Although we're used to getting 'vanilla' releases for stories before the box set later in the year, this time around we've got an added treat in the form of
The Monster Files. This ten minute installment (I'm assuming there'll be one for each release) concentrates solely on the Daleks. But it's not a
cut and paste job from
Doctor Who Confidential, no sireee.
Thankfully the viewer is presented with new material and interviews from the main players - Matt Smith, Karen Gillan, Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss - and their thoughts on the intergalactic pepperpots. Gato and Moffo are keen to expound their
lurve for the Peter Cushing movies (me too, incidentally) and how the Daleks imposed themselves much more so than their small screen counterparts.
Given the furore over the redesign (and by that I mean a dozen or so 'fans' who don't like change and mentally~challenged
twonks that write into
Points Of View), it's amusing to observe just how much the production team gush about the new versions, even boasting about how scary they are. Personally, I have no issue with the new Daleks - they look like the Cushing Daleks and that's good enough for me - but, as I stated in
my review, I ain't a fan of the Daleks in general and have never found them scary (the Mandrels on the other hand...).
What will perk the ears up of any fan~person still listening is the reference to the 'back flaps' on the new Daleks, which don't do anything in
Victory. We are told these are weapons that will come into play in the future.
Blimey. So they'll be back for sure (as if we didn't know), though I
s'pose he could be referring to the upcoming computer game. Moffo also tells us just
why Amy doesn't remember the Daleks will be explained but not for a "long time" yet (though I think we've all figured it out).
It's not an unpleasant way to spend ten minutes, there are some nice new bits of info stuck in there and it's always great to see Mark Gatiss glowing with pride. Fans will also be happy to hear Power of the Daleks get referenced quite heavily along with a discussion of a particularly powerful Phillip Madoc scene in Daleks' Invasion Earth: 2150 A.D. Given that, traditionally, there's usually no extras on the regular series volumes, The Monster Files is a welcome touch and I look forward to the future episodes (I'm guessing Weeping Angels next time!).
