It, like it's predecessors, is beautifully written. Nigel Kneale knew exactly what terrified him, and he knew how to translate that to terrifying others. His script books are goosebump inducing - not just the script, but his directions: 'sharp look left' 'eyes wide in terror', and my favourite, as I always see it, when I watch any of the first three series: 'creep in music'; 'uneasy music.' I adore Quatermass And The Pit - everything in it is right - I have seen it countless times, and bits of it still make my flesh creep - the terrified policeman in the ruined house (played by the same actor who played the overly officious General Henderson in UFO) always does it. His sense of terror is palpable - as it should be, as the ruined house is directly above the Martian spacecraft. Little bits of business like the hull attacking the flesh of anyone who touches it. It's a wonderful movie, but just pipped at the post by Quatermass II. Everything here is filled with dread. The exquisitely eerie lighting, throughout; just the oddness of it - roads that go nowhere; lines of sinister figures on the horizon; Broadhead's terrible death, and above all, those menacing silvery skies, that seems to get lower and lower as the movie progresses. Oh, and the great Sid James proving that he could actually act. What's not to like? 'Hobbs End' was the name given to a model station used to teach tube train drivers. So it did exist... sort of.
I never made the UFO connection with the policeman lol good insights about Kneale's script writing talent, he wrote with the finished teleplay in mind not just the story.
I loved your quatermass II hammer podcast (which I’ve only just discovered) I’ve been watching and rewatching quatermass II for years. Very much enjoy Brian Dunleavy’s Q portrayal and was gratified to learn that he wasn’t as ‘bad’ as Kneale recollected in his later thoughts. Sad that Sid James had got typecast as he was pretty effective as the journalist and if I recall correctly was billed as Sidney James in the credits(?) I’ll have to check that in future views. Keep up the great voice work with Eric and I always wait with baited breath for the next B7 & Who pods. The cards look nice. Glossy and tactile (or they appear that way!)
It, like it's predecessors, is beautifully written. Nigel Kneale knew exactly what terrified him, and he knew how to translate that to terrifying others. His script books are goosebump inducing - not just the script, but his directions: 'sharp look left' 'eyes wide in terror', and my favourite, as I always see it, when I watch any of the first three series: 'creep in music'; 'uneasy music.'
I adore Quatermass And The Pit - everything in it is right - I have seen it countless times, and bits of it still make my flesh creep - the terrified policeman in the ruined house (played by the same actor who played the overly officious General Henderson in UFO) always does it. His sense of terror is palpable - as it should be, as the ruined house is directly above the Martian spacecraft.
Little bits of business like the hull attacking the flesh of anyone who touches it.
It's a wonderful movie, but just pipped at the post by Quatermass II. Everything here is filled with dread. The exquisitely eerie lighting, throughout; just the oddness of it - roads that go nowhere; lines of sinister figures on the horizon; Broadhead's terrible death, and above all, those menacing silvery skies, that seems to get lower and lower as the movie progresses.
Oh, and the great Sid James proving that he could actually act. What's not to like?
'Hobbs End' was the name given to a model station used to teach tube train drivers. So it did exist... sort of.
I never made the UFO connection with the policeman lol good insights about Kneale's script writing talent, he wrote with the finished teleplay in mind not just the story.
I loved your quatermass II hammer podcast (which I’ve only just discovered)
I’ve been watching and rewatching quatermass II for years. Very much enjoy Brian Dunleavy’s Q portrayal and was gratified to learn that he wasn’t as ‘bad’ as Kneale recollected in his later thoughts.
Sad that Sid James had got typecast as he was pretty effective as the journalist and if I recall correctly was billed as Sidney James in the credits(?) I’ll have to check that in future views.
Keep up the great voice work with Eric and I always wait with baited breath for the next B7 & Who pods.
The cards look nice. Glossy and tactile (or they appear that way!)
Thanks for watching and listening, I think you are right on the Sidney front 😀
Some genuinely crerpy and scary moments in this film.
Very creepy indeed