Workout Update: Insanity Max 30/Power 90 Hybrid: Day 29

Day 29 started Week 4 in Max 30 and Power 90. In Max 30, that meant transitioning to Phase 2 of the workout and doing Max Out Cardio. It is similar to the cardio circuit workout, but it does not have as many breaks, and there is a one-minute power move at the end of each block before you get to the break. I got through the entire 30 minutes without taking any unscheduled breaks. This week is another transition week in Power 90, doing the 1-2 workouts with the 3-4 workouts sandwiched between them. So, I did Sweat 1-2 and Ab-Ripper 100. Both went well without much difference from last week. 

Workout Update: Insanity Max 30/Power 90 Hybrid: Day 28

On day 28, I did the Sculpt 1-2 routine from Power 90 in the evening. I am still dealing with family stuff, so my workout schedule was still messed up, but I finished all the workouts for the week (aside from the Lift 4 recovery routines).  

4k-UHD/Movie Review: Babygirl

 

Babygirl is a 2024 drama written and directed by Helina Rejin. It stars Nicole Kidman, Harris Dickinson, and Antonio Banderas in the leading roles and Esther Rose McGregor, Sophie Wilde, and Izabel Mar in the supporting roles. Kidman plays a high-powered CEO of a robotics company named Romy Mathis. Romy has an unfulfilled personal life and uses a prim and proper facade, an air of control, and an attitude of not being bothered by anything to mask many insecurities. She begins having an affair with a young intern at the company, Samuel (played by Dickinson), as she explores her submissive side. 

The 4k release is a single-disc UHD release. The movie looks and sounds fantastic in the UHD format. The extras include a commentary track on the film by Rejin, which provides a lot of insight into the story and the filming process, some behind-the-scenes material, and deleted scenes. The movie is good, but it will definitely not appeal to everyone. It has a lot of sexual content, some nudity (much of the sex is covered up, but there are some nude scenes including topless and butt shots of Kidman), and a lot of swearing. Kidman does a great job playing a character who is not very emotive, which packs a punch the few times she expresses emotion. Despite having some star power, the film feels more like an indie movie than a big-budget blockbuster. Ultimately, it is a good film, so it is worth watching if those things do not dissuade you. 

Workout Update: Insanity Max 30/Power 90 Hybrid: Day 27

On Day 27, I did the Sweat 1-2 and Ab-Ripper 100 routines in Power 90. Those were supposed to be yesterday evening's workout, but because my schedule got thrown off this week, I did it today, and tomorrow will be Sculpt 1-2.  

Workout Update: Insanity Max 30/Power 90 Hybrid: Day 26

On Day 26 I did Friday Fight Round 1 in Max 30, and Sculpt 3-4 (which was supposed to be yesterday evening's workout). I made it all the way through the Max 30 workout, so I was able to get through all the round 1 Max 30 workouts (following the modifier) without stopping. The big proviso, however, is that the modified version of the Max 30 workouts are much easier than the unmodified versions.  In Sculpt 3-4 you do four rounds instead of three. In the first three rounds you do the same exercises as in 1-2 (save for decline push-ups) but you do more reps of the lunges and squats. In the final round, you do upright rows, calf raises, supermans, and forearm curls. Then, you finish the workout doing max push-ups and max squats. So, the workout is not impossible, but it is challenging.

Workout Update: Insanity Max 30/Power 90 Hybrid: Day 25

Day 25 got shaken up a bit because of a family emergency. I did do the Max 30 workout in the morning, and got through it without taking any breaks, but I was not able to do the Power 90 Sculpt 3-4 workout. My plan is to do that one tonight and then double up on the Power 90 workouts tomorrow (sweat 1-2 and sculpt 1-2).  

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: The Big Bang Theory: Season 1

 

The 17-episode first season of The Big Bang Theory aired during the 2007/2008 TV season. It was created by Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady and starred Jim Parsons, Johnny Galecki, Kaley Cuoco, Simon Helberg, and Kunal Nayyar. The show's premise is that two physicists from CalTech, Sheldon (played by Parsons) and Leonard (played by Galecki), meet their new neighbor, Penny (played by Cuoco), who Leonard instantly falls for. The circle of friends also includes two other CalTech scientists, an Engineer named Howard (played by Helberg) and an Astrophysicist named Raj (played by Nayyar). All the nerdy friends are socially awkward, with Sheldon being an arrogant know-it-all, who is also on the autism spectrum, and Leonard is insecure about nearly everything. Howard tries way too hard to hit on every woman he meets, and Raj cannot talk to women unless he is drunk. Penny is a party girl working as a waitress while trying to break into acting. The supporting cast in the first season includes Laurie Metcalf, who plays Sheldon's Mother, Sara Gilbert, who plays another physicist, and Carol Ann Susi, who plays the voice of Howard's mother.

The blu-ray set is a two-disc set. The episodes can be played with English captions and in a play-all mode (although the play-all mode does not allow you to pick up where you leave off). The two bonus features are on the second disc, a behind-the-scenes featurette that runs just under twenty minutes and a gag reel. The show is a pretty typical sitcom that primarily relies on procedural storylines that get resolved by the end of the episodes, mixed with longer character arcs. It is a mostly wholesome sitcom, but it definitely includes some sex jokes, and Cuoco is in skimpy outfits from time to time. It is filmed partly in front of a studio audience and uses a laugh track for the parts not filmed in front of an audience. 

The show is well-written, with many nerdy pop-culture references, and very well-acted. It also incorporates a lot of real-world science into the storylines. While the character of Sheldon became immensely popular (Parsons does a great job with the character and has great comedic timing), the entire cast plays their characters well, and the actors seem to have great chemistry. The show would become one of the most popular comedies in TV history (and was certainly the most popular sitcom of its era). The first season is mostly focused on character development and establishing the relationships between the various characters. Ultimately, it is a strong season that sets up the show well. Even though the first season is (as of this writing) about 17 years old, it holds up well (with many laugh-out-loud moments) and is worth watching.       

Workout Update: Insanity Max 30/Power 90 Hybrid: Day 24

Day 24 was Sweat Intervals in Max 30 (in the morning) and Sweat 3-4 and Ab-Ripper 200 from Power 90 in the evening. In the Max 30 workout, I managed to make it through the entire 30 minutes without taking an unscheduled break. The Sweat 3-4 workout is almost the same as the 1-2 workout. All the exercises are the same, and you do the same four minutes of yoga at the beginning. The difference is that during the cardio portion, the pace is quicker, and you do an additional round of exercises for each block (except the kicking portion of the kickboxing block). Similarly, when you get to Ab-ripper, you are doing the same ten exercises, just adding an additional ten reps to each one. Those things definitely made the workout more challenging. I had to pause a few times during the workout, but thankfully, my stamina has been getting much better.

Workout Update: Insanity Max 30/Power 90 Hybrid: Day 23

Day 23 was Tabata Strength in Max 30 and Sculpt 1-2 in Power 90. I again flipped the order of the workouts and did the Power 90 workout in the morning and the Max 30 workout in the evening. I again barely managed to make it through the Max 30 workout without taking an unscheduled break, but I was feeling it around the 25-minute mark. In the Power 90 workout, I increased the amount of weight I was using for the back exercises up to 17.5 and still did 15 reps.  

Workout Update: Insanity Max 30/Power 90 Hybrid: Day 22

Day 22 started off week 4 in Max 30 and Power 90. In Max 30, it was the Cardio Challenge workout again. I was able to get through the entire workout without taking an unscheduled break, and this is the best I have felt during any of the Max 30 workouts. So much so that I did a few of the exercises unmodified for part of the time. In Power 90, this is the first transition week in which you do the 1-2 workouts Monday and Tuesday, the 3-4 workouts Wednesday and Thursday, and go back to the 1-2 workouts Friday and Saturday. So, I did Sweat 1-2 and Ab-ripper 100 today. Both went fine, but since Max 30 tends to gas me in the morning, I do have to throttle it back a bit during this workout. 

Workout Update: Insanity Max 30/Power 90 Hybrid: Day 21

Day 21 was a rest day in both Max 30 and Power 90, so I did the Lift 4 recovery routines in the evening. Again, I can tell my range of motion and flexibility are improving little by little, but I have a ways to go.

Workout Update: Insanity Max 30/Power 90 Hybrid: Day 20

Day 20 was Sculpt 1-2 in Power 90, which I did in the late afternoon. I did not do doubles today, taking the rest day from Max 30. I continued to use 15 lbs for all the weighted exercises in this workout, but will bump everything except the shoulder and biceps exercises up to 17.5 lbs next week.

Workout Update: Insanity Max 30/Power 90 Hybrid: Day 19

Day 19 was Friday Fight in Max 30 and Sweat 1-2 and ab-ripper 100 in Power 90. In the Max 30 workout, I made it to 23:47 before I maxed out, so there is an outside chance I will be able to do all 30 minutes next week. The Power 90 workout went fine. My flexibility and range of motion continue to improve, but I still have to modify more of the exercises than I want to.

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: Clerks III

 

Clerks III is the 2022 (likely) conclusion to the Clerks franchise in Kevin Smith's View Askew universe. It stars Brian O'Halloran and Jeff Anderson (reprising their roles as Dante and Randal), Trevor Fehrman (reprising his role as Elias from Clerks II), and Austin Zahur. Smith and Jason Mewes also reprise their roles as Jay and Silent Bob, and Rosario Dawson reprises her role from Clerks II, although it is a smaller role than she had in the first movie. And, because this is a Kevin Smith movie, he includes actors he has worked with in the past in cameo or extended cameo roles, such as Justin Long, Ben Affleck, Melissa Benoist, and Ethan Suplee. There are also cameo appearances by Sarah Michelle Gellar, Freddie Prinze Jr., Danny Trejo, and the Impractical Jokers cast. And, of course, Smith's wife, daughter, and mother all make appearances.

The storyline of this movie returns to Smith's personal life (as opposed to the storyline in Clerks II). In it, he uses his real-life heart attack as a plot line, having Randle suffer a heart attack in the convenience store. Having a new lease on life, Randle decides to make a movie (essentially the first Clerks film), which allows several people who appeared in the original film to come back for this movie. Smith also includes many jokes about the prior two films, including an explanation (as Silent Bob) about why he shot the original film in black and white. In the third act, the movie becomes a very emotional drama and provides a fitting end to the trilogy.

The blu-ray features an introduction from Smith before the disc loads, thanking fans for purchasing the movie on physical media. The bonus content includes a commentary track on the film that features Smith, O'Halloran, Fehrman, and Zajur. The extras also include two documentaries that are nearly as long as the movie. The first provides a behind-the-scenes look at the five-week process of filming the movie, and the second is a retrospective on the trilogy as a whole featuring interviews with the cast and crew about getting the first movie made and the challenges of making the sequels. Finally, there is about a half hour of deleted scenes and the theatrical trailer. 

The movie is very good, especially for fans of the first two movies. It has a lot of the same crude humor (although not as much as in the first two movies), but the story is really about growing old and reaching the age when you start losing loved ones. The only thing I did not like was that it did not end with the song Misery like the first two films did. As I said above, it will probably be the last movie in the Clerks franchise, not only because of how the story plays out but also because of the reluctance of the people involved (especially Anderson) to keep making sequels. This is a must-watch if you liked or loved the first two movies. It is also worth watching if you are a fan of comedies with raunchier and sometimes silly/stupid humor (although it helps to have seen the first two movies to get all of the jokes). Ultimately, if it is the final Clerks movie (and I think it should be), it is a great swan song for the franchise and is worth the time to watch. 

4k-UHD/TV Series Review: The Penguin

 

The Penguin is an eight-episode series that aired in the fall of 2024 on HBO/Max. It is partly a sequel to/spin-off of the 2022 film The Batman, with Colin Farrell reprising his role as Oz Cobb/Penguin. It stars Farrell, Cristin Milioti, Rhenzy Feliz, Carmen Ejogo, Deirdre O'Connell, and Clancy Brown in the main roles, and Theo Rossi, Michael Zegen, Michael Kelly, Mark Strong, and Shohreh Aghdashloo in supporting roles. It starts out one week after the events of The Batman, with the city recovering from the flood and with a power vacuum in the organized crime community after the death of Carmine Falcone. Penguin begins to position himself by playing both sides of what remains of the Falcone family and Maroni family. The release of Sophia Falcone from Arkham (who was imprisoned for a decade for a series of murders) throws a wrench in his plans. The series also uses flashbacks to show Penguin's origin as a kid and then as a low-level operative in the Falcone family as Sophia's driver before she is sent to Arkham.

The 4k set is a three-disc set. The eight episodes are spread across the three discs. Each disc has bonus content, including the eight "Inside Gotham" segments that played after the episodes aired on Max and included interviews with the cast and showrunners about the events of the particular episodes. Then, there are several behind-the-scenes featurettes that range in length from a few minutes to just under ten minutes and cover different aspects of the series. The A/V quality of the episodes in the UHD format is outstanding. 

The series is very well-written and acted. The writers do a great job with character development, especially for Oz, Sophia, and Victor (played by Feliz). They have to balance making Oz human and showing why he is a true villain. They do a fantastic job of making him almost sympathetic and then having him do something truly despicable to take all that sympathy away. Farrell is outstanding in the role of Oz, and Milioti is a tour-de-force as Sophia. While the show has the same look, tone, and feel as The Batman movie, it does not include Bruce Wayne/Batman, Selina Kyle/Catwoman, or Jim Gordon (although Selina is name-dropped), and we do see the Bat symbol in the sky in the final episode. It does have a lot of violence and swearing. It also has some suggestive sexual content but no nudity (although there are a couple of shots that get close to showing nudity). So, it is definitely not appropriate for young kids. If you liked The Batman movie, this is absolutely a must-watch. Even if you have not seen the film, the show provides enough context from the film to follow along with the story without getting lost. Ultimately, it is a wonderful series that is worth your time to watch. 

DVD/Movie Review: Bikini Summer

 

Bikini Summer is a 1991 late-night cable D-level comedy starring Melinda Armstrong, David Millbern, Kelli Konop, Shelly Michelle, Rebekah Alfred, and Alex Smith. It is one of those films that is something between the soft-core "Skinemax" movies that use real porn stars but don't show anything and the mainstream coming-of-age comedies of the mid to late1980s. It has a few plotlines (that are quite silly and stupid) that converge at the end, providing an excuse to hold a bikini contest fundraiser. However, the plotlines are mostly filler between scenes of models in various stages of undress. 

The DVD is a transfer from the VHS, and as you would expect from a low-budget comedy with no major stars, it did not get any kind of upgraded A/V transfer. The DVD is now out of print, so it can be hard to find at a reasonable price. There are no bonus features specific to the movie, just a bunch of trailers/previews for other low-budget direct-to-video movies that can be played from the main menu. Ultimately, the movie is a dumb comedy with several good-looking models in it. There is a bunch of nudity and some swearing (although not much of the latter). Despite the nudity, there are not really any sex scenes (only one that you mostly hear through a door). It is kind of a blast from the past if you grew up in the 90s and remember seeing it on TV, but you will not miss much if you skip it. 

Blu-Ray/TV series review: Charmed (2018): Season 4

 

The 13-episode fourth and final season of the Charmed reboot series aired during the spring and summer of 2022. It only received a partial season pickup for the fourth season and was canceled as the fourth season episodes were airing (and likely had mostly been filmed). This season sees major turnover in the cast, with Madeleine Mantock and Poppy Drayton both leaving the series. Much of the storyline in the fourth season involves Mel, Maggie, and Harry dealing with Macy's death and the arrival of a new Charmed One named Kaela, played by Lucy Barrett. Unlike in the original series, in which Paige was written as a half-sister after Prue's death, this version changes the idea that the Charmed Ones must be sisters. The season's "big bad" is an original Charmed One named Inara, known as The Lost One.

The blu-ray (and DVD) set is a three-disc set. The A/V quality of the blu-ray is very good. The episodes can be played with English captions and in a play-all mode that allows you to pick up where you left off if you stop before all the episodes on the disc play. The only extra is a short gag reel on the final disc. The storylines are not as good this season until the final handful of episodes. The final episode, which may or may not have been intended to be a series finale when it was written and filmed, does wrap up the fourth season storyline and left open the possibility that the show could have finally been tied to the original series had it been allowed to continue. The show also provided an explanation for why we did not see the Halliwell sisters referred to in the reboot. Unfortunately, however, none of the actors from the original series appeared this season. Ultimately, the season was good (very good in the last few episodes) but overall not as good as in the first couple of seasons. Even so, it is worth watching to see how the story ends.

Workout Update: Insanity Max 30/Power 90 Hybrid: Day 18

On Day 18, I switched things up a little. I did the Sculpt 1-2 workout from Power 90 in the morning and the Tabata Strength workout from Max 30 in the evening. I was able to get through the Max 30 workout without taking any unscheduled breaks (barely). The 20 on 10 off format definitely helps, but unlike Tabata Power, in which you have breaks every five minutes, in this workout, there are no breaks. After each block of moves you do a power move that is lower impact (like Mummy Kicks). So, you are constantly moving until the end of the workout. There are actually a few of the cast members who made it through the entire workout without taking breaks, which is damn impressive.

Workout Update: Insanity Max 30/Power 90 Hybrid: Day 17

Day 17 was Sweat Intervals from Max 30 in the morning and Sweat 1-2 and Ab-ripper 100 from Power 90 in the evening. I made it through the Max 30 workout without any breaks, but barely this week. The Power 90 workout went okay, but I was still a bit worn out by the time I got to it in the later evening. 

Workout Update: Insanity Max 30/Power 90 Hybrid: Day 16

Day 16 was Tabata Strength from Max 30 in the morning and Sculpt 1-2 from Power 90 in the evening. Tabata Strength is the other workout from month one in Max 30 that you do, starting with week 3, replacing Tabata Power. The format of the workout is similar to Tabata Power, with different exercises. I maxed out at just over the 25-minute mark in this one, so hopefully, by the end of round 1, I can get through all 30 minutes (doing the modified version) without any unscheduled breaks. The sculpt workout in Power 90 went fine. I again used 15lbs for all the exercises. I decided that next week, I will bump the weight up for the back, biceps, and triceps exercises but keep using 15 lbs for the shoulder exercises.

Book Review: Love, Pamela

 

Love, Pamela is a 2023 memoir written by actress and model Pamela Anderson. It started as a book of poetry and turned into a memoir in which she talks about her evolution from a shy tomboy to the most famous pinup girl of the 1990s, who was the most popular character on the most watched show of the 1990s. In it, she details her life growing up in small Canadian towns, her discovery at a football game, which led to the start of her modeling career and led to her becoming the most famous Playboy Playmate in history, breaking into acting, and her complicated (and often messy) personal life that was constantly bombarded by paparazzi. 

The hardcover version of the book is relatively short at 240 pages and is a fairly quick read. Anderson does not hold a lot back in the book. She focuses on the behind-the-scenes aspects of her personal life more than her acting career (e.g., her time on Baywatch). Not that she does not discuss things people mostly know about, but she focuses more on things that were more private before she wrote this book. She talks about her tough childhood, growing up in a home with an alcoholic father, being molested by a babysitter, and later raped by a kid in her neighborhood. Interestingly, her experience with Playboy seems much different than what other Playmates and models have detailed. She recounted how it saved her from an abusive relationship and that everyone was professional to her. She did discuss how she avoided situations that could have turned out bad when doing Playboy press tours. That is actually interesting because she seems to be very impulsive (e.g., marrying people she barely knew) and certainly did not always make great decisions in her past. She does talk about people she hooked up with, dated, and gave some behind-the-curtain information on her marriages (especially to Tommy Lee) and the craziness behind the theft of their safe with the videos that would be used to create the infamous sex tape. At the end of the book, she discusses her life as a mother and trying to raise her kids outside the celebrity limelight. 

Ultimately, the book is an interesting read. Even though it is short, she discusses a lot about her life, and you can tell that she is not the dumb blonde that her acting roles would suggest. She laments in the book about how the modeling and the people she was hanging around with precluded her from getting more serious acting roles, but then says she was not really focused on being an actress. It is not what I would call a must-read book, but if you grew up when she was massively popular, it is worth reading.   

Workout Update: Insanity Max 30/Power 90 Hybrid: Day 15

On day 15, I did Cardio Challenge from Max 30 in the morning, and Sweat 1-2 and ab-ripper 100 from Power 90 in the evening. I again made it through the full 30 minutes of the modified version of Cardio Challenge. The most challenging thing about getting through that workout is watching Shermita (the most useless cast member in the original Insanity program and continues to be so here) alternate between being lazy and being a drama queen the entire workout. Thankfully, she is in the back corner, and the camera is not on her as much as on the people working out hard. In the Power 90 workout, my flexibility during the yoga portion is getting better, and my stamina is improving. Plus, the ab-ripper routine is getting easier. 

DVD/Movie Review: The Big Town

 

The Big Town is a 1987 film starring Matt Dillon, Diane Lane, Tommy Lee Jones, Suzy Amis, Bruce Dern, Lee Grant, Tom Skerritt, and David Marshall Grant. The story is set in the late 1950s. In it, Matt Damon's character, J.C. Cullen, makes a living playing craps in a small town in Indiana. He decides to move to Chicago to become a professional gambler. He starts to work for two professional gamblers (played by Dern and Grant), gets mixed up with the owner of a strip club (played by Jones), and begins having an affair with the owner's wife (played by Lane), who hooks him into a revenge scheme. He also starts a romance with Amis' character, a single mother who wants to become a disc jockey and has to choose which life he ultimately wants. 

There are many versions of the DVD out there. I have the French import, so it can only be played on a Region 2 or Region free player. The menus are in French, and the audio track defaults to French, but you can play it with the English audio track, which plays with French subtitles. That version has no extras. The movie is okay, but not great. It has a similar style and tone to many late 1980s films that tried to recapture the film noir era style. It is absolutely dated, and there are some things in the movie (like a white character dropping the "n-word" and men smacking women) that would not fly today. It has a lot of swearing, some sexual content, and nudity. Lane has a few topless scenes (and they are spectacular) and a couple of sex scenes with Dillon. The acting is good, but the script was somewhat limited and did not give the cast (which included many excellent actors) much to work with. If you are a fan of the genre or any of the actors in the film, it is worth checking out, but it is not a movie that I would classify as a must-see. 

Book Review: God Emperor of Dune [Hardcover] (Dune #19 chronological order, #4 publication order)

 

God Emperor of Dune, first published in 1981, is the fourth book in the Dune series written by the original author, Frank Herbert. The events of the book are set about 3500 years after Leto II took power in the novel Children of Dune. At this point in time, Leto has become a human sandworm hybrid, terraformed Arrakis, and completely controls the remaining supply of spice. Thus, space travel is almost non-existent, and the few remaining great houses bow to Leto's authority out of fear, while some plot against him. 

The length of the book depends on which version you get. In the hardcover trilogy set, it is just over 300 pages long, but the print is very small. It is not an easy book to get through. Most of the characters are new, aside from the ghola of Duncan Idaho (the latest of many that Leto has used over time), and the main plotline is mixed within a bunch of philosophical monologues, making the story hard to follow. Ultimately, it is not as good as the original Dune novel or any of the prequel novels written by Frank Herbert's son, Brian, and his writing partner, Kevin J. Anderson. You can tell that Frank was trying to comment on human evolution and how ambition and power can turn dark (which is still a cautionary tale for real-world events). Still, the novel would have been better if he had toned down some of the philosophical commentary and focused on the plot against Leto. Even though it is not as good as the original novel, it is still worth reading to see how the entire saga plays out. But, if you were really only invested in the story of Paul, then this is not going to do much for you.

Workout Update: Insanity Max 30/Power 90 Hybrid: Day 14

Day 14 was the rest day in both Max 30 and Power 90, so I did the two recovery routines from Lift 4. I found that my flexibility in the stretch routine is getting better, and the foam rolling is getting a lot of knots out of my hamstrings and calves. Since I slacked on doing these the last couple of rounds of Lift 4, I wanted to do them on the off days from Max 30 and Power 90 since my flexibility has regressed lately. 

Workout Update: Insanity Max 30/Power 90 Hybrid: Day 13

On Day 13, I did the sweat 1-2 routine (and ab-ripper 100) in the morning and sculpt 1-2 in the evening. Both workouts went well. The yoga in the sweat workout continues to get a bit easier as does the ab-ripper routine. In the sculpt workout, I used 15 lbs for each exercise again. I think next week I will bump everything but the shoulder exercises up to 17.5 lbs and keep doing the shoulder exercises with the 15 lb weight.

Workout Update: Insanity Max 30/Power 90 Hybrid: Day 12

On day 12, I just did the Friday Fight workout in the evening. I was busy during the morning and could not do it then, and I did not feel like doing both workouts back-to-back in the evening. I made it a few more minutes into the workout before I maxed out than I did last week. I made it to the 14:50 mark, but could not quite make it to the 15-minute mark where the first scheduled break comes up. Tomorrow, I am going to do both Power-90 workouts since I did not do the Sweat 1-2 routine today.

Workout Update: Insanity Max 30/Power 90 Hybrid: Day 11

Day 11 was the last time doing Tabata Power in this round and then in the evening, the sculpt 1-2 workout from Power 90. I was able to make it just over 25 minutes into the Max 30 workout before I had to take an unscheduled break. I wanted to get through the entire thing, but I was too worn out by that point. The sculpt workout from Power 90 went well. I again used 15 lbs weights for every exercise, and did 15 reps for each exercise.  

Workout Update: Insanity Max 30/Power 90 Hybrid: Day 10

Day 10 was Sweat Intervals again in Max 30 and Sweat 1-2 and ab-ripper 100 in Power 90. I again was able to get through the entire 30 minutes in the Sweat Intervals workout without taking an unscheduled break (doing the low-impact modifications). I was more tired in the evening workout so I did not go as hard in that one during the cardio portion. I could tell that the yoga portion is getting a little easier than it was on Day 1, so I am making progress there.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Charmed (2018): Season 3

 

The 18-episode third season of the Charmed reboot aired during the winter, spring, and summer of 2021. The series started late because of the time it took to begin lifting the COVID lockdowns. Thus, like season two, this is another shortened season. The beginning of the season resolves the hanging storyline from season two, which ended early because of the start of the pandemic. Once that is resolved, the writers introduce the main storylines for season three, including writing in a magical allergy (clearly meant to be a fictional version of COVID) that prevented the sisters from touching other magical beings. Two powerful beings known as "The Perfecti" are introduced and the last few episodes introduce the season's "big bad" and entity called The Whispering Evil. All the main cast members return for season three, although the events at the end of the season will shake up the cast going forward. Mareya Salazar is introduced as Josefina, a second cousin of the sisters during the season as a new recurring character.

The blu-ray (and DVD) set is a four-disc set. The episodes can be played with English captions and can be played in a "play all" mode that allows you to pick up where you leave off. The only bonus feature is a short gag reel on the fourth disc. The A/V quality of the blu-ray is very good, and the effects look wonderful in HD. As with seasons 1 and 2, the third season is only available in the US individually on DVD. Only the complete series is available on blu-ray. 

The series keeps the same style and tone as it did during the first two seasons. It primarily uses a serial storyline that builds throughout the season. Unlike the original series, this one incorporates real-world social issues into the storylines, including racism and LGBT issues. Of course, that will piss off a segment of people who will never watch the show, while others may like that, and others may be neutral toward it. I tend to fall into the later camp. The show would have been fine without those elements, but they do not detract from the overall storytelling. The writers do a decent job of juggling storylines for the large ensemble cast, providing material for all the main characters. Although there were episodes in which some characters were used sparingly, so the storyline could focus on one or two characters. The writers also wrote Melonie Diaz's real-life pregnancy into the storyline toward the end of the season. If you enjoyed the first two seasons, you will probably enjoy the third. If you did not like either of the first two seasons, this one is not going to do anything to change your mind. Ultimately, if you have liked the series up to this point, season three is worth watching.

Workout Update: Insanity Max 30/Power 90 Hybrid: Day 9

On day 9, I did Tabata Power in Max 30 and the Sculpt 1-2 workout in the evening. I maxed out at the 24:44 mark, which is a little longer into the workout (by a handful of seconds) than I got the last time. For the sculpt workout, I increased the weight to 15 lbs and was able to do 15 reps on all the exercises with that weight (although it was very difficult for the shoulder raises and the 21s in the last block). 

Workout Update: Insanity Max 30/Power 90 Hybrid: Day 8

Day 8 was the start of week 2 for both workout programs. That meant the second time doing cardio challenge in Max 30 in the morning, and the Sweat 1-2 and ab-ripper 100 in Power 90. I was able to do all 30 minutes of cardio challenge without taking an unscheduled break. But, I was a bit tired in the evening for the Power 90 workout, so I did not push as hard in that one.

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: Beerfest

 

Beerfest is a 2006 comedy that spoofs the concept of Oktoberfest. The film was made by the same team behind Super Troopers and the Dukes of Hazard movie (but it was not as good as either of them, and much closer in quality to Dukes of Hazard than Super Troopers). It was directed by Jay Chandrasekhar and stars Chandrasekhar, Kevin Heffernan, Steve Lemme, Paul Stoter, Erik Stolhanske, Eric Christian Olsen, and Will Forte. Monique and Cloris Leachman have hilarious supporting roles, and Donald Sutherland, James Roday, and Willie Nelson have cameo appearances. The movie is one of the spate of raunchy comedies released in the early 2000s after American Pie became a huge hit. The crux of the story is that after the death of their grandfather (played by Sutherland), two brothers (played by Stoter and Stolhanske) travel to Germany to spread his ashes. They discover an underground beer drinking competition called Beerfest, where they find out their grandfather allegedly stole a beer recipe from their German cousins. After being humiliated at the competition, they put a team together to compete at the next year's competition to take on the German team.

The Blu-Ray's A/V quality is good but nothing to write home about. The extras include two different commentary tracks on the movie, one with Chandrasekhar and Lemme and one with the other lead actors. Then, there is about a half hour of deleted scenes that can be played with or without commentary, some behind-the-scenes material, and the trailer. The movie is okay, but not great. It is definitely not as good as other films in the raunchy comedy genre, but it does have some funny moments. However, I would say that among stupid comedies, it is more stupid than funny. It has a lot of swearing, some sexual content, and nudity. If you are not a fan of that type of comedy, then you absolutely want to skip this. Even if you are generally a fan of that type of comedy, you may or may not like it. Personally, I would not have gone out of my way to purchase it, but it was delivered by mistake and wherever I purchased it from did not make me send it back. Ultimately, it is an okay comedy, but you are not missing anything if you skip it. 

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Charmed (2018): Season 2

 

The 19-episode second season of the Charmed reboot aired during the 2019/2020 TV season. Like pretty much all series that year, Charmed's second season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The second season's plot deals with the fallout of the Elders' deaths and a group of humans trying to harness magic. Taking another element from the original series, the sisters fake their deaths, cloaking the house and operating out of a headquarters set up by the Elders that allows them to track witches in trouble and demon activity. The show also establishes its version of darklighters this season, but puts a major spin on what they are. There is some cast turnover this season with Elen Tamaki, Natalie Hall, and Ser'Darius Blain leaving the series. Nich Hargrove returns in a recurring role. Poppy Drayton and Jordan Donica join as series regulars, and Eric Balfour and Peyton List join as major recurring characters. Azura Skye also guest stars in a couple of episodes.  

The Blu-Ray (and DVD) set is a four-disc set. In the US, the individual seasons are only available on DVD, but you can get the complete series on Blu-Ray, which has the individual seasons packaged in a decorative box. The A/V quality of the Blu-Rays is excellent. There are no bonus features for the second season release, just the episodes spread across the four discs. The series continues to use mostly serial story arcs that build with each episode. The special effects are great, the acting is very good, and the writing is mostly good. Like the parent series, the writing can be uneven and a bit silly, in a different way. Where the sisters on the original series were always obsessing over needing a man in their lives, the sisters in this series are always going on about their independence and not needing relationships (but still trying to find one). One thing that I think the show could have benefitted from this season is tying the show to the original series. There was an episode that would have been perfect to name drop the Halliwell sisters (or even have one or more of them appear). However, I think the writers were still focused on having the series stand on its own (even though it does put its own twist on storylines from the original series from time to time). 

Because filming ended early, the season does not end on any cliffhangers or with an episode that feels like a season finale. So, there will likely be hanging storylines from this season that will be wrapped up in season three. Overall, if you liked the first season, you will probably like the second one. Conversely, if you hated season one, nothing about this season is likely to change your mind. Ultimately, the season is entertaining and worth watching.

Workout Update: Insanity Max 30/Power 90 Hybrid: Day 7

Day 7 was the rest day in both Max 30 and Power 90, so I did the two recovery workouts from Lift 4, doing the stretch routine first and the foam rolling routine second. The foam rolling absolutely helped. I did not have as many knots in my legs as I thought I would, but I still felt it.   

Workout Update: Insanity Max 30/Power 90 Hybrid: Day 6

Day 6 was the optional rest day in Max 30 (which I took) and Sculpt 1-2 in Power 90. I again used the 12 lb weight for every exercise in the workout. Because there is almost no rest between sets, even the exercises where I could use heavier weights on (like Lawnmowers) still burn by the end of the 15 reps. 

DVD/Movie Review: Ammonite

 

Ammonite is a romantic drama from 2020 starring Kate Winslet and Saoirse Ronan. It was written and directed by Francis Lee and loosely based on the life of a British paleontologist named Mary Anning. The supporting cast includes Fiona Shaw, Gemma Jones, James McArdle, and Alec Secareanu. In the film, Mary (played by Winslet) runs a shop in Lyme Regis in Dorset, England with her mother. An archeologist named Roderick Murchison (McArdle) visits the shop with his wife Charlotte (Ronan) who has been sent to Lyme Regis to convalesce after losing a baby, with the sea air being prescribed for her depression. Roderick initially pays Mary to teach him about fossil collecting and leaves Charlotte in Mary's care (much to both of their chagrin) for six weeks while he visits mainland Europe. When Charlotte gets sick, Mary cares for her, and the two fall in love and begin a sexual relationship. 

The DVD is a single-disc release. The only bonus feature is a short making-of featurette featuring interviews with Winslet, Ronan, and Lee. The film is a well-written and acted romantic drama. It definitely has the feel of an independent movie with a slower plot. About two-thirds of the way into the movie, there is some sexual content, including a nude sex scene between Winslet and Ronan. So, it is not exactly family-friendly, but it is not full of gratuitous sex and nudity. Ultimately, if you like independent dramas and are not triggered by same-sex relationships, it is worth watching.    

Workout Update: Insanity Max 30/Power 90 Hybrid: Day 5

Day 5 was Friday Fight Round 1 in Max 30 and Sweat 1-2 and ab-ripper 100 in Power 90.

The Friday Fight workout is slightly different from the others in the first week of Max 30. You do the same kind of five-minute warmup, then ten exercises for a minute each before the first break. After the 30-second break, you do another nine exercises (again for one minute each), and then you get another 30-second break. Finally, you finish with four exercises. So, each exercise in the workout is performed for a longer duration and you get fewer breaks. In this one, I maxed out a little over 11 minutes into the workout. 

The Power 90 workout went fine, but I was still a bit tired from the morning workout, so I did not try to overdo it. The ab-ripper portion of the workout was again a little easier today. 

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Charmed (2018): Season 1

 

This is a reboot of the late 1990s TV series of the same name about three sisters who are powerful witches who fight evil (mainly in the form of various demons). This version stars Madeleine Mantock, Melonie Diaz, and Sarah Jeffrey as the titular "Charmed Ones" Macy, Mel, and Maggie, and Rupert Evans as their Whitelighter, Harry. The supporting cast includes Nick Hargrove, Ellen Tamaki, Ser'Darius Blain, Natalie Hall, Craig Parker, Valerie Cruz, Leah Pipes, and Virginia Williams. The 22-episode first season aired during the 2018/2019 TV season. The show's premise is similar to the original series, three sisters discover that they are witches whose powers have been activated after the death of a family member. In the original series, it was the grandmother's death, and in this series, it was the mother's death. This series includes characters such as Elders and Whitelighters and various demons. Where the original series was more of a blend of procedural and serial storylines, this series uses much more serial storytelling, with the primary storylines of each episode building on the next. There are some monster-of-the-week storylines, but not as many as the original series had, especially in its first couple of seasons. 

The blu-ray (and DVD) set is a five-disc set. It should be noted that the individual seasons were only released on DVD, but the complete series was released on Blu-Ray after the series ended. All the extras are included on the final disc. Those include a making-of featurette featuring interviews with the showrunners and cast and a short gag reel. The A/V quality of the Blu-Ray is outstanding. The show is actually much better than it got credit for being. It got backlash when it was announced for not including the original cast members. Alyssa Milano and Holly Marie Combs expressed their disappointment. However, the showrunners stated that they had already told that story and wanted to be its own show and be more inclusive, by having the sisters be multi-racial and include LGBT characters. Some people will also hate it because it is "woke," which to the extent that is really a thing, it absolutely is. Within the monster fighting storylines, the show does tackle real-world issues such as sexual assault, discrimination, and the like. So, if that bothers you, you should absolutely steer clear. 

Ultimately, the show is good, but like the original, it has its silly parts (it has a bit of a prime-time soap opera element to it) and the writers sometimes set things up without good follow up. The special effects are light years beyond what the original series had (even in the later seasons). Of course, that has a lot to do with CGI being much better than in 1998, and this show having a larger effects budget since the actors in the show were not big names. The writing is a bit inconsistent but the acting is very good. While I cannot say that everyone who loved the original series will like this one, if you were a fan of the original series (or just a fan of the fantasy genre in general) this is worth checking out.

Workout Update: Insanity Max 30/Power 90 Hybrid: Day 4

Day 4 was Tabata Power (for the second time this week) in Max 30 and Sculpt 1-2 in Power 90.

Tabata Power was still tough, even modifying the moves, but it was a little easier than on Tuesday. I was able to make it a little bit farther into the workout before maxing out, but I still could not get through the entire triceps dip sequence without taking a break. I maxed out at a little over 24 minutes, about a minute before the modifier, who is in phenomenal shape, maxes out in that workout.

For the Sweat 1-2 workout, I decided to take a different approach, which I plan to use all through Power 90. Basically, I am going to use the same weight for all the exercises and do 15 reps of each exercise. When I can easily do 15 reps for everything, then I will bump the weight up. That should make it easier to get through all the exercises since the transitions in the workout are very quick, and you do not have much time to grab different weights before you have to start performing the next exercise. For this workout, I used 12 lb weights which were very light for the back exercises, but a little heavier for the shoulder flys and the back scratchers (which I think I am going to swap for Lift-4's one arm triceps extension). I will probably use the same weight for Saturday's workout and then bump it up to 15 lbs next week. 

Workout Update: Insanity Max 30/Power 90 Hybrid: Day 3

Day 3 was the Cardio Intervals workout in Max 30 and Sweat 1-2 in Power 90.

The intervals workout was definitely challenging. It has several blocks where you do three exercises back-to-back three times, and then you get a 30-second break every five minutes. Each block has an exercise that requires you to be in a plank (e.g., push-up punches, ski-abs, wide-pike ups, burpee lunges, etc.). I barely made it all 30 minutes without taking an unscheduled break (I wanted to take a break a couple of times during the burpee lunges in the final block). If I were not modifying, I would have likely maxed out around the six-minute mark. 

The evening workout was Sweat 1-2 again, and it was easier than on Monday. My flexibility in the initial stretch and yoga portion was a bit better and I did not get as winded in the cardio portion. And, ab-ripper 100 was easier than on Monday. So, overall, both workouts went well.

Workout Update: Insanity Max 30/Power 90 Hybrid: Day 2

Day 2 consisted of two full-body workouts, one using all body weight (Tabata Power in Max 30) and one using mostly dumbbell weight (Sculpt 1-2 in Power 90). In the Max 30 workout, I made it just under 24 minutes (during the triceps dips sequence) before maxing out. Basically, in the Max 30 workout, you work chest, legs, core, and triceps, doing each exercise twice. You do each exercise for 20 seconds, actively rest for 10 seconds, then do the exercise again for 20 seconds, actively rest for 10 seconds, then go to the next exercise. Every five minutes, you get a 30 second break. 

In the sweat 1-2 workout, you do three blocks consisting of six exercises that you do 8 to 15 reps. If you have done P90x, you will recognize every exercise; the difference is that there is almost no rest between the exercises. Tony and the two cast members each use mostly the same weight for each exercise, so they are doing light weight for 15 reps. Tony and the female cast member use adjustable weights, which they may adjust between the exercises when the cut scene showing the form of the exercise plays. The male cast member uses a band, and it does not appear that he switches bands. Each workout went well, but the Max 30 workout was definitely harder.

Workout Update: Insanity Max 30/Power 90 Hybrid: Day 1

This was the start of a new workout round and I went back to the original Power 90 workout, which was the precursor to P90x as my evening workout and Insanity Max 30 (following the modifier) as my morning workout. Day 1 was Cardio Challenge in Max 30, and Sweat 1-2 followed by Ab-Ripper 100 in Power 90. 

The idea behind the Max 30 workout is to write down the time you must take an unscheduled break the first time, and each week, have a later "max out" time in that workout. Today, I made it a little under 22-minutes into the workout (while following the low-impact modifier) before I had to break. The evening Power 90 workout was tougher than I expected. It has been ages since I have done yoga, so the few minutes of yoga at the beginning of the workout were tough. The cardio portion of the workout was not too bad because Tony and the two cast members were going slow, but there were a couple of spots where I had to pause for a second and get water. The ab-ripper workout has ten exercises and you do ten reps for each exercise. The exercises get progressively harder as you go through the workout, so the last few were very tough for me to get through all ten reps. 

Workout Update: Lift 4/Shaun 20/645 Cardio hybrid: Day 54

Day 54 was the last full workout of Lift 4. So, in the morning, it was the cardio circuit workout from Shaun 20 and full-body HIIT in the evening. Both workouts went okay but were challenging.