Total Recall
The Child Catcher
Personal recollections of cherished sci-fi and fantasy
Never take sweets from strangers, kids.
© WARFIELD/UNITED ARTISTS/KOBAL/SHUTTERSTOCK
Ian Berriman, Deputy Editor
If I stumble upon Chitty Chitty Bang Bang airing on a bank holiday afternoon, I’m torn. “Me Ol’ Bamboo” is a banger. Who can resist a car that can turn into a hovercraft and fly? And then there’s Baroness Bomburst’s suspenders… On the other hand, this children’s musical is a very syrupy affair.
Even as a nipper, “Truly Scrumptious” left me in need of a sickbag. What decides whether I switch channels is generally how close inventor Caractacus Potts and co are to landing in the faux Germanic nation “Vulgaria”, and encountering the sinister Child Catcher.