Product: Doctor Who [VHS] (1975)
Rating: 3.0
Memory Cheats with Castrovalva
The term 'memory cheats' represents a concept I'd never been able to apply to myself before, or at least when it came to remembering 'DW' (now, names and faces... my memory doesn't know how to play fair!). Never before did that nasty shock of disappointment arise until CBS/Fox got around to releasing 'Castrovalva'. That's right, fellow saddos, I said 'Castrovalva'.I used to think of 'Castrovalva' as the definitive regeneration story. It was the tail end of the Master trilogy, the three stories that ended the over-extended reign of Tom Baker and made this young viewer a fan. This video release, now in its proper episodic format, still retains a bit of the magic I recall from multiple viewings in the early Eighties. The pre-credit sequence is as fabulous as ever, but that's only because it's a 'Logopolis' leftover. The first episode has held up very well over the years; Peter Davison does a great job playing the here-and-away Doctor. The cornucopia of continuity was then a new thing and fit perfectly well into the plot, unlike the shuffle and deal method applied later in the novels. The last few seconds of episode one exemplifies what goes wrong in the other three parts. Lame special effects, a that-can't-really-happen-can-it plot line, Adric being crucified with cheese wire, and, of course, Anthony Ainley's first try at the Brian Blessed approach to acting. Sadly, Anthony's hideous job at playing the Master is loudly underscored by his convincing performance as the Portreeve. Alas, Ainley is more easily remembered for his panto performance in episode four, when he tries opening the indestructible zero cabinet with a crowbar, only to have it fall apart with a firecracker flash and an accompanying 'P'yoo!' when he drops it on the floor. And then... 'My WEB!!!' Ugh.But still, the recursion theme is rather catchy (catchy could be used to describe the music on the tape as well) and is stressed with the cute artwork that adorns the video jacket. Too bad the video inside the box wasn't as rewarding; perhaps I wouldn't have been able to admit, finally, that memory can cheat.