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Quatermass Xperiment (The) AKA Shock AKA The Creeping Unknown AKA The Quatermass Experiment AKA X: The Experiment (Blu-ray) (1955)
A spacecraft returns to earth with only one terrified passenger left aboard ... and a creeping monster.Director: Val Guest
Year of Copyright: 1955
Year of Production: 1954-55
OVERALL: Blu-ray B-
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Commentaries:(1.) Audio commentary by director Val Guest and film historian Marcus Hearn (2003)
(2.) Audio commentary by film historian Gary Gerani (2023) -
Extras:2003 Interview with director Val Guest by Marcus Hearn (8:12)
2014 Interview with filmmaker John Carpenter on Quatermass 2 (9:18)
"The Quatermass Xperiment: From Reality to Fiction" 2014 featurette (11:31)
"The Quatermass Xperiment: Comparing the Versions" 2014 featurette (6:57)
"Trailers from Hell : The Quatermass Xperiment with Ernest Dickerson" 2013 featurette (2:26)
Alternate Main Title (1:12)
Theatrical Trailer (2:14) -
Subtitles:English HoH
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Aspect Ratio:1.66:1
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Picture Format:1080p24 AVC MPEG-4
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Soundtrack(s):English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono (48kHz, 1509Kbps, 16-bit)
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Case type:Keep Case
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Have you spotted a mistake in these specifications? If so, let us know via our forums. -
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Commentaries:Audio commentary by director Val Guest and film historian Marcus Hearn (2003)
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Extras:2003 Interview with director Val Guest (8:12)
2014 Interview with filmmaker John Carpenter on Quatermass (9:17)
2014 Featurettes:
- "The Quatermass Xperiment: From Reality to Fiction" (11:30)
- "The Quatermass Xperiment: Comparing the Versions" (6:57)
"Trailers from Hell : The Quatermass Xperiment with Ernest Dickerson" 2013 featurette (2:26)
Alternate Main Title (1:12)
Theatrical Trailer (2:13) -
Subtitles:None
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Aspect Ratio:1.66:1
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Picture Format:1080p24 AVC MPEG-4
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Soundtrack(s):English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono (48kHz, 1509Kbps, 16-bit)
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Case type:Keep Case
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Have you spotted a mistake in these specifications? If so, let us know via our forums. -
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Commentaries:Audio Commentary by director Val Guest and film historian Marcus Hearn (2003)
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Extras:2003 Interview with director Val Guest (8:12)
2014 Interview with filmmaker John Carpenter on Quatermass (9:17)
2014 Featurettes:
- "The Quatermass Xperiment: From Reality to Fiction" (11:30)
- "The Quatermass Xperiment: Comparing the Versions" (6:57)
"Trailers from Hell : The Quatermass Xperiment with Ernest Dickerson" 2013 featurette (2:26)
Alternate Main Title (1:12)
Theatrical Trailer (2:13) -
Subtitles:None
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Aspect Ratio:1.66:1
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Picture Format:1080p24 AVC MPEG-4
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Soundtrack(s):English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono (48kHz, 1509Kbps, 16-bit)
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Case type:Keep Case
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Have you spotted a mistake in these specifications? If so, let us know via our forums. -
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Commentaries:(1.) Audio commentary by director Val Guest and film historian Marcus Hearn (2003)
(2.) Audio commentary by film historian Gary Gerani (2023) -
Extras:2003 Interview with director Val Guest by Marcus Hearn (8:12)
2014 Interview with filmmaker John Carpenter on Quatermass 2 (9:18)
"The Quatermass Xperiment: From Reality to Fiction" 2014 featurette (11:31)
"The Quatermass Xperiment: Comparing the Versions" 2014 featurette (6:57)
"Trailers from Hell : The Quatermass Xperiment with Ernest Dickerson" 2013 featurette (2:26)
Alternate Main Title (1:12)
Theatrical Trailer (2:14) -
Subtitles:English HoH
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Aspect Ratio:1.66:1
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Picture Format:1080p24 AVC MPEG-4
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Soundtrack(s):English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono (48kHz, 1509Kbps, 16-bit)
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Case type:Keep Case
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Have you spotted a mistake in these specifications? If so, let us know via our forums. -
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Extras:DISC ONE (Blu-ray)
* The Film
* "X the Unknown" (76:25)
* "Quatermass 2" (81:08)
DISC TWO (DVD)
* "The Quatermass Xperiment" -
Subtitles:None
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Aspect Ratio:1.37:1
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Picture Format:1080i50 AVC MPEG-4
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Soundtrack(s):English LPCM 2.0 Mono (48kHz, 1536Kbps, 16-bit)
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Case type:Keep Case
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UPC Number:5021456196388
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Notes:An open matte transfer.
There are reports that the X the Unknown and Quatermass 2 are actually in upscaled SD (in 1080i50).
The film has a new MGM logo at the beginning of the film.
Also available in a 13-disc "Hammer Horror: The Blu-ray Collection" set, with Dracula: Prince of Darkness, The Plague of the Zombies, Quatermass and the Pit, Rasputin the Mad Monk, The Devil Rides Out, The Mummy's Shroud, The Reptile, Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell, Frankenstein Created Woman, The Witches (1966) and The World of Hammer (1990). -
Special thanks to Rewind user John Mission for providing these specifications.
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Have you spotted a mistake in these specifications? If so, let us know via our forums. -
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Extras:* The Film: UK version (81:40)
* The Film: German version (81:40)
Audio commentary by director Val Guest, Moderated by film historian Marcus Hearn (2003)
2003 Interview with director Val Guest by Marcus Hearn (8:13)
2000 Interview with Val Guest by Stephen Gallagher [Manchester Festival of Fantastic Films] (36:37)
"From Reality to Science Fiction" 2016 featurette (11:29)
"A Creeping Xperiment" 2016 featurette featuring a comparison between the British original version and the American version (German text) (6:55)
US title sequence (1:11)
English Super 8 version (26:48)
German comic (15:52)
German film programs (4:31)
Image gallery (2:00)
US trailer (2:10) -
Subtitles:Original Version: German
German Version: None -
Aspect Ratio:1.66:1 / 1.37:1
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Picture Format:1080p24 AVC MPEG-4
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Soundtrack(s):Original Version:
English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono
German DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono (theatrical dub)
German DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono (TV dub)
German Version:
German DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono (theatrical dub) -
Case type:Keep Case
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Notes:The original UK version is in 1.66:1 while the German version is in 1.37:1.
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Have you spotted a mistake in these specifications? If so, let us know via our forums. -
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Extras:DISC ONE (Blu-ray 4K copy)
DISC TWO (Blu-ray 4K copy)
DISC THREE (Blu-ray)
* The Film: 1.66:1 UK Version (82:06)
* The Film: 1.37:1 Open Matte Version (82:06)
* The Film: Premiere Programme (111:28):
- "The Eric Winstone Bandshow" (29:22)
- The Film: 1.66:1 UK Version (82:08)
(1.) Audio commentary on the UK 1.66:1 Version by film historians Toby Hadoke, Andy Murray and Wayne Kinsey (2024)
(2.) Audio commentary on the 1.37:1 Open Matte Version by film historian Stephen Bissette (2024)
(3.) Audio commentary on the 1.37:1 Open Matte Version by co-writer-director Val Guest and moderator Marcus Hearn (2003)
"The Legend of Nigel Kneale, Part One: The Creeping Unknown" 2025 documentary (42:32)
"Monstrous!: Stephen Bissette on Make-Up Artist Phil Leakey" 2025 featurette (5:53)
"The Quatermass Experiment" Super 8 Cutdown 1 (26:48)
"The Quatermass Experiment" Super 8 Cutdown 2(mute) (14:01)
German Titles: Shock! (1:10)
UK Censor Card (0:10)
"The Eric Winstone Bandshow" 1955 short film (29:22)
The Eric Winstone Bandshow Trailer (1:08)
The Eric Winstone Bandshow Censor Card (0:14)
DISC FOUR (Blu-ray)
* The Film: 1.85:1 US Version ("The Creeping Unknown) (79:40)
(4.) Audio commentary by film historians Constantine Nasr and Dr. Steve Haberman (2025)
"Unstoppable: Unleashing The Quatermas Xperiment" 2025 documentary (37:01)
The Creeping Unknown Trailer (2:10)
The Creeping Unknown Widescreen Trailer (2:10)
The Creeping Unknown Textless Trailer (2:10)
Alternate US Titles: Shock! (1:10)
"Festival of Fantastic Films: Val Guest Interview from FoFF 2000" 2000 Interview conducted by Stephen Gallagher and Introduced by Stephen Laws (65:15)
Val Guest 2003 Interview (7:52)
"Patient Zero: James Swanton on Richard Wordsworth" 2025 interview (19:49)
"Exhuming The Quatermass Xperiment" 2025 featurette (4:09)
Image Gallery (8:33)
DISC FIVE: The 1953 TV Version (Blu-ray)
"The Quatermass Experiment: A Thriller for Television in Six Parts by Nigel Kneale":
- "Episode One: Contact Has Been Established" (31:57)
- "Episode Two: Persons Reported Missing" (34:50)
"Timeshift: The Kneale Tapes" 2003 TV episode (39:34)
"Cartier & Kneale: Quatermass in Conversation" 2005 featurette that features 1990 and 1991 interviews (11:02)
"Making Demons" 2005 featurette featuring 1991 interviews with Bernard Wilkie and Jack Kine (7:08)
Quatermass and the Pit Omnibus Titles (2:11)
Photo Gallery (3:14)
BD-ROM:
- Script PDFs of the six missing episodes of the 1953 TV version of The Quatermass Experiment -
Subtitles:English HoH, French, German, Italian, Spanish (Castillian)
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Aspect Ratio:1.37:1/1.66:1/1.85:1
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Picture Format:1080p24 AVC MPEG-4
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Soundtrack(s):English LPCM 2.0 Mono (48kHz, 24-bit)
English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
German DTS 2.0 Mono (48kHz, 768Kbps)
Italian DTS 2.0 Mono (48kHz, 768Kbps) -
Case type:Special Case
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UPC Number:5061058620287
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Notes:The film is preceded by a new Hammer logo and starts at
Comes with:
- A double direction hard card slipcase.
- Eight mini reproduction lobby cards.
- A double sided fold out poster featuring the original US and Italian theatrical key art.
- A 180-page book "The Quatermass Papers, Volume One": "The Audience Loved it. Can You Sell it to Film?" By Sarah Morgan, "A New Peak of Grusomeness" by Andrew Pixley, "Hammer A.D. 1955" by Jon Dear, "Stratospheric" by Andy Murray, "Hammer House of Harmony" by Andrew Pixley, "A Film Version Was Only a Matter of Time" by Denis Meikle and "It Would Qualify for the 'X' Category and for No Other" by Wayne Kinsey. Also contains reproductions of the Danish and German press books, reproductions of trade ads, posters, lobby cards and the UK distribution card, information on cast & crew, limited collector's edition content, thanks and disc production credits.
- A 54-page reproduction of the House of Hammer #9 (1977) comic strip adaptation.
When ordered directly from the Hammer Films website, the first 250 came with an exclusive patch. Also, the outer shipping box containing the limited edition had special "The Quatermass Xperiment" logos and on the inside, a quote from the film). -
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OVERALL: Blu-ray B
The UK release has by far the most: multiple versions of the film and bags of unique as well as some of the pre-existing extras.
Note that the US release has a unique commentary and featurettes. -
CUTS:
- Blu-ray A America- Kino Lorber - No cuts
- Blu-ray A America- Kino Lorber - No cuts (82:05)
- Blu-ray A Canada- Kino Lorber - No cuts (82:05)
- Blu-ray A Canada- Kino Lorber - No cuts.
- Blu-ray B Australia- Shock Entertainment - No cuts (78:38 - 25fps)
- Blu-ray B Germany- Anolis - No cuts - Includes the original UK version (81:40) and the German version (81:40)
- Blu-ray B Limited Collector's Edition United Kingdom- Hammer Films - No cuts - Comes with the UK 1.66:1 version, the 1.37:1 open matte version (both 82:06) and the cut US 1.85:1 version (79:40)
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Do you own a release not listed? Then please visit our forums and let us know!
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Comparison added by Jari_Kovalainen on 08/04/14
Comparison last updated by Rick_Curzon on 14/06/25UPDATE LOG:
09/05/14: Added DVDBeaver link.
Please ensure you read our disclaimer.
05/12/14: Added US release.
09/01/24: Added US 2023, Canada x2, Germany.
12/10/24: Dates.
12/06/25: Added title.
14/06/25: Added Hammer Film's release.
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