Workout Update: Power-90 Day 18

 Day 18 of Power 90 was the cardio and abs workout (with a bit of yoga mixed in). I was again able to make it through each portion. I am getting a bit more flexibility when it comes to the yoga moves (which is not saying a lot), but I am not having as much of an issue getting from downward dog into runner's lunge, crescent, and warrior as I was before (especially on my left side). I still have to modify during the cardio workout in a couple of spots (the cross hops and slowing down the jumping jacks in round two of that three-move cycle). And, I can do all 100 reps in ab-ripper 100 (but I do have to pause on a couple of moves, and my form is not superb on a couple where they can do moves with straight legs and mine are bent. But, I am improving, which is the name of the game. 

Workout Update: Power-90 Day17

 Day 17 was the sculpt 1-2 workout again. Nothing much to update with this one. My weight values all stayed the same, although I got close to the 15 rep max on a couple of exercises, so I will probably be able to increase the weights after my next workout on a few of the exercises. I was able to do a couple more chair dips (up to 20) with bent knees. I will post another update tomorrow, and at least one more product review over the weekend. 

Workout Update: Power-90 Day 16

 Day 16 was cardio and abs (and yoga), again. This time I skipped the stretch at the beginning and used the 4 minutes of yoga as a warmup, as the stretch does not really add much and does not a ton to warm you up. I did a lot better on the yoga than in the prior workouts, and am slowly but surely increasing my cardio stamina. I did have to slow down on the jumping jacks portion and (the jumping jacks into run in place, into run lunges is really the hardest part of the cardio portion for me), and still cannot do the full cross-hops (I do a jump skip), but I am getting closer. And, I was able to get through all 100 reps in ab-ripper, but did have to pause a couple of times. So, I am making progress. I still think I will be on track to switch to the 3-4 workouts after 45 days. I'll be back tomorrow for another update, and should have a new product review up soon.

Workout Update: Power-90 day 15

 Day 15 was the sculpt workout again. I was again able to increase the amount of weight on a couple of the exercises. Thankfully, keeping the weights lower so I max out at 15 reps has kept my elbow from hurting like it was last summer when I had tendonitis. And, even though I am doing high-reps low-weight resistance, I can tell that I am getting a bit stronger overall. Even the push-ups are getting easier, even though I still hate them. 

Workout Update: Power 90 Day 14

 Day 14 was a rest day. I did not end up doing T25 stretch which is my optional workout on a rest day. But, I did some house cleaning and organizing done so I was active. Overall, I feel good after two weeks of the program. It is definitely repetitive, given that you are just doing the same two workouts every other day, but it is doable. 

Workout Update: Power-90 Day 13

 Day 13 was cardio and abs again. I was better in both, as well as better at the 4 min yoga portion at the beginning. I still have to slow down in a couple spots during the workout and have to modify the cross hops, but overall, my endurance is getting better. 

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: Man of Steel

 

Man of Steel is a much better movie than it gets credit for being. I think it gets shit on by a lot of whiny comic book fans who would frankly never be satisfied with anything that deviates from the story they want to be told. This is, of course, the movie that launched the current version of the DC Cinematic Universe. It tells the origin story of Superman in a much different way than the 1978 film did, but still stayed true to the comic book mythology. Like the 1978 movie, this one starts out on Krypton, showing the planet in its last days, and setting up Zod, played by Michael Shannon, as the villain of the film. It has many of the same elements as the origin story we know, Jor-El (played by Russell Crowe) trying to convince the leadership of Krypton that the planet is doomed, Zod being sent to the phantom zone, and Jor-El and Lara (played by Ayelet Zurer) sending Kal to Earth.

Then the movie jumps to a time when Clark/Kal-El is an adult (played by Henry Cavill), working odd jobs as a drifter until he would be discovered helping someone and then have to move on. His childhood is told in flashbacks as he learns how to deal with powers like x-ray vision and super hearing, and learning to control them with the help of his Earth father and mother, Jonathan and Martha Kent (played by Kevin Costner and Diane Lane). So, for much of the movie, he is not Superman until Zod comes to Earth and threatens all of humanity. The movie is really about how he becomes Superman, which he fully is by the end of the movie. 

The movie was directed and produced by Zach Snyder (of 300 and Watchman fame) and as a result, has a much grittier feel than the original movies with Christopher Reeve or the Superman Returns reboot with Brandon Routh. This version of Superman is not the "big blue boy scout" but you can see that he has that in him. Lois (played by Amy Adams) is much wiser than any other version of the character and finds out pretty much immediately who Clark is and about his abilities. The rest of the cast is made up of very recognizable actors including Laurence Fishburne, Michael Kelley, Richard Schiff, Christopher Meloni, and Harry Lennix. 

For those who get the blu-ray set, there are three discs, two blu-rays, and one DVD. The first blu-ray disc and the DVD has the movie and about an hour's worth of behind-the-scenes and making-of material. The second Blu-ray disc has the movie with an in-movie mode in which clips from the cast and crew are interspersed throughout the movie explaining how various scenes were shot, how they approached making the movie or a particular scene in the movie, and the like. It adds about 30 additional minutes to the running time of the movie but is entertaining to watch. Then, there is a mockumentary made for the movie about Krypton and Kryptonian technology that was gleaned from the aftermath of the invasion. 

Overall, the movie is very good. Very well written and acted. Yes, it changed the origin story of the character a bit, but as I said above, it still stayed true to the overall mythology. Henry Cavill did a great job in the role, getting absolutely jacked for it, and totally pulled off the superhero look. He, wisely, did not try to mimic Christopher Reeve or any of the other actors that ever played the role. He made it his own and ran with it, as did Amy Adams with her version of Lois. Of course, the movie sets up the larger DC Cinematic Universe that would go on to include characters like Batman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, etc., but they really kept this a contained Superman movie. It was very well done and is definitely worth watching.

Book Review: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

 

The Goblet of Fire is the fourth book in the Harry Potter franchise. It is, by far, the longest up to that point, and overall, the second-longest of the series. So, for those who have only seen the movies, the novel has a lot more content and has a much different pace than the movie adaptation. The main storyline that was removed to make the movie was Hermonie's quest to liberate the house elves that work in Hogwart's kitchen. Also, there is a lot more backstory about the death eaters and about the events revealed at the end of the movie. Also, as I said, the pacing of the events in the book is a lot different than the movie. In the book, there is a lot more time devoted to the quidditch world cup and a pretty hilarious beginning in which the Weasleys come to Privet Drive to fetch Harry. The selection of the champions does not start until about 1/3 of the way into the book, and the tournament takes place with months between the tasks. There are also some things from the book (like how Harry gets the Gillyweed) that are changed from the novels, and things that were dropped altogether from earlier films (like Hermonie's teeth) are resolved in this book. And, there are a lot more to Rita Seeker and Hagrid's story arcs in the book than were shown in the movie. 

The book is a lot darker than the previous three novels. Of course, Rowling wrote them with the intention that the kids reading the books would age with the characters, so this one is more suitable for those in the 13-14-year-old range than those who are 10 years old. While the book is long, about 750 pages, it still reads fairly quickly like the other novels do. If you have good reading comprehension skills and read fairly quickly, you should be able to get through it in a week, give or take, depending on how much time you have to devote to reading. If you can devote a couple of days to it without stopping, you can probably finish it in that amount of time. 

Overall, the book is very good, and while technically a kid's book, can be enjoyed by kids, teens, and adults. Even those who were adults when the books first were published. The themes about good vs. evil, friendship, loyalty, and heroism are timeless and certainly have wide appeal. If you have only seen the movie and love it, you will probably love the book too, and get a much fuller version of the story. It is definitely worth the read.

Workout Update: Power-90 Day 12

 Day 12 was sculpt 1-2. Not much to report out this one except that I can tell that I am getting stronger at push-ups (very slowly). Push-ups, along with pull-ups are probably the resistance exercise I hate the most, especially doing "regular" (i.e., not on your knees) push-ups. But, they are coming along, and hopefully, by the time I get to p90x, I will easily be able to do 20-30 at a time. 

DVD/Workout Review: Yoga For Martial Arts

 

I originally got this DVD after I had taken a month-long beginning yoga class at a studio. I wanted a more inexpensive option to practice yoga, and because I was also in Taekwondo, this stood out to me as a good option. It really stresses moves that work on hamstring, hip, and lower-back flexibility. It is about an hour long, starting with moving asanas and then transitioning to more seated exercises.  There are two people in the video, one doing beginner to intermediate versions of the moves and one that does advanced versions, so if you are a beginner or just not super flexible, it is a good option. The only drawback is that the music can get a bit irritating after a while, but that is (at least for me) a minor issue. So, if you are looking for a good yoga workout on DVD, this is a good option.

Workout Update: Power-90 Day11

 Day 11 was another cardio and ab day. I was a bit tired going through the workout but managed not to take any unscheduled breaks. I am getting better at abs, but I am still very unsteady doing the yoga portion of the workout. Thankfully, it is short, so it is pretty easy to get through, unlike p90x yoga. I'm definitely making progress in the workout and I think will get to the point where I can get through the entire thing without stopping or modifying by the 45-day mark. Tonight is the sculpt workout again, so I will post another update tomorrow morning.

DVD Review: Chicago Fire Season 5

 

Chicago Fire is definitely a show that found what works and sticks with it. So, as in past seasons, it is mostly a procedural drama that intertwines several story arcs throughout the season. The two big arcs were Dawson and Casey's quest to adopt Louie, which as you can imagine does not go smoothly, and about 2/3 of the way into the season, a new love interest for Severide that has ties to Chicago Med. Then, of course, there is the "One Chicago" crossover. This season, the shows involved in the crossover were Fire (which was part 1), PD (which was part 2), and the newly minted yet short-lived Chicago Justice. Its premiere episode was part 3 of the crossover. While Chicago Med did not have a full episode during the crossover, a good portion of the first two parts were set in the hospital and many of the characters appeared. The season, yet again, ends on a major cliffhanger that sees many of the characters in life-threatening danger.

For those who get the DVDs, the only bonus features are the crossover episodes with PD and Justice (there are actually a couple of crossover episodes with PD this season). Unlike prior seasons there are no behind-the-scenes shorts for the episodes. So, if you only get the DVD sets when they have extras available, then you may want to just stream this (all the seasons are now available on Peacock, and I believe the episodes of the current/most recent season stream on Hulu) unless you are just getting them because you have the prior seasons on DVD.

Overall, the series is still well-written and as it has always been, well-acted. The cinematography is very good as well, giving a lot of good views of Chicago. The writers do a good job with balancing storylines for the large ensemble cast and make sure to give something for most of the secondary characters. They also pull off a good mix of action and drama with a bit of humor mixed in. It is definitely worth the watch.

Workout Update: Power-90 Day 10

 Day 10 was the sculpt workout. There was not much new to report. I was able to increase the weight on a couple of the exercises and held steady on the rest of them. I may start using some very light weights in the lunges and squats exercises at some point just to get some extra resistance on those, since, in Power 90 all the lower body exercises are done without weight (at least in the 1-2 and 3-4 workouts). I'll be back with another update tomorrow.

Workout Update: Power-90 day 9

 Day 9 was the cardio and abs workout again. I was again able to make it through the entire cardio portion without stopping, but I did have to slow down and still have to modify the cross-hops. I also got farther along in the ab-ripper 100 workout. I think I had to stop after 5 or 6 reps on three of the exercises but otherwise was able to struggle through the others. Abs have never been my strong suit, especially when I have a lot of fat around my middle like I do now. But, I am definitely progressing. Tonight will be the sculpt workout again, so I will be back tomorrow morning with another update.

Workout Update: Power-90 Day 8

 Day 8 was the start of week 2 of Power-90, which meant sculpt 1-2 again. As I said in prior posts, the workout is not too intense, which is good for getting back in shape. It is also pretty short, a little over a half-hour with the warm-up and cool-down. I am to the point where I could reach 15 reps without too much effort on some of the exercises so I will be increasing the weight on those. And, I am getting better range of motion on my push-ups, but I am still only doing about 12-14 "full" push-ups. So, I definitely have to improve there. I think I will be on a pretty good pace to switch to the 3-4 workouts after 45 days, which at this point is still the plan.

Workout Update: Power-90 Day 7

 Day 7 is a rest day in the Power-90 schedule. On my calendared schedule I have Sundays either being a rest day or doing a stretching workout like T25 stretch or p90x stretch. This week I decided to take a rest day and just recharge. I really did not have any soreness after the first week of workouts. I think that is partially due to the fact that I am doing low-weight, high-reps for the sculpt workout, and using a recovery drink after the workouts. Plus, the Power-90 workouts are not that intense, by design. So, I feel good going into week 2 of the program. 

Book Review: Body-Rx

  

Body Rx was a fitness and nutrition program released in 2001, right at the height of Body for Life's popularity, so much so that the creator of Body Rx, Scott Connelly was accused of "ripping off" Body For Life. Which was unfair for a couple of reasons. First, the programs are actually very different, even if there are some common themes (as there are in nearly all fitness and nutrition books), and Bill Phillips (the author of Body for Life) actually worked for Connelly's supplement company, Met-Rx, BEFORE he went out on his own and created EAS. So, the supplement product that Connelly discusses for all of one chapter in the book existed before Myoplex (EAS' meal replacement formula at the time) was ever a thing.

The main focus of the book is nutrition. Connelly has two main points regarding nutrition. First, eat more fiber, and by more, he means eventually eat a LOT of fiber. Second, do as much as you can to eliminate high fructose corn syrup from your diet. He calls it the worst kind of sugar you can consume, explains how it is creating a nation of diabetics, and points out how pervasive it is. He also (rightly) rails against the USDA's food pyramid as it existed at the time, specifically how it was so focused on lumping all fats together as "bad" that it had people eating minuscule amounts of protein and way too many refined carbs (which was also making people fat and contributing to the type-2 diabetes problem in the United States). 

His nutrition plan calls for eating a lot of protein, emphasizing lean protein, and a lot of fiber. The nutrition plan has three phases which gradually increase the amount of protein and fiber you consume. In the third phase of the program, you will be eating 60 grams of fiber and the amount of protein depends on your weight. Of course, if you try to eat 60 grams of fiber right out of the gate you will have horrible pain in your gut, so you have to build that up gradually. He breaks carbs down into three categories green (vegetables and other high-fiber content carbs), yellow (this is where most fruit and grains fall), and red (basically anything with little to no fiber and a lot of sugar, like sweets). There is no limit on the number of green carbs you can eat, but he sets limits on yellow and red carbs. The book is a bit confusing about yellow carbs. It is not clear if the number is a daily target or a limit. Years ago I was on a message board that Connelly would respond on from time to time, and he made clear that the yellow carb number is an UPPER LIMIT, that you do not have to hit daily, but should not go over. The only two numbers that he wanted people to hit every day were the protein and fiber numbers. 

In the workout portion of the program, he emphasizes weight training over cardio. He splits the weight workouts into 4 per week, three upper-body days (Chest & Biceps, Back & Triceps, and Shoulders & Abs), and one lower-body day. There is no built-in cardio (he basically says you can do it if you want to, but do not do the "cardio bunny" thing where you spend hours on the treadmill day after day). He advises mainly using cardio as a way to warm up and that is it. He also has you lifting as heavy as you safely can, emphasizing maxing out on the last reps in the last set. Because of this, the workouts are very hard to do at home (especially on lower body days). 

Overall, the book has some good advice, but is still a bit cookie cutter and may not work for everyone. If you do not want to do the very heavy lifting you probably do not want to eat as much protein as he suggests, because if you are not using it to repair your muscles, you will just pee it out. His advice on fiber and eliminating fructose is spot on. Even if you carb cycle (as I do) eating as much fiber as you can tolerate (utilizing green carbs) will not impact your low-carb days. I think the focus on the different phases, with muscle building in one phase (and preparing you for gaining some fat as well) and fat burning in a different phase (by cutting the amount of yellow and red carbs you are allowed), are good. It is definitely worth trying the program (with appropriate modifications for you) to see how it works. Just make sure you are not overeating yellow carbs. Even if you are allowed 300g of yellow carbs a day, if you are full after eating 150g of yellow carbs and hit your protein and fiber numbers, stop there. You are good. I think that will be the big key to a person's success (or lack thereof) with the program.

Workout Update: Power-90 Day 6

 Today was day 6 of Power-90, which meant the cardio 1-2 workout and ab-ripper 100. I can definitely tell that my endurance is increasing still as I did not have to slow down or modify as much as on day 1, and did not have to do that much during the cardio portion of the workout. The yoga was still a bit hard as my flexibility has gone down a lot the last couple of years, and I still have a lot of extra weight on my gut which, along with my lack of flexibility, makes yoga a bit of a pain. As for ab-ripper 100, I still have to stop toward the end of the workout, but I did get farther than I did on Thursday. So, I think after week 1 I am making progress. It is nice to be lifting weights again, even if they are fairly light. But, the hope is that my muscular endurance will be good enough by the end of the 90 days of Power-90 and the 8 weeks of the masters series workouts, that I can lift heavy in p90x without a problem. 

Workout Review: Living Arts/Gaiam - Pilates Mat Based Workouts for Beginners

 

This is a Pilates workout video that was released in the early 2000s. It is a very good core strength/flexibility workout that lasts about 40 minutes, with 10 minutes of instructions on how to breathe when doing the movements, proper form, and the like, then a 20-minute workout, and a 12-minute energy boost portion (which is a bit more cardio-based). The instructor, Ana Caban, does a good job guiding the workout and keeping it moving without making it too challenging for a beginner. If you are doing a program like p90x it is a good workout to do on the rest day, if you want to get some activity but not do something as intense as the regular workouts. Plus, you get to rotate in something different so you do not get bored. It is definitely something that you can get better at over time even if you do not have a strong core or a lot of flexibility to start out with. 

Workout Update: Power-90 Day 5

 Day 5 of Power-90 was the sculpt workout again. Even by the end of the week I am getting stronger and am almost to the point of bumping up the weight on a couple of the exercises. Overall, I like the workout. It is kept relatively short and, while it is challenging, especially if you are out of shape, it is not overwhelming like jumping into the more advanced workouts can be. 

Nutrition-wise, the carb cycling is going well. Even though I hate doing it, I dropped a couple more pounds this week. At this point, I have enough fat on me that I am more willing to pay attention to the scale weight than I will be as I get closer to my goal body-fat percentage. Thankfully, Friday and Saturday are my higher-carb days so I am not stuck eating a salad for lunch and eggs for dinner. I know I could branch out, but I find it easier to keep things simple on the low-carb days and can more easily keep track of my macros. 

Basically, the way I carb cycle is for two weeks I do low carb Monday-Thursday, higher carb lower fat on Friday and Saturday, then a free day (not necessarily cheat day, but if I am going to eat junk food this is the day that I will do it) on Sunday. Then I switch it up the next two weeks so I do low carb Monday and Tuesday, then Friday and Saturday. Higher Carb Tuesday and Wednesday, then the free day on Sunday. I do keep myself flexible with the free day so if I have some kind of get-together or something like that on a day other than Sunday, I can just switch the free day in, and not worry about if it is a low-carb day, higher-carb day, or whatever. I hate carb cycling, but I have dropped about 12 pounds in the past couple of months, doing it, and doing it gets me the most consistent results, so I endure it. 

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

 

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon was a surprise hit and award winner back in the early 2000s. It was a surprise hit in America (although not a box-office smash) because it was entirely in Chinese and subtitled in English (which I think worked a lot better than bad overdubbing would have). It starred Chow Yun Fat, Michelle Yeoh, and newcomer Zhang Ziyi, and was directed by Ang Lee. It is, in part, a love story, in part a quasi-supernatural martial arts movie, in part a revenge story. It centers around a stolen sword of destiny which is protected by Chow Yun Fat's character. He suspects there is more to the thief than meets the eye and tries, along with Yeoh's character to catch the thief.

The movie is set in the present (which is still really ancient China) and then interspersed with flashbacks telling the love story part of the movie. And, there are amazing action sequences interspersed that include a lot of high-flying wirework. It definitely helped that all of the actors playing the main characters has at least some martial arts training and ability.

The movie has been released several times, first, of course, on DVD, then on blu-ray, and it has been released on 4k UHD, although the transfer is apparently not that great in the latter. I have the blu-ray version of the film and it looks wonderful in that format, especially if you have a large screen to watch it on. The cinematography of the movie is top-notch and is right up there in quality with the action sequences.

The blu-ray extras include two commentary tracks on the move, a conversation with Michelle Yeoh, a making-of featurette, a photo gallery, trailers, and some BD-Live features (which can be accessed if your player can access the internet). So, a decent amount of material for people who like to go through the extras. 

Overall, it is a wonderful movie, especially for those who are into martial-arts action films. But, it is so much more than just that, so even if you are not a fan of the old Bruce Lee or Jackie Chan movies, which are what most people think of when they hear Chinese martial arts movies, you may still enjoy this one. I definitely recommend it.

Workout Update: Power 90 Day 4

 Yesterday was my second go-around with Sweat 1-2 and ab-ripper 100. The experience was pretty similar to the first time I did the workout on Tuesday, but I was a little bit more tired because I had not slept well the night before. So, I had to slow down a bit more during the cardio portion. Ab-ripper 100 was still kind of a bear to get through, but I just hope to progress well. I think my new plan for the program will be to do the 1-2 workouts for 45 days and the 2-3 workouts for 45 days before doing 8 weeks of the Masters Series workouts. That is, of course, if I feel ready to "graduate" from the 1-2 workouts by the 45-day mark. I think that will be the case, and am definitely making that my goal. Thankfully, today and tomorrow are higher carb days on my carb cycle, so I should have a bit more energy for the next couple of workouts. Thanks for reading, and hopefully more people will check the blog out on a regular basis again. I will be updating daily with the workout updates now, and will try to post 1 or 2 product reviews per day.

DVD/Movie Review: Charlie's Angels (Special Edition)

 

Charlie's Angels was a 2000 reboot of the 1970s TV Show. It starred Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, and Lucy Liu (as the titular angels), Bill Murray as Bosley, Tim Curry, Crispin Glover, Kelly Lynch, Luke Wilson, Sam Rockwell, and John Forsythe in a small cameo role. It is a movie that very much has tongue firmly planted in cheek. There is a lot of over-the-top action and some sexual innuendo. There is no nudity, just some tight outfits and cleavage shots (especially from Drew Barrymore). The movie is mostly an action film with a plot that is mostly there to have something to fill between the action sequences. It basically involves a plot to kidnap a software developer (played by Rockwell) which is really a plot to get Charlie (who, of course, is only heard, not seen). 

The DVD has a ton of extras including several behind-the-scenes and making-of features, a commentary track on the movie with director McG, deleted scenes, bloopers, production notes, trailers, and a couple of music videos. The movie has been released on blu-ray, but I am not sure if there are any new extras that were created just for the blu-ray. 

The movie is not great, but it is fun. That was really the point of it. It was never intended to be an award-winner and does not try to be. The movie's production was not without controversy because of the heat (or possible outright hatred) between Bill Murray and Lucy Liu, but that did not seem to bleed over into the movie itself. And, of course, because Barrymore was married to Tom Green at the time, you have to endure a few minutes of him, which is great if you find him funny. Not so much if he makes your ears and eyes bleed anything he is on screen. Overall, it is a good action movie, with a lot of so-so comedy in it. Some of the comedy is very good, and some of it is very bad. But, I do think it is worth checking out. 

Workout update: Power-90 Day 3

 Yesterday was day three of Power-90, the sculpt 1-2 workout. For at least the 1-2 portion of the program, I will do lower-weights, higher reps, and increasing weight only when I can do 15 reps without difficulty. This is because I want to get my muscular endurance up, and I want to avoid a recurrence of tendonitis in my elbow which happened the last time I was lifting heavy. The one thing I am not doing is modified versions of the push-ups. I am doing regular push-ups (using the power stands that came in the p90x 2 bundle back when that program was released) and going as deep as I can. In the sculpt 1-2 workouts, in the first circuit you do standard width push-ups, in the second circuit you do wide fly push-ups, and in the third circuit you do 7 wide, 7 narrow/triceps, and 7 standard width push-ups. I cannot go very deep with them yet, and max out at about 13 reps in the first two circuits. For the resistance exercises, I am using weight between 10 lbs (for shoulder flys) and 20 lbs (for things like Lawnmowers and heavy pants). 

I like the workouts, but it is definitely easy for these to get repetitive. I found the original p90x program repetitive and that one had a lot more variety than this program does. And, I am sure Tony's jokes will get very old by the time the 90 days is over. But, I think this is a lot better option for me right now than trying to jump right into p90x again. 

Product Review: Batman 4K Collection

 

This is, of course, the set of original Batman movies, (i.e. prior to the Nolan trilogy reboot) consisting of the two movies directed by Tim Burton and starring Michael Keaton, and the two Joel Schumacher movies which nearly killed off the franchise as a whole. The a/v quality of the 4k release is much improved for all the movies, especially over the DVD box set put out years ago. There are a ton of bonus features, the best of which, in my opinion, is the "Shadows of The Bat" feature which is a multi-part telling of the history of Batman, which spans across all the discs. There are also commentary tracks on each movie and a ton of behind-the-scenes and making-of features. I believe they are carried over

from the prior releases, both the prior DVD box set release, and the prior blu-ray releases, so the upgrade to 4k is really the only reason to get this set. For the people who despise Batman Forever, and/or Batman and Robin, you do have the option of purchasing the discs individually, so you do not have to pay for whatever movie(s) you do not want.

Batman (1989):

This is really the movie that reinvigorated the superhero genre since the Superman movies had puttered out with the release of Superman IV (which was pretty much the Batman & Robin of that series). Michael Keaton was a very controversial choice to play Batman, having a mostly comedy background, a lot of people did not think he could pull it off. Thankfully, the casting and lead-up were pre-internet trolling so the whining was kept to a minimum. Nevertheless, he did a great job in the role, especially playing Bruce with the right level of emotional turmoil. It was harder to buy him as Batman given 

that he really did not get into the kind of shape that actors in the superhero movies of today (at least some of them, e.g. Chris Evans) have to get into, but the suit did a pretty good job of disguising that.

The scene-stealer of the movie was, of course, Jack Nicholson, who played The Joker. He did, up until Heath Ledger, the best live-action Joker playing him with the right mix of sadistic and goofball. The remaining supporting cast included Kim Bassinger as Viki Vale, Rober Whul as reporter Alexander Knox, Billy Dee Williams as Harvey Dent (which would later be recast in Batman Forever), and Jack Palance as crime boss Carl Grisson. Michael Gough and Pat Hingle are the two constants throughout the pre-Nolan Trilogy movies, playing Alfred and Commissioner Gordon. It was in part an origin story for Bruce Wayne/Batman and in part an origin story for Joker, and a Batman vs. Joker for control of, vs. saving Gotham City. It did deviate from the story of the comics somewhat, which some people did not like, but I think the twists were fine. While it was somewhat of a formulaic plot,I think it was well written and acted, and overall a very enjoyable movie. Probably the best of the original run of Batman movies, although Batman Returns is a very close second. The extras for this set are all on the blu ray disc, and are as described above. Some that are specific to just this movie are the Robin sequence storyboard (which was considered, but ultimately dumped for this movie) voiced by Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill who were voicing Batman and Joker in the animated series at that point, three Prince music videos who contributed to the soundtrack, and the trailer for the movie.

Batman Returns (1992)

This is, of course, the sequel to the 1989 movie, and a heavily anticipated follow-up. It was the second, and sadly last, movie directed by Tim Burton, and with Michael Keaton in the role of Bruce Wayne/Batman. There were three villains this time, in the form of Penguin (played by Danny DeVito), Catwoman (played by Michelle Pfeiffer), and Max Schreck (played by Christopher Walken). The last of which was not a part of the comic books but solely made up for the movie. All three actors did a great job in their roles. Pfeiffer was all the more impressive as she was a last-minute addition to the cast since the role was supposed to go to Annette Benning, who got pregnant just before production started. It is a much more "adult" movie, with more violence and a ton of sexual innuendo. It was moving away from a "family-friendly" or "kid movie" genre, and ultimately led to Warner Brothers and Tim Burton splitting, seemingly amicably, and would ultimately lead to Keaton leaving the role (as he was only going to keep going if Burton was directing), and throwing the franchise into chaos.

The extras are much as for the first disc. All carryovers (including the original behind-the-scenes feature that aired on TV to promote the movie) from the prior DVD and blu-ray releases. The UHD disc just has the movie itself (and the commentary track on the movie). All the other extras are on the blu-ray. A lot of material, but nothing new for the UHD release, so the upgrade to 4k (which looks and sounds great) is the only reason to pick this up. 

Batman Forever (1995)

This is the movie that saw the turning point for the franchise, away from the darker version and tone that Tim Burton had set for the franchise with the first two movies, toward the more kid-friendly, almost campy return to the tone of the 1960s TV show, that would be completed in the horrible Batman and Robin a few years later. While Batman Forever was not a horrible movie, it just lacked any sense of continuity from the earlier films (aside from Alfred and Commissioner Gordon returning with the same actors). The look, the feel, and the tone of the franchise abruptly shifted, and ultimately started turning off the fanbase. That, of course, is said in a lot of hindsight knowing what was to come. When the movie opened, it was a huge hit (in large part because of Jim Carey's fame at the time, and the fact that the title song, Kiss From A Rose, became a major hit. I do think Val Kilmer did a fine job playing the duality of Bruce Wayne and Batman, and with Bruce being almost a neurotic loner who cannot stop being Batman.

The movie was really about the villains this time. Jim Carey was really at the height of his fame after leading in The Mask and Ace Ventura, playing The Riddler. He brought his hammy overacting that was really his hallmark at that point to the role, and for what Joel Schumacher was going for, it worked. Tommy Lee Jones did a good job with what he was given with Two-Face, but for some reason, the role was written more like The Joker than the Two-Face as written in The Animated Series or Nolan's trilogy, which worked much better (in my opinion). 

Like the other movies, the extras (aside from the commentary track) are all on the regular blu-ray disc and are all carryovers from prior releases. The movie does look and sound good on the UHD format, although I would not say the restoration was as great as it could have been (like the Matrix Trilogy was). The extras include behind-the-scenes and making-of features, as well as the trailer, and the music video for Kiss From a Rose. 

Batman & Robin (1997)

The best way to describe this movie is hot garbage. It took all the bad parts of Batman Forever, the bad writing, hokey overacting, stupid sound effects and jokes, the campiness, the glowing paint, etc., and dialed them up even farther. Honestly, nipples on the Batsuit, which got people all riled up about the movie back then were the least of the problems. It pretty much seemed like everyone involved in the movie was just going through the motions. Of course, it pretty well killed off the live-action Batman franchise until Christopher Nolan rebooted everything. Part of the movie's issue was that it was rushed into production to capitalize on the unexpected success of Batman Forever, but one of the biggest things that hurt the movie was yet another recasting of Batman/Bruce Wayne (in the behind-the-scenes material Val Kilmer and Joel Schumacher pretty much point the finger at each other for why he did not come back) and Clooney was just not the right fit for the role. I do, however, think the actors did the best they could with what they had (which was not much), but with the same story and script, no group of actors could have made the movie better.

The disc setup is the same as the other. The movie and a commentary track on the UHD disc, and all the extras (carried over from prior releases) on the regular blu-ray. The movie mostly looks great on the format although some of the special effects were really bad (this is pre-Matrix, Star Wars Prequels, and Harry Potter where special effects really took off) and the inadequacies are almost amplified on the in the higher-definition format. The extras are along the same lines as for the other movies, with a good amount of material.

Overall, whether you want to get this will really depend on how interested you are in upgrading to the 4k format. If you owned the DVD box set before, this is a big upgrade. Probably not as big of a jump from the blu-ray releases. Also, the movies are being released individually, so those who only want Batman and Batman Returns, without having to pay for the other two, can do so. 

Movie/DVD Review: The Cell (2000 version)

The Cell is a thriller and at times horror movie from back in 2000 starring Jennifer Lopez as a psychotherapist who has developed a way to enter the mind of patients. Vincent D'Onofrio plays a serial killer who is caught by an FBI agent played by Vince Vaughn. The FBI knows he has abducted a woman who will be dead soon if they do not locate her, and hire Lopez's character to enter the killer's mind in order to try and find where the victim is being held. What follows is a very trippy movie, with a lot of stunning visuals. Because most of the movie is set in the mind of the killer, the rules of the real world don't really apply, and the film makes good use of that fact. There is not a lot of gore in the movie (it is mostly a psychological thriller), but when there is, it is not for the squeamish. 

The movie has been re-released on disc several times on disc, including on blu-ray. I have the original DVD release, and for those who are looking at that, the extras include deleted scenes, cast and crew biographies, trailers, a couple of different commentary tracks on the movie, storyboard sequences, and a feature on the music. And, there are some DVD-ROM features if you play it on a computer.

Overall, the film is very well-written and acted.  D'Onofrio steals the show and definitely shows off his acting range. This is one of Lopez's best performances (I know that people tend to love her or hate her as an actress) in any of her movies, and Vaughn does a very good job in a role that is very different from the wise-cracking comedies he is known for. There is sexual content and nudity (mostly in the form of torture scenes as opposed to erotic scenes) and the movie just skirted getting an NC-17 rating. So, it is definitely not for everyone. But, if you are looking for an original thriller that is not at all cookie cutter, this is definitely a good movie to check out.

Workout Update: Power 90 Day 2; Sweat 1-2 and ab-ripper 100

 Yesterday I did the first cardio workout in Power 90, sweat 1-2, followed by the ab-ripper 100 workout. Sweat 1-2 starts out with a few minutes of stretching, a lot of which will be familiar to anyone who has done p90x. Then there is about 4 minutes worth of yoga. Basically working through a couple of modified asanas (plank, push up, upward dog, down dog, crescent, and warrior 1/2). Then you get into the cardio portion. It starts out with a knee lift series (three moves each for 30 seconds, then repeat). Then, there is a jumping jack, run in place, and run lunges (the same run lunges from the p90x warm-up sequences) combo, again each for 30 seconds, and then repeating without any rest. Then there is what Tony calls "x work" which uses a taped "X" on the floor (but it is really a cross-shape that creates 4 boxes to step/hop in). There is a series of hop steps in all four boxes, then you run in place for about 3 seconds in each box moving counter-clockwise, then you do hops diagonally from one of the front boxes into the rear box located diagonally from it, and repeat). 

Once you get through that portion you get a short water break, then go on to do a martial arts sequence. First, you do kicks, front kicks, knee kicks (which are just a modified knee thrust), and then what Tony calls side kicks but which are really front kicks in a back stance. Basically, they do not do any pivoting so no "real" roundhouse kicks or side kicks as you would do in Taekwondo or Karate. Then there is a punching sequence in which you do jab-cross and then hook-uppercut then do kind of a body blow (short punches that would be to a midsection). 

That ends the cardio portion of the workout. Then there is a short cool-down and stretch. Then you go into ab-ripper 100, which is a series of 10 ab moves (again some of which appear in a slightly different form in ab-ripper x in p90x). 

I found myself able to keep up in the cardio portion of the workout pretty well. I never had to take any unscheduled breaks, but I did have to slow down a couple of times and modify some of the jumping moves for a few reps. The harder part was the ab-ripper workout. Toward the end of the ab workout I could not finish all 10 reps on some of the exercises. But, I think I can make enough progress that I can move on to the 3-4 workouts after 30 or 45 days (at the latest). 

Overall, this is a very good, but scaled-down workout. The cardio portion combines the warm-up from p90x with a little bit of the Kenpo-x program mixed in. It is mostly low-impact, but does have a bit of jumping. The good thing is that Tony shows modifications that you can do if you need to. It is perfect for anyone who is starting out or, like myself, who has gotten out of shape and wants to get back in shape before tackling one of the more intense programs like p90x, Insanity, Body Beast, or the like. And, if you are wanting to go on and do p90x it introduces you to a lot of the moves you will see there. The one drawback I will point out is that, the two "helpers" that Tony has with him in this video sometimes have horrendous form, especially during the kicks and punching portions. They were very likely models who were cast because they were in good shape and looked good, but unlike later programs that used a test group and had many of those people in the workout videos so there were people who knew what they were doing, that is definitely not always the case in Power 90. But, if you watch what Tony is doing, you should be good.

DVD Review Chicago PD Season 3

The third season of Chicago PD picks up a short period of time down the line from the events of the season two finale in which Erin quits PD, and is spiraling out of control because of the death of Nadia. Voight placed her on furlough, and, as Sophia Bush had not left the show at that point, it is obvious that she came back. I will not, however, spoil exactly how they brought the character back into intelligence. Once that is resolved, the show pretty much picks up the weekly procedural format that it is known for, mainly a case-of-the-week format along with callbacks to prior storylines and larger arcs. 

This happened to be the season in which Chicago Med premiered and was brought into the fold, and as you can imagine, along with the three show (Fire, Med, and PD) crossover that occurred about a third of the way into the season, characters from Med and Fire made brief appearances in various episodes. In this first crossover, there was not a continuous storyline that ran through all three shows. The Fire portion of the crossover was set up the episode of Fire leading into the crossover night as a way to get the Fire characters to the hospital, and that arc bled into the Med portion of the crossover, and the Med episode then introduced the arc that was resolved in the PD hour. This season also had another crossover with Law and Order SVU to tie up the Greg Yates storyline from season two. And, the season had a backdoor pilot episode for Chicago Justice, the series that was greenlit to premiere the following season. The season ends on a pretty big cliffhanger that leaves Voight's character in a precarious spot.

For those who get the DVD set, the bonus features include behind-the-scenes featurettes for some, but not all, of the episodes, as well as the crossover episodes from the other shows (so the Med, Fire, and Law and Order SVU episodes of the respective crossovers). So, a decent amount, but not a ton of extras. 

Overall, the series continues to be well-written and acted. The show does a fairly good job giving all of the main characters good material to work with, and continues to develop the characters. It is definitely hard to juggle a large ensemble cast so not every character gets an in-depth storyline this season, but I did not feel that any character was ignored. So, if you enjoyed the first couple of seasons of the show, this one is definitely worth watching. 

Fitness Update: End of Insanity Max 30 (modified) and Start of Power 90

Today marked the start of my going back to (one of) the original programs in the Beachbody catalog, Power 90. It was the original workout program that Tony Horton put together for Beachbody back in the late 1990s/early 2000s and is the precursor workout to the wildly popular (even to this day) P90X, As I stated in my last fitness update post since I had been updating the blog regularly back in 2012, I have gained a lot of weight and become very out of shape. I never really stopped working out, but I was not working out as intensely, definitely became more sedentary as I was doing online school and working a full-time office job in which I was sitting in a chair most of the day. Then, of course, the covid pandemic hit, and working from home made it easier to be even more sedentary. 

So, over this past summer, I did very modified versions of T25 and Insanity Max 30 in order to get my cardio fitness up to a decent level. Since I had gained about 40 pounds, I could not do the jumping and had to modify even some of the modified moves. But, over the 8 weeks of Insanity Max 30, I went from maxing out at the 7:47 mark of the first workout "cardio challenge" to making it all the way through the last workout "Friday night fight round 2" only taking the scheduled breaks. I started carb cycling (which is the nutrition plan that works best for me) doing 4 low-carb days in which I eat high-protein, high-fat and low carbs, 2 days where I eat more carbs and less fat and a bit less protein, and one day in which I eat whatever I want. Doing that I have lost about 11 pounds the past couple of months.

Today I started Power 90, doing the sculpt 1-2 workout. For those not familiar with Power 90, the "main" program has 6 workouts. Sculpt 1-2 which is a full-body circuit resistance workout, sweat 1-2 which is a cardio workout, ab-ripper 100., then sculpt 3-4, sweat 3-4, and ab-ripper 200 which are really just longer versions of the 1-2 workouts. Anyone who has done P90X will recognize a lot of the same moves both in the sweat and sculpt workouts. In the sculpt workouts you are to do 8-12 reps. Tony does not make it clear (as he does in P90X) that you want to max out at 10 reps if you want to build muscle and max out at 15 reps if you are looking for muscle endurance and to go for a more lean look. He kinds of hints at that, but does not hammer the point home like he does repeatedly in P90X.

Power 90 is definitely not as structured or regimented as P90X, and as such does not have as regimented a workout schedule. Basically, you do the 1-2 workouts until you can get through them without struggling (I would say when you can get through the cardio workout and ab-ripper 100 without taking unscheduled breaks or modifying), then you move on to the 3-4 workouts. So, my plan is to do the 1-2 workouts for thirty days, then evaluate my progress. If I feel the need to stay with the 1-2 workouts I will re-evaluate at the end of each week and switch to the 3-4 workouts and do them for the remainder of the 90 days. Then I will do the "master series" workouts that were meant to bridge Power 90 and P90X for 8 weeks. This plan may change based on my progress, life events, etc., but that is the overall plan. Also, note that these workouts are NOT included with the Beachbody On-Demand (BOD) subscription or sold on the Beachbody website. P90, which is a similar, updated version of Power 90 that was released around the time P90X 3 was released is on BOD, but the original Power 90 workouts are only on DVD. If you want them these days you have to try to find them used on eBay or something like that. 

So, at the start of Power 90, my main stats are:

Weight: 224.9

Body Fat Percentage: 35.6% (approximate)

Waist Measurement: 49"

So needless to say, I have a long way to go, but I am determined to get there. I will update my workout progress daily and will update my stats at the end of the 90 days before I start the master's series workouts. As always, thanks for reading.

Book Review: The Memory Book

 

This is a relatively small book but has a lot of helpful information and tricks to improve memory, including memorizing lists of things, remembering the name of someone you just met, and other helpful real-world things that people tend to forget easily. Some of the tips are gimmicky, but not in a stupid way like some of the things that were hawked on infomercials back in the late 90s. While it is a fairly quick read, it is something that you have to use often to develop the skills within it. So, if you are looking to improve your memory without spending hundreds of dollars on supplements that may or may not work, this is definitely a good option for you.

Book Review: Star Wars - Poe Dameron: Freefall

 

Freefall tells the story of the early years of Poe Dameron as he was growing up and learning to be a pilot on his homeworld, Yavin 4.  Which was, of course, the moon where the rebels had their base in Episode IV. It is set sometime after Return of the Jedi, but the book does not really make clear how long after.  It basically plays on the storyline from The Rise Of Skywalker when Poe revealed he used to be a spice runner. The book details how he met Zorri Bliss (the character played by Kerri Russel in The Rise of Skywalker), and got mixed up with the spice runners. The book also details some of Zorri's background, and we find out the source of the tension between the two of them when her character was introduced in the movie. 

While this is a young-adult novel, it is long enough and written well enough that an adult can enjoy it too. The author does a good job staying true to the character that we see in the movies but also writing the character in such a way that he is not exactly as developed as he would be years later when he is introduced in The Force Awakens. It is not a difficult read, having a pretty simple story and only a handful of new characters, so it is pretty easy to follow. So, if you are a person who reads quickly it will probably take you a few days, give or take, depending on how much time you have to devote to reading, to get through it. It took me seven days to finish reading it for about half an hour before bed each night, then a couple of hours on a Saturday morning to finish it. 

Overall, it is a good story that provides some depth to the character of Poe, giving insight into who he was as a young adult. It also set up the possibility of other novels featuring Poe and/or Zorri in the future as there is still a lot of time between when this novel ends and when we meet the characters in the movies. If you collect all the canon novels then you will probably get this one automatically, but if you pick and choose which books to read, this one is definitely worth your time.

Movie/DVD Review: American Beauty (1999 release)

American Beauty is a wonderful movie about the dark side of suburbia, and that all that seems well on the outside is not always great on the inside, and what seems creepy on the outside, just really, sometimes, is. It stars Kevin Spacy as Lester Burnham, a middle-aged guy in a failing marriage who goes through a mid-life crisis after being laid off from his job (after managing to extort a great severance package), including buying a convertible, starting work at a fast food place, and trying to nail his high school daughter's best friend, a seemingly slutty cheerleader played by Mena Suvari. 

The writing and acting are both top-notch. It has a great ensemble cast with a mix of notable actors and newcomers including Annette Benning as Lester's wife Carolyn, Thora Birch playing Lester's daughter Jane, Wes Bently as Ricky the weird neighbor kid who videotapes almost everything and sells pot, Ricky's abusive and homophobic father played by Chris Cooper, and out of it mother played by Allison Janney. All of the cast members give great performances and the movie definitely deserved its best picture win.

The movie has been re-released on DVD and blu-ray over the years, but for those who get the 1999 original release on DVD, the extras include a commentary track on the movie by the director Sam Mendes and writer Alan Ball, a 22 minute behind the scenes featurette, storyboard sequences, cast and crew biographies and the theatrical trailer. Plus, there is some DVD-ROM content if you play it on a computer.

Overall, the movie is great. Of course, these days, there is the catch-22 of supporting Spacey who has numerous allegations of sexual misconduct against him and has basically been blackballed from Hollywood. Of course, he is still likely getting royalties from any sales of the movie, so any purchase does put money in his pocket, but it also supports the other people who made the movie what it was. Even though Spacey was clearly the star of the movie and the fact that he may be an asshole in real life, he was a great actor and his performance certainly did not entirely carry the movie. If you are looking for a great drama (and are one of the few who have not seen the movie yet, some 20 years later) it is definitely worth checking out.

Movie/DVD Review: Boogie Nights (1998 release)

 

Boogie Nights is a movie by Paul Thomas Anderson loosely based on the life of the late porn actor John Holmes who was huge (in more ways than one) back in the 1970s and early 1980s. The movie is fictional, but exposes both the glamourous and dark side of the porn industry, especially back then. It also is notable for having an all-star cast including Mark Wahlberg and Heather Grahm, whose movie careers basically took off after this movie, as well as Julianne Moore, William H. Macy, John C. Reily, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Don Cheadle, Alfred Molina, and real-life porn actress Nina Hartley. And, of course, the movie was notable for resurrecting the aging Burt Reynolds career. 

Wahlberg stars as Dirk Diggler, a guy who gets into porn basically because of having a huge dick which is mentioned many times during the movie but, because this was still a mainstream movie, is not shown until the very end when Wahlberg sports a prosthetic. He skyrockets to fame in the porn industry, but as many porn actors and actresses have done, got into drugs and alcohol, which detailed his career and almost takes his life. So, the movie is really about his rise to fame, downfall, and toward the end of the movie becomes a comeback story. 

The movie is extremely well written and acted. Of course, because it is about the porn industry, there is a lot of nudity, mainly from Moore and Graham, who famously, as Rollergirl, was fully nude (aside from a pair of skates) in Dirk's audition. Nina Hartley is also nude a lot as the wife of one of the crew members and has sex with everyone but him. There is also an element of the struggle of adult performers to leave the business and try to lead normal lives once they age out or don't want to do it anymore. 

For those who get the DVD, the extras include deleted scenes (about 23 minutes worth), a commentary track on the film from Paul Thomas Anderson, a music video, cast biographies as well as fictional biographies for the characters in the movie. The movie has been released a couple of different times on DVD and has a blu-ray release with more extras than what are on this one, but even so, this is a decent amount for those who like watching the bonus material.

Overall, the movie is very good. It was nominated for a bunch of awards, and the nominations were well deserved. Of course, you have to be comfortable with the subject matter, a lot of nudity, as well as violence and swearing. So if that turns you off to a movie, then this is not for you. But, if you are looking for a well acted drama and don't mind some dark subject matter, this is worth checking out.

Movie/Blu-Ray Review: Revenge of the Ninja

 

This is the second movie in the well-known (at least if you were into martial arts in the 1980s) trilogy of ninja movies released by the Cannon Group/Golan Globus productions that starred real-life ninjutsu practitioner Sho Kosugi. It was a trilogy in name only as none of the movies were interconnected, and Kosugi played different characters in each.

In this one, he plays a Japanese immigrant to America. At the beginning of the movie, his family (save for his mother and newborn son) are killed by a ninja hit squad. He movies to the US opening a gallery that imports Japanese dolls, with the help of an American partner, who turns out to be an evil mask-wearing ninja.

This is definitely an 80s B-movie and has that feel, including the racist stereotypes (basically the over-the-top Italian mobsters and the hatchet-wielding Indian), the hot damsel in distress, and some nudity. What passed for the local gang hanging out in the park was downright hilarious though. They looked more like the Village People than a threatening gang. 

The movie has been around long enough that it has been released on VHS, DVD, and blu-ray (in 2015). The blu-ray version had some extras including a commentary track with the director and stunt coordinator, the trailer, an intro by the director, and a stills gallery.

Overall, the movie is enjoyable if you take it for what it is. A B-level, totally unrealistic action movie. It does have some very good action/fight sequences. Kosugi was a very accomplished martial artist. Arthur Roberts, who played the evil ninja, not so much. But during the action scenes, he was mostly replaced by a stunt performer, which worked since he wore a mask (in addition to the ninja mask). If you do not expect award-winning acting or writing and want to watch a decent, but now out of date, action film, this is a good choice.

Movie/Blu-Ray Review: Ninja III: The Domination

 

Ninja III is the third in the trilogy of ninja movies put out in the 1980s by the Cannon Group/ Golan Globus production company starring real-life ninjutsu practitioner Sho Kosugi. Interestingly enough, this was the same production group that would try, and astonishingly fail to produce Superman IV a few years after this was made  The "ninja trilogy" is only called a trilogy because there were three movies, Enter The Ninja, Revenge of the Ninja, and Ninja III, but they are not a trilogy in the way people typically think of. The plotlines are not connected in any way, and Kosugi plays different characters in each one. 

Ninja III starts out with a major action sequence in which an evil ninja assassinates some high-ranking and seemingly well-protected individual on a golf course. The ninja ends up being chased by and shot multiple times by an entire police force. As he escapes he transfers his essence to a telephone company worker, played by Lucinda Dickey, and she then proceeds to take revenge on all of the cops. Kosugi enters the picture about a third of the way into the movie as the good ninja trying to stop her. 

Chances are if you were a kid in the 1980s and were in any way into martial arts you loved this movie and watched it anytime it was on TV.  It used to be a Saturday or Sunday afternoon staple on the local stations that played old TV shows in syndication, but I have not seen it on TV in years. So, if you are a fan of the movie this is really the only way to see it anymore. 

There have been many different versions of the movie after the years on physical media. I am old enough to have owned it on VHS, then picked up the 2013 blu-ray version. That one has a few special features including the trailer and a commentary track from the director and the stunt coordinator. It is a good listen if you like listening to commentary tracks and gives a lot of insight into how the movie was made with all practical stunts, and how the director used the movie Poltergeist as an inspiration. There is also a 2018 collectors edition on blu-ray that has a much-upgraded video transfer and interviews with main cast members Lucinda Dickey and Jordan Bennet. 

You definitely have to suspend your disbelief when watching the movie and accept that it is not an award winner. It is definitely a B-Level movie, and is, as many 1980s B movies are, very cheesy. It does not really try to be more than it is, and at right around an hour and a half, is not too long.  But, as an action movie, it holds up fairly well, as long as you accept it for what it is.

Book Review: Darth Maul (Star Wars Episode I Journal # 3)

 

This is one of a set of kid's books that were released around the time of the Phantom Menace movie that fleshed out the storylines of the characters. There was one from Anakin's point of view, one from Padme's point of view, and one from Maul's point of view. This actually details Maul's journey from shortly before the events of the movie up to the point he goes off to duel Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon. It is a very quick read, and while it is a kid's book, definitely enjoyable for an adult. And, while it is now considered a "Legends" book, there is really nothing in it that conflicts with the canon material. Given that Maul was one of the best parts of the movie (if not the best part), and he got such little screen time, this does a good job of fleshing out the character and detailing what he was thinking as everything was going on.

Product Review: Tae-Bo workout

 

Tae-Bo was a hot new home workout phenomenon back in the early 2000s. I am not sure that it ever reached P90x levels of popularity, but it was definitely the hot informercial-based workout of its time. It is old enough that it was actually released on VHS and DVD. 

The workouts are a combination of martial arts (taekwondo) and boxing, hence the name. There are four workouts. A basics/instructional workout Tae-Bo: Instructional, that lays out the movements you need to successfully complete a workout.The Tae-Bo: Basics workout is a 27-minute workout (5 minutes of warm-up, 18 minutes of Tae-Bo, and 4 minutes of cool-down). 

Once you can get through the basics workout, then you can move on to Tae-Bo Advanced. The advanced workout is a 57-minute workout that also, In addition to the short warm-up, the cool-down, and the 30 minutes of Tae-Bo, also includes 18 minutes of ab work.

Finally, for when you are short on time, there is a compacted 8-minute workout that ends up being 14 minutes long when you include warm-up and cool-down. Even though it is short, it is just as intense as the other workouts. 

Overall, I would say this is a good workout to pair with something else. It is pretty much just cardio and abs, so if you like lifting weights it is not going to be a complete workout program. Blanks does have an uplifting attitude and does the entire workout all-out showing he can clearly do his own workout. I do think if you are going to do at-home workouts it is good to have a good mix of options to keep yourself from getting bored and keep your body from adapting. It is definitely a good option to add to your workout mix. 

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 Hello,

It has been a while since I have posted regularly. As you can see I started adding product reviews (mostly things I have purchased from Amazon) but I will continue the health and fitness updates that this blog started as. From 2012 to now my life has been crazy in good and bad ways. I went back to school to get another undergrad degree, while I was still working full time. I was doing online school way before Covid-19 made it a thing. The degree allowed me to get a great new job, which I thought would free up some of my time since I would not be working and doing school at the same time, but then I became a caregiver to a parent with multiple health issues (and also kind of adopted my mom's dog in the process). And, of course, started working from home during covid when that broke out, and last summer lived through a renovation of my townhouse that was supposed to last 4-5weeks and ended up lasting 4+ months. During that time I basically was living in one room of my townhouse, which was made even worse because I could not go anywhere. During all that I became very sedentary, was eating like crap, and got very out of shape.

So, now I am in the process of working my way back into shape. I am eating better and working out again. I did a VERY modified version of Insanity Max 30 and starting next week, and going back to the OG of OG workouts, Power 90. Not P90, but the original Power 90 workouts that were released in the early 2000s before P90x. They were the workouts that were the lead-in to the original P90x program. So, I plan on doing 90 days of the base program, doing a muscle endurance version (light weights for 12-15 reps), then 8 weeks of the "Masters Series workouts" which were a transition between base workouts and P90X, then I am going to do P90X and P90X plus (hopefully back-to-back). I am hoping that can get me where I want to be fitness-wise because got as out of shape as I have ever been. Part of me wants to just start lifting heavy again, but I tried that last fall and ended up with tendonitis in my elbow, so I am going to gradually build my strength up during the Power 90 workouts so I can lift heavy when I get to P90x. Thankfully, as part of my townhouse renovation, I was able to finish my basement and have a pretty good second living room/workout area down there.

On a side note, I am no longer doing Beachbody coaching. Not because I do not believe in the workouts or products, but doing sales of any kind does not fit my personality and I was never any good at it. But, if anyone has questions, you can email me, or comment (if you subscribe to the blog) and I will do my best to answer you. Otherwise, enjoy, and I will post updates on my progress along with the product reviews.

Movie/DVD Review: The Sixth Sense

The Sixth Sense was the second movie by M. Night Shyamalan but was really his breakout hit, mainly because he was able to cast Bruce Willis in a role that was 180 degrees from the character he played in the Die Hard franchise. It stars the aforementioned Willis as a child psychologist named Malcolm Crowe who starts counseling a young boy named Cole (played by Haley Joel Osment) who is acting out both at home and school, much to the distress of his mother (played by Toni Collette). Cole eventually confides a secret to Malcolm, and Malcolm tries to figure out how to help Cole, while also trying to get ahold of his personal life with his estranged wife (played by Olivia Williams).

As I said above the movie was a complete reversal from the action roles that Willis was most well-known for, and really showed off his acting range. At that point, he was entering the "aging action star" phase of his career, so this role was a good way for him to branch out. Osment shined in his first major acting role and brought a gravitas to the screen despite being so young. He had to pull off being scared, angry, worried, and happy, and make it all believable. Of course, as most know by now there is a twist ending that Shyamalan has made a staple of pretty much every movie he has done subsequent to this one. While I think some of them have gone overboard, this one was done perfectly and set up in a subtle enough way that it could be surprising to many people but still seem obvious. 

For those who get the original DVD release, the extras include several featurettes on the cast, the music, and the storyboarding process. It also has deleted scenes, a conversation with the director, and the trailer. A decent amount for those who like the bonus material but not hours of material.

Overall, the movie is well written and wonderfully acted. It was a totally original story at the time it was released, and it still holds up 20 years on as a great movie, even if most people know the ending now. If you have not seen it, try to stay spoiler-free and enjoy. If you have seen it, it is definitely worth revisiting from time to time.

Movie/VHS Review: Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace

By now, The Phantom Menace has been around long enough that anyone who is a fan of Star Wars knows if they love it, hate it, or are lukewarm to it. It was when it was released, the first new Star Wars movie released in 16 years, Star Wars fans were not entirely sure after Return of the Jedi if there was ever going to be another Star Wars film, and George Lucas was always kind of wishy-washy about whether he was going to make more movies. When the trailer was released fans went apeshit, but when the actual movie was released, reactions were mixed, to say the least.

As most know, Episode I tells Anakin Skywalker's origin story as well as details how Palpatine (who at this point in the story is a senator from the planet of Naboo) rose to power. Lucas made the controversial decision to show Anakin as a nine-year-old and casting an unknown child actor (Jake Lloyd) in the role. The rest of the cast was fleshed out with more well-known (e.g., Natalie Portman as Queen Amidala/Padme), and very well-known (e.g., Liam Neeson, Ewan McGregor, Terrance Stamp, Samuel L. Jackson) actors. A fun fact, a young Kiera Knightly played one of Padme's handmaidens in the movie (a role she barely remembers). Of course, Anakin and Padme would eventually marry and have Luke and Leia. Portman was still very young (16 years old) when the movie was filmed, but she was more accomplished than Lloyd at that point in her career.

The movie does suffer from a lot of things that Lucas has always been criticized for. Namely, his inability to write good dialogue, being more concerned with action scenes than anything else, and coming up with characters geared too much to kids. Yes, Jar Jar was an irritating character, yes, the dialogue can be schlocky,  and yes, the movie suffers from being so special effect driven that it looks very little like the original movies despite being set thirty years before the original movies. Basically, the entire movie was filmed in front of giant blue or green screens and sometimes actors in the same scene were not even in the same place when the scenes were filmed (which reportedly pissed Terrance Stamp off a lot because he only did the movie because he wanted to work with Natalie Portman). Lucas counters these criticisms with the fact that the original movies never looked the way he wanted them to because the special effects technology was limited when they were made, and especially for A New Hope, his budget was limited. And, that the original movies were kids movies, which is why he included the Gungans and Jar Jar in particular.

The best part of the movie for me was Darth Maul (played by Ray Park), and the lightsaber duel at the end of the movie. And of course, John Williams' awesome score. The visual effects were awesome, and we got to see a lot more of the Star Wars universe than we saw in the original trilogy movies. And, for those of us who grew up with the original movies, there is a nice touch of nostalgia with characters like Jabba The Hutt, C-3P0, R2D2, Yoda, and The Emperor.

The movie is old enough that it was originally released on VHS, and this set, if you can get ahold of one, also included a behind-the-scenes documentary, a 48-page collector's book excerpted from The Art of Star Wars Episode I - The Phantom Menace, and a 35mm filmstrip mounted in plastic. Given that the movie has been re-released on DVD, Blu-Ray, and 4K Blu Ray, and streams on Disney +, there is really no reason to get this set unless you really want the collectible stuff. 

I always thought the movie got a bad rep. I saw it in the theater about 20 times back in 1999, mainly to see the lightsaber duel at the end on the big screen as many times as I could. It is definitely not as good as The Empire Strikes Back, or even Rogue One, and I do think some of the criticisms are valid. But, it is clearly setting up the larger story that Lucas wanted to tell in the prequels and thus could not tell every part of the story that people really wanted to see. Realistically, given how much anticipation there was for the movie's release, it was never going to satisfy everyone (given that none of the movies released since TPM has accomplished that, it is not surprising), but it definitely has its place in the overall story arc.

Music/CD/Album Review: Johnny Mathis - Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas is a great holiday album. It was first released in 1959 with a mix of the very old, traditional Christmas songs (like O Holy Night, The First Noel, and Silent Night) as well as songs that are now old classics (like Winter Wonderland, The Christmas Song, White Christmas, and Silver Bells), but were still relatively new at the time, and were made famous during the "crooner" era which Mathis was definitely a part of. The last couple of songs (depending on what edition of the album you get) are not really classic songs but good nevertheless.

All of the classic, well-known songs on the album have very traditional arrangements (which I definitely like) and showcase Mathis' great voice. It is a great album to listen to on its own or to use as a part of a Christmas song playlist. If you are a fan of Christmas music, especially traditional songs, it is definitely one of the must-have albums. 

Movie/DVD Review: Dick (1999 Release)

Dick is a late 1990s movie starring Kirsten Dunst and Michelle Willams, that spoofed the Watergate controversy that brought down Richard Nixon. The basic concept is that, while on a high-school field trip to the White House Betsy (played by Dunst) and Arlene (played by Williams) accidentally see papers being shredded. Thinking that they know something more than they really do, Nixon (played wonderfully by Dan Heyada) offers them a job as official dog walkers for Checkers, the Nixon's dog in the White House. Of course, this totally backfires on him as when the girls see him being mean to the dog, they almost inadvertently take him down by feeding information to Woodward (played by Will Farrell) and Bernstein (played by Bruce McCulloch).

As I said above, the movie is a spoof of real-life events, with a lot of stuff made up for the movie. It basically plays like a long SNL skit, never trying to be historically accurate or taking itself too seriously. It is a very tongue-in-cheek movie that makes fun of pretty much everyone involved in Watergate, including the "good guys". Because of that it really does not come across as politically biased, although if made today, it more than likely would spark rage on the political right. 

For those who have not upgraded to Blu-Ray and look to get the original DVD release, the extras include a commentary track on the movie with the director and writer, deleted scenes, a gag reel, a making-of featurette, the theatrical trailer, and an isolated music soundtrack. I good amount of material for those who like watching the bonus features.

Overall, the movie is very good, and as I said above, does not take itself too seriously. The acting and writing are great, and it features a great 1970s soundtrack. I am not sure if it is streaming on any of the major streaming services, but if you like the movie or generally like comedies that spoof current or historical events, and prefer physical discs to streaming, then this is a good pickup.