DVD Review: 'Doctor Who - The Green Death Special Edition'

Article first published as DVD Review: 'Doctor Who - The Green Death Special Edition' on Blogcritics.

The Green Death, now available as a two-disc Special Edition DVD, is the tenth season finale of the classic British science fiction series Doctor Who. Originally aired in six parts in the spring of 1973, it is notable as the final serial in which Jo Grant (Katy Manning) serves as The Doctor’s (Jon Pertwee) companion.

As The Green Death begins, Jo and Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart (Nicholas Courtney) set out to investigate the mysterious death of a miner, one whose body has turned green. Jo initially assumes the cause is environmental, despite a local chemical company’s insistence that their process is safe and produces little waste. She has the support of Professor Clifford Jones (Stewart Bevan), whom she is quite enamored with.

Of course, as The Doctor discovers when he finally arrives from Metebelis Three, a planet he has been longing to visit for the past few serials, the situation is a lot more complicated than a little pollution leaking into the ground. The employees of the chemical company, along with UNIT’s Captain Yates (Richard Franklin), have been brainwashed by BOSS, a super computer intent on controlling the Earth. And the waste isn’t just killing people, but producing giant maggots, which turn into giant flies. Gross!

The Green Death is relevant as an environmental story, a topic as relevant today as it was in the 1970s. Sometimes there are hidden and unintended consequences, though there aren’t usually aliens involved. This Doctor Who serial takes something familiar and bends it to the show’s unique spin, producing a realistic-seeming, entertaining, and important story.

It also is part of the proud science fiction tradition of a computer trying to control people. From Star Trek to The Terminator to The Matrix, this scenario has been explored a number of different in ways. Doctor Who lends itself well to this type of tale, and this is a welcome adventure in the genre.

A few things in the script happen a bit too conveniently, such as The Doctor’s souvenir from Metebelis Three turning out to be exactly what is needed to save some people. However, there are also some wonderful connections to other serials, with the Metebelis storyline tying nicely into continuing arcs. While Doctor Who used to be (and sometimes still is) largely procedural, serial elements are always appreciated.

Jo’s departure from Doctor Who is handled pretty well, even if it all happens a bit fast. Unlike some companions, she gets an ending fans should enjoy, both serving the character, and feeling like a progression based on what happens within the six episodes, as well as her earlier tale. Quite satisfactory.

As most fans of Doctor Who DVD releases know, these Special Editions from the BBC always deliver on the amount of bonus features. Among the typical offerings included are PDF materials, an audio commentary with familiar voices actress Katy Manning, script editor Terrance Dicks, and producer Barry Letts, and a photo gallery. But there is so much more present, as well.

One of the best inclusions is an eleven minute mockumentary sequel, in which an investigative report is done on the chemical company featured in The Green Death. A number of guest stars from the episodes participate, and this kind of tie-in seems not only appropriate, but far ahead of its time, as it would fit nicely with the “web-based extras” many shows offer today. A more serious “Making of” is included, too, along with featurettes on visual effects, Wales, interviews with guest star Stewart Bevan and writer Robert Sloman, and a bit with Russel T Davies about Doctor Who‘s modern rebirth. Plus, there’s a second audio commentary track featuring people involved in Doctor Who not spoken to the first time around, and more.

It’s also worth mentioning that although Manning’s Jo did not return to Doctor Who officially, she did pop up in the modern spin-off series, The Sarah Jane Chronicles. Two episodes from that show that aired in 2010 with Manning and Matt Smith as The Doctor are also on this DVD set.

In short, it’s another home run for the BBC and Doctor Who fans everywhere, a wonderful story with a ton of bonus features. Doctor Who The Green Death Special Edition is available now.

DVD Review: ‘Doctor Who – The Mind of Evil’

Article first published as DVD Review: ‘Doctor Who – The Mind of Evil’ on Blogcritics.

One Doctor Who serial that has not yet been released on DVD (until now) because of difficulty in producing or restoring a color copy is The Mind Of Evil. Considering that this six-episode serial features a showdown between the Doctor (Jon Pertwee) and the Master (Roger Delgado), one of the Doctor’s greatest foes, it is surely one that fans will want to see. Now, they have their chance, as The Mind of Evil recently got a two-disc release.

The Mind of Evil is one of those stories that appears to be about one thing, and then revelation by revelation, changes into something else entirely. The original problem introduced is a machine that removes evil from the brain of criminals, but some of the “cured” keep winding up dead. Then, we find out about an issue between the Chinese and the Americans at the First World Peace Conference. Finally, the Master is shown to be the real culprit of the unrest. It’s this continuously-escalating device that gives the beginning of the story real umph, and because all three still matter past their first focus, it’s a rich, layered story, even if a few have complained about the Master’s seemingly-incoherent plan.

The battle of wits between the Doctor and the Master, two Time Lords with radically different values and points of view, is one that never gets old. They have fought through many a serial, including an arc only a few years ago during David Tennant’s tenure as the Doctor. Any encounter the two share is worth watching, and The Mind of Evil is part of that proud tradition.

What is really interesting is that the Master’s greatest fear is the Doctor, a dynamic that does not go both ways. We see the Doctor terrified by Daleks, Cybermen, and fiery hell, but not the Master, whereas the Master’s vision, when exposed to the fear-inducing device, is of a giant Doctor. I think it is this fixation on the Doctor that keeps the Master coming back and staying relevant, while the Doctor has foes with bigger-scale plans to worry about, so he often underestimates the Master until they are face to face.

Besides the Doctor / Master stuff, there’s plenty left for UNIT, including Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart (Nicholas Courtney), Sergeant Benton (John Levene), and Captain Yates (Richard Franklin), to do, and Jo (Katy Manning) gets involved in the story, too. While the title of Doctor Who is accurate in that the show has always been, and will always be, about the Doctor, I have really enjoyed the periods in the run where the Doctor has a team, which has sort of happened this past year in Matt Smith’s tenure, though not to the extent as during the Pertwee era. The Mind of Evil makes use of that group in a nice way, and I really appreciate the ensemble chemistry.

This is the first DVD release of The Mind of Evil. As such, it is not a Special Edition, nor does it have quite as many extras as the last couple Doctor Who titles put out, which were. But that does not mean it skimps on the bonus features, still needing two discs to fit everything in.

The audio commentary for this serial is provided by Manning, regular participants Barry Letts and Terrance Dicks, director Timothy Combe, stunt arranger Derek Ware, guest actors Pik-Sen Lim and Fernanda Marlowe, and moderated by Toby Hadoke. On top of the photo gallery and PDF materials, there is a twenty-two minute “Making Of” that was produced in 2009, a revisit of the filming locations in the present day, and a look at the BBC Television Centre circa 1971. All of this combines to give a very full presentation, one worthy of a Doctor Who release.

Doctor Who The Mind of Evil is available now.

DVD Review: ‘Doctor Who Inferno – Special Edition’

Article first published as DVD Review: ‘Doctor Who Inferno – Special Edition’ on Blogcritics.

Inferno, which originally aired in May and June, is not only the final serial of 1969-70s seventh season, but also the last seven-part Doctor Who adventure. Additionally, it is the last episode which features Caroline John as the Doctor’s companion, Liz Shaw, so there are a lot of “lasts” in these installments, the most recent batch to get the Special Edition treatment in a two-disc DVD set.

Liz doesn’t officially leave in Inferno, but after a mere twenty-five episodes, amounting to four serials, she disappears between this tale and the next one, only being mentioned in passing after. The actress is said to have reported being bored playing Liz after only their brief span, though enjoyed portraying her opposite in the alternate pieces of Inferno. As such, some of her best work on the series can be found on these discs.

The story of Inferno is an important one, just as relevant today as when the episodes aired. Earth is looking for a new energy source, and “the Inferno” is a project to find it, courtesy of drilling deep down into the planet. Unfortunately, as we’ve discovered in other energy projects in the real world, there are unintended consequences, and things go terribly, terribly wrong. It’s a call to save the planet as much as it is an exciting television program, one that judges the things we do in our quest for power harshly.

Doctor Who chooses to show these disasters as an alternate reality, one in which the Doctor (Jon Pertwee) falls into while using his universe’s Inferno to try to repair his broken TARDIS. In the other world, Inferno is much further along, and the planet is not a very nice place. The Doctor’s friends are among the new villains, and somehow the Doctor must convince them not only of the truth, but also get them to assist him in returning to his own timeline.

Inferno gives regular characters Liz, Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart (Nicholas Courtney), and Sergeant Benton (John Levene) lots of room to play with their familiar personalities. Haunted by a world torn asunder, they are not the same people on the other side, and one can sense the delight the performers take in finding these new aspects of the characters.

Because of this cool alternate world, done for budget reasons, rather than story, though it works very well, and the environment messages within the episodes, Inferno stands out as a top notch entry in the Doctor Who library. It is also rated consistently as one of the best serials ever by a number of critics and rankings, so you don’t just have to take my word for it.

As is usual for a Special Edition, buyers get both an updated video and picture quality, as well as the regular PDF materials, photo gallery, and audio commentary, this one featuring Courtney, Levene, Terrance Dicks, and Barry Letts, the latter two of whom are regular contributors to the DVD releases. There is also a deleted scene, a introduction to the Pertwee era, and visual effects promo film.

On top of the typical, there are quite a few extended featurettes, making for nearly as much “extras” footage as there is for regular episodes. Among the offerings in this bout are a look at UNIT’s family (Part One), the fourth part of a five piece saga chronicling the efforts to keep Who going while not on the air, a stunt team reunion, and a “Making Of.” For some of these, they do build off of past releases, so you may want to check out the older titles to view the completed feature. But even when taken alone, there’s some rich back story and source material here.

Doctor Who Inferno Special Edition is available now.

Doctor Who fights The Claws of Axos

This month, perhaps due to the release of a modern-day Doctor Who set, only one of the classic serials gets the DVD treatment, instead of the usual two. But it's a pretty good one, and a Special Edition, at that.

Titled The Claws of Axos, these four episodes aired in the middle of season eight, way back in 1971. The most interesting thing about this, that will set it apart from many of the other old releases, is that season eight has a large arc, spanning multiple serials. As such, The Claws of Axos exists as a stand alone story, but also as part of something much bigger. Allow me to explain.

As the episode opens, the Doctor (Jon Pertwee) is trapped on Earth, the Time Lords having taken away the memories he needs to fix the TARDIS. He is growing weary of UNIT and the other military-minded humans, wishing he didn't have to bear witness to their violent streak. When something crashes near a power plant in Britain, the tension between the Doctor and UNIT comes to a head, as UNIT wants to fire missiles, and the Doctor thinks that they need to figure out what the aliens' intentions are first. The Doctor scores a point when he decrypts a distress call from the ship.

At first, the aliens seem friendly enough. They need fuel, and are willing to trade Axonite, a rare material that can replicate, for it. This would end hunger and starvation for the entire world. But then, a friend is captured by the Axons, and finds the Master (Roger Delgado), whom they thought had left Earth, within the bowels of the ship. Clearly, there is more going on here than first glimpsed.

I really like the clash between the Doctor and the humans in this episode. Being played by a human, of course, and looking like one, it's sometimes easy to forget that the Doctor is an alien, and not like everyone else on Earth. This is not the case in this serial, where he very obviously considers himself apart, and better. While UNIT has to remain somewhat sympathetic, as Lethbridge Stewart (Nicholas Courtney) and Benton (John Levene) recur on Doctor Who often, Chinn (Peter Bathurst), who tries to cut the UN out of any deals with the Axons, hoping to win rewards solely for Britain, has no such constraints. The Doctor does still love humans, but this is exactly why he can't live and work among their government, at least not in the present. We are just too flawed a species.

The Doctor usually seems more evolved than mere mankind. Obviously, he travels through time and space, and so has seen a lot. But he also often has a stronger sense of right and wrong than most species, or, at least he believes that he does. The Claws of Axos actually tests this mettle, and see him making what appear to be some questionable choices in the service of escaping our planet. Not only is this more relatable, allowing chinks in the armor of the character, but it also knocks him down off his high horse, even while allowing him to be right and save the day.

The visual effects in The Claws of Axos are attempted too early in film history. In the special features, you will hear about how the people making Doctor Who just couldn't wait to use the latest technology! And yet, while the result may have been impressive in the day, it seems incredibly hokey now. The disappearing effect is OK, considering, but some of the aliens get just a bit too laughable, like piles of spaghetti, or someone rolling around in a colored blanket. It's a good thing that there's a strong story here, with wonderful moments for several characters, especially the Doctor, so this can be overlooked.

The special features on the Special Edition two-disc DVD include an audio commentary with Barry Letts and actors Katy Manning and Richard Franklin, far less crowded than the normal large group. There are almost a half hour of deleted and extended scenes, some PDF materials, and a photo gallery. Something cool for die-hard fans who wish they could be on set is seventy three minutes of studio recording that survives, which includes things like background conversation and recording breaks.

Among the featurettes are a "Making Of" and an interview with Michael Ferguson, who directed the serial. Katy Manning narrates a look at the locations that were used in shooting. But the best inclusion is "Living with Levene," in which frequent Doctor Who DVD contributor Toby Hadoke spends some time in the recent past with John Levene. Levene puts on a bit of a show, as Hadoke notes, and tells some stories that not all of his former co-stars might appreciate! It's really a fascinating thirty-five minutes, for the personality showcased, as well as the tidbits from the past.

The Claws of Axos Special Edition is definitely worth a look, even if you checked it out back in 2005, when it was originally released on DVD. The writing holds up beautifully, and the extras make it a pretty cool find.

Doctor Who The Claws of Axos Special Edition is available now on DVD from the BBC.

If you like my reviews, please follow me on Twitter! Check out my website, JeromeWetzel.com! Article first published as DVD Review: Doctor Who - The Claws of Axos Special Edition on Blogcritics.

Doctor Who ducks the Spearhead From Space

Doctor Who - Spearhead From Space begins with our titular character exiled on Earth and in a hospital. At the same time, meteorites are falling, one of which contains an intelligence that can manufacture Autons, which it plans on using to take over the world. UNIT could really use the Doctor's help in dealing with the invasion, if only they knew where he was.

Spearhead From Space, the first serial of season seven, marks several important firsts. This is the first episode featuring Jon Pertwee as the Doctor, the Time Lords having forced the character's regeneration at the conclusion of the previous season. It is the first episode that Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart (Nicholas Courtney), whom we'd seen before, is featured as a series regular. It introduces Dr. Liz Shaw (Caroline John) as the new companion. Additionally, the episode has a new title sequence, and marks the first time a Doctor Who serial was made in color. It was the first story aired outside of the series' normal Saturday night time slot.

With so much new, Spearhead from Space is as much a story about the Doctor as it is about the adventure the characters are undertaking. The concept of regeneration is a new one for Lethbridge-Stewart, who has a hard time believing this is the same Doctor he has worked with in the past, albeit in a different body. The process of the Doctor switching bodies is still relatively new to the series, and Lethbridge-Stewart serves as a nice vehicle for the audience to access the concept so vital to the mythology.

This serial also sets up the Doctor's next big arc. He is marooned on Earth at the whims of his fellow Time Lords. The Doctor isn't too pleased with the situation, but makes a deal with UNIT to make things more tenable. This is a character out of his element, which is always fun to explore. Pertwee seems to be the perfect actor to execute this particular plot.

It is interesting to me that a being of almost pure thought, who has escaped the bounds of a physical body, is still interested in controlling the rest of the world. Yes, the intelligence contains some powers that help it accomplish things it could not as a normal life form. But it seems so much less efficient to not have any limbs. And why is it so concerned with forcing others to its will? What does it need with Earth? Spearhead from Space is far from the only sci-fi story to ponder these questions, continuing one of the strangest themes in the genre.

Seeing that this is a Special Edition release, the Extras are plenty. There are two audio commentaries, one featuring Courtney and Shaw, and the other with script editor Terrance Dicks and producer Derrick Sherwin, as well as a Production Notes subtitle option. The typical photo gallery and PDF materials are joined by trailers for the serial.

Two featurettes give the fans what they are seeking. Eighteen minutes are spent discussing the challenges faced by converting the series to color. Another 22 minutes go behind the scenes with Pertwee, Dicks, Sherwin, Barry Letts, Robin Squire, and Christine Rawlins.

As usual, the picture and sound has been remastered. Also, as usual, it is far from perfect, but is a huge improvement over what has been available in the past, which is understandable, given the age and quality of film. In fact, this is the only serial shot entirely on film, rather than tape, and thus is the only classic Doctor Who story that even has a chance of a Blu-ray edition at some point. The way Doctor Who is consistently and lovingly restored is a testament to the importance of the series, and makes the extras icing on an already delicious cake.

Doctor Who - Spearhead from Space Special Edition is available now.

If you like my reviews, please follow me on Twitter! Check out my new website, JeromeWetzel.com! Article first published as DVD Review: Doctor Who - Spearhead From Space Special Edition on Blogcritics.