Doctor Who Audio Review: Escaping From Beyond

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

The Great Beyond is a Doctor Who audio drama from Big Finish Productions that is pretty interesting if a little confusing at times. The script is written by James Kettle and directed by Ken Bentley. Peter Davison returns as the Fifth Doctor and is joined by Janet Fielding, Sarah Sutton, and Matthew Waterhouse as Tegan, Nyssa, and Adric, respectively. It’s a pretty long story this time, so the guest cast is relatively lengthy and is comprised of Anna Crichlow, John Hopkins, Philip Hurd-Wood, Maggie Service, Paksie Vernon, and Andrew Wincott.

The Doctor and his companions encounter a sentient prison on a distant planet that changes and involves and moves over the surface. Tegan starts off trying to locate the Time Lord and her other two friends, however they have no memory of her when she catches up with them. The prison itself is not the worst of the threats that the Doctor has to overcome. He also has may have to sacrifice his freedom in order to save his friends and live a life of confinement that he has always fought to avoid.

The idea is pretty ambitious and impressive, but it is difficult to picture some aspects of the story in the mind’s eye sometimes. As usual, the performances are terrific. There seems to be some interest in stretching this incarnation of the Doctor into some creative predicaments, and this effort for the most part is worth the journey.

Kettle starts off in the middle of the adventure, and the audience has to go through some flashback sequences to get the proper context. It’s not a bad way to go here.

Big Finish’s intent is to give the Fifth Doctor a six-episode adventure, which was never done on television. There is a risk of the story dragging a bit, and that sort of happens here but it’s not too bad.

Kettle does manage to display something rather creative and unique in this story, which is hard to pull off considering how vast Doctor Who has become. It was nice to not have to rely on some of the old classic enemies to try to carry this longer than usual story.

Anyway, not every aspect of the story was easy to understand, but it was still worth the time. Big Finish continues to often outshine the television series.

Book Review: Hercule Poirot Unwraps A Killer For Christmas

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

Hercule Poirot’s Silent Night is another novel featuring the Belgian detective initially created by the late, great Agatha Christie but resurrected by Sophie Hannah. It’s a pretty good addition to the series, but no one can match the style of the Queen of Crime.

Hannah has provided her own narrator in the shape of Scotland Yard Inspector Edward Catchpool, who is a fine ally and foil for Poirot. Anyway, Catchpool is visiting Poirot when his mother shows up and begs them to look into the murder of a hospital patient who was apparently one of the happiest men one could ever hope to meet. Catchpool has some resentments toward his mother and is reluctant to spend his Christmas with her as he and his Belgian friend solve a murder. They meet an unusual family, and a woman is frightened for her husband who wants to solve the murder alongside Poirot before he succumbs to a terminal illness. Poirot and Catchpool agree to look into the matter and head out to the estate. Poirot unleashes his little grey cells yet again to solve one murder and perhaps prevent a second one.

Hannah is a pretty good writer and does capture the spirit of the Christie novels well enough. I am not one of those who will just spout off some sycophantic exclamation that Hannah is just as good as Christie, but she isn’t bad. It’s pretty fun to read new exploits of Poirot. Catchpool is fine as a sidekick and narrator, although there isn’t much that’s terribly unique or interesting about him. The complicated relationship with his mother kind of moves the needle in that area though.

The mystery itself is fine. The somewhat strange or crazy family members is typical of a Christie novel. Hannah is overall a good choice by the Christie estate to bring back Poirot. She is a talented writer, so I may look at her other works. I do read some of these pastiche works, and I have no real objection if Hannah continued with her version of Hercule Poirot.

This latest novel is interesting but not much else.

Next up, I am joining The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman.

Film Review: George Will Face Bombs To See His Mother Again

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

Blitz is a World War II era film that is pretty good, if a little disjointed at times, and is written and directed by Steve McQueen. Saoirse Ronan plays a mother who sent her child out of London during the Nazi attacks known as the Blitz. The boy is a recent addition to the slate of child actors named Elliot Heffernan. Paul Weller, Harris Dickinson, and Benjamin Clementine bare included in the castr.

A single mother places her young son on a train to have him taken to safety in hopes that he can avoid the worst of the Blitz. The boy, George, does not quite approve of that decision and jumps off the train and makes a perilous trek back to London. The mother learns that George has not made it to his intended destination and begins her own desperate search for him. The film also deals with the racial tensions of 1940’s England. George is biracial and has occasional run-ins with bigots throughout the journey. He has quite a few obstacles to fight through to get back to his mother’s embrace, but he is determined to get back home and might be quick and clever enough to pull it off.

There are some stunning visual effects and impressive performances from Ronan and Heffernan, but there are some flashbacks that start to feel a little intrusive. The film does not seem to flow all that easily because some of the flashbacks. Ronan was well-chosen in the lead role, and Heffernan manages to put in a convincing performance, so he has a promising start in his acting career. I think my reservations have more to do with the editing than the actual plot or the performances. There are some gorgeous scenes, and the set design was well executed. I am not sure some of the emphasis of the racial insensitivities of the era fits all that well with this particular story. I am aware that sort of racism occurred back then, but how it was included in this particular film felt more like a distraction anything genuine. I actually think that the film would have worked better if George’s father was part of the main story as opposed to a brief appearance in a flashback.’

Anyway, a lot of the overall production works pretty well, but I would have appreciated a more chronological journey to the ending credits. It’s still a good movie overall, even if I would have tightened it up in some areas.

Book Review: Myron Bolitar Is Welcomed Home By Murder

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

The Final Detail is a reliable and interesting mystery novel by prolific author, Harlan Coben, which features a sleuthing sports agent, Myron Bolitar.

Bolitar has been hanging out with a new lady friend on a Caribbean island when his best friend, Windsor Horne Lockwood III, tracks him down and informs him that his business partner has been arrested for the murder of a client. A baseball player who was attempting a comeback has been shot, and Myron’s other best friend is on the hook. Bolitar already has some practice with solving troubling crimes. Win, his wealthy and somewhat psychotic sidekick, is willing to assist as well with his usually morally questionable methods. Myron has to explore the past and figure out how a vanished daughter of the owner of the victim’s baseball team factors in.

I have read a few of Coben’s novels, but I had yet to meet Myron. I enjoyed this one. The plot was interesting, and there were a few effective twists. I thought Win was a bit of a scene stealer, but who doesn’t love a psychotic best friend who will break the rules that the hero won’t?

I thought Bolitar was pretty intriguing.as well. He surrounds himself with some eccentric cohorts. He is rather unlucky in love, but he does seem to be a decent guy with a nose for trouble.

This was a pretty enjoyable read, and I doubt that it will be very long before I am immersed in another Coben novel.

Time to welcome the Christmas season with a certain Belgian detective. Sophie Hannah has resurrected Agatha Christie’s most famous sleuth, and another murder needs to be addressed in Hercule Poirot’s Silent Night.

Film Review: Mr. Reed Reveals The One True Religion…So He Believes

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

Heretic is a pretty fascinating psychological horror film written and directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods. The main cast includes Hugh Grant, Chloe East, and Sophie Thatcher.

Two young missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints arrive at the home of peculiar Englishman who claims to be married. As they begin their discussion of their faith, the two young women recognize that Mr. Reed is quite surprisingly well-versed in their texts and beliefs. Reed also throws out some interesting challenges to their beliefs. When the two women have the opportunity to leave, they find the front has been locked, and the house has some very unusual security features. The visit turns into something more sinister when Reed offers a puzzling choice in order for them to leave. The women have been ensnared into both a religious debate and a fight for their lives as they try to stay true to their beliefs.

First of all, the performances were quite compelling. Grant manages to maintain his familiar bumbling charm and still exude a god bit of menace. Both East and Thatcher were quite good. The actual religious debate was well written, and the character Thatcher plays, Sister Barnes, ends up holding her own challenging the views that Reed espouses. Reed believes that the major religions are built on iterations of the same core beliefs and are distortions of what he believes the is the one true religion.

As the film plays out, things get a bit more gruesome as Reed’s psychopathy becomes more apparent.

The construction of this house is a bit mind-boggling which is a little distracting when one tries to imagine how Reed accomplished this peculiar trap. There are some loose ends when it comes to the background that are not really satisfactorily explained, and there is an ambiguity to the ending that is a little frustrating as well.

Overall, the writers were still pretty good. There was some decent suspense as the story progressed. The plot twists were pretty creative, and I was not able to predict every step of the cinematic journey.

Even though some aspects left me a little frustrated, that feeling was pretty mild. I ended up appreciating talent of the actors and the mental stimulation provided by some of the intellectual jousting. It was great to see Grant show a bit more range than usual. East and Thatcher held their own alongside a seasoned actor like Grant.

It’s a film with some flaws, but it ended up holding my interest much better than many of the recent offerings from Tinseltown.

Doctor Who Audio Review: When Legends Collide

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

The Stuff of Legend is a Doctor Who audio drama from Big Finish Productions and is a decent, yet unremarkable episode, in spite of the reemergence of two of the Doctor’s most popular adversaries. Robert Valentine wrote the script, which was directed by Barnaby Edwards, who also has a couple of roles. Paul McGann and India Fisher return to their respective roles as the Eighth Doctor and Charlotte Pollard. Nicholas Briggs fires up the voice modulator as he screeches out the Daleks’ dialogue. Alex MacQueen returns to mic as his version of the Master, what I have appreciated more over the years. Annette Badland, Jason Forbes, Nisha Nayar, and George Naylor round out the guest cast.

The Doctor and Charley arrive in a Cornish village in 1963. They hear of dead men working in the mines. Many others have disappeared. An expert of Cornish folklore has appeared to look for a professor who has gone missing. It doesn’t take long for the Doctor to realize that the Daleks are also there and have some scheme afoot. Also, the Master has been revived, and another extraterrestrial feud is about to come to a head.

The story is not without some interesting points. The performances are predictably solid. McGann and Fisher have lost none of their chemistry in this one. The story is told in the perspective of another character, Emily Barnfather, who got swept up in the adventure and aids the Doctor in his investigation.

It’s a fun addition to the catalogue, but there is not much that struck me as extraordinary, at least on the first run.

Doctor Who Audio Review: Holiday Plans Get Dominated By Alien Threats

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

Dominant Species is the latest Doctor Who audio boxset from Big Finish Productions and features Tom Baker returning as the Fourth Doctor in a pair of pretty good episodes. Christopher Naylor reprises the role of Harry Sullivan with Eleanor Crooks continuing her portrayal of Naomi Cross. Harry Sullivan was originally played by the late Ian Marter in the television series, but Naylor does a decent job breathing new life into the character. Crooks continues to be a welcome addition to the cast as Naomi Cross, who is created for the Big Finish episodes.

First of all, there is The Face in the Storm, written by Sarah Grochala, a two-part story which places the TARDIS crew on board a ship crossing the Atlantic Ocean transporting soldiers to fight in the First World War. The guest cast is comprised of Christopher Weeks, Kayi Ushe, and Reece Pantry. Jamie Anderson serves as director.

A ship known as the SS Maycrest is contending with a blizzard, but a strange crate held an alien entity which has gotten loose and is waiting in the storm. Naomi also gets a closer look at her own family history, which is threatened by the storm and the creature within.

The story references the contribution of Jamaican soldiers during the major wars. Naomi gets another story where she is spotlighted. Crooks puts in a compelling performance yet again. Tom Baker’s performance is consistently engaging, but he continues to delivery his witticisms with ease.

On the whole, the episode is pretty interesting, but the adversary is not very memorable. I still appreciate the effort to present the Doctor with a new adversary. I also enjoy the novelty of this particular Doctor having to deal with whatever emotional impact the adventure is having on his companions.

As usual, the episode has some interesting points and great performances, but not much really stands out.

Dominant Species by John Dorney sees the return of a ruthless race seen only once on television during the Patrick Troughton era. For some reason, the Dominators alongside their robotic servants, the Quarks, have shown back up to menace out favorite Time Lord. Nicholas Briggs once again returns to the director’s chair and is joined by a guest cast which includes Clive Wood, Clive Hayward, Polly Kemp, Rosalyn Landor, Joseph Kloska, Emily Woodward, and Helen Goldwyn.

The Doctor keeps promising a vacation to his two companions but can’t quite follow through. This time, they find that the planet Taleeria has been invaded by the Dominators with the aid of their robotic henchmen, the Quarks. The Doctor gets separated from Harry and Naomi, ending up being enslaved by the Dominators. Of course, the Doctor uses his proximity to the galactic conquerors to sabotage their plans. Meanwhile, Harry and Naomi have their own challenges lending their talents and experience to the resistance effort, not sure if their Gallifreyan friend is still alive.

The Dominators is not the most highly regarded television serial from the Troughton era among the fans, but Dorney actually manages to make them more interesting in spite of their stupid name. Clive Wood, in particular, was great casting as Director Draga. The Doctor displays a little more despair about his predicament than he normally would, but it does not make him unrecognizable. Baker continues to remain as compelling and enthusiastic as ever in his performance. The Quarks are not as menacing as I believe the original writers had hoped, but the effects are well used.

I think this story is the stronger one out of the two presented here, but yet again both are still worth the time.

It’s a pretty good release, and Dorney actually accomplishes something of a creative feat by making the Dominators more compelling than in their introductory story.

Book Review: Miracles And Murder In Minnesota

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

Holy Ghost is a pretty solid mystery novel by the prolific John Sandford and features his Minnesota state investigator, Virgil Flowers.

The small, dying town of Wheatfield, Minnesota is the beneficiary of an economic boon when images of the Virgin Mary are seen at the local church. Visitors from all over start to galvanize the town’s economy. Then, the shootings start. Virgil Flowers is sent by the state’s investigation bureau to get to the bottom of the violence. At first, people were just seriously wounded, and Flowers becomes even more desperate when a woman is murdered, and a local hunter is found dead in his house. Flowers is not sure if this is the work of an unhinged psychopath or if there is more of a purpose to the terror unleashed on Wheatfield.

Sandford has been around for a long time, and his popularity is well deserved. Flowers is an interesting, proficient protagonist. There is something very stable and reassuring when Flowers is on the scene. Also, Sandford knows how to write some pretty amusing banter between Flowers and his colleagues who come in to assist.

There are some pretty interesting twists and turns as Flowers narrows down a motive. Most of the characters are pretty interesting. There is a peculiar young man named Skinner who seems savvier than his fellow townsfolk. He has an interesting friendship with the mayor in that they open a shop together once the money from the tourists starts coming in.

It’s a pretty quick read, and Sandford is a competent and engaging writer. He does a good job with keeping a reader engaged, and he does gallows humor quite effectively.

The novel is interesting and does the job of keeping the reader entertained and interested in the outcome of the mystery. Sandford has certainly had a lot of practice with that, and I expect it will not be too much longer before I dive into another of his works.

Next up, I will be staying in the mystery genre with my next read, which is The Final Detail by Harlan Coben.

Film Review: Even Gangsters Can’t Fight The Ravages of Time And Disease

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

Absolution is a slow-moving, yet interesting crime thriller directed by Hans Petter Moland and written by Tony Gayton. Liam Neeson is in the lead role and is joined by a cast which includes Yolanda Ross, Ron Perlman, and Daniel Diemer.

Neeson plays an aging gangster who learns that he is afflicted with a degenerative brain disease and is motivated to reconnect with his daughter and her son. He also has to dodge other gangsters who want to kill him. He also wants to make some amends for his violent past before he totally loses his mind.

It’s not a terrible film, but I would not call this one of the better additions to Neeson’s credits. It’s kind of slow, but it picks up in the second half when the bodies start piling up. Neeson is compelling enough to make this a little better than watchable. There is a repeated dream sequence with Neeson’s character talking to his deceased father on a boat, which seemed an awkward fit.

Also, this was one of those films where some of the lead characters apparently didn’t have proper names. Yolanda Ross plays someone just credited as Woman. Neeson’s character isn’t named either. I just find that a little distracting and frustrating.

This may be a film I need to watch again in order to appreciate it better. It was just interesting and unique enough for me to revisit eventually, but I suspect there are plenty of legitimate criticisms as well.

Book Review: Curiosities Can Burn Down A City

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

The Carnivale of Curiosities is a pretty decent debut novel by Aimee Gibbs that takes place in the always fascinating world of Victorian London

Ashe and Pretorius’s Carnivale of Curiosities arrive in London with a headline show that features a fellow who can manifest fire from his hands and a number of impressive people with startling abilities. The sideshow has become the place to be for bizarre entertainment. One of the proprietors is a magician who can make any wish come true for the right price. A troubling attraction between the main star and a new addition to the group adds to the mix as dangerous gangsters threatens to expose secrets and bring the show to a tragic end.

First of all, Gibbs does display some impressive prose style. Her efforts to capture the feel of the Victorian era in London are well executed.

I had some trouble really getting into the story or finding the characters all that interesting. That may have been more due to some of my natural reservations about new authors and genres that I don’t typically read more than any deficiency in the writer’s abilities.

Anyway, I am sure that other readers will find this more enjoyable, and they would not be wrong. It may be that I just need to give this one another go in a few years when I am in a different frame of mind. Still, Gibbs should continue her writing, and I will likely be on the lookout for a follow-up to this novel.’

Next up, I return to a genre where I am most familiar. Virgil Flowers heads to a small town in Minnesota to unravel a mystery involving shootings, religious visions, and of course, murder in Holy Ghost by John Sandford.