Here you will find things about fitness and nutrition, mainly (but not exclusively) in relation to the Beachbody programs like P90x and Insanity. And, I will start adding reviews for Books, DVDs and Blu-Rays, and other products. All views and opinions on this blog are my own.
Welcome
Welcome to my ever-evolving blog. It started out as a blog on Beachbody workouts and products, mainly when I was a Beachbody coach. I no longer coach, not because I don't believe in Beachbody's programs (I subscribe to Beachbody on Demand and use their workouts every day), I am just not a salesperson and hated that aspect of it. I am more than willing to answer questions about my experiences with their products and the various workouts, and I feel freer to do so without the appearance of giving a biased review of something.
I have also started adding reviews for various things I have purchased like movies, books, CDs, and other products. This was brought about by a fight with Amazon in which all of my reviews were removed over a completely bullshit allegation that I posted a review that violated their terms of service. After going back and forth with the morons in the community-reviews department (even after they admitted that my posts did not violate their guidelines) they restored my account (which took them six months to do), but I have been posting my reviews on my blog to have them preserved in case something like that happens again. And here, I will post uncensored reviews so I will swear from time to time and post reviews that may be longer than Amazon's character limit. Everything I post here on any topic or product is my personal opinion, and I take no compensation for any product reviews I post. I am a member of Amazon's vine program and because I get those products for free, I keep those reviews on Amazon only, but everything I have purchased with my own money, whether from Amazon or some other store/website/outlet, I will post here.
I also plan to do some longer blog posts on various topics, such as how to learn physics, how to get through calculus, and longer reviews of workout programs as I do them. Basically, whatever strikes me as interesting at the time. As you can see if you navigate around the blog, I had many years in between postings. During that time I was going back to school to get an engineering degree, and learning material that I avoided my first time through college was a different experience and one that gave me a lot of insight into how to do well in those classes, which I will try to impart here for those who are looking to get a science or engineering degree.
Wednesday, September 11, 2024
Book Review: Holly
Tuesday, September 10, 2024
Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Smallville Season 8
The season picks up 4 weeks after the events of the season 7 finale with Lex having confronted Clark in the fortress. We find out that Lex and Clark are missing, with the members of the Justice League (with Justin Hartley now upped to series regular) searching for Clark and the new acting CEO of Luthorcorp, Tess Mercer (played by Cassidy Freeman), looking for Lex. We find out that Jor-el took away Clark's powers and destroyed the fortress so Lex could not control him. Needless to say, Clark is found and Lex remains a shadowy figure in the background for most of the season. I will not go into too much detail to avoid spoiling the season for the handful of people reading this who may not have seen it yet, but there is definitely a big bad that threatens everyone, and we get to see Smallville's take on the Legion of Superheros and the Suicide Squad (although the show calls them the injustice league). There are fewer notable guest stars this season than in prior seasons, although fans of the current Flash series will recognize Jessica Parker Kennedy, who played Barry and Iris' daughter Nora West Allen, and Tori Spelling reprised her role as Linda Lake in one of the episodes toward the middle of the season.
The Blu-Ray set is a four-disc set, and the show looks and sounds great in the HD format. The extras are much like the prior seasons. Deleted scenes for most episodes, commentary tracks on a couple of episodes, a feature on the season's big bad, a feature on Alison Mack's directorial debut, and a feature on the episode Legion. As was the case with the season 6 and 7 Blu-Ray sets, there is not an episode menu screen that will allow you to choose which episodes you want to watch. All the episodes play in a play-all mode when the disc loads, and then the extras menu loads once all the episodes play (or you hit the disc menu button). But, you can pick up where you left off even if you stop in the middle of an episode and turn your player off.
Overall, the season is very good. It ties up all the storylines from the Smallville setting and moves the story primarily to Metropolis. There are a handful of scenes at the Kent Farm and the Luthor Mansion, but most of the action occurs in the city. The acting and writing are both very good this season, with Cassidy Freeman doing an outstanding job in the role of Tess Mercer. The character was definitely a "replacement" for Lex, but the writers did a good job not making the character a carbon copy of Lex, and she did not try to emulate Rosenbaum's performance. While I still think the show was getting a bit long in the tooth, and any of the seasons from 7-10 could have ended the show, I think its direction in this season gave it a bit of new life. Erica Durance really expanded her role as Lois, including an episode where she had to play Chole in Lois's body and nailed it. Allison Mack was also great (again) in her role as Chole. She has been a standout really in every season, and everyone in the commentary tracks and bonus featurettes went out of their way to praise her acting and her work directing the episode she directed this season it makes her post-Smallville life choices all the more baffling.
Overall, if you liked the prior seasons, you will probably like this one unless Lex or Lionel Luthor were your favorite characters. The show suffered a bit without Michael Rosenbaum as Lex, but it pulled off his absence about as well as possible. The show continued to develop even the original characters and did a good job working the new characters into the story. Overall, I think season 8 was a much stronger season than seasons 6 and 7 and is definitely worth checking out.
Monday, September 9, 2024
DVD/TV Series Review: Bones: Season 12
The 12-episode 12th season of Bones aired during the winter and spring of 2017. As most know, this was the final season of Bones. It was brought back for a partial season to resolve the cliffhanger at the end of season 11 and to give the various characters a final send-off. The cliffhanger involving Zach kidnapping Brennan is resolved in the season premier, and a larger arc throughout the season revisits the original Gormagon story line, which was (in my opinion) the weakest ending to a story line that the show had. The other major story arc played out through the final 12 episodes was Booth being targeted because of a sniper mission he was involved in back in the 1990s. And of course, there are various cases of the week crimes to solve.
The show did a good job of bringing back as many characters from the past (and referencing as many prior stories) as possible. The only major characters that did not appear in person were the deceased ones (Sweets and Vincent Nigel Murray and Booth's brother) although there were references to them, Parker, Brennan's brother, and the original director of the Jeffersonian, Dr. Goodman. It would have been nice to see Sweets in person in a dream or hallucination sequence (had John Francis Daily been willing and able to do so), but the show did an excellent job paying homage to its past. It would have also been nice to get an appearance by Angela's dad to hassle Jack one last time.
The DVD set is a three-disc set. For those who get the DVDs, the set is, like it has been in prior years fairly bare-bones (pun intended). Just the episodes, and then on the final disc an approximately 20 min retrospective looking at the show over the years featuring interviews with the cast, writers, and creators of the show, and a 3 min gag reel. Okay for what is there, but not as much as was included in the prior season releases (especially the seasons that were put out on blu-ray). Of course, after season 8 the studio stopped releasing it on blu-ray, so the DVD releases end up being all there are for people who do not just want to stream the show.
Ultimately Bones was a show that ended up going much longer than almost anyone expected, which was especially surprising given Fox's notoriously quick trigger on yanking shows. Given that Bones did take a while to find its footing as a show, it is amazing it lasted as long as it did. The season ends with a very much "life will go on" feel for the various characters, and I think fans of the show will be pleased with how it is wrapped up. If you only get DVDs for the extras, no amazing content makes them a must-get vs streaming. But if you have the prior seasons already it is worth getting to complete a collection.
Sunday, September 8, 2024
Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Smallville Season 7
There would be more cast turnover this year, with Annette O'Toole leaving the series as a series regular at the end of Season 6. Her character became a federal senator and moved to Washington, DC. Aaron Ashmore was promoted to a series regular as Jimmy Olson, Justin Hartley continued as a recurring character playing Oliver Queen/Green Arrow, James Marsters recurred in his role as Brainiac, and Phil Morris recurred as Martian Manhunter. The big addition to the cast was Laura Vandervoort, playing Kara Zor-El, otherwise known as Clark's cousin Supergirl. This would also be the final season for both Michael Rosenbaum and Kristen Kreuk as well as showrunners Alfred Gough and Miles Millar. This season's notable guest stars included Dean Cain (the last live-action Superman/Clark Kent before Tom Welling), Christina Milian, Mark McClure (who played Jimmy Olson in the original movies), Sam Jones reprising his role as Pete, Aaron Douglas (of Battlestar Galactica playing a different role than his role in season 1), and Helen Slater, who was the first to play Supergirl in live action in the early 1980s movie. And, in keeping with the show's tradition, this year's visiting band was One Republic.
The Blu-Ray set is a six-disc set. The series continues to look and sound great in HD. The extras include commentary tracks on a couple of episodes, deleted scenes for most episodes, an animated feature on Supergirl, very similar to the one on Green Arrow in the extras for season 6, and a roundtable discussion with some of the different actors who played Jimmy Olson, including Aaron Ashmore, Mark McClure, Sam Huntington (who played Jimmy in the 2006 movie Superman Returns), and Jack Larson. Basically, all the actors who played Jimmy in live-action except for Michael Landes and Justin Whalin, who played Jimmy on Lois and Clark.
Overall, the season was good, with some great moments. But this was really the first season that it felt like the show was hanging on too long. It helped that some of the storylines got wrapped up, and the show definitely was set up to go in a new direction after the events of the season finale. The writing and acting were very good with both Michael Rosenbaum and Allison Mack shining in their portrayals of Lex and Chloe, respectively. I always thought Mack would go on to be a star after Smallville and definitely would not have pegged her for joining a cult. The show had really changed from the early seasons by this point, so if you were a die-hard fan of the first couple of seasons I cannot guarantee that you would like this one as much. But, generally, I would say if you have liked the show up to this point, you will probably like it this season.
DVD/TV Series Review: Bones: Season 11
The 22-episode penultimate season of Bones aired during the 2015/2016 TV season. It takes the show back to its case-of-the-week roots and reduces the serial arcs spanning multiple episodes. Unlike the previous seasons with Pelant being an antagonist throughout the season, the story arcs involved the various character's relationships with each other more than an overarching "big bad". The only hint of that this season was a two-episode arc about a killer turning his victims into puppets, which has a tie back to earlier seasons and sets up a cliffhanger going into Season 12.
The character of Aubry continues to be incorporated into the group dynamic, not as a replacement for Sweets but as filling some of the roles as a partner for the team after Sweet's death last season. There is an accident midway through the season that affects many of the characters because of the aftermath which I think was done very well. There is also more of Booth and Brennan's family life woven into the show. The season starts off with a couple episodes of mystery involving a disappearance, and there is an excellent cross-over episode with the main characters from Sleepy Hollow about midway through the season.
While I do think an argument can be made that Bones has hung on a bit too long (and given Fox's penchant for yanking shows, I am kind of surprised it lasted as long as it has) I think the writers and actors do a good job with the characters and stories. The cast seems to have very good chemistry with each other, so fans can stay invested in the people on the show, which I think has always made the show work as well as it does. It did find a formula that works for it and has stuck to it, so you know what you are getting with it.
The DVD set is a six-disc set. As has been the case with the past couple of seasons, it is only available on DVD. There are not as many extras as in previous seasons, just a few deleted scenes and a gag reel. That is what knocks the release down a star for me.
Saturday, September 7, 2024
4k-UHD/Movie Review: Barbie
Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Smallville Season 6
I will not go into too much of the storylines to avoid spoiling the few people who may not have seen the series yet. The only hints that I will give are that there continues to be more cast turnover as Annette O'Toole would leave the show as a series regular after this season, and the show sets up her exit storyline about 2/3 of the way through the season. Overall, the show moves more and more away from the setting of Smallville to Metropolis, with the Daily Planet becoming more of a base of operations for Clark and Chloe.
The Blu-Ray set is a four-disc set. The A/V quality is very good, and the show looks and sounds excellent in the high-definition format. The extras include deleted scenes for most episodes, a feature on the character of Green Arrow, a series of very rough animated episodes detailing Oliver's turn into Green Arrow, and comic sequences that extended some of the storylines. A decent amount for those who like going through the bonus features. The only quirky thing about the Blu-Ray release is that there is no real episode menu that allows you to select the episodes one-by-one. The first episode on each disc starts playing once the disc loads and if you hit the menu button it just takes you to the screen with the bonus material. But, if you stop before watching all the episodes on the disc, it will allow you to pick up where you left off, even in the middle of an episode.
Overall, the season is very good. It is definitely a season that transitions from some of the old storylines to set up new ones. All of the actors do a great job with their characters, and the writers do a great job balancing the storylines for the large ensemble cast. Each of the main cast members gets at least one stand-out episode. Michael Rosenbaum and Tom Welling both take a turn at directing episodes this season. Allison Mack is yet again great in her role as Chole (again making the craziness that her personal life turned into after the series ended all the more baffling and sad), and Erica Durance does a great job making Lois her own. In fact, of all the versions of Lois that have been in live-action, hers has arguably been the best of them. The only storyline that I did not really care for was the Clark-Lana-Lex love triangle, but thankfully that was resolved by the end of the season. It is definitely worth picking up.
Friday, September 6, 2024
DVD/TV Series Review: Bones: Season 10
The 22-episode tenth season of Bones aired during the 2014/2015 TV season. This season shakes the show up a lot. The first handful of episodes is spent tying up the "conspiracy" storyline that ended season 9 with Booth in handcuffs. They do not draw out the story too long and end up wrapping it up within the first couple of episodes in a somewhat anti-climatic end (at least, in my opinion). Of course, as most know, there is a major death early on as a part of that story, which affects the characters throughout the remainder of the season. This season also includes the 200th episode, which was directed by David Boreanaz and imagines the team in 1950s Hollywood.
The show keeps the case of the week format tied together with larger overall arcs. The big theme for the season is the various character relationships (especially Booth and Brennan) and the next step the various characters are taking. There is a new addition to the team in the form of a new FBI agent, James Aubrey, played by John Boyd. While introducing new characters in a long-running established show is always tricky, Boyd seemed to have good chemistry with the rest of the cast, and his character was well-written, so the integration was pretty smooth. Especially after he finds his footing with the character. Toward the end of the season, there is a tie back to the Pelant storyline and the money he stole from Hodgins, and a post-death Pelant threat that may or may not tie into season 11. The team is definitely left in a state of flux at the end of the season, but not with as big a cliffhanger as season 9 ended on.
The DVD set is a six-disc set. It does include some extras, but not as much as in the prior season's physical media releases. The extras include deleted scenes for select episodes. A making of feature on the series' 200th episode, a gag reel, and a feature on the character that was killed off. It's not a ton of material, but it's good for what is there. My only real complaint is that the show stopped being released on Blu-ray after season 8 (which is more due to the studio than the show's quality). If that is a big deal to you, streaming may be how you want to go, but otherwise, we are just stuck with DVD.
DVD/TV Series Review: Smallville Season 5
The show pays off on the prior season's storyline, showing the Fortress of Solitude payoff to the whole story of the cave and the key from Clark's ship, continues to work toward Smallville's version of the Justice League, with Aquaman making an appearance this season, and sets up the next major "big bad". And, of course, this is the season that Chole finally knows about Clark, although she is not the only person who has discovered Clark's secret. This season also sees the first major cast member departing and being written off (the second if you really considered Pete Ross to be a major character, I personally viewed the character as more of a high-school buddy/ sidekick of Clark as opposed to a major character). The 12th episode of the season also marked the show's 100th episode, and it marked a major turning point for the season and the series.
The DVD set is a six-disc set with the bonus features and episodes spread across the discs. The extras include deleted scenes for most episodes, commentary tracks on a couple of episodes, including the much-panned (even by the showrunners) "vampire" themed episode, and a thirty-minute behind-the-scenes feature on making the 100th episode. A decent amount of extras for those who like watching them.
Overall, the season is very good. There are some great and not-so-great episodes (see the aforementioned vampire-themed episode). Apparently, the network wanted the show to do more themed episodes during the season, and the vampire episode was one and pretty much a dud, while the Chrismas episode, which did a version of It's a Wonderful Life for Lex, was great. I would say that chances are if you enjoyed the prior seasons, you will likely enjoy this one. If you did not like the prior seasons, you may or may not like this one. It just depends on what you did not like about the prior seasons. If you were not a big fan of the "freak of the week" episodes from the first few seasons, those took a big step back this season. The show was much more about the large, intertwined story arcs. If however, you were not a fan of the main characters, then you will still probably not like the show this season.
Thursday, September 5, 2024
DVD/Movie Review: Bones: Season 9
The 24-episode ninth season of Bones aired during the 2013/2014 TV season. It is a formulaic show, for sure, but after a rough first couple of seasons, it found the formula that works and the actors and characters that make it work. If you have followed the show at all and have liked it, then chances are you will like the 9th season. It follows the story of the week format but with story arcs tied in along the way.
The major arc of the past season plus, Pelant vs the team is brought to a conclusion this season. The season begins with Booth sticking to having taken back his acceptance of Brennan's proposal because of Pelant's threat and the tension it is causing not only between the two of them, but the entire team. Once that storyline is resolved there is a major murder and corruption storyline that keeps popping up throughout the season and winds up with the cliffhanger going into season 10.
We again see the rotating interns throughout the season, but with Clark being hired on at the Jeffersonian in the anthropology department ostensibly as Brennan's equal, making room for a new intern along the regular crop we have seen the past 4 or 5 seasons.
As I said above, if you were a fan of past seasons (and did not get bored with the show), then this season will not disappoint you. If you have never liked the show, then this season is probably not going to do anything to get you to like it. Certainly, an argument can be made for it getting stale and using the same format repeatedly, but the story arcs woven into the mystery of the week format keep the show interesting enough.
As for the DVDs, the DVD set is a six-disc set with extras and episodes spread across the discs. The extras include commentary on select episodes, deleted scenes, portions of the comic-con panel, and a gag reel. My only gripe is that after having 5 seasons of blu ray releases the studio has gone to a DVD-only release. Hence my knocking it down a star.
Wednesday, September 4, 2024
DVD/TV Series Review: Smallville Season 4
The season continues to interweave the story of the week episodes within the larger themes of the season, mainly being the story involving three stones with Kryptonian symbols on them. The series continues to get a strong lineup of guest stars including Michael Ironside, Eric Johnson (reprising his role as Whitney in a flashback), Peyton List, Cobie Smulders, Jane Seymour (who has a major recurring role), Sarah Carter (reprising her role as a powered love interest for Clark, and Chris Carmack who guest-starred in an episode which to sharp-eyed observers from MN used the Twin Cities skyline as a backdrop. The show also brought in Margot Kidder, who of course played Lois in the movies, for appearances in a couple of episodes. Her appearance in the first episode was supposed to be done by Christopher Reeve, who had a scheduling conflict during filming and then passed away early into the airing of the season. His death was written into one of the episodes with the character of Virgil Swann dying off-screen leaving a last message for Clark. And, for early 2000s music fans, the band Lifehouse, whose songs appeared more than once on the show, played the senior prom.
The DVD set is a six-disc set. The extras included for this season's release are similar to what was on the DVD sets for the first few seasons. There are commentary tracks on select episodes, deleted scenes for most episodes, a feature on Lois Lane, which included all the living actresses who had played Lois, except for Teri Hatcher, and a feature on the writers of the show and the process they go through to write an episode. A good amount for those who like to go through the extras.
Overall, the series continued to be very strong, weaving in elements of the Superman Mythos, yet keeping its own spin on things. Characters advanced, especially Lex and Chole, and the show managed to weave in a decent amount of humor (mostly in the Lois-Clark interactions). The show also moved away from the high school element with really only a few episodes really focused on the school at all. The show also got around the loose "no tights, no flights" rule again, this time more creatively than the first couple of times. Clark's secret was also discovered by more people, some who conveniently forgot others who unknown to Clark do not. There was a great Lex centric episode that really displayed Michael Rosenbaum's acting chops, and Allison Mack continued to shine as Chole all throughout the season (again making her post-Smallville life even more sad because she should have been able to use her role on the show to springboard to much more). The finale sets up the next season's "big-bad" and again leaves characters in some Jeopardy. Overall, if you were a fan of the first few seasons, this one is definitely worth checking out.
Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Bones: Season 8
The show has kept the rotating interns that stemmed from the one story line from the show whose outcome I did not like, and that was having Zach written off the show. The show does a good job of actually giving them more to do that just being Brennan's sidekicks and it seems like the show is going to stick with that format for the foreseeable future. Aside from the stretches that the show makes with reality which you either accept or not, the only thing that was completely unrealistic from this season was about Hodgins money. You have to suspend your disbelief for what happens initially, but I personally think the directon the show takes the aftermath is just dumb. The rest of the season really revolves around Booth and Brennan as a couple, and as parents. I think that part of the story is well written and has done a good job of not making the relationship stale which is always the danger in bringing lead characters into a relationship.
The Blu-Ray set is a five-disc set with the episodes and bonus features spread across the five discs. The extras include deleted scenes, commentary on some episodes, an "Ask Bones" feature where cast members answer questions submitted by fans, a short ultimate fan segment, and a gag reel. Not a ton of extras but enough there if you do like going through that material. Also, the blu rays allow you to play it in season mode, so you can stop at any point and pick back up where you left off.
Tuesday, September 3, 2024
DVD/TV Series Review: Smallville Season 3
The season again hosts a bevy of notable guest stars, including the aforementioned Rutger Hauer, as well as Jesse Metcalf, the returning Shawn Ashmore and Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Ian Somerhalder (who has a recurring role, mostly involving Lana), Missy Peregrym, Martin Cummins, Megan Ory, Sarah Carter, and a very young Adrienne Palicki. Christopher Reeve also makes what would be his last appearance as Virgil Swan. And, for those who were relatively young during the show's original run, most will appreciate the early 2000s soundtrack that the series boasts.
Overall, the series is clearly transitioning from the "high school" life of the characters (which ultimately is good given that Tom Welling was about 27 during the filming of the third season, 10 years older than Clark was on the show) to the early adult life of the characters. This season would see the first of the main cast turnover, with Sam Jones leaving at the end of the season. Really, his character is the only one that had very little to do and almost no development during the season. And, since the gig as Clark's sidekick was pretty played out, it was probably the right time for him to move on. The series gets a bit darker this season and closer in tone to today's DC series. The acting and writing are top-notch, and the special effects improved.
The DVD set is a six-disc set. For extras, there are commentary tracks on select episodes, with Michael Rosenbaum and Allison Mack being the standout contributors from the cast, deleted scenes, a gag reel, and volume 2 of The Chole Chronicles, which is part live-action and part comic book stills, going through a side story not seen in the show, and adding a bit to one of the episodes. As good as Mack is it still amazes me how her life spiraled after the show ended because looking at how much she contributed to the show and the extras, and how good she was at all of them, she was, of all the main cast members, the one who could be predicted to have a great post-Smallville career.
While I cannot say that the show will appeal to everyone if you are a fan of the Superman mythos or superhero shows or movies in general, it is definitely worth checking out. The extras are good enough that picking up the physical discs makes it worth it (for those who prefer physical media).
Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Bones: Season 7
Monday, September 2, 2024
DVD/TV Series Review: Smallville Season 2
The DVD set is a six-disc set. The extras include deleted scenes for select episodes, a gag reel, two commentary tracks on the Red Kryptonite episode (one with the showrunners and one with Tom Welling, Michael Rosenbaum, Kristen Kreuk, and one of the writers), and a commentary track with the showrunners on the episode that Christopher Reeve appeared. There is also a feature on the Superman mythology and multiple short featurettes under the heading "The Chole Chronicles," which basically features Chole investigating/interviewing background characters.
Overall, the season is a solid follow-up to season one. All the actors are more seasoned and the show shifted slightly away from the weekly high-school drama. There is the obligatory love triangle story between Chole, Clark, and Lana, with the writers trying to stretch out getting any characters into an actual relationship as much as possible. Allison Mack continued to do a great job as Chole, which makes her post-Smallville life even crazier as she should have gone on to have a much longer career after the show ended. Sam Jones is given a bit more to do other than just being Clark's sidekick, and Jonathan and Martha are given more extensive storylines, which are independent of just raising Clark. Michael Rosenbaum continues to shine as a version of Lex, who is somewhere between a loyal friend who wants to be a good person and the evil mastermind he is destined to become. Ultimately, I would say that if you liked season one, you will likely like (or love) this season even more. If you were a bit lukewarm to season one, the second season improved on the first season enough that it is worth sticking with the show.
Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Bones: Season 6
Sunday, September 1, 2024
DVD/TV Series Review: Smallville Season 1
The pilot starts with Clark's ship crash landing, but the twist is that it occurs as a part of a metro shower in which the remnants of Krypton fall to earth and decimate the town. It also spreads meteor rocks (aka Kryptonite) all over Smallville, which is basically the cause of all the weird happenings in the town since that day. The first season is about establishing the characters and Clark's role as a protector. It was basically him going against a Kryptonite-powered "freak of the week," but there was a larger arc involving Clark and Lex. Lex has been banished to Smallville to run a Luther Corp fertilizer plant by his father Lionel (played by John Glover) after Lex has been in too much trouble in Metropolis. In this version, Lex and Clark are friends, with Lex being an "older brother" type of influence on Clark, who also believes that Clark is hiding something.
In addition to the main ensemble cast, the show boasts a host of guest stars, including many who would go on to be quite famous before they made it big. Some recognizable guest stars in the first season include Lizzy Caplan, Amy Adams, Tony Todd, Kelly Brook, Azura Skye, Shawn Ashmore, Evangeline Lilly, and Adam Brody. Fans of the Battlestar Galactica remake will also recognize Aaron Douglas and fans of The Wonder Years will recognize Dan Lauria, the dad from that show.
The DVD set is a six-disc set. The extras include commentary tracks on the pilot and second episodes of the season from the show's creators, deleted scenes on those two episodes, and an interactive tour of Smallville showing the main locations in the show. It is not an extensive amount of extras, but what was included is good.
Overall, the show is well-written and acted, especially given how many unknown actors made up the main cast. In my opinion, Michael Rosenbaum did the best job of all the live-action Lex Luthors, having a balance of wanting to be a good person but being so ambitious he will do whatever it takes to get what he wants. So, he does not just have to play an evil mastermind like Hackman in the movies, John Shea in Lois and Clark, and even Jon Cryer in Supergirl has to play. Allison Mack also did a great job as Chloe, making her post-Smallville life even sadder because she had the potential to have a great career based on her work on the show, especially in later seasons. While those two really stood out to me, the entire cast does a great job. Welling plays a young Clark well, doing a similar balance that Lex does, but in his case, he has to balance wanting to use his abilities to help people against wanting to have a normal life and be a normal kid.
It can be argued that this show launched the "Arrowverse" currently playing on the CW. Of course, there have been many live-action superhero shows from the 1950s (Superman), 1960s (Batman), 1970s (Wonder Woman), and 1990s (Flash and Lois and Clark). But unlike Smallville, which had a 10-season run, most of those shows only lasted a few seasons (at most). Had Smallville not been as successful as it was (given on a smaller network, the WB, which eventually became the CW), Arrow would not have been made. The Arrowverse should really be called the Smallvilleverse. While you do not get the whole Superman effect (there was a strict "no-tights, no-flights" policy that the showrunners stuck to for most of the show's duration (especially in the early seasons), so Clark is not flying around the town in a cape. The show also sports a great early 2000s soundtrack.
If you are a fan of the current Arrowverse group of shows, this is a must-watch. Likewise, if you are a fan of the Superman mythology overall, it gives a good backstory that is really only glossed over in the movies. I definitely recommend it.
Saturday, August 31, 2024
Workout Update: 645 Cardio/Chalean Extreme Day 66
Day 66 consisted of the 645 cardio in the morning and the stretch routine from Lift 4 in the evening. Both went fine. There was really nothing notable about either routine, good or bad.
Workout Update: 645 Cardio/Chalean Extreme Day 65
Day 65 started week 2 of the Lean Phase in CE. I did the 645 cardio routine in the morning and then LC1 in the evening. The cast turns over a bit in the Lean Circuit. Donna is back doing the modified workout with the bands, and three new cast members, Dan, Julie, and Bethany, replace Skip (thank god), Janelle, and Laly. They are all in great shape and never seem to be dogging it through the exercises. I used the same weight this week for all the exercises as I did last week. But I was able to do more push-ups on my toes this week.
Workout Update: 645 Cardio/Chalean Extreme Day 64
On Day 64, I did the 645 cardio workout, followed by the CE ab workout in the morning and CE's Recharge routine in the evening. Recharge is kind of the perfect yoga routine if you get bored during Yoga (which I definitely do sometimes), as it is only about a half-hour long. I am still not as flexible as I would like, but I am still improving.
Book Review: Star Wars Character Encyclopedia (2019)
Friday, August 30, 2024
Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Krypton Season 2
This season introduces Lobo (played by Emmett Scanlan) as a new character and incorporates more of Doomsday (who was teased at the end of Season 1). The Doomsday storyline includes a back-story for him, showing why the blood of a Zod and an El was needed to release him from the containment. There are also expanded roles for characters like Kem and Nyssa from their more supporting season one roles. The season finale was definitely setting up a third season that would have included more of Lobo and revolved heavily around Nyssa and Seg.
Overall, the season was very good but incomplete because Sy-Fy pulled the rug out from under the show and canceled it after the season was completed. It was an original show that was not tied into the "Arrowverse" shows (although Cameron Cauffe was apparently approached to have a cameo in the Crisis on Infinite Earths mega cross-over, but could not appear due to scheduling), and told a great story. With the proviso that it leaves the fate of a major character up in the air and is likely to never be resolved, it is definitely worth checking out.
Thursday, August 29, 2024
4k-UHD/Movie Review: IT: Chapter Two
The 4K set is a three-disc set with a UHD disc and two regular Blu-Ray discs. The movie looks and sounds excellent in UHD. The UHD disc just has the film and the commentary track if you want to listen to it. Then, there are two regular blu-ray discs, one with just the movie and one with all the extras (over an hour's worth). Those include chapters 1 and 2 of making-of and behind-the-scenes material, the first either taking a lot from or reusing the same feature that was an extra on the release for the first movie and the second new for the second movie. They are the longest of the bonus material. Then, there are a few shorter features. A very good amount for those who still like getting the physical disc releases.
While I cannot say everyone will love the movie, it did a good job of wrapping up the story. Of course, it is much different than the TV miniseries done in the 1990s, and even with a nearly three-hour running time, it still could not incorporate everything from the book. It is worth checking out if you can accept those things about it.
Wednesday, August 28, 2024
Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Krypton Season 1
One of the big themes of the first season was Krypton’s class system. The planet was being led basically by a combination of the Church (by the Voice of Rao) and the Military (Led by members of the Houses of Zod and Vex). The arrival of Brainiac (played by Blake Ritson) throws the leadership in disarray. The House of El is ostracized, and Seg is trying to redeem his family’s honor, protect the ones he loves, and save the planet. The series also introduces the time-traveler from Earth, Adam Strange (played by Shaun Sipos), who warns Seg of the threat to his grandson.
The Blu-Ray set is a two-disc set. It does have extras, including deleted scenes, making-of features, and a part of the comic-con panel with Cameron Cuffe and the showrunners. There is a decent amount of material if you like the extras. And the show looks and sounds great in HD.
Overall, the show is very good. Because it is on basic cable, it can get away with more violence and swearing than other DC shows. There are some sexual situations, but no outright nudity. So, it is definitely a more adult show. The supporting cast is solid and includes unknown actors and actresses like Wallis Day and Georgina Campbell, as well as recognizable character actors like Colin Salon and Elliot Cowan. The writing and acting are both very strong, and the season ends on a big cliffhanger going into season two. If you are a fan of the other DC shows, it is definitely worth checking out.