Better Late Than Never for Vintage Paula Shore in "The Guest House"

My dad sent me an article earlier today about a movie on Netflix called "Guest House". I watched it, and while it certainly isn't the best movie I've ever seen, it did make me laugh. The movie is very simple, it's 84 minutes long and the people involved seemed to be having fun when they made it. My main takeaway from this movie was Pauly Shore. Shore is the guest in the new house of the young couple, and Shore is doing his thing here. And that is what I want to touch on today.

Pauly Shore has his warts, I'm sure he had/has some issues he has to deal with and he continues to play the same character over and over and over again. He is, and will always be, The Weasel. That was his persona in the 90's, especially when he would appear on MTV. He was always "wheezing the juice" and calling himself "The Weasel". That is how I grew to know him and that was who he played in his roles in the movies. He went so far as to call himself The Weasel in the movie "Encino Man". Along with the MTV appearances, "Encino Man" really vaulted Shore into the spotlight. You couldn't turn on any music channel or go see a comedy without some kind of Pauly Shore influence. And let me tell you, as a kid, I loved "Encino Man", and it was all due to Shore being in it. I thought he was the funniest dude in the world. That continued when I saw "Son in Law" and "In the Army Now". Shore got to do his thing and it worked for a time. It wasn't until I saw the movie "Bio-Dome" that I felt a little too old for his schtick. I was kind of over the whole "Weasel" thing. It wasn't until he showed up on an episode of "Workaholics" that I remembered what made him so funny to me. But in that single episode he was kind of making fun of himself. He didn't want to be that guy anymore it seemed.

Then I saw "Pauly Shore is Dead" and I kind of got back into Pauly Shore's whole deal. He was doing a sendup of The Weasel and I was here for it. I like when actors are able to make fun of themselves. It shows humility and humor. Shore didn't do much after that movie, but he did do a short film where he played Richard Simmons. I was kind of hoping for a full length movie, but what we got in that eight minute movie was pretty great. I wrote about it on this site when the short film came out. I was truly blown away by what Shore did in that short amount of time. I couldn't see anyone other than Shore playing Simmons in a biopic. I really wanted it to happen, but it didn't, and it looks like it will never happen. But then I saw "Guest House" today, and he reverted to The Weasel, but in a good way.

The Weasel was needed for this movie. It wouldn't have worked any other way. He is all boozed and drugged up throughout this entire movie, and the viewers need him to be funny. I was a little relieved that he went back to what made him so famous. I kind of like seeing this older Weasel. Sure, he is too old to be doing this type of thing, but that is what makes his performance work in "Guest House". He is supposed to be pathetic. We should not be looking to him as the savior of the movie. He is the one who starts all the conflict and we, the viewer, are supposed to be annoyed by him. The Weasel is annoying and kind of lame. Shore does that great here.

What I love most about Pauly Shore is that he is okay to be pigeonholed as The Weasel. Other actors look at being typecast as a bad thing. Shore understands that this character he can do so well is what will keep him working. He has found his niche and he has made it work his entire career. He doesn't have to take on different stuff. We don't need him to do dramatic stuff. He doesn't need to be some "revelation" in an award worthy movie. What he does works for comedy and he does it as good as anyone in Hollywood. I appreciate that from him. He doesn't care and that is a nice thing.

Like him or not, Pauly Shore has found what he does best and he has run away with it. He will be more appreciated when he's not acting anymore, and I'm sure he's okay with that. I guess I'm just here to say, I'm a Pauly Shore fan and I don't want to hide from it anymore. Now maybe I'll go revisit some of his earliest roles. 

Ty

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

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Better Late Than Never on "Jesus Christ Vampire Hunter"

As I'm sure you can all tell, I've been watching a bunch of movies. I'm in a renaissance of sorts I'd guess you could say. I have always loved movies, I have just rekindled that love I suppose. And lately it has been horror or horror adjacent movies that have struck my fancy. I have always liked when someone does a spoof of classic horror tropes or monster movies. I had the great pleasure of going to The Arkadin recently with my buddy Kirk and we saw one of these spoof horror movies, and I have got to say, it was everything I wanted it to be. The movie was called "Jesus Christ: Vampire Hunter".

Some of you may be reading this and thinking it is similar to the movie "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter", which I have also seen. What separates "Jesus Christ: Vampire Hunter" from "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter" is the sheer fact that "JCVH" knew it was stupid and silly and goofy and wasn't really trying to do anything else. "ALVH" tried a little too hard. It took itself a little too seriously. It could have been great if it embraced the silliness. It unfortunately went the other way, and that is why I did not enjoy my experience when I saw it, in 3D I might add, in the theaters. But, "JCVH" embraced it all and it was quite fun to watch. I do want to point out, if I had watched "JCVH" on my own in my home I don't think it would have hit as well as it did. I saw it at a cool theater, at a later start time, with a full audience and I was hanging out with the best person to see this movie. All of that, and the delicious snacks, only added to my enjoyment.

"JCVH" is very simplistic in its idea. Jesus Christ is summoned to Canada to stop vampires from turning everyone. But there is so much more to this story. These vampires can be in the daylight with no consequences. Apparently they're targeting lesbians and Jesus is not okay with that, as he should not be okay with that. There are evil surgeons. This movie has full on dance numbers. There's a Mary Magdalene character who goes by the name Mary Magnum, who gets turned into a vampire at one point. There's a shop owner who speaks in a very problematic way and serves no other purpose in the movie than just being a punchline. And, like most movies from the early 2000's, there's a plethora of montage scenes. My favorite was when Jesus got his haircut and then had to fight a massive amount of random people being constantly thrown at him. And while all of this was going on the movie and the movie makers were absolutely in on the joke. They knew exactly what they were doing. They did not take this seriously at all, which is what my friends and I would do if we got enough money to make a movie. The people who made this have got to be friends in real life. I have not heard of a single one of them, and when I researched them after seeing the movie, they have only worked with one another for the majority of their careers. I like that. It makes "JCVH" all the more fun for me.

Throughout the entire movie I could not wipe the smile off my face. I was laughing and laughing. The movie is a little long for a joke, it runs about an hour and twenty minutes. I was ready for it to be over after an hour, but the last twenty minutes did wrap it all up nicely, so at least its got that going for it. And these dance scenes, especially the one after the beach scene, were my favorite part. They were so unnecessary and did nothing for the plot, but I'll be damned if they weren't fun as hell and made me cackle whenever a new one started out of nowhere. This is the type of movie I like to watch most during what may deem "spooky season". I have always enjoyed a good laugh at the expense of movies that are meant to scare you. And "Jesus Christ: Vampire Hunter" has shot up to the top of my list to watch from time to time during the month of October.

I would recommend seeking this one out. If you can find it streaming or on physical media, give it a chance. It is a good time and also hilarious. Do yourself a favor and give it a look. It's a fun one. 

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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Better Late Than Never on "The VVitch"

As I said yesterday, I like to catch up on scary movies that I may have missed during the month of October. I told you all about my push to watch all of Ari Aster's movies, so that was why I finally got around to seeing "Hereditary". Well, similar to my need to complete a small filmography of a director I like, I decided that I wanted to complete all of Robert Eggers work to this point, and that meant I had to watch "The VVitch".

I have seen his other movies and really enjoyed them all. I thought he did great work on "Nosferatu". "The Northman" is one of the most badass movies I've ever watched. And I truly adore the madness of "the Lighthouse". That left me with "The VVitch". It seems that I tend to miss these young directors' first major movies when they are in the theaters. But with so many streaming services, it was easy to remedy this self imposed issue. 

First off, what I appreciated most about this movie was the runtime, "The VVitch" clocks in at 90 minutes. I'm not opposed to a longer movie as long as it keeps my attention. But if I see a runtime like this, my mood is instantly better. Ninety minutes is totally doable in one sitting, especially with my kids back in school. Right off the bat, I loved the look of this movie. What impresses me most about Eggers to this point is how true he tries to stay to the time period of which his movies take place. This movie takes place in 1630 and it focuses on a Puritan family forced to leave their home. They then run into some wild stuff revolving around a witch and their new home and I was here for all of it. Anya Taylor Joy is the main character in this movie. She plays Thomasin and I believe this was her first big starring role. You can tell she had stardom quality right away. I bought every moment of her character. From being put upon and unloved at the beginning, to posing as a witch to scare her siblings and then her final transformation, she did an excellent job in this role. She was never over the top or cringey at all. She talked the talk and held her own with some other stars. Speaking of another star she worked with in this movie, Ralph Ineson plays the father. He is meek and weak willed. He has his family's best interest, and his love for God, at the forefront. But he is no good at anything else besides chopping wood. He is a poor hunter. He is a poor provider. He never really stands up for himself, and when he does try, it is met with harsh resistance. Kate Dickie plays the mom and she nails the torment and grief that comes with all she had to endure in this movie. Kids get kidnapped and possessed and Dickie shows that grief to near perfection. I didn't know much about her going into this movie, but she was so magnetic and I could not take my eyes off of her. I also disliked and liked and agreed with her at various points of the movie. To me that is the sign that an actor really nailed the role. The other kids in the movie did good work, especially the brother who gets possessed by the witch, but this is truly a three person performance. All of us who watched this wanted to see it for one of the three main characters I have to assume.

As for the setting, like I said above, it was wild to see a modern movie transform me into 1630 Puritan times. Wherever they shot it was a perfect spot. I felt desolate and isolated while watching. Seeing the crops not grow had me worried, especially because it looked as if cold weather was coming. The interior of the house is exactly what I imagined it would look like back then. From eating dinner by candlelight, to the forest, to the outside of the house, it is just as I have always envisioned it would be to live back then. And the animals they got to work in this movie were great as well. The bunny was scary as hell. The hunting dog was excellent. But it was the black goat, Black Phillip in the movie, that took the cake. That goat was horrifying and mean. I read that it was a little harder to train, and that shows. Apparently the goat and Ralph Ineson had run-ins, which makes the climatic scene all the better.

After sitting with this movie for a few days, I think it is only second to "The Lighthouse" for my fondness of Eggers work. He really did something special in his first go round, much like Aster did with "Hereditary". And you may say that this movie doesn't sound all that creepy, but don't be mistaken. This is an eerie and deeply upsetting movie. While it doesn't have jumpscares, this is still very scary, in its understatement and tone.  I recommend "the VVitch" wholeheartedly. It is a solid creepy season watch. 

Ty

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

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Better Late Than Never on "Hereditary"

During October I try to catch up on scary movies that I have wanted to see, but just haven't gotten around to yet. I'm not usually a scary movie fan, but I will watch certain horror or horror adjacent movies. For instance, I loved "The Substance" when I saw it last year. "Black Swan" is great. I really like "The Babadook". What turns me off is gory movies. I can watch any movie I just mentioned time and again because they're not gory. But, put me in front of a movie like "Scream", I get squeamish. I think what I like in my horror movies is the psychological as opposed to the gory. One such movie that I have wanted to see but avoided because I heard how scary it was is "Hereditary".

I have heard so many people talk about how good of a movie "Hereditary" is. I've read it all. I, luckily, avoided spoilers and finally turned the movie on and sat down and watched it last week. "Hereditary" is as great as everyone said it was. The main push to see it at first was the fact that I wanted to see every major motion picture that Ari Aster has directed to this day. I saw "Midsommar" a few years ago and was intrigued yet grossed out by some of it. "Beau is Afraid" is such a wild ride and way too long. And I saw "Eddington" on opening weekend. I feel like 75 percent of that movie is awesome, and then it completely goes off the rails in the end. So all I had left was "Hereditary", his first directing gig. And it is his best work to date.

As much as I like about some of the stuff in his other works, "Hereditary" showed me that Aster can pull off an entire movie without going totally nuts. This movie is tense and creepy from start to finish. Aster does such a good job making the viewer sit in silence and be terrified at nothing. The way this whole story unfolds is near perfection. From the start at Toni Collette's mom's funeral, to the end where, spoiler alert, we learn about Collette's mom's past, this movie is great. I found myself glued to the screen. I did not want to miss a thing. I was looking for all kinds of easter eggs or signs of what was to come. I was also lucky enough to have the time to sit and watch the movie with no interruptions, which is the only way to see this movie. Collette is so goddamn good in this movie. I was flummoxed that she didn't get any awards consideration for her work. She plays a grieving wife and daughter so well. The tension that builds between her and her son is so scary and you can see it all bubbling over as the movie goes on. There is one scene in particular, at dinner, that is top notch acting from Colette. The way she gets her point across is perfection. And she is mean and leaves no stone unturned. I actually felt bad for her son at that moment. Yes, what he did was awful, but it was also a pure accident. But Collette will not let that slide one bit and she lets him know during this dinner. And while the son, who plays a pivotal role in this movie, and the husband, who has his own grief to deal with but isn't allowed, make no mistake, this is Collette's movie from start to finish. All throughout the beginning we also see Charlie, the young daughter, and she seems to be a little off. There is something strange brewing inside of her and the terror and creepiness all starts with her first appearance. She is also only in the first third of the movie, but she leaves an indelible mark on this movie. As we went on and on with this movie I got more and more scared of what was happening, but I did not want to stop watching. And this movie really goes for it in the final act. I mentioned to a friend of mine, the one who recommended the movie to me in the first place, that I had watched it during the day time when the sun was out. He mentioned that that was a very good idea. I don't know how the movie would have affected me had I seen it at night, but I don't have to think about that now. As the movie gets into that final act, Collette ramps up the craziness and she gets scarier and scarier. And she has a friend, Joan, who clearly has ulterior motives. She shows up randomly at opportune times to lead Collette on an odd mission of which she has no idea she is doing.

After seeing the movie I get why people have such high praise for it. It truly is a well done movie. Ari Aster came out of the gate and hit a dang home run. I have not seen a movie that has scared me this much since I first saw "The Shining". That's high praise. And what makes it fully worth the watch was how great of a movie it was and how incredible Toni Collette is in this role. I highly recommend this movie, but understand, it is very, very scary. Maybe don't watch it at night. 

Ty

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

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Better Late Than Never on "Arrival"

For a good long time now RD has told me about his distaste for the movie "Arrival". He really does not seem to like this movie at all. He has told me what he dislikes and likes about the movie, but the dislikes definitely outweigh the likes. I had planned on seeing it awhile back, but after talking with my brother about it, I put it off, until last week. I have been in a movie watching kick lately, and I have been trying to catch up on what some consider to be modern classics. "Arrival" kept popping up on a bunch of those lists, so I decided it was time for me to make my own decision on this movie.

And, right off the bat, sorry RD, but I really liked this movie. I did not love it like I love other Denis Villenuve movies, but I still found "Arrival" to be compelling and very interesting. I liked the whole idea behind the movie. By the way, spoilers ahead if you haven't seen this movie that is almost ten years old now. I really liked the beginning of the movie because it pops off with the alien ships already on Earth. Sure, we see the backstory of Amy Adams and her daughter, and her daughter's untimely death, which was brutal to see, but that is about three to four minutes of screen time. We are then thrust right into the world created by these writers, which just happens to have alien ships docked at twelve different places spread out all over the world. Amy Adams plays a linguist professor who happens to be the best linguist in the country. She is paired up with Jeremy Renner, who I think is some kind of math/science genius, but I couldn't put my finger on it all the way. Forest Whitaker is the colonel who brings them together and the movie goes from there as soon as they get to the alien sight in Montana.

I will say, to RD's point, Renner isn't great in this movie. I like his acting and I think he does an okay enough job in his role, but this is Amy Adams' movie and she is great. More on her in a second. I did really like Whitaker in this movie, but he is one of the best actors ever and I was a fan of his going in. And even though he has little screen time, Michael Stuhlberg shows why he is so reliable as an actor. But, like I said a second ago, Adams shines in this movie. I don't know what it is about her, but Adams' movies are hit and miss for me. I am not the biggest fan of "Nightbitch" or "American Hustle". But, I love what she brings to "Ricky Bobby" and her one episode of "The Office". But this movie proved to me, not that she needed it, her true stardom. I was enrapt when she was onscreen, and that was the whole movie. I felt for her. I rooted for her. I wanted her to figure it all out. And when she did figure it out, I agreed with her decision in the end. Here comes the big spoiler. When Adams figures out the alien's language, and how they track time, she realizes that she has seen into her future. She and Renner get married. The child in the beginning was her child. But the biggest twist, none of that happened yet. She has memories of it all, but the stuff with Renner and their daughter hasn't actually happened yet. I thought this was a great choice by Villenuve and the writers of the movie. I love the whole idea of, if you know what your future holds, would you change it or just let it roll. And I agreed with Adams' character's decision to let it play out. I will say that the movie does go deep into scientific terms and territories, and I did find that confusing. But, after reading more about the movie online after watching it, I appreciate how true to the real world they tried to make this sci-fi movie.

So, sorry RD, but I am one of the many people who think "Arrival" is a very good, very intriguing movie. And at this point, there's no reason for me to doubt Villenuve's work. The dude knows how to make a 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 "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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Better Late Than Never on "Minority Report"

I've clearly been in a movie watching mood lately, and that has meant a good amount of reviews, and today is no different. During this movie watching buffet, I watched "Minority Report". Let’s discuss.

RD has talked about this movie since it came out. He has always been a fan. I don't know why I never saw it until yesterday. I think I had some weird issue with Colin Farrell, and I maybe had an issue with another Phillip K Dick short story being made into a movie. I also always seem to hesitate when it comes to Tom Cruise movies. I like some stuff he does, but the whole Sciencetology thing and his off screen persona has always kind of rubbed me the wrong way. But, I had time, I remembered the things RD has said about this movie and I usually enjoy Steven Spielberg directed movies.

"Minority Report" is awesome. Having never seen this movie before, the story and graphics and acting all totally hold up. The direction and acting is top notch as well. What intrigued me most about this movie was the idea of a pre-crime unit within the police. I'm not the biggest fan of the police, but this idea of being able to stop murders before they happen was thought provoking to me. I also really like the way the actors in the movie are constantly questioning if this is a good or bad thing too. That shows me that they have a good story to go off, and that the writers of the movie appreciate and pay good homage to the source material. I like that the precogs would see these things, say some of the things that are said during the crime and that they give you the name of the perpetrator and victim. Cruise is great as the chief of this unit. He is clearly great at his job, but he also has issues. He uses future drugs. He has some demons he needs to fight. But when he is on the job he is legit. The first scene, where his unit stops a potential crime, was awesome to watch. I knew they were going to stop it, but I was on the edge of my seat while I watched. Colin Farrell plays the new young gun in the crew that has a ton of questions. He does a fine job here. It proves my point that, when given proper direction and well written dialogue, he can do some solid work. That is why his current career is so rewarding for me as a fan. He is good here too. When he got shot, I was stunned. And even though I was supposed to look at him as the bad guy in the beginning, I felt kind of bad for him. He was just trying to do his job. He may have been too much of a go-getter, but he was simply doing his job. Max Von Sydow was wonderful too. He had such a great turn as the bad guy. There were moments when he would let his anger slip and that was always unsettling. I knew he was up to something, and when that turned out to be true, I felt like Max Von Sydow did his work as an actor. I grew to despise him all the way to the end. There are other actors in this movie, but let's not get it twisted, this is Cruise's movie through and through, and he does a bang up job throughout. There's a reason he is a legit movie star. When he fully gives in and lets go and lets the professionals he is working with do their jobs, he puts out great work like this.

"Minority Report" is a great sci-fi movie. I wished I had seen it sooner, but at least I finally found the time to watch it yesterday. I definitely recommend checking it out. It's awesome. 

Ty

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

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Better Late Than Never on "The Running Man"

Another old movie I recently saw for the first time the other day was "The Running Man". I'm really excited for the updated "Running Man" directed by Edgar Wright, so I wanted to see the original to get an idea of what I will be getting myself into. I fully understand that Edgar Wright is going to make a more competent and better looking movie, and that these two movies are based on an older Stephen King book, but I often opt for movie interpretations over books. I usually see the movie first and then read the book. I know that's backwards for some, but that's how I do it.

Anyway, I was pretty excited to watch the first "Running Man" movie. I have found that, since I'm older now, going back to 80's sci-fi action movies is a ton of fun. They're so broad and zany and funny and I have such a good time watching them now. I recently rewatched "Total Recall" and was so much more into it now than I was when I first saw it as a kid. I used to be weirdly scared of movies like that when I was a child, but now I truly adore them. I had this feeling going into "The Running Man". And this movie was everything I wanted it to be.

Right off the bat it is no wonder why Arnold Schwartzenegger was such a big action star back in the day. He didn't have to say much, he was hunky and strong and he knew that action was his genre. He is so watchable. This performance was so similar to his work in "Total Recall" and I loved that about it. Honestly, you could watch any action/sci-fi movie from this era starring Schwartzenegger and it is the same performance. He knew what to do, the writers knew how to write him and the directors just let him go off. It is perfect for the genre and era.

Maria Conchita Alonso gave a very good performance in this over the top movie. She added a levity and she wasn't on screen just to be a damsel in distress or a love interest for Schwartzenegger. She was tough and knew how to stand up for herself. When she pulled her hair back in a ponytail after being dropped into the game, you knew she was ready to fight. I loved it.

Some of the "stalkers", the people dropped into the game to hunt the contestants, were absolutely wild. We had a dude with an axe using it as a hockey stick. There was another guy with a saw who hung out with a guy that could sing and use electricity to their advantage. And then we had Jim Brown, Fireball, who could fly and had a gun that shot fire, and Jesse Ventura, the washed up "stalker" who thinks he can still play the game. These guys were sadistic and wild. They were also hilarious. Each had a pun that they would say, and when Shwartzenegger would end them, he made sure to tell them his own related pun. It was very funny.

And then we had Richard Dawson. I only remembered him from "Family Feud". He always creeped me out when I watched reruns of that show. It felt like he was groping every female contestant. That is pretty much what he did in this movie, but this time around he was allowed to curse. He was evil and insane and he gave a good performance. I read that many people said this was just him in real life, so I guess it was an easy role for him.

All in all this movie was so fun. I didn't realize how funny the movie was going to be, and it made me kind of miss when they did action movies like these. I hope, and am pretty certain that the new movie will bring all of the fun that the original had.

"The Running Man" is a great and fun watch. I cannot recommend this movie enough, especially if you watched them when you were younger. Go revisit this movie, it is one of the better ones out there. And it has me prepped for the new version. 

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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R.I.P. Robert Redford

Robert Redford passed away this morning at 89 years old. I read that he was surrounded by family at his home in Utah.

This one is a big deal as far as actors go. Redford was a star. Even I know that. He was one of the most handsome dudes in Hollywood and he had a very, very long career. The first movie I can remember seeing him in was "The Natural", obviously. I was a big time baseball fan as a kid and "The Natural" was one of the movies that everyone told me to watch. As a kid I thought it was okay. I rewatched it as an adult and that movie had layers. It wasn't just a movie about a really good baseball player, it was about aging in pro sports and the will to continue when maybe your career might be over. It is a solid movie.

As I grew older I wanted to watch more of his movies. One of the first ones I sought out was "Indecent Proposal". I had read that it was a very horny movie, so I was amped to see it in my early 20's. This movie is so much more than that. This is one of the very first "adult" movies that I saw, and I don't mean adult as in the amount of nudity. This movie explored what some would do for money, and how certain actions can affect people in the long run.

I recently saw "The Sting". That is a fun movie. I now get all "The Simpsons" jokes they made when Homer and Bart were grifters. But it was in this movie that I first realized Redford's star power. That dude is incredibly watchable on screen. I haven't seen "All The President's Men" or "A Bridge Too Far", but those are now on my list. He is the narrator in "A River Runs Through It", and that is a sad, sad movie. It is nice to have his voice leading the way throughout that downer.

When I was in elementary school I knew him as the voice of Ike the Horse in "Charlotte's Web". I read that book and watched that movie a bunch. So, any actor who did a voice in that movie when I was younger was someone for me to keep an eye on. Then, almost re-emerging on my scene, he showed up in "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" in a big role. I was shocked to see him in that movie, but when he started acting, it was a seamless fit. He added a gravitas to those MCU movies. "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" is a more grown up MCU version, and I believe the addition of Redford helped in a big way. He reappeared in "Avengers: Endgame" playing the same role and I loved it.

Outside of acting, he started the Sundance Film Festival. This was always the festival where I would find out about the new indie movies that I would inevitably go see in the theaters. He was able to get a ton of big time actors, directors and producers to show up in Utah and put on a tremendous movie festival. Redford also supported environmentalism, Native American rights, LGBTQ rights and the arts. He was a fan of Barack Obama too. During his acting career Redford won two of the five Oscars he was nominated for. He won one BAFTA, was nominated for three Emmys, won six Golden Globes and got the Lifetime Achievement Award from SAG in 1995. Redford kind of did it all in the time he had on this plane. He stretched his wings and gave it all he had. He will be missed.

Rest In Peace Robert Redford. Go hit some homers wherever you may be now. 

Ty

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

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Better Late Than Never on "An Evening with Beverly Luff Linn"

I've been in a movie watching phase as of late, as my blog would let you all know. So, after watching yet another movie yesterday, I want to talk about this one. The movie is called "An Evening with Beverly Luff Linn".

I remember hearing about this movie ages ago, and then kind of forgot about it. Then, while channel surfing last Saturday, I stumbled upon it on premium cable. I had a little time before college football started, so I watched about 40 minutes of it. That wasn't enough, especially after talking to my buddy Kirk about the movie. He said he liked it, and that I should watch it to get the full jist of the movie. So, with my free time yesterday, I settled in and turned the movie on.

I'm here to say, I really liked what I saw in this movie. This is one of the strangest, wildest and funniest movies I've seen. The quick story of this movie is this mysterious musician, Beverly Luff Linn, is doing a one night show in some podunk town. In this town we meet the locals, who are an odd bunch of eclectic strangers. Beverly Luff Linn is played by Craig Robinson. He only communicates in grunts and facial expressions. Matt Berry plays Rodney Von Donkensteiger, Luff Linn's partner and somewhat of a personal assistant. He's possessive, but he also genuinely cares about Beverly. Emile Hirsch and Aubrey Plaza play a married couple, the Danger's, but there is definitely dissonance between them, and when Jermaine Clement, Colin, shows up to rob them, this is where the movie kicks into high gear. Aubrey Plaza, Lulu, runs off with Colin and they go to the hotel where Bevelry and his crew were staying. They pretend to be a married couple, and this only makes Beverly more upset. Apparently Beverly and Lulu have a past that is unresolved. Colin begins to fall in love with Lulu, but she does not reciprocate this feeling. Emile Hirsch, Shane, is clearly upset and he gets his employees, Zach Cherry and Sky Elobar to help him get her back. All while this is going some of the strangest and funniest stuff happens throughout the movie. People enter the scene and just yell at one another over nothing. Beverly goes swimming at one point and this entrances Lulu. During this swim session, Beverly lets out some wild guttural screams. It shocked me at first, but then I found myself chuckling. The hotel manager yells at people. The owner of the hotel has a wild haircut and weird way of talking to people. Shane has stolen from Lulu's brother, and he is constantly going into the coffee shop and yelling at Shane. Every scene between Colin and Lulu was so cringeworthy and made me laugh very hard. The way Colin yells at himself was great. Shane stands like a gremlin the whole movie. He is always hunched over, and that choice by Hirsch made me laugh. And the fight scene at the end was so sloppy, on purpose, and I loved every second of it.

This movie won't be for everyone. But if you like absurd and loud humor, it is perfect. I thought it was great. I laughed the whole time. Hell, it even had heartfelt moments sprinkled in there. What I liked best though, was the nostalgia of weird indie movies in the mid 2010's. These types of movies used to be put out more often than not and they have always held a special place in my heart. I wish we had more of them now. I definitely recommend checking out "An Evening With Beverly Luff Linn", especially if you're into absurdist comedy. 

Ty

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

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Better Never Than Late on "Infinity Pool"

I have been in a movie watching mood as of late, and I have wanted to watch weird movies. While looking at the many streaming services, I came across the movie "Infinity Pool". I vaguely remember seeing ads for this movie and they intrigued me. I liked the dark look of the trailer and I do tend to enjoy most movies with a Sarsgaard in them. I also find Mia Goth oddly enticing, and she happened to be the other person on the poster. I had free time yesterday afternoon, so I decided to check it out.

I truly did not know what I was getting myself into. I saw that it was directed by Cronenberg, but it wasn't David. I guess this is his son, so I figured it would be weird. And this movie was all kinds of weird. The long and short of the plot goes like this, rich couple goes to a weird resort, makes some friends, gets drunk, accidentally kills a person on a walk, goes to jail, finds out they can get clones of themselves to pay the consequence and Sarsgard becomes addicted to this lifestyle. All along the way, some crazy stuff happens. First off, the excursion to the woods takes a weird, sexual and disturbing turn. Skarsgard goes to the bathroom, gets accosted by Goth, she pleases him and he acts weird the rest of the trip. Then he accidentally hits the walker. He and his wife, Cleopatra Coleman are terrified, but Goth and her friend tell them to act like nothing happened and they will take care of this. This is where the clones and prison come into play. Now, the whole idea of having a clone of yourself deal with your consequences was intriguing to me, but the way the rest of the movie played out frustrated me to no end. When Sarsgaard first gets into the clone making machine, the movie becomes like a 70's psychedelic music video. It's all flashing colors, swirly, tie dyed like symbols and odd music. We see things during his trip in the goo, but can't make anything out. After his wife realizes he is obsessed with this cloning business, she leaves and the movie gets even wilder. Goth, Skarsgard and their buddies start to commit crimes and each time, they have their clones take the fall. They go harder and harder until Skarsgard has to fight a "dog" version of himself. This whole climatic scene is one of the oddest and strangest things I've ever watched. Oh, and the prolonged orgy scene a few moments earlier was not at all fun. It was upsetting and strange.

While I was watching this movie I grew more and more frustrated with each passing minute. The story never came together the way I wanted it to. I kept watching and saying to myself, "this must be what rich white people do when they run out of ideas". I grew frustrated at the direction and acting. Again, I like Skarsgard and Goth, but their performances seemed weird for the sake of weird. They weren't telling a story. They weren't interested in exploring the complications of this whole idea of letting a clone take the fall for you. The movie really started to lose steam for me near the end, the first time they catch Skarsgard on a tour bus.

I wanted to like this movie. It had stuff that I thought I was really going to enjoy. I like the actors. I figured with a name like Cronenberg that it would be gory, but also tell a good story. None of that happened for me. I found the movie to be a rich white person fantasy and I have no interest in watching a movie like that. The only saving grace, I did watch the whole thing because I wanted to see an unsatisfying conclusion I suppose. But, in the end, I'd pass on recommending "Infinity Pool". 
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 "The Naked Gun"

My wife and I went out to see the new "Naked Gun" movie a week or so back. Let’s discuss.

I was hesitant to see this movie. I love the original. It was one of the first times I saw a movie that made me literally laugh out loud. Prior to the original "Naked Gun", I truly do not know if I knew movies could be that funny. I had seen comedies prior to it, but "Naked Gun" was on a whole other level. It also opened my eyes to spoof movies, which I enjoy most of them to this day. The sequels weren't great in my opinion, but that first one is a stone cold classic. So, with this new one, I had my guard up. But my wife really wanted to see it, and her enthusiasm kind of helped to get me amped up. I was also a bit more on board with the new one when I heard that Akiva Schaffer, from The Lonely Island, was tapped to direct. I adore his work, "Hot Rod" is one of my all time favorite movies, and the stuff he, Andy Samberg and Jorma Taccone did on "SNL" was legendary. We did wait a few weeks to see the movie, full disclosure, because we were interested in the critical response. The movie got very, very good reviews and that was pretty much all I needed to finally go see the movie in the theater.

I'm here to tell you all that this version of "The Naked Gun" is incredibly funny. The jokes start from the jump and they never let up, much to my delight. I wasn't totally on board with Liam Neeson taking over the role of Frank Drebin, he plays Leslie Nielsen's son, which is hilarious to me. But he did a very, very good job. He was up for anything the writing team and Schaffer asked of him. What I liked most about his performance was how straight he played it. Neeson is more of an action guy, but he was so good at making the jokes land in this movie, doing so with a straight face the whole time. There are no winks at the camera, unless they were scripted. Pamela Anderson was incredible. She is the female lead, taking over for Priscilla Presley, and she takes this role to a different level. Anderson was all in. Even more so than Neeson. There's a scene where she does scat singing at a jazz club and it was one of the funniest parts in the entire movie. She gives it her all and it made me laugh very, very hard. There is another scene where she and Neeson are in a dream sequence with a snowman that was riotous. It may be one of the funnier things I've seen in a movie in a long, long time. Paul Walter Hauser does a fine job as Neeson's partner. He gets to do some funny bits and he is along for the ride with Neeson. And Danny Huston was tremendous as the villain. He gets to do some very funny stuff that I didn't realize he had in him. There is a fight scene between him and Neeson where Huston made me audibly crack up. He also has another scene where he is explaining his plan to some people, and the disdain he feels for those in the room with him was hilarious.

This version of "The Naked Gun" really worked for me. Schaffer and his crew did it the right way. They paid tribute but also made it their own movie. Neeson was a fine enough successor to Nielsen. Pamela Anderson was amazing and Danny Huston may be my favorite "Naked Gun" villain to date. I recommend this movie for sure. And I'd say try to see it in a theater with others. The jokes land so much harder with an audience. I enjoyed the hell out of it. 

Ty

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

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A Revisit to "Clerks" is Well Worth It

Over the weekend I made another trip to the Arkadin to see another classic movie, "Clerks". This was no theme night or Strange Brew or anything like that, this was just a showing of "Clerks".

I have been a fan of this movie since the first moment I saw it over 25 years ago. When I first saw it it was unlike anything else I had seen to that point. This movie, again I was 17 years old, was so poignant and profound to me. I would end up watching a bunch between the ages of 17 and 25 or so. It was a movie I would show to friends, I had family members watch it over and over again and I would watch it on my own a ton. Then it kind of slipped through the cracks for me and I moved on to other Kevin Smith movies.

Recently I went back and watched "Mallrats". I had heard someone talk about it on a podcast and that made me want to revisit. While not a great movie by any means, it still held up for me. I was able to look past some problematic language in the movie and I was able to go back to being younger and let myself get very involved in "Mallrats". "Clerks" is such a better movie, in my opinion, though. I was so happy on this rewatch, again, almost 20 years from the last time I saw it, that it still held up. I was laughing harder than I did before. I had never seen it with a true movie theater crowd, and that added a whole other layer for me. I was around other people that like this content as much as I do. We all laughed at all the funny parts. We knew what was coming but it didn't matter. It still hit us all the same. And the writing, I was kind of shocked that it still held up so well. I have seen this movie at different points in my life and this time, with 42 year old eyes and ears, I had a different take. I found Dante to be whiny and egotistical. Brian O'Halloran played this role to perfection. When I was younger I used to side with him. I felt he was just unlucky in love and wanted something better. This time around, I was all about Randal, played perfectly by Jeff Anderson. He knew his lot in life and accepted it. He held no grudges against anyone but the customers. He told Dante off when he needed and sided with him when needed. He was always there for him, but he would give him the business too. And I understand that there are other actors in this movie, but this is all about Dante and Randal. It is their journey through an insane day at work. And Kevin Smith and his writing staff absolutely nailed it.

I couldn't like this movie more than I do now. I feel like I understand it so much better now. And I highly recommend that you rewatch it if you haven't seen it in a long time or if you've never seen it and want to know what all the fuss is about. It is so well written and acted by, at the time, non actors. And if you are between the ages of 18-50, this movie will ring true for you. "Clerks", for me, is a true classic. 

Ty

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

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Better Late Than Never on "The House"

I was looking for a movie to watch the other day since I had some free time while my kids were in school. I went to a few different streaming services and ended up going with HBO Max. There I saw a movie called "The House" which featured Amy Poehler and Will Ferrell. I vaguely remember hearing about this movie other than it got bad reviews. But, I enjoy Poehler and Ferrell, and the 95 or so minute runtime was perfect, so I decided to watch.

Now, right off the bat, this is not a very good movie. The story is thin, the young actors don't get much to do and for its short runtime, certain moments felt like they went on forever. That being said, this movie did make me laugh, and isn't that the whole point of a comedy? For those that may not know, "The House" is about a family that needs to make money to get their only child into college. They team up with a neighbor and open a casino in his basement. Pretty simple outline. Here's the problem, here's the solution and some wacky stuff will happen along the way. But Ferrell and Poehler made for a dynamite comedy duo, and I found myself laughing more times than not. Those two know how to sell a joke, they know how far to take it and they both seemed to be having a good time while making the movie. Jason Mantzoukas, who I adore, was the neighbor and it was nice to see him play a bigger role in a movie. He always seems to be a side character that comes into a show or movie and steals every scene he is in. He also seems to always play someone gross. Here he does do some gross stuff, but he is the comic relief for the most part. Poehler and Ferrell are still hilarious, but Mantzoukas was right there with them with the comedy the whole way through the movie. I also appreciated that the casting director cast funny people to play bit parts in this movie. Andrea Savage and Lennon Parham play neighbors that hate one another and they are both hilarious. Their fight scene was pretty great. Rory Scovel plays a yokel that just wants to have fun. Nick Kroll and Allison Tolman play scummy local political people, and they had a ton of unexpected laughs from me. Rob Heubel plays a bumbling police officer. Cedric Yarbrough plays a dad in town who doesn't pay back all his loans. Kyle Kinane is a local drunk. Michela Watkins plays Mantzoukas' ex, and she has some of the best line deliveries in the whole movie. Steve Zissis and Jeremy Renner play local thugs who want to take down the casino. And actors like Sam Richardson, Andy Buckley, Wayne Federman, Ian Roberts and Jessica St Clair are peppered throughout the cast and they all do some funny stuff while on screen.

Again, this is by no means a good movie. It does have slow parts and some jokes don't land. But I was never bored when watching. I laughed quite a bit. I found the movie to be a perfect background for if I am writing or doing some housework. Do I recommend it? If you like the people I mentioned, yeah. But if you are looking for something to move you or see epic cinema, skip it. My final thoughts, this movie had funny parts, is not a great story and it kept my attention for most of it. I guess it is a soft recommend from me, but only if you know and like the people involved. 

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.

Better Late Than Never on "Freaky Tales"

Another movie I was able to watch the past two weeks was "Freaky Tales". I only vaguely knew of this movie due to the fact that Pedro Pascal was cast in it. I did see one trailer near the release of the movie that got me more hyped, but I never went to see it in the theaters. Then I kind of forgot about it, until I read some people saying it was one of the better movies to come out last year. The publications were ones I like and take their recommendations. So, it was my turn to pick on date night and "Freaky Tales" was the choice.

This movie takes place in Oakland over a couple days in 1987. Right off the bat, the look of this movie was so cool. It had that retro feel to it. It reminded me of watching movies on VHS back when I was a kid. It was a little grainy and I really was into the vibe they were putting out there. There are four different stories that all coincide with each other. Each story is told in its own chapter, and it all culminates and comes together during the finale. The first story focuses on some punk rock kids that have to fight nazis to keep them out of their club. We meet a few of the punker kids, and I was immediately on their side. The nazis, like all of them, were horrific people and they deserved to be beaten. We do get a background on one of the young kids, the punkers who go to the club every night, the owners of the club and their inner meetings. The lead up to the fight scene was great. This was when the movie used montages to perfection. And the fight scene itself was gory and violent and awesome. There is nothing more satisfying than seeing a nazi get punched in the throat with a studded bracelet. As soon as this story started, I was fully in.

By the end, I wanted even more. Luckily for me, the second chapter was right up my alley. This time we saw a rap group, Danger Zone, trying to catch a break. Danger Zone was two ladies and they were still working at an ice cream shop, but just needed a break. Lucky for them, a local promoter saw them perform and invited them to rap battle Too Short, who also happens to be the narrator throughout the whole movie. Meanwhile, we see the members of Danger Zone get annoyed and hit on by a police officer, we see one of the members freaking out prior to their performance and then we see them, dare I say, beat Too Short in said battle. It was cool to watch a musical performance in this movie, and props to Normani for giving one hell of a performance during this chapter.

The third chapter focuses on Pedro Pascal's character. He is a criminal fixer doing one last job. We do also find out some info on what happened to him the day before. There is a scene in this chapter, where Pascal is going to a movie rental store and has a great conversation about underdog movies. The conversation he is having is with Tom Hanks, who plays the rental store clerk. He and Pascal going back and forth was a sight to behold. I truly enjoyed Hanks' work in this scene, and Pascal does some damn good stuff too. The part where he is talking to another criminal in a diner was so electric.

The final chapter, which also happened to be my favorite chapter, tells us a story about former NBA player Sleepy Floyd. He was a great NBA player, and he had a historic playoff game during his career, but "Freaky Tales" tells us something new and fascinating. The tale we get is, during Floyd's epic playoff game, his girlfriend, mom and another friend get accosted and attacked by some thieves. To get his revenge, Floyd takes matters into his own hands, by doing kung fu, of which he is excellent at doing. When we get to the scene with the kung fu, it was akin to the punk rocker scene, but it was amped up by a million percent. It was wild and fun and I wanted to watch more and more of it. I'm not sure who played Sleepy Floyd, but he was incredible and did the best job in the movie in my opinion.

What really made this movie go over the top for me, while it is a fictional tale, some of the people involved are real. Gilman Street is a real place. Danger Zone was a real group who did battle Too Short. And Sleepy Floyd was a great player who did, as mentioned before, have a historical playoff game and a solid run in the NBA. The writers just heightened these stories.

I loved this movie. It was different and cool and a total blast to watch. Check out "Freaky Tales" ASAP. You will not regret 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.