Your IP has been blocked. Please perform the action below to regain access.
75.126.130.58-
Customer Reviews
Average Rating:
-
A Successful Xperiment
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.
Rating: -
"I Saw It Crawling Up The Wall!"
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
Rating: 
-
Get the DVD from Amazon.co.uk
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.
Rating: 
-
A British "Plan 9 From Outer Space"
"The Quatermass Xperiment"(1956) is another of those early "Atomic Age" films that questions the wisdom of allowing scientists free rein 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.
Rating: -
Where is the DVD ????
come on, quatermass and the pit and quatermass 2 is together on a hammer double feature set why isn't this already if it is i want to know
