DR WHO AND THE DALEKS

DR WHO AND THE DALEKS

2013 marks 50 years since the naissance of a British science fiction institution. DR WHO debuted on the BBC in 1963 and the popular impact it instantly had on British TV viewers enticed two American producers into hatching a plan to unleash the ‘time lord’ on the USA and beyond. An internationally recognisable cast was headed by the legendary Peter Cushing and the movie DR WHO AND THE DALEKS went into production. The finished result meant the Dr’s labours battling his arch enemies would be exalted from black and white TV sets to stretch across the silver screen in glorious Technicolor.

The picture performed admirably at the box office and the media coined the term "Dalekmania" to describe the esteem the nations kids had for the Dr’s intergalactic adversaries. Although the movie has been available to own in various formats for a few years, it has now been given a full High Definition restoration for CanalStudios Blu-ray release.

The Doctor (Peter Cushing) is relaxing at home with his two granddaughters Barbara (Jennie Linden) and the younger of the two, Susan (Roberta Tovey). But their tranquillity is rudely interrupted by the almost slapstick arrival of Barbara’s boyfriend Ian Chesterton (Roy Castle). Before embarking on their date, the Dr can’t resist showing Ian his new invention – a "Time and Relative Dimension in Space" machine or TARDIS for short. Once inside the cavernous innards of the modest police phone booth, Ian’s clumsiness leads to the flustered boyfriend inadvertently moving a leaver and thus transporting them to another time and location in the Universe.

As they tentatively step outside the booth they encounter an arid land complete with petrified plants and animal carcasses that crumble when touched. They are deprived of the simple option of being able to travel straight back to whence they came due to the "fluid link" in the Dr’s time machine needing a phial of mercury before it can function.

Their only hope is a large illuminated city on the horizon in which to obtain the vital chemical. But their plight becomes increasingly dire when they are ambushed by a swarm of metallic robots on wheels known as THE DALEKS!

It transpires that the planet was ravaged after an atomic war between the original Dalek race and another breed of beings called the Thals. As such the levels of radiation mean the reptilian like beasts are confined to their mechanical casings in order to survive.

The Thals meanwhile, along with resembling distant cousins to Ziggy Stardust with their Glam Rock makeup and bleach blonde hair, have developed a drug that when consumed counteracts the effects of the radiation laden atmosphere. It’s a remedy that the Daleks and their Earthling visitors both badly crave in order to complete their respective missions...

OK so when a 7 year old starts to spot gaping holes in the plot, you sincerely hope the movie has some other redeeming qualities of which to report! You see, given the "U" certificate of the feature, this was one of those rare occasions when I could merge my SGM endeavours with some quality time with the younglings.

The flaws my budding Jedi picked up on were stuff like the Thals ludicrous naivety when accepting an "invitation to breakfast" from the foes that ravaged the planet not so long ago. Or the fact the Dr himself was the main culprit in their predicament. (He lied about not having any mercury just so he could explore the planet, selfish bugger). But accept these somewhat expected shortcomings given the movies ripe old age and you are left with a wonderfully entertaining 82 minutes or so.

For a start, there is Dr Who himself. Yes I am admittedly biased regarding my idol Peter Cushing, but it was a delight to admire his quirky mastery of props as he brought the Doctor’s character to life. His portrayal of the eccentric genius offered a Hammer Horror aficionado such as me an intriguing alternative to the fearless Van Helsing or the cold and calculated Baron Frankenstein.

I gather there is some disdain among Dr Who purists in regards to this picture and its sequel as Cushing’s Dr was merely a human scientific mastermind and NOT an extra-terrestrial "Time Lord". Perhaps this explains the movies rather chaotic wiring within the TARDIS being at odds with the TV shows stylishly designed terminal. Nevertheless, his highly entertaining character was a complex blend of intellect laced with egocentric motives that was valiant to the end. His constant efforts to motivate the pacifist Thals to stand up for themselves culminated in the Dr coercing them to revoke their ingrained principles and actually have a good old fashioned ruck!

Of course on the other side were the notorious Daleks, who, although rather cumbersome, still had the capacity to have frightened children "watching from behind the sofa". The fact a shawl and a handful of chocolate pudding is all that was needed to outfox these deviants is neither here nor there!

Remembering that at the core of their metallic armoured shells was a race of mutant creatures, there was one sequence that reminded me in no small way of a certain movie by George Lucas from 1977. After disabling the Dalek’s source of power, Ian climbs into the machine and imitates a ‘real’ Dalek while the Dr, Susie and Barbara pose as compliant prisoners being taken to a different detainment centre…

But the overwhelming highlight for me was the movies aesthetic and presentation which has been given a breath-taking HD renovation. Presented in its original theatrical aspect ratio of 2.35:1 the movie has an arresting appearance from start to finish. The Blu-ray contains a 1080p 24fps AVC MPEG-4 transfer that does justice to Director of Photography John Wilcox’s sterling work. The lighting throughout the picture is positively striking, be it the distinct aqua green luminosity of Planet Skaro; or indeed the delightfully contrasting bronzed moons and reddish brown mountainous scenery of the final third. With CanalStudios’ disc, the effervescent visuals literally fizz off the screen! The package is also brimming with quality Bonus Material. For starters there is a feature length commentary track that can be found in the SET UP part of the discs main menu. I believe this is the identical commentary that was included in 2002’s DVD release from Warner Brothers. Even so, the warm and detailed recollections of Roberta Tovey and Jennie Linden make for intriguing listening. A generous amount of time is given to the girls reminiscing about working with team Cushing and Castle along with surprisingly intimate discourse about filming the movie and the Dr Who phenomenon as a whole.

Then we have a 57 minute documentary called DALEKMANIA that was filmed back in 1995 and originally released on VHS cassette. It has since featured as an "EXTRA" on previous DWATD DVD releases, yet is still a wonderfully appropriate companion to the main feature. DALEKAMANIA starts by actually delving into the psychology of villainous species with their creator, Terry Nation before covering various aspects of the movie. Marcus Hearn is at hand to contribute some historical facts before we are taken on a journey of the filming process with a diverse range of cast and crew.

There is even an intriguing segment on vintage Dalek toys and their worth in the mid nineteen nineties. (Haven’t gotten round to giving the toys featured the EBAY challenge yet but I will do!)

The second half of DALEKMANIA covers the sequel DALEKS INVASION EARTH 2150 so in truth is a fantastic accompaniment to both movies.

A stills gallery, the original theatrical trailer and a short interview with Gareth Owen, author of The Shepperton Story completes the bonus material.

All in all this is surely THE definitive release to date of the first ever Dr Who movie and I dare you not to want to see the sequel which has also been made available by CanalStudios...

Review by Marc Lissenburg


 
Released by Studiocanal
Region B
Rated U
Extras :
see main review
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