4K Ultra HD Review - Lifeforce (1985)

      Lifeforce, 1985.

      Directed by Tobe Hooper.

      Featuring Steve Railsback, Mathilda May, Peter Firth, Patrick Stewart, Frank Finlay, Aubrey Morris, and Nicholas Ball.

      SYNOPSIS:

      Three enigmatic humanoid corpses discovered in space are returned to Earth, only to reveal themselves as space vampires that threaten to reduce London to ashes.

      Although Tobe Hooper is primarily recognized as the director of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre over the course of his career, he has also lent his name to several well-regarded genre films since that influential classic. However, he never fully recaptured the artistic and critical acclaim of that film, as much of his work appears rather inconsistent when compared to the careers of contemporaries like John Carpenter or Wes Craven.

      Lifeforce was released in 1985, following three years after Hooper directed the relatively successful yet mainstream Poltergeist (or at least was credited with directing it, despite some believing that producer Steven Spielberg was the true driving force behind it) and a year before he revisited Leatherface in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2. While it was somewhat of a commercial failure at the time, it has since developed a cult following.

      During the spaceship Churchill's investigation of Halley’s Comet, the crew discovers the impeccably preserved bodies of three humanoid alien entities—two men and one woman. They are brought to the European Space Research Centre in London for study, but just before any procedures could commence, the female (Mathilda May) awakens and begins to drain the life energy from everyone she encounters as she moves through London. The alarming consequence of her attacks is that her victims transform into zombie-like beings with the same ability to drain life forces, resulting in London becoming a battleground.

      Based on Colin Wilson's novel The Space Vampires, Lifeforce contains many of the elements that contributed to the success of other sci-fi films of the era, but it seems that somewhere along the line, the plot became overly complex, making it difficult to focus, especially given the presence of the extraordinarily attractive and mostly naked Mathilda May among the animatronic corpses for much of the film.

      Although Cannon Films invested significant money into the project with hopes of creating a massive blockbuster—which it certainly appears to be on the surface, given its impressive visuals—this film is, at its core, a B-movie showcasing all the elements typical of a good B-movie, including nudity, vampires, zombies, spaceships, and military chaos alongside scientists. It appeals to a specific audience, but in the 1980s, following the success of Return of the Jedi and The Wrath of Khan, a sci-fi film more akin to Quatermass and the Pit than E.T. lacked broad commercial appeal.

      Nonetheless, poor box office performance doesn't equate to Lifeforce being a failure. There is much to appreciate, including exceptional special effects and striking visuals during the crew’s spacewalks that stand out above many films from that time. The zombie effects are also commendable and reminiscent of The Return of the Living Dead, which was released the same year and was penned by Dan O’Bannon, who is credited as a writer for this film.

      The overall acting is not remarkable, but it suits the film's tone, particularly Frank Finlay as Dr. Fallada and Patrick Stewart as Dr. Armstrong, both of whom seem to understand the film they are in and deliver their performances accordingly. In contrast, Steve Railsback, portraying Colonel Tom Carlsen—the soldier who discovers the vampires—appears uncertain of the film's tone and, akin to the Cannon executives, seems to believe it aspires to be a serious sci-fi epic like Alien.

      The limited-edition two-disc set features both the US Theatrical Cut and the longer International Cut of the film, including commentaries from Tobe Hooper and visual effects artist Douglas Smith. It boasts a commendable feature-length documentary on the making of the film, contributed by Hooper, actors Aubrey Morris and Nicholas Ball, along with various crew members. Additionally, there are distinct interviews with Hooper and Mathilda May, a featurette on Steve Railsback, trailers, and a collector’s booklet. Although there are no new extras compared to Arrow’s previous Blu-ray release, the 4K UHD upgrade is worthwhile for those who own the earlier version since the film appears vibrant and colorful, as if it were produced recently, and even the typically poor ’80s optical effects don’t seem cheap or shoddy.

      Overall, Lifeforce is a peculiar film if approached with expectations of something profound like 2001: A Space Odyssey. However, knowing that it was directed by the creator of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (he can’t escape it), with a straightforward narrative borrowed from numerous low-budget vampire and zombie films since the 1950s, it's best enjoyed without taking