Review of Quatermass 2

Introduction

Following the enormous success of "The Quatermass Xperiment" (the film made the name Hammer Films both here and in America and paved the way for the company`s success in the horror genre), Hammer Films embarked on the production of an adaptation of Nigel Kneale`s second serial. Quatermass 2 was quite typical of the Cold War Era paranoia style of writing and featured aliens from another world colonising the planet through bonding with host organisms - people.

The tv version had, like the original series, emptied the pubs on its transmission night but Kneale for various reasons was less than happy with the end result (to the extent that he is less than enthusiastic to allow the telerecordings to see the light of day again. Unlike the first Quatermass movie, Kneale was closely involved in the development of the sequel and the script is much tighter and more compelling in the 81 minute movie format.

Brian Donlevy (not a favourite of Nigel Kneale) reprised his role of Professor Bernard Quatermass, this time with support from Sid James (in a straight role), Brian Forbes, William Franklyn and starlet Vera Day.

The Shell Haven oil refinery and the newly constructed Hemel Hempstead new town provided striking locations, the former providing the backdrop for the film`s most chilling moment when Quatermass finds the missing member of the governmental Plant Inspection Party, staggering down a flight of steps from one of the huge tanks, covered in thick, black, corrosive sludge.

Video

The movie is shown in its original aspect ratio of 4:3 and in black and white. Film grain and wear and tear on the print are quite obvious, and to be expected from a film of this era and from a British studio. Movies such as this have only just begun to be regarded as worth saving and the archive, preservation and restoration budgets available can`t hope to match what the Hollywood studios care to lavish on some productions. To be honest, I`d doubt if anyone has sprung for a fresh print that DDVideo could licence to master this disc from. Depending on your setup, you may find the levels of digital artefacting on the main movie alarming although I found the image better on my standalone system (and a 21" screen) than on my PC monitor.

Audio

A DD2.0 mono reproduction of the original soundtrack. It`s pretty tinny-sounding to the modern ear but again this is indicative of the era.

Features

There is a genuinely informative 24-page "viewing notes" booklet with the disc that gives a good deal of background on the movie and the Quatermass canon as well as being lavishly illustrated with stills, poster art and behind-the-scenes photos. On the disc itself is a really badly worn trailer for "Enemy From Space" (the movie`s American title), a specially filmed interview with director Val Guest, and surprisingly an audio commentary to the movie with Nigel Kneale and Val Guest.

On the minus side, there are no subtitles.

Conclusion

This is a classic of the horror/sci-fi genre, and a classic Hammer Film. The Quatermass movies (and the two or three other sci-fi genre movies that Hammer made between 1953 and 1957) were the foundations of the company`s reputation in the field of horror movies. Without them, the classic Dracula and Frankenstein movies might never have been made. They are also fascinating documents of a time when people were genuinely scared of infiltration - perhaps not by aliens, but Fascists or Communists. Most of all, they`re great fun and head and shoulders more stylish than the American paranoia-propaganda bug-eyed-monster fests of the 1950s.