X THE UNKNOWN
X THE UNKNOWN
Nearly Kneale
RELEASED
27 JULY 1956
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PG
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4K/Blu-ray Director Leslie Norman Cast Dean Jagger, Edward Chapman, Leo McKern, Anthony Newley
BLU-RAY DEBUT After lavish Collector’s Editions of Quatermass and Quatermass II, Hammer gives the same treatment to a film released between them. This tale of a threat from inner Earth, not outer space, was planned as a The Quatermass Xperiment sequel, but Nigel Kneale refused Hammer the rights to use his character.
Instead, Dean Jagger plays Dr Adam Royston, an atomic scientist called in when soldiers training in Scotland discover something radioactive. Soon sentient mud’s emerging from a fissure to roam around, scorching bystanders as it seeks substances to feed on. As the title suggests, Hammer once again embraces the X certificate, with some startlingly nasty shots of melting heads. They kill a kid too! Sprinkled with familiar faces (Leo “Rumpole” McKern, Kenneth “Marty Hopkirk” Cope, future Who companion Frazer Hines), it’s a pretty rote affair. Writer Jimmy Sangster (in his first feature credit: The Curse Of Frankenstein came next) adds some neat character touches though; future pop star Anthony Newley impresses as a squaddie who acts as a comic relief Greek chorus. It remains a second-tier Kneale knock-off, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t worth your time.