A very interesting experience, a live broadcast reworking of the original Quatermass story. I like Jason Flemyngs interpretation, but stagey (by design) and a little too old fashioned for its own good.
Mark discussing Quatermass on the Talk Without Rhythm Podcast
Another great Quatermass film, with some fine tension building, acting and set pieces. It gets baggy and dissolute in act 2, but hell, is act 1 and 3 great. PS. WE ARE THE MARTIANS.
Mark discussing Quatermass on the Talk Without Rhythm Podcast
Another great British 50s scifi, dealing with mature themes of government conspiracy and control. It has something akin to the podpeople in Invasion of the Bodysnatchers, but these podpeople are ahead of the curve, and have already taken over government. It really packs a lot into its 80 minute running time, so has some narrative shortcuts that are really massive coincidences, but there’s some great stuff here…the police inspector about to tell all to someone in power, and noticing the alien scar and quickly changing the story, the sinister guards in gasmasks and helmets wielding machine guns, and the realisation the aliens are blocking the pipes with human bodies to stop oxygen poisoning them. A great paranoia piece of the time.
Mark discussing Quatermass on the Talk Without Rhythm Podcast
Damn fine British scifi, made by Hammer before they went full-horror, with Brian Donlevy doing a great scientist-as-sociopath in his portrayal of Bernard Quatermass, and Richard Worsworth doing a great turn as Victor Caroon, a man slowly being overtaken by an alien intelligence in a performance often (rightly) compared to Karloff’s performance in the original Frankenstein. Some great touches, including rising tension in a zoo where the off-camera monster lurks, followed by the sight of dead, desiccated animals throughout the zoo the next morning, fine music, a documentary style that really serves to make you uneasy. One of the great scifi movies of the 50s.
Mark discussing Quatermass on the Talk Without Rhythm Podcast