Lifeforce
Review by Peter Syslo

LIFEFORCE (1985) is a very interesting, semi-obscure vampire film from director Tobe Hooper. The movie is based upon a novel by Colin Wilson, entitled “The Space Vampires”, and it is a sci-fi twist on the classic, gothic vampire tale. I actually feel that it is one of Hooper’s better films and it is worth seeing. Fans of the classic vampire films may disagree with me, but I think that it is a really fresh and original portrayal of the bloodsucking icon which we have all come to love.

LIFEFORCE is directed by Tobe Hooper and the screenplay is written by Dan O’Bannon (RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD) and Don Jakoby. The film stars Steve Railsback, Peter Firth, Frank Finlay, Mathilda May, and Patrick Stewart.

The movie is about a space shuttle expedition that discovers an alien space ship, while investigating Halley’s Comet. When the crew commander, Col. Carlson (Railsback), boards the alien vessel, he awakens a vampiric presence, which greatly affects him (the viewer learns more through various flashbacks). When the shuttle returns to earth, Col. Carlson and three vampiric aliens are present and accounted for; scientists scurry to investigate the vampires/aliens and chaos breaks out when the vampires escape. The three vampires take human form and seek to drain the “lifeforce”/souls of as many humans as they could get their hands on. Col. Carlson is drawn into the vampire wor ld, in a bizarre, twisted “love story”, and the human race struggles to rid the earth of the evil alien vampires.

I liked LIFEFORCE; it is a really strange movie but I have to say that it is very memorable. It reminds me a lot of the old “Dr. Who” television show, with a little bit of “Dark Shadows” –inspired drama thrown in. The movie just has a lot of very bizarre, yet picturesque scenes in it, which are reminiscent of a David Lynch film – you are kind of “on the fence” about the film as you are watching it (you don’t totally understand it, but you enjoy looking at it). I saw this movie around the time when it came out, in the mid 1980s, and parts of it have always stuck with me – I remember Railsback and May, at the end, in a strange embrace while a stream of “lifeforces” travels up to the vampire ship. I also remember May’s vampire in the helicopter and her face “melting” to blood; it’s a very visual film. Whatever Hooper did with the film, he really did inject the right degree of “strangeness” in it, which amplifies the power of the story; I think that this “strangeness” makes the film truly unique.

Now, some of the effects do look a little dated and it is not the classic fangs & blood, but the vampires are interesting, nonetheless. As for the lead vampire (Mathilda May), words simply can’t do her justice. Whoever cast her as an irresistible vampire captured lightning in a bottle; she is blatantly and totally nude throughout portions of the film and one can see why Col. Carlson would be hypnotized. May is a very formidable presence though, and all nudity aside, she was perfect as the ultimate villain. The rest of the acting was decent, with some being better than others – I always like Railsback, my favorite role of his being Ed Gein, and Partick Stewart is enjoyable and interesting to see in non-Picard roles. The two male vampires were interesting as well, adding to the “dark vibe” of the picture – they were not seen total ly nude, thankfully, but their private areas were covered by portions of the set, in a hilarious AUSTIN POWERS sort of way.

Cutting to the chase: LIFEFORCE is a bizarre, yet fresh and visual treatment of the classic vampire tale. I think that Hooper really gets criticized for every movie he made that was not THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE and I think that is a little unfair. POLTERGEIST was great, regardless of what went on with Spielberg, EATEN ALIVE wasn’t bad, THE TEXAS … 2 was enjoyable, and LIFEFORCE was a decent, original vampire movie. LIFEFORCE is not a perfect movie but there is that quality of it that is simply likeable. If you like “Dr. Who”, vampire films, sci-fi horror, or British influenced horror, than you may like it. If you are a vampire “purist”, you may not take to it, but it is interesting to see what Hooper does with the vampire character.