Top Ten List: Doctor Who

Well, for the final day of Doctor Who month or as you call it...November, I'm going to tell you all my favorite Doctor Who episodes of the revived series. After revising the series in preparation for the anniversary, I listed each episode I liked of each season I saw. And just to keep things fair, I will try to use only the smallest amount of Dalek episodes, as each one is just amazing (well most of them are) and just like the Simpsons Halloween specials, I won't include the Christmas episodes as each are such wonderful additions to the Whoniverse.

10. The Snowmen.
While they are not Scary, the Great Intelligence is. Featuring a guest star of Sir Ian Mckellen and Richard E Grant, we are finally introduced to Clara and what a great character. Grouped with a brooding Doctor, great Villain and hilarious supporting cast, it is the perfect Christmas treat and such a wasted opportunity. In my opinion I think it would have been much better to feature this version of Clara. The Victorian age clashing with space and technology and aliens, how great would that have been. Well no point on dwelling, the episode was good with humor, heart and emotion all around. 

9. Rose.
The series is back, and it's better than ever. That's what this episode did for Doctor Who after many years of hiatus. Showing off not only the improvements in technology and special effects, but the stories were bigger and better than ever. In the first few minutes we are introduced to the new world and to Rose Tyler. With a very good monster(s) and a good intro for Chris, we set off on adventure that only watching the show will tell us.

8. The Unicorn and the Wasp. This episode is often dubbed as weird, but to me it really is a gem. Set in the 1920's, the Doctor takes Donna back in time and as with most of our history trips, we meet our historical celebrity, Agatha Christie. This also coincides with a murder mystery similar to one of Christie's novels. But of course it has its humor come from it being performed like a game of Cluedo.
I love the comedy and the interactions, especially Donna constantly "inspiring" her to write some of her most famous novels (eg. Miss Marple).

7. Human Nature/Family of Blood.
What if the Doctor was human? Well this episode answers in the nicest way possible. I compare this the Superman Story, "For the man who has everything". Why, because both are very similar. The Doctor must hide from a family of scavengers who are out to kill him and drain his regeneration energy. To hide he takes human form and remembers nothing about his travels except in his dreams. As a teacher he falls in love with the school Matron and the feeling is mutual. A young boy, played by Thomas Sangster, finds the vessel keeping his time lord conscience locked away. The revelation why the Doctor hid always sends shivers down my spine and it really is heartbreaking to see the Doctor finally get what he wants if only so briefly, before being taken away.

6. Army of Ghosts/Doomsday
Why do many consider this show a drama watch this episode to find out. The Doctor and Rose arrive back to see the whole world overrun by ghosts. The Doctor investigates and what we get is a battle of the masses between two of the greatest enemies of the Doctor of all time and the saddest ending until the End of Time. The drama comes from the tough decisions the leads must make to survive and from the ending scene between the Doctor and Rose. I dare you not to cry after seeing the whole two series of the two together. The Easter eggs of the season come full circle and the battle of the ages takes place.

5. Blink. 
Have you ever been truly terrified by a TV episode so much that you can't sleep at night. No...then you haven't seen this Steven Moffat classic. Sally Sparrow finds an old house with a secret message hidden behind the wallpaper. Written by the Doctor, she must find out the meaning of what these angels are and who this Doctor is. The Horror in my opinion comes in the third act when the Doctor gives some potentially life saving advice and we see how fast these angels are when you blink. A real scary episode with likable leads and a scary villain. These guys are said to be scarier than the Daleks, imagine that! 

4. The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances.
When you really think about it, Moffat can create some of the scariest moments in Doctor Who. Landing in London after chasing a rogue alien object, the The Doctor meets a young woman named Nancy, and Rose meets a Handsome time Agent Named Captain Jack Harkness. Set during the Blitz of London, Nancy is pursued by a Mysterious Boy with a gas mask for a face who can transform whomever he touches into just like him, like a virus. Filled with some great story, entertaining characters and a very scary monster of a child. But a true master can make us feel sorry for the villain. In the scene where the heroes discover the child's room, it is a little heartbreaking to see the child in such a state. And of course, just this once, EVERYBODY LIVES!

3. Stolen Earth/Journeys end.
Everyone is back. Rose, Mickey, Jackey, Jack, Sarah, Martha and Wilfred. All teamed up to combat a new threat that has taken the Planet out of orbit and placed it in another part of space. As the Dalek fleet arrive, an old enemy lies in the darkest section of the armada. The Doctor must reclaim the earth and Donna must confront her destiny to save the Universe from destruction. Finally bringing back the companions for one episode, it is an explosive time. My favourite scenes are the message for earth, the outer space facebook, the lives claimed by the doctor and the reclamation of earth. Oh there are so much great moments, you will just have to watch find out. But of course, Donna's scene always makes me sad, just the knowledge that she did all these great things and not even she gets to know about it, it really breaks the heart. But there are some real light hearted moments. 

2. The End of Time
Twice, this show made me cry twice for people that don't exist and that is the beauty of it. The Doctor is called to Earth to find the Master who has been revived. As his mysterious death prophesy nears, the Doctor will do everything in his power to stop the return of the Darkness and the rule of the Master. What really makes this such a treat is that they make the Doctor the straight up hero and his final scenes, visiting his former companions before he regenerates even made critics cry. I don't what to talk in too much detail. Please watch the entire run of David, then maybe you will get why we love this show.

1. Dalek.
Well of course. The Doctor and Rose react to a distress call by a mysterious source and wind up in the last place they want to be, AMERICA! Here they meet Billionaire Henry Van Statten, collector of Alien artifacts and Adam Mitchell, his English science Geek. I don't think I give away anything saying a Dalek is here. The Doctor is furious that it survived and tries to kill it. The Dalek escapes and goes on a rampage all over the underground base. Not only is it the best episode ever, it features some of the best character contrasts ever. The new Doctor and the new Dalek. Here we actually see the deep seeded hatred of the Doctor for the Daleks. The emotion between Rose and the Dalek is actually quite touching and the action scenes are well shot. this was actually the first episode I ever saw and I felt like the children raised on the original series. I was fascinated and terrified by the Daleks on first viewing. And they Have stayed with me ever since. My only problem, like most critics, was the title, there really should have been a mystery as to what this was. It should have been called "Survivor" (As in survivor of the war). But that aside, it really was a scary episode, taking place underground gave a real feel of claustrophobia. With nothing able to stop it the heroes must run for their lives and find a new way to kill a constantly learning killing Machine. Like I said I love the feeling of being scared, but to feel pity for the enemy cannot be over looked as you really feel sorry for the Dalek being tortured and chained up. It is for these reasons that I really love this episode and it is my number one pick.

Doctor Who the Day of the Doctor

What a way to go. That was well worth the wait most definitely! By now most of you have watched the 50th Anniversary special of Doctor Who. On the largest worldwide broadcast of a fiction television show. 76 countries, some 90 million fans, three Doctors and one bag of minstrels (Yum!)

Well lets get this started by saying, you all knew this was coming, we all waited, we all saw and it was OK. Yeah it was OK. Maybe a little higher, nearer to great, but that's all I can say for now. To tell the truth I had no idea what to expect watching this, the idea is much too massive. I mean the destruction of Gallifrey, three Doctors (or More!), the return of Daleks and Zygons and the return of David Tennant. What we got was this.

Let's just get through the story first. The Doctor and Clara are both transported (via an expensive helicopter routine) to the Museum of art in London. The Doctor has received a message by Queen Elizabeth I, to investigate a mysterious painting. While there he comes across a portal of time. Elsewhere, The Doctor is fighting the final days of Arcadia on Gallifrey against the Daleks. He steals the Deus Ex Machina (Come on it is, it really is) that will destroy all of the Time lords and the Daleks. Elsewhere, the Doctor is courting Elizabeth I and proposes to her and she accepts. He reveals it's all a ruse to find the Zygons (shape-shifting aliens from the Forth Doctor Series, but not the only thing from the series!). They stumble across the time portal as well and we find that the war Doctor is pretty much making a deal with the Devil. The Moment, a machine of sentient and unlimited power, has taken form of Rose from the Doctors future. She is trying to show him the possibilities of his actions. At this point, all three Doctors meet up and discuss the Zygon gambit and the picture of the Fall of Gallifrey.

So it is a very fan orientated special, nothing there at all for the uninitiated and that's just the way I like it. Steven Moffat stated this was mainly for the fans and was for crowd pleasing. But surprisingly, it actually tried to get in a good story about the Doctor coming to terms with the decisions of the Time War, the responsibility of choice and the admiration, yet wariness of nostalgia. It threw me for loops I never thought I would see. And you know what, I actually think this is the Best Doctor Who Anniversary special of all time, until the 63rd or the 75th (you know, 1963 or the third quarter). I saw the original specials, like the three Doctors and the Five Doctors, and this actually in my opinion trumped them. But yes there were some things that the others did well. Like the interaction of the Doctors in The Three Doctors is very funny and well done, while in the Five Doctors it had more villains and monsters. Undeniably, the Three Doctors come a close second, but the story and pacing of the Five Doctors is actually appalling. But for another day. Also, this was during the final moments of Davids run, so Rose could not have appeared as she was still trapped in the Parallel Universe. And it does not bother me that only a few could get into the special, but keep in mind they need to answer all the questions asked while keep them coming back for more and not making it such claustrophobic mess unlike some specials by including EVERYONE!

Now, you might think I am fan boying right now, huh? Well there were some problems I did notice despite my sugar induced craze. 1, What is up with the Zygons at the end? We leave on a very ambiguous note after that scene to deal with the major problem of the Moment. I think we will return to that in a future episode and I hope we do because the Zygons actually are very good and there are many ways a story could be formed around it. 2 Little to no Daleks. Here I thought they were the main enemy, but no, just cannon fodder for explosions (oh, they love their explosions on this show). I am glad in a way that they were under used and instead used to show the horror of of the war. Besides we will see them at Christmas and whats Christmas without the Daleks. 3, Speaking of the Time War, why so little. They really should have made this a two parter. I mean even David Tennant got longer viewing time for his leave and that was just for regeneration, a natural phase of Doctor Who. Seriously Two hours for David, but only one and a half for the special anniversary. I really wanted to see the full horrors of the Time War in all it's majesty, but it's more like twenty minutes of the entire special. Perhaps they still want to leave it to us and maybe address it later in the show, but I really wanted to see the cruelty of the Daleks and the harsh decisions of the Time Lords. The bloodshed, the tears, the loss the epicness of battle...I'm getting a little too into this. But non-the-less, more War in the future.

But I am afraid I can't tell you what I liked because there is just too much. I love the Doctors and Clara is just as delightful as ever. What The Five Doctors did wrong and The Day of the Doctor did right was balance. They showed us just as much of the enemies as we needed to, enough of the war (as much as I would like to see more of it), enough development of the Doctors as well as actually concentrating on them instead of the Companions and a balance of emotions. I felt sadness at the battle scenes, humor at the interactions and joy at the in-jokes and references. And Of course the Ending is very well done. It's almost like The Hitchhikers guide to the Galaxy, the heroes have just saved the day and celebrate with a cup of tea, a classic British custom. And that Gallifrey could still be alive, but not damaging the time line, that is very well crafted. And of course an army of Doctors coming to save the day. All thirteen of them, very sneaky. But my heart leaped at Tom Bakers return, beautiful if not slightly confusing the more you think about it. I think he is just the previous incarnation coming to give some excellent advice and some classic dry British wit. To tell the truth I am glad they did Rose this way as well. I doubt they could have gotten her as a companion, but mentioning her in front of David kind of breaks the spirit knowing he can never see her again. But who can forget the stand Out performances of John Hurt, playing the war weary soldier desperate for peace once again like a perfect fitting glove. Matt Smith is just as good as ever, even has some tense moments when he realizes what has become of his life and the meaning it must have. David is great fun and get's in much more laughs than I thought he could, acting much more eccentric than his previous portrayal. As always I really like Clara and I enjoy her enthusiasm and intellect in this. Hopefully she will become a long running companion like Rose or Amy. 

Overall, very glad I saw it, would I like to have seen more, of course, but for what it's worth it's a fun ride for all the little Whovians out there and the best Anniversary special for Doctor Who ever. I look forward to the Christmas Special, saying goodbye to a very Special Doctor and greeting a very different Doctor.

Animated video by Richard Swarbrick, all credit to him for this wonderful video.

Writers Chair

Welcome to director's chair...sort of. Today I am looking at the main reason people love this show and the scapegoat of many's hatred. It's Russell T. Davies versus Steven Moffat. 

As with most TV show's, you can't expect it to be amazing all the time, hence the cancellation of the show in 1989 by the BBC when they felt the viewing figures dipped to low (As a matter of fact, when you think about it, that makes this the 37th anniversary of the shows run, but 50th anniversary since its original airing.) In 2005, the series was revived by Davies for the new age. He was Producer and Head Writer until 2010, when he stepped down from his role and gave way for Steven to step in as writer and Producer. It was here that Tennant also announced his leave. The Doctor was regenerated into Matt Smith and from here there have been trolls, uninitiated whovians and even some long time fans that started bashing the show for being dull, lazy and even more rude words to describe it. Many have blamed Steven, but I am here to set the record straight. Your not angry at Steven, but nostalgic and unaware of what your saying. 

To begin, lets see what you liked about the series in it's revival stages and year two. Well it had a sense that it was grounded in reality, the use of practical effects and landscapes of Cardiff, Wales was used more than green screens or CGI. This allowed us to appreciate the work and effort done in the show. Also the stories were, in my opinion, a little better than the later episodes of the show (even the later ones in Russell's run). There was a real sense of fun in each, combined with scares, drama and some heartbreaking moments. But maybe a little too much Drama. Don't get me wrong, drama is good. But too much can become melodramatic and that's no fun for anyone (yes, Coronation Street/Eastenders/hollyoaks/Fair City we are all looking at you.). What people forget is that Doctor Who is meant to be fun, not melodrama. Even William Hartnell, famous for his tough guy roles, admitted the Doctor should be whimsical than force. Russell brought both together in the first and second series, but it slowly dawned on him maybe he should try going one way completely. This led to an overly serious Series 3 and a quite goofy series 4. Now I like both series, but you can't say that under Russell's run Doctor Who was perfect.

As for Steven Moffat, he also tried to do what Russell did in the beginning. He also wrote some very heavy duty stuff like "The Empty Child, The Doctor dances, Blink" just to name a few. And all where very well acclaimed. So where apparently did it all go wrong. He balanced perfectly the whimsy, scares and heaviness of series 1, went full scares for "blink" and full drama for "The Girl in the fireplace". To tell the truth I believe that both writers are kind of similar. Both have tries to balance the fun, scares and drama of Doctor Who, succeeding in some areas like those above, but also doing poorly in episodes like "the Wedding of River Song" and "Let's Kill Hitler" for Steven Moffat and "Love and Monsters" and "Tooth & Claw" for Russell T. Davies. I know that some episodes have in recent times been seen as rushed or dull, but there have been, in all honesty, many more better ones.

To tell the truth no TV show is exactly perfect, unless your called Avatar the Last Airbender and every episode is a dream. So how can you claim that Doctor Who has gone bad or that Steven Moffat is a bad writer when he has done just as many good as Russell and even Russell holds Moffat in high regards. I say keep the faith and he will become a "better writer"(if that is even possible to get better) and spew out hit after Hit, just like every writer on every show does. #SaveTheDay

This how well he has done for the show, give him some credit after all.

Daleks invasion of earth 2150 AD

Wow...I mean wow...you have to really try to be this cheesy and campy, even for Doctor who. In the sequel to tomorrows review, Doctor who and the Daleks, we are given kooky special effects, cheesy music, even cheesier acting and a story/timeline that's not connected to the original series, leading you to ask, why has this movie been made if it's not even connected to the series.

Released in 1966, the film starred Peter Cushing as the Doctor (wow this guy gets around, Doctor Who, Star Wars, Sherlock Holmes and Dracula) and Bernard Cribbins in his first Doctor who role as a Policeman named Tom. Released during the craze of Doctor Who, it initially received lukewarm reviews and failed to get it's budget back. Add a crazed, obsessed fan-base and we got ourselves a destined to be cult classic.

This story is actually familiar to most whovians, as it is based on the Doctor who serial "Daleks invasion of Earth", but with some extra features. For example in this film series Dr Who as he is called is not an alien but an eccentric inventor of the Tardis. Here, they are discovered by an injured police man named Tom and is whisked away to London, 2150 AD. Here they encounter an underground resistance. They have banded together to fight off the invading Dalek forces, who have crippled the human race with meteorites and cosmic rays and seek to turn the planet into a giant spaceship by hollowing out the earths core (why? I mean that's easier said than done guy's). Along with them is Doctor's niece Louise and granddaughter Susan. They each go about their separate ways as a failed attempt to drive back the Daleks.

I am going to be perfectly honest, I have little problems with the movie (they are still there though). Like, for example the opening credits. the opening title is synonymous with British culture and media, so why go for some cheesy chase theme music. By far this is the least impressive opening titles I have seen since Superman III. The Acting isn't too bad, but I feel that Little Louise just was not good enough a character for us to care. She is by far the movies least interesting character. Others don't even get much of a story and they are much more interesting than this troublesome brat. I am serious she causes way too many problems, even trapping the heroes in the future by accidentally knocking over large amounts of debris on the TARDIS. Also the spaceships and "technology", if that's what you call it, all look very strange yet way too familiar to look alien. And of course this is the most ludicrous plot the Daleks have ever had. True it was adapted from the series, but it's just not possible to turn a planet into a spaceship by hollowing out the core. (I think there was something to do with reversing the polarity of earths neutron flow). 

But then again there are certain things about this I do like. I really like Peter Cushing’s Doctor. True he isn’t even connected to the original series, but he gives off that aura of cleverness, quick-wit, whimsy and almost lunacy, all the while maintaining an intelligent, well mannered gentleman. I actually think most of the actors are good, considering the script and subject matter. And I can’t go without saying that the Daleks look very cool. In colour, we see the different rankings system in place, their movement through a now deserted London is quite eerie and the metallic voice is still quite creepy. My only gripe with the Daleks is their death ray is now replaced with a sort of gas gun that shoots jets of CO2. It’s actually quite gruesome to die of suffocation, but I believe the reason this decision was made was so that it wouldn’t frighten the children watching. But that’s the point! The Daleks were famous in their heyday for being the scariest alien to appear on television and children had to hide behind the couch out of fear. Many still consider them frightening and even placed them at 25 on the 100 Greatest Scariest Moments (of film and television mind you!). Bernard Cribbins supplies the laughter in some well directed and choreographed slapstick moments (my favourite is the scene in which he is disguised as a Roboman and must follow the food consumption procedure). There are many other good characters including a gruff, brooding soldier who must look after Louise (no easy feat) and a scavenger who is very good with a throwing knife.

In my own professional opinion I see this movie has the potential to be well regarded Cult movie.  I certainly enjoyed it. The actors are campy, but that translates to enjoyable, the sets are well done, yet the idea that sugar puffs is still popular by 2150 AD adds a sense of silliness,  of course the plot is contrived and ridiculous, but it’s Doctor Who what do you expect? If you like or even love Doctor Who, you will enjoy this movie. For those other’s...just don’t watch it unless you feel like laughing at what many love. 

The Doctors Companions

Continuing our discussion of Doctor Who, in build up to the 50th Anniversary, lets look at what makes the show relatable to human eyes, its companions. Over the years we have gotten a lot of companions to the Doctor. Again due to my lack of experience with the Original series, I will only be concentrating on the revamp series. But of course, the original series has had its companions that we all love for me it was Ace and(I'm sure its the same with almost everyone else) Sarah Jane Smith, played by the late Elisabeth Sladen. But for another date we must leave that, for now we must examine the human element of Doctor Who.

1. The Character 
Each companion brings something to the table, something new each season. Let me just say right off the bat that my favorite companions of the new series are Clara, Jack Harkness and Donna Noble(in fact in that numerical order, going from good to bad) and my least favorite are Rose Tyler and Amy Pond-Williams. Now I know what your thinking, what did you not like how nice and charismatic each of the two were...no I do not. For one thing, Rose and Amy left their boyfriends initially just for a chance to travel through time and space(OK, I would leap at the chance of time travel, only I would ask my friend to come as well if he was standing RIGHT NEXT TO ME). Another thing, they are very clingy to the Doctor, well Rose is acting Bitchy and like a spoiled brat when someone else "has to come". Amy is completely ill-regarding of her relationship to Rory for the first series they are together, that its no wonder they kill him off so often. And yes she does eventually mature the relationship to actually caring singularly about Rory, but she takes her time.

The other each have something interesting. Like Donna and the Doctor have a more Brother-Sister relationship, always bickering and poking fun at a situation, she is funny, really funny and she has the right role of life. Her whole life is just unfair, she is not too clever, but she has street smarts, she does have that feeling I know we all have, that the world just has it in for us and that it will hardly get better and it is so much more tragic seeing how all the other companions benefit or at least learn from their experience as a companion, for her experience and this whole new lease on life to be taken from her for her own safety.

Jack has the man from the future lost in time factor as well as the fact he can't die, not to mention he is homosexual, that makes him much more of a cult icon and a lot cooler. He also got his own TV show, how much cooler is that. He is like Ace, and I admit I wish we got more of the past shock, with him dealing with new customs and ways of living.

And Clara is just Clara, she talks fast, thinks fast and a certain chemistry with the doctor that you can't pin-point. Is she in love or does she see him as the bestest friend in all the world. She is smart, but under-achieving(or maybe she's in University/college and she pays her tuition by being a sitter or a housekeeper.) and she has that energy that lets her fly about and take charge of a situation.

    2. Their Relationship with the Doctor
A lot of fans were very much against the Doctor having any romantic relations with his companions or at all. But that changed with a scene controversial for the fans in Doctor Who the movie, when Grace and the Doctor kissed. Since then he's has kissed each one of his companions in every series. But the romance with the Doctor isn't just kisses, there is also the crush that they can have. Martha Jones for example is notable for openly expressing her love for the Doctor (although if that's more 
friend orientated or romantic, we can only speculate). But the most prominent one is Rose and her devotion to him. To tell the truth I actually don't mind the Doctors love life and I believed Rose really loved him, leading her to become very attached to him. For this reason I don't really hate Rose.

So all the companions have in common are their attachment/devotion to the Doctor, they are willing to give their lives and they trust him unconditionally. In the cases of the others like Donna, Clara or Amy, they start out unsure of him, find him annoying yet feel slightly attracted to him like he owns a brand new sports car (except in this case time machine), then eventually come to respect him. I will give credit to Amy because she waited years to travel with him and hell hath no fury like a woman's wrath. And I am glad they decided to not make every woman he meets fall in love and rather develop the friendship. For this reason I would like to see more male companions just for a bit of variety. Jack was entertaining and so was Rory. I think Rory is even more of a bad-ass considering he died ten times and that he came back to life after each. I even found a page for Rory William facts, like Chuck Norris Facts.

I think the relationship with each Doctor and his respective companion(s) are good. Some episodes can be flawed in it's presentation of the relationship and I can get annoyed when the companion feels jealous they aren't getting enough attention ( jeez, get over it you have all the time in the universe to chat with him) and of course there is the one off companions that appear for literally one episode or two just to be a comedic foil or an asshole. But my favorite one off companion is of course...Wilfred. He is just too funny and enjoyable to dislike. He's like the grandparent you really like or look forward to his/her visits. He helps the Doctor many times, he's supportive of his actions and really has and shows only the greatest respect for Him. Then River song came into my life as another living enigma to be solved. She's snarky, irritating and a bit of a show-off,
"I can fly the Tardis, I was trained by the greatest in the universe, I am constantly saved because i'm his favorite", get lost and annoy someone else's timeline.

3. The Twist
What companion is complete without a twist (just about the entire cast of the original series). When I first saw the Bad wolf my mind was blown. It made perfect sense and I never saw it coming. In the Second series I was not to amazed as I was the previous, but still impressive. By the last one we just got, I am just bored to death of them. Why can't we have a series finale that makes sense, but without the conspiracy. In truth Rose had the best twist endings in both series. Each were impressive and heart-breaking. The weakest was probably Jack's. I mean him being the face of Boe makes not a lot of sense. He is supposed to live forever. That aside I wish it was more like Martha, the twist belonged to the finale and not for the companion.

Well that's my review of the Companions. I won't lie, I really am looking forward to seeing Rose interact with Clara, the possibilities are just endless. Feel free to agree or disagree how you please. And apologies for the length.

Video byMrLazarus01

Doctor who the movie

Let's role in the 50th anniversary by reviewing one of the most disappointing transatlantic release of a British TV show since Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy.

To tell the truth, seeing this the first time I liked it and I considered it very underrated compared to other feature-length specials. These day's however I find that it is an acquired taste, made especially for the fans. Upon release in America it was smashed by competition and got very few views. Partly due to the audience not knowing what they were watching, but mostly due to poor advertisement (rule one of television, never give British TV to Americans, no offence, but come on!)

As the story goes, after the execution of his nemesis The Master,The Doctor must make an emergency landing on Earth when the TARDIS circuitry is driven haywire and lands in San Francisco, America 1999. Upon landing, he accidentally intervenes in a gang war and get's shot. After complications with surgery, he suffers a stroke and dies. This leads to a regeneration and seeking out the escaped Master who also seeks the Doctor for his remaining lives. While on Earth he meets Dr. Grace who helps him find the means to prevent the TARDIS from ripping apart the universe and stopping the Master's return to power.

Now from the premise this sounds like any other episode of Doctor Who, but...you'd be right. It's not bad really but it all seems rather simplistic. From one point it makes sense as they are showing it to an uninitiated audience who would barely understand the series. But as for the loyal whovians who waited to see what the US of A could bring to a show that was cancelled seven years earlier. They were sadly disappointed. The choice to regenerate Sylvester McCoy (whom you may have seen in the Hobbit as Radagast the Jar Jar Binks of this movie, But I think is OK) into Paul McGann, it was a bit of a leap of trust for the whovians. Using the Master instead of a new enemy was probably the smartest move as it would just confuse the audience more and it as fun to say the old Arch-Nemesis back. And then there is the use of new companions from America, which I will go into later, was probably a wise choice. The reason I see this as a cult film or even an underrated film is because it is loyal to the show and tells a decent story with some good acting and decent science babble.

For what I dislike, well: The effects are sci-fi channel quality/90's vibe. They are pretty bad even for Doctor Who, which became famous for it's practical effects, using models and puppets. But here I think this is where the revival series got it's idea's to use CGI to cut corners. Then there is the plot inconsistencies, like how does the master escape the box if he's dead or how come the Doctor can pass through a window if the molecular structure of the world is changing and yet it doesn't happen anywhere else? These are just some plot holes that can be a little distracting to the nitpickers. Then their is the change to the TARDIS design. I'm kind of 50/50 about this as it does show more to the TARDIS and it definitely looks bigger. But it looks like a temple or a converted church with some weird decor just thrown in there. Also I never wanted to know what some of the other rooms look like. I have my own designs and theories for the TARDIS physiology. Also the humor is not really as good as the original series, often trying too hard or missing an opportunity. There's only a few jokes I enjoy, like chickens causing a traffic jam, the Doctor overreacting to new memories and the jelly baby switches. 

But don't let that turn you away. The good thing's are very good. I really respect that they keep the lore and science of the original show and how faithful they can be. Usually most medium transfers will forget what made them special in the first place (The Last Airbender I am looking at you!). I actually like the companion and I am a little disappointed that she is never really mentioned in the revived series. She helps, she is involved and she has the most appropriate reaction to the Doctor, Confusion and fear mixed with intrigue and whimsy. In fact it's really because of her that the universe is saved. But the crowning achievement is Paul McGann as the new Doctor and Eric Roberts as the Master (Sal Maroni from the Dark Knight and Buck from Runaway Train). Roberts is fiendishly evil in this version, actually killing many people including Doctors friend Chang Lee and Grace (umm, spoilers). He treats it with enough respect and is still considered to be one of the best versions of the Master. But Paul steals the show as the delightfully eccentric, yet enigmatic Doctor. I really liked McCoy and they gave him as good as send off as any. Showing just how delightful he was originally and giving a really good regeneration scene set to Frankenstein's animation. My one regret is that they used up one regeneration for one movie when we are now on the Twelfth Doctor with Peter Capaldi. And of course who can forget the awesome new opening theme, it is officially my favorite theme for Doctor Who.


So how does the Movie hold up. Good for some, not so much for others. The uninitiated will be left confused and the whovians see it as an important point in the Doctor who Universe. I won't say should definitely watch it, but if you have time to kill and you like Doctor who, then you might like it. Overall, underrated and still a cult classic.

• Video by Maximilian Francisco Pakradoonian on youtube

Doctor Who month!

Well it's November and you know what that means. I just made up another themed month. This is Doctor Who month, I will be reviewing my favorite and least favorite of the universe that is Doctor Who. Since I have started today that means I only have twenty days to write up all my reviews for the show, it's spin-offs, it's adaptions and "The Day of the Doctor" movie. It will be released on the 23rd of November, fifty years after the first episode. As you can tell this is a big deal for me due to my love of the show and it's characters. Hearing about this movie has got me pumped for this month, I even don't mind sitting through three weeks of school for it. But apart from my reviews let me know what you want to see on this blog for Doctor Who month. Contact me on Facebook, the comment section or Twitter. Well, let me give you a brief summary of what I will be doing for this month so far.

• Doctor Who the movie
• Daleks invasion of earth
• Doctor who and the Daleks
• Top ten best monsters and aliens
• Directors chair writers edition Steve Moffat vs Russell T. Davies
• Top ten Doctor Who episodes/ Review of the current series
• Thoughts on Peter Capaldi
• Doctors Companions

Evil Dead

Well this day has finally arrived, Oiche Samhain, Halloween, the night of the harvest. So lets celebrate the ancient Celtic holiday by...reviewing a movie about demons and abandoned cabins. We have seen have met many gruesome beasts over the month, from mad barbers to zombies to killer klowns from outer space (That never gets old). Now come face to face with...the deadites (Dun Dun Dum).

Directed by Sam Rami, director of Drag me to hell and Spiderman, early in his career he collaborated  with his brother Ted to write and direct a new horror movie, staring their friend Bruce Campbell. What we got is one of the scariest, goriest and most hilarious horror films ever put to silver screen. It's acting is hoaky, it's cinematography is revolutionary and its story, despite cliche's, breathed new life into the supernatural/slasher genre.

The story, of coarse, is of five teens who travel into the woods to stay at a recently bought house that previously belonged to an archaeologist that went missing. After finding a mysterious book and tape recorder, they are subject to immense torture, possession and murder. As they struggle to survive the night, an unseen force comes to claim their bodies and souls. As you can tell, this is like my third film I have reviewed with the same plot. But to include certain elements like an unseen supernatural force, the methods of death and the obscene amount of gore and you suddenly got a cult hit with the horror fanatics, gore lovers and avid film followers. 

My main gripe with this movie is the sequel (each is good in their own right). But one after the other, if you compared them, the second is obviously superior. This is especially in the area of character. Here the characters are good, but Ash is a bit of a dork, instead of the one-liner spewing, chainsaw wielding, boomstick firing hero we all love. Also some areas seem a tad dated. But this was a low budget film that got a very decent box-office gross. For example the make up never really made them look like they were possessed (in fact I dare say that it s only slightly better than Dawn of the Dead). Also you can see stage hands here and there and some of the puppeteers pulling the strings. But that is what gives it that feeling of realism as well as it's hoaky feel.

But of coarse everything else is just spectacular. The pacing is well done, the suspension of disbelief is never pushed to far, the gore, as I have said, is spectacular, the acting while hoaky, holds well and entertains and frightens us. The effects for the most part hold up very well (you will believe a tree can rape a young woman). If there is one thing I hate is people not being open minded towards a movie like this. I saw Cabin in the Woods with my friends recently and you know what they thought of it. They thought it was weird and messed up. It just shows how diverse an audience can be.

But in all honesty, you should watch this movie for Halloween, along with The Exorcist and Halloween. These are the must see films for Halloween. But I do hope you enjoyed this review and the movie. But keep in mind that there are no such thing as these monsters, only ax murderers and Serial killers. So enjoy Halloween and remember

DON'T HAVE NIGHTMARES MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA