Quatermass 2

Starring:Brian Donlevy, John Longden, Sid James, Bryan Forbes, William Franklyn, Vera Day, Charles Lloyd Pack, Tom Chatto, John Van Eyssen, Percy Herbert, Michael Ripper, John Rae (II), Marianne Stone, Ronald Wilson, Jane Aird, Betty Impey, Lloyd Lamble, John Stuart, Gilbert Davis, Joyce Adams
Director: Val Guest
Studio: Anchor Bay
Product Type: DVD

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:

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.

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

( 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: B00008IAV3

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

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

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

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

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

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

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