“Only Mine” is a thriller on Netflix which was directed by Michael Civille. Amber Midthunder, Brett Zimmerman, and Chris Browning are included in the cast of this B movie.

This takes place in a small town where a young, somewhat reckless woman falls for the new police officer.  It turns out to be a basic thriller about an obsessive boyfriend with a badge and a gun.  It is apparently based on a true story, however it would be more accurate to note it as being inspired by a true story.  It seems quite a few artistic liberties were taken.  There is some Native American folklore sprinkled in this, which was actually rather interesting.

There was no one I really recognized in this piece, but the performances were not actually that bad.  This is by no means a beacon of masterful filmmaking, but it really isn’t the worse I have seen either.

The climax and ending was a bit hard to swallow unfortunately.  I will say the depiction of Officer David’s mental and emotional unraveling was rather well done.  The dialogue wasn’t all that inspired, but I have heard worse.

Amber Midthunder played the at first smitten Julie pretty convincingly as she starts notice that her new boyfriend may not be the charming and reassuring presence he appears in the beginning.

The film has the rather unusual and unnecessary presentation of a true crime program.  It also starts with a flash forward scene in which the bulk of the movie has to catch up to. It starts off with the character of Julie getting gunned down.

I am sure the fans of this sort of B film may find some elements to enjoy.  If someone is just curious to try this one out, I would say that they could do worse.

“Glass” is the latest film directed by M. Night Shyamalan and ties his two previous films , “Unbreakable” and “Split” together.  Of course, no one knew that the two preceding works were connected until the post-credits scene in “Split” which was released in 2016.

Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson reprise their roles from “Unbreakable” while James McAvoy brings back all of the various personalities of the Horde from “Split”.

So, “Unbreakable” explored the notion of comic books being based on actual people who possessed extraordinary abilities which is followed through in this film.  Various traditional storylines from various comic books were touched on as well.

I have often had a particular gripe with M. Night Shyamalan movies for years.  He would have some fascinating ideas at times, but the execution of them is rather inconsistent at times.  Oftentimes, I end up being more frustrated with the final twists than intrigued.

Sarah Paulson joins the cast as some psychiatrist who specializes in the study of people who delude themselves into thinking they have superpowers.  I am not sure if that is enough of a problem in the world of mental illness to actually have someone specialize in that.  It may have worked better to just present her character as some very talented and renowned psychiatrist without such a specific focus of study that probably isn’t that prevalent in the real world.  Of course, the whole movie is a supernatural thriller, but still, there’s no need to get that silly.  I will apologize if there are actually psychiatrists who have some niche like that.

McAvoy gives a standout performance, but it’s not surprising since we saw it before in “Split”. Jackson also does well, but he almost always does.  Bruce Willis give kind of a one-note act throughout the film, except I blame the way the character of David Dunn was written more than any lack of talent from Willis.

The movie often seems bogged down with long expository scenes.  Most of it takes place at a mental institute which I found rather stifling when dealing with characters who are supposed to have extraordinary gifts.

But there were times when some of the interactions drew me in. Another returning presence is the girl who escaped from McAvoy’s character in “Split”, played by Anya Taylor-Joy.  Her efforts to connect with the Horde’s original persona was pretty compelling.

Whatever success “Glass” has in the box office returns will likely be due to die-hard Shyamalan fans or curiosity to see how he concludes the unexpected trilogy.  My favorite movie reviewer really hated this one, however I wouldn’t go that far in my own assessment.  I was just a bit disappointed considering the hype behind it.  I didn’t find the ending to be satisfying.  It just could have just gone much better.

“Stay Hungry” is the latest televised stand-up routine with Sebastian Maniscalco at Radio City Music Hall in New York City.  It premiered on Netflix a few days ago.

I have been trying to keep up with Maniscalco since I saw a previous stand-up special called “Why Would You Do That?”

Maniscalco has a wealth of comedic material from his upbringing in a family of Italian immigrants in Chicago.

He is also pretty adept at incorporating some impressive physical and facial contortions as he relates his exaggerated observations and anecdotes.

Maniscalco doesn’t entirely avoid the adult language, but neither does he rely on it too much.  He is a pretty recent father, so I look forward to hearing more about his impressions of that.  As usual, his own father is at the receiving end of his rapier wit, but I gather the old man loves it.  Maniscalco started off his set by revealing his presence at this particular show.

This is a pretty good special to get know the comedic talents of Sebastian Maniscalco.

“Relatable” is the Netflix special that sees Ellen DeGeneres return to stand-up comedy after fifteen years.  I am not sure that is entirely accurate since she does a daily monologue on her daytime talk show.  I guess it’s still impressive that DeGeneres can come up with over an hour’s worth of material and stay pretty consistent.  She does use some video excerpts at times.

Anyway, fans of stand-up comedy, and in particular DeGeneres groupies, should be more than satisfied.  She still has the chops for this.

She starts off with an anecdote on how she came up with the idea for the title and of course embellishes it with the acknowledgment of how wealthy she really is.  She manages to make her point without being too obnoxious about it.

DeGeneres and I would have opposite views on many things if we were ever to meet. I am not someone who would be in complete agreement with her on many things, however she is still very funny.  Even if some of her material clashes with my Christian conservative leanings, I still had plenty of laughs at her observations.  Her message and mission of encouraging more kindness among people is hard to rebuke intelligently.

DeGeneres does live a life that seems pretty unattainable and unrelatable to most of the population, but her gifts as a comedienne makes it hard to resent that. And I wouldn’t want to resent anyone for success in their lives.

DeGeneres still has great timing and delivery, but she still gets practice that daily in her day job, so that is not surprising.

Yes, I may have profound disagreements with some of her philosophies and views, but it was still somehow gratifying to see her return to the venue where she started all those years ago.  It will be interesting to see if she keeps her hand in stand-up.  “Relatable” proves that DeGeneres still has the instinct and delivery to remain formidable entertainment when it’s just her, a mic, and an audience for an hour.

“Whistling In The Dark” is a 1941 film starring Red Skelton, Ann Rutherford, and Conrad Veidt and was directed by S. Sylvan Simon.  It was based on a play by Laurence Gross.

The writer and star of a radio mystery series and his girlfriend are held by a cult leader/gangster while he comes up with the perfect murder so the cult can collect on some kind of inheritance.
This was supposed to be pretty comedic in nature, but I didn’t find much that worked all that well.  The cast was talented enough, however I didn’t find much that amused me.  It was interesting to find that this was the first in a trilogy of films to feature Skelton as a Wally Benton, who is the writer and star of some radio series called “The Fox”.  There just wasn’t much that didn’t come across as really all that original.  There weren’t any lines I found that memorable.

It was another film that seemed longer than the actual running time.

“Short Trips: Life Science” is a collection of Doctor Who short stories collected and edited by John Binns.  Big Finish Productions used to publish a series of anthologies, and this particular volume was published in 2004.  There are sixteen stories here that feature the first eight incarnations of the Doctor, so I won’t get into an examination of each one.  The theme presented is the idea of different aspects of life that from clones to artificial intelligence as well as other entities not so easy to categorize.

David Bailey starts off with “Syntax” in which the Eighth Doctor and his companion, Izzy, arrive on a planet where a mysterious form of algae is able to exert a powerful influence on the inhabitants.  It’s a pretty good story, however Izzy is not all that profound of a companion.  I am not terribly familiar with this one because she appears to have been featured in the comic books.  Izzy was once in a Big Finish audio play but she was not featured regularly.

“Observation” by Ian Farrington has the Fifth Doctor anxious to see the meeting between Cro-Magnon and Neanderthal man, however things don’t go quite as planned, as usual. It’s a rather interesting story in which Turlough is the only one with the Doctor here.

“The Reproduction Cycle” by Matthew Griffiths has the Sixth Doctor and Peri finding that a child has been left by another previous occupant of the TARDIS.  A rather surprising revelation occurs as to the origin of this baby and the effect on the two friends’ perception.  I thought it was pretty cleverly presented.

“Jonah” by Todd Green has the Eighth Doctor explore the morality of using cloning as a means of healing the sick.  He isn’t too pleased when he finds a doctor doing just that.

Alexander Leithes’ “The End” has the Eighth Doctor in a startling encounter with his first incarnation who reminds him of the difference between him and other time travelers.  That was a nice surprise.

I also enjoyed “The Age of Ambition”  by Andy Campbell in which companions Victoria Waterfield relates a story in which she returns to 1866 with the Second Doctor and Jamie McCrimmon and finds that an old family friend has been experimenting with reviving the dead.

Jim Mortimore’s  “A Rose By Any Other Name” ends this collection in a situation where I was not sure which Doctor was featured.  I think it was the Seventh, but I cannot swear to it, which is frustrating.

There are other stories that didn’t quite grab me as much, but it’s a pretty good collection for the most part.  All of the anthologies in this series are engaging.  It is pretty fun to figure out which Doctor comes next once a story ends.  I was a rather impressed that the Sixth Doctor was featured rather heavily here considering his was not the most popular in the television series.  He tends to come off considerably better in print or in the audio adventures which Big Finish produces much more prolifically.

If one can find this volume, it’s worth a look. This series is sadly out of print, so the collection of the remaining volumes is slow going.

The next literary indulgence has Dr. Alex Delaware pitching in to help his friend, Milo Sturgis, which another murder investigation in “Night Moves” by Jonathan Kellerman.

“The Upside” is another unlikely friendship cinematic tale that stars Kevin Hart, Bryan Cranston, and the still gorgeous Nicole Kidman.  Some fellow named Jon Hartmere, whom I have never heard of, wrote the screenplay which was then directed by Neil Burger.  The film is based on a true story, so it says.  It is probably more accurate to tag it as being inspired by a true story.  There is a French film with this premise called “The Intouchables” that was released in 2011, that I suspect is probably more true to the actual events it is depicts.

Kevin Hart plays this parolee in need of a job lands an unexpectedly lucrative position as a caregiver to a paraplegic billionaire.  Dell Scott is a typical Kevin Hart role in which he is a down on his luck, streetwise black man who is sharper than he thinks.  It’s kind of thing we have seen from Hart numerous times.  Hart is actually quite good here, but there isn’t enough separation from pervious roles to feel that his dramatic moments are that unique.

Cranston manages to remain pretty compelling as the paralyzed billionaire, although there is not much here that has not been seen before in other films of this sort.  Cranston is usually likeable but with a bit more range.

I found this film to be a little frustrating at times even though I would say I ended up liking it.  I am sure that readers of this blog may find my assessment just as frustrating, but I will try to be more clear.  There is a lot that works fairly well, usually due to the charisma and talent of the cast.  I do include Hart as being one of those with talent and charisma.  I just wish he could surprise me with some range and variety.  It just seems more like the same Kevin Hart antics and sass.

I do want to say that Kidman is not normally seen in a supporting role such as this, however she really does make the most of it.  She had a character which could be seen as the typical stern assistant with a proverbial stick up her backside, however her character of Yvonne thankfully was written with considerably more depth and ended up having her own moments where she could be charming and consequential.  Having Kidman in the cast did nothing but help in this case.

There were a few incidental surprises, but not that many.  I also get tired of this business of starting the movie with a flash forward sequence and then the bulk of the piece having to catch up to that moment.  I feel that it is getting a little overused and some how diminishes the sense of suspense and surprise.

There also seemed to be some missed opportunities to leave a more unique impression on the audience.  It still stayed with the formula with having two very different characters meet, have some friction, come to an understanding, and then have to resolve some major rift between them in the third act of the story.

Also, I am getting tired of the Hollywood solution to relaxing or finding some ways to release tension of heading out to get hands on the nearest joint.  The constant prodding or suggestion from Hollywood that getting stoned is the best way to just relax or cope with disappointment and heartache is really gotten quite stale with me.

Another point that I found irritating is that Dell’s parole officer is threatening to send him back to prison if he cannot secure employment or verify his efforts to find employment.  I actually do similar work in my daily life.  It ain’t that easy to send someone to prison or back to prison over employment snafus.  I am sure New York faces the same issues with prison overcrowding as Texas.  These writers need to do a little better research in how pieces of the criminal justice system actually works.  The parole officer would probably have some knowledge and suggestions on where an ex-con is likely going to find work given his circumstances.

Okay, now that I got a few things off my chest, I will say again that much of this film still works fairly well, but I can also see some problems with it.  The performances are convincing enough for the  most part even though Kevin Hart still does Kevin Hart.  He does seem to be an unlikely but somehow appropriate fit with his castmates.  There are some well-acted moments and interesting exchanges between characters.  Hart and Cranston really do seem to be having fun playing off each other, so the friendship between their characters is not quite impossible to believe.  The other supporting characters were pretty good.  No one really missed the mark.  Julianna Margulies has a small but crucial part in this film and handles it well.  She’s pretty good anyway, so that’s not surprising.

I think fans of the various actors won’t find anything too disappointing.  I still enjoyed the film for the most part in spite of some ways that I think it could have been better.

“The First Sontarans” is a Doctor Who audio play from Big Finish Productions and is part of the Lost Stories range.  This particular piece is written by Andrew Smith and stars Colin Baker and Nicola Bryant.  Dan Starkey, John Banks, Lizzie Roper, and Anthony Howell are included in the guest cast.

The Doctor and Peri begin this adventure on the moon in 1872 where a misplaced signaling device sends them to Earth to investigate.  It doesn’t take too long before the Doctor learns that there is quite of collection of aliens gathered on Earth at this time.  The Sontarans and the Rutans are finally together in the same story, which rarely occurs in the series.  The Sontarans and Rutans have been engaged in ferocious war for an absurdly long time.  The listeners are then introduced to the Caveetch, another race with a more profound connection to the Sontarans.

I am not a fan who necessarily needs origin stories, but I enjoyed hearing how the overly militaristic potato heads were brought into the universe.  It’s a somewhat familiar story in that they turned on those who created them had an unstoppable force on their doorstop.  It was fun to realize that fans never really saw the Rutans and the Sontarans fight each other  before this release.  They appeared separately in the television series and spoke trash about each other.

In spite of how the plot may sound, or maybe how I describe it, this is actually a very enjoyable episode.  There are some action sequences that are sometimes hard to follow, but it still holds up quite well in spite of that.

The chemistry between Bryant and Baker is quite good here.  They almost always do well together, but the banter between them was especially entertaining. It was banter without the typical bickering that went on between the two of them in the television series.

Starkey and Banks usually serve as the voices of the Sontarans, and they did well in this episode as expected.

The guest cast also performed well.  There was quite a bit of personal and emotional levels touched on here among the characters that were performed quite well.

This is one of those stories that demonstrates how much better the Sixth Doctor is showcased than on the original television series.

“The Gate Keeper” is the twentieth novel from Charles Todd in the Inspector Ian Rutledge series.  This has a bit of a different kick to it since Rutledge happens across a murder scene within minutes of the act. He is driving late at night after attending his sister’s wedding and encounters a young woman with a gunshot victim at her feet. Luckily, Rutledge has been with Scotland Yard for a while and is able to get himself assigned to the case.

The setting is 1920 England.  Rutledge returned from his service in World War I suffering from shell shock, which in his case manifested itself as a voice belonging to a comrade and friend he executed for disobeying orders.  Now, Hamish MacLeod is always with him. alternating between taunting and guidance at times.  Due the stigma of shell shock, Rutledge keeps his condition a secret as he investigates one perplexing murder after another.

Although this installment relies on a very unlikely coincidence at the beginning, it’s still quite compelling.  It seems a fair depiction of what the national mood in the United Kingdom must have been like when the Great War concluded.

The explanation for the title comes pretty late in the story, but it works.  Rutledge also learns that sometimes mothers don’t give the expected loving attention to their children as he probes the victim’s background.  Then a second murder happens that tells Rutledge that his investigation is going to get even more complex.

I have enjoyed this series quite a bit over the years since I started following it.  Even though Rutledge is a fictional character, there is a certain tenacity in him I can respect.  I imagine there are loads of  real people who persevere through tough duties while struggling with the demons of mental illness.  This is also taking place in a setting in which there were probably not many people in serene mental places in their lives.

“The Gate Keeper” is pretty engaging and satisfying even if it doesn’t quite lift the spirits. Rutledge is a fictional character who represents real people still out there seeking justice and answers in spite of their own pain.

I think it’s time to step back into the TARDIS with various incarnations of a certain Time Lord who left his home to seek justice and answers in his own way.  Next up on the reading block is a Doctor Who anthology from Big Finish Productions that was first published in 2004 entitled “Short Trip: Life Science”.

“Escape Room” is a horror/thriller/suspense/whatever category one can throw this one film directed by Adam Robitel.  Bragi F. Schut and Maria Melnik co-wrote this somewhat familiar scenario about strangers being thrown together to figure out some complex puzzle before they are killed in some devilishly creative and complicated manner.  This time, the practice of escape rooms was utilized.  The film stars Taylor Russell, Logan Miller, Jay Ellis, and all kinds of other people I couldn’t quite place.  Nik Dodani was a cast member I somewhat recognized as the supposed expert on escape rooms.

In spite of the nonsense involved here, I was actually drawn into this film quite effectively. There was great set design and fairly interesting traps thought up for this latest collection of hapless and eclectic group of people.  The performances were pretty convincing even if the premise of the story was well beyond the realm of far-fetched.

There were few twists and surprise that I did not really see coming.  Like most films of this genre, it sort of stumbles a bit at the climax and end.

This isn’t quite the crème de la crème of movie making, but there were elements that impressed me.  It’s not a bad escape to the movies.