This also marks the fact that I've now seen all of the Davison episodes (the only one of the first six I've finished). He was a great Doctor. Wry, quirky, but pleasantly free of Tom Baker's affectations. He also has a bit of melancholy, which marks the best Doctors. The episodes overall are marred by uneven writing, as well as pretty weak companions. There are some significant high points, as well, but nothing classic like K9, or a Sarah Jane, or even the first Romana. Just a really good Doctor all around, underlining the essential strength of the series. Perhaps one of the best, with Troughton still at the top, and matched by the second of the new doctors (forgotten the name).

This is also the one thousandth movie that I've watched on DVD or Blu-Ray (or at least recorded) since we got our first DVD player. It's been more than ten years, and some terrific stories. Looking forward to another thousand!

A real highlight of this episode is how silly the cybermen look. The exposed brain of the Cybercontroller and the super-cheap heads are a real treat. Interesting to see the pair of evil humans played by a couple who were clearly not married. Their relationship is left oddly undefined.

One thing which was interesting was the character of the wife of the bad guy. I think this perhaps is part of the reason why the show continues to be popular. The wife, a human, is really a complete character, she's fully drawn and not simply a repeat of an extra character template (like so many characters in Star Trek are, for example). Someone like the wife doesn't exist in any of the other episodes, as they have their own unique, well-crafted, characters. It makes the show endlessly interesting that there really are new and interesting personalities in every show, even if they don't happen to good or particularly smart.

this episode has kind of a fantasy aspect, where the evil guy is stealing fairy tales from people's minds and making them real. Not super well done, but fun, nevertheless.

The other part that still holds up is the endless power struggles of the various different species the Doctor comes across (in this case humans, but you get the point). It's a really good episode despite the poor quality of the video. William Hartnell is terrific as the Doctor. One interesting bit was when one of the companions called him grandpa. Have to see what that's about. Also, the Doctor almost gets married--odd indeed.

The movie still rankles me in the way it wants you you to buy in to the idea of God coming along to save the day at the end. Even a movie that really only aspires to be a very well-made comic book should treat its audience, and itself, with a little more respect. That said, there are two redeeming qualities. The opening scenes and the very last shot. Anything good and fun that is in any of the four Indiana Jones movies is summarized in the opening scene in the tomb. The thrills, the last second escape, the wonder, and the pure fun of telling a great story are perfectly captured in those five or ten minutes. All the rest is second-best. The last shot, of the enormous archive with the ark being buried in it, doesn't have the same depth to it, but it is a wonderful shot nonetheless. It is funny, it is reassuring, it humanizes much of the story, and, best of all, it leaves enough mystery and wonder so that the audience doesn't lose whatever magic the preceding two hours has given them. It's also a shot that could only be done in a movie, and reveals again that Spielberg's (and Lucas's) greatest strength is his deep, pure love of cinema.

Watched this on a plane from Chicago to Beijing.

This movie was also bought on iTunes and watched on my iPod, rather than via DVD.