Ty Watches “The Boys” Final Season

My wife and I finished the final season of "The Boys" yesterday. Let’s discuss.

We put it off for longer than we expected due to how depressing and real the show was becoming. I fully understand why the show went into that direction and why they were telling the stories they were, but it was exhausting. We live in a crazy and messed up world already, and tv was one way for me to unplug and move on. But I do appreciate that they were telling the stories because people need to know how messed up and awful things can get if we continue to trend the way we currently are in this country. Artists need to speak up and speak out and the team behind this show were doing just that. I like that. But we decided to finally start watching the final season about a month ago, and we wrapped it up yesterday.

All in all I thought the final season was solid and fitting. Sure, and this is going to be as spoiler free as possible moving forward, some people died that I didn't want to see go, but that is the nature of the show and the story they told to wrap it all up. I got emotional at one of the people that they killed off. Other people, it was almost euphoric to see them get their comeuppance. Some of the people turned into truly volatile and putrid people, and to see them get theirs in the end, that was a solid touch. Some of the episodes, they had eight in the final season, felt dragging at times but it was all for a purpose. The slower moments meant something to the overall ending in my opinion. It felt that they needed to let some people go and tell some more drawn out stories to get to the conclusion they landed on in the end.

I also like that they brought some people back and let them do their thing. The guestlist for this season was top notch as well. There's an episode with Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Kumail Nanjiani, Seth Rogen and Will Forte all playing themselves. And it was my favorite episode of the whole season. My wife mentioned that they had some people from "Supernatural" on the show, and being that she was a fan of that show, this made me very happy. Jensen Ackles, who plays Soldier Boy, is the rudest, crudest and one of the more disgusting superheroes on the show, yet he was my favorite "villain" in the final season. He was funny, knew his messed up kid was up to no good and got out before it all got too crazy.

Homelander, played by Anthony Starr, was and always will be a despicable person. Starr nailed his role, especially this season, because I grew to hate him so very much by the end. Karl Urban, Butcher, had a solid final arc. Hughie and Starlight's story was fine and had what I deem to be a proper ending. I liked Sister Sage in the final two episodes of the season. Deep got his just desserts. And I feel like all the side characters had proper endings for their characters.

After we watched the finale I told my wife I didn't get all the hate it was receiving online. Granted, I never read the books the show is based on, but the finale felt fitting and satisfying for me. I watched all five seasons of the show and this felt like the best conclusion they could have come up with in the end. I do think people just want to be angry at stuff so they can try and go viral. But to be this upset over a tv show finale, get over it. It's like Bart told Comic Book guy, they gave us five seasons of a good show, what could they possibly owe us? I think they did a good job, gave a good ending and went out on a high note.

I don't plan on watching any spin offs or series moving forward involved with this universe, but that is just because I feel that the tv and movie market is oversaturated with superhero stuff. But, as far as superhero content goes, I think "The Boys" got it right and got out at the best time. I liked the series and enjoyed this final season. It ends on a high note and a hopeful note which is all I really wanted in the end.

Thank you to the actors and creators and writers of this show. We got five solid seasons and that is a sign of a job well done. 

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 "Backrooms"

I was able to go see "Backrooms" on Monday, and I have some thoughts about it.

I have wanted to see this movie since I first heard about it a few months back. I saw a trailer before some other A24 movie I went to see and it intrigued me. Then I heard some more things about it that stoked the fires even more for me.

I heard that it was directed by a 20 year old that was found on YouTube. I saw that they had cast Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinsve in the lead roles. I am a fan of A24 and will watch most of their stuff. And I heard it was creepy, but in more of a psychological way. Those are the kind of "horror" movies I tend to enjoy. I don't like gore porn or jump scare movies. I am also not the biggest fan of traditional horror movies. There's just something that fascinates me when it comes to psychological horror/drama movies. The underlying creepiness compels me. It is why I am able to watch stuff like "Hereditary" or "Bring Her Back". Sure, these movies are very creepy, and can be haunting, but they are more of a mind f than anything else, and I prefer those types of "horror" movies. "Backrooms" definitely falls into that territory for me as a movie goer. Don't get it twisted though, this movie is scary. But it is more in the details and the threat of what could happen in this scenario.

I have later learned that this movie is based on a YouTube series that I have yet to see. I plan on watching the series now that I've seen the movie, but that is for another day. I was happy to know only the very little that I told you all up top going into this movie. You should go in as blind as possible if you have not seen this movie yet, and my review will be spoiler free by the way. That's the ideal way to experience this movie in my opinion.

"Backrooms" was a fascinating watch for me. I was on edge the entire time, but in the best possible way. Watching it all unfold was at times scary, frustrating, compelling and overall exciting. I sat on my Letterboxd review for a while because I couldn't figure out how many stars to give it. In the end I settled on three and a half. That felt proper to me. There are moments, the movie is about an hour and 50 minutes long, that I thought could have been cut. I understand why these certain scenes were left in the movie, but I also think we would have been fine if they were a little shorter, or gone from the final cut completely. I don't know if we need all the flashbacks with Reinsve's character. And maybe they only needed one scene in the therapist's office. But that may just be me. But the rest of the movie was compelling. And scary. The opening sequence itself, which was tremendous table setting, had me on edge. It was spooky and left me wanting to see what was going to happen next. The use of sound was exceptional. It was loud and soft at the appropriate times. When I needed to be spooked by something, the music cues helped me out. I thought they did a wonderful job in that area. Ejiofor and Reinsve were up to the task. When they had to monologue, they crushed it. When they had to step back for the others to shine, they did well in that regard too. Those two are solid, seasoned actors, and they showed that tenfold in these roles. And Kane Parsons seemed to have a deft hand as a director. He may be young, but this kid has an up and coming career. My son asked if the direction was good, and I told him it felt like a real movie directed by a real director. There was nothing that stood out as bad or over the top. This kid knows what he is doing behind the camera and it showed on screen.

I recommend this movie to fans of the genre. If you want to be creeped out, but also have a mind f, go see "Backrooms". I'm very curious to see what Kane Parsons does next. But for now, he came out of the gate swinging and I thought he had a pretty solid first attempt. 

Ty

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

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Ty Watches "I Love Boosters"

Over the weekend I went and saw "I Love Boosters". Let’s discuss.

I was primed and pumped for this showing. I'm a big Boots Riley fan. Ever since one of my older brothers introduced me to his music, he raps in a group called The Coup, I was on board. I have always liked how politically charged his lyrics were and still are. I like that he has something important to say. I like that he has some of the best guest features on their albums. I loved Pa the Funkstress, may she Rest in Peace. I then saw that he was making a movie before the pandemic. "Sorry To Bother you" is one of the most unique movies I've ever seen. I was instantly in love with that movie. I told everyone I know to go see it. I took my dad to watch and had my wife watch it with me as well. They had their opinions, but this was a movie I wanted to share with everyone I knew. I have heard from friends that I recommended it to, and they have said they liked it. It was such a good take on the ills of wealth and the lengths people will take to get there. I have not yet watched "But I'm a Virgo". I actually plan on starting that later this afternoon. And then we have "I Love Boosters". Boots Riley and crew have been promoting the hell out of it since they announced a release day. I watched all of that with bated breath. I saw early reviews, and thankfully they were praising the movie. It was widely released last Friday, and the internet was abuzz with people giving it its flowers. I tried to see it on Friday, but the timing didn't work. Fortunately for me my son's basketball game didn't start until 6pm on Sunday, so I was able to see it Sunday afternoon.

I loved this movie so much. It is so Boots Riley to an absolute T. From the jump I knew I was in for a ride. The Tune Yards are back doing the score for this movie, they also scored "Sorry to Bother You". The score for this movie was carnival-esque. I read after watching the movie that the members of the band decided to try instruments they had never played before, like a mouth harp or an accordion. That comes across tenfold when listening to the score. I also love that the Tune Yards sing during the score. They say simple stuff, like "Hi Ho", but man does it work for me. We then have the cast, and they crushed this movie. The Velvet Gang, these are the Boosters, more on that in a moment. Keke Palmer is the star and she nails it. I hung on her every moment. I loved every look she wore in the movie. I thought her plans were the best. She was dynamite. The rest of the gang is filled out with Naomi Ackie, killing it as a mom who is trying best to get the best for her kids, and Taylour Paige, who seems a little dimwitted, but when it comes down to it, she knows what she's doing. Poppy Liu shows up about halfway through the movie, and I loved her backstory and reasoning for why she was doing what she was doing. LaKeith Stanfield is so awesome as a love interest for Palmer, who may have a secret. Demi Moore plays a tremendous villain. I grew to despise her as the movie went on. She also has the wildest office I've seen in a movie. Don Cheadle is in this movie, but you would have to look it up to see who he plays. He is awesome in this role too. Jason Ritter and Jermaine Fowler have bit parts that are very memorable. And this movie has a great story to go along with the great cast. Boosting is stealing clothes from a store and selling it at a lesser price to the people who truly want the clothes. The Coup actually have a song about it on their excellent record "Pick A Bigger Weapon". But this movie has so much more to tell. We have the boosting, but we also have striking workers, poor work conditions, tons of comedy, some of the most vibrant and cool looking clothing in a movie, a great story about friendship and family and some wild stuff that happens, that I don't want to spoil, in the final act. The movie also has a hopeful tinge to it, and makes me feel good when I'm watching it.

I stood up and clapped when the movie was over. Others joined in with me. "I Love Boosters" is so good. I want Boots Riley to continue to make movies because he has the most unique voice in directing right now. Go see this movie and see it in a theater full of people if you are able. It is so good and so fresh. We need more movie makers like Boots Riley. 

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 "Wonder Man"

After much badgering and constant asking, my son won and I sat down and watched "Wonder Man". He was in my ear about the show the moment he finished it. He knows that I am not the biggest fan of superhero stuff at the moment. There's too much of it, I feel like if you have missed anything you will not know what's going on and all the backstory seems like too much. And then we have this whole other scenario of alternate universes. It's all just a bit too much. But my son disregarded all of that and kept at it.

I'm glad he did. I finished all eight episodes of the first season in about four days. First off, each episode is no longer than 35 minutes. That is a big selling point to me lately. A lot of shows I used to watch or want to watch, each episode run time is damn near an hour. It's just too long. I have really been dragging my feet on season 2 of "Fallout" because of the episode length. That is not the case with "Wonder Man".

The show also stars one of my favorite actors, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II. He was awesome in the television adaptation of "Watchmen". I thought he was the only good part of the "Aquaman" movies. I enjoyed his version of "Candyman". I think he is a very solid actor and I believe he is only going to star in more and more things moving ahead. He plays the lead character and he is very good in this role. I like that he plays Simon as this overthinking actor. He gets cast in smaller roles and then tries to make them so much bigger than they actually are. And when he does reveal his power, it is never because he needs or wants to. Wonder Man's powers only come out when he gets too angry, kind of like the Hulk. I bought all of Mateen's work in this show. He was easy to watch, he embodied the character and he shined through and through.

Ben Kingsley returns as Trevor, AKA The Mandarin. Luckily for me I did see the "Iron Man" movie where he was The Mandarin, so I knew his backstory. But even if you weren't aware of his story, "Wonder Man" gives you more than enough clues and hints as to who he was before all of this. Kingsley is such a solid and dependable actor. He gets to do a little comedy here and has a little fun with this character. I liked his work a lot in the show and I'm curious to see if they bring him back in anything new from the MCU in the future. These two run the show and they are in pretty much every episode.

The story revolves around their journey to both star in the new "Wonder Man" movie. Trevor has some ulterior motives, but he truly does become friends with Simon along the way. I liked the dynamic between Mateen and Kingsley. They really bought into the friendship these two grew to have very quickly. I also loved the whole idea of Simon having this power his whole life, but also trying to just be a regular kid and adult. He loves the craft of acting, and it shows.

The first season had eight episodes, and like I said before, pretty much the whole show revolves around Trevor and Simon. But there's one stand alone episode in the middle of the season entitled "Door Man". This was a very cool episode, shot in black and white, and showed that a person with superpowers who is an actor may run into trouble. This episode reminded me a lot of what they did on "Wanda Vision", which I think is the best MCU show.

My son told me that the show was renewed for a season two, but I'm kind of hopeful they wrap it up with this lone season and just let Simon and Trevor exist in the upcoming movie slate. Time will tell. But I'm glad I finally sat down and watched this show. It is different and fun compared to other MCU stuff. I didn't have to know a bunch of stuff going into this show, and that helps me want to watch. I recommend it to anyone that is looking for a light and breezy watch that has some really good moments of drama and comedy. "Wonder Man" is a solid tv series. 

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 "Louis Theroux: Inside the Manosphere"

I believe that I may have watched 2026's best horror movie yesterday. I was scrolling through Netflix and I came across a preview for a newer documentary titled "Louis Theroux: Inside the Manosphere". The preview was enough to pique my interest, and with a runtime of 90 minutes, the decision to press play was easy. I also went into the movie knowing it was going to make me upset and angry, but sometimes it is good to get those emotions out. So after pressing play I found myself so angry for the next 90 minutes, I was giving my tv screen the finger when certain people showed up that I vehemently disliked.

For people that may not know, "Inside the Manosphere" shows the life of four of the most controversial and bigoted male influencers currently on the internet. I didn't bother to learn their actual names or internet handles because I despised them so very, very much. I hesitated even doing a review because this could be another way for these monsters to keep themselves relevant for another week on the internet. As I was watching I found myself worried for Theroux's safety, and the safety of random people simply walking by these scumbags on the street. What made this documentary so abhorrent and scary to me was the sheer fact that these are real people who exist in the real world and have found a way to "thrive" simply by putting content on the internet. The ease and fake glamour that comes with internet fame has made me very discouraged as of late, and this movie only furthered my distaste for influencers. These people acted and said the exact stuff I figured they would, and it still made me very angry when they would do it. There was one guy that, no matter what he said, he would always button it with, "and that's a fact". Even if he was saying some wild stuff, he always ended it with that statement. He would say some vile stuff about his wife or someone on the internet, and then finish it with that stupid statement. It infuriated me. This one influencer was talking to some fans, who Theroux would meet up with later, and they were saying that depression was not real. They said it was all manufactured. Then Theroux got onto the topic of family and the same guy who said depression wasn't real told Theroux that his brother died via suicide. That is one of my biggest issues with people who have this line of thought. They contradict themselves within sentences.

There was this other toxic influencer who was making his money degrading women on his awful podcast. He would bring women on from the street just to demean them. And when Theroux pushed and talked to his girlfriend, the toxic influencer was getting so upset that he told his girlfriend to leave, and would not do any further interviews with Theroux unless it was all set up by him. In a surprise to no one, that guy's girlfriend broke up with him. He also had the dumbest calculator he would use on his show to try and prove some kind of fact that doesn't exist. This guy was a truly awful piece of work.

There was another one of these bozos that was banned from pretty much every platform, except for X. This goes to show you how awful that platform has become. X is all about spewing hate speech and getting clicks. It is the worst of the worst when it comes to these types of platforms. But this idiot was thriving on X with his dumbass "political" view videos. This moron was so out there on conspiracy theories that it frustrated me so much whenever he would open his mouth. But the worst thing about this guy, there was a moment during the doc when he was walking down the street and a bunch of young teens, probably 14 or 15, were starstruck when they saw him. It is so upsetting that some of the youth today find solace in idiots like this toxic influencer on the internet. And it was clear that these are the only fans this guy gets because these kids' brains have not fully formed yet, and they are just looking for someone, anyone that talks like they do.

The worst of all was this one guy who was a walking contradiction. He clearly has bi polar disorder and I'd love for him to get help. He really, really needs it. He would talk about not being a "sheep", but then do whatever his followers told him to do. He would constantly talk over or louder than Theroux, and then claim he had "won" the argument. He would bemoan an adult film star in one scenario, but in another he would promote OnlyFans models on his personal site. And he was also involved in horrible investments and he would con his dummy followers by having them invest money as well, and he would pocket a profit from that. Oh, and he was on the run from the police in England. But the funniest thing that Theroux caught on camera was when this dumbbell was talking to his mom and she chastised him, made him clean a spot on his rug and told him to get her juice. He did all of this while calling her mommy.

"Inside the Manosphere" really scared me because people like the morons interviewed in this movie have this weird pull over, mostly, young kids today. These "guys" are toxic and the worst kind of role models young kids can have. They don't think of consequences or have any issues with the terrible things they say and do on the internet. I'm sure they're all very unhappy individuals who have had to resort to doing these things because they are so money obsessed. But the sheer fact that this new world, and social media have unfortunately given them a platform, they are making money hand over fist and they continue to spew hate speech all over the internet. This movie will anger you and make you wish these people never ever found any kind of fame. It is a bummer and I wish people like these monsters never achieved any sort of fame. 

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 "Lord of the Flies"

Last night I finished the miniseries "Lord of the Flies". Let’s discuss.

Truth be told, "Lord of the Flies" is my all time favorite book. I remember reading it when I was in middle school, and ever since then I try to read it every so often. I read it last summer when they first announced that this show was being made. I may have to pick it up again after watching the miniseries. I have watched the movie that came out in the 60's, or maybe the 70's, a few times and find it solid. I never saw the version from the 90's, but I felt that I didn't have to see it. But the announcement of this show reinvigorated my appetite for this story.

I read some early reviews that were middling, but I'm glad that didn't stop me. I tend to think that people who go online instantly after something is released just to trash it is a bad look. There seems to be some people out there that just want to hate on something. But I was going to watch this no matter what anyone said. When I saw it was four episodes I made the decision to take it slow. I was going to watch one episode every other day I thought. That seemed like a good plan. But after watching the first episode that quickly changed to watching one a day for four days. That worked for two days, but last night I was so intrigued and moved by episode three that I decided that I was going to finish the whole thing right then and there. I could not stop thinking about the series, and that's the sign that I really, really want to watch a show. So I wrapped it all up around 10pm last night.

Right away, I thought this was a great retelling of this story. The movie from the 60's does a solid job of telling the story, but it misses things here and there. This being a miniseries, they have a little more time to tell the whole thing. That makes for a better viewing experience for me. I also appreciate that this series told the story through the eyes of the four main characters. Chapter 1 is entitled "Piggy", then we have "Jack", "Simon" and, finally, "Ralph". This was an interesting and newly unique way to bring the story to life. We got a little backstory of each character, and why they may act how they act. Piggy is portrayed as the intellect with the most common sense. He can tell and feel when things are going off the rails. He calls out all the inconsistencies and problems that he sees. But no one listens to him because he isn't a cool or popular kid. Piggy has always been my favorite character, and this actor did a wonderful job bringing Piggy to life. In chapter 2 we see Jack and all of his foibles. He wants to be a leader, but he is cowardly. He bends and twists every conversation to suit his needs. He doesn't think about the consequences. He is nice to people to their faces when they are alone, but mean when others are around. I know this actor did good work because I grew to despise him as the show went on. That was the end goal and this kid achieved that. Simon's episode was my favorite. This was the most atmospheric and deepest and darkest episode. Simon just wants to be accepted for who he is, but he also has some issues he has yet to realize or deal with in his own way. He and Jack clearly have some kind of back and forth in their past that he wants to deal with. Simon is probably the most level headed person next to Piggy, but no one listens to him because he has issues with fainting. He can't get a word in edgewise, but he always tries until he gets cut off. He wants Ralph to be the leader he knows he can be, but he never gets to see that come to fruition. For such heavy themes in this episode, the actor playing Simon absolutely nailed his role. And the final chapter focuses on our leader, Ralph. This episode was such a fitting and fulfilling conclusion to the story. Ralph has nothing left to fight for, but he keeps going. He won't give up until the final second. He is the only one left with a decent head on his shoulders. He hasn't given in to the ills of living off the land. And he is the most mature and adult of any of these kids. So much so that, spoiler alert, when the sailors get to the island and rescue the kids, he is the only one who tells the truth and wants nothing more than to be off that horrid island.

This version was told expertly by the people involved. I read that the people behind "Adolescence" did this show, and they are some of the top dramatic writers in the game. I was so happy that the show was put into such capable hands. And these kid actors did a masterful job. They bought in and played these amazing, memorable characters so well, it was such a sight for me. I even loved how the kids were loud and annoying at the worst possible times. Some looked thrilled when the adults showed up, others looked worried, as if they were in trouble. The kid actors showed every emotion that I would imagine a kid in this situation could show, and they nailed it. I was very impressed.

As a lifelong fan of this book, the miniseries did such a good and respectful job of telling this story. It was true to the source material and that made me happy. I recommend this show to anyone who has read this book and loved 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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Ty Watches "DTF St. Louis"

Yesterday I watched the final episode of "DTF St. Louis". I will admit, the initial lure was the whole Saint Louis in the name. That was why I first turned it on and streamed the show. But as this first, possibly only season, who knows, wore on, I found myself intrigued by what I was seeing. The show was marketed as a "dark comedy", but this was much more dark than comedy in my opinion. And that is okay. I don't mind when a show goes dark, especially when it is done well.

For people who may not know, "DTF St. Louis" is about two friends who decide to try a hook up app in their town. The show goes down much further avenues than this, but that had to be the elevator pitch on this show. I don't want to spoil much, so feel free to read ahead. David Harbour and Jason Bateman play the two main characters. Bateman plays a local weatherman. On the surface he seems like a regular dude who just happens to be on tv. He has a wife, a couple of kids and a house with a fence. He likes to bike, in an awkward looking bike, and he seems like an active, normal guy. David Harbour comes into his life as his translator for the deaf audience of his show. He is new in town, and he and his wife, Linda Cardalini, make fast friends with Bateman and his family. Harbour saves Bateman's life during their first broadcast. There's a massive tornado that rips through town while they are doing the news, and Harbour pushes Bateman out of the way of a fast moving road sign. Their friendship blossoms after that. One day, while Bateman is hosting a BBQ, he mentions a new hookup app in town to Harbour. Harbour is a little put off at first, but then he buys in.

The show starts to go wild from there. This is where the comedy kind of leaves the show too. Harbour's character dies. This is not a spoiler. This happens within the first few moments of the first episode. The show goes on a mission to find out who, or how he died, and we get to see the whole backstory of these three people whose lives get intertwined. I'm pretty open about my wants and desires with my wife when it comes to the bedroom, but this show brought up stuff that I have never heard of before, or didn't even know was a thing. The writers of this show have much more vivid imaginations than I must have when it comes to that stuff. But Bateman and Harbour play it very well. Cardalini does a very good job too. She is so good at the stuff she does in this show. I would go from despising her to feeling bad for her in the midst of one episode. She is a very good actor, and her performance here was much needed and appreciated. Bateman does good stuff too. He is meek, but also knows what he wants. He speaks his mind and says whatever is in there. In fact, he might share too much. But Harbour was the main draw for me. He is funny, sweet, kind, weak willed and a pushover. And he does it all very well, sometimes doing all of them in one episode. I didn't know what to expect from him, but his performance really shocked me in a very good way. I rooted for him all the way through. I felt bad for him. I wanted him to get all the things he ever dreamed of. And I was devastated when he died in the first episode.

But as the show wore on I found myself getting a little less engaged. I would let my mind wander from time to time. By the end I just wanted to know who did it, why and how we got here. I did like the majority of what I saw, but I did get kind of bored near the end. The good news, it is only a seven episode commitment. I told my folks, who also watched, that if it came back for a second season I don't think I'd watch it. But I'm glad I did watch this first season. It was a fine, and quick watch. 

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 Napa Boys"

This past Tuesday I watched "The Napa Boys". That was when it was available to stream, and since it didn't come to any theaters in Saint Louis, this was my only option to watch.

I heard about the movie while listening to "Doughboys". Mike Mitchell is one of the hosts of the podcast, they had a bunch of people from the movie as guests on for about a month and everyone involved with "Doughboys" talked about the movie so much, it piqued my interest. And, even though I usually don't watch trailers, I made sure to check out the main trailer for this movie. That made me want to watch it even more. So I sat down and made sure I had nothing that would interrupt my viewing.

Right off the bat, I enjoyed this movie very much. That being said, this movie is not for everyone. It takes a special kind of movie goer to enjoy a movie like this. "The Napa Boys" starts off as if it is a sequel to many "Napa Boy" movies before. They made it similar to all the extra "American Pie" movies that came after the first three main movies. It was similar to the National Lampoon movies that seem to get made every year. That had me on board right away.

We get introduced to characters that we are already supposed to know, and that made me even more interested in what I was seeing. Nick Corirossi and Armen Weitzman play the two main guys, Jack Jr and Miles Jr. They also co-wrote the movie and Corirossi directed. What made them so awesome to watch was the anti chemistry they had on purpose. This was the whole point of their friendship and I enjoyed the cringiness of their dynamic. Some scenes between them would go on far too long, longer than maybe they needed, but that made it even funnier to me. There's a scene where the two of them go back to a few of the waitresses' houses and everything that ensues is over the top and hilarious. The ladies who own the place are played by Vanessa Lee Chester and Chloe Cherry. They're great and up to any and all of the jokes they perform. Vanessa Lee Chester was especially hilarious with her humongous trajectory in the movie. There's also a whole storyline between Corirossi and Cherry that is wildly hilarious.

Throughout the movie we meet a bunch of the other Napa Boys. Jamar Malachi Neighbors plays Stifler's Brother, another very inside baseball joke that got me everytime they said his name. He was hilarious and game for anything. Mike Mitchell plays Mitch Mitchellson, a great name. He owns a winery that is in the big competition in the movie. He stomps his own grapes and people drink the wine immediately. It is funny as hell. Chris Aquilino plays his husband, and he is hilarious. Beth Dover plays Stifler's Brother's girlfriend, and her death was unexpected and hilarious. The way Stifler's brother mourns her was one of the funnier moments of the movie. Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith show up as Jay and Silent Bob. Ray Wise and Mike Hanford play local cops. David Wain is the host of the wine competition. Ryan Perez plays the town mayor. It is clear that Corirossi and Weitzman wanted to make a movie and make it with their friends. And it works in the weirdest way.

This movie is awkward and cringey, but in a good way. If you allow yourself to wade into the waters of this anomaly of a movie, you will be rewarded. Sure, I like the people involved and the people who made it, but I think this movie could find a solid audience. I'm sure it is destined for cult status, but that's totally fine. This movie is funny. It is 90 minutes long. It doesn't wear out its welcome. The actors are clearly very good improvisors and they get to do that for the entire movie. I definitely recommend this movie, but you have to go in knowing that it is unlike any other comedy out there right now. But you will be rewarded with a ton of laughs and a memorable viewing experience. 

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 Drama"

I was being told, and read some recent reviews about the movie "The Drama" that I had to go and see it. RD told me about it. My mom told me about a group of her friends who saw it. The reviews intrigued me. All of that was more than enough to go watch the movie.

I went to a matinee yesterday, and me and the two couples in the theaters sat back and watched an interesting, unique and different movie. My review will be spoiler free by the way, so have no fear reading ahead. I do recommend you go into this movie as blind as possible. That is, by far, the best way to go watch this movie. And before I really get into it, after much thought, I think this is a very, very good movie. I spent the majority of my afternoon thinking about the movie. I texted RD afterwards telling him I didn’t fully know how I felt about it yet. But I came to the conclusion last night that if it was still in my mind it must have been effective. It was and I enjoyed my watch.

For people who may not know, "The Drama" stars Zendaya and Robert Pattinson as a soon to be wed couple. The movie takes place the week before the wedding. It starts out like any other romantic comedy about a young couple in love. We have the meet cute, the first dates, the lead up to everything and it is very sweet. I especially liked the dance scene. The two of them were preparing for the wedding day, they were working on their first dance with their instructor and it was very sweet. Zendaya and Pattinson clearly liked working with one another. They had tremendous chemistry.

Everything is going all well and good until they are at a tasting a few days before their nuptials. Then a conversation between Pattinson, Zendaya, Alana Haim and Mamoudou Athie happens. Haim plays the maid of honor and Athie plays the best man. The conversation seems to be pretty mundane but then some stuff is revealed and the movie follows the aftermath of the news. This is where the movie goes from solid to very, very good. This is where the main actors shine. Robert Pattinson does a remarkable job here. He gets to use his regular accent. He gets to play this intellect who has this massive news dropped on him and you can tell it is just eating him up. He doesn't know how he should react and Pattinson does a good job of reflecting the nerves and agony that this is causing him. Pattinson has proven his worth as an actor, and this performance is just another notch in his belt. Ever since "Twilight" he seems to take on good challenges for him and he has done a solid job of transforming into his characters.

But this is Zendaya's movie all the way. She is the star. She is the main person we are following and she absolutely nails it. I went from feeling bad for her to being mad at her to taking her side. All of this occurred in my head for the 100 minute runtime. That is the sign of an actor doing awesome work. I had only seen Zendaya in the "Spider-Man" movies or "Dune", both of which she is very good in. But she also has a clear person she is playing and she does that very well. In this movie she gets to play something totally different and wholly unique to her. She gets to dive deep into some dark stuff and she nails it. I was super impressed by her work here. She proves she is an actor worth watching. She may be one of the better actors out there now and this role shows that tenfold. I would not be shocked if she was mentioned in awards talk at the end of the year. Zendaya does some masterful work here.

"The Drama" walks a tightrope of how to deal with massive, unsettling news being dumped on a group of people. It deals with the gossip and the aftermath very well. I appreciate that there are some writers, directors and actors that are willing to try something different. I recommend this movie and I recommend going in knowing as little as possible. That's the best way to watch. 

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 Thing" on the Big Screen

Over the weekend I was fortunate enough to have a buddy who invited me to see "The Thing" in the theater. Let’s discuss.

My friend had been watching a bunch of John Carpenter lately, and he told me he had never seen "The Thing" in the theaters. We are both too young to have gone to a theater, but I did ask him if he had seen the movie prior. He was quick to let me know that he had. I watched it for the first time relatively recently. I want to say that my wife and I watched it last Halloween. We each pick random movies every weekend we are home to watch, it was my turn to pick, I heard a bunch of people saying how great the movie was, so I finally decided it was time for us to watch.

"The Thing" is an incredible movie. It was way ahead of its time. The practical effects were amazing. I don't think any movie has gotten to the level with practical effects that "The Thing" was able to achieve. The acting and writing were superb. I found myself not trusting anyone in the movie as it went on. And tons of movie makers have tried to recreate this feeling since, to varying degrees. Kurt Russell and Keith David are so, so good. They are, for all intents and purposes, the main characters, with Russell getting a bit more screen time. But it all comes down to those two in the end and they own every scene that they're in for the entirety of the movie. The movie takes place in Antarctica, and the way Carpenter directed, you feel cold while watching. There's snow everywhere. The wind is whipping around the base camp. The actors' clothes are snow covered every time they reenter the camp. It just makes you frigid while watching. I got all of this when I watched this movie in my home.

Seeing it on the big screen though, that was a whole other level. I went into this viewing very excited. I know the ins and outs of the movie, I have made my own feelings well known with the people in my life, what I think about the ending and I went into this viewing looking for stuff that I may have missed. I tried to have as keen an eye as I could. And I think it kind of worked. I noticed the dog way sooner than I did the first time. The crowd would ooh and aah at certain points, and those scenes made more sense to this time. I watched each and every crew member with a closer eye. I wanted to see if I could pinpoint when they were turned by the alien. I wanted to find all this stuff out.

But it was the crowd and my buddy who made this viewing so much cooler for me. I love that local theaters are showing older, restored movies on the big screen. Seeing "The Thing" at the Hi Pointe, a local indie movie theater, is the best way to watch a movie like this. Seeing it with people my age or older, people who have loved this movie since it first came out, people who have a true affinity for it, that ruled. I like how the people who were a little older than me, you could see the pure enjoyment on their faces while watching. Nostalgia is very big right now, and doing something like this is a big money making endeavor. And it lets people see the movie the way they saw it as a kid. That is what is truly important in this scenario. The theater was also about half full, which for a 9:30pm show on a Saturday night, that's a good sign to me. I also truly enjoyed having a conversation with my buddy about our feelings after the movie. I truly liked his insight.

I'm here to say that on April 6th of 2026, I believe that Keith David had turned into a thing, and he and Kurt Russell were going to die on that base camp. I used to believe that they were both human, but after seeing that David's character had no breath coming out, and that he drank what may be gasoline in that wine bottle, I do think he turned into a thing. He also disappeared with no warning when he was supposed to be looking out. That is the first sign that the thing got him.

I cannot recommend going to see this movie in a theater if you get the chance. It will change your outlook and you will view it in a whole new light. Also, if you haven't seen "The Thing" ever, rectify that right now and watch it. "The Thing" rules and seeing it on a big screen makes it even better. I had a 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 "Project Hail Mary"

I have just returned home after seeing "Project Hail Mary" and I have thoughts. This is going to be a spoiler free review, so you have no worries reading ahead. I will not give away anything.

First and foremost, I loved every single second of this movie. I was moved, I laughed, I got nervous, I was rooting for random stuff to happen and my attention never wavered, not even once. I was totally blown away by this and I could have watched another two and a half hours and been as happy as I could be.

Ryan Gosling does some amazing work in this movie. He is such a consistent actor and I have come to enjoy pretty much every project he chooses to do. He is making some solid picks and he seems to get better with each choice. I loved his work in "Barbie", and in "Project Hail Mary", he plays a totally different role. He has been doing that in every movie. He is such a pro and he seems to sink himself into each individual role he accepts. He brings these people to life and he is an absolute joy to watch. And for most of this movie he is acting alone. There may be a partner on the screen for him to play off of, but make no mistake, for about 70 percent of this movie he is acting alone. And he nails it. His performance as Dr Grace was one of the better performances I've seen in quite some time. This is right up there with Michael B Jordan in "Sinners" and Leonardo Dicaprio in "OBAA". He is doing some tremendous work and I hope that when the Oscars are announced for next year, the voters don't pass over the awesome work he does in this movie.

Sandra Huller is the other main actor in this movie, and for the minimal amount of scenes she is in, she is great as well. I found her demanding, but I understood why. I liked that she sang in this movie. She even makes a few jokes. She does a very solid job as a supporting actor and it makes me want to watch more of her work.

But the biggest takeaway I got from this movie was the direction from Lord and Miller. These dudes know how to direct and make a compelling and beautiful movie. This movie takes place mostly in space, but that didn't stop them from making it colorful and lush. I loved the look of the planets in this movie. They made up one and it was one of the coolest and unique things I've ever seen on film. The spaceship looked legit and real and big. This was a vast ship full of what I imagine most spaceships have on board. I also really appreciated the way the story was told. I have not read the book, so forgive me if this is how it was written, but I loved the whole back and forth way of storytelling. I liked that we go back and forth from space to the real world. They tell us about everything that led to why they are in space and why there's a spaceship. But they didn't do it in two separate parts. They would do some stuff in space, then have a scene back in the real world and it all worked and flowed so well. It was a very cool way to tell the story. We would get time in space, and then they would flashback and show us why these certain things had just happened, or what got them to this point in the movie. This movie works on every level. I was all in for the entire run time. I want more movies like this. It is clear to me that Lord and Miller understood the subject material and they made a damn good movie based on a story they both love. I like that and want more of that.

I cannot recommend this movie enough. When movies like this are made it makes me optimistic about the future. We have people like Ryan Coogler and Lord and Miller who are young and making really cool, really interesting stuff. That is great and I want more and more of it. And Rocky is one of the best characters to ever appear in a movie. Go see this movie in a theater with others. That's the best way and you will love every minute. This movie rules and I'm going to talk about it a bunch more for the rest of the year. What a great, great time in the theater. 

Ty

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

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Ty Watches the Trailer for "Dune: Part Three"

The trailer for "Dune 3" was released yesterday. I watched it because I am so very stoked for this movie to come out.

I have seen every iteration of "Dune" to this point, and Denis Villeneuve has been the best to bring this story to life. The first "Dune" movie that was made was dull and boring and lifeless. Most people don't like it. I know RD has an affinity for it, but he is few and far between. I watched the show that was on HBO Max. It was fine, but slow as well. But the first two Villeneuve movies have been awesome. I watched the first one on HBO Max because it was still pandemic in this country. It was everything I wanted the other movies to be. I loved it. I would have loved it more had I seen it on a big screen, but the times made that impossible for me. I did see the second movie in the theaters, with my dad, and we both walked away thrilled. It was such a good movie. Everything in it worked so well, they furthered the story properly and I was all in. So, when this trailer was released there was no way I wasn't going to watch. I have been amped for the third installment, the final one from Villeneuve, since I left the theater after seeing the second one. And the trailer only deepened my desire to see the third movie.

The trailer has everything I want in the final movie. Chalamet and Zendaya are back and they are about to have a kid. I cannot wait to see what kind of warrior they have. Anya Taylor Joy is back and, spoiler alert for the last movie, she looks as badass as she did while being not even born yet in the last movie. She looks to have a much bigger and much more important role in this movie, and I am stoked to see what she has in store for us. Rebecca Ferguson is back and she still has all the writing on her face. She looks to still be pushing the whole Paul as the savior thing, but she also looks a little more subdued, maybe tired, in this new movie. I get it, as a parent, how exhausting it would be to be pushing a narrative like that for your child's whole life. Florence Pugh is back and she is back for revenge. She needs to fight for her father's honor after Paul cut him down to size in the last movie. We are also getting Josh Brolin and Jason Mamoa back. Brolin is right by Paul's side, helping him fight the war. As for Mamoa, he was helping Paul learn to fight in the first movie, gone in the second, and now seems to be maybe, possibly, fighting for the opposition. That would be a dope ass heel turn from him, and I would love to see how that all would play out. Javier Bardem is here, and I'm hoping he does some more of the comedy stuff he did in the second movie. He did have his dramatic moments, as one would expect, in the last movie. He was also funny and had jokes and it brought a little much needed break from all the war and drama from the first two movies. I'm sure Stellan Skarsgard will be back and evil and gross. And we have Robert Pattison, with bleached eyebrows and hair, and he looks as villainous as he ever has. He is such a great actor, takes on cool roles and adding him to this cast was perfect. He looks so creepy and menacing and I am so amped to see what he brings to this epic movie. I loved Austin Butler showing up in the last movie, and I feel like Pattison will do even better in this one.

I cannot wait for this movie to come out. I know it isn't coming until December, but I can wait. And until then I have this trailer and the first two Villeneuve "Dune" movies to tide me over until then. I'm so happy they got someone who could do this book justice on the big screen, and the conclusion is going to be awesome. I am so pumped 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 "If I Had Legs I'd Kick You"

I finally watched "If I Had Legs I'd Kick You". I have wanted to see this movie ever since Rose Bryne started to get all the accolades and nominations. That is literally the only way I heard about the movie to be honest with you. I had no idea that this was even a thing until the recognition started.

I went into this movie not knowing much about it either. I knew about Bryne's performance, that ASAP Rocky was in the movie and that it was intense. All of those things were true.

The movie focuses on Bryne's character, who is a working mother who may or may not be going through a nervous breakdown. She has a daughter that has a feeding tube in her stomach, her husband is away on business and her apartment gets flooded in one of the first scenes. The movie just takes off from there. All of the talk, the recognition, the accolades, it's all well deserved. Rose Bryne is incredible in this movie. I have only seen a bit of her work prior to this, and all of those movies have been comedies. She is great in those roles as well. This movie is not a comedy. It is very  far from a comedy. But Bryne is more than up to task. Her portrayal of this mom covers every emotion. I'm a parent to two kids, and some days are harder than others. This movie puts Bryne's character in all of the most messed up situations one could imagine and she has to deal with all of this while raising her daughter alone. Her husband is away on business, and we mostly only hear his voice in the movie. All the while, Bryne has to deal with the flooded apartment, living with her daughter in a hotel, a horrific ordeal with a hamster, her daughter's illness, a support group she hates, her patients at her practice, her own therapist, the younger adults that work at the hotel and an angrier than normal parking lot attendant. She handles each and every situation with a different emotion and it is masterful work from her. All throughout I felt her pain. I also felt her annoyance. I love and adore my kids more than anything, but they can be annoying from time to time. The daughter in this is sick and constantly complaining and scared. That can get to a parent. That can be a struggle. I felt for her when she just wanted some alone time. Sometimes being alone, as a parent, is the best feeling in the world. It's quiet and no one is asking you for anything or telling you a story. It's glorious. I understood her just wanting to get away near the end of the movie. Everything came to a head and she just wanted out. Bryne portrayed that excellently. She is more than deserving of the awards she has already won, and the Oscar nomination makes way more sense to me now.

I do want to point out the solid work from Conan O'Brien and ASAP Rocky. Conan O'Brien plays the Bryne's therapist, and he is doing zero comedy in this movie. He is greatly cast as the level headed therapist opposite Bryne. He has his stuff figured out and all he is trying to do is help Bryne. She doesn't see it that way, but that is what he's doing. I was stunned by O'Brien's work here. ASAP Rocky was a revelation. He is nice and tries to help Bryne. He wants to show her how to properly relax. He tries to get her to just have a good time with him. And when he gets hurt, the anger is palpable and believable. He gets screwed over by Bryne in this movie, and ASAP Rocky does a solid job acting this character out properly, He definitely has a budding future as an actor.

When I finished the movie I sat back and thought about it. The movie is okay with a tremendous performance. The movie is also really difficult and really intense. They deal with some heavy stuff here. That was to be expected as the movie played out, but it is hard to sit through more than once. I won't be revisiting the movie, but I'm glad I watched. Performances like Bryne's don't come around too often, and a chance to watch an actor knock it out of the park is worth the watch when it comes around. That is exactly what Bryne does here. I would say watch this movie only once just so you can bear witness to one of the better performances of last year. Rose Bryne is amazing and worth the watch. 

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 "Reality Check"

When my wife and I were first dating I used to spend a lot of time at her place. I still lived with my folks and she had her own spot. It was much better for privacy and intimacy. Being at her apartment meant that we watched what she watched most of the time, and she was watching a lot of "America's Next Top Model".

She loved that show. I was not much of a fan. I even went so far as to write an email to MTV stating that they needed to find something else to air, maybe even music videos. And I'm not saying that I had any hand in this, but about a week later, "ANTM" was suddenly off MTV's airwaves. I then kind of forgot about the show. My wife would go back occasionally and watch, but I just wasn't involved. I found the show offensive, boring and kind of stupid. It is your typical reality tv show. Tyra Banks kind of drove me nuts as well. My wife liked it as a mindless watch. She would tune in and do stuff or just have it on for noise. So, when she came to me the other day and asked if I wanted to watch the Netflix docuseries, I scoffed and rolled my eyes. But I wanted to hang out with her, so we started to watch it.

I was absolutely mesmerized by what I saw. This series is called "Reality Check" and it is a three episode miniseries that takes this reality show to task. I was talking to my wife about why I liked it so much the other day. She mentioned my previous distaste for the show and wanted to know why I was so interested in this Netflix series. I told her that I liked it because it was showing all the deviousness and taking down these people who made others so miserable year after year that this show was on air. I love how salacious the series is. I love seeing people who were involved with the show just take it down peg by peg. I like seeing other people talking about how horrible Tyra Banks was to work with and be around. Hearing former contestants talk about their awful experience was eye opening. It is everything I want in a docuseries that is hell bent on taking down this toxic show. Tyra Banks comes off very bad as well. She uses cliche speech in her interviews. She won't talk about anything that may put her in a poor light. She won't speak on past indiscretions. She comes off as a puppet to the tv corporation. Mister and Miss J, on the other hand, are more than willing to talk about their time on the show. They come off as the heroes in my opinion. Mister J has so much to say on working with Tyra Banks and he lays it all on the line. He had a horrific time on the show, especially when he and Tyra Banks stopped speaking but still had to work together. I hate that he was all but blacklisted in the industry due to Tyra Banks being so addicted to fame. Miss J seemed to be the heart and soul of this show. He was the funniest one on the show it looked like as well. And he was just kicked to the curb. He was let go and not thought about again. My wife told me he had recently had a stroke, and Tyra Banks wouldn't even come to visit him in the hospital. That's a bummer. I appreciate that Netflix allowed the former contestants to tell their side of the story with nothing seemingly held back. These poor contestants were pushed to their limits without giving consent to the people making the show. There is everything from hypothermia to sexual assault to making them act like other cultures to starving these poor people. And then they didn't even help the winner of each season because Tyra Banks and crew were too focused on maintaining their own fame. I also like that they gave the photographer, Nigel Baker, a chance to speak as well. Baker and Mister and Miss J were fully abused by Tyra Banks and UPN and that sickens me.

So take it from me, a person who never watched and pretty much despised the idea of a reality show like "ANTM", this docuseries, "Reality Check" is more than worth checking out. It gives us all the seedy behind the scenes details that I crave when watching a show like this. I highly recommend checking it out. 

Ty

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

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Ty Watches "GOAT"

My kids had school off yesterday and my son has been asking to go see the new animated movie "GOAT". He was asking my folks to take him, but they didn't have the time. With my daughter being homebound since she is sick, my son and I were stir crazy, so I decided that was the perfect time to take him.

I did not know a lot about the movie, but one of my older brother's did tell me that he thought my son would enjoy it. He was correct. This review will be as spoiler free as possible, but a few spoilers may slip here and there. Forewarning. "GOAT" takes place in an alternate world where animals play a version of professional basketball called Roar Ball. Roar ball has, for the most part, bigger animals that play. We have pumas, rhinos, ostriches, grizzly bears and horses, among others. The sport is tough for smaller animals to play because it is, especially for a kids movie, pretty violent. The courts are also susceptible to the elements, since most games are held outdoors.

Early on we meet the main character, Will, and his mom. Will is a goat and he dreams of playing for his local town's team, the Thorns. He also wants to play with his favorite player of all time, Jett. He goes to a game with his mom and vows to become a pro one day. We fast forward 10 years and Will still has hoop dreams, but he is still small. His mom has also, unfortunately, passed away. Will works as a delivery guy for a diner, but he always finds time to play Roar Ball, mostly by himself. Meanwhile the Thorns and Jett are having a tough season and Jett looks to be getting passed by as the best to ever play. There is a new player in town, a horse named Mane Attraction. Mane Attraction is brash and bold and a top notch hooper. He is on the internet talking trash all the time and he knows how good he is. One day he goes to the Vineyard, this is where they play pickup ball, and he is taking on anyone willing to play him. Will gets his shot and breaks his ankles. Mane Attraction eventually wins the game, but Will's friends upload the video of his breaking ankles. This video goes so viral that the owner of the Thorns signs him. Jett doesn't care for this, but they need a sixth player, and Will is chosen for the job.

From here on out the movie follows the typical sports stereotypes. Will doesn't play at all and he cannot get through to his teammates. Jett is a ball hog and a loner. Eventually they come together as a team and start winning. Then the team gets sold before the semifinals. Will overhears a conversation between the owner and Jett and Jett reverts to her old ways. They all apologize and get back together and eventually win it all. And one of the players on the team is able to buy it from the owner and they don't have to move. They set up a sequel in the closing credits and, after 100 minutes, we were out of the theater.

This is your typical kids sports movie. It hits all the cliches. You can tell what is going to happen beat by beat. That being said, I found myself enjoying what I was watching, but not for the reasons I used to like sports movies. Will is all well and good to watch, and I liked the basketball adjacent game they played, but I enjoyed the hell out of the coach in the movie. Patton Oswalt voiced the coach, and when he was given full control of the team, I was all in. His message was all about teamwork and how teams, not individuals, win rings. He championed defense, teamwork and togetherness as ways to win. I have been saying this since I started coaching my son six years ago. I loved that this was the ringing message throughout the movie. And the only way they end up winning it all is by playing as a team. I loved that.

Outside the coach, my favorite part, this was a solid cast doing nice voicework. Caleb McLaughlin voiced Will and he was great. He was full of energy and optimism and I was there for it. Some other people lending voices were Gabrielle Union, Steph Curry, Aaron Pierre, Nicola Coughlan, David Harbour, Nick Kroll and Jennifer Hudson, among others. Everyone is doing solid work and seems to be having a good time doing it. The movie had a great message and the cast put that on blast. The animation was cool, the movie was short, the action was fun and I was never bored watching it.

I recommend any parents with young kids who play basketball go to see this movie. It is neat and cool and tells a positive and nice story. My son and I enjoyed it, and I think young basketball players will like it too. 

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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Ty Watches "Opus"

Last week I watched the movie "Opus". Let’s discuss.

Once I saw that Ayo Edebiri was going to be in a horror/comedy from A24 I was all in. I enjoy her work on "The Bear". She is the heart and soul of that show for me. I didn't finish "I Love LA", but I did see her small role as a European pop icon and I thought she played it perfectly over the top. I like her voice work on "Big Mouth", and now i'm stoked that she is getting more and more work.

As I found out more about "Opus", I got even more on board. John Malkovich was cast as a superstar pop icon. He was going to be playing one of the best singer/songwriters in the world. He also seemed to have a creepy aura about him, and you could see that from the trailers. From what I read, "Opus" was about Malkovich's popstar inviting people from the world of pop culture to hear his new record and then some flagrant stuff was going to go down. The two people I knew cast, and the premise were more than enough for me to want to watch.

Then some reviews came out and "Opus" kind of got panned. That bummed me out. That was when I decided to wait for it to come to streaming. It took me a bit, but I finally saw it and I have some thoughts. I do want to say, this review will have spoilers in it. Just a heads up.

So, this movie was not great. I want to start with that. It goes kind of nuts and off the rails in the final act. The stuff leading up to the climax was good and scary and thrilling, but you could tell what was going to happen from the jump. The rest of the cast was really great though. Besides Malkovich and Edebiri, we have Murray Bartlett, Juliette Lewis, Tony Hale and Amber Midthunder, among others. Whoever cast this movie did a wonderful job, and I don't necessarily blame the actors for the movie kind of unraveling the whole way through. Malkovich is good and creepy. I also appreciate that he actually sang the songs in the movie. Edebiri is great as the young and hungry journalist. She is a great actor and she did such a wonderful job in a co-starring role. Bartlett is funny, Lewis brings a solid veteran to the cast and Midthunder is downright terrifying. Tony Hale is barely in it, but he brings it for his two scenes in the whole thing.

For people who may not know, "Opus" is about a former pop star making a new album and inviting some people to his compound to be the first to listen. The compound is creepy. The people working and living there are clearly up to no good. The place is too pristine and too well manicured and taken care of. The invited guests, besides Edebiri, don't seem to see what is going on, and when they do, it is far too late. Look, while the movie is not great, it did keep my attention. Sure, it was easy to figure out what was going to happen beat by beat, but that did not take away from my viewing experience. Malkovich really brought it and he is scary to begin with. I didn't like the way they had him reveal his plan so quickly and abruptly, but again that is not his fault. And even in the end, when Edebiri finally gets to interview him, I could not take my eyes off his performance. Malkovitch is a good and dependable actor and you know he is going to bring it when he is cast in a movie. My biggest nitpick with the movie is the turn after the puppet show. This is when the whole plan is revealed and this is when they go way, way too gory. The kills were merciless and brutal. I felt like they took it a bit too far for my taste. The getaway was easy to spot. The wrap up from Malkovich in prison talking about how the survivors of his cult were still out there was way too easy to see coming. But I was still locked in the whole time. I think the better idea would have been to just keep the movie within the compound and slowly reveal the plan. That was the best part of the movie. When they let tension sit there and made the viewer think about what might happen, that was when the movie worked. They didn't let us sit in that long enough in my opinion.

I say one more time, the movie was watchable. So while not very good, I do think it is worth a viewing. Just go in knowing that the end product isn't great, but you will see some solid performances. 

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 Smashing Machine"

A few months back I saw a trailer for the movie "The Smashing Machine". It piqued my interest at the time, but I never got around to seeing it in the theaters. It is now streaming on HBO Max and I had some time last weekend to watch it.

I recently wrote about my affinity for sports movies and "The Smashing Machine" is most definitely a sports movie. The sport is not one I watch or know much about, MMA fighting, but I've watched plenty of sports movies that feature sports I'm not a fan of.  I was most intrigued by what I saw Dwayne Johnson doing in the trailer. Johnson usually only plays roles in action movies where he can be the hero. That's all well and good and he seems to excel at such roles. He has done some different stuff, like "Southland Tales" for example. But he is usually the nondescript hero. This role in "The Smashing Machine" seemed much different. This is a more dramatic take. He had to go to darker places I felt. He had to do some real "acting" if you will. And I felt like he was up to the task here.

My quick initial review of the movie was okay. It was a bit melodramatic and overlong. I usually love Emily Blunt in her movies, but here it felt like she was directed to be an emotional over the top mess. She did that just fine but it was a cliched take on a girlfriend who felt scorned and not relied upon. There is an entire scene where she threatens to kill herself and I just didn't buy it. It felt very after school special. And as the Safdie's like to do, Benny Safdie had some real people and very green actors perform roles in the movie. It was fine, but it did not come close to the work that his brother Josh Safdie got from the same people in "Marty Supreme". you could tell the non actors in "The Smashing Machine" were not actors. I do want to point out the guy that played Johnson's buddy, Ryan Bader, did a fine job. This is his world, I read he is a former MMA fighter, and all he had to do was play a version of himself with a different name. The fighting sequences were cool and solidly acted and directed. But I just kind of got a hollow feeling after watching it because it was too sad and sappy for my taste when it comes to sports movies.

But, Dwayne Johnson was pretty great. He was the lone standout of this movie. He brought his A game. This was a role that had me realizing that he can be a solid actor when called upon to do something new and different. He was the titular Smashing Machine, Mark Kerr. I had no idea who he was prior to this movie, but I learned a lot about him from Johnson's portrayal. I guess Kerr was a pioneer of the sport and a pretty big reason why it has become as popular as it is today. Johnson also transformed his body for this role. He has always been a big dude, he was a college football player turned professional wrestler. But he had to build up his muscles even more for this movie. I read that Kerr was a pretty devout weight lifter and took his lifting very seriously. There is a part when Johnson turns his back to the camera and he had so many muscles on his back. I had no idea that one could have that many muscles and have them on one's back. Dwayne Johnson got absolutely ripped for this and he more than looked the part. Back to his acting for a moment. As I said, this movie was melodramatic, and in a melodramatic sports movie, the main character always seems to have a drug problem. Kerr was no different. He was addicted to opioids, namely pain relief drugs. But the way Johnson portrayed his addiction, he did it very well. You could see he was an addict, but he was able to hide it for a bit. And when he couldn't hide it, it reared its ugly head and Johnson did this very well. I especially liked the scene where he was in Japan at a fighting tournament and the strongest pain reliever he could get was Advil. Johson portrayed Kerr's addiction perfectly here. You could tell he was angry, but he didn't go over the top. But you could see him seething deep down which only furthered his addiction. And when he needs to get clean, him trying to stay sober with an enabling girlfriend was also very well acted by Johnson. The fight scenes were done very well by Johnson. It had to help that he was a professional wrestler and he has been doing stage fighting most of his adult life. I also enjoyed his arc throughout the movie and the ending was done very well.

Dwayne Johnson is the reason to watch this movie if you are thinking about checking it out. His performance is dynamic and it was the reason I was able to get through the more melodramatic stuff. So if you're on the fence, watch it for Johnson. His performance is worth the two hour runtime. 

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

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.

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 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.

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.