Ty Watches "The Fantastic Four: First Steps"

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

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

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

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

Ty

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

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Ty Watches "Eddington"

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

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

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

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

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

Ty

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

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Ty Wants to Watch "Eddington"

Summer movies are going to be coming out every single weekend, and I'm here for it. This is the time I allow myself to watch trailers. In fact I seek them out this time of year. I want to know what is coming out and when. I also try to find indie movies because those tend to be more my style. But lately I have been going back and watching the trailer for Ari Aster's new movie "Eddington" a bunch.

Ari Aster isn't for everyone, but his work makes me think a ton. I still think about "Beau is Afraid" and "Midsommar" a lot. Those movies were incredibly challenging and long, but I cannot seem to shake them. That, for me, is a good sign. I like that his movies sit with you and, for lack of a better word, haunt my thoughts. There is some stuff in both "Midsommar" and "Beau is Afraid" that still scare me to this day when it pops into my brain. But there is just something about this new trailer for his new movie that makes me really, really want to see it.

I think, at least right now, "Eddington" is my most anticipated summer movie. Everything about it screams what I like in movies. The cast is incredible. We've got Joaquin Phoenix, Emma Stone, Austin Butler and Pedro Pascal, among others. Phoenix is a mad man, but his work has always been a pleasant surprise for me. Even in movies I may not like, if Phoenix is in it, I'll watch. I despise "Joker", but his performance is a good one. Stone continues to do kick ass work. I love that she is taking on challenging material time and time again. I loved "Poor Things". "Kinds of Kindness" was bizarre, but she was great. Now she is doing an Aster movie. Keep these coming from her. I have not seen "Elvis", and probably never will. But, Butler was kickass in "Dune: Part 2" and he has some new movie with Matt Smith coming out that looks rad. He is having a moment and I'm here for it. And Pedro Pascal is just awesome on and off screen. He is such a cool dude, seems like a good person and I really enjoy his tv and movie acting. He is the driving force in the trailer that makes me want to watch this movie. And then we have what I can glean of the plot in the trailer. This is clearly a movie set in early COVID times. It looks like there's political stuff going on. I have to imagine social media and influencers are going to play a big, big part. And it all seems to delve into some kind of mental break for the main character/characters. I'm all in on this movie. I am sure I will be pounding the pavement for others to see it after I see it. I believe it comes out July 18th and I'm going to do whatever I can to see it in the theaters on opening day.

Ari Aster keeps pushing limits and trying new things. With "Eddington" it looks like he is going to do that in a more mainstream movie, and that is awesome to me. And anytime I can watch a harrowing drama that takes place in the modern day, I don't know why but I find myself enthralled by that type of story and material. I can't wait to see this movie. 

Ty

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

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Ty Watches "The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent"

The other movie I wanted to discuss this week was the date night pick coming from yours truly. It was on me and it was easy because "The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent" is now on VOD and available to stream. I was close to seeing this movie in the theaters, that is how much I wanted to watch it. My wife was also completely on board, so that made it even easier.

This movie did not disappoint. It was so funny, so well made, so well acted and surprisingly touching. I enjoyed every single second of this movie. For the people that may not know, this movie is a meta version of Nicolas Cage. Nicolas Cage plays a version of himself named Nic Cage. He is a struggling actor, cannot stick with his family and decides to quit. Before he fully gives up his agent, played by Neil Patrick Harris, convinces him to go to Majorca, Spain and appear at a party for a million dollars. Cage reluctantly agrees. But when he gets there he realizes that the person who invited him to the party is part of a massive drug cartel. Cage also is found out by two CIA agents and he has to help them take down the cartel. From this point on the movie just gets better and better. And it stays funny and continues to be touching.

Speaking of the actors. Ike Barinholtz and Tiffany Haddish play the CIA agents. They are great. Barinholtz cannot deal with his nonsense and Haddish knows how to make him work, she just hates doing it. They do a wonderful job. Cage's ex wife and daughter are great additions. They make the story work more than it actually should. But this movie is truly all about Cage and Pedro Pascal, the super fan. Cage does a great job making fun of himself in this movie. The jokes about him working too much, being too self serious, going nuts at the drop of the hat, all of it works to perfection. They also have a CGI younger version of him that the current Cage talks to and that is great. My favorite part of the young Cage is when he kisses the old Cage and yells, "NIC CAGE IS GOOD AT SMOOCHING!". It is a wonderful joke that totally lands. It is great. Nicolas Cage seems more than up to the task in this role. I am so glad that he took it, ran with it and nailed it. He was tremendous. It shows that, given the right material, Cage can act very well. And Pedro Pascal, he is simply the best. He is funny. He is touching. He is derpy and goofy. He is fully in on the joke and he goes for it as hard as Cage does. The whole story line of him and Cage writing a movie together about their lives is perfect. Pascal is also great at playing this derpy, naive guy. He has too much money and does not know how to use it properly, so he just buys whatever he wants whenever he wants. But he is also touching and nice and you root for him. I was openly hoping he wasn't going to be the bad guy. I wanted there to be a twist where he was actually a good guy. Pascal was phenomenal in this movie. And he and Cage have tremendous chemistry. This movie works because the two of them work so well together. I loved it. Their friendship was the absolute best thing in this movie. Their adventures together were funny and moving. The two of them watching "Paddington 2" was gold.

I adore this movie. I was telling my dad about it all morning over coffee. Watch this movie please. It is so worth it.

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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