Ty Watches "Snowpiercer" Series Premier

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

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

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

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

Ty

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

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Ty Listens to "Dream Hunting in the Valley of the In-Between"

I realized the other day that I have been writing about a lot of movies and TV shows I have been watching during quarantine, but I haven't talked much about music. I figure that is for many reasons. A lot of releases got pushed, concerts got moved to next year, and RTJ 4 doesn't come out until June 5th, and believe me, I am going to spend an entire week talking about that record.

During our quarantine, I have been re listening to some bands I haven't in awhile, and I have discovered some new stuff I really like. I started listening to more music on my runs too. It makes them so much more fun and easy. I have been listening to RTJ obviously, I check in on The Black Keys, I listen to Outkast, I have discovered people like Yola and Lil Dicky and some other underground hip hop artists. Recently I started to listening to a band called Man Man again that my brother Seth got me into about seven years ago. I enjoy their sound, my wife describes it as fun circus music, and they are a blast to run to. They make fun music, but are also proficient musicians. They also write some kick ass lyrics. And much to my surprise, they released a new record fairly recently. I was scrolling through Twitter one night and saw that Har Mar Superstar said something about it. I immediately checked it out to confirm that it was true, and when I saw it was, I turned on Spotify and listened right away. That was a week ago and I am still listening now. I am listening as I write this review.

The record is called "Dream Hunting in the Valley of the In Between". First things first, I love that name and the picture on the record is perfect. It's very symbolic of how I have perceived and consumed their music the past seven years. As for the songs on the record, I mean come on, they rule. It has that "circus" sound that my wife mentioned. My kids love it because we can all listen together. The lead singer has such a cool and unique voice that works so well for their sound. The musicians in the band are technically sound. The instruments they use, outside guitar, drums and bass, make them sound fuller and so much cooler. They use xylophones, pianos, sousaphones, saxophones, trumpets, clarinets, marimbas and a French horn, among other things. They are a very talented, yet fun band. And boy do love these songs. The first one I heard was "Cloud Nein", and it is fun, bouncy and sounds like it could be played on pop radio if they went that route. The intro is wild too. I also love the bridge, how it just drops out and then comes back with a vengeance. Some other highlights for me are "Lonely Beuys". This has them at their most circus, but it just works. It is a bizarre sounding song, but I can't get enough of it. "Future Peg" has a very cool rock sound. I love the guitar that opens the song, and it foes in and out of the "circus" sound. I adore the beginning, and the verse of "Goat". It is, how should I put this, very seductive in its sound. I really enjoy the music in this song. "Inner Iggy" sounds like a 50's surf rock song, and I have found that I really like that the older I get. "The Prettiest Song in the World" sounds very pretty, but the lyrics are about how it is not very pretty. It is a perfect encapsulation of their sound, talent and how ell they play off one another. "Sheela" has some very cool piano, with a rad guitar riff to start off the track. This song is GREAT running song as well. "Swan" may be their most stripped down on the record, and I like when bands do stuff like that. It is just a piano in the beginning, and then some singing. It is a very sweet sounding song. Then they follow it up with "Powder My Wig", which reverts back to the 50's surf rock. It is a perfect follow up to such a pretty song. The title track has that piano again, starting slow, and from there they add some horns and the song just builds and builds from there. It is a great closer.

I really like this band, and I love this record. I highly recommend people check it out. It is fun.

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 "Dark Phoenix"

For quarantine date night my wife and I watched "Mad Max Fury Road". It was its release day birthday, my wife hadn't seen it and I wanted her to experience the awesomeness that is that movie. But, I am not going to write about that today. We have been very vocal on how much both RD and I LOVE that movie. I think we have said pretty much everything we can say about its greatness. It is a perfect movie.

On the day after quarantine date night, Sunday, we decided to watch "Dark Phoenix". It was on cable, we hadn't seen it yet and we are completists when it comes to "X-Men". I had heard not so good things about the movie, and my wife mentioned the same. She also rented the movie awhile back when she was home sick from work. So the fact that she didn't remember it should have been our first sign that maybe we shouldn't watch. But, we did see "X-Men Origins: Wolverine". We watched "Apocalypse". We saw the other Wolverine movie, the one in Japan, which I actually liked. We have seen them all. So we had to see. Maybe the critics were wrong, maybe it was the fever that caused my wife to forget, maybe, just maybe, they finally got this story right, maybe they did what "X-Men 3" tried to, but couldn't.

Well, and it bums me out to say this, this is the worst "X-Men" movie I have seen. That's right, I would rather watch "Origins" than "Dark Phoenix" if I had to pick. I mean, I don't want to watch either, but "Dark Phoenix" was just so very boring. Everything about the movie, for me, just didn't work. I felt like all the actors kind of phoned it in. James McAvoy, Sophie Turner, Michael Fassbender, they all just knew it was the end. Jennifer Lawrence seemed extremely checked out too. I know she said she didn't want to do this anymore, and boy did that show. Her death scene, which makes zero sense in the "X-Men" world, could have been very dramatic and moving. It was not. It was quick and easy to see coming. Nicolas Hoult, who I really like, was not good as Beast. I could hear his accent slip in and out, he seemed to have very little interest in the role and looked like he wished he was anywhere else. Both McAvoy and Fassbender seemed happy to just cash the check.

The thing that made this so disappointing was the story. Jean Gray has such a cool story. She is the most powerful X-Men. She can do what Professor X does to the nth degree. She is also very strong. She can fly. And she is an incredibly conflicted character. She has all the elements for what should be a very good story. The writers did not do that. They wrote scenes that seemed to drag. Sophie Turner, try as she might, had to deliver some super cheesy lines. Same thing with Lawrence. They had to do that with straight faces. My props to them. But all the stuff with Gray, as a kid, going to the academy, then becoming all powerful, it just seemed to drag on screen. There were too many scenes explaining stuff as opposed to showing her power. Her conflict was boring and cliche. The way she handled herself, especially when the bad guys came, it was all far too easy to see what was going to happen. The stuff with her and Cyclops made me opine for the relationship between grown up Jean Gray and him, and my wife and I call him "Cryclops". Like, it just didn't work at all. Even the big fight scene was not very good. My wife said that she thought she remembered it being solid, but that was with her fever addled brain. The fight scene was boring, they kept cutting back to Gray as a kid and there was only one good moment, when Magneto crushed a train car and tossed it aside.

My point? "Dark Phoenix" is not a good movie. It is not even a fun good movie. It was a bummer, and they should be able to get this story right. I hope someone else tries, like they did with "Logan", because Jean Gray's story is a great one. But "Dark Phoenix" way missed the mark for me. I'd skip this one if I were you. 

Ty

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

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Let's Talk About How Wrong Channing Frye is About Michael Jordan

Yesterday I talked about the final two episodes of "The Last Dance" and mentioned how some modern day players are crazy for suggesting that Jordan isn't the greatest to ever play. I mentioned Channing Frye because he was the first person I really saw take this stance. He is wrong.

Frye’s comment, and I quote, was "he only had one job and that was to just score. He did that at an amazing, amazing rate. But I don't feel like his way of winning then would translate to what it is now. Guys wouldn't want to play with him". This is a loaded statement from a journeyman bench player his entire NBA career. In fact, the only reason Frye is still even being talked about is because he played with LeBron, who many current day players, and young kids, think is the greatest. If it were anyone that didn't play with LeBron, this would be totally pushed aside. But, I kind of want to break down this comment piece by piece, and I am not the only person to do this recently. Scott Van Pelt, of ESPN, dragged him the other night. He did actual research, and proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that Frye's statement was absurd. He mentioned the scoring, but also mentioned how he was all defense all the time. Jordan might be the best perimeter defender the game saw in the 90's. I guess Frye didn't research that. Richard Jefferson, a former teammate said that all Frye was doing was "trolling a bit online". I know they're friends, but come on, this is more than "trolling". Jefferson even went on to text him, telling Frye, "it's not the time or the place". Then Tracy McGrady, on "the Jump", went on to quote things Jordan did outside of scoring. He mentioned that he was the 87-88 Defensive Player of the Year, had two seasons where he had 200 steals and 100 blocks and earned all defense nine times, tied for a NBA record. McGrady also said, "he did way more than just score the basketball, he won Ships". That is a tremendous quote. Also, before I get dragged, I know Frye has one title, but he barely saw the floor on that Cavs team. His title is like Jeremy Lin getting a ring last year.

Look, I am a big time proponent of calling Jordan the GOAT. RD and I have discussed this, I have written about it numerous times and I talk about it during any basketball conversation I have. "The Last Dance" only further proved that. But lets take that dive into Frye's statement now, as I assume his perception is LeBron is the GOAT. I think LeBron is the second or third greatest ever, but Jordan is so far ahead of the second place guy for a myriad of reasons. Frye made the "only a scorer" comment. Bull shit. Tracy McGrady and Scott Van Pelt proved that wrong with statistics. My eyeballs proved that wrong by growing up watching him play. I was a die hard Sonics fan as a kid, and I remember that 72 win team shellacking everyone except Shawn Kemp in the Finals. They stopped everyone else. The guards couldn't do a damn thing against Jordan and Pippen. I bet you the Suns and Trailblazers and Lakers and Jazz fans all have the exact same memories. Or what about the Dream Team stifling Toni Kukoc? That was all about Jordan deciding he wanted to stop him. He had no other reason to do that, other than to show people he could stimy the best European player at the time. Jordan was a defensive force to be reckoned with. Also, he had to be the captain and coach on the floor. He had to place everyone, he ran the show, he set guys up and put them in the best possible spot to score. Just ask Steve Kerr, John Paxson, Horace Grant, Scottie Pippen, Ron Harper and a myriad of others. Once he began to trust teammates, they got shots they were never getting before. As for the scoring, that was the only thing Frye got “right”. Jordan is the greatest scorer ever. He was able to get to the hoop in the toughest, rawest and hardest era to do it. He played in the NBA when you had to be crushed to get a free throw. Look at the way the Pistons, Knicks and Pacers played him. They tried to hurt him, yet he still got 30 plus regularly. I don’t think any modern guy could handle being roughed up like Jordan was. Today’s players gripe about EVERYTHING. If they miss a layup, they look at the official. They get a little tap, they flop. There is so much complaining, it has slowed the game down. Imagine how James Harden or LeBron would react to someone throwing them to the ground. They would have a hissy fit. Jordan went out, got tougher and dominated. He could also shoot. Remember six threes against Portland? The shot to win the title in 98 over the Jazz? The shot over Craig Ehlo? Yeah, Jordan was a scorer Channing Frye, he’s the best scorer EVER.

Then Frye had the most telling thing ever in his statement with the “it wouldn’t translate to today. Guys wouldn’t want to play with him”. That says so much more about the current state of the NBA than I think Frye wanted to reveal. First off, and I’ve said it before, the star players in the current NBA are soft. LeBron, Harden, Doncic, KD, Steph and Klay, Kyrie, all they do is bitch and moan when they don’t get what they want. They also act like fake tough guys. Today’s stars are posers. They think they’re tough, but they’re not. They couldn’t handle the physicality that Jordan took on a nightly basis. Look, I think LeBron would’ve been a great player in the 90’s, just like Karl Malone was. I also think these Jordan would’ve beat him, and beat him bad. He would’ve made it his mission.

Which brings me to Frye’s final thought, “guys wouldn’t want to play with him”. You know what, Jordan wouldn’t have wanted to play with them, he would’ve wanted to beat them. Modern NBA is consumed with the “super team”. From the time Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen joined Paul Pierce in Boston, the NBA changed. It all became about stacking the deck. No one wanted a challenge. After Boston, we had the “Heatles”. Then LeBron going back to Cleveland, but only if they traded for Kevin Love. Then there was KD joining the 73 win Warriors. And now we have KD and Kyrie in Brooklyn, Kawhi and Paul George on the Clippers. And LeBron all but forcing the Lakers to trade their future for Anthony Davis. Stars don’t want a challenge, Jordan did.

Channing Frye has accomplished more than I could ever dream of, but this was a Skip Bayless or Colin Cowherd esque statement. It was dumb, poor timing, reeks of resentment and jealousy, but most of all, it was flat out wrong. I’m glad he’s getting ripped by everyone because he should be. This was a Bill Simmons, and The Ringer, type dumbass statement that shows the younger generation doesn’t know much about 80’s and 90’s basketball, and are prisoners of the moment. Jordan is the GOAT. There is no question anymore.

Ty

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

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Ty Watches "The Last Dance" Parts 9 and 10

"The Last Dance" ended last night, and it may be the single greatest documentary series that has ever existed. I don't feel like I am being a prisoner of the moment. I don't think it has anything to do with the lack of sports, although that definitely helps. I think this is the greatest documentary series ever because it is about the greatest basketball player ever, and it is directed by one the best sports story tellers of all time. "The Last Dance" has every single ingredient to make it as perfect as it was.

Now, spoiler alert out there for listeners to out podcast, but I will give my feelings on the documentary as a whole on the next pod. Today, I want to continue with my review of the most recent episodes. Last night finished it off with 9 and 10, and they were magnificent. The series continued to get better, and last night was no exception. Episode 9 went straight away into the 98 East Finals against the Pacers. This was one of two series that went to 7 games during the Bulls double three peat. This was also, probably, the toughest series for any Jordan led team, prior to the Pistons. The Pacers had the style of team that could compete with this Bulls squad. They had big, nasty guys. They had a veteran point guard. They had quickness and electricity off the bench. They had an old sharp shooter. They had size. And they had Reggie Miller. They could have won this series. They could've ended the dynasty one series early. But they didn't. Too may mistakes, miscues and poor rebounding and free throw shooting doomed them. Also, the jump ball between Rik Smits and Jordan was a play I never, ever thought about, but was played out to show how important that one moment was in this series, and I will never look at it the same ever again.

They shifted from that series to the 97 Finals against the Jazz. They showed a lot of stuff from there. We got some great back story on Steve Kerr. His story was very, very in depth, heartbreaking and showed his character. It made me like him even more. We also got the real truth behind the infamous "flu game". As I suspected, and a ton of others did, it wasn't a stomach flu, it was food poisoning. To hear Jordan confirm so quickly and assuredly made it hit home even more. And to see the way he came out and played, after going through something as awful as food poisoning, the guy is not human. That was cool. I also liked getting to see Jordan's kids and hearing them talk about their dislike for Utah and why their mom wouldn't let them go to games there. It was nice to finally hear from someone in his family.

They shifted back to the Pacers series and we got all the intel that I mentioned, and so, so much more. Reggie Miller is underrated, Scottie Pippen is one of the best defenders ever, Larry Bird could coach, Steve Kerr was a sharp shooter and Jordan was an absolute killer. It was awesome to see them break down the series the way they did. We also got to hear about his close relationship with one member of his security detail, and that was a nice story to see how that gentleman took on the fatherly role for Jordan after his dad was killed. It was all great.

Episode 10 was all about the 98 Finals and the aftermath. This was a tremendous episode. To see them talk about how they went about winning, how tired mentally and physically they were, how they laid it all out, it was amazing. Also, big props to Scottie Pippen for playing through that horrible back injury. He really showed his mental toughness, and to do what he did with that injury is astounding. Also, props to Dennis Rodman. Sure, he is an asshole, he skipped out on practice to go wrestle, he wouldn't talk to anyone, but the dude laid it out on the court every game night, and he was the best pest and rebounder that the Bulls have ever had. He also hit four straight free throws in a critical moment for the Bulls, and that is just amazing.

But this was all about MJ and his willingness to put this team on his back and carry them to their 6th title. The things he did in game 6 of the 98 Finals was spectacular, especially the last minute of that game. The Bulls were down 3, and he goes and gets a quick layup. I mean, guys tried to stop him, but he is Michael god damn Jordan. If he wanted to get to the basket he got there. Then, to get the strip on Karl Malone, and bring the ball up and hit that jumper, I mean, there is no better way to go out than that. I know he came back to play for Washington, and some may say he pushed off Byron Russell, but I will always look at that jumper as his last moment. That personified his greatness. That sequence proves for the billionth time that he is the greatest to ever play basketball. I have a piece tomorrow about current players calling him out, Channing Frye I'm talking particularly to you, and they are all full of nonsense. But I will save all that for tomorrow. Jordan proved time and again, when he wanted to win, he was going to find a way to win.

Then the aftermath of that, what followed after the 98 title was wild. Everyone wanted this team back, they wanted to see if they could go for four straight, to win seven in nine years. And I think they would have. If they were able to pull it off, they could have done it. And to see Jordan's reaction to Jerry Reinsdorf's explanation as to why they had to split this team up was something else. Jordan said he didn't agree, and laid out a scenario where they could have done it all again. We were left thinking, what if, but what we got from the 90's Bulls, and Jordan himself was witnessing greatness that we may never see again.

This, and I will keep saying this, is the great documentary series that has ever existed. It is, by far the best sports doc ever, and dare I say, the best documentary ever made. "The Last Dance" is a rare achievement we don't see that much today, and that is being a perfect movie being perfectly told. I love this and I cannot recommend it enough. I will rewatch this maybe a billion times. It's the best. 

Ty

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

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Better Never Than Late on "Them That Follow"

Today will be the third day in a row I’m writing about a movie, but hey, I have the time, the channels and there have been a ton of movies I wanted to see and I’m catching up now.

The one I most recently watched is an indie called “Them That Follow”. I remember seeing the trailer when I went to see “Uncut Gems”, and it stayed with me. I never got to the theater, but it was on cable right after quarantine started, and I recorded it. I just got around to watching it recently, and I was underwhelmed.

Now, the cast in this movie is impeccable. Kaitlyn Dever, Walton Goggins, Jim Gaffigan, Olivia Colman, Thomas Mann and Lewis Pullman are all in this. That’s an Oscar winner, a great stand up comedian branching out and doing drama, one of the funniest and most wild actors that crushes western roles and a super funny, young actor. This should have worked with this cast. The story was also interesting, or had the elements to be. The movie is about a religious cult that uses snakes to show faith. That in and of itself, with that cast, sounds super interesting. Add in the fact that the daughter of the preacher is pregnant with a defector from the church’s baby. And, when he decides to come back to church, pushed by his parents, he gets a horrific snakebite they almost kills him.

Again, this movie should’ve worked. It’s should’ve been good. It should’ve been something I thought about for days. But, after finishing it, I found myself shrugging and kind of bored. I mean no disrespect, the movie just didn’t work for me. Gaffigan barely gets any lines or screen time. He’s just there. Olivia Colman was underused and, when she was given the moment, the monologue was poorly written. Pullman plays your typical weird cult religious guy they drinks too much and is abusive. His character was derivative. Dever’s character could have been much more fleshed out, but she only seemed to be there to unintentionally stir the pot. Thomas Mann, as the defector, was too over the top, and I did not care for his southern accent. But I had the highest hopes for Goggins, and his role just fell flat. He was menacing, but never too menacing. He was religious, but never too religious. He was weird, but never weird enough. It felt like he was restrained, and that’s a bummer. If they let him really go for it, this could’ve been an iconic role. Unfortunately, it is not.

I really wanted to like this movie, but it was just a little too boring for my liking. This movie had promise, but it just missed the mark. Maybe next time.

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 "Good Boys"

Continuing with my quarantine movie watch, I just recently saw the movie "Good Boys".

This movie got a very limited release in theaters, it is dirty and has children saying the dirty words, which may be why it got released and pulled so quickly from the theaters. I remember seeing the previews, seeing that Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg were producers, and wanting to see the movie. It looked funny and it looked like me and my friends growing up. It looked and felt familiar, and that was just from the trailer. Watching it the other day only reaffirmed that for me so much more. This movie is hilarious and heartfelt and goofy and sweet and I loved every single second of it.

The movie is not without big actors either. Will Forte plays Jacob Tremblay's dad. Both of those actors have been in big time stuff. Keith L Williams is another one of the kids, and he has been on a number of sitcoms already. And Brady Noon, the third member of the "Bean Bag Boys", that is what they call themselves because they all sit on bean bags when they hang out, was a recurring actor on "Boardwalk Empire". These kids are no slouches, and they absolutely crushed it in this movie. They were funny. So what if they said bad words. Spoiler alert parents out there, all 5th and 6th graders swear like these kids did in the movie. I did it, you did it, we all did it. I remember being caught, as a 6th grader, by my dad swearing in front of my friends. It was brutal, but I didn't stop. I was a dumb kid that wanted to be cool. Just like the "Bean Bag Boys". If you can get past the swearing, which is easy, at least for me, this movie is really solid.

The long and short of the plot is the kids get invited to a "kissing party". They have never kissed anyone before, so they go on a mission to find out, and some wild stuff happens from there. They search kissing on the internet, and they obviously end up on a pornography site. That scene in and of itself is worth a watch. It was so funny, so relatable and played so well by the actors. They then try to spy on their neighbor and her boyfriend, and that leads us into a whole other plot point where Tremblay loses his dad's drone. This leads us to some of the best moments of this very good, very funny movie. The interaction with the two high school girls is hilarious throughout the movie. The stuff with the cop, played by Sam Richardson, was my favorite. The scenes involving the three main characters fighting and making up and yelling at one another is what I related to most in the movie. I fought like that with my friends. I mentioned the swearing before, and I did all that. I was terrified to kiss a girl when I was a 6th grader, and that spoke so true to me. It was like watching my childhood unfold.

I had a close knit group of friends just like the "Bean Bag Boys", and what this movie did so well, was showing them kind of grow apart. That is the main point, for me, in this movie. This movie isn't about a kissing party or finding a drone or fighting with friends, it is about growing up and growing apart. It is about how you change the older you get. How the stuff that you were into as a kid kind of fades away. I had friends that loved sports like I did when we were kids, when we were the "Bean Bag Boys", who one day just decided they weren't into it anymore. It was brutal, but that is what happens. And "Good Boys" does such a wonderful job of portraying that. And the last scene in this movie was great. It was like one last big party with your closest friends.

I loved this movie, and was surprised at how many different emotions it brought out in me. I highly recommend watching it. I bet you will enjoy it. 

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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"Birds of Prey" is a Meh Kind of Movie

On our quarantine date night this week my wife and I decided to watch "Birds of Prey", the Harley Quinn DC movie.

This was my least favorite of the movies we have watched so far, but that doesn't mean I didn't like it. I will, most likely, not watch it again, unless I catch it on cable, but it was a fine movie. And, as far as DC goes, I appreciated that they went with more humor and that the movie was quite colorful. This was a bright, easy to see movie. I usually am not into DC movies because they are too brooding and too dark in color. They are hard for me to see what is going on. "Birds of Prey" was opposite that, and as RD has told me, "Shazaam" seems to be the same way. I liked that. I also liked Rosie Perez and the actor that played Black Canary and the young pick pocket girl. They all did a very solid job in their roles, especially Black Canary. My wife said she is a Smollet, but that doesn't mean much to me. She was great though. I also enjoyed the humor. I thought the movie had some solid funny moments. I even liked the story, for the most part. Also, the violence was very cartoonish, which I found to be very fun. If I had to give the movie a letter grade, I would give it a solid C. But, I did have some nits to pick with this movie.

Lets start with the main character. In a movie with her name in the title, I felt they kind of drifted in and out of her story a bit too much. They would dedicate a good chunk to what she was going through, but then it would hard cut to a different character. Maybe they were under time constraints, maybe they wanted a movie under two hours, but it just felt a bit too rushed for me. I also, and I know this is how she speaks in the cartoons, could not get over her voice. That is such a dumb thing to gripe about, but I found it bothersome, and it took me out of moments far too often. I also felt like they copied a little too much from "Deadpool" with Harley Quinn constantly breaking the fourth wall. I liked it, but I have already seen it. I did not like Ewan McGregor at all in the movie. He was chewing the scenery so hard that I just couldn't take him seriously as the bad guy. Maybe that is how he was supposed to play the character, but there were times that I was uncomfortable watching him perform because it was a bit too much. It was like Homer playing the landlord in "Rent" in the greatest "Simpsons" episode ever, "Behind the Laughter". He even makes a joke about chewing scenery in it, and that is how I viewed McGregor's character. I also wanted more from Huntress. She could have been such a cool character, but much like the majority of the movie, she felt rushed. Her story felt disjointed and crammed in the plot. Mary Elizabeth Winstead is a good actor, but with this role, she just missed the mark.

Outside that, the movie, as I said, was just okay. I did really like the color, as I mentioned, and the fight scenes were really cool. The one when Quinn breaks into the prison was pretty rad, and that final battle scene was cool as hell. I also appreciated that they didn't linger on beating the bad guys. There were no monologues or any of the usual stuff in movies like this. When someone died, they died quick.

All in all "Birds of Prey" seems like the kind of movie that DC fans will like, and people who like really bright and vibrantly colored movies will enjoy. For me, there was bad and good. If someone would ask me if I would recommend it, I would probably tell them to pass. But that is just me. 

Ty

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

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Will the Zion Allegations Finally Shine a Light on the Real Coach K?

Well maybe we will finally see Duke get some kind of sanctions handed down to their men's basketball team.

In a report that came out two days ago, it appears that Zion Williamson "received gifts and benefits from people at Duke to attend the university". Now, this type of stuff happens all the time in college sports, especially in basketball. This happened at Michigan with the Fab Five. Louisville got a slap on the wrist for similar stuff. I am almost positive LSU will get into a same type of legal situation. Kansas is going to get absolutely hammered by the NCAA when the FBI investigation is done, at least I think they will. And now we have this Zion situation at Duke.

Look, I have said it on this site, on the pod, to friends and family that will humor me, Coach K is no different than any of the other coaches accused of this, most notably John Calipari, but he has some weird pull over the media. ESPN, Sports Illustrated, Bleacher Report, they never, ever say anything bad about him when they are almost too eager to attack other coaches and programs. They all talk about how "clean" of a program he runs. But, when you constantly get the top prospects every year, there is something fishy about that. With the Fab Five, it happened once and Michigan got everything taken away from that era. When Calipari left UMASS and Memphis, they were hit with sanctions. LSU will get crushed soon because why on Earth would Ben Simmons choose to go play his one year of college basketball there, I will never know. If you continue to cheat, one day you will get caught. I am a firm believer in karma, and at some point, if you do some underhanded bull shit, the powers that be will catch you.

Now, I am curious to see how the NCAA handles this. I get the feeling it will be kind of like what they did to Penn State football and now Michigan State. I fear they will try and sweep it under the rug. The NCAA doesn't want a stain on the guy they always promote as "being a molder of young men", a guy that "runs a clean program", a guy they claim to be "more of a teacher than a coach". The NCAA loves Duke, but more importantly, they ADORE Coach K. I feel like they will protect him at all cost. I honestly believe they will throw Zion, and any other top prospect he has recruited, under the bus before they say a bad word about Coach K. To me, that is because the NCAA is corrupt, and they care more about these coaches that makes millions upon millions of dollars for themselves and their schools and their product, than they do about these kids. The thing is, these kids are the ones bringing in all the money. No one, and I mean NO ONE goes to Duke games to watch Mike Krzyewski coach. You really think all those people at the Duke-UNC game two years ago went to see him and Roy Williams game plan?! Get out of here with that nonsense. They were all there to see Zion. I tuned in from my home to watch two teams I could care less about because of Zion.

So that begs the question, do I think Zion took money, or he and his family asked for money, or someone they trust asked for money and other stuff for him to attend Duke? Absolutely I do. Which may lead you to ask me if I think Zion should get in trouble? Not at all. I don't think Zion or Chris Webber or Ben Simmons or Derrick Rose or Marcus Camby or any other kid that has asked for something should be punished. They bring in money to those school hand over foot, which then allows those schools to pay coaches millions of dollars, and make millions more on merchandising kids that don't see a dime off stuff with their likeness on it. And Coach K isn't immune to this. He is just as guilty as any other coach that has gotten their names dragged through the mud for doing the same. The fact that Zion is going to be disposed, and asked to answer questions about this under oath could be a major blow to Coach K's image. Either way Zion is going to reveal some truths we all know and have kind of let go, or he is going to be pressured to lie, under oath, so Coach K won't have his image tarnished. To me, it doesn't matter, Coach K's image was shot when he decided he needed to be part of the "one and done" recruiting, if not before then. Look, I know KU hasn't been charged with anything yet, but believe me when I say that I don't look at Bill Self and see a solid coach. When I see him, I see a guy that will cheat to get top flight players. I see the same thing will John Calipari. Hell, even with Tom Izzo. But at least those guys aren't trying to hide it. They may not out and out say it, but we know they know we know. That's just facts.

All in all, I hope Zion goes in there, tells the truth and Coach K is left to answer. Because if he gets away with this, I will have lost what teeny tiny little sliver of respect I may still have for the NCAA. Coach K has done some underhanded stuff, and I hope he gets his comeuppance.

Ty

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

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Ty Watches "The Last Dance" Parts 6 and 7

I just finished up the most recent episodes of "The Last Dance", and this is why I was so interested in this doc. This is the stuff I was here for. These are the episodes I have been waiting for. This is the kind of new information I wanted to see, and hear from the man himself, in Michael Jordan. I was so enthralled by everything I watched.

The first episode talked about the first three peat. The team, and Jordan getting to that level, and all the stuff they went through after the third tit;e. This was when Jordan retired the first time. This was when his father was tragically killed. This was when all the theories came out that he was "forced" to retire by David Stern due to his gambling. All the people refuted everything, but still, seeing them questioned, and seeing them kind of shift and look around when they answered, it was glorious. I don't believe that Jordan was forced into retirement, but I also don't think he left to simply play baseball. He was at the top of his game, he was winning every year, he was making a ton of money and he was the biggest star in the world. I think he wanted a new challenge. He mastered the game of basketball, so I think he wanted to try to conquer a different sport, a sport he grew up playing, and falling in love with due to his dad. I think the passing of his dad was the main reason why he walked away. That, and that he was so tired from carrying the Bulls to three straight titles. The stuff with his dad was so upsetting and sad and just miserable too. To see the media drag him the way they did back then, that was disgusting. I cannot fathom what the media would do today. It would have been ten times worse. I will say, to see Jordan, his mom and brother talk about this was pretty upsetting, but I respect that they did it. It had to be really tough for them, but they still did it.

Then they shifted to his demeanor with his teammates. This was the stuff I have been waiting for. They touched on it a little in episode 7, but they really went into it in episode 8. In 7 we got to see Jordan going after a young rookie, Scott Burrell. The stuff he stood up to, the stuff he dealt with, the way he handled it, he is a much better dude than I am. He was a pro, and he knew why Jordan was doing what he did. We also got stories of him and Steve Kerr getting into it. He used to shit talk guys like Jud Buechler and Luc Longley. He went in on anyone that he felt didn't meet his standards. Jordan is the GOAT, and I would have hated playing on his team. But, he did win, and he helped to squeeze out every ounce of talent his teammates had.

They also talked about him coming out of retirement the first time, and how he had to reshape his body multiple times because of switching sports. Jordan was nothing if not maniacal when it came to getting the best out of himself. We also got to hear about the incredible pick up games that would go on while Jordan was filming "Space Jam". The people who made that movie built him a gym, and he had players fly in from everywhere to compete with him so he could get back into basketball shape. This was the season after the Magic ousted the Bulls in the playoffs. The only time I believe a Bulls team MJ was on, after getting past the Pistons, that didn't win a title. Reggie Miller, during a talking head interview talked about how MJ must have been a "vampire" because he filmed the movie all day, played games at night, lifted and did this everyday during the course of making "Space Jam". That was a special moment from this doc.

We also got a look into the 72 win Bulls team. This was the year after Jordan came back, the fight with Kerr during practice, and the way that Bulls team ran roughshod over the rest of the NBA. That team still irks me because they beat my team, the Supersonics, but damn it were they impressive. We also got more of the asshole Jordan during this season, and this part of the doc. I mentioned Burrell and Kerr, but he did this to everyone on the team. They asked him if he ever regrets being so mean, being described as a "mean person", and he said no, very bluntly I might add. He didn't care if he hurt your feelings, as long as you helped him win. I also liked that we got to see Gary Payton heavily interviewed during this episode, he is my second favorite Sonic ever behind Shawn Kemp. He was a great defender, and an even better shit talker. He talked about how he locked Jordan up to help the Sonics win two games in the Finals, and they showed the film to Jordan, and he kept laughing, and simply stated, "Payton didn't stop me, I had other things on my mind for those two games". We come to realize that Father's Day was the day of game six, and this was the first season, and Finals his dad wasn't at. The Bulls proceeded to dominate the Sonics to win the title, and they show Jordan just collapse in the locker room. I would be lying if I didn't say I teared up at this moment. It was a gut punch indeed. They finished the episode off with the East Finals in 1998 against the Pacers, and Reggie Miller saying that he was going to be the guy to retire MJ. Another great line from Reggie Miller.

These were the two best episodes to this point, and it has me so excited for the last two. It's bittersweet though because I don't want this doc to end, but I am so excited to see how they finish it. I imagine it is going to go out with a bang because, with every episode to this point, it has just gotten better and better and better.

This is an amazing docu series.

Ty

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

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Damn You to Hell Coronavirus

I was going to write about another movie today, but I just got an email that upset me, and I want to vent. I have stayed away from this, but since we are going to be doing a pod that talks about this, which will be released tomorrow, I just want to get it out there.

CoronaVirus is awful for so many different reasons. It has stunted everything in sight. I became a teacher when I didn't expect to. It has taken so many lives because the powers that be weren't ready, or just figured it would go away. Businesses have shut down, unemployment is at an all time high and everyone is afraid.

This sucks.

For me personally, and I know it seems trite to complain about such little things, but my sports life has been shuttered. I cannot go to the gym to swim or play basketball. I was training some basketball players as this whole thing started to unfold, and that was stopped, as was my ability to bring home some money. I can't play in my pickup games.I was going to be playing in a men's rec league right as the stay at home orders began. I know it was all done in good conscious, and it seems to be working. Numbers here in Missouri have stayed relatively the same, with about 250 new cases a day, but we are fortunate enough to not have our hospitals completely overrun like other places. I get it. It is doing the necessary stuff it needs to do. I would much rather be alive than go play basketball. But that doesn't mean that I cannot miss it. Like I said, I feel bad complaining about such a miniscule thing, but we all deal with grief and being upset in different ways. I have talked to friends who love all the extra time we are getting. I do too. I have talked to friends that are terrified to even hang out while properly social distancing. That one, I am okay with, as long as we properly social distance. But god damn it, I miss my sports. I am a runner, and I am lucky enough that I can still do that in some capacity. I love to trail run, but state parks have closed everywhere. And that is fine, I can road run. But it has been weird doing it with a face covering. I am always going to be safe, but still, I feel like I am running in super high elevation sometimes.

What am really upset about is the lack of races. There has also been a number of races I was supposed to do that have been postponed or canceled. That was the email I mentioned before. I signed up for a three part trail series, and the first race is now canceled. My half marathon in March was postponed. The marathon I was supposed to run in a week was pushed to next year. Hell, I am not so sure about my fall and winter races right now. I don't know if the coordinators will feel safe, or if I will feel safe at that point. But, it sucks. So does the postponement of all major professional sports. The NBA has been off for two months now. And while they keep talking about bringing it back this year, what's the point? I mean, the players aren't ready, some of the coaches are in the most compromised conditions and it would be a waste of so many tests that could, and should, be given to people that really need them. Baseball is looking into a late June start, and while that may work, they would have to drastically cut down the season. That is fine too, baseball seasons are way too long to begin with anyway. But we also have the use of tests that should be used elsewhere. My son's baseball season has been pushed to June, and that is if we get to play at all. I know in Missouri we are starting to ease protocols, but I can't imagine a world where they allow a bunch of 8 year olds to get together to play baseball. All of this is a total bummer. I saw a headline on Bleacher Report the other day, and it said, "Sports Are Back this Weekend", and it mentioned UFC and NASCAR. To me, those aren't sports. I don't care to watch or read about either of them. I will say, they are doing it right by doing it without fans.

Which brings me to my last point. If/when sports comes back, they should all do it without fans for the rest of the season. That is the safest way to do this moving forward. The players have said they want to play, and people such as myself would gladly watch a basketball, baseball or football game with no fans. I don't care about the fans, I watch to see teams and players. The only people who seem to be against this idea are sports writers and TV people. To them I say, watch like the rest of us. You can still write about a game, even if you aren't there in person. I do it all the time. It works out just fine.

To wrap it all up, I am bummed, I miss sports and I wish things were different. They aren't though, this is the new normal for now, and while I am trying to be optimistic, like only reading good news involving this awful virus, it has been hard to be optimistic when it comes to sports. This sucks, I just want to see college and pro athletes play, run my races and not be afraid to go out in group outings for exercise. I hope we get some kind of conclusion, or vaccine or something sooner rather than later. This whole thing is just awful. It is a great unknown, and with each passing day, we still don't seem to have an end in sight. I'll be hoping that will change sooner rather than later. 

Ty

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

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The Latest Episode of "What We Do In the Shadows" is One for the Ages

"What We Do in the Shadows" was a great movie, and the TV has more than lived up to the hype. It is funny, similar to the movie and gives you that feel that you got from the movie. Season one was exceptional, and so far, season two has been equally as great.

Most shows seem to find their footing in later seasons. It happened with "The Office", "Parks and Rec" was the same, even my favorite show ever, "The Simpsons", really started to get great between the end of season one into season two. "What We Do in the Shadows" has been solid all along. They had the outline from the movie, and the show has ran from there.

Last night they hit a very, very high note. This was the best episode, so far, from the series. At least my wife and I think so. The one thing the show has added that the movie didn't was a new type of vampire, an energy vampire. Mark Proksch, who has been on any number of sitcoms you all watch in small roles, is Colin Robinson, the energy vampire, and he is great. His little bits here and there have been some of the best parts of the series to this point. Last week he had a tremendous moment at a Super Bowl party they were all invited to. He has great stuff in season one pertaining to local government meetings. There was a very solid episode from season one where he has a short fling with a feelings vampire. She would make people sad around her, and that is how she would "feed". But last night the majority of the episode was all about Colin Robinson, and if you are wondering why I keep typing his full name, that is how they refer to him on the show all the time. They always say his full name.

The episode started with Colin Robinson talking about how he doesn't know what he is supposed to do at his job, and he gets called into his boss's office, where he assumes he is going to be fired. Instead, he gets a promotion. He is conflicted because he doesn't want to lose any, as he puts it, "roomie time". He likes the other vamps he lives with. They don't really care for him though. When he comes home to tell them about said promotion, they kind of blow him off, and he retreats to his room, where there is an absolutely excellent shot of him in his bed with pajamas that match his bedding. It is such a throw away shot, but it is so worth it. This reaction from his roommates has him even more worried about the promotion. But when he goes into the office, and has his first meeting that he is running, he realizes that all these people have to listen to him because he is the boss. They have no choice. He starts to become more and more powerful the more he realizes this. He gets to a point where he starts to abuse said power. He talks about how it has become easier and easier for him to "feed". There is a scene where he says he can just say a thing, a cliche thing that 9-5 workers say, and they instantly get bored. It's great. There's another scene where he is talking about how he can feel his power growing, he runs his hand over his bald head, and he has a full head of hair. He goes back to the house and starts to get the roommates to argue over something he subconsciously made happen, and he loves that they are fighting over what he did. It makes him that much stronger. He is so strong in fact, he can move stuff with his mind and fingers, and he can fly. That was another great throw away scene. It gets to the point where his roommates are near death because they are so bored and he continues to feed on them. They start to look old and decrepit and can't even move. Even Guillermo, one of the vampires familiars, is near death because he has no energy left. When Colin Robinson comes upstairs to really let the roommates have it, to finish the job if you will, he multiples into three versions of himself. You think he is going to win, but the three of them get into a mundane argument about a nickname. They argue for over an hour, and they all seem to die. While the rest of the roommates go to bury him, they have recovered since Colin Robinson isn't doing his normal thing, they give him a memorial service. It is very mean and they don't say anything too nice about him, but the original Colin Robinson reveals that he was faking just to witness his own eulogy. He then tells the roommates that he is done doing his new thing. He is done with all the newfound power. When the episode ends, we see Colin Robinson at a new office, because the old one was out of business due to him constantly "feeding", and he seems happy to have a new group of people to annoy and "feed" on there.

This was a brilliant idea from one of the best shows that has come out this year. I love this show, and this episode is the best one they have made to date. I highly recommend the show, and if you are looking for an entry point, check out this one. It is peak "What We Do in the Shadows". 

Ty

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

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Aaron Rodgers is Not Leaving Green Bay

We are over a week removed from the NFL draft, which was a massive success, one I did not see coming, and my hat is off to everyone involved. That was something that could've had thousands of problems, but they figured it out. Kudos to all involved.

Now, my team, the Packers, did not have a good draft. I could see that, the media saw it, the fans saw it and the talking heads all on Zoom saw it and said it. The picks didn't make a ton of sense. They took guys at positions they didn't really need. They didn't take a receiver, in a loaded class, which was what they needed most. They reached for AJ Dillon, who I like but will be put in a bad situation for him. It was a mess of a draft. And, the big topic on everyone's mind coming from the Packers overall draft was trading up to take QB Jordan Love from Utah State in the first round.

There were a lot of questions about Love leading up to the draft, he didn't have a great final college season, he is raw, he is going to need a good amount of time, he is more of a mobile QB than a pocket guy, just a ton of stuff that people questioned. What those same people didn't question was his talent. He was deemed a first rounder the second mocks started to go up. But, nobody, myself included, had him going to a team with an established, Hall of Fame QB currently on their roster. I think this is the main reason everyone was so up in arms about this pick. The Packers have Aaron Rodgers, and while he wasn't great, for him, last season, he is still one of the best, if not the best, QB currently playing in the NFL. He has all the tools, he has the leadership and he has that will to push his team to wins they shouldn't get. But, Rodgers is also on the wrong side of 30. He has a big contract he signed last year, and while that isn't a big problem, I believe that it goes beyond what Love's rookie contract will be, which is a problem for the future. But, I want to point out some things that I have seen since the draft that have kind of blown me away.

I know as well as anyone that Rodgers is one of the prototype asshole professional athletes. He has a very open feud with his family. His former girlfriends don't have too many nice things to say about him after they split. He is tough on his teammates, and while he is great, he isn't Jordan great. He hasn't earned that right. He ran a coach who won a Super Bowl out of town, although it was time for Mike McCarthy to go. Rodgers has his issues. But, he can still play, and play at a solid level for a few more years, if us Packers fans are lucky. But to see articles being written with headlines like, "Which Team will Rodgers Play for Next Season", or, "Rodgers All but Done in Green Bay", or "Rodgers is not on Board with the Love Pick", it is all so stupid, and we are so lost without sports that people will seemingly write about anything that they hope will get clicks right now. Look, if anyone knows what Jordan Love is going through right now it should be Rodgers. So, instead of moaning and groaning about it, I would hope he would be a good mentor for him. He had to sit three years before he got a shot. Also, does he really want to leave Green Bay? Who would he go play for? I know everyone is all hyped about Tom Brady joining Tampa, but I don't think that is going to work out as great as some others do.

Let's say Rodgers does leave, then where would he go that would fit? People have thrown out the Jets as a possibility. They have a worse receiving corps than Green Bay. Some said Jacksonville if they don't get Trevor Lawrence. Why would he go to a losing team for the twilight of his career? I have heard Washington as a possible spot. Well, they still have Dwayne Haskins, and I still believe they would be better off with Cam Newton. Honestly, every team I look at makes no sense for me. I guess this is my roundabout way of saying I don't think Rodgers is going anywhere. Love is no threat to take his spot, this team was in the NFC title game last year and they have a solid defense and a good run game. Also, I truly believes he wants to finish his career as a lifetime Packer. I just feel that these articles are nonsense, and we are all just bored and missing sports.

Look, I was wrong about Brady, but I don't think it is going to be the seamless transition everyone else does. I would be shocked, more so than I was with Brady, if Rodgers doesn't finish his career in Green Bay. It would be a true sports stunner. 

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.

Better Late than Never on "Knives Out"

This past weekend was another quarantine date night for my wife and I, and while we very much enjoyed our local Greek takeout food we had, the movie was the highlight of the evening for me.

We chose to watch "Knives Out" after being told by pretty much everyone we knew to watch it. They were not wrong. This movie was great. It was nearly perfect on every single level. And even when I thought I had everything figured out, the movie would throw in a new twist that made it that much more fun. And my goodness was this cast stacked, and everyone involved did a tremendous job. The list of actors, Jamie Lee Curtis, Don Johnson, Chris Evans, Michael Shannon, Riki Lindholme, Toni Collette, Ana de Armas, Christopher Plummer, Lakeith Stanfield and Daniel Craig. That is a murderers row of actors, and they all played their parts great.

For those that may not know, "Knives Out" is a murder mystery. My wife and I likened it to a less goofy, more updated version of "Clue", another movie I adore. And while it isn't nearly as goofy, and cheesy in a good way, that "Clue" is, it still gave us those vibes. And while "Clue" is great, this movie was better. It was more fun, better acted, better directed and deserves all the accolades it got, of which I found out after watching the movie and reading trivia on IMDB.

In “Knives Out“, Christopher Plummer is the patriarch, and national best selling author of the family. He is the one that is "murdered", and we are taken on a great ride to find out what really happened. At the forefront of the investigation were Stanfield, his partner and Daniel Craig, who plays a PI. Stanfield was awesome, as he always is. He is one of the most reliable actors right now. His partner was also very goofy and funny. He was the comic relief. But it was Craig who stood head and shoulders above all the great names I listed before. He was a southern PI, and when he spoke with his accent I was taken aback at how spot on it was. He legit sounded like Foghorn Leghorn. It was that good. But the way he goes about finding out all the little details in the movie was spot on. He was just absolutely dynamite. I could not take my eyes off the screen when he was doing his thing. And that monologue at the end, where he breaks everything down, that was some the purest, and most exquisite acting I have seen in some time. It was phenomenal. Not to be outdone, Ana de Armas was almost as good as Craig. She plays the nurse, and she is heavily involved in all the beats of the movie. I am trying my best not to spoil anything people. That may be why this seems so blunt. But de Armas really put her stamp on this movie with her role. All those other names, they all gave spectacular performances. Collette, as a failed business lady mooching off her dad was out of her normal realm, but she nailed it. Don Johnson was scummy and sleazy, and by the end, I loathed his character, as I am sure they intended. Riki Lindholme was a stepford wife in the worst possible way, yet she nailed it. Michael Shannon wasn't as creepy as he is in most roles, but that dude can flat out perform. Chris Evans was swarmy and douchey and just when you think you can root for him, he does something that makes him the least likable person in a cast full of not so great people. And Jamie Lee Curtis was simply fantastic as the hard ass eldest daughter of Plummer. This is one of my favorite things that she has ever done. She was so good. As was Plummer. His little scenes int he movie were great, he is great and we should all know that because he is one of the greatest living actors.

I cannot recommend this movie enough. This ranks right up there with "Jo Jo Rabbit" as one of the best movies I have watched on quarantine. And it proves how awesome Rian Johnson is. Not only did he direct this, but he wrote it as well. This, for me, was on the same level as "Brick". I love "Knives Out", and I highly recommend that everyone check it out. It truly is a movie for anyone. 

Ty

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

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Ty Watches "The Last Dance" Parts 4 and 5

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ty

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

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Ty Watches "Dave" Season One Finale

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

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

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

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

Ty

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

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Ty Watches Run the Jewels "Ooh LA LA"

Awhile back Run the Jewels released two new tracks from their upcoming album, "Ooh LA LA" and "Yankee and the Brave". I wrote about how much I loved the songs, and how they both got me very excited for the new record.

Well, two days ago they released a video for "Ooh LA LA", and that just amped up my want for the new record about a thousand times more. The video is dope as hell. It is so cool, so timely and has things in it that only a group like RTJ can pull off. The video opens with some writing, which they proclaim to be an ancient proverb, then the line "I need a bottle of Moet....Garcon", attributed to Killer Mike. We go from this to a big intersection in a big city, I want to say LA, but I am not 100 percent sure. From there on out it gets harder and harder and cooler and cooler. EL-P starts the song off with the chorus, then rips into his verse. It is amazing to see visuals added to his verse. The song is, for me, about how greed is crushing us all right now. EL-P explains as much right off the bat. Killer Mike then comes at us extra hard with his verse about expensive food, cameras, everything. By the way, his jackets are rad in this video. I want his colorful Polo jacket. Maybe that is my way of being greedy, and I need to follow the moral of this song instead. Anyway, both have another verse that is dynamite, as I mentioned when I first wrote about the song. But, all the while they are spitting, there are a ton of people just dumping money into a big pile. Just what looks like millions and millions of dollars, and they are setting it all on fire while dancing. It is jarring at first, but when you actually listen to the lyrics, it is perfect.

RTJ has always fought the establishment with their music. They have talked about corporate greed and destruction. My favorite track of theirs, "Kill You Masters/A Message to the Shareholders" is all about that. I look at "Ooh LA LA" as a kind of sequel to that song. And the video only makes my conviction that much firmer. Also, the amount of people they got to do this video is pretty cool. It actually makes me miss hanging out with people that aren't my immediate family. To get all these people together to dump money into piles, burn it and do choreographed dances is pretty rad. Also, Zack de la Rocha is in the video. He doesn't have a verse on the song or anything, he is just there to hang out I guess. I know that they cool with each other, and have worked together in the past, and they were supposed to be touring with Rage Against the Machine right now. But still, the fact that de la Rocha is just in the video to be in it, for me, it proves how much pull RTJ has in the music industry. I also love how goofy and funny both EL-P and Killer Mike are in the video. EL-P is there with his funny grin, holding bottles of champange, and Killer Mike is doing a goofy smile and jumping rope at one point. They clearly had a great time making this video, and it shows. My favorite moment is when they talk about how they don't care what you ordered, they are what you get, and they embrace and smile right into camera. It is awesome. And the ending, with DJ Premiere just spinning, it is awesome. It is a perfect button. He is scratching records, doing the beat of the song, and while he is intently focused, he is throwing money that is blowing on him into the fire as well.

I love this song, and I love the video just as much. I am a big fan of music videos, and I miss seeing them on TV. But, I like that certain groups go out and still do this, and make it viable for fans to watch. I already had made my own opinion about what the song was trying to tell me, and after seeing the video, I am convinced that I was right. If you haven't listened to the song yet, do that first, and then treat yourself to this video. It rules. 

Ty

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

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Guys, "Once Upon A Time in Hollywood" Was Not That Great of a Movie

In an attempt to see a ton of movies that I missed while in theaters that I wanted to see, I watched "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" last night.

I do want to say, while I enjoy Quentin Tarantino for the most part, this was one movie that I wasn't rushing out the door to see. In fact, I didn't really even try to see it in the theaters. Then there was all the stuff from Bruce Lee's family, I don't think they like the way he was portrayed, and I'm a big time Bruce Lee guy, so that soured me even more. But, I saw it was on Starz the other night, and since we are all on quarantine, I figured I would record it and watch, and I did.

So, first things first, I think it is a fine movie. It isn't the usual bloody, racial epitaph flying violent movies I have come to associate with Tarantino. It is more of a love story to old time Hollywood. I also think, for the most part, the performances were solid. I loved Leonardo DiCaprio in this role. He was truly incredible, as he always is. His portrayal of an aging Western movie star was spot on. I also liked the look of the movie. It was like a neat flashback. But, outside of that, I wasn't super impressed with the movie overall.

As I said above, it is a love story to old Hollywood, and sorry mom, I know how much you like those stories, it just isn't my thing. I don't watch old westerns. I didn't watch good guys and bad guys cop shows. I am not all that in to stories from the late 60's early 70's. I am not, I don't know of it is a smart thing, or just my taste, but I'm not into movies form back then. They just aren't my thing. I mean, I love "The Godfather" parts one and two. And as you all know I love the original "Bad News Bears". But, take movies like "Easy Rider" or "Apocalypse Now" or "Annie Hall", movies people consider classics, I'm not into them. They are too long, and for me, boring. That is a personal opinion though., I'm taking nothing away from them, and their importance, hell, I get why "Citizen Kane" is so influential but I don't like that movie one bit. They're classics for a different generation I suppose. I feel like that is who Tarantino was aiming to please with "OUATIH". He wanted the boomer crowd, he wanted cinephiles like himself. That was the crowd he was going after. And that is fine, it just isn't for me.

The movie also felt very discombobulated. There was a ton of things going on, and I felt that the ending was unfulfilling. There were too many stories that didn't really connect for me. The whole first half focuses on DiCaprio and Pitt driving from lot to lot to do his crummy sitcom. The whole scene with Al Pacino at the beginning is out of nowhere, and doesn't come back until the movie is more than halfway over. Also, the Bruce Lee scene was, quite frankly, not that good. It was demeaning to Lee, and to see Pitt's character beat him up, Bruce Lee would have easily beat him in a fight. The stuff with Pitt as well, his backstory about killing his wife and getting away with it was barely even touched upon. We got one scene of them on a bat fighting, and he had some kind of weapon and we are meant to believe that is when it happened, but nothing is shown, or revealed. The Kurt Russell character felt tacked on as well. It would have been much better if he were just the narrator, for me. Also, that jump after the first hour, to 6 months later, was very jarring as I was watching. I didn't expect it, and there was a ton, too much I'd say, of information tacked on about Pitt, Pacino and DiCaprio's characters. I get it moved the story, but it could've been done better, or differently. We also saw very, very little of Margot Robbie as Sharon Tate in this movie. I like Robbie, and I thought they could have delved much deeper into her story. She barely had any lines. It was more to just show her life when she moved to LA, and how she dealt with the people around her. She could have been much more fleshed out.

I will say, the one thing I enjoyed, or thought was well done, was the ending. This movie posits a world where Charlie Manson's cronies never made it to Tate's house on the fateful night where she lost her life. Instead they end up at DiCaprio's house, and he, his wife and Pitt take care of them. I thought this was an interesting take, but I also thought they could have gone so much deeper with that as the story. I would have much rather seen the world with Sharon Tate still alive. I wonder what her career would have been like if she had lived. I feel like Tarantino could have done wonders with that story. Or, I would've liked a movie that was just about DiCaprio and Pitt's characters. Take us from their beginning to their ends. That would have been so much more fun.

I think "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" was too overstuffed and a ton of things could've been cut had Tarantino focused on one aspect of the story. But hey, this is all coming from the guy who liked "Star Wars 9", so take my opinion as you will. I just wasn't as wowed with this movie as critics and others were. DiCaprio was amazing, but that was the only true highlight for me. 

Ty

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

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"Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker" Was Not That Bad.

Another Rise of Skywalker take?

This past Saturday on our quarantine date night my wife and I watched "Star Wars 9". That is what I am going to call it, I know it has an extended title, but from here on out, it will be known as "Star Wars 9" to me.

First off, I enjoyed the movie. Sure it isn't as good as "Star Wars" 4, 5, 7, 8 or "Rouge One". But, I still liked what I saw. There was cool action scenes, I liked the stuff with Kylo Ren and Rey, I liked how they got footage of General Leia in the movie, I enjoyed the relationship with Finn, Poe and Chewbacca. I liked it all pretty much. I am a novice as you all know. I only saw all the movies within the last four years, after my daughter was born. I liked the original three, I have enjoyed these last three and I do not like the prequels. That is my rating. Also, my favorite of any "Star Wars" movie has been "Rogue One". So, take that as you will. I watched these without the fanaticism, without a love for the characters, I knew who to root for and against, but that doesn't mean I didn't like some of the bad guys. I watched all of them because I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. I wanted to know why this is such a cultural phenomenon. I wanted to get a sense of why people love this as much as I love "The Simpsons". And I feel like "Star Wars 9" was one of the six straight up "Star Wars" movies that was good. Oh, another thing I liked too was the return of Lando. That was dope.

What I really want to talk about today, or ask for the day, why all the hate for "Star Wars 9". I have heard RD explain why he doesn't like this movie. He is a super fan, so the reasons he gives usually go over my head because I am not all in on the whole world of "Star Wars". RD had the toys, he adores Yoda, he has gone to the theaters to see most, if not all of the movies. He is a true fan. So when he gets deep into why he dislikes "SW 9", I am usually at a loss. I also listen to a lot of comedy podcasts that are hosted by self pronounced dorks. They are hosted by people who have openly talked about their love for this series of movies. Some of them even try and defend the prequels which is total nonsense. But while listening to these pods when this movie was out, and hearing RD crush it, I just don't get it honestly. Why is this one so much worse than the first two prequels? I think the third prequel is the worst of the bunch, but defenders will still say that one is better than any of the new three. What is the big deal? Are people mad that Rey, a female, is the strongest person in this made up universe? Are they ticked off because she was revealed to be a Palpatine? Do they not like the cameos and subservient nature to lifelong fans? Do they just want to be insufferable dorks that try and act hip and think that dissing the new "Star Wars" will make them seem popular? I don't really know.

Again, I thought this movie was fun. I liked it. I was intrigued by the story, and how it all unfolded. I was sad when Leia died. I really liked Kylo Ren realizing he was a good dude when he saw a vision of his dad. I thought the fight scene between him, Rey and Palpatine was kick ass. In fact, I really liked the last act of the movie. I thought it was a solid war/action sequence. I have no problem if people don't like the movie. There are plenty of movies the masses like that I am not a fan of. I don't like "Avatar" or either "Frozen" movie. But I also don't go online the very next day and trash the movie, saying things like "this ruined my childhood", or "I will never forgive George Lucas for letting JJ Abrams take over", which are real fan reviews on Flixster. I mean, it is just a movie. A movie that takes place in "a galaxy far far away", and, "a long long time ago". None of this is real. It is science fiction, and for me, it was done very well.

I like "Star Wars 9", and I feel like people going online and saying horrendous things about it are just nerds still living in their parents basements hiding behind screen names. "The Simpsons" said it best when Comic Book Guy trashes "Itchy and Scratchy" when they bring on Poochie, and Bart says to him, "what do they owe you? They have given you hours and hours and hours of free entertainment". Comic Book Guy's only response to Bart, after he is owned, is "worst episode ever". I just want all the people out there trashing this movie to know that when they go on a rant like this, all I see or hear is Comic Book Guy. "Star Wars 9" is good.

Enough said.

For another point of view from someone who only lives in the basement when his wife kicks him out of the bedroom for snoring, check out RD’s views on “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker”. 

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.

Ty Watches "The Last Dance Parts 3 and 4

I just finished episodes 3 and 4 of "The Last Dance", and just like the first two, this is amazing. This is exactly what I, and all other sports fans, have been craving. The show is starting to dig deeper and deeper into all the things that went into this last run for the 90's Bulls.

Episode 3 was focused on Dennis Rodman's addition to the team. First off, Rodman is a crazy dude, but man was he an excellent basketball player. I do not agree with his politics, he is crazy as I said, he is still a little loony, but man could that dude defend, be an enforcer and grab rebounds. Hearing him talk about his early days in Detroit was like taking a class on how to judge angles on the floor, and I loved every single second of it. When he talked about taking friends to the gym at 2 and 3 in the morning to shoot and miss shots just so he could watch how it came off the rim was astonishing. Talking about watching film of how big time players would shoot, and the way the ball would rotate, was like the coolest lesson I could have learned as a young player. His tenacity on defense, and his willingness to do the little things, the dirty work, it was amazing. But, he did come with a ton of baggage. He started to lose it late in his Pistons career. He really lost it while he was in San Antonio. And, while he gave in to the greater good of the team while playing for the 90's Bulls, he was for sure going through some mental issues. He had, and still has, some serious issues, but I say again, the dude was such a uniquely gifted player. He was also another one of these super small school guys who made it big in the NBA in the late 80's and early 90's, and it was because he was willing he work his ass off. He seemed to work harder than almost anyone else in the league at that time. It was pretty eye opening. My favorite part was when the director showed Rodman, Scottie Pippen and Phil Jackson the video of Jordan reacting to Rodman saying he "needed a vacation". That was epic.

Episode 4 picked up with Rodman on his "vacation", and we got a one on one interview with Carmen Electra, Rodman's girlfriend at the time, and again I have to point out the people they are getting for this doc are amazing, and she described Rodman perfectly. She talked about his constant partying and how much fun he liked to have and even spoke on when Phil, Scottie and MJ came to Vegas to pick him up. That was hilarious, and I imagine what must have been going through her head when this happened. We shifted from there to learn more about Phil Jackson. This episode was his episode. They talked about his childhood, his love of Native Americans, how much he wanted the game to be a team game, his work with Tex Winter, his playing days, his drug use and how great of a coach he was. I have said many times that I think Greg Poppovich is the greatest coach in the NBA ever. But I am now wavering because of the way we see how Jackson worked with the greatest ever. How he got him to buy in. How he made him realize that he needed his teammates to help him. MJ may have liked Doug Collins more, but Jackson was the perfect coach for him and that team. Poppovich has the best system, and it will always work. But, Jackson is the best at dealing with major, major personalities. He knows how to handle super duper stars. And while Jackson is the weird hippy guy, he knows the game very well. Well, he and Tex Winter worked together very well. I feel like this episode was kind of an ode to Winter. He is the genius behind the Triangle offense, Jackson was just the face. But, I came away from episode 4 really admiring Phil Jackson. I was also happy because they started to show the real asshole side of MJ in the middle and near the end of the episode. They talked a lot about the rivalry between the Bulls and Pistons back then, and this is when true MJ started to come out. He hated the Pistons, he did what he took to get over that hump, and man oh man does he despise Isaiah Thomas. Again, they showed him a video of Thomas explaining why the Pistons walked off when the Bulls finally beat them, without shaking their hands, and you could see Jordan, who is 57 now, seething with anger. It was another great moment.

"The Last Dance" has been truly wonderful so far, and I fully expect it to continue that way. While this is on, every Monday I am going to write about my thoughts with each viewing. I cannot recommend this doc enough people. It is a wonder. 

Ty

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

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