Lifeforce

[Dutch Splatter]

The first time is saw this movie it was on video, where my attention in the Video Rental was drawn to the very attractive nude lady on the front. Nude and science fiction horror? I thought: that's what I wanna see. Later I saw that is was directed by Tobe Hooper, who's Poltergeist scared the holy shit out of me. I didn't liked the Texas Chainsaw Massacre too much. Back to Lifeforce...The first scenes were huge and I had a great time during the entire movie. What a great picture it was. It had a great director, fantastic special effects, zombies and of course the leading female character. It was a shame that the movie was a flop and the last better known (and better budgetted) movie from Hooper. Spontanious Combustion en Prom Night aren't movies for the talent of Tobe.

[Lady Summerisle]

Naked space vamps are the greatest invention of B-movie cinema.
The guard offers May his BISCUIT(!!), Railsback kisses Jean Luc Picard. My god this film has the makings of a great sci-fi 50's horror,if there is such a thing.
The DVD has a different cut, but contains the funniest ending with Caine and the male vamp. You must seek it out. I laughed all throughout LIFEFORCE, but have a soft spot in my heart for it.
"Collect the peices and watch them.!"

[ColonelColinCaine]

If you've read my name, then you know that I absolutely love this flick! This was the biggest budget (approx. $28 million) Tobe Hooper was ever given, and man, does it show. Dykstra's effects are incredible! The ending is colossally epic! The animatronics still look real today! Henry Mancini's score is one of the most beautiful, most over-the-top soundtracks I've ever heard!
And, of course, Mathilda May's got one fucking fantastic body!
Of course, I realize that budget and effects don't equal always equal a good movie, and these aren't the only reasons I love it.
The screenplay, by Dan O'Bannon and Don Jakoby, is all over the fucking place, yet at the same time manages to make some sense. I mean, it's not easy to write a decent script about three nude space vampires from a spaceship in Halley's Comet being brought back to Earth, to London, of all places, sucking the souls of undersexed Britons, metamorphosing into other people, taking over people's minds, and blowing the living shit out of London! Add to that the vampire's victims becoming shriveled zombie-like vampires themselves, rioting through the streets of London, and you've got one seriously fucked-up-soundng movie on your hands.
Yet while you're watching the movie, it all seems to make sense. The script may not be fantastic, but it gets the job done.
Kudos to John Grover, the editor, for making this one fast-paced film. At a running time of 115 minutes, "Lifeforce" always seems to last about 30 minutes. It's just that fun!
The performances are pretty good, too. Peter Firth is great as the tough-as-nails SAS agent Colonel Colin Caine; Frank Finaly lights up the screen as Professor Fallada; Steve Railsback is okay as Carlsen, but his character's constant sweating and screaming detracts from the performance; and Mathilda May wins the Best Actress Oscar for her totally nude performance.
This movie shows Tobe Hooper at the top of his form. It's just too bad the film flopped as bad as it did way back in June of 1985. But, you know, it DID open on the same day as "Cocoon", and only two weeks befor "Back to the Future" so it didn't really stand a chance.
It also didn't help that the film's distributor, Tri-Star Pictures, originally cut the film down to 100 minutes,deleting scenes extremely important to the narrative, turning the film into a muddled mess. Then, on top of that, they added a really shitty new credit sequence, and replaced most of Henry Mancini's score with pathetically cheesy cues by Michael Kamen!
If you ever catch this flick on Sci-Fi, don't watch it, as this is the version they always show. Same thing for Starz and Encore. The best way to watch "Lifeforce" is on the 115 minute director's cut DVD edition, in widescreen, with Dolby Digital 5.1 sound, and Henry Mancini's score in all it's over-the-top glory!
Well, that's all I've got to say for now. Hope I didn't ramble on for too long.

(10/10)





[This message has been edited by ColonelColinCaine (edited 04-30-2002).]

[spacemonkey]

Hey I love this film too. It was one of those flicks that really scared me when i was a little 11 year old kid. Theres something about that scene in the chopper where blood starts coming out of Patrick Stewarts dead body, only to form the face of that vampire chick and then have her give out that schriek that really got to me as a kid. But after time passed I got to really appreciate the story and the fx. Those scenes with the zombies sucking the life out of people are awesome. I still like the way those zombies look even by todays standards. I specially like that scene where inspector Caine arrives at the church and he encounters that vamp just sucking in all those peoples souls. He looks so evil! And then he turns into that cool looking vampire creature. Awesome to me. http://www.joblo.com/ubb/biggrin.gif

[Sheepshaver127]

I just saw this movie a few days ago. To my surprise I enjoyed it. I thought it dragged on a little too much in the middle but the end was cool. I loved seeing London in complete chaos. Between that and Mathilda May naked I had a good time watching this.

[izombie]

This movie has alway been a guilty pleasure of mine. I didn't realize the was and uncut DVD, must have it....

[spacemonkey]

Its out on DVD dude and it sounds and looks great, but unfortunatley the DVD has no extras whatsoever! It just has a trailer, so that doesnt count. And 15 minutes of film weve allready seen before in other versions. DAmn that sucks. But what were really here for is to enjoy this fine horror, sci/fi, vampires sucking the life out of everyone, naked girls walking around, zombie fest!!!The film by itself rules, so go for it!
http://images.amazon.com/images/P/6304936532.01.MZZZZZZZ.jpg

[This message has been edited by spacemonkey (edited 04-30-2002).]

[Lady Summerisle]

Those 15 minutes add some good lines, like Miss Haversham asking Stoney Steve and Col. Caine if they want tea while London is being overrun by shriveled space vampire infected Londoners with bad teeth (you call that a change? Mr Jakoby?)
I crack up every time Caine says "SEXUAL" to Bukovsky.

[ColonelColinCaine]

LOL Hey, Lady Summerisle, do you think you could possible, maybe give me a run-down of what all is new in the director's cut. I've seen it a million times, and the Sci-Fi Channel did air the theatrical cut (stupid bastards), but they did a buttload of cutting themselves, so I'm not really sure what all was missing from the original version.
I'd really appreciate it, as I've been searching for a listing of what all was cut for quite a few years now, and so far I've come up dry. Thanks!

[This message has been edited by ColonelColinCaine (edited 05-01-2002).]

[kubotakhan01]

Saw Lifeforce when I was a kid...Loved it. watch it now...Loved it. The nude honey with the pretty eyes recently played in "The Jackal" with Bruce Willis and Richard Gere. Never saw her with clothes on untill then.

[Lady Summerisle]

Okay, here's the lowdown on what I found to be missing from the theatrical cut.

DIFFERENT MUSICAL CUES
Michael Kamen's cues are not there, and Lifeforce starts out with a pan of Halley's Comets surface, with a dialogue from John Laroquette about the mission on the comet. Another spot is when the SAS orders Caine and Carlsen to doc at London, and I noticed the change in other scenes.
Mancini's work is better without Kamen's cues.

DIALOGUE
Here's a biggie.
When Carlsen's crew spot the vampire ship, the dialogue is longer. The female astronaut says "Check it out Brendan, its at the length of my scan." or something like it. Then they cut to the journey to Halley's.

After Bukovsky was entranced by naked space girl, and ends up leaving, there is a shot of Frank Finlay watch her leave, implying that he knows where she is going. Also, Caine interrogates Bukovsky more before the theat. cut allows him to leave. Caine inquires about how she sucked the life out of him and her sexual powers. There is also a meeting where Finlay decides to do an autopsy on the doctor, all within the timing of the abovementioned scenes,

When Carlsen interrogates Ellen, there is more dialogue about the masochistic nature of the nurse, and how she is holding back. Carlsen gets rough with her.
In the asylum, Caine gets the orderly to get more of the drug to get the doctor to release the vampire inside him. Caine takes responsibility for what happens.

What I said about the dialogue between the heroes and Miss Haversham.

In the helicopter, there is more exposition about what happened to Carlsen, along the lines of "I didn't know what I was doing anymore..." I can't recall exactly.

The scene where Caine stakes the male vamp, the male vamp says "It will be (something I can't remember) If you just come to me. " and Caine only gets him once, and says "I'll do just that!!" With manly British accent, and kills him.

MORE SEX.
When Caine recalls sucking her energy, there is more nudity and sex. There is alos more nudity when they discover her in Halley's.

GORE
You see the blade leave Carlsen's body when he impales May.

Another interesting change in the Uncut is the omission of the jogger who has been turned into a zombie near the mid point of the film.

That was exhausting. If I think of anymore, I'll tell you.

[ColonelColinCaine]

Thank you so much! I really appreciate it!

[Lady Summerisle]

Anything for a fellow horror afficionado.

[ColonelColinCaine]

bump

[Professor Falk]

Yeah, I have a soft spot (insert Mathilda May errection joke_________________) for this film, too. May is such a total stunner, and it really takes a lot of guts to show that much, for that long. She looks like $10,000,000 in newly minted $20 bills.

I also love Stewart. When they describe the guy they're looking for, Stewart says: "Geoffrey Sykes, the child murder? He's in soli-trey. He's beeeen nou-tee!" Never fails to crack me up. That man has such a wonderful voice.

I've always liked Railsback's twitchiness, he was superb in The Stunt Man and as Charles Manson. He has one of my favorite lines in this film, describing his "relationship" with the May character: "We were in luuuuuuve on a level you caint posssibly compra-hend!"

Fun movie.

[Lady Summerisle]

Professor Falk,
you are on the spot with those lines, but I believe it was Peter Firth who goes,

"Col.. Caine, SAS, that remark will be stricken as this is a D no-tice situation."
All in his inimitable poofy British accent.

Damn, if I looked like Ms. May, Id do a naked space vamp film too. Im shocked it didn't get an NC-17 for all its nudity.

[ColonelColinCaine]

Gotta agree with you about Colonel Caine. The man treated everything he said as if it was the most serious thing in the world. And while most thought his was just a wooden performance, I thought it just added to his image as a tough-as-nails, hard-ass British dude.
By the way, what happened to Peter Firth. Every other movie I've seen him in, he talks in the same gruff "American" accent, and stars alongside Cuba Gooding Jr.(Chill Factor, Pearl Harbor). The dude seriously needs to stick to his sweet British accent. It's just too fucking cool.
And now, some more lines from CCC: (I don't mean to sound scary, but I've seen this movie so many times, I've got just about every line of dialogue memorized.)

"That last remark is not for publication,as this is a D-notice situation."

Caine: But if the girl has left her body, where is it?
Fallada: Hidden.
Caine: Let's find it! But suppose you're right...what about that spaceship? What is it doing?

"I am a natural voyeur."

Male Vampire: (in deep voice)It will be much less terrifying if you just come to me.
Caine: (brandishing sword)I'll do just that!

Reading them, these lines sound completely goofy and absurd, but spoken by Firth, they sound completely real and natural.


[This message has been edited by ColonelColinCaine (edited 05-26-2002).]

[This message has been edited by ColonelColinCaine (edited 05-26-2002).]

[Lady Summerisle]

Peter Firth sort of just diappeared into supporting character land (PEARL HARBOR)
Its a shame, because he should have won an Emmy for his performance in such a cheesy, albeit wicked, movie.

"I am a natural voyeur." sounded genuine, as opposed to if Railsback had said it. Although Firth did grit his teeth too much, and the things he did din't really warrant hero status.
The line that had "I'll do just that." is on the DVD, and is missing on old tapes, which is a shame, because I think I laughed more at that spot than any others.

[ColonelColinCaine]

Tri-Star must have thought us Americans wouldn't tolerate British accents. So, for some bizarre reason, they redubbed all the dialogue of people appearing on TV, and on the radio, during the course of the film.
The most glaring example would have to be when Bukovsky kicks back to watch BBC, and the newscaster sports an undoubtedly American accent. This is not so in the Director's Cut.
Same thing whenever they turn on the radio in the helicopter, and the news anchor talks about the chaos in London. In the theatrical release, you hear an American. In the Director's Cut, he's British.
Wow, that makes absolutely no sense. I wonder what the f#ck they were thinking!

Studio exec. #1: Gee, we got this here expensive nekkid space vampire movie, with a great Henry Mancini score, cool special effects, and a priddy nekkid chick! Plus, the director did a priddy good job on this, as well as Poltergeist! There's no way we can go wrong with this one!

Exec. #2: Oh, no, that's where you're wrong, my bizarre little friend! My amateur statistics show that teenage boys think girls are gross, so we'll chop out all of the nudity. Also, people don't want their big-budget films to sound classy, so we'll replace Mancini's score with some cheesy synthesizer music. One more thing. People like movies where they're left guessing at the end, so I say we chop out large portions of the movies, re-use the same shots over and over again, destroying continuity, as well as the narrative, so when people leave the theater they'll be left guessing for months, because they won't know what the fuck just happened!

Exec. #1: Wow, you're a genie-ass!

Exec. #2: Yes, I know. But you see, the way I figure it, Rambo: First Blood 2 was such a success, the rest of our movies can kiss my pointy ass!

So, basically, the studio ruined one of Tobe Hooper's best films, and made it look like he'd made a bad movie, thus sending his career into a downward spiral that continues to this day.

[This message has been edited by ColonelColinCaine (edited 06-25-2002).]

[Requiem-for-a-Dream]

Fun vampire flick from Tobe Hooper, there was a lot more gore than some let on. Arm ripped off, gunshot to head, gooey regeneration, and the blade thing that Lady pointed out. And of course, May stark naked.

Matt

[Lady Summerisle]

Col. Colin Caine, long time no write my friend.

Yes, the chopped version is sad. But they did not chop out most nudity,because this ain't the nekkid space vamp film for nothing.

Also, I've seen it far too many times.

I get chills when I hear Henry Mancini's cue as Caine and Carlsen step onto the British building.
I am a confirmed dork.

[ColonelColinCaine]

I know exactly what you mean, Lady, that's like the best music in the movie, and always gets me pumped up for the final 30 minutes. Sadly, this isn't included on the soundtrack.
Hey, and don't worry; if you're a dork, then I'm a dork, and if being a dork means appreciating a great action score when you hear it, then being a dork kicks ass!

Oh, shit. I just realized how dorky that last sentence sounded. I apologize.

[This message has been edited by ColonelColinCaine (edited 06-26-2002).]

[spacemonkey]

Spacemonkey says: "Hi my name is Spacemonkey and Im a Dork."

Lady S and ColonelcolinCane say: "Heeelooooooo Spacemonkey!"

heh heheh.... http://www.joblo.com/ubb/biggrin.gif

[ColonelColinCaine]

Bump. I love talking about this movie.