What there's not to love here? The movie is sexy, fast-paced, full of crazy special effects and immensely entertaining. The best thing Canon ever produced.
Seeing this movie back in the day was a shock to my young mid western mind....didn't have another moment like that until the movie species....I am sure you can all guess what caused the SHOCK!
My favorite scene is the last one with Frank Finlay's character (who also did a great Jacob Marley in George C Scotts' Christmas Carol). The scene is a great "can't beat 'em? Join 'em" sequence. And I love when London goes full blown zombie apocalypse. The movie is certainly one of Tobe Hooper's best!
I was captivated by this movie when I saw it years back. Fantastic review. So I checked out what you had to say about Forbidden Planet, another old favorite of mine. Again, spot on. You have a new fan.
Lifeforce is a movie that I saw in theaters when it first came out. I didn't remember much of it before watching your review, but I always thought of it as "the door movie." There seemed to be an awful lot of scenes of people going through an endless series of doors. :D I do remember being somewhat disappointed in the movie (despite Mathilda May), but it seems to have a lot more going for it after seeing this review. It definitely looks like an old-school Space Opera in the Pulp magazine tradition. Maybe I was turned off by the designs of the alien technology, which evoked the Alien movie and the whole 80s aesthetic which never appealed to me. So here we have another movie that I'll need to revisit with fresh eyes after being infected by your enthusiasm. Thanks again for another enjoyable review and documentary, RNG.
I think “Lifeforce” is a perfect title, and this is because the movie is not about (only) vampires, but the hidden energy that differentiates the living “things” (beings) from unanimated universe matter… a kind of subatomic particles that still not had been discovered/ evidenced. In the movie, those creatures are able to collect such energy, and the process becomes evident for a human witness. Such misterios energy has physical (visible) and spiritual (invisible) components. The movie introduces also the concept of ancient gods and the idea of we are not on the top of the food pyramid, as the latest UFO / UAP Investigations and disclosures reveals.
The title- SPACE VAMPIRES gives EVERYTHING away in two nouns, they were wise to change the title, they clearly wanted mystery & intrigue- what are these things how long have they been here etc. (as worked so well in ALIEN) Also SPACE VAMPIRES is one of those B Movie corny names, this isnt a sci fi spoof, this is one of those that is ripe for a re-imagining, with a better more organised Directing style a remake could work well, especially if they could get Ridley Scott, who probably could have made this version better at that time, in fact LIFE FORCE cost more than ALIEN which was...8 million regarded as a classic.
I reitertate what everyone else has already said, it's fantastically entertaining movie. Yes, it has some wooden acting (from some otherwise generally reliable actors) but (as Brit) you get to see London destroyed - and the effects are great - not only generally (the destruction of London looks far more visceral than any cgi blandness) but the entire zombie-ish stuff is fab. Practical effects folks. The London escalator scene is amazing. A scary/horrific film. yes it's not gore-porn but the way its directed - the scen when the first cdead preson is being autopsied and then he reanimates. There's all sort of creepy stuff - font instance when we're give the back story of the Churchill's retun to Earth "one by one they just seemed to sicken and die" - your on a ship trapped with all your dead crew mates!! followed by a scene of Earth and all the dead crew. Your vid here shows only a little but but the whole thing wth the death of the entire crew (bar one) Really, really well, done. Great stuff. Not great cinema but hugely entertaining. London is destroyed - what's not to like? A shout out also for the soundtrack which is great.
Great review! And what a succinct breakdown: one part space horror, one part detective, and one part zombie apocalypse. When I used to describe it to friends, I swapped Alien and Dracula for the first two parts, but same difference, it gets across the craziness of the film. And I never heard about the short story Asylum, now I’ll have to check it out. Pulp fiction is a guilty pleasure of mine. Thanks for bringing that to light!
So excited for your take on this one. This is the sci-fi movie that has EVERYTHING! Completely love this movie. It also made nudity powerful and erotic out of what could have just been gratuitous, although some might disagree. Mathilda May really made it work and looked suitably otherworldly. Also has one of the best lines in any movie... "She is a raving masochist, you might not want to see this..." Kane - "Oh, please continue. I am a natural voyeur" or words to that effect.
Lovely review of a super-schlocky, super-fun movie. Thanks. Hooper goes for a Quatermass Brit sci-fi vibe. However, bless him, he doesn't quite understand it, thus everything feels weirdly off... but enjoyably so! I'm British and can confirm that all of the British characters are.... odd. This is despite being played by good UK actors. It's as if they're approximations of British people created by space aliens who got their blueprints from watching stoic 1950s British war movies. It creates quite a dream-like effect and also leads to some enormously funny moments of unintended humour. It's a silly, crazy, and wonderful move. indeed, a true guilty pleasure. Thanks again. 🙂
I got caught in the middle of this movie back in the 80s. It took me years to finally see the whole movie. Love your selection and am glad that some are not main stream movies. You should try one of the worst movie ever made. Killer Klowens from Out Space. C
I have never seen that one. Clowns are ok, but scary clowns totally freak me out. I'm such a big baby about it, but I will brave it one day. Thanks for suggesting it.😊
Overall this is not a bad movie, with the likes of Dan O'Bannon working on the screenplay, The man the brought us Alien, and Heavy Metal just to name a few movies of his. It also has the voice talents of John Larroquette ( Night Court) as the Narrator. Plus actors such as Patrick Stewart (Star Trek TNG) Frank Finlay (1973 Three Musketeers). Then you have Mathilda May as Space Girl. If you go and read the book that this movie is based you, you will quickly see they did not have much to work with in writing the script. I have to admit I do harbor a bit of nostalgia for this movie as I was 15 when I first saw it. I am looking forward to seeing this review.
I remember this movie in NYC when it came out in 1985. And we didn't know if it was really a horror film. It was more like a comedy. I remembering people in the theater laughing hysterically. The vampires would be pulverized in dust and they could be killed if impaled. An act that was discovered by the professor who had a funny scene with a dead space vampire that he impaled. The audience laughed. So it was enjoyable but not really a horror. Especially when the person can get their life force back but only when they take it from another person. The street scenes of Londoners taking life force from each other and back again was also funny.
>>It was more like a comedy. How weird 🤨 I've no idea why people would find all this funny but hey ho. It doesn't seem funny to me watching the movie.😀
@@RetroNerdGirl My pleasure. It's a magical film from 1980. 3 Academy Award nominations and yet woefully underappreciated. It's full of surprises too so the less you know going in, the better. Edit : avoid the Wikipedia page if poss. It gives away too much of the story
I'm 41 and I still have yet to see this movie. You think I would have because it has a beautiful French dancer who is naked through the film. And I do love me some nudity. LOL. It is on my list though.
Is Lifeforce the only movie that used a real life event (the return of Halley's Comet in 1985) to help advertise itself? Not that it helped much as the film didn't do well at the box office.
The casting of this unknown Ballet dancer was spot on, you sensed that Hooper was after someone almost unique, with...malignant screen presence, VERY sexual seductive & yet...virginal (wearing white at one point contrasting with her latin good looks) She probably had to gain some weight for this as dancers are notoriously skinny, & that worked to. all I would say was that they could have fked her height a bit...maybe put her on boxes for the medium shots She put me in mind of the HAMMER women of the sixties such as - Valerie Leon & Caroline Monroe. The overall film gets too chaotic a mess with too much going on not long after they arrive back on earth, to me, this is a film that works best visually rather than for it's story structure.
Why are all these reviews for Life Force coming out all of a sudden? I saw Life Force for the 1st time 6 years ago. A film buff buddy of mine introduced me to it. I thought hardly anyone out there knew about it. Just us. I guess the cat is out of the bag. 😂
![[LIVE] : ONE ลุมพินี 86 | คู่เอก "คมเพชร vs ชาติพยัคฆ์"](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/m3q_dRYDuU8/mqdefault.jpg)
What there's not to love here? The movie is sexy, fast-paced, full of crazy special effects and immensely entertaining. The best thing Canon ever produced.
Henry Mancini's theme is just plain AWESOME for this movie as well as his score. The London Symphony Orchestra nails it.
Seeing this movie back in the day was a shock to my young mid western mind....didn't have another moment like that until the movie species....I am sure you can all guess what caused the SHOCK!
Mathilda May just about killed my Pause button 😜
LOVE this movie, especially the directors cut which feels more like an apocalyptic noir movie.
Thank you for all those who participated in the premiere of this review! I had so much fun.
My favorite scene is the last one with Frank Finlay's character (who also did a great Jacob Marley in George C Scotts' Christmas Carol). The scene is a great "can't beat 'em? Join 'em" sequence. And I love when London goes full blown zombie apocalypse. The movie is certainly one of Tobe Hooper's best!
Agreed! 😊
Damn that woman could drain my lifeforce any day.
I was captivated by this movie when I saw it years back. Fantastic review. So I checked out what you had to say about Forbidden Planet, another old favorite of mine. Again, spot on. You have a new fan.
Thank you so much!😊
Lifeforce is a movie that I saw in theaters when it first came out. I didn't remember much of it before watching your review, but I always thought of it as "the door movie." There seemed to be an awful lot of scenes of people going through an endless series of doors. :D
I do remember being somewhat disappointed in the movie (despite Mathilda May), but it seems to have a lot more going for it after seeing this review. It definitely looks like an old-school Space Opera in the Pulp magazine tradition. Maybe I was turned off by the designs of the alien technology, which evoked the Alien movie and the whole 80s aesthetic which never appealed to me.
So here we have another movie that I'll need to revisit with fresh eyes after being infected by your enthusiasm. Thanks again for another enjoyable review and documentary, RNG.
I think “Lifeforce” is a perfect title, and this is because the movie is not about (only) vampires, but the hidden energy that differentiates the living “things” (beings) from unanimated universe matter… a kind of subatomic particles that still not had been discovered/ evidenced. In the movie, those creatures are able to collect such energy, and the process becomes evident for a human witness. Such misterios energy has physical (visible) and spiritual (invisible) components. The movie introduces also the concept of ancient gods and the idea of we are not on the top of the food pyramid, as the latest UFO / UAP Investigations and disclosures reveals.
I really like your take! Thanks for sharing it with us!😀
The title- SPACE VAMPIRES gives EVERYTHING away in two nouns, they were wise to change the title, they clearly wanted mystery & intrigue- what are these things how long have they been here etc. (as worked so well in ALIEN)
Also SPACE VAMPIRES is one of those B Movie corny names, this isnt a sci fi spoof, this is one of those that is ripe for a re-imagining, with a better more organised Directing style a remake could work well, especially if they could get Ridley Scott, who probably could have made this version better at that time, in fact LIFE FORCE cost more than ALIEN which was...8 million regarded as a classic.
This is my favorite cannon films release of all time
I reitertate what everyone else has already said, it's fantastically entertaining movie. Yes, it has some wooden acting (from some otherwise generally reliable actors) but (as Brit) you get to see London destroyed - and the effects are great - not only generally (the destruction of London looks far more visceral than any cgi blandness) but the entire zombie-ish stuff is fab. Practical effects folks. The London escalator scene is amazing. A scary/horrific film. yes it's not gore-porn but the way its directed - the scen when the first cdead preson is being autopsied and then he reanimates.
There's all sort of creepy stuff - font instance when we're give the back story of the Churchill's retun to Earth "one by one they just seemed to sicken and die" - your on a ship trapped with all your dead crew mates!! followed by a scene of Earth and all the dead crew. Your vid here shows only a little but but the whole thing wth the death of the entire crew (bar one) Really, really well, done.
Great stuff. Not great cinema but hugely entertaining. London is destroyed - what's not to like?
A shout out also for the soundtrack which is great.
She gets it. Love your review. I first saw Lifeforce on the Syfy channel.
Great review! And what a succinct breakdown: one part space horror, one part detective, and one part zombie apocalypse. When I used to describe it to friends, I swapped Alien and Dracula for the first two parts, but same difference, it gets across the craziness of the film. And I never heard about the short story Asylum, now I’ll have to check it out. Pulp fiction is a guilty pleasure of mine. Thanks for bringing that to light!
Thank you, my pleasure. I love the Alien Dracula description too. I hope more people will see this film to get the full impact of it's weirdness. 😊
Yeah, I'd never heard of that Van Vogt story, either - cool. The original novel isn't bad, and has some amazingly hammy prose moments!
So excited for your take on this one. This is the sci-fi movie that has EVERYTHING! Completely love this movie.
It also made nudity powerful and erotic out of what could have just been gratuitous, although some might disagree. Mathilda May really made it work and looked suitably otherworldly.
Also has one of the best lines in any movie... "She is a raving masochist, you might not want to see this..." Kane - "Oh, please continue. I am a natural voyeur" or words to that effect.
I agree all around!😊
Lovely review of a super-schlocky, super-fun movie. Thanks. Hooper goes for a Quatermass Brit sci-fi vibe. However, bless him, he doesn't quite understand it, thus everything feels weirdly off... but enjoyably so! I'm British and can confirm that all of the British characters are.... odd. This is despite being played by good UK actors. It's as if they're approximations of British people created by space aliens who got their blueprints from watching stoic 1950s British war movies. It creates quite a dream-like effect and also leads to some enormously funny moments of unintended humour. It's a silly, crazy, and wonderful move. indeed, a true guilty pleasure. Thanks again. 🙂
LOL how have I never seen your channel before??
🤣🤣🤣 Your like the only person to do this crazy movie. This movie in one word is batshit crazy
Agreed :D In other words,it's your average 1980's Golan/Globus sci-fi/action production :D
@@iansmith4023 It's anything but average
@@douglasmckenzie3324 I know! I meant it an ironic way :) Golan /Globus were known for doing some very strange and OTT movies.
@@iansmith4023 I like the studio's version of "Salome", which has a weird setting that combines the past & future.
great review, i do have a soft spot for this movie, another great railsback role is in The Stuntman
Love your enthusiasm!
I always saw a connection between this film & the Quatermass Franchise. Especially '5 Million Years To Earth'!
I have that on my radar. I can't wait to see it. Thanks for mentioning it. 😊
I got caught in the middle of this movie back in the 80s. It took me years to finally see the whole movie. Love your selection and am glad that some are not main stream movies. You should try one of the worst movie ever made. Killer Klowens from Out Space. C
I have never seen that one. Clowns are ok, but scary clowns totally freak me out. I'm such a big baby about it, but I will brave it one day. Thanks for suggesting it.😊
Overall this is not a bad movie, with the likes of Dan O'Bannon working on the screenplay, The man the brought us Alien, and Heavy Metal just to name a few movies of his. It also has the voice talents of John Larroquette ( Night Court) as the Narrator. Plus actors such as Patrick Stewart (Star Trek TNG) Frank Finlay (1973 Three Musketeers). Then you have Mathilda May as Space Girl. If you go and read the book that this movie is based you, you will quickly see they did not have much to work with in writing the script. I have to admit I do harbor a bit of nostalgia for this movie as I was 15 when I first saw it. I am looking forward to seeing this review.
I remember this movie in NYC when it came out in 1985. And we didn't know if it was really a horror film. It was more like a comedy. I remembering people in the theater laughing hysterically. The vampires would be pulverized in dust and they could be killed if impaled. An act that was discovered by the professor who had a funny scene with a dead space vampire that he impaled. The audience laughed. So it was enjoyable but not really a horror. Especially when the person can get their life force back but only when they take it from another person. The street scenes of Londoners taking life force from each other and back again was also funny.
>>It was more like a comedy.
How weird 🤨
I've no idea why people would find all this funny but hey ho. It doesn't seem funny to me watching the movie.😀
This movie was the 1st film I boat on dvd
Try The Stuntman for more Railsback action
Thanks for the suggestion!😊
@@RetroNerdGirl My pleasure. It's a magical film from 1980. 3 Academy Award nominations and yet woefully underappreciated. It's full of surprises too so the less you know going in, the better.
Edit : avoid the Wikipedia page if poss. It gives away too much of the story
@@evanward4303 Thank you, I have also mentioned The Stunt Man to her, easily my favorite Steve Railsback movie.
8:05 One of those actors is Mick Jagger's brother. I think it's the one on the right.
I'm 41 and I still have yet to see this movie. You think I would have because it has a beautiful French dancer who is naked through the film. And I do love me some nudity. LOL. It is on my list though.
Why did you stop? Keep doing more. I like to hear your perspective on these films.
I liked the 1986 Invaders from Mars (I may be the only one).
Whoohoo! Can't wait.
Me too!😊
Is Lifeforce the only movie that used a real life event (the return of Halley's Comet in 1985) to help advertise itself? Not that it helped much as the film didn't do well at the box office.
I'm not sure. There was that awesome flick Night of the Comet. I haven't researched it yet so.. maybe. I've got homework.😊
I dunno why it didn't do well. i can't help but think if it had been released today (updated etc) it would be a huge success
The casting of this unknown Ballet dancer was spot on, you sensed that Hooper was after someone almost unique, with...malignant screen presence, VERY sexual seductive & yet...virginal (wearing white at one point contrasting with her latin good looks) She probably had to gain some weight for this as dancers are notoriously skinny, & that worked to. all I would say was that they could have fked her height a bit...maybe put her on boxes for the medium shots
She put me in mind of the HAMMER women of the sixties such as - Valerie Leon & Caroline Monroe.
The overall film gets too chaotic a mess with too much going on not long after they arrive back on earth, to me, this is a film that works best visually rather than for it's story structure.
I like this novie a lot .
👍👍
Why are all these reviews for Life Force coming out all of a sudden? I saw Life Force for the 1st time 6 years ago. A film buff buddy of mine introduced me to it. I thought hardly anyone out there knew about it. Just us. I guess the cat is out of the bag. 😂
Interesting movie, a bit of a "full-employment program" for British character actors . . .
Hy Retro Nerd Girl . Can you make a review on Berserker from 1987, directed by Jefferson Richard ? Would be fun ;))
I've never seen it. I'll have to add that to my watch list. Thank you for suggesting it. 😊