A Doctor Who Podcast
A bittersweet birthday announcement, as today would have been Elisabeth Sladen’s 64th Birthday. Sladen of course, played quintessential companion Sarah Jane Smith not only on Doctor Who, but also K9 And Company and The Sarah Jane Adventures.
She continues to be missed, but we would very much like to take a moment to celebrate her life. Happy Birthday, Lis..
We have reached a milestone in out more than a year worth of reviews here on Traveling the Vortex, Keith has finally seen all of the new series to date.
In this week’s show we tackle the epic two-parter The End of Time. Find out our impressions of the last outing of David Tennant. We take a different approach and present our views right along side yours as we read out your thoughts on the story.
Also, our reaction to this week’s news items in the Whoniverse.
Enjoy!
Links mentioned in the show:
moviebozer.com
Planet Comicon
Doctor Who: The Eternity Clock
Traveling the Vortex - The End of Spoilers [ 2:54:55 | 160.15 MB ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
Please join Traveling The Vortex in wishing Daphne Ashbrook, who played eighth Doctor companion Dr. “Amazing” Grace Holloway, a very happy 49th birthday!
Tonight is the end.
The end of Russell T. Davies tenure on the show.
The end of David Tennant.
The end of the specials.
The end of an era.
The end of new Who for Keith.
The end of time…
Join @travelvortex, @VortexKeith, @vortexglenn and @vortexshaun for the live tweet-a-long with #TheEndOfTime part one and two for #FridayNightWho. We push play at midnight, CST.
We will also be taking a 5 minute break between parts so that those watching on DVD/BluRay can switch disks.
Just to update everyone on the upcoming Traveling The Vortex topics so that you can continue to follow along…
This weeks Friday Night Who is the end of the specials, the end of New Who for Kieth, and “The End Of Time, Part 1 and 2” which we’ll discuss on this week’s episode #57.
Friday Night Who on 2/3 is our first FNW with Christopher Eccleston, as we watch Series One’s “Dalek” in preparation for episode #58, a look at the Time War.
Then, on 2/8 we’ll jump to the Peter Davison era by starting the Black Guardian Trilogy. This week is “Mawdryn Undead”.
Our discussion for episode #59 will be a retrospective look back over Russell T. Davies tenure on the show, and we’ll cover series 1-4 plus the specials.
Friday Night Who on 2/17 falls right in the middle of Gallifrey One’s Network 23 convention, but that won’t stop us from watching “Terminus”.
Episode #60 will be a full report of Shaun’s experiences at Gally, (But look for some Side Trips as Shaun reports live from Gally all that week!)
On 2/24, we’ll complete the Black Guardian Trilogy on Friday Night Who with “Enlightenment”.
And episode #61 will be our complete recap of the Black Guardian Trilogy, as we talk about all three episodes.
And the future? Well, always in motion is the future. (But I can let slip that it involves the return of the Cybermen, a companion archive, and more Big Finish audios.)
According to www.tvshowsondvd.com the BBC have announced two more titles to the line up for this year, “The Daemons” and “Carnival Of Monsters: Special Edition” both starring Jon Pertwee as the Third Doctor, and Katy Manning as Jo Grant. You can find more on the releases here.
These titles, likely to be released April 10th, join the already announced slate:
2/14/12
#007 “The Sensorites” – William Hartnell
#136 “The Caves Of Adrozani: Special Edition” – Peter Davison
#226 “The Doctor, The Widow And The Wardrobe” – Matt Smith (DVD & BLU RAY)
3/13/12
#037 “Tomb Of The Cybermen: Special Edition” – Patrick Troughton
#064 “The Three Doctors: Special Edition” – Jon Pertwee
#089 “Face Of Evil” – Tom Baker
#090 “Robots Of Death: Special Edition” – Tom Baker
From http://www.atvtoday.co.uk
Matt Smith and Karen Gillan have won National Television Awards for their roles in Doctor Who.
The press may have claimed – not entirely accurately – that ratings for the sixth season of Doctor Who were in decline but it seems the fans were satisfied with and the performances of lead actors Matt Smith and Karen Gillan. The two have picked up awards at this year’s National Television Awards.
To read more click here!
In this week’s show we make the trip way back for an Adversary Archive on the Ice Warriors starting with the Second Doctor’s first encounter in the appropriately titled The Ice Warriors. Then another outing with the Second Doctor as the Ice Warriors return in The Seeds of Death.
Next, we turn our attention to two Third Doctor stories, The Curse of Peladon, and it’s sequel, The Monster of Peladon. And then Glenn reviews a medium that has not been looked at until now on Traveling the Vortex, as the Tenth Doctor and Donna meet the Ice Warriors in the IDW comic book, Cold Blooded War.
Of course we chime in on the latest news and rumors, and listen to your feedback. Enjoy!
Links mentioned in the show:
Traveling the Vortex - Episode 56 - On the Rocks [ 2:30:02 | 137.35 MB ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
Based on the inspiring TRUE story of 13 year old Bethany Hamilton, who survived a shark attack and the loss of an arm to become one of the top professional surfers in the world, this is a very well made and dare I say, inspirational story.
The cinematography is stunning (although being from Hawaii, I can say there were a few liberties taken with some of the locations, but that’s nit-picking) and really showcase the beauty of the islands and ocean. The directing by Sean McNamara is top notch. Helen Hunt and Dennis Quaid give solid performances as the parents, Kevin Sorbo is well cast as a friend of the family, and the other surfers come off like Disney tween show villains. AnnaSophia Robb shines as Bethany, carrying the film one handed (no pun intended.) The only down spot is Carrie Underwood, woefully miscast as a evangelical preacher, and her limited acting ability shows.
If the film falls down, it’s in the message portion. I’m aware that I might receive some flack for this, but it is possible to do an uplifting inspiring movie that happens to put forth a religious agenda, without the agenda. There were many scenes where we moved along nicely and suddenly we were thrown into a “come to Jesus” moment. I don’t have anything against a spiritual slant to a film, but this one didn’t need it. It was well evident from the way it was handled throughout that the family relied on their faith in God to see them through things, and when Bethany has a crisis of “why me” after the attack and her faith is shaken, it’s emotional enough without being hit over the head with the message.
Indeed, when the character goes on a mission trip to a country devastated by a hurricane, and sees first hand how in comparison she hasn’t lost everything, the moment would have been so much more powerful if we hadn’t just had twenty minutes of religion prior to it. Without it, the movie would have been moving and spiritual. With it, it feels like a calculated play for my soul, and while I don’t begrudge anyone for their beliefs (“Just go forward in all your beliefs, and prove to me that I am not mistaken in mine” as the Doctor once said) I don’t want to be suckered into church during what was billed as entertainment.
But overall, a well made enjoyable family film.
SOUL SURFER – B
Saw this amazing video once again by the incomparable Babelcolour, featuring EVERY Doctor Who story from 1963-2011.
Pixar can do no wrong.
With a string of outstanding hits that includes TOY STORY, MONSTERS INC, UP, and WALL-E, the studio has a long history of putting out films that involve great stories paired with great animation.
At least that’s what I used to think.
When I saw the preview for the first CARS, I remember thinking that it was going to be the studio’s first misstep. I thought the animation looked subpar for them, and the concept left a lot to be desired. But after watching the movie, I found (as with all Pixar films) a very touching and well written story of friendship, couched in a perfect piece of kid friendly animation. Lets face it, kids love cars. Talking cars just makes them cooler.
CARS 2 falls into the sequel trap that seems to plague most Disney productions. Given a hit, Disney does what most studios do, commissions another one, thinking of the money that will come rolling in by returning to the familiar. And plenty of sequels do that well. CARS 2 feels like a monetary decision from moment one. It expands the universe away from the race tracks and Radiator Springs in the first film and goes for a James Bond world adventure with spies. Ordinarily, no problem. Except Pixar has already tackled this type of film (and much better) in the superhero themed THE INCREDIBLES, which when you get right down to it, IS a James Bond flick (The super villain has henchmen, a secret volcano lair, and a whole bunch of toys). But while I’m sure they existed in the CARS universe, spies weren’t needed in the CARS universe.
I appreciate the effort that was made to shift the focus in the second film, but it doesn’t really work either. TOY STORY, while a definite buddy flick, is really Buzz Lightyear’s story. His path to acceptance that he is in fact, a toy. TOY STORY 2 flipped the equation to Woody, allowing him to discover his “value” as a toy. The same could be said for the live action OCEAN’S ELEVEN. While given two equal characters in Danny and Rusty, the first film is Danny’s story and how he reunites with his love. OCEAN’S TWELVE is Rusty’s story and how he reunites with his love. So we know this formula does work. BUT, we’re taking two equal characters in these other films. No matter how you slice it in the first CARS movie, Matter is a side kick to Lightning McQueen. Larry The Cable Guy is funny in small doses, and was perfect in the first film. But by trying to shift that focus to Matter in this movie, they’ve elevated him beyond sidekick status and into leading man territory. That means the cute fun Larry The Cable Guy becomes over the top, in your face for a full 2 hours Larry The Cable Guy, and it’s just a bit too much. There is a surprisingly adult story at the heart of CARS 2 in the plot of old lemons like Gremlins and Etzels banding together to gain respect at last (or maybe that’s not surprising, this is Pixar, after all) but it feels secondary to the friendship and acceptance between McQueen and Matter.
Having said all that, CARS 2 is a cute film, and fun to watch. Finn MacMissile is aptly voiced by Michael Caine, and is everything a suave British secret agent should be, and once again John Tutturo shows off with a odd little accent in a film and seems to have a lot of fun with it. The locations are bright and colorful, and the supporting cast from Radiator Springs do make appearances, though truncated cameos. I have to admit, I payed a lot of attention to the backgrounds during the London race, hoping for a glimpse of a Police Box somewhere in the background. I was rewarded when one character (strapped to a giant gear inside Big Ben) makes the comment, “trying to turn back time… if I can only reverse the polarity…” definitely a WHO fan somewhere at Pixar.
For all it’s flaws, CARS 2 is worth watching, but it does become the first Pixar film that I won’t own, and I think suffers primarily from being a sequel that didn’t need to be made. (And the trend will continue, as Disney brings us PLANES, set in the same universe but without the Pixar touch. The trailer? Meh.)
CARS 2 – C
With under a month to go to Gally, yet another guest has been announced…
Gallifrey One’s Network 23 website reports the original TARDIS console created for the 1996 TV movie will be on display at the convention for it’s first ever public appearance, with the same lights, motion and newly added sound effects. Guests can see this restored, one-of-a-kind prop in person all three days of the convention in the Cosplay Hall. Professional photos with the console will also be available.
As if I wasn’t excited before…
While tempted to do a Tom Baker story tonight in honor of his birthday, we have a schedule to adhere to, so tonight at midnight (CST) we hope you’ll push play on Patrick Troughton’s 2nd Doctor story, “The Seeds Of Death”. As always, join @vortexglenn, @vortexshaun, @VortexKeith and @travelvortex for the live tweet-a-long and look for the #FridayNightWho and #TheSeedsOfDeath hashtags.
And if you’re hankering for some Tom Baker, I understand #DWBarUSA is watching “The Talons of Weng Chiang” tomorrow at 7:30 EST!
For some strange reason, I always manage to miss Denzel Washington movies when they’re out, and don’t see them until they’ve been on DVD for months. UNSTOPPABLE was no exception, but I’ve been playing catch up this week! Chris Pine is the rookie rail worker paired with Denzel’s veteran. They get on each others nerves at first, but soon bond. No big surprises there. But when a runaway train loaded with toxic chemicals threatens a Pennsylvania town, things get interesting.
This is director Tony Scott’s fourth film with Denzel Washington (following MAN ON FIRE, DEJA VU, and THE TAKING OF PELHAM 1 2 3) and you can almost feel the comfort level between the two. Scott makes great action thrillers, and this one is no exception. Nice to see Chris Pine again (although there were shades of troubled James Kirk in his performance) and the always lovely Rosario Dawson could bark orders at me through a headset anytime she wanted. Of course the true stars of the film are the trains themselves–big, powerful, rolling steel engines of death–and Scott and his team film them beautifully. A solid action movie, (and for some reason now I need to hunt up a copy of SILVER STREAK to watch, as Mel has never seen that one.) 🙂
UNSTOPPABLE – A
As seen and heard around the vortex…
* Torchwood: Miracle Day has been nominated in the Outstanding Drama Series category of the 23rd Annual GLAAD Awards. GLAAD Media Awards honor outstanding media images of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community that inspire change.
* Gallifrey One’s Network 23 has updated their guest list again, click HERE for the details, but in a nut shell you can cross Tony Lee and Mary Tamm off your autograph list and add Caitlin Blackwood (Young Amy Pond from “The Eleventh Hour”, “The Big Bang”, “Let’s Kill Hitler”, and “The God Complex”, Simon Fisher-Becker (Dorium Maldovar from “The Pandorica Opens”, “A Good Man Goes To War” and “The Wedding Of River Song”), Waris Hussein (Director, “An Unearthly Child”), Nigel Fairs (Big Finish), Daniele Favilli (Angelo Colasanto from Torchwood: Miracle Day), Linda Thorson (Tara King, The Avengers), Travis Richey (Inspector Spacetime on Community), Jay Acovone (Kowalski, Stargate SG-1), and Vernon Wells (Power Rangers).
* Grand Moff Steven continues to dangle bits of Who news before us like string before deranged kittens–that is, without really revealing anything. In an interview published shortly before Christmas, Moffatt said “I can clarify that we start shooting in mid-February, but I can’t tell you what the schedule is.” He later clarified, “We always do 14 because we do the Christmas special as well and obviously we start in the autumn with the Christmas special as part of the run, so it’ll be at least 14.”
In regards to the 50th Anniversary, he hinted there may be more than one special episode… “Why talk in the singular? Again, genuinely, the plans are at an early stage, but we have some very clear ideas about some of the things we’re doing, and I think Doctor Who fans and kids will think it’s the best thing ever. We’ve got a load of very big plans – the mere fact that we’re talking about this two years before the event should tell you how seriously we’re taking it.” In an interview uploaded yesterday Moffatt said, “I promise you, for so many reasons I can’t talk about yet, there will never be a better time to be a Doctor Who fan, I absolutely promise that.” All this on top of teasing the departure of the Ponds, and the (maybe) arrival of Sophia Miles as the new companion.
* On a sad note, we mourn the passing of acress Jenny Tomasin at age 75. Jenny played the role of Tasambeker, an infatuated employee of Tranquil Repose who fell victim to manipulation by Davros in the 1985 Colin Baker Doctor Who story “Revelation Of The Daleks”, (which we just watched on Friday Night Who a month ago), but Tomasin was better known as Ruby on Upstairs Downstairs.
