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SEVENTH DOCTOR | THE CURSE OF FENRIC

 
"...the discussion is absorbing,

Ayres delineating the process of filmaking and the

expectations of Mallett..."

STORY PLOTLINE

When the Doctor and Ace arrive at a secret military base during World War II, they discover that a centuries-old Viking curse is brining terror to its inhabitants.

As hideous vampires rise from the sea and russian commandoes begin to close in, they are confronted not only with a mystery from the distant past, but also a terrifying vision of mankind's future.

DVD EXTRAS

  • Commentary by Sylvester McCoy, Sophie Aldred and Nicholas Parsons.
  • Isolated music soundtrack.
  • NEBULA 90 - cast and crew in a discussion panel at the 1990 Nebula convention.
  • TAKE TWO - BBC1 children's programme goes behind the scenes.
  • MODELLING THE DEAD Coverage from BSB's Doctor Who Weekend in 1990.
  • CLAWS AND EFFECT Behind the scenes feature.
  • Easter Egg + Title Sequences + Photo gallery + Subtitles.
  • Special edition version of the story with Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack.
  • SHATTERING THE CHAINS Writer Ian Briggs talks about his story.
  • COSTUME DESIGN Costume Design - Ken Trew talks about the costume and monster design for the story.
  • RECUTTING THE RUNES Mark Ayres explains the background to the Special Edition and the changes made.

COMMENT  Spoliers ahead

Rather like an apple riddled with small holes, you know there could be a maggot in there somewhere and you are reticent to bite into it, I always held the Sylvester McCoy seasons at bay (and, due to boredom, probably the first season not wholly watched since 1972).

Maggots seems to be everywhere (TIME AND THE RANI, PARADISE TOWERS, DELTA AND THE BANNERMEN, THE HAPPINESS PATROL) though adulterated apples being few and far between.

THE CURSE OF FENRIC is one such infestation-free DOCTOR WHO. After such turmoil and uncertainty over the previous 3 years, it is regarded that with season twenty-six of DOCTOR WHO was again on top form (the last 3 stories being exceptional in execution), complete with a seemingly ‘darker’ characterised Doctor.

The DVD package has been extended include a ‘feature length’ cut (wanted by the Director, the late Nicholas Mallett.), with previously deleted scenes and a re-structured score by Mark Ayres. Whilst this spices-up the original, adopting the epithet of ‘movie’ is stretching it, due to the fact it was shot in an episodic format and removing/shuffling cliffhangers does not make it cinematic in pace. It’s an okay job done on a superior DOCTOR WHO story.

The DVD extra, RECUTTING THE RUNES explains why in fact the ‘special edition’ was created at all. Technically the discussion is absorbing, Ayres delineating the process of filmmaking and the expectations of Mallett.

Going behind-the-scenes of, as it was, THE WOLVES OF FENRIC, the BBC children’s magazine show, TAKE 2, uncovers how the special effects were created and why John Nathan-Turner censored eyes dropping out of the socket of dying ‘vampires’. Surely, wilful slaughter of animals within a poison gas chamber was equally horrific, if not more based within reality?

Running in tandem with this, CLAWS & EFFECTS follows the production crew on an initial recce to numerous locations and some second unit filming (underwater shots). “We can do anything if you give us the money”, can be heard by a FX man off camera, and this gives the hardened DOCTOR WHO fan an idea how little the BBC invested in the programme and how hard the crew worked to create it. If anything THE CURSE OF FENRIC is testament to their skill, ingenuity and passion.

The charming and erudite Ken Trew recalls the diversity of costume design required for the shoot, the naming of Haemovores (“we had a Mrs Mopp”), and how the local hardware store “must have thought it was Christmas”.

The studio commentary by McCoy and Aldred, joined by Nicholas Parsons is biased toward the tit-bit recollections as opposed to the technicality of the story (though Parson’s is surprisingly complementary about his involvement and the DOCTOR WHO brand itself).

DVD commentary can, like this one, be narcissistic unless a balance of critique versus fun is struck; the ideal combination is an ‘actor + writer + producer/director’.

EOH CONTRIBUTOR
MATTHEW WALTER
EOH RATING

3/5 EOH RATING

INFORMATION

SYLVESTER McCOY is the Doctor

DOCTOR WHO - THE CURSE OF FENRIC

DVD Released 10.2003

THE CURSE OF FENRIC DVD EXTRA: Writer, Ian Briggs discusses his work

THE CURSE OF FENRIC DVD EXTRA: Writer, Ian Briggs discusses his work

THE CURSE OF FENRIC DVD EXTRA: On a location reccy with the production team

THE CURSE OF FENRIC DVD EXTRA: On a location reccy with the production team

THE CURSE OF FENRIC DVD EXTRA: Behind-the-scenes special effects skull is 'melted away'

THE CURSE OF FENRIC DVD EXTRA: Behind-the-scenes special effects skull is 'melted away'

THE CURSE OF FENRIC DVD EXTRA: New CGI effects

THE CURSE OF FENRIC DVD EXTRA: New CGI effects

 

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