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thisbluespiritI've been away in London, but am back again. Erm. Obviously.
Never mind that: I've finished watching not only Talons now, but Horror of Fang Rock.
Spoilers for both follow, if you haven't seen them, although I'll try to keep them as few & as minor as possible.
The Talons of Weng-Chiang: "It's like an accident in the warehouse where they keep the nineteenth century period-drama archetypes." (And probably a very nasty accident at that). I quote About Time, as that does sum it up nicely. It is indeed very wonderful, although not quite as wonderful as Robots (but I say that from an entirely biased point of view). The 'racism' is mostly 70s mocking 19th C racism, but they're not quite free of it enough themselves yet to get away with it altogether. Still...
Anyway, I have to say it was even better this time on the DVD (I thought I'd watched it since I'd had it, but maybe only the commentary?). My video recording via UK Gold was so bad I had no idea there was actual location filming in it. That came as a surprise this time round. Heh. But it's great. I'm making that point plain, because I want to focus on my two niggles with it, instead of going on about its wonders (and, doesn't it just have wonders on show). One is the characterisation of Leela. It's fun and Robert Holmes seems to be revelling in her savagery. The only problem with it is watching it after Robots (which I usually do). The characterisation in the two is so very different - both expanding on different aspects of the character from Face of Evil, but it's definitely enough to make me blink and feel put out until at least Ep5, by which time I've got used to this version. It's not impossible to reconcile the two, but it does come as a shock. (I'm beginning to wonder if I should reverse the order, but I'm not sure that would do it, either.)
The other niggle is minor, given that he has a bag on his head, but couldn't Michael Spice have managed layers to the villain, instead of rant, rant, rant? (There is one bit in episode 6 where he calms down a little). He's the deformed and deranged phantom at the heart of this 19th C gothic tale, but there's no interest to him. And everybody else is acting their socks off. Still, I've never tried to play a deranged future scientist with a bag on my head, so let's be kind. It works - it's not bad. Maybe it's just my liking for Phantom (and, yes, I do mean the show. Sorry.) but I unreasonably expect sighting of the 'phantom' to be a sinister thrill. (Not, oh no, it's another ranting maniac. Yay. Actually, the other sources would echo that need for some sort of fascination to the villain, too.)
*
Horror: This is so very neat. I doesn't reach the heights of the other two, but it does what it's designed to do just about perfectly. Plus, while Robots (sorry to be a bore) is unquestionably my favourite Leela story, this has a lot of lovely moments, especially Leela-Doctor exchanges.
Her: "Do not be afraid." (to the Doctor, and his delayed reaction), and teasing him about being a Time Lord is so wonderful, (but completely unquotable), plus her complete joy when he says her suggestion is a "beautiful idea". Her undressing in front of Vince: "I'm no lady!"; her gloating at the end.
Not to be outdone, the Doctor's busy running around, seeming to glory in the danger and proclaiming doom. "I've got news for you, gentlemen. This lighthouse is under attack and by morning we could all be dead!" The recitation of the ballad at the end is exactly right for the ending.
And I like the blobby music for the blob.
Plus, I do like the way it highlights the Doctor's fallibility. The obvious and easy mistake that he makes in locking the creature in with them perhaps less than his careless throwing away of the diamonds at the end. (He simply doesn't imagine that anyone will put value on diamonds in a situation like this. There are times when the Doctor can be dangerously naive and it's great to see Four show that.)
Put all three together and it's probably no wonder that people who were children are the time regard everything that came after as disappointing and tame. I mean, if the killer robots didn't do it, there was Mr Sin the next week. And after however long the gap was, the possessed Reuben and the whole Everybody Dies on Horror of Fang Rock.
Of course, I have a problem with this. I can't possibly do a Happy Ending for Horror. *Glares at Terrance Dicks*
Oh, and my one plot niggle: Adelaide. We need her to point out how much better Leela is, of course, but what is she doing there? It's rather early in the century for a prosperous, titled businessman to have a female secretary, so if she were that, I'd expect her to be a lot more intelligent and efficient. (Maybe he's really shabby enough to have her because she's cheaper than a male?) On the other hand, if she is, as Harker claims, Palmerdale's 'fancy woman', it really doesn't seem evident from her behaviour or anyone else's. Still, it's marginally more likely than the secretary explanation, as it wouldn't get spelled out on screen. I think I'll put her down as an insoluable plot point like the sabotage in Robots.
And you know what the best thing is? I've got Image of the Fendahl lined up. I've never seen it before and I know Chris Boucher wasn't happy about his script for it, so I shall not expect wonders, but still another Chris Boucher Leela script - and I know virtually nothing about it, which is a miracle.
***
Plus, unrelatedly, despite neither winning (oh, and how much I wanted Spooks to!), the Spooks and Doctor Who presence all over the BAFTAs last night was rather pleasing. Call me strange, but the flick of the camera from Peter Firth to David Tennant for absolutelky no reason whatever half-way through amused me. It felt like I'd wandered into crossover-land. But little things please me. (Although, it'd be nice to guess it's going to the show that dealt with the most disturbing material and be wrong, but there you go.)
Never mind that: I've finished watching not only Talons now, but Horror of Fang Rock.
Spoilers for both follow, if you haven't seen them, although I'll try to keep them as few & as minor as possible.
The Talons of Weng-Chiang: "It's like an accident in the warehouse where they keep the nineteenth century period-drama archetypes." (And probably a very nasty accident at that). I quote About Time, as that does sum it up nicely. It is indeed very wonderful, although not quite as wonderful as Robots (but I say that from an entirely biased point of view). The 'racism' is mostly 70s mocking 19th C racism, but they're not quite free of it enough themselves yet to get away with it altogether. Still...
Anyway, I have to say it was even better this time on the DVD (I thought I'd watched it since I'd had it, but maybe only the commentary?). My video recording via UK Gold was so bad I had no idea there was actual location filming in it. That came as a surprise this time round. Heh. But it's great. I'm making that point plain, because I want to focus on my two niggles with it, instead of going on about its wonders (and, doesn't it just have wonders on show). One is the characterisation of Leela. It's fun and Robert Holmes seems to be revelling in her savagery. The only problem with it is watching it after Robots (which I usually do). The characterisation in the two is so very different - both expanding on different aspects of the character from Face of Evil, but it's definitely enough to make me blink and feel put out until at least Ep5, by which time I've got used to this version. It's not impossible to reconcile the two, but it does come as a shock. (I'm beginning to wonder if I should reverse the order, but I'm not sure that would do it, either.)
The other niggle is minor, given that he has a bag on his head, but couldn't Michael Spice have managed layers to the villain, instead of rant, rant, rant? (There is one bit in episode 6 where he calms down a little). He's the deformed and deranged phantom at the heart of this 19th C gothic tale, but there's no interest to him. And everybody else is acting their socks off. Still, I've never tried to play a deranged future scientist with a bag on my head, so let's be kind. It works - it's not bad. Maybe it's just my liking for Phantom (and, yes, I do mean the show. Sorry.) but I unreasonably expect sighting of the 'phantom' to be a sinister thrill. (Not, oh no, it's another ranting maniac. Yay. Actually, the other sources would echo that need for some sort of fascination to the villain, too.)
*
Horror: This is so very neat. I doesn't reach the heights of the other two, but it does what it's designed to do just about perfectly. Plus, while Robots (sorry to be a bore) is unquestionably my favourite Leela story, this has a lot of lovely moments, especially Leela-Doctor exchanges.
Her: "Do not be afraid." (to the Doctor, and his delayed reaction), and teasing him about being a Time Lord is so wonderful, (but completely unquotable), plus her complete joy when he says her suggestion is a "beautiful idea". Her undressing in front of Vince: "I'm no lady!"; her gloating at the end.
Not to be outdone, the Doctor's busy running around, seeming to glory in the danger and proclaiming doom. "I've got news for you, gentlemen. This lighthouse is under attack and by morning we could all be dead!" The recitation of the ballad at the end is exactly right for the ending.
And I like the blobby music for the blob.
Plus, I do like the way it highlights the Doctor's fallibility. The obvious and easy mistake that he makes in locking the creature in with them perhaps less than his careless throwing away of the diamonds at the end. (He simply doesn't imagine that anyone will put value on diamonds in a situation like this. There are times when the Doctor can be dangerously naive and it's great to see Four show that.)
Put all three together and it's probably no wonder that people who were children are the time regard everything that came after as disappointing and tame. I mean, if the killer robots didn't do it, there was Mr Sin the next week. And after however long the gap was, the possessed Reuben and the whole Everybody Dies on Horror of Fang Rock.
Of course, I have a problem with this. I can't possibly do a Happy Ending for Horror. *Glares at Terrance Dicks*
Oh, and my one plot niggle: Adelaide. We need her to point out how much better Leela is, of course, but what is she doing there? It's rather early in the century for a prosperous, titled businessman to have a female secretary, so if she were that, I'd expect her to be a lot more intelligent and efficient. (Maybe he's really shabby enough to have her because she's cheaper than a male?) On the other hand, if she is, as Harker claims, Palmerdale's 'fancy woman', it really doesn't seem evident from her behaviour or anyone else's. Still, it's marginally more likely than the secretary explanation, as it wouldn't get spelled out on screen. I think I'll put her down as an insoluable plot point like the sabotage in Robots.
And you know what the best thing is? I've got Image of the Fendahl lined up. I've never seen it before and I know Chris Boucher wasn't happy about his script for it, so I shall not expect wonders, but still another Chris Boucher Leela script - and I know virtually nothing about it, which is a miracle.
***
Plus, unrelatedly, despite neither winning (oh, and how much I wanted Spooks to!), the Spooks and Doctor Who presence all over the BAFTAs last night was rather pleasing. Call me strange, but the flick of the camera from Peter Firth to David Tennant for absolutelky no reason whatever half-way through amused me. It felt like I'd wandered into crossover-land. But little things please me. (Although, it'd be nice to guess it's going to the show that dealt with the most disturbing material and be wrong, but there you go.)
no subject
Date: 2009-04-28 06:18 pm (UTC)(If anyone else is glancing at this,
If it's not true, we'll need to send more than postcards to Kudos. (But there were even photos!!!)
Okay, will try and calm down now. I just need to find someone I can tell in the real world, but the only person I can think of would murder me for telling her something like this!
no subject
Date: 2009-05-01 09:20 am (UTC)This really is the kind of news that needs to be shared, isn't it? You can tell me if you like - hang on while I forget it... Okay, I know nothing, what's going on, tell tell tell!!
no subject
Date: 2009-05-01 07:07 pm (UTC)I KNOW you know!!!