Welcome

Welcome to my ever-evolving blog. It started out as a blog on Beachbody workouts and products, mainly when I was a Beachbody coach. I no longer coach, not because I don't believe in Beachbody's programs (I subscribe to Beachbody on Demand and use their workouts every day), I am just not a salesperson and hated that aspect of it. I am more than willing to answer questions about my experiences with their products and the various workouts, and I feel freer to do so without the appearance of giving a biased review of something.

I have also started adding reviews for various things I have purchased like movies, books, CDs, and other products. This was brought about by a fight with Amazon in which all of my reviews were removed over a completely bullshit allegation that I posted a review that violated their terms of service. After going back and forth with the morons in the community-reviews department (even after they admitted that my posts did not violate their guidelines) they restored my account (which took them six months to do), but I have been posting my reviews on my blog to have them preserved in case something like that happens again. And here, I will post uncensored reviews so I will swear from time to time and post reviews that may be longer than Amazon's character limit. Everything I post here on any topic or product is my personal opinion, and I take no compensation for any product reviews I post. I am a member of Amazon's vine program and because I get those products for free, I keep those reviews on Amazon only, but everything I have purchased with my own money, whether from Amazon or some other store/website/outlet, I will post here.  

I also plan to do some longer blog posts on various topics, such as how to learn physics, how to get through calculus, and longer reviews of workout programs as I do them. Basically, whatever strikes me as interesting at the time.  As you can see if you navigate around the blog, I had many years in between postings. During that time I was going back to school to get an engineering degree, and learning material that I avoided my first time through college was a different experience and one that gave me a lot of insight into how to do well in those classes, which I will try to impart here for those who are looking to get a science or engineering degree. 

Monday, August 12, 2024

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back

 


Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back is a 2001 comedy starring Kevin Smith, Jason Mewes, Shannon Elizabeth, Jennifer Schwalbach, Eliza Dushku, and Ali Larter. It is basically a running inside joke referencing and calling back to the prior movies Smith made in which Jay and Silent Bob were featured but not the focus (Clerks, Mallrats, Chasing Amy, and Dogma). This features many of the same actors that appeared in those films (such as Jason Lee, Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Chris Rock, Joey Lauren Adams, Alanis Morissette, and Shannen Doherty) have cameo roles, with the focus of the story (to the extent that there is one) being that Jay and Silent Bob are trying to get from NJ to CA to stop the filming of the Bluntman and Chronic movie, which Banksy (Jason Lee) sold the rights to after the events of Chasing Amy. It is basically riffing on the other movies, and paying homage to movies that Smith is a fan of (such as Star Wars). All with his juvenile and vulgar sense of humor. The first few minutes of the movie see Jeff Anderson and Brian O'Halloran "working" in the convenience store from Clerks and shows how Jay and Silent Bob met as toddlers. The film also features Will Ferrell, Judd Nelson, George Carlin, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Jon Stewart, Tracy Morgan, Diedrich Bader, Wes Craven, and Jason Biggs (among others).

The Blu-Ray is very bare bones. The only extra is a commentary track a commentary track that features Smith, Mewes, and producer Scott Mosier. There is nothing much to the story itself. The whole movie is set around two characters who are funny in small doses but can get to be a bit much in large doses. However, it does not try to take itself too seriously or go on for longer than necessary. It is not a movie that anyone other than fans of Smith's other movies (up to that point, at least) will likely be entertained by. But even now, 18 years or so on, those who are fans can still find it amusing. And, you get a few minutes of awesomeness from George Carlin and Carrie Fisher, as well as Shannon Elizabeth, Eliza Dushku, and Ali Larter (along with Smith's wife) in skin-tight outfits as they steal diamonds in a nod to the Catherine Zeta-Jones scene in Entrapment.

Overall it is good, but definitely not a great movie. It is not on par with Clerks, Chasing Amy, or Dogma, which I thought were excellent. I don't even think it is as good as Mallrats, which was, in my opinion, the weakest of the movies that served as source material for this one. But if you don't expect it to be more than it is, it is enjoyable.

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