Blu-Ray/Movie Review: Serenity

 

Serenity is the 2005 movie that serves as a finale to the short-lived but awesome (and very much screwed over by FOX) series, Firefly. The movie stars Nathan Fillion, Gina Torres, Alan Tudyk, Morena Baccarin, Jewel Staite, Sean Maher, Ron Glass, AB, and Summer Glau, reprising their roles from the TV series. Chiwetel Ejiofor and Sarah Paulson join the cast for the movie. If you have not seen the series Firefly, you should do so before watching this. When I first saw this in the theater I had not watched the TV series, so it did not make as much sense and the moments that were supposed to have an emotional impact just did not have as much of one since I had not experienced the character development from the show. Most people reading this will likely have already seen the series, but for those who have not, it was originally a show on FOX, that the network totally screwed over by airing episodes out of order and changing when it was aired so it could never gain a foothold. Then it was canceled basically without warning.

The movie basically wraps up the series to show where the story would have ultimately gone had the show not been canceled. The movie begins with River (Glau) breaking out of the facility she was in when she and Simon (Maher) started running from The Alliance, and we ultimately find out what she knew, and what was causing her mental instability. From the outset, River does a lot more than she had in the series up to that point, and Summer Glau does a great job in the movie.

The A/V quality of the blu-ray is outstanding, especially if you are watching it on a big screen. There is a ton of bonus content including multiple commentary tracks, one with Whedon, and one with Whedon and the cast members, deleted scenes that can be played with commentary by Whedon, several behind-the-scenes and making-of featurettes, a visual commentary that can be played while the movie runs, and more. Personally, I will not listen to anything that prominently features Whedon since what an asshole he is, especially to female writers and cast members has come out, but they are there (and he does provide a lot of insight into the story) if you want to listen and/or watch them.

Like pretty much all of Joss Whedon's TV shows and movies, this blends action, comedy, and drama. There are funny moments within tense moments (that are even funnier if you have the background from the series), and the acting and writing are both top-notch. The movie on its own is very good, the movie after having watched the series in the order the series was meant to be seen is awesome. For what it was trying to do (tell the entire story of what could have been spread out over multiple TV seasons in two hours), the movie accomplished that very well. Unfortunately, this and the series are all we are ever likely to have of this story, especially since what has come out about what a jackass Whedon has been behind-the-scenes.  As a result, the series and the movie will forever be relegated to cult classic status, and we will never get the entire story that was intended to be told. But, even so, the movie is absolutely worth the time to watch.

Workout Update: T25/Lift-4/645 Corrective and Foam Rolling- Day 9

Day 9 was the full-body circuit workout in T25, and Back and Biceps 50/50 in Lift 4.

The T25 workout was still very challenging, but a little easier than it was last week. I was a bit tired for the evening Lift 4 workout, especially during the HIIT portion, but I was able to do the moves unmodified for a bit longer than I had in the other workouts.  

Workout Update: T25/Lift-4/645 Corrective and Foam Rolling- Day 8

Day 8 was the Cardio 1.0 workout in T25 and Chest and Triceps in Lift 4.

The cardio workout was a little easier than it was last week, but only a little. I started out each exercise doing the regular versions of the moves and then switched to the modifications when I needed to. Chest and triceps was a circuit workout, and it was tough to get through, especially in the second quad block. I again used lighter weights so I could do the full range of motion and go at a slower pace, but my arms were like cooked noodles by the end.

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: Alpha Dog

 

Alpha Dog is a 2006 movie starring Emile Hirsch, Justin Timberlake, Ben Foster, Bruce Willis, Sharon Stone, Anton Yelchin, Amanda Seyfried, Shawn Hatsoy, Amber Heard, and Olivia Wilde (in one of her first movie roles), and several other recognizable actors. The movie is a fictionalized version of a true story about the kidnapping that goes sideways and ultimately turns into the murder of a teenager (played in the movie by Anton Yelchin) resulting from a feud over drug money which his brother (played by Ben Foster) was involved in. 

What I think this movie really does is establish the fact that Justin Timberlake has some acting chops. While there are other good actors in the movie, it is not overall what I would consider a standout for the acting performances aside from Timberlake, Anton Yelchin, and Ben Foster. I don't really think that Emile Hirsch worked as a badass leader. He did kind of play him as the guy who hides behind everyone else who did his dirty work, and that part you can buy, but he just did not strike me as a guy that would lead any kind of crew, even the group of morons that followed his character in the movie. The thing you really do get is that none of the parents of the kids (and they were all basically kids) gave a damn about what any of them were doing, and the consequences that followed from it.

The A/V quality of the blu-ray is good, but it did not get the same kind of transfer that the big blockbuster movies get. The extras on the disc include a making-of featurette covering the true story the film was based on and interviews with some of the actors. It is not extensive but does add a little to the story. The movie is well-written and acted. It is definitely not family-friendly as there is a lot of violence, drug use, and some nudity, including a full-frontal shot of Olivia Wilde toward the end. While I do not think it is a must-watch movie, it is worth the time to watch if you like crime dramas. 

Workout Update: T25/Lift-4/645 Corrective and Foam Rolling- Day 7

Day 7 was lower body foam rolling from 645 followed immediately by the T25 stretch workout. The T25 routine has a good mix of stretching exercises, including moves like pigeon, and bridge that are much easier to do after 20 minutes of lower body foam rolling. Shaun T definitely does his "focus" word of the day thing a lot in this workout, but I try to just tune that out and listen for the transitions. The cast in this workout are Scott, Derek, Tonia, and Susan. There are really no modified moves during this workout so Tonia is doing the same thing as everyone else. 

Workout Update: T25/Lift-4/645 Corrective and Foam Rolling- Day 6

For Day 6 I did upper body foam rolling from 645 and then the two recovery routines from Lift 4. All of them went well and I thought I had a bit more range of motion during the Lift 4 stretch routine than I have had the past couple of weeks.

Workout Update: T25/Lift-4/645 Corrective and Foam Rolling- Day 5

Day 5 was leg-focused. In T25 it was the lower focus workout and in Lift 4 it was legs. 

The T25 workout does not have as much cardio (although it does have some). There was lots of variation on squats, lunges, and deadlifts. There is also some balance work. Tonia is again modifying and the other cast members today included Scott, Jan (or Jam), and a new guy named Nate, who Shaun pretty much ignores for the entire workout. Then, you get a three-minute cooldown. 

The Lift 4 workout was the Legs 50/50. As in the prior workouts this week, I used lighter weights for the resistance exercises so I could get a better range of motion in my squats and lunges. That worked out exactly as I hoped as I got much deeper into both the squats and lunges during that portion. I still struggle mightily with triple bear but my goal is just to be able to hold that position (without hopping or stepping) the entire time, then once I can do that, start the hops. 

Workout Update: T25/Lift-4/645 Corrective and Foam Rolling- Day 4

Day 4 was ab intervals from T25 and Shoulders from Lift 4.

The ab intervals workout alternates between doing core-focused moves for a few minutes and then doing about a minute of cardio, then going back to more core exercises. The ab exercises range in difficulty level and get progressively harder as the routine goes on. After the workout ends, there is a three-minute cooldown in which you stretch your back, hamstrings, and hip flexors.  

The Lift 4 workout was an interval workout so each block had two resistance exercises and a 30-second HIIT exercise. I was able to do the unmodified versions of the HIIT moves, but I did have to do them slower and pause a couple of times in the second and third sets, especially in the third block. 

Book Review: The Last Patriot (Scot Harvath Series #7)

 

The Last Patriot, published in 2008, is the 7th book in the Scot Harvath series of action-thriller novels written by Brad Thor. This book is set down the line from the events of the prior novel, The First Commandment, with Harvath determined to get out of his role as a quasi-spy/assassin based on what he sees as being kept in the dark, sold out, and then betrayed by President Rutledge. This book starts with Scot and Tracy vacationing in France where they are witness to (and get involved in) an attempted assassination/hit. Their involvement gets Scot pulled back into working for President Rutledge in a storyline that mirrors a National Treasure-like follow-the-clues storyline, all while trying to avoid the assassin.

The hardcover version of the book is relatively short, coming in at just over 330 pages. In the Afterword, Thor lays out the background research he did for the book and goes through what elements of the story were real (or at least based in reality) and what he made up. The book has a good mix of action and suspense and by the end, essentially resets the overall storyline leaving the direction of the series very much open. There is less political intrigue/fighting as in some of the prior novels, but something like that would not have worked in this story anyway.  If you are a fan of the prior novels in the series this one is absolutely worth the time to read. 

Workout Update: T25/Lift-4/645 Corrective and Foam Rolling- Day 3

Day 3 was a bit of a shit show. My back was spasming at 4AM so I was standing up all morning to loosen it up. Thankfully, this was a rest day in Lift 4, so I did the two recovery routines in the morning, which definitely helped my back. 

In the evening I did the total body circuit workout in T25. In this workout, you go through a series of exercises for 20 of the 25 minutes that alternate between a cardio focus (like sprints), chest and shoulder focus (like push-ups and pike-ups), core focus like plank moves, and legs (doing a lot of squats and lunges). Then, you do a burnout in minutes 20-24 doing some of the exercises from earlier in the workout at a little faster pace, and then for the last minute you do body runs, which is basically shuffling your feet forward and back while swinging your arms. Then you get a 3-minute cooldown (if you choose to do it). 

As with the other workouts, this does not have any scheduled breaks, but I did pause a few times to drink water and catch my breath. Tonia again modifies all of the moves. Unfortunately, there are some exercises for which the camera does not show what she is doing until about halfway through the time for that particular exercise. The cast in this workout is mostly the same, Tonia, Derek, and Scott, and they are joined by someone named Jan or maybe Jam. It is hard to tell what Shaun T calls her, and he does not really do formal introductions. Shaun is a bit irritating in this workout, repeating the word "focus" over and over again. He does get a bit "word-of-the-day" with the names of his workout programs in general, but he is a bit over the top in this one. 

Workout Update: T25/Lift-4/645 Corrective and Foam Rolling- Day 2

Day 2 was Speed 1.0 in T25 and Back and Biceps in Lift 4, which was the non-HIIT circuit workout with two quad blocks, a burnout round, and the three sets of core.

The Speed workout in T25 is one in which you do a series of exercises and then stretch for about 30 seconds, and then you do another series of exercises and then stretch. There is only one burnout portion in which you do most of the exercises that you did earlier in the workout back-to-back without any stretching. The burnout portion lasts about 8 minutes and then you slow down for the last minute. The cast is the same except Susan (another fitness professional) replaces Christina. Tonia is modifying again.

I was able to modify a bit less in today's workout than in yesterday's. Although I definitely had to slow down and modify here and there. As I said a couple of posts ago, my lack of cardio fitness is what is really holding me back, so I am hoping that the two-a-day workouts will get that back close to where it was before.  

Book Review: Star Wars: Dawn of Rebellion: The Visual Guide

 

Dawn of Rebellion is another one of the Star Wars visual guides. It is one of the books that I would categorize as a coffee table book, with as many pictures as it has text. The book mainly has character profiles of the main characters (from the movies, novels, animated series, and live-action series) who were around during the time period between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope. It is updated to include the characters in the Andor and Obi-Wan Kenobi series so it includes, for example, profiles of young Leia and Luke and the updated backstory of Cassian Andor.

The hardcover version of the book is very short. The book totals just under 140 pages, but none of the pages are full of text. Some pages just have a picture and little to no text, and other pages have several pictures with text blurbs next to them so the book is very easy to read. There is also a timeline at the beginning of the book that shows the major events that occurred during the time period from the creation of the Empire to the Battle of Yavin. I think the book is good, but not really essential reading. Chances are most people who are going to be interested in the book are the die-hard Star Wars fans as opposed to the casual fans, and most die-hard fans will likely already know most of the information in the book. It does, however, have some fine details that you may not have picked up watching the live-action material so if you are more than just a casual fan of Star Wars it is worth the time to look over.

Workout Update: T25/Lift-4/645 Corrective and Foam Rolling- Day 1

Today was the start of two-a-day workouts. In the morning I did the T25 cardio routine. This one has Shaun leading 4 cast members, Tonia (who was in the original Insanity workout, plus some of Shaun's hip-hop oriented workouts), Scott (who is Shaun's husband), Derek (who is Tonia's husband), and Christina (who is a fitness instructor and fitness model). Tonia modifies all of the moves.

The workout is set up such that you do a series of moves for about 30 seconds each move, then you do a burnout sequence in which you do some of the moves from the series going as fast as you can. Then, you do another series and another burnout. None of the moves are particularly hard, depending on your cardio fitness. T25 is really a program that was intended to prepare people for Shaun's Insanity programs, so even the unmodified exercises in T25 tend to be a bit less intense than what is in Insanity and Insanity Max 30. 

The Lift 4 workout was chest and triceps, which in week 1 was the 50/50 workout. I do think that lowering the amount of weight I used for the lift portion (and moving the weight more slowly) helped a lot because even using the lower weight I could barely finish the 10 reps, especially in the last set of each block. The HIIT portion was tough. I had to modify more than I would like, but hopefully once I get to week 3, my cardio will be much better because of doing doubles. 

Workout Update: Lift-4/645 Corrective and Foam Rolling- Round 2 -Day 56

 For day 56 I did the two recovery workouts from Lift 4 again, and that wraps up round 2 of the program.

For the next phase I am going to go back to two-a-day workouts. In the morning, I am going to do T25 and then in the evening I will do another round of Lift 4. I really feel that my cardio fitness (or lack thereof) is holding me back right now. So I wanted to add in AM cardio that I can do on an empty stomach. Since I do not have space to put the Beachbody bike, I figured I would just do one of the more cardio-focused programs. 

I will do as much unmodified in T25 as I can, and then try not to modify in Lift 4 (or go as long as I can unmodified). I will, however, do all  the push-ups in T25 on my knees and then do all the push-ups in Lift 4 on my toes. Hopefully, that will allow me to get full range of motion in the push-ups by the end of this phase. 

I am still going to do the upper and lower body foam rolling routines from 645 on the weekends, and just do the Lift 4 recovery routines on Wednesday and Sunday. 

Workout Update: Lift-4/645 Corrective and Foam Rolling- Round 2 -Day 55

Day 55 was the two lift 4 recovery workouts. Nothing really new to say about either of them. 

Workout Update: Lift-4/645 Corrective and Foam Rolling- Round 2 -Day 54

Day 54 was lower body foam rolling from 645 and the last workout from Lift 4, Full Body HIIT.

The HIIT workout was intense but short. It followed the three round of two exercises (with the easiest exercises done for the longest time and the hardest done for the shortest) followed by a bonus round doing all of the exercises back to back for 30 seconds.  Then, of course, we finish with three sets of core. This was also the workout in which the entire cast (minus Steve) and Joel were working out, so the set was crowded, but all the moves are familiar by this point in the program so you really just need to listen for the transition cues.

Book Review: Watching the World Change: The Stories Behind the Images of 9/11

 

Watching the World Change is a book that is about the images and videos taken during and after the 9/11 attacks. The book was written by David Friend and published in 2006. The book focuses strictly on the images out of New York. In the foreword, the author says that was because he is based in New York and that is where most of the images from the day came from. The book is not an image by image analysis. In the middle of the book the author does include several pages of images that he does discuss throughout the book. But, the book really talks about the impact of the images and videos from that day and how those impacted the response of the nation to the attacks, changed media coverage, and the like.

The hardcover version of the book has just under 350 pages of substantive text and then about 60 pages of endnotes that refer to various sources, and an index. The best part of the book is when the author is telling the human stories about the people involved, including people who were killed, people who survived, and people who were left behind. The chapters in the book correspond to the dates from 9/11 through 9/17 but the author does not limit what he discusses in the chapter to what was happening on the particular date. For example, in the 9/16 chapter he starts out talking about that day and then discusses the wars that occurred months and years later. While I do think that the book would have been a little better if it included more images, included the images in the chapter text, and told the story behind a specific image right after it was shown, the book is still very good and worth the time to read.

Book Review: Dune: House Atreides (Dune #7)

 

House Atreides is the 7th book in the Dune series (if read chronologically) and the first in the Prelude to Dune trilogy/House trilogy (which is chronologically the third prequel trilogy to the original Dune novels). It is also, in publication order, the first prequel novel to the original Dune series that was written by the duo of Frank Herbert's son, Brian, and Kevin J. Anderson. The book, published in 1999, is set a generation before the events of the original novel when characters like Leto Atreides and Duncan Idaho were children, and Baron Vladimir Harkonnen was early in his rule of Arrakis/Dune. Despite what the title of the novel suggests, this is not solely about the Atreides, but alternates between different storylines that intersect at different points. The book hints at the origins rivalry between the Atreides and the Harkonnen Houses (although those stories had not yet been fleshed out so if you read the books chronologically you know the backstory that was not presented in this book), and the circumstances of Leto becoming Duke of Caladan and of Shaddam IV becoming Emperor are also detailed in this book. The book also includes storylines about Pardot Kynes and the Fremen and the maneuverings of the Bene Gesserit. 

The hardcover version of the book is just over 600 pages. It is not an extremely quick read since there are several new characters introduced in the book and the chapters jump between the different storylines. Even so, the overall story flows very well and never seems to drag. Plus, the chapters are kept relatively short, so there are many natural stopping points. I am reading the books in chronological order, so I have not yet read the original Dune novels written by Frank Herbert, so I cannot say how this book (or the other prequel novels) compare to those. But, if you have read the other novels in the series written by Anderson and Brian Herbert, then you will likely enjoy this one. And if you have read the original Dune novels, this will provide a lot of good backstory. It is absolutely worth the time to read.

Workout Update: Lift-4/645 Corrective and Foam Rolling- Round 2 -Day 53

For Day 53 I did upper body foam rolling from 645 and the shoulders and arms workout from Lift 4. This week, the shoulders and arms routine is a circuit workout, doing two circuits of four exercises, and then a bonus circuit of three exercises, followed by core. Since my shoulder was still hurting and had less range of motion than usual, I decided to back off on the amount of weight I was using for some of the exercises and that definitely helped. Even so, it was still challenging. 

Workout Update: Lift-4/645 Corrective and Foam Rolling- Round 2 -Day 52

For Day 52 I again did upper body foam rolling from 645 and then the two recovery routines from Lift 4. The foam rolling definitely helped my sore right shoulder. Other than that, there was really no noticeable difference in any of the routines. 

DVD/TV Series Review: Alias: Seasons 1-5

 

+++Warning, this contains some spoilers from throughout the series.+++

This is the complete series of Alias which ran from 2001 to 2006 and starred Jennifer Garner, Michael Vartan, Victor Garber, Ron Rifkin, Kevin Weisman, Greg Grunberg, Carl Lumby, and David Anders. In the early seasons, it also starred Merrin Dungey,  Bradley Cooper, and Sarah Shahi, and in later seasons, Lena Olin, Melissa George, Rachel Nichols, and Mia Maestro.  Alias was a great concept that got a little weird when it started to focus on the Rambaldi storyline. The first few seasons where the Rambaldi storyline was merely in the background and would be advanced in one or two episodes each season were great. Once it became the focus and the supernatural elements got more and more silly, the show definitely took a downturn. 

The crux of the storyline in the first season is that Jennifer Garner's character, Sydney Bristow, believed that she was working for the CIA (which she could not reveal to anyone), while she was really working for a shadow organization run by criminals. When the organization discovered that she told her fiancee that she worked for the CIA and he was killed by the organization she discovered who she was really working for and what she was really involved in. From there the show focuses on her life as a double agent and her attempts to bring down the rogue spy agency/criminal organization.

Where Alias really shined was character development and perfect casting. Every character that was around for a significant amount of time changed from the time they were first introduced. And of course, Alias was a world where being dead did not always mean staying dead. I think the best storyline of the series was the time jump and the way it was done. Sydney having lost two years with no memory, then finding out exactly how and why her memory was erased was a great payoff. Especially when that is the kind of story that often falls flat at the big reveal.

The one drawback to the series as I said before is by the end the entire focus was on the Rambaldi storyline, and making the whole supernatural/eternal life storyline. It really did change the feel of the show, and while it did provide a good explanation for Sloane's motivation from the beginning, I think it did better when those parts of the storyline were in a few episodes of the season as opposed to the focus of the season. Overall though if you are looking for a show that combines action, comedy, great acting, and a unique take on the spy world (plus the bonus of Jennifer Garner in skimpy outfits on a pretty consistent basis) this is a good one.

Workout Update: Lift-4/645 Corrective and Foam Rolling- Round 2 -Day 51

For day 51, I did upper-body foam rolling from 645 and the Legs 50/50 workout from Lift 4. I have decided, at least for now, to skip the corrective ankles and hips routines from 645 because I feel that my hips and ankles are doing well and I get more benefit from the shoulders, upper, and lower body routines. The Lift 4 workout was another rough one. I decided to drop the weight on a couple of the exercises like front-load squats and the lunges so that I can get deeper into my squats and my lunges and use the correct form. I think that will help a lot more than using the heaviest weight I can and only doing a partial range of motion. The HIIT portion of the workout was tough again, but the format, like in last week's workout, was to do all three of the exercises for 30 seconds. I did swap out catcher jumps for speed skaters because I was not feeling doing the plank move. 

Workout Update: Lift-4/645 Corrective and Foam Rolling- Round 2 -Day 50

Day 50 was corrective shoulders from 645 and the start of week 8 in Lift 4. That meant the Lift 4 workout was again chest and back, this time doing a circuit workout. The circuit consisted of two quad blocks which had you doing two chest exercises and two back exercises, back-to-back, with no rest. You do three sets of each exercise in both blocks, The final block is a burnout block with regular push-ups, back extensions, and wide push-ups, each done for 30 seconds back-to-back with 15 seconds of rest between each move. You again do three sets of the burnout and then finish with three sets of core.

I can definitely feel that I can get deeper in the push-ups (but I am still modifying them). I am not sure why my range of motion has diminished from when I was doing 645, but thankfully, it is coming back. 

Workout Update: Lift-4/645 Corrective and Foam Rolling- Round 2 -Day 49

For day 49 I again just did the two Lift 4 recovery routines. Nothing new to report about either of them. My mobility and flexibility have stayed the same as they have been. 

Workout Update: Lift-4/645 Corrective and Foam Rolling- Round 2 -Day 48

For day 48 I again just did the two Lift 4 recovery routines. Nothing new to report about either of them. My mobility and flexibility have stayed the same as they have been. 

Workout Update: Lift-4/645 Corrective and Foam Rolling- Round 2 -Day 47

Day 47 was full-body HIIT. That basically means that pushups (and lots of them) are incorporated into the HIIT rounds. In this workout you do three rounds of HIIT, each round consisting of two moves, an upper body move and a lower body move. So, you do a total of six exercises. In each round, the amount of time you do the move goes down, as does the amount of rest between moves. Then, you have a bonus round (just one thankfully) in which you do all six exercises, back-to-back, without any rest. Then you finish with core. This is a hard workout, so much so that every single cast member had to modify exercises at some point. I modified some of the exercies and did the regular versions of others, as I could.  

Workout Update: Lift-4/645 Corrective and Foam Rolling- Round 2 -Day 46

Day 46 was shoulders and arms in Lift 4. This one is a circuit workout of three blocks of three exercises (shoulders, biceps, and triceps), then a burnout round with swimmers, biceps curls, and triceps pushups. I did notice that I could get a bit deeper into the triceps pushups this week than I could in prior weeks, so that is a plus. 

Workout Update: Lift-4/645 Corrective and Foam Rolling- Round 2 -Day 45

Day 45 was the two recovery routines from Lift 4. Because I had to play taxi a few times this week I have foregone the morning workout and have just done the evening workouts (which are the Lift 4 workouts). Nothing new to report about either of these routines..

Workout Update: Lift-4/645 Corrective and Foam Rolling- Round 2 -Day 44

For Day 44 I just did the Lift 4 workout which was Legs 50/50. It was a tough workout, especially since my body was still sore from the Chest and Back workout. But, once I got warmed up the soreness in my upper body mostly went away. Thankfully, the HIIT exercises were not as hard in this workout as they have been in some of the other ones. Joel definitely eased off a bit since you basically blast your legs for about 20 minutes before getting to the HIIT.

DVD/TV Series Review: Baywatch: Season 9

 

The ninth season of Baywatch was the final season of the original version of the series and aired during the 1998-1999 TV season. This season, the show returned to its roots as being a story-of-the-week procedural in which the vast majority of the storylines were contained and resolved in a single episode. This was due, in large part, to even more cast turnover in which most of the female cast members, including Gena Lee Nolin, Carmen Electra, Angelica Bridges, and Traci Bingham left the show. Only Kelly Packard was brought back and Brooke Burns and Mitzi Kapture were brought in as new series regulars. Jeremy Jackson was also a part of the cast member shakeup going from a series regular to a recurring character. Nolan's exit required the character of Neely to be recast and then essentially written out to get out of the Neely-Mitch marriage that ended season 8. 

In the DVD set, the 22 episodes are spread over six discs and there are no extras. The season was the weakest of the show's run, mainly because there was no time (or attempt) to really establish the new characters. The show did not have as many recognizable guest stars this season but did get Kerr Smith (who would star on Dawson's Creek) and Alex Trebek (playing himself). Parker Stevenson also reprised his role as Craig for a couple of appearances, and Jeff Altman made another appearance. 

Mostly, the writing was horrible and the acting was not much better. There were a couple of good moments in the season, including a nod to Baywatch Nights in an episode featuring voice-over narration by Mitch and an episode that breaks the fourth wall by joking about the cancelation by NBC and the show being successful in syndication. The best storyline of the season was one of the few multi-episode arcs involving child abuse that would be written very differently today than it was back in the late 1990s.  Unfortunately, the series never got a proper finale. The final episode just had the feel of any regular episode, and none of the really big names (like Pamela Anderson, Yasmine Bleeth, Alexandra Paul, etc.) from the series were brought back. The season is not a must-watch by any means.

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: 300

 

300 is a movie that very loosely interprets the battle of Sparta between 300 Spartan warriors against the invading Persian army directed by Zack Snyder and starring Gerald Butler, Michael Fassbender, Dominic West, and Lena Headey (among others). This is not, and was never meant to be, a historically accurate version of the 300 Spartans. While it is based on an actual event, it is an adaptation of a graphic novel version of the story. There is a lot of action and over-the-top violence as well as some sexual content and nudity. Personally, I think the best performances in the movie come from Dominic West and Lena Headey. 

For those who get the Blu-Ray, the A/V quality (for the initial release anyway) is very good. The visuals really pop and the special effects look authentic. The extras include a commentary track on the movie by Zack Snyder, several making-of and behind-the-scenes featurettes, deleted scenes, and trailers. Ultimately, if you are looking for accuracy or a documentary with an accurate representation of the Battle of Thermopylae, this is not it. If you are looking for an action movie with great visuals, good fight sequences, and good acting, you will probably find this to be entertaining and worth the time to watch.

Book Review: The First Commandment (Scot Harvath Series #6)

 

The First Commandment, published in 2007, is the sixth book in the Scot Harvath series of action-thrillers written by Brad Thor. The events of the book are set about a week after the end of the prior novel, Takedown. In it, Harvath is told to stand down and not look for the person who shot Tracy, but as more people connected to him are attacked, Harvath has to figure out who is going after the people he loves while also avoiding capture by government agents who are told to take him dead or alive. The story is a good mix of action and suspense and keeps readers engaged.

The hardcover version of the book is just over 400 pages. The style and tone of the book are very similar to the other books in the series and it reads as fast (or as slowly) as the other novels. As in the other novels, Thor weaves real-world elements into the fictional storyline, including the debate that was occurring after 9/11 about how the US should go after and treat terrorists. This book ends with the story wrapped up and concludes without a hint of where the storyline in the next book is going to go. If you liked the prior books in the series and/or like similar books (such as the Mitch Rapp series), this is absolutely worth the time to read.

Workout Update: Lift-4/645 Corrective and Foam Rolling- Round 2 -Day 43

Day 43 was the start of week 7 in Lift 4, which is the first of two "shred weeks" and I did the corrective shoulders routine from 645.

The Lift 4 workout was a chest and back circuit workout (so two quad blocks) with alternating chest and back exercises in the first block then two chest exercises followed by two back exercises in the second. Then, after you are toast, you do three sets of burnout, doing regular push-ups, back extensions, and wide push-ups. Then, of course, you finish with three sets of core. Needless to say, this is a tough workout. I had to decrease the amount of weight I was using on multiple exercises. It is a shock to the body, but a good one.

Book Review: Star Wars: The High Republic Character Encyclopedia

 

The High Republic Character Encyclopedia serves a couple of different functions. First, it is a catalog of the various characters who have appeared in the High Republic novels and comic books. The characters are categorized by what group they are affiliated with (e.g., Jedi, Nihil, Path of the Open Hand, etc.). Each character has a write-up that gives information such as their species, what book or comic they first appeared in, and major events they participated in. The more central characters get longer write-ups (about a page and a half or two) and the minor characters get about a paragraph. There are pictures of some of the characters and others are just listed by their name. While the book covers most of the characters, not every character that has appeared in the books has an entry. The second function of the book is to summarize the first and second phases of The High Republic era and chronicle the major events that have led up to the forthcoming third phase. 

The hardcover version of the book is 200 pages long, but because the book has a lot of illustrations, the actual text is much shorter. Therefore, the book can be read very fast and easily finished in a day or two. This is not likely going to be a book that casual Star Wars fans will get into because most of the characters in the book have not appeared in the movies or the various TV series. I would not call this one of the must-read books but for anyone who has read some or all of the High Republic-era books, it is worth reading once.

Book Review: Navigators of Dune (Dune #6)

 

Navigators of Dune is the 6th book, chronologically, in the Dune franchise of novels written by Kevin J. Anderson and Brian Herbert. It is the third book in the "Schools of Dune" trilogy, which is the second prequel trilogy (again chronologically) to the original Dune trilogy. This book, published in 2016, is set about 10,000 years before the events of the original Dune storyline. The book ties up some of the storylines that were started in the earlier novels and sets up the origins of storylines that will have consequences and/or be instrumental down the line such as the Sisterhood's breeding program, the Spacing Guild, and the human computers. And, of course, the Harkonen-Atreides feud continues to play out. 

The hardcover version of the book is just over 400 pages long. There are a lot of characters in the book, but thankfully, most of them carry over from the prior novels in the trilogy so it is not very hard to keep track of who is who. Like with the prior books, there are a few different main storylines. Two of them are interrelated and intertwine quite a bit, and the third is on its own. The book has a good balance of action and downtime (which is mostly used to set up the next action sequence). The book does a good job of continuing the backstory to bring the readers to the original Dune novels while still being suspenseful and entertaining. It is absolutely worth reading.

DVD/TV Series Review: 24: The Complete Series

 

This is the box set of the complete original 24 series, starring Kiefer Sutherland.  The original series ran for 8 seasons, from 2001 to 2010, and had a TV movie titled Redemption, which aired between seasons 6 and 7. 24 was definitely a series that had its ups and downs. The first couple of seasons were very groundbreaking with the "real-time" format, and the fact that the series was never afraid to kill off a character. It was not quite Game-of-Thrones-like in killing off main characters, but it definitely killed off major characters throughout the series. The show was also known for its twists and turns, oftentimes revealing that a supposed good guy was a mole, double agent, or the like.  There were certainly hokey and dumb moments throughout the series, but I think on the whole the plots and the acting were very good. 

Besides Sutherland, the show had a strong ensemble cast including Mary Lynn Rajskub, Elisha Cuthbert, Sarah Clarke, Carlos Bernard, Dennis Haysbert, Reiko Aylesworth, Kim Raver, Penny Johnson Jerald, Glenn Morshower, and D.B. Woodside (among others). The show was a serial drama that you had to watch from the beginning of each season to follow along. Each "day" involved some kind of terrorist attack, which was usually a precursor to a larger attack that the counter-terrorist unit (CTU) had to stop. There was always a lot of misdirection and twists to throw off the ultimate plot, which was usually revealed in the final few episodes. And, as I said, almost no character was safe from being bumped off.

This set does not include Live Another Day (there is an updated set that does) and while some of the individual seasons are available on blu-ray, the complete series is only available on DVD. The set does include all of the bonus content that was released for the individual season sets. That includes hours of deleted scenes, behind-the-scenes featurettes, commentary tracks on select episodes, and more. I definitely think the series did try to hang on too long. I think it would have stood up better if it ended after 4 or 5 seasons instead of going 8. Like many, I think that the 6th season was the weakest of the group. While seasons 7 and 8 did help the series recover (as did the mini-series, Live Another Day, which aired in 2014), I do think it was a show that would have benefited from a shorter run, especially since there was talk of a possible movie long before the series ended. Overall I think it was a well-acted, well-written series that was (especially at the beginning) very addicting. It did take a lot of suspension of disbelief and you have to be willing to accept some eye-rolling moments, but on the whole, it was a very entertaining series.

Workout Update: Lift-4/645 Corrective and Foam Rolling- Round 2 -Day 42

Day 42 was again the two recovery workouts from Lift 4. The only thing of note is that I did use the rumble roller again for the foam rolling. I think going back to the regular foam roller for a week helped a lot because now using the rumble roller feels like the first time I had tried it.  

Workout Update: Lift-4/645 Corrective and Foam Rolling- Round 2 -Day 41

Day 41 was just the two recovery routines from Lift 4. I think they both went as well as they did on Wednesday, so there is really nothing to update about this one.

Workout Update: Lift-4/645 Corrective and Foam Rolling- Round 2 -Day 40

Day 40 was the Legs workout from Lift 4, and because it is an even-numbered week, that means it was all HIIT.  The moves were not as bad (aside from the 45 seconds of triple bear) as in prior weeks, but I was still modifying some of them. But, even the modified versions of the exercises are hard, there is just not as much impact on your body.

Book Review: My Story

 

My Story is the closest thing that the world ever got to an autobiography or memoir from Marilyn Monroe. The original version of the book was published about 12 years after her death and was created from a manuscript she submitted to Milton Green (who was a photographer who took many pictures of Marilyn throughout her career) and was essentially finished by journalist, Ben Hecht. This illustrated version of the book, published in 2007, adds many pictures of Marilyn selected by Milton Green's son, Joshua, who also wrote the foreword.  In the book, Monroe broadly details her early life, her rise to stardom, and her romance with Joe Dimaggio. The book ends with a discussion of her trip to Korea to entertain the troops during her honeymoon with Dimaggio.

The hardcover version of the book is relatively short, coming in at a little under 200 pages. In it, Monroe covers her life in broad strokes up through 1954. She does not go into a ton of detail about everything in her life but does discuss being molested as a girl, the infamous nude calendar photoshoot (which turned into the first Playboy pictorial), and her struggle to get acting jobs (and what was expected by the studio heads and producers). She does not go into detail about whether and how much she participated in the whole "casting couch" phenomenon, or really discuss her sex life (aside from saying she was not very interested in sex during her first marriage. She also talks about how Za Za Gabor hated her because Gabor's husband flirted with her at a party. The big thing I took away from the book is that she was not an overnight sensation or star and she was not instantly rich. Even when she was not an established star she pushed back against some of the parts she was offered and was looking to be taken more seriously. There is an eerily prophetic line in the book that she was the type of person who would be found dead in a hallway with a bottle of sleeping pills next to her. In all, the book shows her as a complicated figure whose life was not at all as glamorous as it seemed. It is absolutely worth the time to read.

Workout Update: Lift-4/645 Corrective and Foam Rolling- Round 2 -Day 39

Day 39 was shoulders invervals from Lift 4. This means each block at two shoulder resistance exercises and one 30-second HIIT exercise. I am almost back to feeling 100% so I could lift heavy again and did not have to modify as much when doing the HIIT. I again took a bit of a break from the foam rolling but will start that up again next week. 

Blu-Ray/Movies Box Set Review: Alfred Hitchcock: The Masterpiece Collection

 

This is a set that contains some but does not contain all, of Hitchcock's movies Depending on what you consider his best movies to be, this may not contain your favorites. Nor do each of the movies have perfect video and audio. The 15 movies included in this collection (each on separate discs) are Saboteur, Shadow of a Doubt, Rope, Rear Window, The Trouble With Harry, The Man Who Knew Too Much, Vertigo, North by Northwest, Psycho, The Birds, Marnie, Torn Curtain, Topaz, Frenzy, and Family Plot. 

There are a lot of reviewers on Amazon pissed at Universal for not restoring all of them. I am never one who expects movies that old to look as good as something made today, so the grain and glitches in the video that you occasionally see do not bother me all that much. In fact, some movie purists enjoy seeing grain and imperfections that are common to movies that were shot on film. That said, some movies have a wonderful restoration (e.g., Sabotuer), others have a good to very good restorations (e.g., The Birds, Rear Window, and Psycho), while others (e.g., Family Plot) have a very bad transfer. The films that have been restored like Rear Window do look great, however. 

I also think the extras that you get on each movie are very good. The documentaries which have interviews with the remaining stars, filmmakers, and Hitchcock family members are very good. I don't really know how this compares to the DVDs that are already out there. You probably want to research whether this will be that much of an upgrade to what you already have if you own any of the movies included here. That said I do like the collection and am very happy with it.

Workout Update: Lift-4/645 Corrective and Foam Rolling- Round 2 -Day 38

For Day 38 I just did the two Lift 4 recovery workouts. Both went fine and I feel like my flexibility has (somehow) improved from last week. 

Workout Update: Lift-4/645 Corrective and Foam Rolling- Round 2 -Day 37

For Day 37 I just did the back and biceps workout from Lift 4, and did not do any morning foam rolling. The back and biceps workout is another 50/50 workout. Since I am still recovering from COVID, I modified the hell out of the cardio portion, even swapping out a couple of the regular exercises for easier exercises because I knew that I would not be able to breathe much during wide mountain climbers and catcher jumps. 

Workout Update: Lift-4/645 Corrective and Foam Rolling- Round 2 -Day 36

Day 36 was corrective shoulders from 645 and the start of week 6 in Lift 4, which was the chest and triceps workout. This one was a circuit workout, so the two quad blocks were followed by three sets of push-up burnout and then three sets of core. Thankfully, I am almost back to normal today and mostly recovered from COVID. So, I was able to lift much heavier weights than I did for shoulders and legs last week. There were a couple of exercises that I used weights that were a little lighter than I would have if I had never been sick, but for the most part, I was back to lifting heavy. 

Workout Update: Lift-4/645 Corrective and Foam Rolling- Round 2 -Day 35

Day 35 was the two recovery workouts from Lift 4. I was definitely feeling better than I had the past couple of days but I was still a bit weak and coughing so it was nice to just have the low-impact routines.