Home > Categories > Entertainment > Television > Children of the Stones review
All is not as it should be in Milbury, a sleepy English village surrounded by a megalithic stone circle. Astrophysicist Adam Brake and his teenage son, Matthew, arrive to research the standing stones, but end up delving into the past in ways they never expected.
What are the secrets of the ancient stones? What power does the druid-inspired Rafael Hendrick have over the village's trancelike "happy ones"? And is it true that "nobody ever leaves the circle"?
An air of menace pervades this sci-fi thriller, enhanced by a haunting, chanted vocal score. Filmed on location at the Avebury stone circle, older than nearby Stonehenge, each episode builds relentlessly to a harrowing climax in what becomes, literally, a race against time.
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This is another classic sci-fi series that I enjoyed in my youth. Originally filmed back in the late 70's, this DVD brings back some great memories of actors I recall from days when special effects on TV were a far cry from the nearly-realistic ones demanded by today's youth. Back then, blue-screening was cutting-edge, more art than effect, but it still beat out old Harryhausen's stop-motion efforts that began the journey into the realistically-unreal we so enjoy today.
The plot of this series is a little weak in places, especially by today's standards, but it still holds magic for those of us who can recall watching Niel Armstrong taking that world-shaking step. For today's youth, it will be, at best a humourous way to pass time with the grandparents, and at worst an utter yawn-fest, unless of course they have inherited the ability to appreciate something when taken in the context of it's origins.
For a sci-fi thriller series filmed back in the 70's this is actually a pretty good show, with tense moments, epiphanies, side-tracks and red herrings galore. Just the sort of thing to keep the winter chills at bay, when mixed with a dram or two and a cosy blanket.
All in all, I loved watching this again. Sure, it's a little flat by today's standards, but you must keep in mind it was made over 30 years ago and as such should be treated as an honoured elder, visiting us once more. It was especially good to once again see Freddie Jones on the screen. Last time I saw him was in Dune as Thufir Hawat, sharing the screen with one of my favourite Shakesperian thespians, Patrick Stewart.
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