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Chocky [1984]
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Wyndham's very 1950s-styled novel is updated by making the kids less well-spoken, and throwing in Rubik's cubes and space invaders video games, but adaptor Anthony Read's script preserves the virtues of the novel. Young Andrew Ellams is fine in a demanding role, and there's good-quality puzzled concern from dad James Hazeldine and 80s TV's resident sexy mum Carol Drinkwater. Apart from a few eye-abusing 1984 fashions--Jeremy Bulloch's huge glasses and blinding white jeans in a cameo as a psychiatrist--and the general leisurely pace, which is no bad thing in such a careful piece of drama, this has dated little. Those who remember its first broadcast will find it lives up to the memory, and those who weren't born then should still find it an entertaining watch. On the DVD: Chocky on disc can be accessed as a marathon two-and-a-half-hour watch or as six individual episodes (the latter is recommended). Print quality is fine given the techniques of its production. A nice extra is a 20-minute, in-depth chat with writer Anthony Read. --Kim Newman I first read it not long after it was written, and always liked it. Its theme, which has seen quite a bit of use both before and since, is that of "first contact" with an alien being made by a child. 12-year-old Matthew Gore starts hearing "voices" from an alien life form, and the rest of the book is largely his and his adoptive parents' attempts to come to terms with the phenomenon. The characters, though perhaps better educated than the average, are basically a pretty ordinary lot, and are completely bewildered by what is going on. Matthew's mother, in particular, takes a very good part as she is driven almost hysterical in her attempts to deal with what is happening to her son, and one of my regrets aboout the sequels is that she did not appear in them. The father manages to stay a bit calmer, and gradually comes to accept that Chocky is real and not a psychiatric phenomenon, but he too is as out of his depth as one might expect in such a situation. As for Matthew himself, to my mind he looks and acts a bit younger than his supposed age, coming over more like a bright ten-year-old, but then his original was a 1950s (or at most early 1960s) twelve-year-old, not a 1980s one, so perhaps the makers of the serial were being true to their source. In this they were consistent. The serial sticks very closely to the book, which means that it is all very low key and "cosy", with almost no melodrama until we get to the kidnapping at the end, and even that is played down, without violence or much sense that Matthew is in danger - though the parents are convincing as they worry about their missing child. Otherwise, the focus is how matthew's involvement with Chocky impinges on his otherwise pretty normal sort of life, with his teachers raising their eyebrows about the sudden enhancement of his academic and artistic performance. All in all, the was a good read, and the serial is a good view. If you like it unpretentious and enjoyable, grab this dvd.
RRP: £19.99
Our Price: £2.59 (subject to change)
Editorial
Amazon.co.uk Review
First transmitted in 1984, Chocky is a six-part TV adaptation of John Wyndham's clever novel. Matthew, an apparently normal 12-year-old boy, starts talking to an invisible presence called Chocky, who quizzes him on a wide variety of subjects as if unfamiliar with life on Earth. Over the course of the serial it is suggested that Chocky is an alternate personality or, after Matthew has been helped by Chocky to rescue his sister from drowning, a guardian angel. But we realise early on that this non-imaginary friend is in fact an alien who has made exploratory contact with the boy. Though Chocky manifests as a swirl of blue light, this is a rare piece of TV science fiction that sticks to the domestic arena, exploring ideas rather than playing with special effects.
Unpretentious and Enjoyable.
Review date: 2005-06-17 Rating: 10 out of 10
It is always with a bit of trepidation that I approach the film or tv version of a book I liked, wondering whether it will come over so well on the screen. "Chocky", I am glad to say, is one that did and does.
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Reviews
Chocky
Review date: 2003-07-16 Rating: 8 out of 10
I was only 6 years old when this series was first aired in 1984 but i can remember really enjoying this series. For this reason i was really pleased and suprised when i saw that it was to be released on DVD. 19 years on and apart from being slightly dated i found it very enjoyable to watch. I was especially impressed with the performance of the young lead (Matthew) and of the late James Hazledean (Matthew's father). The series is very intelligent and certainly does not speak down to it's audience. It is also quite original and certainly reminds me of how childrens TV has fallen from grace in the last decade. If you enjoyed this series 19 years ago i don't think you will be disappointed. If you havn't seen it before, then i recommend it. Especially John Wyndham fans.
Product Details/Specifications
Director(s):
Recording label: Second Sight Films Ltd.
Manufacturer: Second Sight Films Ltd.
EAN: 5028836030447
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 1
Format: PAL,
Release date: 2002-10-07
Number of discs: 1
Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
Audience rating: Parental Guidance
Running time: 152 minutes
Theatrical release date: 1984
Language: English (Original Language)