The character of Professor Quatermass, in this writer's humble opinion, is England's greatest contribution to science fiction cinema of the 50s and 60s. What the Quatermass films may lack in Hollywood spectacle, they make up for with some of the more intelligent sci-fi/horror hybrids of the era. The movie cultist's best friend, Anchor Bay, now offers two of films from that series in a two-disc set. Not much has been done in the way of restoration, but it does provide a great opportunity to discover (or rediscover) a couple of influential classics.

Quatermass and the Pit (released in the U.S. as Five Million Years to Earth) is the third and best film in the series. While expanding the subway system in London, excavators unearth several skulls, providing startling evidence that man's ancestors walked the planet long before we once thought. Also found is a mysterious black vessel, which authorities first assume is an unexploded German bomb left over from WWII. Professor Quatermass, however, soon discovers it's actually a ship belonging to a dying insect-like race from Mars, who had transplanted their vast knowledge (and aggressive nature) into Earth's indigenous primates five million years ago. The ship itself is still alive, and soon begins to wreak havoc on the population, using telekinesis to tap into man's subconscious and control his actions. Despite my rather simplistic plot summary, Quatermass and the Pit tells a complex and (for its time) fairly provocative story, toying with our ideas of creation and evolution like a darker variation of 2001: A Space Odyssey. Both films benefit from appropriately low-key performances, tight pacing and intelligent scripts, which help detract from the rather clumsy visual effects (though, in the case of Quatermass and the Pit, some of the imagery during the climax is admittedly unique and chilling). And, despite the fact that these films are technically sequels, both successfully stand on their own as individual stories.

These movies have obviously been repackaged as a double feature, and no attempt has been made to clean them up. The video and audio presentation of Quatermass and the Pit is the superior of the two, but the picture contains some noticeable grain (especially during the opening shots), as well as some scratches. The sound isn't bad, though, offered in 5.1 Dolby Surround. The transfer for Quatermass 2, however, is awful. The picture is only offered in fullscreen, and the scratches, blemishes and artifacts are here in abundance. And for lack of a better word, the sound sucks. Annoying distortion is present throughout the entire film.

Each film is accompanied by full-length audio commentaries by screenwriter Nigel Kneale, as well as directors Roy Ward Baker and Val Guest, and an episode from the World of Hammer series. Quatermass and the Pit includes both the U.S. and U.K trailers, while Quatermass 2 only features the U.S. trailer. Similar films: The Quatermass Xperiment, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Prince of Darkness (1987), X the Unknown, War of the Worlds, Lifeforce, The Stuff, The Thing (1982), They Live, Screamers, 2001: A Space Odyssey Useless trivia: John Carpenter wrote the screenplay for Prince of Darkness under the pseudonym, Martin Quatermass...a fitting homage, since the film is conceptually similar to those in the Quatermass series.

Despite the relatively poor quality of the transfer for Quatermass 2, this is a great set of discs, featuring two classic and influential films no self-respecting sci-fi fans should pass up.