Dr. Quartermass (Brian Donlevy) sent a rocket into outer space with three men aboard. It unexpectedly crash lands back on Earth with only one man still on board (Richard Wordsworth) and he's very ill. It seems he's been infected by an alien fungus which is devouring him and everything he touches...
It is serious and well-made with some good acting but I wasn't impressed. I'm not a big sci-fi fan so I'm probably not the best judge of this film. I found it mildly interesting...but only VERY mildly. This film was obviously filmed on a low budget--the sets look very cheap (look at the cockpit of the ship!). Also the very few glimpses we get at Wordsworth as he becomes a monster are pretty laughable with terrible makeup. The final few shots of the full fledged "monster" are giggle-inducing. The big finale at Westminster Abbey seems terribly rushed. The main problem with this film is Donlevy--he's VERY wooden as Quartermass and gives a terrible performance. Hard to believe this got an X rating in Britain at the time of its release.
So this might be pretty good for some sci-fi fans but I was bored. I give it a 5.
It is serious and well-made with some good acting but I wasn't impressed. I'm not a big sci-fi fan so I'm probably not the best judge of this film. I found it mildly interesting...but only VERY mildly. This film was obviously filmed on a low budget--the sets look very cheap (look at the cockpit of the ship!). Also the very few glimpses we get at Wordsworth as he becomes a monster are pretty laughable with terrible makeup. The final few shots of the full fledged "monster" are giggle-inducing. The big finale at Westminster Abbey seems terribly rushed. The main problem with this film is Donlevy--he's VERY wooden as Quartermass and gives a terrible performance. Hard to believe this got an X rating in Britain at the time of its release.
So this might be pretty good for some sci-fi fans but I was bored. I give it a 5.