Doctor Who Am I

Last updated
Doctor Who Am I
Doctor Who Am I poster.jpg
Directed by
Produced by
    • Vanessa Yuille
    • Matthew Jacobs
    • Carol-Jeanette Jorgensen
    • Maria Marchetti
    • Colin Vaines
Starring
CinematographyDylan Glockler
Edited byVanessa Yuille
Music byMark Leggett
Running time
1 hour 20 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish

Doctor Who Am I is a 2022 American documentary film about the legacy of the 1996 Doctor Who TV movie, its writer, Matthew Jacobs, and the American Doctor Who fandom. Vanessa Yuille and Jacobs directed and produced the documentary, and Daphne Ashbrook, Nicholas Briggs, Paul McGann, Eric Roberts, Paul Booth, May Charters, Ken Deep and Cat Hyaesia starred in it. [1] [2] The film was released through Kaleidoscope Film Distribution in select UK cinemas on 27 October 2022, [3] followed by a home media release on 28 November. [4]

Contents

Synopsis

"In 1996, a Doctor Who TV movie was envisioned to lead the franchise into an exciting new future with a fresh direction, but it was met only by an outcry from disapproving fans. Now, follow the film’s infamous screenwriter, Matthew Jacobs, as he is reluctantly dragged back into the American 'Whoniverse' where, despite the brutal rejection of his work 25 years earlier, he unexpectedly finds himself a kindred part of this close-knit, yet vast, family of fans." [5]

Production

The film project originated during the fiftieth anniversary of Doctor Who, nine years before the documentary's release, when interest in Jacobs spiked. Though he had "distanced [him]self from the fans", Yuille contacted him about creating the film. Jacobs initially believed the film would be mostly about the fans of Doctor Who, though Yuille "always knew it was going to be about him.” [6]

Cast

Release

The documentary premiered at the Sci-Fi-London film festival in May of 2022. [1]

Kaleidoscope Film Distribution bought the rights to distribute the film in August 2022. [3] Yuille said of the deal that "teaming up with Kaleidoscope is a perfect match for us because even though we're an American movie, they understand the Doctor Who franchise and the global reach of the fandom." [7]

The film was originally slated for release in selected UK cinemas on 13 October 2022. However, this was delayed until 27 October, and the home media (DVD & Blu-ray) release was also moved from 7 to 28 November the same year. [4]

Reception

Reviews for the film were mostly positive, with some exceptions. Leslie Felperin, writing for The Guardian , gave the film three stars out of five, stating that it "never quite wraps its arms around the whole phenomenon" of why Doctor Who meant so much to the fans, and that it was "very skewed towards the costume-wearing US end of Whovian fandom". [8] British science fiction magazine Starburst gave it five stars, calling it "emotional" and "thought-provoking". [9] Radio Times rated it five stars also, noting the "touching humility to how Jacobs carries himself" and that its story was "both remarkably specific and yet universally understood". [10] That's Pop Culture rated the documentary five stars, saying it was "filled with more heart than a Time Lord". [11]

Soundtrack release

Mark Leggett's score was released to digital platforms 7 October 2022.

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References

  1. 1 2 McArdell, Ian (2022-09-30). "Doctor Who Am I – new documentary trailer and DVD (updated)". CultBox. Retrieved 2022-10-26.
  2. ↑ Dubey, Shivani (2022-08-13). "New Doctor Who movie lands UK cinema release". Digital Spy. Retrieved 2022-10-26.
  3. 1 2 Yossman, K. J. (2022-08-11). "'Doctor Who Am I' Documentary About BBC Time Lord Snapped Up by Kaleidoscope Film Distribution (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 2022-10-26.
  4. 1 2 Hibbs, James (2022-09-28). "Doctor Who Am I documentary on Paul McGann TV movie gets new release date". Radio Times. Retrieved 2022-10-26.
  5. ↑ "Doctor Who Am I - Kaleidoscope Film Distribution" . Retrieved 2022-10-29.
  6. ↑ Belam, Martin (2022-05-20). "Hanky-panky in the Tardis! How a writer's divisive Doctor Who movie spent 25 years being hated by fans". the Guardian. Retrieved 2022-10-26.
  7. ↑ Craig, David (2022-08-12). "Doctor Who Am I documentary set for theatrical release in UK". Radio Times. Retrieved 2022-10-29.
  8. ↑ Felperin, Leslie (2022-10-26). "Doctor Who Am I review – a genial dive into the Whoniverse with one of its creators". the Guardian. Retrieved 2022-10-26.
  9. ↑ Mount, Paul (2022-05-19). "DOCTOR WHO AM I". STARBURST Magazine. Retrieved 2022-10-26.
  10. ↑ Astley, Sabastian (2022-10-27). "Doctor Who Am I review: Extraordinary doc of a real-life regeneration". Radio Times. Retrieved 2022-10-27.
  11. ↑ Dyer, Robert (2022-10-17). "'Doctor Who Am I' Review: Filled with more heart than a Time Lord". That's Pop Culture.
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