Rating: 
Summary: A lost treasure rediscovered
Review: I first saw "Quatermas II" (it's original Hammer release title) almost 40 years ago and even today it maintains much of its original power and impact. The combination of talents (Nigel Kneale's script, Val Guest directing, even the high, tense string musical score blend together to make this a true classic, regardless of the fact that it was done on a pittance of a budget.Val Guest's direction is almost flawless, blending overlapping dialogue and camerawork designed to draw the viewer into the moment by allowing them to observe from a "non-God" viewpoint, rather than throw the action into the face (as is common in most films today.) One example of this would be a scene, early on, when Quatermass and his assistant travel to a remote English village to investigate a report of strange goings-on at a secret plant of some kind. They drive down a clean, modern road that ends abruptly in the middle of nowhere. Confused and a bit unnerved we stand beside them on the road, watching them climb back into their car and pull away. A few moments later, distant, shadowy figures step out of the forest, stopping to watch them depart. It is the fact that we do not know who or even what these individuals are and are not drawn into a close-up of them that makes the moment especially unnerving and creepy. The entire film is rife with such suggestive, effective touches. The dialogue, while witty and crisp, is still to the point and drives the story along in a sudden rush. The entire tale takes place over the space of only a few days, but the distance travelled is lightyears in terms of mood and power. Even the musical score, a combination of rolling, threatening timpini and screeching violins, merely heightens the already anxious mood of the story. The performances are competent, in come cases journeyman in caliber, but the real power of the piece is the barely suppressed hint of menace that flows through it, like a half formed nightmare. If there is a flaw in the film it is one of budgetary constraints, particularly in the eventual appearance of "the monster" at the very end of the film. Even with modern special effects it is difficult to imagine that moment carried out with complete success, though it is clearly expected by the viewer to be presented eventually. But the scenes leading up to it drive ahead into a chasm of disturbing images that are difficult to ignore. (The scenes of the heros trapped in the control room at the plant alone are a tidal wave of paranoia, claustrophobia and horror without ever having to resort to trickery or special effects.) By all means every student of film or science fiction fan should at least see this picture. And it is well worth adding to a collection. I view it at least annually.
Rating:
Summary: A lost treasure rediscovered
Review: I first saw "Quatermas II" (it's original Hammer release title) almost 40 years ago and even today it maintains much of its original power and impact. The combination of talents (Nigel Kneale's script, Val Guest directing, even the high, tense string musical score blend together to make this a true classic, regardless of the fact that it was done on a pittance of a budget. Val Guest's direction is almost flawless, blending overlapping dialogue and camerawork designed to draw the viewer into the moment by allowing them to observe from a "non-God" viewpoint, rather than throw the action into the face (as is common in most films today.) One example of this would be a scene, early on, when Quatermass and his assistant travel to a remote English village to investigate a report of strange goings-on at a secret plant of some kind. They drive down a clean, modern road that ends abruptly in the middle of nowhere. Confused and a bit unnerved we stand beside them on the road, watching them climb back into their car and pull away. A few moments later, distant, shadowy figures step out of the forest, stopping to watch them depart. It is the fact that we do not know who or even what these individuals are and are not drawn into a close-up of them that makes the moment especially unnerving and creepy. The entire film is rife with such suggestive, effective touches. The dialogue, while witty and crisp, is still to the point and drives the story along in a sudden rush. The entire tale takes place over the space of only a few days, but the distance travelled is lightyears in terms of mood and power. Even the musical score, a combination of rolling, threatening timpini and screeching violins, merely heightens the already anxious mood of the story. The performances are competent, in come cases journeyman in caliber, but the real power of the piece is the barely suppressed hint of menace that flows through it, like a half formed nightmare. If there is a flaw in the film it is one of budgetary constraints, particularly in the eventual appearance of "the monster" at the very end of the film. Even with modern special effects it is difficult to imagine that moment carried out with complete success, though it is clearly expected by the viewer to be presented eventually. But the scenes leading up to it drive ahead into a chasm of disturbing images that are difficult to ignore. (The scenes of the heros trapped in the control room at the plant alone are a tidal wave of paranoia, claustrophobia and horror without ever having to resort to trickery or special effects.) By all means every student of film or science fiction fan should at least see this picture. And it is well worth adding to a collection. I view it at least annually.
Rating: 
Summary: Overrated
Review: I got this video after reading the various viewer responses and found it tedious. Britain has provided us with some terrific Sci-fi movies despite low budgets, but this one has all the tension of an uncooked sausage and generally looks pretty silly - the costumes are dated, the characters cliched, and the "monster" is too silly for words. I place this film right down there with the worst of American 50's black lagoons!
Rating: 
Summary: As dull as it gets
Review: I love old movies--gothic, sci. fi.--you name it. But I was very disappointed in this one. I could just go on and on, but suffice it to say that except for the crisp b&w filmography this movie has no (zero) redeeming qualities about it whatsoever. It's not even "funny bad." I wish I could give zero stars, but one is as low as it is allowed to go. How sad.
Rating:
Summary: 'Empires strikes back' for eggheads!
Review: If the Star Wars Trilogy is about dogfights in space,romance and good ol' fun, than the Quatermass Trilogy is about other things: intelligent writing, suspense, paranoia, action spared for the end. Brian Donlevy is flawless in his role as Professor Quatermass, who in this second installment discovers a race of ET microorganisms secretly establishing a colony on Earth by infecting nearby humans and controlling them in building a complex in the isolated area of Wynerton Flats. He enlists help from police inspector Lomax (James Longden), assistant Marsh (Bryan Forbes, director of THE STEPFORD WIVES), and reporter Jimmy (Sydney James), to stop the invasion. Excellent material, from Val Guest's eerie direction to Nigel Kneale's script (from his 1955 BBC teleserial), from brilliant cinematography by Gerald Gibbs to James Bernerd's bellowing score. One of Hammer Films' best efforts and still considered a classic even by the purists who compare it with the teleserial.
Rating:
Summary: A Hit Not A Miss
Review: If you're looking for a special efects masterpiece for the time like Forbidden Planet or The War Of The Worlds forget it. If on the other hand you're interested in a plot driven story like Invasion Of The Body Snatchers or Invaders From Mars then by all means buy it. You won't be disapointed.
Rating: 
Summary: great movie and series...
Review: just wanted to say I enjoyed this series, particularly this one, "Quatermass 2". Great re-mastered job and the black and white days just brings the right amount of paranoia and creepiness this style of movie needs. Very few (if any) movies of the past 20 or 30 years can touch the effects (you don't even need many) to spend huge amount of money to achieve as they try to do today. Much of this reminds me of what the X-files have been able to achieve using a limited amount of light to give you the creeps! It would be nice for the studios to do more of these older classic black and white 1950's gems.
Rating: 
Summary: Microscopic aliens invade in football sized ships.
Review: Microscopic aliens arrive on Earth in hundreds of football sized ships and take over the bodies of unsuspecting people. Their goal is global domination at the expense of the human race. Duh! Unfortunately, they run into Professor Quatermass and their plans are foiled.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Paranoid Science Fiction from Hammer
Review: One of Hammer's relatively few sci-fi thrillers, and a sequel to the Quatermass Xperiment, this film is a minor classic of cold chilling paranoia. Adapted by Nigel Kneale from his classic BBC serial, this film has a basic premise similar to Invasion of the Body Snatchers, but taken into very different directions. Not to give too much away, but the joy of this film is not in watching the alien plot to take over earth unfold, it's in watching Professor Quatermass uncover the already widespread conspiracy. Photographed in beautifully stark monochrome with a great pseudodocumentary approach, Quatermass 2 is a great example of the sort of sci-fi/horror hybrid that became popular later with films like Alien and, along with the other two films in the series and the sadly unavailable The Damned, one of Hammer's best attempts at science fiction.
Rating:
Summary: If ever a Movie deserved a Remake...This is it!
Review: Quatermass 2 (pronounced like equator and not quarter) is utterly flawless. This DVD B/W film is superbly vibrant and crisp. The dialogue however seems to drown on occassion while conversely the accent music will send you seeking a lower setting on the volume control. This was one of the scariest movies I can remember from my youth when it was titled "Enemy from Space", and believe it or not, it still maintains some of its punch. The movie starts with Quatermass avoiding a car accident with a young couple, one of which is delirious with a strange V-shaped blister on his face. Quatermass, averting the accident, lends his assistance. In trying to ascertain the delirium of the man, the women tells Quatermass they heard "falling" sounds. She gives him a medium size rock she says her friend was investigating when it exploded in his face. The name of a town where the blister was received is mentioned. Quatermass is a rocket scientist with a government grant-supported research facility to build a rocket to colonize other planets. Unfortunately he has chosen nuclear propulsion to power the untested rocket. The idea of a mishap during launch or recovery has caused the government to withdraw support of his project. Upon his return to his facility, Quatermass notices that his radar dish is pointed abnormally low to the ground. Quatermass indignantly chastises his top two scientists for the low radar dish and gives them the broken rock from the accident for classification. The scientist do not get to explain that have been tracking a continuous cascade of objects to the earth about 90 mile away. Quatermass, realizing his anger is over his concerned for the lack of funding for the project apologizes and moans over a 3D model of a colonization facility envisioned for the moon. The fellow scientist are informed of the lack of future funding as Quatermass leaves to confer with his nuclear engineers at the nearby launch pad. The next day, when Quatermass returns, another scientist questions him about the rock. He tells him he cannot classify it and that it is cylindrical in shape both inside and out. When asked where he got it from, they are informed of Quatermass' near accident. When the name of the town is mentioned the scientists realize that this is the approximate landing location of the tracked falling objects. They check a map and Quatermass and one of the scientist travel to the area the next day. Upon arrival at the area the road forks into two directions. The fork to the map-indicated town is government-posted as NO ENTRY so they take the other fork which leads to an abrupt end of the concrete roadway. Getting out of the car, Quatermass warns his young assistant not to walk beyond the concrete for fear of government placed security mines. They get back into the car and to go back to the other fork. As they leave the scene, in the distance, armed uniformed personnel wearing gas masks emerge from the surrounding foilage. Disregarding the government postings, they take the other fork. On a high ridge, Quatermass gasps. His assistant peers through Quatermass' window and says "Oh no!". In the distance is a fully functional replica of their 3D moon colonization facility, two miles square, surrounded by security fencing with three overpowering pressurized domes about 200 feet high. They get out seeing ruins they surmise must be the missing town. They also discover small rocks like the one given Quatermass scattered all over the hillside. Some of the "rocks" are old, some recent and all broken except one buried in the ground. The assistant digs it up as Quatermass protests to "leave it alone".....In the distance the loud echo of a siren begins Its not my intention to narrate the complete story but as you can see, the plot compounds marvelously. The backgrounds are time-neutral, even the characters suits are even back in style. Vehicles are vintage and could be considered old, but current. Scenes (in London particularly) are somewhat devoid of anachronisms so much that if this film were colorized you could almost imagine a CG team cleaning up those period giveaways and updating this original film. But what the hey, this is truly a classic and if ever a movie deserved a remake, this is it. You could say, this is not rocket science.
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