The Quatermass Xperiment

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DanTheMan 2 The Quatermass Xperiment was Hammer's first big foray into the world of horror, becoming the quintessential model for their success and major comfort viewing for myself. Playing up the horror elements of the original serial, the script successfully manages to convey the same key information from the original (the first two episodes are covered in about 15 minutes) with extra dimensions of horror and suspense over straight science-fiction, despite the transatlantic elements and stark, often filmical, differences from Kneale's original teleplay; Kneale had little involvement with this adaptation of his work but did contribute a couple of scenes much to his indignation. Brian Donlevy doesn't leave much of an impression as Quatermass, a tough no-nonsense American hero rather than the quiet sensitive soul of Reginald Tate; it's Jack Warner and Richard Wordsworth who deserve the credit here, easily stealing the show. Combined with an effectively eerie score by James Bernard and some wonderfully moody direction by Val Guest, The Quatermass Xperiment cemented a legacy for the legendary British studio, tapping into paranoia and the creeping unknown of the extraterrestrial. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/11/24 Full Review m j c It's actually beautifully simply photographed mostly, even if the script and acting are dodgy. Great seeing a youngish Michael Ripper in his pre Hammer Horror days. Rated 2/5 Stars •  Rated 2 out of 5 stars 10/12/23 Full Review Audience Member It is one of the best of nostalgic SciFi. I watch it at least once a year. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/26/23 Full Review joe m Worthy riff on "The Thing from Another World", in this instance set in England where the government has launched a rocket ship with three astronauts, loses contact and then, where the movie begins, the ship is brought back to crash land in the countryside. However, only one of the astronauts is alive, barely, while the other two have completely vanished. Havoc ensues as the astronaut gradually then at an accelerated rate succumbs to his alien affliction. "The Quartermass Xperiment" has that British mix of dry humor with pompous officiousness that you see in so many of the films of the era. There are some gaffes and a few groaner moments, yet well paced, decent sense of being in London and all the cast give good performances. Most of all, the movie really benefits from a decent build-up of suspense as to what exactly ails the infected astronaut and how he's mutating. The creature effects are pretty good for the time period and it end with a real jolt in Westminster Abbey! Definitely a cut above some of the more clunker sci-fi junk from the 1950's and 1960's, so worth catching. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member Hammer time, tense, realistic, and gritty science fiction classic.The Quatermass Xperiment (1955) Before a little British company called Hammer became famous for Dracula and Frankenstein, there were the adventures of Professor Bernard Quatermass. Based on the live BBC serial from 1953, The Quatermass Xperiment put Hammer on the film world map. How that happened it obvious from this tense, realistic, and gritty science fiction classic. Also known as "The Creeping Unknown". An example of a genre of one: the sci-fi film noir! Brian Donlevy plays a dedicated scientist at odds with a fallen astronaut who's gradually turned into a mushroom! Has to be seen to be believed; but it's surprisingly serious tone redeems the film in comparison to the comparable American films of the period. Overall, the film has a terrific cast of actors bringing it to life. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/14/23 Full Review Audience Member Classic Quatermass sci-fi/horror flick. Sure, the monster is quite litterally a load of tripe, but it is still creepy and effective. Well worth catching. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/24/23 Full Review Read all reviews

The Quatermass Xperiment

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