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simon cogan
United Kingdom
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Picking up from my last post about writer's block, Epicurean commented on the biggest problem is being distracted by other projects and games, so that when the block hits, it's very tempting to 'go over to the dark side' and leave a project.
But, as he says, it's very, very hard to go back (once you've started down the dark path etc etc). This is why these inner demons of tantalising shiny new games ('Fortune and Glory', I'm looking at you!) have to be pushed away. Now, I'm having a blast with FaG and it's one of the best I've bought. As we've gone through the different layers of the game, introduced new elements and built it up gradually, it's been a real adventure. Now that a friend has painted the minis for me, it's added the icing on the cake too. We got walked all over by the Nazis in our first game to have a 'vile organisation' last week but we didn't care one bit - it was SO much fun.
So, getting back to DWSSG, I really have to have a lot of self discipline to keep it going when it gets difficult. 'Silence Will Fall' is going to be, like the season it's modelled on, a complex and involving one and I want to do it justice too. But this makes it hard to write, so I'm doing a lot of head-scratching right now and then going frantic when I do get some inspiration!
Listening to music I find also helps. Youtube has some inspiring stuff and great videos that remind you that 'Doctor Who' is of course the best thing going and I'm looking forward to the new Series 6 soundtrack from Murray Gold as I'm sure it wil keep me going too.
Here's a great one to check out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zm7aE4xUjwQ&feature=related
Of course, watching episodes keeps my mind on Who and this week (I've skipped a Doctor for those of you keeping track - but McCoy will be next week) it was the TV Movie.
I picked this up again recently when I bought the 'Revisitations' set. Originally I wasn't going to bother but the extras looked good and I managed to find the set for the absolute bargain price (brand new in Sainsburys) of £10!!
I enjoyed the TV Movie for what it was - a brave, if slightly misguided, attempt to revive the TV show. It has loads of faults - needless continuity where it shouldn't be, a plot that is absolute nonsense when you think about it and a camp villain. But it also has a lot going for it and now viewed after 6 years of the new show it is an amazing bridging piece that straddles the two eras of Who.
Best is Paul McGann who would've been great as no 8 (and continues to be on audio), but Daphne Ashbrook plays Grace perfectly too. The TARDIS looks fantastic and the budget is suitable for what it wants to do. Even McCoy (who the BBC REALLY didn't want in it) looks so much better here with a more subtle performance. There are lovely moments coupled with bits that you'd rather forget - I'm referring to the half human reference here which is so 'Star Trek'. The kissing which enraged fandom at the time however seems so tame now that we've had 6 years of snogging and innuendo from Docs 9-11. Another area where the Movie preempts the changes in the character of the Doctor...
Good fun overall. Brave, with some great performances, but let down by a trying-too-hard-to-be-faithful and continuity laden script. The ending by going back in time to prevent Grace and Lee's death is just dumb too (but hey, think of River jumping off the building in 'Day of the Moon'...) I'm going with 7/10 - but closer to 7.5 I think.
What about you?
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