Special Features [AUDIO/2010.12.15]
★★★★★
As an amateur collector of physical media for various films and -- of course -- Doctor Who, I'm mad about commentaries. I'm especially fond of commentaries done by a bunch of cranky old people who barely remember the movie/TV episode they did decades ago, fumbling over minute details in order to satisfy the producers who pay them. The odd "oh yes, nice chap he was..." and the "great actress, really, really rather good, yes..." are niche things to find enjoyment out of, true, but I find them enjoyable. It's something I never thought Doctor Who would base an entire adventure on, and yet John Dorney strikes yet again with Special Features. It's never not hilarious, it's brilliant, and it achieves the hardest job of all: dancing the fine line between taking the absolute mickey out of infamous Doctor Who DVD commentaries and expressing true love for the show, warts and all.
Really, these one-part adventures in four-story anthologies Big Finish does from time to time are so brilliant. It's a good way to tell short amazing stories without the need to stretch the narrative until it starts to become padded. It also brings way for more experimental attempts, which Special Features absolutely is, and I'm all the more grateful for whoever first came up with the idea. I love this so much, the idea of a bunch of old people gathered around a recording booth doing a commentary on a Hammer-esque horror movie and the Doctor having to save the day within these confines. Peter Davison also brings in an extra layer of fun (and believability) because he was always the naughtiest in these commentary tracks... close your eyes and pick any random Fifth Doctor DVD, and his commentary will either make or break your day.
As an amateur collector of physical media for various films and -- of course -- Doctor Who, I'm mad about commentaries. I'm especially fond of commentaries done by a bunch of cranky old people who barely remember the movie/TV episode they did decades ago, fumbling over minute details in order to satisfy the producers who pay them. The odd "oh yes, nice chap he was..." and the "great actress, really, really rather good, yes..." are niche things to find enjoyment out of, true, but I find them enjoyable. It's something I never thought Doctor Who would base an entire adventure on, and yet John Dorney strikes yet again with Special Features. It's never not hilarious, it's brilliant, and it achieves the hardest job of all: dancing the fine line between taking the absolute mickey out of infamous Doctor Who DVD commentaries and expressing true love for the show, warts and all.
Really, these one-part adventures in four-story anthologies Big Finish does from time to time are so brilliant. It's a good way to tell short amazing stories without the need to stretch the narrative until it starts to become padded. It also brings way for more experimental attempts, which Special Features absolutely is, and I'm all the more grateful for whoever first came up with the idea. I love this so much, the idea of a bunch of old people gathered around a recording booth doing a commentary on a Hammer-esque horror movie and the Doctor having to save the day within these confines. Peter Davison also brings in an extra layer of fun (and believability) because he was always the naughtiest in these commentary tracks... close your eyes and pick any random Fifth Doctor DVD, and his commentary will either make or break your day.
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