The Ole Brook Futbol Club, a travel soccer club comprised of players from Copiah, Lincoln, and Pike counties won big by taking home the championship medallions at the Rankin County Super Cup U11 Division on September 24. The boys played two full days of soccer and came out undefeated with no goals scored against them throughout the entire tournament. The team is made up of: Front (L to R): Braxton Shoemake, Easton Bynum, Ellis Smithhart, Keller Porter, Konner Minton, Preston Kennedy, Eli Medlin, Gage Windham, Jameson Medlin, Brantley Smith, Griffin Newell, and Kingsley Leopold. Coaches from Left: Richard Bynum, Cameron Newell, and Erik Medlin.

Institute for Leaning in Retirement members can learn how to paint, cook, dance and save lives, among other things, through five workshops on the Co-Lin program’s calendar during the fall semester September, October, November and December. This semester, ILR also has four monthly luncheons and four special travel opportunities on its agenda. A membership organization for persons aged 50 and older who are retired or semi-retired, ILR seeks to provide learning opportunities that are both fun and serious for senior adults, who define and pursue their own informal educational goals at their own pace according to their own choices and talents. Members, who come from wide ranging backgrounds and bring varied experiences to the organization, design its program. Co-Lin, as the ILR sponsor, provides staff and management for the organization, which is fully funded by member dues. The fall semester’s first luncheon on September 6 featured a presentation on nutrition by Leah Embry, who formerly managed the Wolf Den, the Co-Lin’s snack bar-hangout. Embry reviewed simple daily nutritional basics and discussed aspects of managing diabetes, heart disease, arthritis and other lifestyle diseases affected by diet. Also kicking off the fall events on September 13, ILR members and their friends travelled to Brandon, Mississippi, to see exotic animals and enjoy a lunch at McClain Safari, and tour the Eudora Welty House & Garden in Jackson. During September, ILR has also scheduled two workshops On September 20, Kaila Denton, an instructor at the Nena Smith School of Dance in Wesson, will start a six-week ballroom dancing course. The workshop and subsequent classes on Wednesdays at the Co-Lin Thames Center will cost $10. Participants can join as individuals without partners. 11 a.m. to 12 noon. On September 27, Co-Lin graphics technician Corey Hart will conduct a demonstration of drones, which he flies for aerial videography. Hart shoots and designs video graphics for Co-Lin, and has worked with Walt Grayson on the Mississippi Roads television program. 1:30 p.m. Thames Center. Other workshops, luncheons and travel experiences in the weeks ahead: October 5. Luncheon. Co-Lin culinary students will provide lunch for ILR members at the Anderson Building. $10. 10:30 a.m. October 5. Art workshop. Co-Lin Art Instructor Carisa Mitchell will lead a two-hour paint-along class. The $45 cost covers materials fees. 25 students maximum. Just show up an have fun. 3:30 p.m. Smith Building. Room 112. October 19. Day trip. At Star, Mississippi – Faith Hill’s home, ILR travelers will visit Heartwood Birdhouses, where speakers will make a presentation, and they will tour the shipping room and shop for lovely, creative birdhouses made by the company. Lunch at Berry’s Seafood in Florence. $70 (lunch not included). October 24. CPR/First Aid workshop. Co-Lin Workforce Education trainer Randy Castilaw will conduct class. Participants will receive a certification card. Fee is $65. 9 a.m. Thames Center. November 2. Luncheon. Jordan Johnson, a local craftsman, will discuss wood crafting and furniture design, sharing stories about his work and the creative process. Lunch prepared and served by Co-Lin Culinary Arts students. The Anderson Building. $10. 10:30 a.m. November 7. Cooking demonstration workshop. Co-Lin food service manager and Chef Chris McSewyn will learn about preparation delicious food and eat it. $20 fee. Thames Center. 11 a.m. November 29. Two-night trip. At Natchitoches, Louisiana, travelers will kick off the Christmas season at the Festival of Lights, where they will enjoy at gala Christmas production at Northwestern State University, ride on the Cain River Queen Riverboat and tour the Fort St. Jean Baptiste State Historic Site. $425-$540. December 11. Christmas luncheon. Special holiday meal prepared by Co-Lin Chef Chris McSweyn with Christmas music. Wear red and green Christmas sweaters. $12. Thames Center. 10:30 a.m. December 12. Day trip. At Natchez, Mississippi, travelers will take a Jeweled Christmas tour of the Towers, lunch on their own and shop downtown. $95. Throughout the semester, every Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m., Cheryl Myers will continue to coach a chair yoga class for ILR members For information, contact ILR Coordinator Erin Johnson: erin.johnson@colin.edu or 601-643-8702. Visit the ILR Facebook page at Facebook@ILRCoLin.

Starting October 1, Wesson property owners will be paying more for garbage service. The rate will jump from $15 to $20 per month because general inflationary pressures have escalated overall costs, according to Town Clerk Angela Hester. The increase will show on monthly water bills sent to Town property owners. In addition to the garbage rate hike, water rates will also increase – a standard increase Town tax payers see every year, Hester said. “By law, the Town must increase garbage rates when expenses exceed operating revenues for sanitation services,” Hester explained. “We cannot cover increased costs from other funds. Nor can we run deficits in providing garbage services. In addition to approving garbage and water rate increases, recent Town Aldermen actions included: Maintaining the 35.53 millage rate tax levy during the 2023-24 budget year. Purchase of property owned by Dr. Lee Nichols adjacent the municipal park for $7,500 from a portion of Blue Cross Blue Shield Healthy Hometown grant monies upon survey of the land. Opening two public works department positions to hire workers. Sending a letter notifying owners of a 1028 Factory Street property of its “dilapidated” status under Mississippi Code 21-19-11. Tabled decision on a municipal park entrance sign at Beech and Church Streets pending quotes.

By Bob Garver “A Haunting in Venice” is director/star Kenneth Branagh’s third go-around as Agatha Christie-penned detective Hercule Poirot. The other two were 2017’s “Murder on the Orient Express” and 2022’s “Death on the Nile.” “A Haunting in Venice” comes barely a year and a half after the latter film, though the turnaround is less impressive when one remembers that trailers for “Death on the Nile” were playing a year and a half before that film opened, with the release suffering numerous delays. Those delays may have turned out to be a blessing in disguise, because unlike the sequels I’ve reviewed the last two weeks, Branagh’s Poirot is relatively fresh in my mind, and I’m more eager to step back into his world. In fact, it’s Poirot himself that is uneager to step back into the world of mystery and danger. Ten years have passed since the events of “Death on the Nile,” and Poirot is retired, spending his days blowing off prospective clients with the help of his bodyguard Vitale (Riccardo Scamarcio) and only enjoying Venice for its pastries. For those keeping score, this version of Italy is slightly more appealing than the crime-ridden take of “Equalizer 3,” but far less than the glorified travel brochure that was “Book Club: The Next Chapter.” Poirot’s determination to not challenge himself is interrupted by Ariadne Oliver (Tina Fey, a very of-her-era actress that feels out of place in this 1947-set movie), a mystery novelist from America. She’s about to do a book on psychic Joyce Reynolds (Michelle Yeoh), who has thus far evaded exposure as a fraud. Oliver wants Poirot to either figure Reynolds out or decide she’s the real deal so the project can continue. Poirot, skeptic that he is of anything beyond this world, agrees to what he’s sure will be a humiliating debunking for Reynolds. That night, Halloween Night, Reynolds holds a séance at the home of retired opera singer Rowena Drake (Kelly Reilly). Rowena’s daughter Alicia was found drowned in a canal some time ago, and she thinks Reynolds can help her find closure. Poirot, Oliver, and Vitale attend the séance, as well as Rowena’s housekeeper Olga (Camille Cottin), doctor Ferrier (Jamie Dornan) and his creepily mature son Leopold (Jude Hill), Reynolds’ assistants Desdemona (Emma Laird) and Nicholas (Ali Khan), and in case things weren’t tense enough, Alicia’s ex-fiancé Maxime (Kyle Allen). During the séance, Reynolds, allegedly channeling Alicia, claims that she was murdered. A less ambiguous murder soon follows, and Poirot is on the case. Like all Poirot mysteries, the night is full of twists and turns, with secret after secret coming to light and everybody having a chance to play the prime suspect. Unique to this one is the possibility of something supernatural going on. Poirot can swear that there’s a little girl in the mansion that nobody else can see or hear. There has to be a logical/scientific explanation… unless there isn’t? Once “A Haunting in Venice” gets going, the excitement is consistent until the mystery is solved. All that’s left for the viewer at that point is to deduce how smart they were at figuring things out. Were they right or wrong? And if they were wrong, was it because they missed something, or did the movie keep an important clue hidden until the last minute? Were the clues that were there too easy or too hard? Could only a world-class detective like Poirot have solved this mystery? For me, I thought it was a mix of all of these, which gives me mixed feelings on the movie overall. But I won’t deny that the experience is a fun ride regardless of how you feel about the ending, or the mystery in retrospect. Grade: B- “A Haunting in Venice” is rated PG-13 for some strong violence, disturbing images and thematic elements. Its running time is 103 minutes. Contact Bob Garver at rrg251@nyu.edu.

By Douglas Carswell Mississippi’s fifty highest paid public officials now cost the taxpayer more than $10 million a year. After an average 5 percent pay rise, the state’s highest paid officials saw their salaries rise from $193,678 on average last year to $205,000 this year. The 2023 Mississippi Fat Cat report, published by the Mississippi Center for Public Policy, reveals that our state has some of the highest paid public officials in America. As well as having a State Superintendent for Public Education on $300,000 per year, Mississippi now has two local school superintendents each earning about a quarter of a million dollars a year. This new report compares the salaries of the highest paid public officials in Mississippi to the average salaries of a nurses, state trooper or a teacher. We also compare Fat Cat pay to median Mississippi income. You might imagine that any list of the highest paid officials in our state would include the most senior elected officials. You would imagine wrong. Mississippi’s Governor and Lieutenant Governor do not even make the list. Four in ten of the highest paid public officials in our state are in fact local school superintendents. The school superintendents on the Fat Cat list received an average 14% pay increase, taking them to over $200,000 a year. Mississippi’s Fat Cats do not just earn more than Mississippi’s governor. Mississippi’s highest paid public officials make on average more than America’s fifty state governors. Some local Mississippi superintendents, presiding over school districts with a few thousand students, are paid more than the governor of Texas, whose state has a population of 30 million. To be clear, some highly paid public officials are worth every dollar. Some have highly specialise skills that could command an even larger salary in the private sector. If only Jackson, for example, had managed to pay proper salaries to properly qualified personnel, the city might have managed to avoid some of the water problems that have afflicted the city. High public sector salaries are not necessarily a bad thing, but there does need to be more accountability when it comes to top public sector pay. Our report does not just shine a light on public sector pay, we suggest some reforms to give the legislature more oversight. We also float the idea of some kind of state-mandated formula to calculate the maximum allowable salary for school superintendents. Arkansas, interestingly, has just adopted a policy of establishing performance targets for school superintendents. Mississippi currently has a record budget surplus. We need to ensure that with all that money sloshing around in the system, we do not see surging pay increases for bureaucrats over and above tax breaks for the folk they are supposed to serve. You can read a copy of the 2023 Mississippi Fat Cat report on our website at www.mspolicy.org Douglas Carswell is the President & CEO of the Mississippi Center for Public Policy.

Generation Z. Young adults that older generations have a difficult time understanding. And a generation that, in turn, holds a lot of contempt for the lifestyles of generations before them. Boomers, as a whole, see adulthood as something that should be lived from this perspective: Education > Work > Retire to do what you always wanted to do> Death. But Z’ers? From what I can understand, see it more like this: Work just enough to be able to live life doing the things that you find pleasurable at the beginning of adulthood, then settle down and work, after you have enjoyed the energy and adventures of your youth. Hmmmm. As a nonZ, I’ve never thought of life this way. Honestly I struggle to find the positive points of it. But then again – yours truly is not a Z-er. Probably need to spend some time listening to those young people who believe this to be a viable way of living life. Ask them some intelligent questions. Listen with an open heart. Not just listen enough to jump in and criticize what they are saying. Now, I am not advocating any certain lifestyle. On the contrary, I am advocating real communication. Boomers, LISTEN to them before TALKING at them. And if there are any Zers reading this, I beg the same of you. There has never been a generation that cannot learn from generations before, and the generations after them. Anything less than this is called arrogance, in my book. Families are being fractured by non-communication. The younger feels that the older is too stuffy, too focused on financial success, letting the true meaning and enjoyment of life escape them. The older folks are convinced that young people have become parasites, living off others and refusing to take financial responsibility for themselves. Let alone preparing themselves for being the leaders of our country when their parents retire. The result of this impasse is a country suffering from a growing split between the generations. People, we have enough problems in this country, with crime, immorality, greed, and enormous financial issues escalating at an unseen-before rate. We certainly do not need our greatest strength, the family unit – to be destroyed this way. If we lose our families by miscommunication, we lose more than we can possibly comprehend – until your family experiences it personally. And then that newly found wisdom comes way too late. Invite that person, old or young, to supper. Tell them that you realize that you need to listen to them. Tell them you want to simply ask questions – that you want to hear their point of view. If you find them open to this and willing to talk to you, then do exactly that. Listen. Try to glean what you can from listening to what they have to say. You are not deaf, nor are you too slow to learn. Then thank them for sharing their point of view. Work at communicating. Hopefully your turn to talk will come later.

The Institute for the Advancement of Minority Health’s Black Men’s Health Equity Council will host Choppin’ It Up—The Barbershop Series from 2 p.m.-4 p.m., Saturday, September 30, 2023. This installment focuses on prostate cancer awareness and will be held on the campus of Tougaloo College in the Berkshire A Men’s Residential Hall. The guest speaker for the event is Dr. Carl Reddix of the Reddix Medical Group. Reddix will discuss prostate cancer risk factors for Black men and the importance of early detection. The first seven individuals in attendance will receive a free haircut. Free lunch, health screenings, and access to a Madden video game tournament will be available for participants. Sponsored by the Institute for the Advancement of Minority Health’s Black Men’s Health Equity Council, Reddix Medical Group, Tougaloo College, Office of Residential Life, and Rho Epsilon Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., this event is free and open to the public. Contact Warren Jones at (769) 572- 5263 or at wjones@advancingminorityhealth.org for more information.

“Home for the Holidays” October 20 – 22, 2022 “Bringing the Vintage Experience to You” Do you watch home remodeling shows and wonder where they find the unique pieces they put in the homes they remodel, or do you have a Pinterest board filled with ideas for your home? Vintage Market Days® brings all of that to you! With numerous of the best vendors in Vintage from across the US – they bring truckloads of repurposed, specialty “finds” that will be unique to your home! Vintage Market Days® of Mississippi owners Chris and Jana Fuss are pleased to announce the Jackson area Vintage Market Days® event. “Home for the Holidays” will be held at the Mississippi Trade Mart at 1200 Mississippi Street in Jackson. The three-day event will take place October 20-22, 2023. “Vintage Market Days® started 11 years ago in Tulsa and has been expanding throughout the country,” said Jana. “We love adding special touches to make it a family friendly Vintage event, we have many vintage vendors than ever and they are bringing their one-of-a-kind finds. Vintage Market Days® vendors are some of the best in the country!” Vintage Market Days® also “gives back” at each event. The organization is honored to partner with the Metropolitan YMCAs of Mississippi, a powerful association of men, women and children committed to bringing about lasting personal and social change. With a focus on nurturing the potential of every child and teen, improving the nation’s health and well-being and providing opportunities to give back and support neighbors, the Y enables youth, adults, families and communities to be healthy, confident, connected and secure. “We are excited to help support the local area, specifically the YMCA’s feeding program,” Fuss added. Tickets can be purchased at the door (Fri - $15 and Sat/Sun $10) or in advance at https://events.humanitix.com/vintage-market-days-r-of-mississippi-home-for-the-holidays . Free readmission all weekend and children under 12 are FREE. The event is open 10 am - 5 pm Friday and Saturday, and 10 am -4 pm on Sunday.

By Kara Kimbrough I’m not here to reignite an argument about the differences between Cajun and Creole food. I’m gun shy about mentioning ANY food from these regions after causing a furor on social media last year. I innocently said I "didn’t like okra in my gumbo." There were a few supporters who agreed it wasn’t a prerequisite for old-school gumbo, but others disagreed. Vehemently. I distinctly remember the words, “You can’t make gumbo without okra or it’s NOT gumbo!” Ouch. Arguments aside, almost no cuisine surpasses either Cajun or Creole. Every dish includes some variation of seafood, tomatoes, sautéed vegetables, spices, fragrant rice…the list of delicious ingredients goes on. With the exception of oysters, I love each and every item that goes into a multitude of dishes representing these cuisines. That’s all I’ll say about it, other than sharing a few food ideas from last weekend’s Cajun/Creole tailgate party, along with a few recipes I tried in advance of the football game. First, our menu consisted of jambalaya; muffalettas; hot shrimp dip and Zapp’s chips; a grilled Cajun shrimp, sausage and vegetable dish; Creole potato salad; Cajun-spice chicken wings and tenders and a variety of desserts. My contributions were the muffalettas, chips and dip. I’ve shared the recipe for a crowd-size muffaletta in past columns, so I won’t repeat it. However, if you missed it, drop me an email and I’ll send the recipe. A few days before the game, I dropped by a library book sale and picked up an old cookbook filled with Cajun/Creole recipes. I revised them a bit to fit my tastes and am sharing them below, along with the shrimp dip enjoyed by my friends at the tailgate party. I hope you’ll be inspired to host your own dinner or gathering with a similar them and as the French say, “Laissez les bon temps rouler!” Hot Baked Shrimp Dip 1 pound small raw shrimp, roughly chopped (use popcorn shrimp to eliminate chopping) 2 tablespoons butter 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped ½ Vidalia onion, peeled and chopped 1 teaspoon minced garlic 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning (or Creole seasoning) 8 ounces cream cheese ½ cup mayonnaise 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese ½ cup grated parmesan cheese 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1/2-1 teaspoon hot sauce (optional) Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place a large oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Add butter, chopped bell pepper, chopped onion and garlic in the skillet. Sauté for 3-5 minutes to soften. Once the vegetables are softened, add shrimp and Cajun seasoning. Sauté for 1-2 minutes. Stir in cream cheese, mayonnaise, cheddar cheese, ¼ cup parmesan cheese, lemon juice, and hot sauce, if using. Stir until the cream cheese, and shredded cheese melts into a thick sauce. Turn off heat. Sprinkle top with the remaining ¼ cup parmesan cheese. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until the edges are bubbly. Serve warm with chips, crackers or cut vegetables. Shrimp Boat Potato Salad 4 large red potatoes 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined 1 cup olive oil 1 cup bottled Italian dressing 5 cloves garlic, sliced 1 bunch green onions, minced 2 bell peppers, chopped fine Salt and pepper to taste Red pepper to taste Boil potatoes; peel and slice in quarter-inch rounds. Place in a large bowl. Boil shrimp in seasoned water; drain and place over potato rounds. Add remaining ingredients – garlic, onions and bell peppers seasoned with salt and pepper. Refrigerate and allow to sit overnight for flavors to blend. Remoulade Sauce (can be used as a salad dressing, dipping sauce for boiled shrimp, crackers or chips or to make shrimp remoulade) ½ cup tarragon vinegar 4 tablespoons Zatarain’s Creole Mustard 1 teaspoon horseradish 2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped fine (I omit this in mine) 4 tablespoons mayonnaise 1 large rib celery, chopped fine 3 green onions and tops, chopped fine 2 teaspoons paprika Dash of thyme and garlic salt ½ cup olive oil Salt and cayenne pepper to taste In a food processor or blender, whisk together all ingredients except olive oil. Whisk in olive oil a little at a time. Taste for salt and pepper. Chill well. If serving shrimp remoulade, add cooked shrimp before chilling. Kara Kimbrough is a food and travel writer and travel agent from Mississippi. Email her at kkprco@yahoo.com

Throughout Copiah County, people still have the beautiful crafts of Sanders Weathersby, a talented third generation African American basket maker born in 1914, who learned his art from his grandfather, Joe Weathersby when he was eight years old. Keasie, Weathersby’s father, also made baskets, which he sold at Skinny Taylor’s store next to Grayson’s Feed & Seed, now the location of Big D’s restaurant. His son worked off and on for J.N. Mohon Trucking until the early 1970s, and devoted full time to making baskets until retiring. Working several hours a day, Weathersby worked on a special order basis, and maintained a steady business advertised by word-of-mouth. All of his items were made from white oak – a light-colored wood which ages over time to a warm honey color -- cut from a tree and then into strips which he meticulously wove into 20 varieties of baskets into multiple shapes, some with tops, that sold from $5 to $30, and chair backs and seats. Susan Thomas Ware, who owns some of Weatherby’s baskets, implored him to show her to make them when she saw him working at this art one day. “Naw, I don’t reckon so,” he responded. So his art does not live one with others who could have learned from him, but his baskets are the all the more special. Weathersby married Ora Smith and had six children – Robert Lee Weathersby, Dorothy Lee White, Ora Lee Weathersby, Sanders, Jr., Johnny K and Mattie. He died in 1997 and a handmade marker is on his grave in Saint Paul Cemetery. Those who own one of Weathersby’s baskets say they are as sturdy as the day they purchased them, and they are proud owners of one of his treasures. EDITOR’S NOTE: Throughout the 2023 Copiah County Bicentennial year, Wesson News will feature sketches of past and present visual artists, musicians, authors and photographers who are natives of the county. They will be excerpted from Tricia Nelson’s reporting in A Shared History: Copiah County, Mississippi 1823-2023 edited and compiled by Paul C. Cartwright and available through Cartwright for $25 plus $5 for shipping at 3 Waverly Circle, Hattiesburg, MS 39402. Nelson is a Crystal Springs writer who contributes to the Copiah County Monitor.

Despite a few isolated showers and storms, Mississippi is still experiencing a drought, making it more susceptible to wildfires. Copiah and Lincoln Counties are among 43 under burn bans, including 40 covered by a proclamation signed by Governor Tate Reeves. Since August 1, the Mississippi Forestry Commission (MFC) has responded to 431 wildfires that burned over 8.700 acres statewide. The fires have burned intensely, with residual smoke and interior stump smoldering longer than expected. The most susceptible areas to wildfires are on the coast and some portions of central Mississippi. MFC has set up an Incident Management Team (IMT) at Wiggins, Mississippi, to coordinate operations in cooperation with local, state and federal partners to pool resources focused on the most wildfire susceptible areas. While seeking to protect both land and structures, MFC is also urging the public to help. “We urge everyone to be cautious and continue to follow burn ban guidelines,” says State Forester Russell Bozeman. “By coordinating efforts and resources, MFC and the IMT aim to enhance the overall response capabilities and effectively manage wildfires.” SIDEBAR Residents can help prevent wildfires with fire safety measures protecting their houses and landscapes: Remove leaves, pine needles and other flammable materials from roofs, gutters and on and under decks to prevent ember ignitions. Screen areas below decks and porches with 1/8-inch wire mesh to prevent material from accumulating. Cover exterior attic and soffit vents with 1/8-inch mesh to prevent spark ignitions. Enclose eaves to help prevent ember ignitions. Inspect shingles or roof tiles, replace missing ones and cover ends of tiles with bird stops or cement to prevent ember ignitions. Remove dead vegetation and other flammable materials within five feet of houses. Keep lawn hydrated and maintained, and cut it if brown to reduce fire intensity. Prune tree limbs so the lowest branches are six to 10 feet above ground to prevent fires from reaching into crowns of trees. Move construction materials, trash and woodpiles at 30 feet from houses. Dispose of branches, weeds, leaves, pine needles and grass clippings to reduce fuel for fires.

By Bob Garver “The Nun II” is the ninth film in the “Conjuring Universe,” a franchise tied to the adventures of paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, but it is the third in the series chronologically. Demon-in-a-nun’s-habit Valak (Bonnie Aarons) has made appearances in installments both earlier and later in the franchise’s chronology. In other words, not only has this villain been defeated before, but I know for a fact that she’ll be defeated again. It’s hard to see the stakes as particularly high or Valak as particularly effective with that kind of record. Just like it’s hard to take this horror movie particularly seriously when the studio decided to release it in early September instead of closer to Halloween. Valak isn’t destined to take over the world (in the movie or out of it), so the greatest investment one can reasonably make is caring about the fates of the main characters. For fans that even remember 2018’s “The Nun” (the fifth film released in the “Conjuring Universe,” but the first chronologically), Taissa Farmiga is back as Valak-defeater Sister Irene, as is porter-turned-Valak-vessel Maurice (Jonas Bloquet). New this time are Irene’s companion Sister Debra (Storm Reid, a very of-her-era actress that feels out of place in this 1956-set movie), as well as Kate (Anna Popplewell) and her daughter (Katelyn Rose Downey), a teacher and student respectively, at the school where Maurice now works as a groundskeeper. I guess they’re all likeable enough, though no more that any number of similar characters in these movies. Valak, possessing Maurice, is on a mission to possess the eyes of St. Lucy, a Christian martyr. Surprisingly, even though eye-gouging is an important part of the lore that serves as a catalyst for this movie’s action, the movie never really engages in eyeball- or eyelessness-based horror. On one hand, I kind of respect the movie for not going for the obvious (or “cheap” or “exploitative”) gruesome visuals. But on the other hand, the movie may as well have gone for those as scares, because it isn’t effective with the ones it does give us. Instead, the movie relies on jump scares, most of which involve Valak suddenly appearing, which are cheap and exploitative. I was scared out of my wits a few days ago by a small, well-intentioned child tapping me on the leg to let me know I’d dropped something. Anyone can pull off a jump scare, including people that aren’t even trying. The filmmakers are trying, of course, too hard and in an expensive fashion. And you know what? So is Valak. Valak is deliberately using whatever demonic powers are at her disposal to jump-scare people. She’s not exactly gaining anything by just popping up, her tactics rarely lead to defeated enemies or the furthering of her missions. My theory is that she needs a confidence boost because she knows deep down that she’s not really good at anything else. It’s easy to see the filmmakers’ desperation to squeeze scares out of this weak material. They have to cheat and use dream sequences and cutaways because they know nothing scary is going to happen for a long stretch of time and they correctly sense that the audience is losing interest. Even when they have a good excuse to use Valak, it can only be for a quick burst because her appearance is only initially unsettling. Close-ups and lengthy looks at Valak are not this movie’s friend. Actually, that’s a good metaphor for this whole wing of the “Conjuring Universe,” Valak works great on the periphery of “The Conjuring 2” and “Annabelle Creation,” but when the movie is either installment of “The Nun” and the pressure is on her to be the main source of scares, it becomes apparent that all she has is popping out. Grade: D “The Nun II” is rated R for violent content and some terror. Its running time is 110 minutes. Contact Bob Garver at rrg251@nyu.edu.