Blu-Ray Review: Ghostbusters (2009 25th Anniversary release)

 

Ghostbusters is the iconic 1984 comedy starring Dan Akroyd, Harold Ramis, Bill Murray, Ernie Hudson, Sigourney Weaver, Annie Potts, and Rick Moranis (the last two in supporting roles). The idea is that a group of scientists (Ramis, Murray, and Akroyd) is convinced that ghosts are real (which is established fairly early on in the movie) and can be captured and stored. They end up purchasing a fire station and selling their services as Ghostbusters. Of course, by the end of the movie, there is a threat not only to New York City as a whole but to the world if the Ghostbusters do not stop it.

Chances are, anyone reading this by now has seen the movie at least once. For the handful who may not have, it is definitely an adult comedy. It has a lot of swearing and some sexually suggestive material (but no nudity). It is extremely funny with jokes that you may miss the first time around. Even with a large ensemble cast all of the actors get at least some good material, and pretty much every character gets at least one memorable line.

The movie has been released multiple times on DVD and Blu-Ray. If you end up with the 25th-anniversary set, it carries over all of the making-of and behind-the-scenes material from the DVD release and includes the commentary track with the director Ivan Reitman, Harold Ramis, and one of the producers. The big addition to this set is a "Slimer" mode, which is a picture-in-picture viewing of the movie that has a ton of material including interviews with cast members and pop-up facts about the movie. There is also a preview of the video game that was released at the same time, and a feature on restoration of the Ecto-1 car. All in all, a bunch of good material for those who like going through the bonus material.

It is one of the best comedies not only of the 1980s but of all time. Even though it looks like a movie that was made in the 1980s, the story holds up even though it is now almost 40 years old. If you have not yet bought it on disc, you may want to get the 4K version, but if you are a fan of physical media it is worth picking up.

Workout Update: Chalean Extreme Day 16

Day 16 was the recharge workout again. Given that I only got a few hours of sleep the night before, doing recharge was actually very nice because I was not up to a very intense workout. Again, I can tell that my flexibility has been getting better through the P90X yoga and stretch workouts into this one. I still definitely have tight spots, especially in my lower back and hamstrings, but those are getting more flexible (slowly).

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Fringe Season 1

 

Fringe was a very unique series that ran from 2008 to 2013. It was part police procedural and part supernatural thriller that involved a division of the FBI headed by Lance Reddick's character Phillip Broyles that investigated a series of strange phenomena that would come to be called "The Pattern". Anna Torv played FBI agent Olivia Dunham who investigated Pattern incidents with the help of a scientist who had been in a mental hospital for years named Walter Bishop (played by John Noble) who had studied similar incidents before he went crazy, and his son Peter (played by Joshua Jackson of Dawson's Creek fame) who was basically Walter's babysitter after he was checked out of the hospital. Of course, there was much more to the plot as the series unfolded with a lot of twists and turns. It was created by JJ Abrams, so it has a somewhat similar feel to the series Lost, although in a totally different context. If you take Lost and mix in a bit of X-files and even some Twin Peaks, that is kind of what Fringe gives you. That said, it is definitely its own show and was not derivative of anything else at the time. It is a cross between a case-of-the-week procedural series and a serial series with a long arc that stretches through the season. Events in one episode most definitely impact other episodes down the line, so you really have to watch it from the start to get what is going on. The season ends on a pretty big cliffhanger and teases the introduction of a character that is played by a Sci-Fi icon.

For those who get the Blu-Ray set, the show looks and sounds great in HD. It definitely had, and made use of, a health special effects budget, and it is definitely worth watching in the high-definition format. The extras include commentary tracks on select episodes, several making-of and behind-the-scenes featurettes, and deleted scenes for many of the episodes.  About an hour and a half plus of material (not including the commentaries).

While I cannot say the series will appeal to everyone, if you are a fan of the sci-fi/fantasy genre, chances are you will like it. It is a unique series in that not everything is made up. It actually does include some actual scientific concepts and then mixes them with totally made-up sci-fi stuff. It does have some violence and some gross visuals, but not much in the way of sexual content. It is very well written and acted, and definitely worth checking out.

Supplement Review: Premier Protein Shake, Caramel, 11.5 Fl. Oz (Pack of 12)

 

As most probably know, RTD protein drinks can range from awful tasting to pretty good. This is definitely on the pretty good (maybe great depending on your taste) end of the spectrum. You get 30g of protein, which is on the higher-end of the RTD spectrum for protein content, which is nice if you work out pretty regularly. It is a bit on the pricey side, with a case of 12 costing upwards of $20 depending on what the inventory levels are. But, if you can get it at a reasonable price, it is definitely worth trying.

Blu-Ray Review: Chuck Season 2

 

The second season of Chuck is where the series really hit its stride. The beginning of the season involves a storyline of a second intersect and the possibility of Chuck getting his normal life back, which is a blessing and a curse for him given his feelings for Sarah, and not wanting her to leave. Of course, plans go awry, and (since the show went on), he does not end up getting out. The season also expands the role of Fulcrum and the evil organization trying to get their hands on the intersect. This season also involves more of the Buy More group of characters, with hilarious results. We also get a ton of pop culture references in the season, the best of which is a "Die Hard" themed Christmas episode, that included Reginald VelJohnson, and an episode with a bunch of Back to the Future references, including a DeLorean.

For those who get the Blu-Ray set, there are a handful of short making-of and behind-the-scenes features, an 18-minute featurette on the stunt work, and a gag reel. Some sets have the 3D version of the episode Chuck vs. the Third-dimension and others have just the 2D version. There is also 10 minutes worth of webisodes. So, a nice amount of extras for those who like bonus features.

Overall, the season was great. The show continues to be well written and acted. This season also saw a ton of guest stars including, Melinda Clark (from the OC), Michael Clarke Duncan, Nicole Ritchie, Michael Strahan, Jordana Brewster, Morgan Fairchild, Bruce Boxleitner, Scott Bakula, Chevy Chase, Tricia Helfer, Jerome Bettis, and more. Matt Bomer also made an appearance as Bryce Larkin to throw a wrench not only into the intersect storyline but the Chuck-Sarah relationship. If you are one of the few people reading this who knows nothing about the show and are just trying to figure out if you want to watch it, I highly recommend it. It has a great blend of action, comedy, and drama (and having Yvonne Strahovski in lingerie on a regular basis does not hurt either). You definitely need to watch the first season in order for the second season to make sense because the show is much more of a serial storyline than a procedural one. And, if you liked or loved the first season, you will probably feel the same way about this one.