Favourite Fours: City of Death

Felicitations Whovians and welcome to Day 4 of Favourite Fours. Journeying further ahead we meet up with The Doctor and second regeneration of Time Lady Romanadvoratreludar or Romana for short... which she dislikes. On a whim, Romana has regenerated into the likeness of Princess Astra of Atrios from the serial Destiny of the Daleks and they are well on their way back to Earth to experience a holiday in Paris. This is City of Death.

Mossman: The Last Starfighter.

400 million years B.C. A pilot Scaroth attempts to break orbit from the prehistoric planet Earth but fails thus killing everyone on board. 1979 A.D. The Doctor and Romana (Lalla Ward of Vampire Circus, The Upper Crusts, Matushka, The Duchess of Duke Street, Doctor Who and Riviera) are enjoying the sites of Paris and decide for a fine dining where the Doctor claims this bistro does a wonderful bouillabaisse. At the restaurant, the Doctor and Romana experience a time loop while a local artist captures Romana in a sketch. As they look over the sketch they see a clock face in the place of Romana's with a crack in it, as if it were a crack in time. Not assuming the lad had a bit of artistic license, the Doctor is worried about time folding in on itself.

Off to investigate but a slight detour is called for as the Doctor takes Romana to the Louvre in order to appreciate the Mona Lisa, a painting in the Doctor's opinion as unique in the universe. Romana does not seem impressed overall but another temporal hiccup occurs and 20 or so seconds repeats itself when the Doctor bumps into a lady, acquires her bracelet, then heads out.

Timelord and lady about Paris.

The Doctor and Romana are followed by a man in a trenchcoat with a gat in the hand. After a few more encounters with this idiot with a gun, Duggan (Tom Chadbon of Tess, Dance with a Stranger, Shooting Fish and Casino Royale) the three of them are whisked away to find why they are so interested in Countess Scarlioni's bracelet as it is an "antique" that happens to be not of this Earth. The Countess (Catherine Schell of Moon Zero Two, On Her Majesty's Secret Service, Space: 1999 and The Return of the Pink Panther) is dissatisfied with the Doctor's answers but the lot of them are locked in the cellar for presumably further questioning. With the aid of the sonic screwdriver, the three proceed to further the investigation around the chateau discovering a scientist, Dr. Kerensky (David Graham of Supercar, Fireball XL5, Doctor Who, Stingray and Thunderbirds Are Go!) who is conducting temporal experiments for greater food production in order to end famine. When it is discovered all he is creating is a different space-time continuum he does not know what to make of his failure.

Temporal anamolies, gunsels adhering to a Count and Countess orders and a missing scientist in league. What can the Doctor do to correct these temporal hiccups? How is Count Scarlioni involved?

Some bits of trivia about this serial now. Oh you knew that was on its way.

Accomplished sci-fi/comedy novelist Douglas Adams penned this serial to pay the bills while working The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. This serial was watched by no less than 12.5 million for its original release. K9 was unable to operate due to difficulties and had to be completely absent this serial while filming in Paris. This is the first Doctor Who shot outside the UK throughout various spots of Paris. There was supposed to be a pull back shot of the Doctor and Romana on the Eiffel Tower alone when the special fish eye lens they rented from a Spanish firm would not and could not be made to fit the BBC camera.   

Really sir, why do you choose to be without a comforting beard?

Favourite Fours Week: The Horror of Fang Rock

Salutations good readers of this blog. Welcome to Day 3 of Favourite Fours. We stem away from Harry and Sarah as we move to the Doctor befriending a savage hunter, name of Leela (Louise Jameson of The Game, Tenko, Rides, The Upper Hand and EastEnders) to broaden her horizons and perhaps her educational standings. Making their way to Brighton, the TARDIS lands on the island of Fang Rock because the TARDIS detected a plot device. This is Horror of Fang Rock.

Your sexual magnetism melted it, Leela.

The Doctor insistent on investigating the lighthouse nearby as well as ask for directions as it would appear the TARDIS got lost in the fog. Leela is still untrusting of the craft's capabilities as this is a common trait for companions but she trusts the Doctor's judgement. No sooner have they have made their arrival that they discover a dead body of one of the lighthouse keepers. The other two keepers, Reuben (Colin Douglas of A Man from the Sun, The Crawling Eye, A Family at War, Doctor Who and The Pickwick Papers) and Vince (John Abbott of Doctor Who, Lady Jane, Treasure Island, Agatha Christie: Poirot, Revenge of Billy the Kid, Kappatoo and Four Weddings and a Funeral) are leery about their whole assignment as their paranoia falls immediately on the Doctor and Leela when the Doctor does his level best to defuse the situation at hand.

The Everlasting Gobstopper is stalking us!!!

With the lighthouse on the fritz the Doctor springs into action to best repair it when he observes that the generators seem to be drained of all energy. Remembering that Vince spoke of a light in the sky landing nearby the coincidences seem the most likely offenders. A luxury yacht comes crashing to shore. Its survivors four make their way to the lighthouse for shelter from the fog and rain. Concerned for these humans' survival, the Doctor concludes to keep the harmful alien life-form that may have killed the keeper away from everyone and fortify the lighthouse. One of the survivors a Lord Palmerdale insists they must commandeer a vessel to reach the stock exchange so he may make a killing. This of course was the reason their late ship was travelling at the speeds that it did.

Will the creature make short work of the humans? Can the Doctor prevent an impeding invasion? Will the fact the creature has been acknowledged as an alien decrease their chances of survival?

How about some fun facts on our serial now? Well tough, you are getting them anyway.

This was the only Doctor Who serial made at BBC Pebble Mill (the complex that housed, Pebble Mill at One, The Archers, Top Gear, Doctors and Gardeners' World). 6.8 million viewers gathered for its original transmission. Though it is not abundantly clear, this episode takes place in Victorian times 1900s. The use of language and costumes should have tipped their hats well enough but you know how thick some of us carbon based life-forms can be.

Director Paddy Russel did not care for Tom Baker's attitude during the production of the story. He apparently didn't like the script and tossed his out a window. With the tension between Baker and Jameson working together, Russel decreed she would never work on Doctor Who again after this. 

Yes, next time I swear I will ask for directions first.

  

Favourite Fours: Terror of the Zygons

Howdy Whovians and other such readers and welcome to Day 2 of Favourite Fours. This episode is the first of Season 13. In fact it is the first of the serials outright. The Doctor, Harry and Sarah have all returned from escaping the cold calculating claws of the Cybermen as they are summoned by U.N.I.T. Via Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart to deal with shenanigans in Scotland. Are these done because of specters or aliens? This is Terror of the Zygons.

So Ms. Cleo, that is 4.99 for the first five minutes.

Narrowly evading the clutches of the Cybermen the Doctor, Sarah and Harry have been summoned to Earth via the Space-Time telegraph, a device that can communicate with the Doctor throughout time and space but it must be used only in the direst of emergencies. The Brigadier explains to the Doctor that several oil rigs have been destroyed by a force or forces unknown and unseen. Structurally sound rigs have been demolished from something with more strength and force that a category 4 hurricane and aside from the mist rising up there have been no weather anomalies.

Sarah speaks with the landlord Angus in the village's inn, the temporary U.N.I.T. HQ and she learns of a folk legend of the land around Tulloch Moor, where a great many people have up and disappeared down through the centuries never to be seen nor heard from again. Given the sonar is not reporting of any creatures, ships or foreign powers operating in this area, the Doctor proceeds to construct a device to detect for signal jamming in the local area. Harry goes for a walk along the moor, when clearly An American Werewolf in London warns us of moors is ignored why he spots a fellow from the last oil rig Munro. Before Munro can tell Harry what happened to the rig he is shot in the back by person's unknown and Harry is shot as well.

Ahh!! the wanton destruction of scale models!!!

A phone call to HQ lets the Doctor know that Harry was found on the moor shot and is being treated for his injuries. He and Sarah try to find out what was the cause and realize he is too weak to speak. The Doctor leaves and with his impressive peepers to some wreckage with substantial holes in it, almost as it were caused by fangs. Will the Doctor solve this crisis? Is Sarah and Harry in danger? What of the secret of the Yeti? Does the Doctor know the Muffin Man?

A few bits of interest on our serial now. Over 8.5 million viewers enjoyed this serial on its original transmission. This is the first appearance of the Zygons and aside from Big Finish Audio, several novels and radio dramas, the shape-shifters are not seen for 38 years in Doctor Who's show until the 50^th Anniversary Special, The Day of the Doctor. Working titles for this particular serial were: The Secret of the Loch, The Secret of Loch Ness, The Loch Ness and the Zygons and Loch Ness.

At least you are not wearing a dickie bow or sand shoes.

Favourite Fours: Genesis of the Daleks

Good day to you one and all and welcome to Day 1 of Favourite Fours. This time around the Doctor (Tom Baker), Sarah Jane Smith and chief medical officer for U.N.I.T. Harry Sullivan are just leaving Nerva space station when their transmat beam is interrupted by the Timelords (the Doctor's species) and sent back in time with a time ring to Skaros, a war torn planet that is on the verge of creating the most genocidal creatures in existence. This is Genesis of the Daleks.

So a rock quarry is not an ideal picnic spot.  My apologies.

Finding the surface of the planet almost completely laid to wast between biological, chemical and even nuclear warfare, the lands seem desolate when a poison gas attack hits the Doctor and companions. The Doctor and Harry (Ian Marter of The Abominable Dr. Phibes, Doctor Who, North & South, Crown Court, Fell Tiger and The Return of Sherlock Holmes) are dragged in to the dome inhabited by the technologically superior Kelads while Sarah is befriended by the Mutos, a species of mutants descended from previous chemical weapons during the early years of the war. No sooner does Sarah (Elisabeth Sladen of Gulliver in Lilliput, Doctor Who, Doctor Who: Dimensions in Time, Peak Practice and The Sarah Jane Adventures) feel safe, she and the Mutos are captured to be slave labor for the Thals (other warring nation on Skaro).

The Doctor and Harry have to empty their pockets for a security check losing the Doctor's sonic screwdriver as well as the time ring, the only device to bring them back to the TARDIS. The Doctor attempts to explain they are aliens and not spies when they are brought before the Kelads greatest scientific mind Davros.

Fine, yes I dressed quickly in the dark... Are you happy now?

For even the most causal observer, it is blatantly obvious that Davros is both brilliant and completely crackers as he unveils his Mark III travel machine that looks identically to a Dalek. With a finite amount of scientists in the dome, they no longer trust Davros, given his monstrous creations having no conscience or mercy at all deciding to revolt against him.

The Doctor attempts to reason with Davros, maybe show him the error to his genocidal ways but it seems to no avail. The Doctor must stop this nightmarish war, find Sarah and recover the time ring to get back to the TARDIS.

A few points of interest on the episodes now. The basis of the fascist regime of the Nazi party is the building block for the Kelads as the Daleks would be the ultimate ubermench... on little wheels.... defenseless to stairs.

This six part weekly show had been viewed by 8 to 10 million viewers. This is also the first appearance of Davros and certainly not the last. The working title for this serial was Daleks- Genesis of Terror. For you fans of all that is Who, this would be the first domino to create the Last Great Time War. In a 2006 interview, Tom Baker named Genesis of the Daleks as one of his favorite Doctor Who serials.

Exsanguinate!!! Crap... LINE!!!

Favourite Fours

Back again oh readers of this drek. Well you were warned many times over. This week I thought we would touch base with a certain time and space traveler and no this is not a transparent attempt to get more readers by enlisting Whovians around the globe. That in mind, I wish to share some of my favorite episodes involving Tom Baker (4^th Doctor for those that... I guess avoid all forms of media archiving) and his pantheon of companions.

NONE SHALL PASS!!!

Ranging from adventures with journalist Sarah Jane Smith to packing the TARDIS jam full of two extra-terrestrials and an Australian air hostess, Baker is one of the most beloved by children and adults alike. With Big Finish audio dramas under his belt, it is almost as his voice has not aged with him at all. Just hearing him narrate his first Doctor Who episode Robot filled me with am overwhelming sense of joy.

We shall see if your favorite fourth Doctor episodes and mine match up with this week with Favourite Fours!

Personally I liked this look.

Happy Easter to all!!!

Howdy folks. RottenReelzReviews here just offer yet another helping of Easter in the hopes that we all enjoy our weekend. A few updates thus far is there are podcasts in the works. Rotten Ramblin' On is delayed due to technical complications and scheduling. We will try our best to get them underway as well as another collusion with another fellow podcaster.  More details on that later on.

That being said, I would love some opinions, ideas and comments on what you would like to read in the future. Feel free give out a few thoughts, some concepts and suggestions.  Maybe a better taste of film.  More Film Noir.  Perhaps a collection of foreign films.   Whatever you can come up with to improve the working process of making this more entertaining.

Wishing you all a Happy Easter to you all and have the weekend!!!

Misleading Titles Week: Total Recall 2 a.k.a. Minority Report

A fine greetings to you all still reading this blog and on to Day 4 of Misleading Titles Week. Today's cinematic creation would be construed as an "A" List film due to its director, budget and big names attached to it. However, even with an surefire hit can come lost in translation, a foreign production distribution confused on the film or multiple working titles can be drafted on the script itself waiting to acquire the rights to existing intelligent property. The film today is based loosely on the short story written by the late Science Fiction author Phillip K. Dick (Do Androids Dream of Electronic Sheep, Total Recall, Paycheck, Screamers and A Scanner Darkly) directed by Steven Spielberg (Jaws, Raiders of the Lost Ark, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, The Color Purple, Jurassic Park and Schindler's List) so how could there be confusion? This is Total Recall 2 a.k.a. Second Sight a.k.a. Minority Report

Yes these close-ups are necessary. DO NOT QUESTION IT!

The year is 2054 and Washington D.C. Is virtually crime free thanks to the combined efforts of a squad of specialized police known as "PreCrime", an experimental police force that utilizes three precognitive psychics to capture potential crime of murders. Their visions of the future are recorded to determine who, what and why before it comes to light and the crime is stopped before it ever starts. While a blessing in theory to stop the loss of life before it happens, the argument becomes how can you violate laws and rights of citizens that have not committed a crime. Chief Judge Anderton (Tom Cruise of Top Gun, A Few Good Men, Mission: Impossible, Jerry Maguire and Jack Reacher) stands by this program as a necessity to avoid the pain and loss of others as murder is an unnatural death. Anderton while a respected officer of the law has been secretly taking illegal drugs since the disappearance of his son to numb the pain and eventually be divorced by his wife Lara (Kathryn Morris of A.I. Artificial Intelligence, Cold Case, Paycheck, The Sweeter Side of Life and The Coin).

Sheesh, he's surfing torture porn again.

Before the program is officially signed off on and made nation-wide, U.S. Department of Justice Danny Witwer (Colin Farrell of American Outlaws, Phone Booth, The Recruit, S.W.A.T. , Alexander, Horrible Bosses and Fright Night) demands with accordance with the law, a full shakedown of this system. The concern of any bugs in the program need to be cleared. During the review the precogs predict a murder of one Leo Crow within 36 hours and his killer will be Anderton? Anderton not having a clue who Crow is and believing that Witwer tampered with the precogs hightails it out of the building with Witwer demanding a manhunt after Anderton.

On the run and with security having its citizens retinal scans to confirm their whereabouts in the city, city official buildings and even apartment entry codes, Anderton goes underground, off the grid and even has a horrible black market operation to get replacement eyes allowing him to roam freely, giving him time to see if PreCrime is flawed as it appears to be. With his own team in hot pursuit of his springy, well-toned ass it is only matter of time for them to bump into each other. Will Anderton be able to reason with Washington? Is PreCrime a bust? Will there be couch leaping involved?

Okay, silliness aside I did want to point out a few things on the film. This sci-fi whodunnit film was originally supposed to be a sequel to Total Recall that writers Ronald Shusett and Gary Goldman took from the original story. With Speilberg and Cruise involved in two separate projects the script fell on the shelves and was up for a re-write John Cohen drafted as they did not feel Total Recall was the way to go. Taking away with the original setting in Mars and explaining psychics were created by the harsh environment and cheap domes had to be replaced with a simple mutation in the gene pool story arc.

With fine tuning and the use of this same named short story Minority Report, Speilberg approached scientists ranging from bio-medical research, car engineers, architects, virtual reality techs to create a city of the future in practical effects as well as CGI.

Spielberg's trusted cinematographer Janusz Kaminski (Schindler's List, Saving Private Ryan, Catch Me If You Can and War of the Worlds) bleached the film's negative in post-production to create that weird desaturated colors scheme almost giving it a film noir feel not dissimilar to Ridley Scott's Bladerunner. With a complex story, decent action and pretty impressive performances it was no wonder it was up for as many awards for the Oscars.

Is it me or is this TRON in traffic jam?