Workout Update: Dig Deeper Day 65

Day 65 was day 1 of Week 2 in Phase 3, which is the chest-and-triceps workout. For most of the exercises, I stuck with the same weights that I used last week. However, I was able to increase the amount of weight I used for both the standing chest flys and the lying down chest flys, which felt good. Even though I kept the weights consistent on the other movements, the workout was still tough and very challenging to get through. It was a solid, heavy session to start off the new week.

4k-UHD/Movie Review: Ninja III: The Domination

 

Ninja III: The Domination is the 1984 martial arts film that is the third in what fans call the "Ninja Trilogy," released by Cannon Films in the early 1980s, featuring real ninjutsu practitioner Sho Kosugi. The film stars Kosugi, Lucinda Dickey,  and Jordan Bennet. The supporting cast includes David Chung, Dale Ishimoto, James Hong, and John La Motta. Like the second installment of the trilogy, it was directed by Sam Firstenberg. This movie was fast-tracked after the success of the second film, Revenge of the Ninja. This movie, however, is not a continuation of that one. Kosugi plays a totally different character, and while he did receive top billing, he was more of a secondary character. He does not appear in the movie until about a third of the way through it, and does not really get involved in the action until about two-thirds of the way in. 

The movie begins with a huge fight scene in which an evil Ninja (played by Chung) assassinates a scientist and his security team on a golf course. Police respond and end up mortally wounding him. He manages to escape and transfer his spirit into the body of a telephone company worker named Christie (played by Lucinda Dickey) to take revenge on the cops. She begins dating one of the cops (who was hidden from the Ninja's view), and when she sees one of the other officers who shot the Ninja, his spirit takes over her body, and she kills them. Kosugi plays Yamata, a good ninja from Japan who comes to stop the evil ninja, and when he discovers his spirit has possessed Christie, he tries to get it out of her and into his own body so he can stop the evil ninja for good. 

The 4k set is a two-disc set containing a UHD disc and a standard Blu-Ray. The A/V quality of the UHD disc is outstanding. There are two audio tracks: a 2.0-channel track and a 5.1-channel track. The 2.0 track may not play on some sound systems, but switching to the 5.1-channel track will. However, even if you select the 5.1-channel track in the menu, the movie will play the 2.0-channel track, so you will need to switch the audio on your remote to get the sound to play correctly. There are two commentary tracks for the film, each available on the UHD disc and the standard Blu-Ray. The first is a director's commentary featuring Firstenberg and stunt coordinator Steven Lambert. It is much like their track on Revenge of the Ninja, which breaks down various scenes and discusses the film's production. The second plays the movie with a score over the dialogue and features interviews with the composer and production designer. Unfortunately, unlike the 4k releases of Enter the Ninja and Revenge of the Ninja, there is no commentary track by film critics Mike Leeder and Arne Venema. The other bonus features include a 19-minute interview with Lucinda Dickey, an 11-minute interview with Jordan Bennet, and a 12-minute interview with producer and stuntman Alan Amiel, which were carryovers from the 2018 blu-ray release of the film. The same trailers that were on the Enter and Revenge discs are here as well.

There are good and bad things about the movie. There was much more action in this movie than in the first two, but the plot was much worse than in Revenge of the Ninja. This movie blends genres and is basically a mash-up of 1970s and early 80s films like Flashdance, Poltergeist, and The Exorcist combined with a martial arts movie. In fact, in the commentary, Firstenberg states that the film was heavily influenced by Poltergeist. However, it seemed that everyone thought it was silly, and Kosugi was unhappy about being relegated to a secondary character.  One interesting fact is that this was actually Dickey's first movie. She went from filming this to filming the movie Breakin, which became a minor hit. Breakin, however, was released before Ninja III, and her career took a hit as she was seen as having star potential, only to flop with her second movie. Ultimately, you have to take the movie as it is. It is a low-budget ninja movie that is totally unrealistic (it gives ninjas superhuman strength and supernatural abilities) and can be a bit silly. That said, the action is good, and if you do not overthink it, it is entertaining. For those who were fans as a kid and collect physical media, it is worth adding to your collection. 

Workout Update: Dig Deeper Days 63 and 64

Days 63 and 64 were the Dig Deeper rest days. For day 63, I did the LIIFT4 Roll and Recover routine. This session focuses entirely on foam rolling and stretching to relieve muscle soreness from the heavy lifting days. It helped loosen up my muscles after a demanding week of workouts. For day 64, I did the X-Stretch routine. Because of the dizziness issues I had earlier in the week, I adapted the routine to minimize the amount of bending over. Keeping my head up during the stretches kept things stable and prevented any lightheadedness. It was a good way to finish out the week safely.

Workout Update: Dig Deeper Day 62

Day 62 brought us to day 5 of Phase 3, which closes out the lifting week. This was the shoulders-and-abs workout. In this one, you do two shoulder exercises followed by an ab/core exercise. In this one, you do only three sets of the lifting exercises, with 10 reps per set. The core exercises are all 45 seconds long, and you do those for three sets as well. So, this is another fast-paced workout. Because I was still feeling a bit off, I did not use as heavy a weight as I could for some exercises, but I wanted to stay safe. It was a good workout to end the week.

Workout Update: Dig Deeper Day 61

Day 61 was day 4 of Phase 3, which is the leg workout. It is the longest workout of the Phase, at just over 50 minutes. This workout uses the exact same 12-10-8-6 reverse pyramid format for the primary lifts, meaning you tackle heavy sets of 12, 10, 8, and then a heavy set of 6 as the workout progresses. Because there is no core component to break things up, lower-body fatigue builds up quickly. Since my energy was a bit off and things felt a little rocky last week, I made sure to listen to my body and adapt a few movements. For the Bulgarian split squats, I decided to use a lower step bench instead of the standard tall weight bench. Bringing the height down gave me much more control over my balance and stability, making for a safe, effective, and smart leg session.

Workout Update: Dig Deeper Day 60

Day 60 was day 3 of Phase 3, which is the arms workout. The structure shifted to a demanding reverse pyramid format. For the primary lifts, you do 12 reps in the first set, 10 in the second, 8 in the third, and wrap up with a heavy 6 reps for the final set. A couple of the exercises (the hammer curls and triceps kickbacks) follow a 21s format. So, you do 7 reps on one arm, 7 reps on the other, and then 7 reps using both arms together. The burnout alternates between reciprocating curls (hammer curls and neutral curls), in which you do 24 reps for each, and triceps dips. It is definitely a tough workout. 

Workout Update: Dig Deeper: Day 59

Day 59 was day 2 of Phase 3, the back-and-abs workout. This one is a bit different in that you do a set of back exercises immediately followed by a 45-second ab exercise, and you essentially alternate between the two for five sets. That makes the workout fast-paced and finishes quickly. While you do alter the number of reps between sets, it is not like the weight progression in Body-For-Life. Shaun says you can use the same weight for all sets, or go up or down as needed. I opted to keep my weights consistent across the blocks to really focus on the mind-muscle connection (Shaun's buzz phrase for this workout). Moving straight from heavy rows and pulldowns into a 45-second ab burner without any real rest forces you to keep moving. By the fourth and fifth sets, the fatigue was definitely real, but the fast pace meant it was over before I had time to talk myself out of it. It’s a tough format, but it felt great to get it done and push through.

4k-UHD/Movie Review: Revenge of the Ninja

 

Revenge of the Ninja is a 1983 martial arts action film directed by Sam Firstenberg,  starring Shi Kosugi, Arthur Roberts, Ashley Ferrare, Kane Kosugi, and Keith Vitali. The supporting cast includes Virgil Frye, Grace Oshita, Mario Gallo, and John LaMotta. It is the second film in what is known as the "ninja trilogy" (along with Enter the Ninja and Ninja III: The Domination), released by Cannon Films and featuring Sho Kosugi. They are only considered a trilogy because Kosugi appears in each of them (he was not the lead in Enter the Ninja), and the storylines of the three movies are not related to each other. In this one, Kosugi plays Cho Osaka, a resident of Japan who is being pressured by an American Businessman named Braden (played by Roberts). Cho is reluctant to leave until the majority of his family is attacked and killed by evil ninjas; he agrees to move to America and open an art gallery with Braden's backing. We find out that Braden is in deep with the local mob and is running drugs through the gallery, using Japanese dolls to smuggle them into the country.

The 4k set is a two-disc set containing a UHD disc and a standard blu-ray. The UHD disc just contains the film itself, which can be played with the commentary tracks. The A/V quality of the film in UHD is excellent. Despite being a low-budget 1980s action film, it received a very good 4k transfer and is definitely worth the upgrade. The bonus features include the two previously mentioned commentary tracks. The first includes the director, Sam Firstenberg, and the stunt coordinator, Steven Lambert (who also played one of the characters in the cheesiest fight in the entire film), in which they talk about the movie's production and behind-the-scenes events during filming. The second is by film critics Mike Leeder and Arne Venema. Theirs is more of a MST3K viewing in which they talk about (and sometimes make fun of) the scenes, but also talk about the history of martial arts films (particularly ninja movies), the history of Cannon Films, and more. The other bonus content is on the standard blu-ray and includes an introduction to the movie by Firstenberg, a behind-the-scenes stills gallery, and trailers for other 80s action films (the same trailers that were included with the Enter the Ninja release). 

The movie is very cheesy and definitely feels like it is stuck in the early 80s. The action is much better in this movie than in Enter the Ninja, due in large part to the fact that the main evil ninja wore a mask, so Steve Lambert could do the action in the costume. The movie still has many of the same continuity issues that Enter the Ninja has. For example, in the climactic battle, the two ninjas begin fighting just with swords, but different weapons (and decoy dummies) appear out of nowhere throughout the fight. It is clear from the commentary tracks that continuity was not something that really mattered on set (or matters in these movies in general). It absolutely earns the R-rating, as there is a lot of swearing and violence, and some brief nudity. Ultimately, it is a movie you have to accept as it is and not overthink. If you can, it is entertaining, sometimes in a "so bad it's good" way. And if you were a fan of the movie as a kid, it is definitely worth checking out and adding to a physical media collection. 

Workout Update: Dig Deeper: Day 58

Day 58 was day 2 of Phase 3, which was the back and abs workout. For the entire workout, you pair a back exercise with an ab exercise and alternate between them. For most of the back exercises, you do four sets and increase the number of reps in each set. So set 1 has 6 reps, set 2 has 8, set 3 has 10, and set 4 has 12. After each set, you do the corresponding ab exercise for 45 seconds. So, essentially, the ab exercises act as an active rest for the back exercises. You do not have to adjust the weight from set to set, but you can go up or down as you need to. 

Workout Update: Dig Deeper: Day 57

 Day 57 was the start of Phase 3 of Dig Deeper, the Build Phase. For the final group of workouts, it is just Shaun T, without his trainer, Kristen, or the guy who was with them during the Phase 1 workouts. Day 1 of Phase 3 is chest. The format is quite different than in the prior workouts. None of the exercises are really new, but you are performing more sets and fewer reps per set. Several of the exercises have 5 sets of 8 reps, using as heavy a weight as you can. A couple of the exercises use the 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2 rep scheme in which you drop the number of reps by two in each set. One is a bodyweight exercise (decline push-ups), and one is weighted (hex presses). I started with 25 lbs in the hex press, and did the first three sets at that weight, then dropped to 20 lbs for the final three sets. Afterwards, I did the upper body foam rolling from 645 before winding down for the evening.

Workout Update: Dig Deeper: Days 55 and 56

The weekend days were off days from Dig Deeper, but I did get my walks in, foam-rolled, and did the P90x stretching routine. I definitely needed the rest from Dig Deeper, especially going into the final phase/4 weeks. Overall, a good recovery weekend.

4K-UHD/Movie Review: Fast X

 

Fast X is the tenth, and at least as of this writing, the second-to-last installment in the Fast & Furious franchise of movies. It honestly still amazes me that a film about an undercover cop taking down a gang of robbers/street racers turned into a movie franchise that is so far removed from the premise of the original film, but here we are. The movie was released in 2023 and was directed by Louis Leterrier, who took over for Justin Lin, who was still given a writing and producing credit. Nearly every actor from the franchise appeared in the film (with a few exceptions), including Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Ludacris, John Cena, Charlize Theron, Nathalie Emmanuel, Jordana Brewster, Sung Kang, Scott Eastwood, Helen Mirren, and Jason Statham. The newcomers for this movie include Rita Moreno, Daniela Melchior, Alan Ritchson, Brie Larson, Leo Abelo Perry, and Jason Momoa. Paul Walker was also included via the use of archival footage. His daughter Meadow was also given a small role in the film. Gal Gadot and Dwayne Johnson (or Rock "The Dwayne" Johnson; if you know, you know) also reprise their roles. The latter, of course, being a major surprise, given the falling out The Rock and Vin Diesel had after The Fate of the Furious. 

As many of the films in the series do, this one ties back to prior events. Specifically, it ties back to the events of Fast Five. The opening sequence uses footage from the bridge chase in Fast Five and shows events from the point of view of this film's main antagonist, Dante Reyes (played by Momoa), the son of Fast Five's big bad, Hernan Reyes. He hatches a plot to get revenge against Dom and the team, first to frame them, and then to start taking everyone out. The best sequence is toward the beginning of the film involving a chase through the streets of Rome. 

The 4k set is a two-disc set containing a UHD disc and a standard blu-ray. The A/V quality of the UHD disc is outstanding. It is pretty much at or near reference-quality, and if you have a big screen and a multi-channel Dolby Atmos sound system, you will not be disappointed. All the bonus features are included on the UHD disc. There is around an hour and twenty minutes, give-or-take, of bonus content, including a gag reel, a making-of featurette, scene breakdowns, and a couple of music videos. There is also a director's commentary track on the film in which Leterrier (who is definitely a fan of the franchise) breaks down the movie and its production. 

If you have seen the prior movies, this one is pretty much par for the course. You know what you are getting with the films at this point. A lot of action, much of it completely unrealistic and over-the-top, and okay (at best) writing and acting. Some stunts are so over-the-top that the only way to pull them off was to use CGI animation (which still looks like animation even if it gets better all the time). The theme of family, which has prevailed throughout the series, is really the only serious part of the movies. Everything else is done pretty tongue-in-cheek. It mixes action and comedy (mostly from Gibson, Ludacris, and Cena) with some drama. Momoa seemed to have a blast playing the bad guy in this movie, and if you watch the bonus content and listen to the commentary, you find out that he did almost all of his own stunts, including the motorcycle stunt driving. He was definitely the highlight of this installment. The movie ends on a major cliffhanger, and the final scene and mid-credits tag set up the involvement of more characters in what is planned to be the final movie in the series. Ultimately, if you have stuck with the franchise this far, this is worth checking out. If you have not liked the other movies, especially as the plots became more outrageous, this will probably not do much for you.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Frasier: Season 9

 

The 24-episode 9th season of Frasier aired during the 2001/2002 TV season. All of the series regulars returned for the 9th season. The show continues to primarily be a story-of-the-week procedural, with longer story arcs here and there, as well as callbacks to events in prior episodes. This season sees Niles and Daphne's relationship evolving, Frasier still trying to find someone, and Martin starting a new job. This season also includes the 200th episode, and the largest Cheers reunion to date, with the group going to Boston and inadvertently attending Cliff's retirement party (at a hotel instead of Cheers). John Ratzenberger, George Wendt, Rhea Pearlman, and Paul Wilson all reprise their roles during the episode. The guest stars this season include Bill Gates, Adam Arkin, Larry Gelbart, Allison Janney, Jennifer Jason Lee, Kristen Chenoweth, Brian Cox, Robert Picardo, Anthony LaPaglia, Millicent Martin, Wolfgang Puck, Bridgette Wilson, and Michael Keaton. Keaton plays Lillith's half-brother in a hilarious role. The guest callers this season include Scott Hamilton, Daryl Hannah, Olympia Dukakis, Keith Carradine, Naomi Judd, Freddie Prinze Jr., Andy Garcia, Pat Boone, Cherry Jones, and Anthony Edwards. The first episode, which aired two weeks after the 9/11 attacks, was dedicated to series creator David Angell and his wife, who were passengers on  Flight 11.

As of this writing, the blu-rays are only included in the complete series set. In that set, the episodes are spread over three discs, which are held in a keep case. The individual season DVD release is a four-disc set. There are no extras with this season's discs, but the episodes can be played with English captions. The A/V quality of the Blu-rays is good and is a definite upgrade from the DVDs. The only drawback is that the 200th episode special that was hosted by Bob Costas, in which he interviewed the cast and showed outtakes from throughout the series, was not included. 

While the series was getting a bit long in the tooth by season 9, the writers did a good job of mostly keeping it from getting stale. David Hyde Pierce and Jane Leeves continued to be the comedy standouts, but all of the cast members do a great job in their respective roles. There are still not as many scenes in the radio station as there were in the first few seasons, but they are mixed in here and there. Episode 21 was titled Cheerful Goodbyes, and was probably the best of the season (for those who were also fans of Cheers). It would have been nice if they could have set the episode at Cheers and been able to get Ted Danson and/or Woody Harrileson to appear as well, but Ratzenberger, Wendt, and Pearlman all stepped back into their characters wonderfully. Ultimately, if you are a fan of the series, this season, while not as great as the first few seasons, is worth checking out. 

Workout Update: Dig Deeper: Day 54

Day 54 was the final workout of Phase 2, Bis and Tris. The workout went well, and I was able to increase the weight I used from last week for a couple of the exercises. My form on triceps dips (and range of motion) is getting a lot better, which is nice since I have never been great at them. 

Workout Update: Dig Deeper: Day 53

Day 53 was the final shoulders, glutes, and abs workout of Phase 2. I was able to increase the amount of weight I used for two of the exercises, but had to hold them steady for the rest. However, shoulders are my weak spot, so that is not surprising. I do love being able to make use of "getting stuck"/reducing my range of motion, which allows me to use a little heavier weight to challenge myself and work on getting my shoulders stronger.

Workout Update: Dig Deeper: Day 52

Day 52 was my final leg workout of Phase 2. This is my favorite workout of the program so far, and it went very well. I actually increased the amount of weight I used for some of the exercises after the first set, which I rarely do during the workouts. So, my legs are absolutely getting stronger. And, my range of motion in the squats and lunges is getting better as I lose weight overall.  

Workout Update: Dig Deeper: Day 51

Day 51 was the final chest and back workout of Phase 2. As has been the case for the past few weeks, I could increase the weight for some exercises and used the same weight for others as I did last week. I did notice that the core-focused exercises, while still not easy for me, are getting easier.  

Workout Update: Dig Deeper: Day 50

Day 50 was the start of the final week of Phase 2 of Dig Deeper, which meant doing the total-body workout again. Even after 4 weeks, the workout is still challenging. I was able to increase the amount of weight I used from last week for a couple of the exercises. The last burnout round was pretty killer, with almost no breaks between exercises or sets. 

Workout Update: Dig Deeper: Days 48 and 49

Days 48 and 49 were the rest days for Dig Deeper. I still did my approximately two-mile morning walks and did some flexibility and mobility work each day. I did some foam rolling on Saturday and did the P90X stretch routine on Sunday. This upcoming week will be the last week of Phase 2 of Dig Deeper.

DVD/Movie Review: Fantasies

 

Fantasies is a 1981 film written and directed by John Derek. It starred Bo Derek (credited under the name Kathleen Collins when it was filmed) and Peter Hooten. The supporting cast includes Anna Alexiadis, Phaedon Georgitsis, Nikios Pashalidis, and Kostas Baladimas. The movie was actually Bo Derek's debut. It was filmed in Greece in 1973 and was titled Once Upon a Love, but was not widely released until 1981 after the movie 10, and an appearance in Playboy magazine made Bo a well-known star. She was about 17 years old when the movie was filmed and began a romantic relationship with John Derek (who was 30 years older than her) and eventually, in one of the most cringe-worthy Hollywood relationships, married him a few years later.

The DVD is a bare-bones release. The only extras are short filmography listings for John Derek, Bo Derek, and Peter Hooten. Otherwise, you just get the movie itself, and it does not play with captions. The film is absolutely awful. The writing and acting are horrible, and to the extent there is a plot, it plods along. In it, Bo and Hooten play Anastacia and Damir. Although Damir and Anastacia are not siblings, they grew up together in the same household after his parents died. He wants to revitalize the island where they live and make it into a tourist attraction, and she dreams of owning a fancy bathtub. The two start to have feelings for each other, despite considering themselves to be like brother and sister. They basically fight with each other through the entire movie while they are trying to figure out if they are in love. The movie does earn an R-rating as Bo Derek is nude a few times (although there are no sex scenes). Of course, the nudity would never be filmed today since she was 17 years old when the movie was made. Ultimately, the only thing this movie has going for it is that it was Bo Derek's first movie. While she was never considered a great actress, she was a big star during the 1980s, mostly because of her looks and willingness to take her clothes off in every movie. If you are looking for award-winning acting and writing, this does not have it. If you want to check it out for the sake of curiosity and accept it for what it is, it's worth watching but probably not one that you would return to much.

4k-UHD/Movie Review: Enter the Ninja

 

Enter the Ninja is the 1981 action film starring Franco Nero, Sho Kosugi, Susan George, Christopher George, Alex Courtney, and Constantine Gregory that arguably launched the resurgence of martial-arts movies in the 1980s, specifically the Ninja genre. It was the first of what is called the "Ninja Trilogy," consisting of this film, Revenge of the Ninja, and Ninja III: The Domination. This film has no ties to the other two films, aside from featuring real-life ninjitsu practitioner Sho Kosugi (although he plays different characters in each film). In this film, Nero plays an American who goes to Japan to study ninjitsu. Kosugi plays Hasegawa, a ninja whose family lineage traces back to the ancient samurai, and does not believe an American should be allowed to be trained as a ninja. The film opens with a massive fight scene, which we eventually find out is Cole's final test to become a ninja. Once he graduates, Cole goes to Manila to visit his old war buddy, Frank Landers, who owns a plantation and is being pressured to sell his land by a wealthy CEO named Charles Venarious (played by Christopher George). When Cole dispatches his goons with ease, Venarious hires a ninja (Hasegawa) to take Cole out. 

The 4k release is a two-disc set containing a UHD disc (which just contains the film) and a standard Blu-Ray, which contains the film and the bonus content. The A/V quality of the UHD disc is excellent, and it is an upgrade over prior releases. The bonus content includes a commentary track by film historians Mike Leeder and Arne Venema, and trailers for several other films, including Koshugi's other movies. 

The movie itself is very cheesy and not particularly well-written or acted. It very much has the feel of a low-budget action film with some cheesy comedy sprinkled in here and there. The commentary track is quite interesting as Leeder and Venema give a pretty good breakdown of the film's interesting production history, including the fact that martial artist (and the guy who broke up Elvis and Priscilla), Mike Stone, was originally supposed to play the role of Cole. However, when the producers found out that Franco Nero was in the Philippines, they offered him the role despite the fact that he had no martial arts experience (which absolutely shows when he is doing action scenes), and Stone was relegated to being his stunt double and the fight coordinator. Having Stone in the role would have at least made Cole look the part, as Nero was hilariously bad during the fight scenes and could not even do a proper front kick, much less do anything that came close to looking like a trained ninja. You can also tell the movie did not have anyone paying attention to continuity, because in the opening sequence alone Cole would have a bow and arrow in one scene, then have two swords, then have one sword and a dagger, then would magically have the bow and arrows again, only to have them disappear after shooting an arrow and starting to run without actually dropping the bow. And all the ninjas that it looks like Cole is killing during his test are magically okay despite being run through with a sword or having throwing stars stuck in their forehead.  

Of course, nothing in the movie is all that realistic, and it presents a very over-the-top and exaggerated representation of ninjutsu (which is a real style of martial arts). But it is not really a movie that you watch because you are looking for it to make sense, have great acting, or for the continuity. For many people who were kids in the 80s and into martial arts, this will absolutely be a blast from the past (even if you notice the flaws you did not notice then). Ultimately, if you can accept it for what it is, it is entertaining, even if it is in a Mystery Science Theater 3000  "so bad it's good" way and worth checking out in 4k. 

4k-UHD/Movie Review: The Fall Guy

 

The Fall Guy is the 2024 movie adaptation of the 1980s TV series. It was written by Drew Pearce and directed by David Leitch. It stars Ryan Gosling, Emily Blunt, Hannah Waddingham, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson in the leading roles. The supporting cast includes Winston Duke and Stephanie Hsu, and there are cameos by Jason Momoa and the stars of the TV series, Lee Majors and Heather Thomas. Gosling plays Colt Seavers, the stunt double of the world's most famous action star, Tom Ryder (played by Taylor-Johnson), and is dating camera operator Jody Moreno (played by Blunt). After he is injured performing a stunt, Colt shuts out everyone and works as a valet at a restaurant. He is convinced to return to stunt work to work on a major production directed by Jody and starring Ryder, arranged by the film's producer, Gail Meyer (played by Waddingham). He is led to believe that Jody asked for him, but when he arrives on set, he finds out there is a lot more to the story, as Jody has no idea he was hired, and Ryder has disappeared. 

The 4k set is a three-disc set, containing two UHD discs and a standard Blu-Ray.  One of the UHD discs (and the standard Blu-Ray) contains the theatrical version of the film and the bonus content. The second UHD disc contains the extended version of the movie (which adds about 20 minutes to the runtime). The only extra on that disc is a commentary track by the director and one of the producers. The A/V quality of the UHD discs is excellent, especially if you have a large screen and a Dolby Atmos surround system.  The bonus content includes commentary tracks on both versions of the film. It is actually the same commentary track on both versions of the movie, just with the discussions during the scenes added to the extended edition removed for the theatrical version's track. The commentary tracks provide a lot of good information on the movie's production, how some of the stunts were done, etc. The other bonus features (which total about an hour) include a gag reel, alternate takes, and several making-of and behind-the-scenes featurettes that vary in length from a few minutes to about 20 minutes. 

The movie is very good. It is a great blend of comedy and action, and it seems like everyone had fun making it. It is a movie about a movie as well as an ode to all the people who work behind-the-scenes on films. In fact, the "important" people are made to look the worst in the movie. Aaron Taylor-Johnson is awesome playing an awful character, who was basically written as a stereotypical Hollywood brat/prick, and Waddingham was great as the producer who enabled him. Gosling again proves that he can do comedy, especially deadpan comedy, and Blunt continued to show her range, incorporating action, drama, and comedy into her performance. It can definitely be a little cheesy and goofy (by design), and almost everything about the movie is over-the-top, but it works. Ultimately, if you are a fan of action-comedies, this is absolutely worth checking out.  

Workout Update: Dig Deeper: Day 47

Day 47 was the final workout of week three of Phase 2 in Dig Deeper: bis and tris. This is still a very challenging workout. I had to use the same weight I used last week for almost all of the exercises, but I did increase the weight for the last 3-minute burnout block, alternating the 90-degree rotations and triceps kickbacks. Going from 8 lbs (which was not exactly easy) to 10 felt like a huge jump, especially in the last minute. At the end of the night, I did the upper body foam rolling routine from 645, which helped loosen me up a bit.  

Workout Update: Dig Deeper: Day 46

Day 46 was the shoulders, glutes, and abs workout. This is a harder workout for me, but I challenged myself to increase the weight I used where I could and took advantage of "getting stuck" and not doing lateral raises through the full range of motion, which allowed me to use 15 lbs instead of 12. That burnout at the end is still killer, even with 3 lb weights, but the burn did not hit until I got to the very end, so I am going to try it using 5 lbs next week. 

Workout Update: Dig Deeper: Day 45

Day 45 was the legs workout. This is actually my favorite workout of the program so far. It is short, but challenging. I was able to increase the amount of weight I used for a couple of the exercises and will be able to increase the weight for others next week.