Doctor Who... Page 761

Quote: chipolata @ June 8 2011, 9:39 AM BST

Is Casablanca film noire, Marc? I tend to think more of films like The Maltese Falcon or Chinatown when I hear the term - films with complex plots, almost maze-like at times. Which the hero stumbles through. (Although I get what you're saying!)

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Yeah it's Noir. There are different types of Noir you are thinking of the private detective ones - specifically Raymond Chandler who did have complicated plots. For example when asked 'who killed the Chauffeur?' he famously said he didn't know.

Quote: Kevin Murphy @ June 8 2011, 10:30 AM BST

Thanks for the spoiler, douchebag.

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Oops.

Quote: Tim Azure @ June 8 2011, 10:49 AM BST

I don't think you have explained-you've just told us the complicated plot of Casablanca. Besides Doctor Who focuses on the people, at least does now. Do you want to return to the old days when they go to a planet, get chased around, a companion gets captured and then gets rescued? That was simplicity.

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I don't think it is a complicated or complex plot personally. What I meant is the story is set in a bar but deals with the whole notion of what the war was about as the writer saw it. By focusing on the simple human relationship he explored the whole second world war. Stories as metaphor. I guess what I mean in WHO is... I don't like him becoming an arch angel figure through all space and time, destroying races rebooting universes etc, the more human he is the more I prefer it. But it's just personal taste.

Awwwww

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-13693811

Some warm tributes to Roy Skelton who obviously played a big part in a lot people's childhoods.

Quote: Afinkawan @ June 8 2011, 12:42 PM BST

Awwwww

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-13693811

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Very sad. The Daleks had truly scary voices.

George and Zippy were great too. Although I always thought it cruel that Zippy could have his mouth zipped up on a whim.

You know, what's funny is we were all glad when Moffat took over from RTD - even me.

I thought the show would loose some of it's sentimentality, pointless complexity and... well, naffness, but here it is, more tangled, mawkish and naffer than ever. There were so many things wrong with 'A Good Man Goes to War' both in conception and realisation that I suggest he puts the script for the next episode in Critique and gets some help.

The most shocking realisation is that Moffat can't actually write. Not in the Tony Marchant, Danny Broklehurst, Ashley Pharaoh sense anyway. He's always been a borrower and too many of his episodes have left me thinking of other things for me to really enjoy his writing, but I hadn't realised he was so bad at bricks-and-mortar storytelling until now.

It no surprise that Moffat has ushered in a pre-credits teaser since he took over - this is all he can write. His episodes are essentially set-piece after set-piece strung together. There is no rhythm or cadence to his writing - instead of letting it germinate and come alive in the mind of the viewer we are left waiting for the next Moffat trick, be it Rory offering out the Cybermen or a Silurian killing and eating Jack the Ripper.

Incidentally, a Lesbian Silurian wielding a samurai sword and living in Victorian London is the reason I don't read comics. Please don't bring this shit into Who.

There were moments of genuine cleverness in the story - the headless monks - jarring in an episode with the Cybermen as they represent what the Cybermen were supposed to but never have properly - the folly of pursuing an idea to it's logical conclusion. The Sontaran nurse, a very good idea, though marred by terrible production design and the pinching of the gene-splicing concept from Bioshock.

But everything else was wrong - really wrong, from the seven samurai plot strand to the nonsensical, inappropriate Amy pregnancy - if f**king in the Tardis makes the baby a Timelord - as stupid an idea as the telepathic headbutt - why has this never happened before? Are we supposed to assume that the Doctor is only a backdoor man?

See what I did there Moffat - smut. I f**king love it, too, but keep it out of the show. I haven't mentioned it before but it's been irritating me for some time. If you want to make jokes about sex write another series of Coupling. The 'unless there's two of them/that was a whole different birthday' joke was seedy beyond belief.

Quote: Tim Azure @ June 8 2011, 10:49 AM BST

I don't think you have explained-you've just told us the complicated plot of Casablanca. Besides Doctor Who focuses on the people, at least does now. Do you want to return to the old days when they go to a planet, get chased around, a companion gets captured and then gets rescued? That was simplicity.

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A fairly brilliant pocket-sized sketch of what you should do by Marc P. But you didn't get it. This is why some people think Moffat is doing an okay job.

[quote name="Godot Taxis" post="773358" date="June 9 2011, 2:38 PM BSTThe Sontaran nurse, a very good idea, though marred by terrible production design and the pinching of the gene-splicing concept from Bioshock. [/quote]
The Isle of Dr Moreau surely?

Quote: Godot Taxis @ June 9 2011, 2:38 PM BST

But everything else was wrong - really wrong, from the seven samurai plot strand to the nonsensical, inappropriate Amy pregnancy - if f**king in the Tardis makes the baby a Timelord - as stupid an idea as the telepathic headbutt - why has this never happened before? Are we supposed to assume that the Doctor is only a backdoor man?

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Oh come on the Dr was never a cocksman, he was always a beloved sexless uncle like Santa.

The fact that Moffat is having some fun with this and also using it to give the character some more aline depths.

Well that only be a good thing surely?

Quote: Godot Taxis @ June 9 2011, 2:38 PM BST

Incidentally, a Lesbian Silurian wielding a samurai sword and living in Victorian London is the reason I don't read comics. Please don't bring this shit into Who.

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The character was silly.

But no sillier than Absolom Dax Dalek slayer.

You don't read any comics? Now that does reflect a certain rigidity of thought and a wilful turning away.

Albeit stuff with superheroes is generally shite.

(except for Watchmen and the Ultimates)

Quote: sootyj @ June 9 2011, 2:46 PM BST

The character was silly.

But no sillier than Absolom Dax Dalek slayer.

You don't read any comics? Now that does reflect a certain rigidity of thought and a wilful turning away.

Albeit stuff with superheroes is generally shite.

(except for Watchmen and the Ultimates)

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I've read more comics than anyone alive. If you remember I recognised Doomlord when you had him as an avatar, but I did it all before I bust my cherry.

They're the tabloid newspaper of the literary world.

Come on Godot that was only last week.

And I'm still regretting it.

Worst 50 quid I ever made.

Quote: sootyj @ June 9 2011, 2:46 PM BST

But no sillier than Absolom Dax Dalek slayer.

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I used to like the Abslom Daak's comics. Frobisher was cool as f**k as well.

Back to Who Club!
I've got the Brain of Morbius DVD still in it's plastic at home.
It was a Christmas present from my Sister a few years ago but I've never watched it, mostly because I knew it was a lazy prezzie, but partly because I forgot I had it.
So I nominate this as the first Old Who episode to watch & dissect.
Y'know from that thing someone mentioned somewhere I think.

It's the wonky internal logic that is getting slightly irksome. I know that if you put stuff under a microscope then most dramas fall apart but I'm getting fed up with the constant 'oh the rules work like this' until they don't and are then ignored.
Tradis translation circuits for instance in the Mid Series Finale. They don't translate the Doctor's name because 'they don't translate Galleyfrayan' or some such utterance. (Sidebar - it appears that River understands Galleyfrayan and therefore could read the Doctor's name on the crib and that's how she knows it rather than whatever relationship she may or may not have.)
If the translation circuits were in working order, which we have to presume they were, then why didn't everyone understand Melody. The Doctor didn't have to know how to speak Baby. The Tardis does that automatically as long as its Time Lord is functioning. (See Christmas Invasion).

Grumble over.

Quote: KLRiley @ June 10 2011, 10:47 AM BST

If the translation circuits were in working order, which we have to presume they were, then why didn't everyone understand Melody. The Doctor didn't have to know how to speak Baby.

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Because babies communicate primarily with smells?

Quote: Steve Sunshine @ June 10 2011, 12:18 AM BST

Back to Who Club!
I've got the Brain of Morbius DVD still in it's plastic at home.

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I have not watched this since it was first broadcast but I seem to recall it involved Philip Madoc tussling with a foam rubber lobster with a goldfish bowl on its head. As a child I was terrified. (I was a very sensitive child.)

Quote: Marc P @ June 8 2011, 11:32 AM BST

Yeah it's Noir. There are different types of Noir you are thinking of the private detective ones - specifically Raymond Chandler who did have complicated plots. For example when asked 'who killed the Chauffeur?' he famously said he didn't know.

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As the author it was obviously himself who killed the chaufer

Quote: Godot Taxis @ June 9 2011, 2:38 PM BST

You know, what's funny is we were all glad when Moffat took over from RTD - even me.

I thought the show would loose some of it's sentimentality, pointless complexity and... well, naffness, but here it is, more tangled, mawkish and naffer than ever. There were so many things wrong with 'A Good Man Goes to War' both in conception and realisation that I suggest he puts the script for the next episode in Critique and gets some help.

The most shocking realisation is that Moffat can't actually write. Not in the Tony Marchant, Danny Broklehurst, Ashley Pharaoh sense anyway. He's always been a borrower and too many of his episodes have left me thinking of other things for me to really enjoy his writing, but I hadn't realised he was so bad at bricks-and-mortar storytelling until now.

It no surprise that Moffat has ushered in a pre-credits teaser since he took over - this is all he can write. His episodes are essentially set-piece after set-piece strung together. There is no rhythm or cadence to his writing - instead of letting it germinate and come alive in the mind of the viewer we are left waiting for the next Moffat trick, be it Rory offering out the Cybermen or a Silurian killing and eating Jack the Ripper.

Incidentally, a Lesbian Silurian wielding a samurai sword and living in Victorian London is the reason I don't read comics. Please don't bring this shit into Who.

There were moments of genuine cleverness in the story - the headless monks - jarring in an episode with the Cybermen as they represent what the Cybermen were supposed to but never have properly - the folly of pursuing an idea to it's logical conclusion. The Sontaran nurse, a very good idea, though marred by terrible production design and the pinching of the gene-splicing concept from Bioshock.

But everything else was wrong - really wrong, from the seven samurai plot strand to the nonsensical, inappropriate Amy pregnancy - if f**king in the Tardis makes the baby a Timelord - as stupid an idea as the telepathic headbutt - why has this never happened before? Are we supposed to assume that the Doctor is only a backdoor man?

See what I did there Moffat - smut. I f**king love it, too, but keep it out of the show. I haven't mentioned it before but it's been irritating me for some time. If you want to make jokes about sex write another series of Coupling. The 'unless there's two of them/that was a whole different birthday' joke was seedy beyond belief.

A fairly brilliant pocket-sized sketch of what you should do by Marc P. But you didn't get it. This is why some people think Moffat is doing an okay job.

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Splendid words, my good man!