This is a tender, generous movie that likes its characters and presents them as real people, full of flaws and strengths.

if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.

If you like to be scared, if you like to laugh, and if you like to learn a thing or two at the movies, this absolutely cannot be missed.

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

I'm not old enough to have seen the original transmissions of the Quatermass series on TV, but have since seen them on DVD. There is really no comparison, this version (caught online through Britbox) of the Quatermass Experiment is below the production levels and engagement I would expect at a high school play.The basic idea of a live version I think has merit. The problem is this feels like a production using the first draft of a screenplay that's undergone absolutely no development. I really feel sorry for the actors, none of them comes over well, a few fare worse than others. Jason Flemyng as the central character, is quite simply miscast - that this wasn't evident to either the director or producers during preproduction is inexplicable. The sets are ho-hum and the dialog trudging. For fans of Quatermass (or any decent teleplay), one to be avoided.

The original BBC version of THE QUATERMASS EXPERIMENT shocked a nation way back in 1953 but this remake barely caused a ripple when broadcast three years ago and it's not too difficult to see why . Nowadays television audiences are much more sophisticated and television in the 21st century is more of a bastard child of cinema than theater , but it would be both churlish and incorrect to state that the failings and the lukewarm reception of this remake are down to the audience because the fault lies entirely with the production team A lot of people have complained about the anachronistic feel of the production . Indeed it doesn't really feel like it's set in the present day despite the scenes set at the Tate Modern and having BBC News 24 giving away exposition . Perhaps the most startling thing are the large number of characters who smoke , something both television production teams and government have cracked down on and I'm possibly correct in saying if this had been made in the Autumn of 2008 none of the actors would be allowed to smoke on screen by law Director Sam Miller usesa countless number of medium shots . In order to generate tension and atmosphere wouldn't close ups have been more effective ? Of course Miller is directing a live broadcast where anything or everything can go wrong so perhaps we should be more forgiving because of the amount of pressure he was under . Unfortunately any tension and atmosphere is diluted with the amount of clichéd POV shots and over head filming of London which outstay their welcome very quickly . There's also a lack of internal logic to these shots . If you're a mutating monster walking around London dressed in a cloak wouldn't someone call the police , and wouldn't the police be going out of their way to hunt down the mutating monster ? Are we to believe the monster hasn't been picked up on CCTV cameras ? Apparently the story is set in a world where we can send astronauts into deep space but no one has invented the close circuit TV camera . Do you understand the anachronistic criticisms now ? Some of the problems with the script actually lie at the door of Nigel Kneale . The original version of THE QUATERMASS EXPERIMENT was written as a suspenseful mystery . Alas however it was constructed very much as a whodunnit . Once you know what is happening to Victor Carroon etc there's little mystery involved . It's similar to watching a whodunnit unfold when you already know who did it so there's no surprises . Kneale did construct his story in an episodic form to be broadcast over a period of six weeks which leaves Richard Fell's adaptation very disjointed . In some places it's very slow and in other places so rushed you find yourself thinking if there's been a hitch in the production that stopped a scene being transmitted . We also have to endure a ridiculous scene where an art lover bleats " If you destroy beauty then we don't deserve to go on living " Oh please ! All in all this version of a Nigel Kneale classic is more of a nostalgic gimmick than anything else . If the BBC are thinking of doing a live version of QUATERMASS AND THE PIT then my advice is don't . It'd be terrible to see the greatest SF drama in the history of television turned in to something like this

We watched this the other night because of the reputation of the cast - particularly Mark Gatiss and David Tennant - not to mention the "iconic" nature of the name Quatermass. At the time we didn't know that it had been recorded live. Hence we had no idea why there were no special effects, strange Apprentice-style flyover shots of London, not to mention some bizarre prop choices (what *was* that thing that fell on the floor in the art gallery?!). Of course these were either caused by, or designed to overcome, the technical limitations of a live broadcast.However I still don't understand the anachronisms. If it wasn't for the Tate Modern and the BBC news bulletins, there would be no reason to think this wasn't a 1950's period drama. The dialogue was in the post-imperial stiff upper lip tradition and the newspaper reporter was, bizarrely, a teddy boy. The saddest thing is the complete failure of the programme to create any tension, fear or even intellectual curiosity on the viewer's part.A wasted opportunity. They should have given this to the Doctor Who production team and done it properly - i.e., not live.

The story may be 50 years old but this revised version,shown live in 2005, was every bit is tense and thrilling as the original.Great performances by David Tennant,Adrian Dunbar,Andy Tiernan and Jason Flemyng were overshadowed by the acting of Indira Verma and Mark Gatiss who stole the show.The lack of CGI and any real special effects will probably seem strange to the modern audience who like monsters and gore but I found it a treat to be able to use my imagination which was stoked up by the performances.The ending may also disappoint in this regard. However given the premise that Quatermass is appealing to the "Humanity" of the victims I think it works very well on an abstract level and has a creepy feel all of its own.The DVD version uses two clips taken from the recording of the final run through and allows for the smooth running of a couple of shots that, on the night, didn't go to plan! This is a pity as it gives the over all production too much polish and loses some of its "as live" appeal.No matter - maybe the programme will be repeated as was in the future (Or the cut scenes will appear as extras somewhere - they are not on the DVD unfortunately!).There is an easter egg on the video if you search for it - and is of great interest to Doctor Who fans! Bob