Psych's Final Days... (and thoughts relating)

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( I hope you don't feel any burdensome obligation to respond to my inquiry, and by all means you can skip right down to the topic in which you came here to read about, however in the event that you want to stay connected to me and occasionally let me know what is indeed "up pup?" you can follow me on the tweeters @bloggerpup as well as follow me on Instagram @blogpup. Thanks!)

Psych is ending in a matter of weeks. Let that sink in for a second. I've been a fan for a good number of years now and I'm still digesting the information. Psych's become one of my favorite shows in the history of television. For the better part of the last ten years this show's been delivering television dramedy brilliance and constantly outdoing itself with the quirky plot-lines, the character chemistry, the dialogue, the guest stars, and the 80's references. For those of you who've seen the show, you know what a unique gem it truly is. I'm a fan, and I'll never be able to look at a pineapple the same way again. 

     It was confirmed today that Season Eight Finale (to air this March) would not only be the season finale, but the last episode of Psych ever. Let's do the math real quick... Depending on how you look at it, after tonight's episode, this gives us five episodes or just over 200 minutes of Psych before the show comes to a close. As bittersweet as these thoughts are, for those of us that are fans of delicious flavor, let's be thankful we got to experience this show while it was on the air. After Eight Seasons, Shawn, Gus, Lassie, Jules, Henry, and Chief Vick have been with us the whole ride. And whether Karen's specifically been the Chief the whole time is beside the point (*cough* we'll miss you Trout *cough* not really *cough*). The point is, all six of these actors have stayed on until the end, and that's truly a remarkable feat. 

     It's for this reason that the announcement of Season Eight being Psych's last was bitter sweet, as opposed to just being really bitter. We know they're going out with a bang. The gangs all here, they're in their prime, and they're ending the show on the best note possible. Gus and Shawn will ride into the sunset as we knew them in the beginning. Well, maybe not exactly the same. Older, a bit wiser maybe. Possibly just a tad heavier (I'm looking at you Roday). But what I'm driving at is, we've been with these characters during these changes. We've been privileged to watch these story-lines, personalities, and relationships develop over the course of what's to be 221 episodes of this beloved show. 

     So far, I couldn't be happier with the way they're going out. Coming off of a two-hour musical special, so far, this final season of Psych feels like a giant love-letter to all of us Psycho's.  It's everything we love about the show, and it's an emphasized version. The president of USA (I'm talking about Chris McCumber, not Obama) was recently interviewed about this and he stated similarly: "The final season celebrates the iconic characters that have made this show so beloved, and will be an exclamation point on the series' incredible run."

     He also went on to say: "while the series will wrap in March, somehow I don't believe we've heard the last of Shawn and Gus." This brings to mind an interview where Steve Franks brought up the possibility of some potential Psych specials coming into play after the show ended. USA's done a television movie for Burn Notice and the fan support for a Psych movie would certainly be there so this is also a possibility. Now I'm certain those of us who love the show now will still be rewatching these old episodes years from now, and as much as it excites me thinking about potential for things to come, for the time being, let's appreciate what the cast and crew have worked so hard to bring us, and soak in every moment of Psych's Final Season. 

     The timing of this post is right after the airing of Cog Blocked and as of now Psych's taking a two week hiatus to give the Olympics their time to shine, so the final five episodes will start gracing the television on February 26 (my birthday). Here's to Psych, the cast, the crew, and these final episodes! In the words of James Roday: "we'll always have Santa Barbara... and syndication". Happy Wednesday, Psycho's!

The Walking Dead's Return! (and thoughts relating)

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( I hope you don't feel any burdensome obligation to respond to my inquiry, and by all means you can skip right down to the topic in which you came here to read about, however in the event that you want to stay connected to me and occasionally let me know what is indeed "up pup?" you can follow me on the tweeters @bloggerpup as well as follow me on Instagram @blogpup. Thanks!)

"Don't Look Back!" This is the phrase Rick leaves echoing in our ears as we are, in fact, doing just the opposite. Can you really blame us for still reflecting on the mid-season finale, what could potentially follow the events that took place, and what's argued to be the best season of The Walking Dead thus far? 

     It's no stretch to say that a lot's happened since the premiere of this show, and in the last 43 episodes, we've been been on quite a ride. It feels as if we've been right by these characters as they've faced ups, downs, and a whole lot of zombies. We've had our "oh that poor horse" moments, our "you had it coming, Shane" moments, our "why the heck is Andrea getting so much screen time?" moments, and our "wow, Carl's actually growing on me" moments. We've watched Rick nail those inspiring speeches, and we've watched Daryl's cool factor continue to escalate (he blew up a tank, you guys). 

     Now that Phillip's (Brian's/The Governor's) story arc is over, Hershel's gone, the prison's really no longer a prison (that was a battle of internecine proportions), and everyone's scattered in different directions, the possibilities for the latter half of this season are beyond predictions. 

     Where's everyone at (both locationally, physically, and emotionally)? You can't just walk away from an episode like Too Far Gone the same as you were before. Will we run into familiar faces again (Carol, Morgan, etc.)? Will we meet new ones? Who will be fortunate enough to survive the next eight episodes? I have no idea. Will Beth die, even though she's got Daryl with her? Maybe. Will I shed a tear for her if she does die? Probably. Will our diversely dispersed group of characters ever completely reunite again? Hard to say.
     I recall one of my friends saying somewhere back in the third season when all was well at the prison that he was ready for the survival element of the show to come back into play. He explained that as invested as he was in these characters, the reason he'd gotten hooked on the show in the first place was due to it's survival themes (rather than society within). Now in the beginning of this season, when the virus broke out among the prison he said they were getting closer to what he's been itching for, but "they still gotta get outta that prison, bro!"

     I kept assuring him that they would eventually leave their residential shelter and face the wild. Now, a season and a half after the introduction of the prison, they have, and I have a feeling we'll all get some more of those raw survival elements my friend was craving. In the words of someone smart: "you need the nightmare to appreciate not being in it". So in the opposite sense of that phrase, now that they've all had a taste of life within safety of the prison walls, being thrown back into the unknown should only make things more interesting.  

     After thinking about all these things, it's pretty exciting to know that in less than a week The Walking Dead will be back! I wait in anticipation with all of you, but for now, go watch The Super Bowl or something. Happy Sunday! 

Warrior! (and thoughts relating)

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(this is a phrase I've grown fond of over the years. I suppose it's an abbreviation for "what's up, puppies?". I'm not entirely sure; I haven't given it much thought. All I know is it's fun to say, I've been saying it for years, and there's a chance I'll open most of these posts with this friendly yet strange inquiry. I hope you don't feel any burdensome obligation to respond to my inquiry, by all means you can skip right down to the topic in which you came here to read about, however in the event that you want to stay connected to me and occasionally even tell me what is indeed "up pup?" you can follow me on the tweeters @bloggerpup as well as follow my Instagram @blogpup. Thanks!)

Warrior might very well be my favorite sports movies of all time. That's not a statement I would just throw out there either; being an avid "movie lover" I naturally have my share of favorite films, but more specifically, I also have my share of favorite sports movies. Brian's Song (man tears), Field of Dreams (Costner) , Remember The Titans, Miracle, and Chariots of Fire are just a handful of classics representing their genre well. Each of these movies does an excellent job of not only depicting the sport they revolve around, but they also capture the heart of the story behind it. In this sense, Warrior is no different.

     Warrior, as far as sports go, focuses chiefly on Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) and would be placed under the sports movie sub-category of a fighting sports film. Getting even more specific, when I think of movies like this the ones that come to the forefront of my mind include The Fighter, The Wrestler, Raging Bull, and of course, Rocky (I'm talking primarily of Rocky I through Rocky IV). As bold as it may be, I'm willing to submit that Warrior is better than all of them.

     Now before I go any further let me make it perfectly clear that out of all the sports out there, MMA is one of them that I know next to nothing about. If you asked me to name even one legitimate MMA fighter I would shake my head in ignorance (or at the very least shift the attention to the WWE where I could at least discuss the time Hulk Hogan "wrestled" Andre the Giant). All that to say, you should definitely be able to enjoy this movie without a thorough appreciation for the mixed martial arts. Chances are you'll be so immersed in the characters and the story that before you know it, you'll be as invested in those fights as they are.

     And speaking of the characters and the story, the two go hand in hand in Warrior; the movie was done in such a marvelous (and quite frankly, all too rare) way that the characters truly are the heart of the movie. I was completely invested in these characters, they were the story, and they were the reason I was so completely invested in every scene. I can't speak highly enough of the acting in this movie. Tom Hardy, Joel Edgerton (dude's got a sweet first name btw), and Nick Nolte all absolutely killed their roles (I mean that in the best way possible). 

     From the way their characters interacted with each other to the dialogue, everything felt completely real. The supporting characters were pretty great themselves. I loved Frank Grillo in this movie, his character was one of those people I thought to myself: "I'd like to meet that guy in real life, he seems like a cool guy." Brendan's wife was great, I liked all the kids at the school, the principal, I liked the announcers, Noah Emmerich shows up at one point, he was great for the bit he was on screen. Anyway, the point is, everybody in this movie was great.   

     I found myself debating whether I liked Joel Edgerton's or Tom Hardy's character better during the course of the film until I realized I wasn't going to be able to side with either one of them because I admired both of their characters for different reasons. This is one of the reasons I would argue this movie reigns supreme among most others of it's kind: you're not following one character's journey, you're following two, and you're fully invested in both.

     Going into this movie originally I wasn't sure what to expect, but Gavin O' Connor knew what he was doing and this movie pleasantly surprised me and has quickly become one of my all time favorites. It was everything I wanted it to be and more. I can't stress how ridiculously devoted I was to this movie, the way the plot was uncovered, unraveled, and executed was beautiful. By the end, I just sat there for a little bit reflecting on it all. And I'm not gonna lie, there was a couple of times I was feeling a few (fully justified) man tears coming on before the credits rolled. 

     I hesitate to say much more about the movie in fear of spoiling any personal experience for you in case you haven't yet seen it. And in the event that you haven't yet seen it, if nothing else I hope this little review/thought-rant has encouraged you to go check it out (because trust me, it's worth checking out). 

My Rating: 10/10
Captivation Percentage: 100% (I was engaged from start to finish)
Bottom Line? Warrior has quickly become one of my favorite movies. If you haven't seen it yet, you should probably go do yourself a favor and watch it. I have a feeling you'll love it (unless you and I just have completely different tastes in movies, in that case, don't worry about it).

Thanks for reading!
Happy Sunday and God Bless! :)

Introduction.

Sup pups?
I like watching movies, and television shows (particularly when they're good). 
Someone told me I should start a blog for when I feel like writing/rambling about the things I watch haha, so I did! And here it is. This won't be a very professional blog, but if you want some insight on my opinion and thoughts on movies and shows... by all means... read what I have to say! I suppose that's it for now... 
Happy Monday! (unless it's not Monday... in that case, happy whatever day it is when you read this)