Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #6279 in DVD
• Released on: 2003-10-06
• Rating: Parental Guidance
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 2
• Running time: 103 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Doctor Who: The Curse of Fenric is one of the best of Sylvester McCoy’s Seventh Doctor adventures, a complex tale set around a naval installation on the North Yorkshire coast during WWII. The busy plot involves a Russian commando unit, a code-breaking computer, opening gambits in the Cold War, ancient Norse inscriptions concerning even more ancient evil, a new twist on vampirism, chess, global pollution and a creature from the end of human history. Key to all this is the theme of faith and a time paradox centred on Ace (Sophie Aldred), which ultimately turns out to be the resolution to mysteries that have haunted the Doctor’s companion all her life (they were first touched upon in 1987's Dragonfire, also written by Ian Briggs).

The show was shot entirely on location and has above average production values, generating tension and exciting set-pieces even when the plot threatens to get lost in its own tangles. Nicholas Parsons complements McCoy and Aldred by turning in a strong performance as the local minister and the tale pays homage to such horrors as Plague of the Zombies (1966), Night of the Living Dead (1968), and John Carpenter’s The Fog (1980) and Prince of Darkness (1987) with aplomb. Sadly there would only be one more story, the disappointing Survival (1989), before the BBC put the Doctor into suspended animation.

On the DVD: Doctor Who: The Curse of Fenric is presented in two versions on a truly remarkable two-disc set. Disc 1 contains the four original 25-minute episodes exactly as originally broadcast with stereo sound. Disc 2 offers a completely updated version of the Special Edition originally released on video in 1991. This 103-minute version is supervised by composer Mark Ayres and follows director Nicholas Mallett’s original cut. The episodes are edited like a feature film and incorporate approximately 10 minutes of extra story material. The picture has been regraded and the sound remixed into full Dolby Digital 5.1 by Mark Ayres using the original stereo sound elements and his music files. The result is a massive improvement over the original series' episodes.

Disc 1 also includes an informative commentary with McCoy, Aldred and Parsons and an isolated score. There is the usual information text, scored photo gallery and subtitles for the episodes and the commentary. "Modelling the Dead" shows Sue Moore and Stephen Mansfield making the Haemovore masks; "Claws and Effect" shows the BBC Special Effects unit on location; also included are 20 minutes of highlights from the 1990 Nebula 90 SF convention with Aldred, Ayres, Briggs, Tomek Bork, Joann Kenny, Mansfield and Moore, while "Take Two" is a four-minute piece on the story presented by Phillip Schofield. Disc 2 also features "Shattering the Chains" (an excellent analysis of the show by writer Ian Briggs), "Recutting the Runes" (a fascinating interview with Mark Ayres on preparing the Special Edition) and a good interview with costume designer Ken Trew. --Gary S Dalkin

DVD Description
This is one of the best Sylvester McCoy stories. The plot craftily borrows from John Carpenter’s 1979 chiller The Fog. Guest stars Nicholas Parsons as a vicar.

Synopsis
The Tardis arrives in Second World War England. Here, Viking graves in a local church yard begin calling for the wolves of Fenric to return for their treasure. Corpses begin to walk from the sea...

Customer Reviews

Best of McCoy - not saying much
I can confidently say that this is the best story of the Sylvester McCoy era from Doctor Who. Now that may sound like praise but is akin to saying that bubonic plague is my favourite disease from a choice of 15 life threatening ailments.
McCoy's era really did bring the whole Doctor Who world to it's knees, despite however many rose tinted spectacles some fans might put on. The scripts were shoddy, confusing and self congratulatory, McCoy was not a strong enough actor to convey the mystery of the Dcotor and Sophie Aldred is possibly the most over-rated Doctor Who companion in the whole history of the programme. She just cannot act, and bigging up this story simply because she flashes her knickers and suspenders at the camera goes to show how desperate some fans are. The fact that she STILL keeps referring to the Doctor as "Professor" in her ham fisted mockney accent just makes you want to punch her.
On the plus side, the story is quite creepy in places, Dinsdale Landen gives a fine performance as Doctor Judson, Nicholas Parsons is amazingly good as Rev Wainwright, the priest with doubts about his faith and the two London evacuees act Sophie Aldred off the screen (not difficult).
So if you want to see Sophie Aldred's knickers - buy it. If you want to see classy classic Doctor Who, go get a Tom Baker story.

Fantastic Horror Fantasy
'The Curse Of Fenric' is by far the best McCoy adventure. The story as a whole is an intelligent yarn, that sees The 7th Doctor and Ace arriving at a Naval base in World War 2, where a vampric curse threatens the inhabitants.

By far the best actor in this is the dear Dinsdale Landen (Dr. Judson) who died a day before the DVD was released. Other actors include Alfred Lynch and Tomek Bork, both performing as military commandos. The Haemovores are very convicing monsters, but are better in the longer Special Edition on disc 2.

Overall, 'The Curse Of Fenric' is very much like 'The Satan Pit' of the new series, both with multi-themes, involving religion and morals, and both with fans and non-fans. But I'm a fan.

World War 2, Vampires, Russians, Computers, Runes, TOO COMPLEX!!!
Can I get to the good aspects of Fenric:

It is by far the most frightning Classic 'Doctor Who'
The acting is quite strong
Good Writing
Sophie Aldred knickers on show!

Bad aspects:
The story is far too complex.

The reason this story is praised is because it is the best of season 26, but ti's too complcated to understand, even if you miss one minutes of it. It is by far one of the better McCoy stories(definately better than 'Dragonfire', 'Time And The Rani' and 'Silver Nemesis')but not in the class of 'Remembrance Of The Daleks', 'Battlefield' 'Survival' and 'The Greatest Show In The Galaxy'.

It is good, but, as I've stated-

don't take all the praise for granted!