Tony Caunter Movies

In the second episode of the four-part story "Enlightenment," the Doctor (Peter Davison) finds himself on board an Edwardian-style yacht, presently engaged in a race through space. The prize is the titular "Enlightenment," an element coveted by the Eternals, an alien civilization which survives by syphoning off the thoughts and emotions of its prisoners. Also figuring into the action is the Doctor's old enemy, the Black Guardian (Valentine Dyall). Written by Barbara Clegg, "Enlightenment, Episode 2" first aired on March 2, 1983. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the third episode of the four-part story "Enlightenment," the Doctor (Peter Davison) must prevent the Eternals, a parasitic alien race, from winning an extraterrestrial yachting competition, thereby placing themselves in a position to rule the Universe. Complicating matters is Captain Wrack (Lynda Baron) of the space yacht Buccaneer, who has been anointed with awesome special powers by the Doctor's old nemesis, the Black Guardian (Valentine Dyall). Written by Barbara Clegg, "Enlightenment, Episode 3" first aired on March 8, 1983. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

An Anglo-American co-production, S.O.S. Titanic is a costly, 150-minute reenactment of the infamous sea disaster of 1912. Heading the cast is David Janssen as millionaire John Jacob Astor, who went down with the Titanic, and Cloris Leachman as raucous Denver dowager Molly Brown, who didn't (for the record, Leachman had previously played Brown on a 1957 episode of the TV anthology Telephone Time). Third-billed is Susan Saint James as fictional passenger Leigh Goodwin, who carries most of the dramatic load. Written by Hallmark Hall of Fame veteran James Costigan, the made-for-television S.O.S. Titanic premiered September 23, 1979. In subsequent network and syndicated showings, the film was pared down to 102 minutes. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A well-mounted period horror tale, The Asphyx (known also as Spirit of the Dead) focuses on the scientific endeavors of Robert Stephens, whose revolutionary work in the burgeoning field of photography leads him to the remarkable discovery of the title creature -- a soul-stealing demon known to Greek myth which appears at the moment of death to carry the soul away from the body and into the netherworld. By using special lighting techniques, he is able to detect the demon when it appears to steal the soul of a guinea pig, and he manages to capture it in a sealed capsule -- thus rendering the animal immortal. Realizing that the act of imprisoning his own asphyx will grant him eternal life, Stephens starts re-creating his experiment with human subjects. As this is a horror film, his new effort doesn't turn out quite as planned. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide

In the second episode of the six-part story "Colony in Space," the Earth colonists on the planet Uxarius are embroiled in a property-rights battle with the Interplanetary Mining Corporation. Hoping to mediate between the two combatants, the Doctor (Jon Pertwee) will soon be aided and abetted by the newly arrived Adjudicator. Unfortunately, this "ally" is actually his old nemesis, the Master (Roger Delgado), in disguise. Written by Malcolm Hulke, "Colony in Space, Episode 2" first aired on April 17, 1971. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the fifth episode of the six-part story "Colony in Space," the Doctor (Jon Pertwee) tries to persuade the Guardian (Norman Atkyns) of the planet Uxarius to destroy a doomsday machine that is worshipped as a god by the local natives. But he is thwarted in this pursuit by the Master (Roger Delgado), who intends to use the machine for his own nefarious purposes. Written by Malcolm Hulke, "Colony in Space, Episode 5" first aired on May 8, 1971. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The Mind of Mr. Soames can be described as a melodramatic Charly. John Soames (Terence Stamp) is a hospital patient who has been in a coma for 30 years. Doctor Bergen (Robert Vaughn) attempts to revitalize Soames by transplanting an infant's brain in the patient's head. When Soames awakens, he has the mental capacity of a baby, but Dr. Bergen is certain that he can accelerate the maturation process, which he does in a matter of weeks. But the pressure on Soames' emotional stability is such that he tragically snaps during a live TV broadcast. Adapted from a novel by Charles Eric Maine, The Mind of Mr. Soames raises more questions than it can possibly answer, but works well on the level of solid science fiction. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A former World War II submarine captain and his friend turn to smuggling when a former crew member lays out a plan to retrieve some hidden diamonds. Geoffrey (Richard Johnson) and his sidekick David (Roy Dotrice) listen to Riker (Jeremy Kemp) as he tells of the hidden treasure near the Skeleton Coast of Africa. Julie (Honor Blackman) is the passenger whose late husband supposedly hid the diamonds. With a dim-witted German named Johann (Peter Vaughan) as their guide, the crew battle fierce storms and underwater danger as they make the treacherous trek to collect the missing diamonds in this action adventure. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide

The TARDIS travels to the time of the Holy Crusades. Upon arrival, the loyalties of the Doctor (William Hartnell), Ian (William Russell), Barbara (Jacqueline Hill), and Vicki (Maureen O'Brien) are forcibly divided between the Crusaders of Richard the Lionheart (Julian Glover) and the Saracens of Prince Saladin (Bernard Kay). Written by David Whitaker, "The Lion" originally aired March 27, 1965, as the first episode of the four-part story "The Crusade." At present, only episodes one and three ("Wheel of Fortune") exist in their entirety. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The Hill was unfairly subjected to ridicule by the more obtuse "critics" of 1965 who harped on the fact that it starred Sean Connery and, unlike Connery's Bond pictures, had no women in it. Bypassing these cretinous comments, it must be noted that The Hill is an above-the-norm entry in the "military prison" genre. The film takes place during World War II, in a Libyan stockade for incorrigible British soldiers. The camp's brutal Sergeant Major (Harry Andrews) puts his charges to work on grueling, monotonous and pointless projects to break their spirits. When one rebellious inmate dies due to this treatment, the Sergeant Major is reprimanded by Joe Roberts (Connery), who has been appointed as the prisoners' spokesman. The result is that Roberts is likewise subjected to the most demeaning and humiliating of prison chores -- but his spirit, and that of his comrades, is not so easily crushed. Based on a TV play by Ray Rigby, The Hill should never be seen in any form other than its dusty, parched original black-and-white; the currently available colorized version is a crime against humanity. One problem: The British dialects in the first 20 minutes are so thick that an American viewer practically needs subtitles (British critics chalked this problem up not to elocution but to poor sound recording). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide