Best of British at the cinema

STUDIOCANAL turn to the famous Hammer House of Horror for the final film in their Best of British Season at Cineworld and The Cameo.

But don’t expect Dracula or Frankenstein. Instead, science-fiction is the order of the day with Roy Ward Baker’s silver screen remake of the seminal BBC series, Quatermass And The Pit.

When construction workers on a building site in a part of London famous for its legends of ghosts and devils start experiencing unexplained phenomena, Professor Quatermass is alerted. At the site he uncovers an alien object with malevolent powers.

Written by Nigel Kneale, Quatermass And The Pit has been credited with influencing the likes of horror writer Stephen King and film director John Carpenter.

Scottish actor Andrew Keir starred as Quatermass, but later revealed it was not a happy experience saying, “The director didn’t want me for the role... and it was a very unhappy shoot. Normally I enjoy going to work every day. But for seven and a half weeks it was sheer hell.”

Quatermass & The Pit, Tues, www.cineworld.co.uk, www.picturehouses.co.uk