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 "Nope"

Over the weekend my wife and I went to see "Nope". I remember when the first preview came out I mentioned how this may be the movie to get me back into the theaters. I did see two movies before this one, but I was most excited about seeing "Nope" on the big screen. I am a big time Jordan Peele fan. I love "Key and Peele". "Keanu" is a delight. Both Peele and Keegan Michael Key were probably the only reason to ever watch "Mad TV". And "Get Out" and "Us" are masterpieces. I prefer "Us", but both movies are unique, original, scary, funny and just flat out good. There is a reason why Peele has won an Oscar and is making the type of movies he makes. He is masterful at his craft.

What grabbed me most about "Nope" was how little I knew about it. This was purposeful on my behalf, and I have to guess on Jordan Peele's side as well. I did not want anything spoiled for me. That was how I approached his first 2 movies and that is the only way to do it. I want to be shocked and surprised and think about the movie for days after seeing them. That is exactly what happened with "Nope". I had no idea. I only knew that Daniel Kaluuya and Keke Palmer were starring in it. Even when people started to theorize what was happening, or more info was coming out, I stayed away. I had some downloaded podcasts I skipped because they talked about the movie. I didn't want to know. And it was perfect.

I was enthralled by this movie. I loved almost every second of it. I will try to be as spoiler free as possible, but some stuff may slip. Sorry.

"Nope" is very different from "Get Out" and "Us". It is more sci-fi than horror. There is some humor, but not nearly as much as Winston Duke gave in "Us". The movie is also very, very big in scope. It is a spectacle. A lot of people online have said that this is Peele's version of "Close Encounters of the Third Kind", and I really agree with that sentiment. Peele goes for it in "Nope" and that is wonderful. He takes a big swing. Some stuff doesn't connect, but that is few and far between. There were a few little things I would have cut to make the movie a tight two hours, but that is me being very nitpicky with a movie I adore. The way Peele tells the story of this movie had me engaged the whole time.

The very, very short synopsis of the movie is about a family that has horses that work in Hollywood and they are losing money. There also happens to be an alien-like creature eating people on their land. The moral, at least in my opinion, and other people's that I have read, is you cannot tame a wild animal. Peele tells that story brilliantly. The movie is put into parts. Each part has a title, and it is an animal's or person's name. Then we get to see the title person/animal go through their story. It was fascinating. Again, I do not want to spoil anything, but Gordy was my favorite/most horrifying story in the whole movie. It was done exceptionally. The performances were really solid too. Kaluuya is great. He is dour and down and over his head and does not want to be in charge. Keke Palmer is fast paced, the heart of the movie, she is funny, quick witted and commanding. She deserves awards consideration. Keith David is barely in it, but he is memorable. Steven Yeun is dynamite. I was telling my wife how great his post "Walking Dead" career has been. He is doing wonderful things. Michael Wincott has the coolest voice I have ever heard. And Brandon Perea, who I have never heard of, is really, really interesting and does a very good job as an added person to Kaluuya and Palmer's family farm.

I have now listened and read other people's reviews of this movie and they are generally mixed. I think people expect too much from Peele. They want everything he does to be this thought provoking, mind melding process. I do not know how these people did not see that in "Nope". I have not stopped thinking about it since I saw it. It is living in my head at the moment. I keep going back and reading more and more about the movie everyday. I loved it and I definitely recommend it for everyone.

"Nope" is a spectacle that should be seen on the big screen. I know that I'm glad I watched it.

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

Ty Watches the Trailer for "Nope"

When the Super Bowl was on, during a commercial break, they aired the trailer for the new Jordan Peele movie "Nope". I, like everyone else for that matter not involved in the movie, had no idea what the movie is about, but I am damn sure going to see it. Hell, I will even go to a theater if I have to.

The thing with Peele, he has knocked two grand slams out of the park with his first two movies. "Get Out" is original and hilarious and scary and wonderful. Peele got a much deserved and well earned Oscar for that movie. And I liked "Us" even more. Again, it was original and unlike any type of psychological horror movie I have ever seen. I still, to this day, think about the ending of that movie. So when he announced this new movie I knew I was going to see it. I also told myself I would not make the mistake of waiting to see this movie. I do not want a thing spoiled for me, and nowadays, people are spoiling movies left and right. Even if you ask them not to, they will spoil minor details that prove to be major. Luckily I avoided spoilers for "Get Out" and "Us", but I feel like it will be next to impossible to avoid spoilers for "Nope". They will be on the internet moments after the movie is released. So, like I said, I may have to go to a theater on opening night to see this movie. I do not mind wearing a mask, and I can go to an early afternoon show with the hopes that the theater will be pretty empty.

I did watch the trailer during the Super Bowl. I watched it intently. I went so far as to ask my guests, don't worry it was my mom and in-laws, to be quiet so my wife and I could focus, and it was amazing. I have since watched the same trailer four times, just trying to parse what I saw. The good thing about this trailer, there is little to nothing in the way of giving away what the movie may or may not be about. There are horses. I see that Keke Palmer, Daniel Kaluuya and Steven Yeun are, possibly the leads. There also seems to be some kind of thing that blocks out the sun, causing all the lights to go out and the electronics to turn off. We also see people running away, some getting sucked into the sky and Kaluuya riding away on a horse. There is also a commercial shoot in the beginning with Palmer talking about her ranch, at least I think.

When watching this trailer, and then analyzing it, this is exactly what modern movie previews should be. Most trailers give away far too much. Some will spoil major plot lines or twists. It can be very frustrating. But Peele did not do that with this movie or any of his others for that fact. He is so good at showing the littlest bit, but at the same time making you want so much more. Like I said, I have watched the trailer five times and I am still trying to figure out what I saw. But that is great. That makes me want to see what this movie has in store. I want to know what is coming to this town. I want to know what is sucking people into the sky. I want to know about the ranch. I want to know about Yeun's character and his job and how this affects him. I want to know why Palmer runs away screaming "NO NO NO". I want to know why Kaluuya is so calm, yet he rides that horse with a fire in his belly. I just want to know what "Nope" is about. And I also want to see what kind of brilliance Peele has in store with this new movie.

I cannot wait for July 22. And until then, I will be here analyzing the trailer.

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 and twitter.

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