Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Wear of Feb

Well, the euphoria and novelty of two returned Troughtons is dying down, so maybe I'd throw in my two cents about The Web of Fear.

It scared the shit out of me. Not many Who shows have managed that, especially 1960s ones I have patiently listened to the soundtrack to - so it's not as if I didn't see them coming. But sweet Zarathustra, this stuff creeped me out. The Yeti massacre which is so violent and ruthless it terrifies even Lethbridge-Stewart, the cobweb smothered corpses, the way Travers-as-the-Intelligence sounds like a paranoid schizophrenic with a tracheotemy... even seeing some of the Telesnap Archive goofs doesn't take the edge off (apparently those possessed by the Intelligence breathe alien smoke... um, no, they just stand next to Yetis in close-shots). The unoquivical destruction of the UNIT dating controversy is also notable, as we can see posters for 1967 movies clearly displayed on walls of Underground Stations designed and mapped according to how it was in 1967, the only reliable dating tool is that it's "thirty years" after 1935. I mean, add to this the lunchbox in the Snowmen and UNIT being formed in 68, there is no controversy. Since when has The Ambassadors of Death been canon anyway?

So, yeah, I was very impressed by this tale. The Yeti have always intimidated me (I think it's because they are the only undefeatable monster in Destiny of the Doctor, and given that most of the monsters can be defeated by water pistols...) and their constant angry howls and sudden silence remind me of the junkie 456 with their moodtrips. I'm also impressed at how closely NuWho has stuck to the legend - not only does the Victorian Values explain much of the Intelligences' demeanor and behavior, the very end of the story has him unleash a prototype Spoonhead for Cliff's sake! Ironically, it's only the web fungus itself that falls short - clearly being superimposed on most scenes and causing a true special effect failure as Lethbridge-Stewart tries to close a door on an immobile glowing mattress not moving a freaking inch. I mean, come on!

Anyway, in the words of my good and distant friend Hashish Addict, one must always laugh at what terrifies you, so here is a little vid in the style of Accidental Death of An Anarchist - like getting the Marx Brothers to stage Children of Earth. Boppy little tune...



5 comments:

Matthew Blanchette said...

"Enemy of the World" is better. ;-)

Matthew Blanchette said...

...however, "Web" is still pretty damn scary. I think "Enemy" holds together better as a story, though.

"Since when has The Ambassadors of Death been canon anyway?"
Um... since all of RTD's alien invasions got eaten and wiped by cracks in space-time? Not to mention "I'm from 1980" in "Pyramids of Mars"...

Youth of Australia said...

So, you're saying that mankind had reached Mars five years BEFORE Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon?

Or, as I suggest, the Doctor's piss-farting about with the TARDIS console in episode one shoves him into a nonsensical timeline parallel universe?

As for "1980"? Piss easy.

There's a missing story where Sarah leaves the Doctor for 1970s England and becomes a successful author (as noted in K9 and Company). In 1980, the Doctor comes back for Sarah, and they team up again, their first adventure being Pyramids of Mars.

Checkmate, mofo.

Matthew Blanchette said...

*shrugs* I'm more concerned about the disquieting silence on any of the eight living pre-2005 Doctors being even remotely associated with the 50th, right now.

If that's not happening, then, well... it's rather saddening. Most of them won't be around for the 100th. :-(

Youth of Australia said...

Ah, but they ALL recorded dialogue for that special trailer. You have to listen closely, but you can hear them as the echoes whenever Matt Smith says anything.

It should be noted that, Eccles aside, all of them have appeared in Light At The End by BF which I have heard, listened to, enjoyed and also found satisfactory.

Let's be honest here, people, the Classic Doctors are pretty much done in terms of television. As long as they get their fair dos on audio, it's better than nothing.

Compare and contrast to The Dark Dimension in 1993. You know, the one that was cancelled half way through announced it was commissioned?

We're bloody lucky to have anything at all this year. Eight episodes, two returned Troughtons, Tom Baker and Paul McGann becoming a Holmesian double act on audio...

Oh, plus TWO new Doctors.

It's good, dude. It's good.