“The Prodigy” is a horror film directed by Nicholas McCarthy and written by Jeff Buhler. It stars Taylor Schilling, Jackson Robert Scott, Paul Fauteux, and Colm Feore. The film starts off with a woman escaping from some serial killer who cut off her hand.  When the police kill the crazed pervert during a raid, a young couple welcome a newborn son to the world.

The child begins to show signs of impressive genius, but there are some very disturbing impulses that go along with the smarts.

This is another one that provides a couple of jumps, however too much of those were already shown in the trailer.  This is a slow, predictable effort from McCarthy and Buhler. The creepy kid played by Jackson Robert Scott was reasonably well performed. Some of the visual effects worked out, but overall this was not something I found terribly unique or impressive.

I am not sure what’s the best way to solve the common fictional problem of an eight year-old possessed by a crazed killer, but I had a hard time caring in the end.  There just isn’t much here for this particular film to stand out.

“Muse of Fire” is a Doctor Who audio play written by Paul Magrs, adding to the cast catalog of Big Finish Productions.  Sylvester McCoy is reunited with Sophie Aldred and Philip Olivier.  Ace and Hex are back together, joining the Doctor in another caper.  This time, they are in 1922 Paris during a time when various artist have converged in France’s capital for inspiration.  Or that was supposed to have happened, but Gertrude Stein, Pablo Picasso, and other artistic geniuses have mysteriously departed after particularly brutal reviews were published.

Hex isn’t the only welcome return to Big Finish.  Katy Manning reprises her performance as trans temporal adventuress Iris Wildthyme.  Iris was introduced in the original novels from BBC Books and was a reckless, mysterious figure who had crossed paths with all of the various incarnations of the Doctor.  I liked the moment in this adventure when the Doctor admitted not quite remembering how or when he first met Iris.  Manning has said how much she enjoys playing the part and that comes across quite well in this episode.

Christine Kavanaugh plays a veiled bookshop owner with extraterrestrial origins of her own and a very strange preference for sustenance.

There is actually quite an interesting mix of characters in this overall light-hearted episode.  Apparently Paris in the 1920’s was a quite the draw for various artists and American expatriates.

The eventual meeting between the Doctor and Iris didn’t disappoint although it took quite a while to get there.

On top of everything, there is a talking toy panda named Panda who serves as Iris’s companion.  David Benson was the voice talent here.  Iris has her own range with Big Finish, and I gather this is not the first time that Panda has been appeared.  I haven’t listened to the Iris Wildthyme series, so I had to piece together some of these things.

It’s a pretty enjoyable episode with some nice treats for the more loyal collectors of Big Finish.

I really hope that Liam Neeson hasn’t wrecked his career by his recent admission of hoping to kill a black man almost forty years ago  to avenge the rape of a good friend. He did acknowledge that it was a foolish and horrible desire to have, and he is right about that.

So this whole revelation came out a few days ago when Neeson was interviewed by a journalist for a British newspaper called “The Independent”.  Somehow he started speaking about an incident where a good friend revealed that she had been sexually assaulted by a black man.  Neeson then spent a week scouring the streets of wherever he was hoping to have a confrontation with a black man so he could kill him.  What makes this wish so pointless and tragic is that he was willing to initiate a fight with anyone, not necessarily the person who committed the rape.  Thankfully, Neeson came to his senses before any further violence came about but that’s a pretty dark place to be in mentally.  That’s saying something considering I don’t necessarily disagree with revenge in all cases.  I just think the guy who actually committed the evil deed should be the only one to be out down.

Neeson had a more recent interview with Robin Roberts this week on “Good Morning America” where he reiterated that he knows it was wrong to indulge such violent fantasies.  He expressed his regret which I think was sincere.  I do not know what Neeson was expecting in these revelations.  Everyone has embarrassing and dark moments in their past.  I may trust a few people with something like that, but exposing this to the public after almost four decades just seems so pointless.  If the guilt was becoming that extreme again for some reason, Neeson can afford some private therapy.  This does nothing to ease the controversy over racial matters. If Neeson wanted to merely show that he is a human being who struggles and makes poor, emotionally distraught decisions sometimes, anyone with some sense or understanding of people will know that he has lapsed, and probably pretty badly at times.

I hope that Neeson does receive some grace and forgiveness in spite of this terrible moment in his past.  I have enjoyed most of his films and hope to enjoy some more.  I am not sure “Cold Pursuit”, his latest film, is going to fall in the category of me enjoying it however.  I also hope that he realizes that he does not need to expose all of his past mistakes like that for absolution.  Some things can be handled privately between a close friend or with God, if one is a believer.  I am not certain of Neeson’s religious or spiritual position, but I know I need God when I want to fly off the rails.

As for the friend who was attacked in such a cowardly, obscene manner, I hope she was able to find some justice and some healing a long time ago.

I am glad that Neeson did not have the opportunity to follow through on his misguided intentions for revenge.  I am glad that he admits how wrong he was at that time. I also agree that one shouldn’t hold a whole race responsible for the atrocities committed by individuals.  There are people in every group, class, or ethnicity who are degenerates, as there are people in every group, class, or ethnicity capable of courage and nobility.

“Polar” is a new Netflix film based on a comic series from Dark Horse Comics and stars Mads Mikkelsen, Vanessa Hudgens, and Matt Lucas.  It’s directed by Jonas Akerlund from a script by Jayson Rothwell.

Mikkelsen plays an assassin who is part of some organization who compel him to retire when he turns 50 years old.  The organization has promised to pay some exorbitant pension for his loyal and lethal services, except the top guy, played by Matt Lucas, doesn’t want to pay and has a squad of younger executioners take out the soon to be pensioners.

Back to Mikkelsen, who plays a hitman nicknamed the Black Kaiser. I’m not sure why, but that’s what he’s called.  His name is actually Duncan Vizla, which is what I’ll go with for the purposes of this brief review.

Anyway, Vizla retires to some lakeside cabin the middle of winter, meets a shy woman across the way, shares his unique knowledge of world travels with some schoolkids, and then calls on his deadly instincts to fight off the group of killer who have finally found him.

The action sequences were pretty well executed, but the premise is quite absurd.  Mikkelsen kind of has a pretty compelling role, but he is the typical stoic, world-weary anti-hero.

Matt Lucas is a bit too flamboyant and comical as Mr. Blut to be considered that menacing.  The more I think about it, the more ridiculous I think it would be to buy into a group of hardened killers respecting this clown, no matter how sadistic and wealthy he is depicted.

The sex and blood flows gratuitously throughout the movie.  I know that sounds so inelegant, but it’s an inelegant movie.

All is not lost though. There is an interesting twist in the relationship between Duncan and Hudgens’ character that is revealed in some last minute unveiling that sort of leave it open for a sequel.

There is some enjoyment to be found in this piece with a massive suspension of disbelief and the remembering that it is based on a comic book. It’s just probably not something I am going to revisit very much, although I may check out a sequel if it comes about.

“Free Solo” is a National Geographic Documentary Film about professional climber Alex Honnold’s efforts to scale El Capitan free solo.  It was directed by Elizabeth Chai Vaserhelyi and Jimmy Chin, who is also a climber.

Honnold was apparently the first to make the ascent on this particular rockface without ropes and harnesses.  El Capitan is about 3,000 feet tall in Yosemite National Park and is probably one of the best known and challenging climbs worldwide.  At least, that;s the impression I got.

I am not a climber of any sort, but I still found myself drawn in by Honnold’s journey to accomplish his dream.  The film does a good job of keeping its audience engaged through explanations that are neither boring or condescending.

Honnold himself is an interesting guy. There was some effort to explore the psychology behind his compulsion to make such a dangerous ascent.  He apparently has had some difficulty with romantic relationships related to his death-defying pastime.  He does have a girlfriend in this film who struggles to wrap her head around the compulsion, but it is evident that they are good together.  I have no idea of that relationship is still a go for them.  I hope so.  Honnold has a memoir called “Alone on the Wall” which was written with David Roberts.

The interaction between Honnold and his fellow climbers, such as Tommy Caldwell and Jimmy Chin was also quite fascinating, even if I didn’t quite comprehend all of the jargon.  The concerns over Honnold finding the filming process a lethal distraction was an interesting piece to be included.

As expected, there is some breathtaking scenery that is worth the endurance of some of the slower moments of this film.  There was a wide range of subtle issues explored as well from romantic tension and the mental preparation it took for him to finally gain the experience he wanted from such a feat.

I am a bit too old, creaky, and rotund to take up some a practice.  I may not have been motivated to take up the practice of rock climbing after enjoying this film, but I am very interested in hiking around Yosemite someday.  I can certainly look at El Capitan and appreciate the majesty of the mighty monolith.

I am not a frequent documentary viewer, but I did enjoy this one quite a bit.  Even if one isn’t a climbing enthusiast, there is plenty of reason to check this out.  I believe it has been nominated for an Academy Award, and I am rooting for it.

“Beyond the Ultimate Adventure” is a Doctor Who audio play from Big Finish Productions.  This episode is part of the Companion Chronicles and is a sequel to an adaptation of an old stage play entitled “The Ultimate Adventure”  Terrance Dicks once again provides the story as Claire Huckle and Noel Sullivan reprise their roles as Crystal and Jason, respectively.  Colin Baker fills the part of the guest actor as the Sixth Doctor. Typically the Companions Chronicles will have an actor who played the companion in the television series take center stage with another actor to play one of the other characters in the story.  The man himself returns as the Doctor, as he will hopefully do for years to come for Big Finish.

The Doctor and his friends are lured to a cosmic treasure hunt in which some old enemies appear along with a new adversary.  It actually has a more interesting story than its predecessors.  There isn’t much that really hits the bullseye as far as blowing me away, but it’s not a bad episode.  Colin Baker being there does help considerably, which is often the case if the script is lacking.  Huckle and Sullivan work well enough, but they would likely be more of an acquired taste if more adventures featured them.

Basically, my enjoyment of this one was pretty mild on the first run. I may appreciate it better when I queue this one up again.

“Day of the Dove” is a collection of adaptations by James Blish from a few of the original Star Trek television episodes. I found this little volume in a used bookstore in Denton, TX and thought it was an original novel until I actually got a closer look.  “What Are Little Girls Made Of” starts this off followed by “The Squire of Gothos” and then “Wink of an Eye”.  The final trio of stories are “Bread and Circuses”, “Day of the Dove”, and “Plato’s Stepchildren”.

This particular volume was first published in 1973 and is probably only of real interest to the more devoted of “Star Trek” fans.  Blish is a decent enough writer, but not a whole lot really stands out here.  I think Kirk and the other crewmembers come off better in the more original novels that have been published by Pocket Books for years.

Hopefully I have not read the next one before.  I don’t think I did, but next up is “The Silent Speaker” by Rex Stout.

“Brother Orchid” is a crime film released in 1940 and it also has some comedic elements to it.  The film was written by Richard Connell, Earl Baldwin, Jerry Wald, and Richard Macauley and directed by Lloyd Bacon.  Edward G. Robinson is in the leading role with a cast that includes Humphrey Bogart, Ann Sothern, Donald Crisp, and Ralph Bellamy.

Robinson plays a crime boss who decides to leave his crew for a bit in a world-wide search for what he thinks his class.  Little John Sarto leaves the gang in the hands of Bogart’s character, Jack Buck.  Jack Buck….now that’s a great name!  When Sarto returns from his travels after going broke, he finds that resuming his position as the boss is met with some surprising resistance.  Surprising to him anyway.   Sarto is able to raise another gang to rival the one now under the leadership of his former lieutenant. When Sarto is lured into a meeting that ends up becoming an ambush, he soon finds himself having to recover from gunshot wounds at a monastery.  The time with the monks starts to awaken whatever sense of decency Sarto may have once had.

This is a mildly interesting movie.  This is a pretty familiar performance from Robinson, so he does well with it unsurprisingly.  Bogart is in more of a supporting role here, but he seems to make the most of it.  I wouldn’t call it the most memorable of classic films in my eyes, but it was not one I minded taking the time to see.  The monks did not come off as caricatures, which was a telling accomplishment.  The gangsters were a little hammy, but that was typical for this era of filmmaking.

This movie is a bit flawed but there is some enjoyment to be found here.

“The Tenth Doctor Chronicles” is a Doctor Who audio boxset from Big Finish Productions. There are four stories in this collection featuring the Doctor’s tenth incarnation, however David Tennant is not in this one.  Tennant has done some Big Finish released, but not this one.  Instead, a young actor named Jacob Dudman takes on the role and the narration. Dudman is joined by just one other actor in each of these tales.  I might as well just say this was quite well done overall.

The director, Helen Goldwyn, is also the writer of the first entry, “The Taste of Death” in which the Doctor and Rose Tyler land on a resort planet where they encounter a familiar foe who have concocted a deadly recipe for the guests.  Arinze Kene is the guest actor who plays one of those unexpected allies of the Doctor’s and is looking for his lost brother. He was pretty good as well playing off Dudman’s version of the Tenth Doctor. This was a pretty decent story, although the familiar foe isn’t necessarily one of my personal favorites.

“Backtrack” is the second story presented by Matthew J. Elliot in which the Doctor and Martha Jones find a time ship that is doing more damage to Time than was intended. Big Finish voice veteran Jon Culshaw is on deck for this one.  I liked this one as well.  I don’t recall any performance from Culshaw hitting a sour note, and this one is no exception.

The one story that didn’t grab my attention was “Wild Pastures” by James Goss.  Jacqueline King reprises her role of Sylvia Noble as an alien presence invades the supposed serenity of a retirement community.  Goss is a pretty frequent contributor to the franchise with novels and audio dramas.  He is usually pretty good, but this one didn’t quite grab me as much as I would have liked.  There is nothing really awful about this story, but there was not much that stood out for me other than some occasional amusing banter between the Doctor and Sylvia.

“Last Chance” is the final story in this set.  Guy Adams brings back aristocratic thief, Lady Christina de Souza, back into the Tenth Doctor’s orbit as an alien hunter tries to collect the last of various species.  Michelle Ryan steps back into the role of Lady Christina with expected ease even after her debut in “Planet of the Dead” nine years ago.  This one was pretty interesting because there seemed to be a lot more exposition than I remember usually in these releases.  There is a pretty good whimsical tone struck here that is well played by Dudman’s delivery.  I liked that this would be placed toward the end of the Tenth Doctor’s life, however that aspect was mentioned only a couple of times briefly.

Dudman’s impression of David Tennant’s version of the Doctor is actually startlingly good.  He apparently is going to do the same with Matt Smith’s Eleventh Doctor.  Dudman also happens to be a very compelling narrator.  Tennant has already been on board the Big Finish train, however Smith has yet to be convinced.  Both of those actors have been quite busy since leaving the television series, however Dudman’s voice talents will serve as an acceptable substitute until both actors find the time and will to reprise their Doctors.  My enjoyment of the individual stories varied a bit, however the set as a whole is one not to overlook.

“Serenity” is labeled as a neo-noir thriller and is written and directed by Steven Knight, however the big reveal or twist sort of makes me reconsider that genre.  Lots of big Hollywood powerhouses populate the isolated Plymouth Island.  Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Diane Lane, and Jason Clarke head up the cast.

The basic premise is that an embittered fishing boat captain is strangely obsessed with a supersized tuna lurking off the shores of this island.  He is having some strange affair with some local, rich widow played by Diane Lane.  His ex-wife, in the shape of a now blonde Anne Hathaway, turns up and tries to hire him to kill her current abusive husband.  Baker Dill, played by McConaughey, has some strange mental connection to his son, Patrick, who is apparently is a genius gamer who creates a virtual world that resembles the island.  Jason Clarke is pretty convincing as the abusive, drunken husband with more money than sense.

The scenery is beautifully captured on film, so it had that going for it.  The major twist or reveal is actually somewhat evident pretty early in the unfolding in this story and was just clumsily handled.

Some of the basic ideas were mildly interesting.  The cast was just talented to keep me from leaving too terribly exasperated, but I the script was just silly enough to keep from being too terribly impressed.