Quatermass 2 - The Classic 1955 BBC Television Version Starring John Robinson Review & Ratings

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Quatermass 2 - The Classic 1955 BBC Television Version Starring John Robinson Review

I'm a huge fan of the "Quatermass" feature film trilogy. "The Quatermass Xperiment" (a.k.a. "The Creeping Unknown,") "Quatermass 2" (a.k.a. "Enemy from Space") and "Quatermass & The Pit" (a.k.a. "Five Million Years to Earth") chronicle the deductive exploits of British scientist Professor Bernard Quatermass as he investigates inexplicable goings-on in London and in the English countryside. I first saw these films in my younger days as theatrical releases (the scene of the man staggering down the steps of a storage tank covered with smoldering alien sludge in "Quatermass 2" gave me nightmares for weeks), and I still enjoy re-watching them from time to time. Imagine my excitement, then, when I learned that these films were actually remakes of television programs that had aired years earlier on the BBC network. Buying this DVD of the 1955 BBC version of "Quatermass 2" was a no-brainer for me.
The longer running time of the television show (about three hours in six 30-minute episodes, more or less, versus 85 minutes) certainly allows for more character and story development. The plots of the television show and the film are similar, but just because you may have seen the film and know the story doesn't mean you should avoid this DVD. The tale has additional intricacies, more twists and turns and more characters. It's a much richer, deeper and complex treatment of the familiar theme of a covert invasion of the Earth by sinister extraterrestrials. There's a whole new (and, in my opinion, a bit sluggish) subplot tacked on to the end, after the rocket blasts off to attempt to destroy the menacing alien asteroid. Virtually none of it is in the film. To summarize, this television serial offers a lot more than the feature film, in a familiar yet enhanced way, and like the film it bears watching over and over.
But make no mistake about it--this is television in the raw. The video quality is mostly adequate but very uneven. Most of the scenes are okay, but some are washed out, others are almost totally black, still others are poorly focused. Shadows of behind-the-camera people often pass across the screen, and there is a persistent "light leak" at the bottom of many scenes. John Robinson, who played Quatermass, flubs surprisingly many of his lines. Also, if you are a U.S. viewer, you should know that the BBC made no concessions to non-English English speakers when this show aired 55 years ago. The sound track is a little muddy in places, and the characters proudly and unabashedly speak the Queen's English. Thus I often had to ask myself, "What in the HELL are these people saying?" But that's okay. That's why DVD players have "Back" buttons.
All in all, "Quatermass 2" is a worthy purchase that you are sure to enjoy, whether or not you are familiar with the feature film of the same name. I recommend it highly.

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