I’m not sure whether it’s just me, but it seems like the audio mix on the Blu-ray has the narration down a little too low. Other than that, this is great on Blu-ray, and the search index is a lot of fun to play with.

Good? Oh good god, no. Worth consuming? Absolutely. Whatever his skills (or lack thereof) as a moviemaker may have been, there’s no denying that he had a style all his own.

I have not read the comic. But I enjoyed the film. Lots of action (oy, the action—I can’t believe what the MPAA lets slip under the “R” bar these days), mesmerizing visual effects, even decent acting (particular kudos to Messrs. Haley and Crudup).

I had no problem going along with the general plot being in an alternate 1985; it’s hard to call back the fear of nuclear armageddon that gripped the world at that time without staying in that time. But some bits of the movie do drag needlessly, other bits creak under the weight of cliché. And a note to Rosalina da Silva—Nixon had a big nose, but he wasn’t Pinocchio.

But it’s based on a comic, after all. The original comic that showed superheroes as human beings, with very human (superhuman?) flaws and all. I loved that. And the mystery of who the real supervillain was and what his evil plot meant kept my interest to the very end. (“I’m not a comic book villain. Do you seriously think I would explain my master stroke to you if there were even the slightest possibility you could affect the outcome?”)

Oh, and everything good you heard about Jackie Earle Haley? It’s all true, and then some.

I found this at a Trader Joe’s here in San Diego. Yes, ”?” is really its name. (At this writing I haven’t put up a photo of the label, but when I do, you’ll understand why I couldn’t resist.)

We kept it for a few weeks, then on Thanksgiving night I wanted to open it up. My wife was reluctant, and began to say something about saving it for a special occasion—but got about two-thirds of the way through that sentence before realizing what she was saying.

We made a big pot roast (she’s deathly allergic to poultry, no joke) and had the ? with it. Pleasant, fruity, not very dry. We enjoyed it. She thinks we should get another bottle soon.

This is really a blend, but if you like a simple cab, you’ll probably like this, too.

Now that I see the DVD is for sale as “Kings: The Complete Series,” I see that there really is just the one season.

And now that I’ve finished watching all of the episodes, I’m really sad that’s the case.

You may watch this to see how well Robert Downey Jr. pulls off playing an African-American man, or rather, a white Australian method actor’s idea of an African American—and there’s no denying he’s great (it didn’t hurt that his makeup was designed by the legendary Rick Baker). But very nearly as great is Tom Cruise as a bald, overweight, cutthroat Hollywood producer with a personality that makes Donald Trump look like Arrested Development’s Michael Bluth. My wife hated Tom Cruise for the longest time, but admitted that seeing him being such a good sport to play this role gave her new respect for him.

(Speaking of Michael Bluth, keep a sharp eye out for Jason Bateman among the celebrity cameos.)

While this movie hits all the right notes you’d expect from a blaxploitation flick, Black Gunn has an added bonus: Bruce Glover. Consider that he is the father of Crispin Glover, and you know what you’re in for. The apple certainly didn’t fall far from the tree.

I’ve also heard this called “Boddingtons Cream Ale,” though this is not its official name. It’s the smoothest beer I’ve ever had. I would recommend it to anyone who says “I don’t like beer”; you can’t say that with honesty until you’ve decided what you think of Boddingtons.

This is my favorite beer. Period.

An amusing trifle of a movie. Think star-studded cast in a community theater comedy. In fairness, I should mention that my wife loved it.