A fine example of British filmed science fiction at its best. This Hammer production intelligently condenses Nigel Kneale's teleplay into a moody and fascinating thriller.
Yes, the special effects are dated, as is the production design (the very 50's style rocket ship with its big fins and riveted bulkheads is very quaint). And in comparison to the other four Quatermass features, is the least ambitious in scope (especially compared to the superbly outre Quatermass and the Pit) and has the weakest of the Professor Quatermass actors (Brian Donlevy always struck me as a bit too stiff and, well, American).
Yet, the film does what all good science fiction does: take a concept, then play out the various scenarios and consequences that result. In this case, man encounters an unknown organism from space - an entity that is capable of absorbing any living matter, taking on its mass and characteristics.
Parts of the film resemble the standard "monster on the loose" or "it came from outer space" flicks that dominated drive-ins at the time, but Kneale's script is wisely constructed like a police procedural, and Val Guest directs it like a film noir mystery.
See it. It's definitely worth your time.
Yes, the special effects are dated, as is the production design (the very 50's style rocket ship with its big fins and riveted bulkheads is very quaint). And in comparison to the other four Quatermass features, is the least ambitious in scope (especially compared to the superbly outre Quatermass and the Pit) and has the weakest of the Professor Quatermass actors (Brian Donlevy always struck me as a bit too stiff and, well, American).
Yet, the film does what all good science fiction does: take a concept, then play out the various scenarios and consequences that result. In this case, man encounters an unknown organism from space - an entity that is capable of absorbing any living matter, taking on its mass and characteristics.
Parts of the film resemble the standard "monster on the loose" or "it came from outer space" flicks that dominated drive-ins at the time, but Kneale's script is wisely constructed like a police procedural, and Val Guest directs it like a film noir mystery.
See it. It's definitely worth your time.