Anyone who has read this site with any frequency over the last decade should know that aside from the European cult and horror films that gives this site its name, my other obsession is Doctor Who. Most notably the classic run of the show that ran from 1963-1989. I’ve seen every existing episode of Doctor Who, and at this point many of the Loose Cannon recons.
Early on in my Doctor Who fandom, when I was unaware of which Doctor’s counted, and what not. I stumbled on to the 2 Dalek/Peter Cushing films, produced by Amicus in the 1960’s. If I really thought about it I would have to guess I saw both of these films, before I saw the serials they were remakes of. After I found the original Hartnell episodes I sort of disregarded these as inferior remakes, and sort of put them into a corner of fandom reserved for things like the Airzone Solution and the Stranger, and didn’t really watch them since.
Though I did at the least keep the film in my thoughts as something that at least skirted cannon. During the 4th season (of the continuation) finale The Stolen Earth/Journey’s End the Doctor (David Tennant) makes a human clone of himself (and SPOILERS) ends up sending him to an alternate dimension to live with Rose Tyler. For some reason soon after seeing this it popped in my head that the human alternate 10th Doctor, could be the “Cushing Doctor Who”. As he is many years aged, and the Doctor Who in the Amicus is a human unlike the alien in the TV series.
BUT I DIGRESS.
Doctor Who the TV series started in 1963, and became a sensation in the UK. One of the most popular elements of the show were the villainous pepper pot shaped Daleks. Due to their popularity DALEK MANIA soon swept England. Amicus Studios picked up the rights to Doctor Who, and made 2 movies based on Terry Nation’s first 2 Dalek serials. 1963’s The Daleks and 1964’s The Dalek Invasion of Earth. The films were titled Dr. Who and the Daleks and Daleks’ Invasion Earth 2150 A.D. (try and say that one 3 times fast).
The first film basically sees Peter Cushing’s Doctor travel across time and space in his newly created T.A.R.D.I.S. Device with his granddaughters Susan and Barbara in tow alongside Barbara’s clumsy new boyfriend Ian. They end up on a hostile planet occupied by a kind race called the Thals, and a race of warmongering cyborg entities The Daleks. This planet is dosed highly with radiation and The Doctor and his companions soon begin to succumb to it. They must work with the Thals in order to defeat the Daleks, and try to overcome the lethal radiation.
Daleks’ Invasion Earth 2150 A.D. (try saying that 3 times fast), sees the Doctor going to future Earth with his niece and granddaughter only to find the Daleks have taken over and basically turned London into a post-apocalyptic waste (the best kind). They are joined this time by a police officer named Tom, and quickly join up with the anti-Dalek resistance.
OK, so I’ve sort of come to terms with these films on this viewing. They aren’t “Doctor Who” in the sense that it is traditionally known. Ian, Barbara, and Susan, aren’t the Ian, Barbara, and Susan of the show, and even though Susan does remain the Doctors granddaughter, she is most definitely not the same character. The Thals/Dalek conflict remains in place in the first film, and so do the Dalek/Resistance element, but the elements that make the serials so successful aren’t all the way here.
That being said if you could push the show versions out of your head (or haven’t seen them). These can be fun. Cushing makes a great “Doctor-like” character. The films have great staging, sets, and use of color. The Daleks are just fun villains to have around especially in their 1960’s prime. No, the movies aren’t perfect, but they are perfectly good Saturday afternoon viewing.
The Blu-ray’s from Kino Lorber are struck using the 2013 HD master from Studio Canal. Both are presented 2:35:1 in 1080p AVC encoded transfer. Everything looks solid, colors pop, detail is excellent, grain is more prominent in the 2nd film, but looks natural. Audio is handled with an HD audio track in English, and comes through crisp and clear. Extras include an interview with Bernard Cribbins on Invasion Earth, an interview with Gareth Owens on both discs, commentaries with Kim Newman, and the 57 minute Dalekmania documentary plus more. RECOMMENDED.