DVD/TV Series Review: Limitless

 

Limitless was mostly an adaptation, but partly a continuation of the movie of the same name starring Bradley Cooper. Like the movie, the premise of the series is based on the myth that humans only access 10 percent of their brain's power which can be expanded by taking a nootropic drug called NZT-48, which unlocks the full potential of the human mind. Jake McDorman, who up to this point in his career played character parts in either guest starring or recurring roles on series like Shameless and House, had been a series lead in a few short-lived relatively unknown shows, as well as having a few movie credits under his belt, plays Brian Finch, a 28-year old musician who has to take odd jobs to keep himself afloat. He is mainly a slacker with little direction in his life. He is given NZT and for 12 hours becomes incredibly smart, with perfect recall, and is able to solve any problem. In the pilot, he becomes the suspect in a murder investigation and uses NZT to figure out who the real murderer is. Cooper reprises his role from the movie, Eddie Mora, as a recurring character, who is a senator with presidential aspirations. He provides Brian with a shot that counteracts the devastating side effects of NZT, and Brian ends up becoming a consultant for the FBI working with Special Agent Rebecca Harris (played by Dexter's Jennifer Carpenter, in her first big role after Dexter ended) and Special Agent Spelman Boyle (played by Hill Harper) who is less than enthused to have Brian as a consultant. Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio plays FBI Special Agent in Charge Nasreen "Naz" Poura, who assigns missions to the team.

The series is definitely a bit uneven, and it took a while to really find its footing. Early in the season, episodes included more of Brian's family, played by Ron Rifkin (of Alias) as Brian's father, Blair Brown (from Fringe) as Brian's mother, and Megan Guinan as Brian's sister, Rachel. About halfway through the season, the series shifted to focusing a lot less on Brian's personal life (mainly because of the backlash from viewers over the recreational use of marijuana by Brian and Rachel) and focused almost exclusively on the FBI cases. Cooper made a handful of appearances throughout the season but did not have as large a role in the show as the previews for the series made it seem, I think the fact that Cooper did not have a larger part in the show ultimately hurt the show in the long run.

For those who get the DVD set (the series only got a DVD physical media release), the extras include series promos, a handful of behind-the-scenes featurettes, a commentary track on the episode Headquarters!, and a gag reel. A decent amount for a series that only lasted one season.

Overall, the series is very good, despite the rougher start when the series was trying to figure out if it wanted to be a straight drama or more of a blended drama and comedy. It was mostly a case-of-the-week procedural crime drama but also had some serial storylines. The acting was great, especially once a single tone was picked, and all of the characters (even the ancillary ones) were given good material to work with. The series, thankfully, does not end on a total cliffhanger, but it ended in a way that was definitely setting up a second season that would ultimately never come. So, if you watch it and get into it, you may be disappointed that not everything gets resolved by the end. That said, it is still a very good series that is worth watching.

Book Review: Star Wars: Aftermath - Empire's End

 

The Aftermath trilogy of books, of which this is the third and final entry, were the original novels set after the events of Return of the Jedi, although not immediately after when the Republic is trying to mop up what is left of the Empire. This novel picks up where Life Debt left off, after the attack on the Republic during the supposed peace talks that Admiral Sloane was framed for having caused. Sloane and Brentin Wexley (Norra's husband) track Gallius Rax to Jakku, the same Jakku where we meet Rey in The Force Awakens, and we eventually see the battle of Jakku which ended the Empire as it was, and before it transitioned to the First Order.

This novel actually has a lot of tie-ins to the sequel trilogy, later novels (such as the Thrawn trilogy), and even a couple of nods to the Legends novels, that may not be apparent on the first reading. And, we actually learn of Jar Jar Binks' fate (for those who care) in one of the interlude chapters. The book still suffers from what the first two novels did, specifically, focusing too much on the new characters and not enough on the legacy characters. Luke was barely in the Aftermath trilogy at all, and Han, Leia, and Chewie were used very sparingly. Making Norra Wexley and her crew the main characters in the trilogy was a choice that irked a lot of people, especially when only Snap had a role in the sequel trilogy of movies, and his role was relatively minor at that. That said, the book has a lot of good action, especially during the battle of Jakku, and does pack an emotional punch. The big takeaway from the book is the fact that the Emperor had plans that lasted beyond his death and it involves the wild space/unknown regions out beyond the outer rim and that is where the remnants of the Empire will regroup to form the First Order.

Overall, I think this is probably the strongest book in the Aftermath trilogy. It would have been better if Luke had been involved in the battle of Jakku, and all of the legacy characters had been more involved in general. That said, it is still worth reading even if it is not one of the novels that you might read over and over.

Product Review: Lifeline Pull Up Revolution Assistance System

 

This is a pull-up assist that is useful for people doing home workout programs like P90x who can kind of do a pull-up or can do 1 or 2 unassisted pull-ups, and want to be able to do more. It is not for a total beginner who cannot even get halfway through a pull-up, however, as it can only support so much weight, even at the shortest length. The shorter the length you have the more it assists and the longer the less assistance you get.

This uses bands that are mounted into the center which provide the assistance, and then you adjust the length of the strap to get more or less assistance from the bands. The bands seem to be good quality and I have not had one snap on me as I did with the P90x pull-up assist that was put out by Beachbody. The only thing that I would say could be better is the clip/u-shaped hook part that goes over the bar. It is plastic and people have had that piece break on them. It would be better if that was metal. Aside from that, however, I definitely think this is a good piece of equipment that can help you get to the point where you can do unassisted pull-ups.

Workout Update: Insanity Max 30/Chalean Extreme/Body Beast/P90X Hybrid Day Round 2 Day 1

Day one of round two was the cardio challenge workout from Max 30. This time I do as many unmodified moves (at least one rep) for each exercise. It was definitely humbling to do the unmodified moves because I would have maxed out during the warm-up. That gives you an idea of how much easier the modified versions of the moves can be.  The workout (and really all the workouts in Max 30) has a ton of jumping-jack-based moves which definitely tire me out very quickly. So, it was humbling starting over. But, I was able to make it 11-minutes into the workout by switching from unmodified to modified until I was totally gassed. I was able to do at least a few unmodified versions of every move before I had to switch to the modified moves. Hopefully, once I get to round three I can do unmodified moves the entire time. We will see how that goes though.

Workout Update: Insanity Max 30/Chalean Extreme/Body Beast/P90X Hybrid Day 56

Day 56 was the last day of the first round of the Hybrid work out which was the Body Beast back and biceps workout again. This workout is pretty tough and has a big cardio effect because you go from exercise to exercise with little rest in between. It is not as cardio-intensive as the Insanity workouts, of course, but for a resistance workout, it does a good job in that context.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: The Girlfriend Experience Season 1

 

The Girlfriend Experience is a series adapted from the movie of the same name directed by Steven Soderbergh. Soderbergh serves as a producer on the series, the first season of which starred Riley Keough as Christine, a second-year law student in Chicago who is also clerking at a large patent litigation firm. She is having trouble juggling life as a law student and law clerk (which is definitely a real thing) and expenses (which is not as much a real thing for even a law clerk doing patent litigation at a large Chicago law firm), and decides, after a discussion with a friend to start working as a high-end escort. This is really where you have to suspend your disbelief as there is no way that any law student clerking in a litigation firm would ever have time to also work as an escort, although the show does write in the fact that she has a hard time juggling everything. Plus, if a law student were to get caught being an illegal escort, they would never even be able to sit for the bar exam, much less be allowed to practice law.

The story is essentially about Christine's highs and lows as an escort, as she loves the money she gets and the lifestyle it affords, but unravels as she has to deal with clients pushing boundaries, and the effect it is having on her school and job. As the series evolves, she becomes less and less likable, and by the end, it is hard to have any sympathy for the character as she just becomes outright manipulative. Keough (who of course is Elvis Pressley's granddaughter) does a good job in the role, but she is definitely not the greatest actress ever. She could definitely be a bit wooden in this role (although I do think that was, at least to some extent, how the character was written), but she gets better as the character of Christine unravels.

For those who get the blu-ray set, there are a few very short (two minutes or less) behind-the-scenes featurettes. There are no commentary tracks on any episodes, deleted scenes, or the like. The show looks great in HD, with some really good shots of the city.

Overall, the season is very good. There is, of course, a lot of sex and nudity in the show (much more than was actually in the movie) so it is not a family-friendly series by any means. The sex scenes are definitely more than a quick boob or butt shot as well. For example, toward the end of the season, there is a shot of Christine nude on the bed with (fake, of course) cum on her tits. While there is no x-rated graphic sex, it definitely is more than just the "regular" sex and nudity that you get in r-rated movies or the tamer TV-MA shows. That said, it is well-written and well-acted and is definitely worth checking out.

Book Review: American Assassin (Mitch Rapp Series Book 1 Chronological Order; Book 11 Publication Order)

 

This book is the origin story of the character of Mitch Rapp, created by Novelist Vince Flynn. For those who are familiar with Flynn's work, he started writing a series of novels, starting with the novel Transfer of Power, which was set around a spy (Rapp) in the prime of his career who took down terrorists much like the character Jack-Bauer did in the series 24. In fact, Flynn consulted on the series 24 in later seasons of the show. As he published more Mitch Rapp stories, fans clamored for an origin story for the character, and American Assassin was created. So, if you read the books in chronological order, this is Book 1. If you read them in release/publication order, this is Book 11.

The basic storyline is that Rapp's girlfriend was killed in the Pan Am 103 bombing over Lockerbie Scottland. He is subsequently recruited into the CIA by Irene Kennedy, and trained (reluctantly), by an aging CIA Agent Stan Hurley. Rapp's skills are beyond his years and beyond his lack of conventional training. The last third of the book involves a mission to save Hurley from kidnappers and at the end, Rapp decides to go on a revenge mission to find the members of the terror cell behind the bombing of Pan Am 103.

I had never read any of Vince Flynn's novels before (I had heard him interviewed on our local sports talk station many times before his death, and intended to start reading the books, but never got around to it until now), so I decided to go in chronological order to see the development of the character from the start. As is usually the case, the book is much better than the movie (which changes the storyline from the book significantly). It is well-written and the story flows very well. It does jump back and forth in the timeline of events a little, but not so much that it makes following the story hard. In fact, the book is a pretty easy read, even being about 430 pages long, and can be read in a day or two depending on how fast you read and how much time you have to read. The chapters are fairly short so there are a lot of natural stopping points, which is definitely helpful for longer novels. So, if you are a fan of spy novels, this is a very good one to check out.

DVD/TV Series Review: Chicago Med: Season One

 

Chicago Med was, in 2015, the newest addition to the Chicago-based shows (spun off from Chicago Fire) produced by Dick Wolf, who also produced the Law and Order franchise of shows. For those who already watching Chicago Fire and PD, Med got a backdoor pilot in season 3 of Chicago Fire, and Nick Gehlfuss' character, Dr. Will Halstead, who is the brother of Jay Halstead on PD, made a couple of appearances on that show before Med officially premiered.

The show is a pretty standard medical drama that has, mostly, a case-of-the-week format, in which one or two major medical cases come through the hospital, and then also focused on character development. The main cast included Colin Donnell (from Arrow) as Dr. Connor Rhodes, Torrey DeVitto as Dr. Natalie Manning, Yaya DaCosta as April Sexton (who had a past with Severide on Chicago Fire), Rachel DiPillo as Sarah Reese (a medical student working in the emergency department), Brian Tee as Dr. Ethan Choi, S. Epatha Merkerson as Sharon Goodwin, Marlyne Barrett as Maggie Lockwood (the head nurse for the emergency department), and Oliver Platt as Dr. Daniel Charles (the head of psychiatry). Tee and Merkerson are interesting additions to the cast that created continuity issues (not that Wolf's shows have been big on continuity) as they had played other characters (Merkerson on Law and Order, and Tee who played a bad guy on PD the season before) in the same universe. Of course, the Law and Order shows were established to be in the same universe of shows as the Chicago-based shows via the crossovers between Fire, PD, and SVU. While the show did a good job telling its own stories, it was a part of the three-episode crossover with Fire and PD, and characters from the other two shows made short appearances throughout the season.

For those who get the DVD set, the 18 episodes of the first season are spread across five discs. The only extras are the episodes from Fire and PD that made up the three-episode crossover, so if you did not watch the other shows, you could see the entire storyline of the crossover. There are no other extras like behind-the-scenes features, deleted scenes, or the like.

Overall, the show is very good. If you are someone like me, who only started watching the show because you like medical dramas, and did not watch the other Chicago-based shows, it is enjoyable as just a medical drama. If, however, you are a fan of the other shows, you can enjoy the crossovers and mini-crossovers throughout the season. For me, pretty much all medical dramas stack up against ER. While I would not say that Med is as good as ER, it is still very good (the name of the Hospital from ER is even named-dropped in Med). It does have a bit of soap-operaishness to it with romance storylines (although not as much in the first season as it would have in later seasons), but it mainly focuses on the medical storylines. It is well-written and acted, and definitely worth checking out.

DVD/TV Series Review: Don't Trust the B in Apt. 23 The Complete Series

 

Don't Trust the B in Apartment 23 was a sitcom that aired from 2012-2014. The basic plot is that June, played by Dreama Walker, comes to NY from Indiana with the promise of a dream job at a mortgage company. The job goes belly up on her first day when the CEO is arrested for embezzlement and June is forced to work at a coffee shop, managed by Eric Andre's character, Mark. Krysten Ritter (a couple of years removed from her memorable stint on Breaking Bad) plays Chloe, the titular "B", who is a party girl con artist, who scams roommates by demanding rent up front and then acting as outrageous as possible until they leave. June, who is desperate to find a place to live after losing her job, is supposed to be Chole's latest victim, but the two end up becoming friends.

The series also stars James Van Der Beek playing a hilarious, fictionalized, version of himself and Ray Ford as his assistant, Luther, who has to put up with his diva-like attitude. While Ritter and Walker have very good chemistry, the interactions between Ritter and Van Der Beek, and Ford and Van Der Beek, pretty much steal the show. One of the highlights of the series is an appearance by Busy Phillips who tells James that pretty much everyone who worked on Dawson's Creek hates him. The series was not around long enough for any other Dawson's Creek co-stars to appear, but the show did get a pretty good slate of recurring and guest stars including David Krumholtz, Missi Pyle, Fiona Gubelmann, Nicholas D'Agosto, Mark-Paul Gosselaar, and more.

Unfortunately, the DVD set does not have any extras, but it does have all the episodes, including the final 8 that did not air on ABC. Overall, the show was very funny, although it is definitely more of an adult comedy with a lot of sex and drug jokes. There were definitely continuity issues due to episodes being aired out of order, but the show used mostly a story-of-the-week procedural format, so those, while noticeable, did not distract too much. It is definitely not a show that will appeal to everyone, but if you are a fan of sitcoms that have juvenile humor mixed with adult humor (much like the humor in 2-Broke Girls or in the vast majority of Judd Apatow's and Kevin Smith's movies) in it and are not easily offended, this is a fun show that should have had a longer run.

Workout Update: Insanity Max 30/Chalean Extreme/Body Beast/P90X Hybrid Day 55

Day 55 was the Recharge stretch/yoga workout from CE. The most notable thing about it was that I was able to crouch all the way down for the first time in a long time, meaning my legs are getting stronger, there is less stress on my knees and my back is getting stronger as well. So, that is definitely a plus, but my overall flexibility has not changed all that much lately.

Product Review: Storehouse 220 Piece Wall Anchor Assortment

 

The big pro of this set is that the anchors are color-coded by size, so if you need more than one of the same size you can just grab as many of the same color as you need and do not have to try to match up similarly sized anchors that are white or transparent. The big con is that the end of the anchor does not have the ring that makes it easier to hammer into the wall without the end getting bent or warped. That is what knocks the set down a star for me. Aside from that, however, I have no complaints.

DVD/TV Series Review: The Americans: The Complete Fourth Season

 

+++Warning, this contains spoilers from the prior season, but no major season 4 spoilers+++

The fourth season of The Americans continues some of the storylines from prior seasons (tying some of them up completely and shifting others) and introduces new storylines. The big new storyline involves bioweapons and brings in the great character actor Dylan Baker as another soviet living in the US and working as a biochemical scientist. The storyline with Martha, after Phillip revealed his real identity to her in the prior season, takes a prominent role this season and both he and Martha are in constant danger of being discovered by the FBI. Phillip and Elizabeth also have to deal with the fallout of Paige telling Pastor Tim about her parents, trying to figure out whether to kill him and risk alienating Paige further.

For those who get the DVD set, the A/V quality is definitely not as good as it could be, and one of those where the streaming quality (in HD) is better than what you get on the physical discs. The extras are very bare bones, just some deleted and extended scenes. There are no behind-the-scenes features or commentary tracks as there have been in prior seasons. So, this basically amounts to little more than an MOD set, and one of those series that Fox (which has heavily preferred steaming) only puts out a bare-bones set. So really, the only reason to get the DVDs is that you want to keep your collection current.

Overall, the season is very good. There are definitely twists and turns throughout the season, and the series ratches up the tension as Phillip and Elizabeth are always in danger of being caught. The cast is top-notch, not only the main cast but the supporting characters as well. Margo Martindale and Frank Langella are great as Philip and Elizabeth's handlers, and Julia Garner does a great job as Kimmy in her limited role. Matthew Rhys gives a standout performance this season playing Phillip as very conflicted and torn between being a good Soviet and an American becoming more and more disillusioned with his real job. There is a lot of violence and some sexual content as there has been in every season, although I would say that the sex is a bit toned down in this season. If you have been a fan of the series up to this point, it is definitely still worth watching. If you are looking for a new series to watch, start this at season one and enjoy.

Product Review: Halter Floating Shelves Wall Mounted

 

This is a set of three, small, floating shelves. They come in three different lengths but have the same depth. They are deep enough that you can put some very small books (especially if you are one of those who lay down books on shelves), such as mass-market paperback books on them, but their best use is for small nick-nacks, like decorative salt and pepper shakers, or small candles, or the like. They are not something that will be able to hold large items. But, they do look good, so if you have some small things you want to display, this set is a good option.

Workout Update: Insanity Max 30/Chalean Extreme/Body Beast/P90X Hybrid Day 54

Day 54 was the last Friday Fight Round 2 for this round. I was again able to barely make it to the end of the workout without maxing out. Of course, I was modifying and doing some of the moves slower than the modifier in the video was, but I got through it. Monday I will be restarting the Max 30 doing month one partially unmodified and partially modified. Basically, doing as many unmodified reps of each exercise as I can, then switch to the modified version. When I can no longer do the modified version of a move (the first time) will be the max out time. 

Book Review: Star Wars: Journey to Star Wars: The Force Awakens - Lost Stars

 

Lost Stars spans the period from 11 years before the events of A New Hope, to the battle of Jakku, which was the last battle of the Empire versus the Rebellion 1 year after the Battle of Endor. The story focuses on a pair of friends named Thane Kyrell and Cienna Ree who live on an outer-rim planet called Jelucan. When the Empire, superficially Tarkin, visits the planet they are both impressed by the Empire and want to join up and serve. As they age they fall in love, but loyalty to the Empire threatens their relationship. As Thane sees the brutality of the Empire he becomes disillusioned and eventually joins the rebels, while Cienna remains loyal to the Empire and rises through its ranks.

Ultimately, the story is in part a Romeo and Juliet type of love story between characters on opposite sides of the fight, and in part, it is a telling of the war between the Empire and the Rebels through the eyes of the grunts who do not really know anything about the Jedi and Sith and are not making the big decisions. As a result, we get scenes in the book that are scenes from the movies in which the characters from the book are in the background (almost like how Forrest Gump was inserted into historical footage), and we see things play out from their perspective.

While the book technically falls in the young-adult category, it can easily be enjoyed by older readers. At well over 500 pages, the book is pretty long, longer than most of the young-adult canon novels. The love story aspect is definitely a focus of the novel, but it does not dominate every single chapter and it is not horribly sappy, for the most part anyway. It is interesting to see the events of the original trilogy from another perspective, and readers find out how the star destroyer that Rey scavenges in during The Force Awakens crashed on Jakku. Some people get all of the canon novels and others pick and choose which books to get. If you are in the former group then you will get this anyway, but if you are in the latter, I do think that the book is one of the better canon novels and is definitely worth reading at least one time.

Book Review: Star Wars - The Princess and the Scoundrel

 

The Princess and the Scoundrel is the first Star Wars novel in the new canon (since Disney's takeover of Lucasfilm) to be set directly after the events of Return of the Jedi (in this case immediately after) that featured the legacy characters in more than just secondary or ancillary roles. The Aftermath trilogy did use Han and Leia somewhat, but they were not the focus of any of those novels. This one picks up the day after the celebration that ended Return of the Jedi. Leia is dealing with her feelings for Han, the realization that Darth Vader was her biological father, and the complications that may create in her relationship with Luke, whom she also just found out was her brother and trying to lead after "winning" the war. Han, almost on a whim, proposes to Leia and she says yes. The Ewoks, hilariously, insist on performing the ceremony, and then Han and Leia begrudgingly agree to go on a space cruise for their honeymoon, which Leia turns into a diplomatic mission. Luke, Lando, 3P0, R2, and Chewie are all in the novel in the beginning (and notably, "the kiss" from Empire is brought up in a quite funny way), but after the first third of the book, it focuses just on Leia and Han.

The bulk of the story is set aboard the luxury yacht that the two are traveling on for their honeymoon, and a moon that has a valuable resource that could be helpful to the Republic. The chapters alternate back and forth between Han and Leia's points of view. For about 2/3 of the book, it seems like there will be little to no action, but it actually turns into a nice adventure story in the last third. The best part of the story for me is Leia trying to decide if she wants to train as a Jedi and her conflicted feelings because of her hatred for Vader, and the fear of becoming like him. We also get insight into Han and Leia's early life together and the complicated nature of a relationship that was interrupted by a year in carbonite for Han and the defeat of the Empire a week after he was freed from the carbonite.

For those who like Star Wars stories with a ton of action, this one is definitely going to be harder to get into. But, if you can get through the slower start, chances are you will like the last part of the book. For those who might wonder, the novel does not include adult Leia's perspective on the events that played out in Kenobi, but hopefully, we will get that in a future novel. Overall, the book is very good and is definitely worth reading.

Product Review: Halloween Special M&M's Peanut Chocolate American Candy In A Variety Of Fun Colors Bulk Pantry Size Party Mix Packaged In Resealable Wholesale Bag 2 Lbs.

 

This is a large bag of peanut M&Ms. Much larger than what you can get in a grocery store. However, the pieces were smashed up so much that when I first looked at it I thought I had been sent a bag of trail mix instead. Upon closer inspection, I discovered that yes, it was just peanut M&Ms, but many were broken to the point where there were parts of peanuts and pulverized candy shells in the bottom of the bag. They were broken so much that it is hard to believe that it just happened during shipping. So, I would not get this again.

Workout Update: Insanity Max 30/Chalean Extreme/Body Beast/P90X Hybrid Day 53

Today was the last of the Max Out Strength workouts for this round. I was able to get farther in, a couple minutes past my max-out time last week, but still could not get through the push-up section before I maxed out. Again, I am under no illusions that I will be able to get through it without maxing out when I am not modifying as nobody in the video doing the unmodified version (as much as I can tell anyway) can do that. My main goal is to just keep making progress.

Book Review: Star Wars - Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

 

This is the novelization of Rogue One, the wonderful movie set immediately before the events of A New Hope. The book was written by Alexander Freed and published in 2016 shortly after the movie's release. Like most of the novelizations of the various Star Wars movies, especially those that have been put out under Disney, the book tells the exact same story that you get in the movie with bits and pieces fleshed out. For example, the book does provide insights into the motivations of some of the characters that are hinted at or that you just have to infer from the movie. The book also adds to scenes here and there, but nothing changes what is in the movie. 

The hardcover version of the book is around 330 pages. While it is not a word-for-word recreation of the movie, it is akin to an extended edition of the movie. So, if you liked the story from the movie (it is actually my second favorite overall Star Wars movie after Empire Strikes Back) then you will like the book. If the movie did not do anything for you, the book is probably not going to change your mind. I definitely think it is worth the time to read.

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: Manhattan Night

 

Manhattan Night is a crime drama/thriller starring Adrien Brody, Yvonne Strahovski, Jennifer Beals, and Campbell Scott. The overall story is that Brody plays a journalist named Porter Wren, who is approached at a work party by a socialite Caroline Crowley (Strahovski), who wants Porter's help to investigate the death of her husband (played by Scott) whose body was discovered in the rubble of a demolished building. What follows is a combination of a murder mystery with some twists (some predictable, some not) and an erotic thriller. The movie marked the first time that Strahovski who had previously starred in the series Chuck and then in the later seasons of Dexter, had done nude scenes (where you could see anything), which was the allure of the movie for many people. And yes, for those who have loved her since Chuck, they are as spectacular as you would have guessed.

The A/V quality of the blu-ray is okay, but not great. Given that the movie was made sometime in 2014 and released in 2015, even a basic transfer to blu-ray looks pretty good. But, you can also tell that it did not get as good a blu-ray transfer that bigger-budget movies get. The extras include a commentary track on the movie with Director/Producer/Screenwriter Brian DeCubellis, Actor/Co-Producer Campbell Scott, and Cinematographer David Tumblety, a couple of short behind-the-scenes featurettes, about 18 minutes of deleted scenes, a director's notebook and storyboard feature, and the trailer.

Overall, the movie is good, but not what I would call a must-see. It definitely has a lower-budget independent movie feel to it, which some people may like and others may not. It has a relatively small, but good cast that, besides Strahovski and Brody include Jennifer Beals and Steven Berkoff. Fans of Strahovski will definitely like her scenes and she does a good job with sort of dark and mysterious characters (as she showed during her time on Dexter, and even to some extent in Chuck). So, if you are a fan of crime suspense/thrillers and don't mind lower-budget movies, this is a good one to check out.

Product Review: Mead Cambridge Notebooks - 5/100 sheet

 

When I was in school I always preferred taking handwritten notes. When I was getting my engineering degree, it was right before the advent of electronic devices (and apps) that allowed you to write like you were using a pen and paper. So, I would use these to make "permanent" versions of my class notes and homework problems to study from. The paper is very high-quality, and not flimsy like the sheets in cheap notebooks. And, it has perforations at the edge so you can get a clean edge without the frilled edges. They are definitely more expensive, and I would not use them to scribble something on or write something you are just going to throw away. But, for things like school notes, letter writing, etc., for those who still do those things, this is a good option.

Blu-Ray/Movie Collection Review: The Complete Scream Collection (Scream 1-4)

 

This set contains the four original movies in the Scream franchise, Scream (1996), Scream 2 (1997), Scream 3 (2000), and Scream 4 (2011), created (and mostly written) by Kevin Williamson, directed by Wes Craven, and starring Neve Campbell as Sydney Prescott, Courtney Cox as Gail Weathers, and David Arquette as Dewey Riley. The series paid homage to, and also poked fun at the horror movie genre, especially the big horror franchises like Halloween, Friday the 13th, and Nightmare on Elm Street. While Cambell, Cox, and Arquette were basically mainstays throughout the series of movies, especially in the first three movies, all of the movies included a number of recognizable actors and actresses in supporting roles, some of whom were relatively unknown at the time they were in the movies but would go on to be stars. Some of them included Timothy Olyphant, Jada Pinkett, Liev Schreiber, Portia de Rossi, Omar Epps, Joshua Jackson, Tori Spelling, Luke Wilson, Heather Graham, Rose McGowan, Jamie Kennedy, Laurie Metcalf, Skeet Ulrich, Hayden Panettiere, Matthew Lillard, Patrick Dempsey, Parker Posey, Emma Roberts, Jerry O'Connell, Drew Barrymore, Henry Winkler, and Sarah Michelle Gellar (who was just on the cusp of her Buffy megastardom). Carrie Fisher also had a great guest-starring role in Scream 3.

The movies definitely range in quality, with the first being iconic, and the rest trying to, but never able to, live up to the quality of the first one. Personally, I think that Scream 3 is the worst of the group with Scream 4 doing a good reboot of the series using the legacy characters but not having the legacy characters dominate the new group of younger actors.

This set is imported from Canada, and it is the easiest way, if you are in the US, to get all four movies in a single collection. In the US it is possible to get 1-3 as a collection, but 4 (apparently because of a rights issue) is not bundled with them. This set appears to include all of the same extras that the US blu-ray releases got including the commentary tracks, behind-the-scenes featurettes, Q&As, and promo material. The commentary tracks were always the longest bonus feature. Williamson did the commentary on the first movie and Craven (and various cast members) provided commentary tracks on 2-4. The movies all looked and sounded good in HD. Obviously, the more recent movies looked better. The movies are now getting released in 4k, but I think the blu-rays look fine, especially being upscaled by a 4k player on a 4k TV.

While the franchise is not perfect, it has, on the whole, been good. The misdirection in the first movie was the best twist that the series has come up with. In the subsequent movies the writers tried to (in my opinion) get a bit too cute with the twists, misdirection, and big reveals. Sometimes they worked better than others. The movies are definitely very violent and bloody, and there is a lot of swearing. There are some sexual content and jokes mixed in, but no real nudity. There is also some humor mixed in, mostly dark humor, especially in the first few movies. The movies will definitely not appeal to everyone, but if you are a fan of the horror genre, and 90s movies and TV series (the stars of which basically made up the cast of the first three movies), then this is definitely worth the pickup. Especially, if you can grab it at a reasonable price.

Workout Update: Insanity Max 30/Chalean Extreme/Body Beast/P90X Hybrid Day 52

 Day 52 was the last time doing Max Out Sweat for this round. It was very tough to get through but I managed to eek it out all the way to the end. The last two moves are probably the hardest (even doing the modified version) for me in the workout and I was totally gassed at the end of it. But, if all goes well I will have at least three workouts this week that I can get through without unscheduled breaks. 

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: The Huntsman: Winter's War

 

The Huntsman: Winter's War is partly a prequel, but mostly a sequel to the movie Snow White and the Huntsman, which basically ignores Snow White. Kristen Stewart is shown in one flash at the beginning of the movie using footage from the first movie, but after that, Snow White is not seen again. The prequel part of the movie, in the beginning, is basically an origin story for the ice queen Freya (played by Emily Blunt) who is the sister of Queen Ravenna, and Eric/The Huntsman (Chris Hemsworth) and his love Sara, played by Jessica Chastain. Then, the movie jumps to a point after the events of the first movie in which Snow White has fallen ill (explaining her absence), and William (Snow White's husband) tasks Eric with retrieving the Mirror before Freya can use its power.

For those who get the blu-ray, the movie looks and sounds great in HD. Of course, there are a lot of CGI special effects that look awesome in the HD format. The disc includes two versions of the movie, the theatrical, and an extended edition that adds a little over six minutes to the movie. The additions are pretty negligible and do not change the story at all. For extras, there is a commentary track on the movie by the director, deleted scenes, and a gag reel, that each clocks in just under 10 minutes, and then a five-part making-of documentary that runs about a half-hour in total.

Overall, the movie is good, but because of Stewart essentially being fired, it is really disconnected from the first movie. Chastain and Blunt do step into their roles well and Charlize Theron is again awesome as Ravenna. Hemsworth does a good job in the leading role and thus Snow White's absence is not felt as much as I thought it would be when it was announced the movie would be made without her.

Supplement Review: Testosterone Booster for Men | Six Star Pro Nutrition

 

I used this for a while but really did not see any appreciable gains in strength, better workouts, etc. The pills are easy to swallow, which is a plus for sure. However, while a serving is two pills, the recommended daily use is two servings daily, for a total of four pills. So, in order to take the total amount recommended you will need to get two bottles because the bottle only has enough pills to take the full amount for 15 days. That is definitely something to be aware of if you decide to try it.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: 11.22.63

 

11/22/1963 is a miniseries that aired on Hulu and was an adaptation of Stephen King's novel by the same name. The premise is that an English teacher living in Maine (of course) in 2016 named Jake Epping, played by James Franco, learns from a dying friend, named Al Templeton, played by Chris Cooper, of a portal that will take him back in time. Specifically, the portal can take him back to October 21, 1960, and Templeton tells Jake that he has been trying to prevent the assassination of JFK. He tells Jake that the past does not like to be interfered with and will try to prevent him from doing anything to change the past. The bigger the event you try to interfere with the harder the past pushes back. Jake takes up the mantle and goes back to the past to surveil Lee Harvey Oswald and try to stop the assassination.

For those who have read the book, you know that it is very long, and therefore, even in an eight-episode mini-series, it had to be pared down a lot. So, there are definitely changes from the book, some big, some smaller. For example, in the book, the portal takes people back to 1958 and Jake comes back through the portal to 2016 once before going back to 1958 again, and the storyline involving the young Harry Dunning is a lot more extended in the book.

For those who get the blu-ray, the series looks and sounds great. The scenes shot in the 1960s have a very distinctive look to them, both by copying the 1960s style, but the colors of the scenes are different from those set in 2016 which gives the scenes set in the past a distinctive feel. The only extra is a 15-minute making-of documentary titled "When the Future Fights Back".

Overall, the series is good, but as is usually the case with movie or tv adaptations of novels, is not as good as the book. Franco does a good job playing Epping and the supporting cast was very good. It definitely hit all of the high points from the book and stayed pretty faithful to the book, but I do think that it suffered from skipping some of the fine details that made the book so good. Ultimately, I do think it is worth watching, regardless of whether you want to pay $20 for an eight-episode blu-ray set.

DVD/TV Series Review: Rogue - Season 2

 

Season two of Rouge aired during the summer of 2014 and involves a totally new serial storyline, this time involving military contractors led by a man named Ethan Kelly, played by Cole Hauser, Grace (Thandie Newton) is a part of an FBI operation investigating Kelly and his crew, Alec Newman as Ray Williams, Brendan Fletcher as Brian "Spud" Cacelle, and Clayne Crawford as Danny 'Cheat' Chetowski, for stealing a bunch of money went they were deployed overseas. The members of the FBI task force include Andrea Roth as Leni Kastner (Grace's handler), and Rupert Evans as Elliot Howe, the head of the task force.

Like season one, season two has a lot of twists and turns, and things get revealed in small bits throughout the season. Also, like the first season, this one is short, just ten episodes. The Lazlo storyline from season one is mostly resolved, but Joshua Sasse who plays Jimmy's son, Alec Laszlo does make a couple of appearances during the season. Because this is a serial arc, all of the episodes build on each other and you really have to watch from the first episode all the way through. There is some violence, sex, and nudity as there was in the first season, but I think all of them are tamed down a bit.

For those who get the DVD set, there are a handful of making-of and behind-the-scenes featurettes. They cover things like the season two cast, set tours, and the like. Nothing extensive, but they are there for those who like watching them.

Overall, the season is very good. I like that it moved on from the first season's storylines (for the most part). We still get some of Grace's home life and see how the events of the first season have further affected that. The season ends on a big cliffhanger going into season three that will definitely have another storyline shift for the show going into season three. So, if you like more adult crime dramas (this is definitely not family-friendly) this is a good one to check out. You do not need to watch the first season to understand everything that is going on this season, but it does help to get Grace's backstory.

Workout Update: Insanity Max 30/Chalean Extreme/Body Beast/P90X Hybrid Day 51

Day 51 was the Max Out Power workout again. I was hoping to make it all the way through without stopping, but unfortunately, I maxed out at the 20-minute mark. That was about 5 minutes later than last week, however.  

Book Review: Star Wars: Maul - Lockdown

 

Lockdown was one of the last novels written before Disney took over Lucasfilm, and as a result, it is one of the last Legends novels. The story is set about a year before the events of The Phantom Menace. Sidious dispatches Maul to a space prison to pose as an inmate to make contact with a weapons dealer imprisoned there. The plan is to acquire a nuclear weapon that the weapons dealer has been building in the prison and sell it to a dark-side coven called Bando Gora. The novel is kind of a mix of Star Wars and Death Race, because inmates of the prison are forced to partake in gladiator-style combat, and they have explosives in their chests to keep them in line.

Overall, the book is good, but not great. The plot is a bit silly, but there is a lot of action and the story gives more depth to the character of Darth Maul than he had before in the material that is now Legends. Of course, that changed after Disney took over, but up to this point, Maul was not really developed much beyond what we saw of him in Episode I. I would not say that the novel is a must-read, especially since it is not canon, but if you are a fan of the character of Maul, then it is still worth checking out.

Product Review: PORTTA HDMI Switch 4K, HDMI Switcher 3 in 1 Out HDMI Splitter

 

This is a great option if your TV has limited HDMI ports, or if you do something like mount a TV on a wall, above a fireplace, and have a single HDMI cable running through the wall to get to the TV. You can use this to plug in three different devices, just plug the cable going to the TV on one side, and your three devices (such as a streaming box or stick, a blu-ray player, or a video game system) into the three ports on the other side. Then, you can switch easily between the three devices. The box can switch automatically between devices if the device you are currently watching totally powers off when you turn it off (like a blu-ray player will). However, if the device is always powered on, like a streaming stick, then it will always stay on that device unless you manually switch it, either via the remote or by pushing the button on the top of the box. It does have the ability to have a 5-volt power supply plugged into it, but it generally can be powered via the devices you plug into it.

DVD/TV Series Review: Castle Season 8

 

+++Warning, this contains spoilers from the prior seasons, but no major season eight spoilers.+++

The best way to describe the final season of Castle is that it just feels off. It does use much of what made the show good to begin with, the case-of-the-week procedural format mixed with serial story arcs that run the course of the season. This season Beckett learns that the conspiracy involving Bracken, who was responsible for her mother's death, went deeper than Bracken, and she gets pulled back into that rabbit hole. As a result, she and Castle do not work together as much this season as they did in the prior seasons, so it misses a lot of the interplay between them that made the show great. As some may know, there were rumors that Stana Katic and Nathan Fillion did not get along behind the scenes later in the show's run (rumors are that they hated each other, although I have not seen either of them verify that). If valid, that did not affect the prior seasons, but it definitely seems like the dynamic between the two was different this season. Toward the end of the season, it was announced that should the series be renewed for a ninth season neither Katic nor Tamala Jones (who played Lanie) would return. Multiple endings to the finale were shot depending on the fate of the series. It was ultimately canceled toward the end of the eighth season and instead of ending on a cliffhanger, the series does provide somewhat of a conclusion for Castle and Beckett but does not really give a good sendoff to the supporting characters.

For those who get the DVD set, the extras include audio commentaries on select episodes, a blooper reel, deleted scenes, and a behind-the-scenes featurette. Okay for what is there, but not as much as the early season releases got.

Overall, the season is good, but not as good as prior seasons. As I said above, it just feels different in large part because the chemistry between Castle and Beckett felt off or lacking. The show includes a decent slate of guest stars including Fillion's Firefly co-stars Summer Glau and Jewel Staite, and an appearance by Oprah Winfrey. While I cannot say that fans of the show will like this season as much as prior seasons, I do think it is worth watching to see how the show wraps up.

DVD/TV Series Review: Rogue (2014) - Season 01

 

Rouge is a crime drama starring Thandie Newton as Grace Travis, a detective working undercover to bring down a mobster in Oakland California named Jimmy Lazlo (played by Marton Csokas). She is also dealing with the murder of her young son, who was gunned down (seemingly) as a bystander in a drive-by shooting. Grace believes there may be more to it, and is unraveling as she splits her time trying to solve the murder and be an undercover agent, all while trying to keep what remains of her family together.

The show has several intertwined storylines that cross over each other at some point. It is definitely not a procedural crime drama that has a case-of-the-week that needs to be solved. You basically have to watch from the start to really know what is going on. It is also a very adult drama with a lot of violence, swearing, and nudity, much more than you even see on regular basic cable stations since it aired on the Audience Network which had a more limited reach. So, it leaves little to the imagination. For those who get the DVD set, there are a couple of extras, a behind-the-scenes featurette, and a series of webisodes. If you do get the DVDs, just be aware, the show ran for a total of four seasons. The first two seasons are readily available. The third season (which is split into two parts) are available as imports on blu ray and DVD, but they are hard to find and expensive, and the fourth season has (to my knowledge) not been released at all. So, if you get the show on physical media, it will be an incomplete collection. Otherwise, the show is very good and definitely worth the time to watch if you like gritty, more adult crime dramas.

Workout Update: Insanity Max 30/Chalean Extreme/Body Beast/P90X Hybrid Day 50

Day 50 was the last Max Out Cardio workout for this round. I was again, just barely, able to get through the entire workout stopping only at the scheduled rest breaks. So, that is a good start to the week. Next week I will start Max 30 over again, this time doing as many of the regular moves as I can and then switching to modified, maxing out when I can no longer do the modification. 

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: Rush Hour 3

 

Rush Hour 3 is the unnecessary third movie in the franchise. It is set three years after the events of Rush Hour 2. In this movie, Lee (Jackie Chan) is the bodyguard of Chinese Ambassador Solon Han, from the first movie. After an assassination attempt against Han, Lee and Carter (Chris Tucker) team up again to try and take down the Chinese Triad gang that attempted the assassination.

The bulk of the story is set in Paris, with Lee and Carter doing the same schtick as in the first movie, with Lee fighting most of the bad guys while Carter mouths off in the background and occasionally throws a punch. This movie also features Han's daughter Soo-Yung, recast from the first movie played by Zhang Jingchu, who again gets in trouble. The movie also features Max Von Sydow, and Roman Polanski (whom Bret Ratner apparently loves according to the commentary track) in an uncredited role that was supposed to provide comic relief but, fittingly, was more creepy than funny.

For those who get the blu-ray, the A/V quality is very good. Not surprisingly, it is the best-looking of all of the movies which is to be expected given that it was made in 2006-2007 as opposed to the first movie which was released in 1998 and the second released in 2001. There are a lot of extras including deleted scenes, a commentary track by director Brett Ratner, outtakes, a featurette on the visual effects, a production diary, and a 1.5 hr making-of documentary. So, there is a lot there if you like watching the extras.

Overall, the movie is okay. It has some funny moments and a lot of action. Chan can still do a lot even though he is definitely getting older. It is not, however, as good as either of the first two movies and like a lot of trilogies, especially those with a comedy bent, tends to recycle jokes. Chan and Tucker still have very good chemistry and work off of each other well. Ultimately, though, it feels like they just made the movie to get a trilogy, and did not put a lot of effort into making a better movie. Not that the first two were masterpieces, but they were better. One bright spot in the movie is the Taxi driver George, played by Yvan Attal, who steals pretty much every scene he is in. If you are a fan of the first two movies I do think this is worth watching once, but it is not something that I would say warrants repeat viewings.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: House of Cards: Season 4

 

+++Warning, this contains spoilers from prior seasons, but no major season four giveaways+++

Season 4 of House of Cards is really all about Frank setting things up to be re-elected, along with putting out political fires and avoiding being caught for his criminal activity. One of the big storylines this season is about who is going to replace the Vice President on the ticket. Claire and Frank, trying to bolster their reputations, bring Yates back on staff to let him finish his book and provide speech writing advice. Goodwin is out of prison and in witness protection, but is still trying to figure out what happened to Zoe, convinced she did not commit suicide, and gets closer to discovering her connection to Frank. There are also storylines involving Russia, China, and the show's fictional version of the ISIS terrorist group, that would eerily predict real-life events. One new addition to the cast is Scream's Neve Campbell being brought on as LeAnn Harvey, a political consultant Claire hires as she mulls getting into politics.

For those who get the blu-ray, the A/V quality is again very good, but the extras are non-existent. Not that prior seasons had much in the way of extras, but this, like season one, has nothing. So, really, the only reasons to get the blu-ray set is if you really prefer the physical discs over streaming or to keep a collection complete.

Overall, the season is very good. It continues to be well-written and very well-acted. Of course, watching the series now, knowing what has come out about Kevin Spacey is a little weird, and some people may avoid the show altogether. Even though he was certainly the main character, the show was about more than just him so I look at it as supporting everyone else who worked to make the show as good as it was. This season definitely sets up Claire to have a much larger role in the series and Robin Wright does a great job with that. And, Michael Kelly again shines as the very troubled and morally gray Chief of Staff, Doug Stamper. It is definitely worth watching.

Workout Update: Insanity Max 30/Chalean Extreme/Body Beast/P90X Hybrid Day 49

Day 49 was the second time doing the Body Beast back and biceps workout from the build portion of the program. It pretty much went the same as last week, but some of the exercises were easy enough this week that I will bump the weight up next week. The superset in the workout is probably the hardest part, going from pullovers to one-arm rows to pull-ups. But, even though it is hard, it is managable.