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Doctor Who Audio Review: A Story Demon, Iris Wildthyme, And Lots Of Mrs. Clarkes

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

The Cosmos and Mrs. Clarke is a Doctor Who audio boxset released by Big Finish Productions and is pretty good for the most part. It’s not quite at the level of a relative masterpiece, but the team of Colin Baker and Miranda Raison as the Doctor and Constance Clarke deliver endearing and compelling performances as usual. The set is directed by Samuel Clemens and contains three stories.

Terry Molloy, usually known as playing Davros, is cast as a different, yet familiar, historical figure. Other cast members include Lara Lemmon, Carly Day, Vivienne Rochester, Anthony Townsend. Katy Manning, who usually portrays companion Jo Grant alongside the Third Doctor, reprises her other role, Iris Wildthyme.

Now that my usual pattern of introduction is done, let’s see how the stories fare under my scrutinous attention.

First off, there is The Story Demon, written by Julian Richards. The Doctor and Constance Clarke arrive on a distant world where the colonists are having to fend off strange attacks from beasts known as the Birnamen. There is some question as to these attacks being what they seem when something known as a Story Demon is in the settlement, and that something is apparently a Dalek.

Nicholas Briggs has returned to the mic, fitting it in among all of his other duties with the company, to voice the Dalek. It’s a pretty successful effort to have a Dalek story in a bit of a different context. The story is interesting enough. Baker and Raison continue to develop their chemistry quite successfully.

Constance Clarke came from the World War II era and was a codebreaker at Bletchley Park. She is quite a no-nonsense sort of lady of her time, but she does have a warmth that makes her a natural friend to the roguish Time Lord. As usual, it remains a treat when Mrs. Clarke is on board the TARDIS.

This is a promising start to this particular collection.

Paul Magrs, the creator of the possible even more roguish Iris Wildthyme, played by Kathy Manning, steps up to the plate with The Key to Many Worlds. This serves as kind of a sequel to the First Doctor era serial entitled Marco Polo.

The Doctor and Mrs. Clarke arrive in thirteenth century Baghdad where the Doctor hopes to catch up with an old friend, Marco Polo, who has apparently lived a much easier life as a merchant. Polo is of course the legendary Italian explorer whose legend and history have that questionable mix that can be quite frustrating to the casual reader.

The Doctor finds there is another old acquaintance present. Iris Wildthyme is once again up to her usual mischief which this time results in the two time travelers switching bodies. Colin Baker and Manning are both pretty skilled comedic actors so there are some typically hysterical moments in which they play each other’s roles.

Anyway, Polo has decided to return to his homeland of Italy and another expedition gets underway with the displaced Doctor and Iris bickering the entire way.

Sadly, Magrs decides to apparently fabricate some kind of apparent homosexual relationship between Polo and some former servant who became a close friend. This episode makes no mention of Polo’s wife and four children he actually had in his real life. It doesn’t quite detract from the clever moments of humor, but it is a bit distracting if one takes a moment to give a cursory read on Polo’s biography.

I will say that it was quite fun to realize that Terry Molloy was portraying Marco Polo and does a fine job. He has played other roles for Big Finish other than the maniacal Davros and remains as gifted a performer as ever.

Anthony Townsend, who apparently died not long after his participation in this production, portrays Polo’s long-time companion, Tonio, who is a likeable presence in spite of some misgivings about how this relationship is presented.

Manning kind of imitating Colin Baker’s Doctor was just funny. Iris Wildthyme is a character that should be used sparingly, but I don’t recall really disliking a story when she pops up.

I have a few objections to this particular story, but it is quite clever and engaging for the most part.

Finally, it is Ian Potter who closes out this set with his script entitled Inconstancy.

On the planet Hoi, the Doctor and Mrs. Clarke find another crazy ruler and strange protean creatures who apparently can replicate other beings or people. Mrs. Clarke finds herself among a swarm that resembles her.

Potter presents this start as being narrated by the Doctor and Constance to two different people. It’s basically a flashback episode, which is not exactly a new literary device, but still effectively employed here.

Out of the three, this one kind of confused me the most. I may need to listen again to get a better grasp on what was going on. I thought it had a nice ending though. Baker and Raison continue to excel as performers. Hopefully, we won’t have to wait long for another pairing of these two characters.

The set as a whole is quite good, but not much really stands out. It sort of relies on what has become tropes of the series overall from both the television series and Big Finish creations. Still, the tropes are those I happen to appreciate. Well, I think the Cybermen still make for a much more interesting opponent for the Time Lord than the Daleks.

Nonetheless, this set is still worthy of being added to the collection and likely enjoyed more than once.

Book Review: Russians And Rapp In Syria

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

Code Red is a recent continuation of the Mitch Rapp series of thriller novels originated by the late Vince Flynn. Kyle Mills has written his final contribution to the series and leaves the franchise with a pretty decent addition.

Mitch Rapp is a top counterterrorism operative for the CIA, and yet he owes a favor to someone who is rather despicable. A Mexican cartel leader has called in a marker and wants Rapp to travel to Syria to look into the creation of a powerful narcotic that is interfering with business. Rapp poses as a Canadian lawyer and has to behave a bit more civilized than he is used to operating. Rapp is a stone-cold killer when hunting for terrorists or anyone who poses a threat to the United States. He soon discovers that the proliferation of this drug is actually a form of attack from the Soviet government. Rapp is basically on his own since his latest mission isn’t really sanctioned by the US government. He also has good reason to not trust the man for whom he is working this time. He is quite well that he is seen by the crime lord as being very expendable. None of these obstacles will deter Rapp from protecting his family and those he has come to love. That also means there is going to be quite a bit more killing that will be done.

Mills does pretty well here. I was rather amused at the scenes where Rapp has to pretend to be paralyzed with fear when he is abducted while in his guise. Little do the bad guys know that their victim is the most dangerous man in the room. Rapp doesn’t really do undercover gigs, so it was refreshing to have him employ a tactic that he so rarely uses.

The villains are typical of this series. I do find it interesting when Rapp ends up going after someone other than another Middle Eastern terrorist. I believe this is the second recent novel that Russians were more of a target of Rapp’s lethal talents, and I sort of like the change of pace.

Also, the recent novels have Rapp basically in a stepfather role, and it’s pretty cool to see a paternal streak revealed.

I miss the original creator, Vince Flynn, but Kyle Mills was a solid choice by the publishing house to continue the series. He is a competent enough writer and was courageous enough to place Rapp in situations that may not have been explored by Flynn. Still, Vince Flynn was taken too soon. and too young. I would have loved to have known which direction he would have taken Rapp, but I think Mills does well enough honoring the legacy.

Don Bentley is now the successor for continuing Mitch Rapp’s bloody mission in protecting America from its numerous enemies.

Next up, I will be reading The Mystery Writer by Sulari Gentill.

Book Review: Joe Pickett Gets Back On His Game

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

Free Fire by C.J. Box continues the compelling saga of now former game warden Joe Pickett and his family as he is given another chance to regain his job when he accepts a confidential assignment from the governor that takes him to Yellowstone National Park.

Pickett had been dismissed from his game warden position in the previous novel and starts off this one working as a ranch hand for his mother-in-law’s new husband. A case has broken when a murderous lawyer slays four people in a corner of Yellowstone National Park that is some kind of legal free fire zone. There may not be a way to prosecute this attorney, but Pickett is tasked with uncovering a motive. When some of his new colleagues are attacked or killed, Pickett starts to understand that there are some secrets that threaten many people, and some of those are willing to add him to the body count.

Box hits on an interesting idea that one can lure his intended victims to some zone where the normal laws prohibiting murder don’t apply as they would in anywhere else in the country.

Anyway, I found the novel enjoyable, but I am likely a pretty consistent C.J. Box reader. There isn’t much that’s groundbreaking, but it remains interesting. Pickett and his family remain compelling because they try so hard to be conventional and normal in many ways, but they keep getting thrust into dangerous situations because of his career.

It’s a pretty enjoyable and interesting entry into the series, but it’s not quite a homerun.

Next up, I am returning to the realm of the supernatural with House of Secrets by Darcy Coates.

Film Review: Matt Walsh Does The Work

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

Am I Racist? is an effectively satirical documentary starring Matt Walsh as he goes on a journey to see if the DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion) teachers have a point. The film is produced by The Daily Wire and directed by Justin Folk. Walsh and Folk writing credit with Brian Hoffman and Dallas Sonnier.

Walsh is a popular conservative commentator who had some success with a previous documentary entitled What is a Woman? which dealt with the topic of transgenderism.

After being ousted from a support group that discussed “white guilt”, Walsh dons a hilariously flimsy disguise and becomes certified to teach DEI himself. He encounters some rather notorious figures on this topic such as Kate Slater and Robin DiAngelo as he attempts to implement what he is learning during various sessions and interviews. He also interviews regular people of various races to get their reactions to these ideas.

One of Walsh’s gifts is his deadpan stoicism as he subjects himself to some of most absurd group situations and tries to relay these ideas to others. The interview with DiAngelo is awkward and hysterically funny as reported.

The film is careful enough to attack an ideology and not necessarily a race of people. Another fascinating interview is with Wilfred Reilly, author of Hate Crime Hoax. Walsh and Reilly would likely be in more agreement if Walsh still wasn’t in character as a DEI guy.

There are a couple of scenes that sort of fell flat for me. The film’s effort to ridicule the Jussie Smollett hoax could have been handled differently. I don’t disagree with mocking Smollett at every opportunity, but the method employed in this film could have taken a bit more consideration.

There are some scenes that seem to go on a little too long, but that was likely to help drive home the point the film was really trying to make.

Most of the major production decisions made in this film work rather well. There were a couple of moments where Walsh actually did some acting that would be convincing if one didn’t know the premise.

This film is not without a few flaws, but it is entertaining and educational.

Film Review: The Battle Of The Generations Rage On

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

Old Dads is an unsurprisingly raunchy comedy film directed by Bill Burr; however, it is not as funny as his stand-up routine. Burr co-wrote the script with Ben Tishler, who was apparently not much help. Bobby Cannavale and Bokeem Woodbine co-star as his two best friends and business partners.

The premise here is that these three buddies are older that most typical fathers and their struggles to understand the younger generation, which includes their wives and significant others. The three friends had sold their company but were able to remain on as employees with a Gen Z supervisor who doesn’t respect their supposed wisdom or something. Burr’s character has gotten sideways with a progressive daycare principal. He has an erratic temper, which is what Burr relies on for his stand-up routine. All three of these guys have some friction in their relationships. Basically, they have to save their relationships, get their jobs back, and learn how to play nice with others.

There was no one I could bring myself to actually like or root for. I like Burr’s comedy generally, but somehow it didn’t translate all that well for this film. The profanity was a bit much, and I can tolerate a lot. There were times that I could almost sympathize with Burr’s character, Jack, such as when he called out his wife for not standing by him all that much. Just because he has a temper didn’t mean that he was always wrong.

I think there is a goldmine here with the idea of some of these older fathers with young children, but Burr didn’t seem to tap into it very effectively.

I didn’t have very high expectations for this one, but this still turned out to be surprisingly disappointing.

Film Review: No Need To Chart A Course For This One

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

Uncharted is a 2022 action-adventure film based on a video game franchise, and I would guess the game is much better than this almost worthless effort from Sony Pictures. As director, Ruben Fleischer is the main culprit assembling this ill-conceived venture. It took three screenwriters in the shape of Rafe Judkins, Art Marcum, and Matt Holloway to present this to the studio. Jon Hanley Rosenberg and Mark D. Walker share the blame with Judkins for the story idea. Tom Holland, Mark Wahlberg, Antonio Banderas, Sophia Ali, and Tati Gabrielle comprise most of the lead cast.

The supposed premise is that Nathan Drake, played by Holland, is convinced by a fortune hunter and a former associate of his long-lost brother to join him on a worldwide search for said brother. There’s some explorer’s diary that sends them on a hunt for some ancient cross. There are secret passages and many traps that beleaguer Drake and his shifty allies. Rival mercenaries are on their trail. There are many spectacular stunts and scenery that fail to make up for the lackluster dialogue.

Holland and Wahlberg are charismatic enough to almost make this watchable, but they had little to work with when it comes to the script. Tati Gabrielle is kind of hot as a psychotic henchwoman, so she was somewhat fun to watch, but even that isn’t enough to tip this into something that would dissipate the regret I have for sitting through this.

The cinematography looked great, although there was some heavy CGI use. The fight scenes were just too ludicrous. I know that films based on video games should receive some grace and patience to have any hope of enjoyment, but the producers were just asking for too much.

It is not really the worst movie I have seen, but Uncharted does hover over the abyss of being total cinematic garbage, which is a shame. I can usually enjoy a movie featuring Holland or Wahlberg, but their agents didn’t think this one through. I usually enjoy this genre of film, and I would likely play the original game if I find the time to fire up the Playstation again. What is unlikely is that I will take the time to give this film another chance.

Film Review: Sharon Takes Charge

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

Ordinary Angels is a drama film directed by Jon Gunn, that is somewhat predictable and often implausible, but it still manages to hit the heartstrings just right.

The screenplay was written by Meg Tilly and Kelly Fremon Craig. Oscar winner Hilary Swank is paired with Alan Ritchson as the leads. Nancy Travis and Tamala Jones are included in the cast with Amy Acker, who is onscreen too briefly as the deceased wife and mother. Two young daughters of Ritchson’s character are played by Skywalker Hughes and Emily Mitchell and are very well cast.

The storyline concerns a widowed father of a young girl in dire need of a liver transplant. The bills are crushing his spirit and his ability to better provide for his family. Swank plays an alcoholic hairdresser named Sharon Stevens who is moved by the family’s plight and takes it upon herself to shake the community into helping in the most extraordinary ways. Sharon comes across as bombastic and stubborn, but she is carrying a secret heartache of her own. The motivations behind this sudden altruism bear a bit of scrutiny, however there is no denying that she knows how to get results.

The plot is pretty simple, and films like this are not in short supply. Once again, the performances really make it work. Swank, in particular, had a role that could too easily become a caricature, but she manages to show enough restraint to not go too far over the top. Ritchson, who has recently found further fame as the stoic, indomitable Jack Reacher, also demonstrates a somewhat unexpected range in a captivating performance as the hapless, prideful father who feels a bit out of his depth when dealing with the bossy, but well-meaning hairdresser who has barged in his family’s tragedy.

Everyone in the cast delivers a solid, heartfelt performance. The two girls playing the daughters were quite believable and charming. There were times where it was easy to believe that Ed Schmitt, played by Ritchson, could have a moment where he could put his worries aside and just love his children in spite of the apparent oncoming heartbreak that is hovering over them.

There is so much to appreciate about this film, but it is not without some drawbacks. Some of the circumstances surrounding the girl’s illness and the coincidences depicted that ended up helping to resolve the crisis seems a little too implausible at times.

I have yet to read the comparison between the film and what actually happened in the real world, but it was too easy to get distracted by the apparent artistic liberties at times.

The Schmitt family and their unexpected friendship with Sharon is really a true story, but some elements in the film still felt a little exaggerated, which is a par for the course for anything coming out of Hollywood.’

I do wish that the writers were able to make more use of Amy Acker. I understand that she has the character who dies at the beginning, but there could have been some flashback moments or something. Acker seems to have enough of a filmography and more than enough talent that should require more than two minutes of screen time, and I just think there could have been more of an effort to have her audience spend a little more time with her.

The overall experience is a bit of an emotional rollercoaster, and although it’s not always a fun ride, it’s memorable and ultimately enjoyable.

I was also pleased that God was acknowledged in a way that felt genuine and reverent without going into some cartoonish depiction that Hollywood usually goes with when presenting Christian values.

The film has a few flaws, but the merits here outnumber those considerably.