Superman the Movie

This is it. The unstoppable force. The towering Mount Everest of superhero films. Almost three decades later still among the most beloved, respected and watched superhero flicks of all time. Superman: The Movie did it all, and did it all well.
Look to Richard Donners Superman 2 to the second part of this movie ,something ill cover at a later date 
From story to action to characters and so much more, it delivered in a way few superhero movies had ever delivered before or since .
And it all hinges on one thing: Christopher Reeve. Reeve was Superman. He inhabited the dual roles of Superman and Clark Kent with such charming nobility and Jimmy Stewartesque wit ,oozing charm and charisma and creating the loveable bumbling mild mannered Clark Kent like Cary grant , two separate characters that you believed were different people just see his transformation after taking Lois out for a spin, , audiences couldn’t help but love him. He was affable and kind, a hero and a regular guy.
We had to believe – and Reeve allowed us to do exactly that. The role turned him into an icon, it was a carer defining performance and once again put Superman forward as an American ideal. Truth. Justice. The American Way. That’s what it was all about.
Great believable effects ,you believed a man could fly ,as for the most part he actually did, many meters up in the air swinging across the sky line ,reeves athletic prowess and ballet moves bring a realism to it
His iconic suit perfectly realised here the ‘S’ the colours, his chiselled features and black slick hair and curl all spot on  the eye for believability and truth in everything is what really sets this film apart
Verisimilitude indeed

Yet Superman: The Movie had even more going for it than just Reeve. Gene Hackman’s Lex Luthor may have been over the top and goofy, a far cry from the maniacal evil of comicdom’s Luthor, but that was no flaw. Years before Nicholson stole Batman’s show as the Joker, Hackman comes close to doing the same as Luthor. Throw in the always fantastic Ned Beatty, Margot Kidder’s tough  Lois Lane, and Marc McLure in a good turn as Jimmy Olsen,and Marlon Brando adds gravitas to papa supes Jor El, Terence Stamp in fine villain form as General Zod  along with many others, and you’ve got the makings of a great cast.
But a cast is nothing without a good script … and this one was great! We get a fantastic origin story, sink into the world of Superman, watch him save the day again and again,his early days in Kansas Smallville his friendships as Clark the breath taking scenes and memorable lines in the Fortress under training from Dad (“There a great people kal-el if they wish to be, they only lack the light to show them the way “) “You got me ,who’s got you ?”,and even get to see him turn back time.
And under the direction of Richard Donner and with help from Stuart Bairds great editing  the film shapes up in a way only he could deliver with honesty and truth with the characters centre stage, the look of the film go’s down to geofry unsworth it has a old school film quality glow to it
From the opening scene your on a emotional roller coaster, and a thundering terrific score by John Williams iconic themes abound 
It’s superhero goodness in its purest form. No angst. No gritty violence. No sex, drugs or rock and roll. Just tried and true, red white and blue heroism.it will give you goose bumps make your hairs stand on end even after watching for twenty years
And isn’t that what being a superhero is all about?

elisabeth sladen

Well news broke last night, the Actress Elizabeth Sladen died after a long battle with cancer age 63,Sladen appeared as Doctor Who assistant Sarah Jane Smith  between 1973 and 1976, opposite Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker.and again in 2006 alongside David Tennant 

I remember Liz from doctor Who as i have said elsewhere i may of had Dr Who in the 80’s but the burgeoning video market was started and funny enough  while watching Dr 5 take on the awakening or the Daleks or the Master and then the rani take on Dr 6  i sat and watched my three videos as well, Pyramids of Mars, Revenge of the Cybermen and Death to the Daleks  renting Terror of the Zygons and the Time Warrior all featuring Sarah Jane as a companion
then years later in early 90s with uk tv gold we had repeats like Genesis of the Daleks and the Brain of Morbius 
I also had the Target novels and art work and photos from Magazines to books etc so although not my companion one i new well
I liked her she was OK never got the ‘ Big’ Thing’ about her personally Ace (Sophie Aldred) was the best companion but i suppose we can all say that,
She certainly was a long serving companion ,and returned for the specials like the Five Drs, i suppose she was a archetype companion the girl next door off for fun and adventure with her friend ,she was always very vocal about the program ,the actors etc and appeared on many compilations dvd extras etc and always spoke candidly and honestly
She was well served by the BBC and apeared in the majority of repeats videos and articles  and was truly from the Golden age of Dr Who

It is sad to hear and after loosing the old boy Brigadier  Nicholas Courtney it is sad to hear another so soon  and she was no age really
Sadly never really met or spoke to her did see her once at a convention ,but i did enjoy her portrayal of Sarah i liked her performance against Tom mainly
so bit of a icon in the world of Doctor Who now no more but surely immortally captured on film forever
Thanks for the years of enjoyment

7th Doctor and TARDIS COLLECTERS set

Got my 7th Dr Tardis set today i am a 80s child this was, is, my TARDIS So i really looked forward to saving and buying this one

Looks the part to me sort of, this by Character Options/ Design Works  was designed so could be reused endlessly to be all previous variants of the TARDIS (tho that isnt possible) but as it stands ,in my opinion reminds me of the one in Black orchid and other 5th Dr story’s
But nice enough ,very McCoy blue ,shame about the signs not being full stretch and no weathering ,but yeah sat on the shelf looks ok

If i had spent £17 rrp on it in Tesco for example i would have no qualms what so ever about this ,in fact id get a few
£35 rrp FP store only and ‘collectors’ item sorry it isn’t

And at the opening of it the disappointment really set in.

This being (i know im way behind ) my first classic TARDIS wow am i let down ,why is the electronics so poor ? the noise is short tiny weak (with new batteries) and flat sounds like its coming from the bottom of a metal bin in the other room and a few seconds only unlike the previous FCT tht has the full length effect from the 60s and various other sounds thrown in for goood measure  , the lamp is poor thrown together moulding and the main plastic walls are so thin, that upon closing the phone panel door i was worried it was going to snap

It is really poor relation to the ‘mass produced toy’ of the new series FCT in build quality electronics  etc so sad for this money i really do expect more

Velvet Jacket

ok this one is going to be short BUT it is something that bugged me for years
What happened to the 5 drs costume’s ?( I have seen plenty of them ive been to tons of Exhibitions ,name one i have been to it ,)
in Blackpool had costumes and  alas the remnants of others sadly deeply unfortunate the one made for Richard Hurndall is no where to be seen ,(I suspect the ‘Hartnell’ Cane that was in attendance at Blackpool was his ) there was Pat Troughtons Trousers and coat from both 5 and 2 Dr’s there was Jons 5 Dr’s Inverness Cape (It is not a cape, its a winter over coat for Edwardian gentlemen in the Country leaving arms free so they can still shoot ride etc)
Jon Pertwees 3 Dr’s rust red Jacket all but all of Peters (His last one adjusted for Collin Baker) with a odd Jumper from the CIN skit and first shirt not the later one that was framed elsewhere and Collins last one red check 2 of sylvs well one the last one but cream jacket was there nothing alas on Mcgann (Canada still usa fans home ? ) but as you can tell and given Mr Turners meticulous storage of such items it is a mystery

Ok ok so what’s important ………………well its made for him for the episode (He had ones made for himself for appearances (Most infamous his purple and grey coat set up that appeared everywhere)  and from photos wore his screen used ones as well the black/ red appearing as late as 83) but this was made for the 5 Drs and if you ever saw that story he doesn’t take the tartan cape off (which i CAN confirm is totally different to his one used on screen in Green Death etc and the man was huge well over 6 ft and broad)
It looked so nice to a deep scarlet red with light red piping (He loved his piping chord or silk it was always there  ) and seems a nice Jacket  to do And feeseable with the CO variant as lets face it he had 2 in his era on  Who the aforementioned rust red with stand up collar and frog closer and the ‘ day of the Daleks’ one that appeared sometime in claws of axos, that had a rolled collar with frog closer  , as i dont want to get into serious re sculpting which i would to do these, i played a technicality 3rd Drs appearance is set in his last season(why he knows Sarah) in the 5 Drs, i do like it and this is again one story very vivid to me so why not

But reference i could do with it ,then one day decided to sit watch the Collin Baker Years (Just sorting who videos out and it caught my eye) and there it was ,id forgotten about it and then suddenly wham there it was large as life
On Collin Bakers back ………..

 what am i wittering on about Twin Dilemma  you can show this to people to make them talk trust me ,a recent poll conducted by Doctor Who Magazine asked readers to rank every single story from 1963 all the way to today  “The Twin Dilemma” came in dead last; in an odd twist, the story that immediately precedes it, “The Caves of Androzani,” took the #1 spot. It’s true and if you are unfortunate to see it you can see why do you remember the really bad 70s sci fi ? American usually and it was all pastel and jump suits etc and invariably nylon ?,well welcome to the 80s version its garish for sake of it its tin foil and badly designed ideas of ‘o its shiny its futuristic’ yes sadly this included the Drs costume
add really bad scripts none existent story’s  a script editor who was less than enthused and elsewhere and ermmmmmmmm poor collin got a rough deal , personally the very opening scene in the Tardis console room i really like Collin is a Actor a character Actor he hits it spot on (and as a man he is great) but soon as the interior door opens its all downhill rapid

Anyway back on track here you go not best quality (done online) but you should see it the same details 🙂 Pleased with myself there ‘well spotted that man’  great reference not read anywhere else about this