3 More Thoughts On Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)

(SPOILERS, although c'mon you should've seen it by now)

         
           Well I finally got around to seeing The Force Awakens for a third time. Without the initial shock of the movie clouding my judgment, I was able to watch it with a bit more objectivity (although I still cried once). Here are my thoughts...

1. The Fate Of Han Solo:

I was really devastated when Han Solo, one of my childhood heroes, was killed (by his own son on a giant CGI bridge)... and I'm not necessarily against Han dying, because his death marked a significant transition into this next generation of the saga.

However, while I understand that JJ was trying to emulate the sudden death of Obi Wan, and that Kylo Ren needed a way to complete his gang initiation to the dark side, I still think it should've happened a different way. I never thought I'd say this but maybe JJ should have taken a page out of The Phantom Menace and had Han's death follow Qui-Gon's...

1) Qui-Gon went down fighting, Han should have gone down fighting
2) Qui-Gon died in Obi-Wan's arms, Han should have died in the arms of Chewbacca
3) Qui-Gon had a bomb ass VIP funeral, Han should've had it with full military/ smugglers honors

Damn it, I miss you Han, and it's really gonna suck not getting to watch you meet Luke again...

2. Kylo Ren Re-Examined:

My knee jerk reaction to Kylo Ren was pretty negative. In fact I thought he was a whiny little bastard...  I expected that we'd be dealing with someone more confident and frankly more experienced (though the wire hanging out of his lightsaber should've been a big clue). However after watching the movie a third time, I think I get him more. I appreciated his frustration with Rey, his inner torment, and his immaturity. He's actually way more interesting of a character than I expected him to be and I can't wait to watch his character grow.  

However, watching the movie again only reaffirmed my belief that Kylo Ren's only Helmet reveal should have been with Han Solo. I didn't feel that showing his face to Rey (and therefor the audience) first had the same emotional impact. The helmet serves as big a symbol of the dark side... after revealing his face to Han, Ren should've put it right back on (for the rest of the movie) to reaffirm how he's crossed the threshold into the dark side.

3. Rey's True Identity:

I'll be debating this to no end, but I'll just say it... I think (and kinda hope) that Rey is in some way related to Obi-Wan Kenobi (lets just call her his great grand niece for now). Here are my thoughts on this...

In a desperate attempt to prevent Obi-Wan's descendant from being taken by the first order (maybe around the time that Kylo Ren turned on Luke), Luke left Rey on Jakku. If we're to assume this trilogy will mirror its predecessors, then Luke's decision to do this would match Obi-Wan's attempt to hide him on Tatooine. Plus if you listen closely during Rey's vision when touching the lightsaber, you can hear Obi-Wan's voice (and admittedly Yoda's voice is there too, but I don't think she's related to him). Coincidence?

           What did you think of Star Wars: The Force Awakens? How many time have you seen it?

6 Thoughts On Star Wars: The Force Awakens

   (SPOILER WARNING)

           Star Wars: The Force Awakens is finally out... and I'll be honest, as a whole, I really liked it. But as with all movies, there were positives and negatives. Here they are according to the Random Screen Guy...

1. All The Heroes Were On Their Game:

The new and returning cast members were all on point (right down to Admiral Akbar).

-Harrison Ford in particular (absolutely) delivered on his performance as Han Solo (because I was really worried that we'd get a much grumpier Ford).
-Chewie was also a total badass in this movie... In the moments following Han's confrontation with Kylo Ren, Chewie literally sniped Kylo in the gut...good stuff.
-Lets face it guys, Carrie Fisher could have done a lot worse... I was pretty happy with her return as Leia.

My Memories Of: Star Wars, The Phantom Menace

           With Star Wars in the air, I just thought I'd take the time to make my contribution... Therefore, I've decided to reflect on the ever hated, ever debated, prequel trilogy...starting with...

My Memories Of... The Phantom Menace (1999):

           Older Star Wars fans will tell you all about how Phantom Menace was the worst day of their lives... for me that wasn't totally the case. Why?... because I was 11 years old when that movie came out. That said, my younger self had a different set of reactions to everything people generally complain about today. Let me be clear, I'm not trying to convince anyone that The Phantom Menace is a great movie...because it isn't. All I offer are some of my thoughts at the time...

           I'll start by saying that all the awkward racial characteristics of Nute Gunray, Watto, and Jar Jar were totally over my head. Speaking of Jar Jar... while most people are quick to crap all over him (and rightfully so), I actually don't even remember noticing him much in the movie. He was just

The Leftovers Finale and Final Thoughts...

           I was really hoping The Leftovers season finale would live up to it's previous (incredible) episodes...and it did. I generally rate the quality of a Leftovers episode by how many times it confuses/ and or makes me cry...this episode had a bit of both...Here are my thoughts...

1. When John Shot Kevin... I Was Pissed:

Kevin had just come back from the dead for God's sake...The way he fell to the ground, the placement of the shot...I was sure he was dead. When Kevin woke up in the afterlife hotel, I'd had it. Maybe I was still getting over Glenn's (from The Walking Dead) near death experience... Either way, I was so relieved when Kevin karaoke'd his way back to life that I totally forgave how improbable it was for him to

'The Leftovers' Season 2, Episode 9...Holy SH$^%

           After sitting through the awesomely bizarre Kevin afterlife episode, The Leftovers brought us back to reality where...some serious crap is very much in the works. Episode 9 finally showed us the conflict that led to Tommy's disappearance. More importantly, this episode demonstrated that season's 2's real villain is Meg...Here are my thoughts...

1. Meg Has Started Her Own GR Terror Cell: 

Secret base? Check...Armed guards? Check...Explosives? (probably) Check... This episode saw Meg transform into a GR radical, pursuing a violent policy hellbent on making the departure's anniversary more memorable. By the way, I totally thought the grenade she threw in the school bus was real. What you have here are not only the makings of a great

'Fargo' Season 2, Episode 8...Who Saw That Coming?!?...

          (MAJOR SPOILERS) I think I held my breath for the last five minute's of this crazy episode. Here are my thoughts...

1. What's The Most You've Ever Lost On A Coin Toss?: 

I've honestly made a hobby of finding the many Coen Brother nods that appear in this series. The best one this episode was Hanzee's encounter with the gas station owner. It was literally a recreation of Anton Chigurh's famous coin toss scene from No Country For Old Men. Hanzee was Anton, composed and dead eyed... and the gas station guy took his cues from his counterpart in 'No Country.' The end product was a perfect tribute...  

2. Peggy's Torture Scene Was A Torture Scene:

I literally felt a shock in my chest when Peggy 'self actualized' her knife into Dodd' chest. Her folksy demeanor, and the way she so casually stabbed him only made the scene more disturbing. Don't get

'The Walking Dead' Season 6, Episode 8...Zombies...And More Zombies...

           The Walking Dead's mid season finale saw Alexandria overrun by zombies. Our heroes spent the entire hour stuck indoors, Jessie's son listened to Tiny Tim, Glenn just sort of watched everything, and Rick's group escaped via the zombie guts method. Here are my thoughts on episode 8...

1. Were Those Supposed To Be Ants?:

This isn't a big deal, but they looked pretty fake to me, just saying. Plus, World War Z already made the zombie/ ant analogy in it's opening credits...

2. Deanna, We Will Miss You, Sorta, Maybe:

Was I happy to see Deanna go? No not at all... but she was definitely on the short list of expendable characters. Maybe it's the fact that the Glenn scare is still on my mind, but her impending death didn't

'The Leftovers' Season 2, Episode 8...Kevin What The Heck?...

           Episode 8 was the weirdest of the season by far (Jason Bourne+Lost+The Twilight Zone). We followed Kevin as he woke up in the hotel of the afterlife, took the role of an 'international assassin,' and attempted to kill Patti...thereby freeing himself of her in the real world. I still can't believe all that actually happened. Here are my thoughts on episode 8...

1. Australia Is Important And May Be The Answer To Everything:

We've heard Australia mentioned a few times this season. One of those times was when Kevin's dad mentioned that he'd be moving there...and what do you know, it's Kevin's dad who communicates with his son (in the afterlife) from Australia. While I fully accept we may never learn what caused the departure (or where the people went), I still like that the show is keeping this 'Australia' thing alive.

'The Walking Dead' Season 6, Episode 7...Glenn's Fate Revealed!

           Episode 7 finally delivered the goods. After sitting through some pretty slow stuff, (the past 3 episodes) this was exactly what we needed going into the mid season finale...Here are my thoughts...

1. Glenn Lives, Which Totally Made My Weekend:

Well, we can all breathe a sigh of relief because it turns out The Walking Dead's dumpsters are made with wiggle room. It's a good thing Glenn made it out alive because his death would've really killed my Thanksgiving week...and I have to give props to this episode for starting with Glenn's reveal... because frankly it's the only thing we've really cared about all season. While I can fully appreciate the anticipation from having made us believe Glenn was dead, I would be happy if the show never pulls this again...

2. Rosita Tells Eugene What We've All Been Thinking:

I'm sorry but I don't really care for Eugene. His mullet and overall cowardice find a way to irritate me without fail. Thankfully Rosita stood up this episode and put Eugene right in his place...thank you. I

'The Leftovers' Season 2, Episode 7...Kevin No!

           Well no one ever said The Leftovers was an uplifting show...This season has delivered yet another awesome next level episode, here are my thoughts...

1. The Palm Print Scan...It's Only A Matter Of Time Now:

We all know it's Kevin's palm print that John is looking for...I'm kind of surprised it took Kevin this long to get scanned. A big confrontation between John and Kevin was always in the works...but with Kevin down and out, what's John supposed to do when he finds out Kevin is the droid he's looking for?

2. Laurie Shows Up At Miracle Because The Script Says So, But It Totally Works:

Why did Laurie drive all the way to Texas looking for Tom? I mean, she had already called Norah about it... She could've just called Kevin since she was clearly willing to meet him in person. Thankfully her appearance in Texas made for some of the episodes best scenes. It was a good twist when Laurie pointed out how Patty wouldn't appear in her presence... and how weird was it to see her giving Kevin advice when last we saw them together Laurie's involvement with the guilty remnant almost got Jill

The Walking Dead Season 6 Episode 6...Any Day Now

           To be honest...I have very little to say about this episode because all I care about is Glenn
 (and we didn't get any answers on that front). Here are my thoughts on episode 6...

1. This Episode Didn't Do Anything For Me:

You know how every episode starts with a 'previously on' recap? Well the fact that most of this episode's recap was from the first episode summed up just how bad the season's timing is. I'm not sure anything happened on episode 6 that could have been blended into a previous episode or could have waited till after the Glenn issue is resolved. Basically all we got was...

1. Daryl, Abraham, and Sasha got attacked by a new group of people...and...

2. Daryl met 3 new characters who really didn't seem to matter and stole his stuff

'Spectre' 007... It Entertained, But...

           Look I'll cut right to the chase...while I was entertained by the latest James Bond film, it wasn't a great movie (certainly not the best of the Craig era). Here are my thoughts on 'Spectre'... Prepare to read the word 'Bond' a lot...

1. Relax People, It's a Bond Film:

I realize this is a Bond film which means it's going to be filled with unbelievable stuff like..

-Bond surviving the falling building in Mexico
-Bond surviving the falling helicopter scene in Mexico
-Bond recreating/ surviving the car chase scene from the Bourne Identity in Italy
-Bond not unplugging the camera while talking with Mr. White
-Bond chasing SUV's down a mountain with an airplane that fly's through a barn and hits it's target
-Bond going to the most evil guy's facility with absolutely no plan
-Bond using an exploding watch to escape from a locked chair connected to a brain drill
-Bond successfully shooting his way out of a facility after being drilled in the brain
-Bond successfully finding Madeleine Swan in an empty building
-Bond successfully shooting down a helicopter with a hand gun

 ...that said, I can't be too hard on this movie. It entertained me...which, as far as I'm concerned = mission accomplished. However, there were some things I still have issue with...

2. Christoph Waltz Could Have Been The Best Bond Villain Ever, But Wasn't:

One of the reason's I was excited to see this movie was because Christoph Waltz was in it... and I gotta say, the results were disappointing. I'll start with the whole, "Bond stole my dad's affection," backstory. You mean to tell me that due to some childhood jealousy with Bond, Christoph's character...

-Killed his dad
-Faked his own death
-Changed his name to Blofeld
-Started the most diabolical organization ever
...and dedicated his life to making Bond suffer?

I'm sorry but that was a bit of a stretch. I didn't feel that his connection with Bond helped his character in any way. To know that all his technological big brother power was literally born out of being a petty big brother.

           Despite the backstory, I wish I could've seen more of Waltz through out...because he simply came into the movie too late for me. I kinda felt like the movie was trying to shrug this off by explaining that Blofeld had been the puppet master of the previous films. I'm sorry but it's not enough to tell us that he's been there all along, we simply needed to see more of him. Had his character been more fleshed out, scenes like the one with the brain drill, might have been more engaging (because I literally watched that more confused than anything else). Considering how great an actor Waltz is... it just didn't feel like 'Spectre' made the most of him.

3. Some More Annoying Crap:

There's really no way to categorize the following issues I had with this movie, so I'll just say them out right...

A) After knowing Bond for what I can only imagine is less than a week, Madeleine tells Bond "I love you"? Sorry but no...

B) This movie's ending came across like some incarnation of Christopher Nolan's Batman. Damsel in distress is kidnapped by the bad guy. Blofeld then dabbles in the fine art of setting off bombs to explode in minutes (instead of, I don't know,  just killing both Madeleine and James right then and there) This coincidently gives our hero enough time to find the damsel and escape. Pretty text book stuff, then something unexpected...

C) James Bond shoots down Blofelds's helicopter with a handgun. Even with all the action leeway I give this movie, I saw that and laughed my ass off. I don't know what part of that was sillier... the fact that Bond attempted shooting it in the first place... or the fact that the helicopter didn't just fly away upon being shot at. I mean, just turn left...or right...or go higher. Damn, the final act of this movie was a mess.

           I'm really gonna give this movie the, "it entertained me," pass. Did 'Spectre's' plot really make a ton of sense? Not entirely. Was 'Spectre' worth the 9 bucks I spent to watch it? Yes, yes it was.

           So what did you think of this movie? Would you have killed some random dude just because you found a video of your dead boss telling you to do so?

Random Screen Guy Rating: 59.6584325325999999999999999  

The Leftovers Season 2 Episode 6...Questions And More Questions

           This show, while damn good, really is getting harder and harder to comment on...mostly because immediately after watching an episode, I realize I have almost no idea what just happened (in fact, after every episode I look like a disturbed Kevin). I find it best to just sit back, relax, and ask away...because lets face it... a lot of stuff related to birds, goats, pies, and rocks happened on episode 6. Here are my thoughts...

1. So This Episode Had A Questionnaire? Maybe It Can Answer Some of My Questions:

How? how can a show continue to pile on the mystery and still be so damn good? Here's some of the questions I had about tonights episode...

A) Why did Norah throw a rock a the Murphy's house? I mean, that was Norah right?

B) Why did Erika throw the rock back? Judging by the look on her face it looked personal as hell.  

C) What did that old man out in the sticks do to earn the Murphy's hatred? 

D) Does that "Lens" thing really happen? If so which questions from Norah's list were based off the

The Walking Dead Season 6 Episode 5...Filler

           This was one of the most unfocused episode's I've seen from this show in a while... and it was also kinda boring. Aside from Maggie's pregnancy and the walkers showing up at Alexandria, this show meandered between a lot of characters and situations that led to nowhere. Here's my break down of episode 5...

1. This Episode Was Filler:

A filler is when a show delivers an episode seemingly just for the hell of it. Such an episode seems designed to get you nowhere fast. You could probably skip or fast forward through most of a filler (without worrying that you'll miss something critical, because there isn't really anything critical going on). This episode of The Walking Dead was pretty much one of those. It started off strong, as walkers found Alexandria and caused a town

The Leftovers Season 2 Episode 5...Ima Need A Hug After This One...

           This was probably the most bonafide Leftovers episode of the season so far. It was packed with all the awesomely depressing and mysterious stuff we've come to expect from this series. Here's my thoughts on episode 5...

This Show Is Now Focusing On 3 Plot Lines And Is Totally Pulling It Off:

To be honest when I saw the preview for this one, I wasn't jumping up for joy (in fact I thought we might get a dreaded filler episode)... and as expected, we didn't see anything related to those missing girls or the Guilty Remnant's craziness. Instead, episode 5 expanded Matt's subplot... which turned out to be pretty damn entertaining. Why?

1. It explored the mystery of Mary's awakening...

2) It revealed Mary's pregnancy... 

3) It focused on Matt's struggle to get them back to Miracle... 

4) It delivered a full circle ending with that guy who stole their wristbands...

The Walking Dead Season 6 Episode 4... Enter The Morgan

           I knew this season would have a Morgan flashback episode and this week, that's what we got. Looks like we'll have to wait longer to find out about Glenn. Any who... this episode was pure character development and did well to show why Morgan has adopted a policy of peace... Here are my thoughts on episode 4...

1. This Episode Was A Forgone Conclusion, But It Didn't Have To Be:

This episode didn't really throw any mind blowing revelations at us. It showed how Morgan learned his peaceful ways in a pretty straight forward fashion...
1) Crazy Morgan gets captured
2) Crazy Morgan meets his Obi-Wan Kenobi
3) Crazy Morgan learns the ways of the force
4) Morgan is no longer crazy
...To top it off, his master is killed, forcing Morgan to venture on his own to fight the/ his dark side. Speaking of which, Eastman should really have been spared. His character was easily more

The Leftovers Season 2, Episode 4...We've Been Rickrolled...

          Remember how slow the first season of The Leftovers felt? Remember how you kept having to re-watch episodes because you either fell asleep or didn't understand it? Well as of episode 4, I'm happy to report that those days are well behind us... (ok maybe we're still confused) This episode started with yet another alternate view of the earthquake. I gotta say, Norah's reaction was pretty damn priceless (and that crazy rotating camera shot was damn awesome), because you can't blame her for thinking there was...

1. A Second Departure...

Those students from MIT said it could happen again, and if we're to believe Patti, it did. The three missing girls could very well be proof of a small scale departure. This is an awesome development because it basically craps all over Miracle's street cred while potentially demonstrating that groups of people (large and small) can go missing at any time. Assuming we take Patti's word for it (because lets be honest, this could all be Kevin's imagination), this presents the following questions and conclusions...

1. Kevin's dad has probably been completely sane this whole time
2. How does Patty know the girls departed?

The Walking Dead Season 6 Episode 3...It Just Can't Be True...

           SPOILERS await, but if your not caught up by now... So there I was minding my own business...having a good time watching The Walking Dead... watching Rick's group basically play zombie run. Things were going great when the seemingly impossible unfolded before my eyes...

After attempting to distract a fast approaching zombie horde, Glenn and Nicholas decide to burn down a nearby building. That plan fails immediately after the two discover the building has already burned to the ground. Which brings us to the episode's main moment...

Glenn and Nicholas end up cornering themselves down an alley. With a horde of zombies blocking their way, the two shoot several zombies and soon after...climb on top of a dumpster. Suffering from heavy guilt and PTSD, Nicholas shoots himself in the head...falling into the horde...taking Glenn down with him. The final shots we see are of Glenn screaming with what look like intestines being ripped from somewhere closely positioned to his body...The show certainly came

Star Wars: The Force Awaken's Trailer... The Plot Revealed?...Maybe

           By now you've probably seen the Star Wars trailer 50 million times and debated which parts are the best. You've probably argued left and right about the whereabouts of Luke Skywalker and decided that Kylo Ren's lightsaber is useful after all. So, instead of telling you how happy I was to see Princess Leia, I've decided to have some fun theorizing about one thing we got the least of...the plot. I give you (based on what we've seen from the teasers, trailer, toys, and poster)...part 1 of Random Screen Guy's rough plot for Star Wars: The Force Awakens...

Possible Plot 1 Part 1:

           The scroll begins with talk of the First Order retaking the galaxy, and a comment about how the rebels, now called the Resistance, are in disarray...

           The movie introduces us to Rey, a scavenger who sells stuff at garage sales on the weekends and... is related to non other than Luke Skywalker (and Leia), but doesn't take the relation seriously because Luke is just a 'crazy old wizard'... plus...she's never met him...and isn't even sure he's alive. One day while heading for her next junk run, she meets a droid dealer. Realizing she needs a new droid, she buys BB-8.

           Meanwhile, Finn, a young man raised to be a stormtrooper, sees first hand the harsh treatment implemented by the First Order. Over the course of defecting from the First Order, he shoots up his unit. After being shot down in a skirmish (over planet Jakku), he

The Leftovers Season 2 Episode 3...Back in Business

           Well now we know what's going on with Tommy and Laurie...Here are my thoughts on The Leftover's episode 3...

Drums, Bird Man Style:

When those drums played at the beginning, I thought I was getting PTSD from Birdman or somethin. But they served as the perfect contrast between the new spring in Laurie's step and the Guilty Remnant's silence. Nowhere were these drums better applied than during Laurie's mission to take back her computer...

Where Is My Mind?:

Yet another auditory observation. This is now the second time this song has been played this season. The first was played to the scene of Kevin digging up Patty. This new piano version serves as Laurie's theme. I vote for this song to make a final appearance...

I'm Liking This Non Linear Story Telling Stuff:

The first part of this episode proved to be somewhat of a flash back. We got to see what Laurie and Tommy's experience's have been leading up to the meeting with Jill. These non linear episode's are

The Leftovers: Season 2 Episode 2...What's Going On Here?

           Episode 2 was a mix of old, new, and creepy. We pick up right at the end of season one, with the discovery of Holy Wayne's baby. From there Kevin, Jill, and Norah travel to the super hard to visit town of Miracle, where the plot catches up with the premiere episode. Oh, and it wouldn't be The Leftovers without Patty hallucinations and random moments of Kevin staring off into space.

Geography? What The Heck?:

According to the students who bought Norah's house, geography had something to do with those who disappeared during the departure. This information didn't really help much (that student could have said the departure was a matter of pizza), what really got my attention was the possibility that the departure could happen again...

How Are Laurie And Tom Going To Effect Kevin's Story?:

This is more of a question than anything that came up in the episode... If Kevin is taking the family to the super guarded, hard to get to, mob run, house burning town of Miracle... then how might Laurie

The Leftovers Season 2 Premiere...I'm Already Confused

           Just when I think I've figured out the meaning of life, The Leftovers shows up to confuse me again. After a depressing (in a good way) and intriguing first season, The Leftovers is back to show us more of a world recovering from the disappearance of 2 million people. The show didn't exactly start off to a familiar tune, here are my thoughts on the premiere of season 2...

The Intro Theme...:

...has been replaced. Which sucks because I actually liked the original one. I wasn't thrilled with the song either. Thats really all I have to say about it...

The Dawn Of Man:

I definitely didn't expect the show to start this way. When that woman first got up from her campfire, I thought we'd witness an ancient

'The Walking Dead'...S6E2...Wolves!

           Episode 2 was pretty intense, I'll just get to it... Here are my thoughts on the latest Walking Dead...        

1. The Wolves Attack, Holy Crap:

This is exactly the kind of thing I needed to keep this show interesting. The attack on Alexandria came out of nowhere and greatly changed the shows pace. While it was the best part of the episode, I'm actually a bit
torn...here's why... the violence. Actually, violence would probably be an understatement... it was down right gory. Don't get me wrong this show has always had plenty of that. What caught my attention this episode was that the violence was practically all human on human. I mean, we straight up saw the wolves cutting peoples limbs off... and dead humans get a knife to the head the same way I casually swipe my debit card. This begs the question... Is this show getting so

The Star Wars Poster Is Awesome, And I Want One...

           The Poster for Star Wars: the Force Awakens was released this morning and it easily lives up to expectations. Here are some thoughts on its contents...

Princess Leia Is in the House: 

Not including the Comic-con behind the scenes footage, this is the first time we've seen Princess Leia. To make it all the more awesome she's sporting a weird new hairdo.

Is That A Freaken Death Star?:

That looks a lot like a revamped Death Star to me, complete with a new crazy looking canon. As far as I know, a new

The Walking Dead is Back With a Strong Premiere...

The original Walking Dead is finally back...Which means a lot more to me these days because Fear The Walking Dead just didn't satisfy. Here are my thoughts on the season 6 premiere...

1. The Black And White Flash Backs Worked:
They won't be doing this every episode, but it sure worked for this one. One of the problems I've always had with past seasons is that some episodes are damn slow. The alternating time lines kept the pace much more interesting. I think if this episode had been done in it's usual linear fashion, scene's like the one with Judith would have bored me a bit. Also, the fact that some scene's

Fear The Walking Dead, Finale Review: The Best and Worst...

           I'll just get right to it...the season 1 finale for Fear The Walking Dead was the best episode in the series thus far (which honestly isn't saying much). It had a faster pace and included a zombie horde that would make Rick proud. Here are the best and worst from episode 6...

(Best-ish) Daniel, Madison, and Travis Mount the Rescue:

It's about time these guys do something. This is easily the most interesting thing to occur on this show, despite the fact that...

1. I don't think even the best directions could have gotten them to the parking lot

2. I don't think Madison's group would've ever run into Nick in that base 

3. I don't think they could have successfully lured that many zombies to the base without being noticed from a lot farther away.

4. I don't think that...out of a list of possible rescue options...luring a legion of zombies makes any sense...at all... (by the way, thanks for leaving the gate open back at home guys)

That aside, the entire base sequence was more interesting than hanging out in the neighborhood. We

'The Martian': Random Screen Review

           Ridley Scotts's The Martian has finally arrived. In it, Matt Damon plays stranded Nasa astronaut Mark Watney who basically MacGyver's the hell out of his situation. As a whole, this movie certainly entertained. It was very intriguing to watch Mark solve every survival problem that arose. However, despite all the positive reviews this movie's received (a 94% on Rotten Tomatoes no less), and at the risk of sounding like a total hater, I wasn't really that blown away by The Martian. It was certainly worth watching, but I had some lingering issues with this one...Here are my thoughts...and yes, spoilers await...

Fear The Walking Dead Episode 5 (Random Screen Guy's 100th Post)

           This episode continued to raise the stakes while still managing to remind me that Alicia probably shouldn't be on this show. Did that cattle gun totally remind you of No Country For Old Men? Yeah me too...Here are my random thoughts on Episode 5...

1. Daniel Kidnaping Andrew Was Next Level, but Borderline Incompetent:

I swear this man doesn't blink...

When Daniel first said his plan was to trade Andrew, I did a full eye roll. Luckily he had more honorable intentions...to torture Andrew in order to gain information. It's truly a miracle that plan worked out. How could it've failed? Well, what if the military wasn't planning on leaving the next day? What if they weren't leaving till the following week or month? Hell, what if they weren't leaving at all? What if "Cobalt" was just the codename for meeting at Jack In The Box for lunch? Moyers would most definitely have traced it all back to Daniel since he himself saw Andrew leave with Ofelia. This plan could very well have landed Daniel right in the cell with Nick...Luckily for the Salazars...

2. Moyers Is (Was?) The Crappiest Bad Guy Ever And Was Totally Outdone By Daniel:
Is he alive? I hope not. He was a discount Governor at best and always seemed to do everything in his

Fear The Walking Dead Episode 4...

           Episode 4 of Fear The Walking Dead might be my favorite one so far. While we didn't see a bunch of walkers eating people, the military presence loomed large enough to show us a new side of the apocalypse...

1. Nick Gets Taken By Surprise, Literally:
I really didn't see that coming. Nick has been really annoying pretty much every time he's on screen (and I was glad Madison slapped the crap out of him because he deserved it)...But even I was hoping he'd get away when Alicia told him to run.

2. The Classic, "No One Believes The Kid Scenario":
Sure, maybe his son didn't see anything, but would it have killed Travis to investigate that light? You mean to tell me that he believed Madison's druggy son when he

Fear The Walking Dead Episode 3...

           Well the kids weren't quite as annoying on this episode (because last episode was like having 3 Carls running around)...and there was definitely some zombie action. Here's Random Screen Guy's thoughts on episode 3...

1. Where's the Shells?:
I'm being over critical, but when Madison and her kids got back to their house and realized they forgot the shells, I did a full eye roll... Of course Alicia went back alone to get them, then of course she got lost in that weird maze thing...

2. Susan?...Susan?:
Are these people still trying to talk to the zombies in this episode? Travis has definitely seen enough to know there are infected people acting violently (get it together man, I thought you were supposed to

Fear The Walking Dead Episode 2: Best and Worst...

           Fear the Walking Dead has definitely brought up the pace...and the walkers. This episode really made me wish Rick hadn't slept through everything in that hospital. Here are the best and worst from episode 2...

Best:
1. Tobias Should be Promoted to Rick's Group For Being So Prepared:
Tobias further proved his value on tonights episode (Saving food, asking for and using his trusty knife, major props). If a cross over with The Walking Dead occurs, he deserves to make it there. So far he's single handedly predicted how good this season would probably be while proving how much the rest of the characters have to learn. More screen time for Tobias please...

2. Madison's Reaction to Killing Zombie Artie:
It was a bit odd last week when Madison and Travis' reaction to running over and seeing zombie

Thoughts On: Star Wars Instagram Teaser...

           It only took 15 seconds for my thursday to go from Immortan Joe's 'mediocre' to freaken awesome. The newest Star Wars: The Force Awakens footage while brief offers two new shots. The first is of a concerned looking Rey, with BB8 in the background. The second shot finally gives us a lightsaber wielding Finn...and now my thoughts...

Her face was basically my reaction to this teaser...

1. Finn's Lightsaber AKA Luke's Lightsaber:

That shot of Kylo Ren turning on his lightsaber first premiered during last years teaser. Finn's association with Luke's saber first came up with the release of the D23 Poster. But to finally see another lightsaber turn on was nothing short of refreshing. This teaser inspired the following

4 Thoughts On: Fear The Walking Dead Premiere...

           Fear The Walking Dead now holds the all time cable premier record. Here are 4 thoughts on the new series...

1. The New Perspective Works:
Maybe I'm just happy to see new faces...or maybe I'm just happy to see a setting that isn't Georgia. Either way, the fact that these characters are stuck dealing with zombies in this busy LA setting (which by the way totally reminded of 28 Days Later and the opening scenes of World War Z) brings a whole new level of urgency.

2. Travis is the new Rick:
I can just see it. He'll be the reluctant leader, but in the end...the Travis-tatorship.

3. Tobias The High Schooler Knows What Time It Is:
That kid was the only person on the show who either A) gets really paranoid about every breaking

3 Thoughts On: New Star Wars Photos...

           The recent Entertainment Weekly photos for Star Wars: The Force Awakens are really helping to reinforce my confidence in this movie...

1. Kylo Ren, What a Boss:
This is an awesome shot of the new villain. The trees and snow indicate that this is probably the same scene taken from the teaser. I'm still dying to know more about him. The recent news is that he's a Vader fan with a homemade lightsaber (Which would explain why the bean from the teaser was ...well...crackly). I'm totally on board with that
saber now btw...

2. General Hux:
Those who saw Domhnall Gleeson in Ex-Machina (which was a great movie) know that he played the nerd role pretty well. That said, I was not expecting him to look as villain-like as he does in this first look photo. The uniform, the frown, I'm thinking he'll get the job done (might as well throw in a monacle).

3. The Rest of the Photos:
There's no bombshells in any of the remaining shots (unless you're blown away by C-3PO's red arm). The photo of Captain Phasma is awesome (especially since we know Lady Brienne of Tarth is under

Thoughts On: Star Wars...The Force Awakens Korean TV Spot...

           The new TV spot for The Force Awakens contains footage that we've pretty much seen already...except for one shot...Here are my thoughts...

The New Storm Trooper Shot:
This view of the storm troopers is nothing short of awesome. Unfortunately it's pretty much impossible to make out any of the characters...except for Gwendoline Christie's Captain Phasma (I'd spot that shiny helmet a mile away).

The New Music:
...Was freaken awesome. I hope it belongs to the new movie...unlike...

Thoughts On: Star Wars...Rogue One Set Photos

New photo's for Star Wars: Rogue One have come out and while not much, they're pretty great...here's why...

Is it just me or did the girl in the bottom
 right take her Jedi outfit to work?

1. Stormtroopers:

We've known this movie was going to take place shortly before the original Star Wars so it makes sense that the stormtroopers look the way they do. But how awesome was it to actually see them...

2. The Awesome Sets: 

They aren't in some indoor green screen prequel nonsense, they are outdoors with awesome looking ship ramps. 

Check out the rest of the photo's below...What do you think?

4 Star Wars Spin-Offs That Will Never Happen...

           Apparently the Star Wars Rogue One spin-off will feature Felicity Jones as Boba Fett's daughter, which is fine (even though it would be the biggest most random coincidence in the galaxy). After hearing this news I figured it was time to put forth some of my own random impossible Star Wars spinoffs shows and movies, here are a few...

1. Storage Wars:
Seriously just keep the name, but instead throw in Watto's negotiating skills...or better yet just have Watto be the expert Rick calls on Pawn Stars...

2. Anything To Do IG88:

Rememebre him? he was one of the bounty hunters hired by Vader to locate Han Solo. I still have the toy set of him fighting Boba Fett, not to mention fond memories of fighting him in Shadows of the Empire on N64. It's time he appeared in a film or movie doing more that just

Thought On: Zoolander II Trailer...

         The new Zoolander II teaser is here, and while it doesn't give us much (and while I might be dumber for having watched it), it delivered. Here's a thought on the new Zoolander II teaser...

Stephen Hawking's Voice:
I couldn't help but think that the people who made this teaser got their inspiration from Stephen Hawking's interview with John Oliver. The whole interview is worth the watch, especially the part

True Detective: 6 Reasons Why Season 2 Hasn't Worked...

           (This was written as of Episode 5) I read an article (http://bit.ly/1Dqm34y) which further reinforced my stance that True Detective season 2 isn't very good. It basically asserts that people are having a hard time understanding the show. I'm barely able to follow it myself, and when I am, I kinda don't care. I mean, I only just realized that Colin ferrall's character is named Velcoro (before I thought they had been talking about velcro or something). If I hadn't looked up Rachel McAdam's character's name (Bezzerides) I never would have figured it out... Here are 5 reasons why this season has come up short...

This is literally how I look after watching each episode...

1. The Plot is Confusing:

I don't get the conspiracy with the mayor or Masuka from Dexter. Something about diamonds and a missing girl...?  

2 What is Vince Vaughn Doing Here?:

His acting is solid, but I don't think his character is really that essential to the show. Every time he comes on screen I know I can run to the bathroom... 

3. Taylor Kitsch is Boring:

His character is the least interesting on the show. I get that his character is conflicted and down on his

Comic-Con: Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice Trailer...

           I could have cared less about this movie after that first teaser came out. But I'll admit this trailer peaked my interest. Here are my thoughts on the new Batman v Superman trailer...

This movie needs to up the brightness...seriously...

1. Jesse Eisenburg Does Not Belong in This movie:
Why he was cast for the role of Lex Luthor, I will never know. Yes he has Kryptonite and Zod's body but that won't be enough to make up for that ridiculous haircut.

2. I'm Actually Sold On Ben Affleck as Batman:
It looks like Affleck could really show us a side of Batman we haven't seen. Between the grey streaks and the angry looks, I think we

Comic-Con: Fear The Walking Dead Trailer...

           We've finally gotten our first major taste of the new Walking Dead series, and it looks pretty good... Here are my thoughts on the new trailer...

1. Reminded of World War Z:
Chaotic city scenes? check...getting stuck in said city? check... getting taken in by a Spanish speaking family to ride it out? check...This show is taking its cues from World War Z the same way The Walking Dead's pilot episode

Comic-Con: The Walking Dead Season 6 Trailer...

           Judging by the trailer it looks like Season 6 will give us a little more of everything...

1. More Zombie Action:

Thats the Rick face we all love...

Occasionally this show throws out some zombie-less episodes. Doesn't look like Season 6 is going to have this problem. I'm actually happy to see Alexandria's walls get breached...

2. More Morgan:
It's taken him 6 seasons but Morgan will finally join the show in a meaningful way. It's hard to tell what kind of relationship he'll have with Rick considering that...
a) the trailer see's Morgan approve of Rick's method's while b) simultaneously claiming to be able to stop him...