Labyrinth of the Blud Devils
Filmed: 1984/1985
Writers: Ian Taylor, Eric Davies
Additional Dialogue: Stuart Glazebrook, Gordon Lengden
Director: Ian Taylor
Cameraman: Mike Hardman
THE ZUNKS (publicity still)
Running Time:
25.08 minutes
Artistes: Stuart Glazebrook, Gordon Lengden, Ian Taylor, Keith Molyneaux, Mike Hardman, Eugene Prunty, Eric William Davies, Gareth Preston
Illegal Clip Use: Pyramids of Mars
BBC Logo,
Blade Runner still
Earthshock music
Vivaldi's 4 Seasons
Roots: Doctor Who, Robin of Sherwood, James Bond, Monty Python,
THE CORPSE (off screen shot)
Dialogue Disasters:Bogie! Bogie!
(and when getting a hat out...) Ah! ha, ha, ha, hah,
ha...heh,ha? Ha!
Dialogue Triumphs: Have you zeen ze time?
Is this the Mint Ball Emporium?
Walter Raleigh? Oh he made the bikes, dinnee?
So I said to the Cybermen, you're nothing but gold plated hatstands!
AN ALIEN FIND (scene)
Factoids: The gravestone's cross, would not burn at all. Spooky.
Keith the corpse had pins in his legs, which made it difficult to rise from the dead.
The car that picks the Doc up, isn't the one that drops him off!
The stairs sequence were filmed in an old cinema, where Ian got electrocuted!
The cider in the bottles was cold tea (yeh, right!)
Liz Sladen never asked for a fee, but requested sleeping with Stuart.
Drog, Eric & Ian circa 1985
Best Bit: Got to be the corpse rising from the grave. Its moody, got great movement, suitable music, its better than Dawn of the Dead (nearly...)
First Contact (letter from Stuart)
I Love Mike Hardman because: the effort & dedication put in to the project, in creating, designing, filming, suggesting and even submitting to playing a camp character.He gave up his home to make props, and weekends to film. And though bitter that the project was not completed, he put his all into future projects, making them the memorable features they are today. Though this sounds like an eulogy, he isn't dead. He continues to have an active sex life in Bolton.
Personal Glimpse by Ian Taylor
So what was it all about? Well, it started as a foolish idea in that a group of Doctor Who fans could make their own believable story on a shoestring budget, and that other fans would go "ooh, aah!" But, that's not what appeared on the screen.
A lot of things were happening around that time. I had just met Stu and Drog, was obsessed with Dr Who, drank huge excessess of scrumpy, and was pretty much a megalomaniac, with very little self worth. I unfortunately discovered the Dr Who exhibition in Blackpool, halfway through filming and that grabbed my attention, 100%. Suddenly, I didn't want to film. I wanted to dress in rubber and latex. I also realised that it was futile to make serious Who, and that I much preferred "comedy" (well, I thought it was funny!) And so, a series of comic routines was written, which all the cast revelled in. This was fun! We could lark about, drink, have a laugh and there was an end product, too!
I edited the entire mess in one night, whilst downing copious quantities of scrumpy, and passed out in honour of the occasion at the end. Not the most prestigious of beginnings, but what it started... The characters were strong and had life in them, enough for 2 more ventures. The style was workable, people enjoyed themselves on our productions, and the film inspired others to do better (easily done!) culminating in the Adlib Awards in 1989, when over 50 people were present. Not bad for a 20 minute hotch potch which starts with, "Have you zeen ze time?" Quiet Please! Pause after action....and action!
Eric starts at the bottom...
The Product: 2 Versions exist, 1 edited by Ian, 1 by Mike. There are no end credits with Ian`s, but it runs true to the original idea. There is a making of documentary created by Mike more interesting than the film itself!
The Bottom Line: Cringingly bad to view today, badly put together, probably due to the fact that it wasn't finished and scenes were just added for the sake of it. The scenes with the Doc and the Tramp work well, setting a good relationship for the future. If the director had cared as much about the others in the project, perhaps we would have had a classic.