poe-48833 FIVE MILLION YEARS TO EARTH is what I call a "Sci-Fi Shocker." Part Shocker (in the Fright Film sense) and part Science Fiction, it begins with the discovery of an ancient artifact in a London subway system. Said artifact just happens to be located in Hobbs End (Shades of John Carpenter's IN THE MOUTH OF MADNESS!), where, legend has it, Strange Things have been going on for so long that the area is said to be Haunted. This "combination of genres," if you will, has always been one of the things that made FIVE MILLIONS YEARS TO EARTH stand out in my mind: two genres for the price of one- and the ghostly images of the Aliens themselves (Shades of John Carpenter's PRINCE OF DARKNESS!) remain as eerie Today as the day they were unearthed.

Scott LeBrun Construction workers doing some underground excavation in the Hobbs End area of London unearth some pretty intriguing stuff. Among the staggering finds are some humanoid skulls and skeletons, an extraterrestrial missile, and some insectoid-like carcasses. Those who attempt to determine the significance of these discoveries are the anthropologist Dr. Roney (James Donald), his assistant Barbara Judd (the gorgeous Barbara Shelley), and the space expert Professor Bernard Quatermass (Andrew Keir). Keir is amazed by the effect that these artifacts have on human victims, and by their far reaching implications. He also butts heads with a young military colonel, Breen (Julian Glover) as they argue their points of view on the matter.It isn't until the latter 41 minutes of this 98 minute long film that things head in the direction of genuine spectacle. There's a lot of excellent and overwhelming atmosphere by that point, as supernatural phenomena occur, but for a while "Quatermass and the Pit" is notable for taking a matter of fact, reasonably realistic approach to fantastic material. Director Roy Ward Baker, who along with Terence Fisher was one of the finest filmmakers to work for Hammer, keeps the pace deliberate, and takes great care in his telling of this intelligent tale by Nigel Kneale. "Quatermass and the Pit" is definitely not as creepy or as thickly atmospheric as the two previous black & white Quatermass adventures, "The Quatermass Xperiment" and "Quatermass 2". But it's fun to watch, and pretty suspenseful, with some well executed special effects.Keir is endearing as the title character. Nowhere near as selfish or as abrasive as the Brian Donlevy version of Quatermass, he creates a hero with strong rooting interest. The performances from the rest of the cast are equally as sturdy, including Duncan Lamont as the crazed worker Sladden, and Bryan Marshall as the efficient Captain Potter.As other reviews have already stated, this is indeed a low budget genre picture for the thinking person.Eight out of 10.

Shawn Watson Like all the best science fiction Quatermass and the Pit begins with a meaningful idea, not just an excuse for special effects and spectacle. This third big screen outing for the iconic Doctor Quatermass has tube tunnel diggers in London uncover a mysterious ship which has been buried under the city for 10 Million Years. The officials begin to panic, fearing a dormant Nazi aircraft but Quatermass has a hunch that the origins of the craft are something far, far more sinister.I did enjoy the theories and questions posed by this movie, and the production design, for the most part, is quite impressive. However I was disappointed by the design of the Martians and the dream sequence set on Mars. The cheapness of these effects really dismantles the film and lessens the overall effect of the premise. There are some great moments though, and the final effect of the giant Martian face over London is quite a striking image.According to Joe Dante, the effects of the TV version (made 9 years earlier and on a lesser budget) are superior, and I would like to see this version to compare. As it is Quatermass and the Pit is a notable sci-fi flick and never once boring. If only they invested more time and effort in those effects...

jimpayne1967 I would guess that most people who read this will be familiar with the plot of this film and be aware that the movie is an adaptation of a 1950s BBC serial of the same name. The film is scripted by Nigel Kneale - who created the Quatermass character- and directed by Roy Ward Baker who worked on a number of Hammer Production including The Vampire Lovers as well as TV shows of varying quality such as Minder and The Champions. The stars are James Donald( best known from The Bridge on The River Kwai), Hammer Stalwarts Andrew Keir (who plays Quatermass) and Barbara Shelley as well as Julian Glover who plays the bone- headed Colonel Breen. The plot concerns the aftermath of the discovery of what appears to be an unexploded Second World War bomb during building works extending the London Underground at the Hobbs End station. The story moves quickly as the penny drops - for Quatermass and his academic colleagues Roney and Barbara Judd (played by Donald and Shelley respectively) at least- that the 'bomb' is not a bomb at all but some sort of extraterrestrial craft that has been buried millennium before The Luftwaffe flew over London. Eventually the craft 'wakes up' to wreak havoc in the area surrounding it before Quatermass and Roney find a way to destroy it. The plot of Quatermass and the Pit has been extensively borrowed over the years - numerous Doctor Whos in the 'Classic' era of that show have elements of it - and seen these days it is hard to see that the story could ever have been something original but that does not stop this being an enjoyably tense film - it moves quickly enough to jump over some of the plot holes successfully and like most good science fiction tales it works because it is just about credible. There are some real faults- the characterisations are a bit two dimensional with Colonel Breen- the prototype of Doctor Who's Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart surely?- being just too stupid ( and possibly a fraction young)to be truly credible and though she looks nice and her character is allowed to think (unusual for female characters in many Hammer productions) Barbara Shelley's 'frightened doe' expression grates a bit at times. The special effects are kept to a minimum- mercifully as those which are deployed including the film's monster 'the Hob' itself are pretty rotten. The acting- the occasional grating moments of Barbara Shelley aside- is pretty good with fine work from the reliable Donald and Keir whilst there are worthwhile supporting spots for Duncan Lamont and Bryan Marshall too. Keir reputedly found this an unhappy production to work on as he believed that he was very much not Ward Baker's first choice for the role (though he is preferable to Brian Donleavy who played the same part in the two earlier Quatermass films) and he was only given second billing despite being the eponymous hero. The finale is a bit silly I suppose but this is one of the few films where the closing credit sequence are the best thing about the production. As the closing music plays and the credits roll Keir and Shelley sit in silence, in shock, whilst fires blaze and the emergency services kick into action in the background. It is rare in a science fiction ( or horror) film or TV show for the characters to demonstrate any emotional reaction to the cataclysmic acts that have taken place but in this final short sequence these two characters are allowed to do just that - and in the process turn a decent, flawed lowish budget British film into something rather better.