Quatermass (1979)

Starring:John Mills, Simon MacCorkindale, Barbara Kellerman, Margaret Tyzack, Brewster Mason, Ralph Arliss, Paul Rosebury, Jane Bertish, Rebecca Saire, Annabelle Lanyon, Toyah Willcox, Bruce Purchase, David Yip, Brenda Fricker, Tony Sibbald, Neil Stacy, Larry Noble, Gretchen Franklin, Clare Ruane, Kathleen St. John
Director: Piers Haggard, Val Guest, Rudolph Cartier
Studio: A&E Home Video
Product Type: DVD

Editorial Review:
Product Description
As the millennium draws to a close, civilization is on the verge of collapse. Gangs rule the streets. Books are burned for fuel. And a monstrous force from outer space is destroying the world's youth. Planet Earth is in dire need of a hero.

Enter the world's greatest rocket scientist--Professor Bernard Quatermass. Fresh out of retirement, the aging Quatermass is as brilliant and plucky as ever. While London crumbles under anarchy, the professor uses his powerful intellect to marshal assistance from American and Russian quarters and combat what could be the planet's final enemy. Along the way, he hopes to be reunited with his missing 16-year-old granddaughter.

One of sci-fi's most original creations, inspiring favorites like The X-Files, this classic 1970s production of QUATERMASS stars Academy Award®-winner Sir John Mills (Ryan's Daughter, Gandhi) and features all four episodes, plus the rarely-seen theatrical version, on DVD for the first time ever.

System Requirements:

Running Time 312 Min

Format: DVD MOVIE

Average customer rating:

Quatermass the Legendary '70's sci-fi classic
Only for the diehard archivist
False Advertising
Saved by the smell
yawn

Quatermass (1979)
Starring: John Mills , Simon MacCorkindale , Barbara Kellerman , Margaret Tyzack , and Brewster Mason
Director: Piers Haggard , Val Guest , and Rudolph Cartier
Manufacturer: A&E Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

Classic Sci-Fi | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

Alien Invasion | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

Aliens | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

Science Fiction | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Television | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $14.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( Q ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Quatermass Xperiment
Four Sided Triangle/X The Unknown
Quatermass and the Pit
Quatermass 2
Quatermass and the Pit/Quatermass 2

ASIN: B0007TKNOM
Release Date: 2005-04-26

Product Description

As the millennium draws to a close, civilization is on the verge of collapse. Gangs rule the streets. Books are burned for fuel. And a monstrous force from outer space is destroying the world's youth. Planet Earth is in dire need of a hero.

Enter the world's greatest rocket scientist--Professor Bernard Quatermass. Fresh out of retirement, the aging Quatermass is as brilliant and plucky as ever. While London crumbles under anarchy, the professor uses his powerful intellect to marshal assistance from American and Russian quarters and combat what could be the planet's final enemy. Along the way, he hopes to be reunited with his missing 16-year-old granddaughter.

One of sci-fi's most original creations, inspiring favorites like The X-Files, this classic 1970s production of QUATERMASS stars Academy Award®-winner Sir John Mills (Ryan's Daughter, Gandhi) and features all four episodes, plus the rarely-seen theatrical version, on DVD for the first time ever.

System Requirements:

Running Time 312 Min

Format: DVD MOVIE

Customer Reviews:

Quatermass the Legendary '70's sci-fi classic.......2007-05-27

This is one of the best science fiction films I've seen so far. Personally, I find it fascinating, as it is about a cult where the young generation of that day is drawn to cirtain spots on the Earth, where they are compelled to call to a transporter, which is a large beam of bright light that then comes down and takes them up to another planet somewhere far out in space. Those who are not part of the cult, but are caught up in the beam are destroyed rather than taken to this planet. It's a great science fiction adventure!

Only for the diehard archivist.......2007-02-05

This was a ghastly, tedious, nihilistic embarrassment. Leaden pace, spotty bad acting, questionable character motivations in many parts. And you have to ask yourself why on earth the (annoying) Planet People would have followed that non-charismatic complete butthead of a leader. Certainly the nadir for the Quatermass series. Perhaps the director does not speak science fiction, but some language alien to it.

False Advertising.......2006-09-08

Buyer beware. The flash page intices you with the prospect of receiving The Quatermass Experiment (The Creeping Unknown), 1956 - in addition to the 1979 TV version, Quatermass. Forget about it. Shameful false advertising. Amazon: take down the false advertising. Have you no shame.

Saved by the smell.......2006-08-08

I haven't seen the original BBC series, or the Hammer "Quatermass" films, but this Thames mini-series will have me searching for them. This reminded me a little of Max Headroom -- well-written story-driven science fiction; it's the story that kept me watching four hours straight -- the special effects are hobby store cheap.

All of the world's youth are becoming "Planet People." They're making pilgrimages to places like Stonehenge where they expect to be transported to another planet. They sing songs and chant things, like "Soon" and "Planet."

The scientists in the story think the Planet People are mad, until some get beamed up, or vaporized, at Ringstone Round. The Planet People feel validated. The scientists are irritated -- they suspect the Planet People are being harvested.

Quatermass is trying to find his granddaughter and get her rehabilitated before she gets beamed up, or vaporized.

Come to think of it, the whole show is kind of like "Footloose," told through the parents' eyes -- if the parents were scientists instead of religious fundamentalists, and it took place in the future. This time, though, in the end, it's not love, but the bomb that brings everyone together.

yawn.......2006-05-30

As a fan of British television & science fiction, I have heard about Quatermass for years, but did not have the chance to see it until I found this set. I was really looking forward to it, but what an incredible disappointment.
This is among the most boring, leaden paced pieces of junk I've ever seen. I could find nothing to recommend here. The script moves at a snail's pace, and the characters themselves seem only mildly interested in what is happening to them.
To be fair, this is a recreation of the original character from the 50s, done in the 70s. Such recreations rarely work well, as Hollywood has repeatedly proven in recent years.

I also consider the marketing of this as a box set a real rip off. The entire four part mini-series is all on disc one. Disc two has the theatrical version, which is just the exact same production, with about a third of the scenes edited out. Why would anyone need or want two copies of the same story. (Even the edited version is still painfully slow and unengaging.) There is also a fair documentary on Stonehenge (tangentally related to the plot). This is the only worthwhile part of the set, but it is just a watch once and never again program.
I honestly can not imagine where the praise for Quatermass comes from. What I saw on these discs was an utterly worthless waste of time and money. For hard-core fans only.

Average customer rating:

Great 1950's Sci Fi
A sequel better than the original!
Effective and Better than the Original
What happened to the original?
A Hit Not A Miss

Quatermass 2
Starring: Brian Donlevy , John Longden , Sid James , Bryan Forbes , and William Franklyn
Director: Val Guest
Manufacturer: Anchor Bay
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

Classic Sci-Fi | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

Alien Invasion | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

Aliens | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

Hammer Productions | Horror | Genres | DVD | Video

( Q ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Quatermass Xperiment
Quatermass and the Pit
Quatermass (1979)
Four Sided Triangle/X The Unknown
Fiend without a Face - Criterion Collection

ASIN: 6305807922
Release Date: 2000-05-23

Amazon.com

Considered by many critics to be the finest in the series, Hammer's second Quatermass feature (adapted from the television serial by Nigel Kneale) is a subversive alien invasion story. Professor Quatermass (Brian Donlevy) stumbles onto a top-secret government base near a rural location that has been inundated by a steady stream of meteors. His investigations, which are met with distrust by suspicious townspeople and outright hostility by the base guards, uncover a conspiracy originating in the highest reaches of government. With few he can trust and fewer he can convince of his suspicions, Quatermass decides to meet the menace head-on. Director Val Guest, who cowrote the screenplay with Kneale, loads his film with fascinating detail (the whiz of the falling meteors--actually space pods--recalls the buzz bombs of the London blitz, and the antipathy of the high-strung locals adds a curious element of class conflict), but really brings the picture to life with its stark black-and-white look and overpowering mood of paranoia. The base, the very picture of industrial modernity in the midst of rural nothingness, is given a creepy emptiness as Quatermass wanders through, dwarfed in the giant maze of pipes and towers centered by enormous spherical containers and huge domes. You'll likely never forget the image of a government investigator covered in a smoking black substance, stumbling down the steps of the stark white container. --Sean Axmaker

Customer Reviews:

Great 1950's Sci Fi.......2007-01-10

Is Professor Quatermass a nice guy? No.
Are the effects great? No.
Is it a fun film? Absolutely, yes.

Brian Donlevy is great as the surly Quatermass. The story is classic 1950's Sci Fi / Horror. There are labs and scientists, space ships and aliens, and secret government plots.

If you like the genre, this is a really fun film.

A sequel better than the original!.......2006-08-30

The gothic horror films of Hammer generally trod a well worn route, with rules and conventions laid down not only by 19th century literature, but also by Hammer themselves. As a result a great number of these films now seem formulaic and unadventurous. The period directly proceeding THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN in hindsight now seems one of the most interesting in Hammer's history. The period 1955-7, produced three films that although owing a great deal too gothic conventions are more ostensibly science-fiction. The three films THE QUATERMASS XPERIMENT, X THE UNKNOWN and QUATERMASS 2, are far richer and rewarding than their colour contemporaries. The latter film also has a viable claim to being Hammer's greatest film. Nigel Kneale's distrust of government and its various institutional strands reaches its apex here. Whereas the first Quatermass film had an alien intelligence inside a human being, in the sequel the alien intelligence is already here and has with unrealistic ease infiltrated the highest reaches of British government. The film also gets to grips with industrialisation, military brute force and working class uprisings. A lot of substance and weighty issues cultural issues of the day are explored. With its military law, the area surrounding the synthetic food factory (really a processing plant to feed the alien infiltrators) has the feel of a fascist state. There are a number of layers to this film which reward repeated views. But the most interesting is the use and rejection of the working classes, whose only useful purpose to the alien invaders is to block up the pipes to stop lethal oxygen entering their domes. Once again Val Guest creates some impressive tension which is aided by the monochrome look. QUATERMASS 2 is a film that proves that British Science Fiction can uniquely speak to the culture of Britain and work as a fine example of the genre, for me this film remains Hammer's finest achievement.

Effective and Better than the Original.......2006-05-31

This is a fantastic movie full of atmosphere and some real food for thought. In fact, it is extremely well done all around. The acting in particular by Brian Donlevy as Quatermass is very realistic and convincing. I particularly liked the mood setting cinematography by Gerald Gibbs and James Bernard's score. It goes without saying that the script by director Val Guest succeeded on many levels making it engaging to a wide audience. I found this film to be both entertaining and thought provoking. Val Guest really knows how to set the mood.

What happened to the original?.......2005-01-08

I am 57 years old...I saw the Quartermass movies growing up..I can barely remember this sequel that was called ENEMY FROM SPACE, but I do know it was well produced for its time. My question is..why not release Quartermass Experiment AKA THE CREEPING UNKNOWN with the other 2 in a triple scare package...
they were all ahead of there time in sci fi ideas and the FX weren't all that bad.

A Hit Not A Miss.......2004-11-12

If you're looking for a special efects masterpiece for the time like Forbidden Planet or The War Of The Worlds forget it. If on the other hand you're interested in a plot driven story like Invasion Of The Body Snatchers or Invaders From Mars then by all means buy it. You won't be disapointed.

Average customer rating:

An Invasion by Proxy! (Spoilers)
A classic that still holds up...
Excellent movie, stupid price
Drive-in classic
Old Favorite Stands the Test of Time

Quatermass and the Pit
Starring: James Donald , Andrew Keir , Barbara Shelley , Julian Glover , and Duncan Lamont
Director: Roy Ward Baker
Manufacturer: Anchor Bay
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Horror | Genres | DVD | Video

Hammer Productions | Horror | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

Alien Invasion | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

Aliens | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

( Q ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Quatermass 2
Quatermass (1979)
Quatermass Xperiment
Four Sided Triangle/X The Unknown
The Day the Earth Caught Fire

ASIN: 6305095477
Release Date: 1998-10-21

Amazon.com

We have met the enemy, and it is us: when a Martian spacecraft with a terrifying link to the origins of humanity is unearthed beneath a London tube station, only the esteemed Professor Bernard Quatermass (a very British--and possibly mad--precursor to Mulder and Scully) can save London's suddenly murderous population from itself. One of the most intelligently paranoid science fiction films ever produced, this pessimistic masterpiece functions as a dark flip side to the relatively optimistic alien-induced evolution theory presented in the later 2001: A Space Odyssey. Nigel Kneale's brilliant script (which posits a surprisingly plausible, otherworldly rationale for the existence of the supernatural) was later appropriated by acknowledged fan John Carpenter for his underrated Prince of Darkness. In addition to boasting a flawless widescreen print, this marvelous tape also features a hilariously overdone original U.S. trailer ("Women will be defiled by the invaders from outer space!" it erroneously shrieks). A must-see for horror and science fiction aficionados. This film is also known as Five Million Years to Earth. --Andrew Wright

Customer Reviews:

An Invasion by Proxy! (Spoilers).......2007-03-28

THE ALIENS.
With the discovery of a Five Million year old "Human-like" Skull,a strange radioactive Alien craft,and three long dead Alien Arthropods(three legged ones too!)in the Sealed section of the craft.
So begins the third story in the Canon of Professor Bernard Quatermass.
(the only character that has ever come close to usurping Doctor Who,from his Number one spot in British Science Fiction)
The story is set during the time when the last of London's Blitzed areas were being rebuilt and renovated.
(Many Roman and Medieval remains were being rediscovered at this time.)
But in Nigel Kneale's story it's remains of Alien origin that are being discovered,and evidence that Man's Simian ancestor's had been altered and imbued with Non-Human instinct's and characteristic's.By a Race threatened with extinction on a dying Planet,but the Martian creatures themselves could not adjust to the Earth's atmosphere.
And as rational beings they wanted "something" of themselves to survive after their extinction,hence the reason for taking some members of the indigenous population of the Earth,and placing in them some of their own characteristics.
There is very little entomology seen being conducted on the alien Arthropods after their initial discovery.As the crux of the film changes to the people affected by the telekinetic abilities brought on them by the Martian influence.
~~~~
THE CRAFT.
The aliencraft is more then just a spacecraft,it is a self-thinking machine.And due to an accident on the building site gains sufficent power to (come on-line?)induce a change in it's structure,as it's Mass is converted into an large energy cloud,which resembles the Horned Devil in appearance.
Then through the Energy cloud the,"Martian Influence" begins to assert itself in People, after lying dormant for Five million Years.
People are affected by the Alien Influence to lesser or greater degrees.
Quatermass himself comes under the Thrall of the Influence,the real Hero in this film is Dr Matthew Roney, as his genetic make-up has, "outgrown" the Martian inheritance,and is therefore relatively unaffected.
It turns out that man's age old fear and Dread of the Devil,was an age old race memory first brought about by our ancestors first contact with these Martians.
The Film is full of lines that have stuck with me for years.
One character asks Quatermass, "You mean we owe our Human condition to the intervention of Insects"?
Another says, "We're the Martians now"!
~~~~
OPINION.
As any Fan of Science Fiction knows,Sci-Fi has very little to do with the Future,nor Alien Planets.
It's merely the taking of the problems of present-day Earth, and extrapolating them into a future/alternative Earth scenario.
This allegorically filled film is no exception as at the time Nigel Kneale wrote this,(1958)England was experiencing race riots.
(The 1958 BBC version at twice the lenght of this film goes into a lot more backstory.)
The underlying message's I got from watching it were, unless Man can shake off his superstitious beliefs from the past, we will never be able to advance in a peaceful fashion.
The advocating of tolerance of, "differences" was another underlying theme I perceived.
As the people under the Martian Thrall, attack and kill those they can sense as being, "different".
The Martian Arthropods have a tripedal leg arrangement and it's never brought up in the Film, but I have often thought that hopping on a low gravity Planet would be a very energy efficient way of travelling.
Alien evolution in action!(A lot of thoughtful ideas in this film.)
This was without doubt THE most cerebral science fiction film I have ever seen.
And thoroughly enjoyable to boot.
No self respecting Sci-fi fan should be without a bit of Quatermass on their shelves!
~~~~
RECOMMENDED VIEWING.
I prefer a Film with an Intelligent storyline to a macho posturing action Film anytime,
if you like intelligent Science Fiction Films,check out these Seven.They fit the bill admirably:~
"Soylent Green". (1973)-(Just too many people,and what to do about it)
"The Andromeda Strain". (1971)-(Connotations to the modern day aids virus?)
"Quatermass and the Pit". (1968)-(We're maybe not as Human as we think)
"2001:A Space Odyssey". (1968)-(From Simian ancestor, to Man, to ?)
"Planet of the Apes". (1968)-(From our Earth back to Simian)
"The Day the Earth caught Fire". (1961)-(Truly gripping story,almost filmed like a documentary)
"The Day the Earth stood Still".(1951)-(A warning from space)
Happy pensive viewing.

A classic that still holds up..........2007-02-02

I remember seeing this for the first time as an after-school movie back in the late 70's. Although I only caught the last half, the movie struck a chord and I waited years to see it again, this time from the beginning. Although the special effects are somewhat simple by today's standards, they hold up fairly well. (The graveyard scene, with the ground undulating, gave me the creeps - even years later). I won't bother you with the plotline - Amazon does an adequate job of that. Suffice to say that the story is 'believable' within it's own context, and that the characters are interesting, if somewhat predictable. If you are looking for flick with a Star Trek or Star Wars feel - this movie is not it. But, the premise is interesting, the concepts intriguing, and nothing is glaringly 'hokey' or horrendously outdated as in other 'invasion' movies. (A strange invasion this would be!) If it ever hits the shelves for $20-$30...it will be in my collection. For sure.

Excellent movie, stupid price.......2006-12-29

I remember this film from when I was a kid. Why the outrageous price?!?!? Dont be silly. It'll be on DVD soon, so be realistic.

Okay. We have another Lovecraftian tale. Not a true adaption by any means, mind you, but a close shave, all the same. It hints at a pre-human earth ruled by evil creatures, who have tried to control modern man with telepathy. That's sure HPL stuff I ever heard it.

Aside from having cheesy old-school effects, the story is very strong and most defintely worth a watch.

I'd wait until the pirce comes down before buying though.

Drive-in classic.......2006-12-14

When I saw this movie, it was called "Five Million Years to Earth" and I was around 6 at a drive in theater in Pasadena, Texas. My family would typically go to see double features and we kids would watch the kiddy feature early in the evening, and theoreticly, we were supposed to fall asleep before the adult movie came on. Well this is one that I managed to stay awake and quiet enough to watch when my parents thought I was asleep. This movie seriously warped my brain and I must have had nightmares for weeks afterwords. I was way too young to have seen it, probably why I am a Sci-Fi fan to this day.

Old Favorite Stands the Test of Time.......2006-07-28

One of my favorite old science fiction films still has impact. Haven't seen it in years and it's aged like fine wine. If you're the type who thinks comic book adaptations qualify as sci-fi, or groan idiotically at the occassional effects gaffe, or if you seldom read books without pictures, or have ADD... stay away.

This is a very well acted, nicely directed, beautifully shot mannerly Brittish sci-fi yarn made in the 60's. Its literate script introduces some interesting concepts on its way to its surreal and exciting (if not a bit far-fetched) climax. Only flaws are a couple effects groaners, and it introduces many concepts that I would have like to seen more fully explored. However, there was an earlier TV miniseries made by the BBC that probably fleshes more of these concepts out. I would like to check that one out too.

Great fun.

Average customer rating:

OUTSTANDING double feature! GREAT British science fiction!
Absorbing Bristish Sci Fi....
Do Research Before Paying 150.00 For This!!!!!
Finally! Hammer Horror Classics Available...Two for One!!!!

Quatermass and the Pit/Quatermass 2
Starring: Brian Donlevy , John Longden , Sid James , Bryan Forbes , and William Franklyn
Director: Val Guest , and Roy Ward Baker
Manufacturer: Anchor Bay
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Horror | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

( Q ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Quatermass (1979)
Four Sided Triangle/X The Unknown
Quatermass Xperiment
Forbidden Planet (Ultimate Collector's Edition)
The Lost Continent/The Reptile

ASIN: B0000W5H92
Release Date: 2004-07-27

Customer Reviews:

OUTSTANDING double feature! GREAT British science fiction!.......2005-04-01

Intelligent stories that really draw you in. Great acting, direction and cinematography. AND music! Science fiction is wonderful for being able to express ideas that would otherwise never see the light of day, and both of these movies feature sinister conspiracies or incredible contrasts and truths about life on our dear little rock. There's a terrific scene in "Five Million Years to Earth" aka "Quatermass and the Pit" with a bunch of "normal" guys using new-found psychic abilities to stone to death another guy who's not one of them -- no dialogue, but true horror. Both movies feature disquieting ideas. Quatermass is an impressive character, played by two different actors. There's another Quatermass movie out there called "The Creeping Unknown" but it's not on a par with these two movies. "Quatermass and the Pit" builds to a climax where an alien intelligence takes over London and -- well, you've got to see it. Both stories are complicated and if you're a science fiction fan you will find them *delectable* -- absolutely worth the money on their own and if you buy this set you'll be getting a real deal. Two of the best science fiction films in my modest-but-considered science fiction collection. Truly impressive films. And, like I wrote, science fiction allows creators to express ideas that couldn't even be broached otherwise.

Absorbing Bristish Sci Fi...........2004-08-10

Quatermass II is the real gem here and the director commentary adds an extra dimension to the understanding of the fimmaker's vision for a story that is imaginative and well written.

Brian Donlevy's performance as an American scientist in Britain is quite believable and noteworthy. I particularly like Val Guest's imaginative use of photography and specific sets (i.e. the Shell Refinery south of London) used as the enemy's secret lair. Not a horror film per se, but a disturbing one nonetheless. Although somewhat dated, the film keeps your interest throughout.

Do Research Before Paying 150.00 For This!!!!!.......2004-06-11

I've found info on-line stating that Quatermass and the pit / Quatermass 2 is coming back in print on July 27th 2004. Can't say for sure if this info is correct. But you might what to look around before you get taken advantage of.

Finally! Hammer Horror Classics Available...Two for One!!!!.......2004-01-25

I have been waiting for the re-release of these movies, especially the final movie in the trilogy, Quatermass and the Pit, for a long time. I saw both of these as second billed movies way, way back when I was young......Quatermass 2(called "Enemy From Space" in the U.S.A.), when I was really young, and Quatermass and the Pit (called Five Million Miles to Earth...) when I was a teen. Both movies are super creepy, in the old fashioned sense........not a lot of fantastic special effects, but enough to keep the stories moving along. The effects are certainly powerful though, and really well done considering.........they are a tribute to the incredible talent at work making these films, and they are great examples of Hammer Films at their best. Both are good, well written, original stories, with the emphasis on acting and great directing. It is great storytelling.....and unfortunately some of the last of the great films to come out of Hammer Studios. Standout acting from all involved, and that is the key to believing these stories.......pretty fantastic stories, played straight all the way through. Professor Quatermass is such a great character, with a long history in British film and TV..... and Brian Donlevy in Quatermass 2 and Andrew Kier in Quatermass and the Pit are standouts. Anchor Bay does such a good job with these old film releases.....if you are a Sci-Fi nut, this is certainly a double bill you would be proud to have in your collection. Great job, and thank you Anchor Bay!! Finally!!!
ENJOY!!!!!

Average customer rating:

Quatermass [Region 2]
Starring: John Mills , Simon MacCorkindale , Barbara Kellerman , Margaret Tyzack , and Brewster Mason
Director: Piers Haggard
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Art House & International | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Foreign & International | Stores | DVD | Video

( Q ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
ASIN: B00008OP7B

Average customer rating:

A good movie to see
A Successful Xperiment
"I Saw It Crawling Up The Wall!"
Get the DVD from Amazon.co.uk
A British "Plan 9 From Outer Space"

The Quatermass Xperiment [Region 2]
Starring: Brian Donlevy , Jack Warner , Margia Dean , Thora Hird , and Gordon Jackson
Director: Val Guest
Manufacturer: Hammer
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Horror | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

Classic Sci-Fi | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

Alien Invasion | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

Space Adventure | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

Aliens | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

( Q ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Quatermass (1979)
Quatermass 2
Four Sided Triangle/X The Unknown
Day the World Ended/She Creature
Quatermass and the Pit

ASIN: B00008IAUZ

Customer Reviews:

A good movie to see.......2007-03-17

Only true fans of science fiction will appreciate the creeping unknown
a.k.a.The Quatermass Xperiment. I happen to be one of them. I remember
watching this fim at the age of eight and it scared me silly. Later on
I understood better and it didn't bother me.
Basicly I like the film. When you consider that this is mid 50's London
when true special effects weren't even around yet,I think the film super-
cedes itself into a wonderful smooth-flowing movie even if the plot is
somewhat typical of Sci-fi movies of the 50's. For what it's worth,even
the United States did't have the best sci-fi special effects like the
ones we see today with comperization. It actually took real crews of men
and women to produce those effects.
Brian Donlevy in his performance as the arrogant Professor Quatermass
is so hateful you have to love him. Another memorable one is Richard
Wordsworth who play Carroon. Absolutely brilliant. I also found amusing
the overly dramatic expresssion of the BBC announcer in the trailor who
witnesses this unknown thing with his own eyes. Only the TV announcer
in Gorgo did better. The only notables are King-Wood who play the good
doctor's assistant and Jack Warner who played Lomax. I liked his sarcasm
when talking to Quatermass. Actually brought Quatermass to his knees if
only in a figurative sense. Otherwise everyone else just essentially
played their parts. Still it is good science fiction fun.

A Successful Xperiment.......2006-08-30

Although generally regarded as Hammer's first foray into the realm of science-fiction, two previous films THE FOUR SIDED TRIANGLE and SPACEWAYS had suggested with their overall ineptitude that genre films were perhaps something Hammer should steer clear of. But in re-making a BBC TV serial for the big screen Hammer had an ace up their sleeve and an audience ready made for the big screen adventures of Prof. Bernard Quatermass. Despite the terrible miscasting of Brian Donlevy as Quatermass, the film succeeds admirably. It still feels odd to watch a Hammer film in Black and White, but this adds to the documentary like quality that veteran director Val Guest was seeking (to aid this attempt at verisimilitude, we also have newspaper headlines and on a few occasions some hand-held camera work - very rare for 1955). With its dedication to actual scientific concepts and well written and researched source material by Nigel Kneale (a writer who is criminally under-rated) THE QUATERMASS XPERIMENT retains a topical feel. In Quatermass' constant clashes with authority, Kneale threads in a number of critiques about modern society and its absurd predilection for red tape and bureaucracy. Despite these and other things, when reduced to its basic narrative, this film is an exploration of possession and feeds into the same paranoid fears that Don Siegel exposed so well with INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS. Gothic elements abound also, with the eerie isolated location that opens the film and the idea of double or multiple identities. Sadly Kneale over-emphasises Britain's importance in the world and the idea of the United Kingdom being the first country to send manned rockets into space is rather quaint and somewhat amusing. Donlevy's boorish and arrogant Quatermass is balanced well with the genuinely moving and upsetting performance by Richard Wordsworth as the invaded astronaut Caroon. For pure atmosphere and tension this remains a high watermark for Hammer, only bettered perhaps by the sequel QUATERMASS 2.

"I Saw It Crawling Up The Wall!".......2006-06-08

Seen today, it seems incredible that THE QUATERMASS EXPERIMENT could have ever been rated "X"--even in stodgy old England of 1955. But so it was, and it proved extremely popular, and when it was released in the United States as THE CREEPING UNKNOWN it proved more popular still. In fact, the film was so popular that it essentially created England's Hammer Studios, and for the next decade or so "Hammer Horror" would prove a formidable box office draw.

Loosely based on a previously aired BBC series, QUATERMASS was hardly original even for 1955--but the basic idea has an almost timeless appeal; every sci-fi and horror writer from Lovecraft to Stephen King has created a variation at one time or another. In this instance, Dr. Quatermass (Brian Donlevy) has sent a rocket with three passengers into "outer space." But the rocket goes missing, and when it suddenly crashlands in the English countryside two of the astronauts are dead and one is--well, he is strange, to say the least.

Survivor Victor Carroon (Richard Wordsworth) is alternately comatose and spastic, and as time passes his skin begins to alter. Scientists soon realize the unpleasant truth: Victor is not alone in his own body; he has been infected by another life form that seems determined to reproduce and take over the world!

Shot on a shoestring budget in black and white, QUATERMASS is indeed an antiquated little film, but even so it still manages to cast a spell. It has mood, it has pace, and although it is really more interesting for its place in cinema history it is nonetheless quite a bit of fun to watch. Brian Donlevy seems a bit out of place in Merrie Old England, but his performance has lots of drive; Richard Wordsworth is memorable indeed as the very unfortunate astronaut; and the film is sprinkled through with the likes of character actress Thora Hird, who is a lot of fun because she's so good, and ingenue Margia Dean, who is a lot of fun because she's so bad. As for the monster--well, it's pure 1955, if you know what I mean.

In terms of film quality, QUATERMASS could certainly use a major remaster, but it's worth remembering that the film quality was probably never all that great to begin with, and all the prints I've seen of the film are about the same re quality. Recommended to fans of science-fiction and horror films of the period.

GFT, Amazon Reviewer

Get the DVD from Amazon.co.uk.......2006-06-07

The Quatermass Xperiment as it was titled for its cinema release, is very simply on of the British Film Industry's classic films. It was a trail blazer for the then fledgling Hammer Films, and because of its success, Hammer were able to go forward and make the incredible catalogue of films that they would eventually end up with.
Director Val Guest condenses the much longer TV series down into a 80 minute film. The result is a gem of a film that has stood the test of time, and is still a compelling watch.

Basically the plot sees the headstrong Professor Quatermass send a rocket into space without official clearance. The rocket subsequently returns to Earth but of the three crew, there is only one astronaut remaining on board.
This sole survivor is played by Richard Wordsworth (a descendant of the poet - William Wordsworth). He gives a compelling and unsettling performance as Victor Kerroon, a man who is metamorphosising into something monstrous. His scene with the small girl on the London Docks is a powerful example of this, and the viewer can see many similarities with the famous scene from the original Frankenstein, where Boris Karloff's monster has a similar, almost surreal encounter with a small child.
Helping Quatermass is Jack Warner's Police inspector, a typically solid performance from Warner in a role which plays to his strengths.
Quatermass and the Police and Army face a race against time to track down this ever changing monstrousity before it is too late.
SFX are good for the time and can still stand muster with some of today's.
The atmosphere and sets are truly unique, and the viewer is treated to a chase amidst smoggy and still bomb damaged 1950s London. A particular setting which is both atmospheric and unsettling in its own right.

I originally did not like Brian Donlevy in the role but have softened towards his performance on repeat viewings. Director Val Guest also makes it quite clear that he chose Donlevy because he was readly identifiable as a man of the people, instead of someone aloof, and that rings true. There was also the consideration of at that time, to get a US distributor, you needed an American actor in the role, therefore, Guest makes it quite clear in the commentary, that he was doubly glad to land Donlevy.
Additionally, in all fairness to the actor, Donlevy's final words also are chilling in this film, and it is hard to imagine a more refined Quatermass saying them with the same chilling intensity and conviction.

The film is available on Region 2 DVD and it is a brilliant transfer. Picture is superb and is one of the best black and white pictures that I have seen on DVD. Sound is obviously Mono but is still nonetheless impressive.
The Quatermass Xperiment can be obtained as a single DVD or as part of a double disc box set, along with Quatermass 2.
The latter is my preferred option, the box set is high quality and each film has its own booklet full of background details such as interviews with the Director and cast, original reviews, pictures etc.
This is a Region 2 DVD, so anyone living in the USA will need a Multi Region player to play it back on. However, another example of a film well worth upgrading to Multi Region play for.
Both the single DVD and the two disc/two film Box Set are available from Amazon.co.uk.

A British "Plan 9 From Outer Space".......2006-05-01

"The Quatermass Xperiment"(1956) is another of those early "Atomic Age" films that questions the wisdom of allowing scientists free rain to unlock secrets that might ultimately harm the world. Its premise is much like that of "The Thing from Another World " with an alien attempting to reproduce and take over the earth. In both films science is shown as reckless about the long-term consequences of its experiments.

An experimental rocket built by Professor Bernard Quatermass (Brian Donlevy) is brought back from space by remote control after contact is lost with the three crewmen. When Quartermass and his assistant enter the rocket they find just one of the crew, all that remains of the other two crewmen are two very silly looking space suits.

Victor Carroon (Richard Wordsworth), the surviving crewman, is very sick and cannot provide any useful information. Fortunately a camera on board the rocket has recorded a strange phenomenon. This and a strange residue inside the ship provide some clues about what happened during the flight. Meanwhile Carroon's condition worsens until he eventually escapes from the hospital and goes on a rampage.

There is one great scene where the conflicted Carroon rips the head off a little girl's doll, he walks away and they cut to a wide shot of the shocked girl holding the broken doll. The girl is played by Jane Asher who would be the inspirational muse for many of the Beatles' songs in the 60's.

"The Quatermass Xperiment" was quite popular at the time of its release. The premise is interesting and Wordsworth is very good in what is almost a non-speaking role. But don't expect anything elaborate like "Forbidden Planet", "Destination Moon" or even "Them". The budget limitations are compounded by the absence of a resourceful production design staff. So the sets look bad even by low budget standards.

Fortunately things are so bad that it provides the same campy amusement value found in "Plan 9 From Outer Space". The radio station set is a folding table with a microphone and features the same wall sconces found in several other the film's interior sets. It will remind you of Ed Wood's airplane cockpit.

The rocket ship is as lame as the one featured in "The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra" (itself a satire of movies like "The Quatermass Xperiment"). The space suits are identical to the uniforms worn by the Sheriff of Nottingham's men on 1950's "Robin Hood" television show.

Perhaps most amusing is the early VW bus driven by the Quatermass group to the crash site. Once parked they open up the rear engine compartment to reveal a radio and remote control system that looks suspiciously like a VW engine with a couple knobs and gauges added to the outside. This actually fooled people in 1956 because a rear engine vehicle was unknown to most of the viewers.

Fans of campy 1950's sci-fi and horror should find "The Quatermass Xperiment" both entertaining and amusing.

Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.

Average customer rating:

BUY FROM SINISTER VIDEO -ONLY $17
Seen "Five Million Years to Earth" - still must see this!

Quatermass and the Pit
Starring: André Morell , Cec Linder , Anthony Bushell , John Stratton , and Christine Finn
Director: Rudolph Cartier
Manufacturer: Revelation Films
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

Miniseries | Television | Genres | DVD | Video

( Q ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
ASIN: B00004VVRW

Customer Reviews:

BUY FROM SINISTER VIDEO -ONLY $17.......2007-06-21

This 1958 BBC production (3 hours long!) is available NTSC format DVD from Sinister Cinema for $17. The transfer quality is excellent. Please contact Sinister Cinema.

Seen "Five Million Years to Earth" - still must see this!.......2006-02-13

This is it, the original TV serial later adapted into 1967's "Five Million Years to Earth". You may have seen that movie, and you may know the story: construction crews in London uncover fossil human beings, five million years old, and a mysterious large object about as old. Col. Breen, the newly authorized military head of British Rocketry, believes the object is an unexploded German bomb from the war. Prof. Bernard Quatermass, a civilian spaceflight visionary, has a more exotic theory of the object and the mysterious hominid fossils found nearby. Joining Quatermass is Romney, an anthropologist who nurses Quatermass's theories of the object and constructs a fantastic device with which to prove it. With Romney, Quatermass links the fossils, the object and century's worth of phenomenon in that area of present-day London to dark theories of race memory and genetic conditioning.

This 6-part story appeared on British TV a decade before the feature film - it's rough alright but in many ways not only matches the later film, but surpasses it. The script makes allowances for the fact that memories of WWII were more recent, and the burgeoning fears of the cold war were more fresh. It's darker, edgier and taps a colder vein of our own race memories. Working through 6 parts, the serial has more leg-room with which to build its chills. The visuals are quite striking: the "object" is larger and more enigmatic than the one in the movie, and the serial's crowning moment is the "Wild Hunt", a look back through 5 million years of evolution to the origins of the object and its creators - which clearly outstrips the menace of the movie.

The serial also outdoes the flick with its characters - Quatermass has more range here, as does Breen, who alternates between being helpful and helpless. The real star of the show is Cec Lindford as Romney - the helpful assistant in the movie, his Romney is a combination of scientist and showman, the PT Barnum of Paleontology. In short, even if you've seen "Five Million Years to Earth", you must still get this video because it is indeed different.

Quatermass 3-DVD Set (The Quatermass Conclusion) [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.0 Import - Australia ]

Average customer rating:

Quatermass 3-DVD Set (The Quatermass Conclusion) [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.0 Import - Australia ]
Director: Piers Haggard
Manufacturer: Umbrella Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Product Description

Australia released, PAL/Region 0 DVD: it WILL NOT play on standard US DVD player. You need multi-region PAL/NTSC DVD player to view it in USA/Canada. LANGUAGES: English (Dolby Digital 2.0), SYNOPSIS: The Quatermass Conclusion is comprised of highlights from the 1979 British TV serial of the same name. Like the earlier Quatermass projects of the 1950s and 1960s, the guiding force behind Conclusion was prolific screenwriter Nigel Kneale, though the series (and the film) hardly represent his best work. This time John Mills is Prof. Bernard Quatermass, once more trying to convince the authorities that malevolent extraterrestrials do indeed exist. Quatermass' quandary is the sudden disappearance of several London youths. He deduces that the missing persons are the victims of a 'death ray,' wielded by hostile space aliens. SPECIAL FEATURES: 3-DVD Set, Interactive Menu,

Quatermass And The Pit [Region 2 Import]

Average customer rating:

Quatermass And The Pit [Region 2 Import]
Director: Roy Ward Baker
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Trailer
Anamorphic
English Audio

ASIN: B000PWGN22

Product Description

Workers excavating at an underground station in London discover the skeletal remains of ancient apes with large skulls. Further digging reveals what appears to be an unexploded German bomb from World War II. Missile expert Colonel Breen (Julian Glover - The Secret Garden. Troy) is brought in to investigate, accompanied by Professor Bernard Quartermass (Andrew Kier - Dracula Prince Of Darkness, Rob Roy). When the interior of the "missile" is exposed, a dead locust-like creature is discovered. It is determined by Quartermass that these "locusts" are in fact Martians who altered the brains of our simian ancestors in order to eventually lay claim to the Earth. But when the scientists realise their power to release the latent evil in human beings may just have been lying dormant, it may already be too late... With a story originally screened by BBC television in 1958, Quartermass and the Pit was the final entry in the original trilogy of Quartermass stories by legendary writer Nigel Kneale. The film represents the directorial debut of acclaimed director Roy Ward Baker (The Anniversary, Scars of Dracula) and is one of Hammer's most polished and thought provoking films.

Average customer rating:

Great 1950's Sci Fi
A sequel better than the original!
Effective and Better than the Original
What happened to the original?
A Hit Not A Miss

Quatermass 2 [Region 2]
Starring: Brian Donlevy , John Longden , Sid James , Bryan Forbes , and William Franklyn
Director: Val Guest
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video