The Talons of Weng-Chiang

There's a lot of good stuff in The Talons of Weng-Chiang but it's a hard serial to recommend because it's awfully racist. The bulk of the story centers around a Chinese stage magician, played by a white actor in yellowface, who's been kidnapping women off the streets of Victorian London for the benefit of his master, a war criminal from the future. The serial is steeped in Yellow Peril stereotypes and all of the white characters are comfortably racist towards the Chinese characters. The serial likely could have aged better if the Doctor had been shown to be more enlightened in his attitude towards the Chinese characters but the Doctor really isn't put out by any of the racism and he even playfully stokes the prejudice of some of the characters. The story is probably so well regarded by fans because some of the characters are incredibly well written and performed. The bloviating theatre owner, Henry Gordon Jago, is a particular highlight. And the scenes between Leela and Professor Litefoot, riffing on Pygmalion, are iconic.

Rating: Nothing complimentary%

I Know What You Did Last Summer

After hitting a man with their car, a group of friends reluctantly agree to dispose of the body and cover up the accident. A year later, they begin to receive threatening letters about the incident. Was there a witness to their crime or has one of the friends decided to turn on the others? If Scream is a postmodern take on the slasher formula, then I Know What You Did Last Summer is pure, unadulterated formula. It's a slow burn whodunnit loaded with red herrings, in the tradition of countless early slasher films. It's well made, with plenty of beautiful tracking shots. It's bloody, but not gory. It's also 90s as hell. The opening track is by Type O Negative, for God's sake.

Rating: 65%

(Image from Wikipedia)