Quatermass Loves You

So I watched the 60's Hammer remake of Quatermass & the Pit this afternoon, courtesy of Mr N Metcalfe.


If you don't know, it starts with the accidental uncovering of peculiar fossils and what is perhaps an unexploded bomb, leads onto revelations about alien genetic modification, and finally builds to a threat involving murderous telekinesis and hive-like genetic memory.


It's written by the recently late and very great Nigel Kneale, who was a master of the grounded style of science fiction and horror the British used to be (and sometimes still are) great at. This one feels like the good Dr Who episodes you remember from when you were a kid. The ones which were sci fi, but still had you shitting yourself and hiding behind the sofa.


So, on the whole, very much a thing of it's time in terms of production values and some of the supporting performances, but still very good, with a creepy premise, smart writing and solid performances from the leads. The real thing of note, however, is that it features some of the finest face pulling committed to film.

But the last gurn goes to Julian Glover, whose performance deserves a two-frame treatment...