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Post by nucleusofswarm on Mar 28, 2020 1:38:59 GMT
So the late great Terry was originally meant to give us Who's first riff on classic vampires in '77 (and with one of my favourite alt-titles, The Witch Lords), but then Louis Jordan's count screwed it up and thus the story of evil green jelly stalking a light house was born. But which is the better tale?
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ljwilson
Chancellery Guard
It's tangerine....not orange
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Post by ljwilson on Mar 28, 2020 10:44:33 GMT
I'm not sure, but I love the bit in Fang Rock where the jelly 'casts off this ridiculous human form' (or words to that effect) and then spends ages ascending the light house steps to bump the Doctor off when it could have walked up the steps in 2 minutes. Just saying.
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Post by whiskeybrewer on Mar 28, 2020 10:54:07 GMT
For me I just Love Fang Rock
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mbt66
Chancellery Guard
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Post by mbt66 on Mar 28, 2020 12:07:05 GMT
The Horror of Fang Rock is a classic, where as State of Decay is...well I like it, but it is no classic.
Does anyone know how different The Witch Lords (I agree it’s a good title) would have been?
Could they give it the Lost Story treatment?
A vampire story for the Fourth Doctor and Leela? Yes please!
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Mar 28, 2020 12:25:45 GMT
Considering the two stories are a few years apart, I think that Fang Rock looks more polished than State of Decay. Mind you, the former story had no location filming that I know of and was at the beginning of a series, where there was probably more budget available to it. I love Fang Rock. For a story that manages to kill most of its characters, it emerges as a strangely quiet, almost Lovecraftian story. Tom's apparennt bad mood, caused by recording in different studios than the ones he was used to, gives his Doctor a dark, melancholy distance which, to be honest, I quite like. Having said that, Tom wasn't all sweetness and light whilst recording State of Decay either, but this doesn't translate so well to the finished article. He still enters into it with an enthusiastic sense of mischief.
Which of the two stories do I prefer? State of Decay, hands down. Part of the best ever series of Doctor Who in my view, it is a richly gothic story which, considering the conflicts between writer and script-editor, is a lot better than it could be. Oodles of atmosphere, some truly wonderful acting from the two main regulars (and other cast members), three spectacularly over-the-top villains straight out of a latter day Hammer film and, let's be honest, Lalla Ward in a tweed suit. The special effects at the end are pretty dreadful, and they were dreadful even back in 1981 when television reception was les unforgiving than the crystal clarity of a DVD or Blu-Ray is nowadays. How welcome some Kinda-like CGI additions would have been, and how much more effective The Great One - and his demise - would have been.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Mar 28, 2020 12:48:16 GMT
The Horror of Fang Rock is a classic, where as State of Decay is...well I like it, but it is no classic. Agree 100%. For me The Horror of Fang Rock is great, one of my favourite Fourth Doctor stories ever... while State of Decay isn't! (Uninspiring would be my description of it.) |
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Post by number13 on Mar 28, 2020 13:50:28 GMT
Terrance Dicks’ terrific history-meets-the-alien story is a classic in every sense and firmly in my all-time top 10. I loved Horror of Fang Rock from day one and have always thought of it as the last outpost of that greatest of eras, before the light finally went out on the Gothic masterpieces of Hinchcliffe and Holmes.
Watched in the right mood and the right time, it must be one of the scariest DVDs to carry a U certificate. It was a brilliant response to the critics who said ‘Doctor Who’ had become too violent; seeing nothing can be scarier than seeing everything.
Great characters and claustrophobic storytelling in those tiny lighthouse sets. One of the very best Leela stories and outstanding cliff-hangers including one of my all-time favourites: "Leela, I've made a terrible mistake. I thought I'd locked the enemy out. Instead, I've locked it in - with us!"
... and then, in a final moment of brilliance, Tom Baker's fabulous Fourth Doctor recites lines from 'The Ballad of Flannan Isle' which stayed with me for all the years from first broadcast to buying the DVD; a suitably memorable ending to a true classic.
(And I should add that I think 'State of Decay' is another great story - S18 is a very special and very different place for the Fourth Doctor and full of memorable stories.)
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Post by mark687 on Mar 28, 2020 14:46:05 GMT
I'm not sure, but I love the bit in Fang Rock where the jelly 'casts off this ridiculous human form' (or words to that effect) and then spends ages ascending the light house steps to bump the Doctor off when it could have walked up the steps in 2 minutes. Just saying. And hit the Camera Operator  Fang for me, confined space, good little sub-plot and characters. Regards mark687 |
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Mar 28, 2020 15:40:07 GMT
I'm not sure, but I love the bit in Fang Rock where the jelly 'casts off this ridiculous human form' (or words to that effect) and then spends ages ascending the light house steps to bump the Doctor off when it could have walked up the steps in 2 minutes. Just saying. Its no plot hole - Terrance Dicks was too good for that! With the Humans reduced to one male and a female, who were cornered without escape, the Rutan scout no longer needed subterfuge and was in no hurry to kill its prey. Taking Human form took valuable energy resources so it reverted to its natural form, which was lethal enough to its enemies. Its probably explained in the novelisation. At least its what I always interpreted. Anyhow - Fang Rock is a cold, hard, wind and rain swept classic. State of Decay is a really good S18 tale, but under JNT & Peter Moffatt was a bit too sterile to do justice to Terrance Dicks Gothic throwback. Think of how it would have felt with a Brain of Morbuis atmosphere, sets, lighting and direction. And with a bit of mild gore. It was still a great read as Target back in the day mind you, where all that could be imagined. |
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shutupbanks
Castellan
There’s a horror movie called Alien? That’s really offensive. No wonder everyone keeps invading you.
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Post by shutupbanks on Mar 28, 2020 22:59:12 GMT
The other day, one of the photocopiers at work was saying that it needed toner, right in the middle of a job it was doing for me. I was trying to replace it but the door to the cartridge section of the machine was jammed. With a bit of frustration I managed to shut it again by giving it a good push/ slap, which was enough to shake the still-installed empty cartridge about, dislodging some toner and allowing it to finish the job (I did, however, replace the cartridge because I didn’t want to inconvenience anyone). Anyway, when it resumed photocopying I muttered, “Definitely Earth technology.”
I love State Of Decay Because it pushes all my Who buttons, but Horror is the better piece of television.
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