Quatermass

[Solariabsg25]

I picked up the final Quatermass Story on Blu-ray recently, and it got me to wondering how many people on these boards actually saw all these stories?

I suspect most (including me) may have been too young to have seen the original BBC Broadcasts (the original was lost). However Hammer made The Quatermass Experiment, Quatermass II and Quatermass and The Pit into movies which are not shown as often as they should be, and although I missed it the BBC did do a modern remake.

The final Quatermass story, which most US people may have seen as the edited Quatermass Conclusion movie, was I believe a fitting end to the character.

So who else has any memories of these stories?

 

[Marc]

I've heard of Qatermass but the only I've seen was Quatermas Conclusion which I really didn't think much of.

My dad has told me about Qatermass and the Pit so one day I should get around to watching it.

 

[feek61]

The one I saw on TV as a kid was "Quatermass and the Pit" which was called "Five Million Years to Earth" here in the US. It scared the bejesus out of me! Funny enough I was trying to find it a few weeks ago but got distracted and never found it. It would certainly great to see a remake of it.

 

[Mysterion]

^^^^
One Million Years to Earth, actually. It used to play on Saturday (or Sunday) afternoon local Tb quite a bit where I grew up. Saw it a couple of times growing up, but don't remember too much about it at this point.

 

[feek61]

No, "FIVE Million years to Earth" is the correct title.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0062168/

 

[Mysterion]

I stand corrected, Sir.

 

[MacLeod]

I do recall seeing them at some point but not for many a year.

 

[Reverend]

A little bit before my time, but the old man used to go on about it being big when he was younger. I think I saw one of the movies (or part of one at least) All I recall about it was giant grasshopper looking alien corpses in the underground. Probably 'Quatermass and The Pit'.

 

[Gov Kodos]

The 1958 production is fantastic. Great for Halloween viewing.

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[Forbin]

JUMPing LEAPing!
Love them little Martian bugs.

 

[Solariabsg25]

I've heard of Qatermass but the only I've seen was Quatermas Conclusion which I really didn't think much of.

My dad has told me about Qatermass and the Pit so one day I should get around to watching it.

The Quatermass Conclusion was a specially-edited version of the final Quatermass story - they actually specifically filmed extra scenes for the links rather than just cutting things together as is usual (for example there is a whole sub-plot where Quatermass disappears and is saved by some oldsters at the same time as the Planet Person survivor is in the hospital, but extra scenes were filmed for the movie to show him actually present there). I prefer the full version as there is a little more meat to the story, but it doesn't change the main beats.

Quatermass and The Pit's original BBC serial is getting a Blu-ray release this month I believe, and the Hammer Version is readily available. For the next eight months the BBC production also seems to be available on the BBC iplayer - not sure on the availability outside the UK.

 

[JD]

I haven't gotten a chance to watch them, but I think they do occasionally show the Quartermass movies on Turner Classic Movies. I'm pretty sure I've seen Quatermass and the Pit/Five Million Miles to Earth on their website & app at least once or twice.

 

[11Alive]

The one I saw on TV as a kid was "Quatermass and the Pit" which was called "Five Million Years to Earth" here in the US. It scared the bejesus out of me! Funny enough I was trying to find it a few weeks ago but got distracted and never found it. It would certainly great to see a remake of it.

Yes, I remember that latter title. I wouldn't say it was scary, but I did find it interesting on late night TV back around 1975. Watched it again around 20 years later and found the story a tedious, slow-paced bore and the effects so bad that they made Classic Doctor Who look like a big budget spectacular.

 

[Greg Cox]

Seen the Hammer versions, not the original TV serials. And, yes, FIVE MILLION YEARS TO EARTH (as we call here in the States) is one of my favorite SF movies. Probably the best archaeological sf movie ever. Full of cool ideas and smart dialogue.

 

[feek61]

Yes, I remember that latter title. I wouldn't say it was scary, but I did find it interesting on late night TV back around 1975. Watched it again around 20 years later and found the story a tedious, slow-paced bore and the effects so bad that they made Classic Doctor Who look like a big budget spectacular.

It was more of the concept that was scary, not necessarily the effects which I agree were not great. Also, I am speaking of the Hammer version which was better than the TV serial.

 

[Solariabsg25]

Colonel Breen's death was one of my biggest memories of the movie as a kid.

 

[Gov Kodos]

Seen the Hammer versions, not the original TV serials. And, yes, FIVE MILLION YEARS TO EARTH (as we call here in the States) is one of my favorite SF movies. Probably the best archaeological sf movie ever. Full of cool ideas and smart dialogue.

It was that but also one of the best stories in the vein of Lovecraft. The aliens had already taken over the Earth and this was just a culling of the wrong sort.

 

[Haggis and tatties]

You can never go wrong with some Quatermass, i think the first Quatermass i ever saw was way when ITV made the 4 part story way back in 79, and it just shows you how good it was written and made when a 12 year old thicko like me could enjoy it and even understand it, cracking stuff, of course since then my fave has to be Quatermass and the Pit, the BR of this movie is stunning in sound and quality, a must have for any QM fans.

 

[Solariabsg25]

It also continued the theme of alien interference with mankind, where the Martians engineered humanity in Quatermass and the Pit to a racial memory that effected the younger (and I assume tastier) humans by whatever the alien entity was in the final story.

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[N-121973]

You know, depending on the rights issues a Doctor Who/Quatermass crossover might be interesting.

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