Jago & Litefoot Series Two is an audio boxset from Big Finish Productions continues the arduous adventures of two characters who appeared in the celebrated Doctor Who serial The Talons of Weng-Chiang, and it is an adequately fun experience. Christopher Benjamin and Trevor Baxter reprise their respective roles of Henry Gordon Jago and Professor George Litefoot. They are joined by Lisa Bowerman as a barmaid named Ellie, Conrad Asquith, David Collings, Jennie Stoller, and Simon Williams included in the guest cast.

There are four episodes that are connected by one bloodthirsty adversary by the name of Gabriel Sanders, played by Collings. Before Jago and Litefoot knew that Sanders was an enemy, he appeared to be an ally.

Justin Richards, one of the better Doctor Who contributors start us off with Litefoot and Sanders. The good professor is keeping his usual partner and friend in the dark as he and another scientist investigate a series of mysterious deaths in which the victims are drained of blood and two distinctive punctures reside on their necks. A friend falls victim to the killer, and Jago and Litefoot find that Gabriel Sanders is far more dangerous than he appears.

Baxter and Benjamin are in top form, and Collings is actually pretty good as the main villain here. It’s a strong start to this collection with a pretty compelling climax. We also get to hear Jago and Litefoot at odds for much of this story. Jago is presented as somewhat buffoonish and bombastic, yet he does display some cleverness as well, which shows that the friendship between the two lead protagonists may not be as unlikely as it seems at times.

Mark Morris follows up with the not terrible yet somehow less impressive The Necropolis Express in which Jago and Litefoot board a train to a graveyard. They find that they have an opportunity to save a friend who had fallen victim to Sanders in the previous story, and another dubious scientist from Litefoot’s past has emerged.

This episode is kind of a Frankenstein retread in some ways, but with Ellie being revived with a familiar horrifying thirst. Lisa Bowerman really does well on creating this character and does sound completely different from her usual role for Big Finish as Bernice Summerfield. The episode is serviceable but not very remarkable. Yet again, the performances and chemistry between the two leads carry an admirable load which does improve the ability to enjoy this episode.

Jonathan Morris takes us to The Theatre of Dreams in which Jago and Litefoot appear to have a change of fortune for the better. Jago takes on a new act in his newly inherited theatre but finds that he and his friends are more ensnared in the performance than they realize.

I love a good story in which fantasy and reality get twisted up in a diabolical way. This is probably the strongest of the four scripts even though it does require a bit more attention to make sure one understands what is happening. It’s not the first time that a story in this genre has blurred the distinction between reality and fiction, but Morris does well on making this idea seem rather fresh.

Finally, Andy Lane delivers The Ruthven Inheritance in which Jago and Litefoot have their final confrontation with the dastardly Gabriel Sanders.

Andy Lane is another favorite writer of mine over the years, but I had a much harder time getting into this episode. I think four episodes in a set if pretty long and keeping up with Jago’s long-winded diatribes does get a little exhausting even though I really enjoy Christopher Benjamin’s performance.

Overall, there are quite a few high points throughout the series, but I was still a bit underwhelmed. Even though I am somewhat dubious of spin-offs as a rule, Big Finish did manage create a series which is imperfect but somehow endearing enough for me to continue following the infernal investigations of Jago and Litefoot.

Slingshot is a disappointing, yet unsurprising mediocre science fiction film directed by Mikael Håfström and written by R. Scott Adams and Nathan Parker. It does have a reliable and talented cast which just about makes it tolerable. Casey Affleck plays the lead role of an astronaut named John with Laurence Fishburne and Tomer Capone along on the rather perplexing space journey. Emily Beecham and David Morrissey are also included, so the acting chops are there.

There are some flashbacks involving an apparently abandoned relationship between Affleck and Beecham’s characters, but essentially three astronauts are traveling one of Saturn’s moons known as Titan to collect some badly needed natural resources to ship back to Earth. Because of the distance, the spacefaring trio have to spend several long stints in hibernated sleep, waking every three months for some routine maintenance and reestablishing contact with Mission Control. John starts to lose his grip on reality when he starts hearing whispers and having visions of his lost love, Zoe. One of the other two astronauts seems to be really losing his marbles, however as the story unfolds, it is quite a chore to determine the difference between reality and fantasy.

The film does have a couple of accomplishments. The cast is talented enough, and there are some effectively suspenseful moments. It does take a while for the action to rev up. Affleck’s character is somewhat dull at first, but he starts to get a little more compelling the more the audience finds out about him.

Fishburne seems too seasoned at this point to really screw up a role, so he is reliably helpful in a film even if the writing is a little dodgy.

I don’t like to give away too many spoilers, so I want to be a little careful here. The main problem is that the actual mission planning makes no sense. This didn’t occur to be until after I walked out of the theater, but I realized that whoever concocted the actual strategy for this venture had to be an utter imbecile.

The visual effects and set designs were fine, but that hardly matters if the story comes across as too ludicrous. The film looks pretty cool and interesting in some ways, but that ended up being as much of an illusion as poor John’s grip on sanity.

Deathly Relics is the latest Sherlock Holmes pastiche novel written by Sam Siciliano and is really one of his better entries on to the range from Titan Books.

Once again, Siciliano sidelines Dr. Watson in favor of his own narrator, Dr. Henry Vernier, who is some distant cousin of Holmes’s. Once again, Siciliano does not pass up the chance to disparage Watson’s accounts of the adventures he shared with London’s most celebrated detective. Fortunately, this tendency doesn’t take over the plot, but it is a little puzzling and annoying when it does come up.

Holmes and Vernier are visiting Rome on some diplomatic task for the British government when the Pope sends them a summons. A relic is stolen from the Vatican, and Holmes is asked to use his considerable gifts of detection to locate it. It is said to be the skeletal remains of the forefinger of Saint Thomas. The item in question is mysteriously returned, and the matter seems to have resolved itself. Then, many other relics are purloined, and a security guard is murdered. The trail leads to the doorstep of an Italian crime family, and one of the most ruthless killers Holmes as ever faced is not quite done wielding his stiletto.

I actually don’t mind Siciliano presenting readers with a different narrator. I do find Vernier sort of charming at times. He is a happily married physician, and his wife often gets swept up in the case as well. I just question Siciliano’s insistence on denigrating Arthur Conan Doyle’s original chronicler periodically.

Holmes and Vernier are somewhat compelled to define their own history with the church, which was rather interesting. Siciliano seems critical of some aspects of Catholic practices at times, but he manages to refrain from being too cruel and unfair. There are actually priestly characters who are rather likeable and honorable. Even if Holmes and Vernier question the level of reverence placed on objects, they still maintain some civility and respect for their surroundings.

I am not Catholic by any means, yet I still have a certain curiosity if I ever have the opportunity to visit the Vatican.

The problem with this novel is that it still feels kind of bland. The killer ended up not being all that interesting. He liked to taunt Holmes a bit. The other characters were fine and served the story adequately, but that was about it. The Vatican would be a fascinating place to visit, but it doesn’t feel all that original in a crime novel.

It’s not a terrible addition to the vast catalogue of Sherlock Holmes tales that have been published by so many others since the demise of his creator, but it fails to consistently keep a tight hold on one’s interest.

I have been putting this off long enough, but it’s time to take a trip to the American West; more specifically, to a small Texas town known as Lonesome Dove with the celebrated Larry McMurtry as my guide.

The War Doctor Begins: Warbringer is a Doctor Who audio boxset and does a pretty good job of continuing the chronicles of this incarnation which is known as the War Doctor among the fandom. Jonathon Carley stars as the War Doctor, which was originated by the late John Hurt. This is a story told in three episodes and is directed by Louise Jameson. The War Doctor claims to have no name anymore, but we know who he really is. The guest cast includes Ajjaz Awad, Angela Bruce, Beth Chalmers, Jessica Temple, John Banks, Stephen Frost, and Nicholas Briggs is back behind the mic voicing the Daleks.

The Doctor has regenerated into someone who is more of a warrior and has renounced what has been his identity for centuries. He is still referred to as the Doctor by his allies and enemies to his chagrin, but this incarnation has different priorities and goals than his other selves. Still, he has many of the Doctor’s familiar tendencies. He is still wanting to save lives where he can, and much of his irreverent humor remains intact. This version of the Doctor is still a bit more ruthless and willing to make sacrifices that his other selves would find abhorrent in order to win the war with the Daleks.

There are three connected episodes in this one as usual. The set is interesting and has some spectacular moments in the performances. The technical aspects remain top-notch. Carley’s performance continues to be compelling and uncannily close to how John Hurt probably would have sounded if he was able to continue with this range.

The first episode is entitled Consequences by Timothy X Atack. The War Doctor and a Time Lady named Veklin, played by Chalmers, have crashed on a planet ahead of another ship which is also about to collide. There is also a cyborg woman which a serious case of amnesia. In fact, she becomes known as Case and is portrayed by Ajjaz Awad. The War Doctor is now in the fight and has to find his newfound allies again.

It’s a pretty good start, but there is quite a lot of sound effects and confusing moments which probably would have worked better visually.

Andrew Smith gets to take the listeners into the second story, Destroyer. The War Doctor appears to be a fulfillment of a prophecy for a society that worships war.

Case is becoming more of an interesting addition to the War Doctor’s motley collection of allies. Awad seems to have been a solid casting choice.

There is not that much that is terribly memorable about this episode, but it does hold up. I may just need to listen again and focus better.

Finally, Jonathan Morris, another long-time Doctor Who writer, closes out the set with Saviour, which ends up being more of a flashback story as the War Doctor tells Case how they met. Case was apparently going to be converted into a Dalek before the War Doctor found her and put a stop to that atrocity.

There was an effort to present the story in a somewhat creative way when it comes to the order, and it works.

There is quite a lot of action which would work better in a visual format, but the sound effects remain top-class. The War Doctor is proving to be a fascinating piece of the history. I was not a big fan of the introduction of this incarnation in the television series, but John Hurt’s acclaim and respect in the entertainment industry is well-earned. Carley does very well with his impression. Although I am a little leery of recasting roles, I have become more tolerant of the practice in the audio format.

Big Finish Production has released another solid addition to the range. It’s not exactly the crème de la crème of the range, it would still be inadvisable to pass this one by. It’s a long way from the bottom of the barrel, and the release does achieve the purpose of propelling the War Doctor deeper into the Time War.

Blink Twice is a pretty interesting yet gruesome thriller directed by Zoe Kravitz, which she also co-wrote with E.T. Feigenbaum. It has a fairly impressive cast which includes Channing Tatum, Naomie Ackie, Christian Slater, Haley Joel Osment, Adria Arjona, Geena Davis, and Kyle MacLachlan.

A couple of banquet waitresses who are best friends and roommates meet a tech mogul played by Tatum and are invited to his private paradise island. The getaway starts off quite nicely with all sorts of extravagant luxury and a fair bit of intoxication. It’s just a typical getaway with a bunch of rich, immature middle-aged delinquents. It does seem kind of fun until the main heroine, Frida, loses track of her friends and discovers some gaps in her memory. There is a maid that seems to recognize but does not speak English. The vacation starts to get a good deal creepier until Frida’s memory block collapses with the aid of some snake venom. She gains an ally as well and finds that her vacation has a far more sinister motivation behind it.

This is Kravitz’s first effort as a director, and it isn’t too bad. The beginning does seem to drag a little, but it does get better once more of the mystery becomes evident. Ackie ends up being an effective lead. Tatum even shows a bit of surprising range as the story unfolds.

There are some strange camera angles and lots of cutaways that are bit jarring. Some of that is understandable considering that much of the story deals with fragmented memories. I thought Kravitz was a little too liberal with the close-ups at times. I wasn’t a fan of some of the technical decisions involving the shooting of the film.

Overall, the film is not bad. There were some moments of real effective suspense. The performances were pretty good for the most part. It was kind of cool to see Slater and Osment in this because it seems like it’s been a while since I have seen them in a major film release. They probably have been working more than I remember, but it just seemed to me aa long time since I have seen them on the big screen.

There were some loose ends in the story as well. The ending seems to leave some pretty glaring unanswered questions. I was dubious of some of the layers in the story.

It’s an odd film but effective and pretty interesting. It does have more going for it than not, but some of the flaws are a little hard to ignore or forgive.

I think Kravitz’s directorial debut is a success all things considered. Tatum may actually have some range as an actor. I doubt this will be a major classic, but I think Kravitz can have some legitimate pride here.

Big Finish Productions has a new collection of Twelfth Doctor audio dramas in the set entitled You Only Die Twice, and it’s okay. Jacob Dudman returns to mic doing his impression of Peter Capaldi’s version of the Time Lord. Lisa Bowerman serves as the director of this trilogy of episodes. Bhavnisha Parmer returns as Big Finish companion known as Keira Sanstrom. Nicholas Asbury is the main villain known as Belias, who apparently resembles the traditional depiction of Satan. Other guest cast members include Maggie Bain, Georgina Beedle, Robert Daws, Richard Braine, and Clare Corbett.

The Doctor gets whisked away by Time Agent Keira Sanstrom to help her find some stolen time weapons. The Doctor is an unwilling recruit of the Time Agency, but he manages to get a good adventure out of it.

Sunstrike by Georgia Cook is the first episode in this collection. The Doctor is sent to an auction among the galaxy’s worst villains at a resort. He meets someone known as the Quartermaster, played by Robert Daws.

This is apparently a riff on James Bond movies, and it is fairly amusing. Parmer ends up being a welcome return since her banter with the Doctor is rather charming.

Dudman does pretty well with capturing the gist of Capaldi’s interpretation of the role, but his impressions of David Tennant and Matt Smith are better.

The second episode is Never the End Is by Ben Tedds. The Doctor and Keira arrive in seventeenth century Austria where they meet a painter who has impossible visions, and they are not the only ones from the Time Agency on site.

The episode is not terrible due largely to the performances and sound engineering. It’s not all that memorable except for the cliffhanger which suggests a rather shocking betrayal.

Finally, Fio Trethewey brings this set to a close with You Only Die Twice where the Doctor goes head-to-head against Belias and is uncertain who are really is allies.

The set was pretty interesting, but I had a hard time seeing or hearing how it stands out all that much. Big Finish often has some real triumphs in its storytelling, but this one just ends up not being disastrous.

Still, Dudman’s performance is quite good, and the release is still worth trying out. I will likely give this one another listen, so I may end up enjoying it more once I understand the action sequences a little better. The boxset is not without its charm, but it is mildly disappointing.

The Broken Place is a fairly decent thriller by Ace Atkins and features Sheriff Quinn Colson of Tibbehah County Mississippi.

Colson is a former United States Army Ranger who returns home and finds that corruption and murder has taken root in the town of Jericho. Colson is elected sheriff and attempts to bring some actual order to his home county. He is the right man for the job, but a lot of wrong people still find their way into his town.

This novel starts off with a couple of dangerous convicts escaping and heading to Colson’s county to find a former prison mate who claims to have been reformed. Quinn’s sister has fallen for a local preacher who was recently pardoned after a murder conviction. The two fugitives believe that this preacher, Jamey Dixon, has stolen money hid away from a previous robbery they committed. The sheriff her to protect his family as well as the community from the murderous havoc these fugitives are willing to bring. Not only that, but a storm is also brewing which will bring a tornado tearing through the county. Colson also finds that he may not be able to rely on the integrity of some of the other law enforcement agents getting in on the manhunt.

Ace Atkins is probably best known for taking over the continuation of the Spenser series of novels after the death of Robert B. Parker. He has this Quinn Colson series out there which does have an interesting set-up. Quinn Colson is not that unusual of a protagonist in these tough guy thrillers. Colson is predictably stoic and practical but also strangely reassuring in the midst of chaos. He manages to not totally lose his edge even when his sister is threatened.

Other than the setting, Atkins is not really breaking new ground, but the novel is still interesting. The main villain is a killer named Esau Davis, and he carries a complicated moral compass at times which does make him interesting most of the time.

I do like Colson’s style when interacting with some of the shifty local political figures in the story. There’s a pretty loathsome creature named Johnny Stagg, who makes a pretty engaging foil for Colson. Stagg is the local crime lord with political clout who has a sort of strange, sly courage when he has to contend with Esau as well.

There were a few interesting twists and turns, and Colson is definitely a guy one wants during a crisis. Too bad he’s a fictional character. I also liked the open question as whether or not Jamey Dixon was truly redeemed man or not. Not every question the story raises has an easy resolution, and it’s good that Atkins is willing to take that approach in this particular series.

London has no shortage of crime and corruption, but Sherlock Holmes is there as usual to root that out. This time, author Sam Siciliano has assigned him to look into the matter of Deathly Relics.

Alien: Romulus is a science fiction horror film that could have been another disastrous sequel to a possibly overdone franchise, but it actually is a pretty solid entry into the series that began all the way back in 1979 with Sigourney Weaver in the starring role. Fede Alvarez directed the film, which he also co-wrote with Rodo Sayagues. I actually just learned that the aliens are actually referred to Xenomorphs. I guess I didn’t pay close enough attention to remember that.

The film’s cast includes Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson, Archie Renaux, Isabela Merced, Spike Feam, and Aileen Wu. An interesting addition to the cast is a little difficult to explain. The image of the late Ian Holm is back as a synthetic named Rook, who resembles the character known as Ash from the first film. Daniel Betts provides the voice, but I thought it was interesting to have that connection in this film, which I read was approved by Holm’s family.

Spaeny plays the lead character, Rain Carradine, who is trying to leave a colony known as Jackson’s Star. She cares for an adopted brother, who is actually a synthetic human named Andy, who apparently suffers from some kind of brain damage. Rain meets with friends who have learned that they could get to a derelict space craft with cryostasis chambers that could help them get to a much better colony. The group manages to board what turns out to be a space station that is divided into two parts. Of course, the Xenomorphs have escaped and are waiting for fresh prey. The synthetic human known as Andy also finds that a corruption to his system is in store for him as well. As the kids try to survive, they are also victim of a corrupt company that are planning to weaponize the Xenomorphs.

This film doesn’t pack the same punch as the first two films in the franchise, but it’s effective enough. The cast was quite good. Spaeny does not appear as formidable as Weaver’s character Ripley, but that seems to work in the film’s favor. The cast is pretty young, but they were good. I enjoyed David Jonsson’s performance because Andy has a dramatic character change in the story, and he carries it off quite convincingly.

The special effects were pretty impressive. There is also a new version of the Xenomorph that shows up, and that was an interesting twist near the end.’

Alvarez is a pretty solid director and knows how to make the most of an opportunity to creep out the audience.

I understand this film is supposed to take place between Alien and Aliens, and it does pretty well with making that connection to the other installments.

I was a little concerned this would be a waste of time, but I was pleasantly surprised and impressed. I still wish Hollywood would do more to create more original content instead of revisiting these ancient franchises, but every now and then a solid release hits the screen.

The Seventh Doctor returns for a couple of new audio adventures with Harry Sullivan and Naomi Cross in this boxset of Doctor Who audio plays entitled Far From Home from Big Finish Productions. The set also includes a short audiobook entitled Frozen Worlds performed by Sophie Aldred. Sylvester McCoy reprises his role as the Doctor’s seventh incarnation and is joined again by Christopher Naylor as Harry Sullivan and Eleanor Crooks as Naomi Cross. Samuel Clemens is the tapped to direct this set. There are two full-cast episodes and an audiobook.

The first story is Operation Dusk by Alfie Shaw and has the Doctor and his two friends facing off with those shadowy creatures known as the Vashta Nerada during the London Blitz during the Second World War in 1940. The story begins with the Doctor being requested to help investigate the death of a female British agent. The Doctor finds that the Vashta Nerada have been weaponized by another extraterrestrial presence, and a Nazi invasion may be the least of the threats facing Britain.

The guest cast is made up of Pepter Lunkuse, Leon Parris, Emily Raymond, and Nicholas Rowe. Rowe is best known for a long-ago role in Young Sherlock Holmes and is fantastic as the duplicitous Sebastian Hardcastle.

It’s a solid story, but the Second World War is getting a little overused in this range. The Seventh Doctor has spent a lot of time in that era, and it’s getting hard to see episodes as particularly special when he visits the war and the Blitz yet again. The story is interesting enough, and I am enjoying the banter between this Doctor, Harry, and Eleanor.

Naylor has been playing Harry Sullivan for some time now, but the part was originated by the late Ian Marter during the first season of Tom Baker’s era. Naylor does a pretty good job of capturing Sullivan’s awkward charm as well as his steadfast courage even when he yearns for a quieter life. Crooks continues to become more captivating as Naomi Cross, who is more willing to face the challenges and dangers of traveling with the Doctor. Cross shares a lot of similarity with many of the Doctor’s more recent female companions in that she is spunky and liberal-minded. There is kind of a deadpan humor to her demeanor that does make her stand out a bit more. The more time I spend with Naomi, the more I come to appreciate her and her relationship with Harry.

The Vashta Nerada being Earth is bound to happen, and it’s kind of a fun idea to have an earlier Doctor face adversaries that the audience first met in the rebooted television series. There are some interesting twists and reveals, but the episode was of fairly average quality in spite of the best efforts of the cast. I think the overuse of the World War II setting sort of soured my enjoyment of this episode, but Shaw is still a thoughtful and imaginative writer and will hopefully remain a consistent contributor to the range.

The second story is Naomi’s Ark by Alison Winter and takes the TARDIS crew far out into space and well into the future. The guest cast is made up of Bethany Antonia, Nino Furuhata, Indra Ove, and Bridgitta Roy.

Naomi gets separated from the Doctor and Harry during an evacuation of a space station during a supernova. A traveling group of colonists rescue the Doctor and Harry while Naomi is picked up by what is apparently the galactic equivalent of teen-agers taking the parents’ car out for a joyride.

Naomi gets a well-deserved moment to shine as she tries to take responsibility for her rescuers and reunite with her companions. Crooks’ performance as Naomi starts to understand the situation her hapless, immature saviors are in is quite well executed. It was done with some of the typically quirky Doctor Who humor, and Crooks delivers masterfully.

The Doctor has his own hands full trying to convince the leader of the colonists to turn back to retrieve his TARDIS and he uses some powers of persuasion that does not sit well with him. McCoy remains in top form as well.

I think the second story is better overall. Operation Dusk isn’t really bad, but I just connected better with the second one. The set overall is still worth the time.

Finally, we have this little audiobook written by Katharine Armitage called Frozen Worlds. Sophie Aldred puts in a compelling performance, but the story was not that interesting to me. Ace has fallen into some portal where she is in different dimensions and trying to get back to the Doctor. Armitage is a competent writer, but I had some trouble staying all that interested in the story despite Aldred’s obvious vocal talent. I may just need to revisit the story to see if I can understand it better.

Far From Home as a whole has a few cracks in the overall experience, but there are some powerful moments. The main cast work together well. McCoy still maintains a commanding presence with his version of the Doctor.

The quality of the soundscape is still top tier from Big Finish. Even is this set does not quite hit it out of the park for me, it’s still a worthy addition to the Big Finish collection.