Thursday, 31 October
Quartermass And The Pit 1967
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Directed by Roy Ward Baker
97 minutes
In English
Quatermass and the Pit was the final movie of a trilogy. The creator of the original series, Nigel Kneale, hated the first two versions and when, a decade later, this production was being planned he made sure it was closer to his original vision. It was made by Hammer, a studio that was legendary for its colorful gothic horror films, and this is considered to be one of Hammer's sterling masterpieces. It's a science-fiction trip with a folk-horror edge, but one that poses a wickedly intelligent theory about the dark side of human nature and the history of our civilization. That's a lot for any movie to handle, and makes it one of the smartest horror films ever made.
Excavation work on Hobb's End underground station in London unearths a strange looking object. At first it is mistaken for an unexploded bomb from World War ll, but then strange things start to happen and the corpse of an ancient locust-type creature with horn-like antennae is found. During the investigation one thing leads to another, leading to an epic revelation of apocalyptic proportions.
This masterpiece was made with very little money, along with almost no convincing special effects—and yet it is one of the most imaginative and profoundly paranoid science fiction films ever created. It's beauty lies in the weird premise, along with the incredible mood that is generated. At one point the film throws us into a cyclone of events and reaches a climax that literally explodes. Both John Carpenter and Stephen King declared it one of their favorite films, and cited it was a major influence on their work. I'm afraid there is no other way to watch this than on the big screen, so hope to see you there!
Date & Time:
Category:
- film
Price:
- free