Jillian Michaels: 6 Week Six-Pack

Give it the goods, get results
At 26 years old and nearly six feet tall, I should be a shapely Amazon of a gal, but I'm not. A lack of portion control on my part and a full time job reviewing video games has lead to a physique that's not only unflattering, but unhealthy.

Over the course of months of exercise using Jillian's DVDs, I lost weight DRAMATICALLY. (To give you an idea, I went from a size 28 down to a size 16. Keep in mind I'm six foot tall here.) There was no magic, no bull, just hard work, encouragement, and inspiration. The thing about Jillian is that while she's earned and deserves her reputation for being a tough trainer, she's not an unpleasant one. There's just something about her I respond well to; she's firm but fair during her workouts, and her enthusiasm for what she's doing is infectious.

Unfortunately, late last year, in addition to getting complacent, my husband and I were also hammered by weeks where nothing seemed to go right and we had to deal with one calamity after...

Classic JIllian!
While I loved her most recent workouts (Yoga Meltdown and Shred it with Weights), they were very different in terms of her traditional style. 6 Week Six-Pack reminds me exactly why I started doing her workouts in the first place. It is very reminiscent of 30-Day Shred and Banish Fat Boost Metabolism, with a mix of traditional exercises and some I've never seen before. She blends weight training and cardio exercises, all of which focus on the abs in this case. She explains why crunches alone don't work--you must blast off the fat over your abs with cardio in order for them to show. You never stop moving in this DVD, and you'll start to sweat quickly. It's only about 35 minutes, so it's definitely easy to fit in regardless of your daily schedule. If you want a quick but hardcore way to get ripped, this is it!

Jillian has outdone herself!
I sat down & watched this workout to get familiar with it before I actually attempted it. I got tired just WATCHING! Jillian is amazing, as always! This workout is her best, and hardest, to date.

I did it for the first time yesterday...and I am SORE today! I'm in better shape than the average woman my age (45). This winter, I'm doing 2-a-day training sessions: working out with Jillian's various DVDs @ 4am before work, then running either at lunchtime on the treadmill in the gym at work or after I get home in the evening around my neighborhood. I also do a long run on the weekend. I've run 20+ races in the past 3 years, including 7 half marathons and 1 full marathon. I'm not an elite runner, by any means; I'm more of a middle-of-the-pack runner, but my point is that I work out all the time, I'm in really good shape, but this workout KICKED MY BUTT! I had to do the 'beginner version' of a lot of the exercises, though the girl doing the beginner modifications wasn't using a...

Click to Editorial Reviews

Shrek

A Great Feature Film & 3-D Short, both sold short
First, there's the Shrek film, which is not only an Academy Award winning Animated film...It's one of the best Films I've ever seen. I HIGHLY recommend that you buy the ASIN=B00003CXXJ version of Shrek which is both Widescreen and Fullscreen DVD, with great extras. The Shrek in this DVD pack is just Full Screen, which is an insult to this amazing film.

Then, there's Shrek 3-D, which is a great "4-D" theme park attraction at Universal Studios. It looses some of it's funniness going from 4-D to 3-D...so see it at the theme park, in all it's glory. Here, it is only presented in Anaglyph (Latin for "annoying"). The 15 minute short is presented in 2 formats, 2-D (why?!?) and Anaglyph (Red/Cyan glasses). Very bad move not to have included a Field Sequential 3-D version, which is what all the 3-D film lovers were readying their wallets for. Anaglyph looks like bad 3-D on all TVs, while Field Sequential looks great, but only works some TVs. Including both would've sold...

And It's Not Even Disney's
Shrek has grossed over 260 million in the theaters (as of Aug. 14, 2001). That's within .05% of the top grossing animation of all times, Toy Story (@ 262 million). Shrek is a great 3D movie. The 3D computer animation is second, only to Final Fantasy. The story is more involving than what I expected. The voices were well cast and performed. The whole film awsome. I'm sure you're aware of that or you wouldn't be reading this now. It has both adult (clean adult) and kids humor. The writers plagerized just about everyone and it was hilarious. Okay, now for the DVD. This DVD is created as 2 parts. One disc is aimed for the kids and the format is "full Screen" (pan & scan) and includes 17 DVD-ROM games. The other disc is geared more for adults and is letterbox formatted. Both discs have 3 minutes of extended ending that was never scene in the theatrical release. There's 'Making Of' and 'Behind The Scenes'. It encludes 11 hours of extras. There are also running commentaries. This DVD will...

Shrek is dirty fun
If you're looking for something a little less wholesome then Disney, but still well within the limits of 'Family values', then may I recommend Shrek. I have not had this much fun watching a movie in a long time. A fantastically fractured fairy tale that prods fun at every childhood story character and plot line that ever existed. No one is left unscathed, including Disney. There are a few major shameless blasts made at the mouse house enterprise but when it's all over, it's mostly harmless. In fact, you may think it was done out of jealousy. Shrek is incredibly animated, with textures and motions that surpass the famed Toy Story series. Every year computer animation gets better and better and this movie uses it to the fullest extent. There is no better format for this movie either. The number and diversity of the characters is well played out and well displayed in computer generation. Standard animation would not have cut it in this movie. The story line is simple; a large imposing...

Click to Editorial Reviews

Parks and Recreation: Season One

"Parks and Recreation" Starts Poorly, Gets Much Better
When I watched the first episode of "Parks and Recreation", I was let down. It was unfunny, unoriginal, and dull. Being an Amy Poehler fan though, I decided to stick with it to see if it improved. To my surprise, not only did it improve, it became better than most sitcoms out there nowadays. If you reviewed this negatively based solely on the first episode, I would suggest watching the entire season as even I agree with your first episode assessment. If you like "30 Rock" and "The Office", this show fits in nicely to that style of comedy.

"Yes-We-Can" Spirit Meets "No We Can't" Bureaucracy
Back in 2008 there was much talk of a spinoff of The Office. Rashida Jones was attached. Would her Office character Karen Fillippelli be getting her own show? (Answer: no.)

Then, despite the involvement of Greg Daniels and Michael Schur, the line became "don't call it an Office spinoff." (Answer: too late.)

Then Amy Poehler quit SNL to headline the show.

Then Parks And Recreation debuted in April 2009 and people immediately ripped it apart for being too much like The Office (mockumentary style, workplace setting) or not like The Office enough (no Michael-Jim-Pam-Dwight... not even a Karen Fillippelli).

I have no idea how the show actually came about. But during the development process, there was also a rather inspirational Presidential campaign playing in the background of everyone's lives. A new day dawned in America. And somehow the non-Office-spin-off show that emerged was set in local government (the Pawnee, Indiana Parks &...

Often hilarious first season
"Parks and Recreation" debuted in April, 2009, with a limited 6-episode first season run. The show was created by Greg Daniels and Michael Schur, who helped adapt the American version of "The Office" (Schur also plays Dwight's cousin, Mose). Filmed in the same mockumentary style as "The Office," the show is bound to draw comparisons. I'm a huge fan of "The Office," so that's what drew me to this show, and I was more or less satisfied. Both shows also feature rather mundane work settings populated with less than stellar workers. With "Parks and Recreation," we get Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler), who is the naive second-in-charge at the parks and recreation office in fictional Pawnee, Indiana. Leslie believes that she can make a difference, and she aspires to be like some of her favorite female politicians (her office walls are lines with photos of the likes of Hilary Clinton and Nancy Pelosi).

Leslie regularly holds town forums for parks and rec, and at one of these...

Click to Editorial Reviews

Loveholic

Entertaining
Well made, well-acted emotional drama. The themes are familiar from Hollywood (marriage of wealthy, successful couple disturbed by the troubled outsider with her own demons). For Western viewers this is a nice peek into Korean city culture. Overall, a satisfying way to spend 90 minutes.

A weird triangle
I don't understand a lot about Korean culture but why would you start an affair after he invited the girlfriend to live with you, you could see that one coming a mile away. The story was entertaining with enough twists to keep you interested and I enjoyed seductions.

Loveholic Korean Style
A slow start requires a little patience, but it also helps to put the characters in their respective situations, and if you are like me, i.e., not too familiar with the life style of young Koreans, that is helpful. Basically, the story deals with a young, married and wealthy couple - he is a successful doctor in a hospital, and the young spouse's friend, who is a wanna-be writer, intelligent but devoid of any sense of direction in her life. Her asset: pitiless honesty, with herself and those around her. Unfortunately, she also could use some anger management, since total lack of self-control is what gets her deep into trouble. A little help from her friend, the married girl, is just the right catalyst to help bring this more and more entangled situation to a boil.
Enough said, they all have their secrets and battle their inner demons... and they all will have to come to terms with them. Interesting...

Click to Editorial Reviews

Hatari! [HD]

Hawks' African 'Buddy' Film a Wayne Classic!
HATARI! may be the most enjoyable of the Howard Hawks/John Wayne collaborations (their other pairings produced the classics RED RIVER and RIO BRAVO, and the RIO BRAVO 'remakes' EL DORADO and RIO LOBO), and is exceptional in several ways; at 157 minutes (2 hours, 37 minutes), it may be one of the longest 'buddy' films ever made; nearly all of the animal 'chase and capture' sequences involved the actual cast members (professional handlers serving as stunt doubles were only rarely used); and the filming began with virtually no script (which was written based on the 'on location' footage in Africa, after the cast returned to California). At 65, director Hawks was still in top form, and the risks he took paid off...HATARI!, despite it's length, is never boring!

The story focuses on a season with a team of professional hunter/trappers, capturing animals for zoos and circuses. With a breathtaking opening scene of a rhino chase, costing them the use of veteran driver, 'Indian'...

A great action film
If you are a John Wayne fan and want a break from his usual western, this is the video to buy. You can tell he loves Africa and being around African big game...it shows in his face and his manner. And he's surrounded by a very capable supporting cast...Red Buttons and Elsa Martinelli are fantastic. The scenery is breathtaking and the action shots are superb....especially chasing the rhinos and the cape buffalo who give the game hunters quite a fight. I also think Howard Hawks used some interesting techniques to get honest reactions from the actors....some of the scenes had to been a surprise to Wayne and Martinelli! The movie has something for everyone.

Timeless comedy
I don't know how many times I've seen this movie since I was a child. And it is still one of my all time favorites. I hope Paramount is making a DVD in the near future, cause my old VHS tape is pretty worn out and won't do it any longer. Although John Wayne is mostly famous for his western movies, he's best in Non-westerns. His exprssion when Martinelli asks him how he likes to kiss is priceless. I LOVE IT!! Howard Hawks was an excellent director and never in the 160 minutes the movie is boring. The action scenes are exciting, the comedy scenes are funny. Don't touch it when you love Stallone or Van Damme, but it is a must when you love Good Old Hollywood!!

Click to Editorial Reviews

Nikita: The Complete Third Season [Blu-ray]

One of my favorite shows!
I love the action and the actors in this show...may it have many more season's to come. My favorite characters Alexandra Udinov, and of course, Nikita.

Still Great Series
I have been watching this series for about a year when I discovered it by chance and signed up for all 3 seasons on Amazon and while this season has a different flavor than the previous seasons I am enjoying it totally. The acting is good, the characters are interesting and the missions are not retreads of other series like I see on other shows. 5 Stars for me easy.

Nikita: The Complete Third Season
Breathtaking! A thrilling series to fill cold winter nights. Highly recommended.
Hope they continued this series for a fourth season.

Click to Editorial Reviews

Bad Santa (Unrated Director's Cut) [Blu-ray]

STAY AWAY FROM DIRECTORS CUT
If you are a fan of Bad Santa, DO NOT BUY THIS DVD. I bought it expecting extended and restored scenes, instead I got a totally different ending and hilarious scenes cut out.
This version ends with the little boy outside trying to clean up the blood on his front steps rather than giving the bully a swift kick in the nards.
One of the scenes cut out is the scene in the gym where Willie and Marcus are trying to teach the little boy how to defend himself. That was one of the funniest scenes in the movie.
The packaging is deceptive. If they had said, "new ending" on the notes, I would have left it alone. It didn't and I wasted my money. I thought I would come on here and post a warning.

The feel-bad hit of the winter
For those of us who can't quite get into the Christmas spirit, "Bad Santa" is a massive preemptive strike against all of the insufferable sentimentality we're going to be subjected to a few months from now. This movie is every bit as entertaining and funny as "School Of Rock," but where "School Of Rock" succeeded through the overwhelming weight of its good intentions, "Bad Santa" (its moderately heartwarming ending notwithstanding) is all about bad intentions. This movie, especially in its powerhouse first half, displays such a commitment to mean-spiritedness that you can't help but love it.

Billy Bob Thornton's safe-cracking department-store Santa Willie is the epitome of ugliness, all the more so because he commits much of his mayhem in his work outfit. Early on we see him getting drunk and throwing up in an alley, and from there he remains in the gutter for much of the movie. He chain smokes, he wets himself in his chair, he fornicates in a dressing room, and above all, he...

Funniest film I've seen in ten years!
Not since "There's something about Mary" have I laughed so hard in a movie theater! I got into one of the preview screenings of this last week in LA and I have to say 90% of the audience was laughing just as loud as me. Let the prudes stay home - this is a film for anyone who wants to laugh till it hurts!

Click to Editorial Reviews