Review for Doomwatch

Well, it’s been quite a year for ‘Doomwatch’ releases. First the surviving episodes from the early 1970’s TV series (a long overdue release reviewed here) and now this excellent Blu-Ray edition of the little-seen TV spin-off film.

1972 was a year when the UK went TV spin-off movie mad with popular TV comedies pretty much leading the way. It was also a year where Hammer were still churning out their popular, low-budget horror series and I have to say that ‘Doomwatch’ has a touch of both, not least as this was directed by Peter Sasdy who had directed several Hammers. It’s certainly not reflective of a typical ‘Doomwatch’ episode – actually more like a cross between ‘The Wicker Man’ (though notably this came first) and a zombie feature but a lot of fun nonetheless.

Lovers of ‘Doomwatch’, the TV series, which was in full swing at the time, will be disappointed to see nothing more than the merest hint of the original cast. For a few fleeting moments at the start of the film and thereafter confined to one or two phone calls with Doctor Quist back at basecamp. So none of the Doomwatch TV cast take lead roles with the two main roles here going to Ian Bannen and Judy Geeson, bigger box office stars of the day.



The only real connection to the ‘Doomwatch’ oeuvre is the film’s narrative – loosely concerning an industrial ecological disaster, the consequences of which (conveniently) create zombies out of humans.

Dr Del Shaw (Bannen) travels to a small island off the English coast in Cornwall to take some water samples and immediately realises that all is not what it should be. For a start, as a heavily closed community he is made to feel unwelcome. There is no room at the inn and no one, not even the local bobby, seems please to see him. Then there are all the strange goings on – secret burials in the woods and missing people getting murdered. Even the glamorous outside school-teacher doesn’t seem open to the prying eyes of a concerned outsider. In that regard, it feels very much like The Wicker Man and does a very decent job of it too.


It seems that illegally dumped chemical containers are leaking and entering the food chain of the local population. To being with the growth hormone contained was developed to boost growth of animal livestock, but it’s having a diabolical effect on the local fishermen.

But the locals believe it is a punishment for years of in-breeding, as explained by their local priest and are, therefore, determined that the rest of the world won’t find out.

By the time Dr. Shaw discovers a monstrous creature hiding in a dilapidated barn the whole things takes on a whole new level of genuine spookiness, making the film a pretty decent horror film as well as an ecological thriller.

Judy Geeson does a great job as the local teacher and turns in an elegant, somewhat subtle performance which really enhances a film which, featuring Neanderthal ‘zombies’. might otherwise have descended into comedy.

Image quality on the Blu-Ray is fine if a little grainy (probably the favoured grading of the day) although the check disc was bereft of any special features at all which, these days, is something of a disappointment.

However, it’s a welcome release and one which I thoroughly enjoyed. Well worth picking up.