Reviews (46)

Can't say enough about this exciting sci-fi flick.
This was the first of 7 films that Roy Ward Baker directed for Hammer. I also feel that it was possibly Hammer's finest moment. I have seen this movie at least 5 times and I still love it. This is a remake of a British television series entitled Quatermass and the Pit. The same writer was used on the film and much of the same dialogue is used. And maybe Hammer has some other moments as equally fine as this, but this is such a good movie.

While digging a new subway tunnel underneath London, a large, metallic object is discovered. Different experts are brought in and the official story from the military is that it is an experimental type of bomb from from the Germans from WW II that didn't work. Others aren't so sure, including Professor Quatermass (Andrew Keir).

A little bit of detective work by Professor Quatermass and his assistant Barbara Judd (Barbara Shelley) turns up that the area of London that the object was discovered at, Hobbs Lane, has had a history of strange phenomena going back centuries. In fact the name Hobbs as it turns out, is actually a medieval name for the Devil.

Quatermass proposes that the object is an alien craft that has been buried for centuries, if not millennia, despite the military's insistence that it is a German dud. And soon after the discovery of the object, workers start dying or start having psychotic episodes with visions of seeing aliens that look like insects (kind of like a cross between a praying mantis and a grasshopper actually). The military is trying every tool they can to drill into the object, but to no effect. A cover finally opens up and all hell starts breaking loose around Hobbs Lane. Winds are blowing and people are being driven mad by the visions they are seeing. There is also a giant apparition of an alien that appears in the sky above Hobbs Lane. The Professor figures out a way to bring the power in the spaceship to a halt by running a giant electrified crane into the apparition and save London.

If you have ever seen Lifeforce (1985), you'll notice the endings are somewhat similar. There are winds swirling around London with debris flying everywhere and sirens going off and some terrific noise all around. People are running through the streets either out of their minds or trying to get away from the madness. And one lone figure knows how to put a stop to all of it.

I hope my description of the movie doesn't turn you off, because despite the goofy sounding story it really is a well done movie. All of the principle actors do an outstanding job, especially Barbara Shelley and Andrew Kier. The first time I saw this movie on TV in the late 70's it was under the title 5 Million Years to Earth. It was probably 10 years before I saw the movie again on TV, and I was so excited to be seeing it again. Fortunately for all of us, Anchor Bay has released this movie on dvd in 1998. What is included on the disk is a commentary by director Roy Ward Baker and a World of Hammer episode entitled "Sci-Fi". I have only ever seen one copy in dvd stores and of course I bought it. So I know it is not a very common title to have in stock at most outlets. I highly recommend buying this for your permanent movie collection.

Brother, can you spare a Quatermass?
Quatermass and the Pit (1968) is the third in the Quatermass series, beginning with The Quatermass Xperiment (1955), and followed by Quatermass 2 (1957), all written by Nigel Kneale, and is certainly one of the better Hammer Studios releases. (That's a whole lot of Quatermass...)

The film starts out with an interesting find during the renovation of an underground subway station in the English town of Hobb's End. Seems the workers found some ancient skeletal remains, early primate man it appears, prompting the work to stop, allowing for Dr. Mathew Roney (James Donald), his assistant Barbara Judd (Barbara Shelley, yowsa, yowsa) and a group of anthropologists to catalogue this remarkable discovery. The situation soon turns from fantastic to frightening, as part of a large, metal object is uncovered, leading some to believe it may be an unexploded German bomb from the last world war. Professor Bernard Quatermass (Andrew Kier), a physicist and rocket scientist, along with Colonel Breen (Julian Glover, who later appeared in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade) and the military soon arrive to deal with the situation, but further digging reveals the large object not to be a remnant of a past war. Turns out, it's not even an object of this Earth, as various attempts to penetrate the hull prove fruitless, as the object is of a material not recognizable to anyone. Not only that, but a secret compartment reveals child-sized inhabitants of a bug-like nature. As the scientists, the military, and the government grapple with this incredible find and all its' possible implications, the dissention amongst the parties involved begins, as not only of the origin of the object, and how best to disseminate information to the questioning public.

After Barbara, with the flaming red hair and beckoning green eyes (sorry...I got a little carried away) uncovers information about past odd happenings in the Hobb's End area, Professor Quatermass develops some interesting theories about the possibility of alien intervention in human development and reasons why. This opens a whole new can of worms, and to say Colonel Breen and various high-ranking government officials were less than receptive to these theories is putting it lightly. There position, akin to an ostrich putting its' head in the sand, is that the object and anything within was all a part of some German propaganda during the past war, designed to sow confusion and fear. This turns out not to be true, as everyone learns later. More scientific investigation reveals some truly interesting, and somewhat terrifying details. In the end, the terror becomes a reality, and the stuff really hits the fan as the object turns out to be much more than anyone had expected or could have conceived.

To me, this is an excellent example of a true science fiction film. The story is thick with rich, creamy flavor as elements are revealed, tying in not only with the present, but also the past. The conclusion to the story is satisfying, but one is left with any number of questions that may never be answered, due to the plot intricacies developed through the film. I really liked the portrayal of the powers that be in that they weren't trying to cover up some big secret, but just unwilling to face certain facts for fear that this information would have repercussions beyond the imagination, and most would probably not be able to even begin to wrap their minds around the possibilities presented with the alien object. There is a real depth to this movie, one that keeps drawing you deeper and deeper, heaping implications on top of implications, giving this viewer the sense that his mind was actually being blown. The whole affair was very intelligent and well put together, leading up to a very exciting climax. I would recommend this to any fan of true science fiction, as it exemplifies what can be achieved when all the pieces come together. This would certainly be the career highlight of capable director Roy Ward Baker, who also directed such films as Scars of Dracula (1970), Asylum (1972), And Now the Screaming Starts (1973), and The Monster Club (1980). James Donald (Dr. Mathew Roney) also appeared prominently the classic WWII film The Great Escape (1963). Andrew Kier (Prof. Quatermass) appeared in other Hammer films like Dracula: Prince of Darkness (1966), along with costar Barbara Shelley, and also the less than stellar The Viking Queen (1967).

The wide screen print on the disc looks very good, with only very minor signs of wear in a couple of places, and special features, which are on the flipside of the disc, include US and UK theatrical trailers, TV spots, a feature length commentary track by director Roy Ward Baker and writer Nigel Kneale, and a World of Hammer episode entitled 'Sci-Fi'. If you're in the mood for an intelligent and highly entertaining science fiction film, you won't be disappointed in Quatermass and the Pit.

Cookieman108

This third movie is probably the best one to get
I saw this film as a child on television many times and I guess I should admit to some bias here as it had a lasting effect on me.

I bought the movie on the strength of that feeling and it didn't disappoint me to see it again as an adult.
Although I bought all three movies, this is my favourite Quatermass movie because the acting is so much better than the first two films.

Andrew Keir is the best and most sympathetic Quatermass in my opinion and the supporting cast, particularly James Donald (the real hero) and Barbara Shelley help raise the overall quality of the film.
Credit must also go to the author Nigel Kneale who has some terrific ideas and a real feel for science fiction. He also researches his subject well so his stories generally contain 'believable' science( the odd plant man not withstanding).

The way he weaves the old tales of goblins and devil folklore into the story is impressive and original, making the sudden discovery of these creatures less far-fetched and ultimately quite courageous for it's time, considering the heresy at the heart of the story, that we owe our existence and evolution to clever insectoid martians!

The special effects are good considering the lack of technology available at the time and the story kicks along at a cracking pace. Be warned though, you may well be repeating lines in the pub like ....they were leaping and jumping!!! for days afterwards with a bug-eyed expression on your face.

Or is that just me? (I'll get my coat.........)

I would say you if you like science fiction films you won't feel let down if you buy this movie. It's a movie worthy of the title 'classic'and I think stands up pretty well against today's efforts.

WE ARE NOT ALONE
THIS ONE OF THE BEST HAMMER PICTURES,THE STORY IS FILLED WITH SUSPENSE AND GREAT SPECIAL EFFECTS FOR THAT TIME.THE ACTING IS FIRST RATE AND THE END OF MOVIE WILL GIVE UP YOU CHILLS.

EXCELLENT HAMMER SCI-FI THRILLER....
Workers in a London underground railway station unearth humanoid skeletons---setting off excitement among the scientific and anthropological experts. But then a stranger object is found and the military gets involved, believing it to be a bomb. It turns out to be a spacecraft. Col.Breen (Julian Glover) explains it all away as a German craft left over from WWII. Dr.Roney (James Donald) and his assistant Barbara Judd (Barbara Shelley) are skeptical due to the skeletons but the estimable physicist Prof.Quatermass (Andrew Keir) thinks there's a more otherworldly explanation. There are legends and superstitions around the railway station area of hauntings and "goblins" that are too well documented to be ignored. Then strange vibrations begin to eminate from the spacecraft and the remains of the hideous crew are discovered. Breen and his superiors go into complete denial of extraterrestrial visitation while Roney, Barbara and Quatermass bond together to explore things further. And the results are horrifying. Superior Martian lifeforms that resemble giant locusts came to earth in these ships and took back with them ape-like early human beings to mutate with in an attempt to cleanse their own race...then returned with them to earth to repopulate on our planet as Mars was no longer capable of supporting life. Thus, we are descended from this unspeakable union! What's more, this arthropodic race of Martians were evil---capable of creating such powerful telekinetic energy that could create havoc and destroy as well as control the minds of lesser beings. When the ship vibrates to life, sending telekinetic energy every which way, all hell breaks loose. This is an incredible, intelligent sci-fi/horror story with a matchless cast delivering expert performances. A truly superior Hammer film. Excellent color, claustrophobic atmosphere and modest but remarkable special effects with top-notch direction from Roy Ward Baker make this a collector's item for any sci-fi/horror/Hammer fan. Excellent DVD treatment from Anchor Bay as well. Highly recommended all around. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Ealing comedy--cozy, gentle, and whimsical, right? In this case, think again. Alexander Mackendrick was always the most politically aware of the Ealing directors, and in The Man in the White Suit (1952) he takes the studio's favorite theme of the little man up against the system and gives it a sharp satirical twist. Sidney Stratton (Alec Guinness at his most unworldly), a maverick scientist working in a textile mill, invents a fabric that never gets dirty and never wears out. He's hailed as a genius--until management and unions alike realize what his brainwave implies. Mackendrick's humor is exact and pointed, and the satire turns savage as a lynch mob of bosses and workers hunt Sidney down through dark, narrow streets. Mackendrick's disenchanted view of class-ridden British society still rings horribly true, and he draws note-perfect performances from the cream of British character actors: Cecil Parker as the liberal mill owner (based, it's said, on Ealing boss Michael Balcon); Ernest Thesiger as the evil old godfather of the industry; and, wittily sensual as Sidney's confidante, the ever-wonderful Joan Greenwood. Plus, listen out for the "voice" of Sidney's bizarre apparatus, the funniest and most unforgettable sound effect ever devised. --Philip Kemp ... Read more

Reviews (10)

One of Alec Guinness's best comedic films of the fifties
Although Alec Guinness had already achieved a fair degree of fame on stage and on screen by the time he made THE MAN IN THE WHITE SUIT, this is, in fact, one of his earliest starring roles. Strictly speaking, although he had portrayed eight characters in 1949's KIND HEARTS AND CORONETS, this was his first comedy in which is played the lead. Playing inventor Sidney Stratton, Guinness further cemented his burgeoning reputation as one of England's most interesting and versatile actors.

The film features a marvelous though, to early 21st century film fans, largely unknown cast. Joan Greenwood, who is one of my favorite actresses in the history of film--beautiful, effortlessly sexy and sensual, enormously talented, and possessed of one of the great voices in the history of cinema--plays Guinness's romantic counterfoil. Cecil Parker, who while never a star, seemed to populate dozens of successful films without ever calling attention to himself. The film also features a typical performance by Ernest Thesiger, who played ancient-old-man parts for over forty years in films and is one of the most unique looking actors in British film history.

The story involves a quirky scientist inventing cloth that never gets dirty and never wears out, but which comes out of the lab pure white. This was at a time when a whole range of new synthetic fabrics were hitting the market, so the subject was very topical at the time. The plot revolves around the anticipated effects such material would have on the textile industry. The film is a comedy, but it is the kind of comedy that creates more smiles than laughs. It is not less delightful for that.

What Is Big Business Hiding From Us?
Alec Guinness plays another one of the oddball characters he often played in 1950's British films, this time as an inventor/scientist of a miracle fabric that will not wear out or get dirty. It seems like a great idea to him and to the owner of the factory where he makes it, but then the economic reality of it becomes an issue. What will happen to fabric manufacturers and the clothing industry if clothing doesn't wear out? Will unions let that happen? Trapped in the middle of all this turmoil is Guinness, glowing in his white suit. He delivers yet another terrific performance, and is well supported by so many fine British character actors. The film is well written, although I found the first fifteen minutes or so a little confusing. The premise is great, and it makes you question whether there are a lot of potential products not being invented because of their long term effects on big business, regardless of their usefulness to the general public!

YaDADUMdeeDOODAHaY
I'm not eggsactly sure how to justify my rating or describe this film. It's not exactly a great, touching, or brilliant film. It's a bit dry. The humor is there but only so long as you're the sort of person to laugh at the bleakest of insights, the bitterest of satires, or the most depressing qualities of society. It is as relevant to the present as it is to it's own time. It is entertaining to a degree, if fairly obvious on the surface. Alec Guinness is a good actor and suits The Man in the White Suit perfectly.

This is the sort of film I can admire, enjoy watching once, reflect upon for a little bit afterwards, get depressed and/or happy about what it implies, type off a quick review, and be done with it. It's definately not a 50s romp though comedy like Some Like It Hot, more of an intelligent satire that's more than average in entertaining and a little bit more lighthearted than Sunset Boulevard.

Whiteout
Would anyone really want to live in a perfect world? That momentous question and nothing less is the theme of Alexander Mackendrick's comedy, which despite it's high reputation is still, to my mind, one of the most underrated films in the world's cinema. Mackendrick examines what the human race really means by perfection in this allegory about a semi-mad scientist who seems to invent a perpetually clean, tear-proof cloth. There goes any need for variety in anybody's clothing, ever, and although the textile industry is the setting for the story it doesn't take much imagination to see the director's point in a larger context. Mark Twain used to say that the Christian idea of heaven sounded like hell to him, and we see that same insight brought to visual life here. An impeccable cast, headlined both by the great Alec Guinness and by Joan Greenwood, whose voice was almost as distinctive as Guinness'. As a social comedy I rate it with Stanley Kubrick's "Dr. Strangelove," and I can think of no higher praise.

Emperor's New Clothes set with socio-economic issues...
The driven Sidney Stratton (Alec Guinness) bounces from job to job as he finds a way to sneak into each textile company's laboratory where he commences his own scientific investigations in regards to a new resistible fabric. This fabric should be able to withstand almost anything and even repel dirt. However, each time he gets close to finding the solution he must escape or is taken for a mad man. Man in the White Suit is an interesting satire as it combines the Emperor's New Clothes with socio-economic issues in a modern setting. This comedy is enhanced through Alec Guinness's character Stratton who is rather eccentric and absentminded as he performs with his usual brilliance, which leaves the audience with a wonderful cinematic experience. ... Read more

Reviews (16)

Vintage Hammer. Babes, severed heads AND Peter Cushing!
The fist time I saw this movie, at the tender age of 10, it left a lasting impression that has no doubt skewed my view of the world. Here was a former Playboy Bunny trying desperately to contain herself in a typical Hammeresque period costume, running around the Village exacting revenge in a series of bloody murders. The grisly climax contains a scene where she talks to the severed head of her (former) boyfriend. She was, of course, Frankenstein's newest creation. I recently watched this again, curious as to how I would react 30 years later. Aside from a terrible ending (this movie doesn't end so much as it stops), the movie still holds up pretty well. Fans of the Hammer genre, and fans of Peter Cushing will no doubt enjoy this one. Good wacky laboratory sequences, a fun cast of characters (some of which you are glad to see die) and Denberg as the best looking creature yet.

Will the real Soul please stand up
At the beginning of the movie a murderer is guillotine and witnessed by his young son Hans. Years later Hans is working with Dr. Hertz and Dr. Bon Frankenstein (played by Peter Cushing). Frankenstein has himself frozen for exactly one hour, down to the second, where he is trying to prove that the soul does not leave the body. He is revived and to celebrate his success sends Hans out to get some champagne at one of the local pubs. Hans is in love with the owner's daughter (Christina played by Susan Denberg) and spends the night with her but when the owner is killed Hans is accused and refuses to tell where he was when the murder took place. Hans is found guilty and himself guillotined like his father. Christina sees this and jumps off a bridge and drowns.

Dr. Frankenstein retrieves Hans's body, captures his soul, and places it in Christina body. Among Frankenstein accomplishments he is a brilliant cosmetic surgeon and turns Christina into a beautiful blond with the aid of Dr. Hertz. Now with a new body and Hans's soul revenge is sought for Hans and Christina's father's deaths.

This is another excellent Hammer film and with Peter Cushing heading the cast. The quality of the DVD is excellent.

WARNING
this Anchor Bay DVD appears to have serious flaws as almost all of the originally pressed discs no longer play correctly.....those of you who have these discs, Please check them in your dvd players as 9 out of 10 of them have suffered a form of corruption that doesnt allow them to work anylonger...........the worst news of all is that ANCHOR BAY dont apparently have the license to release this title again at the moment, so those of us who have dumped our Elite Laserdiscs are rather stuck with a dud dvd. Anchor Bay who are normally so excellent about handling themselves ought really to start something about refunding those of us who are stuck with a dud disc - clearly something they MUST have had some idea about.

stylish, erotic, smart- all my favorites!!!
I saw this many, many years ago in the theatre... still a great movie, but the tape didn't exactly capture the lush backgrounds, the erotism of the first time. Well, I'm also not 6 (or whatever) years old.
Still, I experienced again: a delirious crush on Hans, the romantic, too-good-to-be-true, hero- who was able to love AND LUST after Christine, the flawed and mistreated servant girl (haven't we all been her at one time?)His ability to see past the scars she felt such shame from made him a big numero uno for me even way back then.
Second: yowza! I prayed that my pre-adolescent self would develop into ANY SEMBLANCE WHAT-SO-EVER of the oozing sexuality of the transformed/re-created (isn't that another wish of ours, ladies?) Christina (Susan Denberg)...
And, oh yeah... Peter Cushing is in it, too.
HA! Just kidding...the blend of old school, classic horror and repressed sexuality made for a memorable movie that I had to buy and watch again and again.
If you dig the mix... and you know who you are out there... get this movie

Will the real Hammer Frankenstein please stand up?
Hammer's Victor Frankenstein owes little to the Universal series (where the character was named Henry and in fact the sequels featured the monster and not the Doctor) or even the original novel (whose Victor was a young college student and not a Baron).
When one follows the Baron in the Hammer series, one finds a lot of inconsistency. The insensitive, murderous Baron of CURSE is toned down a bit in REVENGE, misunderstood in EVIL, is the "hero" of CREATED WOMAN, is a killer and more evil than ever (and just transplants a brain) in MUST BE DESTROYED, and is back more or less like the Baron in REVENGE in AND THE MONSTER FROM HELL. Cushing is a wonderful actor and makes the character interesting, in spite of the scripting.
One wonders how the Baron came upon the idea to transplant souls since he seems to be an atheist or how he is able to acquire the machinery to be able to accomplish it without arousing suspicion. FRANKENSTEIN CREATED WOMAN is a pretty good film overall, but the ending does seem weak. One gets the feeling they couldn't think up a more satisfying ending and just had her drown herself again. Hammer fans will probably enjoy it anyway. Others should look for a more traditional Frankenstein movie. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Joan Fontaine in a superb performance
A classic Hammer chiller, THE WITCHES, which is also known as THE DEVIL'S OWN, is an engrossing story of the occult set in the seeemingly harmless English countryside.

Haunted by the terrors she saw in Africa, schoolteacher Gwen Mayfield (Joan Fontaine) accepts a teaching position in a local Haddaby School run by Alex Bax (Alec McCowan) and his sister Stephanie (Kay Walsh).

Soon, however, as mysterious occurances start, such as a boy falling into a coma, a headless doll found impaled with pins, Gwen starts re-living her African nightmare again.

Very good story, although the climactic witch-coven scene draws more laughs than gasps, with the Witch Queen looking like a cross between Edina from AB FAB and Bullwinkle the Moose.

In deluxe widescreen (aspect ratio of 1.66:1), and original trailers of the film under the DEVIL'S OWN title, and paired with another Hammer film PREHISTORIC WOMEN.

Joan Fontaine and the Coven of the Kooky
In her last appearance on the silver screen, Joan Fontaine, who won an Academy Award for her performance in Suspicion (1941), stars in this Hammer Studios release of The Witches (1967). While the material here is certainly not of the caliber of some of the previous films she's appeared in, it is fun to watch. Maybe I have some lurid fascination of seeing once great stars reduced to appearing in roles they probably would have never considered in their prime.

Joan plays Gwen Mayfield, a teacher who has just been accepted to assume a position as head teacher of a private school in a small English village. The film starts off with Gwen teaching at a mission school in Africa, and, after an incident with a native witch doctor that caused Gwen to have a nervous breakdown, she has now returned to England to put the pieces of her life back together.

After formally meeting with her employers, Alan and Stephanie Bax, played by Alec McCowen and Kay Walsh respectively, the well-to-do resident benefactors of the town who are also brother and sister, Gwen settles into her new surroundings. The situation seems idyllic, a nice, quiet position in a small town where little happens, but, as the saying goes, still waters sometimes run deep. The oddness begins when two of her pre-teen students, a boy and a very weird girl, exhibit closeness to each other, one borne of a budding romance. This causes consternation among some of the townspeople, and soon the boy falls ill of a mysterious coma. Apparently there was more than just a passing concern about what might happen if the relationship between these two continued, specifically in respect to the girl.

Rumors of witchery begin to reach Gwen, and the deeper she probes, the more ominous the proceedings. As the notion of witchery becomes more and more viable, the idea that there may be more than one witch, a coven, operating within the town, involving various members of the small village. Gwen soon finds herself at odds with unseen forces, and suffers a relapse, forcing her to be institutionalized. She has also lost her memory of everything that's transpired after leaving Africa. She does regain her memory, bits at a time, and the horror begins to return as she understands what is about to transpire, and rushes back to the town in an attempt to save the girl from an unknown fate, and ultimately learn that witchery is not limited to third world peoples but is alive and well here in this small, English village.

Joan Fontaine does a great job here, still exhibiting the sheen of a Hollywood star, even if some of that sheen has dulled since her prime. I have to say, even pushing 50 she still looked pretty good, despite the oddish, bowl bouffant she sported through most of the film. Fontaine's older sister, Olivia de Havilland, didn't fare as well, career wise, in my opinion, starring in dubious films like Lady in a Cage (1964), and Irwin Allen 70's disaster pics like Airport '77 (1977) and The Swarm (1978). The creepy factor develops nicely as the film progresses, and as the mystery deepens about who's involved in the coven and what their purpose is, but this is soon replaced by a goofy factor as we see the coven in action, performing a ritual, half-nekkid dance of sorts in a decrepit, abandoned church, eating greasy dirt as their leader spouts incomprehensible mumbo-jumbo while clad in colorful robes and donning a crown with birthday candles adorning the top. I kept waiting for someone to make a wish and blow out the candles, but the others were to busy bumping and grinding to their chanting, and, as I said before, masticating the mud.

Anchor Bay Entertainment releases a great print, in wide screen anamorphic format. Special features include a theatrical trailer, television promotional spots and a World of Hammer episode titled Wicked Women. Also included in the DVD case on the flipside of the card listing the chapter stops is a reproduction of promotional material used for the film. I really find much enjoyment in these little touches, as it seems to indicate thought was actually put into the release, and a sense that one's getting their money's worth, even though this release seems a bit pricey.

Cookieman108

Excellent Hammer movie without Peter Cushing
Joan Fontaine is a teacher who was traumatized by a frightening voodoo ritual while in Africa. Years later, she accepts a job at a small private school and then strange things start to occur.

The DVD is released by Anchor Bay, there is excellent color and the sound is also outstanding. Extras include the original theatrical trailer, two TV spots that advertise the film as a double feature with Prehistoric Women, and the episode "Wicked Women" from the World of Hammer series.

It's always the quiet chills that "get" you!
Lucky me--I'm both a big fan of Joan Fontaine and Hammer Films, so "The Witches" is heaven-sent! I'd read about this movie years ago and have even caught snippets of it over the decades, but nothing prepared me for Anchor Bay's excellent DVD release! Crisp, clean, with deluxe packaging and interesting "extras," The Witches is a quality product all the way. Ms. Fontaine--whose screen persona ranged from innocent and shy (see Hitchcock's "Rebecca" and "Suspicion") to connivingly evil ("Born to Be Bad")--gives a low-key and totally convincing performance as "Gwen Mayfield," ex-missionionary teacher. Her new assignment, acting as headmistress to a private church school in quiet Heddaby (Cornish England) would seem to be an ideal move, considering her traumatic turn at the hands of African witchdoctors (shown in an exciting prologue). But what's this? There are strange "undercurrents" in Heddaby! Drownings, headless voodoo dolls, a burned-out church, and "the mangle!" Could it be? Is there actually (gasp)witchcraft afoot? Well, needless to say, with a movie called "The Witches," you can draw your own conclusions! It's interesting to see Fontaine at work--she lacks the bombast of, say, a Bette Davis or Joan Crawford. Instead, she handles her duties as Hammer horror heroine with great subtlety and panache. Watch for British film vet Kay Walsh, who practically steals the film--she's excellent! "The Witches" gets my highest recommendation!

Good Brit Witchcraft Film
Interesting story of African withcraft in Britain. Some suprising moments make the movie interesting. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The Hammeresque Creeping Flesh is a creepy thriller mixing one part Cain and Abel, a dash of Frankenstein, and a pinch of the Re-Animator with the best elements that '70s U.K. horror has to offer. Is evil a sickness that mankind can be cured of? Dr. Emmanuel Hildern (Peter Cushing) seems to think so. After returning from New Guinea with the ultimate skeletal specimen of evil it becomes his life's obsession. While Dr. Hildern closes in on the serum, James (Christopher Lee), his half-brother and rival, looks on with envy from behind the mental asylum he runs. He too is dabbling in science to find the cure of madness. However, with less of a success rate. After Dr. Hildern tests his evil serum on his daughter Penelope, she of course goes mad, goes on a killing spree, and ends up in Uncle James's asylum. Immediately recognizing his new inmate, Uncle James brings Penelope back home, only to find his brother's work and progress. In a fit of jealousy he steals the valuable skeleton which, unbeknownst to him, is slowly growing flesh and developing into an evil, uncontrollable monster.--Rob Bracco ... Read more

Reviews (16)

The creeping plot
Many British horror films tended to dwell on very similiar themes. This one is somewhat different, but it could have been much better if they spent more time developing it. The film begins focusing on the skeleton of an ancient creature that could be the missing link. Peter Cushing begins studying it and we learn that water makes skin grow back on the skeleton in seconds. This is pretty interesting, but then they fly off on a sub-plot about Cushing daughter learning that her mo ther went insane and she begins to follow suit. This part tends to go on and on showing us the insides of a seedy pub (all British horror movies are required to show a pub, I think it's a rule over there) and a confrontation with an escaped criminal. Christopher Lee plays Cushing's half brother and rival and he wants the skeleton Cushing has. The middle of this film is slow, but when it starts to rain, the movie cuts loose. The last ten minutes of this film is great, both the story and the visuals. This is overall decent film, just don't give up on it in the middle because it will redeem itself.

The World, the Flesh and a Devil in an unusual Amicus film.
The best aspect of this film is perhaps during the opening credits, where we see various sections of a truly fascinating painted canvas ecompassing all the aspects of the plot you are about to witness conveyed in a series of panned shots. The colors of this prop are brilliant. The second is perhaps when evil approaches and you see only an ever growing shadow of a caped figure rising ever larger over the front of the house! The story is well written, with an unusual idea on the origin of evil and implies a "book of revelation" portent for the future. The musical score is haunting and the acting and sets are fair. Two banes of humanity, Insanity and Evil are the focus of what our two adventurers are trying to solve, mainly to get the 10,000 pound Richter prize and the fame that would follow. However, a series of tragic foul-ups by lab assistant "Egors" release a catastrophe on all mankind, or so we are led to believe! Not the best film that this dynamic duo of horror ever made but very different and well plotted with a lot of Edwardian laboratory mumbo jumbo thrown in for "atmosphere".

The naughty finger...
The Creeping Flesh (1973), originally produced by Tigon Pictures and directed by Freddie Francis, a man fairly well known to fans of films from Hammer Studios and Amicus Productions (The Studio That Dripped Blood), brings together two screen legends in Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee (they appeared in a total of 22 films together over the years) in a slightly fantastic tale of things evil and nasty.

Peter Cushing stars as Emmanuel Hilden, a 19th century scientist, involved in the study of human evolution, recently returning from an expedition to New Guinea with what he believes to be a find of epic proportions in that of a rather grotesque looking skeleton, humanoid in appearance, but much larger than any man. Emmanuel sees innumerable opportunities associated with this find, and believes it's his ticket to recognition and lucrative scientific grant monies. On arriving home to England with his boney buddy, we meet Emmanuel's comely daughter, Penelope, played by Lorna Heilbron. Seems she's been holding down the fort, and things have been pretty tight, money-wise, as she's had to let go of two of the three or four servants employed at the house (talk about being in dire straits). Oh yes, Emmanuel's wife and Penelope's mother, Marguerite, has long since passed, or, at least that's what we're lead to believe.

Emmanuel's half-brother, James Hilden (Christopher Lee), who runs a mental asylum, sends word that Emmanuel's wife, who was an inmate, has just died, to which Emmanuel goes to the asylum to collect her personal papers and such, and we learn that James, who has been financing his half-brother's expeditions, is cutting Emmanuel off, and that James is on the verge of a scientific breakthrough dealing with curing insanity or some such thing. One can't help notice there seems to be a bit of jealously in the relationship, coming from James towards Emmanuel.

Anyway, Emmanuel returns home, and begins studying his find. In cleaning part of the skeleton with water (its' finger bone), he notices the part he cleaned with water begins growing flesh...ew...in examining a blood sample (it differs slightly from humans) and reading some dusty tomes, Emmanuel concludes he's found the source of evil, and that evil is not so much a concept but a disease, a plague, and something that one can be inoculated against. He seems to prove this by testing his newly developed serum on a monkey, and fearing that his daughter may suffer the same fate as her mother, possibly madness passed in the genes, he gives the serum to his daughter. Well, we see that the initial success with the monkey didn't last long, and Emmanuel's assistant comments that thankfully they didn't test the serum out on a human test subject (he didn't know about Emmanuel's injecting Penelope). So what happens? The madness overtakes Penelope, brought on by the effects of the injection from her father, and she runs away, only to end up in James' asylum after she commits various crimes involving murder. Obviously James recognizes her, and brings her back to Emmanuel's home, discovers Emmanuel's notes on his recent experiments, and sees the possibilities of incorporating Emmanuel's work into his own, which Emmanuel strongly declines, so James decides to make arrangements to steal his half-brother's work. Unsure of how the skeleton comes into play, but knowing it's a crucial element, he steals it, riding away with it in his carriage. Emmanuel realizes what happens, and begins pursuit. Oh yeah, it also starts raining. Do you think the skeleton, the one that reacted to the water when Emmanuel tried to clean it, will get wet? Count on it...what happens next? You'll just have to watch...

I thought the concept of evil being a disease, something which may be curable, to be a pretty original notion within the film. Cushing was great as the scientist swept up with visions of ridding society of evil, allowing for a, in his words, a new paradise on Earth. His character certainly falls into the category of the scientist with the best intentions, not foreseeing the dangers until it's too late. Lee was also wonderful as the greedy, resentful half-brother, living in the shadow of Emmanuel's achievements, capitalizing on an opportunity when it presents itself, not fully realizing the implications but seeing only the chance for personal gain. Some of the elements of the story seemed a bit slipshod, kind of like they were assembled of ill-fitting pieces, specifically designed to move the plot along. And I was hoping to see more of the creature, but, from what little we do see, it was probably for the best as it was kind of funky, probably due to budgetary constraints. The scenes with the creature's flesh covered severed finger were suitably disgusting, but I'll be darned if that appendage didn't look like some sort of battery-powered martial aid. (Keep in mind the creature was like seven or eight feet tall, and had proportionally sized fingers.) While the movie wasn't particularly scary, it was definitely creepy, and kept my interest all the way through the end. One thing that annoyed me a little was habit of hearing spoken dialog played again later on as a character would recall it within their mind. Seeing as how we were there the first time the dialog was spoken aloud, I didn't see the need to remind us of the pertinent information relayed through a character's inner dialog, as if to aid us, the viewer, in following along. It seemed a bit patronizing, and unnecessary. I did love the ending, despite the huge loose plot thread left dangling with regards to the creature. Maybe it was meant to be that way, left to our speculation.

Columbia Tristar Home Video provides a very nice looking wide screen print here. The audio seemed a bit soft at times, but there are English subtitles, which I made use of...the only thing in regards to extras available is an original theatrical trailer.

Cookieman108

Creepy Flesh
Emmanuel Hildern, played by Peter Cushing, returns from New Guinea with a large prehistoric skeleton. While cleaning one of the fingers of the skeleton with water, the finger starts to grow flesh. Hildern starts to reflect on the origin of "evil" and creates a serum that he believes will be an antidote for evil. He injects his daughter with the serum, because he believes she may be insane, since her mother was. The serum does not work and causes his daughter to go insane. James Hildern, played by Christopher Lee, is Emmanuel brother and after finding out about the skeleton and steals it. The skeleton is exposed to the rain and the "Creeping Flesh" comes to life.

Classic English Horror
So we have Christopher Lee (Dracula, Lord of the Rings, and Star Wars Episode III) and Peter Cushing (Star Wars and Shock Waves) in this 1973 film about "a terrifying journey through the nightmare worlds of evil, insanity, and terrible revenge." The film is wonderfully directed by Freddie Francis of such infamy as "Tales From the Crypt," "Son of Dracula," The Ghoul," and "Legend of the Werewolf."

Plot: A paleontologist comes to believe that evil is a blood-borne illness and that the vehicle for said disease is the re-animated flesh of a skeletal specimen recently recovered from New Guinea. Convinced that his wife had contracted this evil prior to loosing her mind, he is driven to concoct an immunization in an attempt to save his daughter from a similar fate. As this is a horror movie, things don't quite go as planned.

I own the movie on VHS and so eagerly anticipate its DVD release. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

First rate acting
Lee Marvin as Jekyl plays the embodiment of evil, unforgetable facial expresssions! However, in the sixties there was a TV film where Stacy Keach played Jekyl equally well, if not better.

We don't own a DVD player, this review refers to the original movie, seen back in the seventies.

"So you wanted to meet Mr. Hyde eh?"
This 1968 atmospheric and chilling Dan Curtis (Dark Shadows fame) production, made for television, is without a doubt, the best version of the Stevenson story ever done. Jack Palance stars as the submissive, shy, Jekyll and presents an image of Hyde that you will never forget! Portrayed in a Satanic, violent manner, the appearance of Hyde is clever in make-up design. He is not portrayed as a monster but rather as an unabashed hedonistic barfly, somewhat agressive, comical and evil at the same time. Hooked on the excitements that the night can provide; He eventually becomes "addicted" to being Hyde, enjoying the power and rule over women that it brings him. He eventually comes close to criminal prosecution and reforms back to the quiet life that Jekyll provides. However, his associate in chemical research demands money after he discovers that Hyde is Jekyll and Jekyll is Hyde. This leads Jekyll to rely on the drug transformation once more (his leftover bottle) to kill his associate and in doing so, also signs his own death warrant (he is dependent on his associates process of a certain drug to be combined with his own) Seeking escape he contacts a friend of Jekyll and agrees to meet at Jekyll's classroom in the medical academy. This is where a truly monsterous confrontation takes place with police in pursuit and the end will put a scare into you! Palance deserved an emmy for this but was robbed!

Atmospheric Victorian Thriller!
This was the first version of the story I ever saw so I may be a bit biased. As a long time student of this genre and of this story in particular, I can say that while not the Stevenson novella verbatim, it is still much closer than other adaptations. Of particular note are the references to drug addiction of young people in Victorian London. Mr. Palance gives a bravura performance in the dual role. Is it my imagination or does the Mr. Hyde make-up created by Master Make-Up Artist Dick Smith resemble classic depictions of Satan or perhaps the Satyr? Dan Curtis assembled an excellent cast in a sterling production. The new DVD version offers enhanced picture and sound quality as well as various subtitles for your viewing enjoyment. You may consider this video/DVD a valued asset to your collection of this strange story of one man's facination with man's dual nature. Perhaps there is a bit of Edward Hyde in all of us!

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
Jack Palance is outstanding in this very chilling and engaging version of Jekyll and Hyde. I fully concur with the prior review posted on August 22, 1999. This is my favorite version of this Gothic classic.

Gothic, atmospheric version
A chilling and atmospheric version. I wish it could have been taped on film rather than video, but that's a small matter. If you're looking for one of the best adaptations of the Jekyll and Hyde story, look no further than here. Jack Palance turns in a magnificent performance, capturing the meekness and nervousness of Jekyll, and then contrasting it with the energy and violent glee he invests in Mr. Hyde. Palance also does great in portraying the struggle between Jekyll and Hyde for dominance. He is also surrounded with Billie Whitelaw as a dancer Hyde seduces then abuses, named Gwen. She is terrific and sensual. Denholm Elliot also delivers a strong performance as Jekyll's friend. Much fog abounds and one gets the feeling of being in London at the time of Jack the Ripper. Also, worthy of note, is that Hyde is portrayed as charasmatic and devilishly handsome rather than hideous. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

This was the most depressing movie I've ever seen!
I first saw this movie when I was about 40 years old. Thankfully, I was watching it alone because I cried so hard at the end. Whenever I tell someone about the movie, it was so SAD that I could start crying just explaining what the movie was about. It was really good until the end and the ending was so disturbing, I would never watch it again!

a surprising little gem
Its odd how the most underated films can really surprise you. I saw this film for the first time recently, and I regret now not seeing it as a child, I had put off seeing it for such a long time. I did not expect to get too involved about the welfare of a few pit ponies; but honestly the film; inc story; performances and attention to detail are so well done that it almost has a timeless quality about it. Modest as it is; be warned the happy ending only comes with a rather surprising price unexpected for disney in the 70s. Rosemary Anne Sisson,wrote the screenplay also penned 'Ride a Wild Pony' for disney which came out around the same time; also recommended as a companion to this film, hopefully one day that film will be released as well.

A great pit pony film
This film was filmed entirely in the forbidding Yorkshire moors. It tells the story about the small working ponies that have spent their entire lives down in the coal mines and are about to be sold to the slaughterhouse. Although many famous faces appear, the real star of the show must surely be Flash the pit pony. Wrinkles

"Vintage" Disney Classic
This is the sort of quality family fare that will rarely, if ever, be made again. Produced in the mid 70's when 'The Waltons' was popular and America wasn't so afflicted with Attention Deficit Disorder, it earns its place as one of the best in Disney's period piece library. The cinematography is excellent with many colorful landscape panoramas and some choice episodes including a dog racing event in the Yorkshire countryside, visually interesting shots of old-fangled colliery machinery, worklife inside the coal mines, and an honest rendering of family life inside the village homes.

The characters of the story are all cast with competent actors, both child and adult. The films' action derives from the resourceful efforts of the kids to save the colliery ponies whose fate is a grim one in the face of production efficiencies soon to be installed by mine owner Alastair Sim-(played Scrooge in 'A Christmas Carol') The film has an innocent charm, although a little dated in both the period of history it covers and its storyline and humor. Even so its charm and quiet drama build to a surprisingly effective climax. There's a sense you've been treated to a unique glimpse of the past with a wide array of period detail providing rich realism. Anyone with patient appreciation for the concerns of children and an interest in the historic difficulties posed by economic/industrial evolution will find a gem in this film. Kids not addicted to video games may also find it enjoyable. Thanks Anchor Bay for a very good transfer to DVD.

Pit ponies
This movie was filmed in and around my 77 year old mother's home town of Doncaster, England. Her father was a miner until a mine collapse in the 30's left him permanently disabled. She saw this movie MANY years ago on TV & has been looking for a copy since. She and her sisters used to watch the ponies going down and coming out of the mines. It's a beautiful movie & brings back wonderful memories. ... Read more

Reviews (16)

The creeping plot
Many British horror films tended to dwell on very similiar themes. This one is somewhat different, but it could have been much better if they spent more time developing it. The film begins focusing on the skeleton of an ancient creature that could be the missing link. Peter Cushing begins studying it and we learn that water makes skin grow back on the skeleton in seconds. This is pretty interesting, but then they fly off on a sub-plot about Cushing daughter learning that her mo ther went insane and she begins to follow suit. This part tends to go on and on showing us the insides of a seedy pub (all British horror movies are required to show a pub, I think it's a rule over there) and a confrontation with an escaped criminal. Christopher Lee plays Cushing's half brother and rival and he wants the skeleton Cushing has. The middle of this film is slow, but when it starts to rain, the movie cuts loose. The last ten minutes of this film is great, both the story and the visuals. This is overall decent film, just don't give up on it in the middle because it will redeem itself.

The World, the Flesh and a Devil in an unusual Amicus film.
The best aspect of this film is perhaps during the opening credits, where we see various sections of a truly fascinating painted canvas ecompassing all the aspects of the plot you are about to witness conveyed in a series of panned shots. The colors of this prop are brilliant. The second is perhaps when evil approaches and you see only an ever growing shadow of a caped figure rising ever larger over the front of the house! The story is well written, with an unusual idea on the origin of evil and implies a "book of revelation" portent for the future. The musical score is haunting and the acting and sets are fair. Two banes of humanity, Insanity and Evil are the focus of what our two adventurers are trying to solve, mainly to get the 10,000 pound Richter prize and the fame that would follow. However, a series of tragic foul-ups by lab assistant "Egors" release a catastrophe on all mankind, or so we are led to believe! Not the best film that this dynamic duo of horror ever made but very different and well plotted with a lot of Edwardian laboratory mumbo jumbo thrown in for "atmosphere".

The naughty finger...
The Creeping Flesh (1973), originally produced by Tigon Pictures and directed by Freddie Francis, a man fairly well known to fans of films from Hammer Studios and Amicus Productions (The Studio That Dripped Blood), brings together two screen legends in Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee (they appeared in a total of 22 films together over the years) in a slightly fantastic tale of things evil and nasty.

Peter Cushing stars as Emmanuel Hilden, a 19th century scientist, involved in the study of human evolution, recently returning from an expedition to New Guinea with what he believes to be a find of epic proportions in that of a rather grotesque looking skeleton, humanoid in appearance, but much larger than any man. Emmanuel sees innumerable opportunities associated with this find, and believes it's his ticket to recognition and lucrative scientific grant monies. On arriving home to England with his boney buddy, we meet Emmanuel's comely daughter, Penelope, played by Lorna Heilbron. Seems she's been holding down the fort, and things have been pretty tight, money-wise, as she's had to let go of two of the three or four servants employed at the house (talk about being in dire straits). Oh yes, Emmanuel's wife and Penelope's mother, Marguerite, has long since passed, or, at least that's what we're lead to believe.

Emmanuel's half-brother, James Hilden (Christopher Lee), who runs a mental asylum, sends word that Emmanuel's wife, who was an inmate, has just died, to which Emmanuel goes to the asylum to collect her personal papers and such, and we learn that James, who has been financing his half-brother's expeditions, is cutting Emmanuel off, and that James is on the verge of a scientific breakthrough dealing with curing insanity or some such thing. One can't help notice there seems to be a bit of jealously in the relationship, coming from James towards Emmanuel.

Anyway, Emmanuel returns home, and begins studying his find. In cleaning part of the skeleton with water (its' finger bone), he notices the part he cleaned with water begins growing flesh...ew...in examining a blood sample (it differs slightly from humans) and reading some dusty tomes, Emmanuel concludes he's found the source of evil, and that evil is not so much a concept but a disease, a plague, and something that one can be inoculated against. He seems to prove this by testing his newly developed serum on a monkey, and fearing that his daughter may suffer the same fate as her mother, possibly madness passed in the genes, he gives the serum to his daughter. Well, we see that the initial success with the monkey didn't last long, and Emmanuel's assistant comments that thankfully they didn't test the serum out on a human test subject (he didn't know about Emmanuel's injecting Penelope). So what happens? The madness overtakes Penelope, brought on by the effects of the injection from her father, and she runs away, only to end up in James' asylum after she commits various crimes involving murder. Obviously James recognizes her, and brings her back to Emmanuel's home, discovers Emmanuel's notes on his recent experiments, and sees the possibilities of incorporating Emmanuel's work into his own, which Emmanuel strongly declines, so James decides to make arrangements to steal his half-brother's work. Unsure of how the skeleton comes into play, but knowing it's a crucial element, he steals it, riding away with it in his carriage. Emmanuel realizes what happens, and begins pursuit. Oh yeah, it also starts raining. Do you think the skeleton, the one that reacted to the water when Emmanuel tried to clean it, will get wet? Count on it...what happens next? You'll just have to watch...

I thought the concept of evil being a disease, something which may be curable, to be a pretty original notion within the film. Cushing was great as the scientist swept up with visions of ridding society of evil, allowing for a, in his words, a new paradise on Earth. His character certainly falls into the category of the scientist with the best intentions, not foreseeing the dangers until it's too late. Lee was also wonderful as the greedy, resentful half-brother, living in the shadow of Emmanuel's achievements, capitalizing on an opportunity when it presents itself, not fully realizing the implications but seeing only the chance for personal gain. Some of the elements of the story seemed a bit slipshod, kind of like they were assembled of ill-fitting pieces, specifically designed to move the plot along. And I was hoping to see more of the creature, but, from what little we do see, it was probably for the best as it was kind of funky, probably due to budgetary constraints. The scenes with the creature's flesh covered severed finger were suitably disgusting, but I'll be darned if that appendage didn't look like some sort of battery-powered martial aid. (Keep in mind the creature was like seven or eight feet tall, and had proportionally sized fingers.) While the movie wasn't particularly scary, it was definitely creepy, and kept my interest all the way through the end. One thing that annoyed me a little was habit of hearing spoken dialog played again later on as a character would recall it within their mind. Seeing as how we were there the first time the dialog was spoken aloud, I didn't see the need to remind us of the pertinent information relayed through a character's inner dialog, as if to aid us, the viewer, in following along. It seemed a bit patronizing, and unnecessary. I did love the ending, despite the huge loose plot thread left dangling with regards to the creature. Maybe it was meant to be that way, left to our speculation.

Columbia Tristar Home Video provides a very nice looking wide screen print here. The audio seemed a bit soft at times, but there are English subtitles, which I made use of...the only thing in regards to extras available is an original theatrical trailer.

Cookieman108

Creepy Flesh
Emmanuel Hildern, played by Peter Cushing, returns from New Guinea with a large prehistoric skeleton. While cleaning one of the fingers of the skeleton with water, the finger starts to grow flesh. Hildern starts to reflect on the origin of "evil" and creates a serum that he believes will be an antidote for evil. He injects his daughter with the serum, because he believes she may be insane, since her mother was. The serum does not work and causes his daughter to go insane. James Hildern, played by Christopher Lee, is Emmanuel brother and after finding out about the skeleton and steals it. The skeleton is exposed to the rain and the "Creeping Flesh" comes to life.

Classic English Horror
So we have Christopher Lee (Dracula, Lord of the Rings, and Star Wars Episode III) and Peter Cushing (Star Wars and Shock Waves) in this 1973 film about "a terrifying journey through the nightmare worlds of evil, insanity, and terrible revenge." The film is wonderfully directed by Freddie Francis of such infamy as "Tales From the Crypt," "Son of Dracula," The Ghoul," and "Legend of the Werewolf."

Plot: A paleontologist comes to believe that evil is a blood-borne illness and that the vehicle for said disease is the re-animated flesh of a skeletal specimen recently recovered from New Guinea. Convinced that his wife had contracted this evil prior to loosing her mind, he is driven to concoct an immunization in an attempt to save his daughter from a similar fate. As this is a horror movie, things don't quite go as planned.

I own the movie on VHS and so eagerly anticipate its DVD release. ... Read more