robertguttman
This is a fairly dull and rather unnecessary remake of a well-known 1955 British series of sci-fi films. In 1955 this story was at least fresh and futuristic. However, in 2005 it is neither. The story involves Britain's first manned space flight (an event which, admittedly, still lies sometime in the indeterminate future). Something goes wrong and H.M. Spaceship veers off course into outer space. However, it later reappears and lands safely, and somewhat conveniently, in Surry. It also lands right beside a couple of Brits making out in a car. I kept expecting one of them to ask,"Did the earth move for you too?" but, thankfully, they didn't. Only one of the spaceship's three occupants emerges, and he appears to be suffering symptoms of withdrawal. The doctors are baffled, which seems somewhat surprising. After all, the astronaut is British, he's just traveled half a million miles through outer space, and not one of these brilliant doctors and scientists has seen fit to offer him a cup of tea. Is it any wonder that he's strung out?From there the story proceeds inexorably, and very slowly, to a rather uninteresting climax, which is hardly worth talking about. The original had the redeeming quality of mid 1950s sci-fi campiness. This one does not, nor does it offer anything in place of it.
nekosensei
I'm guessing that the people who made this project have been kicking themselves ever since for not casting David Tennant in the lead role. It just happens that Tennant's run as the Tenth Doctor began the same year as this production was transmitted, proving that he did indeed have the chops to pull off the role of one of the great eccentric British genius-action heroes. And if it HAD starred Tennant, it would have come to be seen as a de facto spinoff of DW, especially with Gatiss in on the project. If nothing else DVD sales would have been much better, and there might have even other Quatermass projects. But David got stuck in a supporting role, while Jason Flemyng finds nothing at all interesting to do with Quatermass. This. combined with other flaws well described by previous reviewers, mean that if you investigate this hoping to discover a hidden gem you're probably going to be disappointed. And Quatermass remakes will be off the schedule at the BBC for at least another generation.
ettrick
The original TV series and movie were ground breaking in Sscience fiction. Why BBC remade this as a 90 minute film , is a mystery. The story line, sets and especially the acting were all atrocious. Good actors appeared to be embarrassed in their attempt to utter their lines from an appalling script. The BBC should be censured for this nonsense and I doubt Nigel Kneale, the original author (mentioned as a consultant) had anything to do with this travesty. I could go on using all the derogatory adjectives in the English language but who really cares, but I have to to make this submission the required length. I sincerely hope they do not attempt a remake Quatermass and the Pit. probably one of the best ever science fiction series.
Mike Boyd
I saw the original when it went out live and have copies of episodes 1 and 2, and the Exclusive Films version made in 1955. By far the worst version is this 2005 version.I quite understand why the recording techniques in 1953 were not good, but did the BBC really give up trying to record episodes 3 onwards? And if it went out live in 1953, was it really so hard to achieve that in 2005? I realize that the director Sam Miller was probably told to recreate the atmosphere of the original broadcast, but I think he got confused between the poor technical abilities of that time and poor direction/poor script.I agree with Theo Robertson when he says "All in all this version of a Nigel Kneale classic is more of a nostalgic gimmick than anything else. If the BBC are thinking of doing a live version of 'Quatermass And The Pit' then my advice is don't. It'd be terrible to see the greatest SF drama in the history of television turned in to something like this." Absolutely, Theo.And the scene near the end with the guy describing "Turbine Hall"? What he actually said was: "If man has to destroy beauty in order to survive, perhaps he denies his right to do so. This is utter madness. Do you hear me? Utter madness". We hear you! Couldn't have put it better.That one scene sums it all up for me - diabolical script! But at least I now know why Indira Varma - "Judith Carroon" in Quatermass - got the part of "Suzie Costello" in Torchwood... she was kissing Doctor Who in Quatermass!
AD
