Just as there have been many spooky villains in Hammer movies over the years, there have also been many protagonists who protect our world from unholy horrors. Having appeared in several British serials and three movies, Professor Bernard Quatermass is one such hero, and Scream Factory is celebrating the iconic character by releasing Quatermass 2 and Quatermass and the Pit on respective Blu-rays. Originally slated to come out in May, the Blu-rays are now scheduled for a July 30th release, and we've been provided with the full list of special features.

Press Release: Hobbs End, Knightsbridge, London. While working on a new subway tunnel for the London Underground, a group of construction workers uncover a strangely shaped skull. Nearby, another discovery: a large, mysterious and impenetrable metal object. Initially mistaken for an unexploded bomb, the object and its strange power turn out to be far more horrific than anybody could have possibly imagined. Is it of this earth? Could it be the ancestral link to mankind's evolution? Or could it be an ancient link to the unleashing of the ultimate evil? There's only one man capable of unravelling the clues, and his name is Professor Bernard Quatermass, a man of science who thrives on the dark mysteries of the world. On July 30, 2019, SCREAM FACTORY™ is excited to present two seminal British sci-fi cult classics QUATERMASS 2 and QUATERMASS AND THE PIT on Blu-rays. A must-have for movie collectors and sci-fi enthusiasts, these definitive Blu-ray editions contain extensive bonus content, including new interviews, audio commentaries and much more! Pre-orders are available now at ShoutFactory.com

QUATERMASS 2 (1957) is the second and most talked about of the three science fiction stories written by Nigel Kneale and based on his critically acclaimed 1955 BBC series. Professor Quatermass, played by Hollywood veteran Brian Donlevy (Beau Geste, The Glass Key) reprising his role from The Quatermass Xperiment, is Britain's most clever scientist. Investigating a series of bizarre incidents that have been reported from a deserted area, he finds a group of soldiers and government officials that appear to be controlled by aliens from another world. When a close friend is brutally murdered by these beings, Quatermass leads a mob of local workers to a showdown with the extraterrestrials. Directed by Val Guest (The Day the Earth Caught Fire) and produced by Anthony Hinds (The Curse of Frankenstein), QUATERMASS 2 was retitled Enemy From Space for its U.S. theatrical release.

Written by legendary screenwriter Nigel Kneale, QUATERMASS AND THE PIT (1967) stars Andrew Keir (Cleopatra), James Donald (The Great Escape), Barbara Shelley (Village of the Damned), and Julian Glover (Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade). The film is directed by Roy Ward Baker (A Night to Remember) and produced by Anthony Nelson Keys (The Plague of the Zombies). For its U.S. theatrical release, QUATERMASS AND THE PIT was re-titled Five Million Years to Earth.

QUATERMASS 2 Blu-ray
Special Features:

  • NEW 2K scan of a pristine archival film print
  • NEW audio commentary with filmmaker/film historian Ted Newsom
  • NEW audio commentary with author/film historian Steve Haberman and filmmaker/film historian Constantine Nasr
  • NEW interview with Academy Award-winning special effects artist Brian Johnson (Alien)
  • NEW interview with assistant director Hugh Harlow
  • Vintage interview with director Val Guest
  • Audio Commentary with director Val Guest and writer Nigel Kneale
  • World of Hammer – Sci-Fi
  • U.S. Theatrical Trailer – ENEMY OF SPACE
  • Still Gallery

QUATERMASS AND THE PIT Blu-ray
Special Features:

  • NEW audio commentary with film historian Bruce G. Hallenbeck
  • NEW audio commentary with filmmaker Constantine Nasr and author/film historian Steve Haberman
  • NEW interview with actor Hugh Futcher
  • NEW interview with Academy Award®-winning special effects artist Brian Johnson (Alien)
  • NEW interview with clapper loader Trevor Coop
  • NEW interview with focus puller Bob Jordan
  • Interview with author Judith Kerr
  • Interview with actor Julian Glover
  • Interview with actor/writer Mark Gatiss
  • Interview with filmmaker Joe Dante
  • Interview with author/film historian Kim Newman
  • Interview with author/Hammer Film historian Marcus Hearn
  • Audio Commentary with director Roy Ward Baker and writer Nigel Kneale
  • World of Hammer – Sci-Fi
  • Theatrical Trailers
  • TV Spots
  • Alternate U.S. Credits
  • Still Gallery

Shout! Factory will continue to present the on-going SCREAM FACTORY™ home entertainment series in 2019 with specific release dates, extras and key art. Meanwhile, fans are encouraged to visit the Scream Factory main website (www.screamfactorydvd.com), follow them on Facebook (www.facebook.com/ScreamFactoryDVD) and Twitter (www.Twitter.com/@Scream_Factory) or to view exclusive video content on YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/user/ScreamFactoryTV/Home)

  • Derek Anderson
    About the Author - Derek Anderson

    Raised on a steady diet of R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps books and Are You Afraid of the Dark?, Derek has been fascinated with fear since he first saw ForeverWare being used on an episode of Eerie, Indiana.

    When he’s not writing about horror as the Senior News Reporter for Daily Dead, Derek can be found daydreaming about the Santa Carla Boardwalk from The Lost Boys or reading Stephen King and Brian Keene novels.