Ty Watches "I Love Boosters"

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

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

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

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

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram.

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

Ty Watches "The Death and Life of Lamar Odom"

I have found that I enjoy watching the "Untold" docu series on Netflix. I'm a sports fan and I have always found it interesting to get some backstory from people who were there, or even better, from people who lived the experience. It is so much better when the person or people in the story happened to talk about it. You know that they are going to tell you just a little more than someone retelling it from their perspective. And now that Netflix has a whole category dedicated to the "Untold" series, it is so much easier for me to turn one on during the day.

Yesterday I watched "The Death and Life of Lamar Odom". When I was younger I used to watch Odom play basketball and was kind of amazed at how easy he made the game look on my tv screen. He was such a fluid and exceptional athlete on the basketball court. I even remember following him during his two years playing college basketball at Rhode Island. He was great then, parlayed that into being the fourth overall pick in his draft class and had a memorable NBA career.

But he is probably more remembered for what this doc focused on.

He married Khloe Kardashian, won a few titles with the Lakers, had a reality show and then had a very bad week at a brothel in Las Vegas. Everyone, including me, thought he wasn't going to make it out of that coma. For people who may not know, Odom went to a brothel one day, stayed there for a week, and the final day he was there he overdosed on drugs and had to be rushed to the hospital. He would eventually come out of the coma and he is still alive today. But when he was overdosing I guess he said he had twelve strokes and six heart attacks. That is wild. This doc focused on that night and his relationship with Khloe Karhdashian. Sure, they talked about his first fiance, the kids they had, his NBA career, but the crux of everything was the brothel and his and Khloe's relationship. This was where the doc got a little tedious to me. The last 50 or so minutes were all about this stuff. And I get why. This is the salacious details that documentaries like this crave. You want to see the downfall and where they may be today. But I prefer the stuff that leads up to all of that. I loved the first 40 minutes of the doc. This was where they focused on his basketball career. This was where we learned about his childhood. This was where we got to see him play on the fun Clippers teams with Darius Miles and Quentin Richardson. We also got to see his short time on the Heat. But when he was traded to the Lakers, and especially when he met Khloe Kardashian, this was when his life took a massive turn and this was when the documentary became a bit too much for me.

I didn't really know how to feel when I was watching. I'm a Lamar Odom fan, but he did this to himself. I get it, addiction is a disease. It's a problem and it can take over your entire life. People with addiction need real help. But when someone gets this involved, I put the majority of the blame on them. And Odom is a true, true addict. And it's not just drugs with him, he is also a sex addict. But, while watching, I never felt for him. I never wanted to reach out and help him get help. I was just watching him self-destruct, and that felt gross to me. As for Khloe Kardashian, I have never been a fan of the whole Kardashian thing. They're just not my vibe. They're reality tv people with no real skill or use to me. I'm not knocking what they do, they have found their niche and they're capitalizing on it. Good for them. They just aren't my cup of tea. And in watching Khloe retell her side of the story, I felt nothing for her either. It felt hollow. Some of it felt fake to me. I just didn't buy everything. And when the movie ended, I just kind of let it go and moved on with my day. After a lot of documentaries I find myself thinking more and more about them. That didn't happen with this doc. It came and went. I felt nothing. The news, for the most part, wasn't all that new to me and wasn't the news that I like to read or hear about. It was a wild ride, that's for sure, but it just didn't do much for me.

It felt like a bit of a letdown from "Untold", which for the most part, tells interesting and riveting stories. This one just didn't work for me.

Also, Happy Birthday RD. 

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.

Follow Ty on instagram.

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

The Original "Mortal Kombat" Movie is Not Good

In preparation of the new "Mortal Kombat" movie I decided the other day that I wanted to revisit the original two movies that came out in the 90's. I haven't seen them in quite some time, and from what I remembered, I liked them but they were also kind of dumb.

I don't play many video games unless it is college football related. But the "Mortal Kombat" games I always found to be exciting for a little bit. I liked that I could mash buttons and win fights. I also liked to do the fatalities when I learned how to do those. I also remember being intrigued by these games because adults said they were violent. That was almost all I needed before turning the game on. So in playing the game with friends, when they announced a movie was going to be made, that had me stoked. I could not wait to see it. And when I went to the theaters, as a 13 year old mind you, the movie lived up to the hype for me. Yes, it was dumb and didn't follow the rules of the game, but hey, they said the famous lines and I got to hear the crazy techno song. That was all I needed at that time in my life. I don't remember "Mortal Kombat: Annihilation" at all, but I will rewatch that because I'm a completionist and have OCD. The movie that came out in 2021 was great for about four minutes. That opening scene is one of the coolest fights put to film. And they finally got an R rating, so the movie was filled with swear words and gore. But after that first scene the movie fell off a cliff. They focused on a character they created for the movie and that took away all the fun of what the game was all about. They also, and this goes for every movie, say there's going to be a big tournament, but they never really follow the rules of a tournament. The fighters just fight whoever they want and the only reward is their life. And even though I am ragging on the movies to this point, I'm still going to see the new movie and I'm sure I'll have some kind of complaint coming out of it. But that is not the point of my blog today. After rewatching the 1995 "Mortal Kombat", I have some thoughts.

First off, it is a dreadfully boring and bad movie. The fight scenes are lame. They only go on for about a minute. There's one fight where Liu Kang gets to go off for a little longer, but it still was very boring. The effects were horrendous as well. This came out in 95, so that means special effects were getting so much better. I mean, we got "Jurassic Park" two years before this movie. That movie gave us real looking dinosaurs. Hell, in the 70's we got great effects with "Star Wars". In this movie the effects were so lazy and slapdash. It was like looking at an old screen saver on a computer. You can literally see the green screen behind the actors. It is a true mess. It feels like they had some new people on the job, or they just decided to throw some nonsense together and put it on screen.

Then we have the actors. They were very bad and over the top. The scenery chewing was just bad too. It was not funny bad either, it was annoying. It really got to me. I despised Johnny Cage as well. I never liked his character to begin with, and this actor's portrayal really frustrated me. He was quippy and tried much too hard to be cool. Sonya was fine, but that is because I have enjoyed that actor's work ever since she was in "Billy Madison". And to cast Christopher Lambert as Raiden is problematic in every possible way. The voice he used was offensive. He wore Raiden's signature hat and that felt very wrong seeing it on screen. He had long white hair, which is fine, but it still felt weird to me. Raiden is an older lord who should be played by an Asian actor. They messed up in the second movie as well, casting James Remar. I hope they clean this mess up if he is in the new movie. To have two older white actors play him is very, very wrong.

But what made me most upset was the whole plot and story of this first movie. They kept mentioning a tournament and how they were going to fight the best fighters in the world. They said it over and over again. But when they get to the place, they all pick and choose who they're going to fight. There's no tournament. There's no climbing up the leaderboard. They all just decided on the spot who they were going to fight and they fought wherever they happened to be at any given moment.

I loathed this rewatch. I couldn't believe that I used to like this movie. Don't do what I'm doing unless you're a glutton for punishment. These movies are not good or fun at all. 

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.

Follow Ty on instagram.

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

Better Late Than Never on "Monsters Inc"

Over the weekend my wife was the picker of the movie we watched. My daughter and I both mentioned that we had never seen "Monsters Inc". My daughter has seen "Monsters University", my wife has seen both, but I haven't seen either. Our son was at a sleepover, and we invited our daughter to join us for our date night movie. So we sat back and watched "Monsters Inc".

I loved this movie. I was so enamored at how well made and how well written this movie was. "Monsters Inc" came out in 2001. I was 18. This movie looked as good as most Pixar movies do today. That was the first thing that caught my attention. Pixar is second to none when it comes to animated movies. The animators know what they're doing. Pixar seems to have hired the best in the business, and it has been that way since the very beginning. The monsters in this movie looked real. From top to bottom they looked real. From the teeth to their hair to the way they moved, it all looked great. Every other animated thing in the movie looked good as well. The rooms looked great. The office building had a nice feel to it. The restaurants were cool. Even the tiny details in the kids rooms looked good.

Then you have the story that goes along with this movie. "Monsters Inc" is all about this company slowly going bankrupt because they aren't getting enough screams to keep the business moving. That is the crux of the movie. We have Sully, voiced by John Goodman. He is the best in the game. He is the top monster that all the other monsters look to. Mike Wisowski, voiced by Billy Crystal, is his cohort. He works with Sully. He is the comic relief. He isn't that good at scaring anyone, but he is Sully's right hand man. They run the show. Steve Buscemi plays the villain, and he is wonderful in this as well. We have a bunch of other people, but these are the main monsters we follow during the movie. We also have Boo, who is the  young child that infiltrates the monster's business. That was the hook that got me in this movie. The whole idea was that monsters have to scare kids to keep their city running, but the monsters are actually terrified of humans. They are worried that humans will take over their city by scaring all of the monsters and taking their screams away. When Boo first shows up, Sully is so scared of her. It is a nice change of pace. Ever since we were kids, we were always afraid of the "monsters in the closet". This movie takes that and turns it on its head. After Boo shows up, the whole movie becomes about getting her back by any means necessary. Boo is only afraid of one monster, and that is Buscemi's monster. She has no fear around any other monster. She calls Sully kitty. That is how unafraid she is. Mike Wisowski is also trying his best to get her home, but that is because he wants to get back to his girlfriend and their life together.

The movie is fast, fun and exciting. I love the chase scene at the end. I thought that Goodman was perfectly voice-cast as Sully. He has this booming voice that can be scary at times, but he is also such a nice, gentle giant. That came off very well. Billy Crystal was hilarious. Performances like this remind me that Crystal is a good comedic actor. When given great lines to perform, he can crush them. Buscemi was so good as the creepy villain. He embodied the lizard or gecko or whatever creature he was playing. The boss, voiced by James Coburn, had this air and aura about him. He went out on a very high note.

I wished I had watched this movie when it first released. I would have loved it just as much back then. But I'm glad that my wife remedied this for me and picked it for date night. When animated movies are made like this it makes me so happy and optimistic that Pixar can make more and more of these. "Monsters Inc" was incredible and I cannot wait to see ""Monsters University" next. 

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.

Follow Ty on instagram.

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

Better Late than Never on "Challengers"

RD has been on my case for some time now to watch the movie "Challengers". I kind of just let it fly by the wayside because I was not all that interested in some tennis movie that may have adult themes. It just didn't really float my boat. But I had some free time last week during the day to watch. I reluctantly hit play, the movie is just a hair over two hours, which always gives me pause, but I settled in for the duration and I'm here to say, this movie rips.

I loved it . It is a very well made and well acted movie. I was talking to myself while watching, saying, "RD was right. This movie is rad". I don't know why I had any previous hesitations, besides what I mentioned, but I'm glad I didn't let that stop me from finally streaming it.

For people that may not know, "Challengers" focuses on three tennis phenoms. It tells us the story of how they met and where they went after that meeting. We first see the two main guys, Mike Faist and Josh O'Connor, involved in what looks like an intense tennis match. We then see that Faist is this super successful tennis player, and he is married to Zendaya, who is his coach. O'Connor seems to be down on his luck. He's clearly talented, he is playing in a professional tournament, but he sleeps in his car, his credit card gets declined at a motel, he eyeballs a lady's breakfast sandwich until she gracefully offers him half. He is down, but not totally out. The lady tells O'Connor that Faist is playing in the tourney, and this is where we get our first flashback of the movie. We get to see that Faist and O'Connor are old friends. They played doubles together when they were younger.  They were roommates at a tennis boarding school. They do pretty much everything together. This is where we meet young Zendaya, who is a tennis wunderkind. People are at this next generation tournament to watch her. She is the star. Then the horiniess of this movie comes into play. These three actors have a ton of chemistry and it shows, especially in these flashback scenes. The whole plot is basically that these two dudes love Zendaya, and they are constantly fighting for her attention. Sure, they're best friends, but things change when a beautiful and successful person enters their lives. They play for her number. The three of them have a hard core make out session in the hotel at this tournament. She winds up dating O'Connor's character for a good long while. Zendaya and Faist go off to Stanford while O'Connor turns pro. O'Connor and Zendaya are still together during this, but when she realizes she can't control or coach him, they break up. She then brutally injures herself. This is when Faist enters the picture as her guy. All of this is shown in flashbacks, and those are intercut with the two of them, in the current day, playing each other in the final while Zendaya watches. Zendaya and Faist marry and have a kid. She likes this because she controls every aspect of his career. She is in charge of his every move. I like that they show how much stuff goes into being a pro, and that most of it is done behind the scenes. Zendaya even handles all of the marketing that goes into her husband's career as a pro. but O'Connor being at this tournament just brings up old feelings and old issues. Him being there is forcing Zendaya to revert to her old days. She sneaks out to be with him the night before the final. She clearly doesn't love Faist anymore. He wants to retire and says as much, which is why Zendaya leaves to be with O'Connor. O'Connor and Faist have it out in the sauna the day before the final.

All of this may sound boring, but the way it is put on screen is so cool and so unique. And then you add on the Trent Reznow score to this movie, and that took it over the top for me. I said to my dad and another brother of mine, after watching the movie, that I think Reznor is the best at scoring movies right now. I like others, but there is just something about the way he uses music to heighten a scene. The score is so awesome and adds a whole other layer onto this kickass movie.

I loved "Challengers". I was wrong to shove it aside. I should have watched it sooner. But I did finally press play and I had an absolute blast watching this movie. I highly recommend checking it out if you haven't seen it, or give it a rewatch if you already have. This movie rules. 

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.

Follow Ty on instagram.

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

Ty Watches "The Napa Boys"

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram.

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

Ty Watches "The Drama"

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram.

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

An Ode to Great Actor Wood Harris

Recently for our Patreon show "First Watch Rewatch", which you all should go and subscribe to and listen to, we watched the movie "Dredd". This is the newer one with Karl Urban, not the crappy one from the 90's. But I'm not here to give a review of that movie. If you want to know my opinions on the movie, go check out the show.

When I watch any movie for the first time, I always like to see if I recognize anyone in the cast. Karl Urban is the main guy, as previously mentioned, but there were a few others I noticed. Olivia Thirlby, from "Juno" and other movies, is Urban's co-star. Lena Headley, from "Game of Thrones", plays the villain. But it was the appearance of Wood Harris that had me hyped.

Wood Harris is about as dependable as they come in Hollywood, and if you are reading this and confused as to who this is, I would almost guarantee that he's been in something you've seen. And he is great as a villain in this movie. But as I was watching, I got to thinking about everything I've seen him in, and how much I like when he shows up in something I'm watching. So I decided I want to point out the stuff I remember him from today, and how much I like his performance and each thing I've seen him in.

For starters we have to talk about him in "The Wire". This is probably what he is best known for. He played Avon Barksdale, one of the dealers, who became a pusher and became a head honcho for the bad guys. He was in 38 episodes, which is most of the series. He was incredible in this role and he will always be remembered for this role. But he was in plenty before this role.

His first role was in "Above the Rim". This is a criminally underrated basketball movie. I adore this movie. I used to rent it on Pay Per View when I was younger. And his character made me nuts because he was trying to shoot the main guy. He got his comeuppance in the movie, but his performance left a mark on me. He played Jimi Hendrix in the movie "Hendrix". While this movie isn't great, he did a solid job portraying the seminal musician. "Remember the Titans" was, in my opinion, his star turning role. He went pound for pound with Denzel Washington in that movie. His performance made me cry for the first time watching a movie. I rooted for him so hard and wanted nothing but the best for his character. He is excellent in another underrated movie, "Paid in Full". That movie is  filled with rappers acting, and doing a fine job, but Harris makes that movie solid. He brings brevity to that movie. He grounds it and makes it totally worth watching. He is the clear pro amongst first time actors in that movie. He also shows up in "Southland Tales". That movie is a total mess, but you could see Richard Kelly had a vision. While that may not have come across well on screen, Harris shows up and is totally worth watching. You can also tell that Kelly wanted some actors he could count on, and Wood Harris may have been the first person he called when he knew he needed pros in this fascinatingly wild movie. "Next Day Air" is by no means a classic movie, but it is a good comedy and it proved that Wood Harris could hold his own with guys like Mike epps. He is funny and fun to watch in that movie. I already mentioned him in "Dredd". He is in the first "Ant-Man" movie, playing one of Paul Rudd's buddies. Those characters were the best in the movie and they made me laugh the hardest. Harris was part of that crew and it bummed me out that he didn't return for any other "Ant-Man" movie. "Creed" is an amazing movie and Wood Harris seemed like a perfect fit in a movie about boxing. He is clearly athletic and he got to show more of that in "Creed". He is in "Blade Runner 2049", and he is a great addition to an awesome cast and great sequel to one of the best movies ever made. He returns in "Creed II" and he is back in fine form. He had a long run on the tv show "Empire", which my wife loved, but I barely watched. I would watch more when I would see Harris show up in an episode. He was the coach for a young LeBron James in "Space Jam: A New Legacy". That movie is not very good, but Wood Harris being named in the cast was reason enough for me to watch. He was on "The Last OG", which is a show I loved. He returned for "Creed III" and played Spencer Haywood in "Winning Time". While I don't like "Winning Time", Harris did a good job playing a fading star in the NBA in the late 70's. And he most recently showed up in "One Battle After Another" as part of the French 75. And while his screen time was minimal in that movie, it was memorable.

I think that's the best compliment I can give Wood Harris. He is always memorable in his roles. He does great work when he is cast. He is a consistent and dependable actor. And I just wanted to shout him out today. I feel like he is not mentioned as much as he should in Hollywood. I'm a fan and I cannot wait to see what he does next. 

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.

Follow Ty on instagram.

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

Better Late Than Never on "12 Monkeys"

I just watched the movie "12 Monkeys" for the first time. Let’s discuss.

I have heard about this movie for years but never got around to it. I know why I didn't see it when it first came out. The preview made me scared. I had issues with movies that were post apocalyptic when I was a kid. It felt too real and too close to me back then. I couldn't handle it. But, I don't have any real issues with movies like that now. I actually seek these types of movies out. I have also had two of my brothers, RD and Seth, who have been in my ears for years about this movie. But I never got around to it, until this past Tuesday. This is also my first time seeing a Terry Gilliam movie. I have always heard about him, but never watched any of his movies. That's going to change after seeing "12 Monkeys".

I loved every single second of this movie. For people who have not seen it, the movie takes place in the past, present and future. Bruce Willis plays a criminal from the future who is sent back in time to try and stop this disease from being released in 1996 that is going to wipe out 99 percent of the human population.

Bruce Willis is exceptional. A performance like this makes me so sad that he has to deal with what he is currently dealing with. He and his family do not deserve this at all. He is so good in this movie. They let him be himself to an extent, but he also had to act like a crazy person at certain points, then shift on a dime and act like he was just giving in. It felt like he had given up at certain points in the movie. He portrayed all of this very well. I especially liked the scene when he was beating up someone who accosted his friend, and he took his own teeth out afterward. It was such a good performance of someone who could just flip on a dime at any given moment.

I also really liked all of the stuff in the asylum. This is where we meet Brad Pitt, an Oscar nomination worthy performance. Pitt is the best part of this whole movie. He plays the leader of the 12 Monkeys crew that everyone thinks is the cause of the spread of disease. Pitt plays this asylum patient and real world person perfectly. He is twitchy and talkative. He goes on these rants and raves where he will make sense in one sentence, then go off the rails during the next. He was so fun to watch.

Madeleine Stowe plays a psychiatrist who works with Willis. She thinks he is losing his grip on reality at first. But after a while she starts to understand and see his side of things. She realizes he is actually from the future and wants to help him. Christopher Plummer has a minor role, but he is memorable and I thoroughly enjoyed his southern accent. There are a bunch of other people in this movie and they all lend some good stuff to this movie that makes you feel wacky while you watch.

I loved everything about this movie. The look and estechic were so much cooler than a bunch of similar movies being made today. Gilliam made this movie look surreal, especially in the asylum, and you could really see it on the screen. I also like that the writers throw you in so many directions before revealing everything in the final act. I loved all the twists and turns. This movie's plot had me on the edge of my seat. But what I think I enjoyed most was the way it all wrapped up. Most movies give you hope. Most movies will show you something that makes you think it will all be okay. Most movies want you to leave in a good mood. Not "12 Monkeys". This movie ends very sadly. Spoiler alert, but everything you see leading up to the final act, it is going to happen. That is how the movie ends. You watch all of this stuff happen, and when there's a chance to stop it, that doesn't happen. I like when directors take a swing like that. And land said swing.

"12 Monkeys" is a very, very good post apocalyptic sci-fi movie. I shouldn't have waited this long to watch it. I'm glad I remedied that this week. I recommend you do the same if you haven't watched it, or are looking for a rewatch. "12 Monkeys" rules. 

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.

Follow Ty on instagram.

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

Ty Watches "The Thing" on the Big Screen

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram.

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

Better Late Than Never on "Y2K"

About a year ago I remember Kyle Mooney going on a tour of podcasts and tv shows to talk about his new album, which I adore, and a new movie he was directing called "Y2K". I listened and loved the album, but I skipped the movie for the time being. I don't really know why I skipped it either. It got bad reviews, but that hasn't stopped me from seeing stuff before. It wasn't in the theaters too terribly long, but I watch stuff on streaming all the time. And then I kind of just forgot about it. I was then checking on the A24 list on HBOMax and "Y2K" was one of the first movies that popped up. So I sat back while I waited for the repair person to show up and watched.

I found myself enjoying the movie. I'm a Kyle Mooney fan. I loved when he was on "SNL". He used to make me crack up with the characters he would play, especially the 90's comedian who would bomb on weekend update. I really enjoyed "Brigsby Bear" . I think it is one of the more underrated movies to come out in the 2010's. I watched all of his Netflix show, "Saturday Morning All Star Hits", and loved how weird and dark it would get. And when he shows up in bit parts on tv shows or movies, I get stoked. I also like his and Beck Bennett's podcast, although they don't always record on any kind of schedule. He makes me laugh and I enjoy his brand of comedy. So I was going into "Y2K" with an open mind, which I think is the best way to watch a movie like this. It isn't world changing film making. I don't think Mooney and crew thought they were going to win any awards. But you could tell in watching this movie that he was having a good time and he wanted to tell a gory and weird and funny tale about what he thought would happen if viruses messed with computers on New Years Eve of 1999.

This movie was perfect for someone my age because Y2K was such a big deal. Everyone talked about it. We all wondered what would happen. We all backed up our computers. I can remember sitting in my basement with some friends as midnight rolled around and nothing happened. But this movie takes us into a world of something happening. The movie starts off like any throwback to the late 90's that we have now. There's the music of the time, the fashion and kids getting ready to ring in the new year. Jaeden Martell plays the main character, Eli. His best buddy, Danny, is played by Julian Dennison. They are dorky outcasts that just want to be accepted by the cool kids. They get drunk one night and decide to go to the big party held at "Soccer" Chris's house. Soccer Chris is played by singer The Kid Laroi, and he does an okay enough job playing a jerk. But Eli's main goal is to kiss his crush at midnight, Laura, who is played by Rachel Zegler. She kisses Soccer Chris instead, and Eli feels rejected. Then some wild stuff starts to happen. It hits midnight, and a few minutes later the machines start to take out the kids at the party. It is gruesome and hilarious. I thought it was pretty great the way Mooney directed these scenes. They were scary but also funny. After the massacre at the party, where Danny unfortunately leaves us, we have four people on the run. Eli, Laura, CJ and Ash. All get away. They did have a fifth kid with them, but he tried to do a trick with some rollerblades and breaks his neck. See, funny the way they off some of the characters, at least in my opinion. From here on out it is all about survival, but they also make it funny along the way. Mooney plays a stoner movie clerk who happens to have a nice, safe location free of internet. But he too meets his demise, and again it is hilarious. But this movie is really all about Eli getting up the courage to tell Laura how he feels, all the while the world is seemingly coming to an end due to Y2K.

I laughed a lot during my watch. I think Mooney has a good, and unique sense of humor. I find his stuff to work for me. I don;t necessarily agree with the critics on this one, but to each their own I guess. If you want to watch a movie that is a good time, and to turn your brain off for a bit, "Y2K" is a solid choice. I liked it a good bit. 

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.

Follow Ty on instagram.

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

Ty Watches "Project Hail Mary"

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram.

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

"Project Hail Mary" Reminds Us of Something We are Close to Losing

This is not going to be a traditional movie review for the new film Project Hail Mary. The plot of the movie revolves around a scientist, light years away from Earth, trying to figure out how to stop our Sun from dying. It sounds like a depressing film, it is actually quite hopeful, funny, and emotionally moving. The movie also has something very welcome for today's audiences to see and feel.

Project Hail Mary is a refreshing reminder that intelligence, curiosity, and trust in expertise can still drive a compelling story.

Directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, with a screenplay by Drew Goddard, and anchored by a compelling performance from Ryan Gosling, the film brings together a team that clearly understands how to balance spectacle with thoughtful storytelling.

What makes the film stand out isn’t just its high-stakes premise, it's stunning space sequences, or its scientific ambition—it’s the quiet confidence it places in its protagonist. Rather than undercutting brilliance with cynicism or constant second-guessing, the story leans into the idea that sometimes the smartest person in the room really should be trusted to lead. Even when others—human or otherwise—question decisions, the narrative consistently affirms that careful thinking, problem-solving, and a deep respect for knowledge are not just admirable traits, but essential ones.

That dynamic becomes even more meaningful in the film’s interactions beyond Earth. The presence of an alien intelligence doesn’t diminish human capability; instead, it creates a space where mutual skepticism evolves into mutual respect. Watching two vastly different beings learn to trust each other’s reasoning is one of the film’s most rewarding elements. It’s not about who is smarter—it’s about recognizing intelligence in different forms and choosing collaboration over doubt.

In a landscape where characters often succeed despite their flaws, Project Hail Mary dares to suggest something more optimistic: that people can succeed because of their strengths. It’s a story that celebrates competence without arrogance, science without condescension, and trust without naivety. And in doing so, it feels both rare and deeply satisfying.

Go see Project Hail Mary. When you leave the theater you will be filled with optimism and hope. We could use more of that these days.

RD

RD is the founder and Head Editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

Come and support us and the podcast on Patreon.

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

Better Late Than Never on "The Platform"

I was out to coffee with my brother and my dad the other day and the two of them kept talking about this movie called "The Platform". Well, that's the name in English. But they were both giving it very positive reviews and remarks. They were talking so much about it so I asked them what the deal was with this movie. I wanted to know why they liked it so much. What made it work. Instead of giving me a breakdown, my dad told me to watch it that day when I got home.

So I did. I fired up Netflix, set it up to the English dub and watched it all unfold for the next 90 minutes. And they were correct. This was a very good, very unique movie. And before people get mad, I know the English dub is the "improper" way to watch a foreign movie, but I didn't feel like reading subtitles, I don't know Spanish and I just wanted to enjoy my time watching the movie. Anyway, as I watched this movie it all started to make sense as to what they were talking about. The whole premise of this movie is that people are put into rooms that are numbered. And each day food is lowered down from room to room on a platform and the people in the rooms have a certain amount of time to eat the food that is on the platform. So, if you are on one of the first 20 or so floors, you're eating ok. But as the platform goes further down, food gets more scarce until there is none left. The movie tells us the story of one of the people in these rooms, and how they try to survive the ordeal. But the movie goes into much, much more detail than that. I have been thinking about it since I finished on Tuesday. I have been batting around the idea of, is the place they're all in, for lack of a better term, jail? Or is it hell? Or something totally different? The people in the movie will talk about "getting out" in a few months. So does that definitely make it jail? Who's to tell. They also talk about what some will do to stay alive and eat. The main character's first roommate talks about why he does some of the things he is driven to do. He is clearly out of his mind, but he thinks that what he is doing is the proper thing to survive. Each month they get transported to a new room. Sometimes they go higher, making it all the way to the 6th floor. But other months they end up in the dregs, going as low as room 171. This is where all the mind games and tricks come into play. We also come to realize that some people are there voluntarily, while others are there for committing a crime or doing something wrong. The main guy is doing six months there so he can get a degree. But his first roommate threw an air conditioner out of his room that struck a passerby and ended their life. This brings the jail or hell question back into play. But the movie starts to take on a whole new level when the idea of a child is introduced. The main character has a roommate at one point who tells him that no one under 16 is admitted. But there is another person there who claims to be looking for their child. For a bit there's even a question if this kid exists. The "mom" does horrible things to a dog, and the dog's owner tells the main character that this "mom" is just a wannabe actor. But then some other stuff happens that makes me think the kid is real. Watch the movie if you want to know if the kid is real or not. But all the way through the movie many other things pop up. I put myself in that scenario and think, what would I resort to in this situation. You aren't allowed to hold onto food on the levels or else the people in charge will do something to the room, be it make it very hot or very cold. They show the kitchen staff throughout the movie, and they seem to truly care about the food they are putting on that platform. This led me to ask questions like, do they know where the food is going, do they like their job, do they know about the people? All of that came to mind while watching.

I cannot recommend this movie enough. I was engaged throughout and wanted to see more. They did make a sequel, which I will eventually watch. I thought that this was a solid movie with some really interesting conundrums. I say to definitely check this movie out if you have Netflix. It is well worth your time. 

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram.

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

New Dune Movie First Then New Avengers Movie

The other day my son and I were talking about upcoming movies that we were excited to see. He's really into superheroes, mainly Marvel, stuff. I tend to like weirder movies. I prefer independent stuff, stuff off the beaten path or well made blockbusters. So, when he told me that "Avengers: Doomsday" and "Dune: Part 3" were coming out on the same day, it was a bit of a shock to me.

These movies are both going to be big deals, and both should make a good amount of box office money. I fully expect the superhero movie to make more, they have a wider fan base, but this final installment of "Dune" should bring in decent money as well. But the thing that surprised me most was when my son asked which movie I wanted to see more on that day, and without hesitation I said "Dune".

There was no second thought. It was as easy an answer that I have had in awhile. I have thought more and more about why this is the case, and I think I have finally figured it out. I'm over superhero stuff. This has been happening for some time now, but it just hit me during this conversation with my son. There's just too much backstory and lore that I have totally fallen off from to this point. I will still go watch some of this stuff, but only because my wife or son wants to see it. That is why I went to the newest "Fantastic Four" movie. My son was amped, he asked us to go and I love seeing movies in the theater. And while that movie was enjoyable, there was stuff in it that I had zero idea what it was all about. The same thing happened for me during "Deadpool and Wolverine". My wife was all about seeing it, I like Wolverine stuff, so I went. But I was completely confused by the whole TVA thing, until my son told me that that company is in "Loki". I watched the first season of that show, but stopped after the first episode of season 2 because I had no idea what other superhero stuff they were putting in that show. "Deadpool and Wolverine" was fun as well, but I was still scratching my head during the plot points of that movie. And I am just assuming that this will be the case for "Doomsday". I'm sure I will go see the movie in the theaters with my family. I'm sure I will have a good time. I'm sure my son will be hyped afterwards. And I'm sure that it will further confuse me as to which lore they use from the MCU. That's all well and good if the movie entertains me. But if someone asks me about why so and so did such and such, I'll just shrug and assume it must be something from past comic books.

Now this all may sound crazy to anyone that knows anything about "Dune", but I have made the effort to read and research and try my best to understand the lore of "Dune". I've read the books. RD and I have talked about it on the podcast before. I have watched pretty much everything related to "Dune". This is because this whole world and story fascinates me. I love the whole idea of spice and riding worms and battling and everything associated within this world. And I know, if given the choice, I'd pick to see the newest "Dune" movie ten times out of ten over any superhero movie. I prefer the way the story is told. I am a humongous Denis Villeneuve fan. I love the way he directs and he has been able to make not only "Dune" accessible, but he made a proper sequel to "Bladerunner", with "Bladerunner 2049". He is a wonderful maker of movies. And, even with him popping off at the mouth about everything lately, Timothee Chalamet can act. He has crushed pretty much every role he has taken on as of late, and he is Paul Atreides. I no longer give Kyle McLachlan the title of Paul. It is just Chalamet. And then I look at the cast for the new "Dune" movie, which I mentioned when talking about the recent trailer. These are people I trust when they pick a project because I know they're going to bring their A game.

So when it comes down to which blockbuster movie to see this summer, especially if these two are opening on the same day, I'd pick "Dune: Part 3" every single time and I'm not mad about that fact at all. 

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.

Follow Ty on instagram.

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

Ty Watches the Trailer for "Dune: Part Three"

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

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

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

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

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram.

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

Thoughts on the Oscars

Tomorrow I will do a men's NCAA tournament preview. Today I want to talk about the Oscars.

RD and I just did a podcast where we talked about past Oscar winners, what we thought should have won and gave our predictions for this year. We got some wrong and some right, like most. But, unlike our recent pod, I have no real issues or complaints about any of the major winners last night. I feel like the Academy, for once in its existence, got it pretty spot on. When we recorded, we both talked a lot about "Sinners" and "One Battle After Another". They were the big winners last night as we expected and as it should have been.

I was so stoked for Michael B Jordan winning best actor. When we made our predictions he was my pick. Not only did he play two roles, but he played them exceptionally. He was also two totally different characters in those two roles. It felt like I was watching two different actors playing Smoke and Stack. He did that dual role such wonderful justice and he was rewarded for his hard work. This is going to go down as one of the better performances to win an Oscar. The only person I thought that had a shot to take the award from him was Timothee Chalamet in "Marty Supreme". Both actors did great work, but I will say this forever, Michael B Jordan was two totally different people and he was amazing. I'm very happy for him and for "Sinners".

"Sinners" also got best original screenplay, as it should have. We are talking about a horror/vampire/musical. That is unlike any other thing out there right now. When my wife and I saw "Sinners" we were shocked it wasn't adapted from something else. But this was all Ryan Coogler and his team that made up this wonderful and engaging story. "Sinners" has an originality that a movie like "Everything Everywhere All at Once" had. This was a totally original and totally awesome idea for a movie and Coogler and crew brought it to life perfectly.

"One Battle After Another" took home a ton of hardware. That's great. It was my number 1 movie of 2025 afterall. All of the accolades and awards for "OBAA" are more than deserved. Paul Thomas Anderson finally got his Oscar. I still like "There Will Be Blood" a bit more, but "OBAA" ranks right up there. And even if this is a lifetime achievement thing for him, and the Academy surely expects Coogler to be back, PTA earned this award last night. "OBAA" was so wonderfully and expertly directed. The movie flowed excellently. Each story connected with the whole big story. The car chase scene was one of the coolest and most intense things I've ever seen put to film. And PTA got the best out of each and every actor that was onscreen. Kudos to him for a job well done. Sean Penn won for supporting actor, as I predicted. Never have I been more frightened and nervous when his character was on screen. He was a horrible racist in this movie and he was shockingly good at what he did. I know Penn isn't like this in real life, which makes his performance all that much better. I was pulling for Delroy Lindo, but in the end I think we all kind of knew Penn was going to win and this was a much deserved Oscar for him. And to wrap up their night, "OBAA" won best picture. You'll get no argument from me here. "OBAA" was my top movie of the year and it has every claim to win best picture. "Sinners" and "Marty Supreme" were right there for me, but in the end, "One Battle After Another" is a well deserving best picture winner from 2025.

As for the other awards, we all knew Jessie Buckley was going to win best actress. That has been in the making for sometime now. I haven't seen "Hamnet" to this point, and don't know if I will see it. I did see "If I Had Legs I'd Kick You", and Rose Bryne would have gotten my vote. She was tremendous in a movie where she was on screen for pretty much all of it. But Buckley is a fine winner. I was so happy for my daughter because "K-Pop Demon Hunters" won best animated feature. That movie rules, the music is incredible and that movie deserves all of the accolades and talk it has garnered to this point. "Golden" also won for best original song, as it should have won. "Sinners" deserved the original score, and when Miles Canton and crew performed "I Lied to You" it took me back to that scene in the movie and it was amazing. Go watch that performance if you haven't yet.

The best for me last night was Amy Madigan winning for playing Aunt Gladys in "Weapons". This is awesome on so many levels. Madigan is a consummate professional that everyone seems to love working with and she took home her first Oscar. "Weapons" is an independent movie directed by a former comedic actor, Zach Cregger. This is akin to when Jordan Peele won an Oscar for "Get Out". Independent horror movies made by former comedians don't get the accolades they deserve, but they kind of rectified that last night. But in the end, Madigan embodied probably the most evil villain any movie has seen in some time. She is barely on screen for "Weapons", but when she shows up she steals that movie. She was amazing, her performance was amazing, "Weapons" is an indie with smaller actors in it and Madigan was rewarded for her amazing work. It’s about time a movie like "Weapons" and an actor like Amy Madigan got some well deserved praise.

As I said at the top, I have no complaints about the winners. Everyone got what they earned and I'm happy for them all. Even a broken clock is right twice a day, and this is a year where the Academy did the correct thing and gave the awards to deserving people. Nice work. 

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.

Follow Ty on instagram.

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

Ty Watches "Predator: Badlands"

While I am admittedly last to the "Predator" game, I didn't see the original until the beginning of the pandemic, but I, to this point, have seen most of the movies that have been released. My personal favorite is "Prey". I just love the whole backstory and how quiet and confident that movie was when I saw it. My son has finally seen the original, and he loved it, and yesterday I sat down and watched "Predator: Badlands".

I tried to see the movie in the theaters, but the timing got away from me. I heard plenty of people, people whose movie suggestions I trust, say it was good enough, but no one really went any further on the movie. Then I heard someone recently talking about it on a podcast, and that energized me to finally watch it. It's nice that it is streaming on Hulu as well, a service which we subscribe to. So I sat back while everyone was out yesterday and tuned in.

I really enjoyed this movie. It is one of the more fun versions of "Predator". The original movies were supposed to be kind of scary, or that was what I thought when they were released. That's not the case anymore, and those are just straight up action movies. The stuff in the middle, like "AVP" and stuff of that ilk, I have avoided. I heard those are not good, not even fun good, so I'm going to skip them. I did see the more recent one with Adrien Brody and Topher Grace, and I thought it was fine, but they took it too seriously. That version was missing the fun from the Arnold movie. Then "Prey" came out and changed the game for me. With "Prey" I felt that they were finally telling us some stories from the actual Predator's viewpoint.

"Predator: Badlands", for all intents and purposes, is an origin story about a Predator. Sure, this movie has some adult themes in it, the whole opening act is brutal, but the movie plays out like a videogame when the Predator gets to Genna and starts to work with Thia, played by Elle Fanning. Fanning is really good in this movie by the way. She plays dual roles, as Thia and Tessa, and she does some solid work. She is playing two totally different characters too, and she brings levity to both. Thia is way cooler and more fun than Tessa, but Tessa has her moments too. I like the whole idea of her being two robots that were given feelings. They act on feelings, and to do that with robots makes this movie make sense.

But don't get it twisted. This movie is all about Dek's journey. From start to finish, Dek is onscreen with us. Dek is the younger brother of a pretty excellent Predator, and he just wants to follow in his footsteps, and maybe prove that he is not the runt of the litter and a worthy fighter. And we get a ton of action after the opening sequence, which is filled with action as well when their dad shows up. Throughout the movie we get some kick ass video game action sequences that are fun to watch. When Dek lands on Genna it is immediately on for him. He has to fight the elements while looking for the biggest trophy he can think of. This planet they created for the movie is dope. Everything can be used for battle. The trees attack Dek. There's plants that can paralyze you. The grass is as sharp as razor blades. The animals are big and ruthless and some can regenerate. Even the nice animals, one in particular who joins Dek and Thia's fight, have some vicious fangs and awesome fighting skills. I'm not usually a fan of slow motion in movies, but it works so well in this one. It is almost needed. Dek is such a fast fighter that the slow motion actually helps you see what he is doing. I like when slow mo is used properly, and they do it great justice in this movie.

I mentioned Fanning earlier, and when she shows up the movie kicks into gear. This is essentially building a team type of movie, and they do that pretty wonderful here. They have their trials and tribulations, but in the end they're there for one another and that makes the climatic scene even better.

So while I think "Prey" is a better overall movie, I had a blast watching "Badlands".  It was fun, had jokes, cool fight scenes and made me want to know more and more backstory on Predators past and future. I would definitely recommend checking this movie out. It is well worth your time. 

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram.

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

Better Never Than Late on "The Whale"

I had been putting it off for sometime now, but since it is about to leave HBO Max, I sat down and watched "The Whale". Let’s discuss.

I wanted to see it when it came out, but I never got around to it in the theaters. I kind of forgot about it, but then Brendan Fraser won the Oscar for best actor when the movie came out. I then forgot about it again, until the podcast "Doughboys" started talking about it. The stuff they said about the movie piqued my interest one more time. I still took my sweet time to watch it, but "Doughboys" kept bringing it up and I just had to watch.

So I did watch the movie, and I was not a fan of this movie. I get it. I get why people liked this movie, why Fraser was nominated and why he won. I understand the work that Fraser put into this role and he acted his ass off. But this movie was not for me.

First off, I'm not crazy about movies that are adapted from plays. Plays are their own thing. They're performed on stages for a reason. They are quiet and take their time telling you the story. When you go to a play you're prepared for that. When you go to a movie, it, for me, just feels boring. The moments of silence that work on stage don't work the same for me watching a movie. I have never really enjoyed my time watching a movie adapted from a play. It doesn't work for me.

I also found this movie to be melodramatic. It hit all the cliche notes one could want from a story like this. Fraser never left his house because he felt he would be judged for how he looked. And when people saw him, they judged him. The pizza delivery guy scene near the end frustrated the hell out of me. When he finally saw Fraser, the face the actor made was disgusting and offensive. When his students finally see him their jaws drop and they start to pull their phones out to take pictures. I don't get this. There are plenty of people who may be overweight or obese that are out in the open everyday. To be honest, my wife and daughter enjoy the show "1000 LB Sisters", and Fraser's character in this movie is smaller than the family on that show at their heaviest. Sure, Fraser is big. He needs a walker and anchors to help him get in bed. But I have seen plenty of people bigger than Fraser out in the public on the daily. I also kind of despised how they treated the female characters in this movie. First off, Hong Chau is the only female character I felt was written properly, but she still had moments where she was out and out mean. She yells at Fraser about chewing properly when he almost chokes. That is a totally normal thing to happen, but the way they had Chau go into him made me angry. I actively disliked Sadie Sink in this movie. She was mean, angry at the world, plotted against everyone and acted like an entitled moody teenager. Maybe that is how the character is in the play, but in this movie she was mean and nasty all the way to the end. I was rooting against her the whole time. And Samantha Morton, who plays his ex wife, is in one scene and I felt like she was just there to yell and scream and be mad that her daughter isn't who she wanted her to be. She is loud and angry. Her mood switches at  the drop of the hat. She walks on screen and storms off after a blowout with Fraser. The writing for women in this movie was not great in my opinion.

As for Fraser, I said I understand why he won, but his performance was not otherworldly to me, He portrayed an obese person very well, but I also felt it was kind of hammy. The binge eating scene was gross. The constant coughing was distracting. He never got angry or frustrated at all of the people who yelled at him or made faces at him. It was a soap opera-esque performance to me. I also kind of hated the sound in this movie. You could hear every crunch and chew of food. You could hear the wheezing. You could hear everything and it was as rough to listen as it was to watch.

Darren Aronofsky is really hit or miss with me, and "The Whale" was a big fat miss for me. I'm a chubby guy myself, and I felt like this movie was about fat shaming Fraser. I get all the jokes "Doughboys" have been making now too, which is going to make future listens even better. I'd skip "The Whale" if you want my recommendation. It is melodramatic nonsense. 

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.

Follow Ty on instagram.

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

Ty Watches "If I Had Legs I'd Kick You"

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

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

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

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

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

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram.

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