Monday 12 October 2009

memories like these
















Ah the stuff of childhood when life was simple and uncomplicated
one of my fondest as a kid hiring videos you know machines the size of a sideboard and made a noise like the grand prix when rewinding and shook the house when ejecting remember them ?
well i remember Dr Who on TV but i remember He Man more but what i do remeber even though unlike the wilderness years i had regular who on TV but i also had
VHS yes tape to those uninitiated VHS cassete tape very expensive back then and the three videos of Who i had were "Revenge of the Cybermen " Pyramids of Mars" and "Death to the Daleks" (Now these VHS covers are all signed)
wow those were the days after a bath saturday night sat on the floor glued to the flickering screen watching these unedited movie length stories unfold glass of juice and biscuits in hand begging to be allowed another 10 minutes to watch it to stay past my bed time i have to say these are my top three stories and if asked as many people do "Whats your favourite story "?
I answer "which one ? as i have three" like i have three top Docs tho Tom will always be No1, no one embodies the character as well
here is the first

Death to the Daleks, its in hindsight got problems but its a product of its time it has the awful oboe of death playing Jill Tarent is more wooden than Pinochio but it has a lot of plus points It opens with a man running exhausted to be shot by a arrow and tumble down a rock face into a pool,the stunning TARDIS and the atmospheric shots of it being drained of life and the model and cso work of the City is as good as anything CGI now and for once the Daleks are not mindless killers (Tho still like to kill everything they see) but there cunning plotting scheming and ruthless ,power drain rendered your weapon useless no problem crack out the model TARDIS (ever get the feeling they really don't like the Doctor) and the Tommy guns and what a loud noise they made remember making me jump ,there
different to Daleks seen before or since these are of the science division and are in a silver with black highlights livery as opposed to the previous gunmetal dark grey colour of the grunt Daleks previously seen and at least it makes sense for half a dozen Daleks being a small expedition force so the low number of props work well here instead of 4 Daleks Army previously seen the brutish mindless Exilon's with there robes blending into the scenery like rocks there big unblinking eyes and mumbled chants the one in the TARDIS
the kind and gentle belel wonderfully played here looking small innocent and his little band are really up against it
the doomed marines and the sinister Calloway with friends like him ........
in all a good general Who story that's easy on the mind no need for over thinking the alien quarry looks impressive and the Doctor in his third incarnation as played by Jon Pertwee looks dashing and heroic here for any third Doctor fan is it all and you can see in hindsight being his last season why, you get the Venusian AIKIDO you have the Venusian hopscotch and especially in the city where this gadget minded Doc was desperate to give it a nervous break down the crazy patterns on the wall and test of mental strength and the Sonic screw driver saving the day
Sarah (Elizabeth Sladen) gets herself caught offered for sacrifice and pray to the Daleks in short order but a solid performance especially in the opening scenes and when she outwits the Daleks and takes charge
One you can just sit watch and enjoy
and Character Options have now released the Third Doctor and Dalek action figure twin pack from this story Happy days

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