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Quatermass & The Pit (Ws Spec) | 
| Director: Roy Ward Baker
Actors: James Donald, Andrew Keir, Barbara Shelley, Julian Glover, Duncan Lamont
Studio: Starz / Anchor Bay
Buy New: $49.90
New (4) Used (4) from $19.99
Rating:  61 reviews
Sales Rank: 2263
Format: Black & White, Color, Letterboxed, Special Edition, Widescreen, Ntsc
Language: English (Original Language)
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Media: VHS Tape
Number Of Items: 1
Running Time: 180 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 7.3 x 4.2 x 1.1
ISBN: 6304632444
UPC: 013131026535
EAN: 9786304632444
ASIN: 6304632444
Theatrical Release Date: February 16, 1968
Release Date: October 15, 1997
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com
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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| Customer Reviews: Read 56 more reviews...
 sticks to your brain June 8, 2008
Beaker
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.
 Classic Sci-fi does not dissappoint April 29, 2008
Ray Virzi (Arcadia, CA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
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.
Eerie and fascinating 60's Sci-Fi classic March 26, 2008
Durrkk (Ohio/PA border USA)
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
"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.
Very creepy November 16, 2007
S J Buck (Kent, UK)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
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.
A Solid Keeper September 23, 2007
Steven Utley
Whether titled QUATERMASS AND THE PIT or FIVE MILLION YEARS TO EARTH (as it is known here in the United States), this Hammer Studios production is a true classic, one of the best science-fiction movies ever made. It misses hardly a beat as it progresses from the Mystifying through the Thought-Provoking to the Downright Creepy. Andrew Keir and James Donald are perfect in their roles, and Barbara Shelley is smart and lovely, a total dish.
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