John Hurts entrance !
colinpost
Posts: 103 Forum Member
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The entrance in the last few minutes was on par with the greatest and most dramatic cinema media - Orsen Wells in 'The Third Man' - a third of the way in the film!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jeJVNQ4ngfo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jeJVNQ4ngfo
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"Will we get a Graham Norton insertion tonight" and "John Hurt's Entrance". I've had more tea coming down my nose than actually swallowed :eek::eek::D:D
More on topic though: I liked the reveal but could have done without the forced credit stamped over the still playing action. Although I accept it was to - hopefully - stop people speculating that maybe he isn't really The Doctor. Looking at some threads here, it seems that failed
haha.
Yesterday it was custard today its a cup of tea with me !!
I understood why they did it, but like yourself, I didn't agree with doing it onscreen during the narrative. Particularly when the end credits showed character name and actor less than a minute later.
It reminded me of some video games that introduce a new character with an onscreen/midplay credit.
I thought it was that aspect of it that was great.
Without the credit stamp I don't think it would have been even half the scene that it was.
There's no "Is that...is that John Hurt? He looks different from how I saw him last", no "Well is he The Doctor or not, Matt Smith says no, not by name, then what?".
Honestly, I think if you took the credit stamp out of it with the accompanying sound effect it would be nothing and have much less dramatic impact.
It was brave I thought too. Because too many film makers would be afraid to try that approach out of fear that it might look cheesy. Undoubtedly to some it probably did anyway.
But Steven Moffat has shown before on Sherlock how he isn't afraid to play with people's preconceptions when they see text on screen. If anybody can make a scene like this work which might look cheesy done by most other people, I think Steven Moffat can.
Just imagine it without the credit stamp and sound effect. It would be wimpy in comparison.
I think it's a trade off with trying to not make it look too corny, but also maximizing its dramatic impact.
I wish that somebody would try to do a reworking of the scene without the text and sound effect so people could see a side by side comparison.
I think if you saw such a reworking of it I'm convinced that you'd change your view. But I do think that it's something you'd actually have to see rather than just take my word for it.
I don't think it would work with every type of television drama, but as Doctor Who is almost a high budget B-Movie type show I think it worked really well on this. In fact incredibly well.
Ooh this made me lol, his voice is so recognisable but I started thinking of the dragon in Merlin as soon as he spoke! I liked the introduction ,it did give it impact and least it confirms who he is and we don't have 6 months of people debating is he the doctor or not.
It was a shame that he spoke though. Because I think with many that would have given the game away before he turned around and the title appeared.
Because John Hurt is an actor who does have one of those voices that can be immediately identifiable as the voice of John Hurt.
Had to be there, to drive the point home to the idiots, er sorry, viewers who turn over to BGT the moment the credtis start to roll. These people despite having variable taste, deserve to know who this Stranger is
How could you possibly know unless you've seen the scene without it?
I mean right until the credits roll?
I don't think that would have worked.
The dialogue clearly wouldn't have been enough. For a start, Matt Smith's Doctor says that Hurt is him, but not the doctor; the credits on screen actually go much further than that and set*up a real mystery.
And secondly, even with the on-screen credits, some people still seem convincwe that Hurt isn't truly 'The Doctor' - imagine what it would be like if there had been no credit onscreen?
By imagining it?
Personally I thought it was awful, like some family guy spoof cut away. I have no idea what they were thinking.