Doctor Who: The Last Day Part Two is an audio drama from Big Finish Productions which brings the Seventh Doctor to the point of his regeneration. Matt Fitton and Guy Adams co-wrote this epic adventure starring Sylvester McCoy, which was directed by Samuel Clemens. Sophie Aldred, Philip Olivier, Bonnie Langford, Lisa Bowerman, Geoffrey Beevers, Edward Peel are just some of the guest cast members who have rejoined this version of the Doctor. Yasmin Bannerman and Travis Oliver reprise their roles of Roz Forrester and Chris Cwej, Adjudicators from the far future.

Alternative universes have intruded upon the one we know, thanks to some beings known as the Dark Citizens. A version of the Doctor seems to be taking drastic measures to stop the chaos in this reality. Another Doctor needs to regain his memories. His companions have united while trying to regain their own fractured memories. Old enemies have also been recruited. The Doctor’s schemes and manipulations come to a head, and he finds that he has to avoid his own traps as he tries to head off many paradoxes.

I had mentioned how confusing the first part had gotten, and it does get better here. Sylvester McCoy is in top form here and continues to deliver a compelling performance. There are just too many people and story threads to follow. I am not one of those fans who needs writers to just throw everything and everyone in some big epic send-off. The overall effort if kind of fun, and it was a good idea to mix in some Big Finish creations with adversaries from the television era.

The performances were fine, and the sound effects were quite good. Obviously, the technical needs were easily met by the talented crew at Big Finish.

In spite of the title and the intent, it does appear that McCoy will continue to record new adventures for his Doctor, much like what Colin Baker did a few years ago when a proper regeneration story was released. As long as McCoy is game, I will be enjoying his contributions for hopefully years to come. This release just isn’t going to be a favorite.

The Manor is a decently average supernatural thriller written and directed by Axelle Carolyn. Barbara Hershey is in the lead role of Judith Albright, and the cast includes Bruce Davison, Jill Larson, Fran Bennett, and Ciera Payton.

Judith is a charming, elderly woman who is recovering from a stroke and learns that she is suffering from Parkinson’s disease. She decides to move into a nursing home which is in an isolated manor. Of course, the place is surrounded by thick woodland. Judith starts noticing more than usual peculiar behaviors from the fellow patients and staff. She has dreams of a terrifying creature lurking in her room and menacing her roommate. Judith and her grandson start to investigate the history of some of the patients and the manor. Something ancient and grotesque is stalking the residents of this home, and Judith has stumbled into a nest of secrets, and some of her fellow residents are not all they seem.

It’s kind of an interesting film with a protagonist who is rather unusual. Judith has a kind of spunk I can respect. The performances were fine, but nothing too remarkable. The creature Judith sees when she is half-asleep is actually pretty well created and suitably grotesque.

This wasn’t the most expensive movie ever made by a long shot. I thought Hershey did pretty well in the lead.

The film is mildly interesting and manages to not be the dregs of the horror genre. I wish I could have a more enthusiastic report to give, but it’s not to be.

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.