Dynamite's Random Television and Movie Journal

[FlexAmerican Dynamite]

I'm a huge movie buff, I love going to see all different types of movies and I love getting lost in the worlds they are able to create on screen. I also love Television shows, not all of them are the greatest but I'd like to think I've got pretty good taste. Anyway the point of this thread is me just basically giving my random thoughts on movies and the current TV shows I watch and keeping them all in one place. This will most likely be just me talking to myself but if anybody wants to suggest any good shows or movies they've seen lately past of present feel free.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

I saw this movie yesterday, I think it came out at least a month ago but I'm not sure. Anyway I couldn't see Lincoln because of the Holiday crowds and what not and Skyfall was still also sold out where I was so I decided to see this movie because I heard Emma Watson (Hermoine from Harry Potter) was in it. Really glad I saw this movie, it's starts off as your typical high school, freshmen adolescent boy (Logan Lerman is the actor's name I believe) who has no friends, and basically is either ignored or bullied most of the time. He soon meets a couple seniors (Watson and Ezra Miller who had what I thought was an amazing role as a gay, sassy, underachiever) and the story pretty much stems from those three characters, it could be funny when it wants, heart wrenching, and generally depressing and makes you think about life and relationships (at least it made me think in such a way). It's hard to explain but it turns into a more complex story,different from the usual generic high school film and I like that. There's a nice overall arch with Lerman's character and his dead Aunt which has kind of a shocking twist at the end. Anyway it's probably not a movie a lot of people around here would probably go out to see because it's target audience is of course the Teens even though there were a surprising amount of adult couples in the theater when I saw it. Probably because it's based off a book but who knows. It's not winning any Oscars but it's definitely an incredible movie in my eyes, it probably has it's flaws here and there but I usually don't dwell on them as you'll see when I give my thoughts on other movies in the future.

How I Met Your Mother

This will be quick since I typed out a lot already but I've have to vent about how sad I am that this season of HIMYM has been horrible. It was better this week, but I'm really sick of this Barney/Robin will they or won't they even though from the looks of it they'll get married. Lily has now joined Robin as one of the worst characters on the show due to her just doing nothing, but that's the fault of the writers because they've anchored her down by bringing in the baby which I thoroughly cringed at last season. I believe we only have one or two more episodes until the winter break and I really hope they give us something that's not garbage before that. They usually kick it into high gear after the holidays but the fact that this could be the last season and they're still putting out these terrible episodes isn't making me have real faith in them. I didn't want to put these negative comments in the HIMYM thread already in this section so I thought I'd just get them out here. That's all for now.

 

[FlexAmerican Dynamite]

Spoilers for Walking Dead and first season of Homeland below, you've been warned.

Walking Dead

Holy shit, that's all I have to say about the mid-season finale of this show. I don't know if much people follow it here but boy was this episode epic. People complained last season about this show being slow paced and while I agree the same cannot be said here. So far in eight episodes of the what I assume will be a 16 to 20 episode season Lori had died, T-Dogg has died, Oscar who was a much less important character but still part of the group none the less has died. At first I was a little sad at the string of male black character deaths but then we introduced to Tyrese, don't know the actors name but I've been told he's a big deal because he used to play on The Wire (a show I need to watch one of these days). Anyway he was pretty badass, hopefully he has more personality and development than the last two guys. There was an awesome firefight, Daryl was captured and Muryl (I think that's how you spell his name) was blamed for the attack by the Governor who had a very intense and over the top fight scene with Michone (silent black lady with samurai sword). Neither of them died but damage was definitely done. I'm a little sad there was no Governor/Rick interaction but I guess I'll have to wait next year for that, thank god for FX and Showtime series starting in January because I can't hold on without new television till February. All in all though very good episode to hold me over.

Homeland

Well I heard a lot of people praise this show so I thought I'd check it out and I enjoyed it just finished the first season. It was very interesting seeing a returned captured marine being turned into a terrorist. There's not a lot I have to say on this because while I enjoyed it a lot at times it didn't grab my complete attention. Currently contemplating watching the second season because I have a feeling this is one of those shows that will start to annoy you as a viewer if it goes on for too long. For example there was a C.I.A agent all season getting so close to exposing the marine turned Al Queda terrorist Nick Brody and at the end of the season I believe she underwent surgery because she was labeled mentally unstable? (I believe that's what happened, if any wants to clarify if I'm wrong that would be great) and Brody was close to bombing himself and the president ( but was convinced by his daughter now to because the CIA agent accused her father of being a terrorist) but didn't. I can't exactly think of a clear explanation for what I'm trying to say here but basically the longer this show goes on and they don't find out he's a terrorist it's just going to make you start hating the characters because they're idiots, I don't like TV shows that are based around one singular event and once that ends the show is basically over. That's what I fear about this and that's why I'm hesitant to continue. Overall though, good first season, in my opinion Showtime has much better shows though (Dexter, Shameless, House of Lies).

 

[FlexAmerican Dynamite]

How I Met Your Mother

Well I watched the mid-season finale this week and I must say I enjoyed it for the most part. It was a two part basically one hour episode and the first half revolved around Ted trying to prove to his former architect teacher he finally made it and Marshall Lily being stalked by a former college buddy. Barney was mute thanks to a jinks and I think Robin had a storyline but I thankfully was out of it whenever she's on screen. Honestly she's the just worst part of the show. Marshall and Lily's angle in the first half was pretty funny with Seth Green, it's nothing important or note at all actually so I'll be skipping it. Anyway the Ted story in the first half would probably be something you see on a lame filler episode, and at first I was a little disappointed that this is what they give him to do on the winter finale of potentially their last episode but I was surprised to see what Ted was led into in the second half of the finale. Basically Barney was jinxed and couldn't speak the entire first half but when Ted allowed him to talk again Barney told him that he was going to propose to Patrice (Robin's mortal enemy) and that Ted couldn't tell anyone. Now right off the bat I knew this was bullshit because we've already been told that Barney and Robin get married so of course I'm expecting some shenanigans. Ted is conflicted about whether he should tell Robin what Barney is planning in case she still has any feelings for Barney or finally try to win Robin back one more time on the night of the opening on his famous GNB building (almost completely forgot to mention this, it's a milestone for Ted and was actually a bigger angle in part one than it was now). Once again though I was irritated by this because since the first episode of this show we were told that Robin is now the mother, it's almost like the writers are purposely trying to piss us off by prolonging the inevitable. But after some advice from people and his own thoughts he lets go of Robin and tells her what Barney is planning, she runs to interrupt the proposal when Barney's plan is revealed that the whole thing was a setup to propose to Robin. Basically the whole season thus far was a setup for now, which looking back on it was a very nice montage and I hope we get the same thing at the end of the season when Ted meets the mother. Anyway as much as I hate Barney and Robin together I can't say I hated that part. The episode however ended with Ted alone looking out of the window of his newly built tower. I couldn't tell if it was a look of happiness or disappointment but I hope to god this show starts to finally focus on Ted now that were done with Barney/Robin garbage and did I mention Marshall/Lily had an awful baby related angle in part two? It's really not even worth going into. Good episode, not my favorite of the season but it's better than what we've been getting.