When most people think of films, they immediately think A-list actors and big studios. Beyond that, there are waves upon waves of direct to video, B-list and lower, dreck to clog up your Netflix queue if you’re in the mood to laugh at an awful movie. (Or if you’re just a masochist.) However, for those in the know, there is an ever growing hobby among would-be directors/screenwriters out there actively creating what is generally referred to as the Fan Film.
Doctor Who: Tyranny of the Daleks is one such labor of love project from the brilliant and creative mind of Adam Manning and Cheeky Monkey Pictures. In production prior to the 2005 return of BBC’s seminal Time Lord, Tyrrany of the Daleks continues the exploits of the Doctor [Adam Manning] as he travels to the forest planet Galentor with fellow Time Lord companion Romana [Lizzie McWilliams]. Soon after their arrival, it is quickly discovered that the nefarious Daleks are up to their old tricks, only this time with a few deadly new allies.
I won’t give away any plot details here as one really should watch for themselves and I would hate to spoil any surprises, but suffice it to say, Tyranny of the Daleks is a standout in the far-to-often abysmal landscape of home movie production. A gorgeous cast that would look right at home in any A-list production compliments rustic locales, great set design (particularly the fantastic TARDIS interior), and phenominal CGI that is actually a step above what graces the typical Saturday night SyFy flick! All of that however pales in fanboy bliss to actually seeing full-scale Dalek models interacting with the characters! Kudos to Cheeky Monkey Pictures for pulling off that coup! The overall product is a slick, polished and most importantly fun romp through the Doctor Who universe created by fans with a deep respect and love of the source material.
In classic Doctor Who fashion, Tyranny of the Daleks is broken into episodic format with a cliffhanger ending leading into each following episode. As of this writing, the final episode/episodes are still in post-production, but the currently available episodes are a must watch for any fan of Doctor Who, or anyone who just enjoys good old-fashioned fun entertainment!
Watch it now, as well as some other brilliant work, at any of the following liks:
Westlake Films at http://www.westlakefilms.co.uk/tyranny.html
This has downloads of the three episodes currently available along with the trailer..
Or alternatively their youtube channel, the list of the videos available is at
http://www.youtube.com/my_videos?feature=mhee
Finally, it is also available on google video, starting with episode 1 at
