reviews

Review – Doctor Who: Order of the Daleks

Posted on by indiemacuser

Review by Doctor Squee (Host of Gallifrey Stands Podcast)

I rarely comment on the artwork for Big Finish releases. It is always good; but when the artwork for Order of the Daleks was released, it definitely caught the eye. Stained glass Daleks. Genius! This certainly peaked my interest.

This story does not disappoint. It’s a marvellous script by Mike Tucker, who in the past has worked as a visual effects assistant in the original run of Doctor Who and in the 2005 version was a model unit supervisor who worked on the design of the modern Dalek. The passion for the show and the Daleks very much oozes out of this script. Continue reading →

Review: The Third Doctor Adventures – Volume 2

Posted on by indiemacuser

Review by Doctor Squee (Host of Gallifrey Stands Podcast)

The Transcendence of Ephros
The planet of Ephros is due to die of natural causes and some of the inhabitants are over the moon about it, as their religion tells them they can use the planets destruction to ascend. Meanwhile the Galactux Power Inc is mining what is left of the planets natural resources. When the Doctor and Jo arrive on the planet and get in broiled in the goings on, could there be more that meets the eye happening here?

This is a good story with lots going on and some great characters. Sometimes Bernard Holley is a little ‘large’ as a character as Karswell but he and the rest of the cast do a great job on the whole in this one.

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Review: And They Watched (Short – 2016)

Posted on by indiemacuser

Review by Jay Kay

AND THEY WATCHED (2015) is Written and Directed by Vivian Lin.
andtheywatched002-820x410We move through this world observing amazing and terrible things. We see sights that make us wonder, make us cope as well as struggle with the notion of good and evil. In the short film AND THEY WATCHED by Vivian Lin; we find that even in the service of those in pain, we learn that our ignorance can come back to haunt us. Inspired by the reinstatement of the electric chair in the state of Tennessee and an incredible part of the 2016 ETHERIA FILM NIGHT selections; we follow a janitor played by John Cianciolo completing his duties in a dark and dreadful hallway leading down to an execution chamber. This section of a prison is a grizzly reminder of the finality with this weapon of death just beyond the glass. As the janitor cleans the window, straightens up the rooms and takes meticulous care to clean the electric chair after the latest execution, through incredible use of light, tense score and eerie visual effects, we understand that something did not fully leave the chamber or this earth. With a production design mirroring the most effective and insidious ideas guiding the frights of a haunted house, we learn that a spirit has returned to re-create the injustice and terror with the one person who happens to be there not for any other reason than he was paid and he watched. Continue reading →

Horror Review: RAPT (Short – 2016)

Posted on by indiemacuser

Review by Jay Kay

RAPT (2016) is Written by Jerry Janda, Russell Hackett and Directed by Tom Ryan. Continue reading →

Short Trips Rarities – Museum Peace / Sound The Siren And I’ll Come To You Comrade

Posted on by indiemacuser

Review by Kenton Hall (Director of ‘A Dozen Summers‘)

Once again, a pair of Short Trips that illustrate just how flexible both the format of Doctor Who itself and the particular style of these narrated short stories can be. These two stories; initially available as subscriber-only bonuses to Big Finish’s main Doctor Who range are now available to all for download. They should both be cherished as they are prime example of what can be done within the format.
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Review: Doctor Who – Destiny of the Doctor (The Complete Adventure)

Posted on by indiemacuser

Review by Doctor Squee (Host of Gallifrey Stands Podcast)

2013, the year we had all waited for when Doctor Who was turning a history-making 50 years old. We got to see Two regenerations, Two new doctors, an amazing multiple-doctor story on TV and another on audio with Big Finish. Everyone wanted a part of the celebrations and to put out something amazing. The now defunct Audio Go was no exception. Partnering up with Big Finish they came up with the idea of releasing one audio story a month; based on one of the then Eleven Doctors. As the anniversary was in November, starting at the beginning of the year in January made it all work perfectly. They assembled companions from most of the Doctors as the narrators for the stories, aside from the 9th (although getting in Nicholas Briggs is no bad replacement) and pared them with another actor to co-star. It seemed like quite a coo as well to get the then current companion Jenna Coleman involved. A big shout of to all of the wonderful writers in this set too including Andrew Smith, Matt Fitton and Nev Fountain to name just a few.
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Review – Sonita (Documentary – 2016)

Posted on by indiemacuser
Presented with English Subtitles.

This real-life documentary from director Rokhsareh Ghaemmaghami follows the every-day life of Afghan refugee Sonita Alizadeh; now living in Iran.

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Review – Preacher’s Boy (Short – 2016)

Posted on by indiemacuser

Preacher’s Boy was directed by Brian George Hutton, written by Benjamin Cyrus-Clark and stars Richard Angol, Marissa Joseph and Mohamed Dyfan.

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Ezekiel learns the hard way that not all new beginnings are a blessing.

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Big Finish – Doctor Who Short Trips: The Blame Game/Damascus

Posted on by indiemacuser

Review by Kenton Hall (Director of ‘A Dozen Summers‘ featuring Colin Baker)

Big Finish, as regular listeners will have no doubt noticed; offers an embarrassment of riches when it comes to providing new Doctor Who stories from across the history of the programme. With numerous Doctors and Companions taking part in full cast stories; however, some of the other narrated ranges can; occasionally I fear, get lost in the shuffle.

The Short Trips range is a case in point. I hope I’m wrong and that these marvellous short stories, enthusiastically performed by a range of wonderful actors are taken to the bosom of fans everywhere. And then removed from their bosoms and put in their ears, because that makes more sense. Continue reading →

Big Finish Review: Doctor Who – Maker of Demons

Posted on by indiemacuser

Review by Doctor Squee (Host of Gallifrey Stands Podcast)

I could almost feel like when Matthew J Elliott wrote ‘Makers of Demons’ that he had read my review of ‘Fiesta of the Damned’. I am not enough of an ego-maniac to think so (and he wouldn’t have had enough time) but it’s like he missed any of the pitfalls I found in ‘Fiesta’ to deliver a wonderful story (with due respect to the fore mentioned story!)

The story is straight-forward and engaging. The Doctor and Mel have been to the planet Prosper to settle some humans in with the locals (the Mogera) and negotiate a treaty to make this possible. Leaving behind a new and sustainable energy source ‘Doctorium’ (discovered and named by guess who!). Years later The Doctor, Mel & Ace return to the planet; but the peace has been shattered and the Mogera have been transformed into monsters, seemingly by Doctorium; but as you might guess there is more to this than meets the eyes.

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