DVD/Movie Review: Private School

 

Private School is a coming-of-age comedy from 1983 starring Phoebe Cates, Betsy Russell, Matthew Modine, Kathleen Wihote, and Ray Walston. The best way I can describe this movie is a combination of Porky's and Fast Times at Ridgemont High, yet nowhere near as good as either of them. However, if you were a boy anywhere near puberty in the 1980s this was one of the movies you always hoped came on cable late at night when you got to stay up late. The script and acting are atrocious. Even though the movie had some young stars who would go on to be relatively good actors, they were not given much to work with, even by teen sex comedy standards. There were also some whose careers never made it out of the 1980s. It has about every 80s movie cliche you can imagine (right down to the cheesy music montage). 

The DVD is very bare-bones. There are no extras such as deleted scenes, making-of featurettes, or the like. Realistically, given that it was not one of the major teen comedies of the 1980s and is far more of a cult classic, it is not surprising that it did not get a more expensive DVD release.

The two best things about the movie are Betsy Russell and having some relatively good songs on the soundtrack. Phoebe Cates was the big star in the movie, coming off her role in Fast Times. And although she was the "sexy one" in that movie, she plays the rather bland "good girl" in this one. She is of course still gorgeous and did show a little bit toward the end of the movie, but Betsy Russell is the one who amps up the sex factor here. Ultimately you know what you get with this. It is not great by any means. Do not expect an Academy Award winner, but if you fall within the demographic who remembers this movie from your youth, you can have a good laugh at how good you probably thought it was when you were young and fondly remember ogling Betsy.

DVD/Movie Review: Out of Sight

 

Out of Sight was a 1998 crime-drama/dark comedy directed by Steven Soderbergh and starring George Clooney, Jennifer Lopez, Ving Rhames, Don Cheadle, Steve Zahn, and Albert Brooks. The movie is, at its core, a love story (albeit a twisted one) about a bank robber/prison escapee (Clooney) and a federal marshal (Lopez) who is in the wrong place at the wrong time. It is also very much a drama with some very funny moments. In that way, it really does not fit any label perfectly. It is part love story, part chase movie, part criminal looking for one last score. The story is told part in the present and part through flashbacks (in an almost pulp fiction-like manner). That part of it really works well, and I think it ultimately makes the movie better than it would have been had it run in chronological order.

As far as extras on the DVD version go, there is a 25-minute making-of documentary, a commentary track by Steven Soderbergh, 22 minutes worth of deleted scenes, and select scenes that highlight certain songs from the movie. All in all, enough to keep those who like going through the bonus material happy.

The strength of the movie is the stellar ensemble cast. Clooney (who was probably at the height of his ER fame when the movie was made) and Lopez were the stars and the focus of the movie, but everyone from Ving Rhames, Don Cheadle, Albert Brooks to Steve Zahn (who steals nearly every scene he is in) works perfectly. There are also cameos by Michael Keaton and Samuel L Jackson, which, although brief, are very good. Clooney and Lopez either had very good chemistry or faked it well because you can buy the sexual tension between the two that the movie was going for. It is a very good movie that is absolutely worth the time to watch.

DVD/Movie Review: Office Space

 

Office Space is a 1999 comedy written and directed by Mike Judge. It stars Ron Livingston, Jennifer Aniston, Stephen Root, Gary Cole, John C. McGinley, David Herman, Ajay Naidu, Diedrich Bader, and Richard Riehle. The movie centers around three guys who have crappy jobs at a corporation called Initech. Ron Livingston plays Peter, who is the lead character. He becomes completely apathetic toward his job after a botched hypnotherapy session and basically tries to get fired. He ends up hatching a plan to rip the company off that goes haywire. As I said, that is almost ancillary to the real purpose of the movie, which is to poke fun at office life and the various characters.

I really think this movie will hold up in any era. Really as long as corporations exist this movie will be hilarious. To the extent there is a plot it almost takes a back seat to making fun of the corporate culture. And let's be honest, for those of us who work in the corporate world, some of the things they are making fun of (albeit in over-the-top ways in some instances) still very much exist. It was made from an animated short by Mike Judge the creator of Bevis and Butthead and King of the Hill.

The DVD does have a handful of extras. Those include an approximately half-hour retrospective made in 2005, about 10 minutes of deleted scenes, and the trailer. There is definitely enough to satisfy those who like going through the extras.

The movie has a true ensemble cast, which was made up of relative unknowns. They made a pretty big casting coup in landing Jennifer Aniston when Friends was immensely popular. She really did not dominate the movie though and really fit in well with the ensemble cast. The two most memorable characters in my opinion were Milton, played by Stephen Root, and Lumberg played by Gary Cole. All the actors did a wonderful job, however, even those with the smallest roles. It really seemed like they were all having fun with it, which along with the well-written script (which has tons of quotable lines) really make the movie.

It is really a "cult classic" kind of movie. The brand of humor is probably not for everyone, but it holds up as well or better as any of the more modern-day comedies do. I think anyone who likes any of Judge's other work will find this enjoyable. There is a lot of swearing in the movie, and in that respect, it earns its R rating, but it is really nothing more than you get in any R-rated comedy. It is absolutely worth the time to watch.

Book Review: Dune: The Lady of Caladan (Dune #12) #Dune

 

The Lady of Caladan is the 12th book in the Dune Saga (when read chronologically) and is the second book in the Caladan trilogy set in the years immediately before the events of the original Dune novel. The book was published in 2021 and was once again written by the duo of Kevin J. Anderson and Brian Herbert. While the title suggests that Jessica is the focus of the book, like most of the other prequel novels, it has several storylines going on at one time, specifically involving Leto, Jessica, Paul, Baron Harkonnen and his two nephews, Count Fenring, and to a lesser degree Emperor Shaddam. The only major characters who do not appear are Chani and Irulan. The events of the book pick up immediately after the prior novel, The Duke of Caladan, with Jessica having been recalled to Wallach IX by the Bene Gesserit and Leto having been offered to join the group of Nobles working against the Emperor. 

The hardcover version of the book is just over 400 pages. While there are only a handful of new characters in the book, since it jumps between storylines every chapter or two, it can sometimes be a bit slow to read. The book does a good job of escalating the Harkonnen-Atreides feud and setting the stage for why the Emperor reassigns Leto to oversee the spice production on Arrakis. It is absolutely worth the time to read, especially if you want the backstory of the original Dune novels. 

DVD/Movie Review: My Cousin Vinny

 

My Cousin Vinny is a 1992 comedy starring Joe Pesci, Marisa Tomei (in her breakout movie role), Ralph Macchio, Mitchell Whitfield, Lane Smith, Austin Pendleton, and Fred Gwynne. The plot involves Macchio and Whitfield's characters, Bill and Stan, being arrested in Alabama for the murder of a convenience store clerk. Bill's cousin, Vinny (played by Pesci), who is a personal injury lawyer in New York, agrees to represent them for free. He travels to Alabama with his fiancee, Mona Lisa Vito (played by Tomei), where the two stick out like sore thumbs, and Vinny is in over his head trying a murder case and dealing with the hard-ass judge (played by Gwynne). 

This movie really was kind of a lightning-in-a-bottle type movie. I don't think anyone would have guessed that it would turn out as good as it did. Pesci, who up to that point was best known for being in mobster movies, the burglar in Home Alone, and a sidekick in the Lethal Weapon movies, got to show off his comedic chops in a leading role. And he pulled off the New Yorker thrown into the Deep South perfectly. Tomei, of course, stole every scene she was in and ended up winning an Oscar for her role as Lisa.

The DVD version of the movie is pretty light on extras. It does include the trailers, a couple TV spots, and a commentary by the director, Jonathan Lynn. Overall, the movie is wonderful. The two things that made the movie work were the fact that it did not take itself too seriously and made fun of everything and the excellent supporting cast. Fred Gwynne, who was a great comedic actor himself, was a great straight man to Pesci's Vinny in what ended up being his last role. It is a movie that, even after 30+ years, stands up on its own, never needing multiple sequels to water it down, and will hopefully never be remade. It does have quite a bit of swearing and some sexual innuendo, but compared to what is in some of today's movies, even that is pretty light. But if that turns you off to a movie then you should probably skip it, but for everyone else, I cannot recommend the movie highly enough.

DVD/Movie Review: Mr. & Mrs. Smith

 

Mr. and Mrs. Smith is a 2005 Action/Dark Comedy starring Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Vince Vaughn, Adam Brody, Michelle Monaghan, Jennifer Morrison, and Kerry Washington. The best way I can describe the movie is if you take War of the Roses, combine it with True Lies, and mix in a little Bourne Identity action sequences, you have this movie. In this case, both spouses are agents; neither one knows about the other, and most of the film surrounds what happens after they find out. The two things that make the movie work as well as it does are that it is very well written, mostly tongue in cheek, and the great chemistry between Pitt and Jolie. The two played off each other perfectly, whether it was with comments or even looks, which made the dark comedy moments great.

The supporting cast is good, but they are used very minimally. Vince Vaughn is in the role when he really does the best, as the sidekick wisecracking buddy. Adam Brody of The OC fame and Jennifer Morrison from House and Once Upon a Time have small roles in the movie as well. There are two great action scenes in the movie, one a total spoof on The War of the Roses, and the second a great car chase sequence.

The special edition DVD's extras include about 8 minutes of deleted scenes, an 8-minute making-of feature, and the trailers. There are also three separate commentary tracks on the film from the various filmmakers. Nothing is too extensive, but it's okay for what is there. 

All in all, it is very well written and well acted, and of course, Pitt and Jolie provide eye candy for their respective audiences. So, if you are in the mood for an action movie that has some humor, this is worth the time to watch and/or to add to a physical media collection.

DVD/Movie Review: Mallrats

 

Mallrats is a 1995 comedy written and directed by Kevin Smith as a part of his View Askewniverse. The movie stars Jason Lee, Ben Affleck, Claire Forlani, Shannen Doherty, Jeremey London, Ethan Suplee, Smith and Jason Mewes (playing Jay and Silent Bob), and Joey Lauren Adams. The premise was simple. Two friends get dumped and go hang out at a local mall. From there, hilarity ensues. (Historical note for those who care, the mall involved looks totally different after massive renovations).

Kevin Smith has repeatedly said that Jason Lee makes Mallrats, which is true. He was definitely the best part of a very underrated movie. Ultimately, Mallrats had a very uphill battle to overcome, being the movie that followed up Clerks. If you have only seen Clerks at this point, you will recognize some of that story put into this one, and even actors from Clerks playing different roles in this movie. That is the one thing you have to accept with Kevin Smith's movies. He uses a lot of the same people in his movies, but casts them in different roles.

This DVD includes the theatrical cut of the movie, as well as a 2-hour extended cut (which is given an 11-minute intro by Smith and Scott Moser). There is also a 50-minute Q&A session with some of the cast and crew. 

While I do not think the movie is as good some of Smith's other movies, such as Clerks, Chasing Amy (which Smith made a couple of years after this one), Dogma, Or Jersey Girl, it is still a very good comedy (if you enjoy Smith's brand of comedy). All in all, if you are a fan of the movie itself, a fan of Smith's movies in general, or just a fan of good comedy (all be it raunchy comedy), then definitely check this out.

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: Iron Man 3

 

Iron Man 3 was the 2013 sequel to the two stand-alone Iron Man movies and, of course, was a part of the larger MCU. The movie was directed by Shane Black and brought back Robert Downey Jr., Gweneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, and Jon Favreau to reprise their roles from the earlier films. The major additions to the cast for this movie are Ben Kingsley and Guy Pearce, and the movie was also Jenna Ortega's first film role (albeit a minor one). 

This movie follows up both on the previous stand-alone Iron Man films and shows the "post-Avengers" Tony Stark and the toll that the events of that movie had on him. There is a lot of misdirection in this movie, which even hinting about would give away too much. Some people hated the way that turned out, but I personally did not have much problem with it. Although the effect of the big twist did make the movie in a way similar (but not the same) as the plot in the second one. This film definitely ratchets up the action even more than Iron Man I and II. There are a lot more "big" action sequences in this movie, from Stark's house being blown up and a great mid-air rescue to the final battle. A lot is going on, and the effects are blended very well with live action shots so they look more "real" than in any of the other movies. The plot is somewhat convoluted and like I said above, has twists to it. Both the characters of Pepper and Rhodes have even more expanded roles in this movie. Robert Downey Jr continues to nail the Tony Stark role and mixes humor and intensity. Ben Kingsly is excellent in his role, he was very chilling as Mandarin, and is involved in one of the plot twists. There is also the usual after the credits scene involving a cameo by one of the Avengers.

The A/V quality of the blu-ray is great. As far as extras go, there is about an hour of material from making of/behind-the-scenes features, a short film that reveals events after the end of Captain America, a short look at the next Thor movie, and a gag reel. In all enough to make those who like the bonus material happy. 

While an argument can be made that the superhero franchises are becoming over saturated, they do not seem to be slowing down over time. This movie definitely left open the possibility of further stand alone Iron Man movies, but also brought a sense of closure to the Tony Stark origin story. If you are a fan of the movies that have come before this one, then you will most likely like this as well.

Workout Update: 645 Cardio/Lift 4 Day 13

For Day 13, I just did the 645 cardio routine. It went fine, and I added back in the squat jacks to make it a bit more challenging since today is an off day in Lift 4. 

Product Review: Dishwasher Magnet Clean Dirty Sign

 

This is a small rectangular magnetic sign that can go on the front of the dishwasher. It has a door that can slide left and right to show whether the dishes in the dishwasher are clean or dirty. It is small enough (about 6 inches long and 2 inches high) to fit above most dishwashers' handles. And the magnet is strong enough to keep it in place. It also has a couple of adhesive stickers that you can use if the front of your dishwasher is not magnetic (e.g., if you have a cabinet panel on the front of your dishwasher). It is handy, especially if you have multiple people in your household.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Homeland Season 2

 

Fair warning, this will contain spoilers from season 1, and hints (but no major spoilers) from Season 2. If you have not seen season 1 proceed at your own risk.

Season 2 of Homeland consisted of 12 episodes that aired during the fall and winter of 2012. All of the main cast members return, including Claire Danes, Damien Lewis, Many Patinkin, Morena Baccarin, and David Harewood. The show also adds several recurring cast members, including Rupert Friend, Maury Sterling (both of whom would get larger roles in subsequent seasons), and Timothee Chalamet (in one of his early roles). 

The first season of Homeland was very original and told a very good story. Brody (played by Damien Lewis), who had been a POW in Iraq, was turned into a terrorist and a part of a plot to execute a terrorist attack in America, which he backed out of. At the end of season 1 only the viewers knew the truth. That changes very quickly in Season 2. The tape he made confessing to the bombing he backed out of comes back to haunt him in multiple ways in the second season. I cannot say too much without giving away a lot of what happens, but there is another terrorist plot in the second season that we don't know the full extent of until about 3/4 of the way through the season finale. Many of the characters and relationships in the show change, and there are a couple very big twists. The season ends with some things resolved and other questions left open. It definitely leaves the show to go into a very interesting direction in the third season and will hopefully keep Brody's storyline from getting worn out.

The A/V quality of the blu rays are very good, as you would expect. There is not a ton of bonus material. There is a very short prologue to the third season, a short film by Damien Lewis, a making of the second season feature and some deleted scenes. There are also commentary tracks on selected episodes. The blu-rays also have a true "play all" mode that allows you to stop in the middle of an episode and pick back up, and when you finish with one disc and insert the next one, it immediately starts playing the next episode in the sequence. The acting and writing of the show are both again top-notch. I do not think there was a downturn in either from season 1, even though there are some far-fetched moments. All in all, if you liked or loved season 1, this one is absolutely worth watching.

Workout Update: 645 Cardio/Lift 4 Day 12

Day 12 was legs in Lift 4 and then the 15-minute cardio workout from 645. Since Lift 4 was the HIIT workout (with high-knee runs, triple bear, catcher's jumps, and jump lunges), I again kept the 645 workout less intense with moves that had less impact. That worked well for the second day in a row so I am going to keep doing that for now.

Workout Update: 645 Cardio/Lift 4 Day 11

Day 11 was the shoulders workout (an interval workout) in Lift 4 and the 15-minute cardio workout from 645. The shoulder workout went well but was challenging, mostly because of the pace. I decided that on the days Lift 4 has cardio, I will do less intense exercises in the 645 workouts just to give my knees and back a break. So, today, I mixed in high-knee runs, speed skaters, soccer runs, and heismans. 

Book Review: Full Black (Scot Harvath Series #10)

 

Full Black, published in 2011, is the 10th book in the Scot Harvath series of novels written by the series creator, Brad Thor. It is the 11th book if you count The Athena Project, which did include Harvath in a couple of chapters, but the group of female spies was that book's focus, not Harvath. 

Full Black involves the threat of multiple terrorist attacks on the United States, including hitting many "soft" targets simultaneously in multiple waves. The goal of the attacks is the complete disabling and collapse of the United States. There are two storylines that are parallel through most of the book but connect toward the end as the plots play out. One involves a Russian wetwork team sent to take out a Hollywood producer, and the other involves Harvath and his team going after the terrorist network. The second plotline ties back to the events of the 9th novel in the series Foreign Influence.

The hardcover version of the book is about 380 pages long. The pace and tone of the books are very similar to the other books in the series, and it has a good blend of action and suspense. It includes several new characters, and Thor does a good job of developing them enough to get the readers invested in them without slowing down the overall story.  If you are a fan of the prior books in the series, this one is worth the time to read.

DVD/Movie Review: Live Nude Girls

 

Live Nude Girls is a movie from 1995 written and directed by Julianna Lavin and starring Dana Delany, Kim Catrall, Cynthia Stevenson, Laila Robins, Lora Zane, and Olivia d'Abo. Anyone who hears the title of the movie will think it is smutty or something that is on Cinemax overnight, but that is not the case. Yes, there is nudity in it, but it amounts to about 2 scenes (and yes, one does involve Olivia D'Abo), but that is it. Even though there is not much nudity, there is a lot of sexual suggestion and dialogue and a lot of swearing. The movie is basically a slumber party before the wedding day of Kim Cattrall's character, where the group of childhood friends sit around and talk about their lives and about sex. It has a good mix of drama and humor.

There are a few different physical media versions of the movie (the original DVD, a DVD that includes an unrated cut of the movie, and a blu-ray version). I have the original DVD version that just includes the theatrical version of the movie with no extras. 

The movie is really a story about the relationships (good and bad) between the characters. There really is not any kind of overcomplicated plot that you need to follow, so it is one of those movies that can just kind of be on in the background, and you can tune in and out of it. It is a good relationship story that does not drag on too long. This is good because, for the most part, it is set inside the same house (save for a couple scenes) and could have easily ended up going way too long. While the easy comparison is to Sex and the City (especially given Catrall's involvement), while the movie does have some similarities, it is quite different. The movie is definitely not going to appeal to everyone, but if you are not offended by talk of sex and don't mind dialogue-driven movies, this is worth the time to watch.

DVD/Movie Review: The Legend of Zorro

 

The Legend of Zorro is a 2005 sequel to 1998's Mask of Zorro. Antonio Banderas and Catherine Zeta-Jones return to reprise their roles from the first movie, and Rufus Sewell joins the cast as the main antagonist. This movie is set 10 years after the original, just before CA becomes a state. Elena and Alejandro are at odds over his dedication to Zorro at the beginning of the movie, and that theme plays throughout most of the movie. Rufus Sewell is the main bad guy in the movie and, as usual, excels at playing a jackass who you love to hate. Like in the first movie, there is a conspiracy to take down, and this time, Elena is much more involved in thwarting it separately from Zorro.

The movie is okay, but it is definitely not as good as the original. Even though some of the scenes were done to mirror some from the first movie (the opening sequence for example, and Elena facing off with bad guys in a stable), it does not have the same feel as the first. That is good and bad. It is good in that it is not a carbon copy of the first movie, but bad because it also does not have some of the things that worked well in the first. It is really the trap that a lot of sequels fall into. One thing I think the movie misses is the comedic elements between Alejandro and Elena that worked so well in the first one. But because they spend a lot of the movie apart, and fighting when together the movie tries to get the comedy elements in via other ways that just do not work as well.  You can tell that the tone of this movie was meant to be less dark than the first. It is not nearly as violent (although there is still a lot of action and fighting, it is not as graphic as the first movie. The film also misses the presence of Anthony Hopkins and the father/authority figure he played in the first.

As far as extras go, you do get more with this than from the first movie, at least on the DVD version. There are more features, including a few deleted scenes (that can be played with or without the director's commentary), four making-of featurettes, a couple of scene deconstruction featurettes, and the trailer. There is also a commentary track by the director Martin Campbell and the cinematographer on the film, should you choose to listen.

Overall if you accept that like the majority of sequels this one is not as good as the first movie, and is a little more toned down and family friendly, you can enjoy it. If you are not one who collects the physical discs, I think it is fine as a rental or streaming because, while it is worth the time to watch, it is probably not a movie that most people will be compelled to watch again and again.

DVD/Movie Review: The Mask of Zorro (Deluxe Edition)

 

The Mask of Zorro is a 1998 movie starring Antonio Banderas, Anthony Hopkins, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Stuart Wilson, Matt Letscher, and Tony Amendola. The movie tells the tale of two Zorros and how they are each out for revenge. Anthony Hopkins is Zorro at the beginning of the movie, but his identity is discovered, and he is imprisoned for 20 years after his wife is killed and his baby is stolen by the main antagonist, Don Rafael Montero. He becomes the mentor to the younger Zorro (played by Antonio Banderas), whose brother is killed by the second main villain of the movie, Captain Love.

It is part origin story, part master/student, part love story, and part revenge tale. There is a lot of action in the form of sword fighting and horse riding. It also has very humorous moments (mainly between Banderas and Catherine Zeta-Jones) as the film goes along. The movie does not make much use of special effects (although there are some), so it is not really one where if you own the DVD version, an upgrade to Blu-ray is likely going to get you much more. The DVD looks and sounds fine, especially for a late 1990s movie. The disc has little in the way of extras. Just the trailer and a short "making of" feature.

Overall, it is a well-written, well-acted action movie. The plot is not complicated and really only boils down to a few key players. Personally, I think this was Banderas' best role. His character, Alejandro Murrieta is kind of like a less serious version of his character in Desperado. The movie is a bit violent, so it may not be suitable for younger kids, but that aside, it makes for an entertaining couple of hours and is well worth the price.

Workout Update: 645 Cardio/Lift 4 Day 10

Day 10 was the rest day in Lift 4, so I did the 645 cardio workout in the morning and the Lift 4 recovery routines in the evening. Both went fine. I was again switching up the HIIT moves in the 645 workout, this time incorporating the Heisman and squat jacks from Insanity and mountain climbers and soccer runs. That keeps me from getting bored in the workouts. 

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: Lara Croft: Tomb Raider

 

Lara Croft: Tomb Raider is a 2001 movie based on the widely popular video game series. It stars Angelina Jolie, Daniel Craig, Chris Barrie, Iain Glen, and Noah Taylor and was directed by Simon West. Jolie stars as Lara Croft, a British archeologist who gets caught up in a search for an artifact sought by members of The Illuminati. 

If you try to take this movie too seriously, you will probably walk away hating it. If you take it for what it is, an action movie with a little bit of drama and humor sprinkled in, then you can enjoy it. It is definitely not the traditional summer blockbuster with an explosion every two seconds. While there is a lot of action, there is a plot that the action does slow down for. It is not what I would call an overly deep or complicated plot. It is a pretty basic bad guys want to rule the world story, but there are aspects to it that involve more than just fighting or shooting. I think the pace of the movie was just right. Clocking in at basically a little over an hour and a half, it did not try to do too much, and was able to keep the action going, tell the story that they were trying to tell, then got out before dragging on. 

The movie's A/V quality is great. It looks and sounds great in the HD format. There are a lot of special effects, but those do not really detract from the movie at all (unlike, say, Lucas' special effects-laden movies). They used enough sets and location shots that the effects really did enhance things. For those who get the discs and like bonus material, there is a lot here. There are a bunch of behind the scenes features ranging from 5 min to 25 min. Some are general "making of" features, others focus on the special effects, and other show the training regimen Angelina Jolie went through to become the character. The fact that she did many of her own stunts in the movie was impressive given what they had her doing.

Ultimately, if you don't like action movies and/or Jolie, you probably will not like this movie. I have not really played any of the games, so I am not sure how faithful to the character as she is portrayed in the video games the filmmakers stayed, but it does seem like they were trying to. While it is not the best movie ever, on the whole, I think it is worth the time to watch if you are looking for an action movie.

Book Review: Star Wars: The High Republic: Tales of Enlightenment #StarWars

 

Tales of Enlightenment is a collection of six short stories set during Phase II of the High Republic (set about 150 years before the destruction of the Starlight Beacon by the Nihil). All of the stories are set on Jedha (which was first introduced in the movie Rogue One) in a bar called Enlightenment. The stories all involve a group of regular patrons of the bar interacting with people visiting the bar before, during, and after the events of the Battle of Jedha. 

The hardcover version of the book is just under 100 pages. The short stories take up about 2/3 of the book. The last 1/3 includes interview snippets and background information on some of the authors who have contributed to the High Republic stories, short synopses of the Phase I and II novels, and a listing of the chronological order of the Phase II and II books. There are also a lot of illustrations, so even though the book is about 100 pages long, there is much less than 100 pages of text, so it is very easy to read. Most people will likely be able to finish it in a day or less. 

Ultimately, I would not classify this as a must-read. The stories are fine but are very much filler stories that do not advance the main storyline of Phase II much at all. The writer interviews and bios are okay, but nothing to write home about. The chronological listing of the novels is helpful if you are one who gets the physical books and wants to put them on a shelf in chronological order.

Workout Update: 645 Cardio/Lift 4 Day 9

Day 9 was Back and Biceps 50/50 in Lift 4 and the cardio workout from 645. I again did the 645 workout in the morning and the Lift 4 workout in the evening. The lifting portion of the Lift 4 workout was good, but I was tired during the HIIT portion and had to modify the exercises more than I wanted. But I was able to make it through and am looking forward to tomorrow's recovery workouts. 

DVD/Movie Review: The Last Tango in Paris

 

The Last Tango in Paris is a 1972 film directed by Bernardo Bertolucci and starring Marlon Brando and Maria Schneider. In its day, this movie was extremely controversial, mainly because of the age difference between the past his romantic lead prime, Brando, and barely out of her teens, Maria Schneider. In terms of nudity, it is for the most part tame by today's standards. It has become more controversial over the years because of Schneider's description of the trauma she felt filming the rape scene, which was not originally in the script and sprung upon her. There are a couple points in the uncut version where Maria Schneider is fully nude, but that it is. The film is not really erotic per se. Yes, there is a lot of nudity and sex in it, and certainly, the language is not something you heard in mainstream movies in the 70s. But it really is about two scarred people having an affair that is unhealthy for both, yet one neither can let go of.

The two characters, Paul and Jeanne come together, literally and figuratively while looking at the same apartment. That apartment becomes basically a place to have sex and nothing else. He will only agree to meet her on the condition that they never reveal their names or anything about their lives and never see each other outside of the apartment. For most of the movie, she wants more from him, trying to get him to open up and she keeps coming back despite his cruelty. In the end, it is Brando's character chasing her, which leads to the finale of the movie.

The only bonus feature on the DVD is the theatrical trailer. There is no making-of material or a commentary track on the movie. The movie will definitely not appeal to everyone. I thought the pacing was kind of slow and I think it could have easily had 15 to 20 minutes cut out and still told the same story. I think the acting was good, but not great. I am not an aficionado of Brando as some are, so I can't say I followed all his work, but personally, I thought he was better in The Godfather than in this movie. There is definitely a 1970s-era feel to the movie, so if you are generally not a fan of movies from that time you probably want to skip it. For fans of Brando or generally just dark dramas, it is definitely worth the price.

Book Review: Oath and Honor

 

Oath and Honor is a book written by Liz Cheney, the former conference chair of the Republican party in the House of Representatives and daughter of the former Vice President (and former Secretary of Defense), Dick Cheney. She was one of only a handful who ended up splitting with the orange genital wart after the 2020 election, as he lied about the election being stolen and, at the very least, encouraged the attack on the capital on January 6th, 2021. And, of course, she was one of only two Republicans on the January 6th committee. 

This is a book that, regardless of whether you agree with Cheney's politics, is a must-read. The book is partly a memoir in which Cheney discusses how she got interested in, and then into, politics. The focus of the book, however, is the aftermath of the 2020 election, her work on the January 6th committee, and the threat that t***p poses. She explains that she was trying to find out what the orange dipshit and his lackeys were up to after the election and how she tried to circumvent the fake electors/objections plot once she figured out that part of it. She also warns that the Republican party is essentially gone and has to be defeated until t***p and his anti-democracy ideology are gone. 

The hardcover version of the book is just over 350 pages. There are no endnotes or bibliography, but there is a web address at the end of the book that allows you to view the notes if you want to. I disagree with almost all of Cheney's politics and would normally never purchase one of her books. I think she had a large role in the political division and the stoking of anger in the country that allowed t***p to take over the Republican party. That said, I respect the fact that she stood up to t***p and her party even though she knew she would lose her seat in Congress and likely end her political career. This is a book that everyone should read  

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: The Last Samurai

 

The Last Samurai is a period-piece movie from 2013 starring Tom Cruise and Ken Watanabe. Let me start off by saying that if you hate inaccurate movies that depict a time period, run far away from this movie. It is not (nor is it meant to be) historically accurate. It is a dramatization of the conflict between the Imperial Army and the Samurai in Japan in the late 1800s. The fact that the war actually happened was real, but the rest of it is made up and fictionalized. If you can accept that about the movie, then you will likely enjoy it. If you cannot, then you won't. Cruise plays a Captain in the US Army (who is an alcoholic and disillusioned by the treatment of the Native Americans) tasked with training the new Imperial Army in Japan. He ends up being taken prisoner by the Samurai and eventually joins their side against the Army.

The thing that makes this movie work so well is the acting. It is, in my opinion, this is one of Tom Cruise's best acting jobs. Admittedly I have not seen all of his movies, so I cannot say whether it is his best performance ever, but of the movies of his that I have seen, this is his best pure acting performance. His interactions with the Samurai leader played by Ken Watanabe, were wonderful. This is really a film where all the actors from the "main" characters to the supporting actors did their job wonderfully. Yes, the love story was contrived and (SPOILER ALERT) having Tom Cruise's character live through the final battle was unrealistic, but overall I don't think those things detracted from the film as a whole.

The A/V quality on blu ray is very very good. What I loved about the movie is that very little was done via green screen, and the little that was, was blended in seamlessly so it did not look fake. Most of the landscape shots were real and were really brought out on blu ray. For those who like physical discs, there are a ton of extras. Mainly behind-the-scenes features, a couple deleted scenes, a director's video journal, and the theatrical trailer. In all the extras are almost as long as the movie itself.

If you can suspend your disbelief and accept that the movie is not historically accurate, then it is worth the time to watch and/or add to a physical media collection. If not, then you probably want to skip it.

Workout Update: 645 Cardio/Lift 4 Day 8

Day 8 was the start of week 2 in Lift 4. That meant doing the chest and triceps workout, which, this week, was a circuit-style workout with four exercises in each block done back-to-back. Then there is a burnout block of wide push-ups followed by triceps push-ups. I did the 645 cardio workout in the morning since I was running a bit behind schedule. The Lift 4 workout was challenging but good. I used the same weight as last week, which was a little tougher in the circuit workout than in the 50/50 workout, but I was able to do all of the reps in each block (even though I did have to pause a couple of times to take a mid-set break).