'X the Unknown' is a typical and entertaining British sci-fi movie and comes with everything that these types of movies relied on...
...terrible special effects, a budget that wouldn't feed a church mouse and a silly story that is brought to earth by a well-known cast who play it straight with a good tight script and well-paced direction.
There are lots of excellent reviews and information on this site that do this movie far more justice than I can... so I'm dedicating this review to Chris Tarrant and Peter Tomlinson...
Thank you so much to Chris Tarrant and Peter Tomlinson who made Friday night Hammer movies such a delicious pleasure in the 1970s on Midlands Television.
Every Friday night after the 'News At Ten', either Chris or Peter (sometimes both) would introduce a Hammer film which would take us through to the idiotic conversational bible class at about 12:30 in the morning. This was followed by the loud whiny pitch which let us know that there was no more telly for the night and it was time for Britain to go to bed!
While my parents were out at the Officer's Mess at RAF Cosford getting drunk and having a good time, I'd make a big round of sandwiches, steal a few cans of dad's McEwans Pale Ale or Tartan Export Ale and settle in front of the TV on my own, for the best two hours of the week.
The movies were usually Christofer Lee or Vincent Price doing their various evil characters and of course, there were also sci-fi movies just like 'X The Unknown'. And as the adverts came around, Chris or Peter (I think they took turns each week) made watching these scary movies so much more fun. Add that to the memorable Cinzano adverts along with the Milk Tray ads and Castella ads, Hamlet ads... my Friday nights were the very best that any kid could have imagined.
Thanks, Chris and Peter... You'll never be forgotten for the enormous pleasure you brought to so many people like me, who watched scary Hammer movies in the midlands during the 70s, who were now never alone on a Friday night!
...terrible special effects, a budget that wouldn't feed a church mouse and a silly story that is brought to earth by a well-known cast who play it straight with a good tight script and well-paced direction.
There are lots of excellent reviews and information on this site that do this movie far more justice than I can... so I'm dedicating this review to Chris Tarrant and Peter Tomlinson...
Thank you so much to Chris Tarrant and Peter Tomlinson who made Friday night Hammer movies such a delicious pleasure in the 1970s on Midlands Television.
Every Friday night after the 'News At Ten', either Chris or Peter (sometimes both) would introduce a Hammer film which would take us through to the idiotic conversational bible class at about 12:30 in the morning. This was followed by the loud whiny pitch which let us know that there was no more telly for the night and it was time for Britain to go to bed!
While my parents were out at the Officer's Mess at RAF Cosford getting drunk and having a good time, I'd make a big round of sandwiches, steal a few cans of dad's McEwans Pale Ale or Tartan Export Ale and settle in front of the TV on my own, for the best two hours of the week.
The movies were usually Christofer Lee or Vincent Price doing their various evil characters and of course, there were also sci-fi movies just like 'X The Unknown'. And as the adverts came around, Chris or Peter (I think they took turns each week) made watching these scary movies so much more fun. Add that to the memorable Cinzano adverts along with the Milk Tray ads and Castella ads, Hamlet ads... my Friday nights were the very best that any kid could have imagined.
Thanks, Chris and Peter... You'll never be forgotten for the enormous pleasure you brought to so many people like me, who watched scary Hammer movies in the midlands during the 70s, who were now never alone on a Friday night!