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  Directed by
  Starring
  Specs
  • Widescreen 2.35:1
  • 16:9 Enhanced
  • Dual Layer (RSDL )
  Languages
  • English: Dolby Digital Stereo
  Subtitles
  • None
  Extras
  • 2 Theatrical trailer - Doctor Who and the Daleks, Daleks: Invasion Earth 2150 AD
  • 2 Photo gallery - Doctor Who and the Daleks, Daleks: Invasion Earth 2150 AD
  • Documentaries - Dalekmania

Doctor Who and the Daleks - 35th Anniversary Collectors Edition

Universal/Universal . R4 . COLOR . 167 mins . PG . PAL

  Feature
Contract

Doctor Who is a world-wide phenomena that began in the 1960s, when William Hartnell first stepped out of the TARDIS - the blue police box that allowed the Doctor and his companions to travel through both time and space. Of course, every hero needs his nemesis, and the Doctor, being a very talented man, had several - though none were more popular with viewers than the Daleks.

A race of roughly cone-shaped robots, bent on conquering the universe, nothing else quite looks or sounds like a Dalek. It was these creatures that were chosen to appear in the Doctor's first motion picture appearance: Doctor Who and the Daleks.

In a change from the television show, the Doctor was no longer a time-travelling alien from another world, but merely a man interested in science. A man who had created a machine capable of travelling through time and space (keeping the name TARDIS). Together with his two grand-daughters, Barbara and Susan, and Barbara's accident prone boyfriend, Ian, they travel to an alien world, where they discover a strange city populated by the Daleks.

Doctor Who and the Daleks was a huge success, turning a profit in it's first year of release, and triggering the creation of a sequel the following year: Daleks: Invasion Earth 2150 AD.

Invasion Earth sees the good Doctor travel to the future, specifically 2150 AD, to see what mankind has in store for themselves. There he and his grand-daughter Susan, his niece Louise, and Constable Tom Campbell, discover that the Daleks have enslaved humanity. While a resistance tries to fight the Daleks off, slaves are forced to dig a mine shaft to the core of the Earth - but for what purpose?

"Exterminate!"

  Video
Contract

It was only a few short years ago that I was lucky enough to see these two films on the big screen, at a 24-hour Science Fiction movie marathon, at the Valhalla Cinema in Melbourne. I remembered that, scratched and dirty print as I sat down to watch this DVD, expecting something similar, possibly in full frame though. I could not have been more surprised.

Other than the content of the films, you would think that they had been made only yesterday, such is the care that has gone into creating this wonderful little plastic disc. Colours are bright and crisp, as is the print that has been used to make the transfer, with only a little damage evident in the final segments of Invasion Earth 2150 AD. For such old material, I was hard pressed to spot any problems.

Not only are we given a brilliant image, but that image is gloriously present in 2.35:1, 16x9 enhanced widescreen! A Dalek lovers dream come true!

One gripe I do have though is the choice of layer change - right in the middle of a scene. Why not have the layer change during the docco, and have each film on a separate layer?

  Audio
Contract

Not to be outdone by the video, the soundtrack of to both movies has also been cleaned up, with nary a trace of a hiss or pop so common with old film soundtracks. Dialogue, music and effects are all presented in a pristine Stereo soundtrack.

  Extras
Contract

Many would consider the inclusion of two movies on one disc all the extras you need, but not with the Daleks!

In addition to Doctor Who and the Daleks and Daleks: Invasion Earth 2150 AD we get:

  • Trailers for both films. A little rough around the edges, to be sure (notably in the sound recording levels), these are the original trailers, run during the films' initial releases.
  • Photo galleries, consisting mostly of still shots taken from the film footage, but also showing the main promotional poster of each film.
  • Dalekmania, a 60 minute documentary discussing the popularity of the Daleks, during the 1960's and today, with interviews of some of the surviving cast members (Peter Cushing and Roy Castle both having passed away), fans, and the man behind Dr Who - Terry Nation. A very intersting piece, detailing the history of the Dalek phenomenon.

  Overall  
Contract

A new generation of Dr Who and Dalek fans can witness the move to the big screen in a quality meeting or surpassing that of it's initial release. This is a disc made by the fans of Dr Who, for the fans of Dr Who. If you are in that category, you simply must have this disc.

If you have never had the opportunity to witness the Doctor, his TARDIS, or the Daleks, pick up Doctor Who and the Daleks and have a bit of fun, flashing back to 1965.


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      And I quote...
    "The Daleks first arrived in the 60's, and they're back again - looking better than ever."
    - Andrew MacLennan
      Review Equipment
    • DVD Player:
          Pioneer DV-515
    • TV:
          Philips 29PT6361
    • Receiver:
          Denon AVR-2700
    • Speakers:
          Aaron ATS-5
    • Centre Speaker:
          Aaron CC-240
    • Surrounds:
          Aaron SS-120
    • Subwoofer:
          Aaron SUB-240
    • Audio Cables:
          Standard Optical
    • Video Cables:
          Standard Component RCA
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