‘How do you kill mud?’ is the fascinating existential question posed by this enticingly drab sci-fi movie from 1956; if you enjoy seeing close –ups of 1950’s Geiger counters pointed at large lumps of mud, you’re in for a real treat here, and X-The Unknown features non-stop shots of exactly that. Of course, you can’t make a film from mud alone, so Leslie Norman’s film, partly directed by Joseph Losey, is a straightforward tale of science vs nature, with nature competing under the guise of a large slab of wet earth.
X-The Unknown was written as a sequel to Nigel Kneale’s tv and movie hit Quatermass, but the notoriously curmudgeonly author refused to have his characters used outside of his own story, and Dr Adam Royston (Dean Jagger) was invented as a hasty stopgap. He’s a whizzo scientist who gets called in to investigate when a mysterious being is spotted outside of the fictional town of Lochmouth, Glasgow, Scotland; an ethereal, other-worldly being that is able to pass through air-vents like a gas. Even in Glasgow, this kind of behaviour is seen as surprising, and so Royston decides to science the sh*t out of everyone by figuring out what this spectral being is.
A creation of the Hammer horror studio before they discovered blood, gore, girls and other blandishments to offer the audience, the Unknown creature is discovered by a motely collection of thespian soldiers (Kenneth Cope, Anthony Newley and Michael Ripper) before legging it up the A9 towards Inverness, turning everyone it encounters into melted skeleton candles along the way, including a couple who are daft enough to canoodle in a radiation room. Amongst such lo-fi spectacle, Royston’s laboratory really has to be seen to be believed; a small motorised crane behind a pane of glass, it’s described as a top security facility but looks more like a garden shed, and doesn’t inspire confidence that the authorities will prevail.
Relauched by Amazon Prime just in time to catch a fresh wave of social insecurity during a pandemic, X-The Unknown shares with the Quatermass movies a belief in science rather than the motives of government; not ideal viewing for the anxious. But X-The Unknown is a particularly British kind of horror; with an invisible monster that the professor hopes to combat with invisible radiation waves, there’s quite literally nothing to see here in the climactic but mud, mud, glorious mud, delivered in no parsimonious measures.
of all the Glasgowian experiences, Monty Python’s other-worldly Blancmange seems best of all . . . possibly?
haha, this one got lost in the swathes of inanity on my blog. You may well be right, is this where the Python blamange sprang from? Good shout!
Again, worth a shot even just for research. Better than most monster flicks.
Funny, I’m just writing about War of the Worlds, 1953 for my next review. This might not be classed as a blockbuster next to that WotW but it’s got me interested in watching. Great read.
Not a blockbusters for sure, although popular in the day. But science fiction it is, and the idea that aliens might not be people, or things, but gases is kind of cool…
ZOOM
https://photos.smugmug.com/Blog-shots/n-vBjzdx/2021/i-85M4p6s/0/1f28f828/X2/zoom-X2.jpg
I don’t recognize that handsome devil on the bottom left, but I’ll take him as an avatar any day.
French Frank Zappa?
I don’t see any canadian bacon in that picture. Are you sure that’s REALLY you?
He’s just getting ready to make some poutine.
My faith in your canadianess has just been restored!
My contact fully appropriate at all times
HE’S FRENCH!!!!
Who? Paul Rudd? The onion? The Lep? The critter? I really hope Regina King doesn’t read this…
What’s Paul Rudd got to do with it? Alex is French, Paul Rudd is from America, New Jersey I believe.
Who is the guy in the pic? It’s not Alex, that’s for sure!
Have you ever seen Alex???
https://images.app.goo.gl/grN93dakXkoySkG79
I checked the cast list and Alex’s name is not on the cast list, which is no surprise as that is him on the zoom screen. Case closed Bunty, I’m off to wash my hair.
Wait, I’m calling 300 witnesses and Lindsay Graham, that picture is how Alex identifies himself, I yield my time to the gentleman from Quebec, thank you.
He’s just kidding so you won’t feel bad about your beak.
It’s a mask. If only Alex could say the same…
Pfft. Nice try. Fail.
Nope.
Tu es fou comme un serpent coupé.
Ce’st bon chance, min petit chou! Alex, c’est un homme Alec les grand boggly-eyes and tete tres baldy, non?
Alec?? Is that another of your syoowdy nomdy plooms?
By any name, his boggly eyes and Savalas dome are unmistakable. So when is this zoom summit?
I don’t know. There are time space continuum thingys to take into consideration.
You say French, they say Canadian. I say un-American.
It’s all the same 😉
Logic worthy of Mister Spock.
Shhh, I’m trying to fix the time space continuum so we can have that zoom meeting and impeach Ol’10….
Ok let me know when it’s done.
I was almost done when Ol’10 tried to distract me with fake news. I don’t think I’ll be able to finish before tomorrow unless Alex can recalibrate the flux reversitors and get our positron levels up to full capacity.
Sigh. Never mind, onwards ever onwards dear chap.
If I knew some more star trek’y phrases, I’d use them too…
Just looked this up; nope, never heard of it…
Best I could do to represent your Frenchness.
Oh, right, now I get the thing about the chips. You do know Alex and Bookstooge look more like the onion than they do Paul Rudd?
Totally Fake News. Report the truth!
There is no such person as Paul Rudd. He’s a collective hallucination….
Agreed. The point is probably moot. I wish I was Jessie’s Girl.
Your musical references have sailed off into deep space, well over my head.
Which is still in the post…
I’m using my backup head. Not quite as shiny, but it works….
Great, crank it up because we’re just getting started!
That point is probably also moot. So when is this zoomapolosa?
The moon and stars came out to play…
Paul Rudd selling onions?
Beats your sickly pic, Beaker!
Up yours, baldy!
Bald is beautiful, baby. And besides, I’m wearing a beret.
Fraggle will get a real shock when she sees the guy from Hills Have Eyes 2 on her zoom…
No, I look like the guy from the original Hills Have Eyes. Horror franchises aren’t your thing, are they?
No, I leave that kind of stuff to the professionals…as long as the world isn’t expecting Paul Rudd with an onion…
Beret or not…
Order, Order in the ZOOM!
Who’s in charge? Nobody. Well, then. You’re all fired, except me, Fraggle and Alex. I sentence everyone else to be dragged down hallways by lepreconns…
Up yours baldy as well!
Ohhhhh, Warwick is going to get you so gooooooooood….
Anti-leprechaun and anti-bald. Grounds for impeachment.
Exactly! We need a 3/4 majority to remove Ol’10 from presiding over this blog. I’ve been out stumping and am not sure we actually have the votes…
He’s as good as gone. People are shocked at all the corruption and the falling tone of discourse that he has presided over. Sad!
This blog has been Isley praised to the high quality of engagement with commenters. Now, hop it, you weasels! Regina King might be here at any moment! Clear off! This is a time for unity, so away and raffle yourselves!
Politically motivated witch hunt!
Wouldn’t that be a “Warlock Hunt’ since you’re a guy?
You are an enemy of the people! I just need you to find 13000 votes for blog of the year for me. And if you don’t, that could be criminal, so you’d better do what’s right…
Stop evading the question. You’re a warlock, aren’t you?
* gasp *
YOU ARE CROWLEY AND NESSIE IS ALL YOUR FAULT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Somebody call the newspapers, stat!
Not getting involved with the fake news media… no more partisan outbursts from you!
* bangs gavel *
The defendant will be silent unless poked with a big stick. Then he may say “ouch”.
Haha! I don’t recognize the jurisdiction of this court! Away and bang yer gavel somewhere else, Mr Fozziewig!
I’m an American. My Jurisdiction reaches to the vast unknown reaches of Space and Time itself.
I hold you in contempt of court and fine you 3 sardines…
Haha, today maybe not the best day to be linking America to justice! You can’t charge me while I’m in office, you can’t charge me out of office, you can’t charge me because I am your king and they lied when they told you this was democracy. C’etat, c’est moi! Adios, suckers! Fine yourself three sardines!
I’ll boot him into another dimension, sunshine.
Nope. Can’t stand mud.
Sigh. It doesn’t come out the telly, you know? Lots of men in lab coats and test tubes?
Are they miniaturised?
I can have them miniaturised for you if that helps.
Not bothered either way, just wondered how they got men into the test tubes. I suppose they could be giant test tubes, might be an easier fix.
No, I’ve raised false hopes, nothing like that happens in this film, but there are large patches of mud?
Not doing mud.
Sigh
Mud from outer space in Glasgow?
No mud, not from anywhere.
Sigh.
I always think of this as a Quatermass movie still. And they did make something out of nothing.
That final battle between the invisible monster and the invisible radio-waves really does have you wondering what you’re actually looking at; you just have to imagine the action. And yes, the X in the title refers to the previous movie the Quatermass X-periment, so it’s semi-canon.
But how did you feel about your hometown being slimed?
Stuff like that happens every weekend in Glasgow.
That’s true, I’ve had an overnight stay there. Once.
Many etheral beings?
What do they look like?
Well, you can’t see them so it’s hard to say. You maybe had one in your room while you were here and never knew it.
Did you get a proper breakfast the next morning?
I can’t remember. I was kept up half the night by Russian drunks having a party in the next room. Went to reception at 2am and insisted on being given a different room away from them. Got a nice suite though.
Oh, that sounds hospitable, where was that?
Glasgow
Any particular establishment?
A hotel with lots of floors, I was very high up and it was next to a big road with lots of lanes and traffic. Can’t remember a lot the trauma of it all has made me repress it.
Ok, sorry on behalf of Glasgow, won’t happen again.
Certainly won’t, going to Edinburgh next time.
Oh. sorry to hear that.
Sounds like prime material for Rifftrax treatment….
It would work for that purpose, for sure.
From that enthusiastic response, I take it you are not a big fan of that that style of movie (re)making?
Not at all, big fan of MST3K and what followed. Always a few choice moments in there, and not one of these stuck up purists who feels that films must not be made fun of. Films, and people, should be regularly made fun of, and you’re top of the list, Bunty.
That is some big talk coming from a Lep Denier, buntY!
I love that rifftrax has released all their drek onto amazon for free. I just put it on in the background and let the bad movie’ness wash over me 😀
I’ll wash over you in a minute, Bunty! I’ll come over there and boot your around your own back-garden if you don’t show some respect!
As Grandmaster Fraggle would say:
Phhhhht!
PfffT! Blerk! I rule you! The only show you run is the puppet show! Haha! Take that!
*takes a swig of energy drink*
Ok, bUnty, you asked for it!
Your momma wears combat boots!
Ohhhh, so pwnd!
(and all the exclamation points are like salt in the gaping chest wound I just inflicted!!!!!!)
Right, this is what a PR person complemented me on the other day, the ‘high levels of engagement’ on my blog….my mother wears combat boots for stomping on your lego! Hahah! Except your crayons are all melted and your dollies all have teeth marks on their legs! Touche! Fancy some more? Get hard or go home, Bunty!
Hey, when I insult someone, I do it with class. That PR person obviously has a good eye for quality commentors. Give that person a raise!
They were very impressed with the standard of interaction I have with my commentors. Right, come back here and I’ll smash your teeth in, Bunty! I’ll knock you into the middle of next week!
Can you knock me into next weekend? I wouldn’t mind skipping the whole of next week.
I’ll knock you into about 5pm on Friday night and you can walk from there, ok?
Perfect! Friday nights are always good because you know the week is over…
Great, now, open wide so I can smash your face in….
Ha, this face? Worth a billion dollars. And hard as diamond. Because I’m bionic!
Certainly doesn’t look like something nature intended, Bunty! If this was a fight, it would have been stopped by now, enjoying being on the ropes?
Are you kidding? I’m in complete control here. I’m just toying with you, making you feel good on your blog. Once I crank up the bionicometer to 11, then the fight is done….
Yawn. Ok, let me know when it starts…what’s this about a zoom? I’ll show you who’se zooming who!
I have a feeling Fraggle is secretly filming us and selling this fight on Pay Per View. I have to admit, it IS an epic fight. Totally worth $25.99
I saw see you at Fraggleslam XXVI? Rips shirt, shows teeth to camera. Bring it on!
I only attend if there is a guaranteed Cage Match and match stick chairs I can throw at people.
Nicolas, Luke and avant-grade composer John Cage all will be there…it’s going to be the ultimate cage fight!
Awesome! I always wanted to smash a matchstick chair over Nicolas’s head for playing Ghost Rider! Now I’m incentivized….
Great, I’ll take the sign up fee from your Prime account…
Oh no, you’re not getting any money. Fraggle is the one secretly filming this. She gets the money….
Too late, we empties your Amazon prime account. So long, sucker!
Hahahahahaa. You fell right into my cleverly disguised trap.
now, All Your Base Are Belong to Us!
Nope!
😀
If I want your opinion, I’ll beat it out of you Bunty! On zoom, apparently!
That’s Mister buNty to you….
and you owe me $25.99
To watch myself kick your ass in pay per view! Ha! I’ll be doing society a favour, I’ll do it for free!
…. and your mother smells of elderberries!
(if that’s not an argument clincher, I don’t know what is)
Ancient Monty Python routines, you’ll need better than this!
The classics are a classic for a reason….
Out of date by 1975, mate. Try harder.
This is YOUR blog. You are supposed to do all the heavy lifting. I’m just the straight guy feeding you quips and one liners.
I am definitely going to be renegotiating my contract, I am not getting paid enough. And I’m firing my agent, he did a terrible job!
Just bluster because you can’t think of any decent insults expert from 50 year old movies. Thank u, next!
Fighting Hulk Hogan next, then Ivan Drago…
Is Hogan even alive? Man, first you pass the buck and try to make me do all the comedic lifting around here then you fight dead guys and try to pretend they are still tough.
Shame on you Ol’10, shaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaame….
Hogan very much alive, which is more than I can say about your jokes. Have you seen fraggle’s picture?
Alive? probably as a shambling husk of his former glorious self. Shame again I say!
I did. It made me laugh out loud 😀
No response! I’ll come over there and kick you up and down the high street like the fey dog that you are!
This doesn’t bode well for the Zoom meeting.
wut? Wut zoom meeting? Nobody told me this was mooted?
You should read your comment sections. Alex did the mooting, Booky seconded it and I thirded it. This was on the 1 night in Miami revue. A zoom horror musical is mooting as we speak.
Sigh. Am I expected to follow every garbled conversation on here? Even when I’m not involved? I fear any zoom would degenerate into chaos…
No change there then.
Sure thing, buNty.
And Warwick told me he’s going to kick your begonias for being such a public Lep Denier. He’s never been so insulted in his life. I told him I’d totally back him up, so just give up now….
Weak sauce, bro. That all you got, some mumblings about leprechauns? I’m declaring this a non-starter as a bout…
You aren’t the referee, so you don’t get to say weaksauce. So sit down and eat your spaghetti, you ungrateful pasta denier…
Wut? I’m smashing you like Mr T…..
Sure, sure, you keep thinking that, “Rocky”….
(and I mean old Rocky, from like Rocky 15, not Rocky 1 or 2)
You’re Stallone now, I’m Apollo Creed in 76! Ha!
Have you SEEN the Expendables? Stallone is even muscle’ier than ever!
And Creed was killed by the Predator. So your now dead and I don’t see dead people.
Both films for film the weak. Next!
You sir, are no critic. Everyone loves Predator and the Expendables.
Only boys whose momma’s wear combat boots don’t.
Oh, totally pwn’d again!
You’re Bookstooging your own pants and you know it!
Jokes on you. I’m not wearing any pants!
That’s a formal warning for indecency. Plug pulled. Fight ended. Victory awarded to Film Authority; no contest. Next bout; Critters.
The critters aren’t wearing pants! So why don’t you critique them for that? I’m sensing a serious double standard here. One for me and one for movies.
You’re all scuzzy little alien animals who don’t know any better, so yes, I take your point.
Geez, this rampant tirade of lies about me not being All American again? How much canadian bacon and maple syrup do I have to consume to convince you? I’m getting fat here!
Run, as fast as your little blue legs will carry you! Right, who will I fight next, that was easy!