Doctor Who - Horror Of Fang Rock [1977]

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Primary Contributor : Tom Baker
Primary Contributor : Louise Jameson

Product Details

Director : Paddy Russell
Actor : Tom Baker, Louise Jameson, Colin Douglas, Rio Fanning
Format : Closed-captioned, HiFi Sound, PAL
Binding : VHS Tape
EAN : 5024165740859
Product Group : Video
Release Date : 1998-07-06
Running Time : 95minutes
Studio : 2 Entertain Video

ASIN : B00004CWPM

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Customer Reviews

A Classic must have (2006-10-23)

Tom baker,argubly the best doctor is superb in this very atmospheric doctor who tale,and is partner by the best doctor who assistent Leela. This is not as action packed as an average doctor who story but it more then makes up for it in the character development of the lighthouse occupants.Children and adults will enjoy this both alike due to the atmosphere fear it creates and the suspicion between the characters creating watchable confrontations. This episode borrows ideas from john carpeters, 'The Thing' very well and is an essential in any Dr Who collection.

exellent. (2004-03-23)

I'm not a big Tom Baker fan anymore, but he was my favourite until Peter Davison appeared and until video revealed how good Pertwee was in season seven. But he's definitely one of the greats of Dr.Who, (if you avoid the silly season 17!). This story is one of my personal favourites of Tom Baker's run. Okay, if I'm being a true critic here, his best stories are Genesis of the Daleks, Pyramids of Mars and Talons of Weng Chiang, but for me personally, left to my own devices I LOVE this story way, WAY more than Talons of Weng Chaing or even Genesis.The thing I like so much is that this is such a simple, atmosphere-drenched little "character" story, with a half dozen historical characters stuck in a lighthouse surrounded by fog and a menace from beyond creeping around. I also like the fact that this plot is virtually a word-perfect adaptation into Who of the classic shape-changer storyline, like the one in John W. Campbell Jnr's Who Goes There (Filmed twice as The Thing!). Instead of "one of us on this space ship is an alien", we have "one of us on this lighthouse is an alien". The fact that its done as a period piece, with typical BBC costume drama trappings and characters, shows exactly how and why Dr.Who was able to use the time travel idea to do classic SF stories on the budget of a period drama or, in the contemporary tales of Pertwee, a detective thriller. Rueben, the sueprstitious lighthouse keeper is exellent as he scares nervous Vince witless as he mythologises the threat with old fishermen's tales about the Beast of Fang Rock. He plays the pale-faced zombie-like alien doppelganger in a creepy manner, too, and his lethal electrical-touch is a great threat. The whole thing is very subtle but very, very suspenseful and uses claustrophobia and cheapness as an advantage, much like Sapphire and Steel (another BRILLIANT British SF series). Great characters, love the idea that they all harbour guilty secrets and they all die, almost like it is a punishment for unspoken and unrepented sins. The SFX in the climax are dissapointing and were fairly bad back in 1977, I can tell you! But the whole thing ends very well, and leaves you pining for more like this. Sadly, it was not to be, as the new producer was more interested in space opera and the very next tale in the series was all model space ships and ray guns and a very silly lobster monster. But this remains a gem and one of my absolute favourites. It is very low key and not an action adventure by any means, but for pure atmosphere and creepy alien shape-changer plot, it is very, very good. The ending, where the Doctor and Leela walk away from the place where no living soul remains and the Doctor's echoing voice is heard reciting The Ballad of Flannell Isle, by Wildred Gibson, is plainly and simply haunting. I loved it!!!

Not much to it! (2001-09-15)

Well, I bought this hoping it would be the 'classic' Doctor Who people have made it out to be. It wasn't. I liked the idea of the lighthouse in the middle of nowhere and the strange mist, but it just didn't get going. It never seemed to start properly! Quite Simply - no guts. My favourite Tom Baker so far? The City of Death. Buy it.

All The Classic Elements (2001-04-08)

Mysterious deaths, strange creatures, zombies, and all set in the classic surrounds of an early electric lighthouse. Even with the sterotyped corrupt businessman character thrown in, this story is another fine example of the strengths of Dr Who, namely the writing. Sadly let down by effects that would have been cheap and cheesy even when first broadcast, this is the sort of story that makes you wonder what heights the series could climb to if given the sort of budgets that are spent on the likes of modern Trek.

Classic on a budget (2000-03-09)

'Horror of Fang Rock' has got the elements of a classic 'Who' tale. A good story well realised, convincing acting, a simple set, that feel of claustrophobia, darkness... Perfect late night viewing. You can even forgive the blobby alien.

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