Ty Watches "M3GAN 2.0"

In my quest to see a bunch of movies I wanted to see last year, I finally saw "Megan 2.0".

I loved the first "Megan". I thought it was a great idea for a movie and they executed it pretty well. I liked how eerie it was. I appreciated how, with a limited budget, they were able to do suspense and horror and even a little comedy. The concept of the movie was solid too, especially in this day and age. I am a little fearful of AI and the firm grip it has on some people already. I think there are good uses for AI, but most people use it for not so good things. That's the scary part to me. "Megan" does a good job telling that story. The main kid's parents die in a horrific car accident and she is sent to live with her aunt, who's a big wig in the world of computers. She has created a robot companion and she decides to see if it works by pairing it with her niece. Things go awry, as they do in movies like these, and the companion is overprotective of the child. The robot companion, Megan, decides that anyone who does so much as raise their voice at her is deemed a threat and the robot needs to take them out. This is where the first "Megan" movie really achieves its goal. It is violent and sinister and they even manage to sneak a few jokes in here and there. I thought about the movie a lot after seeing it. I really enjoyed my viewing experience. So when a sequel was announced,  I was pumped. It felt like the first movie was the little engine that could type movies, and it more than earned its sequel. I'm not always a fan of sequels, but when a movie surprises me as much as this one did, I'm all here for a sequel. And when it was announced that they would have most of the same people back, that made me even more excited. I never had the chance to see it in theaters. It felt like it kind of came and went pretty quickly, which should have been a sign to me. But it is streaming on Peacock, which we subscribe to at my home, and I had some free time to watch.

Right off the bat I got a bad feeling. First off, the sequel is rated PG13. I know the first one is also PG13, but the sequel felt much more like an actual PG13 movie. It felt subdued and like a bunch of stuff got cut, stuff that may have been deemed too violent. The kills in this one just didn't bring the same oomph. I felt like they showed much more in the first movie than they did here. "Megan 2.0" seemed to cut away from every kill right before it happened. I'm not a violent person by any means, but movies are where we all escape. I love the "John Wick" franchise. I'm all in on the "Alien" movies. I loved "Weapons" and "Sinners" from last year. Those are violent movies that show you pretty much everything. "Megan 2.0" showed almost nothing. I also felt like they tried to make the Megan doll too quippy in the sequel. It felt like they wanted to make the robot like Deadpool, but without looking directly into the camera when making a joke. Megan seemed to have a one liner for every single thing that was said. I don't care for that unless I know that is what is coming, like the "Deadpool" movies. I also wasn't crazy about the new robot they introduced in this movie. This robot could have been so much more badass, but they subdued this one as much as they did with Megan. And when they have their big fight in the end, that whole scene felt kind of hollow and unfinished. And as much as I don't want to rag on children actors, the kid in this one was too preachy and too much of a teenager. I'm raising a teenager who has big feelings and lets us know about them. I don't want to watch that when I turn on a movie. I thought the kid did an okay job, she was just very moody and very much a teenager, which was frustrating to watch. I do want to point out Allison Williams, who returns as the aunt. She was all in and did her best to make this a solid movie. My favorite part was when she and Megan were paired via Williams' brain and she had to fight some bad guys. That part reminded me of the first movie.

All in all this sequel did not deliver for me. It didn't have the same juice as the first one and they tried to do too much here. This is the problem when a bunch of money is thrown at a movie that should feel more like a low budget project. I'd say just watch the original and skip this sequel. You'll thank me in the long run. 

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 "Him"

I finally saw "HIM" yesterday. I wanted to see this movie when it was in the theaters, but the timing never worked out. I saw that it was a Monkeypaw produced movie, which is Jordan Peele's company, and that was almost all I needed to check this movie out. The sheer fact that it was about football was just an added incentive for me. I also saw that Tyriq Withers was co-starring in the movie, and his one episode of "Atlanta" was one of the better episodes I've ever seen. It is really good and I highly recommend checking that one out.

Withers is very, very good in this movie. He commands the screen. Seeing him work, opposite Marlon Wayans, was an absolute delight. He played this highly touted draft pick that suffers a horrendous injury and has to come back from all of that. He also has to go workout with the greatest player to ever play the game. When Withers gets to the remote desert to work out with Wayans, this is where the movie gets nuts.

Wayans plays the aforementioned GOAT. I have always liked Wayans, but I have only ever seen him do comedic work. He is not doing comedy in "HIM". Not by a long shot. He plays a deranged lunatic who is obsessed with being the best there ever will be. He does not want to be usurped by Withers. He wants to continue to play the game. He will literally do whatever it takes to stay on top. He is nuts and is willing to do some horrific things to stay on top. Withers and Wayans are so good and so watchable in their roles. They were, by far, the best thing about this movie.

As for the movie, it had loads and loads of potential. But it felt like they didn't know how to really end the movie, and it truly goes off the rails in the last act. The whole idea of an up and coming draft prospect trying to take over for the greatest of all time is an interesting concept. This happens all the time in professional sports. And since these guys are pros, they may not want their job taken by a younger, more intriguing person. Withers plays that intriguing prospect very well. Everyone likes him and wants what is best for him. He loves his family. He constantly says that family is the most important thing. He is the true vision of a future GOAT. Wayans is on his way out. He has done it all. He has eight titles. He has multiple MVP awards. He is considered the best ever. But he is also old and he is on the verge of retirement. This dynamic is great between the two of them, and when the movie explores that, it works. The whole idea of Wayans inviting Withers out to his house in the desert to work out with him and see if he can take over the franchise is solid. I like that they break it down into six different days. Each day is a different, specific work out for a future pro. Like most horror movies, it starts out fine. But after the first day Withers' world gets turned inside out. First he has to strip down to nothing for a physical. Then he starts to see odd things while staying at the place. He is pushed to his limits. He starts to go kind of nuts. He sees the lengths and craziness Wayans is willing to go to to play this game at the highest level. He starts to get freaked out by what he is seeing, but he is also intent on being the best. He gets advice from people there to leave. He doesn't. He gets pushed and pulled every which way. He starts to see some horrific things, but finds it easier to move on the longer he stays. This all works. I was fascinated by watching how each day escalated. I loved seeing Wayans get deeper and deeper into the darkness of his character. It cannot be stated enough how good Wayans was in this role. But as we get closer to the end, this movie unravels and my interest starts to wane. After the party where Withers is selected to be the next franchise QB, the movie goes too big and gets too kooky. The violence and gore is all of the sudden the centerpiece of the movie. What made the first half of the movie so good was the mood and the vibe. It was dark and seedy, but I had no clue what was going to happen next. After the party it became a typical gross out horror/gore movie. It was gore porn in the very last scene. That kind of turned me off from what I had seen before. I get that they were trying to tell a specific story, but they went too far with the gore in my opinion.

I would say check “Him” out for Withers and especially Wayans' performances. But just know going in that it takes a deep dive in the final act and that was frustrating 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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Ty Watches "The Gutter"

I was looking through the streaming services for a movie to watch earlier today. On Wednesday mornings I usually go for a decently long run and then have the afternoon to myself. I usually take that time to watch a movie. I always try to find something I haven't seen yet and that was just the case today. While looking through Hulu I found the movie "The Gutter".

I remember vaguely hearing about “The Gutter” through Paul Scheer and his podcast "How Did This Get Made". The movie came out over a year ago, but I remember Scheer talking about it when I was listening to episodes around that time. He is not the main guy, he has one very funny scene in the movie, but he was promoting it a ton and when I saw it today his talk jogged my memories. I also saw that the runtime was just over 90 minutes and I was in.

As the movie unfolded I found myself laughing and really enjoying my time. For people who may not know, "The Gutter" focuses on Walt, played by Shameik Moore. He moves from job to job and lives his life kind of aimlessly. He eventually finds a job at a bowling alley, working in the bar. The whole interview scene, this is right at the top of the movie, was great. We get a montage of sorts of Walt's former jobs and this stuff cracked me up. The owner of the bowling alley, played by Jackee, plays off Walt pretty perfectly. She is funny, makes more jokes than Moore and she was a delight to see on screen again. D'Arcy Carden is a former pro bowler who now gets drunk at the bar everyday. She basically lives there. I have enjoyed Carden's work since I saw her on "The Good Place". In "The Gutter" she plays a totally different character, but she is still hilarious and great. She is the one who finds out that Walt is actually a great bowler, and they go on an adventure together trying to save the bowling alley where they hang out and work. This is the conflict in the movie, and this is the main story line. Watching Moore as Walt being this great bowler was awesome. I have found that I enjoy movies that take place in and around bowling alleys. I adore "The Big Lebowski". "Kingpin" is a riot. I love the episode of "Documentary Now" that focuses on bowling. I guess I find that bowling makes for funny content. "The Gutter" is now firmly in that camp.

As Carden and Moore go on this road trip, we meet a ton of people. Susan Sarandon plays the "villain" of the movie. She is Linda Curson, a former professional bowler and beloved by her fans. She is upset that Walt is about to take over and break all her records. She does some things that aren't on the level to slow Walt down, but when that doesn't work, she decides to come back and challenge Walt. She doesn't do the back handed stuff on her own, she gets help from Angelo played by Paul Reiser. Resier is the host of a bowling show and he is, quite possibly, the funniest person in this movie. He knew the task at hand and he was up to the challenge. He had the most jokes and I feel like they all landed. During this we meet some of Walt's cousins, played by Langston Kerman and Jay Ellis. They were both great. Rell Battle plays Brotha Candy and he was awesome. He is always monologuing and going on about what he believes in. He is also kind of the savior of the bowling alley in the end, minor spoiler alert. Kim Fields plays Walt's mom and she was dynamite.

Look, is "The Gutter" the best movie ever made, no. But did I laugh and enjoy my watching experience, absolutely. I said aloud to no one that I loved how goofy the movie was. It never took itself seriously. The movie makers were in on the joke. This was kind of like a spoof in certain ways. I also found this movie to be hilarious. I thought Moore and Carden had great chemistry, and I liked that the movie made them just friends. Their partnership was never meant to be romantic. And then I found out that Yassir Lester was the writer and director, and it all made sense.

"The Gutter" is a good time and a very funny movie. Go find this movie and check it out. I highly recommend it. 

Ty

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

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Ty Watches "The Toxic Avenger" (2023)

A while back I watched the original "Toxic Avenger". I had seen a few Troma movies prior to that one, but that was the main Troma movie I wanted to see. I had heard so many interesting things about it and the time had come to finally sit down and watch. And it was fine. It was pretty much what I expected. It was gory, silly, kind of stupid and upsetting at parts, purposely.

After seeing the original I happened to come across a new interpretation of "The Toxic Avenger". I saw that they had a solid cast and I kind of figured I would watch it at some point. Well that day was yesterday. I had some free time in the afternoon, I usually watch movies while folding laundry, so I decided to watch the remake, or reimagination.

What stood out right away to me was that this new version was going to be just as silly and slapstick as the original. The movie starts out with a voiceover by Peter Dinklage, he is the main character, but all the while he is doing voiceover, he is making jokes throughout. I was in from that moment on. I like Peter Dinklage. He was my favorite part of "Game of Thrones". I love his minor role in the MCU. His work in "Elf" is wonderful. He is as reliable as they come in Hollywood. And he is funny as hell. He gets to do a ton of jokes in this movie and I'm here for it. He also plays this put upon scaredy cat before he transforms and he nails that as well. And when he turns into Toxie, although the hero is played by someone else and voiced by Dinklage, his voice work is so perfect for this type of movie. I loved seeing him in a starring role in something goofy and gory. Dinklage has earned the right to star in more movies, and I hope he gets that chance soon.

Joining Dinklage is a pretty solid cast of actors. Jacob Tremblay plays his step son. He is an anxious riddled ball of nerves, and when he finally gets his voice, Tremblay does some good work. I had only seen him in "Good Boys" prior, which is an underrated movie, but seeing him in something like this was a nice change of pace. Taylour Paige plays a former worker of the corrupt company in the movie who is out to show the world how evil the company truly is. She is a very good actor, and I've never seen her do comedy before this. She is the "straight man" in this role, but when she needs to make a joke or a funny face or do anything comedic, she is up to task. Elijah Wood plays the injured brother of the CEO of the corrupt company. He is bald on top,  but has long stringy hair in the back. He uses a cane, talks with a raspy voice and needs an inhaler. He is head of security, but all I could glean security was in this movie was killing people who speak out against the company. Don't worry, minor spoiler, Wood does save someone near the end, but he still has a not so happy ending. And Kevin Bacon plays the CEO of the evil corporation, and he is so good as the villain. He is vile and mean. But he's also being controlled by a mob boss and he gets to play a scared person whenever that guy is around. Bacon has become so good at playing a villian, even in a silly movie like this, and he nails it here. The big fight between him and Dinklage at the end is pretty epic.

Besides the acting, the action and gore in this one is very over the top on purpose. Heads get ripped off, limbs get pulled around, multiple shots are fired to and about faces. It is an endless orgy of gore, but that is the whole idea of Troma movies. They purposely go over the top, and there's nothing left to the imagination. One of the bad guys gets half his head ripped off. Another bad guy gets his arm ripped off by accident. Dinklage uses a mop covered in acid to fight off the bad guys. They do a throwback to the classic fast food restaurant scene in this movie and it gets way more amped up and violent here.

This new version of “The Toxic Avenger” is, overall, a better movie because people make better movies now. That's just a fact. But I think I prefer the original a little more. I like the whole low fi idea of the original movie. But this one is still very funny and a good time. You need to know what you're getting yourself into when you watch a Troma movie, and if you can deal with the gore and goofiness, I'd recommend both the original and this reimagination of "The Toxic Avenger". They're a good time for what they are. 

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 "Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery

Last weekend my wife and I watched "Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery". Let’s discuss.

I enjoyed the first two movies in the series. I think the first movie is incredible and I don't get the hate that the second movie got after it was released. I thought the second movie was very funny in fact. I have always enjoyed the murder mystery genre, and when the powers that be make it a little funny, that is right in my wheelhouse. My son saw a few minutes of this most recent one and he asked my wife and I if it was like "Clue". I feel like that was a very apt comparison. I thought he hit it on the nose. And "Clue" is a classic. I feel like the "Knives Out" series has brought the essence of "Clue" into the 21st century. These are funny and fun murder mystery movies. I know that they have said that Agatha Christie stories are the inspiration, and while that may be true, these are much funnier than any Agatha Christie novel. That is what appeals to me.

And this new one starts with comedy at the very top. We see this newish priest, played by Josh O'Connor, and he is pleading with the board to keep him on hand. Apparently he has punched a church goer in the face for something they have said that rubbed him the wrong way. We never learn what this person said, but this new priest is passionately pleading his case. Josh O'Connor is so great in this role. I don't know much about him, but in this movie he was so good. He portrayed this new priest as what I imagine someone in his generation would be like. He was passionate and opinionated, but he also knew his purpose in life and was going to fulfil that no matter what. I thought he was funny and compassionate and I was there for it. Jeffrey Wright, in a small role, plays O'Connor's mentor of sorts and he was perfect. He has such a commanding and powerful voice and you buy every word out of his mouth. When O'Connor gets put into his new church, this is where the movie truly starts to roll. He is placed in a small church in small town New York, and the characters that this church has are second to none, Josh Brolin is the main guy and he is a piece of work. He plays a version of this new wannabe alpha male who just happens to have an audience. He is mean and spiteful. He goes after what he wants with blinders on. Brolin, who seems to be in every good movie lately, does a fine job playing this butthead of a character. He goes for it and lands the jump. The community is made up of some wonderful actors. Kerry Washington has a "kid", played by Daryl McCormack, and he is a piece of work. He's entitled and a prick. He is a prototypical new age republican. This actor is great. Washington is phenomenal as the put upon lady in her family. They push her aside and make her do all the dirty work and she does it until she cannot take it anymore. And when she exposes information, that is a powerful performance, Cailee Spaeny is very good as the former cellist who has turned to the church to try and help her get over a serious injury. She is the joker who got sukered into thinking money and faith could help her heal. Jeremy Renner is very good in a very different role for him. He is a drunk whose wife left him. He will do anything to get her back, but he goes about it the wrong way. He is a pushover and a follower. Andrew Scott is a sci-fi writer who, much like Renner, will fall in line with the group. He has some of the best comedy readings in the movie and his fate at the end was hilarious and fitting. Thomas Haden Church plays a hard working guy who just wants what is best for his partner. Church continues to prove he is a capable actor. His partner is played by Glenn Close and she has the best performance by anyone in this movie, and it is not even close. She is wonderful as the keeper of the church and her arc is such a joy to watch in this role. Mila Kunis plays a cop and she is so understated and does a wonderful job using cop jargon and going about her business. And then we have Daniel Craig as Benoit Blanc. This is such a fun role for him and he seems to be having a grand old time playing this detective. He chews scenery in the best way possible and I really love seeing Blanc on screen.

This third installment is fun, funny and a well done movie. I thoroughly enjoyed all two and a half hours, and it flew by. I cannot recommend this movie enough, especially if you have seen both, or even one of the previous movies. I believe you will find it as enjoyable as the others.

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 "Marty Supreme"

I took my dad and son to see "Marty Supreme" yesterday and I have a review for you all today. I have wanted to see this movie for some time now, and it just happened to be released here in Saint Louis on Xmas day. We waited through the weekend, but saw it pretty soon after Xmas.

I was predestined to like this movie. I have become a pretty big fan of Timothee Chalamet in the past few years, ever since I saw him in "Wonka", and I like what the Safdie brothers do as far as directing. And I fully understand that this was a solo directing job from Josh Safdie, which I am all in for at this point. Josh Safdie has always felt like more of a director than his brother Benny. I feel like Benny Safdie has always wanted to be an actor, which he is very accomplished and pretty good at by this point. But Josh seems like he prefers to be behind the camera, and that is great. He brought his usual greatness to this movie as well. What I like about a Safdie directed movie is how anxiety riddled, in a good way, you feel while watching one of their movies. That was the case with "Uncut Gems", and Josh Safdie does the same thing in "Marty Supreme". The scenes shift very quickly into one another, there's always some kind of action going on, there's bad guys and good guys to root for, there's always someone talking and trying to get out of a situation and the romantic scenes always feel a little more raw and real in a Safdie movie. All that was in "Marty Supreme" and it all worked really well for me. Josh Safdie is very good at the kind of movies he makes and I want him to continue with this style of making the viewer anxious. There's no one better at making those kinds of movies at the moment.

While the direction is always incredibly important, you need actors who are up to the task, and they knocked it out of the park with the casting here. I'll get to Chamalet last because he was a revelation, which I didn't think was possible at this point in his career. What I appreciate most about a Safdie movie is they give unknowns a chance. Luke Manley, as Dion, is a first time actor and he was amazing as Marty's best buddy. I rooted for him even though others seemed mad at him from time to time. Ralph Colucci was only in a few scenes at the beginning of the movie, but the back and forth between him and Chalamet was incredible. Odessa A'Zion is becoming a star at the moment, but her work here was amazing. She was so in love with Marty, warts and all, and she tried to prove her worth to him time and again. Tyler, the Creator made his acting debut in this movie and he did a wonderful job. He was the guy Marty would hustle with and that felt like a perfect role for him. He should get many more acting jobs from this. George Gervin, former NBA star, was acting for the first time and his presence was gigantic in his minor role. Then Safdie put some former stars in bit parts and they were equally excellent. Fran Drescher played Marty's mom and she was the epitome of a mom trying to control her son. Her work opposite Chalamet was needed in this movie. Sandra Bernhart played a nurse, or something, and she was as wild here as she is in her minor role on "Severance". Penn Jillette has a very small role as a farm owner, but man is he scary and memorable. And we also have Gwyneth Paltrow playing a former aging movie star. She proved what made her such a draw in the 90's and early 2000's here. She was phenomenal in this role. I loved every second she was on screen in this mcvie.

But the cream of the crop was Chalamet. This was an incredible performance from him. He was, at the same time mind you, slimy and charming. He was always hustling and always talking his way out of some problem he inevitably created. There were times where I hated him, then in an instant I was rooting for him. The way he treated A'Zion's character throughout was mean and disgusting, yet I wanted them to be together. Paltrow's character treated him like the child he was, but there were times where I felt like they deserve one another. Chalamet has more than proven his worth in the past few years with the two "Dune" movies and "A Complete Unknown". I also loved him in "Wonka" as I mentioned before. But this performance proved that he is on another level from other actors his age. He embodied this role and he took his acting to a whole other stratosphere. He doesn't have to be the hero or the good looking dude in every movie. Marty is a hustler who is smamry and slimy, and Chalamet absolutely nailed it here. I think he has a definite Oscar nomination coming from this role and that will be two years in a row that he gets a best actor nomination. He is going to be the definitive actor of this generation and that makes me smile.

I highly recommend seeing "Marty Supreme". It is a fascinating performance from Chalamet and the movie will make you care about ping pong. This movie was great. 

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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Ty Watches "The Chair Company" Season 1

I watched the season finale of "The Chair Company" yesterday and I want to say a few things about the first season of this show. This review will be spoiler free. I am not going to divulge any big news because I feel like what Zach Kanin and Tim Robinson achieved with this should be watched by anyone who is a fan of their work.

I was predestined to like this new show of thiers, and it wildly exceeded my expectations. After the finale I sat back and tried to figure out what it was that had me so interested. And I have come up with a few ideas. First off, for the most part, they cast people that look like real people. This is a show filled with people that I feel like I could see walking down my street. This is not a knock on their looks. I appreciate when shows have real looking actors on. Not everyone on tv has to be this ideal look of beauty and skinny. They don't need to have pounds of makeup on covering any minor thing that may not look great on film. The people who populate this show look like me and my family and friends. They got people who know how to act, then put them on a major tv program, and I don't know why but I appreciated that. Tim Robinson is a normal looking guy, as is Zach Kanin. So is Jim Downey and almost everyone else on the show. They did cast Lou Diamond Phillips and Lake Bell, who are both very attractive, but that didn't take anything away from the rest of the cast. Even the actors playing Robinson and Bell's kids were great choices. I like that they did that because that's what they did on "I Think you Should Leave" and "Friendship".

I also liked how compact and quick this season went. It was eight episodes, all about 30 minutes long. That is how it should be done. I don't mind 45 minute to hour long shows, but they can be tedious from time to time, especially when an entire episode is basically foreplay to some big idea later in the season. With each episode going 30 minutes they needed to get it all out there in each episode. They leave no stones unturned. We get answers and I am fully on board with that. I want more shows to adopt the 30 minute runtime and have a season be 10 episodes or less. It is way less of a commitment and leaves room for other content to stream.

I liked how dark and angry this show is. Tim Robinson isn't afraid to do comedy like that and that is why I like his work so much. My mother in law was asking if this is a show she should watch and I immediately told her no because of how dark it is. She doesn't like that stuff, and while I do, I know that she would be put off by it. I am all for it. I want it to be dark and dreary. I loved when something uncomfortable would happen during this first season. The whole scene at the bar with the local actor and the bowl of soup was cringe comedy gold. And that was just the tip of the iceberg with the first season.

But, the thing I loved most and what kept me coming back was how involved I became with the plot. I wanted to know why the chair broke. I was invested in the whole investigation between Robinson and the people who helped along the way. I wanted to know more and more about Tecca and Red Ball Marketing. These are things I shouldn't care about, and shouldn't work on a tv show, but they made it work and made it tense and anxiety riddled. The run-ins with the bad guys were great. The "friendship" between Mike and Ron was so bleak yet I couldn't turn away. The sheer fact that they made me care that Mike wasn't invited to a teenager's birthday party should speak volumes as to how well done this show is. But, the whole idea of watching a middle aged midwestern dad go down this crazy rabbit hole because he fell when he went to sit down on a Tecca chair just shouldn't have worked. Yet it worked like gangbusters and I cannot wait to see what they do in the next season and beyond.

If you enjoy dark comedy and specifically the works of Zach Kanin and Tim Robinson, "The Chair Company" is a must watch. It shows growth but also gives you all the stuff you have liked from their previous work. This show is awesome. 

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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Ty Watches "Sisu: Road to Revenge"

I have just returned home after seeing "Sisu: Road to Revenge". Let’s discuss.

This is the sequel to the very underrated "Sisu" that came out in 2022. "Sisu" was about a Finnish man who was protecting his gold from the Nazis. The movie was incredibly action packed and a blast to watch. I still think of some of the action sequences in that movie to this day. There's a scene involving a massive plane crash, and to see the main guy walk away from that, it was pretty amazing. And that's the entirety of that movie. It's massive action sequences, and it is a bunch of villains chasing one hero. The original truly blew me away, my dad came over to my house to watch it On Demand with me and we both rave about it to this day. So, we both had to see this sequel. The theater only had about six people in it this morning, including my dad and I, but it was perfect. I knew the other audience members were fans of the first movie just like my dad and I. This new one also got very good early reviews, so my expectations were pretty high going in.

And "Sisu: Road to Revenge" absolutely delivered. This movie has about five to ten minutes of story to tell and the rest is pure action. I feel like this movie puts a franchise like "Fast and Furious" to shame. While those movies are fun and funny, this movie is all about adrenaline and action. I'm not big into that type of stuff either, unless I'm watching a movie. I love the "John Wick" franchise, and this whole world of "Sisu" is akin to that, it just takes place during and after a war in the former Soviet Union and  Finland. After we see the main guy tear his old house down it is pretty much non stop action pieces. I really like that these movies are told in chapters. It lets me know what to look forward to. And in this one the main guy has a big truck, so he has to be on the road, thus his "Road to Revenge".

When I say what I'm about to say, remember that this is a compliment. "Sisu: Road to Revenge" makes the first "Sisu" movie look understated. I mentioned before that he survived a horrendous plane crash in the first movie. Well, that is almost child's play in this one. They go for it and then some with the action in the movie. The main character has to fight motorcycle bad guys with bullet proof helmets on. There's a whole train sequence that is wild. He has planes coming after him. It is nuts. And the whole while we have one guy that is setting all this up, and they establish very early on how evil this villain is. But that's the thing, everyone besides our hero, for the most part that is, are villains. The train is full of villains. It is almost like everyone is out to get him, but he is so damn crafty and superhero-like. The things he survives this time around are wild. From electric fire whips to multiple punches in the face and a myriad of bullets flying his way, our hero finds a way and I was there for every second of this movie. I told my dad after the movie was over that I liked it so much for the action, but also that I could just turn my brain off and watch such a kick ass movie. The makers of this movie aren't trying to win any major awards or trying to tell some kind of heart wrenching story. They just want to make a straight up action movie and boy do they achieve that and then some.

I loved this sequel. I was primed and ready for it and it still found ways to surprise me. I cannot recommend it enough. And if you do see it, make sure to watch the original first just to understand what is all going on in this world they have created. "Sisu: Road to Revenge" rules. It is a total blast. 

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 Running Man"

My son and I had a night out, my daughter had a sleepover, so she, her friend and my wife hung out, and we went to see "The Running Man". Let’s discuss.

I have always liked the original movie. I have plans to read the book at some point. What I love most about the original movie is how campy and hilarious it is to me. The idea of the movie, the US has slipped into a post apocalyptic state, reality tv shows are all the rage and the most popular one is "The Running Man". This is where the top athletes in the world go and compete. The contestants are usually hard up for money, have some kind of wild athletic prowess and want to go on this show because they think they can win. The whole show has the entire world hunting them as well. It is a no win scenario for the contestants. Sounds bleak, but the original movie made it funny.

This newer, updated version is still funny, but with Edgar Wright directing, it has some heart and humility as well. Glen Powell plays the lead role in this version, and he is pretty perfect for this role. He's down on his luck working man, but he was let go from his job for trying to help his other coworkers. We also see that his baby is sick and can't get the proper medicine. Instantly we are all rooting for him. There's two other contestants, and they play their roles, but this movie is all about showcasing Glen Powell, and his journey through this show. Josh Brolin plays the evil producer of the show, Coleman Domingo is the host and Lee Pace plays one of the main hunters on the show. Where this movie differs from the original, people can pick to be on this show. It is all voluntary. I loved watching the montage scene of the contestants showcasing their skills. It was cool to see the difference in each person. The movie is somewhat of a real world to me. Powell is picked to be on "The Running Man" because he is clearly the best athlete there, and Brolin fully believes that he can win the game, or so he says. When the game starts, the movie gets intense, but still manages to stay fun and funny. Seeing Powell play an adult and deadly version of hide and seek was fun as hell. He tries to do the whole disguise thing, but that eventually wears off. I will say, seeing Powell trying disguises is hilarious to me. He is still incredibly buff and handsome, no matter how many fake mustaches or pairs of sunglasses he wears. As the game goes on the movie gets way more intense. Powell is constantly on the move. His videos that he is forced to make are being doctored. He gets help from random people along the way, and they have to suffer through all his nonsense. Michael Cera shows up at one point and he is my favorite part of the whole thing. He is funny, he makes it feel like an Edgar Wright movie and he plays a very memorable role. I have always been a fan of his, so having my son kind of geek out at his appearance, that made me very happy. When we get to the conclusion, this is where we see Lee Pace. Pace is brutal and extremely violent. He is very good in this role and I liked his performance quite a bit.

All in all the vibe of this movie was perfect. It was reminiscent of the original, but updated. Edgar Wright was kind of perfect to direct. He knows how to make a solid action comedy. And when he gets his people involved, it makes the movie so much better. I would recommend this movie to anyone who liked the original and wants to see an updated version. I liked it, my son really liked it and it has made me want to revisit the original and read the book again. That is the mark of a solid movie going experience 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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Ty Watches "Frankenstein"

After three sit downs, I finished Guillermo Del Toro's "Frankenstein" yesterday. Let’s discuss.

Right off the bat, I loved it. It was melodramatic in all the right ways. The movie looked beautiful. I wish I had seen it on the big screen, but my television at home was just fine. I thought the acting was stellar, the writing top notch and, for a two and a half hour long movie, I was never bored. This was a movie where I wasn't even enticed to look at my phone, and that is saying something.

I was pretty hyped to see the movie after a few trailers and RD telling me he saw it and seemed to enjoy it. I am also all in on anything involving Oscar Isaac. He is a great actor and seems like an even better person. He was perfect as Victor Frankenstein. He can pull off the egomaniacal like no one else. I found myself feeling for him at times during this movie, then at the next moment I would loathe him. That was his job in this role. Every version of Victor is different, but the one Isaac chose was perfect for my viewing experience. Mia Goth pulled double duty and she was equally great. She played Victor's mom in the first half, then switched to Victor's brother's fiance. She shined in both roles. As the mom she had very little to do, but you could see the very close, very odd relationship she had with Victor as a child. Her death wrecked him, and both Goth and the actor playing young Victor nailed it. Then, as his brother's fiance, she was great playing coy and toying with Victor to an extent. Goth has this look about her that is so compelling. She reminds me of an actress from a forgotten era. She is so good at playing these over the top roles, but bringing the character down to Earth. She was exceptional here. Christoph Waltz was a made up character in this version, but as he always seems to do, he was wonderful. He was goofy at times. He was flirty in a way with Victor. He made me feel for him as he was sick and dying. I was shocked, spoiler alert, when he plummeted to his death. I wanted more and more of his work in this movie, but the character is only supposed to be around for part of the story. And Waltz was dynamite. And Jacob Elordi was a revelation. I liked what he did in "Saltburn", but he was so, so much better as The Creature. He took his portrayal all the way from infancy to fully functioning adult, all the while looking like a monster. I felt for him. When he continually asked for a companion, I wanted Victor to make him one. When he could only say, "Victor", each different way of voicing it said all he needed to say. It went from joy to pain in a matter of seconds. When Victor was abusing him I wanted him to fight back. When he finally did, I was stoked. The opening of the movie, on the Russian ship, was one of the coolest ways I've ever seen a movie start. It was violent and loud and brutal and showed us everything we needed to know about the current relationship between our two leads of the movie. Elordi did so well with his work in this movie. He truly proved his star is only going to shine and rise brighter than most working right now.

Guillermo Del Toro directed the hell out of the movie too. From dream sequences, to when The Creature was created, to the build up and the conclusion, he was on the mark. While "Pan's Labyrinth" is still my favorite Del Toro movie, this one is quickly rising the ranks. With this cast and director I expected something great and I was pleased that this movie lived up to my expectations. I couldn't take my eyes off screen. With each passing day that I didn't finish it I felt the urge to go back and watch the next day. I wanted to see it all. I liked how the story was told and was very pleased with everything we were given on the screen.

Watch Del Toro's "Frankenstein". It is currently streaming on Netflix, but if you can, go see it in a theater. I bet the IMAX screenings are amazing. This is a very, very good movie. 

Ty

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

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Ty Watches "Bugonia"

I went to see "Bugonia" yesterday. I have wanted to see this movie ever since I saw a teaser trailer maybe four or five months ago. Let’s discuss.

I am a Yorgos Lanthimos fan. I think he makes thought provoking movies and he always seems to do something interesting and unique with each new movie he directs. I have also really liked the pairing of Jesse Plemons and Emma Stone in his movies. I don't like to use this word because it feels gross to me, but she is something of his "muse". She has been in a bunch of his work, winning an Oscar for "Poor things", and from what I have read she seems pretty comfortable working with him. I feel like she gives it her all in his movies, and in return, Lanthimos gives her some juicy roles. As for Plemons, I believe the first thing he did with Lanthimos was "Kinds of Kindness". That is an odd and long movie, but it is different from anything else he has done, and after I finished it some months back, I thought about it for a long time. And that movie is Plemons movie. He is the star, at least in my eyes, of all three acts. And he absolutely delivers. Plemons is an odd dude himself, and he thrives at playing weirdos. After watching "Bugonia" yesterday, my buddy I went to see it with said that he wishes Plemons didn't play similar characters in his work, but he is so good at it, and he should just keep playing this same role time and again. He has found what works for him, and Lanthimos feeds into his work. And Plemons plays a straight up weirdo in this movie.

The short plot summary of "Bugonia" is about two cousins who look at the internet way too much and decide they need to kidnap the owner of a high powered company because they believe her to be an alien. Plemons plays Teddy. He clearly has some issues with his past and he had a weird relationship with his mom. I'm going to be spoiler free the rest of the way. Plemons let his hair grow long and didn't shave for this role. That helps him in portraying this sad sack of a person who thinks what he is doing is right and everyone else is wrong. He is fully committed to his beliefs, and if anyone tries to stray or question him, he is ready for a fight. It was kind of disturbing to see him do this role because, as unfortunate as it is nowadays, there are people who actually think and act like him. It is upsetting when someone buys into conspiracy theories full bore. They see no other way, and Plemons nails that. His cousin Don is played by newcomer Aidan Delbis. He is autistic and believes that Teddy only wants what is best for him. Even when he questions what Teddy is doing, he is quick to apologize and take all the blame, Don is the only person in this movie worth rooting for. He has a good heart, he is just being led by the wrong person. I felt for Don and wished he had a better outcome. Emma Stone plays Michelle, the owner of the company. She is wonderful in this movie. She gets to do so many different things and she does them all so well. She is such a reliable and consistent actor. When she vacillates between her character's different traits, it is an absolute joy to watch on screen. I feel like she is at a point in her career where she can do what she wants because she is such a good and in demand actor. Stavros Halkias has a minor role as a creepy cop. Alicia Silverstone is unrecognizable in her role in this movie, and she plays a very important part. And Vanessa Eng is only in two scenes, but she does a great job playing an underling of Michelle's.

With “Bugonia” Lanthimos takes a totally different approach from his previous movies and I like that. This movie is much smaller than his previous stuff. A basement of a crummy farmhouse is the main set. I appreciate that Lanthimos can do as much with way less. That more than proves his talent.

"Bugonia" is not the easiest movie to watch. It is heavy and paints a dark picture of our modern obsession with the internet and conspiracy theories. But damn does this movie pay off tenfold during the final act, and I loved every second of it. I highly recommend this movie for Lanthimos fans, but also for people who like to be challenged when they go to the theaters. "Bugonia" will be on my mind for some time now. 

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 "Let's Start a Cult"

I took a break from watching scary movies last week and opted for what looked to be an interesting comedy on Prime the other day. The movie is called "Let's Start A Cult".

What piqued my interest was Stavros Halkias. I like his comedy and his appearances on podcasts have always made me laugh. I knew he was an actor, but to that point I only really knew him from podcasts. I recently saw he has a role in the new Yorgos Lanthimos movie "Bugonia", so maybe he is more of a big time actor than I had ever perceived. But "Let's Start A Cult" is a starring role for him. This is his movie and he owns the entire thing.

The plot is, Halkias plays a cult member that many of the other members actively dislike. He's rude, he takes what he wants, he doesn't follow any of the rules and, when they decide to meet their maker, they leave him out. After he finds out that he was not part of the mass suicide, he moves back home, where he hates it. His family has all gotten thin, he doesn't like his job and he is constantly goofing off. Then he sees the former leader of his cult one day, dressed as a clown, and he attacks him. They come to terms, form an alliance and they decide to start their own cult. This is when the movie gets funnier and funnier. I really liked seeing them do their thing. They prey on the weak and feeble minded. They try to take whatever they can from them. Well, I should say, the former leader is preying on the weak, but Halkias really believes in this cause. He wants to start his own family. He feels like, if he can pick his own family, he will be a happier, healthier person. He forms legit friendships with these new people. They all seem to like him too. But the former leader is jealous and unconcerned with what the new cult members actually want to do. He just wants to take advantage of each and everyone, including Halkias. One night he performs a song for everyone, and they start to kind of buy in. This is where Halkias gets to do a little dramatic work, but he always has some kind of comedic take which buttons the scene with some solid humor. Eventually Halkias saves the day and he becomes the leader. This is all part of the former leader's plan. He leaves and then they see him on the news saying that Halkias was the leader of the former cult and that he was the one who made them commit suicide. Halkias has to clear his name to the media and his new friends. He goes so far as to try and drown himself. When he comes to, after being saved by his new friends, he realizes that the whole idea of a cult is nonsense. And then he is out to clear his name. They find the former leader and confront him while he is being interviewed. Everything comes to a head, and the former leader tries to take over the whole ordeal. He gets hurt pretty badly and Halkias' name is cleared. We see them a few months out and everyone seems to have achieved their goals. Two of the members are a couple. The other member has quit his job as a spy and can live a normal life now. And Halkias is married to a former pro wrestler and they have a daughter. Halkias is also an in demand motivational speaker now.

This may all sound weird and maybe formulaic, but they do such a good job making it funny. The movie never takes itself seriously and that is the best way to go about doing something like this. This movie reminds me a lot of "On the Count of Three", but even less serious. "On the Count of Three" touches on some very real stuff throughout with some jokes sprinkled in here and there. "Let's Start A Cult" is funny all the way through. I found myself cracking up throughout the 90 minute runtime. It was a nice break from all the scary stuff I have been watching lately. I definitely recommend checking this movie out. It is a nice little gem that will make you laugh. I really enjoyed it. 

Ty

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

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Ty Watches "The Chair Company"

Tim Robinson and Zach Kanin are on a hot streak right now. I absolutely love "I Think You Should Leave". It is one of the best sketch comedy shows there has ever been. I know that Kanin didn't direct, and I don't even think he is in the movie, but you could see his fingerprints all over "Friendship". He and Robinson had to have written a bunch of that movie together at one point or another. And now they have "The Chair Company" on HBO.

Look, I was predetermined to like this show. I remember hearing about it awhile ago and I was already in at the mere mention of Tim Robinson and Zach Kanin's involvement. Then I saw a teaser trailer and I loved it and had no idea what I saw. It was just a clip of Robinson hanging out in the bathroom and then some shots of him at a computer. I was super intrigued by that 30 seconds alone. Then I saw some people talk about it online, some people got early screenings of the first episode and they had nothing but good things to say about it. I did not watch the premiere on Sunday, but I did watch it pretty much as soon as I woke up on the following Monday. And I loved it. This show is fully inline with the work these guys have done before, but they are taking it a few steps further than they have with their other stuff. You could see this coming, but the way they have pulled it off to this point has been right up my alley.

The whole idea of the show is, Robinson plays a middle America worker at your run of the mill company. He gets promoted for a big job, and on the day he is announcing everything to everyone who works in the office he goes to sit down and the chair breaks into a bunch of pieces. He is clearly embarrassed. Others at the job seem to have moved on from the incident, but not Robinson. He is consumed by what happened to him and this chair. He starts to dig deeper and deeper into the company that makes the chairs and some revealing stuff has already happened in the first two episodes. The show is hilarious, as one would expect, but it is also dark. There are some heavy undertones attached to this simple premise. But what I have loved the most about this show is how insane Kanin and Robinson make the mundane everyday life stuff. Robinson is meeting some shady individuals, but they are old and pretend gangsters. He is always on edge when he is having conversations with this family. His wife is very busy planning their daughter's wedding and their son is focused on getting a basketball scholarship. They manage to take this stuff and make it funny to me. There's a scene where Robinson is trying to sleep at night and he makes some blanket statements about his pillow being the issue. I love that he says it is the worst pillow in the world. I cannot count how many times I have said that about the pillows I used to own. I also like how Robinson is constantly trying to get out of this conspiracy he started himself and simply cannot. It appears he has gone a little too far and has dragged himself far too much into this chair company. And speaking to the mundane, the scenes where he is trying to figure out more about this chair company by doing some internet research have some of the best and funniest facial reactions. This is the stuff I have come to adore about Robinson's acting. He can make these wild faces that never cease to crack me up over and over again. And when he talks to himself, I find myself laughing harder and harder.

"The Chair Company" is off to a great start so far. I am really interested to see where this story goes, and if they will make more when it is all said and done. Robinson seems to be on an upward trajectory similar to what Nathan Fielder has going on right now. They both have unique and awesome comic minds. They make comedy unlike anything else that is out there today. And I'm here for it. I want it to continue. From "The Rehearsal" to "The Chair Company", Fielder and Robinson's version of comedy is better than anything else out there at the moment. Check this show out. It is pretty great. 

Ty

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

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Ty Watches "KPop Demon Hunters"

My daughter was finally able to get me to see "KPop Demon Hunters". She has seen it a ton, and my wife has watched it a couple of those times with her. I would pop in and out of the room while it was on, but I never actually sat down and watched it from start to finish. We had some free time last Saturday and she asked if I wanted to finally see it. I said yes, and sat back to see what the fuss was all about. I did know most of the songs going in, but I wanted to see them within the story of the movie.

First things first, this is a solid movie. I get why my daughter and her friends all seem to like it very much. This is very much a movie for kids that really like pop music, which is my daughter to a T. I have never listened to much, if any, Kpop, but my daughter has started to listen to it a bunch since her first viewing of this movie. The music is good and catchy. I find myself singing it around the house when I'm alone. The songs have been stuck in my head ever since watching the movie. I genuinely enjoy listening to the soundtrack. That helps this movie a ton for me. I don't know how much I would have liked it if it weren't for the songs and dances. The animators did such a great job making the songs come to life on screen. The singers are all pros and it shows. They know what they're doing.

The story of the movie is interesting. Huntrx, the girl Kpop group, are superstars who also happen to be demon hunters. There is a thing called the "honmoon", and these powerful people have been in charge of keeping it free of demons. Throughout history there have been these Kpop girl bands that also happen to be the best hunters in the world. That duty has now fallen on Huntrx. I like this whole idea of these superstars having an extra job that they have to do constantly. They did a good job of showing how tiring and hard a life like this would be. But, the girls in Huntrx smile throughout and they make some solid jokes during the movie too. Like any movie, there's a few conflicts. One of the Huntrx girls has a past that she will not tell her bandmates about. There is also a new boy band, Saja Boys, that may have ulterior motives in their quest to become the biggest pop band in the world. This movie takes these tropes and runs with them. There is the will they won't they with the two main singers from the two groups. You want to see how Runi, who is the main girl in Huntrx, is trying to come to grips with telling her bandmates about her past. We see her past and what is going on with her. The Saja Boys have a "boss" that they have to answer to throughout the movie. There are some great set pieces and very cool dances in this movie. Look, "Kpop Demon Hunters" is very formulaic. But, when you have good writers and a dedicated cast, you get a good movie, tropes be damned.

There's a reason why this movie has become so humongous, and now seeing it for myself, I get it. This is a good movie. It is fun to watch with your kid if they like it. I don't think I'd watch it on my own, but I'm glad my daughter was so persistent because I had a very good time watching. I recommend you see it too if you have kids. It's fun. 

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 "One Battle After Another"

I was able to get out yesterday with a buddy of mine and see "One Battle After Another". Let’s discuss.

I am a Paul Thomas Anderson fan. I have seen pretty much all of his movies to this point. I have not watched "Phantom Thread", "Licorice Pizza" or "Hard Eight". Every other movie of his, I can check off my list, and "There Will Be Blood" is my favorite of his, and one of my favorite movies of all time. By design I avoided any news of "One Battle After Another" besides watching one preview. I didn't want to read anything or know anything going into the movie. I did see that it was getting great reviews, but I made sure to read zero of them. That's why I'm glad that I went to see it on opening weekend. I think I may have spoiled it for myself had I not seen it this weekend. I will go about my review spoiler free because I feel like this is a movie that everyone needs to see, and if you can swing it, go see it in a theater with other people. Now, onto the review.

This movie is as good as the critics have been saying it is. I had super high expectations going in and they were all exceeded. This is one of the best movies I have seen in quite some time. After sleeping on it, I do believe that this movie jumps ahead of both "Sinners" and "Weapons" as my favorite movie of the year. It is a true work of art. I feel like PTA is at the top of his game in this movie. He has complete control over everything he is doing and it shows on screen. There's one scene with a car chase that is an incredible thing to see on screen. The acting in this movie is tremendous from everyone involved. Leonardo Dicaprio gives my favorite performance of his ever. He is funny and rundown and I found myself rooting for him throughout. Chase Infiniti is a total revelation. I believe this is her first movie and she does an amazing job. Teyana Taylor gives a gripping performance in her role. I didn't know much of her, but damn is she great here. Sean Penn is evil incarnate and he does some of his best work ever. I was watching him and this performance reminded me of how great an actor he is. James Downey, former "SNL" writer and Adam Sandler collaborator, plays a very menacing role which is totally different for him. Regina Hall continues to prove how reliable an actor she can be. She is so moving and gives the viewer some wonderful acting to watch. Benecio Del Toro is quickly becoming one of my favorite actors, and the calm demeanor he shows in this role was much needed and a breath of fresh air. And the rest of the actors in bit roles do the most they can with the small amount of screen time they may have. The story is haunting and relevant. The writing is top notch. The acting, as previously mentioned, is the cream of the crop. I truly loved everything about this movie. The runtime is 2 hours 41 minutes, and it felt like the time flew by. I could have watched a few hours more and been totally happy.

"One Battle After Another" is why I love the movies. The fact that a movie like this is being made, in our current climate, makes me hopeful for the future and proves that unique content can still be made. I cannot recommend this movie enough. I want everyone to go see it and then have a conversation about it afterwards. It truly is the movie of the year. 

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 "Warfare"

I'm a fan of Alex Garland's work. "Ex Machina" is one of the best sci-fi movies ever made. I think about that movie a lot, and to me that is the sign of a modern day classic. "Devs" was hard to understand at times, but it was a very provocative and interesting show. I kind of appreciate that it only lasted one season. "Men" wasn't great, but it had its moments. And "Civil War" is one of the most harrowing modern war movies out there. All of this led me to his newest movie "Warfare".

I had heard about this movie before, but it slipped my mind. Now it is streaming on HBO Max, so I sat down and watched it last weekend. This is an intense, bleak and tough movie to watch. It is also very, very good. I thought that what they were able to achieve was pretty incredible. "Warfare" focuses on a group of Navy SEALs that embark on a dangerous mission during the Iraq war. The movie is told by the memories of the involved soldiers. I do not know if any dialogue used in the movie was written. I believe that they went with what the soldiers' memories told them. This is a very interesting and unique way to tell this story. This isn't an old war either. This war took place only 19 years ago. This is all still pretty fresh for these soldiers I'd have to imagine. So, getting to hear it being told from them is the best way to do something like this. The dialogue is very much military speak. They talk about locations and coordinates. I heard them ask for backup and help many times. They had people doing voice overs that were all about what they were seeing from their monitors in the sky. The whole "story" of this movie is the mission. There's no love story or anything like that. This movie is about the SEALs. We see them coordinate and work alongside one another. You get a sense of camaraderie and understanding. The soldiers know their jobs and they do them to the best of their ability. They work as a team and they do what is best for said team. Being a team sports kid growing up, seeing that method used in another aspect of life was pretty neat. I really liked how well they did their jobs. When the mission starts to get hairy and go awry, I read after the movie that this particular mission was one of the bloodiest in the war, the movie gets even more tense and anxiety riddled. But, seeing each member of the team continue to do what they had to do was very harrowing. Guys were brutally injured, important members of the team, and the next guy stood up and took their place. Guys who may be having panic attacks or were frozen by fear, they were pretty much forced to snap out of it and continue to get the help they needed. When other soldiers showed up to help, seeing them all work together was fascinating. But, make no mistake, this movie also wants us to see the brutal side of war. These were kids for all intents and purposes. They must have mostly been in their twenties. They must have PTSD, and will for the rest of their lives most likely. "Warfare" doesn't shy away from showing us the brutality that war has on the people fighting it. I said to my father when talking to him about this movie that it is the most realistic fiction movie I've ever seen. It felt like you were right there with these soldiers. I was terrified the whole time. I was tense while sitting on my couch and watching this movie.

I feel like "Warfare" should be required viewing for high school students. This is an important movie that shows all the ins and outs of war. I recommend everyone watch this movie. 

Ty

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

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Ty Watches “The Long Walk

This afternoon my dad and I were able to go out and see "The Long Walk". I went into this movie knowing very little about it. That was my goal. I read a few reviews that were spoiler free, and watched one trailer. I will keep this review as spoiler free as possible. But I wanted to go in cold. I wanted to let this movie wash over me and form my own opinion about it. I did also know that it was based on a Stephen King novel. Fun fact about me, I have only seen a few movies based on Stephen King books, and I have only read one of his books. But, I do like what he does and I agree with and enjoy his persona online. Stephen King seems like an ally and I like the work he does.

Anyway, "The Long Walk" was great. I told my dad afterward that I didn't want to say things like, "I liked what I saw" or "that was a fun movie" because, make no mistake, this movie is bleak. There are a few redeeming things in it though. They show the value of friendship and what the human body may be able to go through when faced with dire consequences. But this movie is intense and relentless.

The whole idea of the movie is you go to a thing called The Long Walk and you walk until you cannot anymore. There's only one winner and there's no finish line. That is it. But the way this story unfolds was pretty damn great. The friendships and bonds made along the way make this a movie worth visiting. The world created in the book and movie doesn't seem so crazy in times like these in America right now. This is a police state and a police run game that they're playing with these kids. My dad and I both agreed that this movie is akin to something they'd do on "Squid Game". The movie doesn't let up, and I think that's the point. The people who made this wanted to show how bleak and upsetting something like this could be if it were to come to fruition. The actors were incredible. The side characters do a great job of doing things that make me like and root for them during their time on screen. The creepy people watching them walk adds a real creepiness to the movie. The unnamed and zero dialogue police officers make it even scarier. But this is a star turn for Cooper Hoffman and David Jonsson. These two are the two main guys in the movie and they do an amazing job. Hoffman has an idea going into this and he wants to win. But he also cares about his other contestants. He also shows the rigors that a contest like this can do to a person. He does a very good job of trying to be even keel while living through a nightmare. Jonsson is a revelation for me in this movie. I had never seen him in anything before today, and he is the true star of this movie. He does so much with his ample screen time. He is the good and the hope that this movie portrays. He is so easy to root for and I wanted nothing but good things for him. And he is never corny or saccharine. He tows the line perfectly every instant he is on screen, which is pretty much the majority of this movie.

I cannot recommend this movie enough. It ranks right up there with "Sinners" and "Weapons" for me. It is going to be on my year end best of list. "The Long Walk" is very much worth your time. Go see it. 

Ty 

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

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Ty Watches "King of the Hill"

I was kind of unaware that they were going to do another season of "King of the Hill" until one of my brothers mentioned it to me at coffee a month or so back. Then it dawned on me that they did announce an updated season. We were going to see what the Hill family and friends were up to since they were last on tv.

I loved "King of the Hill" during its initial run. It was funny, made great observations and had some poignant and moving episodes. I always sided with Bobby because he was the kid in the family and he was, for me, the funniest. I often think about the episode where he gets gout to this day and it still makes me laugh out loud. Hank and Peggy Hill were great too, but Bobby was my guy. The rest of the cast held a place for me too. The Supennewsinpons, I'm sure I misspelled that, always fought with the Hills and it was always pretty funny. Dale, Boomhower and Bill were great side characters as Hank's buddies. John Redcorn and Dale's wife's relationship had tons of jokes that made me crack up. Joseph, Dale's kid, although it is clear that John Redcorn is his real father, was a nice mix of his folks. And everyone else did a great job. I will say with this new season, it was kind of a bummer that Brittany Murphy tragically died so young because that meant no Luanne. And it was pretty obvious that they were going to address Hank's dad passing, but they did do it in a very funny way, and then heartfelt way, throughout this new season.

Going into this season I really didn't know what to expect. I also had my guard up because I really do not like all the remakes or retelling or bringing back old shows for a new season. Right from the jump though, I enjoyed what I saw. It had the same cozy feeling of the original "King of the Hill". The way they explained the reason for taking a break was that Hank and Peggy moved to Saudi Arabia for Hank's job. This led to some funny stuff throughout the season. The way Peggy announced Saudi Arabia was great. Hank found out that he loved soccer. There were times when they missed the life they had overseas. I thought they explained that really well. They did great with Bobby, making him a chef that co-owns a restaurant. He does Japanese/German fusion food, and that is so perfect for his character. He also has the same voice from the original, and it was wild to hear that voice come from a 21 year old Bobby. And I loved it. Hank's buddies are back, although Dale is now voiced by Toby Huss, who I thought did a serviceable job. The stuff with Bill and COVID was great. Dale is as wacky as ever and Boomhower is just living his best life. The task rabbit episode featuring Boomhower does a great job of explaining his whole vibe I felt. And having Joseph and Connie back, and hanging with Bobby, it was just great.

This season did a very good job of coming back because they did a good job of sticking to what made the original series so wonderful. They update some jokes and talk about all that has been going on in the world, but in the end this is a show about a typical family in Texas. And is it clear that Hank Hill is still the main character. This show revolves around him and I'm here for it. And the way it ended definitely lends itself to more episodes, which I hope they do.

If you liked the original "King of the Hill", check out this new season. It is well worth your time. 

Ty

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

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Ty Watches "Imported"

Yesterday I was scrolling through streaming services trying to find something to watch. I started to search sports docs because I enjoy watching those types of movies. They're informative and I find them relaxing. I wound up watching a sports doc on Hulu called "Imported".

“Imported” is a movie about overseas professional basketball players. I'm a sucker for any sports doc that focuses on basketball. Basketball is my first love when it comes to sports. I was intrigued by this one because I have always been interested in the life of an overseas professional athlete. It helped that the movie was less than 90 minutes long. So, I clicked on it and sat back and watched.

Now, is this a great sports doc, not really. A great sports doc is a movie like "Hoop Dreams". That is the blue ribbon of sports docs. I also enjoy stuff like "Last Chance U" and "The Battered Bastards of Baseball". "Imported" is not on that level. But it was pretty damn watchable as a movie. I found myself interested in hearing directly from the athletes themselves. And some of the stories they told were wild. One guy talked about warming up for a game and all of the sudden his shorts were on fire. Apparently the fans were throwing flares in the crowd. A few of the pros talked about playing in Greece and how they never got paid their full salary. They would go and ask the owners of each team and there was always some kind of excuse or workaround. That would have driven me nuts. A few of the female professionals would talk about people in other countries that would just stare at them when they walked down the streets. Some said it was because their team was in the playoffs, but others said it was their size and the way they looked. It was shocking to hear all of this. What really got to me was the fact that some of these players said they preferred to play overseas. Some of these players are stars in the country they currently play for. Others, namely the women players, said that they make so much more money overseas.

"Imported" was very interesting with some of the facts they put out there. The doc did focus on one guy who helps players find teams and sets them up overseas. And while I appreciate what he is doing and how hard he works, I could have used less of him and more of the players. The players' stories interested me the most. So while "Imported" may not be the best sports doc that has ever been made, it kept my interest and had some good information. I was intrigued by what I watched. I would recommend it to anyone that is a basketball junkie such as myself. This is not for the casual fan, you need to be hyper interested in basketball to watch "Imported". 

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 "Twisted Metal" Season 2

I finished season 2 of "Twisted Metal" last week and boy oh boy did I love it. I thought the first season was solid, but you could kind of tell that it was made on a razor thin budget, and we were still dealing with COVID to a degree. That being said, they did a very good job with what they had. I thought the story of season 1 was great and when it ended I was fully interested in where they could go from there, especially after what they did to Thomas Haden Church's character, which was much deserved in the world of the show.

Well, with season 2 they clearly got money and a runway to kind of go full steam ahead. And they most certainly did this time around. Season 2 was bigger, grosser, funnier and a total blast. I don't usually go back and rewatch seasons of shows this new, but I will most definitely be doing that with "Twisted Metal". We have some people from season 1 back, and they were much needed. Quiet, Stephanie Beatriz, and John Doe, Anthony Mackie, are back and they get back together pretty quickly in this new season. Stu, Mike Mitchell, is back and even funnier and the writers kind of go the distance with his character. Sweet Tooth, played by Joe Senoa and voiced by Will Arnett, is just as violent as he was in season 1, but he is also way funnier this time around. But it was the inflection of a bunch of new characters that really made season 2 sing. Patty Guggenheim plays Raven, who is one of the many people that run New San Francisco. She had a rough time in the past, which has made me the hardass she is in the world of this show. She is badass and willing to fight anyone in her way. Tiana Okoye plays Dollface. She is the leader of a movement of women that want to make things fair in this world. They have an odd way of going out and showing that they are brutal, but she does have good things in mind to make the current world a fairer place. Saylor Bell Curda plays Mayhem. She is younger and has only lived in the world of the show, so she is incredibly green. But she is also feisty and crafty and is somewhat of a fast learner. Richard De Clerk plays Mr Grimm. This dude is pure evil and he and Sweet Tooth have a past. When he shows up on screen this season, things get serious. Tahj Vaughans returns as Stu's best buddy Mike. But he has a new friend, former cannibal Dave played by Johno Wilson. These three are the comedic relief for the most part and they are both hilarious. Lisa Gilroy plays Vermin. She was unrecognizable, gross and brutal. Michael James Shaw plays Axel, my favorite character from this season. He is totally badass, and the episode when he has an intervention was very funny. But the best addition this season was Anthony Carrigan as Calypso. He is so eerie and so evil and fits this horrendous world so perfectly. He creeped me out everytime he was on screen, but I have to assume that was his job in this role. If so, he absolutely nailed it. Having all these new people show up could have been a problem, but the writers and actors knew exactly what to do and they nailed it.

I really liked season 1 of “Twisted Metal”, but season 2 went above and beyond and they totally nailed it. I really hope they get a third season. This show can do so many more things in the world of "Twisted Metal". And I really want to see how they take the ending of season 2 and make a whole new season out of that story. I fully recommend this show. I have thought about getting the video game just to see how the two compare. Until then, I'm going to go back and rewatch this kickass tv show. 

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.