Book Review: The Conspiracy to End America: Five Ways My Old Party Is Driving Our Democracy to Autocracy

 

The Conspiracy to End America is a 2023 book by former Republican strategist Stuart Stevens. It is partly a follow-up to his 2020 book, It Was All a Lie, but this one is more forward-looking. In it, Stevens details how his former party has consolidated power over the years, including how the multi-millionaires and billionaires have used dark money to get nutjobs like Empty-G elected and stack the courts with radicalized nutjobs like Clearance Thomas and the Witch Doctor, Sammy Alito, and baited the low-income racists to bolster their voting base. Then Stevens warns what electing the Orange Genital Wart to a second term would entail, especially if Republicans get total control of the government again.

The hardcover version of the book is short-- just 225 pages--and is a very quick read. Stevens is the "never trumper" that I have the most respect for because he admits that much of the Republican platform and talking points going back years has been total bullshit, and actually does a sincere mea-culpa for what he helped unleash because he was only concerned with winning elections and not the fallout. He admits that the current Republican party is full of nutjobs (who have taken over the party) and weenies who are too scared to stand up to the nutjobs because they care more about losing their jobs than defending our democracy. It is a succinct civics and history lesson that provides much information that people may not know (especially those who do not follow politics consistently). It is an insightful and chilling read, but it is absolutely a book everyone should read.

4K-UHD/Movie Box Set Review: Back to the Future: The Ultimate Trilogy

 

Back to the Future: The Ultimate Trilogy is a box set containing the three Back to the Future movies: the iconic 1985 original film starring Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thomson, Crispin Glover, and Tomas F. Wilson in the main roles and Claudia Wells, James Tolkan, Wendie Jo Sperber, Billy Zane, and Marc McClure in the primary supporting roles; 1989's follow-up Back to the Future Part II, which brought back Fox, Lloyd, Wilson, and Thomson to reprise their roles with Elisabeth Shue replacing Claudia Wells as and Jeffrey Weissman replacing Crispin Glover (and includes Elija Wood's first acting credit in a very small role); and 1990's Back to the Future Part III, which added Mary Steenburgen to the cast. All three movies were written by the duo of Robert Zemeckis (who also directed all three films) and Bob Gale (who was an executive producer on all three movies).

Chances are, most people know the plots of the movies, but for anyone who does not, in the original film, a local scientist in the fictional town of Hill Valley, California, named Emmit "Doc" Brown (Lloyd) invents a time machine in 1985 that he built into a Delorian. A local teen named Marty McFly (Fox), who has befriended Doc Brown, helps him film the first time travel experiment, which is interrupted by Libyan terrorists from whom Doc stole Plutonium to power the time machine, and during which Marty is transported back to 1955. In 1955, Marty accidentally interrupts his parents' (Glover and Thomson's) first meeting, causing his mother to fall in love with him, which starts erasing his existence. Marty must help his parents get together, deal with the town bully, Biff Tannen (Wilson), and get the younger version of Doc Brown to help him get back to 1985. In the 1989 sequel, Marty, Doc, and Marty's girlfriend, Jennifer (played by Shue), first travel to 2015 to prevent Marty's son (also played by Fox) from doing something criminal with Biff's grandson, Griff (also played by Wilson). Biff steals the time machine in the future and travels to the past to give himself a sports almanac so that his younger version can use it to bet on every major sporting event, making him a millionaire in a new version of the future. Marty and Doc then have to go back to 1955, into the events of the first movie, to get the book back from young Biff and restore the timeline; in the 1990 conclusion to the trilogy, Marty has to travel back to 1855 to rescue Doc from the old west.

The 4K set is a six-disc set containing three UHD discs (one for each movie) and three regular Blu-Ray discs (also one for each movie). The 4K discs and the regular Blu-Rays have the same content, the movie and the bonus material. There are hours of bonus content for each movie. The bonus material includes archived behind-the-scenes material shot while the movies were being filmed, material created for the original DVD release, and material filmed in 2010 for the original Blu-Ray release. No new bonus content has been created for the 4K release. The extras include deleted scenes, a three-part documentary called Tales from the Future, which features interviews with the cast and crew, promotional material, the trailers, and more. Each movie also has two commentary tracks, one featuring a Q&A session with Zemeckis and Gale at USC, which plays for a portion of each movie. The longest is in the first movie, and the shortest is in Part III. Then, each movie has a feature-length commentary track with Bob Gale and another producer, Neil Canton. What knocks the set down a star for me is the packaging. It comes in a nice-looking digibook case, but the discs are all in tight slip notches, which makes them hard to get out and susceptible to scratching. 

The three movies are well-written and very well-acted. Even though the first movie is nearing 40 years old, it (and the sequels) hold up reasonably well. The bonus features offer a lot of insight into the filming process, including how Michael J. Fox came on board (he was initially not going to be allowed to film the movie by the showrunners of Family Ties, which was the wildly popular 1980s sitcom he starred in), the firing of Eric Stolz who was originally hired to play Marty when Fox was allowed to film the movie, and the producers side of why Crispin Glover did not return for the sequels (they claimed he was making unreasonable demands because he did not like how the first movie ended). There is no discussion of Glover's lawsuit because of the use of archival footage featuring him in Part II. There is also an interesting insight into how they envisioned what things would be like in 2015. Gale said they were trying to think of the most unrealistic things they could (hence flying cars and hoverboards), which makes things they got right (e.g., biometric identification and locks, video conferencing/calling, etc.) even more impressive. It is interesting that they thought fax machines would be prevalent and that every home would have multiple fax machines.

While it is easy to think that the movies are totally derivative of each other (and they do recycle some jokes in all three movies), they are really very different. In the first, Marty's parents are arguably as important to the story as Marty is, and the story is about George McFly's transformation from a lovable loser to a confident success. In the second movie, Biff is the more important character, and we see the first movie's events from a different perspective. The third movie is about Doc Brown's character, with Marty almost as a supporting character in Doc's story. The movies are mostly family-friendly, although there is quite a bit of swearing (the worst of which is the word "shit") in each film, a couple of cleavage shots of Lea Thompson in Parts I and II, and a butt shot of Michael J. Fox in Part III. While the movies are a bit dated, and some things would probably be changed if they were made today, they generally hold up well and are definitely worth watching, especially for 1980s kids who grew up with the movies. 

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Shameless Season 6

 

The 12-episode sixth season of Shameless aired during the winter and spring of 2016. It saw much of the same and, in some ways, different dysfunction from the Gallagher clan. The season sees more adult storylines for Deb and Carl, with both hitting bottom in their own ways. Carl, after coming out of juvie, is steeped in the gang culture, and Deb, on the heels of her positive pregnancy test after lying to her boyfriend about being on the pill. Lip's life at college goes haywire as his affair with his professor is ongoing, and he is trying to balance that with his time as a TA in physics working for a professor who has a drinking problem that rivals that of Frank. Frank continues to be generally horrible throughout the season, which leads to a reckoning with the family by the end of the season. We also meet another of Frank's old flames, Sammi's mother, played by Twin Peaks alum Sherrilyn Fenn. Fiona and Ian see more stability in their lives, with Fiona working at the diner and dating Sean and Ian working toward becoming a firefighter. Thankfully, the show has given storylines for Kevin and V separate from just being the Gallagher's neighbors, and they continue to have probably the best and most complicated relationship on the show.

Overall, the show continues to be well-written and acted. As always, there are many adult themes, including sex, drug use, and violence. All of the actors, including the younger ones, do a great job with their characters, and the show continues to develop the characters well as it progresses. The show also does a great job of mixing drama and dark comedy, and there are many points where you bust out laughing but feel kind of bad about doing so.

The Blu-Ray set is a two-disc set. The episodes and bonus material are spread across the two discs. The extras include deleted scenes (about 35 minutes worth), a featurette that follows Shinola Hampton around for a day, and a round of pool with William H. Macy, Emmy Rossum, and two of the show's writers as they discuss the characters and the show in general. A decent amount, but not as much as in the releases for the first couple of seasons. By now, anyone reading this review will know what the show is and is not. There is more cast turnover this year, with Noel Fisher being essentially written out of the show after Mickey was arrested at the end of the prior season. But, unless you were only watching the show for one of the characters that left the show, if you liked the prior seasons, you will probably like this one. Conversely, if you have not enjoyed the prior seasons, there is probably nothing about this one that will convert you.

DVD/TV Series Review: The Good Wife: Season 3

 

The 22-episode third season of The Good Wife aired during the 2011/2012 TV season. To me, the third season was all about character development, now that the main themes from seasons 1 and 2, namely Peter's release from jail and re-election to the state's attorney's office, are resolved. The show continues to balance case-of-the-week episodes with larger story arcs. The latter is mainly comprised of the fallout and consequences of Will and Alicia hooking up at the end of season two, the continued investigations of the firm, and individuals in it, by the state's attorney's office.

Most of the characters from prior seasons return, although both Michael Ealy and Scott Porter (who played Derek Bond, and Blake Calamar, respectively) both left when their character arcs ended. I think Blake could have remained as a foil for Kalinda, but Porter would get a lead role in the show Hart of Dixie, which nixed any chance of that. We do learn a bit more about Kalinda's past that Blake hinted at during season two, which leads up to a mini cliffhanger at the end of season three. Alan Cumming is promoted to a series regular in season three and joins the law firm as a consultant and equity partner while he waits for Peter to decide on a run for Governor. He makes for some great comedy during the season, including interacting with his ex-wife, played by Parker Posey.

The show continues to balance the large ensemble cast, which includes a lot of great recurring characters (including a few more great appearances by Michael J. Fox). That said, Alicia continues to be the clear lead character, and her development is clearly the focus of the show. Her arcs mainly involve taking on more responsibility at the firm, making sense of her feelings for Will and the consequences of a relationship with him, becoming more independent from Peter, and deciding whether to repair her relationship with Kalinda. I do think the character of Cary got the short end of the stick story-wise early in the season, but his arc definitely got better in the latter part of the season.

The DVD set is a six-disc set. For those who get the DVD set, the extras include deleted scenes for most of the episodes spread throughout all the discs and a few behind-the-scenes and making-of featurettes, the longest of which are on the last disc. All in all, probably over an hour of bonus material.

The show continues to be well-written and acted. I would say if you liked the first two seasons then you will probably like this one. There are no major changes to the show's overall formula. Conversely, if you were not a fan of, or lukewarm to the first couple of seasons, this one probably will not change your mind. I definitely think it is worth checking out (for the handful of people who have not seen the show by this point).

Book Review: The Winds of Dune (Dune #17)

 

The Winds of Dune, published in 2009, is the 17th book in the Dune saga (if you read them chronologically) and the second in the Heroes of Dune trilogy of novels. It is one of several novels written by the duo of Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson. The events in the story are set mostly between books 2 and 3 of the original Dune trilogy, Dune Messiah and Children of Dune. As the novel Paul of Dune (set between the original Dune novel and Dune Messiah) did, this one jumps time periods. Most of the events are set after the end of Paul's reign after he walks off into the desert at a time when Alia is trying to hold the government together. Paul's former friend, Bronso if Ix (Bronso Vernius), has begun criticizing Paul and his rule. The story flashes back to events that occurred earlier during Paul's rule when we discover the plot against Paul and who was involved. 

The hardcover version is just under 450 pages. If you have read the prior novels (which is necessary to understand the story in this one), especially those written by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson, this one has a similar style and tone and reads as quickly or slowly as the others. The story is intriguing and fills in the gaps between the original novels. I will not spoil the story for those who have not read it, but we discover that not everything is as it seemed with Paul's rule and the events that led to his downfall. We also get more insight into Alia, who is now a teenager but has all the memories of the prior Reverand Mothers of the Bene Gesserit. The story also shows the cracks that develop in the relationships between Alia, Lady Jessica, Duncan Idaho, and Gurney Halleck and the widening rift between Jessica and the members of the Bene Gesserit. If you are a fan of the Dune saga, it is absolutely worth reading.

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: Fighting with my Family

 

Fighting With My Family is a 2019 biographical drama/comedy written and directed by Stephen Merchant starring Florence Pugh, Lena Headey, Nick Frost, Jack Lowden, and Vince Vaughn. It is a semi-biographical movie about the WWE career of professional wrestler Paige (Saraya Bevis), played by Pugh. It is based upon a documentary by the same name about Paige and her family of professional wrestlers in England that Dwayne Johnson (The Rock), who was a producer of the movie, along with making a few cameos, saw and convinced director Stephen Merchant to take it on as a project. Paige is played wonderfully in the movie by Florence Pugh. Lena Headey plays Paige's mother, and Nick Frost plays Paige's father (and steals every scene he is in).  Jack Lowden plays Paige's brother, who is also a wrestler trying to make it in the WWE, and Vince Vaughn plays a WWE trainer.

The basic story is that Paige and her brother, who wrestle in their family's small promotion in Norwich, England, are trying to get a tryout with the WWE. They get a tryout, and she is picked to go to WWE's developmental unit in the United States, and he does not. So it becomes a fish out of water story as she tries to make her break while her brother deals with being left behind at home. It mostly skips her rise to popularity in NXT, just showing her training and getting adjusted to life as a pro wrestler for the WWE, then ends with a very fictionalized version of her first match on the main roster. For a film about pro wrestling, it is very well done. It is an excellent combination of funny and heartfelt and takes a story about a profession that is over-the-top in absurdity at times very seriously.

The A/V quality of the Blu-Ray is very good, especially for a movie that does not make use of CGI or special effects. The extras consist of about 8 minutes of deleted and extended scenes, an 8-minute (give or take) making-of featurette, a gag reel, and a feature commentary track with the director. There are also two versions of the movie, the theatrical version as well as a director's cut. There was not much bonus material, but what was included was good. It would have been nice if Paige and Florence Pugh had been included on the commentary track instead of just the director.

Overall, it is a good movie. It is enjoyable even if you are not a huge fan of professional wrestling, but I think the people who enjoy it the most will be pro-wrestling fans. For those who are more old-school WWE/WWF fans, some clips from "back in the day" get sprinkled throughout the movie, and some cameos with some of the main roster WWE stars aside from The Rock. It is definitely worth checking out.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Shameless Season 5

 

The 12-episode fifth season of Shameless aired during the winter and spring of 2015. The season saw another change in character arcs, most notably for Fiona and Frank (although not exclusively for those two). Fiona is still self-destructive but makes more effort to get her life sorted out. Frank is still horrible, yet becomes a little less so throughout the season (especially at the end). Lip finds himself still acclimating to college, being torn between his "south side" life and the life he wants after he graduates. The combination of puberty and teen peer pressure is hitting Debbie hard, and Carl is fully embracing his inner delinquent. V and Kevin are having problems as new parents, and Sammie is a pain for everyone. There is also a storyline about the gentrification of the neighborhood and even more cast turnover as Joan Cusack's character arc comes to a close. Ian and Mickey's relationship is more complicated, with Ian's mental problems getting worse. And, of course, the big reveal from the season 4 finale that Jimmy is still alive plays out. I will not spoil any of the season's major events, but it ties up some of the old story arcs and sets up new ones.

The Blu-Ray set is a two-disc set. This release is similar to those for the prior seasons but with fewer extras. The bonus material includes a handful of deleted scenes, some behind-the-scenes material, and a commentary track on the episode William Hm Macy directed. The show continues to be well-written and acted. As has been the case since the show started, there is a lot of sex, swearing, and dark humor in the show. By now, you know what you get with the series in that respect, however.

Overall, I would say if you have liked the prior seasons, you will probably like this one, with the proviso that the characters have evolved from their season-one versions, and not everyone is likely to be a fan of how those arcs played out. On the other hand, if you have hated the prior seasons, there is probably nothing about this season that will convert you into a fan.

DVD/TV Series Review: The Good Wife Season 2

 

The 23-episode second season of The Good Wife aired during the 2010/2011 TV season. It continued the format that worked well in the first season. Namely, it used a part procedural and part serial format. There were the case-of-the-week stories which played out in the courtroom scenes, and then larger themes throughout the season, like the power struggle with the new managing partner, Peter's campaign to regain the State's Attorney position, and Alicia and Will doing the will-they-wont-they dance, creating a love triangle of sorts.

The season picks up right where season 1 left off, with Will leaving the messages for Alicia during the press conference. We see the result, which creates unease between the two during the first part of the season. For the most part, Peter and Alicia's arc play out separately (his taking place mainly in the campaign headquarters with Eli Gold (played brilliantly by Allan Cumming), and hers in the law firm or in court). There is some crossover as Alicia and Peter try to reunite their marriage, and Eli pressures her to get more involved in the campaign. The big additions to the cast this year are Scott Porter (who would go on to be one of the leads in Hart of Dixie), who plays a rival to Kalinda as an investigator brought on by the new managing partner, Derek Bond (played by Michael Ealy), and for those of us old enough to remember the 1980s, the great Michael J. Fox plays a recurring role as a rival lawyer who is often on the opposing side to the firm.

The DVD set is a six-disc set. It includes many extras that are spread throughout these six discs. There is a featurette entitled "Real Deal Inside the Episode," which details the process the writers and production staff work through to get an episode made. Then there is a short featurette called "Conversation with the Kings," which is an interesting discussion with co-creators and executive producers Michelle and Robert King. They discuss how carefully they and the writers craft each episode to advance that week's plot while simultaneously developing each character. There are also a handful of deleted scenes, a 20-minute discussion with some of the cast members and showrunners, a glimpse of the season-one DVD release party, six behind-the-scenes videos by Alan Cumming (each around 5 minutes), and three campaign music videos that were used in the show (one full length, and the other two basically just the clips shown in the show).

If you liked season 1, then chances are you will like this season. If you did not, you probably will not get on board because of this season. It does take liberties with the courtroom scenes, as all legal shows/movies do, but it gets a lot right which is nice for any lawyers who love to nitpick things. It is definitely worth checking out.

4k-UHD/Movie Review: John Wick Chapter 3: Parabellum

 

John Wick Chapter 3: Parabellum is the 2019 entry (and the third chapter) in the John Wick series of action/thrillers. It was directed by Chad Stahelski and again stars Keanu Reeves as the titular John Wick. It picks up immediately where the last movie leaves off. John has an hour until he is excommunicated from the Assassin's Guild, and every assassin/bounty hunter is looking to collect the seven-million-dollar bounty on his head. I will not give too much away, but the story again involves John fighting for his life, brings in Halle Berry, Mark Dacascos, Asia Kate Dillion, and Anjelica Huston as new characters, expands the roles of Lance Reddick and Ian McShane, and slowly expands Laurence Fishburne's role. And, of course, manages to make another nod to The Matrix.

4k  set is a two-disc set containing a UHD disc and a regular Blu-Ray disc. But, with this release, the UHD disc has both the movie and all the extras. Those include about an hour's worth of making-of and behind-the-scenes featurettes, which are akin to what was put out for Chapters 1 and 2, with some focusing a bit less on Keanu because of the ever-expanding cast, including Hallie Berry, who really lobbied to be in the movie. Then there are also featurettes on the video game that was put out, and two trailers for the movie. Again, a great amount of material, especially these days when movies and shows are being released on physical media is going the way of the dodo bird, and when they are put out on disc, are bare-bones with little to no extras.

Chances are, if you liked the prior two movies, especially if your main reason for doing so is the action scenes, then you will like this. They are expanding the story in this movie and making it far less simple and straightforward, which was one of the things I liked about the prior movies, especially the first one. That said, it is still a fun but very violent action movie. And, John is finally not indestructible in this movie. Even so, what he manages to survive would kill all ordinary people and most "superhumans, " so you need to continue suspending your disbelief big time.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Shameless Season 4

 

+++Warning, This will contain spoilers from season three, but no major season four giveaways.+++

The 12-episode fourth season of Shameless aired during the winter and spring of 2014. Season four picks up some time after the events of season three, with Jimmy still missing, Frank in end-stage liver failure, Ian off with the military (although the characters on the show just know he is missing), Lip in college, and Fiona having a steady job and relationship with her boss (played by now series regular Jake McDormand, probably best known for the underrated series Limitless). I will not go into too much detail, but needless to say, the lives of nearly all the characters end up in chaos by the end of the season. The big storylines are Frank's need for a liver (and, of course, he immediately tries to figure out how to get someone to give him a liver, which results in another addition to the cast), and what can only be described as a major downfall for Fiona who does everything she can to sabotage a good thing. A couple of big reveals at the end of the season set up storylines going into season 5.

The Blu-Ray set is a two-disc set. It is much like the Blu-Ray releases for the other seasons, just with fewer extras. The episodes are spread over two discs. There are deleted scenes for select episodes on each disc and two fairly short behind-the-scenes featurettes (about 10 minutes each, give or take). There are definitely fewer extras than the prior season releases.

Overall, the show remains very good, with a lot of dark drama and comedy. The entire cast does a great job, with the standouts being William H. Macy, Emmy Rossum, Jeremy Allen White, and Ethan Cutkosky. Carl is hilarious this season in both his problems at school and his efforts to help Frank. Steve Howey and Shanola Hampton are also great in their desire to have a family. Joan Cusak's role was a bit more limited this year, and Cameron Monaghan was missing for part of the season as he was splitting time between Shameless and Gotham. The character of Debbie underwent a pretty significant transformation this year as she hit puberty and was going through the usual teenage awkwardness and angst along with the Gallagher dysfunction. There was still a lot of swearing, and sex, as well as drug use depicted on the show, which is definitely not going to appeal to everyone. With those provisos aside, I think if you liked the first few seasons, you will also probably like this one.

DVD/TV Series Review: The Good Wife: Season 1

 

The Good Wife is a series that ran from 2009-2016. The 23-episode first season aired during the 2009/2010 TV season. It saw the return to network TV as a series regular for Julianna Margulies, nine years after she left ER, playing a Chicago lawyer named Alicia Florrick. The premise is that her husband, Peter, the IL state's attorney (played by Chris Noth), resigns from office amid a combined sex and corruption scandal (back when that kind of thing mattered). After that opening scene, the show immediately does a time jump to almost a year later when Peter is in prison. Alicia decides to dust off her law degree and work as a junior associate at a large Chicago law firm, at which her best friend from law school, Will (played by Josh Charles), is one of the senior partners along with Christine Baranski's character, Diane. The main cast is rounded out by her fellow junior associate, Cary (played by Matt Czuchry), and the firm's investigator, Kalinda (played by Archie Panjabi).

With that as a background, the show essentially becomes a weekly procedural with a case-of-the-week format with larger themes (like Alicia trying to adjust to life as a kind of single working mother, her husband appealing his conviction, which junior associate will get the permanent position, and a will they, won't they sexual tension between Alicia and Will). It does an excellent job of being as realistic as the courtroom scenes of any show I have seen. Given how boring actual trials tend to be, no show can be 100% accurate, so there is always some "ask a question and give a closing argument in response to the witness' answer" that you get in any show or movie that portrays trials. Sometimes, the show has cases that clearly play off of real-life events, but most are made up. Sometimes, things play out pretty straightforward, and other times, there are twists. There is also some good old-fashioned Chicago political corruption thrown in. I think the show did a good job of not being too cookie-cutter with the storylines and kept things interesting throughout the season.

The DVD set is a six-disc set with many extras. There are commentary tracks with the showrunners and cast on select episodes, deleted scenes on many episodes (which also allows an option to play the deleted scenes with commentary by at least one of the writers), a 17-minute featurette on real-life events that the show fictionalized, and an hour and 15-minute making of feature (which is split up into several parts you can watch individually, or using play-all). So, if you like to get shows on physical media when there are a lot of bonus features, this is worth picking up.

Overall, the show is well-written and acted. It does not tie up everything and ends on kind of a cliffhanger going into season two. If you are a fan of procedural dramas, this one holds up well. As someone who discovered the show late, I think it would be enjoyable even if it premiered this year as opposed to a decade ago. Chances are, most people who are reading this by now will already be fans of the show, but if you are one who is just checking it out for the first time, it is worth the time to watch.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Shameless Season 3

 

The 12-episode third season of Shameless aired in the winter and spring of 2013. It sees the first relatively significant shakeup in the cast, with Laura Slade Wiggins going from a series regular to a recurring character after being kicked out by Shelia at the end of season two. She returns in the second half of the season, and her storyline is pretty much wrapped up (at least for the foreseeable future) by the end of the season. Fiona and Jimmy continue their complicated relationship, with Jimmy pondering a return to medical school, which would require him to return to school in Michigan. Further complicating their relationship is Jimmy's "marriage" to Estefania. Toward the end of the season, karma comes back to bite Frank for his general horribleness (which takes a couple of very dark turns this season), and the season ends on somewhat of a cliffhanger concerning him.

The Blu-ray set is a two-disc set, with the episodes and the extras spread over the two discs. The extras include deleted scenes and several behind-the-scenes featurettes ranging from about 8 minutes to about 15 minutes. All in all, there are about an hour's worth of extras. Overall, the show continues to be well-written and acted. The writers do a good job of balancing the large ensemble cast and continuing to develop the characters. The acting is again top-notch, and even though there are very few truly good characters, none of them are all bad either, and both the writers and actors do a great job giving the audience something to care about, even in the worst characters. While the show is definitely not for everyone, if you liked or loved the first two seasons, you will very likely feel the same about season three.

DVD/TV Series Review: 2 Broke Girls: The Complete Series

 

2 Broke Girls was a six-season CBS series that ran from 2011 to 2017. It starred Beth Behrs as Caroline, a heiress who lost all her money when her father was arrested for running a Bernie Madoff-like Ponzi scheme. She ends up working at a diner in Brooklyn and befriending another waitress named Max, played by Kat Dennings. The show basically details their attempts to open their own cupcake shop and get out of working in the diner. The rest of the main cast includes Jonathan Kite, who plays a cook at the diner named Oleg; Matthew Moy as Han, the owner of the diner; Garrett Morris, who plays Earl, the cashier at the diner; and Jennifer Coolidge, as Sophie, Max and Caroline's upstairs neighbor. The supporting and guest cast members included Nick Zano, Eric Andre, Ryan Hansen, Jesse Metcalfe, Lindsay Lohan, Martha Stewart, George Hamilton, John Michael Higgins, and Caroline Rhea.

I will not go into too much detail so I do not spoil the show for those who have not seen it, but it is a fairly standard sitcom that mostly has story-of-the-week episodes, with some longer story arcs that play out throughout the show's run. The humor is very raunchy. I am still amazed that they got away with some of the jokes they did. They also show off Behrs in skimpy outfits and Denning's cleavage in pretty much every episode. So, if sex and drug jokes offend you, definitely stay away from this show. 

The complete series set is just the individual season sets packaged into one box. Similar to what was released for shows like The Office, Parks and Recreation, and the like. Hence, all the DVD extras are identical to those in the individual season releases. There are no extras that are exclusive to this set. Overall, the show was funny (if you like the kind of humor), well-written, and well-acted. The only thing I did not like about the series was the finale. I think it mostly felt like just another episode (with one exception) and did not give all the characters a great sendoff as series finales should. Overall, however, it is a very enjoyable show and worth checking out if you are a fine of sitcoms.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Shameless Season 2

 

The 12-episode second season of Shameless aired in the winter and spring of 2012. It picks up months after the events ending season 1. The first part of the season focuses on Karen acting out as everyone discovers what happened with Frank and Lip trying to keep some kind of relationship with her. Fiona is working a series of summer jobs, primarily earning money as a server in a club, and is rebounding from Steve as he has gone off to South America. Frank continues to be the neighborhood menace, finding a new mark to scam as Shelia starts to venture out of the house more and more, as he is afraid that she will find out how he really is. I will not say more about the storylines because there are some twists and turns along the way this season, but as was the case in season one, it does the story of the week theme very well, along with having callbacks to prior storylines as well as wrapping up others.

The series continues to be well-written and acted. William H. Macy and Emmy Rossum still hold their own as the series leads and continue doing a great job as the characters of Frank and Fiona. This season, Jeremy Allen Wright as Lip and Laura Slade Wiggins as Karen steal many of the episodes. Even as a show with very few "good" characters, but mostly characters with varying degrees of horribleness, the writers and actors make you feel for, and even root for, the characters.

The Blu-ray set is a two-disc set with about 50 minutes of bonus material. The extras include several behind-the-scenes/making-of featurettes and deleted scenes for many, but not all, episodes. As was the case in season one, there is a lot of drinking, drug use, sex, and swearing that goes on. So, if that turns you off to a show, then this one is not for you. It does have a lot of dark humor, but it does not glorify or make fun of dysfunctional people and families. If you liked or loved season one, you will probably feel the same way about this season. On the other hand, if you hated the first season, this season will probably not make you a fan.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Sherlock: Seasons 1-4 & Abominable Bride Gift Set

 

This set is just the packaging of all four seasons, plus the special episode that bridged seasons 3 and 4, The Abominable Bride. You get all the same blu-ray packaging and content that you would have gotten if you purchased the seasons individually. There are no special extras for getting this set.

Sherlock was a series that aired on BBC from 2010 to 2017. It starred Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman as Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, respectively. It ran for a total of four seasons that consisted of essentially three hour-and-a-half-long movies per season and had one stand-alone episode that bridged seasons three and four. Each episode told modified stories from the books. Except for the stand-alone episode "The Abominable Bride," set the stores in modern-day England. The Abominable Bride was the only episode with the story (mostly) set in the late 1800s. The show sported a great cast, with Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman at the head as Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson, respectively. The two had great chemistry, bringing to life the relationship between Holmes and Watson set out in the stories written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and adapted by the series' writers. The series gets progressively darker over time, which not everyone that is a fan of the show likes. The writers do an interesting job with the character of Moriarty, who is, of course, Sherlock's main adversary. He is used relatively sparingly throughout the series, really only being the focus of one episode, but in the background of almost all of them. Andrew Scott does a great job with the character and definitely makes him a worthy adversary for Sherlock.

The Blu-ray extras are more extensive in seasons one and two than in seasons three and four. They generally include commentary tracks, as well as behind-the-scenes and making-of featurettes. There are no deleted or extended scenes. For season one, the show's original pilot is included, which was remade when the network decided it wanted longer episodes. Overall, the series is very good to great. It, of course, made Cumberbatch and Freeman breakout stars. Still, the entire cast, whether they were series regulars like Rupert Graves, Una Stubbs, or Louise Brealey, or recurring or one-off characters like Mark Gattis (who was also the co-creator of the show), Andrew Scott, or Lara Pulver, was always wonderful.

As others have noted, the first set I received was really beaten up, with all the cases broken or cracked. I did a return and replacement and the second set was fine. So, definitely check out your set immediately because it seems like a bad batch of them out there.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Shameless Season 1

 

Shameless is a dramedy that aired on Showtime for eleven seasons from 2011 to 2021. The 12-episode first season aired during the winter and spring of 2011. The main cast members in the first season were William H. Macy, Emmy Rossum, Jeremy Allen White, Cameron Monaghan, Steve Howey, Emma Kennedy, Ethan Cutkosky, Shanola Hampton, Laura Slade Wiggins, and Joan Cusack. It also had a large recurring cast, some of whom would eventually become series regulars. Some of those included Noel Fisher, Marguerite Moreau, and Amy Smart. The guest stars in season 1 included Anthony Anderson and Alex Borstein. 

I am someone who was late to the game when it came to this show. I have, of course, heard of it for years but did not get around to running it until very late in its run. For those who have not seen it, it is an American version of a British show, and much like was the case with The Office, in the first few episodes, it mirrored the British version almost as a carbon copy, then started to find its own legs. It was created for US TV by the co-creator of ER, John Wells, and the creators of the original British show.

The series is centered around the Gallaghers, a poor, trashy, and borderline all-out criminal family. It is "headed" by Frank Gallagher, played by ER alum William H. Macy, in a role 180 degrees from his role on ER. Frank is a blackout drunk with 6 kids who manage to still be (somewhat) functional, running scam after scam to keep the drinking money flowing in. The family is led by the eldest of the children, Fiona, played wonderfully by Emmy Rossum, who had to drop out of high school during her junior year to take care of the family when their mother took off, and Frank became totally unable to care for any of them. She is torn between wanting to be a carefree young adult in her early 20s and being a parent to kids ranging from 2 to 17.

I will not go into too much of the storylines for the few who, like me, are coming into the series cold. I will say that it is a very raw show, with all of its themes, drinking, drug use, sex, etc. It will hit home with anyone who has a dysfunctional family or even someone who is a generation removed from a dysfunctional family and still has some tangential contact with the older family members. While the Gallaghers are portrayed as a very over-the-top case of a poor, almost "trailer trash" dysfunctional family (although there are families that certainly act the way the family members do, to greater or lesser degrees), it also shows that dysfunction can occur not only in poor families but rich ones as well.

The Blu-Ray set is a two-disc set. The show looks and sounds great, especially the high-definition exterior shots of Chicago. The extras include commentary tracks on a couple of episodes, deleted scenes, and about 45 minutes of behind-the-scenes and making-of material.

Overall, the series is well-written and very well-acted. The show is perfectly cast, with everyone knocking their roles out of the park, including the supporting cast. Joan Cusak steals nearly every scene she is in, as a clueless housewife with agoraphobia. It does not sugarcoat any of its themes, and has a lot of drinking, drug use, sex, nudity, etc., by both the adults and teens on the show (who are really in their 20s). The humor is very dark, and he manages to find humor in a lot of situations that would not normally be funny. It is definitely not a show that is for everyone, so if any of the above would turn you off to a show, then you definitely should skip this one. But, if you can accept those things and are looking for a good dramedy, then this is definitely worth checking out.

DVD/TV Series Review: 2 Broke Girls Season 6

 

The 22-episode sixth season of 2 Broke Girls aired during the 2016/2017 TV season. It would be the show's final season. Overall, it was on par with the prior seasons, at least seasons 4-5, which I do not think were as good as seasons 1-3. My main issue with the season is the series finale. It did not feel like a finale episode, giving all the characters a good sendoff. One of the characters gets an ending befitting of a series finale, but for the most part, it feels like another episode of the show. I will not say too much about the season so as not to spoil it for the few who may not have seen it by now. The big serial storylines were Max and Caroline opening the Dessert Bar, relationship drama (again) for both Max and Caroline (including a new love for Caroline in the form of Christopher Gorham, who is probably best known from the show Covert Affairs), and Sophie and Oleg's baby.

The DVD set is a two-disc set. The extras are bare bones, consisting of deleted scenes on each of the two discs and a gag reel on disc 2. There are no making-of or behind-the-scenes features, no retrospective on the series, or the like. Definitely not much, especially given that it was the final season. Overall, if you like the prior seasons, you will probably like this one. Even though I was not thrilled by the final episode, the season overall was still funny and enjoyable.

DVD/Movie Review: Bedazzled (2000)

 

Bedazzled is a 2000 comedy starring Brendan Fraser, Elizabeth Hurley, and Frances O'Connor. It is directed by Harold Ramis (probably best known for his role in Ghostbusters). The supporting cast includes Orlando Jones, Paul Adelstein, Toby Huss, Miriam Shor, and Gabriel Casseus. It is a remake of the 1967 film of the same name that starred Dudley Moore. When the movie was made, Hurley had come off making the original Austin Powers movie, and Fraser was arguably at the height of his fame, having made the first Mummy movie and the comedy Blast From the Past. In the film, Fraser plays a dweeby goober named Elliot Richards, who works for a computer company in San Francisco in a dead-end tech support job. He is the classic "tries too hard" kind of person nobody wants to be around and actively tries to avoid (when not mocking him). Elliot has a crush on a coworker named Alison (played by Frances O'Connor), and after a pathetic attempt to ask her out, he makes the statement that he would do anything to have her in his life. The Devil (played by Hurley) overhears him and tempts Eliot into selling his soul for seven wishes. Of course, the wishes are sabotaged, so Eliot gets what he asks for but never what he wants. 

The DVD extras include two commentary tracks on the movie, one by Harold Ramis and one by Hurley and the co-producer, Trevor Albert. It also includes the HBO First Look, a making-of featurette hosted by Hurley, the trailer, promotional spots, and a stills gallery. Ramis mainly describes the casting process and the various actors in his commentary. He does discuss details of some of the specific scenes as well. In the second commentary, Albert does most of the talking and, like Ramis, discusses the casting process, the locations, the performances of the actors, and the like. Hurley mostly only chimes in during her scenes and does not say much for long stretches. 

The movie is a good comedy, primarily good-natured and relatively wholesome. It is not entirely family-friendly, though. Hurley is in many skimpy outfits throughout the film. There is some sexual innuendo and a bit of swearing. So, it is not appropriate for very young kids, but it is okay for teenagers. Fraser shows off his comedic acting chops by playing many different characters, ranging from a Columbian drug lord to an overly emotional crybaby, in addition to Eliot's "normal" persona. Hurley seems to have a lot of fun playing the seductress and, of course, looks smoking hot throughout the movie. She and Fraser have great chemistry and comedic timing. Despite being a movie about selling one's soul to the Devil, it does not really get religious or preachy. The film's plot and message really boil down to the difference between being selfish and selfless. It is somewhat dated 24 years later (as of this writing), and some things in the movie probably would not be done the same way today. The special effects are okay but nowhere near the quality of today's CGI effects. So, if you watch it on a big screen, especially on a Blu-Ray player or a 4K Blu-Ray player, you can easily tell when something was shot against a green screen. Even though it is somewhat dated, the film generally holds up over time and is worth watching if you are in the mood for a good comedy.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Sherlock Season 4

 

The fourth and (likely) final season of Sherlock aired in January 2017. The season includes a lot of twists, characters being killed off, new characters being introduced, and a fracture of the team. I will not say too much to avoid spoiling it for anyone who has not seen it, but the show definitely took a darker turn this season, even more so than some of the dark elements of the prior seasons. The show does definitively confirm Moriarty is dead, even though they have had Sherlock say he was in the prior season, it was always seen as fairly open-ended, especially with the ending of season three. That is especially since they kept finding ways to fit him into the storylines. But, we learned that he had essentially teamed up with someone even worse who has ties to Sherlock and wreaks havoc in the final episode.

The Blu-Ray set is a two-disc set. The show looks and sounds great in the HD format. For extras, there are three twenty-minute or so behind the scenes features on the three episodes, one for each episode. Then there is about another 30 minutes worth of behind the scenes material that span the course of the season. One interesting tidbit is that the showrunners do not totally foreclose the possibility of further seasons. Still, given that it is getting harder to schedule Freeman and Cumberbatch, they ended the season in a way that it can be a series finale without any cliffhanger.

Overall, I enjoyed the season. It definitely took a turn in tone from the first couple of seasons and went even darker than the ending of season three. I cannot say that anyone who had been a fan of the show up to the fourth season will like or love it, a perusal of the reviews show that is not the case. That said, I think the acting and writing were top-notch, and I personally liked the darker tone, especially the final episode.

DVD/TV Series Review: 3 Broke Girls Season 5

 

The 22-episode fifth season of 2 Broke Girls aired during the 2015/2016 TV season. It was much the same as the prior seasons in that it mainly used a story-of-the-week format that would put the girls into some situation that they had to get out of or resolve by the end of the show, mixed with a couple of larger story arcs that would play out throughout the season. An example of the latter is Sophie and Oleg's attempt to have a baby.

The show was definitely one of those sitcoms that found what worked for it and did not deviate much, if at all, from that format. The jokes this season were just as dirty (if not more so at times) than they were in prior seasons. I do not get offended by sex/drug comedy, but I have been amazed at what they were able to get past the censors for a show that aired in primetime on network television. If you do not like that kind of humor, though, this show is definitely not for you.

The DVD set is a three-disc set. The extras are similar to what was included in the previous couple of seasons' DVD releases. The extras include deleted scenes (about 10 minutes worth) and a short (five-minute) gag reel. All the extras are included on the final disc. Overall, I would say that if you are a fan of the prior seasons, then you will probably like this one. If, however, you did not like the earlier seasons, then nothing about this one will likely convert you.

Blu-Ray/TV Movie Review: Sherlock: The Abominable Bride

 

The Abominable Bride is a single episode of Sherlock that aired in January 2016. It is, in part, a "what if" episode set primarily in the late 1890s. It shows what the series would have looked like if it had been set in the late 1800s instead of the modern day. It also serves as a bridge between the third season and fourth seasons of the show. So, it sort of jumped back and forth between time periods as each part of the story played out. I will not go into too much detail to avoid giving things away, but the writers managed to tell a good, "one-off" story, advance the modern-day story, and use Moriarty despite his death.

The Blu-Ray's A/V quality is excellent, as the show looks and sounds great in the HD format. The extras include some making-of and behind-the-scenes material, but there is no commentary track on the episode. Good for what was included, but not a ton of bonus material. Overall, if you are a fan of the show this is a must-see special event. Whether you consider it the end of season three, the beginning of season four, or just a special event, it is enjoyable, pays homage to the books while still putting its own spin on the story.

DVD/TV Series Review: 2 Broke Girls Season 4

 

The 22-episode fourth season of 2 Broke Girls aired during the 2014/2015 TV season. It does a good job balancing the overall storyline of Max and Caroline trying to "make it" with their cupcake business with the procedural stories of the week to keep the series from getting too stale. The main, non-cupcake business" theme of the season is Oleg and Sophie's relationship. That, and yet another "side business" for the girls, this time working at an upscale dessert shop in Manhattan (which sees the return of Big John from the pastry school) and includes Sandra Bernhardt as a multi-episode guest star. There is also a hilarious "relationship" for Max toward the end of the season and an episode in which several Victoria's Secret supermodels rent out Max and Caroline's apartment through Airbnb.

The series' humor is very much like the first three seasons, very adult (it is still amazing that they got away with some of the jokes they did) with a mix of physical comedy from almost every cast member at one point or another. Unlike past seasons, there are no Han or Earl-centric episodes, but they each have good moments throughout the season.

The DVD set is a three-disc set. For those who get the DVD set, the only extras are seven minutes of deleted scenes, and a five-minute gag reel, both included on the final disc. There are no behind-the-scenes material, cast interviews, or commentary tracks. Overall, if you are a fan of adult humor (there are tons of sex and drug references) or at least not bothered by that type of humor, and have liked the prior seasons, chances are you will like this one. Even though it is a raunchier comedy than many sitcoms on network TV, the characters are still likable and care about each other. The actors seemingly have great chemistry and enjoy being around each other (or fake it well). If you liked the prior seasons, you will probably like this one. On the other hand, if you are not a fan of the prior seasons, nothing about this one will likely convert you.

Book Review: Capture or Kill (Mitch Rapp Series #13 Chronological Order; #23 Publication Order)

 

Capture or Kill, published in 2024, is the newest entry in the Mitch Rapp series of novels created by the late author Vince Flynn. It was written by Don Bentley, who took over the series from Kyle Mills, who, of course, took it over after Vince Flynn's death. The book is set back in 2011, between the events of the last two novels that Vince Flynn finished, Pursuit of Honor and The Last Man. Therefore, the book is now the 13th book in the series if you read the books in chronological order. The plot initially involves Rapp going after more of the terrorists who had captured and tortured Irene Kennedy. That mission is interrupted when he discovers that a bunch of shoulder-fired missiles have been stolen and are to be used against American targets. As Flynn and Mills often did in their novels, Bentley also weaves the fictional storyline with real-world events. Here, while in the process of trying to track down the missiles, Rapp learns of and assists in the lead-up to the mission that would kill Osama Bin Laden.

The hardcover version of the book is just under 470 pages. Ultimately, the book is an excellent action thriller. Bentley, a long-time fan of the Mitch Rapp series, was able to emulate the style and tone of the prior novels yet make it his own. And because the events are set in the past, Bentley could incorporate characters (some directly and some by name) who had not been in the more recent novels. If you enjoy the series, this is an excellent addition. Bentley does an outstanding job with the characters and honors and preserves the work done by Flynn and (to a lesser extent) Mills. It is a great first outing for Bentley. It will be interesting to see if he does more stories set between prior novels or returns the storyline to the present. It is definitely worth the time to read.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Sherlock Season 3

 

++++WARNING, this review contains spoilers about the end of Season 2, but no major Season 3 spoilers.++++

The third season of Sherlock aired in January 2014. It picks up after a time jump of approximately two years. Most everyone in England (including Watson) believes Sherlock to be dead after jumping off the building. Of course, the audience knows he survived from the season two closing shot of the third episode. We do not, however, know exactly how he survived. That question is answered in a fairly humorous form in the first episode, with the writers working in different guesses that the fans came up with in the intervening couple of years between seasons 2 and 3. We find that Watson has moved on (mostly) with his life, having entered a relationship with Mary. Lestrade is still on the force but is not as effective when not benefiting from Sherlock's help. Mycroft is keeping tabs on Sherlock until he needs his help. I will not say too much about the season to keep from spoiling it. Still, as you can imagine, John finds out Sherlock is alive, which does not go over too well, and the show still manages to make use of Moriarty, even after he shot himself on the roof at the end of season two.

The Blu-Ray set is a two-disc set. The show still looks and sounds great in the HD format, but this season's Blu-Ray release is much lighter on extras than what was provided in physical media releases for the first two seasons. There are no commentary tracks in this season's release. There is just one making-of featurette on the second disc. If you only get the physical discs if there are a ton of extras, this does not fit into that category. Overall, I would say that if you liked or loved the prior seasons, you will probably like this one. On the other hand, if you were not a big fan of the prior seasons (or lukewarm to them), there is probably not anything about this season that is likely to change your mind. The acting is still top-notch, and the writing, while a bit more uneven this season, is still good on the whole.

DVD/Movie Review: 2 Broke Girls Season 3

 

The 24-episode third season of 2 Broke Girls aired during the 2013/2014 TV season. It continues to mix a story-of-the-week format with longer story arcs. This season, Max and Caroline open their new cupcake shop in the back of the diner (where they work before and after their diner shifts), and Max enrolls in pastry school. It also introduces new love interests for both Max and Caroline in the form of Eric Andre, who plays Deke, a student at the pastry school with Max, and Gilles Marini, who plays the Chef and instructor at the pastry school. This season also included guest stars such as Mary Lynn Rajskub, Lindsay Lohan, and Federico Dordei, who plays the hilarious day waiter at the diner who lusts after Oleg.

The season is a little lighter on character development this season, although we do get to meet Han's mother in a hilarious episode. The season focuses mainly on the relationship between Max and Caroline and their various trials and obstacles as they try to make the cupcake business successful. The other characters are mostly there for comic relief.

The DVD set is a three-disc set. The extras are all included on the final disc and are comprised of 18 minutes of deleted/extended/alternate scenes and a seven-minute gag reel. There are no making-of features, cast interviews, or the like as there were in the first two seasons. Overall, the show follows pretty much the same format as the first two seasons and definitely pushes boundaries with the sexual humor. It is not a show that will appeal to everyone, but if you are a fan of the first two seasons, you will likely enjoy this one as well.