If You Listen to the Critics, you Might Miss Out On Good Movies Like "X-Men: Apocalypse"

It is your choice alone to sit in the movie theater

Last night I finally got around to seeing "X-Men: Apocalypse". As you all know by now, I am a big X-Men fan. They are my favorite group of superheroes, Wolverine is the best superhero all time and I pretty much like all the mutants that make up the X-Men. I think their stories are the most unique and the coolest, by far. I have liked all the X-Men movies, with the exception being "X-Men Origins: Wolverine". It pains me to say that because of my love for Wolverine, but it is a bad movie. I almost put "X-Men 3" as the other bad movie because that ending is an abomination, but the first 3/4 of that movie is very interesting and kind of cool. The ending is just so, so terrible.

I put off seeing "X-Men: Apocalypse" for so long before the reviews were luke warm at best. The critics said that it was a waste of a good cast and the actors played cliché characters. They were hardest on Oscar Issac, who played Apocalypse, but I thought he did just fine. In fact, I enjoyed this movie.

My blog today is not a review, but more so an indictment of critics. But, I will give a short review. "X-Men: Apocalypse" is not even close to the same level as some other movies in the X-Men universe. "X-Men 2", "X-Men", "X-Men: First Class" and "X-Men: Days of Future Past" are all better movies than "Apocalypse". But,as I said, I enjoyed all 2 and a half hours. I was never bored, the story was interesting and I really liked the acting. Michael Fassbender, James McCavoy, Jennifer Lawrence, Nicolaus Hoult and the kid that played Havoc were all just fine reprising their roles. And the new people, the girl from "Game of Thrones" as young Jean Grey, the kid that played young Cyclops, the young Nightcrawler and young Storm, Psylock and Oscar Issac, I thought they all did a good job. I felt that "Apocalypse" was a fine addition to the X-Men pantheon. It was a good popcorn movie and I think most people would enjoy it if they watched it.

This all leads me to my main point. After the movie, I checked back on Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic and IMDB and other sites like that to see if I misread the reviews. Well, I did not misread anything. The movie scored a 44% on Rotten Tomatoes, hovered right around a 5/10 on Metacritic and IMDB and seemed to be considered a flop by most websites that compile critics reviews. I read most of the consensus' on each site, and they all said virtually the same thing. They said the movie was "overwrought with action and clichéd characters that take away from a compelling story and good actors".

I could not disagree more. First off, overwrought with action? It is a god damn superhero movie. Superhero movies are supposed to be filled with action because they have superheroes in them. The same critics did not say this about movies like "Captain America: Civil War" or any other X-Men movie, and I feel like all those had way more action scenes than "Apocalypse". "Civil War" was basically all action, and critics loved that movie. I think it is a better movie too, but it is not that much better than "Apocalypse". And all the other X-Men movies that these same critics loved, like "Days of Future Past" for instance, they loved the action scenes and said they added so much to the story. I love the scene where Magneto destroys that baseball field in "Days of Future Past", but there was also a very similar scene in "Apocalypse", and the critics claimed it was "overwrought with action sequences". That is totally baffling to me.

Then, to call the characters cliché, what were they expecting? These characters are already in the ether. They have all been established a long, long time ago by the creators of the X-Men comic books. They cannot be any more clichéd than the characters in the comic books that I'm sure these critics read and loved. That is such a blanketed, ill-conceived criticism, in my opinion. I understand when they say that about a movie that does not have established characters, but saying it about a superhero movie is asinine. If these characters are clichéd, so is Captain America, Iron Man, Dr. Strange, basically any superhero, that these critics gave wonderful, glowing reviews, they are all clichéd. They are all the same character that they are in the comic books, so they are clichéd versions of their comic book characters. I'm sorry critics, but you cannot have it both ways. If the people that made these movies started to add new characters themselves, rabid fans would demolish them on social media, and I guarantee that you critics would chastise the people writing these movies for adding new, unnecessary people in an established universe.

I just do not understand the hatred for "Apocalypse" coming from so many well-known critics. I feel like they need to bad mouth some movies sometimes just because. they have no real reason, they just want to dislike something, so they choose the new superhero movie coming out with big expectations, and that is the one that they are going to crush on their websites and papers. This may be the same thing that happened with "Batman V Superman", but that movie had a director with a known track record of being mediocre. The X-Men movies have a well established, albeit a creepy dude, directing these movies, and for the most part, they have gotten glowing reviews.

I guess what I'm really trying to say is, do not trust critics, me included. If you want to see, read or listen to something, do it. Do not base your decision on what these people say. I wish I hadn't waited so long to see "Apocalypse", but I read, and trusted these critics, and it was the wrong choice. I try not to listen to critics, but I made a mistake. I really enjoyed "Apocalypse", and I think most fans of superhero and X-Men movies will enjoy it too. Check it out, if you want.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He has not been kind to the movie critics this year. Hear him talk about it all on a classic X Millennial Man Podcast that is all about the Oscars.

Better Late than Never on the Violent, Funny, and Perfect "Keanu

That is one bad ass kitty

I know that I am rather late to the party, but I just recently saw the movie "Keanu", and I loved it. I was already a pretty big Jordan Peele and Keegan Michael Key fan before seeing this movie. They were the only decent part of the mid-series run of "Mad TV". I would only tune in to see their skits and stories. I was an absolutely avid fan of their show on Comedy Central, "Key and Peele". They brought a new kind of sketch show to cable TV that was an absolute homerun. I watched every episode, in real time, and some of their skits and bits were some of the funniest things that I have ever watched on television. One of their very first skits, involving 2 guys griping about their wives and saying that they called them a "bitch", but going as far away as outer space so their wives wouldn't hear them, is one of the most memorable things on recent TV. I was saddened when they ended the show after a short, but very memorable run.

I found out one of the reasons they ended the show was to work on this movie "Keanu". I know in a very old podcast, I mentioned how it was one of the movies I was most looking forward to in 2016, but it is hard for me to get to the theaters now, what with 2 kids, work and coaching. So, that is why I was so late to seeing this movie that I have been looking forward to for almost a year. When my wife and I finally had a night with nothing scheduled, we sat down and watched, and laughed, and were just absolutely blown away by how much we enjoyed this movie. I was predestined to like this movie for all the reasons I mentioned above, but I did not think my wife would like it as much as she did. She was laughing as hard, sometimes harder than I was, throughout the whole movie. She put her phone down to watch because she was enjoying the movie so very much. I was very happy that she liked the movie as much as I did.

Lets get back to my review of this movie. I thoroughly enjoyed every single second of "Keanu". I liked how much Key and Peele put their touch on this movie. At its bare bones, the movie is about 2 guys, one who is a pushover, Key, and one that is depressed because his girlfriend broke up with him, Peele, that are lifelong friends. Key's character comes to soothe and help Peele get through the breakup, but when he gets to his house, he sees that Peele has found a cat, which he names Keanu. Now, at the start of the movie, we see a humongous shoot out between two guys called the Allentown 2 take down an entire drug cartel. Throughout the whole shootout, we see this tiny kitty running away, dodging bullets and finding its way through downtown LA to Peele's apartment. Peele finds the cat, and he immediately starts to feel better about the breakup. He then proceeds to give Keanu his full attention. He loves this cat.

Then one night while he is out, some people come looking for his weed dealer, hilariously played by Will Forte, because they think he has the cat, but they soon find out that it is in Peele's house. The bad guys trash his house and steal Keanu. When Peele returns to his home, he is distraught to see that his kitty is gone. Peele then becomes obsessed with finding Keanu, and he drags Key along with him. This is when the movie gets crazy.

There are a ton of big time drug dealers involved in this little cat's life. They go to a strip club, hilariously named Hot Pretty Vixens, or HPV, and that is where they find a notorious drug dealer Cheddar, played by Method Man, who has become a very good actor I might add, and he has Keanu now. He has renamed him New Jack, and he also puts a bandana on his head. From this point on, Key and Peele have to act like they are the Allentown 2, as Cheese has confused them for these guys, and they continue this act because Peele wants his cat back. They have to go on drug deals, a hilarious encounter with Anna Faris playing herself is not to be missed. They have gun fights. They smoke something they call in the movie "holy shit". Key teaches young thugs about how great George Michael is, and that team work and team building exercises are important. Key starts to fall for a female dealer that he meets. All this stuff is great, has Key and Peele's comedic touches everywhere and is just so, so funny. Everything that they go through leads to one big shoot out, where you find out some things about some of the characters that we have already met, and it culminates very violently, but also very funny. Key and Peele end up in jail, spoiler alert, but while in there, they are looked at as bad asses because they are believed to have taken out the Allentown 2.

"Keanu" is a great movie that I am glad I finally got to watch. It is funny, but it is also very violent, has bad words and goes way further than any sketch they ever did on "Mad TV" or "Key and Peele". I recommend this movie, and you do not necessarily have to be a fan of Key and Peele's comedy to enjoy. My wife never watched either show, and she thought "Keanu" was great. Check it out.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He once had a roommate with two cats, but Ty could have cared less of they were stolen by drug dealers. Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

Better Late than Never on the Fantastic Film "Everybody Wants Some!!"

Any film with this backdrop will automatically get a pass.

About a week ago I finally got around to seeing "Everybody Wants Some!!". This was the most recent Richard Linklater movie. I think it came out earlier this year. I really, really enjoyed this movie. I am still thinking about a week later, so it obviously was well made.

The movie is basically a sequel of sorts to the much acclaimed cult classic, "Dazed And Confused". I heard some people, Linklater himself, saying it was a sequel of sorts to "Boyhood", but I don't buy that for a second. This movie was much more in tune with "Dazed And Confused" than "Boyhood". "Everybody Wants Some!!" takes place on the weekend before college starts at a school in Texas. The main character, Jake(Blake Jenner), is a freshman baseball player and he is moving into one of the two baseball houses the school has for the team.

From the start, we see the dynamics of new and old students in college. Jake, after driving around town and seeing lots and lots of things he likes, arrives to the house and is immediately met by two older teammates, Roper(Ryan Guzman) an McReynolds(Tyler Hoechlin). They are making a make shift water bed using the house's water hoses, and the two older teammates immediately start giving Jake a hard time. They make fun of him being a freshman and a pitcher. They claim they both dislike pitchers, as does every other position player. This is their way of "hazing" him, if you will. As Jake makes his way to his room, he meets some of his other teammates. When he makes his way to the water bed room, he runs into Finnegan(Glen Powell), Willoughby(Wyatt Russell) and Dale(J. Quinton Johnson). These guys are nicer, but kind of push Jake to the side and explain the benefits to anyone listening about a waterbed. When Jake finally makes his way to his room, we meet his roommate, an introverted loner that only wants to talk to his hometown girlfriend, Beuter(Will Brittain). He's your typical southern boy, always with a dip in his mouth and very standoffish. We also get to meet another freshman at the house, Plummer(Temple Baker), and he is so pumped to be in college, meeting college girls, getting wasted and playing baseball. He is your typical "jock" of the group.

Now that we have established the main characters, the movie is basically a mirror image for most college students of what it is like that first weekend before classes start. There is the "hazing" that I mentioned above, but it is never malicious. The players are all pretty good guys that just want these kids to have fun. There is a great early scene when 5 of the guys are driving around campus, rapping along with "Rapper's Delight", but putting their own spin on it, and telling all the ladies on campus about their party later that night.

On the first night, we get a baseball team party. It is loud, fun, hook ups happen, it is your typical college party movie scene. After the party, the next day they have their team meeting, and we meet some more players, most notably Jay(Juston Street), who has a supposed 95 mile per hour fastball, and this is where you get the whole team feeling from a sports/comedy/coming of age movie. I loved this scene. Sure, these are college students that want to party and have fun, but they are also athletes and this is an important meeting.

The next day at the house, while hanging out, you also get a sense of team with the guys challenging each other at pointless contests. There's some random little games going on, but the main thing that happens, one of the players bets McReynolds that he can't split a baseball in half with an axe. McReynolds is the star player of the team, and a sure fire first round draft pick. It was really cool to see him swing that axe and cut not one, but 2 baseballs in half. Everyone was in awe.

Later on, there are more parties. They go to a punk rock party with punk kids. They go to discos. They go to soul dance clubs. They go to a theater kids party. It was, as I said, a great representation of how, even when you are a 22 year old senior in college, that you don't really know your place in this world yet. Sure, McReynolds knew he was going pro, and Dale was probably going to be a pro as well, but other guys, guys like Finnegan, Roper, Jake, Plummer and Beuter had no idea where they would be in 1, 2 or 3 years, and isn't that what college is all about, finding yourself.

There is a great side story involving the character Willoughby, but I don't want to spoil it because it is awesome. His story is one of many reasons you should watch this movie.

"Everybody Wants Some!!" is a really, really enjoyably good movie. I had tons of fun watching it, and I think I will most likely purchase it. This movie captured college almost as perfectly as "Dazed And Confused" captured high school. That is one thing that Linklater, as a director, does really well. He knows how to tell a very good story involving growing up and coming of age. This movie was fantastic. Everybody should really check it out. You don't have to be a Linklater fan to enjoy it either, it is a really solid movie. Go watch "Everybody Wants Some". I think you'll really like it.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor of SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man. He wants to know what piece of pop culture did you discover a bit late. Tell us all about it. Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

Happy Halloween from SeedSing

The end of October is upon us. The trick or treaters are getting ready with their store bought costumes to come fleece the neighborhood of it's fun sized candy bars. In honor of the holiday, we here at SeedSing want to present a treasure trove of Halloween related content. Read, and listen, if you dare.

The Monsters Live on Chalie Brown's Street. 

It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown has been a Halloween staple for fifty years. The show has delighted generations of readers and views. What is hidden in this classic is a horror story of children without supervision, and the monstrous adults who feel like it is ok to bully a bald, and maybe depressed, kid. There are monsters hiding everywhere.

Treehouse of Horrors is One of the Only Good Things about Halloween

The Simpsons has been going strong for over twenty five years, and in that time the show has presented a triumvirate of Halloween stories every year. Revisit some of the greatest THOH episodes and see what the greatest show on television does with our spookiest of holidays.

Ty says Boo-Urns to Halloween

Pop Culture editor Ty is not a big fan of Halloween. Nothing gets him more annoyed than the terrible puns associated with the holiday. He does not care for "spooktacular" savings or listening to the dulcet tones of "Rocktober". Oh, and adults dressing up, that is not Ty's favorite thing either. Maybe next year the Halloween fad will fade away.

The X Millennial Man Podcast Episode XVII: Strip Clubs, Hangovers, and the Innocence of Halloween

Ty and RD talk about the scary real life consequences of Halloween. Did you know that strip clubs do not always let you enter when you have a mask on. Even on Halloween. Many adults like to dress up and drink on Halloween too. Most of the time, these adults end up forgetting the night's festivities and spend All Saint's Day praying in front of the toilet. Who says kids get to have all the holiday fun.

The X Millennial Man Podcast Episode LXVII: Trolls and the Other Monsters Who Live on the Internet.

The X Millennial Man was doing some internet research on Mad Max: Fury Road, and we learned that there are some men who are not happy with the movie. It seems these fellows do not like a movie that portrays women as strong, or stronger, than men. It also seems many of these upset men can not find dates. In order to express their frustration, these gentleman go to the internet and write about their troubles. It is frightening. Join Ty and RD as they read some of these tales of MRAs and MGTOWs.

We hope you enjoy a cavalcade of Halloween scares. If you really need a good fright, go ahead and read anything we have written on Donald Trump. That will keep you up at night. Have a fantastic All Hallows Eve. 

The Writers of SeedSing

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

Gene Wilder Gave Us the Gift of Pure Imagination

We have lost another big, big time legend. The great Gene Wilder passed away at the age of 82 reportedly in early August. I was late to his movies, but when I did see his stuff, I was immediately a fan. I loved his look, his style and, most importantly, his comedic chops. He was a funny, funny man. He made me laugh in pretty much everything I saw him in.

My first exposure to Gene Wilder was the classic movie, "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory". I saw this movie when I was very young, probably 8 or 9, and I didn't really understand it at the time. Actually, it kind of scared me a bit. But, when I was older, probably 16 or 17, I watched it again, and I was struck at how great this movie was. I had the preconceived notion that it still may be a bit scary, but I toughed it out and watched it again. The second time around, 8 or 9 years later, it was just great. I loved everything about the movie. I loved the jokes, the absurdity and the veiled horror in the movie. But, what I kept going back to, and the person I watched the most, was Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka. His performance in this role is absolutely timeless. From the moment he shows up with the cane, then proceeds to lose said cane and does a sommersault, to the way he deals with the bratty children, to the way he treats the oompa loompa's and to how he finally realizes that Charlie is the only child that is truly worthy to be in his chocolate factory, it was all greatbecause of Wilder's performance. "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory", after the second viewing, became a barometer for friendships and girlfriends for me. If new people that I met liked the movie, they had a leg up. If they mentioned Wilder's performance, I knew we were going to be friends for a long time. I still sit back and watch that movie to this day, and I'm still as moved by the movie, but more importantly, Wilder's performance, as I was when I watched it as a teenager. "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" is a great entryway to the genius that was Gene Wilder, especially for millennials. Don't waste your time watching Tim Burton's garbage remake. That movie is trash and Johnny Depp is no Gene Wilder.

After my renaissance, if you will, with Gene Wilder, I needed to see more. My dad and brothers told me to watch this classic comedy called "Blazing Saddles". It was at this time that I was getting more and more into comedy, be it stand up, TV or movies. They all raved about this classic Mel Brooks spoof of western movies. I was hesitant again, I'm not that big a fan of westerns, but I watched it anyway because Wilder was, at least I was told, genius in "Blazing Saddles". So, I watched it and was completely blown away by how great everything was in the movie. "Blazing Saddles" is the top tier of spoof movies. Every part, every role, every spoken word of dialogue, every set piece, everything was just perfect and hilarious. I was laughing the entire time. I look back at a movie like "Blazing Saddles" and I can't imagine anything like it would be made today, but back in the 70's, it was great fodder. And what makes this great is Cleavon Little, as Bart and Gene Wilder, as Jim. Their relationship throughout the movie is wonderful. The first scene where we meet Gene Wilder's Jim, in the jail, is classic. The whole back and forth about him being the fastest gun in the West and how he may have lost a step or two, but then proving to Bart that he still had it, all of it was hilarious and perfectly Mel Brooks and perfectly Gene Wilder. "Blazing Saddles" is so great, and it is made even better due to Wilder's performance. Wilder was a lock to give you a great performance, especially a deadpan comedic performance. He was like an all time great athlete. When people counted him out, he would achieve. When people expected greatness, he would go above and beyond expectations. And his performance in "Blazing Saddles" was masterful. The movie definitely stands the test of time. Watch it today, and I bet you will laugh just as hard as the people who first saw it in 1974.

After seeing "Blazing Saddles", I took a long break from Gene Wilder movies. It wasn't a conscious choice, I was in college, and had other stuff on my mind. When I met my wife, while we were still "boyfriend and girlfriend", she used to tell me that, if I liked Wilder so much, I should see "Young Frankenstein". It was many years later, after we had married, that I finally rented the movie, and we sat down and watched it together. I got the same feeling watching "Young Frankenstein", in my late 20's, that I got when I first saw "Blazing Saddles". "Young Frankenstein" was great, and Wilder was absolutely wonderful. He was the star of this movie. He was great in every facet. He was so weird, but so funny. His takes on horror where just perfect. He, and Mel Brooks, spoofed it fantastically. "Young Frankenstein" is a perfect comedy movie. Gene Wilder is so phenomenal in this role. With "Young Frankenstein", I made the decision that Wilder may be the best, or at least in the top three, of greatest comedic actors of all time. He was great in every thing that he did. And "Young Frankenstein" may be his coup de tat. As much as I love "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" and "Blazing Saddles", "Young Frankenstein" is a comedic work of art. It's classic.

I know that Gene Wilder has done countless other things, i.e., his work with Richard Pryor, all the other movies he did with Mel Brooks and popping up on TV shows here and there later in his career, but these three movies are what I will remember most from Gene Wilder.

It doesn't just stop at movies for me. I love the fact that, without him, we may have never gotten to see the genius that was Richard Pryor, and vice versa. They were one of the greatest comedic duos of all time. The two of them working together is like having Magic and Bird on the same team, or Michael and Scottie. They made each other so much better and pushed each other to do great things. His look was undeniable as well. There was no mistaking when Wilder walked into a room. Everyone knew it was him. Look at the iconic hair. When my son was a baby, he had the wildest hair I had ever seen, and we called him "baby Gene Wilder".

Gene Wilder was a genius and a legend. He lived a long, fruitful life and he will be missed. There will never be another Gene Wilder. He was truly one of a kind. He has influenced so many people that I like, among countless others. He was, and always will be, one of the greatest. Hopefully you are making people laugh wherever you are right now Mr. Wilder, and keep using your pure imagination in the afterlife. RIP

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. Follow him on twitter @tykulik.

Cloves and Fedoras: Go See the Incredible Movie "Hunt for the Wilderpeople"

Cloves and Fedoras is Seed Sings reviews for little known pieces of pop culture.  Feel free to contact us with your own submissions of undiscovered gems that must be known.

Over the past weekend, I got the chance to see "Hunt for the Wilderpeople". I had been looking forward to seeing it since I saw the trailer and heard that it was directed by Taika Waititi. Waititi hit a home run with "What We Do in the Shadows", so I assumed his follow up would be just as good. I really enjoy Waititi, and he makes funny, but also kind of moving movies.

Well, "Hunt for the Wilderpeople" was not only as good as "What We Do in the Shadows", but, just as a movie in general, it was better. Sure, "What We Do in the Shadows" had more laughs, but that movie was made as a straight forward comedy. It did it's job. "Hunt for the Wilderpeople" definitely had it's funny moments, but there was more heart and more sweetness to this movie.

The movie is, if you want the bare bones, about a young, troubled kid that gets taken in by a lady and her husband. The couple can't have kids of their own, so they figure this is the next best way. The lady, Bella(Rima Te Wiata), or Aunt Bella to the young boy, was a very happy go lucky lady. She was always smiling and seemed to enjoy every moment of life. She always had a story to tell or a compliment to give. The husband, Hec(Sam Neill), or Uncle Hec, was more of a low key, keep to himself type of person. He much preferred hunting and hiking, usually, by himself.

Then, there was the boy, Ricky Baker(Julian Dennison). He was a ruffian. He had been in and out of juvenile hall. He didn't know his dad and his mom gave him up when he was a baby. He liked to cause trouble, and wherever he was, trouble usually found him. The Child Protective Service people found a home for him, and it was Bella's and Hec's. The lady that was in charge of CPS, Paula(Rachel House), was no nonsense and didn't take any of Ricky's crap. When they drop Ricky off at the house, he is hesitant to stay. He doesn't like being in the wild, Bella and Hec live in the New Zealand bush. He has no cell service and TV is not really an option. Ricky tries to run away the first night, but being the portly young fellow that he is, he doesn't get more than a hundred feet away before Bella finds him the next morning.

Bella and Ricky strike up a friendship after a few days. Bella is very nice to him, and she wants him to have the childhood he never really got. She shows him how to do things around the farm that need to be done. They pluck fur off animals. They shoot rifles. She even takes him hunting, and when Bella guts a pig, Ricky is freaked out, but he also kind of grows to respect Bella even more after seeing this.

Unfortunately, Bella unexpectedly passes away. We see Hec crying over her dead body, and Ricky walks up to this travesty. The funeral scene follows, and in classic Waititi style, something that can be so somber and down is made very humorous. Waititi plays the pastor laying Bella to rest, and he is one great comedic line after another during this scene. I'm not lying when I say that this funeral scene is one of the funniest funeral scenes I've ever seen in a movie. It's truly remarkable. Afterwards, Hec tells Ricky that he never really wanted him, so CPS was coming back to get him in a few days.

Ricky decides that he doesn't want to go back to that life, so this time he opts to run away for real. He even burns down a barn to try and get CPS off his trail. He again doesn't make it too far until Hec, finds him. After they get back together, a great story of a budding friendship and the love for family ensues. Everything that happens from this point on in the movie is great. There's humor, there's love for family, there are touching moments, there are not so happy moments. It really is just perfect. Even the chase between Ricky, Hec and CPS is fantastic.

This is a very, very good movie, that not enough people are going to see. The story, the directing and the acting are tremendous. Sam Neill is wonderfully quiet and subdued in the movie. He plays the role of wannabe loner and hiker very well. Rima Te Wiata, aka Bella, is very good in her limited role. She is so funny and springy and happy. She was great. Rachel House, as the CPS badass Paula, is great too. She constantly states, "no child left behind" over and over again, and it is equally as funny every time. But, the real star of the movie is Julian Dennison as Ricky. He is so good. He plays the rough and tumble kid with a heart of gold to perfection. He delivers some of the best lines of the whole movie. His timing and reactions are so on point. He is a revelation. If you go to see the movie for one reason, make it for Dennison's performance, it's that good.

I can't say enough good things about "Hunt for the Wilderpeople". It is definitely one of 2016's best movies, and I think it deserves, at the very least, some mention during Oscar season. I don't want to give away the whole plot because I think everyone should go and watch this movie. It is a great role for Sam Neill, and showcases some New Zealand actors and actresses a lot of us don't know, The movie also provides excellent side performances from the likes of Waititi and Rhy Darby. The film shows that Waititi is a very adept filmmaker, who is on the rise, but most importantly, it introduces the whole world to the talent of Julian Dennison. Go see "Hunt for the Wilderpeople". It is a wonderfully great movie.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. You can hear all about Ty's current thoughts on the 2016 Olympic Games and Rio by listening to the latest X Millennial Man Podcast. Download it for free. You need to also follow Ty on twitter @tykulik.

"OJ: Made in America" is the Best Film of the Year

Being the pop culture expert that I am, I binged watched all of "OJ: Made in America" this past week so I could review it for everyone. That was my thought going into the movie. I figured, since I do write about sports, movies, music, all things pop culture, I would watch this movie that everyone was talking about, just to say that I saw it. Good or bad, I was going to watch the monster film for you.

A funny thin happened when I watched that first hour and a half, I was blown away at how perfect a documentary "OJ: Made in America" truly is. I was fascinated. I couldn't wait to watch all 5, hour and a half parts of the movie. I wished and hoped that nap and quiet time came quickly for my kids so I could get back to this tremendous movie. By the way, I will call it a movie from here on out. I have read, and heard, that in some places it was shown in its entirety, so that qualifies it as a movie for me. Some may call it a mini series, I call it a movie. It was made as a movie, and it unfolded like a movie, so it is a movie.

Anyway, "OJ: Made in America", may be the greatest documentary ever made. It had everything in it that one could want. There was triumph, tragedy, love story, horror, downfalls, everything one could want from your typical movie. The movie started out talking about young OJ, about his childhood. They mentioned that he was a great athlete, but he was also a troublemaker. He did stuff that most kids do, but he would always push a little further. We also came to find out that his mom raised him, and that his father was a homosexual. That really made OJ an angry, rough and tumble kid. He felt he had to overcompensate on a lot of things.

As OJ grew older, he excelled at football. He went to junior college for 2 years, then to USC. We all know about his triumphs at USC. He was unstoppable. He won the Heisman. He made USC great again. But, amidst all this, he seemed to be a fame hungry, angry young man. When his first wife, Margarite, was interviewed, they asked what he was like away from the field and she said he was very intense and focused. How many 20 or 21 year old people are described as intense? That was the first moment I saw during the movie that made my head shake. His first wife looked legitimately scared when she had to answer questions.

After leaving USC, Simpson was drafted by the Bills. He was unhappy. Buffalo was cold, they had a bad team and an even worse coach. But, when a new coach came in, he excelled because this coach featured him. Only his fourth year in the league, but he felt that he needed to be the focal point of the offense. Sure, he rushed for over 2,000 yards,  but the Bills never won a title with him. And while, at least on the surface, he seemed to like all his teammates and coaching staff, that all may have been an act.

One thing I gathered from this movie was, OJ was very good at turning the switch to being a nice guy when he needed to. He was an actor before he became an actor. He eventually left football to pursue said acting career. This is where his life, and his choices, kind of start to go off the rails. He got a lot of jobs because of his name, but he was not a very good actor. He tried too hard. His co stars and directors didn't really like him. He wasn't a real actor, he was a pitchman. It wasn't until the "Naked Gun" movie that he became a "respectable" actor. He was funny on screen, but again, he was a pain to work with. While doing all the Hollywood stuff, that was where he met Nicole Brown. Now, prior to meeting Nicole Brown, Simpson was asked many, many times by leaders of the black community and the NAACP to speak out on all the problems in the 60's and 70's, and OJ would tell them that "I'm not black, I'm OJ". Talk about your classic self inflating asshole. Back to the Hollywood phase. I mentioned the movies and the acting and Nicole Brown. He saw her one night, said he was going to marry her, and he almost immediately started dating her. Mind you, he was still married when he started to date Brown.

The relationship between Nicole and OJ, as we all know now, was torturous. He was abusive. She was scared all the time, but she was hypnotized by him. OJ had a hold on her. He monitored her movement. He made sure she was never very far from him. He became extremely abusive. He started to become the monster that he always had inside of him. When Brown finally got the nerve to actually leave him, that pushed him over the edge. Simpson began to stalk her. He would show up at restaurants and family gatherings that he wasn't invited to. He would watch her when she would be with other men. He would threaten her and the other men. He was getting angrier by the second.

This anger all came to a head the night that he, and yes, I believed he did it when I was 12, so my mind has not changed, decided to end her and Ron Goldman's life. I one hundred percent believe that he acted alone and he, and his knife, took the lives of 2 innocent people. The monster inside finally came out. He couldn't push it down anymore. What he did to Nicole Brown and Ron Goldman is disturbing and scary. OJ Simpson is a murderer, plain and simple. Then, how much more of an admission of guilt can you have than a suicide note and a chase down a huge highway in LA? That should have been more than enough to put him away.

When he finally went back to his house, he was taken to jail, but the story did not end there as it should. We all know about the trial. We all know the saying, "if the glove doesn't fit, you must acquit". We all know that the decision to have him try on the glove was a dumb move. We all know that this trial was rigged from the start. Even the jurors they interviewed have admitted that they let a guilty man go free. But, there were a few things I didn't realize from the trial. Johnnie Cochran and his team of lawyers turned this trial into a race war. It wasn't about murder, they made it about race. When the jury went to his house to check stuff out, they defense team changed photos to make it look like OJ only had African American friends. This was not the case, one of his lawyers admitted this. The photos he had hanging were of himself and only white people. Just like before, OJ never said he was black, he said he was OJ. But, when he and his team of lawyers realized they could use race, OJ not only allowed it, he ran with it. Mark Fuhrman, who is a monster himself, became the focal point of a trial that he should have never even been that big a deal of. When that tape surfaced of him using racial epitaphs, people forgot that OJ was on trial for murder. They simply focused on one racist cop in the LAPD. As I said, Fuhrman is a monster, but he should have not been the scapegoat. Johnnie Cochran would have never admitted this, but he completely played, and used the race card to his advantage to get a murderer off. This was all admitted by his team of lawyers during the movie. It was even revealed that after the jury was selected, OJ said to his team of lawyers, and I quote, "if this jury doesn't get me off, maybe I did do it", what a monster. I don't understand how guys like Johnnie Cochran, Rob Shapiro, F Lee Bailey, anyone on his "dream team" of lawyers, could sleep at night, or look at themselves in the mirror without being disgusted. Marcia Clark, and even more so, Christopher Darden, did a much, much better job of prosecuting this murderer, but they will be forgotten because they didn't win the trial. The way OJ's "dream team" attacked Darden was gross and shady. They should be ashamed of themselves. Darden was/is a great lawyer, and he did almost everything correct in the case, with the lone exception of having OJ try on the glove in court. That was a crucial error that cost them the case, in my opinion.

Once OJ was found not guilty, his life spiraled even further. He got custody of his two kids he had with Brown, but he was not a good father. The Goldman family kept bringing cases to court to try and get OJ to admit that he did it. They won the civil suit, but that was just a piece of paper stating they won. They didn't get money or an apology from OJ. He hid things from them. He was ordered to pay 33 million dollars, but he found ways around it. None of that mattered because none of that would bring their son and brother home. The Brown family was still terrified of him. They tried to get him out of their lives but they couldn't because of the kids. As his life got weirder and wilder, OJ started to do cocaine regularly and started to hang out with thugs. He never saw his kids. His friends who believed he was innocent, they changed their minds as time went on. OJ became erratic. He would go on binges. He wasn't getting acting jobs anymore. He was becoming a joke. He even wrote a book entitle, "If I Did It", which was basically an admission of guilt, but he needed the money and the fame.

This disaster of a life came to a head when he tried to get back some memorabilia at a Las Vegas casino hotel. He attacked collectors, stole his stuff back and used force and threats with a firearm. This was what finally put him in jail. He got caught because he is an idiot. The Las Vegas judicial system put him away for 33 years. That seems harsh, but remember, he got away with a double murder. Karma is real people.

I mean, I could go on and on and on about this movie. It is so, so good and I urge everyone to watch it. You don't have to be a sports fan to enjoy it. If you like sports, sure, it makes it that much better, but if you like mysteries and crime dramas, it's right up there with those as well. I do not know if "OJ: Made in America" is eligible for the Oscars, and do not care what the dumb Academy Awards rules are, it should win every single one that it is up for. This is the best movie I have seen in quite some time, and it is the best movie of the year. I know we still have six months left in 2016, but this is the best, hands down. Ezra Edelman has created something that will stand the test of time. Do yourself a favor and watch this movie. I promise you will not be disappointed.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. In his opinion one hour of "American Crime Story: The People vs OJ Simpson" felt ten times longer than the entirety of "OJ: Made in America". Follow Ty on twitter @tykulik.

A Millennial's Appreciation of Garry Marshall

Yesterday we lost another legend. This legend was huge in television and movies. We lost the great Garry Marshall at the age of 82.

Marshall was one of the great writers and directors that Hollywood had ever seen. Marshall had his hand in on many, many great television shows. Among many other things, Marshall created "Happy Days", "Mork and Mindy", "Angie" and "Laverne and Shirley". He wrote on classic TV shows like "The Dick Van Dyke Show", "The Odd Couple" and "The Lucy Show". He directed classic movies like "Pretty Woman", "Beaches", "Overboard" and a bunch of the television shows he created and wrote on. He was a master of comedy in the 60's and the 70's. "Happy Days" is a timeless television show that, at least the first couple of seasons, still holds up. "Mork and Mindy" was the coming out party for the greatness that was Robin Williams(another person we lost way too young). "Laverne and Shirley" was, and still is, one of my mom's favorite TV shows, and I really enjoy it as well. It was one of the first shows that featured 2 females in lead roles. Marshall was an innovator.

Writing for the shows he wrote for was just incredible. During that era, there were very few channels, so whatever the higher ups at the channels wanted on TV, that what was on. That included some great shows like "The Dick Van Dyke Show", "The Lucy Show" and "The Odd Couple". Those shows are all timers and Marshall was one of the lead writers on each one. Dick Van Dyke was an enormous star and a lot of his spoken words were lines written by Gary Marshall. There is almost no one as big as Lucille Ball in the history of TV, and Marshall wrote a lot of her jokes. "The Odd Couple", featuring Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau, again, written by Gary Marshall. Lemmon and Matthau are two of the biggest stars of all time, and Gary Marshall was one of the leaders in the writers room, feeding these guys their iconic lines.

I know that his movies near the end have become a punchline, but look at the ones I mentioned above. "Pretty Woman" was Julia Roberts coming out party. That movie made her a star. Also, to get a movie made in the 80's about a prostitute with a heart of gold, that's super impressive. Like I said, he was ahead of his time. "Beaches" is one of the saddest, most heart wrenching movies ever made, but I do not know one person that hasn't seen at least most of that movie. That movie is so sad, but it is also very well made and excellently directed. "Overboard" is a great comedy movie starring two fairly unknown people at the time. Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn were marginally famous, but that movie put them over the top. That movie is also very, very funny and it does hold up. The farcical story is so out there, but due to Marshall's directing, it's believable and executed exceptionally. I never thought of Kurt Russell or Goldie Hawn as comedic actors until I saw "Overboard".

He also had a hand in on a lot of the stuff his sister, Penny Marshall, was involved with. Be it helping her write or cast or perform himself in the movies, he was a big help. His minimal role in "A League of Their Own" stands out among many great things in that wonderful movie. I'm sure he helped some way in one of my favorite movies, "Big". He directed, and gave his sister her start, in the wonderful "Laverne and Shirley". He also never had any problems helping his sister out. When he was called out for nepotism, he didn't hide from it, he embraced it. His famous quote about hiring family members, "When in doubt, you bring in relatives. Nepotism is a part of my work", is incredible.

I know it might seem weird that the millennial of the site is writing about Garry Marshall, but he has been involved, some way, throughout my entire life of watching TV and movies. I adore Gary Marshall's TV shows and most of his movies. I'm also curious as to how the podcast "Comedy Bang! Bang!" will approach this news. For those that don't know, Paul F Tompkins plays a lot of characters on the podcast and the TV show, but I think his most beloved is his impression of Gary Marshall. He does a spot on impersonation, and I hope they do something special to remember the man. I'm sure they will and I'm sure it will be hilarious and heartfelt. I eagerly await your move "Comedy Bang! Bang!".

Rest in Peace Garry Marshall. You were an innovator, a genius, a writer ahead of his time and an all around fantastic TV and movie personality. Your directing and writing will go down in history. Enjoy the afterlife good sir.

ed note: We forgot an extra r in Garry when the article was first published. We have corrected the mistake. Sorry that we are idiots.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. Follow him on twitter @tykulik.

How the Internet has Changed Pop Culture

Popular culture is a complicated beast. Like the Hydra, it has many heads, and when you think you've figured it out, two more heads pop out of the last. I'd like to thank SeedSing.com for helping expand the conversation on so many topics, including this one. If you have time, check out their article about why the book is always better than the movie—argued from the perspective of someone who doesn't actually agree!

For its relatively short lifespan, pop culture has undergone many changes. Within the past century, it has developed alongside different forms of media, including radio, movies, television, and finally the internet. Of these forms of media, none has been more transformational than the internet.

While radio might at first seem like the first big mover of pop culture, the vast majority of pop culture has been a one-way street for nearly a century. Entertainers delivered material, and consumers absorbed it, transmitting it to other consumers in the process and growing the market. The internet has massively altered the way information is transmitted and, as a result, turned the entire pop culture scene on its side.

The Two-Way Street

In some ways, there's always been some level of interaction between fans of pop culture and perpetrators of pop culture. Music concerts, fashion shows, and other spectacles allow fans and enthusiasts to attend and see the latest—that much hasn't changed. But with the internet, people can also provide meaningful feedback instantly.

It has replaced the thousands of fan letters that are never read and go unanswered. Services such as Twitter and Facebook allow everyday people to interface with real celebrities, artists, and content creators on a very personal level. Rather than wait days or weeks for a response to hear from these famous figures, the public may see a response in mere minutes.

The leaders of pop culture haven’t let this change go unnoticed either. More than ever, social media pages are advertised on television, over the radio, and even within products. “Visit our website to learn more,” they say. “Text (something) to 321” will get you added to a list for any number of different things.

Even a person like Dr. Phil has gotten in on the act, with his show sometimes weighing the opinions of the public by broadcasting their responses to his questions live. As this trend continues, entertainment shifts more and more away from being a mostly passive to sincerely welcoming interaction.

The Death of Cable

Another amazing phenomenon we’ve begun to experience is the slow demise of cable. While there is still a hefty subscriber base to standard television, the numbers are beginning to dip. Consumers are seeking their entertainment elsewhere, mostly through streaming services over the internet.

As a result, the movers and shakers of pop culture are no longer just the late-night TV hosts or the faces of prime-time television. A new demand for quality entertainment that directly answers the wants and needs of the consumer has created an incredible lineup of original shows that can be seen any time so long as you have a subscription to the right service (typically Netflix).

That brings us to the heart of our next point: The change in audience has created a new type of consumer.

On Demand

The instant nature of the internet has, in many ways, altered the patience of consumers. As progressively more content becomes available on demand, it changes audience expectations. Pop culture becomes something the audience doesn’t want to wait to read about in the tabloids tomorrow—why bother when they can visit TMZ’s website right now?

In some ways, this has also created a conflict between the previous generation and the new. The older generation is used to waiting; what choice did they have? "Snail mail" got its name precisely because it was so slow. But the new generation wasn't raised on that.

The new generation has been exposed to an entirely different upbringing that is reshaping everything we know about pop culture. Deemed “millennials,” these new consumers are used to things being available instantly. They grew up with cell phones, email, and instant streaming movies.

Naturally, pop culture has developed to answer these needs. Vendors of popular items sell their goods online with fast-paced shipping. Virtually every major bill can be paid online with a few taps. And since the newer generation spends so much time online (typically on a phone or laptop), much of advertising has moved there as well.

Copy That

In many ways, the internet is solely responsible for the most freely produced content since the dawn of history. Because all online entertainment is stored as data, it can be (largely) freely copied. Unlike physical media, there are no limits to how many times data can be reproduced.

Internet users first figured it out on a large scale when Napster became big over a decade ago. A single user could post a song they had on CD, and thousands of other users could download it and share it themselves. Because there was no physical limitation on the number of copies, it meant millions of people could get music for free.

With time (and faster internet), file sharing expanded to videos and larger programs. So too did the record companies’ fight against what they deemed internet piracy. Today it still continues unabated, but new efforts have been made to fight against file sharing.

The Fight Against Piracy

This brings us right back to today’s on-demand culture. Piracy has been combated in two different ways. The first is through censorship and monitoring. The FBI has taken down several pirating websites, and Hollywood has sued the owners of select IP addresses that pirated movies. Well, except the people using VPNs, since they’ve been able to hide their IP addresses.

The second way has been just to make content more accessible. Instead of having to visit the video store, you can load a show up without leaving home. Music can be purchased one song at a time instead of having to buy an entire album. Little tweaks to the market have dissuaded quite a few pirates by making the legal way just as easy.

Other entertainers have embraced the idea of free content by literally making their stuff free but stuffing it with ads or add-ons that can be purchased for cold, hard cash. Video games have changed quite a bit as well. Many games can be bought before they’re even finished, allowing users early access to the still developing product.

Where most games usually shipped finished, now we see games sell with only a limited amount of content and the rest purchasable at a later date. This is made possible only by a fully connected population that can go online at any time to buy the new content.

What Tomorrow Holds

If present trends continue, we’ll only see more digital media come to replace physical media. The internet can’t quite replace live conventions or concerts, but it has afforded many more access to these events than ever before.

While print struggles to stay alive, online versions of popular magazines and TV shows flourish. Independent content also continues to grow in popularity, with YouTube and Twitch providing platforms for individuals to create content for other users.

We won’t know what tomorrow holds until it happens; my bets are in for something fast, convenient, and accessible anytime, anywhere.

If you have thoughts to share about pop culture and the internet, post a comment below.

Isa

About the Author: Isa is an internet security specialist and entertainment blogger. If you enjoyed her work, check out some more of her writing on Culture Coverage. Follow Isa on twitter @ Go like Culture Coverage on Facebook. 

"Cool Runnings" is Still a Great Movie

I'm getting shivers just looking at the flag

A few weeks ago I was channel surfing and I came across the movie "Cool Runnings". When I was a kid, this was one of, if not the, best movies I had watched. I loved everything about this movie as a 10 or 11 year old. It had sports. It had comedy. And it was Jamaican. I love all things Jamaican. I love the flag, Rastafarianism, the accents, the people, everything. A a place that can give me all those things plus being the hometown of Bob Marley, I will forever be grateful to Jamaica. Then, they gave us the movie "Cool Runnings". Well, at least the setting.

 "Cool Runnings" is about the first Jamaican bobsled team that qualified for the 1988 Winter Olympics. It was a Disney movie that starred John Candy and lesser known actors at the time. The bobsledders were played by Leon, Doug E Doug, Malik Yoba and Rawle D Lewis. The only one of the bobsledders I even recognized back then was Leon. As I stated above, the child me adored this movie. When it came on the other day, my kids were in their rooms and I had an hour or two to kill, so I decided to see if the movie still held up.

Boy, does it hold up and then some! I was just as enamored as I was when I was a young kid. I hung on every important moment of the movie. I felt bad for Derise Bannick, Yul Brener and Junior Bevil when they all got tripped up trying to qualify for the 100 meter dash to go to the summer Olympics. I felt terrible for Junior Bevil(Rawle D Lewis) because he was the one that caused them to all trip and miss their chance at the summer Olympics. I felt bad for Yul Brener(Malik Yoba) because he thought that was his one chance to get out of Jamaica, which is all he wanted. But, I felt the worst for Derise Bannick(Leon) because he was the fastest man in Jamaica, and it was a foregone conclusion that he would be going to the Olympics. The character that I didn't feel bad for, at least at the beginning, was Sanka Cofee(Doug E Doug). He was the goofball in the movie. He provided the comic relief. But, he was also pivotal in them starting a bobsled team. When we first meet Sanka, he is doing a push car derby race, and he is the self proclaimed best push car derby driver in all of Jamaica, so he kind of knows how to bobsled, even though he doesn't really know that yet.

After the trials, and the tripping, Derise is determined to get a second chance at the Olympics. He was in the, I don't know if it's a senator, or a mayor, or whatever, but it was some big time person, office asking for a re race. He doesn't get this wish granted, but he does see a picture of his father with some white dude and he asks the big wig who that guy is in the picture with his father. We come to learn that that man's name is Irv Blitzer(John Candy). Blitzer was an Olympian himself, as a bobsledder, and he wanted to get Derise's father to try it out because he thought that sprinters would make for great bobsledders. The elder Bannick had zero interest, but Derise, he was onboard with anything that would get him into the Olympics.

From then on we get a lot of clichés and troupes from Disney movies. There's classic stuff like, Jamaican's don't like the cold, so why would they want to do a winter sport. The whole town, including Blitzer, thinks Derise is crazy. The guy's that all miss out on the Olympics are, conveniently the only ones that stick around to stay on the team. Sanka wants nothing to do with it, but because he is best friends with Derise, his mind is easily changed. We have the training montage. We have the Olympic committee constantly changing rules because they don't want the Jamaicans there. We have the bad guy team from Swiss. We have the fights. We have a cheating scandal, because what would an Olympic movie be if it didn't have a cheating scandal. And we have the Jamaicans not only qualifying, but winning the hearts of the entire city of Calgary, Canada.

I know, it all sounds cliché, and it shouldn't work, but it just, somehow works. The actors, who are all Americans, and I'm pretty sure they are all New Yorkers, totally pull off the accents and make me believe that they were born and bred in Jamaica. This is one of John Candy's best, most understated roles of his very underrated career. The bad guy from the Swiss team is the best kind of sports bad guy. The Jamaicans really did face obstacles from the IOC because the IOC is just as corrupt as FIFA. Everything about this movie works. It never feels schmaltzy. Nothing feels shoehorned in. The actors are great. The directing was great. The script was great. The movie was just flat out great. I'm glad I sat down and watched it again, and I'm glad it still holds a very special place in my heart. Even my wife watched it with me the other day, that's right people, it was on again just a few days later, and she found herself enjoying it as well.

"Cool Runnings" is awesome and I cannot recommend it enough. If you are my age, or for that fact, older or younger than me, watch this movie again because I guarantee that you will love it. "Cool Runnings" is, and always will be, incredible.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture Editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He was a neighborhood champion in the four man saucer sled race when he was a young lad. Follow Ty on twitter @tykulik.

Having More Time Makes any Book Better than the Movie

Make sure your book has charged batteries before you take the time to read

So, for all of my posts this week, I wanted to try something a bit different. My wife and I were talking the other day and she told me that I should argue a point that I don't necessarily agree with. All five posts this week will be topics given to me that I have expressed a dislike for to, either my wife or everyone who reads my blog, but I have to give the opposite view. I have to explain why these things are actually true, or that they at least have some good qualities. This is going to be a weird, but also very fun, and maybe even a bit difficult, but I'm up to the task.

My fifth, and final, topic sentence of the week from my wife, "books are always better than their TV/movie adaptation. This sounds like it should be an easy one, but I'm the type of person that will watch a show, or see the movie first, before I read the book. Case and point, I saw the movie "Friday Night Lights", then read the book, then watched the TV show. I will say, the book was the best, but I enjoyed the movie a hell of a lot more than the show, but the show was great. An example that is contrary to my wife's belief, I adore both "One Flew Over the Cuckoo Nest" and "A Clockwork Orange", but I find the books almost unreadable. I also loved what Spike Jonze did with "Where the Wild Things Are". I thought that book would be nearly impossible to bring to the big screen, but he achieved that very task. But, I do see why my wife, and a lot of other people, feel that books are better than their adaptations.

Here goes with my answer to why books are better.

First off, movies and TV shows have a time limit, unless you are Richard Linklater or Judd Apatow, and you make your movies a million hours long. The directors and writers usually get 2, sometimes 2 and a half hours to tell a story. When the writer writes their book, they can use as many pages as they want. They can make their book 100 to 1,000 pages, if they choose. My first example is "The Hobbit". I believe that there is one book and three movies. The book is about 200 to 250 pages long, but it is filled with some of the best imagery in writing. That book took my mind to a world that I did not think was possible. I never thought of trolls, giants, any of the stuff in "The Hobbit", but after reading it, I had this whole world dreamed up in my head. Then, Peter Jackson, who I think is a very capable director, made three of the most boring, over long movies ever when he adapted "The Hobbit". He made three movies, each well over 2 hours, and that just did not have to happen. He could have done one 3 hour long movie that encompassed the entire book, but he chose to divide the short story into three  2 plus hour movies and they were not very good, in my opinion. The world I dreamed in my head was not Peter Jackson's vision for the movie. And that is okay, everyone has different ideas. But, why did each movie have to be so damn long? That was unnecessary. J R R Tolkien created a much better world in one short book. Peter Jackson got a little too big for his britches after the "Lord of the Rings" success and made the "Hobbit" movies entirely too long. This is one case where I completely agree that the book is so much better than the movie.

Now, my second example is going to make me sound pretentious, but this topic is pretentious, and where else can I be pretentious than on the internet, but every Bret Easton Ellis book is so, so much better than their movie adaptation. For those that don't know, Ellis wrote, among things, "American Psycho", "The Rules of Attraction" and "Less Than Zero". Let's first look at "American Psycho". That book is about as disturbing and violent as it gets. The imagery in that book is frighteningly real. I could not read that book before bed for fear of having nightmares. The description of the heinous acts still haunts me, and I haven't read that book in well over a year. But, the movie left a lot to be desired. I get that they couldn't make the movie nearly as brutal as the book, but therein lies the problem with adapting a book. The book has more time and can paint a realistic picture. Movies, 2 hours and out. While the book "American Psycho" terrified me, the movie was kind of blah. Then, I read "Less Than Zero". That book is a brutal look into the life of wealthy Californian kids that suffer with real problems, like drug addiction, divorce and having too much wealth way too young. The way Ellis described this stuff in the book made it seem real to me. I could picture these kids. Hell, I knew some of these kids. But, the movie, save for Robert Downey Jr, almost played like an after school special. The movie didn't take the chances that the book did. But, I'm sure that the agents of the young actors didn't want their clients to do some of the stuff in the book because it could have tarnished their image. That's a bummer because that movie could have been great. And, "The Rules of Attraction" book was so much better than the garbage movie they made. The book focused, again, on rich, white college students with problems. But, the book had a little humor to it that made it very enjoyable. I would read some stuff and laugh out loud, but then I'd be brought back down immediately by something heart breaking. The movie, on the other hand, was trash. The director and casting agents picked young "stars" like James Van Der Beek and Jessica Biel, and tried to make them look angsty and tough. Well, no matter how much fake cocaine Jessica Biel does, or how many fights Van Der Beek got in, I couldn't help but laugh, and not in a good way, at the performances in the movie. It was terrible. Ellis himself proved to be a bad movie writer himself when he made that god awful movie with Lindsay Lohan and a porn star, but he is a novelist, not a movie writer.

One final example I have is "James and the Giant Peach". I loved this book as a kid. This was one of the first chapter books I read in elementary school. Roald Dahl was, and still is, a genius in my opinion. The book is so imaginative and so beautifully written. Again, the imagery in my mind is wonderous. But, the movie just couldn't compare. They even tried with an animated movie, but it was not the same. This time, at least, the movie was halfway decent, but it was nowhere near as cool as the book.

I'm sure there are thousands of other examples, but these are the ones that came to my mind immediately. Tell me and my wife about some other ones in the comment section. But, I do have to agree, once again, with my wife. Books are usually much, much better than their adaptations.

Ty with a little help from his wife

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He is already upset the movie version of his life will leave out the part where he spun the world backwards and saved Lois Lane. Movies need to run on time. You should follow Ty on twitter @tykulik.

Cloves and Fedoras: Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping is the Movie of the Summer

Over this past weekend I finally got to see my most anticipated movie of the summer, "Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping", and boy, did it ever deliver.

"Popstar" might be one of the funniest movies that I have ever seen. I'm a humongous fan of everything the Lonely Island does. The Lonely Island is Akiva Schafer, Jorma Taccone and Andy Samberg. They started doing the short videos on "SNL" a long time ago, and those were always fun and very funny. They have released four albums as a "rap" group, and while it is meant to be comedic, some of their songs are really good, chart topping good. Then, awhile back they created one of my all time favorite movies, "Hot Rod". "Hot Rod" was so bizarre and not like any comedy I had ever seen. The jokes were written and delivered weird, but in a very funny way. I absolutely adore that movie. It has gone down as one of my personal top ten movies of all time.

While doing all these things, the Lonely Island worked with a "minimal" sum of money, compared to what some other comedic teams were working with. Well, with "Popstar", they had a pretty big industry backing and many famous people came on as producers. Basically, they got the money to make a very big, very funny movie and they 100 percent did that with "Popstar". The movie focuses on Andy Samberg's character Connor 4Real. He, Jorma and Akiva were once in a band called the Styleboyz, but they broke up and Conner(Andy Samberg) blew up as a solo artist. He kept Owen(Jorma Taccone), as his DJ, but Lawrence(Akiva Schafer), looked at Conner as a sell out and left the music business to become a farmer in Colorado. I don't want to spoil anything because people need to see this movie, but that is the basics of the story.

"Popstar" is about so much more than a singer becoming famous and trying to live up to expectations. If I had to pick one central theme to the movie, I'd say it is about excess and how watered down the pop music industry has become in the 21st century. For example, Conner has 32 people on his payroll. These 32 people have jobs like someone to hit Conner in the balls when he forgets where he came from, or a perspective model, to make Conner look taller at photo shoots. It sounds insane and hilarious, of which it is both, but it is also a little too real. I would bet a lot of money that some famous pop stars today have similar type people on their personal payroll. Conner also has a house that would be too big if 50 people lived in it. Once again, we all see what kind of homes these singers today own. They are gaudy, huge and no one should ever want, or need a house that big. Conner also surrounds himself with only yes men and women. No matter how dumb, hurtful or ridiculous his ideas become, all his people tell him what a great idea it is, even if that means they eat pancakes that have dog shit in them. We all know that people like the Beibs, or Taylor Swift have a whole crew of people surrounding them that only say good things about them.

Once we leave the excess, "Popstar" moves into the decline that all these pop singers will eventually face. Conner's second solo album is an absolute flop, and it is because of Conner, and he does not know how to deal with the bad reviews and his fans turning on him. He will do almost anything to get back in his fans good graces. He wants to release his music in kitchen appliances so the whole world can hear his new record. Doesn't that sound eerily similar to U2 giving away their record for free on iTunes? I didn't want that album, but it showed up on my music the day it was released. I couldn't delete it fast enough. Same thing happens to Conner. People opening their refrigerators, ovens and microwaves were inundated with his music and they proceeded to break their home appliances. Conner can't sell out any of his shows, so he brings on the hot new rap artist, Hunter the Hungry, played so great by Chris Redd, but when he starts to get more shine than Conner, Conner becomes annoyed, jealous and upset. He can't handle not being the center of attention.

There are so many other ways this movie shows the excess and the almost obsessive need to be loved in so many great ways. Jorma is great as the DJ that is just along for the ride, but growing tired of not being involved. Akiva Schafer is phenomenal as the guy that leaves the music business, but just wants credit where credit is due. Tim Meadows is tremendous as Conner's manager and former member of Tony! Tone! Toni! Tony?. Imogen Poots is so perfect as Ashley Wednesday, Conner's star chaser girlfriend that leaves him the moment he isn't as famous as he once was. Sarah Silverman is very funny and very good as Conner's head of PR. There are so many other great performances in "Popstar". But, Samberg shines in this role. He is so good at playing this type of character and I want to see so much more stuff like this from the Lonely Island.

The fact that this movie isn't doing so well at the box office is an absolute shame. People nowadays would rather watch some mind numbing Michael Bay crappy action movie. That stinks. That isn't new or hip or even good. It's all rehashed garbage that didn't work in the 80's and 90's. It's a real bummer that more people would rather watch trash than a smart, well written, well acted and well directed comedy like "Popstar". This movie was incredible and greatly exceeded even my very high expectations. I cannot wait to see it again, buy it when it comes out on Blu-Ray and watch it over and over and over again. "Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping" is a triumph.

GO SUPPORT THIS MOVIE!

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture Editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He is serious people, go see this movie. Right now. Follow Ty on twitter @tykulik.

Ty got His Very Own BB-8 and You Should Too

The Droid you are looking for

I very recently just saw all 7 Star Wars movies. I like 4 of the 7, I hated the prequels with a fiery passion, but I'm not going to write more about the movies today. I'm actually going to write about a toy from "The Force Awakens" that I am now obsessed with.

My son just recently got a BB-8 toy that may be the coolest toy that I have ever seen or played with. This thing is absolutely awesome. It has different levels of usage that make this toy even better. You can put it in test mode and it does everything that it did in the box at the store, basically, a mini preview of all of its functions. But, there are two other settings. When you put the BB-8 toy on setting 1, it moves based on sounds. So, if you clap, laugh, yell, talk, cough, basically any noise, BB-8 moves. BB-8 will roll to wherever it hears the sound. BB-8 moves to me when I cough. The first time it happened, it scared the hell out of me. I didn't know what I did, but I know I had done something. My son came out of his room clapping and BB-8 followed him wherever he went, if he was clapping. This too scared my son. When my wife got home from work and was laughing at something, and wouldn't you know it, that little robot moved to my wife. She was the only one not scared, she laughed very hard at it. Then, my dog was barking at some kids or cars driving outside our house and BB-8 made a beeline for him. This terrified my dog. He is still terrified of it whenever it moves. This is quite funny to all of us. Now, mind you, this is all on setting 1 only. This is so cool. This new BB-8 toy is sensitive to noise to a fault, but when it works and moves, it is so awesome to see and marvel at. I love it.

Later I was introduced to setting 2. I did not know that this setting existed until my wife showed it to me. This is the best part of this toy. Setting 2 allows you to operate BB-8 with your voice. This is groundbreaking. This is incredible. The whole point is to talk to BB-8, much like Poe Dameron, Finn and Rey do in the movie. BB-8 reacts so much better to your voice than to the sounds like clapping and the such. You put on setting 2, and BB-8 just sits and waits for you, with the blue light blinking. So, I was sitting there and my wife told me to try it out. I looked at BB-8 and I said, out loud, "Come here BB-8", and wouldn't you know it, BB-8 came right to my feet. Then, my son said the same thing I did and BB-8 rolled on over to him. My wife said it, and here comes BB-8, ready to help out anyway it can. I was enthralled by this. I started trying out different sayings, stuff like, "What's up BB-8", or "How's it hanging BB-8", or even, in my angriest voice, "get over here BB-8", and BB-8 rolls over, ready for it's next instruction. This was so damn cool to me.

Toys have become so much better and so much cooler and way more innovative since I was a kid, and I think it's great. I would have never thought that a toy could be activated by a sound or my voice, but I have to say, I think it's fantastic. This toy is so great to have fun with your family, friends and to harass your house pets. The best part about this toy is how much I can mess with my dog with it. Charlie hates this thing, but it is so much fun to see him try and paw at BB-8, or when he gets really angry, watch him lose his mind and bark his face off at this toy until he gets tired. That alone was worth getting this toy, just so I can mess with my dog. I highly recommend buying this toy. Star Wars fans will love this toy, but I think people that like new age toys will really have a good time with BB-8. This toy is great and I cannot say enough good things about. This toy only makes me like "The Force Awakens" that much more and I loved that movie. Go buy this BB-8 toy now and your life will instantly get one thousand times better. I promise you this.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture Editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. This is the second best toy he has ever seen, falling behind his beloved Funzo. Follow Ty on twitter @tykulik.

"Captain America: Civil War" is Another Home Run from Marvel

It may all look alike, but some film is better than others.

I was finally able to see "Captain America: Civil War" this past weekend. Now, before I get into my review, I just wanted everyone to know that it is going to be filled with spoilers. So, if you haven't seen the movie yet, and you plan on seeing it, DO NOT READ PAST THIS SENTENCE, YOU'VE BEEN WARNED.

Let's get to it.

I loved this movie. Once again, Marvel absolutely hit it out of the park. They are in a wonderful, amazing, creative movie making groove right now. They do action, drama, comedy and anything else you expect to see in a superhero movie absolutely perfectly. "Captain America: Civil War" starts out with a flashback to 1991, with Winter Soldier executing an assassin he was assigned to. He does his job and he leaves no physical evidence, or so he thinks. We then flash to present day and Black Widow, Scarlet Witch, Falcon and Captain America in another country, trying to stop a crime from happening. They are doing their job very well, as they always do, but when the fight nears the end, Captain America is fighting Crossbones, they hit a big hiccup. Crossbones is willing to blow himself up because it will also kill Captain America. Right before the bomb goes off, Scarlet Witch uses her powers to put Crossbones in a bubble so the bomb only affects him. Her plan works until she starts to float Crossbones in the air. While mid air, Scarlet Witch throws Crossbones into a hospital, and the whole wing of the hospital blows up.

Many people are now upset with the Avengers. People on the news are bringing up all the destruction that happens when they come in to save the day. I have to say, it's a justifiable complaint. Sure, they defeated Loki in "The Avengers", but they also destroyed New York City, killing thousands of innocent people in the process. Yeah, they stopped Ultron in the next movie, but they also destroyed an entire town in Russia. Basically, they do as much damage compared to the good they do. The US government wants the Avengers to register. They are, technically, weapons, so the government wants to make sure that they are only used for good and in a controlled environment. Iron Man, Vision and Black Widow are immediately on board. Captain America, Scarlet Witch and Falcon are hesitant.

During their discussion, Captain receives a message that his former girlfriend, Agent Carter has passed. He rushes away to the funeral in London, with Falcon by his side. Black Widow goes to an African country to sign the bill and give her rights to the government, but while there, the building where they are holding the event gets blown up by what everyone assumes is the Winter Soldier. They have pictures of him and his face is plastered all over the papers. Also, he wouldn't remember if he did it or not because his mind is controlled by Hydra. He's an easy target. Captain doesn't think he did it because he has always believed that the Winter Soldier is not his old friend, Bucky Barnes. Bucky is a good guy, so he thinks that he can make the Winter Soldier realize that he is his old friend. This is where my distaste for Captain America reappeared. He is so blinded by his friendship, he doesn't care who he takes down or hurts, as long as he can convince Bucky that they are old friends. Captain America is a selfish asshole.

In the aftermath of the bombing, Iron Man is on a crusade to get all the Avengers to sign because it is the right thing to do. I totally agree with Iron Man. But, Captain, once again blinded by his friendship, refuses to sign and decides he is going to go against his government, if you'll remember, the government created him, and go off the reservation to find out who really bombed the embassy.

This is where we meet Helmut Zemo. He is a bad dude. He is a manipulator. He can pull strings. And he is obsessed with finding out why the Winter Soldier does what he does. He also wants to destroy the Avengers. Zemo is a very, very bad guy. Captain believes that Zemo is the one behind the bombing and he starts to assemble a team to stop him.

Iron Man also starts to assemble a team to stop Captain from making a careless and stupid mistake. Captain gets Falcon, Scarlet Witch, Hawkeye and Ant Man to fight on his side. Iron Man gets War Machine, Black Widow, the awesome and super cool Black Panther, there will be more on him in a minute, and Spiderman. Black Panther shows up earlier in a chase scene between him, Captain and the Winter Soldier. Black Panther's dad was killed in the bombing and he is out for vengeance, mainly after Winter Soldier. Black Panther is kick ass. Iron Man also goes to Queens to recruit a very young Peter Parker and their back and forth is great. Almost like a father son relationship.

When the two sides meet at an airport hangar to fight, it was breathtaking. To see that many superheroes, in one spot, using their specific powers against each other, it is so awesome. The fights are so even and so incredibly shot. When Ant Man turns into Giant Man, I lost my shit. It was so cool. Eventually, they all realize that they are too even, so Captain and Winter Soldier retreat to a plane to go after Zemo. They look to be stopped when Black Widow appears and Black Panther is attacking from the back, but black Widow stuns Black Panther enough to let Captain fly away. Black Widow and Captain will always be friends, no matter what. Once Captain and Winter Soldier get away, Iron Man and War Machine go after them. Iron Man notices Falcon is about to attack them and he calls on Vision to get rid of him. Vision shoots a ray at Falcon, but he side steps in and it hits War Machine, making him tumble to the ground. He is hit and paralyzed. Iron Man is crushed and pissed.

When the big battle is over everyone that was on Captain's side, except for Captain and Winter Soldier, are put in jail. Ant Man is used to it, so it doesn't bother him. Hawkeye is pissed at Iron Man because he just retired, but Captain needed him, so he came to help out and ended up in jail. Iron Man lets him know that he made the choice to side with Captain and he knew the consequences. I agree with Iron Man. Falcon is really pissed at Iron Man, but he also tells him everything he knows about Zemo and where Captain is headed. Iron Man takes this new found knowledge and looks into Zemo. He realizes that Captain is right and goes to Siberia to help Captain and Winter Soldier. It seems like everything is back to normal. Iron Man shows up and says that Falcon told him everything and that he wants to help. The three of them enter a building filled with other "Winter Soldiers". Black Panther is also seen lurking quietly in the shadows. It appears that Zemo is looking to build a super army of Winter Soldiers, and when they finally find him, he has shot and killed all the soldiers and is hiding behind thick glass. Zemo explains that he does not wish to hurt the Avengers himself, he wants them to hurt each other. Here he reveals a video from 1991. It's the video of the Winter Soldier executing his hit. We come to realize that he was told to kill Iron Man's parents and he did it with no regard or change of expression on his face. Winter Soldier is a stone cold killer. We also come to realize that Captain knew this all along and did not tell Iron Man. Captain, once again is being a selfish asshole. He chose to keep this horrible secret from Iron Man because he knew that Iron Man would be, rightfully so, pissed and want to get revenge.

This is the start of one of the best fight scenes, possibly the best, in any superhero movie ever. Iron Man, Winter Soldier and Captain trading blows is absolutely wonderful and must see. It is a tremendous piece of film making. Iron Man eventually is able to rip Winter Soldier's metal arm off, but Captain is able to lodge his shield into Iron Man's chest piece that helps him live. Iron Man stops fighting and Captain takes winter Soldier away to help fix his arm. Meanwhile, Black Panther finds Zemo and we get to hear why Zemo is doing what he's done the whole movie. Zemo lost his entire family when the Avengers defeated Ultron. it happened in his hometown and he lost everything. Throughout the movie he is listening to a phone message because it is the last thing he has from family. It's his last memory. After explaining all this to Black Panther, he tries to shoot himself, but Black Panther stops him and says that the world is not done punishing him. Near the end we see Zemo is in a very high security prison, but has a smile on his face, he clearly has something planned. Iron Man is helping War Machine walk again with prosthetic legs he created for him. Vision is hanging out at the Avenger complex with his sweater vest combo on. and the people on Captain's side are still locked up. Captain sends some bullshit letter to Iron Man "explaining" why he did what he did and we see Falcon smiling while the letter is being read because Captain has shown up at the prison to get his friends out. End credits.

As I said, I loved, loved, loved this movie. I thoroughly hate Captain America now. He is a selfish prick that only cares about his one friend, who is a brutal murderer. He is way too single minded and he is nuisance. I fully side with Iron Man, He did what was best and right for the people he cared most about. He didn't just single out one person, he wants everyone to be safe. "Captain America: Civil War" is a tremendous movie that everyone should go see. It is a masterpiece.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He was trying to get in and see Batman v Superman, but since it was sold out he settled for Captain America: Civil War. Follow Ty on twitter @tykulik.

Cloves and Fedoras: Michael Rapaport is one of the best, and hardest working, entertainers out there.

Cloves and Fedoras is Seed Sings reviews for little known pieces of pop culture.  Feel free to contact us with your own submissions of undiscovered gems that must be known.

Today I'm going to give love to another actor/director that seemed to be forgotten, but has now reappeared and is doing some great work. That actor/director I'm speaking of is Michael Rapaport.

This comes about because yesterday, on the Bill Simmons podcast, Rapaport was the guest, for the third time already, and I loved every single second. He is just an angry, yet jovial dude and I love to hear him talk about everything from music to movies to sports, mainly basketball. He is a huge basketball fan and he is extremely knowledgeable on the NBA, especially his beloved Knicks. He knows their history inside and out. He is so passionate about his team. He said on the podcast, that it is nothing but gray skies right now for the Knicks.

That's something I really like about him. He isn't a delusional Knicks fan that thinks, "this is the year we turn it around", every year, he knows that this is a very dark time for his team. They have no picks in the upcoming draft. They will be hard pressed to bring in any big time free agents, unless they trade Carmelo. They are trying to decide between Kurt Rambis and David Blatt as their next head coach. Why is this even a question? Hire Blatt. Rambis is incompetent and has proven that every time he gets a head coaching job. Blatt was in the wrong situation at the wrong time in Cleveland, and he still took that team to the finals last year. Rappaport said the exact same thing. He doesn't see the need for Phil Jackson to interview anyone else if Blatt is available. I couldn't agree more with him, obviously.

This past Tuesday, and the two other times before, he has expounded his vast knowledge of the Knicks and the NBA, and I agree with almost everything he says. I agree that the Knicks are going to be an also ran for the next three, four or even five years. I agree that the NBA is in a golden age, but it will be bad in a couple of years because of the "one and dones", he said this the last time he was on the podcast. I agree that the Knicks of the 90's were incredibly dominant, but also underachievers, because they never won a title with Ewing, Mark Jackson and John Starks. I agree with him when he says he wants the Cavs to lose the finals again because LeBron is kind of becoming whiny since he isn't the top story in the NBA anymore, it's the Warriors. I agree when he says that Russell Westbrook is a lunatic on the floor. I agree that he says there will never be another player like Kevin Durant, a guy that's 7 feet tall and can handle and shoot like a guard. Rapaport is very, very smart when it comes to all things NBA.

Rapaport's hobbies and the things that he likes goes beyond just the NBA. He is a successful podcast host himself. His podcast is very popular and he gets some big time people to appear. He was/is a very decent actor. I personally think that he is a really good actor that can play many different roles and genres. For example, look at his role in "Next Friday", next to "Cop Land". "Next Friday" he had such a throw away part, but he nailed it. He was a mildly racist mailman delivering mail to Craig's uncle's house in the suburbs. Rapaport was surprised to see a young black man answer the door and he acted like a guy that doesn't think he is racist, but there is definitely some racism in him. He was rude and ignorant and funny. And Ice Cube played off of him perfectly. "Next Friday" isn't good or bad, it's just blah, but that one scene with Rapaport and Cube is very funny and worth your time. In "Cop Land", he played a young, out of his league cop. He got to act with Harvey Keitel, who is a wonderful and legendary actor. I feel like Rapaport one hundred percent held his own. He also got to act with Sylvester Stallone in that movie as well. "Cop Land" is star studded and Rapaport does an excellent job among all the big time stars in that movie. But, nothing compares to how awesome he was in the wildly underrated "Beautiful Girls". First of all, that movie is so good and it totally holds up. The list of actors and actresses in that movie is incredible and Rapaport is so damn good in the movie. He gets to act opposite Mira Sorvino and Uma Thurman and he does a wonderful job. If you haven't seen "Beautiful Girls", do yourself a favor and watch it because it is great.

He is also a pretty good actor on the small screen too. He plays a cop a lot, he kind of looks like one, in shows like "Public Morals" and "Justified", and he is very good, but nothing compares to his outstanding, one episode feature he did on the last season of "Louie". He was so god damn good as a down on his luck security guard. He was kind of a downer and a mean guy that punched people and talked over people all the time, but it was because he was a lonely guy. His character was even more lonely than Louis CK. He was such a wannabe and such a meathead, but he was also, to be frank, a loser. Louie always wanted to be left alone, and he could be a jerk about it sometimes, but in this episode with Rapaport, you side with Louie. Louie shouldn't have to hang out with someone always talking over him, punching him and taking him to a basketball game that he doesn't want to go to, no one should have to go through all of that. But, at the end, when he loses his gun and Louie eventually finds it, his cries of agony turn into cries of joy and Rapaport is so awesome in this tiny role. He should have been nominated for an Emmy for that one episode.

Recently, Rapaport has taken his talents to directing with a ton of success. He directed a great "30 For 30" about the Big East at it's height. It is an awesome documentary and one of "30 For 30"'s best efforts. But, nothing will ever compare to the wonderful work he did on the Tribe Called Quest documentary, "Beats, Rhymes and Life, The Trails and Tribulations of A Tribe Called Quest". That doc is a masterpiece about one of the greatest hip hop groups of all time. Rapaport told every side of every story. He gave everyone a voice, even Jarobi and Ali Shaheed Mohammed. That movie is absolutely awesome. It's even more timely and wonderful and sad due to the untimely death of Phife Dawg. That was the last we really ever saw of Phife at his healthiest. It will go down as classic now that Phife has passed away. Rapaport was clearly a fan, but he wasn't afraid to talk about and bring up the bad stuff that happened to everyone in ATCQ. It's his best work by far.

I'm a big, big fan of most of Rapaport's work. I know he may come off as coarse, but if you actually listen to him, I think you will feel the same way as I do. Rapaport is a wonderful actor, director and a great, and very knowledgeable sports fan, especially when it comes to basketball. I'm a fan.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture Editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He agrees with almost everything Rapaport says about the Knicks, except for the fact they will be bad for four to five years. They will be bad for decades. Ty is on twitter, go follow him @tykulik.

We Need to Talk About Superman

I don't want to know how he feels about leaping tall buildings, I just want to watch the man fly

A few nights ago I saw Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and left the theater kind of frustrated. I did not hate the movie like the gang of obsolete film critics so desired, I actually thought the movie was mostly enjoyable. What was so frustrating was the way actor Henry Cavill and director Zack Snyder treated the Man of Steel. There was no humor, very little humility, and no awe to the last son of Krypton. These problems were in Man of Steel and they were present once again in Batman v Superman (I will not keep writing the full title, you know what movie I am talking about). Once I took a few days to think about the movie, and tell my closest friends all about it, I started to realize that Cavill and Snyder were not ruining my love for a big screen Superman, the actual Man of Steel is what is wrong.

I adore Superman. He is far and away my favorite comic book hero. As a member of Generation X I grew up with the Christopher Reeve Superman movies. I even remember seeing the third and fourth films, and not hating film forever (they are horrible movies, do not see them). I was willing to give anything Superman a pass. By the time the "Death of Superman" comic series came out I was too old to be buying comics, but I bought those stories. I watched Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman and played the horrid N 64 game. While many of my peers were moving on to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, I was watching Smallville.  In more recent years I have started to seek out Superman comics again. I am very fond of graphic novels like Red Son, Kingdom Come, and All Star Superman. Anything related to Superman and I was interested. I was especially interested in any movies that would feature the boy in blue with a red cape.

In 2006, almost twenty years after Superman IV: The Quest for Peace, we finally got a new big screen adventure for the Man of Steel. Superman Returns hit the theaters a year after Christopher Nolan and Christian Bale redeemed the film version of the Dark Knight with Batman Begins. Many people, myself included, were hoping that director Bryan Singer and actor Brandon Routh could bring the big blue boyscout into the 21st century. Unfortunately Superman Returns was a fairly boring rehash of the Richard Donner / Christopher Reeve vision for the last son of Krypton. The only new power given to the Man of Steel was the ability to be a deadbeat dad to a very confused child. Superman Returns was not considered a critical or box office success. The 20th century version of Kal-El was not ready for 21st century audiences.

In order to create a Superman for the modern movie goer, Warner Brothers tapped The Dark Knight Trilogy's Christopher Nolan to produce and Watchmen's Zack Snyder to direct the latest reboot. Relative unknown Henry Cavill was tasked with bringing to life a modern look at Clark Kent / Superman. Man of Steel opened in the summer of 2013 to tepid reviews and fairly good box office. Many of the critics disliked the movie because of it's lack of humor and the overall darkness that surrounds one of America's earliest comic book heroes. The final destructive battle between Superman, General Zod, and the other Kryptonians is often held up as the biggest failure to Man of Steel. How many people died in Metropolis? Why did Superman not take Zod to the moon and fight? Why did Superman kill Zod? I was part of the chorus of people asking these questions. I was blaming Nolan, Snyder, and Cavill for smearing the good name of my favorite superhero.

This brings me back to Batman v Superman and my overall frustration. Christopher Nolan, Zack Snyder, and Henry Cavill once again presented us with a violent and dour Superman. Even Clark Kent is humorless and jerky. I found myself getting bored and annoyed whenever Superman, and his friends like Lois Lane and Perry White were on the screen. Whenever I saw Batman/Bruce Wayne, or Wonder Woman/Diana Prince, or Alfred, I was enjoying a great movie. I personally loved Ben Affleck's performance as a violent and unhinged Dark Knight. Jeremy Irons is now my favorite Alfred ever. The little bit of time Gal Gadot gets as Diana Prince, and the criminally less amount of time she gets as Wonder Woman, are incredible. My only real problems with Batman v Superman were the parts with the Man of Steel. That was frustrating because Superman is my favorite of all the heroes. He is the best of the Super Friends, the greatest of the Justice League, and the comic book hero all others should be judged by. Why can I not get a good Superman on my big screen?

The week before I went out to see Batman v Superman, I watched Man of Steel again. I really enjoyed the movie. It had been a couple of years since I first saw it in the theater, but I feel like time has been good to that movie. The opening scenes on Krypton are awesome. Russell Crowe's Jor-El and Michael Shannon's Zod are great takes on classic characters. The action scenes are easy to follow, and quite exciting. The plot is well executed and the character motivations make perfect sense. I really enjoyed Man of Steel, I just did not care that much for Superman. Then I figured it all out. It is not Bryan Singer, Brandon Routh, Zack Snyder, or Henry Cavill that are ruining Superman. It is the character of Superman that is ruining these movies.

In the comics Superman is all powerful (most of the time) and all good (again most of the time). The Christopher Reeve films focus on Clark Kent and how he fits in a world he barely understands. The best characters in Superman I and II were Clark Kent and Lois Lane. A show like Lois and Clark was more like the 1960's Adam West Batman. The best character was Lois Lane. Smallville focused heavily on the characters around Clark Kent and explored what Superman meant to them. The best character was Lex Luthor. Superman Returns focused on nothing new and interesting and every character was worthless. Do not waste your time on this movie. Many of the great Superman comics looked at what it meant to be the Man of Steel, not who the man actually is. Red Son imagines the last son of Krypton as someone who represents truth, justice, and the Soviet way. The best characters are Lois Lane, Wonder Woman, and Batman. Kingdom Come shows us an older and bitter Superman who is ineffectual because he is out of touch, a Superman who needs his friends. The best characters are Wonder Woman, Batman, and Magog. All Star Superman has the Man of Steel facing imminent death, and it is a joyful and celebratory journey. The best characters are Lois Lane and Lex Luthor. Superman stories work best as a light hearted affair, or one of philosophical ruminations. The greatest stories about Superman focus on the people around him (mostly Lois and Lex), they focus on how Superman effects them personally.

I am not frustrated with the people bringing Superman to the big screen, I am frustrated that these people keep trying to make movies with Superman as a main character. The last son of Krypton is more interesting because of what he is to others, not because of who he is personally. Superman is super because of his unmatched power, and unmatched humanity. That does not make for a very interesting protagonist. Why does Batman distrust someone like Superman? That is an interesting tale. How does Lois Lane deal with being in love and having a relationship with someone like the Man of Steel? That is a story worth telling. How does the existence of Superman effect genius sociopaths like Lex Luthor? I would leap tall buildings to see that particular film. The people who are directly impacted by the Superman have the more interesting stories to tell. They should be the main characters in any film concerning the big blue boyscout.

We need to accept the fact that there will never be a good stand alone Superman movie. The character is too much a part of our cultural identity. When producers like Christopher Nolan, and directors like Zack Snyder try to give the Man of Steel some depth, we end up with a dour film and have a Metropolis leveled. Batman v Superman was a great film when Superman was not the focus. The final climatic battle saw the Man of Steel working with the Dark Knight and Princess Diana of Themyscira, and it was glorious. We could see Superman's awesome powers being complimented by the two other heroes. Superman is my favorite comic book hero ever because of what he means to everyone else. His purity does not need to be tinkered with. DC can own the superhero world by focusing on everyone else. We will always know that Superman is in the back ground to help out. The world of superhero movies is better off with the Man of Steel backing up all of the World's finest.

RD

RD is the Head editor at SeedSing. He will keep seeing Superman movies, and he will keep reading Superman comics, because Superman is the best. Do have a better superhero? Well let us know.

The Movie of 2016 Will be "Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping"

The Popcorn is buttered. Now we wait

I know that there are some big movies coming out this summer. First of all, this week we have "Batman VS Superman: Dawn of Justice", which I'm not excited about at all. Go back and listen to the podcast from last week for my thoughts and complaints about it. Some big time superhero/action movies I am looking forward to come out this summer as well. Movies like "X-Men: Apocalypse" or "Captain America: Civil War". There's even some comedies that I am pumped for like "Ghostbusters" and "Keanu". But, I saw a trailer for a movie last week and it immediately stomped my excitement for any of those movies.

This movie is the one that I am most looking forward to seeing, and that's just based on a 2 minute trailer. The movie is the new Lonely Island movie, "Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping" (trailer NSFW). I am so very excited to see this movie. I love all the superhero, action and other comedies I mentioned, but none of them come remotely close to my excitement for "Popstar". The first trailer was released last week, as I said before, and it is riotous.

Andy Samberg plays the main character that is a Justin Bieber clone that calls himself Conner4Real. First things first, I love me some Andy Samberg. He was one of my favorite all time cast members while on "SNL". I absolutely adore the movie "Hot Rod", which I will touch on later. He was excellent in smaller roles in movies like "I Love You Man" and "The To Do List". He was awesome in the HBO tennis movie "7 Days in Hell", which I wrote about a long time ago. And he's so great on "Brooklyn 99". He has made so much stuff that I enjoy, even when he shows up in a crappy movie like "Grown Ups 2", I find his one scene the best scene in a terrible movie. Needless to say, I'm a huge Andy Samberg fan.

The other two members of the Lonely Island, Jorma Taccone and Akiva Schaffer, I am also a big fan of. The three of them make some hilarious parody hip hop as the Lonely Island, I own all three of their records. Go listen to songs like "I'm On a Boat", "Like A Boss", "Turtleneck and Chain", basically any music they put out. It's not only funny, but it is some damn good hip hop music. It's a parody, but it is good. The three of them are like a goofier version of the Beastie Boys, just not as talented as the Beastie Boys. But, I really like all the other stuff that Taccone and Schaffer have had their hands on. I enjoyed all the stuff they wrote and directed while a part of the writing and directing team over at "SNL". Go back and check out YouTube videos of Taccone dancing during bands rehearsals that were going to be on "SNL" that week. It's pretty hilarious. Taccone is also great in the smaller roles he takes on. He was excellent as Cupid on an episode of "Man Seeking Woman". He was great on his three episodes of "Parks and Rec" as the CEO of the internet company that takes over Pawnee in the future. He's funny and weird as Spazz on "The League". Basically, he falls in the same territory as Samberg for me. I like pretty much everything he is in and he makes it funnier and better when he shows up.

Akiva Schaffer is less in front of the camera. He is more of a writer and a director, but I pretty much like everything he does as well. I kind of enjoyed "The Watch", which he directed and whenever he directed an episode of "SNL", I could tell it was his because it was extra funny. He happens to be my favorite rapper of the three of them too. But, nothing compares to Shaeffer directing for "Hot Rod". I love, love, love this movie. It is so weird and goofy and absurd and hilarious, all at the same time. Schaffer directed this movie to perfection. He had all the actors, be it Samberg, Taccone, Danny McBride, Bill Hader, Ian McShane and even Isla Fisher, act as bizarre and as absurd as they could and they knock it out of the park. I will defend "Hot Rod" until the day I die. It is one of my all time favorite movies. It is so odd, but so damn good.

All this though, brings me back to "Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping". Schaffer directs and acts in the movie and Taccone and Samberg, more so Samberg, star in the movie. As I said before, Samberg is playing a version of Justin Bieber, but he plays it hilariously. The trailer is only two minutes, but I was able to glean from it that Connor4Real is a spoiled star and he's been that way since he was a baby. There's a scene in the trailer that shows him drumming like a pro, but he is a baby that can't even keep his head up straight. It is so funny. Connor is also a brat with an entourage that never says anything bad to him, or tell him no. He has so many people working for him and they are all yes men and women. Another scene shows him shooting baskets, he takes a no look shot, misses terribly, but everyone there tells him he made it. Again, hilarious. Joan Cusack plays his over bearing "momager" and she seems like she will be great in her role. Sarah Silverman is his publicist, and she looks super funny as well.

But, it is all about the Lonely Island guys. Samberg plays the title role and he is going to nail it. I just know he will because he is a good actor and he is a hilarious actor and this role is perfect for his comedy and his acting. I'm so excited to see him totally nail the role. Schaffer and Taccone are also super funny in the trailer as his childhood friends and future bandmates. Taccone plays his DJ who is just coasting on his friends fame. He too is a yes man and he also follows and does anything Connor tells him to do. He is the quintessential friend that is just happy to be involved and will do anything to stay friends with his ultra famous childhood friend. Schaffer plays a character that is in the boyband when they are younger, but he then moves to the woods and becomes Connor's songwriter. The scene where they show him in his woodshop, wearing all kinds of Carhartt gear, with a humongous beard, holding a birdhouse, is so funny. The screen flashes the words, "And his songwriter", and that's the next thing we see. It cracks me up every time.

As I'm sure you gathered by now, I am so, so pumped to see this movie. This has replaced all the other movies that I was excited to see. I'm still excited to see them, but not as excited as I am about "Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping". This has all the makings of a classic for me. It has over the top, silly humor. It will be raunchy and it stars three of my favorite comic actors, writers and directors working in Hollywood right now. I cannot wait for this movie and I will see it opening day, no matter what the critical reviews are. The critics hated "Hot Rod", but I love that movie and I saw it twice in the theaters. So, "Popstar" will be seen at least once by me in the theaters.

That's a promise I can, and will, easily fulfill.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He likes to dance in his underwear while he watches Saturday Night Live, sadly we have no recording of his moves. Follow Ty on twitter @tykulik.

Batman v. Batman v. Batman. A Millennial View on the Dark Knight

Just hanging out waiting for a new Batman movie

With the new Batman and Superman movie coming out soon, which I'm not looking forward to, I went back and watched almost all the "Batman" movies and I have to say, at least for my generation, the Christopher Nolan trilogy is, hands down, the best.

Don't get me wrong, I love the two that Tim Burton did. He created a visual of Gotham City that was 100 percent what I imagined it looked like. Michael Keaton as Batman was absolutely phenomenal. Those movies were great. Keaton was awesome, Jack Nicholson as the Joker was great, Christopher Walken was good, Michelle Pffeifer was very good looking and played Catwoman very well and Danny DeVito's portrayal as the Penguin still scares me to this day. Those were all very good, but they were before my time. I didn't see them until I was in my teens, so I didn't understand the relevance and revival of the "superhero" movie. Tim Burton brought the superhero movie back from the dead after the disaster that was "Superman 3" and "Superman 4".

The first Batman movie I saw, and was excited to see, in the theaters was "Batman Forever". I was excited about this, not for Val Kilmer as Batman, but the fact that Jim Carrey was cast as the Riddler. I also thought that Tommy Lee Jones as Two Face was a weird choice that could be either good or bad, no in between. Needless to say, "Batman Forever" was a disappointment. I did not enjoy anything about this movie. Kilmer was very blah as Batman, Tommy Lee Jones was downright terrible as Two Face and Jim Carrey just couldn't find the common ground between the campiness of the TV show, starring Adam West, which I really enjoy, and the seriousness of the real world that Batman lives in. He tried, but he failed. I was pretty upset that I wasted my parents money and my friends time by making them see this movie with me.

Then, Joel Schumacher made the god awful "Batman and Robin". This movie has been beaten to death, and rightfully so. "Batman and Robin" is an abomination. It is one of the worst movies that has ever been made. Everyone knows it and everyone agrees. It's a pile of garbage. Every decision from the director, writers, producers and actors is baffling and terrible. It is so, so bad. But, the one good thing that came out of the trash heap that is "Batman and Robin", they had to completely scrap whatever Schumacher had planned next and basically start all over again.

They waited a pretty long time, but in 2005, Christopher Nolan released part one of his trilogy, "Batman Begins". This movie came out around the same time that "Star Wars Episode Three" came out. I think readers and listeners of the site and podcast know which movie I was more excited about. But, I didn't really know who Christopher Nolan was. I had heard of him and had seen the movie "Memento", which is great, but I was a bit concerned how he would handle a superhero movie. I also didn't know all that much about Christian Bale. I hadn't really heard of him at that point. I knew he was in "American Psycho" and that he was in the very underrated "The Machinist", but other than that, I couldn't have picked him out of a lineup. So, I was cautious with my optimism about the new direction. Then, I saw "Batman Begins" and it totally revived the Caped Crusader from the dead. This was a very good, well written and well acted movie. What I enjoyed most about the new direction was the fact that Nolan didn't focus on making a superhero movie, instead, he made a crime drama that happened to have a superhero as the main character. Nolan also brought to life how psychotic and how weird Batman truly is. I mean, as a child he saw his parents murdered and then he grows up to become a vigilante that dresses like a bat. That's pretty insane. Nolan and Bale brought that to life. Nolan's version of Gotham was darker than Burton's. He took what Tim Burton created and improved on in dramatically, in my opinion. I love Burton's vision, and he created this world, but Nolan made it better. I also really enjoyed that Nolan didn't feel that he had to have a big time villain as the bad guy in part one of his trilogy. Sure, Ra's Al-Ghul was there, but Scarecrow is the bad guy in this movie and he is terrifying. The scenes where he makes people go crazy are very scary and when Batman turns the tables and infects Scarecrow with craziness, one of the coolest, yet scariest scenes in a movie that I've ever seen. Nalon also set up that in the next movie the Joker would be there. Also, before I get to the next movie, Gary Oldman is awesome as Commissioner Gordon. Great casting choice.

A couple of years later, we got "The Dark Knight". This movie is a masterpiece, a la "The Godfather" or "Goodfellas" or even a movie like "Heat". Nolan took the crime drama and used it so perfectly in "The Dark Knight". This is such a wonderful, classic movie that my son will look back on like I look back on "The Godfather". Bale is, once again, tremendous as Batman. He exudes the psychotic, yet classy side of Bruce Wayne so well. He toes that line to perfection. But, the absolute star of this movie is Heath Ledger as the Joker. I mean, he won an Oscar for this role. How many "superhero" movies can claim that they have an Oscar winner? Ledger's portrayal of the Joker is timeless. He is crazy and ruthless and solely focused on his goal of destroying Gotham City. Scenes like when he makes a "pencil disappear", classic. Or, when the movie opens and there's the big bank robbery and bad guys are killing other bad guys, awesome. The scene where he slides down a mountain of cash, pours gasoline all over it and burns it, wonderful. His cronies look at him with a bewildered look and he plainly and straight faced tells them, that he doesn't care about money, he only cares about destruction, is so great. But, the best scene is when he is in the jail, talking to Batman telling him that they are the same person, I mean, the speech he gives is incredible and the viewer finds themselves agreeing with the Joker. Batman is crazy and it took a speech from an equally crazy villain for all of us to realize it. Batman and the Joker are the same person, with the only difference being that Batman claims to fight for justice, where the Joker just wants destruction. It is such a bummer, on so many levels, that Heath Ledger passed away, because his version of the Joker could have appeared in the third installment of the franchise. He was never killed in "The Dark Knight", in fact, Batman refuses to kill him while holding over a ledge, instead pulling him back and making him suffer the consequence of what he's done and what he has created. "The Dark Knight" is legendary.

I didn't know how Nolan would follow up his true gem, but I feel he did an excellent job with "The Dark Knight Rises". I know it's hard to follow a masterpiece, just look at "The Godfather Part Three", but Nolan did it right. In "The Dark Knight Rises", we were introduced to the real Bane, not the stupid one in "Batman and Robin". This Bane, played by Tom Hardy, was a well thought out character that had a backstory and everything. The great thing about Bane, he was very similar to the Joker, where they both wanted the same thing, destruction of Gotham, but they both tell Batman that they are the same person. Batman is just as crazy as the Joker and Bane and it took Nolan telling us this in two movies and I love it. Bane is such a cool bad guy. This movie had another great opening scene, where Bane and his cronies hijack a plane mid air, is so cool. I was immediately on board for the next 2 and a half hours. I couldn't wait to see where they took this movie and how they ended it. It was so good the rest of the way. Anne Hathaway was very good as Catwoman. Gary Oldman was crushing it again as Commissioner Gordon. Joseph Gordon Levitt was very good as John Blake, AKA Robin. Marion Coittilard was good as the villain Talia Al-Ghul. but, no one was as good as Tom Hardy as Bane. He was the absolute star of this movie. And, much like "The Dark Knight", I found myself siding with the bad guy, Bane, in this movie. I actually wanted him to "take control" and to crush Gotham City. I really enjoyed "The Dark Knight Rises", no, it's not as good as "The Dark Knight", but it's damn close.

Christopher Nolan revived Batman from the dead. Christian Bale did his part, but it was Nolan's directing and writing that really made these three movies great and made them classics for my generation, the millennials. I will watch these movies for the rest of my life, and I will enjoy more each time. Nolan made relatable bad guys that people have rightful reasons to root for and I love that. These three particular Batman movies are classics and will be talked about for the rest of time when superhero and just flat out movies are talked about. They are the best.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He will tell you all about on tomorrow's installment of the X Millennial Man Podcast, make sure you lend your ears. Read more from Ty on his twitter @tykulik.

Great Movie Comedies Vol 1: "Caddyshack" & "The Big Lebowski"

The greatest jokes ever live on the reels

As you all know by now, I'm a fan of comedy. I've written and talked about it a ton both on the site and podcast. I love stand up comedy, television comedy and, today's topic, comedy movies.

Today I'm going to talk about 2 specific comedies that I adore, but there's so many others I could talk about. Movies like "Billy Madison", "This is Spinal Tap", "What We Do In The Shadows", "Napoleon Dynamite", the list could go on for days. Those are all great and all classics. I really love a good comedy. A movie that makes me belly laugh and doesn't take it self to seriously, it gets no better than that. A great example of that, "Anchorman", but that's not one of the two I will talk about today, but it deserves mentioning. There are also older, classic comedies that still hold up to this day. Movies like "Some Like It Hot" or "Duck Soup" or "Kentucky Fried Movie". All older, but all still absolutely great and worth checking out. But, the two I want to specifically talk about today are "Caddyshack" and "The Big Lebowski". Not only are these two of my favorite comedies, they're two of my favorite movies of all time. They're both timeless, hilarious and just flat out well made movies. Everyone involved with both movies really hit a home run. The actors, writers, producers and directors really struck gold.

Let's first talk about "Caddyshack". This has to be one of the most quotable movies ever made. Talk to anyone that's seen it and I guarantee they will quote something from "Caddyshack". There is so many famous lines and speeches in this movie. Bill Murray has multiple moments that are absolutely splendid. Take any scene, be it when he is pretending he's at the Masters and smashing flowers or when he is ogling the older women and telling them to "bark like a dog for me" or when he cleans the pool after what is believed to be feces floating around and he picks it up, smells it and takes a bite and exclaims that everything is okay and the rich lady passes out. Bill Murray is the star of this movie by far. But, we get excellent performances from Chevy Chase, Ted Knight, Michael O'Keefe, Sarah Holcomb and Rodney Dangerfield. Chevy Chase and Rodney Dangerfield are phenomenal in this movie. They too, much like Murray, have equally quotable lines and moments. Chevy Chase's scene when he is putting and talking to Danny Noonan(O'Keefe) about life and handing him lessons is very, very funny. And everything Dangerfield does in this movie is comedy gold. Rodney Dangerfield truly did not get the respect that he deserved. He is one of the greatest comedy actors of all time. "Caddyshack" is a classic.

"The Big Lebowski" is almost the exact opposite of "Caddyshack", but that doesn't make it less funny. Where "Caddyshack" had great improvisers and great comic actors, "The Big Lebowski" is one of the best written comedies of all time. The Cohen Brothers dabbled in comedy, with the excellent "Raising Arizona", but they're more known for their more dramatic stuff. What makes "The Big Lebowski" great, they blend drama, action, and most importantly, comedy to perfection. This has to be one of the weirdest, yet most hilarious movies I've ever watched. It is so good. It starts out great and continues to be great for two hours. It's also very weird, but that adds to its charm. Any scene involving Jeffrey Lebowski(Jeff Bridges) and Maude(Julianne Moore) is absurdist comedy gold. The scene when the two of them are talking about sex and her weird roommate is just sitting there listening, reading and laughing is genius. It's so bizarre, yet hilarious at the same time. John Goodman and Steve Busecmi are spectacular in this movie too. Goodman is the loud and obnoxious ex Vietnam vet and he is so good. When he pulls the gun on the guy for going over the line and forces him to mark it 0 is awesome. Also, when he talks about "the Jesus"(John Turturro), and his troubled criminal past, absolutely hysterical. Busecmi is great as their quiet bowling buddy that just wants to be involved. The arguments he and Goodman get into are great. Phillip Seymour Hoffman is also very good in his limited role and so is Tara Reid. But, Jeff Bridges is the star and he totally nails this character. He's so good, I associate Bridges as "The Dude", no matter what role he's playing. Everything he does is memorable and he is very believable as this stoner stuck in a crazy situation. And what makes is so well written as I wrote earlier is, everything that comes out of the actors mouths was all written. There's no improvising in a movie that seems it's almost exclusively improvised. That's some next level writing and the Cohen's are some of the best. "The Big Lebowski" is a terrific and bizarre comedy that everyone should see.

These are just two of my favorites, but I wanted to single these two out because they're different, yet equally hilarious. If you haven't seen either of them, stop what you're doing and watch them now. When you are done laughing, you will be thanking me.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. Tomorrow you can hear Ty talk all about great comedy movies on The X Millennial Man Podcast. Ty is on twitter, go follow him @tykulik.

Better Late than Never to Catch the Great "Ant-Man"

Early screen test footage

With the release of the new "Captain America: Civil War" trailer being dropped today, I want to talk about another superhero movie I recently saw and loved. Yes, it does feature one of the heroes that will appear in "Captain America: Civil War", but it's not Spiderman. That's right, Spiderman is going to be in the movie and his appearance at the very end of the trailer is awesome. Seriously, if you haven't watched the trailer yet, read this, then watch it. "Captain America: Civil War" looks like it is going to be great.

The superhero movie I want to talk about today is "Ant-Man", and yes he is going to be in the new Captain America movie, presumably fighting on Cap's side. But, "Ant-Man", in my opinion, was a really fun and very entertaining movie. I had my doubts when I heard all the stuff about the movie. I didn't think Paul Rudd could pull off a superhero. I heard that they kept pushing the release back. I didn't think an action movie about a guy that can shrink to the size of an ant seemed that cool. And when Edgar Wright said he wasn't going to direct anymore, that was almost the last straw for me. I didn't see the movie in the theaters because I thought it was going to stink and I have two young kids. When it did come out, it got pretty good reviews, clocking in at right around 80% on Rotten Tomatoes. So, my interest became piqued again. Then, I had friends and relatives tell me that it was pretty good and they thought I'd enjoy it. I kept putting it off, even renting it from Netflix, but not watching it for almost three months, but man am I glad my wife and I watched it this past weekend. I really enjoyed the hell out of it. Like I said before, it was entertaining and completely action packed. I really loved that they got right down to the action. First scene of the movie is action packed and the rest is much of the same, with some slower moments sprinkled in.

But, let's look at all the things that kept me from watching it in the theaters.

First, the Paul Rudd thing. I didn't think he could pull it off, but he is really good in his role. The thing about Paul Rudd, he is just a really good actor. He can play goofy, like "Wet Hot", he can be charming, like "They Came Together", he can be an asshole, like "Knocked Up", he can be a teen heart throb, like "Clueless" and now he can add superhero action star with "Ant-Man". Paul Rudd is awesome and I will never question his acting ability again. Second, the push back of the release date. This usually happens to movies that the studio is afraid will not do so well, but in the case of "Ant-Man", I just think they had to push it to find a new director once Edgar Wright stepped down. I also heard something about having to recast Wasp, but I think the director thing was the biggest problem. But, this director did a great job with this movie. He portrayed a world of ants that was plausible and believable. He did a great job with the fight scenes too. This was a case of a good reason to push a release date. You want to get someone that will do the movie justice. Which leads me to reason three, Edgar Wright dropping out as director. I am a huge Edgar Wright fan. I love all the stuff he does with Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. I saw "Shaun of the Dead", "Hot Fuzz" and "The World's End" all in the theaters and loved every single one. I heard they are doing another and I can't wait to see that as well. Wright is a phenomenal director, so when he dropped out, I instantly became worried. What I failed to recognize though, he stayed on as a writer and a producer. He still was involved, just not the way I thought he should be. But, after watching the movie, you can tell that he had his hand in on most of, if not all, the jokes. This made me happy that, at least, he stayed on as a writer. 

Now, my main original gripe prior to watching "Ant-Man", who in the hell would want to watch a movie about a guy that shrink to the size and control ants? Me, now, that's who. This movie pulled this off to perfection. I believed that a guy like Scott Lang(Paul Rudd), would take on a job like this so he could be with his daughter. He was a thief that just got out of jail and couldn't even keep a job at Baskin Robbins because of his past. Becoming Ant-Man was his last option in life. I also loved Michael Douglass as Dr. Henry Pym, the original Ant-Man. He was older, but wiser and still had an ass kicking attitude. Guys like Michael Douglas and Robert Redford should be thrilled when they get asked to be in superhero movies and these two are excellent in them. Evangeline Lilly, playing the new Wasp, was totally awesome. She was great as the bad guy's, Yellow Jacket, assistant that was spying on him for her father Dr. Pym and she was a total ass kicker too. The scene where she is training Lang and continues to brutally beat him is very funny. When she shows Lang how to control ants, another great scene. Lilly is great in this movie. Yellow Jacket is menacing and creepy and your typical over the top bad guy, but that is the beauty of playing bad guys in superhero movies, you're encouraged to chew scenery and this guy does it great. Then there's Lang's crew who are all very funny, especially Michael Pena.

"Ant-Man" was so good. I'd watch it again before I'd watch the second "Thor" movie, the second and third "Ironman" movies, any of the "Hulk" movies and any "Spiderman" movies, except for the first two. In fact, the only two, recent superhero movies I'd pick before "Ant-Man" would be "Avengers: Age of Ultron" and "Guardians of the Galaxy", but "Ant-Man" is a close third. If you are a fan of superhero and Marvel movies, and you haven't seen "Ant-Man" yet, check it out. It's super enjoyable and extremely entertaining.

Can't wait to see how they use him in the new Captain America movie. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man. He wonders if Marvel can make a good Ant Man movie, is Dazzler next? You must follow the tiny adventures of Ty on twitter @tykulik.