What's it about: Two
years after the death of Dorian Gray, his home is broken into… but the
intruders aren’t expecting what they’ll find there.
The Painted Man: How very Dorian to have an answerphone
message that climaxes with the succinct point 'If you're interesting, I'll
get back to you...' And for him to
manipulate the young slips of things that have broken into his house. There is
a reason it was boarded up, it is not a happy place. The house is Dorian's
keeper now, loyal. Life caught up with him and he is no longer beautiful. The
four victims would restore him back to health. One would give him voice, one
body, one youth and one a soul.
Standout Performance: Gone is he pure velvet voice of
Alexander Vlahos and in steps the huskier and more sinister tones of Bernard
Holley. A staple of the Doctor Who ranges, Holley has the perfect, gravelly
voice for audio and provides a chilling and world-weary Dorian to open the new
season. Dorian is clearly in a disturbed place and I got the impression that
both the character and the actor had a lot of fun in this moment of madness.
He's genuinely frightening in the last scene, a haunting version of the
character I recognise.
Sparkling Dialogue: 'It was a portrait of a man who knew he
was damned. The story goes that as he knew one day he would end up in hell he
constructed a way out. A fire escape, if you will. He made a more dangerous
bargain, to restore his own life he would have to offer several more. Four
would have been ideal. But three...three would suffice.'
'Don't turn round. I'm not a pretty sight...'
Great Ideas: My friend Kate and I have a penchant for horror
movie nights and in particular we love the sorts of films where friends come
together to investigate a creepy house or asylum in the dead of night with
little more to protect them than a video camera. We must have seen dozens by
now and more often than not they are pretty bad. If Dorian was to come back
from the dead then I can think of no better way than for the creators to tip
their hat to this particular sub genre of horror and have a group of youngsters
exploring his house. In the first scene they are laughing and joking and you
can almost be certain that come the conclusion at least one of will be dead and
the truth about Dorian will have been spilled. They even reference that they
are in something of a horror movie. Discovering blood, phones being left
filming, shadows that lunge and terrify...all good horror movie material. Did I
give Dorian a bad review once? There's a character called Joe who meets a very
sticky end.
Audio Landscape: Telephone ringing, heavy breathing,
screaming, laughing, doors opening and closing, footsteps, rewinding tape,
mobile buttons, splashing water, draughty old attic, easing open the skylight,
traffic, banging on the door, the wind from a great height, car alarm.
Standout Scene: There's a terrible (as in the character acts
in a terrible fashion, not that it is a terrible moment) in Blank Canvas when
you realise that is entirely without honour and will leave his friend at the
mercy of whatever horror is brewing in Dorian's house in order to escape
himself. Do watch yourself ladies if an attractive young guy suggests that you
visit a creepy old house on your first date. Chivalry is dead, you know.
There's something of Avon hunting Vila through the corridors of the shuttle in
Gold to these scenes as a cat and mouse game emerges amongst Sofia and to see
which of them will survive.
1 comment:
Excellent as this review is in all ways, one nitpicky complainant - you meant "Orbit" not "Gold" regarding your Blake's 7 reference! :)
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