News
Camp classic? A trailblazer for queer horror? An exploitative money grab? Or, in the words of its star, Ingrid Pitt, just your everyday story ‘about a couple of nubile girls in a grand house in a hot Styrian summer with nothing to do but play with each other’? 55 years after it first played in ABC cinemas across the UK, we sink our teeth into The Vampire Lovers and examine how it beat the censors, wowed the critics and became… well, whatever it became.
In Part One of this feature we looked at early examples of science fiction on air, and how despite the dramatic originality of The Quatermass Experiment, its creative impact was not immediately felt and if anything, it’s puzzling that so little was done to capitalise on its success. But in 1955 the BBC aired a second series and more importantly, in terms of global reach, Hammer’s The Quatermass Xperiment was a huge hit with audiences around the world. The Professor’s journey was entering a new phase, and was about to take some unexpected turns…
Summer is coming, with all its attendant horrors. So what better time to close the curtains, hunker down and stick on some horror movies to banish those summer blues? And if you need ideas about which films to watch, read on for a coffin-load of suggestions…
To celebrate the release of The Quatermass Xperiment (1955) and Quatermass 2 (1957), in this special feature we examine the Quatermass impact. How did this planet-saving scientist affect the sci-fi that followed him? What went before his debut? And was his influence really that great?
It seems like the old aphorism is true. You wait years for an iconic alien threat in 4K, and then two come along in relatively quick succession. Yes! Here at Hammer News we’re delighted to confirm that the next release in Hammer’s Limited Collector’s Edition Range is the acclaimed Quatermass 2 (1957), featuring the return of Brian Donlevy as Bernard Quatermass.
We spoke to Hammer’s Steve Rogers, one of the people responsible for this latest release, about the film itself, its impact, additional material and much more.