Children Of The Stones (1977/Acorn DVD)
Picture:
D Sound: C+ Extras: C Episodes: C-
A cult
classic from the time of its original broadcast back in 1977, Children of the Stones has two things
going against it: first, 30 plus years later it hasn’t aged well and, second,
it does not transfer well from the UK to the US.
Children of the Stones is a 7-part science fantasy
series conceived for older children and very much a product of its times. Audience-wise, think Doctor Who. Its influences
are diverse and myriad: besides the Doctor, there is The Prisoner, Dark Shadows,
The Avengers, The Village of the Damned, sci-fi pulp novels of the 50’s and 60’s,
and many more. Besides fantasy and
sci-fi elements, there is an overriding feeling of the supernatural.
Unfortunately,
this show wouldn’t scare a nit off a nun.
A large
part of the problem may be traced to production values, which are on the level
of obscure low-budget Hammer films, the ones yet to make it to DVD. Though targeted to tweens, its immediate
appeal was to the kidult audience; see Doctor
Who, above. What seems to have
driven its cult status is a certain nostalgia perhaps better left
unresolved. It was produced as a weekly
half hour serial and in that it, too, resembled Who.
The plot
centers around a young man, Adam Brake, and his astrophysicist father who go to
the small town of Milbury (standing in for the
real life village
of Avebury) to study a
ring of ancient stones that surround it.
The seven episodes chronicle their adventures, replete with cliffhanger
endings, dealing the happy zombies the villagers have become, and allying
themselves with the local museum curator and her daughter, who serve has
counterparts for the Brakes. The soundtrack
is repetitive and jarring, the camera zooms annoying, and the special effects
as un-special as might be imagined.
To be
fair, Children of the Stones is all
about atmosphere and, on the occasions when it works, it can be arresting. The whole is, in equal measure, a blend of
ancient folklore, contemporary science, and a sizable dose of hooey. Black holes, mystic rituals, and
supernatural events, scored to cultish chanting, all seemingly orchestrated by
the mysterious village leader, Kendrick, in the end add up to one of the
biggest cop-outs ever. Of course, this
sort of ambiguity was big back in the day, but somehow what’s conjured here
makes “The Fall Out” episode of The Prisoner seem crystal clear.
At best,
it is a mild, if dated, diversion.
Those who
enjoyed the series swear by it. There
are those, like myself, that simply swear at it. Truly, this is one you must see for
yourself. Or not. You decide.
There are many fans of this show and they can’t all be wrong.
Right?
- Don Wentworth
