Being a huge fan of Hammer Studios, I’m so thrilled that they are finally doing what they can to keep the name alive. I’ve heard several times over the last couple of decades that they have new owners, and they are going to start new productions and do all this merchandising . . . and then nothing. But it sure seems with this new one, John Gore, is really doing it. They have already released special editions for the films Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter (1974) and The Four-Sided Triangle (1953) and now are set to release the film that really put them on the map, The Quatermass Xperiment (1955).

Before we get into the meat of this new release, I do have to say that while I’m thrilled at the work and effort they are putting into these, I don’t understand why we need 3 versions of the same film but with the different aspect ratios. Is there that much of a demand for them? Maybe there is. Who knows. I would just hate to spend close to a C-note on one movie with 2 versions that would most likely never watch. That being said, I’m more than excited that they have given this special edition treatment to such an important film, since this one is really the one that help them launch into their legacy that we know today.

Hammer Film Productions had been around since 1934, starting out as a releasing company before going into creating their own productions. They figured it would cost them less and make more money to produce low budget films and release them themselves, then just buying titles to release. They would make crime dramas, film noirs, some science fiction tales, but did their best making film adaptations of popular radio serial programs. In 1953, there was a 6-part series created for television, released in 30-minute episodes, called The Quatermass Experiment. It became so popular that it was said to empty the pubs the night it was broadcast because everyone wanted to be at home to watch. One of those was Hammer producer Anthony Hinds, who saw the possibility of making a film version of it. Which they did in 1955 with their version, now called The Quatermass Xperiment (leaving the E off to hype of the X-rating). It was highly successful and putt Hammer into a different league of producers of film. Two years later with the release of The Curse of Frankenstein, and British horror would never be the same.

The Quatermass Xperiment is one that I feel still holds up today. Even with the science fiction story, the character of Prof. Bernard Quatermass is a close cousin to Dr. Frankenstein, not looking or caring at what “could happen”, but just driven to move forward anyway, no matter the cost. With an incredible cast, some incredible special effects, and highly original story from the mastermind behind it, Nigel Kneale, it remains a classic in the horror and sci-fi genre for a reason.

This set is listed at $82 with the pre-orders start on April 25th and the set to be released on June 6th. The first 10 orders will get a limited-edition quad poster with their order, and the next 500 pre-orders will receive a limited edition Quatermass Xperiment mission patch. For all the details, head over to their site HERE.

This massive set includes 5 discs, 2 of them being UHD and 3 Blu-rays. Below is a breakdown of everything on the set.

• Included in the same set as the film for the first time, the existing episodes from the original BBC television series.
• Three iterations of The Quatermass Xperiment: the widescreen 1.66:1 UK Theatrical Version, the full screen 1.37:1 As-Filmed Version and the widescreen 1.85:1 US Theatrical Version re-titled The Creeping Unknown.
• Brand-new 5.1 mix for 1.37:1 and 1.66:1 versions alongside the original mono film soundtrack.
• Packaged in a high-end, leather-feel slipcase with debossed red and silver titling.
• A rigid inner box featuring new artwork by cult favorite artist Graham Humphreys.
• A double-sided poster of original one-sheets
• Eight act cards featuring facsimiles of the original UK cinema lobby cards.
• 180-page booklet featuring new and reprint articles and reproductions of original publicity.
• 56-page comic featuring a reprint of the comic strip from legendary 1970s magazine The House of Hammer.

The discs feature:

• New commentary with actor and comedian Toby Hadoke, Nigel Kneale’s biographer Andy Murray and Wayne Kinsey, writer of numerous books on Hammer.
• New commentary with Stephen R. Bissette, artist and film historian.
• New commentary with filmmaker and Hammer expert Constantine Nasr and writer/producer Dr Steve Haberman.
• Archive 2003 commentary with director Val Guest and Hammer expert Marcus Hearn.
• The Legend of Nigel Kneale: The Creeping Unknown. Who was Nigel Kneale? Toby Hadoke investigates the man and his influence in part one of a brand-new two-part documentary.
• Unstoppable: Unleashing The Quatermass Xperiment. A close look at the making of The Quatermass Xperiment, with contributions from Jon Dear, Stephen Gallagher, Toby Hadoke, Wayne Kinsey, Andy Murray and Stephen Volk.
• The Quatermass Experiment: the remaining two episodes of the landmark 1953 BBC serial.
• Patient Zero. Award-winning actor and writer James Swanton, who played Carroon in the live, 70th anniversary production of The Quatermass Experiment, examines the life and career of Richard Wordsworth.
• Monstrous! Stephen R. Bissette talks briefly about Phil Leakey and the make-up effects used in the film, for a section trimmed from the audio commentary.
• The Eric Winstone Bandshow. A musical short from Hammer that played alongside The Quatermass Xperiment at the August 1955 UK premiere.
• The Kneale Tapes. A 2003 BBC documentary that explores the career of Nigel Kneale, arguably one of the most significant writers of the post-war generation.
• Cartier and Kneale in Conversation. From the 2005 BBC DVD. Writer Nigel Kneale and producer Rudolph Cartier reminisces about their work on the seminal Quatermass series.
• Making Demons. From the 2005 BBC DVD. An interview with Jack Kine and Bernard Wilkie, visual effects pioneers at the BBC.
• Val Guest 2000 interview from the Festival of Fantastic Films archive.
• Val Guest 2003 interview from original UK DVD release of The Quatermass Xperiment.
• Exhuming The Quatermass Xperiment. A look behind-the-scenes at how the new 4K restoration of The Quatermass Xperiment was made.
• Original trailers, foreign titles, Super 8 cut-down versions and the original BBFC censor cards for both The Quatermass Xperiment and The Eric Winstone Bandshow.
• Extensive image gallery of stills and publicity material, alongside tracks from James Bernard’s score.
• Quatermass and the Pit Omnibus Titles. From the 2005 BBC DVD. The bespoke titles used for the omnibus repeat edition of the third Quatermass TV series.
• TV Series Photo Gallery. From the 2005 BBC DVD. Rare photos of the original BBC productions.