Marco Polo and Stone Tape

[dalekboy]

Been working my way through the first Hartnell season of Doctor Who, in preparation for Swancon. I'm writing mini-reviews of each episode as I go, which will make their way up here at some point, but just had to pause and say that the first episode of Marco Polo blew my socks off all over again.

Steady pace, great characterisation on all the cast, not just regulars or the guests. But both Mark Eden (Polo) and Hartnell deserve special mentions for great performances. Says a lot that I enjoy the story so much with just audio, script, and telesnaps.

Also watched Nigel Kneale's The Stone Tape today, which was also pretty darned cool. The characters were three-dimensional and well realised, and the story was slow but steady. And at times really creepy. Easy to see how it helped inspire Spielberg and Hooper on Poltergeist, and Carpenter on Prince of Darkness (though Kneale thought that film rubbish).

Comments

[angriest.livejournal.com]

Peter Purves also does something in his performance that I don't really feel William Russell or Jacqueline Hill ever did, which is that he makes you feel like he and the Doctor are genuinely in danger. In some parts of The Daleks' Masterplan, you really do feel as if they could die at any moment - and of course Katarina, Bret Vyon and Sara Kingdom all do.

[dalekboy.livejournal.com]

Yep, he's very full-on in his reactions to things, not at all muted. When he thinks that a watch found by a peasant belongs to Vicki, he jumps up and goes after them without a moment's pause. He grows and changes, and feels things keenly.

That said, Ian and Barbara get some great material to work with in the first three stories. Barbara gets stuck into the Doctor and Ian at different points due to the strain. Ian lets the Doctor have it on more than one occasion, because he's worried about the danger to themselves and to the Thals.

There's obvious point in Brink of Disaster where Ian obviously decides that the Doctor is harmless and slightly amusing. His attitude changes from that point. I think Barbara's change is slower to come.