Saturday, May 14, 2011

[New post] Doctor Who - The Doctor's Wife

Doctor Who - The Doctor's Wife

The Doctor's Wife

Series 06
Story 04
14 May 2011

The Doctor receives a summons from outside the universe via a glowing translucent cube. A desperate plea from help from a missing Time Lord draws the Doctor into a deadly trap that was tailor made for him. As the Doctor struggles to correct his dreadful mistakes, his companions are trapped inside of the TARDIS with an alien entity using time and space itself to kill them.

The real pull for this story is that it is written by Neil Gaiman, award-winning author of the Sandman series from the 1990's, Stardust and Coraline. Gaiman has an avid cult of followers, so much so that this single story should bring in a massive spike in viewing figures. A devoted fan of the classic series, Gaiman has no doubt yearned to write for the new program since it came back in 2005. According to Neil himself, the script needed work... lots of work... and received so many rewrites that the author made a rather self-conscious point of the fact. In my opinion, another rewrite wasn't exactly needed. They should have just chucked the whole thing in the bin.

Numerous hints and clues about this story have been floating about the internet for months now, including the most intriguing one that it would refer back to the 1969 adventure the War Games in which the Second Doctor battled with a brilliantly complex plot to build an army using the best soldiers from all of history. The reference could refer back to almost anything, but tying a new story to an old one is just too much for fans to cope with, so most of us hoped for the moon. In the end, the first guess was the right one. It was the psychic cube.

The Doctor (Patrick Troughton) in the War Games - 1969

In the War Games, the Doctor sends a distress signal to his people as things have gotten out of his control. The manner in which he sends the message is to collect his data in a cube and dematerialize it into the space/time vortex. In the opening of the Doctor's Wife, a 21st Century version of this idea arrives, knocking out 'a shave and a haircut' on the TARDIS exterior as it floats in space. The Doctor is joyful to notice that it bears a tattoo mark used by a popular Time Lord named the Corsair (clever name) and he directs the TARDIS to his rescue even as the craft's built-in warning cries go unheard.

The Doctor gets a summons

Arriving in a bubble universe, the Doctor encounters four strangers living on what appears to be a planet-sized scrapyard. Identifying themselves as Uncle, Auntie, an Ood named Nephew and Idris who seems mad, they are a quirky bunch that scream trouble, but again the Doctor is not deterred as he wishes to find his old friend in need. Idris assaults the Doctor with kisses, bites and nonsense dialog that obviously will refer to events later in the story (more timey wimey stuff as Moffat would say). The planetoid is actually sentient and prefers to be called 'House.' It maintains its four inhabitants and pays host to anyone that falls through what the Doctor calls 'the plug hole of the universe.'

It is very clear that the situation is dangerous, but not really why. Auntie, Uncle, Nephew and Idris are just eccentric characters, yet the travelers can't just leave without first finding the Corsair and anyone else in need of rescue. Amy catches on quickly that the Doctor is anxious as he needs to find the remaining Time Lords in order to be forgiven for his betrayal to his people in his previous incarnation. That's almost a clever idea, but it gets undone later.

Amy and Rory are sent back to the TARDIS while the Doctor searches for the missing Time Lords only to find that the psychic calls he is hearing are from a cupboard full of Time Lord distress beacons. Realizing that he's been had, he starts to retaliate but both Uncle and Auntie die straight away, their purposes fulfilled.

As the Doctor begins to realize what is happening, the TARDIS dematerializes, leaving him stranded with Idris who is actually the rapidly disintegrating embodiment of the TARDIS databank. They keep calling it the Matrix, but that should be on Gallifrey as it's the repository of all Time Lord knowledge. In any case, the quirky Helena Bonham Carter-type person in a period dress is apparently the TARDIS made flesh... at last. It's not necessarily a bad idea, but I am sure that Gaiman wrapped his story around this concept to make it easy to reference in the annals of fandom. You know the drill; the one with the giant maggots, the one with the Loch Ness Monster, the one with Paul Darrow in a wig, the one when the TARDIS became a lady. The BBC Wales program has already sexualized the relationship between the Doctor and his companions (even the classic ones), so why not sexualize the Doctor and the TARDIS as well?

If pressed, I am sure that I could describe how I would imagine the TARDIS to behave as a person, but I doubt that Idris would leap to mind either. She's basically a flighty impulsive rambling buffoon. It's like David Tennant in a dress. Every moment involving Idris is painful as she is there to stretch out the plot from her first appearance and we never even learn who Idris was in the first place. It's a silly concept played out in a silly way. The Doctor gives her a name, 'Sexy,' and they flirt with each other when they are not bickering (get it? cuz she's his WIFE).

Meanwhile, House has taken over the TARDIS and is taunting Rory and Amy who are trapped inside of it. It asks them to explain why it shouldn't kill them (good question, no doubt Gaiman was thinking the same thing as he stared at his keyboard) and Rory comes up with an absurdly bad answer. Killing them outright would be no fun. Thus begins a run around in the interior of the TARDIS as our heroes attempt to escape a disembodied voice. The corridors of the TARDIS interior is something we haven't seen in over twenty years and this episode more or less assures us that it won't happen again. One of the many things that the classic program was criticized for was endless scenes running up and down corridors. Ironically, one of the most publicized episodes of the new series has the most pointless use of the idea I have ever seen. They are running from nothing to nowhere with no plan.


Seized by one of his brilliant ideas, the Doctor attempts to build a new TARDIS console from the wreckage of hundreds of crashed TARDISes on the deserted planet, it is established that Idris has only 18 minutes left to live. As they are outside of the universe, time no doubt flows differently inside the TARDIS, it's a tension-less idea. She'll no doubt lie as long as the script needs her to. I know it seems like I'm being cruel here, but her death is assured as she has to get back into the TARDIS, so I'm not really bothered to get emotionally attached to her. If the story introduced the notion that Idris could have been saved, maybe I would have cared. But the body served no purpose other than to house the TARDIS databank and push along the plot.

As the jury-rigged TARDIS chases the Doctor's stolen TARDIS, Amy and Rory are assaulted with illusions that attempt to break their spirit. Why House terrorizes them we will never know because it is never established who/what House is and what drives it to be so violent and hurtful. In any case, these moments are well done and rather atmospheric. They provide some much-needed action and horror in an otherwise empty episode.

The Doctor and Idris trade banter and attempt to have a 'long overdue' talk about their relationship that is painful to get through. They espouse love for each other and debate who stole who which is bizarre enough but not half as much as the TARDIS claiming to be the one who wanted to travel, not the Doctor.

Reunited with the TARDIS via some last minute button-pushing in the 2005-2009 console room, the Doctor proceeds to have a screaming match with the disembodied voice monster. I admit that it was neat to see it again but as any old console room was possible, why not a classic series one? Obviously this was nod to fans, so why not go all the way? House taunts the Doctor by saying that it has killed many Time Lords to which the Doctor proudly proclaims (with menace) that he's killed them all. This is quite odd as earlier in the same story he was seeking forgiveness for this but now it's another notch on his belt next to the Borad and the Chief Caretaker.

Idris dies... slowly... and then exhales the golden mist that has become so associated with the program since the Christmas Invasion and saves the day. But just when it is clear that the Matrix has left Idris' body, it talks to the Doctor some more to explain that it is sad to be alive, then dies. How/why? Who knows.

The Doctor's Wife is a hastily constructed episode that has so many problems that it's exhausting to number them. Just what was the point of Uncle, Auntie and Nephew and why were they even named that way? Who was Idris for that matter? Why does House need anyone ever? How did it survive before it started eating TARDISes and where did it come from? Who was the Corsair aside from a character with a cool name? Most importantly, why was this episode made? The story is a cobbled mess, the characters are pointless and the dialog embedded with lazy exposition.

For an adventure that, according to the author, was inspired by City of Death, The Doctor's Wife was a major let down. I'm very curious to see the opposing view on this one as I cannot see what it has to offer in the way of positives, but for me this was just a waste. My least favorite story since the beginning of the Moffat/Smith run.

Next Time: The Rebel Flesh
watch?v=wO5PcAuHhbk

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[New post] Alejandro Jodorowsky's Dune- an epic that never was

Alejandro Jodorowsky's Dune- an epic that never was


In 1974, a classic was almost made. Filmmaker Alejandro Jodorowsky (Sante Sangre, Holy Mountain, El Topo) had made a name or himself as an artist beyond compare. For comic fans, he was the Grant Morrison of the independent film set. By uniting with Jean 'Moebius' Girard , HR Giger and the pop musicians Tangerine Dream and Pink Floyd, Jodorowsky sought to bring the classic sci-fi novel Dune by Frank Herbert to the big screen. The project ultimately collapsed but remains one of the most ambitious film concepts ever attempted. Finally, a documentary will be released exploring this epic that never was.

http://ictv-tf-ec.indieclicktv.com/player/embed/97b1fda2ca43d6c29eaf63ed1ec347c6/4dcda327c590c/31/0/defaultPlayer-player.swf
Official press release (via twitch.com):

Production underway on JODOROWSKY'S DUNE
It was announced today that L.A. based Snowfort Pictures, Camera One of France and Koch Media of Germany have begun production on Frank Pavich's sci-fi documentary JODOROWSKY'S DUNE. Shooting has wrapped in France, Switzerland and the U.K. with filming to continue this summer in the United States. Picture will be completed by late fall.

The documentary covers cult film director Alejandro Jodorowsky and his 1974 attempt to create a big-screen adaptation of Frank Herbert's seminal science fiction novel, DUNE. While the ambitious production collapsed after two years, Jodorowsky's team of then relatively unknown concept artists continued exploring the themes and styles started on the project and ended up changing modern science fiction forever: H.R. Giger went on to Ridley Scott's masterpiece ALIEN, Dan O'Bannon wrote ALIEN and TOTAL RECALL, Jean "Moebius" Giraud created artwork and futuristic worlds for THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, TRON, and THE FIFTH ELEMENT and Chris Foss would go on to work on ALIEN and SUPERMAN.

Jodorowsky, whose films SANTE SANGRE, EL TOPO and THE HOLY MOUNTAIN have recently been released on Blu-Ray in the U.S. and who can currently be seen acting in Kamen Kalev's THE ISLAND which screens in the Director's Fortnight, is excited to share his vision of what might have been, "Failure simply makes you change your way. And I hope, in this picture, the audience will be able to see what I did. It's an incredible world."

Director/Producer Pavich researched JODOROWSKY'S DUNE with producer Stephen Scarlata. The two previously worked together on the cult-underground music documentary N.Y.H.C. Pavich also co-produced DIE MOMMIE DIE (Special Jury Prize - Sundance 2003) before concentrating on television production. Scarlata has mainly focused on feature screenplays. The film is being produced by Travis Stevens of Snowfort Pictures (A HORRIBLE WAY TO DIE), executive produced by Donald Rosenfeld, who has Terrence Malick's THE TREE OF LIFE in competition at the festival and co-produced with Michel Seydoux of Camera One, who have Alain Cavalier's PATER screening in competition.

Stevens in announcing the production said: "This is a rare, intimate look at the creative process of one of history's most mind-blowing filmmakers. The access he afforded us was incredible. We're excited to be partnered with Camera-One and Koch Media in order to share it with the world."

Moritz Peters of Koch Media adds: "Fans of Jodorowsky, Giger, O'Bannon and the rest of the artists will now have a chance to see how they approach their work. We're avid supporters of adventurous sci-fi films, and happy to be co-producing one that covers such a fantastic subject."

With interviews completed with Alejandro Jodorowsky, H.R. Giger, Dan Foss, Michel Seydoux, and the surviving original team, the production heads to the U.S. to conduct interviews with industry executives, filmmakers and film critics to put the film into perspective.

Adds Pavich, "I am incredibly grateful that we are the ones who are getting to tell the story of this never-realized film from one of the world's greatest film directors. We hope to be able to impart to the audience a taste of what Jodorowsky's version of Dune might have been like."

For some astounding production images, click here.

(Special thanks to John Caples for the heads up on this)

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Latest articles from Retro To Go

Latest articles from Retro To Go


Adidas Samba trainers offered in two variations of white

Posted: 13 May 2011 11:02 AM PDT

Samba1

The Adidas reissues are coming in thick and fast. While it's far from the most rare, these new reissues of the Adidas Samba trainers will undoubtedly appeal to anyone who wants plain, simple and classic.

The original dates back to 1962, first produced as a football shoe, but probably better-known and used as a casual wear classic. These two new reissues (the other pictured over the page) use white leather as the canvas, with green or black detailing, a gum sole and suede toe piece.

If you want a pair, £55 gets you a pair directly from Adidas.

Find out more at the Adidas online store website

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eBay watch: 1960s octopus-style floor lamp

Posted: 13 May 2011 07:35 AM PDT

Medusa

A bizarre piece of interior design, with this octopus-style floor lamp certainly able to knock out some serious light.

According to the seller, it's from the 1960s and probably from a medical practice. There are five arms, each with spotlights, which can be adjusted in almost any direction. The frame itself cam also be adjusted in height. if you don't want them all on at once, they do switch off independently.

The lamp is in chromed metal, the shades in brushed aluminium, while the base is painted black and has castors. Condition is said to be 'perfect' (although there are a couple of marks on the shades - detailed on the site) and weight is 'heavy', something to bear in mind. The price right now is £89.99.

Find out more at the eBay website

Parisian playsuit from New Look

Posted: 13 May 2011 06:53 AM PDT

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It's beach wear or city chic - whatever you want to wear this outfit with, the Parisian playsuit is a must have.

Embracing the 1970s styles gracing every shop on the high street but with a fun, quirky playful side, this playsuit is comfy, sexy and practical. As it's 85% cotton it's soft to touch and durable and can be both a picnic outfit or matched with heels for an evening affair.

Get yours online from New Look for £26.99.

Handmade Wooden Sewing Box

Posted: 13 May 2011 06:47 AM PDT

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Get right up to date with the crafting trend with this handmade wooden sewing box.

It's got a clear plastic top display case for decoration and ease of finding things and is made from an aged washed effect wood. It's a neat freak's dream with a double tier and handles that open on the top from both sides with three compartments inside each opening, and a single drawer on the base.

Choose from two different sizes and they're available from Not on the high street.com.

VW Camper Van Tent - an exact replica of a 1960s van

Posted: 13 May 2011 06:02 AM PDT

Camper

If you can't afford the real thing for the summer, this VW Camper Van Tent might prove an able and equally cool substitute.

It's actually officially licensed from Volkswagen, a four-person tent and indeed, a 1:1 replica of a 1965 VW Camper Van. For your money, you get the design, all that space (you can even stand up in it), with two zip-separated double-sized rooms within and top-end waterproofing. It even has doors that open just like the original van.

Everything is included - tent, fly, poles, ropes / pegs and set-up instructions - and there's a choice of three colours (yellow, red and blue). £299 is the price and you can pre-order at Firebox right now. More images over the page.

Find out more at the Firebox website

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Camper3

1950s Cobra lamp by Greta Grossman

Posted: 13 May 2011 05:05 AM PDT

Cobra

A real midcentury gem has been newly-reissued, this Cobra lamp by Greta Grossman.

Dating back to 1950s (when it won the Good Design Award), the name is pretty self-explanatory, looking very much like a cobra's neck. The tubular arm cam be bent in numerous direction, while the base is powder-coated aluminium, with cast iron ballast.

Three colour options, £295 is the price.

Find out more at the TwentyTwentyOne website

Coca-Cola 125 years box set

Posted: 13 May 2011 04:58 AM PDT

Coca cola box set
2011 marks 125 years of Coca-Cola and, as you might expect, the company have released several products to mark the occasion, including this 125 years box set

The set is sold exclusively in Selfridges and consists of a branded wooden crate, containing replicas of four different early cola bottles dating from 1899 to 1916 and showing the evolution of their distinctive bottle. The set includes their first bottle style, the Hutchinson, which is also available individually. 

The box set costs £39.99, or you can buy a single Hutchinson style bottle for £1.99.

Buy it online

Modernist greeting cards by Mrs Eliot Books

Posted: 13 May 2011 04:58 AM PDT

Modernist cards

Share your love of mid-century style with these Modernist greeting cards by Mrs Eliot Books.

You may remember her name from her modplants cushion we featured a little while back. Now she's applied her retro style to these four card designs, all illustrated of mid-century collections displayed on the cabinet. There's plenty of fun to be had in spotting your favourite designs: look out for Stig Lindberg, John Clappison and Kaj Franck for starters.

A pack of four cards costs $7.

Buy them from her Etsy shop 

Moon Armchair

Posted: 13 May 2011 04:51 AM PDT

Moonarmchair 
Judging by its name, the Moon Armchair was always going to be space-age design made from plastic.  What may come as a surprise is that this isn't a design from the 1960s, but a more recent creation by Hong Kong designer Mike To.

The chair is made from moulded glass-fibre with a high-gloss finish and is available in a choice of colours; orange, black, red, white or bronze.  The chairs normally cost £839 (or £889 for the bronze version), but are available at the reduced price of £439 (£469 in bronze).

Buy the chairs at Fashion 4 Home.

Folkware Crockery Set

Posted: 13 May 2011 04:33 AM PDT

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If you want to entirely replace your crockery in one go, then this Folkware Crockery Set could be of interest.

It has been designed and made in Italy, but the patterns are very much in the Scandinavian folk art style. The set comprises of six of each of side plates, dinner plates and soup bowls.  Its quite a big purchase, costing £245 for the set, but less hassle than individually picking out pieces here and there.  Serving platters are also available in two sizes, priced £45 and £65.

View the whole Folkware range online at Pedlars.

Don't Be So Quick to Overlook the Maserati Grecale Folgore

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