Quatermass and the Pit

BFI Film Classics

by Kim Newman

While digging an extension to the London Underground Railway, workmen discover an object which might be an ancient Martian spaceship – and Professor Quatermass of the British Rocket Group investigates a mystery which prompts frightening revelations about the origins of humanity itself. Before 2001: A Space Odyssey and Doctor Who, Quatermass and the Pit was the paramount British science fiction saga in film and television. Kim Newman's fascinating study focuses on Roy Ward Baker's 1967 film, written by Quatermass creator Nigel Kneale for Hammer Films, but also looks at the origins of the Quatermass franchise in 1950s BBC serials and earlier films. Exploring the production and reception of the film and series, Newman assesses the lasting importance of this landmark franchise.

Genres: Film, Nonfiction, Media Tie In

113 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 14, 2014

About the author

Note: This author also writes under the pseudonym of Jack Yeovil.
An expert on horror and sci-fi cinema (his books of film criticism include Nightmare Movies and Millennium Movies), Kim Newman's novels draw promiscuously on the tropes of horror, sci-fi and fantasy. He is complexly and irreverently referential; the Dracula sequence--Anno Dracula, The Bloody Red Baron and Dracula,Cha Cha Cha--not only portrays an alternate world in which the Count conquers Victorian Britain for a while, is the mastermind behind Germany's air aces in World War One and survives into a jetset 1950s of paparazzi and La Dolce Vita, but does so with endless throwaway references that range from Kipling to James Bond, from Edgar Allen Poe to Patricia Highsmith.
In horror novels such as Bad Dreams and Jago, reality turns out to be endlessly subverted by the powerfully malign. His pseudonymous novels, as Jack Yeovil, play elegant games with genre cliche--perhaps the best of these is the sword-and-sorcery novel Drachenfels which takes the prescribed formulae of the games company to whose bible it was written and make them over entirely into a Kim Newman novel.
Life's Lottery, his most mainstream novel, consists of multiple choice fragments which enable readers to choose the hero's fate and take him into horror, crime and sf storylines or into mundane reality.

Reviews

[Ian · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one in a series of books produced by the British Film Institute on “landmarks of world cinema”. Quatermass and the Pit was released in 1967, and I have a memory of watching it on TV when I was about 11 or 12. The book suggests that it was given a late night showing on the BBC on Christmas Day 1973. I would have been 12 then so that must have been the occasion. At that age, the ending of the film gave me the heebie-jeebies! It’s one of those that features a sort of surreptitious alien takeover of Earth, so has some similarities with Invasion of the Bodysnatchers, The Thing or John Wyndham’s novel The Midwich Cuckoos (filmed as Village of the Damned).

The character of Prof. Quatermass had featured in a couple of British TV series in the late 50s. Another series featuring the character was made in 1979 but, in my opinion, wasn’t successful. In the US there was no name recognition for Quatermass, and the movie was released there under the title Five Million Years to Earth. I doubt it had much impact in the States as it has a very British feel. The book comments that the choice of the surname “Quatermass” continued a tradition of fictional scientists with unusual names, such as Frankenstein, Moreau, Jekyll, or Nemo.

This is a very short book, only about 100 pages long. I confess it wasn’t quite what I expected. I had thought it was about the 1967 film, but first 30 pages or so are more about the 50s TV shows. I’ve never seen those so didn’t really relate to that section. After that the book does concentrate on the later movie, but the author continues to make comparisons with the TV version. Personally I found that a bit distracting.

I enjoyed reading about the film itself. The book provides descriptions of the main scenes, with my memory being jogged by those as the book progresses. I also thought the author’s analysis of the film was pretty sharp. I’d like to watch it again now. I also might try others in this book series, in due course.

[Murray Ewing · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like these little BFI books about individual films (pricey though they are), but the individual volumes can range from the excellent to the disappointing, depending on the different authors' approaches to their subject. Some can be eccentric, others more textbook. Kim Newman’s is the approach I most enjoy (having also read his Cat People and Doctor Who books): an extended commentary on the plot, with plenty of digressions to discuss production, links and comparisons with other films, tidbits about the actors, points about the cultural trends of the times, and general critical insight. Here, although focusing on the 1967 Hammer Film Quatermass and the Pit, he looks in some detail at not just the TV serial of the same name, but the entirety of Nigel Kneale’s Quatermass output, on TV, film and radio, making this an excellent little book for anyone interested in British SF, horror, TV or film.

[Rob Frampton · Rating 3 out of 5]

'Quatermass and the Pit' is a key and influential film in British SF/ horror, and Kim Newman's the ideal writer to cover it in the BFI Film Classics series.
But the book suffers from trying to pack too much analysis into too small a package (just a hundred or so small format pages) and is further compromised by poor copy-editing, cramped page-layout and piecemeal use of images from the film and TV show. Forced into the format of regurgitating the plot with authorial exposition tagged-on, this is a frustrating read for those of us that want a more thoughtful and considered view of this minor masterpiece of British cinema.
Read it if you're a newbie who wants a little background to Nigel Kneale and his writing but don't expect any more than that.

[Kelly McCubbin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Late 1967 to early 1968 may have been the best year for science fiction films ever. "2001 - A Space Odyssey", "Planet of the Apes", "Night of the Living Dead" and the film this book is about, "Quatermass and the Pit" could well form the pinnacles of their respective genres.
Quatermass is by far the least known in the US and this chapbook works hard to lay out the whole Quatermass and Hammer films phenomenon as well as to tell the story of its making while making a solid case for it's lofty place in the canon.
A good read for fans and folks interested in a lesser known masterpiece.

[Andy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not only is Kim Newman's book an excellent examination of the 1967 film Quatermass and the Pit, it also compares and contrasts the 1958-1959 BBC television serial (now available on Blu-ray in the UK). While I would love a comprehensive book that covers all the Quatermass films/serials, this is a very good read and a welcome addition to all things Quatermass.

[David Sterritt]

Kim Newman’s study of “Quatermass and the Pit” is oozing with details about the many iterations of the Quatermass franchise, less enlightening about the eponymous film itself. There are some nice touches in the prose, but I would have liked more original insights even if that meant fewer informational niceties. Recommended with reservations.

[Tim Rideout · Rating 4 out of 5]

Comprehensive overview of a classic film.

[Nick Tangborn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Niche publication to be sure but absolute candy to me, as a lover of all things Nigel Kneale, Hammer, etc

[Darren M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read on my favourite film ever made.

[Barbara Babos]

I really enjoy this film. It's one of those I'll return to every year. I have very high regard for Nigel Kneale. Though the special effects are dated, the ideas still captivate. The book reviews both the British tv series as well as the film, comparing and contrasting, offering fascinating tidbits about the production, the people involved, the cultural context, and more.

However, I found the book a bit too short. I wanted much, much more. Newman has a wonderful writer's voice, one you can read for long periods and remain fully engaged. This book felt slightly rushed, perhaps. Still I enjoyed reading it, will probably read it again, and recommend it. But it's not the definitive book on the film or on Nigel Kneale. To be fair, I don't think it was intended to be definitive, so take that for what's it's worth. I'm still waiting for a great Nigel Kneale book, one that covers the man and his works.

[Ed · Rating 5 out of 5]

I grew up on this classic early Science Fiction TV serial with the BBC. And this book revived my memories of it and also covers the movie made on the same ideas which I haven't seen yet. The book captures the historical backround to how the series came into being (there were two previous serials about Professor Quatermass) and has some interesing things to say about the ideas in the films and made me want to re-watch the serial and see the movie.

[Andrew Hixson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it