Doctor Who - The Space Museum/The Chase [DVD] (film on DVD)
from 2entertain
Directed by: Mervyn Pinfield
Starring: William Hartnell, Jacqueline Hill, William Russell, Maureen O'Brien
|
|
Customer Rating: 
Audience Rating: Parental Guidance
Availability: dispatched within 24 hours
|
DVD Box Price: £17.91
BUY DVD |
Lighten up, Who and Dalek fans alike, and enjoy...  Sent: 14 August 2010
5 stars you may be asking? Well I just got this boxset for my birthday, uncertain what to expect as I haven't seen much Hartnell material and was pleasantly surprised and entertained throughout. I therefore feel these stories seem oddly much-maligned, as even the bonus features on the Space Museum itself suggests. So let's start with that.
As most Hartnell stories seem either historical or Dalek-laden fares, this was a nice little bit of sci-fi relief. All good stuff and like a lot of those early ones the flimsy production standards (including some acting) which may be dated now can be overlooked due to a story with thought provoking themes. In this case the real enemy is time itself, as the heroes arrive to see themselves preserved as exhibits - therefore the real challenge is to escape that certain future and indeed if such a task is possible. The sorta thing a time-travel story should be about and really shows up the superficial effect-laden storytelling of today's series. As for the acting most principals were fine and Bill himself is one I find very watchable, able to vary from crotchety to bumbling to dark to humerous to authoritarian to mysterious to even quite an active fellow and always a wise old soul. This is despite his infamous line fluffing but other cast are guilty of it - t'was the days of tv being filmed live after all. It also featured another Bill trait: he disappears for a whole episode! I used to think this was due to ill health but have since learned that, again due to the live nature, it's to allow for holidays an actor had to fit into filming schedules. And low & behold one of the bonus documentaries even focuses on that and it proves to be rather amusing.
The Chase is itself a rarity - a pre-Davros Dalek story which I actually enjoy AND a 6-parter which I don't find exhausting. It's a slightly different plot for the Daleks which is good as I often find theirs to be, like their dialogue & character, rather monotonous and 1-dimensionally repetitive. Again it's a story that makes good use of the ability to travel throughout time & space being a varied little odyssey for heroes & daleks alike. The Daleks even have some humorous moments themselves and there's the wonderful scene atop the Empire State Building where an Alabama tourist faces a Dalek and rather than cower in fear, bursts out laughing. Something I think we all would do, really, as even their design is mocked here.
So well worth getting if you don't like you're Who too solemn and self-righteous and actually appreciate it for the light-hearted TV entertainment it is and should be. Well worth it for Hartnell alone as I now consider him one of the superior incarnations and a very much overlooked one
Extras are entertaining and the makings-of prove quite insightful. The Chase obviously has plenty on Daleks but overall I was quite impressed. The bonus material is often the big sell of Who DVDs but I was uncertain with the early stuff particularly due to the first three Doctors being permanently unable to contribute to their stories. However it is made up for with some fascinating stuff
Doctor Who-The Space Museum/The Chase Sent: 07 August 2010
Two excellent stories from the william hartnell era I purchased this region 2 set cause the beatless have been edited from the chase in all other regions
A CHASE THROUGH TIME AND SPACE Sent: 07 August 2010
Unless you are a died in the wool Doctor Who fan, there's little in this that you'll love. If you are a true Who-head you'll probably absolutely love this for all the wrong reasons.
It's absolutely naff, but because of that loveable just the same, probably even more so, everything that was bad about classic Doctor Who is in here.
Pointless stories (both the Chase and The Space Museum) terrible acting, WIlliam Hartnell fluffing his lines,wobbly sets, Daleks revealing themselves before they should do, Daleks going round in circles to try and convince the viewer that there's more than about three of them,crap new monsters in the form of the Mechanoidsand a duplicate Doctor who looks nothing like William Hartnell.
But because of that you kind of go with the flow and accept all the foibles of this vintage piece of British tevelevision action from the mid 1960's.
It's probably saved by the powerful ending to the Chase, when Jacquelien Hill and William Russell leave the show, definitely one for the pure Whovians and not the casual television viewer.
Really creepy! Sent: 16 July 2010
For once in all the viewing of doctor who i have done, i have been scared, or more like slightly creeped out. Nevertheless it is a brilliant episode, like all the 1st doctor's! I really enjoyed watching it, and I too got carried away with the storyline!
One thing that always makes me happy about 1st doctor episodes, is that its like I'm constantly eating a foam banana(sweet, and its lovely, because I get that sweet feeling that makes me feel happy! :)
A must-have for the Dr. Who completest Sent: 26 May 2010
A wonderful set featuring the first Doctor. I bought this for my wife, to help round out her collection. Watching the older episodes is nothing short of charming.
|
Associated dvd film / movie categories: BBC, Sci-Fi and Fantasy, Classics, Television, Box Sets |
|
|
