No one move a muscle when the dead come home

[sovay]

The ironic aftereffect of viewing The Night of the Doctor (2013) last thing before bed is that I woke up wanting a time machine. The Doctor who sold his soul, sacrificed his name, gave away everything he stood for and became a monster to fight monsters? Of course I want him played by John Hurt. And then I want a series of that nameless Warrior seen for just one stinger moment in that fire-polished ripple of metal: Doctor no more . . . I have always thought John Hurt was beautiful, especially in his dark, watchful younger years. He always looked a little bruised around the eyes, even when the rest of him was boyish; he's a good face for someone I suspect of deploying the Gallifreyan equivalent of the Deplorable Word to end the Time War. I imagine we'll find out the full story in "The Day of the Doctor," but it will still be just a flicker, like this glimpse of Paul McGann. Thirty-year-old John Hurt is not happening without serious technology. (Neither is more onscreen McGann, I am afraid, although at least in his case there's years of radio drama to catch up on.) It's still probably most I've enjoyed a script by Steven Moffat since "Blink." And I can write wistfully about the rest.

Comments

[glaukopis]

It's a fine tragic inversion of the usual Doctor-meets-girl plot. And wonderful to see McGann on screen again, in someplace other than Vancouver-as-America, getting his regeneration scene at last. ("Will it hurt? Good." Oh, my heart.)

I have to admit a lack of familiarity with John Hurt's filmography, but I'm looking forward to seeing more of him next week.

[nineweaving.livejournal.com]

All right, I'm not even a Whovian, and that was awfully good.

Nine

[gwynnega]

Of course I want him played by John Hurt. And then I want a series of that nameless Warrior seen for just one stinger moment in that fire-polished ripple of metal

Of course I completely agree. Maybe if we're lucky, some accomplished vidder will edit together some young John Hurt footage to make a Doctor Who vid to fill in some of the gaps.

It's been awhile since I listened to any of the McGann audio adventures, but some of them are quite wonderful.

[ap-aelfwine.livejournal.com]

nineweaving has already said everything I can think of to say about this.

... I woke up wanting a time machine.

Haven't we all done this?

[swan-tower.livejournal.com]

I would watch the John Hurt thing, too, but that video made me reeeeeeeeeally want more onscreen McGann. I may indeed have to catch up on the radio drama, as a substitute. He managed to pack more persuasive emotional range into six minutes than I think Smith has done in the two seasons of his I've watched.

(Smith is okay. I am not saying this to bash him. I just haven't been as persuaded by him as I was by six minutes of McGann.)

[ashlyme.livejournal.com]

I enjoyed this as much you'd expect; I've wanted a decent run for McGann's Doctor for years, and this is the best I'll get. It pleased me no end that he turned out to be a conscientious objector. I couldn't imagine the Eighth fighting in the War. Hurt (young or old) needs a series to himself, agreed. I'm watching The Day of the Doctor at the cinema, more for him than his overcaffeinated successors.