The Quatermass Xperiment
Reviews
John Chard
In my simple Bible way I did a lot of praying. When an experimental rocket ship crashes back down to Earth, Bernard Quatermass is baffled as to why three astronauts went up, but only one has returned. The returning astronaut is Victor Carroon and he's in a bad way. Unable to speak and going through some sort of metamorphosis, it's not long before he starts to become something that literally threatens all of mankind. Can Quatermass and his team of scientists stop the creeping unknown in its tracks?. The character of Bernard Quatermass was born out of the considerable brain of writer Nigel Kneale. A science boffin and defender of the Earth against other worldly beasties, Quatermass was first seen on the screen in the BBC TV serial in 1953. Here that bastion of British horror, Hammer Film Productions, adapts a story for the screen and produce a gritty science fiction thriller that doesn't resort to the hokey monster schlock conventions so evident in the 1950s. Directed by Val Guest (who co-writes with Richard H. Landau), the Quatermass franchise (sequels, more TV serials and another linked film would follow down the line) always thrived because of the intelligence and willingness to explore the science surrounding the stories within. Here with this one we get an interesting look at the political aspects that surround the space programme, and this in turn dovetails nicely with the police investigation as the "Yard" search for the man, soon to be monster. Effectively using London locations such as Westminster Abbey, Guest's movie also pulses with great characters. Not just those on the trail of the stricken astronaut, but also those that he (it) comes into contact with - such as a Frankenstein like encounter with a young girl (Jane Asher) playing with her doll. It's well thought out stuff, even if budget restrictions and time scale can't quite fully realise Kneale's creation. Of the cast, Brian Donlevy steps into the shoes of brainy Bernard, seen as an odd casting choice by many, it proves to be quite astute. Quatermass is straight laced and a stickler for his science, Donlevy's mannerisms and gruff exterior suit the role very well. Britain's favourite copper Jack Warner of course plays the inspector leading up the investigation, and as usual he's as solid as a rock, while Richard Wordsworth is brilliant as the doomed Victor Carroon. There's also little turns from British treasures like Thora Hird, Lionel Jeffries and Gordon Jackson. With its writing smarts appeasing the adults and having enough of a creature feature vibe to entertain the kids, The Quatermass Experiment is a classy bit of 50s sci-fi that covers most of the bases. 8/10
CinemaSerf
American scientist Brain Donlevy sends a rocket with three men into space; it comes back with only one and he is very, very sick. What happened to the other two - the ship was hermetically sealed? Well this decent British sci-fi/horror film follows the investigation as together with police officer Jack Warner they try to get to the bottom of things. Meantime, the sole survivor of the exploratory flight goes awol and we discover an alien creature is now on the loose on post war London and it is hungry! It's now race against time to stop it reproducing and taking over the world - and who better than our intrepid team to track it down and destroy it. This has been done on a pretty basic budget; but is well written and directed with a creative approach to the cinematography that rewards the viewer with a much less stilted single-scene style of presentation than many British efforts of the mid 1950s - and it has two strong performances to keep the pot boiling.
Movie Recommendation
Quatermass and the Pit1967-11-09A mysterious artifact unearthed below a London Underground station proves to have powerful psychic effects on the people around.More...
All That Heaven Allows1955-08-25Two different social classes collide when Cary Scott, a wealthy upper-class widow, falls in love with her much younger and down-to-earth gardener, prompting disapproval and criticism from her children and country club friends.More...
Revenge of the Creature1955-01-17In a tributary of the Amazon, a monster – half-man, half-fish – is captured and placed in a reservoir in a Florida national park to be observed by scientists.More...
Where the Sidewalk Ends1950-07-07A police detective's violent nature keeps him from being a good cop.More...
The Blood on Satan's Claw1971-01-28After a landsman in 18th century England discovers a corpse covered in fur buried in a field, the town becomes infected by "the devil's skin," leading the local children to engage in demonic rituals and criminal behavior.More...
Swept from the Sea1998-01-23The film tells the story of Russian emigree and the only survivor from ship crash Yanko Goorall and servant Amy Foster in the end of 19th century. When Yanko enters a farm sick and hungry after the shipwreck, everyone is afraid of him, except for Amy, who is very kind and helps him. Soon he becomes like a son for Dr. James Kennedy and romance between Yanko and Amy follows.More...
Stranded2013-05-22The Lunar Base Ark explores ore and unexpectedly is hit by a meteor shower and has severe damages. Colonel Gerard Brauchman sends the crewwoman Ava Cameron to repair a wing that is full of CO2. Dr. Lance Krauss warns that the gas may cause paranoia and hallucinations. Ava brings a sample of the meteor for analysis and Dr. Krauss finds that there are spores attached to the meteor. Ava accidentally cuts her finger in a sample but she hides the cut from the doctor. Soon Ava gets pregnant and delivers an alien offspring. However, neither Col. Brauchman nor Dr. Kraus believes in her words and they believe that Ava is delusional. He offspring bites the crewman Bruce Johns and the crew discovers that Bruce has been cloned by the alien. Soon they find how dangerous the clone is.More...
Quatermass 21957-06-17In England, a group of space scientists led by Bernard Quatermass, who have developed plans for the first Moon colony, learn that a secret, ostensibly government-run, 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. Quatermass determines to investigate and uncovers a terrifying extraterrestrial life form which has already begun action to take over the Earth.More...
X: The Unknown1956-09-21Army radiation experiments awaken a subterranean monster from a fissure that feeds on energy and proceeds to terrorise a remote Scottish village. An American research scientist at a nearby nuclear plant joins with a British investigator to discover why the victims were radioactively burned and why, shortly thereafter, a series of radiation-related incidents are occurring in an ever-growing straight line away from the fissure.More...
Dementia1955-12-22In a shadowy world stitched from nightmares, a young woman's harrowing journey in a seedy hotel unveils her traumatic past. Haunted by violence and stalked through desolate streets, her psyche unravels as she confronts an abusive husband and unsettling memories.More...
Reptilicus1961-02-20A portion of the tail of a prehistoric reptile is discovered in Denmark. It regenerates into the entire reptile, which proceeds to destroy buildings and property and generally make a nuisance of itself. It can fly, swim, and walk, and has impenetrable scales, which makes it difficult to kill.More...
Night World1932-05-04"Happy" MacDonald and his unfaithful wife own a Prohibition era night club. On this eventful night, he is threatened by bootleggers, and the club's star dancer falls in love with a young socialite who drinks to forget a personal tragedy, among other incidents.More...
Not as a Stranger1955-07-01Lucas Marsh, an intern bent upon becoming a first-class doctor, not merely a successful one. He courts and marries the warm-hearted Kristina, not out of love but because she is highly knowledgeable in the skills of the operating room and because she has frugally put aside her savings through the years. She will be, as he shrewdly knows, a supportive wife in every way. She helps make him the success he wants to be and cheerfully moves with him to the small town in which he starts his practice. But as much as he tries to be a good husband to the undemanding Kristina, Marsh easily falls into the arms of a local siren and the patience of the long-sorrowing Kristina wears thin.More...
Mutiny at Fort Sharpe1966-01-29Because of his difficult character, Colonel Lennox, commanding at Fort Sharp, a remote outpost on the border of the United States is hated by the soldiers of his troop. The situation is even more complicated when the fort is attacked by Indians.More...
Lights1966-01-01Shot over a period of three years. Marie Menken photographed New York window displays during the Christmas holiday. In order to avoid foot and street traffic interrupting the shots, Menken filmed from midnight to 1:00 in the morning, but had to keep the camera under her coat to keep it from freezing.More...
Bad Match2017-08-25An internet-dating playboy's life spirals out of control after meeting a woman online.More...
The Man Who Fell to Earth1976-03-18Thomas Jerome Newton is an alien who has come to Earth in search of water to save his home planet. Aided by lawyer Oliver Farnsworth, Thomas uses his knowledge of advanced technology to create profitable inventions. While developing a method to transport water, Thomas meets Mary-Lou, a quiet hotel clerk, and begins to fall in love with her. Just as he is ready to leave Earth, Thomas is intercepted by the U.S. government, and his entire plan is threatened.More...
In Good Company2004-12-29Dan Foreman is a seasoned advertisement sales executive at a high-ranking publication when a corporate takeover results in him being placed under naive supervisor Carter Duryea, who is half his age. Matters are made worse when Dan's new supervisor becomes romantically involved with his daughter an 18 year-old college student Alex.More...
The Trouble with Harry1955-09-30The trouble with Harry is that he’s dead. In a quiet Vermont village, a corpse creates unexpected chaos as several townspeople each believe they may be to blame.More...
Frailty2002-04-12A mysterious man arrives at the offices of an FBI agent and recounts his childhood: how his religious fanatic father received visions telling him to kill people who were in fact "demons."More...
Similar Movies
Breakdown
1977-12-01Gedeon is a young, ambitious detective. Three women have disappeared and he strongly believes that there’s direct connection between them. All three of them were driving lonely and have disappeared in the same region. After a lenghty discussion Gedeon gets the permission from his boss for going on patrol with his colleague in that area.Sweeney Todd: The Dem...
2014-09-26In 1846, Anthony Hope sails into London with the mysterious Sweeney Todd, a once-naive barber whose life and marriage was uprooted by a corrupt justice system. Todd confides in Nellie Lovett, the owner of a local meat pie shop, and the two become partners, as Todd swears revenge on those that have wronged him and decides to take up his old profession.The Premature Burial
1962-03-07An artist grows distant from his new wife as an irrational fear of premature burial consumes him.The Mummy's Curse
1944-12-22After being buried in quicksand for the past 25 years, Kharis is set free to roam the rural bayous of Louisiana, as is the soul of his beloved Princess Ananka, still housed in the body of Amina Mansouri, who seeks help and protection at a swamp draining project.The Mummy's Ghost
1944-06-30An Egyptian high priest travels to America to reclaim the bodies of ancient Egyptian princess Ananka and her living guardian mummy Kharis. Learning that Ananka's spirit has been reincarnated into another body, he kidnaps a young woman of Egyptian descent with a mysterious resemblance to the princess. However, the high priest's greedy desires cause him to lose control of the mummy...The Black Cat
1941-05-02Greedy heirs wait in a mansion for a rich cat lover to die, only to learn her cats come first.Destination Inner Spa...
1966-05-01A futuristic underwater sea-lab is having problems with a UFO that's parked between them and a nearby deep ocean trench. As they investigate, they attract the unwanted attention of a dangerous creature who puts the scientists and crew in danger.Demonwarp
1988-03-01A man and his daughter are attacked in the woods by what they believe is a Bigfoot-type creature. However, they soon begin to suspect that they may have stumbled onto a nest of aliens in a hidden spacecraft.One Frightened Night
1935-05-01Eccentric tycoon Jasper Whyte hosts a dinner at his mansion and announces that he will divide his money and give each guest a million dollars before the stroke of midnight. When his long-lost granddaughter suddenly arrives, Whyte changes his mind and proclaims that she will receive his entire fortune. A second lady appears at the estate, claiming that she is actually Whyte's granddaughter, Doris Waverly, and the first woman is found murdered in her room! With each guest possessing a motive, the mystery of the killer's identity briskly unfolds through a stirring series of surprises.The Vampire Lovers
1970-10-04In the heart of Styria the Karnstein Family, even after their mortal deaths, rise from their tombs spreading evil in the countryside in their lust for fresh blood. Baron Hartog whose family are all victims of Karnstein vampirism, opens their graves and drives a stake through their diabolical hearts. One grave he cannot locate is that of the legendary beautiful Mircalla Karnstein. Years of peace follow that grisly night until Mircalla reappears to avenge her family's decimation and satisfy her desire for blood.Son of Dracula
1943-10-20Carpathian Count Alucard is invited to the U.S. by a young heiress. Her boyfriend and local officials are suspicious of the newcomer, who is interested in the "virile" soil of the new world.Chasing Sleep
2001-05-16A college professor wakes up to find his wife has not returned home, then struggles to understand her disappearance.Infection
2004-10-02Infection takes place in a dark, isolated hospital, where one doctors mistake has led to dire consequences for a patient. In a hospital death is just a breath away.Daphne & Velma
2018-05-22Before their eventual team-up with Scooby and the gang, bright and optimistic Daphne and whip-smart and analytical Velma are both mystery-solving teens who are best friends but have only met online - until now. Daphne has just transferred to Velma's school, Ridge Valley High, an incredible tech-savvy institute with all the latest gadgets provided by the school's benefactor, tech billionaire Tobias Bloom. And while competition is fierce among the students for a coveted internship at Bloom Innovative, Daphne and Velma dig beyond all the gadgets and tech to investigate what is causing some of the brightest students in school to disappear - only to emerge again in a zombie-fied state.Downsizing
2017-12-22A kindly occupational therapist undergoes a new procedure to be shrunken to four inches tall so that he and his wife can help save the planet and afford a nice lifestyle at the same time.Infract
No data for this movieThere is no descriptionThe Devils
1971-07-16Father Urbain Grandier’s unorthodox views of sex and religion make him a polarizing figure in 17th-century France. His outspokenness has amassed a passionate following of nuns and a respected reputation for protecting the city of Loudon from corruption. Grandier’s influence is then undermined following a sexually repressed nun’s accusation of witchcraft.The Road to Hong Kong...
1962-03-29When Chester accidentally memorises and destroys the only copy of a secret Russian formula for a new and improved rocket fuel, he and Harry are thrust into international intrigue, trying to stay alive while keeping the formula out of enemy hands.Acceptable Risk
2011-01-13An ambitious medical researcher discovers a mold that he believes could be the foundation of a miracle cure for degenerative disease.The Body Snatcher
1945-05-25Edinburgh, 1831. Among those who undertake the illegal trade of grave robbery is Gray, ostensibly a cab driver. Formerly a medical student convicted of grave robbery, Gray holds a grudge against Dr. MacFarlane who had escaped detection and punishment.