Euston, we have a problem

[PLAYSWITHMACHINES]

I was not sure where to place this thread, so i put it here
Euston films was started in  1971 and was one of the fathers of english quality series & films.
They, together with Hammer were responsible for a whole series of cult classics like Dracula & Frankenstein etc etc.
Such stars as Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing and Vincent Price were brought to our screens.Cushing, you may recall, made a brief comeback as the captain of the Death star in Star Wars.

One of the great SF classics from the BBC was the Quatermass series, some of which were released as films, re-made in 1967 by Euston films (probably the best version, but i can't find an English copy on the Toob), and yet again in the 90's.
"Quatermass & the Pit" (written by Nigel Kneale) This film scared the crap out of me as a kid, & is still a pleasure to watch....
Here is the Wiki link giving some backround info;
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quatermass_and_the_Pit

As you progress through the film, it may occur to you that many statements stand out as bring 'ahead of their time'.

At this point, you may want to see the film first, as i will now discuss it's content, and it will give away the plot, as it were.
This is the original series, as was first aired in December 1958 and not in '55 as i first thought, the youtube date is probably wrong:



At part 14, Quatermass is ready to announce his theory as to the origin of the craft.

Quatermass has just learned that his 'civilian rocket programme' has been taken over by the military, with the goal of placing ICBM's on the Moon & possibly Mars.
'he who controls the moon, controls Earth' being their strategy.

Quite advanced for 1958 don't you agree?

There's more. Quatermass then explains his theory behind all the finds they made at the 'dig'.
This theory involves the 'seeding' of Earth by aliens, millions of years ago.
Primates were shipped offworld and 'altered in ways we can't imagine, by methods we can only guess at'. In other words, he was talking about genetic engineering, which had yet to be invented.....

Earlier, he had already discovered that the craft was made of a super-material, smoother than glass, harder than diamond, and very heat resistant.
He was describing nano-materials like Graphene.

He also discovered that there were no 'controls' or wiring as such, only the remains of gossamer-like threads in the cockpit.
He was describing glassfibre controls embedded in the frame, which we use in our latest helicopters etc.

He goes on to point out that the computer & drive system must be integrated into the hull, as there was nothing mechanical or electronic to be found inside.
He was describing nanotech as it will evolve in the near future.

Then there is an incident, where they are all affected by the 'appalling noise' from the craft, which to me sounds like sonic weapons
Later still, they discover that the real 'pilots' of the ship were the 'insects' in the cockpit, the 'man-like beings' were in fact the CARGO.

So Earth was seeded by aliens, notice there's no mention of lizards here, but they were close....

Another effect from the craft was mind control.
Humans were 'posessed' and began killing each other, animals etc. This appeared (in the film) to be caused by sonic/electromagnetic effects. ELF was not mentioned, but the meaning is pretty clear. It appeared also, that these aliens (because they were small & had 'horns' on their heads) turned out to be the source of all 'demon' literature on Earth, and that their symbol (the pentagram) was found inscribed in the craft!

Creepy, or what?
There's more

The 'posessed' humans start using telekinesis to kill each other, their higher brain functions having been awakened by the oscillations from the craft.

The craft itself has been tapping energy from it's surroundings, including induction from nearby cables, & even human body heat: "You have to wear gloves, Sir, it will give you frostbite even though it's not cold to the touch". This is how energy can be extracted from the environment, a la ZPE theory

Quatermass at one point says "it's using some kind of twisted energy".
Hmm, Torsion field theory? Sacred geometry?.

Near the end of the film, the craft begins to dissolve, forming a great alien-shaped lump of energy (plasma?).
Quatermass called it 'direct matter-to-energy conversion'.
The brave archaeologist finally kills the beast by 'earthing' it with a crane!
OK he got fried, but he did save the world, & Quatermass gets to go home with the pretty assistant

Remember, this was 1958.

Where did Kneale get all these ideas, most of which are now becoming reality?
Was Kneale closer to the truth than he knew?
PWM

[starwarp2000]

Just Downloaded all the 21 parts of the video 
Now to watch it 

[PLAYSWITHMACHINES]

It's a brilliant film, enjoy it

The 1967 version is better (it's in colour for a start) and the assistant is better looking and the spaceship looks less like a trashcan

But i posted the original because it was.....original. The ideas were just way ahead of their time, that's what really interested me..

[Somamech]

Yikes after posting this "thanks" i am going looking to see i can get both films   

Thanks PWM 

It ties in so well with the sentiment that many have regarding Apollo and the lack of any Human Lunar Mission since 

Another plus is that I love these old films in general, nothing like watching an old black and white on the couch for a bit of R an R

I am not the best media watcher when it comes to Films etc, but heck when you watch all the old ideas compared to new idea's its sorta a brain bender.  Not sure where i stand on that, as it seems the whole idea seems to be concurrent, Yet Nasa and the likes seem to like telling larger tales of the dead solar system LOL

Anyway PWM thanks for the Movie.. can't wait to see it

[starwarp2000]

It's a brilliant film, enjoy it

The 1967 version is better (it's in colour for a start) and the assistant is better looking and the spaceship looks less like a trashcan

But i posted the original because it was.....original. The ideas were just way ahead of their time, that's what really interested me..

So right!
That film was made in 1956 and it mirrors exactly the Brookings Report, and how the PTB would handle any extraterrestrial contact.
Soma is right about NASA.
Opportunity finds a fossil, it gets ground to dust, Curiosity runs over a protuberence.... oops, we slipped!
Seems it isn't the population that can't handle the existence of other life in the Universe, it's the Establishment!

[PLAYSWITHMACHINES]

Ah, the Brookings report. Yes, i think they were voicing their fears back then, not ours.

Seems it isn't the population that can't handle the existence of other life in the Universe, it's the Establishment!

I don't think it was merely a case of copying Hollywood's approach of 'we-dont-know-what-it-is-so-lets-blow-it-up'. I think the writer was too smart for that, he was showing us what the gubmint would probably do.

I like the part where the army captain is in total denial, kinds of rings bells in my mind...

[undo11]

peter cushing as grand moff tarkin, in star wars IV: a new hope.
man he has some serious cheekbones

[starwarp2000]

peter cushing as grand moff tarkin, in star wars IV: a new hope.
man he has some serious cheekbones

Yes, they tried to copy his look in the remake, preview, the one before the other. LOL If I say Episode IV or maybe Episode III, there is always someone who complains.
Anyway in the second batch of Star Wars movies (Which really came before the other ones) in the last of that series when Darth Vader arrives... they have a guy who is supposed to look like Peter Cushing but doesn't even come close.
Amazing really, they could have just mapped his face with CG and made it real 

[starwarp2000]

The 1967 version is better (it's in colour for a start) and the assistant is better looking and the spaceship looks less like a trashcan

If anyone is interested, the 1967 Version was called 'Five Million Years to Earth' and 'Quatermass and the Pit' in different countries.

A Link to the IMDb entry:http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0062168/

and a link to a Torrent:  http://thepiratebay.se/torrent/3749853#

But i don't know anything about those 

[PLAYSWITHMACHINES]

Oops!
These adresses are blocked in my country;

thepiratebay.org
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The network provider says they regret this, but they have been placed under a court order restraint. They are protesting this, saying that no court has the right to play internet cop...

(Translation)

On 10 may the Court in the Hague instructed us to block this site for all of our customers. This measure is the result of the lawsuit that the Foundation BRAIN has launched against *****, among others.
***** is disappointed in the ruling. We are fundamentally opposed to the filtering of internet traffic and find that telecom providers never have to take the role of policeman.
The judge has decided that we should make the website of the Pirate Bay inaccessible for our customers. And here we will from 24 may 2012, under protest, keep.
Below is the complete list of IP addresses and URL-domain names that we should block on the basis of the judgment. We have in the ***** network access to these sites blocked. Your behavior on the internet is not checked. Not by us and not by other parties.