'TQX' now available on R1 DVD
The Quatermass Xperiment has just been issued in a Region 1 DVD. Regrettably, it has not come out as part of the MGM Midnite Movies series, which put it out on VHS but for some reason has never issued it on disc. Instead, it's been released by the indie outfit Hollywood's Attic, a company that tends to specialize in mainstream studio fare that for some reason has never been released by the home company.
The good news is that in general Attic obtains high-quality prints of their films, and that's the case here with TQX. Some information:
First and foremost, this is the original, uncut, full-length, 82-minute British film as released in the UK under its original title in 1955 -- not the slightly edited American version released here in 1956, called The Creeping Unknown (but a nifty title).
Second, the quality of the print is excellent. This is not a case of an Alpha Video-type company, with poor, scratchy, chopped-up prints and lousy sound. The picture quality of this disc is flawless -- no cuts, scratches, edits, nothing -- just a pristine print of the complete film. I thought the sound in a couple of very sporadic spots seemed a bit weak, but this may have been my imagination, or perhaps natural to the film itself, rather than an actual problem with the disc. In any case, it's so fleeting and extremely minor that it's barely perceptable, and, actually, hardly worth commenting upon (but I thought I should mention it in the interests of full disclosure).
Unfortunately, there are no extras on this disc -- though it does at least have scene selection. No commentary, trailers or other items. But at a time when many classic films are released by mainstream companies without extras, not even scene selection, this isn't surprising. The main thing, of course, is having the movie, and as it's never been released on DVD in the US and is long overdue, for the present, that's way more than enough.
Price and availability: So far, I've found this DVD listed on only one site, Movies Unlimited (moviesunlimited.com). The price is a higher-than-expected, though standard, $19.99. MU's on-line listing offers it at a "sale" price of $18.99, and while I'm happy to get a dollar off it's not exactly a major discount. Tack on to this MU's standard shipping costs -- $6.50 base charge, plus 50 cents per item -- and you're looking at a price of $25.99 for the DVD. (Economy shipping, which takes a few days longer, knocks $2 off that total, and it must be said that MU is very prompt with its shipping.) MU occasionally has discounts off an entire order or on shipping, so check for these, and also whether the title becomes available through Amazon or other outlets at some point. Even so, getting this film after so long may be important enough to suck up the cost and order it (I thought so, though I did luck into a discount).
Anyway, thought I'd pass on the news. I came across this new The Quatermass Xperiment DVD basically by accident while looking for something on the MU website, and cost notwithstanding, I ordered it and wasn't disappointed -- in fact, pleasantly surprised by its great quality. Unless and until the Midnite Movies franchise resumes and they decide to issue TQX on one of their DVDs, this is the only game in town -- and it's well worth it for fans of this terrific movie.
By the way, Hollywood's Attic has also released a DVD of the 1957 sequel, Quatermass 2 (US title Enemy From Space), also apparently only available from Movies Unlimited, at the same price. I didn't order it, as I have the Anchor Bay DVD (once out of print, but now available again from Amazon), but I suspect this disc is probably of equal quality to that of The Quatermass Xperiment.