Quatermass II (1955)

Quatermass II (1955)

Dir. Rudolph Cartier | 6 episodes, approx 30 mins each

I skipped the first Quatermass and went direct to the second because, unfortunately, two-thirds of Series One, named The Quatermass Experiment (1953), is lost. Episodes Three, Four, Five and Six are gone, believed to no longer be in existence.

It's possible to watch the first two episodes as filmed and finish up by reading the available photocopied scripts of the remaining four if you really want to, although it's not necessary because, while it does reference what came before, Q II is a new story with a new threat.

If you did watch the previous two episodes, however, you'll notice that Professor Bernard Quatermass is no longer played by Reginald Tate.

Tragically, Tate died less than a month before shooting was due to begin. Instead of respectfully postponing the project the producers moved forward and quickly recast the role, which is how John Robinson came to be the titular scientist.

The Quentin Tarantino Collection (2011)

The Quentin Tarantino Collection (2011)

Number of discs: 6  |  Running Time: 625 minutes (combined)

I may get around to rewatching (or in some cases watching for the first time) QT's later films, or I may not, but until then have this, a collection of five features put out by Lions Gate Home Entertainment housed in a cheapo, flimsy cardboard box.

That's the actual box art on the right, with QT looking moody. Perhaps someone accused him of mass plagiarism prior to the photo being taken?

Every time I see it I wonder if it was a conscious decision not to have the cover art for the films in the order they were released or did someone screw up?

Of that order, the first two I'm very pleased to own, and if they weren't included I'd have bought them separately. The next one I'm mostly indifferent to. The final two I don't care for at all, even though I'm a fan of many of the things that inspired them.

Q: The Winged Serpent (1982)

Q: The Winged Serpent (1982)

Dir. Larry Cohen

I really dislike cities, so New York isn't a place I'd ever want to visit. In Larry Cohen's New York there's a giant flying creature from myth and legend literally picking up amateur actors and dropping body parts in its wake. It's a place I definitely wouldn't want to visit!

There's also an open-minded cop; a weaselly, opportunist crook; and an Aztec death cult member getting happy with his favourite ritual killing-knife, all of whom somehow have relevance to the randomness.

It's idiotic but it's easy to get swept up in the nonsense, meaning it's the good kind of idiotic. And even when there's not much happening onscreen the ominous music manages to keep the tension ticking over.

In short, Q is a pleasing B-Movie that thankfully didn't end up lost and forgotten, which is a fate that many cheap monster movies suffer. Extra credit must go to actor Michael Moriarty who surely knew what kind of a film he was starring in but still gave it his all.