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What ought to be appreciated as one of the most prescient of 1950s suspense films holds a place among the best science fiction movies ever — and it formed a style template for a thousand paranoid spy thrillers to follow. Val Guest pares Nigel Kneale’s fantastic storyline down to its essentials, making his scientist-hero the perfect secret agent to confront a sinister techno-political conspiracy… from outer space.

Quatermass 2

Blu-ray

Scream Factory

1957 / B&w / 1:66 widescreen / 85 min. / Street Date July 30, 2019 / 29.95

Starring: Brian Donlevy, John Longdon, Sidney James, Bryan Forbes, William Franklyn, Vera Day, Charles Lloyd Pack, Tom Chatto, John Van Eyssen, Percy Herbert, Michael Ripper, John Rae, Michael Balfour.

Cinematography: Gerald Gibbs

Film Editor: James Needs

Makeup: Philip Leakey

Art Direction: Bernard Robinson

Original Music: James Bernard

Written by Val Guest, Nigel Kneale from his teleplay

Produced by Anthony Hinds

Directed by Val Guest

Here’s yet another fine 2019 Blu-ray release...

This forgotten Alistair MacLean action thriller packs a rare starring role for the young Anthony Hopkins -- he's really good as secret agent Philip Calvert, battling gold thieves in the Scottish Isles. He's got a James Bond attitude in a more down-to-Earth adventure. When Eight Bells Toll Blu-ray Kl Studio Classics 1971 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 94 min. / Street Date March 8, 2016 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95 Starring Anthony Hopkins, Robert Morley, Nathalie Delon, Jack Hawkins, Corin Redgrave, Ferdy Mayne, Wendy Allnutt, Maurice Roëves, Derek Bond, Leon Collins, Peter Arne, Oliver MacGreevy, Tom Chatto, Del Henney. Cinematography Arthur Ibbetson Film Editor John Shirley Original Music Angela Morley Written by Alistair MacLean from his novel Produced by Elliott Kastner Directed by Etienne Périer

Reviewed by Glenn Erickson

Producer Elliott Kastner stretched Alistair MacLean's brand of military action adventure to James Bond extremes in the expensive, very popular Where Eagles Dare of 1968. Several MacLean adaptations got underway,...