Quatermass II is the second of the Quatermass films with Brian Donlevy as Quatermass, the abrupt British scientist who saves the world on a regular basis. He was created by writer Nigel Kneale for BBC Television in 1955. Kneale wrote the 1st screenplay for the 1957 film and director Val Guest rewrote that to create the final script. Don Levy is the only actor to play the character. As the film opens up Quatermass is driving back to the rocket base he's head of. He sees an accident and stops to help. The sick driver is the first of clues, the second is a series of strange meteors that are falling in the English countryside. Quatermass inquiries lead him to the town of Winnerden Flats. He arrives with Marsh to have a look around and they find a remarkable site. An experimental station that's been taken right from the program Quatermass and his team have been developing. They find some of the meteorites on the ground, when March picks one up it bursts and he's infected by the gas inside. Quatermass sees something on the side of Marsh's face but machine gun armed men from the experimental site surround them and kidnap Marsh. They send Quartermass on his way with the butt of their gun. The steamroller that is Quatermass will soon punch through the secret conspiracy and put an end to their evil plan. I've seen the film 2 or 3 times already and still find it entertaining. Sometimes the bombastic Quatermass style is just what's needed. I might not want to work for the guy but I would want him working for me. The story is pretty good and there's usually something interesting going on. There's a good bit of action and a whole town gets slaughtered. There's giant monsters on top of that. It's a good addition to anyone's SF/Horror collection and a movie I'd still watch every few years.
The Pure Hell Of St Trinian's is the 3rd of the St Trinians' School For Girls series and it was released in 1960. It's co-written, directed and produced by Frank Launder and co-written and produced by Sidney Gilliat. They worked on the previous two films and the 4th film in the series.
The girls of the school are on trial for burning down their last school building. The Ministry of Education and the Police are celebrating the end of the school. Of course they've jumped the gun and they're crushed when the highly influenced Judge gives the girls another chance. After the man's passionate plea the girls are placed in the hands of Professor Canford of the University of Bagdad, who's played by Cecil Parker. The girls are to be rehabilitated under the new Head Mistress Miss Harker-Packer, played by Irene Handl. They have a year to get their act together or the school will be closed. Canford has a plan to send the girls in the 6th form on a cultural tour of the Greek Islands but the scheme is to kidnap them for a Sheik and his many sons. Flash Harry, Canford and PC Gates get set adrift in a lifeboat and wind up on a desert island. The kidnapped girls manage to get a message off to the school and the 4th form comes riding to the rescue. To get to the Middle East they commandeer a plane, throwing the sad men from the Ministry of Education from the plane, and beat up some soldiers. The girls are rescued and the school goes on. I've been enjoying these St Trinian's movies but I agree with Sperhauk, there wasn't enough of the girls in the school. It was probably easier to deal with adult actor's than the kid actors. They spend more time with the girls of the 6th form, most of whom are adults in real life. Still, I got several laughs, so that makes me happy. I'm glad to have the series in my collection and will watch them again in the future.
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