Workout Update: 645 Cardio/Chalean Extreme Day 46

On day 46, I did a low-impact version of the 645 cardio routine in the morning and CE's Burn Intervals routine in the evening. Both of the workouts went okay, but I am still modifying some of the exercises in the interval workout.

Workout Update: 645 Cardio/Chalean Extreme Day 45

On day 45, I did the 645 cardio routine in the morning and PC2 from CE in the evening. I was able to increase the weight for some of the exercises, including a couple of the shoulder exercises. However, for most of the shoulder exercises, I used the same amount of weight as I did last week. Overall, both workouts went well.

DVD/TV Series Review: ALF: The Complete Series (Deluxe Edition)

 

ALF: The Complete Seris is a DVD box set containing the live-action sitcom Alf, which aired for four seasons on NBC from 1986 to 1990, and the two animated Saturday morning cartoons that were spun off of the main series: Alf: The Animated Series and Alf Tales. The live-action series was created by Tom Patchett and Paul Fusco about an alien from the planet Melmac named Gordon Shumway (but always called ALF, short for alien life form), whose ship drifted in space for a year after his planet blew up and then crashed into the garage of a family in Los Angeles. Fusco created the character of ALF, voiced him in the series, and acted as the puppeteer. The series also starred Max Wright, Anne Schedeen, Andrea Elson, and Benji Gregory in the leading roles as the Tanner family members with whom ALF lives. John Lamatta and Liz Sheridan play the most prominent supporting characters in the series, Tanner's neighbors, Trevor and Raquel Ochmonek. The Animated Series aired from 1987 to 1989 and was a story-of-the-week cartoon about ALF's life on Melmac. Alf Tales aired from 1988 to 1990 and spoofed Fairy Tales such as Snow White, Hansel and Gretel, etc., often infusing them with pop-culture references such as movie references like The Godfather or 80s personalities like Sigfried and Roy and Johnny Carson. 

The DVD set is a 24-disc set. The final disc is a bonus disc that contains a series retrospective featuring interviews with Fusco and Patchett, the 1996 TV movie Project ALF, which resolved the cliffhanger that the parent series ended on, and a handful of episodes from the series with Patchett and Fusco (mostly in character as ALF) commentating on the episodes as bubbles with facts about the series or jokes pop up on the screen. Overall, this is a nice box set, especially for people who were kids in the 1980s watching the show when it aired. The live-action series is the best of everything included in this set. It was mainly wholesome and family-friendly, but occasionally, it would sneak a more adult joke in. The series had quite a few recognizable character actors from the 1980s who appeared, along with a couple of well-known guest stars like Ed McMahon and David Odgen Stiers. The only drawback is that the series ended on a massive cliffhanger. If you watch the bonus material, you will discover that NBC had not decided on the series' fate as the fourth season ended. The producers agreed with NBC that they would end the season on a cliffhanger, and if the series was not renewed for a fifth season, they would make a TV movie to wrap up the story. Unfortunately, NBC backed out of that agreement, so the ending went unresolved until 1996 when ABC agreed to do the TV movie Project ALF.

While it was a decent ending to the story, it did not include any of the cast members from the main series, so it was not a proper series finale. The two animated series were fine but were definitely geared 100% for kids, so they are not as enjoyable for adults. Ultimately, ALF was a fun show. If you lived through the 1980s, it will be a nostalgic blast from the past. One thing some may enjoy is that there are a couple of shots taken at donald t***p, proving that the orange genital wart was just as big a joke back then as he is now. Of course, Americans would be stupid enough to elect an idiot who was a punchline for 80s sitcoms and cartoons as President. The show is dated and a bit cheesy but holds up well and is worth the time to watch.

DVD/TV Movie Review: Project ALF

 

Project ALF is a 1996 TV movie starring Paul Fusco, William O'Leary, Miguel Ferrer, Jensen Daggett, Scott Michael Campbell, John Schuck, Liz Coke, and Martin Sheen. There are also some great cameo and extended cameo appearances by recognizable actors such as Ray Walston, Ed Begley Jr., and Charles Robinson. It serves as a finale to the series ALF, which ran from 1986 to 1990 but ended on a massive cliffhanger with ALF being caught by the Alien Task Force when he was on his way to rendezvous with the ship coming to pick him up. In the movie, the government is trying to decide what to do with ALF. A general (played by Sheen) secretly plans to kill ALF, and two Air Force scientists (played by Daggett and O'Leary) help ALF escape.

The DVD is very bare-bones, just including the movie itself. When the fourth season of ALF was coming to an end, NBC had not decided whether to renew the show for a fifth season. There was, however, a tacit agreement between the network and the producers that they would end the season on a cliffhanger, and if the show was not renewed, NBC would allow them to make a TV movie to resolve the cliffhanger. However, NBC canceled the show and backed out of the agreement to produce a movie, so it was not until ABC approached the producers years later that they could finally get a TV movie to wrap the storyline up. Thus, we get Project ALF. 

It is an okay wrap-up to the series, but because so many years had passed since the series's end, aside from Fusco (who voiced ALF and controlled the puppet), none of the other actors from the series appeared. The Tanner family was written out as having gone into the witness protection program and were living in Iceland. The movie has a slightly different feel than the TV show, but the character of ALF remains mostly the same, and thus, the brand of humor does, too. While it would have been nice if the actors from the TV show had been involved so that the series could get a proper finale, the movie, while a little cheesy, does wrap up on a good note. So, if you were a fan of the show, this is definitely worth the time to watch.   

Workout Update: 645 Cardio/Chalean Extreme Day 44

Day 44 was the off day in CE, so I just did a high-impact version of 645 cardio in the evening. Again, I could tell that the range of motion on the squat jumps (both the 645 version and the P90X version) is getting much better.  

Workout Update: 645 Cardio/Chalean Extreme Day 43

Day 43 started week 3 of the Push Phase in CE. Of course, I did the 645 cardio routine in the morning and then PC1 in the evening. I was again able to increase the amount of weight I used for most of the exercises. In this workout, the weight ranges I used went from 15 lbs to 30 lbs. 

Workout Update: 645 Cardio/Chalean Extreme Day 42

Day 42 was 645 cardio, followed immediately by the CE ab workout. Then, I did the Recharge routine from CE later in the day.  Each of the routines went fine. My flexibility has not really improved all that much during this time, but I think that is also partly because I have not been incorporating the foam rolling and stretching from Lift 4 as I intended. 

Book Review: Dune Messiah (Dune #16)

 

Dune Messiah is the second book in Frank Herbert's original Dune Trilogy (and the second book in publication order). It is the 16th book in the saga of novels if you read them chronologically. It was first published in 1968, and this deluxe edition, which features an introduction by Frank's son, Brian, and new artwork, was published in 2023. The story jumps nine years after the events that ended the original novel. Paul is now the Emperor, having conquered hundreds of worlds, and his warriors have killed billions of people in his name. This book deals with the backlash against Paul's rule, with the remaining members of the various political houses he conquered plotting against him.

The hardcover version of the book is short at just under 270 pages. Even though it is short, it does take some time to get through as it jumps between a few different storylines and introduces a handful of new characters. It very much has the feel and tone of the middle part of a trilogy. It does advance the overall storyline, but there are stretches where not much seems to be happening. If you just compare it against the original novel, it is definitely not as good, especially not as good as the last third of the original novel. But, in the context of it setting up another book, it makes more sense and is worth reading.

Book Review: Star Wars: Queen's Shadow

 

Queen's Shadow is one of the "ancillary" canon novels in the Star Wars universe. It was written by one of the regular Star Wars authors, E.K. Johnston, and published in 2019. As many of the young adult novels are, it is adjacent to the main storyline (which is printed in the front of the Del-ray series of novels) but is still considered part of the official canon, as everything put out under the Disney flagship is.

The bulk of the story is set between Episodes I and II as Padme transitioned from Queen of Naboo to a senator. It has much of the political tone of the Phantom Menace, which may turn off some people, but it also incorporates the relationship between Padme and the handmaidens and how they switch out for one another depending on the situation they find themselves in, and the great lengths and planning they go to in order to pull the switches off. Palpatine makes a couple of appearances both in his role as Chancellor and as Darth Sidious, as does Bail Organa and Mon Mothma, setting up their alliance which, of course, eventually spawns the Rebel Alliance.

For me, the best part of the novel is actually the epilogue, set just after the events of Episode III, with the "main" handmaiden, Sabe, vowing to find out what really happened to Padme. This definitely sets up material for another novel set during the early days of the Empire.

Overall, the novel is a pretty easy read, especially if you are a fast reader. While it is a young adult novel, it is one that people of all ages can enjoy. It does a good job adding to, and filling in, the period between Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones which has been lacking in material since the novels written before the Disney buyout of Lucasfilm were relegated to Legends status. I definitely recommend it.

Workout Update: 645 Cardio/Chalean Extreme Day 41

For Day 41 I just did the Burn it Off workout in the late afternoon. It went fine and I was able to go a bit harder on the exercises now that my cardio fitness is improving. I am still not doing the burpees since I want to lose at least 10 lbs so they get easier and are not as hard on my joints.  

Workout Update: 645 Cardio/Chalean Extreme Day 40

Day 40 was 645 cardio in the morning and PC3 from CE in the evening. I was able to increase the amount of weight for nearly all of the exercises in the workout by either 2.5 lbs or 5 lbs. I still used 30 lbs for the bench press and 25 lbs for the single-leg sumo squats as I did last week, but I was able to increase the amount of weight I was using for everything else.  

Workout Update: 645 Cardio/Chalean Extreme Day 39

Day 39 consisted of 645 cardio in the morning and Burn Intervals from CE in the evening. Both workouts went well, and as I stated in my last post, I can tell that my cardio fitness is improving, and I am slowly getting better range of motion. I still swap out some of the exercises that I am not all that fond of for ones from other workouts, but I still try to maintain the same intensity level as the people in the workout (aside from Skip who not only is annoying the whole time, but dogs it on some of the exercises despite his yelling TEN! when Chalene asks how hard people are going to go). 

4k-UHD/Movie Review: Spiderman: Far from Home

 

+++Warning, this contains spoilers from Homecoming and Endgame, but no major Far From Home giveaways.+++

Spiderman: Far From Home is one of the 2019 films in the massive MCU slate of movies. It stars Tom Holland, Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, Marissa Tomei, and Jon Favreau (reprising their roles as Peter Parker, MJ, Ned, May, and Happy). It also features MCU alumni Samuel L. Jackson and Cobie Smulders (in smaller roles) and brings in Jake Gyllenhaal as the film's antagonist, Quentin Beck/Mysterio. It picks up months after Endgame when the world knows Iron Man, Black Widow, and Vision (and thinks Captain America) are all dead. The snap is referred to in the movie as "the blip" because the people who were snapped out of existence came back to the same place they were instantaneously, as far as they were concerned. May (who, of course, learned Peter's secret at the end of Homecoming) and Peter are using his identity as Spiderman for charitable fundraising, and he is getting ready to go on a summer trip to Europe with his class and has an entire plan to tell MJ how he feels about her. In the process, Peter gets sucked into a mission from Nick Fury involving the character Mysterio, played by Jake Gyllenhall. I will not say too much about the movie itself to keep from giving too much away, even though the trailer gave away a lot, both with footage that ended up in the film and footage that was cut. However, I will say it strikes a good balance between mourning Endgame's events and the first movie's comedic elements. The writing and acting were again great, and it sets up a lot of what is to come.

The 4K set is a two-disc set that includes a UHD disc and a regular Blu-Ray disc. The AV quality of the movie in UHD is wonderful, and it looks and sounds great as you would expect. The extras include previews that play after the disc loads before the main menu pops up. There are some different previews on the 4k disc vs. the regular blu-ray disc, which has all the other extras on it. Then there are deleted/alternate scenes, a gag reel, and multiple behind-the-scenes and making-of clips. It amounts to a little over an hour's worth of material. Overall, it is an excellent continuation of the MCU storyline. Thankfully, the spat between Sony and Disney was resolved so Spiderman stays in the MCU because the movie was clearly setting up a direction for the character which would have had to be scrapped if Marvel lost the rights again. I definitely recommend it.

4k-UHD/Movie Review: Jumanji: The Next Level

 

Jumanji: The Next Level is a 2019 action/comedy starring Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Karen Gillan, Jack Black, Nick Jonas, Madison Iseman, Alex Wolff, Morgan Turner, and Ser'Darius Blain from the original movie. Awkwafina, Danny DeVito, Rory McCann, and Danny Glover join the cast for this movie. It is a direct sequel to Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, which was partly a sequel and partly a reboot of the 1995 Robin Williams movie Jumani. It begins after a time jump when Spencer is in college in NY in a long-distance relationship with Martha, but feeling depressed and cut off from the group of friends. He returns home for Christmas break to find that his grandfather Eddie, played by Danny DeVito is staying in his room while recovering from hip surgery. It is not giving away anything to say he ends up in the game and the rest of the group goes back in to get him out, with unexpected consequences. One of which (again not giving anything away) is that Eddie and his frienemy Milo (played by Danny Glover) also end up in the game.

All of the main cast of characters who appear in the game, Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black, Kevin Hart, Karen Gillan, and Nick Jonas all appear. But, this time The Rock and Kevin Hart have to play DeVito and Glover's characters (to hilarious results) and Jack Black has to play Fridge. There are also new characters in the game, including Rory McCann (The Hound from Game Of Thrones, and one of the few outside pro wrestling who can make The Rock look small) playing the big-bad, Jurgen The Brutal, and Awkwafina. Colin Hanks also reprises his role, in a larger role than he had in the first movie (but not much).

The 4K set is a two-disc set containing a UHD disc (with the movie) and a regular Blu-Ray disc (with the movie and the bonus content). The film looks and sounds excellent in the UHD format. The UHD disc includes previews that play after the disc loads and the movie itself. The extras on the regular blu-ray disc include approximately an hour's worth of making-of and behind-the-scenes material, a gag reel, and the same previews as on the UHD disc. A good amount of extras, especially since fewer extras are being included on the physical disc releases these days.

Overall, the movie uses the same formula as the first, a blend of comedy, action, and a bit of drama. Yes, there is quite a bit of bad language and some off-color jokes. So, if you would be driven nuts by that, this is not for you. From what I remember, the first movie was not exactly squeaky clean either, but this is definitely not a movie for young kids like the original 1995 movie. The Rock and Kevin Hart are awesome playing old geezers, and once Awkwafina shows up, she steals every scene she is in. A mid-credits scene clearly sets up a third movie, that will definitely take things in a different direction. While I cannot say that everyone will like the movie, but if you were a fan of the 2017 movie, this is definitely worth checking out.

Workout Update: 645 Cardio/Chalean Extreme Day 38

Day 38 was PC2 in the evening and 645 cardio in the morning. Like the PC1 workout this week, I was able to increase the amount of weight I used for some of the exercises (mainly the lower-body exercises). Since the upper-body exercises in the workout are primarily shoulder exercises, I did not bump up the weight I used on those.  

Workout Update: 645 Cardio/Chalean Extreme Day 37

Day 37 was the rest day in CE so I did 645 cardio in the morning and then the stretching routine from Lift 4 in the evening. I can tell that my cardio fitness is getting better, as is my range of motion when doing squatting and crouching HIIT exercises. I am not back to where I was when I was in my best physical condition  (When I first did the original Insanity routine years ago), but I am improving.

Workout Update: 645 Cardio/Chalean Extreme Day 36

Day 36 started week 2 of the Push phase in CE. So, I did 645 cardio in the morning, doing the higher-impact exercises than I did on the HIIT days in CE, and then did PC1 in the evening. I was able to increase the amount of weight I used for most of the exercises in the workout, bumping up 2.5 lbs on five of the exercises by either using the microplates or the SelectTech weights. The few exercises that I did use the same amount of weight that I used last week, I hit the 8 rep max, so will be increasing the weight I use for those exercises next week. 

Book Review: Star Wars: Journey to Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Spark of the Resistance

 

Spark of the Resistance is a 2019 Star Wars story by Justina Ireland. It is a short, one-off, young-adult story set between the events of The Last Jedi (a few months after the battle of Crait) and The Rise of Skywalker. While out on a supply run, Rey, Poe, and Rose receive a distress call from a planet called Minfar. They discover The First Order is enslaving the locals and helping to fight them off.

This is a novel that is ancillary to the "main" storyline novels but is still considered canon, like everything that gets put out under the Star Wars banner post-Disney's buyout of Lucasfilm. It is a short book, just over a couple hundred pages, and an easy read. The story is pretty basic, which is not all that surprising given that it is a children's novel, but it is enjoyable enough for adults. It does not really have any obvious tie-ins to The Rise of Skywalker but does give readers a bit of an idea of what the characters were up to between the movies.

Chances are, if you collect the books, you are going to get this. If you get just some of the novels and not others, I would not say it is a must-read, but it is enjoyable.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Blindspot: Season 3

 

++++Warning, this will contain spoilers from prior seasons, but no major giveaways from this season++++

The 22-episode third season of Blindspot aired during the 2017/2018 TV season. It starts by revisiting the time jump that ended season two. The first couple of episodes fill in the gaps of what happened to the team during the nearly two-year time jump, and then the rest of the season is about the team (the same people, but with a different dynamic after the time jump) trying to take down Roman (Luke Mitchell), who has an agenda of his own aside from just getting back at Jane/Remi that plays throughout the season. All of the main cast members, Sullivan Stapleton, Jamie Alexander, Rob Brown, Audrey Esparza, Ashley Johnson, and Mitchell return as series regulars. Ennis Esmer has a larger recurring role as Rich Dotcom, and Mary Stuart Masterson joins as another recurring character.

The Blu-Ray set is a four-disc MOD set. Unlike some MOD DVD and blu-ray sets it has subtitles and extras. The latter include deleted scenes for most of the episodes, a 6+ min gag reel, and a 4 min behind the scenes with Audry Esparza highlighting her character, Zapata. Good for what is there, but not a ton. It may or may not be worth the extra cost to you. Chances are if you got the discs for seasons 1 and 2 you will want this one to have a complete collection. But if you only get discs when there is a lot of bonus material, then you may just want to stream it. One benefit to the MOD discs, however, is that there is a true play-all mode that allows you to pick up where you left off. Even in the middle of the episodes. That is not something that the "regular" Warner Brothers and Fox blu-ray sets do not.

The season is a bit uneven. It really tries to get its footing as a show after playing out the time jump. Some parts of the story work better than others, but where it really hooked me is the end, doing basically another couple of cliffhangers which really set up season four to potentially be the best season yet. It mostly has a long serial arc that builds throughout the season, but does have some self-contained episodes that are more like what you see in procedural dramas. It is well-written and acted with a good blend of action, drama, suspense, and humor. Even though it takes a while for the season to really pick up, it is absolutely worth the time to watch.

Workout Update: 645 Cardio/Chalean Extreme Day 35

Day 35 was 645 cardio followed immediately by CE's ab workout in the early afternoon and then Recharge in the evening. Nothing major to report about any of the workouts today. They were all pretty much the same as the last time I did them. 

Workout Update: 645 Cardio/Chalean Extreme Day 34

Day 34 was Burn it Off in CE. I have still been helping my mom out a lot and spent a good portion of the day at her place, so I did not do two workouts today, just the one. I mostly like Burn it Off because it is short, but there are a couple of exercises (like the burpees) that I swap out for other things depending on my energy level that day.  

Workout Update: 645 Cardio/Chalean Extreme Day 33

Day 33 was Push Circuit 3 in CE and 645 cardio. In PC3, the upper-body exercises are focused on the chest and back, and then, of course, you do some squats and lunges to work out the lower body.  The amount of weight I used in this workout ranged from 17.5 lbs (for the reverse grip rows) to 30 lbs for the bench press. I think I will be using my microplates a lot for this workout to add 2.5 lbs of resistance because I found that the weight selection was pretty good, and even for the exercises I could make it to 8 reps on, I did not get to 8 easily on anything except the long arm pullovers (which I used 20 lbs on). I will be bumping the amount of weight on that one up to 25 lbs next week.

Workout Update: 645 Cardio/Chalean Extreme Day 32

Day 32 was burn intervals in CE and a low-impact version of 645 cardio in the morning. Both workouts went fine. There is really nothing to report from either workout (aside from the fact that Skip still irritates the hell out of me). He is in nearly every workout this month, so it will be like nails on a chalkboard listening to him the whole month. 

Workout Update: 645 Cardio/Chalean Extreme Day 31

Day 31 was Push Circuit 2 in CE and 645 cardio in the morning. Like PC1, PC2 has you doing both upper and lower-body exercises, but they are on their own in this workout. You alternate doing a shoulder exercise (e.g., shoulder presses or delt raises) and a lower-body exercise (some version of a squat or lunge). I used 12 lb weights for most of the shoulder exercises and 15 lbs for most of the lower-body exercises, but I quickly found that I could easily do 8 reps on some of those, so I will be increasing the amount of weight I use next week.

DVD/TV Series Review: Animal Kingdom Season 4

 

The 13-episode fourth season of Animal Kingdom aired during the summer of 2019. It does a lot to both tie up loose ends and advance the story forward. Some of the storylines are closed out in ways that you may not expect, and others are set up going into the final two seasons of the show. The fourth season is all about the continued friction between the characters, especially after Baz is killed. Pope is still the only one who knows that Smurf had Baz killed, and Mia has so far managed to keep J in the dark about the fact that she pulled the trigger. Mia and J definitely start to distrust each other more as the season goes on, and their relationship is anything but solid. There is also a power struggle between Pope and J for who will take over when Smurf is out of the picture. For her part, Smurf continues to stir up trouble between everyone. Things are also complicated by Julia's old friend (and Pope's old flame of sorts) played by Emily Deschanel (best known for her role on Bones, which is a 180-degree difference from this role) who is freshly out of prison and manages to weasel into the Cody's affairs. The show also manages to provide more of Smurf's backstory through the use of flashbacks to the 1970s, with young Smurf being played by Lelia George, who does a great job making the character her own yet channeling Barkin's version of the character so well at times you can totally buy that they are the same person. It gives glimpses into how Smurf ended up the way she did, yet still leaves a lot open to be told of Smurf's life.

The DVD set is a three-disc set. It is a very basic MOD release. It does have English captions, but there are no extras to speak of. So, the only reason to get it is to add to your existing collection if you purchased the first two seasons on Blu-Ray and the third season on DVD. Otherwise, you are not missing anything just streaming it.

Overall, the season is very good. There is still a lot of violence, sex, and drug use depicted on the show, and it pushed the bounds of what can be shown on basic cable. But, that has been the case since season one, so it is nothing new for the show. The acting and writing are very good, and I think the show benefits from having shorter seasons as it is able to tell a concise story without having to drag things out to fill in 22 or 23 episodes. If you have been a fan of the series up to this point, you will probably like this season as well. On the other hand, if you did not like the prior seasons all that much, this one is probably not going to make you change your mind about the show.