Menu Close

I’ve Been Interviewed!

You may or may not have noticed my post on Twitter and Facebook about this, but recently a new pair of podcasters decided to make me their first victim interviewee! So last weekend I sat down to chat with "Time Siren" and "Mad Woman with a Box" about my fandom, the blog, my book (in case you hadn't realized I have one, I do, and you can buy it from CreateSpace here or from Amazon, though frankly I get a larger cut from CreateSpace), Gallifrey One, my first foray into cosplay, and more!

The podcast is now available in all its rambling glory (it's #1.3) at The Corsair's Closet. Go have a listen!

Read more →

Apathy to the Viewer

Review of Death to the Daleks (#72)
DVD Release Date: 10 Jul 12
Original Air Date: 23 Feb – 16 Mar 1974
Doctor/Companion: Three, Sarah Jane Smith
Stars: Jon Pertwee, Elisabeth Sladen
Preceding Story: Invasion of the Dinosaurs (Three, Sarah Jane)
Succeeding Story: The Monster of Peladon (Three, Sarah Jane)

Although based on some of the comments from the extras, Death to the Daleks has a rather special place in some fans’ hearts, I’m afraid it hasn’t acquired such a position for me. And reviews I’ve read elsewhere suggest I’m not alone.

It’s not that it’s a bad story – it certainly doesn’t rate a Stinker status – but it’s just kind of pedestrian. I simply couldn’t get excited about watching it. (Granted, the fact that Real Life has been rather stressing me out lately may have had something to do with it, but still – a good Who story can snap me out of most any funk.) Maybe there were too many bits I’d seen elsewhere before (like an electrified floor, which put me in mind of the yet-to-come Five Doctors; and how many times has poor Sarah Jane been sent up as a potential sacrifice?!), or maybe I couldn’t stand the “look out: Daleks” theme music.

On the other hand, I have to think the opening episode would’ve freaked out the kids at the time. It’s always ominous when the TARDIS goes dark, and the fact that every attempt at backup power failed would probably have seemed quite alarming. Better yet, we get to hear Sarah Jane refer to the Daleks as “those robot things”! I’ve been following her in random sequence for so long, having started from the other end of her timeline, that I was a bit stunned to realize that this is her first Dalek encounter: “wait, since when does Sarah Jane not know about Daleks?!”

Read more →

Confession #25: I Love Alternative Media

It was after I first saw The Movie that started to dip my toe into “alternative media.” I’d really enjoyed McGann as Eight, and wanted more of him. Of course, there was no more in the most-often-held-as-canon televised sector. Even then, though, I knew there are more versions of “canon” out there than there are fans, so I wasn’t too worried about where these other media might take me, especially knowing that many Old School Fans (OSFs) grew up reading Target novelizations and such (though, come to think of it, I might not have known about those at the time). Suffice it to say, the lure of Eight was strong enough to overcome any minor misgivings I might have had.

I started with Shada. OSFs will know this as the Four story that never (quite) was. Filming began, but was never completed, due to a labor dispute not directly related to the Who team. Re-imagined as an Eight story – but still with Romana II – the webcast version gave me a chance to learn about both a famous yet unfamiliar story and a still unfamiliar Doctor. It was a nice way to get a first taste – but I wanted more.

Enter Big Finish. For ages, Big Finish (BF) has been creating audio dramas (and other good stuff, but I have been most familiar with their audio work) in various fandoms. Their original content for Doctor Who is top-notch. I was lucky enough to come across some of the first, second, and third series of The Eighth Doctor Adventures that had been (re?)broadcast on BBC Radio 7. (Thank you, Interwebs!) Game over. I was in love with BF, and even more with Eight.

Read more →

Add Crunch to Your Salad

2 Comments

Review of The Krotons (#47)
DVD Release Date: 10 Jul 12
Original Air Date: 28 Dec 1968 – 18 Jan 1969
Doctor/Companion: Two, Jamie McCrimmon, Zoë Heriot
Stars: Patrick Troughton, Frazer Hines, Wendy Padbury
Preceding Story: The Invasion (Two, Jamie, Zoë)
Succeeding Story: The Seeds of Death (Two, Jamie, Zoë)

It’s amazing how different a Doctor Who story looks when comparing the picture in your head whilst reading a synopsis to the picture on the screen as broadcast. The Krotons certainly looks nothing like I envisioned it, but I don’t think that’s altogether bad.

When I first read that synopsis, I was also unfamiliar with several parts of the Whovian mythos that make them items of interest here. First, I really didn’t know beans about Robert Holmes. The Krotons is Holmes’ first stint as a writer for Who, but certainly not his last. He penned more than a dozen stories before he was done, was script editor for a goodly chunk of the show’s “heyday” (depending on which fan you ask about the definition of heyday), and introduced a vast number of important characters and concepts to the Whoniverse. In retrospect, then, it’s interesting to see how he makes his start.

Similarly, Krotons is the first story in which eventually-iconic Who villain Philip Madoc made an appearance. Madoc (who passed away this past March) is perhaps best known for his role as Solon in The Brain of Morbius, but his Eelek here is just as oily and commanding. He is perhaps the strongest of a fair-to-middlin’ batch of supporting cast here (though the Vana character is utterly useless, and in my opinion not well portrayed).

Read more →

Confession #24: I Want the Daleks to Go Away

8 Comments

I got to thinking about this after a lively Twitter conversation the other day. It’s no surprise the Daleks are coming back for the first episode of Series Seven (or S33, depending on how you count) – and if it was till just now, I’m sorry for the “spoiler” (and you need to tell me how you managed to avoid it till now!) – but my question is “why?”.

Don’t get me wrong; I like Daleks well enough. I’m just really, really tired of them. Think about it. Series One (I’ll use the post-Hiatus numbering for simplicity) brings them back with the lovely Dalek, in which Nine has to face the horrible truth about the Time War, and then ends with a Dalek extravaganza. Series Two combines Daleks and Cybermen. Series Three doesn’t use them as the Big Bad, but does include a (lame) two-parter appearance. Series Four goes back to RTD’s basics, throwing both Daleks and Davros into the mix for the finale.

Moving onto The Moffat Years, we get new, glossy, candy-coated Power Ranger pop-up toys Daleks in Series Five. Only in the most recent series are they – very nearly – absent. In the end Moffat couldn’t resist a few-second cameo, so they still appeared.

Anyone noticing a trend yet?

Read more →

The Beginning of the End

2 Comments

Review of Resurrection of the Daleks: SE (#133)
DVD Release Date: 12 Jun 12
Original Air Date: 08-15 Feb 1984
Doctor/Companion: Five, Tegan Jovanka, Vislor Turlough
Stars: Peter Davison, Janet Fielding, Mark Strickson
Preceding Story: Frontios (Five, Tegan, Turlough)
Succeeding Story: Planet of Fire (Five, Turlough, Peri)

The TARDIS crew unravelled pretty quickly at the end of Five’s tenure. First – here – Tegan bows out, then Turlough immediately thereafter. Having picked up Peri during Turlough’s swan song, Five then completes his last adventure with her. Bam, bam, bam! In quick succession, two Companions and a Doctor were all out; everything was completely changed up by the end of the series.

So in a sense, Resurrection marks the end of an era. Tegan’s been with Five since the beginning, and with this, she’s gone. Change is on the wind (“and not a moment too soon,” if you believe some folks). Of course, as some things change, others stay the same.

First, the Daleks are back. They (and their minions) are more effectively brutal than before – the body count in this story is insanely high; just about everyone dies (including some innocent bystanders), excepting about three baddies and our heroes – but they’re still Daleks, and as such are somewhat predictable. I have to say the new helmets they’ve forced their troopers to wear are good for a laugh, though.

Read more →

Nu-View #9: Less Ant-i Than Ant-icipated

4 Comments

The Web Planet (Story #13, 1965)
Viewed 05, 19 Jun 2012

Doctor/Companion: One, Ian, Barbara, Vicki
Stars: William Hartnell, William Russel, Jacqueline Hill, Maureen O’Brien
Preceding Story: The Romans (One, Ian, Barbara, Vicki)
Succeeding Story: The Crusade (One, Ian, Barbara, Vicki)

The reactions of the uninitiated never cease to surprise me – and it’s not that long ago since I was one of them! When jA declared after The Curse of Fenric that it was the weirdest thing she’d seen, I considered the gauntlet thrown down.

I’d foolishly forgotten/not checked to see that Web Planet was six episodes long, so we ended up having to split it into two sessions. jA, jO and I were present for both, but jE missed the first time, and L missed the second. Once we got into it, though, the responses were, shall we say, rather varied.

At first, it was fairly upbeat. The Zarbi were initially well-received (“I love ’em!” “I love how they make electronic noises.”), and the exchange between Barbara and Vicki about the state of the art in medicine and schooling in their respective time zones intrigued all the Ladies. By Episode 2, though, things started to go a bit downhill.

The Menoptera elicited giggles and a “what the hell?” as well as the observation that “those [wings] are made out of shower curtains.” Vicki, though I think her personality went down pretty well, came across as “pretty helpless.” Then there’s the bit when a Zarbi runs into one of the cameras – “that was awesome!” I, for one, love how you can hear the Zarbi costumes creaking as they move (and just think about the poor saps who had to wear them – their backs must have been in absolute agony!).

Read more →

Sssuccesssful Ssstory

2 Comments

Review of The Seeds of Death: SE (#48)
DVD Release Date: 12 Jun 12
Original Air Date: 25 Jan – 01 Mar 1969
Doctor/Companion: Two, Jamie McCrimmon, Zoë Heriot
Stars: Patrick Troughton, Frazer Hines, Wendy Padbury
Preceding Story: The Krotons (Two, Jamie, Zoë)
Succeeding Story: The Space Pirates (Two, Jamie, Zoë)

Although it is the franchise’s second encounter with them, Seeds of Death is our first real chance to see the Ice Warriors in action, since two episodes of The Ice Warriors are no longer extant. It’s a great intro, too, because the POV shots give it an interesting sense of mystery at the beginning – “who has invaded Moonbase?”, the (original) audience is left to wonder. And we don’t find out until the end of Episode 1, which works quite well.

They’re suitably creepy and threatening, too. What are they up to? Their plan appears so complex, and has so many pieces, that it takes even the Doctor five or six episodes to suss it out completely. And I just love their weaponry. It’s unique and interesting, especially for 1969. I can’t help but wonder how that would (or “will,” if rumor can be trusted) be adapted today. OK, so some of the effects are dodgy (in what story weren’t they, really?) – those rubber suits are just unwieldy, and the “fungal spores” are absolutely laughable (though at least imaginative) – but the overall timbre is nice.

I also really like the timely commentary on the space age. Humanity has become too dependent on one particular technology (T-Mat), and needs to go back to a more “primitive” technology (rocketry) to get itself out of a pickle. It’s totally a cautionary tale.

Read more →

The Kandy Man Can’t

Review of The Happiness Patrol (#153)
DVD Release Date: 08 May 12
Original Air Date: 02-16 Nov 1988
Doctor/Companion: Seven, Dorothy “Ace” McShane
Stars: Sylvester McCoy, Sophie Aldred
Preceding Story: Remembrance of the Daleks (Seven, Ace)
Succeeding Story: Silver Nemesis (Seven, Ace)

On the one hand, Seven and Ace always make me happy. On the other, Happiness Patrol is, umm… not the best executed story of all time. I’ll admit the premise is interesting enough (a planet where it’s illegal to be unhappy), but wow…

It’s disappointing not least because it actually starts out quite well, with a scene that completely creeped me out, as someone who has herself struggled with clinical depression. There’s enough of a stigma associated with mental illness in our society as it is, but to have even the slightest hints at one of the most common of them (depression) lead to one’s “disappearance”… It’s truly chilling.

Even the poor TARDIS isn’t immune. She ends up painted a “cheerful” shade of pink which actually prevented me from noticing her presence in the background of any of the scenes until I was watching the extras. It’s a nice little touch, though, reminding us that the TARDIS somehow does blend in, even when she doesn’t.

Sadly, the rest of the execution on this one, like so many before, is fettered by its budget. The effects are all-around rather poor, including the bizarre form of the Kandy Man and the pathetic excuse for a go-cart (even a child could have outpaced that thing on foot). And the lighting was atrocious. It’s like they decided that if it wasn’t going to be film noir (reputedly once the intention, or at least hope), then at least they could light it like crap to make it “dark.”

Read more →

Community of Bloggers

Today, Paul Greaves of goldfish & paracetamol fame (I’ve referenced him often before) did me the honor of naming me (or, more specifically, this blog) as one he follows regularly for The Versatile Blogger Award project. I’m thrilled to be so dubbed a Versatile Blogger! So thank you, Paul, for the shout-out.

As an awardee, I’m asked to list 15 blogs or bloggers I’ve “recently discovered or follow regularly.” At this point, I fail mightily, as I ~ahem~ don’t actually read that many blogs. However! I will still do my best to share a few of my favorites.

The blogs I regularly follow (or, in some cases, would if they updated more regularly) include:

  • goldfish & paracetamol
    Paul is also part of the TimeVault podcast team, but this is his personal blog, where he shares thoughts on things that interest him – Doctor Who, James Bond, film, TV…
  • Adventures with the Wife in Space
    This is one of those blogs that “needs no introduction” – it already has a ridiculous following, vastly larger than than mine. Neil Perryman and his eponymous wife Sue sit down together to watch all of Doctor Who from 1963-1996. The catch is that Sue has never seen (the vast majority of) them, so brings a “non-we” perspective to the table. It’s much like my Nu-Views, except done better.
  • Armillary Observations
    AO is run by a friend of mine from college and a friend of his. They’ve not been updating often, but they always have a point or two I’ve never considered regarding whichever Doctor Who story they’re reviewing.
  • Rich’s Comix Blog
    I got drawn into Rich Morris’ work by his “The Ten Doctors” webcomic, but the Comix Blog has a lot more to offer. Not only are there the occasional Doctor Who and Who-crossover stories, but he’s also got other storylines, like the “Fairies” one (set in the same universe as his long-running, more adult webcomic “Yet Another Fantasy Gamer Comic”) which is being written in collaboration with his four-year-old daughter.Plus, Rich is responsible for all the fabulous art that graces this site.

I hereby nominate all of these lovely blogs for the Versatile Blogger Award!

Finally, the VBA rules state that I’m meant to tell the person who nominated me seven things about myself. Why keep it quiet when I can share with everyone, eh? So yeah… Here goes.

Read more →