Lifeforce *** (1985, Peter Firth, Frank Finlay, Steve Railsback, Mathilda May, Patrick Stewart, Michael Gothard) – Classic Movie Review 5984

Director Tobe Hooper’s 1985 British movie tribute to Hammer Films is an entertainingly gory, tongue-in-cheek vampire movie set in London and starring Peter Firth and Frank Finlay.

In Dan O’Bannon and Don Jacoby’s screenplay, based on the novel The Space Vampires by Colin Wilson, a trio of space vampire humanoids are brought to Earth from around Halley’s Comet and their kiss sucks all the energy out of their unfortunate victims, infecting them and turning half of London into sex-and-vampire zombies.

Eighties body horror mixes with campy Fifties sci-fi to produce a bubbly mixture that sometimes works but just as often falls flat. Hooper delivers the uneven trick effects at a fast and furious pace, and there is plenty of fun to be had from watching London crumble and St Paul Cathedral’s take off like a giant space-rocket.

It also stars Steve Railsback, Mathilda May, Patrick Stewart and Michael Gothard.

Also in the cast are Nicholas Ball, Aubrey Morris, Nancy Paul and John Hallam.

It is produced, at considerable $25 million cost, by Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus for their Cannon Films, providing a lot of work for the business and entertainment for the customers.

There are two versions, running 116 minutes or 101 minutes edited. Sound wise, there is a 70 mm 6-Track for 70 mm prints and Dolby for 35 mm prints.

RIP Tobe Hooper (January 25, 1943 – August 26, 2017).

© Derek Winnert 2017 Classic Movie Review 5984

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