- Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1
- Video Codec: AVC/MPEG-4
- Resolution: 1080p/24 (23.976Hz)
- Audio Codec: English LPCM 2.0 Stereo (48kHz/24-bit)
- Subtitles: English
- Region: B (Region-Locked)
- Certification: 12
- Discs: 2 (1 x Blu-ray + 1 x DVD )
- Studio: StudioCanal (UK)
- Run Time:
- Blu-ray Release Date: October 11, 2011
- RRP: £22.99
[amazon-product region=”uk” tracking_id=”bluraydefinit-21″]B00525QJYO[/amazon-product]
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Overall
[Rating:4/5]
The Film
[Rating:4/5]
Video Quality
[Rating:4.5/5]
Audio Quality
[Rating:4/5]
Supplemental Materials
[Rating:3.5/5]
Click thumbnails for high-resolution 1920X1080p screen captures
(Screen captures are lightly compressed with lossy JPEG thus are meant as a general representation of the content and do not fully reveal the capabilities of the Blu-ray format)
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The Film
[Rating:4/5]
Horror and sci-fi mix together in this classic 1967 creature feature from the famed Quatermass series by Nigel Kneale that had a strong influence on Dr. Who and even John Carpenter. Andrew Keir plays Dr. Quatermass, who is called in to help investigate when a mysterious object is unearthed during an excavation in London’s underground. The area has long been associated with evil, but now Dr. Quatermass has discovered a link between ancient aliens and these recently unearthed creatures. They experimented on mankind in prehistoric times, altering the course of our evolution, and now, after lying dormant for years, they are threatening to destroy our entire planet with their immense psychic abilities.
This is not your ordinary B-Movie, Quatermass and the Pit is an intense and psychologically complex drama. Of course, it has its moments of cheesiness, this is 1960s sci-fi after all, but one can see straightway how this went on to influence some of the stalwarts of sci-fi and horror today.
Video Quality
[Rating:4.5/5]
This restoration looks sublime. There is a fine, sharp, and consistent layer of grain over the image, lots of texture and detail in objects and on skin, while colors look stunning. Blacks are inky where shadow detail remains nicely nuanced.
Audio Quality
[Rating:4/5]
The audio is a LPCM 2.0 Stereo (48kHz/24-bit) mix. The stereo imaging is somewhat narrow, but there is definite motion across the two channels. Some crackle and sibilant distortion can be heard in dialogue, but for the most part the soundtrack is a strong one given its age.
Supplemental Materials
[Rating:3.5/5]
There is a strong host of supplements offered up on the disc, particularly the audio commentary and interviews that give a lot of background detail on this film and the Quatermass series.
The supplements provided with this release:
- Commentary with Roy Ward Baker and writer Nigel Kneale
- Interviews (1.78:1; PAL):
- Judith Kerr
- Joe Dante
- Kim Newman
- Julian Glover
- Marcus Hearn
- Mark Gatiss
- “World of Hammer” Sci-Fi Episode (1.33:1; PAL; 00:24:35)
- Trailer (1.33:1; PAL)
- Alternate American Credits (1.66:1; 1080p/24)
- Alternate American Trailer (1.66:1; 1080p/24)
The Definitive Word
Overall:
[Rating:4/5]
Classic campiness done with far more class than anything from the other side of the pond, its hard to find anything to really laugh at about this creature feature. It’s just good stuff.
Additional Screen Captures
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[amazon-product region=”uk” tracking_id=”bluraydefinit-21″]B00525QJYO[/amazon-product]
Shop for more Blu-ray titles at Amazon.co.uk
Shop for more Blu-ray titles at Amazon.com
Overall
[Rating:4/5]
The Film
[Rating:4/5]
Video Quality
[Rating:4.5/5]
Audio Quality
[Rating:4/5]
Supplemental Materials
[Rating:3.5/5]
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