Total Extermination: The Peter Cushing Doctor Who Collection Blu Ray Review (Severin Films)

Dr. Who and the Daleks is a 1965 science fiction film directed by Gordon Flemyng (Daleks’ Invasion Earth 2150 A.D., Five to One, Solo for Sparrow, The Army Gang, Flight Into Hell, The Split, and The Odd Man). It was written and produced by Milton Subotsky (Daleks’ Invasion Earth 2150 A.D., Tales from the Crypt, Vault of Horror, The City of the Dead, At the Earth’s Core, Dr. Terror’s House of Horrors, and The Skull). It’s based on the BBC television series created by Terry Nation. It was produced by Max Rosenberg (Perdita Durango, The Curse of Frankenstein, The Skull, Torture Garden, The House That Dripped Blood, Tales from the Crypt, Asylum, The Vault of Horror, Madhouse, From Beyond the Grave, Bloody Birthday, Cat People, and Dr. Terror’s House of Horrors). When his time-travel phone box TARDIS is accidentally activated, the eccentric inventor Dr. Who (played by: Peter Cushing from Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell, Madhouse, From Beyond the Grave, Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope, The Curse of Frankenstein, Shock Waves, The Satanic Rites of Dracula, Horror Express, Asylum, Tales from the Crypt, The House That Dripped Blood, and Horror of Dracula) with his granddaughters Susan (played by: Roberta Tovey from Daleks’ Invasion Earth 2150 A.D. and The Blood on Satan’s Claw), Barbara (played by: Jennie Linden from Nightmare and Old Dracula) and her not so bright boyfriend Ian (played by: Roy Castle from Legend of the Werewolf and Dr. Terror’s House of Horrors) are transported to the planet Skaro where they’re caught in the middle of a deadly war between the benevolent Thals and evil Daleks!!!! Dr. Who and the Daleks is the full length feature based on the sci-fi television series. I personally have never watched any of the TV adaptations of Doctor Who so I had no clue what I was getting myself into with this. That’s probably why I enjoyed it more than your typical diehard fan because I know it made several changes from the original source. It’s a fun time travel adventure from the 60’s. The brilliant doctor has his impressive invention backfire on him and he’s sent into a bad situation. The legendary Peter Cushing is the iconic Dr. Who and that’s what grabbed my attention for this. He’s top notch as the man trying to fix his mistakes. He accidentally puts his family in danger and he must find a way to escape this nightmare. Roberta Tovey is the young Susan. She is fearless and she’s willing to do whatever it takes to make it back home. Jennie Linden is the more mature Barbara, she drags her boyfriend into this chaotic mess. The rest of the supporting cast includes Roy Castle, Barrie Ingham (The Day of the Jackal), Geoffrey Toone (Doctor Who), John Bown (Vampire Circus), Yvonne Antrobus (The First Churchills), Peter Hawkins (Doctor Who), David Graham (Stingray), and Martin Grace (Raiders of the Lost Ark). I know it’s unintentional but I think it’s hilarious when the robots speak in Dr. Who and the Daleks. For being a smaller budget production and considering when it was made, it had some high quality fx. It had a unique colorful atmosphere to it. It had a solid mix of science fiction, action, suspense, mystery, comedy, and drama here. It has a little bit of everything. It does have a much lighter tone than you would expect from it’s concept. It’s one of the better British science fiction films from it’s time and it represents the 60’s to the fullest in Dr. Who and the Daleks. It has a nice pace and flow to it, it manages to keep you focused for all of it. It’s very entertaining and it was ahead of it’s time, RECOMMENDED!!!! Let’s discuss this high definition presentation and special features from Severin Films! This 1080p (2.35:1) transfer is from a brand new 4K restoration from the original techniscope negative from StudioCanal. It was shot in technicolor and it looks amazing for being from the 60’s. It has excellent cinematography, locations, fx, and production design that shines here. This is a nice upgrade compared to Kino Lorber’s original release. It has an English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track on the disc. The audio is fantastic for Dr. Who and the Daleks, it has it’s fair share of loud moments plus the score really stands out for it. All of the dialogue is crisp, the suspense is elevated, and the music has a killer boost to it. It has English SDH subtitles. It has an “Audio Commentary” with Barry Forshaw, Stephen Jones And Kim Newman. It has an “Audio Commentary” with actresses Jennie Linden and Roberta Tovey that’s moderated by journalist Jonathan Sothcott. It has an “Audio Commentary” with Kim Newman, Robert Shearman, and Mark Gatiss. It has the “1992 Audio Interview” with director Gordon Flemyng by author Tony Earnshaw. He goes over his experiences and memories of this conversation from 1992. The director goes over some earlier project. He chats about Peter Cushing. He talks about casting him, working with him, his personal experiences, and their collaboration. He brings up the cast, Dr. Who, and the process of putting it all together. It’s a very detailed talk about the production. It has the little over 10 minute “Subotsky And The Daleks: Part 1”. It’s an interview with producer Milton Subotsky. He chats about the original show and how this project got set up. He’s completely honest about stuff that he didn’t like about it. He goes over the casting and characters. He brings up adding comedy to this science fiction feature. Lots of different information here. It has the little over 15 minute “Kara And The Daleks”. It’s an interview with Doctor Who Expert Kara Dennison. She breaks down the Dr. Who and it’s various adaptations. She reflects on her first experiences when watching these films. She brings up how different these movies are compared to the original material. She says it had mixed reactions from dedicated fans. It has the almost 60 minute 1995 documentary “DALEKMANIA” directed by Kevin Davies (Doctor Who: Thirty Years in the TARDIS, The Few Doctors, Archangel Thunderbird, and The Making of ‘The Hitch-Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy). It has interviews with Roberta Tovey, Gary Gillatt, Terry Nation, Barrie Ingham, Eddie Powell, Yvonne Antrobus, Tony Clark, Carol Hall, Julian Vince, Jill Curzon, and Marcus Hearn. It has archive footage from some of the main cast from this. This Dr. Who documentary makes this home video release worth picking up alone. It’s loaded with plenty of personal information and great stories. They chat about this was the first time Daleks were in color. They talk about the characters, cast, concept, and it’s production. They say that they went with a different cast for these films to get a bigger audience compared to the television series. They share their thoughts and how It was working on these sci-fi movies. They point out some of the differences between both features. It has a little over 8 minute “Interview” with author Gareth Owen. He chats about the popularity of The Daleks and the BBC TV series. He talks about some of the changes and upgrades made to these productions. He goes over the promotional and premiere stuff for it. It has “The Dalek Legacy: Destination Skaro” directed by Marcus Hearn (The Dalek Legacy – Invasion Earth, Raising the Dead: The Making of the Plague of the Zombies, The Serpent’s Tale: The Making of the Reptile, Frankenstein Reborn: The Making of a Hammer Classic, Taking Over the Asylum: The Making of Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell, and Blood Rites: Inside Scars of Dracula) with interviews from Nicholas Briggs, Robert Shearman, Mike Tucker, Emily Cook, and Gavin Rymill. They drop all kinds of details and inside stories about these science fiction productions. They chat about the hate these movies got from fans. They talk about The Daleks. They go over their look and sound. They bring how they did the voices and the actors that were uncredited for it. They are honest about stuff that they had a problem with. They show their appreciation for Dr. Who and it’s universe. It has the “Trailer” for Dr. Who and the Daleks. It has a “Still Gallery” from the production. There’s also an 4K/UHD home video release. Daleks’ Invasion Earth 2150 A.D. is a 1966 science fiction film directed by Gordon Flemyng (Dr. Who and the Daleks, Five to One, Solo for Sparrow, The Army Gang, Flight Into Hell, The Split, and The Odd Man). It was written and produced by Milton Subotsky (Dr. Who and the Daleks, Tales from the Crypt, Vault of Horror, The City of the Dead, At the Earth’s Core, Dr. Terror’s House of Horrors, and The Skull). It’s based on the BBC television series created by Terry Nation. It’s a sequel to Dr. Who and the Daleks. It was produced by Max Rosenberg (Perdita Durango, The Curse of Frankenstein, The Skull, Torture Garden, The House That Dripped Blood, Tales from the Crypt, Asylum, The Vault of Horror, Madhouse, From Beyond the Grave, Bloody Birthday, Cat People, and Dr. Terror’s House of Horrors). When the TARDIS travels to 2150 A.D., Dr. Who (played by: Peter Cushing from Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell, Madhouse, From Beyond the Grave, Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope, The Curse of Frankenstein, Shock Waves, The Satanic Rites of Dracula, Horror Express, Asylum, Tales from the Crypt, The House That Dripped Blood, and Horror of Dracula) with his niece Louise (played by: Jill Curzon from Hugh and I), granddaughter Susan (played by: Roberta Tovey from Dr. Who and the Daleks and The Blood on Satan’s Claw) and policeman Tom Campbell (played by: Bernard Cribbins from Doctor Who and Frenzy) quickly discovers that humanity has been enslaved by the evil Daleks. Almost everything is destroyed when they arrive. As a rebel force of desperate survivors battles the metallic invaders, will the Doctor save the rest of London from it’s total extermination???? Daleks’ Invasion Earth 2150 A.D. is even better than the original Dr. Who and the Daleks. It feels like it really brings everything to a higher level in this. Some of the cast and the music return for this follow up. It has a more interesting story and concept compared to the first one. Peter Cushing is back again as Dr. Who. He’s great as the good doctor that just can’t stay out of trouble. He’s in it a little less than expected for this sequel but he still makes a huge impact. Cushing is so familiar with the iconic role at this point that he just elevates everyone around him. Roberta Tovey returns as Susan. She’s definitely more mature than her actual age. She’s survived before so she knows how to escape disaster. Bernard Cribbins as Tom Campbell is a much better 2nd lead male compared Roy Caste to in Dr. Who and the Daleks. He’s a legit hero and a great addition to this team. The rest of the supporting cast includes Jill Curzon, Ray Brooks (Coronation Street), Andrew Keir (Quatermass and the Pit), Roger Avon (Doctor Who), Geoffrey Cheshire (On Her Majesty’s Secret Service), Keith Marsh (Love Thy Neighbour), Philip Madoc (The Count of Monte Cristo), Eddie Powell (Aliens), Robert Jewell (Dr. Who and the Daleks), Peter Hawkins (Doctor Who), David Graham (Stingray), and Godfrey Quigley (A Clockwork Orange). Daleks’ Invasion Earth 2150 A.D. is much darker and more action packed compared to the original movie. The Daleks are ruthless and they are even more brutal here. The Robo-men were creepy additions to the Who universe. It had a post apocalyptic atmosphere to it. The visual and special fx are even better so basically everything has improved in this. It has some solid tension and suspense. It’s a time capsule for the 60’s so it’s definitely aged but it just adds to it’s charm. It had a real positive ending to it. It’s a shame that they didn’t another one after this. Daleks’ Invasion Earth 2150 A.D. is a blast and it’s highly entertaining, RECOMMENDED!!!! Let’s discuss this high definition presentation and special features from Severin Films! This 1080p (2.35:1) transfer is from a brand new 4K restoration from the original techniscope negative from StudioCanal. It looks fantastic especially for being from the 60’s. It has colorful cinematography, locations, fx, and creative production design that pops out here. This is a nice improvement compared to Kino Lorber’s original release. It has an English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track on the disc. The audio is better than expected for Daleks’ Invasion Earth 2150 A.D., it has plenty of action scenarios plus the score really shines for it. All of the dialogue is crystal clear, the chaos is elevated, and the music has a huge boost to it. It has English SDH subtitles. It has an “Audio Commentary” with Barry Forshaw, Stephen Jones And Kim Newman. It has an additional “Audio Commentary” with Kim Newman, Robert Shearman, and Mark Gatiss. It has the little over 35 minute “Daleks’ Invasion BBC, 1963 To 1969 A.D”. It’s an interview with expert Stephen Thrower. He chats about it being aimed for children. He says it was released at a certain time to cater to that specific demographic. He talks about some of the major differences between both the films and television series. He brings Peter Cushing when it comes to his performances and his version of the iconic character. He chats about some of the other major roles and actors from this project. It has the little over 8 minute “Subotsky And The Daleks: Part 2”. It’s an interview with producer Milton Subotsky. He chats about this sequel. He says he wished he used a different director for this. He talks about Peter Cushing being sick on set and working around that schedule. He shares lots of inside information and personal stories from his experience on this. It has a little over 4 minute “Interview” with actor Bernard Cribbins. He chats about joining this follow up after the original movie. He talks about working on it. He brings up the cast and how everything was here. He tells a good story from it. It has a little over 4 minute “Interview” with author Gareth Owen. He chats about the first film being a success and they were quick to do a sequel. He talks about some of original actors weren’t available when they were shooting. They kept the production secret while filming. He points out Peter Cushing’s role was a little smaller because of health issues at the time. He brings up product placement for this. It was one of the first times this was done over there. He chats about it not doing good at the box office and the third film never happened because of it. It has the almost 16 minute “The Dalek Legacy: Invasion Earth” directed by Marcus Hearn (The Dalek Legacy: Destination Skaro, Raising the Dead: The Making of the Plague of the Zombies, The Serpent’s Tale: The Making of the Reptile, Frankenstein Reborn: The Making of a Hammer Classic, Taking Over the Asylum: The Making of Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell, and Blood Rites: Inside Scars of Dracula) with interviews from Nicholas Briggs, Robert Shearman, Mike Tucker, Emily Cook, and Gavin Rymill. They all share their thoughts on the follow up. They chat about the changes and improvements for it. They bring up the original storyline from the BBC television series. They go over The Daleks and what happened after this. They provide information about other stuff in the Dr. Who Universe. They show respect for the special fx at the time. It has the almost 11 minute “Restoring Dr. Who in 4K”. It’s an interview with Anthony Badger, Ray King, and Steve Bearman. They break down the process and experience of restoring these productions. It’s a very detailed and technical look into how the older features were upgraded for home video. It has the “Trailer” for Daleks’ Invasion Earth 2150 A.D.. It has a “Still Gallery” from the production. It comes with a high quality slipbox. Both Dr. Who features are included in this “Total Extermination: The Peter Cushing Doctor Who Collection” box set. There’s also an 4K/UHD home video release. It’s available exclusively at the Severin Films store and a few other select spots on June 24th, CHECK IT OUT!!!!