Cheap Lifeforce (DVD) (Steve Railsback, Mathilda May) (Tobe Hooper) Price

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Customer Reviews of Lifeforce

Brought to you by the writer of "Alien" and the director of "Poltergiest", the movie comes across as a very weak combination of the two.

While unabashedly exploitive in the all of the worst ways, there are still one or two memorable moments (for example, one scene where a space vampire explodes when hit by a car, seems to have inspired a similar scene in Robocop).

But perhaps the most obvious (only?) reason to watch this campy experience is the beautiful Mathilda May, who spends a significant amount of her screen time nude.

On the DVD side of things, the 5.1 audio track is a welcome addition and the film transfer is decent.

In a rather telling footnote, however, the only extra features are an uncensored theatrical trailer, and an 8-page booklet with production notes and a behind the scenes article. I guess the fact that MGM didn't take the extra time or expense to program the information from the booklet onto the disc says it all!

Although I personally enjoyed it as a "guilty pleasure", this one definitely fits under the Rent-Before-You-Buy category.

What A Vampiress!!
I think "Lifeforce" is one of those strange cases where you wonder what kind of movie this is. Of course, it's a sci-fi flick, but it has certain elements of action and horror together in one single package.

The movie centers around three space vampires whose leader is a beautiful young woman who appears naked most of the time during the film. Mathilda May is completely gorgeous, so perfect, you can fall in love with her and wish to be drained by her charming, yet horrendous, powers. What a vampiress!!! Too bad, she will only be remembered for this role.

The vampiress creates chaos as she walks by the streets of London, and she has to run away from her hunters, especially Steve Railsback and Peter Firth. Railsback is terrible as Col. Tom Carlsen; he overacts so much by yelling everytime he can. Firth is quite good as Col. Colin Caine from the British Special Air Service; he's a good counterpart for Carlsen.

Frank Finlay is terrific as Prof. Hans Fallada, the man who knows the mystery behind those alien visitors. And watch for Patrick Stewart as Dr. Armstrong, the manager of a madhouse who falls victim of the vampiress.

Tobe Hooper made an interesting effort in creating such a crazy movie. I have to admit that some of the things shown in the movie are quite cheesy. But apart from Mathilda May, the finale is colossal, supported by Henry Mancini's fantastic musical score. The film is quite good, watchable, even though some parts are annoying, courtesy of Steve Railsback

SLEEPING BOOBIES ......
EXCEPT for the still unsurpassed utter seediness of AUDREY MORRIS [Mr. Deltoid from 'Clockwork Orange'] as Sir Percy - this one's quite a hoot in acting class ..... this is HOW NOT to do it on screen and Boys and Girls - we DO have a stellar [pardon that pun] cast] - including Patrick Stewart [mouth to mouthing Steve Railback whitst posessed]; the venerable Frank Finlay [Iago to Oliver's Othello], just too many to mention - it's a hoot watching those guys trying to upstage each other in this futile little blast from a somewhat now dismissed Tobe [Texas Chainsaw Massacre]Hooper.

The effects? [Oh Dear, why is everyone floating yet a technician in full frame is on his feet???]

One can go on ........ [as for the uncanny Nicole Kidman lookalike ..... startling!]

QUARTERMASS is much more fun - this poor alien stepchild is somewhere between them all - but worth a rumble or two .....