Day 276: Inferno Episode 5

A Primord (Inferno)

The Grinch (How The Grinch Stole Christmas)

When I was 5, I went to the cinema with my Dad. Before the film that we were going to watch, there were three trailers that would change my life. One was for a film called Chicken Run, which I would later come to adore as one of my favourite movies of all time. Another was for a film called The Magic Pudding, which I would also adore, and come to see as one of my favourite movies of all time. And one was for a film called How The Grinch Stole Christmas. I did not adore this trailer. I was not left with any particular desire to see the film. Or any film for that matter. Because that one trailer left me with a several year long fear of movie cinemas, movie trailer, Dr Seuss, and hairy, green faced creatures.

When I was watching Inferno for the first time, I don't particularly recall being aware that Doctor Who could be scary sometimes. Nothing that I'd seen so far had indicated to me that this series was amongst one of the most terrifying for children to watch. So I watched Inferno and I was terrified to the bone. Because there were Grinches. Tonnes of them. They were terrifying in every possible way, from their design to their way of movement to the sounds that they made as they fought the Doctor. I was invested enough in the story to watch the rest of it, but I was still to frightened to watch it again. Doctor Who had scared me for the first time. And it would be a while until I watched this particular episode again...