“…the highlight…a four-minute conversation (with Cribbins) so poorly edited and recorded…” DALEKS – INVASION EARTH 2150 A.D. [1996] [Blu-ray] THE CLASSIC FILM SEQUEL TO DR. WHO & THE DALEKS!‘Daleks – Invasion Earth 2150 A.D.’ was directed by Gordon Flemyng, now fully restored and starring Peter Cushing in his return to the big screen as British TV’s most iconic sci-fi hero, Doctor Who.The earth of 2150 A.D. is a desolate and hostile ruin of a planet, crumbling at the edge of civilisation, slowly disappearing into the darkness of space. For the future of planet earth now belongs to The Daleks, a destructive army of alien invaders who have turned the human race into cowering slaves. Meanwhile deep within the London Underground a group of resistance freedom fighters are planning an attack. But there’s only one man who could possibly help them succeed in destroying their extra-terrestrial enemies and take back control of planet earth. A man of mystery, a man of time and space, a man known only as…The Doctor.Cast: Peter Cushing, Bernard Cribbins, Ray Brooks, Andrew Keir, Jill Curzon, Roberta Tovey, Roger Avon, Geoffrey Cheshire, Keith Marsh, Philip Madoc, Steve Peters, Eddie Powell, Godfrey Quigley, Peter Reynolds, Bernard Spear, Sheila Steafel, Eileen Way, Kenneth Watson, John Wreford, Robert Jewell (Lead Dalek Operator), Peter Hawkins and David Graham (Dalek Voices)Director: Gordon FlemyngProducers: Max J. Rosenberg and Milton SubotskyScreenwriters: Milton Subotsky and David Whitaker (additional material)Composers: Barry Gray and Bill McGuffieCinematography: John WilcoxResolution: 1080p [Technicolor]Aspect Ratio: 2/35:1 [Techniscope]Audio: English: 2.0 PCM Original Mono SountrackSubtitles: English SDHRunning Time: 84 minutesRegion: Region B/2Number of discs: 1Studio: StudioCanalAndrew’s Blu-ray Review – StudioCanal’s release of ‘Daleks – Invasion Earth: 2150 A.D.’ on Blu-ray, is to celebrate actor Peter Cushing’s centennial and the 50th Anniversary of the beloved BBC show Doctor Who. Though only loosely based on the plot of the BBC Television show, these two films were the first time audiences had a chance to see the Doctor – and the wildly popular Daleks – on film and in colour. Produced by Amicus Studios, Hammer’s biggest rivals, these films were an attempt to beat Hammer in the family-friendly adventure/fantasy market. ‘Daleks – Invasion Earth: 2150 A.D.’ more or less continues where ‘Dr. Who & The Daleks’ left off, with the Doctor and his companions fighting off the Daleks and their quest for planetary domination.Much of the cast and crew returned from Dr. Who and the Daleks, including star Peter Cushing and director Gordon Flemyng. Die hard Doctor Who fans should be forewarned that this is not a faithful adaptation of the TV show, namely the serial The Dalek Invasion of Earth. In the two Amicus films, Dr. Who is not a humanoid alien, rather he is simply an intelligent, kindly old grandfather who has managed to build a police box-shaped time machine and has the surname of Who.This time, Dr. Who [Peter Cushing] takes his time machine, the T.A.R.D.I.S., to Earth’s future in 2150. Along with him travels his niece [Jill Curzon] and his granddaughter [Roberta Tovey] reprising her role from the first film. Joined by Tom [Bernard Cribbins], a local police constable from the present, they discover that Daleks have travelled to Earth and decimated much of the planet. The remaining humans have either been turned into slaves or workers, though there is a small underground resistance. The Doctor and Tom are kidnapped by the Daleks, while his niece and granddaughter team up with the leader of the resistance [Hammer regular Andrew Keir] to rescue them, stage an attack on the Dalek stronghold, and prevent the Daleks from unleashing a devastating bomb.This film feels less childlike and fantastical than its predecessor due to the futuristic Earth setting and more obvious sci-fi influences, namely War of the Worlds. There are also allusions to WWII with the destroyed, bombed-out look of London, again making the film more topically interesting for adult Doctor Who fans. This also heightens the drama and suspense, somewhat improving the plot over ‘Dr. Who & The Daleks.’ The acting is about on par with the first film, simply moving the same characters [or at least character types] to a more dramatic setting.The London-based set does the characters a lot of favours and overall this feels like a much more dramatic film for Peter Cushing’s Doctor. Peter Cushing is still likely to surprise and possibly disappoint fans of the early Doctor Who, but he gives it his all, even though he was ill during filming, which caused a delay in production, along with numerous accidents…
With the television series celebrating its 50th anniversary of forcing children – and even some adults, I’m sure – to scurry behind the sofa or cower beneath one of its cushions, the release of STUDIOCANAL’s DOCTOR WHO tie-in movies is adroitly timed and not only for that celebratory reasoning but for the fact that the Peter Cushing films are frequently derided and an intelligent analysis of their importance, not only within the DOCTOR WHO universe but assessing their role in British cinema in general.It’s the 31st March, and a prat-fall outside a dematerialising London Metropolitan Police box is a somewhat innocuous beginning to an adventure in space:time that leads the Doctor and his travelling companions into the heart of a future Earth, devastated, decaying under the authoritarian regime of an alien species known as Daleks.Though it’s not certain that he’s an Earthling or a Time Lord, Peter Cushing reprises his role as the inventor of TARDIS, Doctor Who, in the Terry Nation plot-inspired – based upon the television story DOCTOR WHO – THE DALEK INVASION OF EARTH (1964) – movie, co-starring Bernard Cribbins, DALEKS’ INVASION EARTH 2150 A.D.Now re-mastered – both its print and audio track – the movie is, like the restored DR WHO AND THE DALEKS (see review), superb, offering to a whole new generation of fans, for the first time in nearly five decades, a widescreen thrilling adventure.With the Daleks attempting to mine the core of the planet, install a `piloting device’ and then steer the bastardised Earth back to their own planet (an uninhabitable Skaro?) in order utilise it, the Doctor must thwart their plans and save the planet from a catastrophic destruction.For a second time, director Gordon Fleming instils an unparalleled dimension of urgency to every action sequence that the televised series was unable to capture on its primitive 4:3 405 lines. Without question, Fleming embraces not only the widescreen elements of Technoscope but adopts, and remember it’s only 1966, the use of `hand-held camera perspective’ (this is ably demonstrated in the sequence as the Doctor and Tom are held in the Dalek Prison Cell attempting to extricate themselves from it using a plastic comb). One of the film’s highlights for any DOCTOR WHO fan is the all-but-brief `melting’ Dalek (at 1 hour 18 minutes) as the earth’s magnetic core affects their outing casings.Fans of the NEW SERIES may be pleasantly surprised how similar to Peter Cushing’s performance as the doddery old man is to that performed by Matt Smith as the 11th television Doctor; spindly, never restful (identical `hand-acting’ choreography) and with a dark intelligence hidden behind their eyes.Unequivocally, the restoration improves the quality of the original VHS and previous DVD releases, with a stability of richness and saturation that has probably not been seen since its original showing. However, certain scenes, particularly within the Bedfordshire mines, the restoration struggles with darker tones and shades. Similarly, the audio track has been re-mastered and as is a crisp as like having Bill McGuffie conducting his orchestra behind your living room’s sofa. In the featurette, RESTORING DALEKS’ INVASION EARTH 2150 A.D. the option of treating the mono audio track to create a `faux’ stereo 5.1 track was not deemed necessary, and, in this instance, the correct decision was made.Like DR WHO AND THE DALEKS, the `value added material’ VAM (i.e. the Extras) are succinct and disappointing in their content and production.Author, Gareth Owen proffers his personal analysis of the feature film’s production (discussing how the film was plagued with re-writes due to Cushing’s unforeseen illness, and how Fleming struggled with a similar financial budget to the first film whilst creating a `…bigger film…’ and promotion (on how the British breakfast cereal, SUGAR PUFFS, co-funded the film in return for one of the first `product placement’ financial tie-ins in the industry’s history). Ungraciously, he states that DALEKS’ INVASION EARTH 2150 A.D. is “…elementary…” which, ironically, sums up this WIKIPEDIA plagiarised featurette.What could have been the highlight of this anniversary release, INTERVIEW WITH BERNARD CRIBBINS, has been bungled. A four-minute conversation so poorly edited and recorded that `heads-should-roll’ at STUDIOCANAL. Whilst sounding as if Cribbins was recorded in a Bethnal Green Gents below-the-pavement toilet and so brief (4 minutes) that you are left wondering “why bother to have gone to all that trouble?” Nevertheless, avuncular Cribbins is great value, recalling the making of the movie (his interaction with an Australian Dalek), working with Cushing’s Doctor (“…he always looked as if he was chewing a Murray Mint…”) and his 1973 audition for the CLASSIC SERIES of DOCTOR WHO. Like me, after four minutes, you will be left…
“…the highlight…a four-minute conversation (with Cribbins) so poorly edited and recorded…” DALEKS – INVASION EARTH 2150 A.D. [1996] [Blu-ray] THE CLASSIC FILM SEQUEL TO DR. WHO & THE DALEKS!‘Daleks – Invasion Earth 2150 A.D.’ was directed by Gordon Flemyng, now fully restored and starring Peter Cushing in his return to the big screen as British TV’s most iconic sci-fi hero, Doctor Who.The earth of 2150 A.D. is a desolate and hostile ruin of a planet, crumbling at the edge of civilisation, slowly disappearing into the darkness of space. For the future of planet earth now belongs to The Daleks, a destructive army of alien invaders who have turned the human race into cowering slaves. Meanwhile deep within the London Underground a group of resistance freedom fighters are planning an attack. But there’s only one man who could possibly help them succeed in destroying their extra-terrestrial enemies and take back control of planet earth. A man of mystery, a man of time and space, a man known only as…The Doctor.Cast: Peter Cushing, Bernard Cribbins, Ray Brooks, Andrew Keir, Jill Curzon, Roberta Tovey, Roger Avon, Geoffrey Cheshire, Keith Marsh, Philip Madoc, Steve Peters, Eddie Powell, Godfrey Quigley, Peter Reynolds, Bernard Spear, Sheila Steafel, Eileen Way, Kenneth Watson, John Wreford, Robert Jewell (Lead Dalek Operator), Peter Hawkins and David Graham (Dalek Voices)Director: Gordon FlemyngProducers: Max J. Rosenberg and Milton SubotskyScreenwriters: Milton Subotsky and David Whitaker (additional material)Composers: Barry Gray and Bill McGuffieCinematography: John WilcoxResolution: 1080p [Technicolor]Aspect Ratio: 2/35:1 [Techniscope]Audio: English: 2.0 PCM Original Mono SountrackSubtitles: English SDHRunning Time: 84 minutesRegion: Region B/2Number of discs: 1Studio: StudioCanalAndrew’s Blu-ray Review – StudioCanal’s release of ‘Daleks – Invasion Earth: 2150 A.D.’ on Blu-ray, is to celebrate actor Peter Cushing’s centennial and the 50th Anniversary of the beloved BBC show Doctor Who. Though only loosely based on the plot of the BBC Television show, these two films were the first time audiences had a chance to see the Doctor – and the wildly popular Daleks – on film and in colour. Produced by Amicus Studios, Hammer’s biggest rivals, these films were an attempt to beat Hammer in the family-friendly adventure/fantasy market. ‘Daleks – Invasion Earth: 2150 A.D.’ more or less continues where ‘Dr. Who & The Daleks’ left off, with the Doctor and his companions fighting off the Daleks and their quest for planetary domination.Much of the cast and crew returned from Dr. Who and the Daleks, including star Peter Cushing and director Gordon Flemyng. Die hard Doctor Who fans should be forewarned that this is not a faithful adaptation of the TV show, namely the serial The Dalek Invasion of Earth. In the two Amicus films, Dr. Who is not a humanoid alien, rather he is simply an intelligent, kindly old grandfather who has managed to build a police box-shaped time machine and has the surname of Who.This time, Dr. Who [Peter Cushing] takes his time machine, the T.A.R.D.I.S., to Earth’s future in 2150. Along with him travels his niece [Jill Curzon] and his granddaughter [Roberta Tovey] reprising her role from the first film. Joined by Tom [Bernard Cribbins], a local police constable from the present, they discover that Daleks have travelled to Earth and decimated much of the planet. The remaining humans have either been turned into slaves or workers, though there is a small underground resistance. The Doctor and Tom are kidnapped by the Daleks, while his niece and granddaughter team up with the leader of the resistance [Hammer regular Andrew Keir] to rescue them, stage an attack on the Dalek stronghold, and prevent the Daleks from unleashing a devastating bomb.This film feels less childlike and fantastical than its predecessor due to the futuristic Earth setting and more obvious sci-fi influences, namely War of the Worlds. There are also allusions to WWII with the destroyed, bombed-out look of London, again making the film more topically interesting for adult Doctor Who fans. This also heightens the drama and suspense, somewhat improving the plot over ‘Dr. Who & The Daleks.’ The acting is about on par with the first film, simply moving the same characters [or at least character types] to a more dramatic setting.The London-based set does the characters a lot of favours and overall this feels like a much more dramatic film for Peter Cushing’s Doctor. Peter Cushing is still likely to surprise and possibly disappoint fans of the early Doctor Who, but he gives it his all, even though he was ill during filming, which caused a delay in production, along with numerous accidents…
With the television series celebrating its 50th anniversary of forcing children – and even some adults, I’m sure – to scurry behind the sofa or cower beneath one of its cushions, the release of STUDIOCANAL’s DOCTOR WHO tie-in movies is adroitly timed and not only for that celebratory reasoning but for the fact that the Peter Cushing films are frequently derided and an intelligent analysis of their importance, not only within the DOCTOR WHO universe but assessing their role in British cinema in general.It’s the 31st March, and a prat-fall outside a dematerialising London Metropolitan Police box is a somewhat innocuous beginning to an adventure in space:time that leads the Doctor and his travelling companions into the heart of a future Earth, devastated, decaying under the authoritarian regime of an alien species known as Daleks.Though it’s not certain that he’s an Earthling or a Time Lord, Peter Cushing reprises his role as the inventor of TARDIS, Doctor Who, in the Terry Nation plot-inspired – based upon the television story DOCTOR WHO – THE DALEK INVASION OF EARTH (1964) – movie, co-starring Bernard Cribbins, DALEKS’ INVASION EARTH 2150 A.D.Now re-mastered – both its print and audio track – the movie is, like the restored DR WHO AND THE DALEKS (see review), superb, offering to a whole new generation of fans, for the first time in nearly five decades, a widescreen thrilling adventure.With the Daleks attempting to mine the core of the planet, install a `piloting device’ and then steer the bastardised Earth back to their own planet (an uninhabitable Skaro?) in order utilise it, the Doctor must thwart their plans and save the planet from a catastrophic destruction.For a second time, director Gordon Fleming instils an unparalleled dimension of urgency to every action sequence that the televised series was unable to capture on its primitive 4:3 405 lines. Without question, Fleming embraces not only the widescreen elements of Technoscope but adopts, and remember it’s only 1966, the use of `hand-held camera perspective’ (this is ably demonstrated in the sequence as the Doctor and Tom are held in the Dalek Prison Cell attempting to extricate themselves from it using a plastic comb). One of the film’s highlights for any DOCTOR WHO fan is the all-but-brief `melting’ Dalek (at 1 hour 18 minutes) as the earth’s magnetic core affects their outing casings.Fans of the NEW SERIES may be pleasantly surprised how similar to Peter Cushing’s performance as the doddery old man is to that performed by Matt Smith as the 11th television Doctor; spindly, never restful (identical `hand-acting’ choreography) and with a dark intelligence hidden behind their eyes.Unequivocally, the restoration improves the quality of the original VHS and previous DVD releases, with a stability of richness and saturation that has probably not been seen since its original showing. However, certain scenes, particularly within the Bedfordshire mines, the restoration struggles with darker tones and shades. Similarly, the audio track has been re-mastered and as is a crisp as like having Bill McGuffie conducting his orchestra behind your living room’s sofa. In the featurette, RESTORING DALEKS’ INVASION EARTH 2150 A.D. the option of treating the mono audio track to create a `faux’ stereo 5.1 track was not deemed necessary, and, in this instance, the correct decision was made.Like DR WHO AND THE DALEKS, the `value added material’ VAM (i.e. the Extras) are succinct and disappointing in their content and production.Author, Gareth Owen proffers his personal analysis of the feature film’s production (discussing how the film was plagued with re-writes due to Cushing’s unforeseen illness, and how Fleming struggled with a similar financial budget to the first film whilst creating a `…bigger film…’ and promotion (on how the British breakfast cereal, SUGAR PUFFS, co-funded the film in return for one of the first `product placement’ financial tie-ins in the industry’s history). Ungraciously, he states that DALEKS’ INVASION EARTH 2150 A.D. is “…elementary…” which, ironically, sums up this WIKIPEDIA plagiarised featurette.What could have been the highlight of this anniversary release, INTERVIEW WITH BERNARD CRIBBINS, has been bungled. A four-minute conversation so poorly edited and recorded that `heads-should-roll’ at STUDIOCANAL. Whilst sounding as if Cribbins was recorded in a Bethnal Green Gents below-the-pavement toilet and so brief (4 minutes) that you are left wondering “why bother to have gone to all that trouble?” Nevertheless, avuncular Cribbins is great value, recalling the making of the movie (his interaction with an Australian Dalek), working with Cushing’s Doctor (“…he always looked as if he was chewing a Murray Mint…”) and his 1973 audition for the CLASSIC SERIES of DOCTOR WHO. Like me, after four minutes, you will be left…
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