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Post by The Editor (Alex B) on Apr 23, 2024 8:54:15 GMT
I watched the movie version on DVD a few years ago and just checked some Wiki page to refresh my memory. It has slightly better special effects* and 12 minutes of unbroadcast material (you know those annoying bits cut out of shows and films that make the narrative more coherent and logical? Yes, some of those bits). It'd add half a star out of five to a Whovian's opinion of the story, but if you weren't a fan before seeing the original, you won't be one after seeing the ordinary rework. It also restructures a lot of material back to how it was originally envisioned during writing/shooting, as the way they often edited material out was to cut bit out of the middle of scenes. So scenes A & B would become A1, A2, A3, B1, B2, & B3 with A2 and B2 cut out and then because leaving like that would result in awkward cuts the scenes would be reshuffled to A1, B1, A3 and then B3, greatly affecting the pacing of scenes.
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Post by The Editor (Alex B) on Apr 16, 2024 1:31:09 GMT
Did you watch the 4-part or movie-length “Special Edition” of The Curse of Fenric?
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Post by The Editor (Alex B) on Apr 6, 2024 19:23:53 GMT
Played the handful my school library had - the never had FF (!).
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Post by The Editor (Alex B) on Apr 6, 2024 19:21:37 GMT
Just dropping to say a few weeks ago I finally finished my series watch-in-order that I started way back in 2013. Any final thoughts? Remarkably consistent overall. Willing from start to finish to try weird things.
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Post by The Editor (Alex B) on Apr 6, 2024 19:19:52 GMT
It’s more likely a case that writer Robert Holmes was being aggressively anti to the fan base. Fans at the time wanted lots of returning foes and characters, references to old stories etc. he was given a list of things to put on this story that he wasn’t happy about. So you could argue that here he is going ‘you want X?, here’s X but twisted’. Eg. You want the second dr/Jamie partnership? Here it is but the dr keeps having. Go at Jamie.
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Post by The Editor (Alex B) on Apr 6, 2024 19:11:07 GMT
I reviewed the first one in issue 17.
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Post by The Editor (Alex B) on Mar 29, 2024 4:22:24 GMT
That’s roughly 13 refs a day.
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Post by The Editor (Alex B) on Mar 23, 2024 1:11:08 GMT
Just dropping to say a few weeks ago I finally finished my series watch-in-order that I started way back in 2013.
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Post by The Editor (Alex B) on Dec 19, 2023 6:24:57 GMT
Not to mention doubled my skeleton count! This is obviously the end of the line of zine adventures, though I'll revisit the thread if and when I try them again from the beginning. Reading them kind of made me want to contribute an adventure, but if issues only come out every few years, and the next adventure at the very least is already done, maybe it would be better to apply my efforts towards some kind of contest. As regards reviews, my next move should be to resume what could be one of the longest-running games of Moonrunner in history. We’d happily welcome something from you! Pitch an idea.
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Post by The Editor (Alex B) on Nov 18, 2023 4:20:32 GMT
Some critics have said Attack Of The Cybermen comes across as a second-rate rehash of Tomb Of The Cybermen, which is very much a classic, as you mentioned it introduces a number of plot elements which weren't present in Tomb Of The Cybermen but I'd agree it's a middling story probably saved by including Colin Baker and these iconic enemies. At the time, in the UK at least, repeats of old stories were non-existent and so re-visiting old stories was the only way to ‘experience’ them again - even more-so in the case of “Tomb” as it was only recovered in 1992.
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Post by The Editor (Alex B) on Nov 18, 2023 4:17:34 GMT
Capaldi era completed!
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Post by The Editor (Alex B) on Nov 17, 2023 0:21:59 GMT
That definitely explains its inconsistent characters and pointless inclusions (eg The Sontarans). Yes, Holmes was more keen on new things - hence he had more enthusiasm for the Androgums than the Sontarans.
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Post by The Editor (Alex B) on Nov 8, 2023 4:41:45 GMT
The silhouette of a Howl Cat with the outline of the moon showing through it bugs me. Ah, the days before I had any software to touch up pics.
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Post by The Editor (Alex B) on Nov 2, 2023 9:06:20 GMT
Stories that I seem to like a lot less than the average fan: Terror of the Zygons - Seriously? The Loch Ness Monster one is a fan favourite? Fair enough I suppose. The Deadly Assassin - Very surprised by this one given how uninspiring Gallifrey was revealed to be The Ark in Space - Still say it's boring. Although apparently it may have inspired Alien which I also am alone in thinking boring. So maybe I'm the problem. Some of this can be put down to ‘received fan wisdom’ in that those 3 stories all come from season 12-14 (the Hinchcliffe/Holmes era) that very much appealed to the fans who were now in their late teens/early 20s who’d grown up with the show since 1963. This is the same period of time that UK fandom organised itself (the DW Appreciation Society started around then) and many fanzines began to appear, spreading the supposed wisdom that seasons 12-14 were DW at its peak.
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Post by The Editor (Alex B) on Oct 31, 2023 18:20:12 GMT
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Post by The Editor (Alex B) on Oct 31, 2023 6:23:53 GMT
Warriors of the DeepThis story has probably the silliest looking sequence in the show so far where a middle-aged lady tries to kung-fu kick a rubbery pantomime horse. Thatcher called a snap election in mid-1983 which caught everyone by surprise - BBC included. Suddenly the studio space scheduled for "Warriors" was to be needed for election coverage. The producer either had to bring shooting forward a couple of weeks or lose the story altogether. He chose the first option, but this rushed things. The Myrka monster was still dripping with wet paint when it went in front of cameras in the studio. The AwakeningI didn't realise when I started this that it was only a two-parter - maybe if I had, I'd be a bit better disposed to it. Was originally pitched a 4-parter and at some point truncated to 2. Resurrection of the DaleksI have mixed feelings about this one. On its own, it's very good with menacing villains all with their own agendas and the Doctor and his companions trying to outfox them all. This was the story planned to close season 20 till a strike nixed it. It has far too many sub-plots - the Time Lord High Council assassination with robot duplicates plot comes in goes in like 2 scenes. Planet of FireTwo things that the Doctor seemed to have forgotten about - Turlough's past and Kamelion - finally get addressed in this story. Kamelion was included in the show because the producer was promised it would work. It didn't. And so this story was commissioned soon after to write Kamelion out. A deleted scene for "The Awakening" featured the robot. The Caves of AndrozaniAnother gritty, shooty story but some amusing banter in the early stages helps lighten the mood - I can't remember the last time The Doctor and his companion(s) had some funny banter. After a strike killed the final story of season 20, the producer didn't want to risk having Davison's final story hit by industrial action so he has Davison bow out one story early. In the end the following story "Twin Dilemma" was hit by industrial action though the producer was able to salvage this. The Twin DilemmaThings have been a bit more gritty and down-to-earth of late, so it's good to go back to a more 'out there' story. The plan was for the Sixth Doctor to start off unlikeable and slowly be redeemed. The unfortunate domestic abuse connotations of the Doctor strangling Peri leaving her the impression of suffering from 'battered wife syndrome' did the show no favours with some of the audience. Still Season 22 that followed would rate around the same as this and season 20. Series 21 ranking: 1. The Caves of Androzani 2. The Twin Dilemma 3. Resurrection of the Daleks 4. Planet of Fire 5. The Awakening 6. Frontios 7. Warriors of the Deep "Twin Dilemma" is the least liked DW story of all time. It has consistently polled last since 1984, not just for the season but for the show overall. Some fans have even accused DWM (Doctor Who Magazine) of trying to obfuscate this with the 2023 60th anniversary poll by not ranking all the stories together as they have done in the past, but just by doctor (although even here it still polled last of the 6th Doctor). 1. William Hartnell 2. Patrick Troughton 3. Jon Pertwee 4. Tom Baker 5. Peter Davison Davison is my personal fav Doctor even as I can acknowledge the weaknesses of some of the stories.
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Post by The Editor (Alex B) on Oct 31, 2023 5:55:03 GMT
Nice review! If memory serves, I may have edited and playtested this and certainly illustrated the front cover featuring a skeleton warrior. Alex B. himself did the internal B&W art and the colour map on the backcover. Fighting Fantazine sometimes gets slated for art quality, but for a free DIY fanzine, what do you expect? It's all part of the learning journey! (and if you're that offended by art quality, by all means draw your own pix and sent them in!) It was going to be called Night of Necromancer, but Jonathan Green asked permission if he could use that title for his last Wizard FF book. Around the same time I believe, the second Gamebook Adventures app was released called Siege of the Necromancer. I can't remember too much more about gameplay but suspect completing the final part may have been more involved and technical than lobbing incendiary devices about and waiting for them to detonate (though that does remain a practice I thoroughly endorse for dull faculty meetings). Only Damian Katz play-tested it. Yes, the interior art was mine - 1) it was done quick-ish & 2) I’m not a great artist. Just wait till you see my awful art in issues 4, 7 & 8. I wrote the whole thing in one weekend. It was originally meant to have a second day exploring the town (and thus more chances to get a weapon) but realised towards the end of finishing the first day that the adventure wouldn’t fit 200 references if I kept the second day. Yes, Jon asked if he could use the original title of “Night of the Necromancer”, so I had to retitle it. I wrote and illustrated it to convince people it could be done - when I originally pitched the magazine idea and floated it having a mini adventure some people told it couldn’t be done. You can judge if I succeeded!
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Post by The Editor (Alex B) on Oct 31, 2023 5:47:14 GMT
I got so ridiculously lucky back when I started rebuilding my FF collection that for a while I was reluctant to pay more than £1 per book. Yes, I plugged the gaps in my collection back around 2007 so I think the most I paid for one book was for “Curse of the Mummy” (Puffin edition). I think I paid a max of £20.
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Post by The Editor (Alex B) on Sept 9, 2023 1:20:52 GMT
Will finish up Peter Capaldi's first season (2014) this coming week. Will take a 2 week break for the term break and then back into it. Might reach the end of the Whittaker era by the time the anniversary specials air.
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Post by The Editor (Alex B) on Aug 7, 2023 6:43:11 GMT
“The Man with Rain in His Shoes” aka “Twice Upon a Yesterday”
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Post by The Editor (Alex B) on Jul 22, 2023 19:15:18 GMT
Thank you paperexplorer for something that was thrown together after Puffin ordered it the dungeon section was rather well-written, I'm probably not the only person who thinks it's at least as good as the opening section (which as Puffin points out does not have risks or fighting). I wonder why Puffin did not question or challenge Starship Traveller or maybe Eye Of The Dragon in the same rigorous manner?
Well Puffin wouldn’t have challenged “Eye of the Dragon” as it was never published by them. Up both instances are by the series creators who likely had a lot more clout.
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Post by The Editor (Alex B) on Jun 20, 2023 19:05:57 GMT
The change in book size will no doubt be some sort of ‘grabbing space on the shop shelf’ thing.
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Post by The Editor (Alex B) on Jun 10, 2023 2:13:21 GMT
Current books:
"Five Came Back" by Mark Harris - (non-fiction) - look at 5 Hollywood directors, and their careers before, during, and after World War 2 (there is a Netflix doco version of this book which I watched several years ago) "First Man" by James R. Hansen - (non-fiction) - life of Neil Armstrong (used as the basis of the recent-is film of the same name) "Notes from a Big Country" by Bill Bryson - (non-fiction) - recently finished his book "Mother Tongue", so have moved onto a new title "The Robots of Death" - by Fiona Moore - (non-fiction) - no. 43 in the Black Archive series of book-length essays on individual Doctor Who stories
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Post by The Editor (Alex B) on Jun 10, 2023 0:08:54 GMT
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Post by The Editor (Alex B) on Jun 9, 2023 23:44:56 GMT
After a long break after Series 3 (2007), I have finally finished off the original Tennant era with Series 4 (2008) and the specials (2008-2010).
Start with Matt Smith on Monday.
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Post by The Editor (Alex B) on Jun 7, 2023 18:46:07 GMT
It all seems to have gone quiet again with regard to any news about new or re-released FF gamebooks for 2023. With the (slight) resurgence in gamebooks recently and the 40th anniversary last year, I was hoping that we would see more regular new FF gamebook releases again. I assume that nobody has heard anything? I was thinking the same thing these last few days but after a Google search, and not being SJ or IL, I have absolutely no news unfortunately. I hypothesize things may depend on whether the two new FFs sell better, just the same, or worse than expected. Scholastic for their part seem to have improved the quality of interior art and cover picture while having an inferior spine and paper quality, so looking at it glass half-full I guess they are not treating series as bad as they could be (though not brilliant either). Tangentially I don't know why Scholastic are giving such mixed treatment to this best-selling series, I would rather it had high-quality paper, spine and illustrations like Fabled Lands. I assume by "(slight) resurgence in gamebooks" you refer to app sales, the two new FFs, and a number of new gamebooks that have appeared for younger children, because SFAIK there have been no ambitious gamebook series other than these. Since the pandemic and the war, paper has become more expensive.
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Post by The Editor (Alex B) on May 20, 2023 4:32:53 GMT
Well, seems I was a bit previous in assuming that was Tegan out of the series! Series 20 was mostly good, but flagged a bit at the end. The case of another strike issue (will cause some problems next year too). The strike resulted in the final 4-part story of the season, "Warhead" by Eric Saward, being cancelled. Saward will rework the script and it appears in Season 21. Arc of Infinity Wow, a decent Gallifrey-based story! "Arc" is usually slagged off by fans as being a bit crap. It doesn't really matter but there seems to be a few inconsistencies with him being retired from UNIT in 1977 since I'm fairly sure Sarah-Jane was meant to be from 1980. That 1980 line is the only date that mucks things up. As fashion, currency, other lines of dialogue etc. clearly show that the UNIT stories took place in the 60s & 70s. Enlightenment A pity because otherwise this story is excellent. This and "Snakedance" are generally considered by fans as the better two stories of the season with "Undead" third.
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Post by The Editor (Alex B) on May 20, 2023 4:26:12 GMT
IIRC, the ship didn't originally belong to the corporation. They just found it and decided to use it. Yes, AFAIK the ship was a time ship whose first exploded engine created the universe.
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Post by The Editor (Alex B) on May 20, 2023 4:23:01 GMT
AIUI, the inconsistencies can largely be laid at the door of the fan who was working as uncredited continuity consultant. See the season 22 opener for another example of his influence on the series. Ian was indeed the one who suggested that the amnesiac figure from the Doctor's past and that it be a companion. But the Brigadier role was initially planned to be Ian Chesterton and then when William Russell wasn't available, Harry Sullivan. By the point that Nicholas Courtney was brought back as the Brigadier, the 1977/1983 and corresponding silver jubilee stuff were already in place.
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Post by The Editor (Alex B) on May 1, 2023 20:29:18 GMT
News Update!
The issue is still on the go.
Coming needs: *Reviews of "Shadows of the Giants" and "Secrets of Salmonis" (these would need to be around 1100 words and not have been published somewhere else) *An artist to do 5 B&W pics for the 'Chronicle of Heroes' column *An artist to do 10 large and 6 small B&W pics for the mini adventure (these would be in a US superhero comic book style)
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