X THE UNKNOWN (1956)

• Directors: Leslie Norman
• Cast: Dean Jagger, Edward Chapman, Leo McKern
• Film: 81mins | UK | Subtitles | Intermission
• Event: 20:45 – 23:15 [18+] 

“IT KILLS… BUT CANNOT BE KILLED!“

It rises from 2000 miles beneath the earth to melt everything in its path…

BAR TRASH continues our 14th sensational season — TRASH PLANET 3: APOCALYPSE! — with Hammer Films’ X THE UNKNOWN (1956), the classic creature feature that firmly established the British studio’s transition into a full blown house of horror. Originally intended as a sequel to their successful sci-fi shocker THE QUATERMASS XPERIMENT (1955), legendary screenwriter Nigel Kneale refused to let his alien-battling scientist Bernard Quatermass be used, leading X THE UNKNOWN to be retooled as a standalone property.

Joining the gooey legions of THE BLOB (1958/1988) and CALTIKI THE IMMORTAL MONSTER (1959), X THE UNKNOWN is one of cinema’s most slime-tacular creations. BAR TRASH has previously showcased Hammer’s THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN (1957), the studio’s ground-breakingly gory gothic in lurid EastmanColour. Released only a year before, X THE UNKNOWN is served well by brilliant black and white photography, dramatically conveying an eery threat from an unidentifiable menace as ooze from the middle of the earth threatens to consume us all.

“Anxiously evocative of an ever-more-distant 1950s Britain, and still abundantly atmospheric, there remains something very spooky and special about this shadowy sci-fi drama.”

(Vic Pratt, BFI)

Polite notice: We are presenting X THE UNKNOWN with subtitles from the best available digital source. X THE UNKNOWN was originally rated ‘X’ by the BBFC in 1956 and is strictly for ‘adults only’.

/// BAR TRASH is a celebration of cult and curious cinema, hosted by queer film fanatic Token Homo and friends. Films are served with introductions, intermissions, prize giveaways, and subtitles / captions where possible. Tickets from £3.50 + fees. Adults 18+ only. Follow @tokenhomo on Instagram for updates. ///