|
Post by clocketpatch on Jul 4, 2009 2:03:10 GMT
It's better than Voyage of the Damned. (how damning is that for VOTD?!?) Thoughts: The Doctor falls out of a rainbow and then regenerates into himself. "Leave the girl; it's the man I want!" Sylv is awesome, even when the script is crap and he's acting silly, he still exudes awesome from every pore. SPOONS! Lizard girl is trapped in a bouncy ball snow globe. Oh, she's dead now. Lizard boy is kind of hot. Lizard boy just told Mel to shut up. He gains like a million win points. Outfits!!! Love the wardrobe scene. Haha, the Doctor is arguing with Mel. Wow, Slyv is strong to life Bonnie Langford over his head. Lizard boy: "You are the Doctor. I've already met you're companion" Doctor: "I hope you don't hold her against me!" Telatrap tongues DO NOT WANT!!! Then the audio/video syncing went weird and we just sat back and enjoyed the surealness of it.
|
|
|
Post by jjpor on Jul 4, 2009 20:16:38 GMT
I quite like the Tetraps, in spite of everything. Something about the eyes in the back of the head, and the whole batlike thing, and the scary tongues.
I may be a biased Seven fan, but I think Sylv's just got it, whatever "it" is; you know, he's no world-beating actor or anything, and has more than his share of dodgily-scripted scenes to contend with, but he has that engaging sort of quality, even in stories like this one. Even in real life interviews and things, come to think of it.
|
|
|
Post by magnusgreel on Jul 5, 2009 2:26:52 GMT
Nice to see you around jjpor on a July 4th, when the Americans are off looking at colorful explosions. That's what I hear outside right now, or else the Revolution finally came. No red glare though.
They didn't get around to visiting any pastel planets 'till the 80s, strange.... I saw this for the first time at a club meeting (on a PAL tape sent from the UK) where Mel in the ball about to be smashed against rocks drew huge cheers. Yes, it was that kind of club.
|
|
|
Post by primsong on Jul 5, 2009 4:11:38 GMT
I never noticed the lack of pastel planets previous - but by golly, you're right! Of course, the landscape would have to be coordinated with the companion's outfits - lots of BRIGHT BRIGHT colour effects too, because the 80s were BRIGHT, y'know? Zzzt! Zzzzzzzt! Purple zot! Orange zap! Woo!
Cheering Mel-in-the-Ball, lol...
|
|
|
Post by clocketpatch on Jul 5, 2009 4:23:02 GMT
They didn't get around to visiting any pastel planets 'till the 80s, strange.... I saw this for the first time at a club meeting (on a PAL tape sent from the UK) where Mel in the ball about to be smashed against rocks drew huge cheers. Yes, it was that kind of club. No, that drew huge cheers from me too. it's a really naft cliffhanger, because no one actually cares what happens to Mel...
|
|
|
Post by jjpor on Jul 5, 2009 21:36:48 GMT
What about bombs bursting in air, Magnus? I used to frequent a history forum a few years ago, where the perennial topic of discussion/argument/flaming was who won the War of 1812 - the Brits, Americans and Canadians all thought it was them! I just wanted to agree to disagree, but it wasn't that sort of board! ;D
Mel bashing, while probably morally wrong, is just so easy... I can well understand the cheers myself.
Interesting point on the pastel planets... It was that new graphics toy they had, wasn't it - chromakey, or something? But yes, they had nearly as much fun playing with that as they did with the old colour separation overlay back in the 70s; I guess when they did get a new process or effect, they had to justify the money spent on it by using it as often as possible. I mean, Mindwarp was another example.
One thing I do kind of love about this story, just for the goofiness of it, is random Albert Einstein showing up, among other people, and the Doctor's rather blase claim that he's going to take them all back home at the end.
|
|
|
Post by magnusgreel on Jul 6, 2009 0:38:24 GMT
I remember that school told us that 1812 was a victory and that both World Wars were equally wars against evil, then you find out later that 1812 was a draw, and WW1 was a giant accident where Germany was just another colonizing European country who signed a lot of alliances.
with the pastels, I was thinking of costumes. The new effects were interesting though.
|
|
|
Post by clocketpatch on Jul 6, 2009 1:15:01 GMT
All I know is that, draw or no, we burned down the White House. So, if we're taking a tally, I think that gives us the winning point count (and I now have the "and we burned their White House down, down, down" song stuck in my head. Yay propaganda!)
I quite like the Pastel Planets. I think the effect in Mind Warp (I think that's the one...?) with the TARDIS in the purple ocean and the ringed planets hanging in the background is a bit beautiful. It's one of those nice generic alien landscapes that I'd like to have as a computer desktop (another one I'd like for this purpose is that abandoned hive in Utopia. Gorgeous sense of place)
And the bit with the guy in the wig who was supposed to be Albert Einstein was kind of awesome wasn't it? I like how all of the geniuses were quickly shuffled off-stage once they weren't needed anymore, not to be seen or heard from again.
|
|
|
Post by jjpor on Jul 6, 2009 20:36:01 GMT
The War of 1812 is a good example, actually, of the difference between actual history and the narrative version most people instinctively "know"; I think some of the best of the old Who historicals sort of danced along that line.
If I'd been asked before this to name "people most likely to be heard singing triumphantly about burning the White House down", Clocket would have come fairly low down on my list; just goes to show... ;D
I agree on the pastel costumes, too; the lizard-people in this, whose name escapes me (Laktyerans? No, I'm making that up), were yet another addition in the list of 80s Who aliens who look like they should be in 80s pop groups, and the beginning of that Season 24-25 tradition of aliens with weird, brightly-coloured hairdos.
Okay, so I want to hatch a fiendish plan that involves fooling about with space and time...well, I'm only a renegade Time Lord with almost godlike technology, centuries of training and an almost instinctive understanding of the underlying fabric of the universe, so I don't think my expertise is quite up to it...
I know! Get me Einstein!! Or, as Mr Burns might say, his cheap, Mexican non-union equivalent!!!
|
|
|
Post by clocketpatch on Jul 6, 2009 20:50:29 GMT
If I'd been asked before this to name "people most likely to be heard singing triumphantly about burning the White House down", Clocket would have come fairly low down on my list; just goes to show... ;D lol, I'm not radically anti-American or anything, it's just a highly amusing song, and it strokes my national ego to boot! (Laktyerans? No, I'm making that up) I just watched it a few days past and I couldn't say either. Though I am certain it started with 'L' so you can't be too far off.
|
|
|
Post by librarylover on Jul 7, 2009 0:19:31 GMT
All I know is that, draw or no, we burned down the White House. Hey! Don't make me come up there young lady! It does make you wonder if American sailors were really being impressed to serve on British ships, or if that just propaganda along the lines of WMD?
|
|
|
Post by magnusgreel on Jul 8, 2009 2:24:24 GMT
I remembered that it was something having to do with mischief on the high seas, but couldn't remember what. *** I didn't realize Canada identified with Britain that much in those wars. Well, I know there was that battle on Lake Erie. Anyhoo, I hope the Brits enjoyed Dolly Madison's dinner.
|
|
|
Post by Maggadin on Sept 6, 2009 17:54:39 GMT
I can't hate this serial. I just can't. I think it's all that pink. ;D
|
|
|
Post by magnusgreel on Mar 3, 2010 7:40:19 GMT
Nothing at all personal in any way maggadin, but my personal feeling is that pink must die. Pastel planets aren't all that hot in my opinion either. Then again, I might've enjoyed that a little, when I recently started the Sylvesters in order. There I go again, working up some righteous anger over something, then bailing out.
I liked the model of the rocket and its taking off. Good model work. I like the fact that space was at such a premium that Einstein et al had to bend their legs to fit into their compartments. The giant brain caused quite the hubbub in our fan organization. I ended up writing a giant brain scene in our next "production" for the guy who complained the most about the giant brain....
|
|