Book Review: Star Wars: Journey to Star Wars: The Force Awakens The Weapon of a Jedi: A Luke Skywalker Adventure

 

This is one of the Star Wars young-reader novels written by Jason Fry and published in 2015 before The Force Awakens was released.  The story is set in between A New Hope and Empire Strikes Back. While on a mission for the Rebellion, Luke ends up on a planet called Devaron, at the remains of a Jedi temple. Similar to the other young reader novels put out at the time, it has a prologue and epilogue, this time with C3P0 telling the story of Luke's adventure on the planet to a resistance pilot (hence the tie-in to The Force Awakens hinted at on the back cover) in the time shortly before the events of the new movie. 

The hardcover version of the book is just 184 pages, and it reads very quickly. It can easily be read from cover to cover in a couple of hours. The book's main theme is Luke trying to figure out how he is going to become a Jedi without anyone to train him since Obi-Wan died. I will not say more than that so as to not spoil the book for anyone who has not read it, but it is definitely written well enough for adults to enjoy. While many of us are still waiting for more novels that lay out Luke's post-Return of the Jedi stories, this is still an enjoyable short story.

Book Review: Star Wars: Journey to Star Wars: The Force Awakens Smuggler's Run: A Han Solo Adventure

 

Smuggler's Run is one of the young-adult canon novels published in 2015 before the release of The Force Awakens. As many know, there is a mess with the Star Wars novels regarding what is and is not canon material since Disney's takeover of Lucasfilm. Every novel that was put out before Disney acquired the rights to Lucasfilm is relegated to Legends/Expanded Universe non-canon material (aside from the novel Tarkin, which was grandfathered into the new canon storyline). Per the introduction to the novel A New Dawn, anything put out after the Disney acquisition, regardless of format (novel, TV series, movie, comic, video games, etc), is considered canon. However, the young adult and junior novels are canon material but are tangential and filler to the main "adult" novels.

This is a very short story set (mostly) after the events of Episode IV and the destruction of the first Death Star. Han and Chewie agree to go on a mission to extract another rebel from the planet Cyrkon. As expected, things do not go smoothly, with Han being tracked by bounty hunters and his ship being sought by the Empire. The prologue and epilogue are set sometime before The Force Awakens, with Han telling the story of the extraction in a cantina somewhere. It has one tie-in with The Force Awakens. At the very end of the book the name Ducain is mentioned. Ducain, if you remember the quick exchange between Rey and Han in the movie when Han and Chewie track down The Falcon, is the one who stole the ship from Han. There are no clues about or tie-ins with the movie besides that, just that one reference.

The hardcover version of the book is short, just under 200 pages. It tells a good story that reads quickly. Even though it is a young reader's novel, it is enjoyable enough for adults. While it is probably not a book that most people will read over and over again, anyone who is a fan of the characters will likely enjoy the book.

Workout Update: 645 Cardio/Lift 4 Day 51

Day 51 was legs 50/50 in Lift 4 and 645 cardio. The Lift 4 workout was very tough. I was sweating like crazy even during the lift portion of the workout and was absolutely wiped out by the end of the HIIT. Needless to say, during the 645 workout, I did much lower-impact exercises. 

Book Review: The Star Wars Trilogy

 

This book contains the novelizations of the original three Star Wars movies, A New Hope, Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi. They do, for the most part, track what you see in the movies almost exactly. Especially the first two books. Some of the dialogue is changed a bit (and most times what ended up onscreen in the films was better than what was in the books), but they pretty much just stuck to the story and did not add anything. A couple things in Return of the Jedi differed, such as the Emporer guessing it was Yoda who trained Luke after Obi-Wan's death and the scene where the Ewoks agreed to help the Rebels played out a bit differently than it did in the movie. There was one detail, however, that, if they had kept it in the movie, would have changed the prequels significantly and would have eliminated a continuity error that existed once the prequel series came to be.

I was struck by just how short all the novels are. I had read them before as a kid and could get through them quickly, but as an adult who reads much faster these days, I could get through them in a couple of hours each. All three novels, plus the page-or-so-long introduction to each novel that was written by George Lucas, clocks in at exactly 500 pages. The novels themselves are all under 200 pages. This is far shorter than the novelizations of the other movies (some of which have ended up at over 400 pages for a single book). But as I said above, there was really not much in any of the novelizations for these that did not end up in the movies, whereas each of the prequel novels added a substantial amount that never made it into the movies (either because it was cut from the screenplay, or added when the novel was written after the films came out). This book trilogy was put out in 1995 as Lucas was working on the Phantom Menace screenplay (and making the much-debated edits to the original films, which would become the Special Editions). He wrote a short introduction to each novel basically just giving some detail about that part of the story.

All in all, the books are a very quick and enjoyable read. Yes, some of the weak and/or cheesy dialogue from the movies is in the book(s), and in some cases, it is even worse than what was in the movies, but overall, they are enjoyable, especially for those of us who were kids when the original movies came out.

Product Review: Firestick TV Stick

 

I cut the cord a few years ago, canceling my satellite TV and switching to all streaming. I purchased this to use on one of my non-smart televisions to stream movies, TV, etc. The installation is fairly straightforward, depending on the quality of your wi-fi connection and router. When I connected it, I was having problems mainly because of a slow internet connection and poor router, so it took a lot longer than normal (and a lot longer than it did to connect when I upgraded my internet with a new modem and router) to connect to wi-fi and get it set up. 

It was fairly easy to use once it was set up (after discovering it somehow caused my router to reset itself and set up a new ID name and Password). Since upgrading my internet, however, that has not happened again. The home screen has all the Amazon video material on it and any apps you download, such as CBS, Hulu, HBO-GO, etc. If you are a Prime member, anything you can watch for free in the Amazon material is denoted with the Prime banner. The remote is a bit dinky and could have more buttons on it, but once you get used to it, it is fairly easy to use. Because the fire stick is plugged in behind the TV, you sometimes have to press things on the remote a couple of times to get it to respond. 

The only thing that can be a bit irritating is any time you download an app, even a free one such as the Fox TV app or PBS, it will essentially place an order through Amazon (you are not charged anything, of course), and you get an order confirmation email for each one. That gets to be a bit of a pain if you download a bunch of apps at once, but is ultimately a pretty minor issue. All-in-all it works well to turn a non-smart TV (as long as the TV has HDMI ports, which anything relatively new will) into a smart TV. Mine eventually died when it would no longer load, even working with Amazon's customer service. I am unsure if that was an issue common to early generations of the Firestick, but it is something to be aware of.

Workout Update: 645 Cardio/Lift 4 Day 50

Day 50 was the start of week 8 in Lift 4, which was the Chest and Back circuit workout. Then, I did the 645 cardio workout in the evening. Both of the workouts went fairly well. I did back off on the amount of weight I was using for some of the exercises in the chest and back workout since the four exercises back-to-back without rest is harder than doing blocks of two or even three exercises. Then, in the evening cardio workout, I selected higher-impact exercises since there was no HIIT in the Lift 4 workout. 

CD/Music Review: Northern Exposure: Music From The Television Series

 

This is the first of two soundtrack albums with music appearing in the 1990s drama Northern Exposure.  As many reading this would likely know, the DVD release of the show in the mid-2000s removed a lot of the music because of licensing issues. The first season set, and I think most season 2 sets, contained the original music from the show, but from season 3 on, many original songs were replaced with dubbed over instrumental (think elevator) music. Given how much a part of the show music was (especially the radio station scenes) while it did not make it unwatchable (for me anyway) it takes away from the overall experience. Assuming the show will not get any further DVD or US blu-ray releases with the original music back in (there is a UK Blu-Ray set with the original music that is very expensive and requires a Region 2 Blu-Ray player to watch), this soundtrack (and more music from the Northern Exposure soundtrack) will be the only way to hear some of those songs. Especially those that are not by major artists that you can get on other albums easily. This is a must for anyone who is a fan of the show and loves the music used in the show.

CD/Music Review: More Music From Northern Exposure

 

Northern Exposure was a show in the 1990s that lasted six seasons and became somewhat of a cult hit. As anyone who is likely looking at this knows, music was very much a part of the show's original run, with many scenes set in a radio station. Many of the songs in the show were selected specifically to tie into the plot/storyline of the episodes in which the songs were used. By the time the show was put out on DVD, the studio had lost the rights to a lot of the original music, so generic "elevator" type music had to be dubbed into many of the scenes in the show. While getting this does not make up for that completely, it will allow you to hear some of the music from the show that had to be taken out because of copyright issues. 

Most of the songs included on the CD are not the big hits or well-known songs used on the show. For example, this does not include songs like "At Last" or "Somewhere Over the Rainbow." That said, the songs that are included are all very good, and the CD does include the opening credits theme music (which is the most recognizable track). If you are a fan of the show, and especially the music in it, then you will definitely enjoy it.

Workout Update: 645 Cardio/Lift 4 Day 49

On day 49, I did the recovery workouts from Lift 4 and the 645 cardio workout. Again, I selected higher-impact exercises for the cardio workout and then did the two recovery workouts immediately after I finished the 645 workout. Again, I can tell that my cardio fitness is getting better, but it is not where I want it to be yet.  

Workout Update: 645 Cardio/Lift 4 Day 48

For day 48, I just did the 645 cardio workout. Since this was also an off day from Lift 4, I selected more intense exercises for this one including the jump switches from P90x and squat jumps from Insanity.

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: Malena

 

Malena is a movie from 2000 starring Monica Bellucci and Giuseppe Sulfaro. It is mostly a coming-of-age story mixed with a period piece. It is set in Italy during World War II. It is centered on a local teenager's lusting (kind of creepily) after the daughter of a local teacher and wife to a soldier off fighting in the war named Malena. She is played by Monica Belluci, who most Americans likely know from the second and third Matrix movies. She is the subject of town gossip from both the men and the women, and the only one who knows the truth about her life is the teenager watching her every move (when he is not fantasizing about her). The story takes a few turns, some rather dark, but it is very well told, well acted and has a satisfying ending.

I have the single disc blu ray Korean import of the film, which shows the uncut version not released in the US. I have not seen the edited version of the movie so I am not sure what scenes were cut, although it is not hard to guess which ones. There is one where a topless Bellucci (who was 35 when the movie came out) was kissing the 15-year-old Sulfaro (during a fantasy sequence) that was almost certainly cut or edited for the US release. There is a lot of nudity in the film, but it does not seem like it was just done for the sake of showing nudity. The Korean disc is region-free, so it will play on US blu-ray players. The movie has English and Korean subtitles (the audio is only in Italian). The bonus material, though (a making of feature as well as some interviews), only has Korean subtitles, so unless you can read Korean or understand Italian, those probably will not be worth going through.

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: Jessica Jones: Season 1

 

The 13-episode first season of Jessica Jones aired on Netflix in the fall of 2015. The show starred Krysten Ritter, Racheal Taylor, Carrie-Anne Moss, Eka Darville, David Tennant, and Rebecca De Mornay. It is the second of 4 different Marvel series that ran on Netflix, culminating in an Avengers-like team-up (along with Daredevil, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist). It is a show that exists within but is only tangential to the universe, which includes the Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, Agents of SHIELD, etc. It loosely refers to the battle of NY and the "big green guy", but like Daredevil, it shows how the ordinary world is affected by those events and how the "lesser known" heroes live their lives.

Jessica Jones tells the story of a hard-drinking, reckless private investigator (played by Krysten Ritter), who is broken in large part because of the season's big bad, Killgrave (played by David Tennant) who can control the minds of anyone who can hear him. It is hard to say too much about their backstory without giving too much about the season away, but the entire season revolves around Jessica trying to stop him. The show boasts a great supporting cast including (among others) Rachael Taylor, who plays Jessica's "sister," a former teen star with a rough past of her own; Carrie Ann Moss, who plays a high-powered attorney who Jessica sometimes helps and vice-versa, and later in the season Rosario Dawson, whose character is the glue that ties all the Netflix Marvel shows together. The series also introduces the character of Luke Cage (played by Mike Colter), who later gets his own show and provides some of his backstory.

As has been the case with the other Marvel shows on Netflix, it is much darker and grittier than the movies or the Agents of SHIELD show on ABC. Much of this is because of what they can get away with without censors, so there is more swearing and sex, but it also delves into darker topics and is much more violent. That said, there is not a ton of gore or nudity. It does get bloodier by the end of the season, however. It is not something that younger kids should be watching even though it is in the same superhero universe of the more kid-friendly movies.

The show looks great on blu-ray, as you would expect. The discs just have the episodes but no special features at all (much like the Daredevil release). Unlike the House of Cards releases, there is no behind-the-scenes material, deleted scenes, etc. That is the only thing that knocks the set down a star for me, the show itself is great. It does take a few episodes to set everything up to really see where the story is going. I cannot say everyone will like it, but if most people who are into these kinds of shows give it a chance, they will enjoy it.

Book Review: You Like it Darker: Stories

 

You Like It Darker is a collection of short stories written by Stephen King and published in 2024. The book includes 12 stories, which vary in length. A couple of the longer stories, including one that is a sequel to the movie Cujo, could definitely be adapted into a feature-length movie. The best story in the book (which is another one that could be adapted into a movie) is the final story entitled The Answer Man, which is one of the more metaphysical stories in the book. As is the case in much of King's work, he blends real-world elements (such as the COVID-19 pandemic) with his fictional world. Some of the stories are set in Maine (as many of King's stories are), but not all are. Rattlesnakes, for example, is set mostly in Florida. 

The hardcover version of the book is just over 500 pages long.  The stories are easy to get through and if you are a fast reader, you will likely be able to finish it in a few days (or less). Overall, the book is good. Some of the stories are better than others, but generally, if you are a fan of King's work, especially his more recent work, you will probably like the book. While I would not classify this as one of King's must-read books, it is worth reading.

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: Doctor Strange

 

Doctor Strange is one of the 2016 entries into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). It stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Benedict Wong, Rachel McAdams, Mads Mikkelsen, and Chiwetel Ejiofor. The movie tells the origin story of Doctor Strange (played by Benedict Cumberbatch) and, in turn, brings sorcery and magic into the MCU/Avengers universe. It is the most different and unique movie of the movies and TV shows that Marvel has put out to this point (which tells one very long interweaved story). It also provides insight into how the settings of Guardians of the Galaxy, Thor, and The Avengers will all connect together. Granted, Thor can come to Earth on his own, but this movie provides another way for other characters to go to Asgard.

The story itself is fairly basic and tells the story of an egotistical doctor who loses the ability to operate after an accident and, while trying to heal himself, ends up in the world of magic. It is part a movie about him training and learning to use his powers and part battling the forces of darkness and the story's main villain (played by Mads Mikkelsen). The supporting cast comprises Rachel McAdams, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Tilda Swinton, and Benedict Wong. They all do very well in their respective roles. There are end-credit sequences, as you would expect. One that sets up one of the next MCU movies and one that is likely the beginning of the storyline for the Doctor Strange sequel.

For those who get the blu-ray, it looks and sounds great. It has the best visual effects of all the Marvel Movies so far, and they come out on blu-ray. For extras, there are about an hour of various making-of and behind-the-scenes features, a gag reel, a short comedy feature with Thor, and a commentary track from the director. Very good for what is there.

All in all, the movie is well-written and acted. It does not do too much, just setting up the character and giving him a good introductory storyline to work with. It is visually stunning but tells a good enough story that the special effects do not dominate the entire film. If you have collected the other movies and/or shows up to this point, chances are you will buy this anyway, but if you only have some of them, this is definitely worth adding to your collection.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Agent Carter: Season 2

 

The 10-episode second season of Agent Carter aired during the winter and spring of 2016. As most are likely aware, the show follows the character Peggy Carter (played by Hailey Atwell), first introduced in Captain America: The First Avenger as Steve Rodgers' love interest. It is set between the time Rodgers' plane crashed and the start of the MCU, the original Iron Man movie. Carter, still a member of the NY division of the S.S.R., which was the precursor to S.H.E.I.L.D., travels to Los Angeles to help the new Chief of the Los Angeles division of the SSR, Daniel Sousa (played by Enver Gjoka). Howard Stark (played by Dominic Cooper), along with Jarvis (James D'Arcy), has relocated to Los Angeles to get into the movie business.

The threat involved in the 10-episode season involved a substance called zero matter, which was accidentally unleashed during the test of a nuclear bomb. An actress/scientist (who was a character inspired by Hedy Lamar, who was an actress and also an inventor) becomes infected with the zero matter and attempts to become all-powerful. I will not spoil the storyline for those who have not seen it, but like the first season, it packed a lot into the small number of episodes. Most of the main season 1 characters make at least an appearance in season 2. Howard Stark appears at the beginning of the season and again at the end, similar to how he was used in season 1, which works well for the show. James D'Arcy, Chad Michael Murray, and Enver Gjokaj return from the first season to star as Edwin Jarvis, Jack Thompson, and Daniel Sousa, respectively. Bridget Regan (Dottie Underwood) and Lyndsy Fonseca (Angie Martinelli) also returned in more limited roles.

The show was again well written and acted. It tied some real science into a totally made-up scientific storyline, which was nice to see, and also touched on social issues like racism and sexism. The show was unfortunately canceled after it was aired, so it ends on a pretty big cliffhanger, which will not be resolved unless it miraculously gets picked up now that Atwell's new show Conviction was also canceled. While anyone who has seen Captain America Civil War and the prior season of Agents of S.H.E.I.L.D. knows the fate of Carter herself, the cliffhanger set up what would have been a big story arc going into a third season.

There are several Blu-Ray sets for the series floating around. The one that I have is a two-disc set that splits the 10 episodes evenly between them. The only extra feature is a 3-minute blooper reel. There are no deleted scenes, behind-the-scenes features, or commentary tracks. So if you only get the discs for bonus material, then you would probably want to just stream it. If you do want to add it to a DVD/Blu-Ray collection, the A/V quality is okay but not spectacular, and definitely not as good as the A/V quality of the MCU movies. Ultimately, while the season is good, it ends up being unfulfilling since we will likely never get an actual conclusion to the series (unless it gets revived in Disney+, which is unlikely). Even so, it is entertaining and still worth watching.

Workout Update: 645 Cardio/Lift 4 Day 47

Day 47 was Full-Body HIIT in Lift 4 and 645 cardio. The Lift 4 workout was essentially a combination of lower-body HIIT moves with pushups. You do three blocks, each with one leg-focused move and one push-up variation. After the three blocks, you do one burnout round, doing all six exercises with no rest between them. Then, you finish with core, doing three core exercises instead of two. In the 645 workout, I did a lower-impact workout.

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

 

Rogue One is the 2016 entry into the Star Wars movie franchise. It was directed by Gareth Edwards and stars Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Donnie Yen, Ben Mendelson, Mads Mikkelsen, Alan Tudyk, and Forest Whittiker. The movie tells the story of how the Rebels stole the plans for the first Death Star. It is set just before (and leads directly into the opening scene of) the original 1977 movie, A New Hope. There are tie-ins to the Original Trilogy, the Prequel Trilogy, and the Rebels and Clone Wars cartoons, which are (along with the movies, books, and comics from 2015 forward) a part of the canon. There are a ton of cameos throughout the movie and, of course, an appearance by Darth Vader. 

The main characters are Jyn Erso (played by Felicity Jones) and Cassian Andor (Played by Diego Luna). Erso is the daughter of one of the Engineers forced to create the weapon system of the Death Star. Together with Andor and a band of rebels, including a reprogrammed imperial droid K-2SO voiced by Alan Tudyk, and Chirrut Îmwe, a blind cleric/warrior (played by Donnie Yen) who pretty much steals every scene they are in, they embark on a mission to save her father and get the Death Star plans.

Because it is Star Wars, people's opinions of the movie are all over the map. Some love it, some hate it, and others are lukewarm. I am in the camp of those who love the movie. It is my second favorite of the films after Empire Strikes Back. Like The Force Awakens, it did not allow the special effects to take over at the expense of a good script, acting, and storyline (as it can be argued was the case with the Prequel Trilogy). It tells a self-contained story that feels very much a part of the Star Wars universe but different because it does not center on the Jedi and Sith. It is really the first time we get more than a glimpse of how the conflict affected the non-force users of the Star Wars universe.

The A/V quality of the Blu-Ray disc is outstanding. The movie looks and sounds great, and it is almost impossible to tell the difference between the practical sets and the CGI effects. The extras that you get will depend on where you purchase the discs. There are a handful of basic behind the scenes and making of features that you get no matter where you buy it, and then some material that will be exclusive to the particular retailer. The bonus features are okay and good for what is there, but nowhere near as extensive as the releases before the Disney buyout of Lucasfilm. It is the one area where Disney is dropping the ball with the Star Wars material. In the age of digital streaming, only hardcore fans will purchase the discs, and many do so because of the bonus content. Hopefully, this will get better with the releases of subsequent films, but who knows.

Overall, whether you love or hate the movie is purely subjective and something most people likely already know. If you loved it in the theater and have the other movies on DVD or blu-ray, this is worth it. If you only get the discs because of bonus material, this may or may not be worth picking up. As I said above, the A/V quality of the blu-ray is very good and probably better than what you would get streaming it. Ultimately, it is one of the best Star Wars movies of the 11 that have been released as of this writing, and is worth watching multiple times.

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: Captain America Civil War

 

Civil War is one of the 2016 entries into the MCU. It was directed by Joe and Anthony Russo and brought back nearly all of the MCU main characters/actors. This movie was really a sequel to all the various movies that have come before and was as much an Ironman sequel as it was a Captain America sequel. I will not go too much into the story because to do so would be to give too much away. But there are elements of revenge, misdirection, and, most of all, consequences for the things that came before. It is really the first attempt in the movies to deal with the collateral damage done to the ordinary public after the big climactic battles like those of the two Avengers movies, the second Thor movie, etc. The fallout of that collateral damage leads some characters to agree to let the United Nations decide when and where to deploy the superheroes, which begins to fracture the team. What ultimately causes the biggest rift is a much larger storyline involving Captain America (Chris Evans), Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), and Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.).

This transition movie is bridging what has come before with what we know is coming, specifically the Infinity Wars movie. This movie leaves the Avengers team very much tattered, with Thor and Hulk conspicuously absent. It leaves a question about where those characters will fall when they are brought back into the storyline. As most know, this movie also introduces Black Panther, which I think is very well played by Chadwick Boseman, and yet another incarnation of Spider-Man, this time played by Tom Holland. In the main battle between the two teams, Spider-Man and Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) very much steal the scenes, both in terms of comedy and with what they bring to the fight.

For those who get the discs, the movie looks and sounds great on Blu-ray. For extras, there is a commentary track on the film by the filmmakers (none of the cast), about an hour plus of making-of and behind-the-scenes material, and a gag reel. There is also a short feature introducing the Doctor Strange movie. Ultimately, this movie is not so complex that you would have no idea what is going on if you have not seen the other movies, but given the movies and, to a smaller extent, the various TV series are all telling a large overarching story, the events of this movie will be easier to follow the more you have seen what has come before. The acting is very good, and the special effects are top-notch. If you have superhero fatigue with all the various movies or are just lukewarm to them in general, then this will probably not be for you. For everybody else, while liking it or not will be subjective, most will find it enjoyable.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: iZombie: Season 2

 

++++Warning, this will contain some season 1 spoilers, but no major giveaways from season 2 +++++

The 19-episode second season of iZombie aired during the 2015/2016 TV season. If you are unfamiliar with the show, it was one of The CW's "other" comic book-based shows. It is a different show based on the premise that if zombies have regular access to brains, they can remain high-functioning members of society, but if they go without brains for too long, they end up as "The Night of The Living Dead/28 Days Later" version of a zombie. The ironically named Liv Moore works in the medical examiner's office (providing her regular access to the brains of murder victims, whose personality traits and memories she temporarily takes on) and helps a member of the Seattle police department solve murders.

For those who have seen season 1, the show keeps the case-of-the-week format and has multiple serial storylines based on the events of the first season. Blaine and Major begin the season as cured zombies thanks to being injected by Liv at the end of season 1. Blaine finds a way to keep his food operation going in a more legal manner than in season 1. Major works for Max Rager unwillingly, and Liv and Ravi continue to work on finding a cure. Live becomes estranged from her family, Clive keeps digging into the Meat Chute murders, putting Liv and Major at risk of being found out, and a returning Peyton begins a crusade to take down the local crime boss. There are a ton of different interweaving storylines over the course of the season that all ultimately end up tied together. Despite that, it never feels like the show is trying to do too much, and they do a great job balancing all the various arcs while still telling good case-of-the-week stories.

This season, the writers blend a lot more comedy into the show, usually based on the personality traits Liv inherits. Rose McIver shows off great comedy chops, and Rahul Kohli plays off her very well. David Anders continues to be great in his slimy bad guy, sometimes reluctant good guy role, and a somewhat mysterious twist late in the season leaves something of a cliffhanger for his character going into season 3. A lot gets revealed in the season, and while some of the story arcs are concluded, it is set in a very intriguing direction going forward. There are also a couple great guest cameos during the season. One by Kristen Bell, who did a solid for the showrunners who also ran Veronica Mars, and Rob Thomas, of Matchbox 20 fame, who shares a name with the show's creator.

For those who get the Blu-rays, the show looks and sounds great. Since season 1 was originally released only on DVD, I was never expecting to see a Blu-ray, but it is well worth the upgrade because the show's great visuals look so much better in the HD format. For extras, it is very similar to the season 1 release. There is a 30-minute excerpt of the Comic-Con panel with the showrunners and the main cast members and deleted scenes on several, but not all, of the episodes. It would have been nice to get some commentary tracks on a few episodes, but overall, the extras are good. The show continues to be smart, funny, sometimes dramatic, and enjoyable. It does not take itself ultra seriously, and it definitely seems like the cast has a lot of fun and either has or fakes great chemistry. It is not a "typical" zombie-themed show (although there is some of that, especially toward the end of the season), but it works. I definitely recommend it.

Workout Update: 645 Cardio/Lift 4 Day 46

 Day 46 was shoulders and arms in Lift 4 and the 645 cardio in the evening. The Lift 4 workout was a circuit-style workout, and it was tough. I found myself having to lower the amount of weight I used for multiple exercises in both blocks of the circuit, and in the burnout block. I was able to get at least one set in with the higher amount of weight for every exercise in each block. However, by the second and third sets I was having to reduce the amount of weight, sometimes for each exercise. For the 645 cardio workout I did a harder version by swapping out exercises from Insanity and P90x plyometrics.

DVD/TV Series Review: Titus: Season 3

 

The 21-episode third (and final) season of Titus aired during the 2001/2002 TV season, starting in the winter of 2001 and continuing (due to schedule interruptions) until the summer of 2002. Titus was a show that pushed a lot of boundaries. In some ways, it was a sitcom in name only because it could get dark and dramatic and then turn on a dime and be extremely funny. It was a show, much like in the vein of Family Guy, American Dad, and Arrested Development, that would make fun of anything at any time and most likely could not get past the censors if it was on the air today. You can actually see much of the style of this show in the original Fox run of Arrested Development, which is another show Fox gave short shrift to. I really look at this show as the trailer park version of Arrested Development, showing a more real dysfunctional family.

The show is based on comedian Christopher Titus' one-man comedy show called Norman Rockwell is Bleeding, where he basically tells a bunch of stories about his screwed-up life. While things have been fictionalized for the show and to make them more funny, most of the events depicted, if you listen to the commentaries and watch the DVD extras, were based on events that happened in his life. The core cast of Titus, Zack Ward, Cynthia Watros, David Shawtraw, and Stacy Keach was tremendous. Keach continued in season 3 to steal nearly every scene he was in. Elizabeth Berkeley was also added as a recurring character playing Titus' sister and blended with the cast very well.

The third season of the show got very dark, tackling topics of suicide, sexual abuse, and mental illness, and had a two-part finale that, frankly, I am amazed made it on the air given it aired after 9/11, which involved the whole group getting arrested as suspected terrorists trying to bring down a plane. One of the standout moments of the season, and really of the series, appears in the episode Tommy's Not Gay, where they go from an extremely funny joke to Titus in the "neutral space" (which is basically inside his head talking directly to the audience) where he comments on the murder of Matthew Shepard, which was a perfect example of how the show went from funny to serious within a couple seconds. The cast and showrunners felt that the dark bent to the series probably had a lot to do with its demise, but I think the show stuck to what it wanted to be, regardless of how controversial, and would not have worked as a watered-down production.

The show ended way before its time. The series ended with a big cliffhanger. Most likely anyone reading this by now knows what it was, but on the off chance, someone reading this does not know I will not spoil it. In some ways, it was a perfect way to end the series, but in other ways, it left a lot up in the air. The DVD includes an episode that either aired way after the finale or never aired, that did not address the events of the prior episodes but itself had a very powerful theme.

For those who do shell out for the DVDs (which you will have to pay more for, given they are out of print), the extras include commentary tracks on select episodes, interviews with Stacy Keach, Cynthia Watros, and Zack Ward, and Blooper reels from seasons 2 and 3. The interviews and commentaries were interesting in that they were done years after the show was already off the air, so they were much more reflective on the experience of working on the show as a whole than they were specific to Season 3. If you want to get a copy of the season 3 DVD set, I suggest watching the auction sites and third-party sellers like a hawk because it takes some patience to get it at a good price. I have seen them ranging from about $50 to well over $100 for a new or like new set. Sometimes, even sets that are pretty beaten up are listed for pretty high prices. But if you are patient, you can find it for a decent price. The show will definitely not appeal to everyone, and there is not likely to be a lot of middle-ground feelings toward it. You will likely either love the show or hate it, but it is one of the best sitcoms of all time, and definitely worth getting if you can find it at a reasonable price.

DVD/TV Series Review: Titus Seasons 1 and 2

 

Titus was a comedy series that aired for three seasons on FOX from 2000 to 2002. The nine-episode first season aired during the spring of 2000, and the 24-episode second season aired during the 2000/2001 regular TV season. The show starred comedian Christopher Titus, Cynthia Watros, Zack Ward, Stacy Keach, and David Shatraw. It was based on Christopher Titus' stand-up comedy show Norman Rockwell is Bleeding, where he basically tells many stories from his life growing up in a dysfunctional family. 

Titus is a sitcom, but it was a very non-traditional sitcom. It tackled very big issues like alcoholism, domestic abuse, suicide, murder, drugs, etc. If Arrested Development was the upper-crust (and very fictionalized) version of a messed-up family, this was the lower-class, trailer park (and more real) version of a dysfunctional family. The acting and writing were great, and the show had a unique ability to get a laugh out of any subject, no matter how serious. But it could turn on a dime from being funny to ultra-serious in a few seconds. Stacy Keach pretty much stole every scene he was in as Ken Titus, the hard-drinking, chain-smoking, womanizing father. Anyone old enough to remember him trying to play his tough guy roles in the 1980s was probably amazed at the comedic chops he had and how much better he did in that role than his others. The cast was rounded out by Cynthia Watros (playing Titus' girlfriend), Zack Ward as his hilarious burnout brother, and David Shawtraw as his "normal" friend. The show balanced all the great characters well and gave them all equal time, even having shows where one character would barely appear to give more time to the others.

Chances are, anyone reading this by now was a fan of the show when it was originally on the air, going on 15+ years ago now, and wants to try and get a hold of the DVD. They are around, but you really have to do some price shopping because they are out of print, and for a good copy, you can pay a very exorbitant price. This set is generally more available than season 3, which tends to be the higher priced of the two sets, but if you watch auction sites and/or keep an eye on third-party sellers, you can grab them for relatively good deals. But you are likely going to have to pay more now than the discs are actually worth.

For those who get the DVDs, they were produced after the show was canceled by Fox, so they are very bare bones. There are commentary tracks on a few episodes with Christopher Titus and two of the show's creators/producers. On the third disc, there is also a rehearsal reel and a half-hour look back on the series that gave some insight into why, even though it got decent ratings, it was canceled. It is ultimately a controversial show that pushed the bounds of a sitcom, even more than Married With Children did in some ways. If you grew up in, or even had a tangential experience with a dysfunctional family chances are you will relate to the show and really like it. If that was not your experience you may be appalled by and hate the show. I don't know how much middle ground there is between those who love and hate the show, but I love it enough to think it is worth paying extra for the out-of-print DVDs if you can find them at a reasonable price.

Workout Update: 645 Cardio/Lift 4 Day 45

Day 45 was the mid-week recovery day in Lift 4, so I did the two recovery workouts in the morning and then a higher impact/intensity version of the 645 cardio workout. The foam rolling helped this morning, and thankfully, I did not have any lingering effects of whatever was causing pain in my lat yesterday. That said, I did not do mountain climbers in the 645 workout in the evening because the pain in my side started when I was doing twisted mountain climbers yesterday. 

DVD/Movie Review: Secret Window

 

Secret Window is a 2004 mystery/thriller starring Johnny Depp, John Turturro, Maria Bello, Charles S. Dutton, and Timothy Hutton. The movie is an adaptation of a short story by Stephen King called Secret Window, Secret Garden. It is about a novelist named Mort Rainey, played by Depp, who is accused by a man named Shooter, played by John Turturro, of stealing one of his stories. It turns into a fairly twisted (for a PG-13 movie) thriller as Mort's life spirals more and more out of control at the hands of Shooter.  Bello plays Mort's estranged wife, Timothy Hutton plays her new boyfriend, and Charles S. Dutton plays the private investigator Mort hires to help him with the shooter situation.

The DVD extras include a commentary track on the movie by the director, David Koepp, deleted and extended scenes, and a short making-of featurette. The story, as you would expect for a movie adapted from a King novel, is very strong with some twists and turns. The acting was very good from top to bottom. Given this movie was made (2004) while Depp was in the mists of filming the various Pirates movies, it is a good break from his Captain Jack Sparrow character and lets him flex more of his dramatic acting muscles with a little bit of humor mixed in. It is definitely a good way to spend an hour and a half watching a movie that is entertaining but you do not have to think about too much when it is over.

DVD/TV Series Review: You're the Worst: Season 1

 

The 10-episode first season of the show You're the Worst aired during the summer and fall of 2017. It stars Aya Cash, Chris Geere, Desmin Borges, Kether Donohue, and Allan McLeod. The show is a comedy about two cynical people, Jimmy (played by Chris Geere) and Gretchen (played by Aya Cash) (one a novelist and one a PR representative for a rap group), who meet and subsequently hook up at his ex's wedding. Although neither believes in love or relationships, they end up in one (while denying it the whole time), and hilarity ensues. It is a typical weekly sitcom about nothing in particular. The show just follows the lives of Jimmy, Gretchen, and their friends and navigating their relationship. But what it ends up being is a funny, sometimes bordering on dramatic, smartly written show on the complications of friends-with-benefits relationships, marriage, family, and friendships. It is not like any other sitcom on TV, and because it is on cable, it can get away with a lot more.

The DVD set is a two-disc made-on-demand set. The discs just have the ten episodes. There are no bonus features. Like many of Fox's shows, unless they consider it a big ticket show, they either give a bare-bones factory DVD release (and no blu-ray) or, like this one, only stream it. Luckily, for those who like the physical discs, Amazon has made a DVD-R release, which basically burns the episodes and nothing else. So you will get no extras, no subtitles (for those for whom that matters), or anything you would get on a proper release. It does suck, but it is what it is. The show is definitely not family-friendly, as there are a lot of sexual situations and dialogue. There was some nudity in the pilot episode, but not much after that, and the kind of language you get on the TV-MA cable shows. So, if that would turn you off to a show, it is best to skip this. If not, it is definitely a show worth checking out. It is well written and acted with a great supporting cast. Kether Donohue steals every scene she is in as Lindsay, Gretchen's best friend who is in a dead-end marriage with a husband she cannot stand. It is a very good adult comedy that is well worth watching.