Currently watching a 1979 re-imagining of Quatermass on You Tube. It's what we'd call a box set nowadays and as such is over 3 hours long. I grew up watching Quatermass and Quatermass and The Pit is up there in my top five movies.
Alas, I am struggling with this 1970's series. The actors are fine enough: John Mills in the lead role and the late Matthew McCorckindale as the resident techy. Its the script I don't like much. John Mill's Quatermass is a retired and confused figure with his mind not at all on the job at hand.
The central idea, alien annihilation of flower children, although interesting and of its time, is weak compared to Quatermass plots of old and the delivery is even weaker.
I am, however, only one episode in, Ringstone Round, so I may indeed be doing the complete series a huge disservice.
Anybody else seen it?
Yes. I saw the series first time around in 1979. It was one of the first TV shows my family watched in colour, as we had just bought our first Colour TV just days before.
ReplyDeleteMy Grandmother and I, both Quatermass fans, we're well impressed with it. John Mills depiction of the retired Professor Quatermass, concerned about his granddaughter who had run away from home we thought spot on...
The Dystopia that Britain had become was very much like the Mad Max films. And supporting cast, including a very young Toya Wilcox we thought impressive. Especially the character Kickalong, who was the antithesis of Quatermass.
All in all, it's a thought provoking, shocking and enjoyable film which both my wife and I find entertaining.
Im a diehard Quatermass fan and remember the series clearly, back in the day. For me, Quatermass is the supremely charismatic Andre Morell or the embullient Andrew Keir or even the caustic Brian Donlevy. Mills portrayal was, even given that the professor was in his dotage, lacklustre and weak. He seemed defeated and impotent from the outset, not something I expected from the fiesty character. Kneales portrayal of the faceless alien threat was a little disappointing after the Xperiment and rampaging martians in the pit. Even so, it was much better than BBC4s live 2005 outing of the Quatermass Experiment, which was as engrossing as a school pantomime!
ReplyDeleteYou're doing it a disservice - wait til you get to the end.
ReplyDeleteBarry Hinchliffe
Righto Barry, I'll be watching the rest soon.
ReplyDelete