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Thanks to a good friend I'm currently undergoing what sci-fi fans refer to as "the Quatermass-experience". That simply means watching the three QUATERMASS-movies in a short time period. The first one felt like a true sci-fi classic, but I honestly couldn't really tell, because I haven't seen enough of those black & white sci-fi flicks to compare it too. But I'm working on that.

After having seen QUATERMASS 2, I'm starting to get convinced that those movies really are a stellar trilogy (even though the individual stories aren't actually related). This second installment was the first British movie ever to feature a number "2" in its title, to indicate that it's a sequel. The movie itself shows a lot of similarities with the original INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS (an alien organism invading earth, loss of human identity, a common higher consciousness, a global threat at hand...). But since they were produced around the same time none of the movies can be accused of stealing from each other.

Writer Nigel Kneale presents us a solid, coherent story undermined with plausible scientific facts. To put it rather simply: an organism not of this earth infects humans and even infiltrates the highest ranks of the British government. The story moves at a decent pace and never gets boring. Val Guest's directing is as good as it gets for a movie from the 50's. He clearly knew what he was doing on the set. Some minor continuity problems can be encountered (some night shots feature a few glimpses of daylight) and at least one scene seemed a bit artificially staged for convenience's sake (the one where Broadhead and Quatermass get their passes from the ministry-chap). But all that really isn't anything to complain about.

I sort of liked Brian Donlevy as Quatermass. He really feels like the prototype of an anti-hero. He's often a bit rude and really persistent. Especially that last characteristic made his character more believable. The rest of the acting was also decent, though all of the supporting roles were too small to be memorable. And I so much liked the fact that there wasn't an obligatory love-interest in the plot for Mr. Quatermass. That simply would not have worked.

There were a few details I really liked, like when Quatermass arrives in that little town in the area of Winterton Flats (or was it Willingdon Flats?). All the inhabitants work for the alien-infested factory and they have posters on the wall with slogans like "Remember: Secrets mean sealed lips" and "Talk about your job. Lose it". Another cool thing about the story was that it was actually Quatermass who designed the factory facility with the domes, which was originally to be a moon-colonization project. Only, the government stole his design and build it here on earth, for the alien organism to adapt itself. The factory was an excellent location and felt real. So were the few special effects (mainly miniatures of the domes). The 'rocket-lift-off' shots and effects looked rather silly though. I'm glad this movie was in black & white, that way, when we finally see the alien organism in all its giant glory, it looked a bit more terrifying.

So if you're curious about the history of sci-fi movies, than you just can not miss this one. Now I'm really looking forward to see QUATERMASS AND THE PIT.

I first saw this film once when I was about five or six years old on TV. Because the film had location shooting at an oil refinery, for years I was always reminded of this film when ever I drove past one, wondering if something sinister was going on inside those tanks. However, soon after I first saw this film, QUATERMASS 2 (or ENEMY FROM SPACE-as it was called here in the USA), was pulled from distribution for various legal reasons, and this film was for years impossible to view. Then the film was released from its legal limbo in the mid eighties and I purchased a video copy as soon as it came out.

Unlike so many hard to view films that have been promoted as "a long lost classic", that often turn out not to live up to their reputations when finally viewed again*, QUATERMASS 2 truly deserves its reputation as a rediscovered lost classic. It is one of the best British science fictions films from the fifties.

The films acting and direction are uniformly good. The black and white photography is excellent and the film has an excellent musical score (although sometimes the music is a bit too loud.) The scene where the giant aliens burst from the domes is one of my favorite scenes in a fantastic film. Its like something out of a nightmare: the dome begins to crack, like a giant egg, and emerging from is not a cute little chick, but a hideous malignancy. The gloomy dark gray lighting enhance this scene. However, the aliens that emerge, while gross and repulsive looking when viewed for the first time, begin to look a tad bit silly after repeated viewings.

Perhaps one of the most interesting thing about this film when viewed today, is the films story has many similarities to the "Area 51" mythology. In the film there is government owned plant where everything is top secret, it gets unlimited tax payer funding, but no one in the government dare asks whats going on. This sounds lot like what we are told about the so-called "Area 51." I'm surprised " psycho/social reductionists" like Curtis "Watch The Skies" Peebles overlooked this film. Then again, maybe we are lucky they have.

QUATERMASS 2 is an excellent fifties science fiction that should be more widely shown. Like the other films in the famous "Quatermass" series, its literate, suspenseful and thrilling.

*Sometimes the films promoted as "long lost classics" aren't even lost!

The second of the Quatermass films (the first was THE QUATERMASS XPERIMENT, the "X" used to emphasise the adult X-rating the film received on its initial release) was allowed a slightly larger budget and benefited enormously from Nigel Kneale's participation in the screenplay. In this film, at least Brian Donlevy behaves a little more like Quatermass ought to, though I still don't think he was right for the part.

For my money, Quatermass should be a pipe-smoking English boffin with leather patches sewn on the elbows of his jacket. The original character was conceived as a kind of Barnes Wallis type, as portrayed by Michael Redgrave in THE DAM BUSTERS.

The movie is set in a post-war Britain that was a little panicked by the idea of nuclear weapons and even more unsettled by the knowledge that our former allies, The Soviets, had the same weapons and they were pointed at us. This was the climate that gave us Orwell's 1984 and Don Siegel's INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS. Paranoia was out to get us ...

This same atmosphere lasted well into the 1960s and can also be glimpsed in TV shows like THE AVENGERS. This was the era I grew up in, so I speak from personal experience :-)

This movie is one of Hammer's better offerings of the period. Released the same year as CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN, it more than holds its own against the other, better-known Hammer colour offerings. Indeed, it benefits from its monochrome photography, which brilliantly communicates the austerity of the years immediately following WWII.

Thoroughly recommended, this film will appeal to anyone who can get beyond the admittedly primitive 1950s special effects to be rewarded by the rich and clever story that lies beneath the slightly dodgy veneer ...

'Quatermass 2' is even better than the excellent 'The Quatermass Xperiment'. Like the first movie it was a remake of the original British TV production which I have sadly not seen (both are lost I think). Val Guest directs once again, Brian Donlevy reprises the role of the crusty Professor Quatermass, and this time Nigel Kneale was allowed to adapt his own original script, which probably explains why it improves on the first movie. Quatermass stumbles across a mysterious secret Government installation which is supposedly developing synthetic food, but is in fact something quite different and frightening. Donlevy isn't my favourite Quatermass but he is better here than in the first movie, and the supporting cast includes John Longden in the role originally played by Jack Warner, Bryan Forbes as Quatermass' assistant Marsh (another change of actor), comedian Sid James of 'Carry On' fame, and Hammer regular Michael Ripper. 'Quatermass 2' is a very entertaining and suspenseful thriller, which hasn't dated as half as much as you'd expect. It will particularly be interesting to fans of 'Invasion Of The Body Snatchers', which it shares certain themes with, and 'The X-Files', which many people, myself included, would argue owes this movie and the next in the series 'Quatermass and the Pit' a large debt. Nigel Kneale is one of the most underrated writers of SF and horror of our time (over 80 years old and still active!), and the Quatermass movies are his best known and enjoyable achievements. I highly recommend them all.

"The Quatermass Xperiment" of 1955 was a magnificent milestone of British Sci-Fi Horror, whose success single-handedly boosted the great Hammer Studios' status as Britain's Horror producer No. 1. "Quatermass 2", which was also directed by Val Guest, is a fantastic sequel that even surpasses the original in its suspense, creepiness and macabre premise. Brian Donlevy returns as Professor Bernhard Quatermass, who is, in the meantime, planning to colonize the moon. When he hears about mysterious meteorite showers in the countryside, his investigations lead him to a colony that resembles his own plans for the moon colonization...

I do not want to give too much away, but fans of "The Quatermass Xperiment" can be assured to love this. The film shares the ingenuity of its predecessor, but even surpasses it in plot, atmosphere and suspense. The film follows an ingenious, macabre premise, and the ideas are executed in an awesome manner. The script to this sequel was written by the original inventor of "Quatermass" and writer of the foregoing BBC-series, British Sci-Fi genius Nigel Kneale. The storyline is very intriguing and throws some intelligent political and social aspects in the generally very eerie Sci-Fi Horror film. The effects are very good, and while the film also has its slower parts, there is quite a lot of action. Brian Donlevy is once again great as the eponymous Professor Quatermass. The husky, pencil-mustached Donlevy, who mainly played tough guys in his earlier roles, doesn't seem much like a scientist, but rather like a hard-boiled detective. However, I find him to be awesome in the role of this, rather unorthodox professor. Overall, "Quatermass 2" is a true must-see for Horror/Sci-Fi fans in general and Hammer fans in particular (As are the 1955 original and the, even superior, 1967 sequel "Quatermass and the Pit". The "Quatermass" franchise is regarded by some as the absolute highlight of Hammer's legacy; personally, I still prefer their greatest Gothic Horror films, such as (most parts of) the "Frankenstein" and "Dracula" series, "Twins of Evil" or "Vampire Circus" (my personal favorite). It is undeniable though that the "Quatermass" films are milestones and absolute must-sees for everyone interested in Sci-Fi and Horror cinema.

While it comes across as a British spin on INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS, what QUATERMASS 2 most brings to mind is an old, Pertwee-era episode of DOCTOR WHO; I'm thinking something like The Green Death, perhaps. There are too many similarities to be purely coincidental: a remote, scientific institution hiding dark secrets; faceless guards under the influence of some malign influence; unfriendly villagers; cheesy special effects; the dedicated scientist hero and his various companions. It goes without saying that if you're a DOCTOR WHO fan then you'll love this.

I saw THE QUATERMASS XPERIMENT some years ago and I remember it feeling very different to this movie. It was smaller scale, more homely, more intimate. QUATERMASS 2 feels more like it's trying to be an American movie, with stuff taking place on a much larger scale. The conspiracy storyline is very hackneyed these days but it's handled with wit and decent pacing here and as a whole this is a nice early outing for the newly-horrifying Hammer, even it is the lesser vehicle to both the first film and X THE UNKNOWN. The film is notable for Brian Donlevy's gruff, hard-headed turn as Quatermass and for the appearance of many familiar British supporting players, including Percy Herbert, Charles Lloyd Pack and Michael Ripper. There's also a decent, semi-serious role for Sid James to sink his teeth into, too!

After the huge success of The Quatermass Xperiment (1955) - the film that launched Hammer Productions into the mainstream - Hammer and the BBC were quick to greenlight an adaptation of the sequel before the television serial of the same name even aired. Original creator Nigel Kneale was brought back in to pen the early draft, which was later revised by director Val Guest. Kneale's main problem with the first film was the brusque performance of American Brian Donlevy, and was disappointed that he would again reprise his role. But Kneale's criticism's aside, Quatermass 2 is a more action-packed and dramatic effort, although admittedly inferior to the first.

Professor Quatermass (Donlevy) is struggling to get his Moon Project off the ground. His plan is to set up a base on the moon and be the first to successfully colonise it. These plans are interrupted when Quatermass becomes intrigued with various meteorites that have been landing in the area. After travelling with his colleague Marsh (Bryan Forbes) to one of the meteor sites, Marsh is injured as one of the meteorites cracks open and leaves him with a 'V'-shaped burn on his face. Armed guards with similar facial scarring take Marsh to their nearby government facility, leaving Quatermass to contact his old friend Inspector Lomax (John Longden) for advice. This leads him to Vincent Broadhead (Tom Chatto), a member of parliament also investigating the strange going-ons at the site.

Although it was Nigel Kneale's main gripe with the movie adaptations of his creation, Donlevy's (possibly alcohol-fuelled) performance as Quatermass is one of the most intriguing aspects of the Quatermass series. He should be your typical Sherlock Holmes-esque British inquisitor, but Donlevy's interpretation is arrogant, selfish and abrupt, making him one of the more interesting 'heroes' of the genre. Here he is more action star too, dodging machine gun fire and making quick getaways in a film that is much more action-orientated than it's predecessor, although it retains much of it's realism. Due to this, it lacks the slow-build atmosphere of Xperiment, almost losing it completely with the overblown climax full of explosions and gun-fire. Even though it was overshadowed on its release by Hammer's The Curse of Frankenstein (1957), it is still a fun film, and even features of pre- Carry On Sidney James.

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I was never aware that this movie was anything other than a stand-alone feature. I'm not familiar with 'Quatermass' in any way whatsoever. But I saw a movie when I was a kid that was titled 'Enemy From Space' and I've never forgotten it. The scene where a man who has been covered in some black stuff shockingly, jarringly shrieks out and stumbles down the outside stairway of some huge, weird, vat-like structure frightened me enormously. I didn't know what the stuff was exactly, I just knew it was burning the man horribly and his utterly convincing screams drove it into my brain permanently.

I was pretty young when I saw it at my local 'B-Movies Only' neighborhood theater. I'm not sure how it was elsewhere, but in my hometown there was a movie house that got all the A-List pictures (Cary Grant, James Stewart, Liz Taylor, Disney) and another that made the most of the plentiful supply of small-budget monster movies that were released in the late fifties and very early sixties. Triple Features were often offered in these 'lesser' venues. The beauty of it was that both types of theater thrived in those cable-less, vcr-less days. But I digress.

So I see this movie and I'm only about 7 years old at the time and that night I couldn't sleep. And though I had sat through the entire thing, my mind was locked into that horrifying scene so completely that I did not really recall another word spoken in the film. It came around to the Biltmore a couple more times and, though terrified, I was irresistibly drawn to see it again, each time absorbing a little more of the content. The challenging storyline wasn't all that easy to grasp - a lot of it went over my young head.

It was a long time ago but I remember a meteorite falling through a roof, a road that went nowhere, a silent and sinister industrial area, a man who becomes suddenly very sick (in the pub I think) and has a white splotch on his face, severely serious soldiers who seem to be bad guys, a window through which an alien something-or-other is observed and, of course, the unfortunate man covered in burning black oil.

A truly eerie movie, as engrossing as it is chilling. I would very much like to see it again

In 1957 1 shilling and 9 pence was the price of one of the better seats in a cinema. I was too young to be allowed to see the film at the time of its release and the recent screening on BBC 2 is the first time I've seen it - 50+ years after its release - perhaps the first time it has been screened on British television? Its high rating of 7 and many enthusiastic reviews from the US confirm that it is an important British film of the time with a wide - and lasting - appeal.

The opening is something of a teaser but the pace flags somewhat after that for the first 10 minutes or so then with the revelation of the unlimited seriousness of the problem, the pace gets faster and faster and film more and more gripping.

Not as polished as "Invasion of the Body-Snatchers" but Nigel Kneale's creative ideas and screenplay ensure, not first time, that even nearly 60 years on this is still a rocket ride.

One has to see this film in the context of when it was made. Britain was in the grip of science fever at the time. There were heavily attended science fairs all over the country; the space race was under starter's orders; and many people (even some scientists) still harboured the idea that there was intelligent life in the solar system.

A man of the times was the character of Prof Bernard Quatermass played by Brian Donlevy. He was the new breed of scientific hero: tough talking, hard-headed, as good with his fists as he was with his integral calculus, wilful, and armed with a can of bullshit repellent. At the time, it was thought that the scientists were going to solve all the world's problems; and Prof Quatermass was the British embodiment of this notion.

The Shell refinery setting is superb for one of the most frightening SF stories you are ever going to come across. It is not the aliens which are so frightening as the reactions of the authorities, and the lengths they will go to, to cover the whole thing up. Note that some of the uniforms worn by the authorities are even more frightening than the aliens in the domes.

It is not often that a sequel is better than the original; but this is such a case. The Quatermass Experiment is fine; but this one is much, much better.

It's still good. It could have been made only a couple of weeks ago.

This classic British production with interesting and challenging premise contains forthright performance , original argument and tense filmmaking .Vintage British sci-fi movie with a fascinating Brian Donlevy as Quatermass , a rocket scientist from original BBC production that kept millions glued to their TV screens in a serial formed by six episodes of 30 minutes starred by John Robertson and directed by Rudolph Cartier . This well intentioned Sc-Fi but also realistic picture concerns about the events occur when some meteors fall on the English countryside . Later on , Professor Quatermass , who is angry when his schemes for a moon colony are quashed, fights brainwashes zombies to rescue unfortunates whose bodies have been invaded by aliens . But then , scary and risked deeds begin to happen culminating in a threat to the entire world . As a giant blob and some aliens bring abominable terror carrying an infestation from outer space from destroying Earth . Furthermore, various government officials are possessed by a strange malignant force . Not long after a terrible thing stalks the fabric . The plot is developed for continuous discovery leading a spooky and astounding finale set at a refinery. This chiller is an outstanding adaptation of TV serial exhibited in BBC (1953) by Nigel Kneagle . An elderly and bleak Brian Donlevy is very good as rough Quatermass, he gives a tremendously powerful acting as rough scientist .The great climax film is ,of course, the ending confrontation between the protagonists and the weird entity.

This suspenseful and tense flick with just adequate effects is influenced by a story titled ¨The meteor¨ by Ray Bradbury and the movie ¨It came from outer space (1953)¨ by Jack Arnold . It's a eerie story, unusual in the strong character it builds for the elderly Donlevy . As turns up the Irish Brian Donlevy as starring who repeats role in ¨Quatermass I¨ both directed by Val Guest, the third part is titled ¨Quatermass and the pit¨, this is one of the best science fiction films of the history with Andrew Keir and directed by Roy Ward Baker ; besides John Mills starred the final chapter titled the ¨Conclusion Quatermass¨ , a lesser effort , directed by Piers Haggard . In the picture appears the usual Hammer technicians, as cameraman Elder Willis creating a riveting cinematography ; Les Bowie who makes some competent special effects , sensational makeup by Philip Leakey ; an awesome production design and musical conductor by James Bernard composing a tense and thrilling score . Hammer Film , later known for their high-quality horror films, wishes to acknowledge with thanks the facilities extended to them by ¨Shell¨ Refining and Marketing Company for the shooting and many scenes at Shell Haven Refinery , Essex where was mostly filmed . The pic gets acceptable budget of 92.000 pounds financed 75 per cent by United Artists and remaining Hammer Films. This successful movie owes a lot to prestigious artist and technician team that encouraged its studio Hammer to continue to become Europe's foremost purveyor of terror and mystery . This well developed , nail-biting film is well produced by Anthony Hinds and compellingly directed by Val Guest who increases the pace and the suspense as the movie heads for its eerie ending . The flick will appeal to science fiction movies enthusiasts and Hammer fans .Rating : Above average and well worth watching . Sci-Fi fans should like it , essential and indispensable seeing .

This was one of the first of its kind; a subtlety scary vision of a secret alien takeover. X-FILES may owe a debt to this low-budget, but nevertheless effective film of the powers-that-be who are conspiring with the invaders, and one lone, determined scientist who accidentally uncovers the sinister plot.

QUATERMASS II (U.S. title: ENEMY FROM SPACE) was produced before INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS, the film it is often compared to, due to their thematic similarities (loss of identity, social oppression, dangers of conformity, and blind allegiance to a greatly questionable, authoritarian power). However, it was released in the U.S. shortly after BODY SNATCHERS, probably making it look like a copycat to some.

Superb writer Nigel Kneale (excellent script, highly original for its time, derived from the earlier BBC serial) was known to strongly despise Brian Donleavy's gruff performance as the lead character. Kneale did not like the fact that Donleavy presented the character as a cold, methodical misanthrope who treats his colleagues like expendable underlings. He will probably want to boil me in oil for saying this, but I felt that presenting the lead character as morally ambivalent and ethically questionable jettisoned the standard 50's scientist/hero sterotype (for once he is not nice and charming). It also added a further degree of tension to the well-plotted story. In many ways, his alienated character is somewhat alien; perhaps that's the only true way to resist social pressures and conditioning. The allegory here is strong.

As the story opens, Quatermass is driving one night on a remote country road. He is furious that the stodgy Whitehall bureaucrats rejected his funding request for a proposed moon colonization project. A speeding car nearly hits him head-on as it runs off the road. The shaken passengers are a frightened woman and her boyfriend, who is in a crazed state, and has a strange black mark on his face.

Quatermass returns to his isolated lab, where radar reveals to his assistants that many small meteor particles (at least that's what they assume they are) have descended over a rural village known as Wynerton Flats.

Going out there with his colleague, Marsh, they first discover his moon project, fully constructed, and some small, mysterious rocks. As Marsh examines one, it emits an eerie gas and pops in his face, leaving the weird black mark. Strange soldiers arrive, behaving like aloof zombies, abduct Marsh, strong-arm Quatermass in the typical fascist tradition, and order him to leave. (There may be one flaw here: Why didn't the "soldiers" either abduct or kill Quatermass, instead of letting him go, so he can inform?)

Naturally the authorities all have tight lips about the secret activities at Wynerton Flats, but Quatermass manages to convince a few officials to go out there with him. A government aid (with that strange black mark on his wrist) conducts a formal tour of the plant, where everything seems to be normal. Not so. The small group is indoctrinated by the zombies (who resemble Nazis), but Quatermass manages to escape.

(This scene truly exposes Donleavy's ruthless side: He and a woman are taken into a large dome, but Quatermass flees, leaving the woman behind, without any concern for her fate. Hell, he doesn't even abide by the old fifties hero tradition by risking his life to save the distressed damsel. In many ways Quatermass was an ahead-of-his-time anti-hero. I always felt that this added a disquieting strength to the drama and the severity of the dire situation, but I guess that Kneale will still vehemently disagree).

I'll stop here, but don't worry, the worse is still to come. The sense of growing unease and mounting terror (strong qualities of your finer British Science Fiction at that time) escalates. Be patient, for it does carefully build into a total state of alarm, as Quatermass and the local angered citizens challenge the invaders (who have taken over most of the government and military officials) to a brutal showdown. There is something highly menacing in those domes.

This impressive film is true Science Fiction at its best. It thrills without pandering and is thoughtful to the point of disturbing. You can't trust anyone. Its social and political implications are definitely troubling. This is not for your Lucas and Spielberg crowd, for we're not talking about commercial catering to eight-year-olds. Val Guest directs in a cold, cynical Kubrickian manner, accentuating the high degree of paranoia, and the picture's black & white photography conveys a bleak, creepy mood. (Sorry, no pretty pictures here). The intriguing story takes on true nightmarish proportions.

The few effects won't win any CGI awards (don't forget, computers weren't around then) but the briefly glimpsed monster (in the gothic Lovecraft tradition) is quite sickening. After all, it can manipulate man's dirty politics, you can't get more reprehensible than that.

From the late sixties to the late eighties this film was unavailable to the public, and it was feared to be permanently lost, but it later was released on video and shown occasionally on the Science Fiction Channel. Many notable Science Fiction and Horror authors (I believe that Harlan Ellison and Stephen King were among them) have championed this small, but remarkable early Hammer production. This is the film that many others have "borrowed from." Just a polite way of saying RIPPED-OFF!

For those seeking an intelligent challenge, check it out.

Just like its predecessor, this is a movie that surprises within its genre. '50's science-fiction/horror wasn't exactly known for its class or greatness but some of the exception from the '50's to this were also some great classic ones at the same time. Just think about "The Day the Earth Stood Still" and "The Thing From Another World" for instance. What those movies all did was taking its genre serious and approach it from a scientific and also more classic horror approach. So instead of having straight forward monsters we have an actual build-up, with solid written story and characters to like and feel for.

"Quatermass 2" is also a movie that approaches the genre with some more class than many of its fellow genre pieces from the same time period. It's a movie that mostly relies on its mysterious build up and eerie atmosphere. It has some great moments in, though it also is being quite ridicules at times. But this also has to do with the fact that of course by todays standards the '50's science-fiction flicks look all so terribly outdated now days.

It's an Hammer film from the period that the Hammer studios were not only solely known for its horror productions. The movie also does have some of the, what later would be, typical Hammer film moments in it. Basically Hammer films were all some early exploitation flicks but in its beginning period it still showed some more class and also had some obviously more serious intentions still with its movies.

The acting in the movie is really great. Brian Donlevy reprises his Dr. Quatermass role again and he was great to watch again. The role of Lomax is this time being played by John Longden, who also did a real great job.

It's a good looking movie with its atmosphere. The movie is shot in black & white, which enhances the mystery and also tension of the entire movie. It's a movie that really is build on its atmosphere and mystery. It does use some special effects but it does this to a minimum. It's really not the type of science-fiction movie you would expect from one that got made during the '50's.

Just like its predecessor, a great little '50's gem.

7/10

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Brian Donlevy returns as the titular scientist, this time investigating the population of a isolated modern town working on a huge plant that ostensibly contains a new food. Further investigation though suggests something not of this world exists deep within the huge domes at the plant.

Although slightly plagued again by a low budget for a big budget story and the continuing strange casting of Donlevy as a complete misery of a central character, this still remains an inventive, intelligent piece of British sci-fi with a good solid story, some really exciting scenes and some genuine unpleasantness. Great late night entertainment.

I'm a huge fan of Hammer Horror's Quatermass and the Pit, but in spite of that; I didn't like the earlier film, The Quatermass Experiment, very much. That film didn't have the same boldness that the later one did, and I found it rather flat. While this sequel is better than the original film, I'm still not a massive fan of it and it never comes anywhere near to the sixties Hammer masterpiece. The film's major problem is that the action plays out too slowly, and while some people will admire this plotting as it will allow them to get into the story: I didn't, and all it succeeded in doing for me was turning me off. The reason I didn't enjoy the slow pace much is because the film doesn't give you much to chew on while the story is simmering. The British dialogue and style is nice, but on the whole the atmosphere isn't intriguing or horrific enough for the story. Furthermore, Brian Donlevy, like with the first film, isn't camp enough to play such an eccentric character; and all he does really is show how great Andrew Kier was in the role in Quatermass and the Pit.

The plot follows Quatermass' plan to colonise the moon. After these plans are turned down, the man discovers a strange base in the countryside, which looks exactly like the plans for his moon plot. After investigating this place, it soon becomes apparent to the scientist that something funny is afoot and so he sets out to investigate. I've already spent time concentrating on the film's bad points, so for now for words about the good. Firstly, the plot is very good. While, as mentioned, the execution didn't interest me all the much; the backbone does, and director Val Guest has managed to tie some very interesting sequences into this plot. Seeing Sid James was a surprise, as I didn't know he was in it, and his performance here shows why he was such a success in the 'Carry on' films. Even in a serious film, Sid James is funny. One of the major things I love about Hammer is the style - which this film has, but what it doesn't have is colour. Hammer's colour scheme is an important part of their movies for me; and as this film is in black and white, it doesn't deliver on that front. On the whole, I don't rate this as a resounding success; but people who enjoy 50's monster movies will have a good time, and the film is worth watching anyway just for the monsters at the end!

Quatermass 2 is another classic Not as good as the 1st film but good.

Director Val Guest and actor Brian Donlevy returned for this sequel. Bernard Quatermmass has a plan to build a moon colony, but is called upon to investigate the mysterious landing of meteorites in the English countryside, near a village. He is startled to discover that a factory has been built nearby, where most of the villagers work, that is heavily guarded. He is told that it produces synthetic food, but comes to learn that it is really controlled by alien invaders who plan on world conquest. How can he and Inspector Lomax(now played by John Longden) stop this insidious plan? Worthy sequel with some violent and intense scenes, though the miscasting of the too-abrasive Brian Donlevy is again a big detriment. Too bad Patrick Troughton wasn't cast in this(and the first) instead!

This was the first sequel to The Quatermass Xperiment and once again stars Brian Donlevy as Professor Quatermass.

In this one, strange meteors fall on a new village, Winnerden Flats, and a chemical plant there is supposed to be making synthetic food, but it certainly isn't making that. Quatermass is sent to investigate strange happenings there and it turns out that this chemical plant is being run by aliens which are making a kind of ammonia. After some fighting at the end between aliens and local residents, the domes of the plant are blown up and the large blob monsters in them are killed. The Earth is saved.

Quatermass 2 has an excellent and haunting music score and the movie is beautifully shot in black and white.

As well as Brian Donlevy, the cast includes a pre Carry On role for Sid James as a reporter, Brian Forbes and John Longden.

I enjoyed watching this movie and is certainly a must for 50's sci fi fans. Fantastic.

Rating: 5 stars out of 5.

As Professor Bernard Quatermass (Brian Donlevy) finds his rocket program starved of funding, his team discovers an unusual meteor shower hitting a nearby area where a village once stood until it was dismantled by the government. Finding that the shower is exhibiting what appears to be a slow and controlled descent towards the area where Quatermass found some unusual meteor fragments, Quatermass and his assistant Marsh (Bryan Forbes) investigate the area which now has a facility that bears a striking resemblance to his designs for a moonbase that would allow astronauts to survive in foreign environments. Finding an intact meteor, Marsh is exposed to a gas from within the meteor and is taken away by armed guards from the facility with Quatermass unable to stop them. As Quatermass attempts to question where Marsh is and who is behind the facility, he finds himself stonewalled by impenetrable bureaucracy and conspiracies of silence among the local populace that leads him to believe something sinister is afoot.

Following the success of The Quatermass Xperiment, Hammer acquired the rights to Nigel Kneale's BBC sequel series Quatermass II before it was even broadcast and hired Kneale to write the initial draft with subsequent rewrites performed by director Val Guest. As with the prior film, the filmmakers had to navigate a gauntlet of input from the BBC as well as the BBFC ratings board but like the prior film but was nonetheless a financial success but a third entry wouldn't be seen for about 10 years as Hammer would prioritize its re-imaginings of Gothic horror classics in the wake of the success of The Curse of Frankenstein which overshadowed Quatermass 2 and with 2/3rds the budget. Quatermass 2 admittedly follows many similar themes and ideas from its predecessor, but with some haunting visuals and a new lens through which to view them the team make it no less engaging (possibly even a little more) than its predecessor.

As with the previous film, the filmmakers know how to setup a compelling mystery with the nature of the meteor fragments and the unexplained facility bearing a resemblance to his proposed moonbase are used in combo with the series' cosmic horror atmosphere to make for a thrilling and unsettling adventure. While as with the previous film, the story is focused on a malevolent force that invades through assimilation but unlike the previous film that was built around a singular antagonist, Quatermass 2 features one larger in scale and more coordinated. Despite featuring some broad similarities to the previous year's Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Quatermass 2 differentiates itself by supplementing the fear of lost individuality with criticism of the UK's conservative government of the time and creating an oppressive atmosphere of mistrust and impenetrable bureaucracy complete with guards who bear a resemblance to German stormtroopers complete with their insignia that appears in increasingly high frequency throughout the film. The movie does a good job of mixing paranoid thriller with Lovecraftian style cosmic horror even if the climax does admittedly have some turns that strain credibility with certain events (though are probably more sadly reflective of human behavior). Brian Donlevy remains good as Quatermass (in spite of reports he was drunk through much of filming much to Kneale's chagrin in how the performance came across) but it does feel like the filmmakers filed down some of his more abrasive edges from the previous film so he's no longer the same "arrogant but brilliant" scientific Sherlock Holmes, but does still carry some of that exasperated appeal. Much like the previous film, the movie uses its atmosphere of cosmic dread very effectively complete with a climax that is legitimately unnerving in how truly "alien" the final encounter feels.

Quatermass 2 covers a lot of similar ground to its predecessor, but it offers enough in terms of scale and alternate framing of its themes so it provides a unique experience that doesn't feel like retreading old ground.