• Mood: watching

Marco Polo and Stone Tape

Been working my way through the first Hartnell season of Doctor Who, in preparation for Swancon. I'm writing mini-reviews of each episode as I go, which will make their way up here at some point, but just had to pause and say that the first episode of Marco Polo blew my socks off all over again.

Steady pace, great characterisation on all the cast, not just regulars or the guests. But both Mark Eden (Polo) and Hartnell deserve special mentions for great performances. Says a lot that I enjoy the story so much with just audio, script, and telesnaps.

Also watched Nigel Kneale's The Stone Tape today, which was also pretty darned cool. The characters were three-dimensional and well realised, and the story was slow but steady. And at times really creepy. Easy to see how it helped inspire Spielberg and Hooper on Poltergeist, and Carpenter on Prince of Darkness (though Kneale thought that film rubbish).