Gordon Flemyng / UK / 1966 / 80 min
The second of the often forgotten big screen adaptations of Doctor Who and based on an earlier television episode, Gordon Flemyng’s Daleks’ Invasion Earth: 2150 A.D. begins with a jewellery heist in 1960s London before taking the audience to a post-apocalyptic Earth enslaved by the cruel Daleks. Aiding the human survivors is the eponymous Doctor, (Peter Cushing) his niece Louise, (Jill Curzon) granddaughter Susan (Roberta Tovey) and a policeman called Tom (Bernard Cribbins) who find they are fighting a war against not just Daleks but other surviving humans aswell.
Unlike its predecessor, Dr. Who and the Daleks, this film was not a critical or a commercial success and in 2013 it’s understandable that many of the effects and costumes are nowhere near as effective as they were in 1966. However it’s hard not to love this piece of sci-fi cinema and sometimes the scenes, characters and fight sequences that make it so dated are also what make it so enjoyable. Cribbins’ turn as the awkward but loveable policeman, Tom provides much needed comic relief to Cushing’s predictably serious Doctor Who, yet it’s the Daleks, designed by the late Ray Cusick that understandably dominate and provide much of the entertainment. Camp and predictable in some places but highly enjoyable, this is a must watch for a new generation of Doctor Who fans.
Showing as part of the Glasgow Film Festival 2013
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