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Post by Cyggy on Mar 5, 2022 0:24:01 GMT
Please rate and discuss this story here.....
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Post by Cyggy on Mar 7, 2022 23:50:50 GMT
A story of two halves, I guess. The first a kind of rural horror tale with gothic roots. The second that bizarre trial on a a spaceship. The whole thing reminded me of "Children of the Stones" a bit, with the ring of stones - and "Quatermass" was only a year away with an alien threat involving standing stones again. I like the clever way the Doctor gets the two tinkerbell judges to check Caesare of Diplos' identity. Tom just happening to have a judge's wig in his pocket strains credibility to breaking point and beyond though imo.
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Post by GC on Mar 19, 2022 5:08:50 GMT
Yeah, the first couple of episodes of this were rather good I thought. Then the story went all tits up once it got to the spaceship...
The Megara were poorly realized twinkling fairy lights with irritating high pitched voices. And then Tom went and whipped out his barrister's wig...
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Post by rapscallion on Mar 19, 2022 5:59:21 GMT
Lol, I get where you're both coming from about the barrister wig, and this is definitely a story of two halves, but I still find it really entertaining.
Pity it didn't keep the Gothic quality all the way through as the setting and tone (plus the early evening/night time filming) of a large portion of it was excellent.
Overall, I still rate this the best story of Season 16.
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Post by Black Orchid on Jun 6, 2022 23:55:33 GMT
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Post by Future-Diver on Jun 7, 2022 6:43:55 GMT
Emilia: Are you from outer space? The Doctor: No. Emilia: Oh. The Doctor: I'm more from what you'd call inner time. Emilia: Ah.
Part Folk Horror tale, part Douglas Adams-y space romp, I really like The Stones Of Blood - definitely one of the highlights of Season 16 (Professor Rumford is smashing -I'm particularly impressed by the wonderful chemistry between Tom Baker and Beatrix Lehmann - two great eccentrics together).
I adore the gruesome scene when the hapless campers encounter the Ogri, and their hands melt away to bare bone as they are absorbed by the blood-thirsty stones! I also like it when the Doctor and Romana are invited back to Emila and Vivien's cottage for sausage sandwiches - you never got sausage sandwiches in Star Trek or Space 1999...
9/10
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Post by Cyggy on Jul 8, 2022 9:53:43 GMT
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Post by rapscallion on Feb 14, 2023 14:20:30 GMT
I couldn't resist watching this one again as part of my winter re-watch. Not only is it my favourite of Season 16, it's also one of my favourites from the 4th Doctor era.
Almost any story that has a gothic quality to it is up there on my list of 'the greats'. Part One is superb, set on the moors and has a real spooky atmosphere with the ravens, plus De Vries's wonderful old house. The Cailleach is creepily different and I love the costume for it. I also like the Ogri even though they don't really work that well when they're in action.
The whole cast is great, but I have a particular fondness for Susan Engel as the brilliantly camp Vivean Fay. And I do enjoy Part 4, despite it being over the top. I can forgive Tom Baker for putting on that judge's wig. Mary Tamm is just stunning here, and looks beautiful in that red outfit during the second half of the story.
And the original Terrance Dicks novel of this story and it's evocative cover always reminds me of a little village fairly near where I live. I was reading this story in the back of my parents car circa 1983 (years before I saw the TV story itself) when they drove over to the village to look for fancy dress costumes for a friend's party. (Not a Cailleach costume). And nowadays I can't drive through there without thinking of The Stones Of Blood. Again, Doctor Who and nostalgia, like hand in glove.
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Post by Future-Diver on Feb 15, 2023 6:52:10 GMT
I couldn't resist watching this one again as part of my winter re-watch. Not only is it my favourite of Season 16, it's also one of my favourites from the 4th Doctor era. Almost any story that has a gothic quality to it is up there on my list of 'the greats'. Part One is superb, set on the moors and has a real spooky atmosphere with the ravens, plus De Vries's wonderful old house. The Cailleach is creepily different and I love the costume for it. I also like the Ogri even though they don't really work that well when they're in action. The whole cast is great, but I have a particular fondness for Susan Engel as the brilliantly camp Vivean Fay. And I do enjoy Part 4, despite it being over the top. I can forgive Tom Baker for putting on that judge's wig. Mary Tamm is just stunning here, and looks beautiful in that red outfit during the second half of the story. And the original Terrance Dicks novel of this story and it's evocative cover always reminds me of a little village fairly near where I live. I was reading this story in the back of my parents car circa 1983 (years before I saw the TV story itself) when they drove over to the village to look for fancy dress costumes for a friend's party. (Not a Cailleach costume). And nowadays I can't drive through there without thinking of The Stones Of Blood. Again, Doctor Who and nostalgia, like hand in glove. I find that The Stones of Blood goes really well with Children of The Stones (1977) - a feast of stone circle folk horror! I particularly like that gruesome scene in Episode 3 of TSOB when the campers encounter the Ogri, and their hands melt away to bare bone as they are absorbed by the blood-thirsty stones! Imagine that in the modern series!
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Post by rapscallion on Feb 15, 2023 8:49:21 GMT
I couldn't resist watching this one again as part of my winter re-watch. Not only is it my favourite of Season 16, it's also one of my favourites from the 4th Doctor era. Almost any story that has a gothic quality to it is up there on my list of 'the greats'. Part One is superb, set on the moors and has a real spooky atmosphere with the ravens, plus De Vries's wonderful old house. The Cailleach is creepily different and I love the costume for it. I also like the Ogri even though they don't really work that well when they're in action. The whole cast is great, but I have a particular fondness for Susan Engel as the brilliantly camp Vivean Fay. And I do enjoy Part 4, despite it being over the top. I can forgive Tom Baker for putting on that judge's wig. Mary Tamm is just stunning here, and looks beautiful in that red outfit during the second half of the story. And the original Terrance Dicks novel of this story and it's evocative cover always reminds me of a little village fairly near where I live. I was reading this story in the back of my parents car circa 1983 (years before I saw the TV story itself) when they drove over to the village to look for fancy dress costumes for a friend's party. (Not a Cailleach costume). And nowadays I can't drive through there without thinking of The Stones Of Blood. Again, Doctor Who and nostalgia, like hand in glove. I find that The Stones of Blood goes really well with Children of The Stones (1977) - a feast of stone circle folk horror! I particularly like that gruesome scene in Episode 3 of TSOB when the campers encounter the Ogri, and their hands melt away to bare bone as they are absorbed by the blood-thirsty stones! Imagine that in the modern series! I've never seen Children Of The Stones, unless it was repeated when I was a kid and it flew over my head. But I rather get the feeling that if I had seen it I'd know about it. I only really know of it from seeing it being talked about by some of you on here. For me, The Stones Of Blood's closest Doctor Who compadre is K9 And Company which I also thoroughly enjoy still. And yes, that scene of the two ill-fated campers on the moors is great.
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Post by Cyggy on Feb 15, 2023 11:37:05 GMT
I find that The Stones of Blood goes really well with Children of The Stones (1977) - a feast of stone circle folk horror! I particularly like that gruesome scene in Episode 3 of TSOB when the campers encounter the Ogri, and their hands melt away to bare bone as they are absorbed by the blood-thirsty stones! Imagine that in the modern series! View AttachmentI've never seen Children Of The Stones, unless it was repeated when I was a kid and it flew over my head. But I rather get the feeling that if I had seen it I'd know about it. I only really know of it from seeing it being talked about by some of you on here. For me, The Stones Of Blood's closest Doctor Who compadre is K9 And Company which I also thoroughly enjoy still. And yes, that scene of the two ill-fated campers on the moors is great. Always found the intro music on "The Children of the Stones" spooky.... I reckon someone saw "Children of the Stones" on broadcast in 1977 (probably David Fisher - unless the idea was suggested to him by Who's script editor) and thought "Okay! That would make a good Who story!". Definitely a direct influence. one way or another, I think. HTV seemed to have a thing for spooky themes, also giving us the intro to "Into the Labyrinth", shot at Wookey Hole, with a fair few Who writers like Robert Holmes on board too, along with Ron Moody showing us what his interpretation of the Doctor might have looked like. Visit: "Children of the Stones" (1977) Visit: "Into the Labyrinth" (1981)K9 and Company was great too I thought, considering it was a first attempt at something new. Certainly preferred the premise of the show more than "The Sarah Jane Adventures". JN-T was so ahead of the curve in trying to get a Doctor Who spin-off out there way back then. Yeah, that camping scene in TSOB creeped me out when I read it in the novelisation too. Good old Uncle Terry.
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Post by Future-Diver on Feb 15, 2023 11:40:17 GMT
I find that The Stones of Blood goes really well with Children of The Stones (1977) - a feast of stone circle folk horror! I particularly like that gruesome scene in Episode 3 of TSOB when the campers encounter the Ogri, and their hands melt away to bare bone as they are absorbed by the blood-thirsty stones! Imagine that in the modern series! I've never seen Children Of The Stones, unless it was repeated when I was a kid and it flew over my head. But I rather get the feeling that if I had seen it I'd know about it. I only really know of it from seeing it being talked about by some of you on here. For me, The Stones Of Blood's closest Doctor Who compadre is K9 And Company which I also thoroughly enjoy still. And yes, that scene of the two ill-fated campers on the moors is great. "For me, The Stones Of Blood's closest Doctor Who compadre is K9 And Company which I also thoroughly enjoy still" - Yes - you're absolutely right. I'm also very fond of K9 and Company: A Girl's Best Friend - despite the poor reputation it seems to have with fans. I adore anything featuring weird stone circles, creepy little English villages and pagan ceremonies. I do strongly recommend Children Of The Stones though - it was genuinely disturbing and clever - tea-time Folk Horror/Sci Fi.
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Post by rapscallion on Feb 15, 2023 12:03:06 GMT
I've never seen Children Of The Stones, unless it was repeated when I was a kid and it flew over my head. But I rather get the feeling that if I had seen it I'd know about it. I only really know of it from seeing it being talked about by some of you on here. For me, The Stones Of Blood's closest Doctor Who compadre is K9 And Company which I also thoroughly enjoy still. And yes, that scene of the two ill-fated campers on the moors is great. "For me, The Stones Of Blood's closest Doctor Who compadre is K9 And Company which I also thoroughly enjoy still" - Yes - you're absolutely right. I'm also very fond of K9 and Company: A Girl's Best Friend - despite the poor reputation it seems to have with fans. I adore anything featuring weird stone circles, creepy little English villages and pagan ceremonies. I do strongly recommend Children Of The Stones though - it was genuinely disturbing and clever - tea-time Folk Horror/Sci Fi. I'll seek out Children Of The Stones. Think it's about time I saw it with so many of you on here recommending it. Maybe it's on Britbox or some such channel. I shall investigate.
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Post by Cyggy on Feb 15, 2023 12:07:40 GMT
"For me, The Stones Of Blood's closest Doctor Who compadre is K9 And Company which I also thoroughly enjoy still" - Yes - you're absolutely right. I'm also very fond of K9 and Company: A Girl's Best Friend - despite the poor reputation it seems to have with fans. I adore anything featuring weird stone circles, creepy little English villages and pagan ceremonies. I do strongly recommend Children Of The Stones though - it was genuinely disturbing and clever - tea-time Folk Horror/Sci Fi. I'll seek out Children Of The Stones. Think it's about time I saw it with so many of you on here recommending it. Maybe it's on Britbox or some such channel. I shall investigate. The full series is on Youtube... either as all complete 7 episodes here or lumped together into a marathon omnibus with the credits chopped out here
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Post by rapscallion on Feb 15, 2023 14:10:59 GMT
I'll seek out Children Of The Stones. Think it's about time I saw it with so many of you on here recommending it. Maybe it's on Britbox or some such channel. I shall investigate. The full series is on Youtube... either as all complete 7 episodes here or lumped together into a marathon omnibus with the credits chopped out here Cheers for the heads-up, buddy
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