Review of Quatermass and the Pit (1967) by Jeffrey D — 09 Feb 2008

Considered by many to be the best in the series of films adapted from Nigel Kneale's Quatermass BBC teleserials, this 1967 cult classic, a commercial if not critical failure upon its release, is even more influential and scary than you might remember, even if it is hampered by dated special effects and several unintentionally humorous moments.

Serving to influence modern visionaries in the sci-fi/fantasy/horror genres such as John Carpenter, Stephen King and Steven Spielberg, it takes a unique archaeological approach to the use of the alien invasion theme.

Several anthropoid skeletons and a space vessel of ancient origins are discovered in the London subway, with strange occurrences starting to take place among certain people affiliated with excavating the vessel, along with several extraterrestrial locusts found inside.

Prof. Quatermass, along with fellow archaeologist Roney and his assistant Judd, discovers that the craft is actually a Martian vessel of incredible extrasensory perception whose inhabitants, upon crash-landing 5 million years ago, were responsible for transferring intelligence to our ancestors during their evolving state as apes, and that their memories of Mars during a period of war, the Wild Hunt (where the majority exacted culls on those who differed from the norm), was stored in our subconscious minds.

Unfortunately, Parliament and the military reject the notion and continue excavation of the project for public exhibition as an artifact V-weapon from the WWII blitz, resulting in a Wild Hunt sparked by the vessel that begins to ravage London.

Once again, the film is carried by solid acting (Andrew Keir is an inspired casting choice), intelligent writing and atmospheric execution, and is even more faithful to its BBC serial than the previous two films directed by Val Guest and starring Brian Donlevy.

It was also the last of the Hammer films each adapted from the original serials. A fourth serial in 1979, starring Sir John Mills and simply titled QUATERMASS, was trimmed down and released in theatrical format and released as THE QUATERMASS CONCLUSION.