DVD Re-releases

[Lord President]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/news/...13/45731.shtml

2Entertain are re-releasing some of the 'classic' DVDs to appeal to the new audience.

What do you think of the choices they've made?

[Rob McCow]

All the choices they've made?

I don't know. I think the old series is going to look seriously creaky simply because it was mostly shot on videotape with the odd film sequence. Never mind the low-budget special effects.

They're a charming selection of stories though, so it'll be interesting to see if they sell anything at all.

[Pip Madeley]

I'm a bit disappointed they haven't tried to push any 60s stories whatsoever.

[Anthony Williams]

I'm actually fairly disappointed that these aren't proper re-releases, but rather the old releases with a bit of new packaging.

If they're going to do re-releases, it would have been nice to see re-releases of the following stories, with proper extras etc.:

The Five Doctors
Robots of Death
Spearhead from Space
Remembrance of the Daleks

those 4 stories are sorely lacking in quality extras from their original releases, particularly The Five Doctors.

Ant x

[Dirk Gently]

And the Five Doctors has the most annoying menu set up ever!

[Andrew Curnow]

Speaking purely from a selfish point of view, I'm very pleased that 8 DVDs I don't have are being released "at a lower price"!

And less selfishly, it's a good idea to try and encourage potential 'wavering' new fans to try out some of the old stuff. I can see why they wouldn't bother with any b&w stuff, because it automatically looks ancient simply through the monochrome; but as Rob says, even the 'sophisticated' 80s stuff looks creaky by today's standards. Of the batch, probably "Spearhead from Space" and the TVM will come across the best - and I for one am really hoping to pick up the TVM!!

[Larry]

what i will say is the new design of DVD cover being used for these re-releases looks great and I'd love to see 2/entertain use the design on all of their releases.

[Lord President]

I will be picking up a copy of Hand of Fear myself!

[Paul Monk]

and I for one am really hoping to pick up the TVM!!

Me too. I think this a great idea. Anyone know what the new lower price will be?

[Si Hunt]

I think it's a good idea in principle, but the idea of landing the general public with the over-long, bastardised version of potentially the best "introduction" story of them all ("The Five Doctors") rather than taking the chance to restore the original, is a hideous wasted opportunity.

Si.

[Andrew Curnow]

Careful, Si, that sounds like it ought to be on the RT site - beware the dark side...

Or put another way, I don't think any of the potential purchasers for these DVDs are going to know that there is an original version of The Five Doctors, of which this is a tarted-up, tweaked-with version.

[Rob McCow]

Good point, Si, I hadn't thought of that!

A whole nother generation having to put up with Sladen's rock-throwing antics. It scarcely bares thinking about.

[Perry Vale]

I'm more worried about the "general public" asking the question "So, the Doctor's half-human now, what's that all about?"?

[Si Hunt]

I don't think any of the potential purchasers for these DVDs are going to know that there is an original version of The Five Doctors, of which this is a tarted-up, tweaked-with version.

That's what I mean... they'll all think one of the best stories is crap!

Si.

[Andrew Curnow]

I don't think there's such a huge gulf between the 'real' and the SE versions of The Five Doctors is there? Certainly not the difference between a classic and a pile of poo. They're both daft!!

[Captain Tancredi]

Well, if you bear in mind that there are effectively three versions- original, episodic and improved- there's the raw material for a much-improved package to begin with, not unlike the two-disc 'Fenric' with alternative movie-length version.

[Si Hunt]

I don't think there's such a huge gulf between the 'real' and the SE versions of The Five Doctors is there? Certainly not the difference between a classic and a pile of poo. They're both daft!!

I couldn't disagree more. I consider the original "Five Doctors" the ultimate Doctor Who classic - a perfect Doctor Who story, perfectly paced, stylish, perfectly written. It's like a work of art - it shouldn't be touched. Let alone do what they did to it - turn it into this great long mash of inappropriate scenes, out-takes and off-cuts. In my ranking of Doctor Who stories, "The Five Doctors" is at the top, and TFF:SE is right down there at the bottom. They pissed on a Picasso!

Si.

[Dirk Gently]

The only thing they really needed to do with the original was to rearrange the Cyberman/Raston Warrior Robot scene, other than that it was fine in it's original form.
But I agree with Ian, they should do a two version special edition like they did with Fenric.

[Andrew Curnow]

Fair enough, Si. Don't get me wrong, I like The Five Doctors, but I'd never in a million years (oh crikey, I sound like RTD) claim it as a perfect story. It's inspired in terms of doing what it needs to do (ie, bringing back as many Doctor, companions & enemies as it can) and it doesn't ever really feel contrived. But I love it in many ways because of how absurd it is - the sequence with the Dalek shooting itself is lamely directed, and the effects don't really work; Troughton pops up for the Brig's speech but two minutes later says he must be off; lines such as "he's my best enemy" and "jumping jehosophat" are a bit silly; add to that some very bad acting from ankle-twisting Susan Foreman, and the over-emphatic, over-excited, terribly-bad Castellan... I love it for its daftness, for its "easy as pi?!!!" and its "power-boosted, open-ended, transmat beam!!" and its laughable Raston Warrior Robot. The SE isn't needed, I agree with that, but I don't think it takes an untarnished classic and poops on it - superfluous to requirements yes, but unrecognisable no.

[Lord President]

Fair enough, Si. Don't get me wrong, I like The Five Doctors, but I'd never in a million years (oh crikey, I sound like RTD) claim it as a perfect story. It's inspired in terms of doing what it needs to do (ie, bringing back as many Doctor, companions & enemies as it can) and it doesn't ever really feel contrived. But I love it in many ways because of how absurd it is - the sequence with the Dalek shooting itself is lamely directed, and the effects don't really work; Troughton pops up for the Brig's speech but two minutes later says he must be off; lines such as "he's my best enemy" and "jumping jehosophat" are a bit silly; add to that some very bad acting from ankle-twisting Susan Foreman, and the over-emphatic, over-excited, terribly-bad Castellan... I love it for its daftness, for its "easy as pi?!!!" and its "power-boosted, open-ended, transmat beam!!" and its laughable Raston Warrior Robot. The SE isn't needed, I agree with that, but I don't think it takes an untarnished classic and poops on it - superfluous to requirements yes, but unrecognisable no.

It does however have the classic line 'Well, as you can see, he was armed and trying to escape!', delivered in such a way that DeNiro would be proud!

[Rob McCow]

I like The Five Doctors, but I'd never in a million years (oh crikey, I sound like RTD) claim it as a perfect story.

But don't you see it all fits?! The dichotomy of being absolute genius and complete rubbish at the same time is what Doctor Who is all about!

On the other hand The Five Doctors does lose a lot of its impact in the DVD age, when you can watch stories with any Doctor on a whim.

[Si Hunt]

its laughable Raston Warrior Robot.

Whaaaaaaaaaaat?

It's the most perfect Doctor Who monster ever devised!

Si.

[Jeff]

Whaaaaaaaaaaat?

It's the most perfect [Mighty Morphin Power Ranger] monster ever devised!

Si.

Fixed that for you...


Much as I love it, I have to agree with Andrew (to an extent). It's not a Picasso. But then I don't love it because I think it is a Picasso. I have the SE version, and it doesn't bother me... maybe that is because I never watched the original enough times that it was memorized to the point where the changes leap out at me.

It's all very reminiscent of the 'Han shot first' flap isn't it?

[SiHart]

What gets me is all the rubbish they put back in, just because they could. The scene with Sarah throwing the rock at the Cybermen is just embarrassing, as are all the new bits with Hurndall. The new revamped score loses all its power and sounds cheap and tinny in comparison and even at the time the new effects weren't really that much better than the originals.

I know we shouldn't get worked up about this, but really it's not good that the proper version isn't available. Lets not forget this was done without seeking the permission of the original director and producer, which while not a crime, wasn't polite. The SE just doesn't feel right to me.

So I agree with Si!

Si xx

[Andrew Curnow]

I agree that there was no earthly reason to do it* but it's not that bad either. No, it doesn't add anything - the 'new' timescoop isn't a patch on the original, but on the other hand I do quite like the revised opening of the Dark Tower, rather than the exciting opening shot of Davison with a duster!!

It's the most perfect Doctor Who monster ever devised!

I have to assume Si is being a tad extreme there. Even as an excited 12 year old, I always thought the Raston scenes looked naff - it's supposed to "move like lightning" but it's just obviously disappearing. Whatever the intent may have been, it's not shot in any respect as if this robot is a blur of movement. It's laughably absurd, as is the Doctor telling Sarah "if you move a muscle we're dead" while the pair of them continue to move. And, just to knock a bit more lustre of its perfect reputation, can I just direct your attention to that sequence with Sarah rolling down that slope. Lame, lame, lame direction.



*Although they might, arguably, have done it as an alternative to just releasing The King's Demons and having fans moan about paying 9.99 for less than an hour of footage.