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.

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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.

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Ty Watches "Weapons"

Now that I have finished my preseason football stuff, I have some movie and album write ups I want to get to. The first movie I want to talk about is "Weapons".

I wrote a blog a while back about the trailer and how much it made me want to see the movie. And I found a way to see it on opening weekend, going to see it solo on the Sunday it opened. And I absolutely loved this movie. I will be as spoiler free as possible moving forward by the way.

The story of the movie is as follows, 17 kids from one single classroom all leave their houses at 2:17am and "never come back". The movie then tells the story of the aftermath from different perspectives. Julia Garner plays the teacher of the classroom and we get her story first. It's clear she has some deep seeded issues, but in the end she is a person who cares about her kids. She wants what is best for them, she just doesn't really know how to go about it the right way. Garner does some great stuff in this movie, and after seeing her in "Fantastic Four: First Steps", which she is also very good in, she is amazing here. I was very impressed with her work. Alden Ehrenreich plays a local cop who isn't on the job about the missing kids, but he has insight because he works in the police office. Ehrenreich does some solid work too. He is always anxious and nervous about everything around him. He has an overbearing girlfriend.His girlfriend's dad happens to be the chief of police in this town and he may or may not have issues with alcohol. He is also a friend of Garner's, and they may or may not have a personal past. Ehrenreich was fun to watch. He also brings a little humor in an otherwise very scary movie. Josh Brolin plays a parent of one of the kids who left their house. Brolin is about as reliable as they come in Hollywood. He portrays the ache and anger of a parent whose kid is gone. He wants answers and he will stop at nothing to figure it all out. He is also involved in what I found to be the scariest part of the whole movie. There's a long scene with him that made me jump in my seat in the theater. Benedict Wong plays the principal of the school and he is incredible in the movie. He has to do a bunch of different things in his ten minutes on screen and boy oh boy does he nail it. He is probably my favorite part of the whole movie. I also appreciate how he handled the whole scenario as the principal for the school where the kids left. Austin Abrams plays a local junkie who is the catalyst for uncovering the mystery of the movie. But, since he is constantly high, no one will listen to him. It doesn't really end well for him. And then we have Amy Madigan, who gives a performance of a lifetime. She is top notch in this movie and I hope she gets some kind of awards consideration. I was absolutely blown away by the work she did.

"Weapons" worked on a ton of levels for me. I thought about how I would handle this situation if it happened to me. I thought the kid actors did good work. Zach Cregger knows how to make a scary and mysterious movie that always has me on the edge of my seat. "Weapons" is definitely scary, but it also has moments of humor and levity. I appreciate that it isn't entirely shot at night. They created a universe that I'm interested in seeing much more of.

Overall, I'm stoked I was able to see this movie on a big screen and I cannot recommend it enough. "Weapons" is amazing. 

Ty

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

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Ty Wants to Watch "Weapons"

I was never really much of a fan of horror movies as a kid. I felt that if I was going to watch a movie, I wanted to have a good time and not be scared. I almost always chose sports or comedy movies. And if the two were in the same movie, that was gold for me.

As I get older though, I have found that I do like certain horror movies. I prefer psychological stuff when it comes to horror. Movies like "Black Swan", "The Babadook" and "A Clockwork Orange" are my style of horror. A few years ago I kept hearing people talk about this new horror director Zach Cregger and his new movie "Barbarian". The talk became a constant for me while listening to podcasts that I decided I was going to watch.

I was kind of floored by "Barbarian". Make no mistake, "Barbarian" is a very scary movie, but it also tells an interesting story and is filled with twists and turns. I loved the two different story arcs that met up near the end. The Skarsgaard that was in it was scary until it was revealed that he wasn't an actual bad guy. The scary person was unique in its horror persona and the movie has stayed with me for quite some time now.

Well, I'm here to say that Cregger has a new movie coming out, of which I just watched the trailer, and now I want to go see it. The movie is called "Weapons", and the trailer is so minimal that it has really sparked my interest. I have zero idea what it is about, and that is the mark of a good trailer for me. And the movie looks like it is going to be scary, psychological, maybe a tiny bit humorous and will stay with me just like "Barbarian" did. During the very short trailer we see a kid walking in a school hallway, we see another kid with bruises looking confused, a guy stabbing his face with a fork, another guy being covered in an oily like substance and it looks as if all the other characters scream very loudly at separate points. It is exactly what I want from a horror trailer. Seeing this makes me want to see the movie. I'm itching to know what the story is all about. I want to know why it's called "Weapons". I'm curious as to how it all connects. This is how to make a trailer in modern times. I don't want to know every beat of the story within a trailer. It is nice to leave something to the imagination. I like how ambiguous and vague it all seems. I went into "Barbarian" totally blind and that was the best way to see that movie. I may not watch another trailer for "Weapons". I feel like I want to know more, but I'd rather wait to find it all out in the theaters. If the movie is anywhere near as good as this trailer, Cregger is going to have another win to put in his hat.

If you like horror, especially psychological horror, go check out this trailer. It seems like there will be a good amount in this movie, alongside the traditional horror tropes. In the end, all I really know is I will be seeing "Weapons" in the theater. It is becoming a must watch for me. 

Ty

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

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Alamo Drafthouse is the Only Way to See a Movie

Yesterday I really gave a poor review to "Jurassic World: Rebirth", and I stand by that. I couldn't find one thing I really liked about it. But, outside of the movie, the theater we went to was amazing, and I want to give that some shine today.

We went to see the movie at the newish Alamo DraftHouse here in Saint Louis. That was pretty much the only reason I agreed to go see that movie. I recommended we see it there in fact. I have heard a ton about the Alamo DraftHouse. A lot of the people I hear on the podcasts I listen to constantly talk about seeing movies there. My wife has to travel to Austin quite a bit for work and she has raved about the one there. I always heard about the theater, but never made my way downtown to see a movie. That changed on Sunday and I, while disliking the movie, had a great time at the theater.

When we walked in I was instantly in love with the theater. They had old school and foreign movie posters all over their walls. They put all those old posters in there amongst new movies too. For every "The Jerk" or "Napoleon Dynamite" poster, there was a poster for "Wicked For Good" or "Together". It was neat to see the movie posters from other countries for famous movies. They had what I think was a French poster for "The Jerk". There were a ton of Spanish posters for classics like "Jaws" and "Alien". They had old school American posters for movies like the aforementioned "Napoleon Dynamite" and other movies like "Big Lebowski" and "Being John Malkovich". It was cool to see all these posters plastered all over the walls. As we made our way to the theater for our movie, when we walked in I loved the setup of the theater. It wasn't like most theaters. Every seat was at the same level, but lifted the further back you go. There were no steps to get to your seat. No one had to go up or down. We were all at the same level, but we could all see the screen very well. The service was incredible. Our server had a "Threat Level Midnight" shirt on, if you know you know, and he was an absolute delight. He really helped to guide us through our first visit. After we ordered we watched the stuff on screen prior to the movie. This wasn't the typical commercials you get at every other theater. This was a curated show of everything pertaining to dinosaurs. We got old Weird Al videos from the first "Jurassic Park" movie. They showed old school cartoons that were all dinosaur related. They showed older commercials for toys from previous "Jurassic Park" movies. It was neat to see something a little different. And the food was so much better than it had to be. We got very big sodas and water to drink. My son and I had chicken tenders that were fantastic and plentiful. Our fries were very tasty. My daughter had a wood fired pepperoni pizza. She let me try the pepperonis and they were great. My wife had loaded fries and she couldn't even finish them. I saw other people order popcorn and it came in a big silver bowl and there was a ton. Someone got the churro varietal near us and I could see very mini churros mixed in. It also smelled delicious. Most theater food is run of the mill, but this was above and beyond. It seems like they care about the product they are putting out there, and I love that.

While the movie wasn't good, the theater and the product and the ambiance and experience was all great and I will definitely be back in the very near future. I now understand the hype I have heard for years in regards to the Alamo DraftHouse. It is great. 

Ty

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

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Ty Watches "Jurassic World Rebirth"

I saw three movies this weekend, written about two that I liked, and now I'm going to talk about the one I wasn't so into.

My wife and I really love the original "Jurassic Park". It was one of my favorite movies growing up. I was obsessed with dinosaurs and seeing them "come back to life" was pretty important to me. They tried to make a few sequels that weren't so great. Although, I did find some things to enjoy in the third installment. Then Chris Pratt was tabbed to play the star in the reboot, "Jurassic World". These movies, especially the third one, were not for me. I am not the biggest Chris Pratt fan, the movies were dull, they had problematic storylines and they really phoned it in in the end. Hell, the third "Jurassic World" movie wasn't even really about dinosaurs. They decided to focus on giant mutated mosquitoes, and that was a bad, bad decision on their behalf. So, going into this new "Jurassic Park" movie, "Jurassic World: Rebirth", my expectations were very low.

And the movie delivered on those low expectations.

I told my wife after the movie was over that I actively disliked it. I couldn't find, for me, one thing that I really enjoyed. The story was slapdash and lazily put together. The direction was wonky and felt disengaged. Scarlett Johannson and Mahersela Ali are both way too good of actors to waste their time in a movie like this. It would have been better if they simply focused on Johnathan Bailey's character and just told his story. It's clear that the people behind Bailey are pushing to make him a star, and they should have given him the leeway in this movie to try out his stardom. He is already making a name for himself in "Wicked" and "Bridgerton" and this movie felt like another big shot for him. But he was not the main character, and I kind of think they should have made it all about him. But I also fully get it if you cast Johannson and Ali in a movie like this, they are going to be the leads. This was just another miss by the group making this movie.

As for the dinos, they were hideous and gross. This one, from what I can gather, was all about mutated dinosaurs, and I feel like they took that way, way too far. The D-Rex had what looked like a giant wart on the front of its head. It also had disgusting alien-like teeth that really bummed me out. I've always been a brachiosaurus guy myself, but they found a way to change these majestic creatures and gave them weird fin looking things on their necks. They also had some kind of hybrid pterodactyl-veliocraptor thing that was terrifying to see on the big screen, and not scary in a good way like the raptors in the first movie. They were gross and nasty and mean looking. I also very much dislike when an animal like a dinosaur can read human emotions and act on it. They did that far too many times in this movie. A guy threw a hammer at one, locked eyes with him and chased him down before eating him. The pterodactyl/veliocraptor thing was actively chasing down the humans in the movie. It was a total mess. And the whole family that got stranded at sea storyline was so pointless and added nothing but stress to the story.

I really do not like to sit down and bash stuff that I wish I had the audacity and intelligence to make, but this movie was very, very bad in my opinion. I do not recommend it. It does nothing to help the "Jurassic Park" movie. In fact, I'd say they may have to start all over because this was a total trainwreck. Clearly, I did not care for 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 Fantastic Four: First Steps"

My son really wanted to see the new "Fantastic Four" movie when it came out, and we took him on Saturday. All four of us went. We figured this was okay enough for our 9 year old to see, even though she's not all that interested in superhero content.

I really didn't know what to make when this movie was announced. They have tried many times to make a movie from this material, and each and every one has been pretty bad. I saw the 2005 one when it came out simply based on curiosity. Superhero movies weren't really a thing back then and I wanted to see how they would try to pull it off. It wasn't a very good movie in my opinion. It was too dull and not as fun as I wanted it to be. The story was blah and I walked away not very impressed. I did not see the sequel. I had no interest at all. I watched the 2015 version when it came to streaming and that movie is out and out bad. It had a great cast and tried to go darker, both in content and color, and it seemed to have a good story behind it. That movie was unequivocally bad. It was a truly awful movie. Then, RD had me watch the very first one that Roger Croman made in the 90's. It was rough. The movie was boring, CGI and special effects weren't close to what we have today and the actors seemed like they never wanted this movie to see the light of day. So, having all of that in my mind heading into this version may not have been the best impression.

I will say, the casting was great. I love Pedro Pascal. I don't know much about Vanessa Kirby, but I know she is a highly regarded actor. Joseph Quinn has been a star in two main things, and this movie allows his star to shine through. And I adore Eben Moss-Bachrach from "The Bear". They nailed it. And, as the movie unfolded, I found myself interested in what was going on and following along with the story. They don't explain how they got powers, we are introduced to them as superheroes that the world already loves. I liked that. We don't need the backstory. Most people already know the Fantastic Four's backstory. And the rest of the way, the movie was a delight. The action sequences were great, especially the finale. I loved the whole idea of a pregnant superhero. Seeing people adore, then get mad at, and then adore them again felt as realistic as they can make a movie like this. And Vanessa Kirby gives a truly powerhouse performance. She is, hands down, the best part of this whole movie. I believed her character arc, how she reacted when she was giving birth, her refusal to bow down to anyone and how strong and powerful she proved to be in the end. She was awesome.

Overall, this version of "The Fantastic Four" finally found a way to make this group work on screen. I enjoyed this movie. I found it very solid and a good time. I wished they weren't going to make anymore of these, but we know that is not the case. I'd prefer if they just walked away knowing that they finally did it. I recommend this movie, especially for fans of superhero stories. 

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 "Happy Gilmore 2"

I watched “Happy Gilmore 2”. Let’s discuss

I was hesitant/excited for "Happy Gilmore 2". I was hesitant because they didn't have to do this. I know that the original "Happy Gilmore" isn't a great movie, but I love it. It is my childhood. I could, and still can for that matter, almost quote that movie line for line. I have tried to show it to my kids in the past, but they don't have the same fervor for it as me, and that's okay. Back in the day my friends and I loved it. We would watch it over and over again and I feel like they nailed it. This was a perfect movie for young me and for my fandom towards Adam Sandler. I loved him on "SNL", "Billy Madison" was massive for me and now he was doing a sports movie. Never mind that it was hockey and golf, two sports I have zero interest in. This was Sandler making a big sports comedy. That was all I needed. And I adored it. I was excited because it was like they were bringing the team back together. Pretty much everyone who is still alive from the first movie is back. And if someone has passed, it was rumored there would be some kind of tribute. They were also bringing in newer faces to the franchise, and some are people I like. And they got Kyle Newachek to direct the movie, and you all know that I really love "Workaholics". So, as my wife and I sat down Friday night to watch, I was amped, but I also had my guard up.

Look, much like the first movie, "Happy Gilmore 2" isn't in the pantheon of great movies, but I really enjoyed myself while watching. This movie is a love letter to the original, and I'm fully on board with that. The new cameos were plentiful. Some worked. I thought Bad Bunny was great. Travis Kelce allowed himself to be made fun of. Eminem did a bang up job taking on a major role from the first movie. Hell, I even thought Jon Daly did a fine job. There were a few cameos I was on board with, but Sandler is nothing if not loyal to certain friends of his. The golf was just as fun this time around. I still love to see how Happy swings that driver when he's on the course. The real pro golfers in the movie knew the assignment and had fun with it. Getting Benny Safdie and Haley Joel Osment to play the villain roles was quite the coup. And Haley Joel Osment was great. And the story of an aging former pro who stepped away from the game is the perfect role for Sandler at his current age. He can dress how he wants, cast friends and family and have a damn good time making a fun movie. But the star of the movie, and scene stealer for that matter was Christopher McDonald reprising his role as Shooter McGavin. The story they told about his current whereabouts was a perfect follow up after his end in the first movie. He was funny, he seemed to love this role and he was all in on every joke and every callback to the first movie. My wife said she saw someone say they want a lone movie about him now, and I'm here for that.

I liked this movie. I had a good time. I never felt like they were taking what they did in the first movie for granted. I am usually prepared to dislike sequels, but "Happy Gilmore 2" worked for me. It was everything I wanted it to be and they never tried to make it something different. I respect that and I recommend 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 "Eddington"

As well as seeing "Superman" last weekend, I was also able to get out and see Ari Aster's new movie "Eddington". It was a movie going kind of weekend for me. I feel like I'm paying for that now with how busy my week has been so far, and it's only Tuesday.

Anway, "Eddington" was a movie that came on my radar about two or three months ago. I like Ari Aster's movies that I've seen to this point. He makes interesting movies that can be scary, haunting and funny all at the same time. "Midsommar" kicked my butt and "Beau if Afraid" is a movie I still think about to this day. I haven't seen "Hereditary" yet, but that is only because I'm truly scared to watch it, regardless of how much people like that movie. Going into "Eddington", I was curious to see how he'd do a movie that takes place in May of 2020, right at the start of COVID and the pandemic here in America. I appreciate the fact that he wanted to make a movie about the pandemic and how it affected people differently.

"Eddington" focuses on Joaquin Phoenix's character Joe, who is a sheriff of a small town in New Mexico. Phoenix is incredible in this role. He takes this meager sheriff and turns him into a nightmare of the dark web and conspiracy theorist and someone who doesn't think before he speaks. He has a feud with the town mayor, Ted Garcia, played by Pedro Pascal. Whenever the two of them were on screen together it was this great blend of tension and anger and animosity towards one another. It's clear they each despise one another for similar reasons. Emma Stone plays Joe's wife, and she has personal issues. She is basically a homebody that thinks she always needs to rest. She has had past trauma and her doctor has told her not to get too stressed. This has turned her into a conspiracy theorist as well, and she kind of goes off the deep end. Austin Butler plays a cult leader. He has a small role in this, but man is he terrifying when he's on screen. Deirdre O'Connell plays Stone's mom, and she is as delusional as they get when it comes to COVID and conspiracy theories. Luke Grimes and Michael Ward play local cops who have different takes on protests and the pandemic. Cameron Mann and Matt Gomez Hidaka play high school grads trying to navigate life in early 2020. The cast is really good and they all do an admirable job in their roles. But make no mistake, this is Phoenix's movie. He is the star and lead here. Pascal has a big part too, but it is nothing compared to Phoenix. I feel like Phoenix and Aster have some kind of weird guy connection and they're going to see how far they can take it. So far it is working.

Like I mentioned before, the tension in the first 90 minutes of this movie is great. I would squirm and shift in my chair more than I thought necessary in that first part. I was invested in the feud and what was going to happen in the town and everyone starting their protests. Then there is a big shift that happens after a fundraiser at Pascal's house. This is where the movie kind of went off the rails for me. Don't get me wrong, I liked this movie. But this shift in tone is jarring and kind of comes out of nowhere. I feel like Aster had a really good idea and filled all of that within the first 90 minutes. But then he had to find a way to finish the movie and this is when he decided to go nuts. Some of the stuff in the last hour I still really like, but it pales in comparison with the first part of the movie. And the final 10 minutes is so depressing and so scary because it feels like what is going on today with politics, and that bums me out.

All in all I enjoyed this movie. It's the first movie that hearkens back to the pandemic in the right way so far for me. It tells that story best in my opinion. And if you're on the fence about seeing "Eddington", I say go just to see Joaquin Phoenix put on a masterclass in acting. His performance is worth the price of admission.. 

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 "Superman"

Last Monday I wrote about the alt right griping about the new "Superman" movie. I also stated how much I wanted to see the movie, even more so after all the complaining. Yesterday me and my family all went out to see it, and I really, really enjoyed my theater going experience.

I was going to like this movie from the get go. I wanted to see it, my son really wanted to see it and after seeing the "backlash", that made me more excited to see it. The movie is fun from start to finish. There isn't really a dull moment throughout. The battle scenes are fun, the villain is chewing scenery and the story is a fun and easy one to follow.

I really enjoyed the guy who played Superman. His name is David Corenswet. I didn't know much about him prior to this movie. I saw he was in "Pearl" and "Twisters", among other things. He was dynamite as Superman/Clark Kent. He had the look down pat. There were moments in the movie when he, to me, looked exactly like Christopher Reeves. It was uncanny to me. He played Superman great. He was sweet, he wanted what was best for the world. He fought injustice and he had some funny things to say throughout the movie.

Rachel Brosnahan was very good as an updated Lois Lane. I like how she questioned things and when she would get into crazy situations, like pocket universes, she acted like what was happening was nuts, because it was certifiably insane what she was seeing. I appreciate that from an actor.

I mentioned scenery chewing earlier, and Nicholas Hoult did just that as Lex Luthor, and he was awesome. He was so bad, with zero redeeming qualities, and that is exactly what I want from my villains. He was bad through and through.

My personal favorite part of the movie was the Justice Gang. Green Lantern, Hawk Girl and Mr Terrific made up the Justice Gang. Two thirds of the group did not like this name by the way. Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner/Green Lantern was my favorite thing in the whole movie. He was gruff and mean and stupid and fun as hell. He seemed to be having a great time playing this character and that really came off watching him onscreen. Isabela Merced was Hawk Girl, and while she didn't have a whole lot to do in the movie, she owned the screen time she got. She was also pretty funny with her quips. And Edi Gathegi was dynamite as Mr Terrific. He was funny, the smartest one in the Justice Gang and had the most memorable performance of any of the side characters. I am stoked for him that he is getting to do more of this super cool, and new to me superhero. I really like what he did with this performance.

As for the story, and why I guess some alt right idiots are mad, it is all about big tech and how they are ruining our world. Luthor is out for nothing but clout and fame and fortune and will stop at nothing to get it. He even tortured poor Crypto by making him chase fake squirrels. Crypto was adorable by the way, but that also doesn't mean that people should be mindlessly adopting puppies right now, especially if they can't take care of them. Anyway, Luthor is your typical tech bro who has more smarts. Superman doesn't like what he is doing in other countries or on Earth. He is just trying to keep the world a nice, and as normal a place that it can be. And all along the way he and the Justice Gang have to fight in pocket universes, help fight wars that Luthor has helped to start, fight Earth breaking into two parts, fight the past and the present and everything in between.

When we left the theater I said to my wife that I like James Gunn's direction because he knows how to make "fun movies". And that is what this "Superman" movie is, a fun, sweet superhero movie. I really liked it and am curious to see where they go with this new vision. It is off to a very promising start for me. 

Ty

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

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"Napoleon Dynamite" is so Good Even My Kids Liked It

I adore the movie "Napoleon Dynamite". This is no secret to the people closest to me. I saw it six times in the theater. I bought it the day it came out on DVD. I had a Vote For Pedro t-shirt. My folks would gift me random bobbleheads of characters from the movie. I had a very big doll of Napoleon dancing in his Vote For Pedro shirt. Hell, I was even in a fanclub for the movie, and the only other thing I go to bat for as hard as that is Michigan football. I'm a big time fan.

I often quote the movie, and lately that has ramped up since my son is now a moody teenager. He often says things like, "GOD!", or "GEEZE!", and when he does that it gets me started. One day, while on vacation, my son told me that he wanted to watch the movie. I guess they had started it a different night, but he said he felt guilty not watching it with me. And we happened to have one night where we stayed in and we decided to watch it from start to finish. I have tried watching it with them in the room before, but it never took. They never sat down long enough to get into the movie. So, with all of us being in a one story AirBnB, the timing couldn't have been more perfect.

Going into the movie I will say I was a bit nervous how my kids would see it. My daughter decided to join us, she wanted to take a break from drawing, and this made me even more anxious. She's as tough a critic as there is in the world. As we sat down and the movie started, I was right back into the world that the writers, actors and director created over 20 years ago. That is what I love about this movie, I can turn it on at anytime and be transported back to the first time I saw it. Luckily, for me, my kids were just as into it as my wife and I were. They were laughing when we were laughing. There were some jokes that I would laugh at, and then my kids would also laugh at, and I'd ask them if they understood why I was laughing. My 13 year old, for the most part, got the jokes. My 9 year old knew some of them, but she did admit that she was laughing from time to time because I was laughing. As the movie was going on my son asked me what it was rated. I told him PG. He said that seemed right because there were no curse words and no "adult moments", which is kissing in his mind.

That was when I realized that "Napoleon Dynamite" is truly a movie for anyone and all ages. There is nothing off putting or gross about this movie. It is truly just about a few months of a school year in a few kids lives. Sure, the bullies say some odd things to Napoleon, but it never gets out of the hand. The one bully that puts his hands on Napoleon is served his commuppence when Pedro's cousins confront him. And the kids in the movie are showing how to navigate high school with people that are your true friends. I hope my kids got that out of the movie, and I think they did when I asked them what they thought when the movie was over. My daughter simply said she liked it and it was funny. She also said she liked how much I was laughing. My son had a deeper response. He said he liked that Napoleon found the right people for him, that Kip found the right person to spend his life with and that Uncle Rico seemed like he learned from his mistakes. I thought that was very well put and a very solid summation of the movie.

This viewing made me like the movie even more than I already do. It truly does stand the test of time and, in the right setting, even cool, young kids will enjoy their viewing. "Napoleon Dynamite" is a classic and I'm so happy that my kids finally got to see this wonderful movie I've been yapping about their whole lives. 

Ty

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

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The Alt Right has Convinced Me to See "Superman"

Hello all. I'm back from vacation and I already have a bee in my bonnet about something I saw on the internet the night we returned home. Let’s discuss.

I was looking at Facebook, I'm old and I guess I want to be stressed out by nonsense, and I saw some people talking about the new "Superman" movie. For the most part the talk seemed pretty positive. Most people seem to like this movie. I was running with Kirk yesterday and he told me he really liked it. It has gotten mostly positive reviews. Then I saw Dean Cain griping about it being "woke". I laughed that off because Cain is a has been that has no lasting memory or importance to the world. But then I saw more and more of the crazy alt right complaining that this new Superman movie is too "woke".

First off, there's nothing wrong with being a woke person. I consider myself woke. I want people to be treated fairly and justly. I think billionaires are the problem in this world. I feel like people that don't like "woke" people are simply racist and have zero sympathy or empathy. I want others to be treated accordingly and properly, and if that makes me woke, I'm proud to be woke.

I think the thing that makes me the angriest about all of this, that seems to be the most pathetic thing from all of this, is that these alt right maniacs now have an issue with Superman. Superman is the prototype superhero. He is here to help everyone who is in dire need of his help. He wants things to be fair and simple and just. He is the everyman hero, the farm boy who happens to be an alien and the first person I think of whenever someone starts to talk about superheroes. This is who the alt right is mad about. This is who they are deciding they need to come after and chastise for being "woke". This is the person that they're going to lay all their anger and hate towards now. If that is who they're mad at and angry about right now, I've never been happier and feel better about being a liberal. There are so many things wrong with the alt right, but for them to go after a fictional alien superhero might be the most disturbing and pathetic thing about their cult. Who cares if James Gunn, who is a wonderful director, made a "woke" version of Superman. That is well within his rights to do. All I ever heard from former alt right friends is all about their freedom of speech. That is exactly what James Gunn is using when making this movie. It is well within his rights and will and wants to make Superman be whoever he wants him to be. The only boss that Gunn has to answer to is the people at DC that hired him to make this movie. And they seem thrilled with what he has done. Also, the maniacs that go on the internet to gripe about this movie being too "woke", they don't have to see it. They don't have to spend their money to watch it in the theaters. They are wasting their own time just so they can go out and complain about this movie, while DC and James Gunn and the cast just take their cash. I don't go to movies I don't want to see or think I will not like because of who made them. I don't waste my precious time just so I can bemoan something I don't want to even watch. It feels like the alt right just wants to complain about anything that doesn't align with their amoral and horrific beliefs.

I mentioned it before, but I'm even happier that I don't have anything to do with the alt right. It seems like a sad place to be. I feel like the alt right is just waiting to mope about anything. I hope people see what they're saying about Superman and start to realize how petty and childish the alt right can be. They are the kid who takes their ball home when they're getting beat in a game. They're the kid who was never told no until they were an adult. And now they are the kids who complain about the all American superhero being too "woke". It's stupid and childish and disturbing that this is how low the alt right will go if they disagree with something. Personally, I cannot wait to see the new "Superman" movie. I already wanted to see it but now I want to see it even more and I bet I'm going to love 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 "Easy Rider"

I’m going on vacation next week, and since tomorrow is a holiday, this will be my last blog until I get back. What I want to leave you all with is my first experience seeing “Easy Rider”.

This movie has always been on my list of things to see, I have just never gotten around to it. Last night, at The Arkadin, they had Strange Brew, which is a very cool idea wherein the first of each month they show a cult movie. I fully understand “Easy Rider” is not a cult movie but with the 4th of July being tomorrow and how messed up the US currently is, “Easy Rider” felt like a perfect choice. I have heard a lot about this movie from my folks and my brothers. I’ve heard famous critics sing its praises. I have seen all kinds of memes and spoofs as well. Basically I know this movie without having seen it. Until last night.

First of all, this is considered a classic for good reason. This movie is incredible. From the acting to the directing to some of the things they did in the editing room, it was the first of its kind. There are so many movies since then into today that take from “Easy Rider”. From dissolve shots to lens flare to the color used in certain shots, “Easy Rider” was one of the first movies to ever do it.

“Easy Rider” is also the best, by a wide margin, of the bevy of motorcycle movies that came out in the mid to late 60’s. It has a real story that says something important and is pulled off beautifully. Peter Fonda was transcendent in his role. He had a quiet confidence about him. He knew the mission and stuck to the plan. He knew when and when not to have fun. He carried himself with an air of importance, but was never mean or cocky about it. This is one of my first experiences with Fonda as a leading man, and it was so easy to see why he was so successful for so long. Dennis Hopper pulled double duty, costarring and directing this movie. He was your typical hippy, but he was the first to play this type. He had issues with drugs and alcohol. He was mean. He was loud. He started stuff with almost everyone. But there were times that I felt for him and wanted him to be okay. He was out there just trying to live life as a free person away from the monotony of everyday life. Jack Nicholson was far and away my favorite character in the movie, and I thought it was his best performance. He’s only onscreen for about 15 minutes, but damn are those the best 15 minutes of the whole movie. I was liking the movie before he showed up, but when he got onscreen, that like flipped up love real quick. He brought humor and levity to the movie. His character, who also had issues with alcohol, had chosen a righteous path in his life’s work. He was fighting for things not many did back then. He was siesta smiling, always trying to ease the tension and knew right from wrong. What happened to him was so tragic, and when his character was killed, the movie took an even darker turn. The other actors did a fine enough job, but this movie was about these three and their mission to make it to New Orleans for Mardi Gras.

As for the story, it’s a road trip movie centered on bikes and hippies. The hippies, Fonda and Hopper, and to a lesser extent, Nicholson, are living life as free men, but some people don’t like that and they take out their anger in horrifying ways. The three try to stop and eat at a diner and leave when it gets scary. Hopper and Fonda aren’t allowed to rent hotel or motel rooms. The three men get brutally beaten, fatally in Nicholson’s case, by the patrons at the diner who forced them out. Hopper and Fonda are just simply driving their bikes back to LA, and two southern hillbillies decide to kill them because they have long hair and look like hippies. This is what is happening in our country today. People are being judged simply by looks. Only people with empathy want to get to know these guys, and the same is true today.

The host for last night said the movie might be better off being called “Hard Rider” because of the heavy tone, and I agree. It’s also disturbing how relevant it remains today. “Easy Rider” really needs to be seen by everyone for a myriad of reasons. I’m glad I can finally say that I’ve seen it and I love it. I highly recommend the movie.

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 Matrix"

I know that it took me far too long, but I finally saw "The Matrix". And I'm talking about the original, the first one that came out a long time ago. I have had people yell at me about not seeing it for a long, long time. It was all in good fun, but still, I just never got around to watching the movie. And as time passed, I kind of forgot to watch it. That is until an in law of mine wanted me and my son to see it. We agreed on a time, and that time came last weekend.

I loved this movie. Everything about it worked for me. Even the graphics, which were very premature, worked for me. The CGI never really felt out of place or looked all that bad. When you think back to how bad some of the early CGI looked in other movies, it is an accomplishment how well the original "Matrix" was able to use it in its infancy. I also loved the story too. I like the whole idea of deciding if you want to know what is real or what is fake. I like the idea of all of us living in a matrix created by some other entity. I like how things bend and change in and out of the matrix. The whole scene where Keanu Reeves fell off the building and the ground turned to foam, that ruled. The fight scenes in the movie were off the charts as well. I could watch them over and over and over again. It was good for me to see early Keanu fight scenes since I'm such a big fan of the "John Wick" franchise. "The Matrix" showed me that he could pull it off that early in his career. From karate to all out gun and helicopter fight scenes, they were all nailed. I loved the injection of onomatopoeia sounds while they were doing karate. It made the scenes work even more, and gave it a little humor.

What really made this movie work so well was the cast and direction. This was before the Wachoski Brothers became sisters, but that doesn't matter when talking about this movie. They know how to direct sci-fi and action with the best of them. I may not have seen "The Matrix" until now, but I have seen their version of "Speed Racer" and I truly enjoy "Cloud Atlas". So, going into this movie, I had an idea of how they directed, but this has to be their best work. And that cast, man did they crush this movie. Keanu was at his best because he had little to say. When he is given little dialogue and gets to focus on the action, that is when he shines the most. And when he did have to deliver dialogue, he did great. Laurence Fishburne was dynamic in this role. I followed him every time he was on screen. I loved how he delivered his lines, and the action scenes, he absolutely crushed. I was blown away by his performance. Carrie Anne Moss was equally as great. She could've played the whole damsel in distress thing that was big at that time, but she owned it and was totally badass. I loved when she yelled at Keanu and her action scenes were the best. She was so awesome. Joey Pantaleon was smarmy and slimy as always and he does that better than most. And Hugo Weaving was simply the best in the whole movie. I loved how stone faced and mean he was, until he wasn't anymore. I found his villainous role to be one of the best I have ever seen in a movie. There were times where I actually agreed with what he was saying after his crew had kidnapped Fishburne's character. This is a role that sits above others in its greatness.

Look, I know it was my fault for not seeing this movie sooner, but I saw it. And I loved it. "The Matrix" is a classic for a reason and now I fully understand its greatness. 

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.