The Films of Frankenstein

It's alive! I've been working hard in my laboratory and have forged new life from an old feature - Monthly Mini-Reviews, remember them? - for this special gothic-themed series of blog posts. And what celebration of the gothic is complete without a mention of the mighty Frankenstein! Mary Shelley's genius novel about a scientist who creates a man from the dead has captured imaginations for centuries, with the ideas revisited in endless novels, television shows and even stage plays. However, the most famous of these is arguably the  various film adaptations of the story that have sparked into life across the decades. As it would take a whole encyclopaedia to look at every film on the subject, below are four of my favourites. Behold, if you are brave enough, the films of Frankenstein!


Frankenstein (1931)

The undoubtedly most iconic of all Frankenstein adaptations is James Whale's early horror film, primarily known for Boris Karloff's legendary portrayal of the lumbering, flat-headed creature. Without speaking a word of dialogue, and in such grotesque prosthetics, Karloff certainly does an excellent job of showing the creature's innocence and anger. Colin Clive also plays the determined Dr Frankenstein (for some reason, renamed Henry here) well, being believably unhinged enough to undertake his experiments. Despite running for little over an hour, however, it does feels a little stilted in places; although that is more a fault of the Hollywood of the time still grappling with talkies. On the other hand, it has elements that were not only shocking for its time but push the boundaries even now. Not many films made over seventy years ago can say that.

The Bride of Frankenstein (1935)

First things first, Bride of Frankenstein is a rare example of a sequel bettering the original. Everything from the first film is upped; the gothic, the wry humour and, perhaps most importantly, the characterisation of Karloff's monster, in particular his loneliness and desire for companionship. The key to its success is the assured direction by Whale who, amongst the horror and the thrills, injects a sense of fun to proceedings. Also worth noting are the terrific score - particularly the haunting, twinkling theme for the Bride herself - and the unsung hero of the film, the campy, malevolent Dr Pretorius, the man who 'commissions' a bride for the monster. Simply a must-see film of its genre.

Young Frankenstein (1974)

Mel Brooks' thoroughly hilarious spoof of the 1930s films is definitely the funniest incarnation of Frankenstein you'll come across. The ever-endearing Gene Wilder stars as Frederick Frankenstein (it's pronounced Fronkensteen), a descendant of the original mad scientist who is dismissive of his 'famous cuckoo' grandfather. However, a death in the family ends in his returning to Castle Frankenstein. Will he live up to his namesake and create a monster? Answer; yes.
Nearly every joke works (with some sequences so effective, you won't be able to watch the original films without thinking of it) and Wilder has strong support from Marty Feldman as a fourth-wall breaking Igor. It's best scene will have you  laughing every time you hear Putting on the Ritz....

Frankenweenie (2012)

Based on his 1984 short film, Frankenweenie sees Tim Burton tackle a quirky all-ages version of Shelley's immortal tale. After his beloved dog, Sparky (geddit?) dies, schoolboy scientist Victor Frankenstein does the unthinkable and endeavours to bring the dog back to life - with much mayhem ensuing. As a lover of the Universal Frankenstein films (elements of them appear in many of his own works), it's perfect territory for the director to work in and it really does feel classic Burton. Sure, we've seen a lot of the motifs before in his features (not to mention in the original short film itself) but its a charming stop-motion film - totally in black and white - that not only alludes to its Frankenstein film forebears but becomes a celebration of the entire monster movie genre itself. Frankenweenie proves that even after so many versions, the Frankenstein legend has not been done to death - there's still a lot more life in it yet.

Doctor Who at 50: Missing Episodes Found!

To the joy of Doctor Who fans across the universe, after months and months of gossip, it was last night confirmed that the BBC has recovered nine episodes of the series that were thought forever lost! Classic story 'The Enemy of the World' is now complete  while fan-favourite 'The Web of Fear' is now only one episode short thanks to the haul - the largest find of lost episodes for three decades. These new old Whos were finally revealed at midnight on Thursday at a special event in London, attended by Second Doctor companions Frazer Hines (Jamie) and Deborah Watling (Victoria). Due to the BBC norm at the time to destroy tapes of already broadcast television programmes, there have been over a hundred episodes missing from fan's shelves - and hearts - for years, with one showing up now and again. Now, however, the figure is down to 97. Only double figures!
'Every single avenue seemed to have been exhausted,' said Who writer Mark Gatiss to the BBC. 'Every now and then something turns up - but to have two virtually complete stories out of the blue is absolutely incredible.'

The episodes were found by archivist, Phillip Morris, who found them gathering dust in a Nigerian TV station. 

But, enough about the technicalities, what we really care about is the stories themselves. Let's have a look at what we've been missing...

ENEMY OF THE WORLD  by David Whittaker

This 1967/8 adventure is an intriguing one, being very different from the 'base-under-siege' and monster-heavy stories typical of its time. Hoping to enjoy  a holiday in mid-21st century Australia, the Doctor, Jamie and Victoria become embroiled in the machinations of megalomaniac Salamander who dreams of world domination - and is an  exact double of the Doctor! With an exploding helicopter, a hovercraft and gun-toting henchman, it sounds like a James Bond film rather than a 60s Who, plus it will also be fascinating to see the talented Troughton in a dual role, especially playing a villain for himself to come up against. 

As the episodes have already gone up on Itunes some fans got their hands on them as fast as they could. Here's what Who  writer Chris Chibnall thought...

Wow. “Enemy of the World” episode 1 is a joy. Troughton’s Doctor an ever-shifting revelation. Terrific fast paced thriller.
— Chris Chibnall (@ChrisChibnall) October 10, 2013

THE WEB OF FEAR by Mervyn Haisman and Henry Lincoln

If you'd asked Doctor Who fans earlier in the year which of the missing stories they would most want back, many would have said this tale which sees the Doctor's old enemies, the robotic Yeti controlled by the Great Intelligence, attack the London Underground. 'It's the quintessential Doctor Who story,' Mark Gatiss called it. 'It has the return of the Abominable Snowmen in an iconic location.'

It also featured the first appearance of beloved character Brigadier (here, Colonel) Lethbridge-Stewart who was a regular on the show during the Third Doctor's UNIT years, making guest appearances throughout the series, and once in spin-off show The Sarah Jane Adventures, until his death in 2009.

Eagle-eyed readers will note that the aforementioned Mr G. Intelligence reappeared as the main enemy of the latest series of the show, played by Richard E Grant. Out of all the perhaps more famous classic Who villains, Mr  Moffat could have brought back it seemed an unusual choice - unless... unless Moffat... knew about this haul? Hmm...

Fan and Radio Times writer tweeted this on the story:

I am in a state of bliss. Just watched ep 4 of The Web of Fear. I can't quite believe it. Just as great as I'd hoped. Dear Nick Courtney
— Patrick Mulkern (@PatrickMulkern) October 10, 2013

The stories are now available from Itunes for £9.99 while they're apparently soon to be released on DVD.

This really is incredible news for the show and - being very spookily well-timed - it adds immensely to the fun of the 50th anniversary bash. And,Who knows, it suggests that, somewhere out there, are more missing episodes waiting to be found. What definitely is for sure though is that this is a fantastic year to be a fan of the show. And it's far from over yet...

Review: Jekyll (Series One)

Everyone has a dark side. This is the theme of today's post. We may appear trustworthy members of society but underneath may lurk a secondary savage nature. The side you try to hide. the side you try to bury deep and the side that may come to the fore and close this tab if I keep up this melodramatic introduction. So, as Gothic Creatures month continues, we turn our two-faced heads to inspect a new take on a classic tale...

Three years before he reinvented Sherlock Holmes as a modern-day sleuth, Steven Moffat brought another icon of late-Victorian literature into the 21st century - the tragic Dr Jekyll and his twisted other half, Mr Hyde.

Jekyll, a sequel to the Robert Louis Stevenson original, sees James Nesbitt (ubiquitous on British television back in 2007, he can now be seen as Bofur in The Hobbit films) as Dr Tom Jackman, a man who is suffering from serious split personality. Cutting himself off from his job, friends and family, he is determined to defeat his inner demons before they - or should that be 'he' - can bring harm to his loved ones. Jackman, a descendant of Dr Jekyll, can trust no one - not even himself. 

As one can expect from Steven Moffat, the king of complex plots, this short six-part series (no more were produced) hurtles at a strong pace and is unpredictable to the extreme. While this is far from being the only reimagining of Jekyll and Hyde, to take the Victorian gothic novel and turn it into a contemporary conspiracy thriller show as this does is really quite inspired. Thankfully, however, Jekyll manages to never take itself too seriously and supplies another thing one will always find in Moffat's work; more than a handful of humour. Mr Hyde - oh, yes, he still calls himself that - is portrayed as a camp, so-mad-he-loves-being-evil villain in the vein of John Simm's The Master and, later, Andrew Scott's Moriarty and so regularly gets you laughing with him, despite his nasty nature. 

Across the episodes, there are some stonking great classics of Moffat dialogue. My favourite has to go to the following exchange that's played to deadpan perfection by Nesbitt:

Jackman finds a CD titled 'Disney Favourites' on his desk

Tom: What's this?

Katherine: It's his.

Tom: He has Disney favourites?

Katherine: He likes the songs.

Tom: My dark side likes Mary Poppins. No wonder I was bullied at school.

The cast is filled out ably by familiar actors to any British TV viewer, including Meera Syal, Denis Lawson and Michelle Ryan. Ryan plays Katherine, Jackman's capable assistant who helps keep Hyde at bay (by giving him Disney CDs, apparently) while Syal and Fenella Woolgar (Who's Agatha Christie) play a pair of lesbian private detectives - clear forebears of Moffat's much-loved crinolined crime-fighting duo Madame Vastra and Jenny. They are all entertaining additions to the cast but sadly fall a bit by the wayside in the series' latter half as the plot spirals all over the place (in a good way). On the plus side, though, Gina Bellman who is underused in the first episodes gets a chance to shine as Jackman's suffering wife.

As the issues with character above suggests, the show does have its problems. The biggest being that there's something about it that means the series as a whole just doesn't click. It's certainly great fun to watch but it is the show's inability to ever quite come together that keeps the production from reaching the heights of Sherlock and Moffat's Doctor Who. While the writing runs the show and the actors carry it well, it seems like one-part generic TV drama and one-part bonkers, innovative stuff. The series was clearly designed as a vehicle for Nesbitt, who plays both roles with either suitable restraint or bouncing energy, and also allows Moffat to go solo on a big-game drama project for the first time. Perhaps it is these manufactured beginnings that stop Jekyll being a truly great piece of television.

On the whole, Jekyll is a hugely enjoyable series with sharp writing and solid performances but one that never quite fires on all cylinders. With elements of both pure genius and mediocrity, Jekyll really is a show split down the middle, meaning that the series may leave the viewers themselves in two minds.  

Favourite Fictional Characters: Ellen Ripley by Mr Rumsey

To kick off the special gothic-themed run of posts that are going up this October, here's the second in an ongoing series by guest bloggers on their favourite fictional characters. This month, James Walpole, of Mr Rumsey's Film Related Musings, is discussing his favourite character, the lead from the classic Sci-fi/Horror film series Alien. Before we start, let's give a big hand to Mr Rumsey for putting together an out-of-this-world article! Done that? Good. The one of you who is now missing an arm, I'll give it back to you another time...

Ellen Ripley has come to symbolise the ultimate female character for me, the one by which I measure all others across film, literature, and video games. She undertakes a transition across four films that promotes the maternal instinct, intelligence, bravery and an ability to adapt and survive in ways which are almost exclusively reserved for male characters, whilst the films also confront issues of rape, sexual threat, and the loss of a child, and Ripley is developed enough to make mistakes, miscalculate a situation, and react impulsively.  This incredibly strong character is important to me not only as a landmark in film and gender history, but also because I've grown to really like her. She is endlessly entertaining; whether she is being funny and ballsy, or is terrified and fighting for her and others’ lives. What’s more I can really relate to her struggles, and that’s something that’s very important considering I'm a young male viewer in his early twenties.

Although Ripley has a handful of romantic connections to other characters, even if some of these are barely hinted at or are left on the cutting room floor, she does not suffer as a character from these relationships. She is never constructed through these male figures, and miraculously she passes through the hands of multiple screenwriters and directors, without ever once becoming the besotted and helpless female archetype. Yes, she is portrayed as an object of sexual desire, and by that I mean both for humans and aliens, but she isn't defined by that attribute unlike many female characters. Her sexual appeal is considerably more relevant to the series’ concerns with sexual fear, rape, abortion, childbirth and the male psychological fear of impregnation, than it is relevant to her character traits.

When I watched Alien, Ripley was one of the first empowered female roles that I had experienced. I use the term empowered carefully as I think it is quite troublesome, and I certainly do not believe that a well written female character needs to take on ‘male attributes’, i.e. picking up a gun and being able to kill, this technique often backfires anyway. Ripley is empowered because she is fully fleshed out as a character; she’s alternatively weak and strong in different situations, she is conflicted, she makes mistakes, but she also learns from them - look to the supporting character Lambert to see the female role that Ripley has evolved from. I knew that I had found something here that strongly affected me. Ever since I re-watched this film I have had a very strong interest in female roles, they now are normally the characters which interest me most when I read/watch/write something, and this part of my personality, I've come to realise through writing this post, is largely tied into the character of Ripley.

Ellen Ripley has few real rivals in terms of female film characters; Sarah Connor is perhaps her only true challenger, but you could also consider Louise (Thelma and Louise), Beatrix Kiddo (Kill Bill), Raimunda (Volver), or say Marge Gunderson (Fargo). The reason for me that she rises above these other great characters is simply that none of those have such a rich and developed character, one that has been built-up over time and multiple films into being a strong female role model – a woman that doesn't rely on her sexuality, but is both believable and relatable.

If you are interested in contributing a future guest post, please send me an email at chalbo@outlook.com, tweet me at @ChristianABone or leave a comment below!

Welcome to Gothic Creatures

A monochrome man, dressed in a smart suit, appears through the stage curtains and speaks to an unseen audience.

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and ghouls, the writer of this blog thought it best to warn you of what is to come on his site over this October, in the run-up to that fabled night, All Hallow's Eve.
For one month only, Scribble Creatures will be devoted to all things Gothic. Things to curdle the blood and quicken the beatings of the heart, as mistress of the macabre Mary Shelley once said. If you can stand it, you will be treated to reviews, list articles, guest posts all to do with some of the most nightmarish books, films and television around - and perhaps even a short story to read on Halloween night. If you dare.
I urge you to visit this blog over the next month with the utmost caution. The posts that follow this are not for the faint of heart and the blog's proprietor will not be held responsible for any -
Well, don't say we didn't warn you...

The monochrome man  grins and exits the stage.

Doctor Who's Greatest Moments: Part Two - The 70s

Following on from last month's walk through memory lane at the best moments in Sixties Doctor Who, now we turn to, you've got it, the seventies, which saw two very distinct eras go by (or almost, in Tom Baker's case). While the sixties are usually seen as the show's experimental decade, playing with what the series could do, the early seventies were really far more so. With a whole new look for the show - the Doctor now finally travelled in colour, as well as through time and space - Doctor Who was also made into a contemporary thriller series; marooned on present-day Earth, the Third Doctor is attached to a division of the army dedicated to thwarting alien threat. By the later seventies, however, the show went back to its roots - with the Doctor once again a hobo in space - but retained the Third Doctor's era's rousing sense of adventure, arguably becoming the most assured era of the series' original run. Whatever your viewpoint, the seventies certainly contains some of Doctor Who's greatest stories - and, by extension, some of its greatest moments.

10. In Paris, City of Death

Near the beginning of Douglas Adams' City of Death, one of the show's greats, comes a low-key but special moment. Making the most of the episode's overseas filming, we are shown a medley of the Doctor and Time Lady Romana, enjoying themselves around the city, accompanied by Dudley Simpson's memorable score (recently heard at this year's Doctor Who at the Proms). In a story full of great comedy moments and a rather fabulous monster reveal, this beats the lot by giving us something a little rarer in Who; the chance to see the Doctor and his companion having a good ol' time away from extraterrestrial shenanigans. And, you know what, they look like they're having fun.

9. The Doctor in the shower, Spearhead from Space

In the previous regeneration up to this point, the Doctor had changed from Hartnell to Troughton with virtually no problem whatsoever, going off to defeat the Daleks and be back inside the TARDIS in time for tea. However, for a long while after the Third Doctor's 'birth' he remains unconscious in a hospital bed before crying out for his shoes and, later, indulging in a spot of singing in the shower. Apart from the fun seeing comic actor Pertwee larking about in a role that he usually played straight, this moment's also significant for being the first of the post-regeneration 'silliness' scenes, in which the still-cooking Doctor will be rather hyperactive. Nowadays, every regeneration is accompanied by something reminiscent of this scene but it remains the original and one of the best.

8. Alternate 1980, Pyramids of Mars

From the moment the Fourth Doctor discovers that Sutekh the Destroyer is trying to break his bonds, his signature toothy grin is nowhere in sight; it is clear this is a fierce opponent. Knowing how much trouble they could be in, Sarah Jane suggests they get in the TARDIS and leave. In answer, the Doctor does just that and returns to Sarah's hometime of 1980 - and it is a barren wasteland. This is the future of the Earth, the Doctor tells her, unless they stop Sutekh. It's a brilliantly effective scene and one that perfectly captures who the Doctor is. Despite the danger posed to himself, he will do anything to ensure that human - or any - lives will be saved. In short, he's a hero. And gawd bless him.

7. The Many Faces of Doctor Who, The Brain of Morbius

We may know that the Doctor's a hero but, as a fantastic moment in Fourth Doctor story Brain of Morbius shows us, we don't really know much about him at all. The Time Lord criminal Morbius, his brain inhabiting a mish-mash alien creature, has engaged the Doctor in a battle of the minds and is pouring through his thoughts. We see all four of his faces appear on screen and then - what?! - several more. 'How long?' the creature cries. 'How long have you lived?' The idea of the Doctor living more lives than those we have seen is a tantalising one - and something I'm glad to see is being explored in the coming The Day of the Doctor. This is such an important scene as it reminds us of that eternal question; Doctor Who?


6. A dandy and a clown, The Three Doctors

Multi-Doctor stories are always great fan-pleasers - what could be better than several incarnations of your favourite hero coming together in a big nonsensical celebratory bash? And for seventies viewers who watched the first occasion this happens on screen, in The Three Doctors which marked the show's tenth - aw, bless - anniversary, it must have been simply the best. Brought together by the Time Lords, the Second and Third Doctors argument is cut short by the appearance of the First Doctor on the TARDIS scanner. However, he doesn't treat his other selves with much more respect. 'So you're my replacements,' he says. 'A dandy and a clown', thereby creating one of the most famous of Doctor Who quotes. This November's 50th anniversary shindig will hopefully provide some fun multi-Doctor moments but it will be hard pressed to beat the first. The original, you might say.


5. 'Where there's life, there's a...', Planet of the Spiders

Realising he is to blame for the attack of the Eight Legs, a race of giant spiders (see number 3), the Third Doctor returns to Metebelis III to stop the Great One and her plans to rule the universe (don't alien monsters ever want a quiet life?). With the spider destroyed, the Doctor returns to his TARDIS having saved  the world - but at a cost. He has been hit with a deadly dose of radiation. Arriving at UNIT HQ, watched by Sarah Jane and the Brigadier, the Third Doctor dies and a new man rises from the ashes. With its Buddhist undertones and many facets that would be used in later deaths of Doctors - accepting their own passing for the greater good, for instance - this is a superior regeneration scene.

4. 'Do I have the right?', Genesis of the Daleks

At the climax of this Dalek-origins story, the Doctor has a tough decision to make. At Davros' incubation room - the birthplace of all Daleks - the Doctor has only to connect two wires to destroy the room, and the Daleks will be wiped from history. But the Doctor's moral conscience is too great. He would be committing genocide - surely making him as bad as the Daleks themselves. Thankfully, though, the decision is taken out of his hands as the Doctor and his friends are found. Not only a brilliant character moment for the Doctor - Russell T Davies has said that the Doctor's meddling in the Daleks' creation sparked the Time War - it also embodies a thought-provoking philosophical and moral question. What would you do in that situation?

3. A Parting Gift, The Green Death

Companion exits are always among the most memorable and, let's admit it, emotional of Doctor Who moments and the time the clumsy but lovely Jo Grant decided to leave the Doctor's side is sure to tug at any Who fan's heart. At a UNIT celebration, Jo announces she is getting married to another adventuring scientist, Professor Cliff Jones. Cut up, the Doctor gives Jo her wedding present, a crystal from Metebelis III (a crystal the spiders of the planet will later want back...) and, as the rest of the party congratulates the couple, the Doctor slips quietly away. The scene is played to perfection, with so much left unsaid by the pair. Sadly, the Doctor is used to goodbyes...

2. 'Don't Forget Me', The Hand of Fear

After a trying adventure, Sarah Jane is feeling tired of travelling the universe.And, at the same time, the Doctor receives a call from Gallifrey, where he must go alone. Departing on good terms, the Doctor and Sarah Jane say farewell. 'Don't forget me,' she tells him. 'Oh, Sarah Jane,' he replies, 'don't you forget me.' A masterclass of underacting, Tom Baker and Elisabeth Sladen are both excellent here. As with Jo's leaving scene, both the Doctor and his companion know their time together is up. They have grown-up. And the Doctor can't stand to see that happen; the one thing he can never do. Overall, this is a bittersweet ending to perhaps Doctor Who's best TARDIS team.

1. Indomitable! The Ark of Space

The moment from seventies Doctor Who I'm naming as the best is not a fond farewell to a much-loved companion or a heartbreaking death of a Doctor, but is in fact a moment of reflection by the Time Lord on his favourite species. Finding themselves on Nerva Beacon, the last refuge of humanity in the far future, the Doctor and Harry discover countless humans cryogenically frozen, sleeping until they find a new world. 'Homo Sapiens,' booms the Doctor, beginning a speech that waxes lyrical about the invincibility of the people of the Earth. We know that the Doctor loves Earth but in this scene we get to see the full extent of his admiration for us. He's almost proud, like a father pleased with how his children have turned out. 'They're indomitable,' the Doctor wraps up. 'Indomitable.' Much like Doctor Who itself, really. No matter how much it changes, it just keeps going. Ready to outsit eternity...? Who knows.

Review: The Ocean at the End of the Lane

After the rest of the world has long since devoured Neil Gaiman's latest offering, and a few weeks since I received a signed copy from the man himself, here, a little late to the party, is my review of the superb The Ocean at the End of the Lane. Don't be shy, dive in.

We all remember being scared as children. Of a curtain blowing in the wind from the window, of a misshapen shadow falling on the wall or, for this reviewer at a certain age, of a velociraptor in a chequered shirt coming up the stairs to eat you (don’t ask. No really, don’t). These sorts of memories can be some of the strongest that we retain from childhood. But, usually, there’s a relief at the end; a closing of the window, a switching on of the light, an …even bigger dinosaur protecting you. However, sometimes children have real reason to be scared. And the narrator of The Ocean at the End of the Lane certainly does.

After his family’s lodger, the opal miner, is found dead, our narrator is caught in a helpless situation as his cosy seven-year-old world is torn apart when an ancient entity with the power of a god is released. With designs for the flint lane on which he lives and the people in it.

A lot has been said about the novel's themes of memory and reflection yet, although these are integral to the atmosphere of the piece, what must not be forgotten is that Gaiman weaves together a gripping story which at its core is about the terror and triumph of childhood. What separates this from Gaiman’s other works that feature children against otherworldly forces – for instance, The Graveyard Book and Coraline – is that the novel is a recollection of an adult narrator back to his childhood and the horrors that he faced. Because of this, probably why it was a book aimed at adults rather than children, there is a stronger air of hopelessness to proceedings; a feeling of being totally lost in a grown-up world. Thankfully, though, there is some light at the end of the lane…

For this reader, the Hempstocks are the stars of the piece. The three women of varying ages, who live on the old farm at the street’s end, are ancient, wise beings themselves. ‘The ocean’ of the title sits in their land – it’s actually a duckpond, but one with a few secrets. As a child, I think we all dreamt that something or someone where we lived was different and out-of-the-ordinary and Gaiman personifies this perfectly in the heroic Hempstock women.

However, heroes and monsters are all well and good but perhaps when the novel is at its most involving is in its mixing of this other world the boy encounters and his own family. As a child, our family is our bedrock and when it is at risk there’s nothing more terrifying. We can all find something we recognise in our own family in the one the author creates and so, when the cracks appear in it and his parents fail to help their son in his predicament, Gaiman's exquisite prose takes us all back to being a scared, defenceless child.

Overall, the book is an excellent composite between the author’s adult fiction and his output for younger audiences, and is really suitable for the young and old, who will read it from different perspectives. Give it a go and you’ll find it’s easy to get lost in the ocean of fear and magic and fairy tale that runs through the heart of Gaiman's novel. The Ocean at the End of the Lane may make you revisit a time of moving curtains, lingering shadows and shirted dinosaurs but you might just feel richer for it.