Doomwatch

Home
Smell the Movies
Smell the TV

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Year:	1972
Country of origin:	UK
Director:	Peter Sasdy
Genre:	Paranoia-lite
Starring:	Ian Bannen, John Paul, Judy Geeson, Simon Oates
Rating:	2/5
IMDB link:	http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068498/
Tagline:	A new terror!
Favourite line:	None worth mentioning

Massively over-wrought full length feature version of the paranoid seventies BBC classic.

The plot:
Pollution watchdog agency Doomwatch are drafted in when something strange seems to be affecting a small island community.
The fish the locals rely on for their livelihoods are getting ever larger and, more troublingly, it seems anyone who eats the produce begins to transform: skulls thicken, jaws begin to jut, limbs begin to change shape.
What is it that is causing the mutation to both fish and people alike?
And could it have anything to do with the stretch of water sealed off by the Ministry of Defence?

Whilst the TV show from which this spawned was brooding and melancholic, this is instead melodramatic and plain irritating. Coming across more like a slightly higher budget 'Play for the Day' this seems frankly amateurish on occasion and the lead actor, Ian Bannen, playing Dr. Del Shaw is utterly absurd.
As an avid fan of British 70's sci-fi, I had high hopes for this, but those with similar interests would do better to give this a miss and instead check out The Doombolt Chase, or Pertwee era Doctor Who.
Dismal and dreary, this bored me, I'm afraid.