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Epicurus.com - Quatermass & The Pit (Ws Spec)
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List Price: $14.98
Our Price: $64.95
Availability: N/A
Manufacturer: Starz / Anchor Bay
Starring: James Donald, Andrew Keir, Barbara Shelley, Julian Glover, Duncan Lamont
Directed By: Roy Ward Baker
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Average Customer Rating:  
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Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Binding: VHS Tape
EAN: 9786304632444
Format: Black & White
ISBN: 6304632444
Label: Starz / Anchor Bay
Manufacturer: Starz / Anchor Bay
Number Of Items: 1
Publisher: Starz / Anchor Bay
Release Date: 1997-10-15
Running Time: 180
Studio: Starz / Anchor Bay
Theatrical Release Date: 1968-02-16
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Editorial Reviews:
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We have met the enemy, and it is us: when a Martian spacecraft with a terrifying link to the origins of humanity is unearthed beneath a London tube station, only the esteemed Professor Bernard Quatermass (a very British--and possibly mad--precursor to Mulder and Scully) can save London's suddenly murderous population from itself. One of the most intelligently paranoid science fiction films ever produced, this pessimistic masterpiece functions as a dark flip side to the relatively optimistic alien-induced evolution theory presented in the later 2001: A Space Odyssey. Nigel Kneale's brilliant script (which posits a surprisingly plausible, otherworldly rationale for the existence of the supernatural) was later appropriated by acknowledged fan John Carpenter for his underrated Prince of Darkness. In addition to boasting a flawless widescreen print, this marvelous tape also features a hilariously overdone original U.S. trailer ("Women will be defiled by the invaders from outer space!" it erroneously shrieks). A must-see for horror and science fiction aficionados. This film is also known as Five Million Years to Earth. --Andrew Wright
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating:
Summary: Our Ancestors Were Cockroaches?!
Comment: "Quatermass and the Pit" is the most exciting science fiction/horror hybrid I've seen from Hammer Productions. The plot is intricate, exciting and thought provoking; it offers extremely unique theories of man's origin on earth.
Professor Quatermass (Andrew Keir of "Dracula: Prince of Darkness") is investigating what first appears to be an unexploded bomb found during the construction of a subway line. Upon further examination, he learns that it is an alien spacecraft that is over five million years old. The identity of its crewmembers is quite disturbing. Worse of all, the spacecraft appears to have a life of its own. Pandemonium breaks out in London as the spacecraft takes possession of men's bodies and souls, turning them into killing machines that can't be stopped.
"Quatermass and the Pit" is a must have for everyone who owns a collection of science fiction and/or Hammer Production classics. I could not afford to purchase the one from Anchor Bay; instead I bought the one released by Optimum Classic, which is NTSC Region 1, from Britain. The audio and video are great. It is presented in Widescreen; the menu has a trailer but no scene selection. I have downloaded photos of the DVD jacket and disc.
Customer Rating: 
Summary: sticks to your brain
Comment: I can't believe I found this. I watched this film on a Saturday afternoon TV as a child in the early 1970s--5 Million Years to Earth. It intrigued me and scared me more than any other film I have seen before or since. My pre-teen brain was modified permanently by the scene where the evil is released from the spaceship and spreads through the tunnels and then creeps up to the surface. I think this is a great film. Judging from the other reviews, it just may be. I am keen to buy this, watch it, and face my childhood fears.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Classic Sci-fi does not dissappoint
Comment: I saw this movie as kid due to my Dad's penchant for sci-fi, which I have now inherited. He's not here anymore to ask so I went looking and finally discovered the movie title and purchased it. What a treat. However, I wouldn't recommend it to those who don't appreciate what classic sci-fi is all about. The story is intriguing and it unfolds in very well-crafted manner. The acting is sometimes a bit overdone but blends in with the overall urgency of the plot. Lots of loose ends are not explained but enough are to be satisfactory and even with the limited special effects, there's and eeriness about the music and the alien design work that is still quite effective. If the original series fill in more of the details (or maybe a book version?) it would probably rate as a top notch sci-fi piece. Hollywood did a good job of bringing the effect to screen if not the complete storyline.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Eerie and fascinating 60's Sci-Fi classic
Comment: "Quatermass and the Pit" is a 1967 Hammer procuction and was released in the USA as "Five Million Years to Earth," which is a better title in my opinion.
THE STORY: Digging constuction workers in London discover neanderthal-like skeletons and a large object initially thought to be a WWII missile. Col. Breen (Julian Glover) and Prof. Quatermass (Andrew Keir) are put in charge of the operation and draw completely different conclusions about the discovery: Breen ludicrously believes it's a German propaganda weapon from WWII, whereas Quartermass concludes that it's a martian spacecraft that incredibly explains the origins of the human species (!), not to mention so-called myths about the devil, demons, gargoyles and various other occultic items. Unearthing the object turns out to be a big mistake because it lets loose a malevolent supernatural force that starts to possess the populace.
I remember seeing "Five Million Years to Earth" a handful of times growing up and I never failed to be enthralled by the creepy and thought-provoking events of the story. Viewing it recently, I was interested to see how well it would hold up in the new mellennium and if it could still inspire and maintain my fascination now that I'm an adult. Well, it holds up quite well, and I still found it thought-provoking, spooky and fairly fascinating. Yes, the clothing is decidedly dated, and naturally so, but that adds to the charm. Some complain about the dated "special effects" but -- c'mon -- this was made in the mid-60s! I feel the F/X hold up quite well and don't detract from the story at all. Hey, at least they're better than the F/X of the original Star Trek TV Series. The spaceship, the Martian carcasses, the numerous floating objects and the eerie Satanic image at the end all work fine as far as I'm concerned. Besides, it's the story that counts and this is Sci-Fi of the highest order.
One highlight is the beautiful Barbara Shelley, who assists in the operation; she was 34 at the time. If there's an American remake, I'm sure her part will be played by a 22 year-old skinny blond with oversized breasts. Shelley incidentally appeared in a few other Hammer flicks, like "Rasputin, the Mad Monk" and "Dracula, Prince of Darkness."
The climax is quite apocalyptic. I love the final shot of Quatermass and Barbara, still in shock, recovering from the events and just thankful to be alive; the end credits start rolling, accompanied by a beautiful melancholic musical piece. A potent ending to a stellar 60's Sci-fi masterpiece.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Very creepy
Comment: I hadn't seen this for a very long time, so to watch it again on a big widescreen TV was a real treat. This is a film that has aged well. Its forty years old now, yet somehow the special effects still seem reasonable. In fact at the end I was quite surprised at just how good the effects still looked.
Andrew Keir does a fine job portraying Quatermass. Keir was a Hammer regular and appeared in many British TV series over the years. His Quatermass is immensley frustrated by the military, who he has to work with most of the time. He and Col Breen (Julian Glover) really loath each other and never miss an opportunity to try and humilate each other. I was slightly less convinced by James Donald's performance as Dr Roney, he was just a little bit stilted.
The story and screenplay by Nigel Kneale is intelligent Sci-fi, which although out-dated now, at least has a plausible side to it. Go back ten or more years earlier and watch a film like "When Worlds Collide" (which is a very good Sci-fi film btw) to see just how silly Sci-fi can get once science catches up. Whilst excavating in a London underground station the workman come across some old skulls and what initially is thought to be an unexploded 2nd world war bomb. This of course is far from the truth...
This isn't quite up there with "Dracula" or "The Devil Rides Out" or a couple of other Hammer classics I could name but its certainly in my top ten and is well worth getting.
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