Ty Watches "Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery

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

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

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

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

Ty

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

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Ty Watches "The Batman"

I have just returned from my second in person theater experience since the pandemic started. I went to see "The Batman" by myself at a vax only show this afternoon. It was me, two other people by themselves and one couple. It was about as safe as I have felt inside an enclosed building in two years. I also really wanted to see this movie, so I found a way to make it work. I am at a point now where, to actually go inside a theater, it has to be a movie I really, really want to see, and I did not want to wait for it to stream. "Nope" fits that bill, and so did "The Batman".

Leading up to the movie I watched all the trailers, I like the actors, I like the director and I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. I'm usually a MCU guy, but Batman has always held a spot in my heart. I am pretty sure I have seen all the Batman movies, I used to watch the Adam West show, and I have even seen some of the campy movies they made with West. And as previously stated, I am a fan of the actors that were cast in this movie. I have pretty much enjoyed everything that I have seen Robert Pattison star in post "Twilight".

Getting to my thoughts on “The Batman” I think Pattison did a very good job as the lead in this movie. He brought a more emo version to the screen of Batman. He also used a lower toned voice, but it was not on the level of Christian Bale. He was also in shape, but not overly in shape. He actually looked like a somewhat regular ass person in this movie. I liked his take on the character. Zoe Kravitz was amazing as Catwoman. I think she might have been the best actor in the movie. She was very confident and calm and really held it together. I also like how she did not alternate her voice at all, or say any ridiculous cat puns. I truly adored Andy Serkis as Alfred. Serkis is a good actor, and to let him play actual people, not motion capture people or monsters or apes, seems to work. He was great as Klaue, and he was great in "The Batman". Jeffrey Wright is the consummate actor and professional and he was tremendous as Commissioner Gordon. I am a fan of his. I like John Turturro, but he felt a little overused here. He was important to the plot, but they could have cut a scene or two of his. I liked what they did with Colin Farrell as the Penguin, I just wanted more. He was hardly in the movie. Farrell went for it, and I was in, but he was only in a few scenes. I will watch the show that they have reported to be making about him on HBO Max.

Out of the main cast, Paul Dano hit an absolute homerun. He was terrifying. He was insane. He used social media, and the director and writers also did a great job of portraying how evil social media can be. Dano is almost too good at playing creeps. He legitimately frightened me in this role. The scenes where he films his criminal acts is downright stomach churning. I was terrified of him and his actions. That is the sign of an actor doing a phenomenal job.

I do think Matt Reeves did a fine job of directing. I liked this movie. I found myself invested. I wanted to see what was going to happen next. This is not a superhero movie, it is a crime drama, and I like that. But I did think it could have been a bit shorter. There were some cuts I would have made, but I am not a director. Also, the fight scenes were amazing, so Reeves crushed that component.

All in all though, I found this movie to be very okay. It was a very solid viewing experience. I'm glad I ventured to a theater and saw it on the big screen. It was worth it. I recommend "The Batman", but know going in that it is three hours long and it feels three hours long. But if you can deal with sitting around, go see this movie. It was solid.

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 "Westworld" Season 1

I just finished the first season of “Westworld” yesterday. I know that RD has written his peace on this show, and today, I offer a counter to his argument.

I thought "Westworld" was absolutely amazing. The only reason I didn’t watch it at first was stupid. I told my wife, who loves the show, “I don’t like when science fiction and western genres blend”. What an asshole I was being. It shouldn’t matter when a show is this well written and well acted. I was into every single second of the show. I blew through the first season in less than a week. The more I watched, the more I craved the next episode. I wanted to know everything that was happening. I stayed away from spoilers, and I’m glad I did. This made my experience watching it that much better. Every twist and turn was brand new to me, and that’s a great feeling when watching a show.

I believe RD compared the show to an Apple Pencil, and to be honest, that analogy couldn’t be more off, in my opinion. This is a great, well done show. The Apple Pencil was doomed to fail from the beginning. It never had a chance. “Westworld” got great actors to be in their wonderful show. They had people that were ready to fully commit. They got established stars. People like Anthony Hopkins, Jeffrey Wright and Thandie Newton don’t sign on to stuff unless they know it’s good. They make the right choices. Evan Rachel Wood is a very good actress, and she likes to do different things like a “Westworld”. James Marsden usually picks proper projects that suit his skills. Even “lesser” known actors like Tessa Thompson and Paolo from “Lost”, starred on this show.

The stories on "Westworld", my god were they riveting. I’m not going to spoil anything, but with every twist and turn and the new information that came with each episode, it blew me away. The scenery was also extremely beautiful. I read they shot most of the stuff in "Westworld" in Moab, Utah, and seeing what I saw on my TV, I’d like to visit Moab now. Oh, and the music was so great. They took contemporary songs and made them old time western tunes, and it was amazing. They used multiple Radiohead songs, and I loved every version. Their rendition of “Black Hole Sun” was moving. When they played “Paint it Black” during a shootout scene, it couldn’t have worked out better. I was very happy when I found out that there is a “Westworld” playlist on Spotify.

I really, really love this show. I’m very excited to see where they go with season 2. I know it started a few days ago, and I’m chomping at the bit to watch. I have to respectfully disagree with RD. I think “Westworld” is an amazing show. Everyone should watch it.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. The head editor is considering giving "Westworld" another chance based on Ty's recommendation. RD will not give up his complaint about the music, it was a bad choice.

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"Westworld" is the Apple Pencil of Television Shows

Still better than the high tech version.

HBO premiered the long in production "Westworld" television show last Sunday (October 2nd), and the internet has gone nuts. The AV Club, IO9, EW, Time, all the usual suspects who love any HBO show predictably gave "Westworld" high marks. These are the same critics that loved "Vinyl", "John from Cincinnati", and "The Newsroom", so take their advice with caution. Critics at Vox, the Washington Post, and the New York Times were not as praiseworthy, but still found round about ways to find value in watching week to week. Similar to when Apple announces a new product, the zealots overtly praise and everyone else highlight what is good while trying to explain away what is bad. HBO is the Apple of television, and "Westworld" is its Apple Pencil.

Here at SeedSing, we did not receive the first four episodes of "Westworld" like the outlets mentioned. We can only review the show based on the pilot episode "The Original". The first fifteen minutes were amazing. In this introduction we are introduced to James Marsden Teddy Flood. Flood is waking up on a train completing its journey to the old west theme park of the future. As the audience, we know that Flood s heading to a theme park, so no explanation is needed. The false vistas of the old west and the town of Sweetwater look incredible. "Westworld" has the best set design and cinematographers in television. Flood passes a few archetypes of the American old west, the potential of a mid town dual, the sheriff's posse assembling to take out the outlaw, the prostitutes offering their special services. Teddy Flood has no interest in any of these things, he is here to meet back up with a girl. 

The girl is Dolores Abernathy, played expertly by Evan Rachel Wood. It is quite obvious that Dolores is one of the androids, or "hosts" as they are called by the staff. Teddy seems to be playing out a romantic story line with Dolores, and "Westworld" kicks off with a little bit of hope.

That hope does not last long once we get back to the Abernathy ranch. Outlaws have killed Dolores's mother and father. The outlaws drink milk, like all creepy people do. Teddy draws his pistol and guns down the outlaws, playing out the story to be the hero. Then we get a glimpse of the unnamed, dressed in all black, Ed Harris character. Harris is not a good man, and Teddy Flood has his weapon ready to take the evil man down. Here the story takes a turn, Harris is seemingly a guest and Teddy Flood is revealed to be a host. Hosts cannot kill the guests. The Westworld park exists to allow people to live out their fantasies, no matter how depraved, with the hosts as the guests tools. Harris kills Teddy and takes Dolores to barn so he can rape her. "Westworld" had our attention after this great opening.

Once we get an inside look at the behind the scenes brains behind the park, "Westworld" goes off the rails. Jeffery Wright's Bernard Lowe and Luke Hemsworth's Stubbs was ok, and the brief scenes with Anthony Hopkins's Dr. Robert Ford were pretty good, but the scenes with Sidse Babett Knudsen and Simon Quaterman were downright terrible. They may be good actors, but every time Knudsen and Quaterman were on screen, I almost turned off the television. Their dialogue was awful, and their delivery was even worse. No amount of pretty scenery can make up for cringe inducing moments "Westworld" devoted to Knudsens's corporate stooge Theresa Cullen and Quaterman's  guest experience writer Lee Sizemore.

"Westworld" gives us these terrible performances because it is trying so damn hard to be an edgy HBO show. Gratuitous lesbian kiss with no meaning, check. Copious amounts of violence and unnecessary nudity, well of course they have it. Liberal use of the "f" word, hey it's HBO. We are by no means against these things, when there is a point. Outside of the violence, none of these other HBO show staples had any purpose other than to be shocking. "Game of Thrones" did not win multiple Emmy's because of nudity, but the creators behind "Westworld" seem to think that is part of the recipe. It was distracting and took away from the show when one has to question why someone is nude, and how many times can Quarterman say the "f" word until it is a noun, verb, adjective, and adverb? The promising beginning of "Westworld" was completely undone by the distracting need for the show to be an "HBO show".

The bad performances and distracting edginess is not even the worse part of "The Original". The music of the show will make you miss key plot points. Many other writers have praised "Westworld" for using modern tunes like "Black Hole Sun" and "Paint it Black" rearranged as being played on an old 19th century player piano, but it was a bad choice. The music is recognizable enough to make the audience have to play name that tune while the show is trying to move the story forward. It is once again a directorial choice that was made to be edgy, and it turned out being bad.

The entire pretension of "Westworld" is also fairly weak. With the great opening scene, and the awfulness that followed, it is obvious that the show wants you to side with the hosts. Every single guest that was shown in "The Original" is a terrible human being who only wants to do terrible things. We are led to believe that the Westworld park is meant to be like a modern open world video game. It seems that the creators spent ten minutes on Xbox live and learned that anyone who plays a video game is a monster. "Westworld" gives inner life to the random NPCs (non player characters) and wants you to care about their dreams. It is an intriguing idea, but when the humans are just blank evil archetypes, the metaphor gets a little lost. Again a great idea ruined by terrible execution.

Many of the other reviews for "Westworld" urge the audience to wait the show out until the fourth episode. That is not the deal television makes with its audience. A great show should have a pilot episode that asks the audience to come back. We talked about some of these great pilots that captured our minds, for better or worse. The new "Battlestar Galactica" , another show based off of an old cheesy seventies piece of entertainment, started with a miniseries to gauge the audience's interest. If we needed four hours of "Westworld" to get involved, then producers JJ Abrams, Jonathan Nolan, and Lisa Joy Nolan should have made a miniseries first. A bad pilot can turn may people away from the next few episodes that will explain things. At least the miniseries would give people some closure after the first terrible hour.

Every year Apple unveils the newest and greatest thing mankind has ever known. Supposed tech journalist sites like The Verge, CNET, Ars Technica, and many others will give non-stop praise to anything Apple in hopes of clicks and recognition that never comes from Cupertino. In reality, many times Apple will release a new adequate piece of equipment, and sometimes they hit a huge home run. Every once in a while Apple will release something just flat out dumb. The Apple Pencil is such an item. There was no need for it. It was poorly executed, in that what good is it when Apple has been telling how great your fingers are for doing things. It was a copy of things done better before. It looked pretty, but had nothing to make it essential. The zealots fell for it, everyone else quickly forgot. "Westworld" is the Apple Pencil of television.

RD

RD Kulik is the Head Editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He talks a big game but may end up giving "Westworld" a few more episodes. It is really pretty like his Apple Pencil.

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