"it ends with Tegan saying something
about "So, you're going on the run from your own people, in a rickety
old TARDIS?", to which the Doctor replies "Why not? After all, that's
how it all started."
The music then comes up in glorious mono like in the old days (split to two tracks,
I believe) and halfway through it mixes through into 5.1.
It was actually more obviously deliberate on the 1995 VHS release of the story, as
the credits ran a different length and the music cue was timed to happen when the
composer credit came up on screen. Impossible to do it on this version though..."
Please tell him you found his site via my Doctor Who review.
Note that the only things the sound and vision experts can't salvage are the BBC Model B
computer graphics from the era which recreate the Tower of Rassilon and the sound of an
intercom early on which is merely the sound of the same computer being switched on!
Extras :
Chapters :
There are 24 chapters spread throughout the 101-minute feature covering all
the major scenes.
Languages & Subtitles :
All the dialogue is in English and has subtitles in English (for the deaf and
hard of hearing), French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian and Dutch.
Isolated music tracks :
From the main menu you can select one of eight music tracks, be it the opening or closing
theme, plus other incidental music throughout the feature.
Booklet :
The plush booklet not only provides info about the five Doctors (or six if you
count Hartnell's stand-in), but also all the other characters from past and
the then-present who are drawn back into the series.
Menu :
This has to be one of the best DVD menus I've seen all year. All the options are presented
in a mock-up of the TARDIS console, circa the Fifth Doctor's era.
As you select a particular option (eg. language selection, music tracks, scene selection),
surround sound heaven starts early as the view above the console pulls back, circles around
and stops at the chosen place. It has to be seen to be believed because it's brilliantly well
done and fits in perfectly with the theme.
Also, note that when you boot up the disc you are treated to the Dolby Digital Helicopter
demo.
Overall :
To the die-hard Doctor Who fan with a DVD player, you need no more convincing.
You will already be parted from your twenty nicker. For those of us, like myself,
who don't eat, sleep and breathe Doctor Who but who have even a passing interest
in the show, it's not only worth a look for the content of the episode but also
for an example of a very well-presented disc.
If we were living in a perfect world, this disc would also contain an audio
commentary track from the director and the restoration team plus copious
production notes on all the cast and crew involved. However, what's available
on this disc is certainly worth the asking price.
The other titles now available are Monty Python: Best of Vol.1, The Black
Adder Series 1, Noddy In Toyland, Persuasion and coming in January 2000,
The Planets.
Scheduled for Spring next year are :
Monty Python: Best of Vol.2, Gormenghast, Walking with Dinosaurs and,
of course, Black Adder II.
As for which DVDs I'd like to see from the BBC in future. They include :
Red Dwarf (in their original versions, not the remastered form),
The Young Ones, Filthy Rich and Catflap, Fawlty Towers and, depending
on whether I could bribe the new DG with enough cash, Eldorado...
DVDs reviewed by the editor are watched on a Panasonic TXW32R4 32" widescreen TV
connected to either a Creative Dxr2 DVD-ROM player or Microsoft Xbox and
played through a Sony STR-DB930 amplifier.
PC games reviewed by the editor are on:
Since Nov 2005: Intel Pentium D 830 3.0Ghz, 1Gb RAM, 128Mb nVidia GeForce 6700XL, Windows XP
Since Aug 2003: Intel Pentium 4 2.66Ghz, 512Mb RAM, 128Mb GeForce4 MX440 graphics, Windows XP
Since May 2003: Intel Pentium 4 2.6Ghz, 512Mb RAM, 128Mb ATI Radeon 9600TX graphics, Windows XP
Since Jun 2002: Intel Pentium III 600Mhz, 384Mb RAM, Windows 98 SE, 64Mb ATI Radeon 8500LE
Since May 2000: Intel Pentium III 600Mhz, 384Mb RAM, Windows 98 SE, Voodoo 3 3000 AGP
