Monday, November 25, 2013


Made another visit to the multiplex. I hate the reclining chairs, I hate the 3D glasses, I hate the popcorn, I hate the general sub-par levels of the quality of the movie going experience at such theatres. What I do love though is Doctor Who. And that love persuaded me to check out the 50th anniversary special, titled 'Day of the Doctor'.

I was as excited to see this almost a movie as I was any Star Wars episode or Joss Whedon sci-fi, horror, or super-hero epic. It did not disappoint. It was lovely seeing David Tennant back in his Doctor suit and Converse, and John Hurt stepped into the universe with ease. I laughed, I got choked up, I gasped in geeky awe at the surprise twists and turns leading up to the epic climax.

The real joy though was seeing the special with a great crowd of appreciative nerds. Many probably saw it already, and everyone had the option to just watch it at home. None-the-less, fans came out in droves, so much so that extra showtimes were added. There were plenty of Dalek dresses and sonic screwdrivers and fez and long colourful scarves. Events like this always reinstate my faith that home entertainment will not kill the tradition of getting together with strangers in a darkened room and being entertained. You can pretty much watch anything you want on your teevee or computer in this day and age, but nothing matched the experience of seeing a movie outside of the house, in a theatre, with a crowd.

Now if we could just get BBC to let us screen Doctor Who episodes at the Mayfair.

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