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Idiom
Registered: 04/08/08
Posts: 722
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 Tuesday, April 14 2009 @ 01:13 PM EDT |
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A new thread for those of us who have decided to watch the entire series from start to finish (I know this is gonna take me years!) so that we can record our thoughts as we go along.
Right, here goes. An Unearthly Child tonight! |
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barnabeee
Registered: 07/02/08
Posts: 103
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| Tuesday, April 14 2009 @ 02:29 PM EDT |
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Be strong Idiom. After that first episode its tough going!
I've just finished watching The Daleks, so will be fun to discuss when you get there! Are you aiming for a story a night?  |
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If you're in the New York area come join us for Pub and Video meets - http://DWNY.org
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Idiom
Registered: 04/08/08
Posts: 722
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| Tuesday, April 14 2009 @ 02:47 PM EDT |
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| More like an epsiode a night what with famly life and all that! |
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barnabeee
Registered: 07/02/08
Posts: 103
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| Tuesday, April 14 2009 @ 03:06 PM EDT |
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| Probably a great way to watch it actually! I'll look forward to your daily posts! |
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If you're in the New York area come join us for Pub and Video meets - http://DWNY.org
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Idiom
Registered: 04/08/08
Posts: 722
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| Tuesday, April 14 2009 @ 05:43 PM EDT |
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| So, epsiode one. What can I say. Amazing still, isn't it? I've seen it before more than once but was still totally absorbed by it. It's all there in that first episode. The mystery, the strange science, the alien nature that lies beneath the seemingly benign surface of the old man. And that cliff-hanger - the TARDIS in a deserted landscape that could be anywhere, anywhen and then a shadow falls across the door. No words, no screams, no monsters just a single shadow that will lay across the following years and my childhood and now my adulthood.I've started. |
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Doctor Whoovie
Registered: 04/26/06
Posts: 794
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| Tuesday, April 14 2009 @ 11:16 PM EDT |
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As documented on threads elsewhere I started doing this about 5 weeks ago.
Unearthly child through the sensorites completed.
On episode two of the reign of terror at the moment.
I have been loading them on my ipod and watching them at the gym.
Good luck guys.
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In the kingdom of the blind, the one-eyed are Kings
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Idiom
Registered: 04/08/08
Posts: 722
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| Wednesday, April 15 2009 @ 04:01 AM EDT |
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[Quote by: Doctor Whoovie] As documented on threads elsewhere I started doing this about 5 weeks ago.
Unearthly child through the sensorites completed.
On episode two of the reign of terror at the moment.
I have been loading them on my ipod and watching them at the gym.
Good luck guys.
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Yes, you were one of the main inspirations for this. I planning on watching with a break between each episode - the way it was originally designed to be watched, I suppose. To akllow the cliffhanger to wash over me for a while.
I created this thread as I thought it might be easier for all of us to record our thoughts if we had one thread per Doctor becuse I know that we'll be watching at different speeds. |
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barnabeee
Registered: 07/02/08
Posts: 103
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| Wednesday, April 15 2009 @ 09:27 AM EDT |
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[Quote by: Doctor Whoovie] As documented on threads elsewhere I started doing this about 5 weeks ago.
Unearthly child through the sensorites completed.
On episode two of the reign of terror at the moment.
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Have you posted on The Sensorites yet, Whoovie? I saw your post on Keys of Marinus. |
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If you're in the New York area come join us for Pub and Video meets - http://DWNY.org
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barnabeee
Registered: 07/02/08
Posts: 103
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| Wednesday, April 15 2009 @ 09:30 AM EDT |
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| [Quote by: Idiom] So, epsiode one. What can I say. Amazing still, isn't it? I've seen it before more than once but was still totally absorbed by it. It's all there in that first episode. The mystery, the strange science, the alien nature that lies beneath the seemingly benign surface of the old man. And that cliff-hanger - the TARDIS in a deserted landscape that could be anywhere, anywhen and then a shadow falls across the door. No words, no screams, no monsters just a single shadow that will lay across the following years and my childhood and now my adulthood.I've started. |
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I couldn't agree more. Its a genius piece of television and never gets old! Absolutely amazing stuff. |
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If you're in the New York area come join us for Pub and Video meets - http://DWNY.org
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Idiom
Registered: 04/08/08
Posts: 722
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| Wednesday, April 15 2009 @ 06:06 PM EDT |
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Funny story this as it is really a three-part story tagged onto a one-parter. I've heard a lot of people describe most of it (with the exception of episode one) as quite hard going. And while in general, I'd agree that it isn't the strongest story, I feel that watching it in short twenty-moinute episode chunks helps a lot.
I love the tense atmosphere which is aided by the strangely almost carved faces of the tribe (especially Kal and the old woman) and by being black and white (you can definitely get a way with a lot when everything is cast inn shadow and the programme makers really took advantage of this). I love the pairing of Ian (logical, strong,Science teacher) and Barbara (intuitive, sensitive,history teacher)and their relaistic reactions at being transported into the past - Ian's initial disbelief and the almost hysterical moment that Barbara has as she comes across a dead animal but then immediately proves herself to be the conscience of this TARDIS team by refusing to leave the injured tribesman behind. I love the whole Ian-Doctor locking of horns trying to see who will be the Alpha male of the crew (it sort of reminds me of the 9th Doctor's first encounter with Captain Jack). The Doctor - well, what do we make of him so far: ammoral (willing to kidnap the two teachers and sacrifice the tribesman so that they can escape) but also very human (apologising for getting everybody into this mess and looking more bedraggled by the minute). Interestingly, as well the credits at the end name him as Dr.Who (I wonder when he becomes just the Doctor - must watch out for that).
OK so it's not the most plot driven of stories but watching it part by part it does maintain a real sense of urgency and danger for the travellers. Part three for me was definitely stronger than part two but I'm still enjoying it all overall and not watching the clock. One more part to go then Daleks, me hearties! |
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barnabeee
Registered: 07/02/08
Posts: 103
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| Thursday, April 16 2009 @ 10:31 AM EDT |
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Great thoughts there Idiom. The characters are very strong and well-rounded even at this early stage - and the rock scene is still quite shocking.
There's a lot of atmosphere, helped by the Black & White, of course. Its not something I pull out to watch a lot - but enjoy it whever I do.
| [Quote by: Idiom] One more part to go then Daleks, me hearties! |
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Well, almost-2 parts and then a plunger! But I get your drift  |
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If you're in the New York area come join us for Pub and Video meets - http://DWNY.org
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Idiom
Registered: 04/08/08
Posts: 722
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| Thursday, April 16 2009 @ 06:04 PM EDT |
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That's story one done. Yes, definitely more enjoyable and pacy when left with a gap between episodes. Good to see Ian giving up the Alpha male position to the Doctor after the Doctor manages to prove Kal's guilt and Za's innocence using his wits alone. A flash of the genius to come.
Again some real reactions with the Doctor and Susan almost trampling Barbara in their rush to escape. Also good to see some physical consequences of the action with the TARDIS crew dirty, sweat-stained and torn clothes.
A dark, violent episode overall and the first sign of some peace between the crew of the time machine as their pool their resources to escape the tribe.
Also good to see a cliffhanger pull you into the next story straight away - keeps that narrative thread and makes each individual story part of the whole.
looking forward to the next one.
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Idiom
Registered: 04/08/08
Posts: 722
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| Sunday, April 19 2009 @ 02:22 PM EDT |
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A day or two off and now I've started the Daleks. I think that I've stated in other posts that what I really like about classic Who is its slower pace. That it takes its time to tell a story. It's the main reason that I tend to criticise moden Who - that it is in a rush and sometimes starts or wraps up too quickly at the expense of the main storyline. I'm sure that if the Daleks were re-made today then the whole first episode would be done as the pre-title scene. Some may think that that is a good thing but me I love a story that slowly unwarps itself piece by piece paying geat attention to detail.
Here the planet (the first alien planet that Doctor Who viewres were shown in the series and only the second story!)is revealed little by little. The petrified forest, the tress that do not move, flowers that crumble at the touch, an alien lifeform made of metal, a vast, seemingly empty alien city (again being in black and white, the director is able to get away with a lot more).
The story focuses on the TARDIS crew; there are consequences which run over from the previous story. Still the teachers do not trust the Doctor and rightfully so - what an egotistical, self-centred old man he is. For me, this reveals that Ian and Barbara are the first humans that the Doctor has travelled with. He has yet to be humanised by his companions - he is used to making all of the decisions and this is why he clashes with Ian.And yet also, there are glimpses of Ian's humour and the relationship that will develop between them.
I loved the glimpses of the TARDIS interior and the food machine (do we ever see this again?).
Piece by piece. These are great story makers and it is almost constructed like a Hitchcock film with just a glimpse of a hand and later that plunger!
And I try to put myself in the minds of the original viewers who had never seen a Dalek, what must they have imagined at the end of that plunger.
Great, great stuff. |
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adeola
Registered: 01/12/09
Posts: 26
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| Monday, April 20 2009 @ 10:56 AM EDT |
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[Quote by: Idiom]And I try to put myself in the minds of the original viewers who had never seen a Dalek, what must they have imagined at the end of that plunger.
Great, great stuff. |
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I was one of those viewers  Having to wait a whole week ( a long time when you're eight) to find that out had me on tenterhooks the whole time. And I've said elsewhere (I think) that I had occasional bad dreams about the Daleks right into adulthood. 
Good luck on your quest - for that's what you've embarked on! |
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Life, the Universe and everything is just nature's way of saying chaos theory works just fine!
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Idiom
Registered: 04/08/08
Posts: 722
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| Monday, April 20 2009 @ 03:39 PM EDT |
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Thanks Adeola!
Some thoughts on The Daleks episode 2: SPOILERS.
Daleks! Hooray! They really were born fully formed and 46 years later are really not much different to the way they were then. I think this accounts for their continued popularity. If you look at the main villains in other shows: the Kligons in Star Trek, The Wraith in Atlantis, etc. they change, become humanised, dilluted.
This may make them more interesting as characters in some cases but, to my mind, makes them less successful villains. Not so the Daleks.They remain today pretty much faithful to the original concept.
Loved the Doctor's first confrontation with them. "Stay in the light!" The contrast of the (seemingly)frail old man in the light and the cold, mechanical nazis in the dark.
The characters still seem so human: The Doctor's continued self-interest, Susan's fear, Ian's frustration and resignation that he cannot be the one to save them and that there is nothing else that he can do but send the young girl out on her own on this alien planet. He still at this point seems the natural leader of the group and is the first person ever to be exterminated!
Another, teasing glimpse of the Thals - first a hand, now a cloak. Piece by piece.
And a great episode ending. Susan framed against the door of the Tardis console room by a violent streak of lightening in the petrified forest outside and her bravery at leaving all she knows behind to go out and face...
well, tere's the next episode for you...onward! |
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