:: theLogBook.com DVD Reviews ::

In the retrospective 1990s, when the only new Doctor Who coming out was in print, fandom took advantage of the lull in the proceedings to take stock of the Doctor’s time travels thus far. One argument that emerged in the ensuing discussion was “rad vs. trad,” or, in English, radical vs. traditional storytelling. Stories in which the Doctor and friends landed in the middle of something, got captured, escaped, meddled, sorted things out and ran up and down corridors a lot in between were considered “traditional” - this was the sort of storytelling that went all the way back to 1963. “Radical” stories were those that defied such categorization, often using novel storytelling devices such as flashbacks, flashforwards, bucketloads of internal dialogue, and so forth; anything with a postmodern flavor to it tended to fall into the “rad” category.

Without getting into any of the debates that sprung up about the merits of “rad” and “trad” Who, it’s funny that Eric Saward, the 1980s script editor who helped to push Doctor Who, kicking and screaming, out of the 70s, got in the door with The Visitation, a script that is decidedly “trad.” (more…)

One of the very first Doctor Who stories I had the pleasure of watching as an enthralled kid, Pyramids Of Mars is back in fine style on DVD. Perhaps next only to The Brain Of Morbius, Pyramids Of Mars may well be the culmination of producer Philip Hinchcliffe’s gothic-horror-cum-science-fiction vision for his reign. This DVD’s extras grab that theme by the lapels, shake it up real good, and take off running with what comes out of the pockets. (more…)

A Manchester pub-crawler vanishes one night, only to be found later on a back road, claiming to be the son of God. Naturally, the authorities dismiss his claim, attributing it to a hangover, but he’s determined to prove himself. With his friends wondering if he’s gone mad, he steps into a football match and proceeds to pull off a miracle, literally turning day into night, and instantly attracting worldwide media coverage, speculation, and skepticism. He announces to a global audience that judgement day is fast approaching - in five days, no less - unless humanity can write its own Third Testament. The media spotlight turns to hysteria, and the skepticism escalates into assassination attempts, apparently fueled by the devil himself in human form. And perhaps worst of all, this self-proclaimed son of God can offer no clues as to what the Third Testament should say… (more…)

It’s been such a long time since the original broadcst of Carl Sagan’s Cosmos series that I wondered if revisiting it would be an occasion for wonderment, or an occasion for laughter. Just the fact that it’s been reissued in the past few years is amazing in and of itself. Someone - several someones, more accurately, including Dr. Sagan’s widow and frequent co-author Ann Druyan - felt like it was worthwhile. And after reviewing the entire 13-episode series, I find myself agreeing with them. (more…)

Just to lay my cards out on the table, there is almost no possible way for any DVD set of the original Star Wars trilogy to meet my greatest hopes. Lucasfilm could put out a series that dwarfs the upcoming 10 disc Matrix extravaganza, and I would still want more interviews, more documentaries, and more behind the scenes footage from the making of the films. And I am almost certain that at some point down the road, probably when high definition video is as commonplace as DVD is today, there will be an Even More Special Edition of these films with additional extras. (Digital Bits has already reported that such a thing is in the works, in fact.) That said, I really enjoyed this 4-disc set, and it delivers very good value for the $40-$45 most retailers are selling it for. (more…)