Textbook Review: Calculus Multivariable

 

I was forced to use this book for Calculus 3, and I must say it is the most god-awful waste of paper ever. Having gone through the entire calculus curriculum and earned an electrical engineering degree, I had to use a pretty wide variety of books and this was, by far, the worst of the bunch. The only good thing about it is that the authors were very direct, up front, that the book did not have many worked-out examples. In reality, it had almost no examples and provided very little guidance on how to approach anything but the most basic problems. The "explanatory" material was almost non-existent as well, sometimes amounting to a page and a half (or less) before you get to the problem set. The approach may have worked if the problem sets were limited to basic problems. But, many of the problems were so advanced that my teacher, who granted did not do much vetting of the problems when he chose exam questions, had to turn some of them into bonus questions because his solution when he was working out the answer key ended up taking five pages to work through.

So, if you have to use this book for class, look at it as a problems repository and if you have a good teacher, then just pay attention to the lectures. If you are looking for a book to teach yourself the material, run in the opposite direction far away from this one. If you need additional study aids, there are some good ones out there including the Calculus 3 Tutor DVDs, REA's Calculus III Essentials, the Schaum's outlines, etc. Any of those will provide much-needed context and guidance for how to solve the problems that this will not give you. Or, you can just look for things on YouTube and find a lot there, some of it better than others.

I do get the idea that the hand-holding and spoon-feeding should get reduced the farther you get into the curriculum. However, multivariable calculus is the most difficult class of the entire calculus sequence (even most professors admit that) so to write a book that basically just shows that you know how to work out the proofs is really not helpful to a student trying to learn the subject. So, I suggest avoiding this book at all costs if you can possibly do so. If you do have to use it, find a good study aid, ask lots of questions in class, and try to form a study group. I did all of those and managed to get an A in Calc III, but I gave up trying to read this to learn the material about three weeks into the semester.

Product Review: Slendertone Ab Belt Gel Pads

 

These are the pads that are for use with the slendertone ab-trainer belt that can give you an ab workout without doing crunches or other exercises that may be hard on your back. The pads are to be put over the electrodes to protect your skin, and you have to have them in place to be able to use the belt. They can be a bit pricey, but you can get more use out of them by putting hand sanitizer on the pads after you use them. For some reason that does keep them from wearing down as much. Otherwise, if you use the belt 2-3 times per week, the pads will wear out very quickly.

DVD/Movie Review: The Dreamers

 

The Dreamers is a movie that was made back in 2003 by director Bernardo Bertolucci, who also directed the controversial film starring Marlon Brando, Last Tango in Paris. Like that movie, this movie is pretty hyper-sexualized. It is set in 1968 Paris. A young American played named Matthew by Michael Pitt, goes to Paris to learn French and ends up getting into the movie scene. He meets a brother and sister played by Eva Green and Louis Garrel, who have a very creepy relationship that borders on incestuous. They invite Matthew to their house when their parents are out of town, and engage in all sorts of debauchery.

The film definitely earns an NC-17 rating, as there is a lot of nudity, much of it by Green, and leaves almost nothing to the imagination. It definitely has the feel of a low-budget independent film that is really not "about" any one particular topic. While it does make a lot of references to a lot of movies of the era in which it was set (and older), it is mostly to show off the young cast in various states of undress. Of course, Green is stunningly gorgeous and has never been shy about getting naked on film, and this, really her first big break in movies, is no exception.

For those who get the DVD, the extras include a commentary track on the film by the director, writer, and producer, a making-of documentary, a featurette on the 1968 political climate in France, a music video, and the trailer. A good amount of bonus material, especially for a non-blockbuster movie.

Overall, the movie is not going to appeal to everyone. Some people will get it just to see Eva Green nude, and will not care about the plot (or lack thereof), others will totally hate the plot regardless of the nudity, and others will hate the nudity and sexual content regardless of how much they would otherwise like the plot. If you are a fan of independent films that are kind of period pieces, then you may like this. If you are simply a fan of Eva Green, you will love this, and if you are one that gets turned off by nudity and strong sexual content, you should avoid this like the plague.

Product Review: Omega Paw Self-Cleaning Litter Box

 

This is not really a self-cleaning litterbox. It is not one of those that have something like a motorized rake that goes across the litter once the cat jumps out and puts the lumps of whatever into a separate container. Basically, what you can do is, after the cat has done its business, tip the box to one side and then the lumps can fall into a side compartment that you can dump out. So, the idea is that you can waste less litter and not have to empty the entire thing at once. That really only works if you tip it on a consistent basis before things get a chance to get stuck, at which point you do have to clean out the entire thing. And, of course, the better litter you use the easier the process is.

One thing that I will say for this is that, if you have a larger cat, like a Maine Coon cat, this is a great option because there is little chance that the cat will miss the box because of hanging over the edge. Plus, it gives the cat some privacy. So, while it is not really self-cleaning, it is a decent option if you do not want to spend the money for a real self-cleaning litter box.

Workout Update: Chalean Extreme Day 45

Day 45 of CE was the Push Circuit 2 workout. It was a challenging workout today, but it went well. I maxed out on a few moves, but there were a lot of exercises that I could only get to seven reps.  This is probably the hardest of the push workouts because it is all shoulders, including working the back of the shoulders which are small muscles and easy to fatigue. 

Workout Update: Chalean Extreme Day 44

Day 44 of CE was Recharge and ab-burner. I like having the two "rest" days in the program that I can use for a non-impact workout that gets me moving (and working on flexibility, which I need) but allows me to recover, especially if I have not slept well the night before.  At the halfway point of this round of CE I am definitely finding myself to be stronger but I do like having the three ab workouts per week in P90x. Other than that, I generally prefer CE over P90X. 

Product Review: Shredcare Paper Shredder Lubricant Sheets

 

As anyone who owns a shredder knows, they can be a pain in the but to maintain, especially if you run a lot of stuff through them in a short period of time. They can overheat and get jammed up with shreds getting stuck in the blades. There is not a lot you can do about the first problem, but these definitely help with the second one. They are a bit different than you might expect. They are about the size of a half sheet of paper and are actually kind of thick like card stock. You just put one or two of them through the shredder and it will lubricate the blades and help get anything stuck in the blades out. Even using these you cannot go crazy and try to put more than what your shredder can handle at one time through it, but as long as you only put as many sheets of paper through at once as your shredder is capable of handling, this will keep it in good working condition.

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: The Count of Monte Cristo

 

As most are likely aware, The Count of Monte Cristo is an extremely long novel from the mid-1800s written by Alexandre Dumas. The basic story is that a man named Edmond Dantes is essentially framed for treason by the Chief Magistrate J.F. Villefort (played by James Frain) and betrayed by his best friend Fernand Mondego (played by Guy Pearce) who is in love with Edmond's fiance Mercedes (played by Dagmara Domińczyk). Edmond ends up imprisoned on the island Château d'If, where he meets another prisoner Abbé Faria (played by the great Richard Harris) who is digging an escape tunnel. He enlists Edmond's help in digging the tunnel and becomes a teacher to Edmond. When Faria is critically injured he gives Edmond a map to a treasure. Edmond ends up escaping and, along with a pirate named Jacopo (played by Luis Guzman) seeks to take revenge on those who imprisoned him. The movie also stars a very young Henry Cavill, in his second film role.

Of course, making a movie from a classic novel is always tricky, but because the book is so long, a lot had to be cut out to make the run time of the movie. Most of what was cut came from the middle of the book from the period of Dante's imprisonment. The focus of the movie is really his revenge against Mondego. The pacing of the movie was actually very good, and if more from the book would have been put in, the movie probably would have slowed down too much. So, the screenplay ended up being a very good adaptation, and the acting all around was excellent.

For those who get the Blu-Ray, the A/V quality is very good. There are some great location shots of Malta, where the vast majority of the movie was shot, that really look great in HD. The extras include a thirty-five-minute making-of documentary that is split into fourth parts. There are about twenty-three minutes of deleted scenes, a feature on the climactic fight at the end of the movie, a feature on the sound design of the scene where Edmond escapes from the prison, and a commentary track on the movie with the director. So, a good amount of material for those who like watching the bonus features.

Overall, the movie is very good. As I said before, a lot had to be cut from the book in adapting it to a two-hour movie. So, people who are die-hard fans of the book may not like the fact that so much was cut out, but as someone who has read the book, I did not find there was anything that was cut that I really missed from the movie. There are also some who may not want to watch the movie because of the political views of the lead actor, Jim Caviezel, who has turned out to be a right-wing Q nutjob. While I do not agree with anything he has said over the past handful of years, he is hardly the only one that made this movie work and was not the only one who gave a great performance. So, if you can compartmentalize any feelings you have about the person and just watch the movie, it is worth it.

DVD/TV Series Review: The Incredible Hulk Season Three

 

Season three of The Incredible Hulk had some very good episodes, including The Psychic in which Bill Bixby's ex-wife Brenda Benet guest-starred as a woman who could get psychic flashes when she touched someone. Bixby and Benet wanted to do the episode shortly after their divorce to show their son that they could still get along. Tragically, their son would die not long after the episode was made and Benet would kill herself a year later, which, if you know their story, makes the episode even more emotional. There are a couple of episodes in which David and Jack come face-to-face, making much better use of Jack Colvin instead of having him just show up for a single scene. There is also an entire episode devoted to Jack's character in which David and the Hulk mostly just appear in flashbacks. There is also a good episode involving a serial killer targeting a college campus in which Gerald McRaney makes yet another guest-starring appearance playing, yet again, a new character that was totally different from the characters he played in season 1 and season 2. There are also some total duds, including a voodoo-themed episode and an episode in which David joins the circus.

For those who get the DVD, the big extra is a 17-minute retrospective on the show that features interviews with a couple of the writers and series creator Kenneth Johnson, who discuss making the show, working with Bill Bixby and Lou Ferrigno, and the challenges they faced when making the show. If you are a fan of the show it is very interesting. There are no commentary tracks like there were in the first and second-season DVD releases.

Overall, as I said, the season is uneven. The episodes are mostly good, but the bad ones are really bad. I think most of the attempts to inject humor via the Hulk fell pretty flat, and the sound effects they inserted sometimes were just cheesy. The good episodes hold up now even forty-plus years later, but the bad ones seem to be the kinds of things that could have only been made at that time. But, it will always be nostalgic for those of us who are old enough to remember the show being on TV, either during its original run, or who, like me mostly saw it in re-runs.

DVD/TV Series Review: Castle Season Three

 

The third season of Castle continues the case-of-the-week format intertwined with the larger story arc of the death of Beckett's mother (and a couple of other arcs that get introduced this season that are continued in later seasons). The season starts with a murder that may directly involve Castle, and it ends with the series' first major death and a huge cliffhanger. The guest stars this season include Jason Beghe (who would go on to be a series lead in the show Chicago PD), and Adrian Pasdar (probably best known for the series Heroes).

For those who get the DVD set, the extras include a blooper reel, a few behind-the-scenes featurettes, and commentary tracks on select episodes. The A/V quality is pretty much what you would expect for a non-special effects-laden show. There was no Blu-Ray release.

Overall, the show continues to be well-written and well-acted. The cast has great chemistry, and if the animosity that Fillion and Katic reportedly had by the end of the series' run had started, it was not apparent during the third season. The show is a good mix of drama, some action, and comedy. Castle's bulletproof vest with "Writer" on the back always manages to get at least a chuckle. If you liked the first couple of seasons then you will probably like this one as it moves the series forward and continues to develop the characters well. I definitely recommend it.

Workout Update: Chalean Extreme Day 43

Day 43 of CE was Push Circuit 1. I was able to max out on a couple of the exercises, but for most of them, I was hitting 6-7 reps. I was able to do one more push-up on my toes on the set of push-ups at the very end of the workout. I don't really feel bad about struggling because Toni, the woman in many of Chalene's videos has a ton of kids (she had seven at the time CE was filmed and is now up to 9 or 10), yet still looks like a fitness model had to do a bunch of them on her knees too. If you are really pushing yourself and lifting heavy, your arms will be like jelly by the end of that workout, and doing the push-ups at the end are very hard even though none of the prior moves work your chest at all. 

DVD/Study Aid Review: Calculus 1: Extra Practice With Derivatives

 

The extra practice with derivatives course is a set that is really meant to flesh out the calculus 1 curriculum. It does provide exactly what it says, more examples of the various techniques of differentiation like the chain rule and the product rule, but it also expands on what was in Jason's first calculus set with lessons on implicit differentiation, derivatives of natural logs, natural exponents, general logs, general exponents, and related rates. Related rates are, along with optimization problems, the bane of most student's first semester of calculus. Related rates problems are not hard once you learn to set them up, but learning how to do so can be a big pain.

Like in his other tutorials, Jason solves the problems step-by-step, not only explaining what he is doing as he goes but also recapping the problems after he has worked them out. His presentation is not flashy. It is just him in front of a whiteboard working through examples. He does a great job of breaking down the problems and explaining the process to solve them. Of course, since it is a recorded tutorial, you cannot interact with him and ask questions, so you do have to be aware of what your style of learning is, and if this would fit. But, if you are a visual learner and can learn on your own to some extent, this is a great resource and will help anyone trying to learn calculus, whether you are taking a class, are going to be taking a class, or just trying to learn it on your own.

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: Career Opportunities

 

Career Opportunities is a movie that was written by the great John Hughes, who wrote and directed some of the most iconic movies from the 80s and early 90s The Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, and Home Alone but was not nearly as good as any of those. The movie starred Frank Whaley, who has become a pretty decent character actor in his later career, as a slacker named Jim Dodge, a recent high-school graduate with no job but definitely has delusions of grandeur. His only talent seems to be impressing the local 12-year-olds. His dad gives him an ultimatum to get a job (and not get fired) or move out of the house. The problem is that nobody in town will hire him, knowing what a con artist he is. So, he is forced to take a job as the night janitor at the newly opened Target store. He ends up getting locked in with the local hot, but seemingly unattainable girl Josie, played by Jennifer Connelly. Then we get this mish-mash of a rom-com plot mixed with knockoff versions of Ferris Bueller (Whaley's character) and the home-alone burglars, played by Dermot Kieran Mulroney, who are bank robbers also looking to knock off the Target store.

For those who get the Blu-Ray, the A/V quality is good, but not great. It is a slight step up from the quality of the DVD release, but it definitely did not get a great remaster. The extras are fairly sparse. The main one is a commentary track on the movie by a film critic, and some trailers for the movie as well as other Kino Lorber releases.

Overall, the movie is fun, but kind of dumb. Connelly was just at the point of her career where she was about to become a bigger star, having transitioned from child actor to more adult roles in this movie and The Hot Spot. This was pretty much the last movie she made in which she would be there mostly for eye candy, which the cover of the Blu-Ray pretty much establishes that she was. In fact, I saw an interview with Whaley years later in which he said that they never actually took that picture, but that it was photoshopped for the movie poster to capitalize on her sex appeal. For many of us who were teenagers back in the early 90s, it worked because Connelly in a tight tank top was definitely the main attraction. But, Whaley did a good job as a wisecracking Ferris-lite type character. The plot was totally unrealistic if, for no other reason, there is no way a single janitor is the only employee in the store overnight, and could never really figure out exactly what kind of movie it wanted to be. But, if you turn off your brain and don't over-analyze it, the movie is pretty fun and a nostalgic blast from the past.

Workout Update: Chalean Extreme Day 42

Day 43 of CE was the recharge workout and ab-burner. I am still in the process of getting over some kind of cold, so this was a much-needed rest/break while still getting a workout in. Nothing much to report from it aside from the fact that it gave me a nice rest. 

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Chuck Season Four

 

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

The fourth season of Chuck continues to reinvent the show through the large story arc, this time involving Chuck's mom, while still managing to continue the things (mainly the humor and the romance between Chuck and Sarah) that have made the show work. Morgan, having learned of Chuck's secret becomes a manager at the Buy More, and has to keep things running, which includes keeping the other Buy More employees out of the loop and out of the CIA's way. There is also a running gag with a rotating Buy More employee named Greta who is played throughout the season by Olivia Munn, Isaiah Mustafa, Stacy Keibler, and Summer Glau.

The show continues much in the same vein as it has the first few seasons. It is partly a case-of-the-week procedural show with a larger serial arc that spans through the season. It has a great mix of action and comedy, with some drama mixed in as well. There are a ton of pop culture references, and many great Guest Stars including Lauren Cohan, Robin Givens, Linda Hamilton, Ray Wise, Nicole Richie, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Dave Bautista, Lou Ferrigno, Timothy Daulton, Dolph Lundgren, and Eric Roberts.

For those who get the Blu-Ray, the A/V quality is great, as it has been with the prior releases. The extras include a video commentary track on the episode Chuck vs. The First Fight, a series of short webisodes featuring Lester and Jeff, an in-character interview with Joshua Gomez, and a feature on the episode that Zachary Levi directed during the season.

Overall, the show continues to be well written and very well acted. It was again on the brink of cancellation but still managed to get a full 24-episode season. If you have been a fan of the prior seasons then you will almost certainly like this one as it continues the formula that earned the show the cult following that it had without getting stale.

DVD/TV Series Review: Castle Seasons One and Two

 

Castle is a twist on the cop-buddy show in which one is a womanizing mystery writer named Richard Castle (played by Nathan Fillion) and the other is a homicide detective, Kate Beckett (played by Stana Katic) on whom Castle bases a new series of novels after he experiences writer's block and kills off his current main character. He is interviewed by police due to a copycat murder that matches a killing in one of his novels, and because of his fame and wealth, Castle is able to worm his way into what amounts to an extended ride-along with Beckett and her partners Ryan and Esposito (played by Seamus Dever and Jon Huertas), and Tamala Jones, the medical examiner, and help them solve murders. The rest of the cast is rounded out by Susan Sullivan, Castle's mother and aging theater actress whom he basically bankrolls, and Molly Quinn, who plays Castle's teenage daughter Alexis.

The first season is a short one (just ten episodes) and really is focused on character development and establishing the "will they, won't they" get together storyline for Castle and Beckett. It is mostly a crime-of-the-week procedural show but does have larger story arcs that play out throughout the season, the biggest one being the mystery around the death of Beckett's mother. Season two continues those themes and, of course, throws the usual roadblocks in the main character's relationship. It ends on somewhat of a cliffhanger with the partnership at a crossroads. In the second season, the show started getting more established guest stars including Alyssa Milano, and Dana Delaney.

For those who get the DVD sets, in both seasons, the extras include a gag reel, behind-the-scenes features, and deleted scenes. In the season one set, there are commentary tracks on selected episodes, and a feature with the producer Stephen J. Cannell, who was the creator of many 1980s TV series. So, a good amount for people who like watching the bonus content.

Overall, the show is very good. It is well written and acted, and even though it can be a bit predictable at times, and does have some of the canned themes that all romantic dramas have, it does not feel cookie cutter. The cast has great chemistry, which is interesting because, as some may know Katic and Fillion reportedly hated each other in real life by the end of the series run. If there was any animosity between them in the first couple of seasons you definitely could not tell. So, if you are looking for a show that has a good blend of drama, comedy, and mystery, this is a good option.

Workout Update: Chalean Extreme Day 41

Day 41 was the Burn it Off workout. Overall, the workout went well. I was a bit tired during it, but once I got into it and warmed up, it progressed fine. There are really not any moves in the workout I absolutely hate, aside from the burpees, but everything flows well and it is short enough that just by the time you get sick of it, it is over.

DVD Review: Burn Notice Season Four

 

+++ Warning, this contains spoilers for the prior season, but no major giveaways from the fourth season +++

Season four of Burn Notice picks up almost immediately after the events at the end of season three, with Michael still in prison, having been framed for the crimes committed by Simon Escher. He is given a deal, basically that he can be let out of jail if he starts working for the organization that burned him. He reluctantly agrees and is assigned a handler named Vaughn, played by Robert Wisdom. As you can imagine, the relationship does not stay on good terms, and by the end of the season Michael (and everyone around him) is in danger yet again. This season sees a new addition to the cast with Coby Bell being brought on as Jessee Porter, another counter-intelligence agent who is burned. The big story arc of the season involves a NOC list, naming members of the organization, and the team trying to get possession of the list. The season ends on yet another cliffhanger (not with the life of a character hanging in the balance) teasing yet another new direction. There are several recognizable guest stars this season including Richard Kind, Tim Mattheson, John Doman, and Dylan Baker.

For those who get the DVD set, the extras include a commentary track on the season premiere, deleted scenes, a gag reel, a feature on the stunts, and a feature in which the casts of Burn Notice and White Collar roast the other show, a feature on the stunts of the show, and a feature called Sam Axe's Guide to Ladies and Libations, which is basically a fun bit with Bruce Campbell.

Overall, the series continues to be well-written and acted. You still have to suspend your disbelief, but not so much that anything comes across as just plain stupid. It has a good mix of action, comedy, and drama, and the cast has very good chemistry. So, if you have liked the prior seasons of the show you will probably enjoy this one as well.

Blu Ray/Movie Review: Armageddon

 

Armageddon is pretty much the quintessential Michael Bay movie, a lot of action but totally unrealistic and even more non-sensical. The basic premise of the plot is that a killer asteroid is headed toward Earth. NASA determines that a team has to be sent to the asteroid to destroy it, by drilling a hole into it and planting a nuclear bomb to blow it apart. The government uses the design for a drill created by an oil driller named Harry Stamper (played by Bruce Willis). Instead of the logical thing, having Stamper's drill team train the astronauts how to use the drill, they decide to train the team of drillers, who are, to say the least, not even remotely qualified to be astronauts, to go up to the asteroid and drill the hole. Again, totally, stupid, but if you can suspend your disbelief, it works.

There is a strong cast including Ben Affleck, Liv Tyler, Michael Clarke Duncan, Steve Buscemi, Billy Bob Thornton, Owen Wilson, Will Patton, Jason Issacs, and William Fichtner. The members of the drilling team are pretty much lovable losers, and the astronauts are hard-nosed by the books types that don't want them there. Of course, the inevitable conflict between the team members as well as the threat of the asteroid intensifies throughout the movie.

For those who get the Blu-Ray, the movie looks and sounds great in HD. The extras are sparse, however. The trailers and the video for Aerosmith's song "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing", which was probably as popular as the movie itself. The video quality is upgraded from the Criterion Collection release, but the extras are a big downgrade.

Overall, the movie is what you would expect from a Michael Bay summer blockbuster. Lots of action and heroics, but nothing that you would expect to have a deep conversation about. The acting in this is much better than some of the Transformers movies (especially the various sequels), which helps offset the completely stupid plot. The romance story between Affleck and Tyler's characters was not really needed but was okay in the grand scheme of things. So, if you are looking for an action movie that you can kind of just turn your brain off and enjoy, this is a good one.

Workout Update: Chalean Extreme Day 40

Day 40 of CE was the Push Circuit 3 workout. This one is mostly chest and back focused and then a few lower-body exercises. I definitely like all of the Push workouts more than I liked the Burn workouts, mainly because I can really appreciate my strength gains this month.  And, I love that the workouts are a lot shorter than the P90X workouts, although I like the variety of the P90X workouts more than the variety of these workouts.

Product Review: Roku Wireless Speakers (for Roku Streambars or Roku TV)

 

The big thing to note if you are considering getting these is that you need to have a Roku soundbar or a Roku TV. If you do not, these will not pair with a different soundbar or a smart TV. Basically, these will get you the surround sound experience without having to run a bunch of wires across the room. They pair to the soundbar via Bluetooth, so the only wires are the power cords. You get good sound (usually the background effects) through them, without it overpowering the sound coming out of the soundbar itself. They are easy to pair, you really just follow the steps in the Roku settings after you plug them in. You may have to move them closer to the soundbar to get them paired, but once they are paired you can move them farther away and you will get sound through them.

Supplement Review: CYTOSPORT SLEEPING GIANT

 

This is a protein supplement that is low carb (just 5g of carbs) and has casein protein so it is slower digesting and better to use in the evening. And, it has melatonin and tryptophan, both of which help with falling asleep. I have tried the vanilla caramel flavor and it blends well just with water and tastes good, unlike some protein powders. You definitely do not have to gag it down. Just be aware that the serving size is two scoops and there are only 18 servings (give or take) per container. At nearly $30 per container that is a bit pricey, but not as bad as some protein powders that charge $50 or more for 15 servings.

DVD/TV Series Review: Burn Notice Seasons 1-3

 

Burn Notice was a show that aired on the USA network from 2007-2014. The premise was that a CIA operative named Michael Weston, played by Jeffrey Donovan is outed and burned (disavowed by the government) during an operation in Nigeria. He is knocked out and wakes up in his hometown of Miami and put under surveillance. He is told if he stays in Miami he can do basically what he wants, but if he leaves he will be arrested and thrown in a hole. He decides to stay in Miami and take on jobs that really only an ex-spy can, sometimes skirting legality himself to take down a bad guy and/or help some innocent person in danger. He is joined by his ex-girlfriend (and former IRA operative) Fiona, played by Gabrielle Anwar, and Sam Axe, a retired covert operative (and current lady's man) played by the great Bruce Campbell). The main cast is rounded out by Sharon Gless, who plays Michael's mom Madeline who usually (especially in the early seasons) gets in Michael's way under the guise of helping.

The show was part procedural case/story of the week with the bigger serial arc(s) that would span throughout the series. The big one, of course, is Michael trying to find out who burned him, a brass ring that stays just out of reach for quite a while. The first season ends on a cliffhanger when Michael figures out who wrote his burn notice, but finds that a much heavier hand was behind it. Season two is focused on the larger organization and Michael trying to figure out who they are and take them down. Tricia Helfer (of Battlestar Galactica fame) has a recurring role during the season as Michael's handler who assigns him tasks that get more dangerous over the course of the season. The third season sees Michael facing the consequences of defying "Management", the organization from season two, and he is tracked by a police detective who is convinced he is dirty.

For those who get the DVDs, the extras include scene commentaries with creator Nix and various actors, there is also a short gag reel, audition footage, and then a couple of short and kind of dumb featurettes that are basically a collection of clips from the show. What was included was okay, but it could have been better. The first couple of seasons of the show were released on Blu-Ray, however, the A/V transfer was apparently very bad, so I just stuck with the DVDs.

Overall, the show is very good. It has a good mix of action, comedy (mostly from Campbell), and drama. Donovan does a great job as the series lead both in the action scenes and as basically the narrator (as he has a ton of voiceovers where Michael explains spycraft). All of the actors, the main cast, the recurring characters, and the guest stars, do a very good job in their roles. It is not a show that was a carbon copy of anything, and there really has not been anything exactly like it since it went off the air. So, if you are one who has not seen the show and are looking for something in the action-drama genre, this is definitely worth checking out.

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: Braveheart (Sapphire Series)

 

Braveheart is a fictionalized telling of the life and death of William Wallace (played by Mel Gibson) who was a freedom fighter/knight in Scottland, who fought for Scottish independence against England. The movie is part love story, part revenge story, and part period piece. The supporting cast includes Sophie Marceau as Princess Isabella of France, Angus Macfadyen as Robert the Bruce, Patrick McGoohan as King Edward "Longshanks", Catherine McCormack as Murron MacClannough, Brendan Gleeson as Hamish, and Brian Cox as Argyle Wallace. It is well written and very well acted, and regardless of what you may think of him in real life, Mel Gibson does a great job as a director, especially on the period pieces.

For those who get the Sapphire Series Blu-Ray, the movie looks and sounds fantastic. The visuals are off the charts with the great cinematography, and the picture quality is much greater than it was with the original DVD release. There are a ton of extras for those who like watching the bonus material. Those include a timeline for the production of the movie, the fictional plot, and the historical events the movie was based on, a feature on the battlefields in Scottland, an hour-long documentary on the movie, a feature on the town of Smithfield, a commentary track on the movie by Mel Gibson, a conversation with the writer of the screenplay, a feature on the real William Wallace, and the trailers for the movie.

Overall, the movie is wonderful. These days anything having to do with Mel Gibson is kind of a mixed bag. If you cannot separate his personal life from his professional one, and you can't stand what has come out about his personal life, then you will probably not want anything to do with this movie. If you are one who, even if you disagree with him or can't stand him, can still enjoy the movies he makes, and you like historical dramas, then this is definitely one that should not be missed.

Workout Update: Chalean Extreme Day 39

Day 39 of CE was burn intervals again. This was a hard one for me to get through today. I was tired and not feeling all that well. So, I definitely had to slow things down and modify some moves that I do not normally modify in the workout. But, I got it done and was able to push more as I got warmed up and farther into the workout.