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Doctor Who - The Curse of Fenric [1989] [1963] | ![Doctor Who - The Curse of Fenric [1989] [1963]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/515KXGV2R7L._SL160_.jpg)
 enlarge | Actors: Sylvester Mccoy, Sophie Aldred
Studio: 2 Entertain Video
Category: DVD
List Price: £19.99
Buy New: £5.75
You Save: £14.24 (71%)
New (13) Used (3) from £5.11
Rating:  19 reviews
Format: Pal
Language: English (Original Language)
Rating: Parental Guidance
Region: 2
Discs: 1
Number Of Discs: 2
Running Time: 103 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6
EAN: 5014503115425
ASIN: B0000AISJ9
Theatrical Release Date: September 29, 1975
Release Date: October 6, 2003
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
Condition: All of our items are brand new and take approx 4-6 working days (excluding weekends) from order to delivery. We only deliver to the UK.
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Amazon.co.uk Review
Doctor Who: The Curse of Fenric is one of the best of Sylvester McCoy's Seventh Doctor adventures, a complex tale set around a naval installation on the North Yorkshire coast during WWII. The busy plot involves a Russian commando unit, a code-breaking computer, opening gambits in the Cold War, ancient Norse inscriptions concerning even more ancient evil, a new twist on vampirism, chess, global pollution and a creature from the end of human history. Key to all this is the theme of faith and a time paradox centred on Ace (Sophie Aldred), which ultimately turns out to be the resolution to mysteries that have haunted the Doctor's companion all her life (they were first touched upon in 1987's Dragonfire, also written by Ian Briggs). The show was shot entirely on location and has above average production values, generating tension and exciting set-pieces even when the plot threatens to get lost in its own tangles. Nicholas Parsons complements McCoy and Aldred by turning in a strong performance as the local minister and the tale pays homage to such horrors as Plague of the Zombies (1966), Night of the Living Dead (1968), and John Carpenter's The Fog (1980) and Prince of Darkness (1987) with aplomb. Sadly there would only be one more story, the disappointing Survival (1989), before the BBC put the Doctor into suspended animation. On the DVD: Doctor Who: The Curse of Fenric is presented in two versions on a truly remarkable two-disc set. Disc 1 contains the four original 25-minute episodes exactly as originally broadcast with stereo sound. Disc 2 offers a completely updated version of the Special Edition originally released on video in 1991. This 103-minute version is supervised by composer Mark Ayres and follows director Nicholas Mallett's original cut. The episodes are edited like a feature film and incorporate approximately 10 minutes of extra story material. The picture has been regraded and the sound remixed into full Dolby Digital 5.1 by Mark Ayres using the original stereo sound elements and his music files. The result is a massive improvement over the original series' episodes. Disc 1 also includes an informative commentary with McCoy, Aldred and Parsons and an isolated score. There is the usual information text, scored photo gallery and subtitles for the episodes and the commentary. "Modelling the Dead" shows Sue Moore and Stephen Mansfield making the Haemovore masks; "Claws and Effect" shows the BBC Special Effects unit on location; also included are 20 minutes of highlights from the 1990 Nebula 90 SF convention with Aldred, Ayres, Briggs, Tomek Bork, Joann Kenny, Mansfield and Moore, while "Take Two" is a four-minute piece on the story presented by Phillip Schofield. Disc 2 also features "Shattering the Chains" (an excellent analysis of the show by writer Ian Briggs), "Recutting the Runes" (a fascinating interview with Mark Ayres on preparing the Special Edition) and a good interview with costume designer Ken Trew. --Gary S Dalkin
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| Customer Reviews:
 Childish? Far from it! January 9, 2006
Jimmy Lovesey (Cardiff, South Wales)
14 out of 15 found this review helpful
Whoever said this adventure was childish has seriously confused me. This is the creme de la creme of classic who. Absolutely stunning.
Season 26 of Doctor Who as a whole was absolutely incredible, taking things up a notch from Season 25, which in itself was damn good. The 4 episodes that make up Curse are a fine example of this- exciting, creepy, thrilling, and mysterious. The Cartmel Masterplan was well underway and Doctor Who was finally utilising its potetial to be the ultimate sci-fi series ever - and also a great family show... yes, FAMILY but not CHILDREN'S. Children could enjoy the show for the action, adventure, and scary monsters, but at the same time their parents would be able to appreciate so much more.
The Doctor was not the man he used to be. He was becoming mysterious, manipulative, threatening even. He no longer stumbled randomly from place to place, falling into trouble and getting out of it, in seasons 25-26 you always got the feeling he was... up to something. Sure enough, upon arrival at a WWII British military base the doc ends up battling an ancient enemy from deep in his past, coincidence? One gets the eerie feeling that maybe all these years he claimed to not really know where he was going, maybe he did, and that he had a reason...
Anyway, forgetting the dr for a second, then we have Ace, probably the most interesting character ever to travel in the TARDIS (aside from the dr of course). Unlike most other regulars throughout Who's original 25year run Ace actually had character development!!! She grew, blossomed and matured in her 31 episodes on TV(not to mention what happened to her in the book series that ran when the series was cancelled!), and in Curse we have her "sexual awakening", Ace is no longer a girl, but a woman, using her bubbling sexuality to distract one of the soldiers to give the doctor a clear run. And of course, in Curse we discover that she is no normal Who companion, and, two seasons since she joined the TARDIS crew, we find out that her meeting with the doctor was no coincidence... But I wont reveal too much for the sake of anyone who still hasn't seen it, but its good! Especially so if you've seen stories preceeding it(or at least "Dragonfire" and "Silver Nemesis")
The extra characters in this story are also well sketched out and portrayed, Nicholas Parson playing Wainright is incredible, he makes the character (a Reverand who has lost is faith in Christ because of the War, especially the barbaric actions of the BRITISH military) incredibly believable and sympathetic. Also worthy of note are Tomek Bork as the well meaning Russian Captain Sorin, Alfred Lynch as the deranged Nazi-sympathiser Commander Millington, and Dinsdale Landen as the wheelchair-bound Doctor Judson. Of particular interest are the underlying hints of a possible romantic relationship between Millington and Judson, and Ian Briggs(the scriptwriter) himself admits that he concieved Millington's madness was in part due to his struggle with homosexuality in the brutal world of the British Army in the 1940's; whilst Judson's crippled nature is obviously symbolic of a deeper, personality "disability", and the only manner he can overcome it is to succomb to another's will. Powerful Stuff.
And for anyone who doesn't care about all the other stuff and just wants a fun run-around, it's a great Who good versus evil battle with great production values.
So with its stunning visuals, fascinating characterisation, shocking plot twists(including those that relate to seasons ago), deep subtext and above all else, a damn good story; what is there not to like in "The Curse of Fenric", and, more to the point, what, pray tell, is childish?
Terrific November 29, 2003
11 out of 13 found this review helpful
The Curse of Fenric was one of the best Dr Who stories ever produced by the BBC. This DVD includes a feature length version of the story, which restores deleted and truncated scenes. It works far better with those scenes included. By this time, Sylvester McCoy had won his battle to emphasise the mystery in the Doctor and had become one of the best-ever Doctors. He is simply great in this story, as he was throughout the final season of the show. The Curse of Fenric is dark, clever, well-produced and benefits from the DVD format. It serves as a reminder of what the BBC could have done if it had stuck with the series. Lets hope they learn the lessons if they really do bring the Doctor back.
 How can I put this? May 10, 2004
9 out of 90 found this review helpful
A disgusting, offensive insult to the intelligence of anyone who ever liked the real Dr.Who series before the Cartmel/MacCoy parody years. I hated this story and this whole lousy terrible crummy era. Over all? Bad. And not only that, but I didn't like it much either! So there! Nyer!
The real McCoy! June 16, 2006
Andrew Magowan (BELFAST, CO DOWN United Kingdom)
9 out of 11 found this review helpful
Poor old Sylvester as one poster said, poor old Sylvester indeed. He has had somewhat of a drubbing in some of the reviews here so i'm here to bring order to the chaos!
First up don't be lulled into the impression that McCoy is a bad doctor, he isn't! To me he is one of the best. He had a shaky start yes, but the McCoy era produced some of the very best episodes of doctor who ever made.He is a fine actor but was let down by some rotten scripts and bad writers.
With all doctors, McCoys stories run the gauntlet of bad to good. Weh have the likes of the dire Happiness patrol and delta and the bannermen to the middle of the road silver nemesis, greatest show in the galaxy and ghostlight, and the excellent Remembrance of the daleks, battlefield, the curse of fenric and survival.
This story is definitely up there with the likes of the city of death and genesis of the daleks. It has some excellent acting,especially from Millington and of course McCoy. An excellent plot and (by 80's doctor who standards) some excellent effects. Although the dvd offers you a chance to watch an updated version complete with new effects, it lacks the cliffhangers, So I recommend you watch the original version first as the all of the cliffhangers are pretty darn good.
McCoy does a fine job of bringing some mystery and a hint of menace to a character that was slowly turning into a childrens side show. It's just a crying shame it was cancelled just when it was on the verge of becoming a truely excellent series.
If you're a member of the die hard tom baker fan club you may want to avoid this, but as for all other who fans out there I invite you to come and enjoy doctor whos best kept secret, the McCoy era!
best Sylvester "WHO" May 14, 2004
7 out of 10 found this review helpful
this is the first S.McCoy WHO i ever saw, and the best one!
Even compared to other Who-actor era's, this one is one of my favourites! (i love vampire stuff!)
the story has nice, spooky build up, great special effects, a dramatic sence, in all, very well done. it was also the very first Dr WHO video i ever bought.
recommended!
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