The thing that distinguishes this is the desperate gangster atmosphere that John Challis as Scorby adds as protagonist... and by extension Tony Beckley 's obsessive craziness as Chase egging him on.
So punch ups, car chases, gun fights... this is DW as a 70's cop or spy thriller.
In Camfield's hands as director this has the tension and the pace. So it's still a wild ride to watch.
The visual effects have probably aged this. The fake snow in p1 and p2 (is it polystyrene chips? and the video snowfall) and some of the Krynoid costumes are the prime examples. I guess the elements of the Krynoid costume are ok but the decision to do things like re-use the Axon costume in p2 are obviously "money saving".
The all video location work still looks cheap too. If this was all film it would be edited more tightly. But the BBC budget can only provide so much.
MORE TO COME
ABM Rating 3.51/4.00
LJM Rating 4.60/5.00
SPJ Rating 9.90/10
No. 6 (out of 85)
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FROM Quickflix
ReplyDeleteSARAH: Well, what is a Krynoid? I mean, what does it do?
DOCTOR: I suppose you could call it a galactic weed, except it's deadlier than any weed you know.
SARAH: In what way?
DOCTOR: Well, on most planets, the animals eat the vegetation, hmm?
SARAH: Mmm hmm.
DOCTOR: On planets where the Krynoid gets established, the vegetation eats the animals.
SARAH: But that's terrifying.
That's the premise... This is a rough and tumble fight against the killer plants and the desperate mad men who want them to win. The final DW directed by Douglas Camfield. Part Thing From Another World, part Man Eater of Surrey Green. Quite far fetched but presented in a way that will give you the willies. Star turns by Tony Beckley, John Challis, Sylvia Coleridge.