X the Unknown (1956) - February 18, 2020

[Akijama]

https://www.shoutfactory.com/product...roduct_id=7302

Synopsis
"Entertaining, suspenseful ... a well-produced piece of science-fiction ... a step above many of the monster movies that came out in the same time period" – The Telltale Mind

Can anything escape this terror? British commandos on maneuvers become ill with mysterious symptoms and horrific burns. Dr. Adam Royston (Dean Jagger), an atomic scientist from a nearby research station, suspects lethal radiation ... but is mystified by the cause. At a nearby hospital, the phenomenon reappears and engulfs more innocent people, including a hospital orderly whose skin melts away from his body! Dr. Royston speculates that the unknown is on a quest to absorb radiation and expand in size and range as it claims more and more victims. As time runs short, he becomes desperate to trap the entity before its power overcomes mankind!

[deltatauhobbit]

Nice, the first Blu-ray release of this Hammer film. Getting closer and closer to getting all the key Hammer films released.

[John_Drake]

Nice--been waiting for this one to go with the Quatermass titles.

[Automaton-X]

I've been waiting for this as well, and now that it's arrived, it's a plesant surprise.

In the vein of the British QUARTERMASS films, X THE UNKNOWN is one of the more lesser-known movies from the golden age of science fiction. It borders on horror. And, if I'm not mistaken, is one of the earliest in the small sub-genre of films featuring an amoeba-like monster: THE QUATERMASS XPERIMENT, THE BLOB, CALTIKI, THE H-MAN, THE STUFF, etc. And then, perhaps, to a lesser degree: ISLAND OF TERROR, THE GREEN SLIME, and other similar pictures.

In his book, Keep Watching the Skies!: American Science Fiction Movies of the Fifties, author and film historian, Bill Warren, writes:

"This unpretentious thriller is one of the best of the second-rank science fiction films of the 1950s. Though the idea on which it’s based is preposterous, the film is made with such a strong, realistic style, featuring understated, naturalistic performances, that it remains convincing throughout. … X the Unknown is a tense, believable science fiction film that still holds its own today.”

So glad to see this finally come to blu-ray.

X_THE_UNKNOWN.jpg

[cakefactory]

I remember being shocked by the melting head when I watched this on TV as a kiddie. It's definitely one of the standout "gore" scenes of the era!

[Jek Porkins]

Fantastic! The only other way that I've identified to find this on Blu was a special feature on The Quatermass Experiment Australian release? I haven't gone region-free yet, and this was one of the films that was pushing me in that direction. As long as Shout doesn't offer a snow globe, I'll be picking this one up.

[deltatauhobbit]

Originally Posted by Jek Porkins

Fantastic! The only other way that I've identified to find this on Blu was a special feature on The Quatermass Experiment Australian release? I haven't gone region-free yet, and this was one of the films that was pushing me in that direction. As long as Shout doesn't offer a snow globe, I'll be picking this one up.

I believe that would have only been in SD. I have the Hammer boxset from Australia and that's how it's presented in that set.

[babybreese]

Aussie release is an upscale but has been nice to have for the last couple years.

[Richard--W]

Originally Posted by Automaton-X

I've been waiting for this as well, and now that it's arrived, it's a plesant surprise.

In the vein of the British QUARTERMASS films, X THE UNKNOWN is one of the more lesser-known movies from the golden age of science fiction. It borders on horror. And, if I'm not mistaken, is one of the earliest in the small sub-genre of films featuring an amoeba-like monster: THE QUATERMASS XPERIMENT, THE BLOB, CALTIKI, THE H-MAN, THE STUFF, etc. And then, perhaps, to a lesser degree: ISLAND OF TERROR, THE GREEN SLIME, and other similar pictures.

In his book, Keep Watching the Skies!: American Science Fiction Movies of the Fifties, author and film historian, Bill Warren, writes:

"This unpretentious thriller is one of the best of the second-rank science fiction films of the 1950s. Though the idea on which it’s based is preposterous, the film is made with such a strong, realistic style, featuring understated, naturalistic performances, that it remains convincing throughout. … X the Unknown is a tense, believable science fiction film that still holds its own today.”

So glad to see this finally come to blu-ray.

Attachment 230986

I wonder how those miniatures will hold up under digital scrutiny. They were never
convincing to begin with. Love the film anyhow.

[yellowcakeuf6]

The transfer does look to be the same used for the 2000 4X3 Anchor Bay Entertainment DVD, but this time it's framed in the intended 1.75:1 ratio (not 1.37:1 as the case and disc state); no more zooming the DVD for a makeshift widescreen attempt. The DVD was a very good transfer, so that translates here in HD. Blacks look pretty good, and detail, other than in the few dissolve sections, is very good for this older master.
The Richard Klemensen interview is informative since he knew not only Jimmy Sangster, but other Hammer production members. I'll be hanging onto the Anchor Bay DVD for the better presentation of the World of Hammer: Sci Fi episode; I don't know what happen between 2000 and 2020, but Oliver Reed's narration is buried on the Shout disc to barely above a whisper, but on the Anchor Bay DVD it sounds fine. There's also a commentary with Film Historian/Filmmaker Ted Newsom.

[oddbox83]

Can't be the same transfer, obviously that one is SD and in a different ratio.

If you mean same film source, that's possible. Which is a positive, as the SD remaster looked great for the time it was made.

Originally Posted by yellowcakeuf6

I'll be hanging onto the Anchor Bay DVD for the better presentation of the World of Hammer: Sci Fi episode; I don't know what happen between 2000 and 2020, but Oliver Reed's narration is buried on the Shout disc to barely above a whisper, but on the Anchor Bay DVD it sounds fine.

They've screwed up the audio mix on several of these as extras packages since about 2010. They seem to have erroneously gone back to an unfinished multi track mix that wasn't intended to be heard as the levels aren't sorted. It's correctable but most of the time no one has bothered.

[yellowcakeuf6]

Originally Posted by oddbox83

Can't be the same transfer, obviously that one is SD and in a different ratio.

If you mean same film source, that's possible. Which is a positive, as the SD remaster looked great for the time it was made.



They've screwed up the audio mix on several of these as extras packages since about 2010. They seem to have erroneously gone back to an unfinished multi track mix that wasn't intended to be heard as the levels aren't sorted. It's correctable but most of the time no one has bothered.

Yeah, bad wording on my part. I compared it to the DVD and it looks to be the same source, including the still WB logo that sits there at the beginning for what seems like 30 seconds. I'm satisfied with the HD transfer.

[JMDiaz718]

Originally Posted by cakefactory

I remember being shocked by the melting head when I watched this on TV as a kiddie. It's definitely one of the standout "gore" scenes of the era!

It's a great effect for the time. Up there with the melting effects of Caltiki, The Immortal Monster.

[ClassicCraig]

Originally Posted by JMDiaz718

It's a great effect for the time. Up there with the melting effects of Caltiki, The Immortal Monster.

I noticed something else about the head-melting scene, but maybe it's just my imagination: the doctor's forehead gets progressively sweatier during the attack. There are no cuts -- beads of perspiration grow. Anyone else notice this?

EDIT: I re-watched that scene last night and saw the sweat is always there. It's just harder to see from far away and with your glasses off.

So, a couple of comments: The commentary track was hard to get through because it sometimes descended into Angry Geek off-gassing. The video is overall great, but I have to add "considering the age of the film." Lots and lots of grain -- bugs-running-across-faces grain. I know why it's there and that DNR can be a disaster, but it always makes me think of cheap film stock. Bottom line: don't sit too close (you'll miss the forehead-sweat effect).

[shill66]

Originally Posted by ClassicCraig

So, a couple of comments: The commentary track was hard to get through because it sometimes descended into Angry Geek off-gassing.

I'm just listening to the commentary now, actually only half-way through at the moment, and I had to go looking for review remarks on the commentary because, wow, Newsom spends half the time not talking about the movie, explaining plots of other unrelated movies in detail, and forgetting peoples' names.

I am not expecting any discussion on what I was hoping for - to understand the lost plot thread where X is following the line back to the fissure, but changes direction toward a village where everyone is sheltering in a church, we see it very close by... then we cut to Jagger in his lab testing his equipment, then we are at the fissure with the trucks and X is back at rest deep in the fissure. What happened to X between the village and the fissure? Nothing?