Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Worth buying to fill in those Quatermass gaps, 6 Oct 2008
**** slight spoilers ****
I bought this double audio CD set, based partly on the strength of the other reviews and, having thoroughly enjoyed the Quatermass Collection DVD box set (check out my review), I felt fairly sure I would enjoy this as well.
Well, now a day after listening to the entire story I certainly do feel I have gained a few more insights into Kneale's splendid creation and yet, I have to admit that the Quatermass Memoirs didn't quite live up to my expectations.
Firstly, the motif of using a feisty woman reporter as the sounding board for Quatermass to tell his tale felt a tad contrived. `Mandy' succeeds where others have failed in getting the retired, reclusive and initially downright grumpy Quatermass to elucidate on the historical and political context behind his main adventures and to bare his soul regarding his personal sentiments at the time. My struggle to suspend my disbelief wasn't helped by the fact that, whilst Andrew Keir puts in a sterling performance, bringing authentic gravitas to the role of the venerable professor, the actress playing Mandy fails to convince at times. Some of Mandy's dialog feels very stilted (admittedly that's no fault of the actress) and I was painfully aware that she was merely reading a script at several points during the story.
Next, it has to be said that there isn't a huge amount of new material here. The running time of the two CDs is a second or two under 90 minutes, but that includes several unnecessary repetitions of the Quatermass theme (`Mars' from Holst's Planet Suite). Surely once at the beginning and once at the end would have sufficed? The occasional interruptions by the housekeeper are also probably superfluous, but do at least add a cosy element of domesticity that contrasts effectively with the horrors Quatermass is compelled to recall. His memories of the three main adventures are fleshed out with extensive and yet occasionally unsatisfying extracts from all three original BBC series. The flashbacks have been carefully edited to exclude any of Quatermass' dialogue, because four different actors' voices on this CD would apparently confuse the listener no end! I can understand the logic behind this, but, in reality, it makes the flashbacks feel rather lightweight.
On the positive side, the newsreel audio about the atomic bomb tests was chillingly evocative and, along with the sputnik and Hungarian uprising references, puts the early Quatermass plot development into very clear context. I also very much enjoyed the parting shot of how London was rapidly becoming a dystopian nightmare, thus linking effectively into the John Mills Quatermass series (remember Huffity Puffity Ringstone Round?).
To summarise, as a companion piece to the Quatermass collection, this CD works adequately well and should not disappoint you. Watch the DVDs first though and think of this as a "Everything you always wanted to know about Quatermass (but were afraid to ask)". In this respect it probably just about deserves 4 stars. Anyone expecting a genuine new adventure, however, may feel slightly short-changed.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Look Back At Television History, 25 Nov 2007
I rather enjoyed this look back at one of the heroes of the 1950s, Quatermass who on a number of occasions saved the world from Alien Invasions. These classic television series are of course available on DVD, although only two episodes of The Quatermass Experiment (broadcast in 1953) survived. The Radio Programme broadcast in 1996 is a look back with fond memories by Nigel Kneale himself, with Andrew Keir (who played Quatermass in the Hammer Film Version made in 1967)providing the voice of the Professor who tells the various stories behind the legend. Various clips from the original series can be heard throughout, enhanced by the music of Gustav Holst (Mars, God of War from The Planets Suite). For some reason though, none of the original music used during Quatermass and The Pit (some of which still sounds quite eerie even today) can be heard which is a shame. Still, I am sure many oldies who watched the original transmissions during the 1950s will enjoy this double CD and bring back some haunting memories. Yes, I am sure many of them dived behind the sofa, even then! Good sound by the way. A very good buy.
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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting backdrop to the original BBC series, 9 Nov 2008
This 2 CD set is presented as layered narrative, the central narrative is the exchange between a retired Quatermass living in Scotland who has been chased down by a reported writing his biography. This device works well in getting him to recall sections of the original three BBC stories which are reproduced from the original broadcasts and gets him to give more insight into his thinkings during the adventures. Careful editing gets over the fact of different actors playing the professor.
Over the top of all this we get pieces of Nigel Kneale giving his view of the external context that drove him to write the original stories the way he did. This is the most interesting to someone like me who was too young to have watched the broadcasts but heard of them from people around at the time. These pieces are not well signposted and you have to let go of the more dramatic layers when he comes in during the story.
Overall this is interesting, though I am not sure how soon I would listen to it again, hence the four stars.
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