was restored for this DVD release, but still leaves a bit to be desired. Like most of the original epi- sodes, “Inferno” is a mix of location footage shot on 16mm film and in-studio recording directly to videotape. It is what it is and, in this case, with the original source materials destroyed, it should be no surprise that the filmed segments look grainy and the video appears a tad soft. Even at its best, however, the show never looked slick, and the pre- sentation of “Inferno” found here is quite accept- able. In any event, what DOCTOR WHO has always had going for it in lieu of technical polish is a wealth of fine British acting talent to draw upon, and this serial is no exception. Besides Pooley (who wrote and appeared in CRUCIBLE OF HORROR that same year and, according to the IMDb, would later be an uncredited writer on Tobe Hooper’s LIFEFORCE), the guest cast includes Derek Newark, Christopher Benjamin (more on him later) and director Camfield’s wife, Sheila Dunn, who landed her important role as one of the project scientists after Kate O’Mara proved unavailable thanks to Hammer’s THE HORROR OF FRANKENSTEIN. Ms. Dunn should be given credit for continuing bravely on with the show during her husband’s hospitalization, while Kate O’Mara would
have to wait until 1985 before finally appearing in DOCTOR WHO.
“Inferno” comes with a second disc that fea- tures an abundance of bonus features, including a 2m 44s intro by Pertwee shot for an earlier TV rebroadcast, a photo gallery set to electronic soundscapes and music (6m 10s), an inconse- quential deleted scene, a 6m promo film on visual effects, and a few Easter eggs hardly worth the effort of finding. More substantial and enjoyable extras are the self-explanatory CAN YOU HEAR THE EARTH SCREAM? MAKING “INFERNO” (34m 42s) and THE UNIT FAMILY—PART ONE (35m 33s), a featurette on UNIT, the United Nations Intelligence Taskforce which featured so prominently during Pertwee’s run as the Doctor. Despite the title, the featurette is satisfactorily self-contained. Both documentaries are letterboxed and include lots of great clips from other serials. One of the revela- tions is that Caroline John was running around battling monsters while three months pregnant, something that was getting harder and harder to conceal. Ironically enough, she was informed at wrap that she would not be asked back; it was felt that her scientist character was just too smart to
In “Inferno,” the Third Doctor (Jon Pertwee, right) must escape an alternate Earth before the Primords take over.
27
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84
