Prey for the Devil is the latest in a long line of horror films with demonic possession as the crux. Robbert Zappia wrote the script, bur he shares story credit with Earl Richey Jones and Todd R. Jones. Daniel Stamm is the director with a cast that includes Jacqueline Byars, Colin Salmon, Virgina Madsen, and Ben Cross.

Byars stars as a young nun with a troubled past who is convinced that her mother died some years before at the hands of a demon who was possessing her. The Catholic Church forbids women from learning to perform exorcisms, but Sister Ann wants to usher in a new day, especially when she meets a young girl named Natalie who seems to have the same affliction. Sister Ann ends up with a couple of unexpected allies, and she has to confront her own dark past as well as the dark forces closing in on her.

This is not a film that is going to win any awards anytime soon, however it seems to be par for the course for this genre. I actually ended up kind of sympathizing with Sister Ann a bit more than I expected. Of course, the actress being an attractive blonde doesn’t exactly deter me from sitting up and taking notice. I did find her character to have a pretty good balance of vulnerability and courage. Some of the revelations about her past were a little far-fetched for my liking, but that is also pretty standard fare for this type of film. Colin Salmon’s presence was quite welcome here. I do not know if many of my American peers would recognize him, but I have seen some of his work in England, and he was a steady presence in the James Bond films during Pierce Brosnan’s era. I actually found myself enjoying the fact that he had a significant role here, although I wish the writing was better.

The visual effects were pretty well done with the expected grotesque displays of creepy agility and unsettling stares from the possessed. There were a few moments that were effectively startling.

However, this one still doesn’t escape the disappointing sense of predictability. There were some quality cast members. Jacqueline Byars was pretty new to me, but she seemed well chosen for the lead role here.

I guess the whole twist on the genre was that the lead protagonist was a woman, but that didn’t keep me from noticing the presence of too many usual, yawn inducing tropes seen in the vast library of possession movies.

Some facets of this one I found somewhat interesting. I have no real objection to the cast, and the special effects worked well enough. Saying all of that, this is not likely to stick in my memory as any grandmaster piece of cinematic history. Colin Salmon and a pretty blonde nun just aren’t enough to turn this into anything that will makes much of an impression.

Fair Warning is a suspense novel by one of the most popular crime writers of today. Michael Connelly brings back a lesser-known protagonist than Harry Bosch. Jack McEvoy is a former crime reporter who is working for a service that informs the public of dangerous products, however a new serial killer draws his attention.

McEvoy comes under the scrutiny of police detectives when a woman with whom he once has a one-night stand is murdered. He decides to look into the matter himself and finds a killer who stalks women who use a certain DNA analysis service. He is reunited with a former lover, Rachel Walling, who at one time worked for the FBI. This isn’t McEvoy’s first rodeo with a serial killer, but it could be his last. Well, it could be his last unless Connelly decides otherwise.

Jack McEvoy has some characteristics that can be admirable or exasperating, which probably makes him pretty much like everyone else. The story itself is entertaining enough, but it does seem rather far-fetched at times. There are some irritating unanswered questions by the time the novel ends. I still ended up enjoying this one, but I already have a bias in favor of Connelly.

McEvoy comes across as a dedicated and reliable reporter, but he gets obsessed pretty easily, which is probably what is supposed to make him interesting. He does tend to keep making the same mistakes when it comes to his relationship with Rachel. I do like the idea that McEvoy is in a different living and working situation. What does make McEvoy more relatable is his career track. He doesn’t remain the same position with the same news service for very long, which seems to reflect the trend of today’s workforce.

Although the plot does seem a little outlandish, Connelly does ground it with a realistic sense of the news business. He was a crime reporter himself before his fiction career took off, so that understanding being reflected in his current works does make sense.

Michael Connelly has a large following, which he deserves. I don’t know if Fair Warning is going to be favorite, but it does the job as far as being an entertaining distraction from the stresses of the real world.

I will step even further out of the real world with my next reading selection, which is the beginning of Star Trek trilogy. The first one is Coda: Moments Asunder by Dayton Ward.

Black Adam is the latest superhero film and is based on the character in DC Comics. Jaume Collet-Serra directs this film, which is written by Adam Sztykiel, Rory Haines, and Sohrab Noshirvani. Dwayne Johnson takes on the title role and is joined by a cast which includes Aldis Hodge, Marwan Kenzari, Sarah Shahi, and Pierce Brosnan.

Black Adam is brought to the modern world after a 5000 imprisonment in his homeland known as Kahndaq. He had defeated a tyrannical king, but he sort of has anger issues to go along with his devastating superpowers. Some group known as the Justice Society of America is sent in to reign in this bad tempered, supercharged brute with powers similar to a certain Krytonian with a red cape. There are plenty of bone crushing fights between Black Adam and Hawkman. Then, someone else gets resurrected with an even worse temper and a desire to conquer. Black Adam and JSA need to set aside their hostilities and figure out how to stop an ancient force hellbent on chaos and misery for everyone in the world.

Yet again, I am left with a mixed bag of reactions to this mess of a film. Johnson is charismatic enough to make this watchable, although Black Adam does lack the actor’s usual amicable personality. It does get better, and there are times the humor that is attempted almost works. The special effects were pretty good, and some of the crazy fight scenes between the superbeings was engaging. It does become interesting because Black Adam is more motivated by revenge and rage than any actual altruistic heroism. Johnson does succeed in making Black Adam kind of a complicated fellow. Johnson seemed to have better chemistry with some of his costars than others. The dialogue wasn’t always as sharp as I would have liked. There was an ongoing deal about this quip Black Adam was trying to deliver just before dispatching an enemy. I found that gag to be more annoying than amusing.

I ended up not hating this film but wishing I could have enjoyed it a little more.

Dalek Universe 3 is the final collection of audio plays in this series which features David Tennant as the Tenth Doctor. Big Finish Productions continue to explore new stories with past Doctors. Ken Bentley is the director of this trilogy. This time, the Movellans are back to continue their battle campaign against the Daleks. The Doctor is accompanied by Anya Kingdom, who is still played by Jane Slavin. Terry Molloy reprises his role as Davros, which is quite a treat. The Doctor also learns that an old friend is behind the birth of the Movellans in a pretty decent plot twist.

Lizzie Hopley starts off this set with The First Son which sees the return as Alex Kingston as a Movellan that strangely resembles Professor River Song. Matthew Jacobs-Morgan, Noma Dumezweni, Paul Panting, and Nicholas Briggs make up the guest cast. This is rather an amusing take which sees the Doctor not entirely sure of River Song is actually there in some kind of undercover capacity or if she served as kind of template for a Movellan somehow. It’s pretty confusing, and Hopley does a great job of holding the audience in suspense until the big reveal. Kingston is still charming and engaging as River Song. Tennant is still compelling as his Doctor and displays his usual fun mania.

Matt Fitton writes the final two episodes entitled The Dalek Defence and The Triumph of Davros. The origin of the Movellans has a tragic but fascinating reveal. The Doctor and Davros are actually taken prisoner together and become reluctant allies for a time. Molloy remains superb as Davros. Tennant performs with his usual gusto. Anya Kingdom, with her strange and tragic family history, becomes a very likeable foil with this Doctor. Slavin has performed quite a lot with Big Finish, and she really sinks her teeth into this role.

The saga has a satisfying conclusion here. The Doctor had been separated from his TARDIS and was sent back to just before the Time War had broken out. The Movellans being reintroduced was great since we saw so little of them on the television series. The Movellans are a race of androids who were a torn in the side of Daleks. Davros at one time was found and resurrected to break a logical impasse that kept either side claiming victory in their long running war.

I didn’t struggle to stay engaged with this one. Enough old friends appeared to make this worthwhile. I hope David Tennant still finds time in his busy schedule to continue his participation in Big Finish recordings.

The Companion Chronicles: The First Doctor: Volume One is a Doctor Who audio boxset which features more adventures told from the perspective of various companions. This version of the Doctor would be played by William Hartnell if he was still among the living and able to participate in these Big Finish releases. There are four episodes directed by Lisa Bowerman.

The Sleeping Blood written by Martin Day starts off this set with Carole Ann Ford returning to mic as Susan. Darren Strange pitches in as the guest actor. As the Doctor is stricken with a debilitating illness, Susan has to help thwart a terrorist attack aboard a research center. This is not the most memorable of adventures either way. It does have a pretty strong ending, and Ford does well with her performance. This just didn’t keep my attention as well as I had hoped.

The Unwinding World is written by Ian Potter and stars Maureen O’Brien as Vicki with Alix Dunmore helping out as the guest actor. This is another one that I am having a harder time remembering with any great clarity. Vicki is separated from the Doctor and working some kind of office job, but she is planning to return to a more exciting life once she is reunited with the TARDIS.

Simon Guerrier writes the last two stories which has Peter Purves returning to the role of Steven Taylor. The Founding Fathers and The Locked Room are a drastic improvement. Steven was left by the Doctor to rule a world. He abdicated the throne and is now an old man with granddaughters. His favorite granddaughter has followed in his footsteps, and she hears another story where the Doctor, Steven, and Vicki meet one Benjamin Franklin in London as an alien influence keeps them locked out of the TARDIS. Finally, Sida, who is played by Alice Haig, finally meets the Doctor when an old enemy makes an appearance on Steven’s planet.

This set has a bit of an unremarkable start with the first two stories being somewhat forgettable, however Guerrier saves it for me at the end. Really, Purves is also a fantastic narrator as well. He does a pretty good impression of William Hartnell’s Doctor. It isn’t like he can do a great imitation, but there is something about his performance as the Doctor that I like. I will likely have a more favorable reaction to the other two stories once I hear them again. Potter and Day aren’t terrible as writers, but their contributions just didn’t grab me all that tight. In spite of that, I am still pleased to add this particular set to the collection.

The Nine is a Doctor Who audio boxset featuring Tom Baker as the Fourth Doctor presented by Big Finish Productions. This set contains three stories all written and directed by different contributors. The Eleven was introduced a few years ago and is another renegade Time Lord. He has an affliction where his previous incarnations exist in his current body. This Doctor has apparently faced this particular insane Gallifreyan earlier than the audience knew. We learn that having merely nine personalities inhabiting one form isn’t much better than eleven voices.

The Doctor and the Nine clash in The Dreams of Avarice by Guy Adams. John Heffernan plays the Nine. Richard Dixon, Ronni Ancona, and Mark Elstob round out the guest cast. Ken Bentley serves as director. The Nine has stolen a planet in which the Doctor is trapped. With the help of a skeptical detective, the Doctor has to retrieve his TARDIS, have the planet restored, and avoid getting arrested when this is resolved. Someone as bizarre as the Nine facing this particular Doctor is generally fodder for some worthwhile entertainment, and Adams delivers here. Tom Baker continues to sound enthusiastic and effective as he gets ever closer to his ninth decade. It’s a totally absurd story which wobbles a bit when it comes to clarity, but I didn’t care. The banter between the Doctor and Inspector Probert as they struggle to stop the machinations of the Nine makes the confusion irrelevant. The Doctor’s occasional dismissive attitude toward the Nine is also terribly amusing. The performances make this mess of a story work, and Adams is a good enough writer to pull this off. It has a lot of hammy performances and silly dialogue, but it still manages to entertain quite thoroughly.

Shellshock needed two writers, Simon Barnard and Paul Morris, to be brought to our ears. Nicholas Briggs returns to the director’s seat for this one. Alicia Ambrose-Bayly plays a German nurse who assists the Doctor during the First World War. The guest cast is comprised Finlay Robertson, Nicholas Asbury, Richard Hope, and Christopher Naylor. Soldiers are not only suffering nightmares, but they seem to share the same one. Also, a scientist is conducting experiments that alter the thoughts and loyalties of those who have doubts about the purpose of this war. The Doctor knows that human beings are capable of great atrocities, but some of this may have a more extraterrestrial influence behind it. Nothing really goes off the rails here, and the performances are up to par, however this one felt like it dragged a bit. It’s another one that I didn’t really hate, but I didn’t love it either,

Lizbeth Myles closes the book on this set with Peake Season with Jamie Anderson directing. The Doctor meets writer Mervyn Peake, who is played by David Holt. Jules de Jongh, David Sterne, Marc Silk, and Ava Merson-O’Brien all pitch in as the guest cast. I will be honest and admit that Mervyn Peake is not someone who was on my radar. Peake was apparently a popular fantasy author who died in 1968. The Doctor and Peake are transported to a strange city where they somehow get jobs as newspaper cartoonists. It’s a strange, fun episode that is not likely going to be listed as a fan favorite.

As usual, Tom Baker’s participation is what lifts the material from the threat of mediocrity. The writers are competent, and of course Big Finish remain masterful in their post-production work. The collection overall is entertaining and does not deserve to be overlooked.

The Three Locks is the latest novel from Bonnie MacBird to feature Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson. There are three cases sort of interwoven together in one story. The Victorian duo are pulled into the world of illusion and escapism when they investigate threats leveled against an escape artist. A lovesick clergyman is worried about the disappearance of a wayward daughter of a famous college don. Watson is bequeathed a locked box that reveals some painful truths about his past.

All of this takes place during a London heat wave in 1887. MacBird makes the point that it is hot at the time of these trials quite well.

I am not sure that MacBird really competes with the mastery of Arthur Conan Doyle, however this was a fine attempt. There are times it feels a little long, but I cherish the company of this character enough to not mind that so much.

MacBird makes an interesting decision to conjure up a tragic family history for Watson. She also throws in a bit of unusual amount courtesy and compassion from Holmes which still seemed to fit in nicely with the other more well-known facets of his persona. She really brings home the strength of their friendship that was often glossed over by Doyle and some of the other pastiche writers.

MacBird does well tying up all three challenges in this novel. It also felt more genuine to have Holmes take on several cases at once. Doyle would allude to some of Holmes’s other pursuits in his stories, but it was pretty unique and impressive to actually read about Holmes juggling these puzzles at once.

This turned out to be pretty enjoyable. MacBird has written four of these novels with a Christmas addition to be out soon. She gets pretty close to emulating Doyle’s style at times, but it just doesn’t quite get there. Still, I think it’s a fine addition to the massive amount of Sherlock Holmes stories floating around the universe, and I like to think that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle himself would get some enjoyment out of this one.

Next up, reporter Jack McEvoy has found another killer to pursue in Michael Connelly’s Fair Warning.

Mr. Harrigan’s Phone is a horror film written and directed by John Lee Hancock and is based on a novella by Stephen King. Donald Sutherland plays the title role with Jaeden Martell, Joe Tippett, Cyrus Arnold, Kirby Howell-Baptiste included in the cast.

Jaeden Martell plays a young high school student named Craig who is hired by the reclusive local billionaire to read to him. Sutherland plays the menacing Mr. Harrigan who develops a fondness for the boy. Craig and Mr. Harrigan develop an unconventional friendship. He is also dealing with some of the expected challenges of public school, including a bully named Kenny, which is played by Cyrus Arnold. The film takes place over a few years. Mr. Harrigan is given a cell phone and becomes quite adept with it under the tutelage of young Craig. When old age finally takes Mr. Harrigan down, Craig drops the cell phone into the coffin which apparently extends their connection. Mr. Harrigan had a rather ruthless way of handling people he felt had crossed him and believes that Craig should show no mercy to those who antagonize him. Not only does Craig miss his aged friend, he is still having to face his bully and the sudden loss of a favorite teacher. It appears that Mr. Harrigan is still willing to be of some ruthless help to Craig in spite of his lack of life. Craig finds that some of his challenges being removed by violent means brings a sense of guilt that was lacking in Mr. Harrigan.

Well, the cast was pretty good. Martell seems to be one of the better of young actors working today. Sutherland still managed to convey a pretty commanding presence in spite of his age. The performances were pretty good, and Martell and Sutherland worked well together. Arnold had a rather eccentric take as the bully, Kenny.

In spite of the performances, something did not work as well it needed to with this film. I found it to be rather slow at times. The overall effect felt easily forgettable. It does have an interesting premise, but once again I suspect the printed version is much better.

Tender is the Flesh is a novel written by Augustina Bazterrica, Argentine author. Since she likely wrote this in Spanish originally, a Sarah Moses is credited as being the translator.

This little not so cheery tale takes place in a world where animal meat has been infected with deadly virus that kills humans. Since not everyone wants to be vegan over that, cannibalism has been permitted and institutionalized. There are groups of humans that are designated to be slaughtered cattle. The main character is a fellow named Marcos, who is estranged from this family, and he works in one of these slaughterhouses. Someone sends him a gift of a prime female head, as they are now called. Instead of doing what should come naturally in this society, anyway, he decides to feed her and treat her like a human being. Of course, the relationship becomes more intimate which places the girl he names Jasmine and himself at great risk from the authorities.

This is not a terribly lengthy book, which is fine. It’s not badly written. It does show the depths of human desperation when some well-established traditions such as eating meat goes awry. There is a social message in the midst of this tale that I am philosophically at odds with, but anyone who really knows me would find that unsurprising. Marcos is an interesting main character going through some family crises. A subplot involves his father slipping into dementia and a strained relationship with his sister. Bazterrica certainly does not hold back when it comes to the more gruesome practices. There is a rather surprising ending that might have even impressed the great Alfred Hitchcock.

For those readers with a taste for the macabre, this is worth the time, especially since it shouldn’t take much of it. Does it necessarily hit it out of the park for me? Not quite, but it does satisfy my interest in occasionally breaking out of my more typical literary indulgences.

Now that stepped a b it out of comfort zone, time to return to an old favorite. Bonnie MacBird continues her efforts to provide new cases for London’s best-known consulting detective as Sherlock Holmes tries to unearth secrets protected by The Three Locks.

Smile is a horror film written and directed by Parker Finn. Sosie Bacon stars alongside a cast that includes Jessie T. Usher, Kyle Gallner, Caitlin Stacy, Kal Penn, and Rob Morgan.

Bacon plays an idealistic psychiatrist who witnesses a patient commit the most bizarre suicide she has ever encountered. She then begins to see people appearing in her house and in crowds with these strange, fixed smiles that resemble the one her patient wore when she sliced her own throat. Dr. Cotter begins to worry that she is losing her mind, but she discovers a strange thread of these deaths that followed these spooky smiles.

This latest addition to the horror film genre has some good points, but the conclusion is a bit of a stumbling mess. There were some moments that were effectively chilling. Bacon is a competent actress. The escalating moments of terror were well paced. A curse that is marked by the smile of strangers is an interesting idea, but I hope this doesn’t turn into a franchise.

Smile has a promising premise and some elements that work well enough. Some of the dialogue falls flat. Jessie T. Usher plays the fiancée who tries to be understanding. There was not much chemistry between them, but I suspect it had more to do with the writing.

The film is just uneven throughout. It’s not completely dreadful, but it seems rather forgettable in spite of a somewhat original concept. Par for the course when it comes to horror films in recent years.