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Post by Mark Brown on Mar 30, 2005 10:00:58 GMT
 The Quatermass Experiment: The plan was to pilot a manned rocket some 1500 miles above the earth for observation purposes and then to return. The project looked very reasonable in theory, but in practice... Quatermass II: Professor Quatermass is testing prototypes of a second space rocket but has a crushing setback. With his research at a standstill, there is a curious interruption. Quatermass & The Pit: Professor Quatermass is resisting the planners of a rocket-project known as the Dead Man's Deterrent. Meanwhile excavation is going on at Hobbs Lane, long the site of reported imps and devils... Special Features:Collectors Booklet The Kneale Tapes Cartier & Kneale in Conversation Making Demons Photo Gallery Scripts - PDF versions of the scripts for the missing episodes 3 - 6 Want to buy this title? order it through the products page on the main site (www.missing-episodes.com) and we will get a small commision. |
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Post by ianj on Mar 31, 2005 20:30:08 GMT
are these the BBC 405 line serials? not the films.....................................................
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Post by Dan on Apr 1, 2005 0:14:26 GMT
are these the BBC 405 line serials? not the films..................................................... Yes, it's the BBC versions, including the only 2 surviving episodes of the first series. Judging by the running time of 7 and a half hours it looks like it'll all be complete with no cuts. I hope they don't cut the opening announcement that's on at least one of the episodes. |
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Post by Ben on Apr 1, 2005 14:59:05 GMT
I'm really excited to see this FINALLY getting released. To be honest, I was beginning to doubt it ever would.
I think they missed a trick not including the Quatermass Memoirs, though I imagine this is for one of three reasons - they don't have the rights, not enough money or, more likely, it will be released on CD...
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Post by William Martin on Apr 1, 2005 16:06:35 GMT
Yes, it's the BBC versions, including the only 2 surviving episodes of the first series. Judging by the running time of 7 and a half hours it looks like it'll all be complete with no cuts. I hope they don't cut the opening announcement that's on at least one of the episodes. cec linder's recap of episode 2 I think, it was on when they repeated episode 3(?) in 1986 |
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Post by Dan on Apr 2, 2005 0:49:40 GMT
cec linder's recap of episode 2 I think, it was on when they repeated episode 3(?) in 1986 I didn't mean that. One episode starts with a really primitive looking "testcard" while the announcer gives a warning for those of a nervous dispositon, or something. |
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Post by William Martin on Apr 2, 2005 14:05:40 GMT
ah, thats qutermass II but I don't know which episode.
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Post by Nigel Bland on Apr 2, 2005 16:01:01 GMT
One episode starts with a really primitive looking "testcard" while the announcer gives a warning for those of a nervous dispositon, or something. ah, thats qutermass II but I don't know which episode. Episode 4 I think. When this was mentioned on the RT forum, they confirmed that it was left in. |
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Post by William Martin on Apr 4, 2005 15:08:26 GMT
Episode 4 I think. When this was mentioned on the RT forum, they confirmed that it was left in. That good, it does add to the whole atmosphere. |
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Post by Anthony on Apr 13, 2005 14:32:16 GMT
whoever did the subtitles wants their ears blasting clear with 2 sticks of dynamite!
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Post by William Martin on Apr 14, 2005 15:01:09 GMT
I know, one line "..and frightened the nation" on the Kneal documentary is subtitled as "Freudian carnation"!
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Post by Andrew Doherty on Apr 17, 2005 12:57:34 GMT
Having just recently purchased my Quatermass collection set, I can say that the set is superb value for money. While working as a laboratory technician at a printing and photographic college in the 1970s, I remember seeing a colour magazine used in lectures at the time. To my surprise it was dated from around late August / early September 1953 and had a picture of the actress Elsa Martinelli on the front cover. She looked strangely contemporary even by today's standards with the noticeable exception of those (Audrey Hepburn  eye brows, which seemed to be very popular with women throughout the 1950s. Anyway, just a few pages into this magazine I read the following : For sheer excitement, The BBC will find it very difficult to improve on The Quatermass Experiment, which has just concluded. Quatermass 2 caused similar excitement. I remember some friends of my parents making sure the television was switched on and "warmed up" an hour before the Saturday evening broadcasts. My own memory is of the third serial. The first episode was to be shown on the Monday before Christmas. Well, I and everyone else who watched throughout the six week run were not to be disappointed. Indeed, we were amazed at just how good it was. One of the big stars of this production is the manic music by Trevor Duncan. I have mentioned to Mark Ayres of the restoration team that it would be a nice idea to get a CD of music from this, and the two previous productions, published. The BBC Radio 'Quatermass Memoirs' could be included. It is incredible to think that such a complex production as Quatermass and the Pit could go out live (albeit with pre-filmed scenes), given the equipment of the time. I doubt if any live television drama production, broadcast anywhere in the world where television was available in the 1950s, was more sophisticated than this. Perhaps there may have been, but I don't think so. Another item springs to mind and that is one of overseas sales. Was this particular drama series ever sold to other countries? I am thinking of Canada, which seemed to be interested in the first and second series. From what I have heard the French were very keen and Quatermass became a cult show there. However, their television system is different. I would guess that a few would have seen these productions while in this Country. So, if anyone knows I would be interested to read a thread from them. By the way, well done to the restoration team for an excellent job. Yours, |
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Post by William Martin on Apr 21, 2005 14:31:19 GMT
I agree with all above a fantastic release and well worth the effort.
One question not a complaint, but why was Quatermass II not vidfired?
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Post by zab on Jun 19, 2005 13:22:17 GMT
If one studies the excellent article on the Doctor Who Restoration Team site regarding the restoration of these series, one realises that they had a short deadline for this project. The team decided that "The Pit" would best benefit from Vidfire since the recordings were of much better quality and more time was spent restoring this story. Therefore I can only assume that there wasn't enough time available to clean up and repair II sufficiently to allow complete Vidfire treatment. Also the quality of the picture does tend to fluctuate so Vidfire probably wouldn't have been effective on most of the episodes. I do think it is a pity that Episode 4 wasn't given the treatment since its the best quality and stablest episode of the six.
Mark Ayres also had severe headaches restoring the sound on this serial. Despite the teams problems, I think they did a brilliant job on this project - "The Pit" certainly looks wonderful thanks largely to the fact most of the 35mm film inserts had survived in the early 60s compilation prints the BBC preserved.
BAZ
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Post by William Martin on Jun 22, 2005 15:11:23 GMT
Since I posted that I've had a chat with some of the restoration team and they said that they didn't think the quality was good enough to benefit from vidfire, so I should thnk it was a mixture of lack of resources(time, money et.c) and poor quality of the print. but in the end they did do a fantastic job.
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eye brows, which seemed to be very popular with women throughout the 1950s. Anyway, just a few pages into this magazine I read the following : For sheer excitement, The BBC will find it very difficult to improve on The Quatermass Experiment, which has just concluded.