Workout Update: Lift 4: Day 19

Day 19 was Legs, which is a 50/50 workout this week. I was able to increase the amount of weight I was using on all the weighted exercises. I was able to do unmodified versions of the HIIT exercises longer than I had in the past, but because I had increased the weight in the lifting portion, I did have to modify somewhat in the cardio portion, especially in the second and third blocks. And, of course, the workout ends with core and stretching. Overall, it was a good, but tough, workout. 

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Cheers: The Complete Series

 

Cheers was the long-running sitcom that aired for 11 seasons from 1982 to 1993, starring Ted Danson, Rhea Perlman, George Wendt, John Ratzenberger, Shelly Long, Nicholas Colasanto, Woody Harrelson, Bebe Neuwirth, Kirstie Alley, and Kelsey Grammer. Long left the series after five seasons (in the classic 'trying to move on to greener pastures' move that did not work out as planned), save for a guest-starring role in the series finale. Alley joined the series in the sixth season to essentially replace Long's character. Grammer joined the series as a recurring character in season two and was promoted to a series regular in season five. Harrelson joined the cast in season four after the death of Nicholas Colasanto toward the end of season three. Ratzenberger appeared in every season and most episodes, but was not promoted to a series regular until the second season. Neuwirth joined the series in season four, making a couple of guest appearances, then was a recurring character in seasons five through nine and a main character for the final two seasons (although her role in the final season was significantly scaled back). 

The series also featured many recognizable actors in guest and recurring roles, including Dan Hedaya, Jean Kasem, Fred Dryer, Jay Thomas, Roger Rees, Tom Skerritt, Frances Sternhagen, John Cleese, Emma Thompson, Leah Remi, Tom Berenger, Kate Mulgrew, Christopher Lloyd, Marcia Cross, and Harry Anderson. Many celebrities and politicians also made cameo appearances in the series, including Harry Connick Jr., Bobby Hatfield, Bill Medley, Wade Boggs, Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Alex Trebek, Arsenio Hall, Dick Cavett, Robber Urich, Johnny Carson, Gary Hart, Tip O'Neil, John Kerry, and Michael Dukakis.

In the series, Danson played Sam Malone, a skirt-chasing ex-major league pitcher for the Boston Red Sox and recovering alcoholic. Depending on the season, he either owned or was an employee of the Boston bar, Cheers. The series was primarily a story-of-the-week procedural about the goings-on at the bar, the lives of the employees and patrons, and so on. It did, however, include serial storylines and occasionally referred back to prior episodes or had running jokes throughout the series (such as the Bar Wars episodes). During the first five seasons, the prominent serial storyline involved the relationship between Sam and know-it-all waitress Diane Chambers (played by Long). They had one of the original toxic love-hate relationships (at least from the 1980s onward), and the writers constantly teased the tension between them. After Long left, Alley came in to play Rebecca Howe, the manager of the bar, who initially despises, but then eventually warms up to Sam. Perlman plays a snarky waitress named Carla who hates (or is at least annoyed by everyone, and Ratzenberger and Wendt play regulars who seem to almost live at the bar (which becomes a running joke throughout the series). Grammer plays Frasier Crane, who is initially brought in as a rival for Sam and a love interest for Diane, who eventually becomes a regular patron, and Neuwirth (who steals nearly every scene she is in) is brought in as a love interest for Frasier.

The blu-ray set is a 33-disc set. Each season is packaged in its own keep case consisting of three discs, and then the keep cases are packaged in a decorative outer box. As of this writing, the seasons are not available individually on blu-ray, just as a part of this set. The A/V quality of the set is excellent, especially for an older TV series. The HD transfer, although not always perfect, is extremely good, and the difference in quality is noticeable when watching the bonus features, which are in standard definition. The only weakness in the set is the bonus features. All the bonus content from the previously released DVDs is included with this set. Most of the bonus content is located on the discs for seasons 1-3 and features cast interviews, behind-the-scenes material, a trivia game, and featurettes on specific characters. The discs for Season 11 include episode promos for each episode, which would play at the end of the prior week's episode as a "next time on Cheers" promo. What the set does not include, however, are things like the Super Bowl promo or the 30th anniversary reunion special.

Some parts of the show and the writing are very dated. There were some jokes (especially in the early seasons) that would never make it to air today. Other aspects of the show are remarkably timeless. Some cringeworthy moments have not aged well, but there are many laugh-out-loud moments to be found. The writers did a good job of balancing the storylines for the large ensemble cast, and every main character received at least one episode per season centered on them. In a prophetic twist, the writers inserted several jokes about the (unfortunately, the 45th and 47th) president, essentially mocking him as a joke. Alley's character (who was portrayed as a loser) was always saying how she wanted to marry him. In the final season, Fraiser was horrified when he helped get Woody elected to the Boston City Council because of how stupid and unqualified Woody was. Of course, both Alley and Grammer would go on to become t***p supporters. Ultimately, it is an iconic series that, whether you have never seen it before, were very young when it originally aired, or have seen every episode, is worth watching and adding to a physical media collection. 

Workout Update: Lift 4: Day 18

Day 18 was the shoulders interval workout. I was able to increase the amount of weight I used for each exercise by 2.5 lbs, and felt that I had a pretty significant strength increase because none of the exercises were as hard as I expected them to be with the jump up in weight, given that my shoulders tend to be my weak point. I also did not have to modify any of the HIIT exercises in this workout, but I was definitely going slower than the cast members. 

Workout Update: Lift 4: Day 17

Day 17 was the mid-week off day, so I just did the stretching workout. No big changes in my flexibility to report from this one. 

4k-UHD/Movie Review: Ocean's 8

 

Ocean's 8 is a 2018 film starring Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, Sarah Paulson, Rihanna, Helena Bonham Carter, Awkwafina, and Mindy Kaling. It  is partly a continuation and partly a reboot of the modern-day Ocean's movie franchise. The storyline centers on the character of Debbie Ocean (played by Sandra Bullock), the sister of Danny Ocean (George Clooney's character from Ocean's 11, 12, and 13). At the beginning of the film, she is being released from prison, much as he was in Ocean's 11. Of course, upon her release from prison, she ends up planning a heist. Specifically, the robbery of a 150-million-dollar necklace during the Met Gala. She heads an all-female crew, including Cate Blanchett (whose character mirrors Brad Pitt's character), Mindy Kaling, Sarah Paulson, Helena Bonham Carter, Rihanna, and Awkwafina. Anne Hathaway plays the actress whose neck the necklace needs to be removed from. James Corden also has a pretty hilarious supporting role.

I will not give away too much of the plot for those who have not seen it. It does have a similar feel to the other movies, especially how the details of the heist are laid out at the end. While Soderberg did not direct the film, he was a producer on it. So, while the style of the movie differed somewhat from the prior films, it retained some of the overall feel. There are a couple of cameos from the Ocean's 11 cast. If more movies are made, it definitely leaves room for other original cast members to appear, but the story was written in such a way that this could be the final film in the franchise.

The 4k set is a two-disc set containing a UHD disc and a standard blu-ray disc. The A/V quality of the 4k disc is outstanding, and the movie looks and sounds great in the UHD format. Like most, the UHD disc has only the movie itself, and then the bonus features are on the regular blu-ray. The extras include a few minutes of deleted scenes, then a few behind-the-scenes and making-of featurettes. Probably about 40 minutes of material. Good for what is there, but not a ton (especially compared to the Ocean's trilogy blu-ray set).

I cannot say that everyone will like this. Given that it is rebooting a popular movie franchise (which itself was a reboot), there are going to be people who hate it because it does not feature the original cast or because it is ripping off the original story. Personally, I think it was well done and paid homage nicely to the prior movies without being a carbon copy of what has come before. Like the previous films, it requires some suspension of disbelief to buy into the story and everything that happens. Ultimately, it effectively updates the franchise and is worth watching.

CD/Music Review: Christina Aguilera: Back to Basics

 

Back to Basics, released in 2006, is a two-disc album by Christina Aguilera. It contains 22 tracks in all, 13 on the first disc and 9 on the second. It also has a bonus video track. It is her fifth studio album and was her first in three years, following 2002's Stripped. On it, Aguilera continued to assert more control over her music, acting as a producer on the album and co-writing all of the tracks, many of which with Linda Perry. 

Most of the songs on the album use samples from other songs. While the album is still a pop album, it is not all bubblegum kid-oriented pop. The songs have more mature, adult themes that reflect her being older and having gotten married. Like her prior albums, this mixes pop, R&B, hip-hop, and soul, and also incorporates swing and jazz elements. It has a mix of dance numbers and ballads that highlight Aguilera's vocal range. Only a few songs from the album were released as singles, of which the songs Ain't No Other Man and Candyman were the biggest hits. 

The CD liner features many pictures of Aguilera with the production notes and lyrics printed over them, and a thank-you note on the final page. Ultimately, the album is good, despite not having as many big hits as her prior albums. It has a good mix of songs, many of which are worthy of inclusion on a pop playlist. If you liked her prior albums, this is worth listening to.

Workout Update: Lift 4: Day 16

Day 16 was the back and biceps workout for week 3. This week, it is a circuit workout. So, you do three blocks, the first two consisting of four exercises that alternate back-biceps-back-biceps, back-to-back with no rest. Then, you have a burnout block in which you do back extensions and full biceps curls for 30 seconds. I did increase the amount of weight I used for each exercise (except the full biceps curls at the end, because my arms were shot at that point). I did have to drop set on a few of the exercises because the circuit format makes it much harder to maintain the heavier weight. Then, of course, the workout ends with three sets of core and a stretching cooldown.

Blu-Ray/Movie Collection Review: Die Hard 5-Movie Collection

 

This is the five-movie blu-ray set for the Die Hard movie franchise, including the original 1988 film Die Hard, and the four sequels: 1990's Die Hard 2, 1995's Die Hard With a Vengeance, 2007's Live Free or Die Hard, and 2013's A Good Day to Die Hard. There have been a few different iterations of the movies put out on blu-ray, including sets that just had 3, then 4 of the five total (at least to date) movies. I believe there have also been a couple of different versions of the five-movie set as well. Each film starred Bruce Willis as John McClane, an NYPD detective who is thrown into the middle of crazy situations. The supporting cast throughout the franchise included Alan Rickman, Reginald VelJohnson, Bonnie Bedelia, William Sadler, Franco Nero, John Amos, Dennis Franz, Jeremy Irons, Samuel L. Jackson, Justin Long, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Timothy Olyphant, Maggie Q., Kevin Smith, and Jai Courtney.

Chances are most people who are interested in getting the set are fans of the movies and have seen them all at least once. Pretty much everyone agrees that the first movie, put out in 1988 is iconic, not only because it saw Bruce Willis transition from a TV star to an action movie star, but also was a breakout performance for Alan Rickman (who is probably best known for his role as Snape in the Harry Potter franchise) as the great villain, Hans Gruber. The first film was a movie about a NY city cop who ends up in the wrong place at the wrong time in Los Angeles in a building taken over by terrorists. As the franchise went on, the movies took on a larger scale, required more suspension of disbelief, and, at least in my opinion, never really equaled the quality of the first movie.

The sequels were of varying quality. I think there are varying opinions on which is the best and which is the worst of the sequels, but I think everyone agrees that having the 4th movie release with a PG-13 rating for the theatrical version was a big mistake. In all of them, for various reasons, Willis' character is an imperfect hero who ends up in outrageous situations where he has to take down a bunch of bad guys. That part of the storyline never really deviates throughout the franchise, but they manage to pull it off by not having the movies be carbon copies of each other.

The A/V quality varies from film to film. Of course, the A/V quality of the later movies is better than that of the early films; however, each movie received at least a decent HD transfer. There are a lot of extras for each movie. The 4th and 5th movies have the most behind-the-scenes and making-of material, and all of them have deleted and/or extended scenes, at least one commentary track, and other extras (like a gag reel, trailers, and TV spots, etc,) vary from movie-to-movie.

Overall, the Die Hard franchise is meant to be fun, summer-action movies. They do not have award-winning acting and writing, even though there have been many good to great actors appearing (Samuel L. Jackson, Jeremy Irons, Timothy Olyphant, Alan Rickman, etc.). If you accept that, they are fun movies, and for people who are big fans of the franchise, you get a lot of extras to watch (more than the total running time of all the movies combined). For casual fans, this set may be a bit much, however, and you may just want to get the individual movie(s) you like. Ultimately, the first movie is a must-see for fans of Willis or action movies in general. The others may not appeal to everyone, but they are worth checking out, and this set is definitely worth picking up for fans of the franchise. 

Workout Update: Lift 4: Day 15

Day 15 was the start of week 3, which meant the Chest and Back workout. This one was another 50/50 workout. It was similar in format to the Back and Biceps workout last week: in block 1, you do two chest exercises; in block 2, you do a chest exercise followed by a triceps exercise; and in block 3, you do two triceps exercises. I did have to drop set skull crushers (which are in block 3).  I did 1.5 sets at 17.5 lbs, but because you are also doing triceps push-ups in that block, I had to drop the skull crushers down to 12.5 lbs to keep going. Otherwise, however, I increased the amount of weight I used for each exercise by 2.5 lbs from what I was using the first two weeks. 

The HIIT portion was hard and not set up correctly at all. Joel claims in the 50/50 workouts that the moves get harder as the time gets shorter. That is complete bullshit in this workout. You start by doing 180 squat jumps for 60 seconds, then do soccer runs for 45 seconds, then do jump lunges for 30 seconds. It should have been soccer runs for 60 seconds, jump lunges for 45 seconds, and 180 squat jumps for 30 seconds. But I got through it, and only had to modify the 180 squat jumps. I did a few of them in the first set, but mostly did the modified version. But, I was able to do soccer runs and jump lunges unmodified in all three sets. So, I am improving. And, of course, the workout ends with three sets of core exercises, followed by a stretching cooldown. 

DVD/Movie Review: Sleepy Hollow

 

Sleepy Hollow is a 1999 horror film starring Johnny Depp, Christina Ricci, and Christopher Walken. This version is an adaptation of the story written and directed by Tim Burton (post his departure from the Batman movies). Johnny Depp plays Ichabod Crane, and Christina Ricci plays Katrina Van Tassel, the daughter of the richest man in Sleepy Hollow, whose residents are being picked off by The Headless Horesman (played by Christopher Walken and Ray Park performing the stunts). The supporting cast includes Miranda Richardson, Michael Gambon, Ian McDiramand, Christopher Lee (yes, Palpatine, Darth Maul, and Count Dooku in the same non-Star Wars movie), and Michael Gough (among others).

The DVD release had an okay video transfer. The extras included deleted scenes, behind-the-scenes material, and a commentary track by Tim Burton. Overall, a good amount of material for those who like bonus content.

The movie was excellent, with great acting and writing. It was an interesting choice to make Crane as eccentric as he was in the story, but not as goofy looking as he was written in the book (although Depp was willing to wear prosthetics). The love story between Depp and Ricci's characters was a bit creepy given their age difference, but there were no actual love/sex scenes between the two. The movie is very violent and gory (given the beheadings), so it is definitely not appropriate for young kids. Overall, however, it is a great adaptation of the story that is worth watching.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Cheers: Season 11

 

The 28-episode 11th and final season of Cheers aired during the 1992/1993 TV season. In it, the writers both continued to develop the various characters and incorporate new storylines, while also wrapping up existing storylines and bringing many cast members from prior seasons back. All of the primary cast members returned; however, Bebe Neuwirth's role as Lilith was reduced to a recurring role (she was included in the main credits in the episodes she appeared), with her last appearance being in the 17th episode. The guest cast this season included Eddie Jones, John Mahoney, and Peri Gilpin (who would both go on to play different characters in the spin-off series), Dana Delany, Pat Hingle, Peter MacNicol, Tom Berenger, and Spanky McFarland (from the Little Rascals TV Series). They also brought back Dan Hedaya, Jean Kasem, Leah Remi, Roger Rees, and Harry Anderson to reprise their recurring characters. And, of course, Shelly Long made her long-awaited return in the series finale. 

The blu-rays are again, as of this writing, only included in the complete series release and are not available individually. The blu-ray set is a three-disc set. The only bonus features are promos for each episode that play in standard definition. The episodes can also be played with English captions.

The final season wraps up the series very well. There are some very good storylines, such as the bar partially burning down, the group tearing apart the rebuilt bar to look for another one of Robin Colcord's money belts, Lilith cheating on Frasier and running away with a colleague to live in a bio-dome and Woody running for city council, much to Frasier's horror since he considers Woody totally unqualified to hold any political office (which is a bit ironic or at least humorous since Kelsey Grammer is a huge t***p supporter in real life and there is no bigger unqualified buffon in the history of politics than him). Rebecca finally finds love (kind of), Cliff gets promoted, and Norm finally gets a job (and finds out that Woody is not as much of a pushover as he seems). And, the final resolution to Sam and Diane's relationship, where they continue to try to one-up each other, and we learn why Diane did not return after six months as she promised. Ultimately, the writers do a good job of wrapping up the series and sending it out on a good note. While it wasn't a perfect season, if you liked the series up to this point, it is worth watching to see how it ends.

Workout Update: Lift 4: Day 14

On Day 14, I did the Flexibility and Mobility 1 workout from 25-Minute Speed Train. I was also outside doing some yardwork, so while this was an off day, I was quite active. My hamstrings were very tight today, so the flexibility workout really helped.  

Blu-Ray/Movie Collection Review: The Oceans Trilogy

 

The Ocean's trilogy is a collection of three movies, starting with the 2001 remake of Ocean's 11 (which originally starred The Rat Pack), followed by the 2004 and 2007 sequels, Ocean's 12 and Ocean's 13. The core cast members of the updated version and the sequels included George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, Matt Damon, and Andy Garcia. The supporting cast included Don Cheadle, Bernie Mac, Carl Reiner, Elliot Gould, Casey Affleck, Scott Caan, and Shaobo Qin. The rest of the cast changed from film to film, but included Vincent Cassel, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Robbie Coltrane, Eddie Izzard, Albert Finney, Cherry Jones, Ellen Barkin, Al Pacino, and David Paymer. 

The basic storyline of the first movie is that a group of thieves led by George Clooney and Brad Pitt put together and execute a plan to steal 160 million dollars from a Vegas casino owner (played by Andy Garcia). The sequels stood mostly on their own, essentially as revenge stories. Ocean's 12 and 13 were very different, with Ocean's 12 essentially being an extension of the storyline from the first film, and Ocean's 13 having a more stand-alone story. They are all directed by Steven Soderbergh and maintained the same production team, which I think allowed the films to be cohesive, keeping a similar tone and feel, without being carbon copies of each other. 

The blu-ray set is a four-disc set. The A/V quality of the blu-rays is good, but is probably not what A/V enthusiasts would consider reference quality. Ocean's 13 definitely looks the best of the three. Each movie is on its own disc and includes at least one commentary track, deleted/extended scenes, and some behind-the-scenes material (such as the HBO first looks), specific to the particular movie. The Ocean's 13 disc also includes a feature on real-life heists (such as the MIT card-counting group). Then there is a separate blu-ray with more bonus material around two hours worth of extras that spanned all three movies. 

The movies were well-written and acted. Each film had a mix of comedy and drama, with some action included here and there. Ultimately, if you are a fan of the movies and like watching the bonus material, this is definitely a good pickup.

Workout Update: Lift 4: Day 13

Day 13 was the foam rolling recovery routine. This one felt very good. I did not feel as many knots in my legs as I did last week, which was a bit surprising. I had to do quite a bit of work today, so I did not do both the stretching routine and the foam rolling routine.

DVD/TV Series Review: The Killing: Season 4

 

++++Warning, this will contain spoilers about the end of season 3, but no major giveaways from season 4++++

The fourth and final season of The Killing aired on Netflix in the summer of 2014. As most readers will know, AMC canceled the show for a second and final time after season 3, which left it with a massive cliffhanger with the reveal that Skinner was the Pied Piper serial killer, and Linden basically executed him. Netflix revived the show for a 6-episode wrap-up that essentially features two parallel storylines. Holder and Linden's subsequent cover-up of Skinner's murder, and then trying to last out the investigation, and a final case to solve involving the murder of the family of a student at a military boarding school. Mirelle Enos and Joel Kinnaman both returned as Linden and Holder, Gregg Henry also returned, and Billy Campbell and Jewel Staite reprised their roles in what amounted to guest appearances. Joan Allen played the headmaster of the military academy, and Tyler Ross had a central role in the season's big murder mystery.

The DVD set is a two-disc made-on-demand set. So you just get the episodes alone, with no extras or captions, commentaries, etc. I think people who buy the set are going to be physical media collectors who just want it to complete their series collection.

My main complaint about the season is that the 6 episode run really made things feel rushed. They had to introduce tension into the Linden-Holder relationship that wasn't given enough time to play out, so it just felt very forced. They also had to quickly tell and wrap up the case, which in some ways was good in that they could not put in all the ridiculous twists that plagued seasons 2 and to some extent 3. The standout of the season was Joan Allen, who played the commander of a military academy that is involved in the second storyline of the season. It was clear from episode 1 that she played a large part in the case, and she did very well with the material. The last few minutes of the final episode flash forward years into the future and end the series on a satisfying note. Ultimately, while the season is not perfect, I do think they did as well as they could in the short amount of episodes they were given.

Workout Update: Lift 4: Day 12

Day 12 was the first HIIT leg day of the program. It consists of four exercises — high-knee runs, triple bear, catchers jumps, and lunge jumps — that you do for 60, 45, 30, and 15 seconds, respectively, for three rounds (with minimal rest between them). Then, you have two burnout rounds, each with 30 seconds of each exercise with no rest between them. Then you finish with core and stretching.

Again, I can tell my cardio fitness is getting better. I can do the unmodified versions of each exercise for a longer period of time than I did the last time I did Lift 4 (back in May, before life went crazy for a few months). I still can't keep up with the people in the video, but in this workout, they were all modifying at some point. So, it is a tough one, but good. 

CD/Music Review: Christina Aguilera: My Kind of Christmas

 

My Kind of Christmas, released in 2000, is Christina Aguilera's third studio album. The album contains 11 tracks in all, primarily covers of older, and more traditional Christmas songs like Angels We Have Heard on High, The Christmas Song, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, and O Holy Night. Still, it does have some that sound more like dance tracks popular at the time, like Xtina's Christmas. The CD liner contains production notes and the lyrics for each track. Of course, the quality of Christmas music released by pop stars, especially younger stars (as Aguilera was at the time), can vary greatly. 

While some critics lambast this album as overproduced, it is much better than it gets credit for. There are a couple of songs I wouldn't include on a Christmas playlist, but overall, it is enjoyable and worth listening to. While it is nowhere near the level of the Christmas albums released by the "crooners" like Nat King Cole, Bing Crosby, Perry Como, and the like, it is much better than many Christmas songs and albums being released by late '90s and early '00s pop stars. 

Workout Update: Lift 4: Day 11

Day 11 was the week 2 shoulders workout, which was an interval workout. So, you do three blocks, alternating to weighted shoulder exercises (some form of a raise, followed by presses in the first block, flys in the second, and upright rows in the third), followed by a 30-second HIIT exercise. In the first block, you do soccer runs, in the second, you do catchers, and in the third, you do squat jumps. Then, you finish with core and stretching. This is the workout in which you do 30 extra seconds of core because the cast messed up the first move. Overall, I felt my cardio was improving as I was able to do more unmodified exercises in this workout, so I am making progress. 

4k-UHD/Movie Review: Cheeky!

 

Cheeky is an Italian erotic comedy from 2000, starring Yulia Mayarchuk, Francessca Nunzi, and Jarno Berardi, and directed by Tinto Brass. It was released in Italy under the name Tra(sgre)dire, which is a play on the words transgress and cheat in Italian. In it, Mayarchuk plays Carla, who has recently moved to London from Venice to begin a job working as an intern at the front desk of a hotel. While looking for an apartment that she hopes to share with her jealous, possessive boyfriend (played by Berardi), she is seduced by a real estate agent (played by Nunzi). 

The 4k Set is a two-disc set, containing a UHD disc and a standard blu-ray disc. The A/V quality of the UHD disc is very good, especially for a low-budget 25-year-old international film. The film has the original Italian audio track and a dubbed English audio track (which it defaults to). It can be played with English captions that do not always match the actual dialogue. The film also has a commentary track by film critics Eugenio Ercolani and Nathanial Thompson, in which they discuss the film and Brass's larger body of work. The only other extra on the UHD disc are trailers for some of Brass' other films. The rest of the bonus material is on the regular blu-ray disc. Those include an archival backstage interview with Brass, some still photos from the film, a discussion with the cinematographer, Massimo Di Venanzo, in which he mostly talks about his career and how he began working with Brass, but does not discuss much about Cheeky at all, and an isolated score that just plays the music of the film over one of the still photos. It also comes with an illustrated booklet that discusses the film's controversial nature.

Cheeky is one of Brass's later films. It also marked a turn for him. He was known for making erotic movies, but he had been very much against making explicit films. He famously wanted his name removed from Caligula (which is the film he is probably best known for, at least in the United States) after the explicit material was added in without his knowledge after principal photography was complete. While this film did not feature actual sex, it got very close. Mayarchuk is in almost every scene, and is nude probably 90% of the time and partially nude the rest of the time, including very close-in shots that are akin to what you would see in Penthouse magazine back in the day. It is much more explicit than what you would see in the soft-core "Skinemax" type movies, but not quite what you would get in an unedited hardcore pornographic film. There is some full frontal male nudity as well, but most of that is done with prosthetics. Ultimately, this is a cult film that will probably only appeal to those familiar with Brass's other works. The movie itself is quite bad, but the quality of the writing and acting wasn't really the point. It does have a plot, but it is very much secondary to the sex scenes, of which there are many. If you do not expect it to be more than it is, it is entertaining. 

Workout Update: Lift 4: Day 10

Day 10 was the mid-week rest day. I did the stretching routine, which did help with some of the soreness, and I do think that I had a bit more mobility today doing it than I did last Wednesday. If all goes according to plan, I will do the foam rolling routine on Saturday, and then the fist flexibility and mobility routine from 25-Minute Speed Train on Sunday.

Book Review: Sandworms of Dune (Dune #23 Chronological Order)

 

Sandworms of Dune, published in 2007, is, as of this writing, the 23rd and final novel in the Dune franchise of novels. It is written by the duo of Kevin J. Anderson and Brian Herbert, the son of the series' original author, Frank Herbert. It both finishes the story told in Frank Herbert's two trilogies and ties into the multitude of prequel novels (numbering 16 as of this writing), especially those set in the Butlerian Jihad era. This is actually the second part of the ending story that Frank Herbert had outlined before his death, the first part of which was told in the novel Hunters of Dune. The two novels tell the story of what happened to the group on the no-ship that Duncan Idaho and Sheeana stole at the end of Chapterhouse Dune during the intervening 25 years as they try to find a new Bene Gesserit homeworld while trying to avoid the mysterious enemy (who are revealed to be the thinking machines Erasmus and Omnius in Hunters of Dune), the face dancers, and the Bene Gesserit/Honored Matres hybrid group who are also hiding from the thinking machines. Omnius, who has a ghola of Paul (named Paulo) being trained by the ghola of Barron Harkonnen, wants to capture the ghola of Paul aboard the Ithaca to determine which is the true Kwisatz Haderach and use him as a weapon and take over the former Empire. 

The hardcover version of the book is approximately 500 pages long. It reads much like the other novels penned by Anderson and Brian Herbert. I am one who actually prefers their books to those written by Frank after the original novel. To me, Hunters of Dune and Sandworms of Dune help make the second trilogy novels make a lot more sense. The story in this one flows well, and ties up both the prequel era storylines and Frank Herbert's original storylines quite well. Many characters are brought back via the ghola/cloning technology. Some are redeemed, others get the happy endings they never received in the original novels, and others get their comeuppance.

Because of the massive time jumps that occurred between novels throughout the series, there is room for other novels to be written to flesh out the earlier portions of the story. Still, Brian Herbert made clear that this will always be the concluding novel in the series, as they will not add onto the end of the story. To follow the story, you do need to have read Frank's original six novels, and at least some of the prequel novels, especially the novels The Butlerian Jihad, The Machine Crusade, and The Battle of Corrin. While I know there is debate about whether the entire saga is worth reading, and some will only read the original six novels, I personally think that if you are a fan of the sci-fi/fantasy genre, all of the books are worth reading, making this one a must-read to find out how the story ends.

Workout Update: Lift 4: Day 9

Day 9 was back and biceps. In week 2, this is a 50/50 workout. It has three lifting blocks: the first consists of two back exercises, the second is composed of one back exercise and one biceps exercise, and the third consists of two biceps exercises. Then, you do three blocks of cardio, following the 60, 45, 30 format, doing one-leg jump lifts, twisted mountain climbers, and 180 squat jumps (or squats with heel lifts) for the respective times. Then, you finish with core and stretching.

I was a bit surprised that my upper body was as sore as it was today, but the chest and triceps workout was kind of brutal. I definitely had to modify the cardio, but I did try to do at least a couple of unmodified moves before I dropped into the modifications. I am definitely looking forward to the rest day tomorrow.

CD/Music Review: Christina Aguilera: Stripped

 

Stripped, released in 2002, is the fourth studio album by Christina Aguilera. It was created during the period when Aguilera was attempting to shed her bubblegum pop teen persona, which led to her taking more control over her music and significantly altering her public image. The album includes 20 tracks (some of which are very short interludes as opposed to full-length songs), five of which ("Dirrty," "Beautiful," "Fighter," "Can't Hold Us Down," and "The Voice Within") were released as singles and achieved varying levels of success on the major charts. The songs on the album tended to touch on more adult themes than the songs on her first two albums, like love and sex, being in an abusive relationship, fighting through tough times, and the concepts of feminism and misogyny. The songs on the album incorporate elements from various genres, including pop, rap, R&B, rock, hip-hop, Latin, and soul, and feature a mix of songs ranging from upbeat dance numbers to ballads.

The CD liner includes pictures, lyrics, and production notes for each track, as well as several pages of thank-you notes. The wording is very hard to read because the text is tiny and printed in white against a silver background. Even if your eyes are relatively good, you have to hold the liner right up to your nose to read it. The album is good overall, although some songs are definitely better than others. It has an eclectic enough mix of songs that chances are, if you are a fan of late '90s/early '00s pop, you will like one or more songs on the album. The album marked a significant shift for Aguilera, and, of course, introduced her more mature and sexual "Xtina" persona, which she still occasionally showcases. While the album will not appeal to everyone, if you are a fan of Aguilera's music, it is worth listening to, and some of the tracks are definitely worth adding to a pop-oriented playlist.

Workout Update: Lift 4: Day 8

Day 8 was the chest and triceps workout for week 2. This week, it is a circuit workout, so you do two blocks of four exercises, doing each exercise (one chest, one triceps, one chest, one triceps) back-to-back with no rest. Then you do a bunrnout block alternating wide push-ups and triceps push-ups. Then you finish with core and a stretching cooldown. 

Even though many of the exercises in this workout are the same as in the week 1 workout, it was tough, because of the change in format, to use the same amount of weight for the exercises. I had to drop set a few of the exercises by the time I got to the second or third set in each block. So, it was definitely a challenge, but good nevertheless.

Blu-Ray/Movie Collection Review: Police Academy 1-7: The Complete Collection

 

Police Academy was a rather prolific series of comedy movies (at least at first) during the 1980s. They were put out in rapid succession every year from 1984-1989, and the final movie (yes, there are actually seven in all) was released in 1994, at which point the series was (thankfully) put out of its misery after the final two horrible entries.

The first movie, starring Steve Guttenberg, Kim Cattrall, G. W. Bailey, Bubba Smith, David Graf, Michael Winslow, Leslie Easterbrook, George Gaynes, and G.W. Bailey, is by far the best movie of the bunch. The subsequent movies varied in quality, with two and three being the best of the sequels (in my opinion), and the last two movies being the worst. The seventh movie was just plain stupid, with a bad plot, stupid sound effects inserted, and a feeling that what was left of the original cast was really just going through the motions. Steve Guttenberg stopped returning to the movies after Police Academy 4, which is the point where they should have really stopped.

This set is a seven-disc set, packaged in three keep cases (three discs in the first case and two in each of the other two) that can be kept in a decorative outer box. While it is a UK release, it seems like the set is region-free. I did not try playing them on a Region 1 player, but I have a region-free player, which, aside from one exception I have come across so far, can play DVDs and Blu-ray discs from anywhere, and it plays this set just fine. The extras vary from movie to movie. Each disc has a behind-the-scenes feature, which includes interviews with the cast and filmmakers. The length of them varies, with the longest being the one for the first movie (at about 25 minutes, give or take), and the others being around 7- 8 minutes. Then some of the discs may or may not include commentary tracks on the films, deleted scenes, trailers, specific character profiles, etc. It seems most of the interviews were conducted around 2004, before Bubba Smith and David Graf passed away, as they were both included in the interviews.

Overall, this set is a good, inexpensive way to get all of the movies in one collection. Even the best of them never tried to be more than they were, used very tongue-in-cheek comedy, and never took themselves too seriously. Over time, they became more and more slapstick and almost a caricature of themselves. The movies do have a lot of swearing, some violence, sexual jokes, and some include brief nudity, so the films definitely earned their R ratings. But, for those of us who grew up with the original movie, it is a fun blast from the past. Ultimately, if you are a fan of 80s comedies and/or a fan of the series, this is worth adding to a physical media collection.