panik: (DW - Joy)
panik ([personal profile] panik) wrote2010-02-20 11:19 am
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There was nothing at all on telly last night

And I was suddenly moved to watch the Doctor Who movie again, hadn't seen it in years and, it was much less bad than I remembered, or rather... 

I mean, it wasn't good; I sighed most mightily at the usual clutch of idiocies but all that 'Look! I is Jesus!', half-human, let's make kissy-face, Eye of Harmony (on the TARDIS people, on the TARDIS!?! I mean, what the....?) bollocks seemed so much easier to dismiss than it was back in the day (certainly no worse, actually rather less offensive than a lot of the crap Rusty's subjected us to over the years. Clearly, after 5 years of dealing with RTD, I have become immunised) and oh! People! What a marvellous Doctor Eight is! Despite the piss-poor material he has to work with, Paul McGann's Doctor just shines through with his Awesome Majesty of Total Awe.

Then there's Seven. Not my favourite in his day but Sylv more than makes up for the eighties (not his fault!) with his performance in this, and how good was it to see him again (VERY!)? And then there's jelly babies and 'I'll shoot myself' and the soundtrack and that magnificent Tardis, surely still the best Tardis interior ever? And being reminded why (despite the movie) Eight was able to edge Two from my personal top-slot to become my Most-Favourite Doctor.

And, horribly bad though it was in so many ways, it led to so much that is Good; the EDAs and Fitz Kreiner especially - without the movie, there would never have been a Fitz Kreiner and for that alone, it was worth every cringe.

So then I went and found this interview with the fabulous Paul McGann in which he talks of the movie and the importance of hair in Who, then spent a very merry hour delving through the archives and, I hope [livejournal.com profile] bibliodragon won't mind me pimping her magnificent Eight-Movie pic spam because it is so bloody good, words fail me.

[identity profile] arjuna-lj.livejournal.com 2010-02-20 11:34 am (UTC)(link)
And, horribly bad though it was in so many ways, it led to so much that is Good; the EDAs and Fitz Kreiner especially - without the movie, there would never have been a Fitz Kreiner and for that alone, it was worth every cringe.

Aaaamen.

[identity profile] gillyp.livejournal.com 2010-02-20 01:01 pm (UTC)(link)
That icon still does delicious tingly things to me in all parts south. :o)

[identity profile] mscongeniality.livejournal.com 2010-02-20 01:52 pm (UTC)(link)
Your post almost exactly mirrors the one I made when I re-watched the movie a few months back. I mean, it had some clunkers (see the aforementioned Jesus, half-human, Eye of Harmony, etc.) but I think what people couldn't get behind at the time was that it was a different way of telling a Doctor Who story and (surprise!) the storytelling in the movie is much closer to what we've seen in the current series. In fact, in some ways, what people hated about the Eighth Doctor became part and parcel of Nine and Ten.

Regardless, I ♥ me some McGann. Also, Fitz. I am overdue for some EDA goodness....

[identity profile] gillyp.livejournal.com 2010-02-20 05:13 pm (UTC)(link)
I still have 3 never-read EDAs on my shelf and will definitely be lifting them down when I get home next week. ::nods:: The movie leaves so much to be desired and could have been so much better than it was but then, if it had succeeded, there wouldn't have been any EDAs and in so many ways, the breadth and scope and sheer flights of occasional insanity but mostly creative genius of the EDAs exceeded anything that could ever have been dreamt of for TV.
sheenaghpugh: (Default)

[personal profile] sheenaghpugh 2010-02-20 05:51 pm (UTC)(link)
I kinda regret everything McGann ever did that wasn't being Lt Bush...:)

[identity profile] gillyp.livejournal.com 2010-02-20 05:59 pm (UTC)(link)
Hmmmm. Not really a fan of the salty - seafarin' stuff myself. Are you saying you regret Withnail? (in which case, I'm afraid we can never be friends. (o:)
sheenaghpugh: (Default)

[personal profile] sheenaghpugh 2010-02-20 07:23 pm (UTC)(link)
Not necessarily. Withnail is one of the vast number of films I've never seen.

O:!

[identity profile] gillyp.livejournal.com 2010-02-20 07:44 pm (UTC)(link)
Then I am merely shocked. *g* I rec it most heartily, one of the best written films ever made imo.