and looks amazing. The look of the movie transported me back to being a kid in the late 80's. The writing was never cliche or over the top. A lot of sports movies get cliche and easy to predict. This movie did not go that route and it is better for it. The direction is very well done. And the acting is top of the line. I enjoy Zach Efron as a person. He seems like a good enough dude and I appreciate that he is trying to get out from the Disney kid shadow. But I have not really considered him to be the best actor out there. Well, my mind has been changed. He absolutely nails it here. He does a fantastic job playing the oldest surviving brother of the family. And he completely transformed his body. He is shredded. The first image we see of him is him waking up and the dude is cut. Good for him. The other brothers in the movie do an excellent job as well. Jeremy Allen White gets to do what he does best. He is dramatic and doesn't have to say much. Harris Dickinson plays the brother who is kind of thrust into the limelight. He does great work with the whole trash talk thing that they do in professional wrestling. And the fourth brother, there are five in real life but they left one out which I was fine with, Stanley Simons, also nailed it. He was the outcast. He wanted to play music and not be a wrestler. He was kind of thrust into that world, and this actor's portrayal of that pain was done very well. And the mom and dad, Maura Tierney and Holt McCallany, play super serious, super intense enablers. They were both wonderful in their roles, especially McCallany. He was mean and bitter and tough and I grew to loathe him by the end of the movie. That is a sign of a well acted role. The back and forth between him and Efron was stunning to watch for many reasons. It was great acting, it was tough, I bought that this was a real relationship and I ended up feeling bad for both of them.

The first hour of this movie is a thrill. There are a bunch of wrestling things, both behind the scenes and in the ring that were an absolute blast to watch. Seeing the brothers interact and work off one another was cool. Seeing Kevin, Efron, find a person who loved him and see them grow and get married was great. Then, about an hour in, this movie turns very sad and it is relentless. This is where all the death and destruction of the family begins. I guess it is no surprise to people who know of the family that this movie is based on, but it felt like one tragedy after the next. Each kid, with Efron being the lone exception, dies in a tragic, awful way. And they show us. We see the bad things that happen. And it is brutal. Watching this movie, I got similar vibes to the first time I saw "Full Metal Jacket". Each movie starts all fast and moves quickly. But then it takes a dramatic turn and turns into something totally different. And both movies are really damn good.

I liked this movie. But, it is very tough to watch. You need to understand that going in. This movie is sad and it does not let up in the second half. But, I recommend watching. Hell, I'd say watch it for Efron's performance alone. He is wonderful, but so is this movie. 

Ty

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

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Ty Watches "Madame Web"

Yesterday I wrote about a movie I loved, "Godzilla Minus 1". Today I am writing about another movie. Unfortunately for me, this movie was not nearly as good. Hell, it wasn't even enjoyable. The movie is "Madam Web".

Now, before I get into it, I had heard all of the bad things about this movie. I read reviews. I saw videos of people mocking it. I saw the stars of the movie bemoaning it publicly. Still, I wanted to watch it. I have also heard a few podcasts talk about it, and while they acknowledged how bad of a movie it is, the majority of the pods seemed to think it was still enjoyable to watch. I started to get feelings that it may be akin to "The Room". That is one of the worst movies ever, but I think it is endlessly watchable. There is a difference. Some movies are just bad. Others are bad, but in a fun way. "Madam Web", at least for me, is just bad. Part of the push to watch this was my wife. She loves superhero stuff. I never really was into superheroes until I met her. She has definitely made me a fan of some of the MCU, namely X-Man stuff. So, she wanted to see the movie, I had heard that it could be fun bad and it is now streaming on Netflix. All of these things came together one night that was free, so we sat back and watched the movie.

From the start of it I just could not find anything I enjoyed about the movie. Dakota Johnson's performance felt so phoned in. It seemed like she was forced to do this movie. I asked my wife if the people who made the movie had some incriminating evidence, and if she didn't do the movie they would let it out. Her performance was boring and hollow. And she is the main character. Adam Scott was fine, but I'm a fan of his. He did the best with what he was given. I can say the same thing about Emma Roberts. I have not seen much of her stuff, but here, much like Adam Scott, she did the best she could with the lines she was given. Mike Epps, who I enjoy quite a bit, was barely in it, and they killed him off pretty early on. The three girls that Dakota Johnson takes under her wings are as cliche as they get. They have the "bad girl", the "nerdy girl" and the "lonely girl". And they all want to do their own thing until they can't anymore. And to cast Sydney Sweeney as the quiet dork is some of the worst casting in movie history. I hate to be the typical hetero male here, but she is far too attractive for that type of role. It is impossible to buy. The villain in this movie was horrendous. I feel like the majority of his lines are ADR. Paul Scheer even said as much in the live recording of "How Did This Get Made" when they talked about this movie. Anytime he has to give extra lines of dialogue, they cut from his face and shoot him from the back. And his voice was incredibly grating and awkward. The scene at the beginning, with Johnson's mom, was awful and proves that the actor was almost all ADR. That whole scene too was a total mess. They don't explain anything that is going on, some wild stuff happens, and then we are transported to modern day. This movie also felt like a COVID movie. A bunch of scenes were outdoors. When they were inside, there seemed to be no more than a few people on screen, with the exception being the baby shower. That scene is a mess all its own. It is truly bad. The action sequences were bad. We only get to see the superheroes in their costumes in two very short dream sequences. The writing is very bad. The actors seemed disengaged and bored with what they were doing. No one seemed to buy into the whole world they tried to create in this movie. There is no post credit scene, which I am fine with but my wife was mad about. She likes that type of thing in her superhero movies.

"Madam Web" is a big miss, and I didn't even find it fun bad. It was just bad bad. I do not recommend this movie. It is just a hair under two hours, but man did it feel a whole lot longer. Skip this and watch "Godzilla Minus 1" instead. 

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 "Godzilla Minus One"

Hello all. I'm back from a relaxing vacation and I have things to talk about. I see RD wrote some excellent pieces while I was gone. I'd like to give him a big thanks for that. One article struck me the most. It was his love for "Godzilla Minus 1".

He has been talking about this movie since it was in the theaters here in the US. He has always been a Godzilla fan too, so him gassing this movie up so much was not surprising. Me, I am pretty indifferent when it comes to Godzilla. I like some of the movies, haven't seen others and some are pretty bad. But, the way RD wrote about "Godzilla Minus 1" intrigued me. So, the night we got back my wife and I wanted to veg out and watch a movie. It was my turn to pick and I picked "Godzilla Minus 1". I also made sure to mute my phone and put it somewhere that wouldn't tempt me to look at it while the movie was playing. I'm glad I did that.

From the moment this movie started, I was all in. That first sequence, where they have the mechanics and the kamikaze pilot being attacked by the Godzilla in this movie was amazing. It was at night, but you could fully see Godzilla. We got a very good look at this monster that we would follow throughout the movie. But we also got some backstory on the people being attacked. The kamikaze pilot did not go through with his mission. He cowardly fled when he was supposed to complete his mission. The only mechanic that survived the attack was rightfully pissed at the pilot. They got on a ship to go home, the war was over, and the mechanic let the pilot know how mad he was with him. He gave him photos of the deceased families that they left behind. The pilot arrived at a ravaged home. His city was decimated by the war. The bombs took almost everything out. The pilot returned to no family. Only one person he knew was left, and she was unhappy with him. I think all of this made this movie all the more better.

Sure, there was a Godzilla monster that the humans had to fight, but we also got a story about people. We got to know the characters. This wasn't just random people fighting a monster. We got to see the aftermath. We saw PTSD. We saw the town get rebuilt, only to be destroyed by Godzilla again. That scene, when Godzilla comes on land and crushes the city, was marvelous. Godzilla had grown radioactive spikes at this point. Godzilla had fire breath. Godzilla was there to cause chaos, and chaos abounded. Buildings were reduced to rubble. Houses were gone. Many, many people lost their lives. And when we get to the climactic battle, the big boss match up, it was a thing of beauty. I kept saying to my wife how I couldn't believe that it wasn't real. They made the waves and the water and the monster all look so real. The whole fleet of Navy ships and the tugboats that accompany them was a thrill to watch. And Godzilla was so damn cool to look at while watching this movie. The way they made the spikes and the radiation come to the forefront of the monster was the best I'v ever seen in a Godzilla movie.

As I stated above, the story and the acting is wonderful. These actors made it seem like so much more than a monster movie. I rooted for and against people. The four main guys we get for the majority of the movie have some excellent moments between them and solo stuff that is awesome to see. And the fact that they made Godzilla simply a destructive force, doing what Godzilla does because it wants to, that is the best way to show this monster on screen.

RD was right. This is an incredible achievement. There is no other movie that has come out this year, maybe "Furiosa", that reaches the levels this movie gets to along the way. "Dune: Part 2" may be close as well. But, for the moment, "Godzilla Minus 1" is the best movie I have seen in 2024. I for sure recommend watching this movie. I have no notes and no real criticisms. "Godzilla Minus 1" is as close to a masterpiece as we have gotten in a long, long time. 

Ty

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

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Go Watch "Godzilla Minus One"

If you have a Netflix subscription in the United States then you can now watch the film “Godzilla Minus One”. If you have already seen “Godzilla Minus One” then you can watch it again. Either way what I am telling you to do is go watch “Godzilla Minus One” right now.

This is not going to be a review of “Godzilla Minus One”, I am going to save that for Ty when he gets back from vacation. What I am going to try and do is show my appreciation for a gem of a movie and hope to convince everyone, especially the people turned off by the pressence of Godzilla, to see this incredible movie.

“Godzilla Minus One” is one of the best movies I have ever seen that deals with survivors guilt. That guilt is not only felt by the main character, it is felt by the country of Japan post world war. All of the characters live with this guilt and deal with it in very different ways. Failed kamikazie pilot Shikishimi watches almost everyone around him die and he gets to live. Shikishimi’s fellow cremen on the mine hunting boat all have different war experiences. The kid is upset he was too young to fight. The Doc and Captain are bitter that the imperial Japanese government were so willing to throw away young mens lives for a losing cause. The engineer despises Shikishimi’s cowardice at first, but comes to realize that living is the greatest reward. Even Noriko tells Shikishimi that her parents told her to survive no matter what. She has lost everything but knows survival is the only thing left.

These stories sound depressing as hell. This is where “Godzilla Minus One” shines. The Doc’s speech after someone asks if his Godzilla killing plan is a “suicide mission” is amazing. The speech the Doc gives is poignant, heartfelt, and inspiring. He wants no one to die and he will not ask that of his men. The pleas of the kid to join the fight and the captain turning him down is heartbreaking and touching at the same time. The final moments of the Godzilla killing mission is equal parts horrifying, sad, and triumphant. You will experience all three of those feelings in the span of one minute. The last sequence and scene of this two hour movie is probably my favorite ending to a movie since “Babe”. The emotional payoffs in a movie like “Godzilla Minus One” do not come around very often is what I am saying.

I need to also talk about the big guy himself. I enjoy the recent American Godzilla movies. They are pure dumb enjoyment. The action is cool and the story is ridiculous. “Godzilla Minus One” is nothing like those movies. This Godzilla is a terrifying monster. The big lizard brings nothing but destruction and despair. The action sequences with Godzilla are loud, scary, and mesmerizing. The visual effects Oscar was very well deserved for “Godzilla Minus One”.

I hope I intrigued you enough to go out and experience not just the best movie of 2023, but honestly one of the best movies of the 21st century. I saw “Barbie”, “Oppenheimer”, and all the big films last year, none of them are as great as “Godzilla Minus One”. Do you think I’m just a fanboy and delusional? Well prove me wrong, go watch “Godzilla Minus One” and see the greatness for your self.

RD

RD Kulik is the founder and Head Editor for SeedSing.com

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Ty Watches "Furiosa"

My wife and I saw "Furiosa" over the weekend. Let’s discuss.

This was a movie I was going to the theater to see no matter what. I have been looking forward to it since it was announced. Look, "Fury Road" may be the greatest action movie ever made. I think it is. It is full throttle, non stop action, and that is what I love about it. And it is not a "Fast and Furious" movie. Those have their place, but the whole "Mad Max" series has created a sci-fi world that absolutely fascinates me. It is the type of dystopic future movie that I am inclined to watch over and over again. And I have. I've seen the other "Mad Max" movies multiple times, with "Fury Road" leading the way, with at least a dozen viewings. So, giving me the backstory of Furiosa, Charlize Theron's character in "Fury Road", is all I want in a summer action blockbuster. We went out the day after it opened, we were in a relatively empty theater, and we sat back and watched.

My wife was not into the movie. These movies aren't for her. She likes her action movies to be superhero driven. But, I appreciate her wanting to go out and watch a movie series with me that I adore.

I loved this movie. Now, it is not on "Fury Road" level. That is a masterpiece. If "Furiosa" got to the level of "Fury Road", I don't think I'd have to watch any other action movie ever. But "Furiosa" has a place in my heart. I knew going in that this movie was going to be more of a story. George Miller told us that much during his interviews. And he and his crew told a great story. I loved getting to see where Furiosa came from and how she ended up where she did. Seeing her home, The Green Place, at its height, was pretty cool. It was also brutal because those of us that have seen "Fury Road" know the demise of The Green Place. And even in a movie that is more of a slow burn, we get a pretty dope chase scene right after Furiosa is captured. And the action sequences continue throughout the movie. There is a non-stop 15 minute action scene on a war rig that is one of the best things I've ever watched on any medium. It is a damn work of art. I also liked that we got to see Immortan Joe before he takes everything over. He is still evil as hell. We get to see The Bullet Farm and Gas Town before it all gets blown to hell. We see how some alliances started, and how some broke apart. We get to see early versions of the War Boys. We see the wasteland that has been created in this world. And it is bleak.

The performances in this movie are incredible. They bring back some of the people from the original movies. The actor who played Immortan Joe originally has since passed away, but his replacement did a damn fine job. The mothers in The Green Place are protective and totally badass. The first driver of the war rig may be one of the few people I have rooted for in this series. And then we have Anya Taylor Joy and Chris Hemsworth. Hemsworth is endlessly watchable as the main villain. He has no redeeming qualities. He is evil through and through. And I couldn't get enough of his work here. He really went for it and he definitely nailed it. I want to see him do more roles like this because he was truly foul and truly amazing here. Anya Taylor Joy did more than just justice to Theron's work. Joy embodied Furiosa. I read that she had to do a bunch of acting with only her eyes, she does not have a bunch of lines in the movie, and she hit a damn homerun with her eye acting. I know her story, yet I was endlessly surprised by what I was seeing. The final scene between her and Hemsworth is one of the best things I've ever watched. Joy was magnificent.

I loved "Furiosa". While speaking with a family member who also saw the movie on opening weekend, he said that, while not on the level of "Fury Road", he gave it an 11/10, he gave "Furiosa" an 8/10. I think that is fair. I'd probably go 8.5 or 9/10, but that is me. "Furiosa" is an achievement. I recommend this movie wholeheartedly. It will be on my best of 2024 list. I can already tell. Go see it now. I plan on going a few more times to see it in the theaters. Maybe I'll see you there. 

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 "Mad Max: Fury Road" With His Son

Last weekend my son and I went to his uncle's house to watch a movie. The movie we decided upon was "Mad Max: Fury Road". Let’s discuss.

I love this movie. I have written about it. I am going to see "Furiosa" on Saturday. So is my son's uncle. We wanted to watch "Fury Road" before we saw "Furiosa", so it was a win-win for the two of us. It is no secret how much I adore "Fury Road", but I had no idea how my son would react watching this movie. He is all sports all the time. That is the only thing he truly cares about in the world at this moment. He plays and watches strictly sports. So him seeing "Fury Road" was a true toss up.

When the movie started he got quiet. That is not ordinary for my kid. He is loud. He wants to talk all the time. He is constantly asking questions. He just loves to chit chat. He would make a comment here and there, like saying how thirsty the movie was making him, but for the duration, he was silent as a street mouse. I would ask occasionally what he thought. He would shake his head and say that it is a good movie. I was beaming with pride. The action kept coming, that is what this movie does best, and I think that helped keep his attention. And when the movie would slow down, to tell more of the story, he was enrapt in what the actors were saying.

When the movie ended I had an inkling of what he would say, but I still had to ask. He told all of us there watching that he really enjoyed the movie. We were all stoked. I asked him what he liked best, and he told me when Immortan Joe got his face ripped off. He also said Immortan Joe's name correctly, which means he was really paying attention. When I asked him to elaborate more on what he liked, he was back to his normal self, talking a mile a minute. He told us that the movie looked like it was filmed on a different planet. He loved the action sequences. He liked Tom Hardy's performance as Max. He asked me a bunch if Charlize Theron was reprising her role as Furiosa. When I told him no, he said, "I hope this new person does a good job". To me, that comment means he is now invested in this world. He even liked how the movie ended. He was pleased with how they wrapped everything up. It was so cool to watch this movie through his eyes.

I have seen this movie so many times, well over a dozen by now. But watching my son watch the movie, hearing what he had to say afterward and seeing that he enjoyed it. it was like I was seeing it for the first time all over again. He has been bringing it up to me since Saturday. He has told his grandparents how much he liked it. My wife has had to hear his review a few times. And each time he brings up the movie, a big smile comes across my face.

You never know what your kid is going to like. You try to show them things that you like, but that doesn't always work. He has no interest in "The Sandlot", which bums me out. But, he is now a "Fury Road" fan, and that is pretty damn amazing. I will be curious to see if he wants to see, or would even like "Furiosa". Since "Fury Road" was such a hit, his uncle and I decided we are going to show him more movies we both enjoyed when we were younger. I'm sure they'll be hits and misses, but we hit a homerun with "Fury Road", and that makes me smile. 

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 Greatness of Will Forte

I listened to a podcast recently where they talked about the movie "Nebraska". I remember liking this movie. I enjoyed what I saw. During the episode they mentioned how good Will Forte is in the movie. I then remembered that they were correct. Forte really shines in this role. He plays the drama really well, and when needed, he is a comedic genius.

This got me thinking about his other performances and how great an actor he has always been. I became aware of Forte from "SNL". I instantly liked what I saw. He was absurd and silly. He did sketches that I hadn't seen before on the show. He was doing some wild stuff, especially for "SNL", and I was in from that point on. I decided a long time ago that I was going to be a Will Forte fan. I followed his work after "SNL" to one of my favorite shows ever, "Clone High". He voiced Abe Lincoln, and I found it absolutely hilarious. He was one of the main characters, and he did some excellent voice acting. I then watched "The Brothers Solomon". When I first watched it, I did not enjoy the movie. It was almost a little too absurd and bizarre. The writers seemed to take the jokes too far. But I watched it again, older, and I found myself enjoying it a bit more. The movie is wild, but the jokes hit a little better the older I got. Some of the stuff I didn't get landed with me this time. He was barely in the movie "Beerfest", but he was memorable. He did some more voice work, and a few more movies with friends, some of which I saw, others I skipped.

Then "MacGruber" came out.

I have loved this movie since the day I first saw it. It is absurdist humor at its absolute best, and Will Forte crushes as the lead character. This is such a perfect role for him. He can go as big as he wants, and fans like me will love every second of it. I have watched "MacGruber" a bunch since, and each time I find something else that makes me laugh even harder. "MacGruber" is a stone cold classic.

Forte then had an excellent run on "30 Rock". He was great in that show. We have the aforementioned "Nebraska", in which he proves his acting chops. He appeared on the "CBB" television show a few times, each appearance funnier than the last. He did some work on "Kroll Show", an underrated gem. He did a few things with The Lonely Island, all of which he is amazing in his small roles.

Then we got "Last Man on Earth".

This is one of my favorite shows of all time. I think it was funny as could be, but it also had a bunch of dramatic moments, where Forte crushes it. When he finds out his brother is still alive, Jason Sudekis. The things between the two of them are touching as hell. I buy that they were brothers. When Sudekis leaves, presumably to go die, I was in tears. And the way Forte and Kristin Schaal work off one another on the three seasons of that show is a thing of magic. "Last Man on Earth" is a gem as well.

I really enjoy his work in "A Futile and Stupid Gesture". He does some good work in "Good Boys" and "Booksmart". During the pandemic he did some solid work. Peacock did a "MacGruber" show. It was funny, but not as funny as the movie. He has a recurring role on "Bob's Burgers". He's in "Weird: The Al Yankovic Story". He's done three episodes of "The Simpsons". He is endlessly memorable and quotable on "I Think You Should Leave". And now he has a new Netflix series called "Bodkin", which I will almost certainly watch very soon.

Will Forte is a true pro. He is endlessly reliable. He is hilarious and has proven he can do drama. Will Forte is awesome and I just wanted to give him some love today. Forte is great. 

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 "Megalopolis" Trailer

RD texted me last night and asked if I had watched the trailer for "Megalopolis" yet. I had not seen it yet. I had actually forgotten about this movie. I feel like it has been shelved for a while, and I thought it may not ever be released. But RD saw the trailer, and the fact that he texted me about it, meant I had to watch this trailer as soon as I could. I had a bunch of stuff going on yesterday, but after my kids went to bed, I went to Google and checked this trailer out.

I cannot wait to give this movie all of my money. The few trailers that I watch, when they get me hyped up, that is a sign of a movie I will remember, be it good or bad. Before checking out the trailer, I asked RD what he thought. He told me that this movie was either going to be awesome, or be so bad that it is awesome. He compared it to a movie we both talk about a lot, "Southland Tales". Those that know that movie get the comparison. "Southland Tales" is a movie that I know is not well made. There are far too many stories going on, and they gave that director too much money and he went wild. But, it is a movie that I think about often. I have gone back and watched it multiple times. This is a movie close to three hours by the way. I have invested a ton of time into a movie that, as I said, I know is bad, but it is often on my mind. If "Megalopolis" gives me this, it will be more than worth the price of admission.

The trailer I watched was barely less than two minutes, but it has so much packed in it. Adam Driver is the star of the movie, and forgiving his wild hair do, look it up, he usually does a pretty damn good job in every movie he decides to do. This looks no different. I get excited when I see him in a movie, and for him to do something this odd and different, I'm there. I also saw that Shia LaBeouf is in this movie, and he has seemingly no eyebrows for some reason. LaBeouf has his personal issues, he needs real therapy, he has problems he needs to deal with, but in this trailer he is going for it. He looks like the anti-hero of this movie, and when LaBeouf goes for it, and is given proper direction, he does good work. Outside of those two people, I could not tell you who else is in this movie. I know there are a bunch of people, and they all seem to be doing their best, but their names escape me right now.

It also needs to be said, Francis Ford Coppola directs this movie. He is one of the greatest directors to ever sit behind a camera. He is a legend. His work speaks for itself. He has earned the right to make a movie this big and weird and interesting. I don't know what he last directed, but he appears to let it all hang out in the trailer for "Megalopolis".

I am being honest when I say this is one of the wilder trailers I've ever watched. "Megalopolis" starts with some people in a limo, a shot of the Statue of Liberty with fire in the background, other statues removing themselves, as if they have gained sentience, and sitting down. Then, as if you think the world may be ending, it shows people in what looks like an underground society living it up. And there are people who look worse off, trying to overthrow these other people. Oh, and Laurence Fishburne, I remembered another actor from the movie, giving us a voiceover that is very coy. This all takes place within the first 30 seconds of the trailer. It only gets crazier from there.

Go watch this trailer. Prepare yourself so you can go see it on opening day like I am planning on doing. I cannot wait to watch this movie and then have many conversations about it afterward. I am excited about this craziness. And either way, be it good or bad, we all win. 

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 "Deerskin"

Yesterday I watched a movie that a buddy of mine has been suggesting to me for awhile. The movie is called "Le Daim", or in English, "Deerskin". This is one of many movies made by French director, Quentin Dupieux. He has directed a bunch of other movies, but the only other Dupieux movie I have watched is "Rubber".

For those that don't know, Dupieux likes to make weird movies. He is an abstract film maker. "Rubber" was about a sentient tire that exacts revenge on the human race. It is absurd and funny and wild and I enjoyed my viewing experience. Once I let go and just accepted the world he had created, I bought into "Rubber". "Deerskin" is not like "Rubber". Although it has a wild premise, it is much more of a slow burn. I want to move ahead spoiler free, so I will give a broad retelling of the premise of "Deerskin".

A man goes to buy an authentic deerskin jacket from a guy he meets online. He uses every last penny he has to get this jacket. The man gives it to him and also gives him a camcorder. The man becomes obsessed with the jacket, thinking it is the best jacket in the world. He is always mentioning his "sick style" in reference to his new look. He doesn't know what to do with the camcorder, so he makes up a fake story that he is a filmmaker. He entrusts the help of a local bartender, who also happens to be a film editor and they decide they are going to make a movie together. The idea for this movie is to convince everyone else to give up their coats so this man can be the only one wearing a coat in the world. They will do this by any means necessary. Along the way the man gets himself a full deerskin outfit. That is about as vague as I can get with a description.

Now I get it, this sounds odd. This sounds like some nonsense. But, much like "Rubber", once I let myself get engaged with the world they created, I was all in. This movie goes in some interesting directions, and I couldn't take my eyes off screen. The two main actors really give it their all in this movie, and I totally buy their performances. Dupieux created another bizarre world, and I was anxious to see where he took everything. While it wasn't necessarily the ending I wanted, I understand why he closed the movie out the way he did.

I was pleased with my viewing experience of  "Deerskin". The slow burn was effective. The performances were good. The story was interesting and weird. And it was something unexpected, which I have come to expect with Dupieux's work. The movie is also 77 minutes long, which is wonderful for such an odd story. I recommend this movie if you are into avant garde, weird stories. This is different. This is wild. This is not the norm. But man was it a solid, mind bending watch. I feel like I want to go back and watch it again to see if there was some stuff that I missed. This also makes me want to watch more of Dupieux's movies, which I most certainly will do. But, for me, "Deerskin" was successful. Go check it out. 

Ty

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

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Ty Watches "Civil War"

I went out and saw "Civil War" in the theaters yesterday. I was told by RD, my mom and dad that I should see the movie. I watched a few previews, read one spoiler free review and made up my mind, although it was pretty made up with the recommendations from family members. I went to a 1:30 show and it was about half full. This movie has been out for two weeks now and people are still going to see it.

This movie is an important one. People need to see this movie. This should be required viewing for all Americans. I think this may be the most important movie of the decade. This is an unflinching look at what America could become if we continue to go down the path of dictatorship. This movie is brutal. This movie is unrelenting. This is not a happy movie. There is not a happy ending. There are no heroes. I was exhausted after watching the movie. I am still thinking about stuff I saw and it has been almost 24 hours since seeing it.

Again I say, this should be required viewing. My fear though, the people who need to see this movie, who may be persuaded by this movie, will either hate it or not see it. I looked around at the crowd yesterday and they looked like me. I look like a liberal because I am a liberal. I vote democrat. I always have and always will. That was the vibe I got from the crowd. And that is great. It is clear that we are seeing this movie because it is vital for us to try and do anything we can to stop this from happening. But we already have that view on the world. I want things to get better. I want people to make decisions based on facts and science. I want the world to be a loving and accepting place. But the people that may be avoiding this movie, may be against this movie, they won't go see it or they won't open their minds if they see it. They have made their minds up. That is scary.

The scariest thing about this movie is that it could very well happen at any moment. And the militant and fascist racists out there, all they need is a reason to do the horrible things they want to do. That is all on screen. Jesse Plemons' character is terrifying. Nick Offerman's portrayal of a dictator turned president is a real possibility. The journalists, played by Kirsten Dunst, Wagner Moura, Cailee Spaeny and Stephen McKinley Henderson are all out for their own good. They want the picture and the story that will make them famous. By the way, Kirsten Dunst is magnetic in this movie. She does an amazing job portraying someone just doing their job and trying to make it in the crazy world in "Civil War". She deserves awards recognition. But again, she is out to get the best photograph. She wants to be remembered for her work. As I said up top, there are no good people in the movie and I think that is the whole point.

I believe this movie was put out to show how truly, truly awful things could get if we don't make changes. I don't want to have to live in a world where we ration for water or have to stay in internment camps or try and act like something awful isn't going on in the world. I want to live happily and free. Be in the land of the free and home of the brave. That doesn't seem possible in Garland's "Civil War". Things can change. Things can get better. But we have to recognize and not accept the dictators and militants in the current world. I don't want to live inside a Civil War.

This is a very important piece of content that needs to become required viewing. Go see 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 "Dream Scenario"

I just watched the Nicolas Cage movie "Dream Scenario". I was pretty in the dark about this movie. I didn't know it was an A24 production. I didn't know that Cage was even starring in the movie. I hadn't seen a preview for it. I am not fully sure that it even played in any theaters in Saint Louis. Then I heard Scott Aukerman talk about it on one of his many podcasts. Then it started showing up on streaming services as a feature. Then I read a few reviews and decided I wanted to see the movie. The reviews were solid, Aukerman was talking it up and Cage was getting very good coverage. I'm such a fan of Cage's that I will watch almost anything he does. I just want to see how big he gets with some of his roles. In this one he was subdued, but in the best way, and the only way Cage can be.

If you don't know, and I'll be as spoiler free as possible in my review today, Cage plays a professor who starts showing up in people's dreams. And not just his family's dreams. He is in a bunch of people's dreams all over the world. And when he shows up he doesn't do anything. He is just there. He walks in, looks at the people and goes about his business. It seems harmless, but there are also some creepy undertones.  The movie opens with him in his daughter's dream and it seems like a regular day. Then stuff starts to fall from the sky and his daughter begins to call for her dad as she is starting to float away. All the while Cage's character, her dad, just continues to rake leaves and say, "it's alright". It is odd and a little scary. He knows nothing of this, but all of the sudden people start to ask if they know him, if they've met before and why is he so recognizable. It isn't until he runs into an ex at a play that he realizes what is going on. She tells him about her dreams that include him and says she wants to talk and write about it. He agrees and then he blows up. He becomes viral and he really leans into his newfound fame. He takes interviews, he gets a book deal and he starts a partnership with a new up and coming tech company.

Then things change. This is where the movie gets tense. This is when the movie talks on the whole idea of everyone wanting their 15 minutes of fame. It seems like people will do anything to get famous in the current climate, and that is the direction this movie goes with for the second half of the feature. What happens in people's dreams now runs the gamut. And when people see Cage they have certain expectations and ideas about his character. It gets hyper tense and a little anxiety fueled. And I completely bought into what they were saying. I love how they made fun of how stupid "cancel culture" has become. The people who claim that they are "canceled" are idiotic and this movie does a wonderful job of showing that. Cage's character's "apology" is rich with how stupid these "canceled" people act when they are forced to admit wrongdoing. And Cage takes all of this on so beautifully. He doesn't have to be over the top, unless it is in a dream situation, and he owns those parts. He plays a very believable professor. He seems like a boring husband and dad. He is nerdy, cringey and shy. He is not in full control of any of his real life situations. He is just a regular dude who tried to make his 15 minutes of fame last longer than it should have.

I really liked this movie. It is understated and well done. It has funny and scary moments all wrapped up in its 100 minute run time. I definitely recommend this movie. It is a good watch and does a good job with the totally wild story they are telling. 

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 Zone of Interest"

I'm slowly going through a good amount of movies that were up for Oscars this past year. I also like to look at best of lists and decide which movies I want to see from those. One such movie was "Zone of Interest".

I came to this movie very late. I know of Johnathan Glazer, I have watched some of his movies, namely "Under the Skin". He was never really my cup of tea as a director. His movies seem kind of boring and the story is often left up to the viewer. That frustrates me. But I read a good amount of reviews for "Zone of Interest". I watched the trailer. I saw what some people online were saying about the movie and my decision was set. My wife had zero interest in watching, so I waited until she was on a work trip to watch. I rented it on Amazon last week and sat back.

What I saw was horrifying and gross and sad and brutal and frustrating and I cannot stop thinking about the movie. It has stayed with me. We were on a trip last week and I told anyone who'd listen about the movie. I am trying to avoid spoilers, but at this point that seems moot. This movie is a must see, only once, and it will stay with you and haunt you.

For the people that may not know, "Zone of Interest" takes place at a home outside of one of the Auschwitz concentration camps. The focus of the movie is the family that lives in a palatial home just outside of the concentration camp. The dad works there, they have three kids and the mom is an at home parent. They have servants and visitors that come and go all times of the day. I know it may not sound scary yet, but all the while the family that we are focused on, who live in the house, we can hear what is going on inside of the concentration camp. There are screams, gunshots, pleas of help and we can see smoke pouring out of a furnace. What makes it even more frightening, we never see any of the atrocities, thank goodness. We can only hear the awful, awful things that happened at one of these camps. It is horrifying. The screams are blood curdling. The movie is in German with English subtitles, and when you hear the screaming, it just says "audible screaming" on the subtitles. That gave me chills while watching. When they go away from the screams of terror, we focus on the family and their inner workings. These people are pure evil. The dad is a shrill businessman who takes advantage of every person he comes in contact with. He may seem like just a working stiff, but when you think about it and watch his actions, he is a monster. The mother is a witch. She is constantly screaming at the servants. She is mad at her mom when she leaves. The mom leaves because she cannot sleep with all the sounds going on outside her bedroom window by the way. She treats her dog like garbage. She calls herself the "Queen of Auschwitz". She is just as evil as her spouse. The kids are doing what they see from their parents. The teenage son is mean and hurtful. He locks his little brother in a greenhouse at one point, and has this creepy smile on his face the whole time. The little boy will stop and listen to the horror outside his bedroom window while he plays with toys during the day. It is a nightmare. The baby is just a baby, so who knows how she grew up.

There are two things in this movie that may stay with me forever, and they both occur near the end of the movie. Spoiler alert. The husband gets a new job and has to move out. The family stays at their home while the husband continues to climb the ranks for these incredibly brutal and offensive people. At one point he gets an award and something named after him. When he calls his wife to brag, she asks how the party he is attending was. He tells her he wasn't really paying attention, but thinking about "how much gas it would take to get rid of all the people in the room". That is evil incarnate. Then, as he is leaving said party to return home, he stops in two seperate hallways and tries to vomit. Meanwhile we get a flash forward to an Auschwitz museum and you see the horrors that occurred. There are a massive number of shoes, clothes and various sizes of all, saying that no one was spared by these monsters. They show an oven that was used. They show pictures of people who lost their lives simply for having a different religion. It is truly the scariest moment of the whole movie for me. We then go back to the evil monster from the whole movie, unable to vomit, and then it is credits. It is almost like the guy realized what he was doing, and how bad it was, and he almost had a moment of clarity. Almost.

"Zone of Interest" is a movie that needs to be seen, but only once. This was a tough watch, but it also gave me a look at the day to day lives of these monsters and how truly sickening they were to be doing the things they did. I will never watch this movie again, but it was one that needed to be watched. It is a good way to learn some unfortunate history. Watch it if you are interested in the horrifying history of these evil monsters. "Zone of Interest" told a good story of how villainous real people can be, if they choose to be villains. 

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 "Spaceman"

I'm going out of town for the rest of the week tomorrow, thus meaning I'm going to take the rest of the week off after today, but I wanted to leave you all with my review of the new Adam Sandler Netflix movie, "Spaceman". I will be back next week, but I wanted to get one more in before taking a few days off.

I was excited to see this movie. I am a big, unabashed Adam Sandler fan. I enjoy most of his stuff. There are definite duds, but for the most part, Sandler's stuff entertains me. And his recent stuff I have truly enjoyed. I loved "Hustle". "Uncut Gems" is one of the best movies I've ever watched. So, to see him take on another hard drama role, I was intrigued. He has been knocking it out of the park lately. I also like Paul Dano, Carey Mulligan and Isabella Rosselini, all of whom are cast in this movie. And I am lukewarm on Kunaal Nayar, who I only know from "The Big Bang Theory", a show I have only ever seen bits and pieces of. I have never watched a full episode of that show. So, this movie had a ton going for it before I even turned it on.

After watching and thinking about it this morning, I think the movie is fine. It isn't great and it isn't bad. It has good moments that seem to be buttressed by boring or dull moments. The performances are wonderful. I have to say that. Sandler nailed it again. He is a good actor. He knows what to do when given good work to act from. He also does good work when a director kind of pushes him to do good stuff. He delivers in this movie. I bought him as a lonely Russian astronaut. I was with him throughout the whole movie. I was sad when he was sad. I was lonely when he was lonely. It was a job well done. Carey Mulligan is about as reliable as it gets. She does very good work with a smaller role here. She is the co-star here. She is second on the call sheet. But she gives a very heartfelt, very meaningful performance. I enjoy her work. Ever since I saw "Promising Young Woman" I have been onboard for Mulligan's work in movies. Isabella Rosellini was hardly in the movie, but she has this air about her. She is a true legend and she brings in when she is cast. Kunaal Nayar was very good here. I dug his work in this movie. I also liked his time appropriate moustache. He did a solid job here. And Paul Dano, lending only his voice, was creepy and monotone and awesome. This is what I have come to expect from him. Everyone did their job and did it well. I have no qualms with the acting here.

My issue, the movie got very boring at times. It also came off pretentious from time to time. There are shots of Sandler in space that seem to stay on an image far too long. I understand that the mission needs to be addressed, but I don't have to see the same purple space scene over and over again for long stretches of time. There is also some stuff with the look and the dialogue that comes off a bit pretentious. This is a love story, but I don't need some stuff jammed in my face as a viewer. I get it. I understand what they are going after. But it came off weird for me sometimes. I feel like they could have cut the movie by about 20 minutes, make it a nice 85 minute long movie, and they would have had a hit on their hands. But, with the direction they chose, this is going to be a forgotten movie for some fans of the actors. It will kind of come and go.

Did I like it? Sure. Will I watch it again? No. But don't let that cloud your judgement. By all means, watch this movie, if only for Dano's role. It is different and weird and I truly loved his work in this movie. Otherwise, maybe skip this movie if you are on the fence. 

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 "Poor Things"

I was able to watch "Poor Things" over the weekend. Let’s discuss.

I had wanted to see this movie since I first heard about it a few months back. I like the director Yorgos Lanthimos. I am a fan of both "The Favourite" and "The Lobster". These movies are different and unique and weird. And I'm here for it. "The Lobster '' is what turned me from a Colin Farrell detractor to a big fan. And "The Favourite" is what opened my mind to Emma Stone's brilliance and willingness to take on different roles. She is one hell of an actor. So when she was announced as the star of Lanthimos' new movie, I was in. Then I saw a preview and that intrigued me more. Then I saw reviews and they were glowing. Then I heard people talk about the movie on podcasts and I was all the more hype to watch. My dad and I made plans to see it in the theaters, but it never happened for a myriad of reasons. So, when it was announced to be streaming, I was going to watch it ASAP. 

I loved this movie. "Poor Things" is like Lanthinmos' other movies, but on a much bigger scale. This is a big budget, big time Hollywood movie. Emma Stone stars as Bella Baxter, a Frankenstein monster of a person. Stone is magnetic. Seeing her go from infant to toddler to moody teen to brilliant adult was an absolute joy to watch. The mannerisms she used when she was an infant were real and I was convinced that she had the mind of a child. As she gets smarter and smarter I found myself getting even more interested in what was going on on screen. Seeing her discover her sexuality was funny. It was truly hilarious. I was laughing very hard. When she referred to sex as "furious jumping", it was a true delight. Seeing her use her sexuality to gain an advantage was an interesting look at the world of sex workers and those who enjoy that lifestyle. I thought it was quite powerful. I was also a fan of how incredibly calculating and smart Bella became as the movie continued. I also enjoyed when Bella was still figuring things out with the teen brain, the movie made fun of social interactions and conventions. They played with how silly all these things are when you really think about it. I loved it. Stone was magnetic and absolutely earned her Academy award.

The rest of the cast was dynamite too. Willem DeFoe, as Dr Godwin, who is basically Dr Frankenstein, was excellent. He is one of my favorite actors ever. And his prosthetics were wild. Ramy Youssef was wonderful as DeFoe's assistant and initial love interest of Bella. His performance surprised me in the best possible way. Mark Ruffalo was funny and over the top and I thought he could have gotten more awards consideration. He went for it and totally nailed it. Jerrod Carmichael had a very minimal role, but it was so memorable. I think about his scene with Bella often after seeing the movie. I liked how cynical he was. An actor that I assume is famous, but I don't know, Hanna Schygulla was great. She was sweet and answered all of Bella's questions. She felt like the first person who openly accepted Bella, warts and all. Kathryn Hunter as the madam at the sex worker home was really well done and seemed perfectly fleshed out. I was kind of mesmerized by her character. Suzy Bemba as Bella's girlfriend at the house was understated, in a great way. And then we have Christopher Abbott as Bella's first husband, who didn't know she was still alive. He was mean and ignorant and hateful. Abbott did a great acting job because I despised his character.

The look of the movie was unlike anything I have ever seen. It was like a painting had come to life. I loved the black and white at the beginning, but when it shifted to color, that took this movie to a whole other level. I have not seen another movie that looks like this in my viewing ever. And the direction was second to none. Every actor bought in. They gave it their all and it showed on screen. They were all willing to go for it, and I feel like a lot of that has to do with their comfort with Lanthimos.

I am a big fan of this movie. I was telling my dad and a buddy of mine about this movie so much that they watched it last night, I assume to get me to stop talking about it. They confirmed to me they liked it as well. Go watch "Poor Things". It is destined to be a classic and Emma Stone gives a performance for the ages. I really love this movie. 

Ty

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

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Ty Watches "Dune: Part 2"

I have just returned home from seeing "Dune : Part 2".

I have been really anticipating the release of this movie. I watched the first, new "Dune" during the pandemic. It was released to streaming, and I took advantage and watched that movie in my home. I loved it. I was glued to my screen. I did not look at my phone once. My wife would come in and out of the room and ask questions and I would answer, and then rewind and rewatch what we may have missed. The first new "Dune" was also my first time I found myself cheering for Timothee Chalamet. That movie made me a fan, and I have not looked back. I also watched David Lynch's "Dune" during the pandemic. I did not like that version at all. It was a slog. It was boring. And it was nonsensical. So I've done the necessary homework. My dad joined me this morning, he watched the first new "Dune" on Wednesday, and we set off for a 10am screening.

I want to say, the theater was as clean as I've ever seen a theater before. The crowd was delightful and pleasant. The staff was dynamite and helpful. The Galleria 6 Cinema here in Saint Louis did their job perfectly. There were only two previews, only one commercial, and by about 10 after, we were in the world of "Dune". And from there on out I was in awe of what I was watching.

First off, this cast is incredible. Chamalet is back and does an even better job in this movie. Zendaya is given much more to work with in this sequel and she does amazing things. I was rooting for her character the entire movie. Javier Bardem was more involved, did a great job and even provided some laughs. Rebecca Ferguson did a phenomenal job with her arc in this movie. The whole Harkonnen family was terrifying in all the right ways. Stellan Skaarsgard is back and he is even more scary as the head of the family. David Bautista is back and he is cowardly and in over his head. And Austin Butler is the nephew who is the villainous of all the villains in this movie. He was scary as hell. Florence Pugh and Christopher Walken do some pretty good things here. Pugh figures to have a much bigger part in the third installment of this franchise. Josh Brolin returns and he is having a great back half of his career. And there's all the side characters and minor part actors who do some wonderful things in their very minimal screen time.

Then we have the direction. Denis Villenvue is the best sci fi director in the game right now. I trust him with any material he decides to work on from this moment on. And then there's the stuff on screen. This is an epic in every sense of the word. It was close to three hours but never felt long. The scenery, being pretty much nothing but sand, was mesmerizing to look at on a big screen. The sandworms were the coolest thing I have seen in a movie in a long, long time. I was enamored with those things. The CGI and the massive amount of people in the movie was a triumph all its own.

The story was pretty great too. The majority of the movie is a war movie. There are a bunch of battles. There are moments of strategy. There are training moments. There is hand to hand combat. There are soldiers hiding and attacking from everywhere. It was awesome. And, near the end, although it is what I consider to be the main story, it becomes a religious story, and the problems that lie within following one person. It was interesting to see the movie take this turn and everyone involved pulled it off with grace and professionalism.

I loved this movie. My dad did too. I couldn't believe that they exceeded my high, high expectations. I cannot recommend this movie enough. That is why I left my review so vague. I think you should try and see it in a theater too. I'm not a big theater goer, but this movie needs to be seen on a big screen to get the full effect. "Dune: Part 2" is amazing. Go see it. 

Ty

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

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Ty Watches "Beau is Afraid"

After much thought, waiting for the movie to be on premium cable and four sittings, I have finally watched all of "Beau Is Afraid", and boy oh boy do I have some thoughts.

First and foremost, I think I liked this movie. I keep thinking about it. I cannot seem to shake what I watched. I truly loved Joaqin Phoenix's performance. This has to be one of his best performances that I have ever watched. I also enjoy Phoenix's acting for the most part. I like the movies he picks and he truly does give his all. He doesn't halfass anything he is committed to doing. I loved the imagery and the way the story was told. I liked the way it was broken down into different acts. I enjoyed the moments of silence that they have the viewer sit and wait in. All of that leads me to believe that I enjoyed what I saw. But there are some issues I have as well.

This is a long, long movie. It is one minute under three hours. The moments of silence are long and vast. There are some disturbing images that kind of freaked me out and took me out of the narrative of the movie. I feel like Ari Aster wanted to tell EVERYTHING he was thinking at the time of writing the movie. He should have, and could have, edited a good hour out of the movie. Amy Ryan and Nathan Lane could have been given a little more to work with in the script. Parker Posey is only in about three minutes of this movie, and Beau, Phoenix's character, is obsessed with her. Zoe Lister Jones, who I adore as an actor, seems to be chewing scenery. The first hour, which focuses on Beau's current living situation, is bleak and sad and disturbing and overly scary. I understand why it is shot and acted that way, but it feels like it may be a bit much.

Then we have Patti Lupone. Lupone is wonderful. I adore her. I love her outspoken nature. She is not afraid to speak her mind, and I think that is great. But in this movie she is severely underused until the last 30 minutes. In the finale she is great, they, for me, hit all the right notes with her character. And she absolutely shines. But leading up to all of this, she is a ghost. She lingers over the movie, but we don't get the breadth of her situation. We see her a lot in flashbacks, but not enough in the present day. There is her funeral, but that is just a ploy to get Beau back home. And when she returns, after one of the most uncomfortable sex scenes I've ever seen, she acts like everything is normal. It most certainly is not normal.

Looking back at this venn diagram of the good and the bad I found watching this movie, again, I liked it. Excuse me, I think I liked it. Lupone is amazing in the end. The whole scene in the forest, with the play, had me rapt to my screen. I couldn't look away. The creepy underlying stuff with Lane and Ryan had me on the edge of my seat. And Phoenix is incredible. This is a truly amazing performance from him. I like his work here almost as much as I did in one of my favorite movies ever, "Her". He is such a devoted and confident actor. He never takes things less than serious. He is all in. And in a movie like this, one that is this weird and deep, he was made for this. Phoenix is one of my favorite actors at this point. I don't know much about his personal life, but I do like his acting. I'm a fan of his acting, maybe not the person.

I'd recommend this movie with a big, big caveat. It is long, it is weird and you have to be all in while you watch. This is not a movie you can check in and out of. You have to be committed when you watch. Do that, and you will be rewarded. 

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 "Bottoms"

Over the weekend I was finally able to see the movie "Bottoms". I remember previews for this and wanting to see it. I remember it getting very good reviews after it was released and wanting to see it even more. I remember hearing possible awards buzz surrounding the movie and wanting to see it the most. But time got away from me. The winter is the busiest time for me as far as coaching and dad duty goes. But, we had a date night, it was my turn to pick the movie and "Bottoms" was streaming on Amazon Prime for free. So we watched.

I loved this movie. I laughed at this more than most comedies that have come out in the past four or five years. The basic plot is, two nerdy, gay high school girls start a fight club to meet their crushes. That is the short version. But there is so much more on screen. First off, this is a high school spoof of a movie. When I looked up the cast, no actor was younger than 20 years old. But this was a situation where you could tell it was done with intention. The creators wanted actors that looked young, but we all know that they are not very young. This made some of the stuff we watched even funnier.

Ayo Edibiri and Rachel Sennott are the leads, and they are perfect. Sennott is the more outgoing, funny and talkative one. But, she will never be confused as a "cool" kid. Edebiri is more soft spoken. She doesn't want any trouble. She just wants to get to college. These two are sensational. When they finally get alone with their crushes, I was stoked, and then devastated for Sennott's character. These two used to be college roommates, and you can tell from their electric chemistry on screen. Sennott really keeps your attention when she talks. And the moments where Edibiri gives a speech, or does a monologue, are pretty powerful. They filled the cast with other actors that I don't really know. The crushes are played by Havana Rose Liu, this is the first thing I've seen her in, and Kaia Gerber, Cindy Crawford's daughter. They were excellent. Ruby Cruz is the one who kind of gets the whole fight club going. She was funny and had a solid arc. Punkie Johnson plays Edibiri's wild aunt who lives in a trailer. Zamani Wilder, Summer Joy Campbell and Virginia Tucker are members of the fight club, and all three bring some hilarious traits. The football players, namely Nicholas Galitzine and Miles Fowler, are wonderfully goofy. The whole stuff with the QB, Jeff, is riotous. And then we have Marshawn Lynch. What a star-making performance from him. He is hilarious, he pretty much improvised all of his lines, he took this role to make up for the way he reacted to his sister coming out, and he absolutely crushed. They took a chance and they were paid off tremendously by his performance. All of the actors did a wonderful job.

What most impressed me was the writing. This is an absurd movie, but it is absurd in all the best ways. The spoof of the football team's importance landed perfectly. The way teachers and administrators behave was tremendously done. How the main characters arc from nerdom to popularity and back to nerdom paid off. I was overly impressed with how well thought out and how simply insane the movie came across on screen. We need more comedies like this.

"Bottoms" is just as good as "Booksmart" and "Superbad". I actually think I may like it a bit more because of the presence of Ayo Edibiri and how ridiculous it is supposed to be. I definitely recommend watching this movie. It is very funny and very good. 

Ty

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

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Ty Watches "Self Reliance"

Before watching "Saltburn" I watched "Self Reliance". I heard a lot about this movie prior to watching it. I'm a Jake Johnson fan, and he has been on a bit of a podcast media tour promoting this movie. All I needed was to hear the plot and I was in.

The long and short of it all, Johnson's character gets asked to be on the dark web's number one reality show where he is being hunted. If he can last for 30 days he wins a million dollars. The catch, he cannot be alone. Ever. If he is with someone else, he cannot be harmed. The people who run the show will not go after him as long as he is with someone. Sounds intense, right? Well, while there are some wild scenes, scenes that made me jump, this is a pretty funny movie too. Johnson said as much during all of his podcast appearances. The movie is also a tight 90 minutes. This has everything I want in a movie. It is all wrapped in a nice little package that is wildly easy to digest. So when I watched, I had pretty high hopes.

The movie hit them all. From start to finish I was in. I am a fan of Johnson, especially when he does stuff that is a change of pace from "New Girl". Here he is a down on his luck dude that wants some more excitement in his life. And when Andy Samberg shows up, playing himself, that is just another feather in the movie's cap. I am a very, very big Samberg fan. And when Johnson decides to take this opportunity, that is when the movie achieves its goal. It is a pretty wild ride from there on out. Johnson tries to tell his family and they do not believe him at all. They think he is losing it. There are moments where I kind of thought he was going through a mental break. Johnson decides to hire an unhoused person, played by Biff Wiff, and they have some nice chemistry with each other. I liked the way they played off one another. Johnson eventually meets up with Anna Kendrick and they form an alliance. The two of them have worked together before, and it shows on screen. I liked watching the two of them in scenes together. I would totally buy them as a couple. But, the whole idea for this movie, the dark web reality hunting show, is always a threat. At any moment I thought that Johnson could get bumped off, and that kept me on edge. Whenever he was alone, even for the brief moments he was, it legitimately scared me. And Johnson played that very well. I truly loved that when it was all going down, he would implore his family members that this was all real, but they still brushed it off, with hilarious results. When he calls his mom at work, that was a pretty wonderfully hilarious scene. When she mispronounces Andy Samberg's name, that was comedy gold. Even as the movie builds to its conclusion, the immediate threat and disbelief from everyone else, it is still there and still freaks me out. Johnson plays all this so well. You could tell this movie was a labor of love. I read that he wrote it during the lockdown when COVID was raging. That shows. But it is not a pandemic movie. That much is clear.

I definitely recommend watching this movie. It has good genre blending and it is a nice, quick watch. I enjoyed the hell out of it, and I think you will too. 

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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Ty Watches "Saltburn"

My wife and I sat down and watched "Saltburn" this past weekend. We have seen a bunch of reels on Instagram. We have read the things people have been saying about the movie, while avoiding spoilers. After doing all this research we both decided we had to watch. So we did.

I do not know that I have ever seen a movie this bizarre, and I've seen a bunch of weird movies. I like movies that try something different, something people haven't really seen yet. "Saltburn" takes that and really runs with it. So, my first push to watch this movie came about when I heard that the director also directed "Promising Young Woman". I love that movie. It was one of my favorites. So when a new movie by her was announced, I was intrigued. Then I saw and read all that stuff, so that made me even more in. Again, this is the most bizarre movie I've ever watched. I am very glad that I came into it blind, but holy hell was this a ride. I am going to reveal some things in this blog, but if you haven't seen the movie yet and plan to, stop reading and come back and finish after you watch.

The movie starts out nice and normal. It shows a kid going off to college and trying to make friends. All the while he has his eye on the cool kids. He eventually starts to hang out with them and build relationships. He becomes such good friends with the hot guy, Felix, played by Jacob Elordi, that Felix invites him to stay at their home, Saltburn, for the summer. He agrees and this is where the movie gets truly nuts. Things start to get odd at the halfway point. Ollie, played by Barry Keoghan, has this weird, odd way of interacting with people. He seems shy and coy. He doesn't want to disturb anyone until it is fruitful for him. Felix's sister waits for him one night outside his room. He goes down to her only to turn her away. she does it again and this is the first gross thing that happens. He starts to pleasure her with his fingers and she pushes back, saying it isn't the right time of the month for her. He responds with one of the grossest lines ever muttered, "good thing I'm a vampire". You can use your imagination of what happens next. I had to cover my eyes during this scene. I'm not kink shaming anyone or anything, but that just isn't for me. When Ollie kind of rejects her the next morning, she is mad, but everyone moves on. From there we see Ollie drink bathtub water that Felix has ejaculated in. He also gives hand pleasure to Farley, all the while telling him to "be a good boy". He goes along with the mom and dad, played by Rosamund Pike and Richard E Grant, when they act like everything is okay even when horrible things are happening all around them. He drugs people and kills them when he deems fit. He leaves, but comes back and takes over the home. He does cocaine and dances in the nude. He has no remorse. It is devastating and terrifying.

When the movie was done I was flabbergasted. I didn't know if I liked it or hated it. I couldn't figure out what I was watching and why all these things were happening. I was highly impressed by the acting because the portrayals of everyone made them unlikable. But the thing in this movie's favor, I haven't stopped thinking about it for three straight days. I will be doing something and, pop, a scene in the movie will replay in my head and I will think about it and pour over it. I can't seem to shake this movie. I think the writers, director and actors did an amazing job because this is a movie that I will think about a bunch. I want to say, if you do decide to watch this movie, it is crazy. You will see things that will make you uncomfortable. You will squirm. You will cover your eyes. But you will not be able to shake it from your mind. It will stay with you.

So, would I recommend this movie? Yes, if you are prepared to be uncomfortable. But go in with all the aforementioned warnings. "Saltburn" is a crazy, messed up movie and will rock your brain. That can be good or bad, that is up to you. Watch at your own risk. But I do think this is a solid 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.