Quatermass and the pit in the united states, five million years to earth is a 1967 british science fiction horror film from hammer film productions, a sequel to the earlier hammer films the quatermass xperiment and quatermass 2. Like its predecessor, it is based on the bbc television serial quatermass ii written by nigel kneale. James donald, andrew keir, barbara shelley the quatermass experiment tv series 1953. Back in the 50s there were still many things we didnt know about space travel, and the quatermass xperiment aka, in the u. Legendary entertainment has partnered with hammer films for a movie reboot of the iconic british scifi hero bernard quatermass. The quatermass conclusion is the fourth movielength installment in the longlived professor quatermass series of films, the first of which appeared fifty years ago with brian donlevy in the title role. Mills quatermass is different from any of the previous versions of the professor seen in the various television and film productions.
Quatermass 2 quatermass and the pit the quatermass experiment. Enemy from space in the united states is a 1957 blackandwhite british science fiction horror film drama from hammer film productions, produced by anthony hinds, directed by val guest, that stars brian donlevy, and costars john longden, sid james, bryan forbes, vera day and william franklyn. Jan 05, 2020 this quatermass, in contrast to the more caring incarnations to come, cares not one whit for the world and its petty issues. The quatermass xperiment was the first of the legendary quatermass films. Quatermass and the pit, a 19581959 british sixpart television serial that aired on bbc television, and which served as the third and final installment of the original series. Not only did the movie bring some much needed financial surplus, it also gave hammer a new direction. Professor bernard quatermass manned rocket ship returns to earth, but two of. Victor carroon was played by scottish actor duncan lamont, who later appeared in the film mutiny on the bounty 1962, and as a different character in the film adaptation of quatermass and the pit 1967.
A mysterious artifact is unearthed in london, and famous scientist bernard quatermass is called into to divine its origins and explain its strange effects on people. The quatermass xperiment the first british scifi movie. The film picks up with quatermass conducting research into moon colonization, but striving to gain government funding for the project. Audio commentary by director val guest and marcus hearn trailers from hell with ernest dickerson. This has been made available in the united states in two versions. The quatermass experiment only has the first 2 of the 6 episode series. Episode 28 the curse of the mummys tomb hammer house of. This genre of horror injected new life into a genre that somehow lost its horrifying appeal. Some parts were legitimately creepy the cockpit film was disturbing in a last 2 minutes of blair. Stream quatermass xperiment uncut, adfree on all your favorite devices. Jan 27, 2020 as in xperiment, we begin with a courting couple in peril. The quatermass xperiment is an interesting cross between hard scifi and lovecraftian horror. It was a great success upon its initial release, and after a second tv series was made, it too was adapted as a film in 1957 as quatermass 2, or as it was released in the united states, enemy from space.
The british experimental rocket groups leader, bernard quatermass, learns that the final astronaut, victor caroon, has been taken over by an alien being that has absorbed his two colleagues and a cactus and is now turning into something that threatens the whole future. Jane asher and richard wordsworth in the quatermass xperiment 1955. They couldnt get the rights however, so they made x the unknown a movie with an extremely similar plotstructure and atmosphere to the first with a highly quatermass like hero named doctor adam royston compilation movie. The series inspired the 1955 hammer film production the quatermass xperiment directed by val guest the abominable snowman, starring brian donlevy kiss of death. Quatermass ii may 24, 1957 in england, a group of space scientists, who have developed plans for the first moon colony, learn that a secret, ostensibly governmentrun, complex of identical design has been built in a remote part of england and is the focus of periodic falls of small, hollow meteorites originating in outer space. The quatermass experiment 1953 isabel dean, duncan lamont, reginald tate, and paul. The sole survivor of a space mission returns to earth with a bizarre fungus on his hand that slowly consumes him, transforming him into a monster and sending him on a rampage through london. The creeping unknown on bootleg dvds or even video tapes. Hammer turned the story into a film, while, in 2005. In fact, the quatermass xperiment is in some ways closer to the original story who goes there by john w.
How that happened it obvious from this tense, realistic, and gritty science fiction classic. The quatermass xperiment doesnt quite live up to all the hype as the granddaddy of hammer horror. The quatermass experiment is a 2005 live television film remake of the 1953 television series of the same name by nigel kneale. Morell did later play quatermass in the third instalment of the series, quatermass and the pit. Xperiment was an invented word to emphasize that the film had gotten the xcertificate. It is the second in the quatermass series by writer nigel kneale, and the oldest of. The quatermass experiment is a british science fiction serial broadcast by bbc television during the summer of 1953 and restaged by bbc four in 2005. And welcome to the twentyeighth episode of hammer house of podcast, where paul cornell doctor who, elementary and lizbeth myles big finish, verity.
The quatermass xperiment bluray kino lorber home video. Terms of activation by activating, you agree that you want to enable cloud technology to access your xfinity stream subscription on additional supported devices like computers and tablets, as well as the tv connected to your settop dvr via comcasts network. Quatermass remains a benchmark of teatime scifi, a show whose wobbly sets and shouted lines somehow couldnt spoil some of the most intelligent scares ever to grace the screen. In the late 70s nigel kneale was convinced to do one final quatermass tv play and did the quatermass conclusion. The quatermass xperiment 1955 directed by val guest.
A hammer film productions science fiction horror film series based on the bbc television series the quatermass experiment. The creeping unknown movie 1955 the quatermass xperiment. In 1955, hammer films remade the story as a feature film the quatermass xperiment, featuring a brilliant performance by richard wordsowrth as. A separate screenplay by nigel kneale for theaters, parallel to the 1979 quatermass four part mini series. What are the various quatermass films and the names. Then in 1955 exclusive films produced the movie version, starring brian donlevy as professor bernard quatermass. The quatermass conclusion is the fourth movie length installment in the longlived professor quatermass series of films, the first of which appeared fifty years ago with brian donlevy in the title role. The creeping unknown in the united states is a 1955 british sciencefiction horror film drama from hammer film productions, based on the 1953 bbc television serial the quatermass experiment written by nigel kneale. This is the only film in the quatermass series to get a remotely loving blu ray. Qautermass 2 is a sequel to hammers earlier film the quatermass xperiment. The quatermass experiment dvd, 2011 for sale online ebay. The quatermass experiment aka the creeping unknown. What are the various quatermass films and the names they.
In 2003 the complete program was released on home video under the title quatermass 1978 with a listed running time of 240 minutes. The rest of the dvd for the quatermass experiment are special features, interviews, etc. The quatermass xperiment, unlike quatermass ii, has lost some of its impact through the years, but still holds up as one of the more intelligent, thoughtprovoking science fiction films of its time. Coming december to bluray and dvd from kino lorber studio classics stuck on a spacecraft returning to earth, the people aboard are faced with the domination of an alien fungi that changed one of.
Quatermass also known as the quatermass conclusion or quatermass iv is a british television science fiction serial produced by euston films for thames television and broadcast on the itv network in october and november 1979. The first bigscreen spinoff from nigel kneales legendary tv series. Im not sure if its the first possessed astronaut story but it is one of the earliest and best i can think of. The kl studio classics bluray of the quatermass xperiment is a very welcome addition to british scifi on hd, just one week after the bfis release of another classic by the same director, the day the earth caught fire. This studio release was thus very eagerly anticipated. The quatermass xperiment 1955 aka the creeping unknown.
Titled simply quatermass, this was the only series to be made entirley on film. The film was produced by anthony hinds, directed by val guest, and stars brian donlevy as the eponymous professor bernard quatermass and richard. Comparing the versions film critic glenn erickson comparing the 2 versions. Val guest is able to blend the tone of the film without it ever getting too lopsided. The creeping unknown in the united states is a 1955 british science fiction horror film drama from hammer film productions, based on the 1953 bbc television serial the quatermass experiment written by nigel kneale. After the success of the quatermass xperiment hammer immediately wanted to make a sequel. The first rocket into outer space comes back with two of the crew missing and the third seriously messed up. Enormously popular on release, xperiment enabled its maker hammer films to get a leg up in the industry. The quatermass xperimentthe creeping unknown 1955 this is my entry for the monster mash blogathon, hosted by nathanael from fcoy. Jul 30, 2019 professor quatermass returns in this sequel to the quatermass xperiment. The quatermass xperiment is a 1955 british science fiction horror film drama from hammer film productions, based on the 1953 bbc television serial the quatermass experiment written. The quatermass experiment is a 2005 live television film remake of the 1953 television series. I just wish quatermass and the pit would be released as a region 1 blu ray. This was to be the first in a series of quatermass many ways this sci fi classic is a movie of its time, made in black and white as was most british movies in.
Among these was the quatermass xperiment 1955, a taut little scifi thriller that hardly betrays its very low budget, owing to the talent and craftsmanship of the filmmakers. The film has already seen its bluray debut in australia and the usa, much to the delight of fans. But while kneale was displeased with such revisions, the greater share of his wrath was directed at the casting and portrayal of quatermass himself. Several modern sources have mistakenly identified john kerr ii as a film lab technician. The quatermass xperiment was one of the first of the now famous hammer horror films. This genre of horror injected new life into a genre that somehow lost its. Though the latter two in that series were released on dvd years ago by anchor bay, the landmark first film, the quatermass xperiment, is only now bowing on the format thanks to mgms limited edition series.
The movie has had a rocky history on home video as seen, but all legitimate discs have offered the original british version. The quatermass xperiment 1955 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. The atmosphere is creepy, the film is so well shot in interesting documentarylike fashion. Quatermass 2 is a sequel to hammers earlier film the quatermass xperiment 1955.
This is a quatermass who has retired, stayed out of the fray for some time and is called out to appear on a live television program that leads him towards facing an incredible threat. Directed by val guest and following hot on the heels of the popular british television mini series featuring the same character, 1955s the quatermass xperiment begins when a pair of young lovers is out in the field about to indulge in some make out time. John carpenter discusses the quatermass xperiment aka the. Brian donlevy reprises his role as the eponymous professor bernard quatermass, making him the only actor to play the character twice in a film. The original 1955 quatermass xperiment print has the closing caption the end. The quatermass xperiment is a solid, but very flawed scifi horror flick. Jul 09, 2019 interview with authorhammer film historian marcus hearn 12. Cinema versions of the first three seasons were made. Professor quatermass donlevy must find a way to overcome the thing before. Quatermass experiment 1953 part 5 lost episode scenario duration. Coronavirus outbreak ny governor cuomo says no community can tackle covid19 alone full. This was the bbcs 2005 remake of the 1955 british scifi film, the quatermass xperiment which was itself based on an even earlier 1950s bbc scifi television series. The story set in the near future involves influences from outer space that are possessing people.
A separate screenplay by nigel kneale for theaters, parallel to the 1979 quatermass four part miniseries. Of the three films in the series xperiment is the most structurally like a horror film, and has influenced a number of stories. Quatermass ii is a british sciencefiction serial, originally broadcast by bbc television in the autumn of 1955. Made popular by the successful bbc 1950s tv series and a trio of. Like its three predecessors, quatermass was written by nigel kneale. This film featuring the superscientist quatermass was hammers first international hit and moved the studio to do films in the. Quatermass was one of the first series on british television to make life seem potentially terrifying.
Its a short film, at about 82 minutes, but it packs in a lot of story. In some ways this reminded me of cronenbergs the fly as it tells a similar story of the deterioration of humanity. Quatermass, a 1979 british fourpart tv series that aired on itv, and was also distributed internationally as a film titled the quatermass conclusion or quatermass iv. The quatermass conclusion is an odd example, since the original. The quatermass xperiment 1955 horror scifi professor bernard quatermass manned rocket ship returns to earth, but two of the astronauts are missing and the survivor seems ill and unable to communicate. Professor quatermass must save his granddaughter from the clutches of a popular and sinister cult planet people that performs raptures.
Professor bernard quatermass is a heroic scientist character featured in four television serials the quatermass experiment bbc, 1953, quatermass ii bbc, 1955, quatermass and the pit bbc, 1958, and quatermass itv, 1979 and a radio serial the quatermass memoirs bbc, 1996 all written by nigel kneale. All of a sudden something comes hurtling out of the sky at them and they take solace inside the farm house where the young woman. The first film was actually titled the quatermass xperiment, to draw attention to its x rating note for motives as described in avoid the dreaded g rating, except that this film came by its rating honestly. Based on a 1953 bbc tv series of the same name, this is a science fiction film, about an obsessive professor and an alienpossessed astronaut, and the resulting conclusion when the two mixes together. The quatermass series began with a serialised tv play what today we would call a mini series the quatermass experiment 1953, which was broadcast live on the bbc in six thirtyminute episodes. The quatermass experiment is a british science fiction serial broadcast by bbc television. This meant nigel kneale had to write a script that would work as a three hour and twentyfour hour mini series, and as a one hour and fortytwo minute movie. Landmark scifi thriller from hammer films, based on a british tv series, stars richard wordsworth, margia dean and brian donlevy as professor quatermass. This time it was not adapted into a film but the play was edited into a.
The quatermass xperiment the creeping unknown by brian. The primary film the quatermass experiment is not as problematic as the. The quatermass xperiment full frame, manufactured on demand. The quatermass experiment is a british sciencefiction serial broadcast by bbc television in the summer of 1953 and restaged by bbc four in 2005. They encounter quatermass donlevy, who is still working on getting a rocket into space, this time with an atomic engine.
Set in the near future against the background of a british space programme, it tells the story of the first manned flight into space, supervised by professor bernard quatermass of the british experimental rocket group. A sequence in which he is riding in a car with his wife is uncanny. Quatermass movie reboot in the works at legendary, hammer. Coming attractions for you 2020s most anticipated movies. Quatermass 2 is the second and most talked about of the three science fiction stories written by nigel kneale and based on his critically acclaimed 1955 bbc series. If you want to know how it ends you will have to buy the bbc dvd which includes the original script, or see hammers 1955 movie version or the 2005 remake. Jul 25, 2019 in 1953, the bbc ran a popular television serial called the quatermass experiment about britains most clever scientist and his goal of space exploration. The quatermass xperiment 1955 horror film wiki fandom. The story begins at the crash site of a rocketship, britains first manned spaceflight.
This edited version of quatermass 1979, half the length of the mini series, was produced to be released theatrically overseas. This is quite a surprise given its extreme cult status and its importance as one of hammers first forays into the horror genre. Jan 11, 2018 quatermass ii is a british sciencefiction serial, originally broadcast by bbc television in the autumn of 1955. Quatermasov eksperiment loweralpha 1 je britanski crnobijeli science fiction horor film snimljen 1955. Oncamera val guest interview by hammer films historian marcus hearn. At the end, having saved the world from imminent monster sporing by routing all londons electricity through it, he stalks off to start again, the film s final shot being another rocket taking off.
The film was titled the quatermass xperiment to emphasise its xcertificate status. Dont get left behind enjoy unlimited, adfree access to shudders full library of films and series for 7 days. These are the only two surviving episodes of the quatermass experiment nigel kneales first quatermass series. Professor bernard quatermass, director general of the british experimental rocket group. The mgm limited edition dvdr of the quatermass xperiment is derived from a beautiful hd master made in 2008 savant wrote about the transfer and screened frequently on the mgm hd cable channel. The quatermass xperiment original theatrical trailer 1955. The quatermass xperiment wasnt a great risk they knew the popularity of the tv series would draw a crowd, but it was val guest who pushed the envelope. While certainly not as good as the third film, quatermass and the pit, made in 1968 with andrew keir as a brilliant title character, the quatermass xperiment is a good, chilling scifi film made. The quatermass xperiment aka the creeping unknown bluray.
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