“Red War” is the continuation of the Mitch Rapp series started by the late Vince Flynn.  Kyle Mills has been the one keeping the character in the bloody fight to protect the United States against the most determined of threats.  Rapp has usually targeted the extremist Islamic terrorists through most of the previous novels, however in this one the Russians are in his cross hairs.

The Russian president has discovered that he has brain cancer and may not have long to live.  While he is searching for a miracle in the most selfish of ways, he also wants to make an impact on the world before his departure.  Nothing would make him more memorable than a successful bloody campaign against he West.

Mitch Rapp has an uneasy alliance with former Russian assassin who nearly killed his best friend in order to put a stop to this foolishness.

It does not strike me as the most plausible of plots, however it was still intriguing to see Rapp face a threat other than the insanity that comes out of the Middle East.  He has a rather complicated domestic situation now that he is living with the woman who was once with the French assassin who killed his wife a while ago.  Once again, the sense of reality is a bit stretched, but I like the series enough to go with it,  I guess it would seem a little too odd if Rapp had normal relationships with people who who have no understanding of his almost fanatical dedication to protecting his country,  It isn’t that he has no boundaries or sense of decency, however it gets a little blurry sometimes.  Of course, that is part of what keeps me interested in the character.  I wish Flynn was able to continue the series himself obviously, but Mills is good enough to keep me looking forward to whatever may be in store for Rapp next.

The next literary journey will be aboard the Starship Enterprise in a new adventure with the crew that started it all.  Captain James Kirk and the crew of the Enterprise have a mission to complete in a dangerous sector known as “The Antares Maelstrom”

“Ravenous 3” is a Doctor Who audio boxset presented by Big Finish Productions.  Paul McGann stars in this one as the Eighth Doctor and once again is joined by Nicola Walker and Hattie Morahan as Liv Chenka and Helen Sinclair, respectively.  Mark Bonnar returns as the extra crazy Time Lord known as the Eleven with John Heffernan also on hand as the earlier incarnation known as the Nine, who really isn’t that much less nuts. The Eleven is a Time Lord whose previous personas stay in his current form after each regeneration.  It’s the Gallifreyan version of a split personality disorder.  As usual with these sets, there are four stories with writing credit split between Matt Fitton and John Dorney.

The Ravenous is some legendary cosmic hobgoblin who devours Time Lords, or as we now learn feeds on the regeneration energy when one is about to shed one life for another.  It’s a pretty good idea for a new monster, but I am not sure that it is quite worth four boxsets which adds up to sixteen adventures.

Anyway, Matt Fittons kicks off this series with “Deeptime Frontier” in which the Doctor and his companions escape a dead TARDIS and find themselves aboard a Gallifreyan research vessel in which other Time Lords have brought aboard a dangerous artefact.  Here, we are introduced to another Time Lords from the Doctor’s academy days with Damian Lynch playing Rasmus, a rather decent sort who is still not immune to the Time Lords’ more arrogant tendencies.  Long time Big Finish actor Dan Starkey plays another Time Lord named Braxis who makes a startling and politically correct transformation which causes the role to be taken over by Susie Emmett.  This adventure is a fine start.  There are lots of familiar claustrophobic type trappings which work well enough.

“Companion Piece” by John Dorney might as well have been called “Girl Power” since it is a self-indulgent romp in which most of the female assistants from the Eighth Doctor’s era take center stage as the Nine starts a rather troubling collection.  Yes, this is pretty self-indulgence and probably over the top, but it’s still well-written, which is typical of a John Dorney script.  Alex Kingston is back as River Song with India Fisher’s Charlotte Pollard and Rakhee Thakrar as Bliss pitch in to help out Liv and Helen who are the latest additions to the Nine’s macabre collection of the Doctor’s companions.  There are also a few pleasant surprise and familiar performances here.  Heffernan goes all out in his depiction of one of the Doctor’s zanier opponents and is just brilliant.  Kingston also continues to sound great.  It’s great that Charley still gets to drop in from time to time as well.  This episode is just a fun addition to the set with some great biting humor.  Nothing wrong with the ladies getting a chance of shine a bit without the Doctor on hand to rescue them, especially with Dorney penning it.

“L.E.G.E.N.D.” by Matt Fitton has the Doctor and his friends alongside a very unlikely, troubling ally as they meet the masters of folklore in the shape of the Brothers Grimm played by Leighton Pugh and Arthur Hughes. They also meet another alien researcher who is not quite as careful when it comes to her efforts to add to her database.  Also, fairy tales in this tale don’t stay within the realm of imagination.  The Doctor meeting the Brothers Grimm feels like something long overdue, but this was a fine story to finally hear that happen.

Then, John Dorney concludes this set with “The Odds Against” where the craziness of the Eleven’s affliction gets doubled.  The Ravenous is closing in and there are disguises being revealed.  This is a fairly typical chaotic ending to a series in which the next catastrophe is being teased.

Overall, this particular boxset ended up being pretty entertaining even if some of this felt like retreading of old themes and challenges.  Villains like the Eleven are a little hard to picture when they are presented only in audio form, so I am having some trouble imagining how that would look.  Frankly, I am a little worn out with the Eleven, or the Nine, or the Twelve.  Paul McGann sounds great but he always sounds great.  I do enjoy the dynamic between this particular Doctor with these companions.  The sound effects are quite convincing although some of the action sequences could have used a little better explanation.  There are some fun and intriguing ideas explored here but it falls just a little short of it being a grand slam or some other kind of jaw dropping sporting event.

“Judy” is the biographical drama film about the legendary Judy Garland directed by Rupert Goold. Tom Edge wrote the screenplay which was adapted from a stage play entitled “End of the Rainbow” by Peter Quilter.

Renee Zellweger takes on the lead role with Rufus Sewell, Finn Wittrock, and Michael Gambon as part of the cast.

The focus is on Garland’s performances in London a few months before her death in 1969.  There are flashbacks to her teen-age years with her younger self played by Darci Shaw.  It depicts how her handlers pushed her into her drug addiction that bedeviled her for years and lead to her demise.

Zellweger does put in a very compelling performance.  This is likely one of the better portrayals I have seen from her.  She also seems to have done the singing herself, which does tend to lend more credibility to the action.  The sets looked great. Zellweger looked appropriately and convincingly haggard at times.

My only real issue with the film is that there was no real explanation of the timeline for those of us who do not have Garland’s biographical imprinted in our memory banks.  It was not clear as to how long Garland actually performed in London at “Talk of the Town” in the movie.  I had to look it up to learn that it was a five week run.

Garland is probably the quintessential Hollywood tragic figure, and Zellweger was the right choice of portray the complications within that poor woman.

The movie was pretty well done for the most part, but it could have been a little more informative for those less familiar with Garland’s biographical details.

“Roots” is the novel in which Alex Haley presents his lineage beginning in 1750 where the reader introduced to a young African villager known as Kunta Kinte.  The reader spends several chapters in the village with young Kunta as he grows into manhood.  There is quite a bit of detail in the depictions of Kunta’s family dynamics and the traditions of the village.  It’s pretty interesting for the most part, but it does seem to go on a little longer than necessary.

Then, Kunta is finally ambushed and taken across the ocean in a slave trip.  That was a well described grueling experience for the young fellow.  Haley does an effective job emphasizing the likely abuse and misery experienced by the Africans being brought over to be sold like cattle into the brutal institution of slavery.

So starting from that point, the reader learns the struggles and triumphs of the descendants of Kunta Kinte in a very lengthy chronicle of one of America’s darkest practices in her history.

There are times when the story seemed to drag a little, however Haley does present a complicated and intriguing picture of what that period in history was probably like.  Haley also depicts some complicated relationships between the masters and the slaves where it wasn’t all abuse all the time.  Of course, any moments of reasonable or even kind behavior from the plantation owners does not excuse the overall practice of slavery.  There is apparently some research out there that suggests Haley is not entirely accurate as to his family history, however I can still appreciate the importance of this piece on the literary landscape.  Haley is also a talented enough writer where artistic license is easily forgiven.  The novel also reads as a novel and not a textbook.  I am not going to dig into it deep enough to ascertain for certain what is true and what is perhaps questionable.

Although it took me longer than usual to finish the book and it was a tough read at times, I am glad that I took the time to include this in my efforts to broaden my literary horizons.

Next up, I return to a series that I have enjoyed for a few years now and something a little less weighty.  Mitch Rapp has continued to live on despite the death of his creator, Vince Flynn, a few years ago.  Kyle Mills has recently continued Rapp’s crusade to protect the United States from whatever dastardly attacks are being planned from the more hostile powers around globe in “Red War”.

“Emissary of the Daleks” is a Doctor Who audio play and is the latest installment in the Monthly Range from Big Finish Productions.  It is written by Andrew Smith, directed by John Ainsworth, and stars Colin Baker as the Sixth Doctor. Nicola Bryant returns to her role of Peri. The guest cast includes Saskia Reeves, William Ellis, and Bruce Alexander.  Nicholas Briggs fires up the voice modulator to voice the Daleks.

The Doctor and Peri arrive on the planet known as Omnia where they quickly find that it is occupied by the Daleks.  Reeves plays Magister Carmen Rega,  who is governing the population on behalf of the Daleks.  Since the Doctor and the Daleks are long-time rivals who cross cosmic paths with destructive results, the Time Lord finds this arrangement to be quite unacceptable.  There is an emotional element in that the Magister has an estranged son who rather resents the surrender that was negotiated to save their remote little world.

There isn’t much that feels groundbreaking in this particular Dalek story.  It’s competently written and even more enthusiastically performed.  Baker once again excels at leading the action with his energetic delivery.  He and Bryant continue to prove their worthy chemistry as performers.  Peri continues to come off better than she was allowed in her television appearances all those decades ago.   There isn’t really anything that felt wrong while listening to this, but I am not sure there was anything to help it stand out.  It’s pretty good, but that it likely more due to the cast performances rather than any ingenuity in the writing.  Still, Andrew Smith has a long history with the program and does have an impressive record of coming up with some intriguing adventures, and I do want to see him get handed with plenty of opportunities from Big Finish. The one just didn’t turn out to be one of is more memorable contributions.

 

 

“Joker” is the latest film to delve into psyche and origins of Batman’s greatest and most popular foe.  Todd Phillips directed as well as co-wrote the script with Scott Silver.  Juaquin Phoenix plays the hapless inspiring comic named Arthur Fleck who is barely making ends meet in 1981 Gotham as a clown for hire while living with his mother.  Frances Conroy, Robert De Niro, and Brett Cullen are also included in the cast.

Some are touting this as some sort of masterpiece. Although I would hesitate to go that far because I am just that cynical, I will say that it does have some fairly fascinating moments.  Phoenix was absolutely the right choice to take us on that journey with someone clearly struggling with mental health at the beginning and descends into utter psychosis.  Fleck is someone with whom one can have some sympathy for through much of the film until the killings start.

The cinematography was well thought as well.  The grime of some parts of Gotham were quite convincingly depicted.  Actually there wasn’t much seen of the more opulent sections of the iconic fictional city.  Although Batman is not seen or realized in this installment, the foreshadowing for one of the most famous comic book rivalries is quite cleverly laid out.

The film is a little slow at times though, and it’s a pretty depressing affair to sit through for the most part.  That may be the intent of the writers and producers this time, but it’s a comic book movie, so some break in the tension would still be welcome.  Heath Ledger may still be my personal favorite of Joker depictions in recent years, however the praise for Phoenix’s performance is also well-earned.

Even if I don’t necessarily agree with the masterpiece designation by some for this film, it still was a long way from being disappointing.

 

“Fortunes of War” is a Doctor Who audiobook written by Justin Richards with Colin Baker reading the first person narrative from the perspective of the Sixth Doctor himself. It is released from BBC Worldwide and completes a trilogy in which the history of the First World War has been altered.  The Doctor faced this anomaly in his first and third incarnations, but it’s his sixth iteration that gets to bring this matter to a close.

The Doctor is reunited with two allies from the previous two installments.  He meets up again with Captain Mark Steadman and Nurse Annie Grantham to confront the force that is behind the devastating disruption.

Baker does pretty well as he presents this story, but there is not much remarkable about the writing here. That’s a little disappointing since Richards is a favorite contributor to the series.  Once again, Baker’s delivery does help quite a bit, but I am afraid this effort isn’t going to be the most memorable.

“Overcomer” is a Christian drama film which is the latest offering from the Kendrick Brothers.  Alex Kendrick stars and directs and also is a co-writer with his brother, Stephen.  Priscilla Shirer, Shari Rigby, and Aryn Wright-Thompson are also part of the cast.  The Kendrick Brothers have had some success in prior Christian cinematic efforts such “Facing the Giants” and “War Room”.

Kendrick plays a basketball coach and teacher in a town facing an economic crisis causing people to move away.  Circumstances conspire to have him coach a young girl in a cross country running.  Of course, the girl is asthmatic and apparently an orphan.  She also has a bit of the sticky fingers.

Shirer plays the noble high school principal and does fine.  She is known as a writer and Christian evangelist and has acted in a couple of films.  She does well enough as an actress, but check out her speeches on YouTube. She is phenomenal in her evangelism.

The young runner played by Wright-Thompson is an interesting character as well.

The film is a little on the cheesy side in some areas, but the message is moving. It deals with how one can define themselves in regard to their faith in God.  Amazing revelations come forth when the coach meets a bed-ridden man at the hospital who was forced to give himself over to God after the breaking of his body.

Some of the supposed twists are somewhat predictable, however the film does depict some fairly complex characters and relationships quite effectively.

The Kendricks are not genius writers, but they’re competent enough to make an enjoyable movie.  Of course, this time the message and intent is far more important that the plot.

“The People Against O’Hara” is a film released in 1951 and stars Spencer Tracy, Pat O’Brien, and James Arness.  John Sturges directed the piece which was adapted from a novel Eleazar Lipsky by screenwriter John Monks Jr.

Tracy plays an alcoholic attorney named James Curtayne who is asked to defend a young man from the neighborhood accused of murder.  Arness plays the hapless defendant who is not as forthcoming with his attorney as hoped.

This film isn’t bad, but it does seem to drag quite a bit for something that still doesn’t hit the two hour mark.

Spencer Tracy himself was fine, but I had some trouble staying with the film overall.  The performances from the other actors was fine, but the film just felt kind of just there, which is a shame.

Very young actors Charles Bronson and Richard Anderson were also in the cast, but as amusing as it was to recognize them, it was not quite enough to keep me consistently engaged in the movie as a whole.

“Downton Abbey” is a big screen episode of one of the most rabidly popular British series.  Creator Julian Fellowes writes the script which ended up being directed by Michael Engler.  Hugh Bonneville, Maggie Smith, Michelle Dockery, and all sorts of other British actors return to the Yorkshire countryside as the family and staff receive notice of King George and Queen Mary are coming in for a visit in 1927.

So I have yet to watch the television series, but this movie just felt like a super long episode.  It is a super long episode that is well presented though.  There wasn’t much time spent on the background of the characters for the sake of new viewers, but that was a good decision.  This is a lot of great Britishness as expected.  My favorite character is one of the kitchen staff, Daisy, played by Sophie McShera.  I could see why this show was such a hit.  All of the main characters were amusing and intriguing.

The plot felt a little standard, even for someone who has yet to watch the show, however it was still quite engaging.  Fellowes is a pretty witty scribe.

The scenery was often pretty breathtaking.  The Abbey looked gorgeous during the long shots.

It’s a film that offers a pretty good continuation and yet a decent introduction for those who missed out on the series in the first airing.  Anyway, any newcomers to the show should still get some enjoyment out of it, and I imagine long-time fans were quite pleased with the end result.