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Review 2 Entertain / Doctor Who - New Beginnings (The Keeper of Traken [1981] / Logopolis [1981] / Castrovalva [1982]) [1963]
Actors & Directors
  • Peter Davison
  • Anthony Ainley
  • Matthew Waterhouse
  • Tom Baker
Release date: 2007-01-29
Run time: 300 min.
RRP: £29.99
Price: £12.65

Review Doctor Who - New Beginnings (The Keeper of Traken [1981] / Logopolis [1981] / Castrovalva [1982]) [1963] / 2 Entertain:

A good value boxset that unites a loose trilogy of stories of varying interest from the back catalogue, Doctor Who: New Beginnings maintains the high standards set of late by the show's catalogue releases. Beginnings is the underlying theme, with the stories following the introduction of the late Anthony Ainley's take on The Master, the swansong of Tom Baker's Doctor, and the debut of Peter Davison in the title role. The first story, "The Keeper Of Trakken", tells of a living statue that poses a threat to Traken World. It's quite a good tale, introducing Nyssa to the Doctor Who Universe, but more worryingly for the Doctor it also plays host to a resurgent Master. And it's he too who plays a crucial part in "Logopolis", Tom Baker's final story in the title role. It's the best story in the New Beginnings boxset, as the Doctor battles both The Master, and the potential end of the Universe when the mathematicians of Logopolis are threatened. Along the way, he also adds Tegan to the crew of the TARDIS for the first time, with the first appearance of Peter Davison as the Doctor, too. Davison's first full story though, "Castrovalva"", is the weakest link of the set. Again it features The Master, and it follows the newly regenerated Doctor-in a very shaky state-as he heads for the supposedly peaceful retreat of the title, only to find, as you'd expect, that all isn't as it seems. Sadly, the premise isn't really realised, resulting in one of the more tepid stories of Davison's reign. [+]
Ultimately though, Doctor Who: New Beginnings delivers two very good stories. Yet this being Doctor Who, each is backed up by enough extra features to paper over even the most telling of cracks, and there's plenty on offer to justify the asking price. -Simon Brew.

Review Sony Pictures Home Entertainment / First Men In The Moon [1964]
Actors & Directors
  • Miles Malleson
  • Edward Judd
  • Nathan Juran
  • Norman Bird
  • Martha Hyer
  • Lionel Jeffries
Release date: 2002-10-14
Run time: 99 min.
RRP: £12.99
Price: £3.92

Review First Men In The Moon [1964] / Sony Pictures Home Entertainment:


Review Warner Home Video / The Valley Of Gwangi [1969]
Actors & Directors
  • Jim O'Connolly
  • James Franciscus
  • Laurence Naismith
  • Richard Carlson
  • Freda Jackson
  • Gila Golan
Release date: 2004-01-26
Run time: 91 min.
RRP: £13.99
Price: £3.39

Review The Valley Of Gwangi [1969] / Warner Home Video:


Review / Doctor Who - The Dalek Invasion Of Earth [1964] [1963]
Actors & Directors
  • Carole Ann Ford
  • William Russell
  • Jacqueline Hill
  • Richard Martin
  • William Hartnell
Release date: 2003-06-09
Run time: 148 min.
RRP: £19.99
Price: £6.98

Review Doctor Who - The Dalek Invasion Of Earth [1964] [1963]:

The second story of series two, Doctor Who-Dalek Invasion of Earth sees William Hartnell's Doctor in a six-part adventure pitted against his greatest nemesis, the Daleks. The Doctor, Susan (Carol Ann Ford), Ian (William Russell) and Barbara (Jacqueline Hill) arrive in the London of 2164, where the Nazi-like Dalek's have turned the remnants of the human race into slave workers or "Robomen", who unfortunately foreshadow Monty Python's hilarious "Gumbies". The Dalek's plan involves a vast mine in Bedfordshire and the final destruction of the human race, while pitted against them is a WWII-style resistance movement led by Dortmun (Alan Judd) and David Campbell (Peter Fraser). One of the most famous of all Doctor Who stories, Dalek Invasion of Earth features such iconic moments as a dalek emerging from the Thames, and a remarkable flight across London showing daleks crossing Westminster Bridge and patrolling Trafalgar Square and the Albert Memorial. Terry Nation's story is almost insanely ambitious for the budget, and while sets and effects are primitive, the location work is highly evocative. Lavishly remade for the cinema as Daleks Invasion Earth: 2150AD (1966), the plot here is more detailed, mercifully free of comic relief, and delivers a surprisingly sensitive ending to mark Carol Ann Ford's departure from the series. On The DVD: Doctor Who-Dalek Invasion of Earth is a comprehensive two-disc set with a generally excellent black-and-white 4:3 picture and mono sound. The highlight of Disc One is a warm and very informative commentary hosted by Gary Russell and featuring director Richard Martin (all episodes), producer Verity Lambert (5 episodes), Carol Ann Ford and William Russell (4 episodes each). There are optional subtitles for the episodes, as well as for the commentary, and further text titles giving detailed background information. Optional new CGI-effects shots have been added, which via seamless branching can be selected over the original 1964 model work. [+]
The new material obviously lacks authenticity, but looks about 1000 times better. Disc Two offers an abundance of extras including an amusing extract from Blue Peter (6 min) showing how to make edible Daleks. There is a photo gallery and some very poor quality Rehearsal Footage, but most fun of all is a 27 minute 1994 BBC spoof radio documentary which asks Whatever Happened to Susan Foreman?. Jane Asher plays Susan in an SF comedy as ingenious as it amusing and irreverent. This is a remarkable set, which belongs in any Who fan's collection. Gary S Dalkin.

Review 2 Entertain Video / Doctor Who - The Five Doctors (25th Anniversary Edition) [1983]
Actors & Directors
  • Jon Pertwee
  • John Nathan-Turner
  • Patrick Troughton
  • Richard Hurndall
  • Peter Davison
  • Peter Moffatt
  • Pennant Roberts
  • Tom Baker
Release date: 2008-03-03
Run time: 90 min.
RRP: £19.99
Price: £10.09

Review Doctor Who - The Five Doctors (25th Anniversary Edition) [1983] / 2 Entertain Video:

Celebrating 25 years since The Five Doctors was originally broadcast, this brand new double disc special edition is a real treat for new and old fans of the show. For not only is the adventure itself good fun, but the special features package is exceptionally strong too. The story - broadcast to celebrate the-then 20th anniversary of Doctor Who - brings five incarnations of the Doctor together. Patrick Troughton, Jon Pertwee and Peter Davison return to their roles, while Richard Hurndall steps in for William Hartnell, and archive footage of Tom Baker is used to cover his decision not to take part in the story. The various generations of the Doctor are then, one by one, brought to the Time Lord's home planet Gallifrey, where they encounter many of their old assistants, and many of their deadliest foes. The story of The Five Doctors proves to be as much a battle about giving everyone something to do, but Terrance Dicks' script does just that, and while it's not one of the Time Lord's very best adventures, it is an entertaining one. The extra features package peaks with the assorted commentary tracks: there's one that brings together a series of Doctor Who assistants, another that unites writer Terrance Dicks with Peter Davison, and a hidden Easter Egg commentary where David Tennant, Phil Collinson and Helen Raynor take the microphone. Each is a fascinating listen, for differing reasons. The Five Doctors DVD is then rounded off with a wide selection of archive material, and a 50-minute documentary looking at Doctor Who's birthday celebrations. And given the wealth of features there is to dig through, it's a release that'll be enjoyed for a long time after both the original and extended cut of the main feature have been viewed. [+]
A terrific release. -Simon Brew.

Review 2 Entertain Video / Doctor Who - Resurrection Of The Daleks [1983]
Actors & Directors
  • Janet Fielding
  • Peter Davison
Release date: 2002-11-18
Run time: 98 min.
RRP: £19.99
Price: £6.00

Review Doctor Who - Resurrection Of The Daleks [1983] / 2 Entertain Video:

The Doctor Who adventure "Resurrection of the Daleks" marked the Doctor's first encounter with his most famous foe since 1979's "Destiny of the Daleks" five years earlier, and Peter Davison's only full-scale battle with the cybernetic aliens. Weakened by a Movellan virus the Daleks assault a space station prison where Davros is being held. The Daleks plan to use duplicates of the Doctor and his companions to assassinate leading Timelords, and further duplicates to take over the Earth. The action is split between the space station and abandoned London riverside warehouses, and is notable for its grim tone and high body count. The duplicate police-assassins recall the Autons from the Jon Pertwee "Spearhead from Space" (1970) and proved controversial on original broadcast. Also notable is that although the show was designed as a four-part adventure it was transmitted in two double-length episodes. This edition presents the story in the original four parts. Meanwhile there are more than the usual quota of name guest stars, including Rodney Bewes, Rula Lenska and Lesley Grantham. The tale also marks Janet Fielding's final appearance as Tegan. In every respect this is a key adventure in the history of Doctor Who, even if the tense, incident-packed story is ultimately weighed down by too many elements to resolve them all satisfactorily. [+]
On the DVD: Doctor Who: Resurrection of the Daleks is accompanied by a warm and highly jocular commentary from Peter Davison, Janet Fielding and director Mathew Robinson. A new 18-minute "On Location" documentary intriguingly revisits the now upmarket waterfront locations with interviews featuring producer John Nathan Turner, writer Eric Saward and Matthew Robinson. A seven-minute clip from Breakfast Time spotlights Janet Fielding and John Nathan-Turner, and composers Brian Hodgson and Malcolm Clarke. Also included are seven minutes of deleted and extended scenes, a BBC1 trailer and a photo gallery that plays automatically for three minutes, set to sound effects. There is optional on-screen information text and selectable subtitles for the programmes and commentary. The sound is available in broadcast mono, a remarkably effective Dolby Digital 5. 1 remix, and as a mono music only track. TARDIS Cam No. 4 is a very short new digital animation. -Gary S Dalkin.

Review 2 Entertain Video / Doctor Who - Destiny Of The Daleks [1979]
Actors & Directors
  • Ken Grieve
  • Lalla Ward
  • Tom Baker
Release date: 2007-11-26
Run time: 98 min.
RRP: £19.99
Price: £12.28

Review Doctor Who - Destiny Of The Daleks [1979] / 2 Entertain Video:

A Doctor Who story from the Tom Baker era, Destiny of the Daleks pits the Time Lord against his deadliest enemies once more in an enjoyable adventure, although truthfully it's far from the finest hour of all concerned. Originally broadcast at the end of the 1970s, Destiny of the Daleks is notable for introducing a regenerated Romana, but across its four episodes we also find the seemingly-dead Davros with a little more life in him than the Doctor expected. And there's also the small matter of the Daleks being locked in the midst of a long-running war, with seemingly no way to break the stalemate. In short, plenty for the Doctor to get his teeth into. Yet while Destiny of the Daleks has plenty of tasty ingredients, you can't help but share a little disappointment at the way some elements play out. Sure, there's a lot still to enjoy, but the plot sometimes struggles to justify the running time, and the lack of budget is more obvious than is usual in classic Doctor Who. But it's to the credit of Destiny of the Daleks that it rides out its problems and still delivers an enjoyable story. It may not be a favourite of the dedicated fans of the programme, but there's still plenty here for Doctor Who fans young and old. And you can't beat the Daleks…! -Jon Foster.

Review Paramount Home Entertainment / When Worlds Collide [1951]
Actors & Directors
  • John Hoyt
  • Rudolph Maté
  • Barbara Rush
  • Peter Hansen
  • Richard Derr
  • Larry Keating
Release date: 2002-09-23
Run time: 79 min.
RRP: £12.99
Price: £3.93

Review When Worlds Collide [1951] / Paramount Home Entertainment:


Review Paramount Home Entertainment / Barbarella [1968]
Actors & Directors
  • Jane Fonda
  • Milo O'Shea
  • John Phillip Law
  • Roger Vadim
  • Anita Pallenberg
  • Marcel Marceau
Release date: 2000-10-02
Run time: 97 min.
RRP: £12.99
Price: £3.48

Review Barbarella [1968] / Paramount Home Entertainment:


Review Paramount Home Entertainment / The War of the Worlds: Special Edition (1953) [1954]
Actors & Directors
  • Gene Barry
  • Houseley Stevenson
  • Ann Robinson
  • Jack Kruschen
  • Less Tremayne
  • Byron Haskin
Release date: 2005-11-14
Run time: 112 min.
RRP: £12.99
Price: £4.58

Review The War of the Worlds: Special Edition (1953) [1954] / Paramount Home Entertainment:


Review 2 Entertain Video / Doctor Who - The Beginning (An Unearthly Child [1963] / The Daleks [1963] / The Edge of Destruction [1964])
Actors & Directors
  • William Hartnell
  • Frank Cox
  • William Russell
  • Carole Ann Ford
  • Waris Hussein
  • Richard Martin
  • Christopher Barry
  • Jacqueline Hill
Release date: 2006-01-30
Run time: 346 min.
RRP: £29.99
Price: £15.93

Review Doctor Who - The Beginning (An Unearthly Child [1963] / The Daleks [1963] / The Edge of Destruction [1964]) / 2 Entertain Video:


Review 2 Entertain Video / Doctor Who - The Hand Of Fear [1976]
Actors & Directors
  • Lennie Mayne
  • Elisabeth Sladen
  • Glyn Houston
  • Tom Baker
Release date: 2006-07-24
Run time: 100 min.
RRP: £19.99
Price: £5.68

Review Doctor Who - The Hand Of Fear [1976] / 2 Entertain Video:

Doctor Who fans must take the bittersweet with the suspenseful in this four-part story arc from 1976, which pits the Doctor (Tom Baker) and companion Sarah Jane Smith (Elisabeth Sladen) against the fossilized hand of an alien criminal which possesses a hideous will to live again. Discovered by the Doctor and Sarah during a trip to Earth that puts them in the middle of a mining blast, the hand belongs to Eldrad, a fugitive criminal from the planet Kastria who desires to regain his bodily form and return to his home. To do so, he possesses Sarah and the staff of a nearby nuclear reactor in order to use its power to regenerate, which leads to several eerie scenes with the reanimated hand that nicely evoke British horror features from the '60s and '70s. Well-liked by Baker-era fans, The Hand of Fear is best remembered as Sladen's final turn as Sarah (though she has frequently returned to the role on both radio and TV), and her final scenes with Baker (largely written by the two actors) have an endearing sort of wistfulness. As with all Doctor Who DVD releases, The Hand of Fear features a number of well-produced extras that flesh out the production history of the episodes. The commentary by Baker, Sladen, co-star Judith Paris (who plays the reconfigured Eldrad in an early female form), co-author Bob Baker, and producer Phillip Hinchcliffe is an excellent place to start for first-time viewers and longtime fans; all except Paris are also featured in an informative 50-minute featurette titled "Changing Time," which illuminates the warm working relationship between Baker and Sladen, as well as her reasons for departing the series. An 11-minute videotape clip from the U. K. children's show Swap Shop featuring Baker and Sladen before the broadcast of The Hand of Fear is also included, as well as the now-standard photo gallery, text-only commentary, and PDF of the 1977 Doctor Who Annual and Radio Times. -Paul Gaita.

Review 2 Entertain Video / Doctor Who - Remembrance Of The Daleks [1987]
Actors & Directors
  • Sylvester McCoy
  • Peter Purves
  • Sophie Aldred
Release date: 2001-02-26
Run time: 98 min.
RRP: £19.99
Price: £9.92

Review Doctor Who - Remembrance Of The Daleks [1987] / 2 Entertain Video:

"Remembrance of the Daleks" was the final Doctor Who story to feature the titular mutant cyborgs, and is a particularly notable adventure for the way it ties the plot into the very first story, "An Unearthly Child" made 25 years before. It is 1963, and the Seventh Doctor, Sylvester McCoy arrives in London with new companion Ace (Sophie Aldred), where two Dalek factions are engaged in a deadly search for the Hand of Omega. Ace quickly proves herself a dab-hand with high explosives, and while there are references to the history of the show, including some nice in-jokes, the drama is played much straighter than in McCoy's first season as the time traveller. This is Doctor Who with a decent budget; the period setting is surprisingly lavish and there are some fairly intense action sequences. The Daleks remain as menacing as ever, the plotting has an intriguing air of mystery, and McCoy injects some steel into his characterisation. Aldred serves an ace as a heroine with attitude, (very much post-Sarah Connor from The Terminator), and if this really does prove to be the Dalek's swansong, at least they go out with a bang. On the DVD: Sylvester McCoy and Sophie Aldred provide a warm and friendly commentary track, which also offers optional subtitles. The audio possibilities continue with an isolated music track, though the sound is Pro-Logic stereo, not the stated Dolby Digital. There are trailers for two episodes, a collection of out-takes, 13 deleted or extended scenes, and the raw footage from two different camera angles for two major scenes. Optional on-screen production notes complete a package which, with animated menus and very good 4:3 picture quality puts many Hollywood releases to shame. [+]
-Gary S. Dalkin.

Review Cinema Reserve (20th Century Fox) / The Day The Earth Stood Still (2 Disc Cinema Reserve Special Edition) [1951]
Actors & Directors
  • Tyler McVey
  • Patricia Neal
  • Drew Pearson
  • Michael Rennie
  • Robert Wise
  • Hugh Marlowe
Release date: 2006-02-27
Run time: 88 min.
RRP: £17.99
Price: £5.99

Review The Day The Earth Stood Still (2 Disc Cinema Reserve Special Edition) [1951] / Cinema Reserve (20th Century Fox):

A hallmark of the science fiction genre as well as a wry commentary on the political climate of the 1950s, The Day the Earth Stood Still is a sci-fi movie less concerned with special effects than with a social parable. A spacecraft lands in Washington, D. C. , carrying a humanoid messenger from another world (Michael Rennie) imparting a warning to the people of Earth to cease their violent behavior. But panic ensues as the messenger lands and is shot by a nervous soldier. His large robot companion destroys the Capitol as the messenger escapes the confines of the hospital. He moves in with a family as a boarder and blends into society to observe the full range of the human experience. Director Robert Wise (West Side Story) not only provides one of the most recognisable icons of the science fiction world in his depiction of the massive robot loyal to his master, but he avoids the obvious camp elements of the story to create a quiet and observant story highlighting both the good and the bad in human nature. -Robert Lane, Amazon. com.

Review ITV DVD / Thunderbirds: Volume 1 [1965]
Actors & Directors
  • John Tate
Release date: 2004-07-19
Run time: 197 min.
RRP: £15.99
Price: £5.71

Review Thunderbirds: Volume 1 [1965] / ITV DVD:

"Filmed in VIDECOLOR [explosions, drum roll, music builds to a climax] and SUPERMARIONATION"! The opening sequence of Thunderbirds is itself a masterclass in Gerry Anderson's marionette hyperbole: who else would dare to make a virtue out of the fact that (a) the show is in colour and (b) it's got puppets in it? But everything about this series really is epic: Thunderbirds is action on the grandest scale, pre-dating such high-concept Hollywood vehicles as Armaggedon by 30 years and more (the acting is better, too), and fetishising gadgets in a way that even the most excessive Bond movies could never hope to rival. Unsurprisingly, it transpires that the visual effects are by Derek Meddings, whose later contributions to Bond movies like The Spy Who Loved Me and Moonraker echo his pioneering model work here. As to the characters, the clean-cut Tracey boys take second place in the audiences' affections to their cool machines-the real stars of the show-while comic relief is to be found in the charming company of Lady Penelope and her pink Rolls (number plate FAB1), driven by lugubrious chauffeur Parker, whose "Yes, milady" catchphrase resonated around school playgrounds for decades. (Spare a thought for poor old John Tracey, stuck up in space on Thunderbird 5 with only the radio for company. ) The puppet stunt-work is breathtakingly audacious, and every week's death-defying escapade is nailbitingly choreographed in the very best tradition of disaster movies. First shown in 1964 and now digitally remastered, Thunderbirds is children's TV that still looks and sounds like big-budget Hollywood. On this DVD: International Rescue's very first adventure provides a template for all the rest: in "Trapped in the Sky" an experimental new aircraft becomes the target of an evil Bond-style megalomaniac who wants to get his hands on all the neat pieces of kit operated by the Tracey siblings. The show introduces, in fetishistic detail, the recurring set-pieces: Thunderbird 1 taking off from the roll-back swimming pool, which pod will Thunderbird 2 use this week-the mole or the submarine perhaps?-and so on. Nostalgia fans will be pleased to learn that despite digital remastering the puppet strings are still in evidence, and no amount of high-tech restoration could remove the clunky expository dialogue: Stewardess: "It's the maiden flight of the new atomic-powered Fireflash. " Passenger: "Isn't that the new aircraft that flies six times the speed of sound?" Stewardess: "That's right, but don't worry: it's perfectly safe. [+]
" [Cut to: interior, Fireflash landing gear, a device clearly labelled "Auto-Bomb Detonator Unit"] Sinister bad guy (talking to himself for no readily apparent reason): "Perfect. Enough explosives to smash the Atomic Reactor. " In the second episode, "Pit of Peril", an absurdly impractical US Army vehicle falls into the eponymous pit, necessitating use of pod five, the mole. Joy! Lady Penelope indulges in some James-Bond-style counter-espionage measures in the third episode, "The Perils of Penelope", while Parker indulges some of his famous Eliza Dolittle-isms; although he is trumped by the Cary Grant sound-a-like character Sir Jeremy Hodge (or 'odge as Parker would have it), whose response to a crisis is, "I say, open the door, we're British!". Then it's back to the action for the fourth episode, "Terror in New York City", in which poor Virgil is shot down by the US Navy in Thunderbird 2 before the boys must rescue an unscrupulous newshound from the wreckage of the Empire State Building (featuring the first appearance of their very own yellow submarine, Thunderbird 4) -Mark Walker.

Review ITC Entertainment group / THUNDERBIRDS - Complete collection of 32 episodes incl extras - dig. remastered - 8 disc DVD Box set
Run time: 1560 min.
Creator: Gerry Anderson
Price: £18.00

Review THUNDERBIRDS - Complete collection of 32 episodes incl extras - dig. remastered - 8 disc DVD Box set / ITC Entertainment group:

European import. Plays on standard UK DVD players in English without subtitles. Thunderbirds is a British mid-1960s television show devised by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson and made by AP Films using a form of puppetry dubbed "Supermarionation". The series followed the adventures of International Rescue, an organisation created to help those in grave danger using technically advanced equipment and machinery. The series focused on the head of the organisation, ex-astronaut Jeff Tracy, and his five sons who piloted the "Thunderbird" machines. A popular show, the series is still shown today and has inspired a number of subsequent television programmes and films. Set in the 21st century (the actual year remains a hot topic amongst fans, due to contradictory dates seen on newspapers and calendars in different episodes, though Gerry Anderson stated in a Sci-Fi interview that it was set in 2065) the show depicts the adventures of the Tracy family, which consists of millionaire former astronaut Jeff Tracy and his five sons: Scott (pilot of Thunderbird 1 and principal rescue co-ordinator), Virgil (pilot of Thunderbird 2), Alan (astronaut in Thunderbird 3), Gordon (aquanaut in Thunderbird 4) and John (principal duty astronaut on the space station Thunderbird 5) - each named after a Mercury astronaut - Scott Carpenter,[1] Virgil Grissom,[2] Alan Shepard,[3] Gordon Cooper[4] and John Glenn,[5] respectively. Together with Jeff's elderly mother called Grandma Tracy, the scientific genius and engineer "Brains", the family's manservant Kyrano and his daughter Tin-Tin, the Tracy family live on a remote, uncharted Pacific island. They are, in secret, the members of International Rescue, a private and highly-advanced emergency response organisation, which covers the globe and even reaches into space, rescuing people with their futuristic vehicles, the Thunderbirds.

Review 2 Entertain Video / Doctor Who - The Invasion (2 Disc Set) [1968]
Actors & Directors
  • Patrick Troughton
  • Frazer Hines
Release date: 2006-11-06
Run time: 192 min.
RRP: £19.99
Price: £5.88

Review Doctor Who - The Invasion (2 Disc Set) [1968] / 2 Entertain Video:


Review Network / The Day The Earth Caught Fire [1961]
Actors & Directors
  • Edward Judd
  • Leo McKern
  • Val Guest
  • Janet Munro
  • Michael Goodliffe
  • Bernard Braden
Release date: 2001-08-27
Run time: 99 min.
RRP: £19.99
Price: £6.94

Review The Day The Earth Caught Fire [1961] / Network:


Review 2 Entertain Video / Doctor Who - Beneath the Surface (The Silurians [1970] / The Sea Devils [1972] / Warriors of the Deep [1984])
Actors & Directors
  • Nicholas Courtney
  • Jon Pertwee
  • Peter Davison
Release date: 2008-01-14
Run time: 412 min.
RRP: £39.99
Price: £26.65

Review Doctor Who - Beneath the Surface (The Silurians [1970] / The Sea Devils [1972] / Warriors of the Deep [1984]) / 2 Entertain Video:

Bringing together the trio of adventures featuring Doctor Who's most famous underwater foes, the Beneath The Surface boxset has Sea Devils, Silurians, and adventures from both the Jon Pertwee and Peter Davison eras. It's perhaps logical to get past the weakest of the three adventures in this set first, and that honour falls to the Peter Davison story, Warriors of the Deep. It's not too bad though, even if it does display some of the silliness and budget constraints that helped define 1980s Doctor Who. It's still fun, however, and worth a spin. The two Pertwee adventures are terrific, though, and the real highlights of the set. The Silurians finds Jon Pertwee relatively new to the role, and blessed with an adventure that boasts excitement, adventure and a very good script. But our favourite is nonetheless the second story, The Sea Devils, which also brings Roger Delgado's take on The Master into the mix. It's a tense, involving adventure, and one of the finest of the Jon Pertwee area. That's not something to be said lightly, either. As is the norm with Doctor Who special edition DVDs, the set is then backed up with some terrific archive extras, along with commentary tracks and documentaries that all but justify the asking price alone. [+]
That you get two strong adventures and one reasonable one into the mix as well makes this one of the best classic Doctor Who boxsets released to date. Highly recommended. -Simon Brew.

Review 2 Entertain Video / Doctor Who - Black Orchid [1981] [1982]
Actors & Directors
  • Ron Jones
  • Matthew Waterhouse
  • Michael Cochrane
  • Sarah Sutton
  • Janet Fielding
  • Peter Davison
Release date: 2008-04-14
Run time: 50 min.
RRP: £12.99
Price: £8.60

Review Doctor Who - Black Orchid [1981] [1982] / 2 Entertain Video:


Models & Brands:
Doctor Who - New Beginnings (The Keeper of Traken [1981] / Logopolis [1981] / Castrovalva [1982]) [1963], First Men In The Moon [1964], The Valley Of Gwangi [1969], Doctor Who - The Dalek Invasion Of Earth [1964] [1963], Doctor Who - The Five Doctors (25th Anniversary Edition) [1983], Doctor Who - Resurrection Of The Daleks [1983], Doctor Who - Destiny Of The Daleks [1979], When Worlds Collide [1951], Barbarella [1968], The War of the Worlds: Special Edition (1953) [1954], Doctor Who - The Beginning (An Unearthly Child [1963] / The Daleks [1963] / The Edge of Destruction [1964]), Doctor Who - The Hand Of Fear [1976], Doctor Who - Remembrance Of The Daleks [1987], The Day The Earth Stood Still (2 Disc Cinema Reserve Special Edition) [1951], Thunderbirds: Volume 1 [1965], THUNDERBIRDS - Complete collection of 32 episodes incl extras - dig. remastered - 8 disc DVD Box set, Doctor Who - The Invasion (2 Disc Set) [1968], The Day The Earth Caught Fire [1961], Doctor Who - Beneath the Surface (The Silurians [1970] / The Sea Devils [1972] / Warriors of the Deep [1984]), Doctor Who - Black Orchid [1981] [1982]

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