All posts by roger

Who is John Hurt? Review of Doctor Who The Name of The Doctor

Entertainment

In this cracking season finale we don’t actually learn The Doctor’s name but we do discover a secret he’s been hiding. And we finally understand the mystery behind Clara, the impossible girl.

As a result of the BBC splitting this season into two halves, it seems like ages since Clara’s mystery began back in September 2012 in the opener “Asylum of the Daleks”. She died saving the Doctor in that story. We met her again at Christmas in “The Snowmen” and again she died saving the Timelord’s life. How could the same girl exist in different time periods?

We found out in Stephen Moffat’s excellent “The Name of the Doctor”.

Review of Doctor Who The Name of The Doctor
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The action takes place on Trenzalore, the location of the Doctor’s grave from the future. The moment when the Doctor discovers this is his destination is very emotional and Matt Smith portrays his dismay with genuine tears. This is amazing acting.

Aided by his friends from Victorian England, Madame Vastra, Jenny and Strax and his “wife” River Song, the Doctor and Clara face The Great Intelligence on Trenzalore. The only way to save the Doctor is for Clara to jump into the time vortex thus splitting herself into a million versions of herself. And each one goes back to some point in the Doctor’s past lives to save him over and over.

This scenario allowed for a clever series of flash backs involving all 11 of the actors who have played the Doctor in the last 50 years. It was a fan’s dream come true but might have been a little confusing for those less up to speed with Who lore.

I presume this now means that Clara can continue as a regular companion. I hope so because Jenna-Louise Coleman has really livened up this series with her fresh performance.

And having caught a glimpse of all eleven Doctors, in the closing minutes of the show, we see a twelfth. And just to underline what is going on a caption comes up on the screen, “Introducing John Hurt as The Doctor.”

This is the stunning reveal, the cliffhanger that leads us into the 50th anniversary show to be broadcast in November. Is John Hurt playing a future version of the Doctor or a past, so far unheard of, incarnation? If it is the latter then that means Matt Smith is really the twelfth Doctor, not the eleventh, and that truly is the game changer Stephen Moffat promised us.

The Name of The Doctor was an excellent season finale. Well acted with great visuals and that homage to the series’s fifty year heritage was lovely. It’s going to be a very long wait until November.

Your Turn: Do you agree with my review of Doctor Who The Name of the Doctor? What are your theories about John Hurt’s Doctor? Please leave a comment or share a link to your own review.

 

Have a look at the sizzler video preview for Les Mills Body Balance release 61

Fitness and Yoga, , , , , , , , ,

The calm intensity of the winter release has warmed up many a cold and miserable evening. And so as spring finally arrives and summer beckons, it’s time to look ahead to the next Body Balance class from Les Mills.

Have a look at the sizzler video preview for Les Mills Body Balance release 61.

  • Delerium are back supplying the music for the Tai Chi warm up which I have to say looks very beautiful and flowing.
  • Sound’s like Pink’s, Try, for the standing strength. I wonder how challenging that will be this time?

It’s always exciting to see what’s in a new release. This little taster has me looking forward to trying out the full class in a few weeks time.

Your turn: What do you think of the sizzler video preview for Les Mills Body Balance release 61? Why not post a comment or share your thoughts? Let me know what you think.

Have a look at the sizzler video preview for Les Mills Body Combat release 56

Fitness and Yoga, , , , , , , ,

Despite the torrential rain, thick fog and thunder storms, it’s almost summer and that means a new release of Body Combat from Les Mills.

Are you ready for another tough workout? Have a look at sizzler video preview for Les Mills Body Combat release 56.

I hear a few familiar tracks in there.

  • We had Hymn by Tina Cousins before back in release 28 (a song originally recorded by Ultravox back in the 1980s).
  • That’s Scooter’s version of Hello (Good to be Back) – and it is good that Scooter are back. The most used artist in the history of Body Combat.
  • And Silence, a Sarah MacLachlan song has been in Body Balance before but this is obviously a really pumped up version.

Your turn: What do you think of the sizzler video preview for Les Mills Body Combat release 56? What moves would you like to see? Please leave a comment and share your thoughts. The build up begins now.

Are the Cybermen scary again? Review of Doctor Who Nightmare in Silver

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Back in the 1960s the Cybermen were quite scary (I’ve seen  the DVDs – I’m not that old!). They met Patrick Troughton’s Doctor Who many times, towered over their victims and spoke in an unsettling electronic monotone.

When the BBC brought the Cybermen back in the 1980s they were less formidable, less scary and almost became figures of fun. They were susceptible to gold and at a real low point in their history, the Doctor’s companion, Ace, dispatched them with a pocket full of gold coins and a catapult.

Even the Cybermen in the rebooted post 2005 Doctor Who have suffered from poor stories and have been too easy to defeat.

Show runner Stephen Moffat promised us that Neil Gaiman’s script Nightmare in Silver would make the Cybermen scary again.

Review of Doctor Who Nightmare in Silver
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So did it succeed in its mission?

The new Cyberman design actually looks very like the 1960s creepier versions so I approve of that. And that they can detach their hands and their heads to attack their enemies is innovative but hardly the stuff that nightmares are made of. I liked their new ability to speed up and their time flow to dash in and kidnap the children, but then found it confusing later when they did not use this technique to attack the castle. Cybermites – tiny little robotic bugs, are an excellent evolution of the Cybermats. The Cybermen’s other new ability to “upgrade” to counteract new threats reminded me of The Borg in Star Trek The Next Generation.

So I think Neil Gaiman has made the Cybermen interesting again but I wouldn’t go as far as scary.

The cast is very strong with Matt Smith showing absolute relish playing an evil “cyber-planner” version of himself. His interactions with himself were very well-played. Jenna-Louise Coleman continues to shine as Clara proving that she is one of the strongest companions the Doctor has had since the show returned in 2005.

I didn’t particularly like the soldiers who just came across as buffoons and ultimately served no purpose other than as Cyberman cannon fodder.

Warwick Davis, I felt, excelled as Porridge, the little chap who the Galactic Emperor. But as has happened to much this season the ending was too easy. Porridge arranges for everyone to be teleported off the planet so that they can use a huge bomb to destroy the Cybermen. Another Deus Ex Machina which left me feeling a little disappointed at the end of what was undoubtedly a very entertaining episode.

Your turn: Do you agree with my review of Doctor Who Nightmare in Silver? Did Neil Gaiman succeed in making the Cybermen scary again? Please leave a comment or post a link to your own review.