Lifeforce (1985)

Director:

Tobe Hooper

Writers:

Colin Wilson (novel)
Dan O'Bannon (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

21 June 1985 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

In outer space they unleashed a force more evil than the world had ever imagined!.. [UK Theatrical]

Plot:

A space shuttle mission investigating Halley's Comet brings back a malevolent race of space vampires...

Plot Keywords:

Comet | Halleys Comet | Alien | Vampire | Space Shuttle

Awards:

1 win & 2 nominations

Cast

Steve Railsback	...	Col. Tom Carlsen
Peter Firth	...	Col. Colin Caine
Frank Finlay	...	Dr. Hans Fallada
Mathilda May	...	Space Girl
Patrick Stewart	...	Dr. Armstrong
Michael Gothard	...	Dr. Bukovsky
Nicholas Ball	...	Roger Derebridge
Aubrey Morris	...	Sir Percy Heseltine
Nancy Paul	...	Ellen Donaldson
John Hallam	...	Lamson
John Keegan	...	Guard
Chris Jagger	...	First Vampire (as Christopher Jagger)
Bill Malin	...	Second Vampire
Jerome Willis	...	Pathologist
Derek Benfield	...	Physician

Also Known As:

Space Vampires (UK) (alternative title) (USA) (working title)
Space Intruders (USA) (working title)
Vampires from Outer Space (UK) (working title)

Runtime:

116 min | USA:101 min (edited version)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Dolby (35 mm prints)

Certification:

Norway:18 (video rating) | Iceland:16 | Singapore:M18 | Australia:M | Canada:13+ (Quebec) (cut US version) | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) (cut US version) | Canada:18 (Nova Scotia) (uncut version) | Canada:AA (Ontario) (cut US version) (also uncut version) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) (uncut version) | Canada:R (Manitoba) (cut US version) | Finland:K-16 | France:-12 | Ireland:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R | West Germany:16 | Netherlands:16 | Norway:(Banned) (1986-2003) (cinema release)

Filming Locations:

Brent Cross Shopping Centre, Hendon, London, England, UK

Company:

Golan-Globus Productions

Trivia:

The model London destroyed in the film was actually the remains of Tucktonia, a model village near Christchurch, UK that had closed not long before the shooting of the film.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): Halley's comet is repeatedly referred to as "Haley's comet". While Halley's comet (named after the astronomer Edmund Halley, and pronounced to rhyme with the word "rally") is in reality often mistakenly referred to in this way (due, presumably, to confusion caused by the rock and roll band "Bill Haley and the Comets"), it is inconceivable that scientists and astronauts would make the mistake, as they do throughout the movie.

Quotes:

Prime Minister: Miss Haversham! Miss Haversham!

Movie Connections:

Featured in Invaders from Mars (1986)

Great Fun Without Being A Great Film

LIFEFORCE is an extremely schizophrenic movie, based on Colin Wilson`s novel The Space Vampires the script ignores most of the novel`s concepts and structure ( Indeed it owes more to the QUATERMASS serials than the novel ) but the scenes it does leave in from the novel are nearly identical to those in the film . And talking of the script it must be one of the most uneven in cinema history , it`s though it was written in chapters by several different people. Take for instance Carlson , he disappears after the early shuttle scenes which led me to believe he was dead then he turns up again halfway through the film in order to explain the plot to the beleaguered Brits and it`s this lack of attention by the screenwriters that spoils the film . And there`s plenty of other clumsy scripting such as the heroes returning to London in a helicopter and not realising it has been over run by zombies untill they`re flying over it .

I could go on at great length about these plot holes but LIFEFORCE is actually enjoyable to watch as long as you don`t use your brain . It`s good to see a sci-fi horror film from an era when aliens were portrayed as being cute creatures that children hid in their bedrooms so that nasty human adults wouldn`t get their hands on them . The special effects and pyrotechnics are very very good , there`s lots of action and stunts and LIFEFORCE features one of the most memorable aliens in the form of the space girl . When mentioning LIFEFORCE in conversation with males it`s always a race to say " Seen the alien in LIFEFORCE? She can suck the lifeforce out of me anytime " Hardly surprising looking at the demographics of the votes that this film is more popular with males than females

" Don`t worry . A naked girl can`t escape from here " Can`t she ? Pity