Re: Valve Man DVD - BVWS
I watched it last night. It is very good, though obviously nowhere near as informative as his autobiography.
There are a couple of places where what Gerry is saying seems scripted and not his words. There are also some continuity/placement errors (Gerry as a child playing with yellow polyprop capacitors, and a couple of sets that are too recent for the scenes). The kid who plays Gerry at age 11 is good, though he is obviously unfamiliar with the components he's handling. Perhaps if they had asked for more assistance from Gerry they could have avoided these.
The film does dwell on his childhood more than his adult life. It's as though it should have been a bit longer to continue the story (60 minutes rather than 40), as it seems to rush towards the end somewhat.
I think the special effects are a bit excessive (TV programme makers do not seem to like static images), though thankfully not as much as I had expected from the previews on their website.
Overall though I think it portrays Gerry and his life favourably, and in a manner that the general public will enjoy and appreciate. It is well worth the £9.99 price, especially as proceeds go to the Museum.
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Paul Stenning
Forum Admin/Owner and BVWS Webmaster
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