Reality Warp (Review)
CBERMATTS
On the 29th of November at 10:45am in Video Room 2 at HME/Visions '98, I and a
number of others viewed the premier of Reality Warp, the long awaited return of
the Federation (in association with Faded Flowers Productions) to arena of
Doctor Who fan video.
If you are familiar with fan produced videos, you've more than likely become
accustomed to the plague of problems that usually surround a production,
earning it's moniker "fan-vid".
Unstable camera work, poor editing, variable sound quality, dodgy sets and
effects-work are just some of the more common afflictions, come to think of it,
a tradition with Doctor Who. But being the loyal and media starved fans of the
good Doctor, we do our utmost to look beyond these limitations, and focus our
attention on the more important elements, the story and it's characters.
With more affordable equipment, improvements in video technology and general
experience gained by fan film makers, some of the more recent releases
available have shown remarkable improvements in combating many of the
aforementioned symptoms, and I am happy to inform that Reality Warp is one such
production.
From the chillingly sublime mood of Robert Warnocks title theme, you
immediately feel a higher level of professionalism. As the opening shots
follow the journey of the character Nicola Bryant (Jennifer Adams Kelley), the
viewer is aware of the transatlantic setting of the story, as she arrives at
the offices of the BBC for an audition (much of the action takes place in both
the US and UK).
From the outset her audition is not typical. As Nicola waits to be called, she
notices a shadowy figure siting across from her, hiding behind a newspaper as
its chair hovers inches above the floor. Following a series of strange
apparitions where she is addressed as Peri and instructed to obtain the Doctors
multicolored coat, a nightmare leads her to contact Colin Baker (Steve Hill).
It seems he has also had an unusual and related dream. So begins their quest
to resolve the truth of this warped reality.
There are some very enjoyable scenes as the actor's transform into their
television characters. High marks go to Steve Hill for his astonishing
portrayal of Colin Baker and the 6th Doctor. He successfully combines the
mannerisms of Colin's Doctor with solid acting, resulting in a believable
portrayal. Jennifer Adams Kelley's character improves during the video, as she
becomes Peri. This results in a number of successful scenes where the
mismatched duo regains their acerbic chemistry. Erin Tumilty gives a fine
performance as the engaging Stacey Aldrich, an employee of the "Beeb" whose
curiosity results in her compulsory involvement in the mystery.
A wise decision was made to allow certain actors to avoid the pitfall of
assumed accents in the interests of dialogue clarity. However, sound quality
was a factor, as variations were noticeable at certain points during the film,
resulting in muffled conversation.
Apart from some rushed dialogue and a couple of unresolved plot elements (i.e.
the relevance of the cat pin). Reality Warp's story is solid. Some clever
video effects and costuming add a layer of detail often lacking in fan videos.
Overall Reality Warp succeeds where many have failed and should make a welcome
addition too the serious Doctor Who fan's video library.
To obtain a copy of the Reality Warp video (and accompanying CD soundtrack)
visit their website at:
http://www.xnet.com/~loredata/federation or http://shill.simplenet.com/feds
-Matthew Slavin cber...@aol.com
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I walk in eternity, but run like hell from finiteness!
Saroz
Sarah Hadley
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"Not again..."
--- The Fifth Doctor, THE VISITATION