 |
Moneyball (DVD)
by pmcds
Looking at the billing for this and seeing Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill as the main two actors, you'd be forgiven for thinking that you're about to watch a comedy. I was certainly expecting this, having not actually seen or read anything about this film before watching it. However, this is far from the truth, the only comedic moments coming ... from the awkwardness Pitt's character occasionally shows throughout the film.
Pitt plays Billy Beane, fallen baseball star who has taken over as the GM of the Oakland As, a Major League team that struggles to reach the dizzy heights of the better known teams due to its shortfall of funds and lack of clout at the draft each year. Billy has his work cut out as he is quick to recognise that a player can be all he promises on paper and still not deliver on the field. He should know, he's the prime example of someone who should have been Hall of Fame but couldn't even survive a season in the big game.
Based on a true story, this film sees Beane hire Peter Brand, an economics graduate who looks at a player's offensive stats and computer analysis rather than the player himself to work out their worth, and thus ensues a season based solely around a team who can load bases, with not a big gun in sight. The failed pitcher, the first baseman who is scared of a ball being thrown to him, and an ageing star are all part of the motley crew employed to get the As a championship title, and the cast actually do a very good job of leading us through the plot.
Pitt and Hill stand out from the rest, although I'm not sure whether this is just because they are lead names on the list. They certainly get the lion's share of screen time, with Phillip Seymour Hoffman providing the attempted reason as head coach Art Howe who tries to put out the most logical team based on who he sees and the likelihood of winning a game. Beane's idea is taken from Brand, who came across an economics professor's way of predicting the success of a baseball player by eradicating all personality traits, off field antics and age, and looking solely at computer generated stats on the field on offense. What you end up with is an impressive stream of scenes where you see a team transformed slowly but surely from a gang of has beens and never will bes into a team that could challenge for the title.
The true story nature of it may not provide many surprises, but this is more about one man's attempts to give others a shot and prove he has the nouse for the game that he stalled with when he was a player. There's plenty of emotion, and it's a drama that exposes a lot of the acting as opposed to the action taking a front line. It is well scripted and cleverly directed, bravely even given that its running time is longer than similar sports drama films often are. Sports films tend to be either short or focused on the action, and this does neither, kind of providing a different viewpoint to most in its genre. The acting is top notch for the most part, with Pitt providing his usual ease in front of the camera and Hill surprisingly brilliant as the nervous and inexperienced young analyst.
I was very impressed with the film and thought the maturity it presented and the way it told the story were praiseworthy indeed. If you're after an entertaining and interesting drama then Moneyball is certainly worth a watch. I was pleasantly surprised indeed, as this is not normally the sort of film I would choose and I'm glad I did. Recommended.
Read the complete review |
 |
10 Minute Solution - Blast Off Belly Fat (DVD)
by DJKTRox
I bought this after having done the 30 Day Shred by Jillian Michaels. I had done it for 4 or 5 weeks, and felt I needed something else to pep up the workout a bit. So I got this!
There are 5 10 minute sections that you can either do one, or mix a few or do the whole 50 minutes (If you're feeling brave!). The sections are ... called Flat Belly Fast, where you train your ab muscles to lay flat (You will need a folded towel for this), Pilates Perfect Abs, Belly Fat Blaster (cardio based), Abs Ripper (a mix of all the sections in one ten minute slot) and Six Pack Abs (mat based crunches). To help you get through, I played a little game with myself, and counted the amount of times she said "Abs tight!!"
Positives:
Easy to fit in 10 minute sections.
Mostly clear instruction
Just as you think you cant go on, she lets you have a rest
Effective, work up a sweat and feel the muscles worked.
She tells you why you are doing certain moves, so you know where you are targeting.
Negatives:
Not a very long warm up (but to be expected considering the time frame) They should have a seperate section with an extended warm up in it.
The music...its terrible...but if you concentrate as much as I do trying not to pass out, it doesn't matter too much.
Quite a few shots of her bum and hips and her groin area when doing hard bits, which is kind of off putting!
She tries to time her saying "now ten tiny tucks" in with the music, which is eye-rollingly cheesy
Speaking of the ten tiny tucks...there's a lot, and yes, you get shots of her groin whilst she's doing them...
I wouldn't say this was a very difficult DVD, but after Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred, I can do anything! The section Six Pack Abs and Pilates Perfect Abs are fairly hard on the neck as you spend a fair amount of time curled up, so I wouldn't recommend it to anyone with a neck issue. Its fairly low impact for the knees, although some of the stretches and moves you have to have a fair amount of balance for (or she says you can use a chair/wall to stabilise yourself on!).
Read the complete review |
 |
Jillian Michaels Ripped in 30 (DVD)
by claire405
As anyone who has read my other reviews will be aware, I love Jillian Michaels!
Ripped in 30 is the first of Jillian's workouts that I tried and I was hooked from the start. I would say that it is a slightly easier workout than Killer Buns and Thighs and 6 week 6 pack.
The basic gist of it is that you do one of the ... 20 minute workouts every day for 30 days. Each week you move up a level and at the end of it you will be ripped (clue's in the name really). The workouts follow the 3-2-1 set up, this is 3 circuits consisting of 3 minutes of strength (muscle toning exercises), 2 minutes of abs and 1 minute of cadio. This type of high intensity training (HIT) is a well known method for rapidly improving muscle tone. Some of the exercises are ones that you may recognise from school PE lessons (eg jumping jacks) and others are completely new and a bit whacky (like the duck walk). But overall, it feels fresh interesting. As with Jillian's other DVDs, there are 2 other ladies in the background, one doing a beginner's version and one doing an advanced version, whilst Jillian does an intermediate version. This allows you to make a slow progression across each each despite doing the same routine. Of course everything can be made harder by increasing the resistance (heavier weights) and performing the exercises faster. Jillian gives tips about correct form all the way through and shouts motivational comments to keep you going. She also tells you exactly which muscle groups you are working and how they will improve the appearance of your body. Each work out includes a complete warm up at the start and full set of stretches at the end.
This DVD is tough. By the end of your first try at level 1, you will sweat and ache, curse Jillian and wonder how you will make it to level 4. But as Jillian says "if you want to get ripped in 30 days, you have to work for it".
I have seen brilliant results from this workout DVD, it doesn't get boring and I often rotate between different JM DVDs whenever I fancy a bit of a change.
In summary, if you are considering buying this, don't hesitate. You will see results whether you're just looking to tone up, or wanting to shed those extra pounds.
Read the complete review |
