Movie review – “Quartermass 2” (1957) ***1/2 (warning: spoilers)

This sequel doesn’t have the narrative thrust of the original – which was a chase movie – but is still fast-paced and gripping entertainment. It’s quite full on too – the plot centers around an alien invasion of England, coming out of a top secret base which is guarded by henchmen with machine guns… and this is years before James Bond movies. (Just like in the Bonds, Brian Donlevy goes undercover as one of the henchman to access the baddies’ base in the climax).

Donlevy is more wobbly than in the previous film. Like that movie the final creature is a big pile of mucus – surely they could have come up with something a bit more threatening looking? John Longden replaces Jack Warner as Inspector Lomax – Longden is a familiar face to fans of 30s Hitchcock and Ken G Hall, and it’s a shock to see him so old. Sid James also pops up as a journo who gets machined gunned down – quite a jolt, that scene. Indeed, the death toll for this is quite high the film has a very ambitious canvass, dealing with world domination, aliens taking over the government, and firing rockets at the moon. This apocalyptic spectacle means I give it the same mark as the first one in the series, even if it doesn’t have the first one’s energy or freshness.

Movie review – “Night Tide” (1961) ***

Curtis Harrington is an interesting director whose good value as an interview subject gave him perhaps a higher profile than the quality of his output warranted. Nonetheless, this is a very impressive feature debut – it also marked the first lead for Dennis Hopper, who plays a sailor on leave who falls for a girl who thinks she’s a mermaid. A reverse of Cat People!

There’s very atmospheric depiction of the seaside area – jazz bars, deserted streets, dingy attractions, etc – which is the big appeal of the movie. It’s genuinely haunting. Some of the acting is a bit iffy, but not Hopper, who is touchingly awkward (the bad ones are just awkward).

Movie review – “The Quatermass Experiment” (1955) ***1/2

Hammer Films carved out a niche making low budget films for the British quota market in the 40s and 50s – they specialised adapting popular radio and TV programs for the big screen, often using American stars, so it was no surprise when they adapted the popular BBC serial, bringing in Brian Donlevy to play the title role.

 

Quatermass is incredibly driven here – he’s sent three people up into space without government approval in order to make progress, he bosses people around at the crash site, he bosses the doctor around (he won’t let the surviving astronaut go to the hospital), at the end he takes over London electricity supply then sooks off t the end and doesn’t talk to anyone. He’s a real anti-hero. He’s certainly not as sympathetic as the poor old astronaut, who came back a bit crazy and turned on by the sight of blood, with his bad-acting girlfriend (Maira Davies – shockingly bad).

 

While this is a science fiction film, it has a hefty dose of horror - lots of suspense and gory make up. And there are strong parallels with the Frankenstein story, particularly a scene where the astronaut befriends a little girl. Val Guest keeps the action thumping along at a great pace from the beginning (I'm assuming it was his idea to add the slightly comic firemen at the beginning). There is some unintentional humor (the chemist going to a screaming man “are you hurt?”) and the final creature isn’t very scary, but this holds up incredibly well. I started watching it just casually and couldn't stop.

Radio review – Suspense – “A Shroud for Sarah” (1945) **1/2

Lucille Ball is surprisingly effective as a driven femme fetale/murderer, the wife of a politician. It's great to hear her in a non-comic role. Pretty decent edition of the show with a strong star role.

Movie review – “Up!” (2009) ****1/2 (warning: spoilers)

The opening montage reduced me to tears – the joy and pain and triviality of a long loving marriage has rarely been better conveyed in such a short period of time on screen (especially the bond between a childless couple). It sets this film off on a wonderful start. The adventures that follow are highly enjoyable – although the old people are perhaps a little too active; I just bought Ed Asner clambering on top of a balloon but the other old guy must be what, a hundred years old? And was it so evil he wanted to take that strange bird back for an exhibit? (I’m not saying it’s not bad – but he’s been there for so long on this quest… you wish he’d been a bit more black hat.) I love the talking dog who actually talked like a dog, i.e. not a human (“squirrel!”).

Radio review – Lux – “The Egg and I” (1947) **1/2

Although Fred MacMurray and Claudette Colbert are back, this isn’t as fun as the film because they have different actors for Ma and Pa Kettle. Stuff like this works a lot of sight gags too. Still it’s pretty fun.

Radio review – Suspense - “Murder for Myra” (1945) **1/2

Lloyd Nolan in an old stand by – killing a woman’s husband and regretting it. Good fun with a strong performance by Nolan, an excellent radio actor.