LIFEFORCE

Steve Railsback

LIFEFORCE (1985). Director: Tobe Hooper. 

Colonel Tom Carlson (Steve Railsback) leads a crew of astronauts who are investigating Halley's comet when they come across a huge derelict spaceship. Inside it they find many deceased bat-like creatures, and are unaware that three of the survivors of the alien race have transformed themselves into attractive humans. One of the trio is a naked female (Mathilda May) who begins to entrance the Colonel. This "woman" is an energy vampire, and back on earth she and her companions create havoc, leading to a plague in London and a near-apocalypse that only Carlson can stop. 

Pitiful victim of the space vampires

Lifeforce was not well-received when it was released -- I always thought the film was actually not bad -- maybe because the plot was a little confusing and audiences at the time may have been sick of zombies. But Lifeforce moves at a swift pace, is well-acted, has some marvelous special effects and stand-out sequences, and the riot scenes in London are very well-staged. In fact, Tobe Hooper's direction [Texas Chainsaw Massacre] is on-target every step of the way. There's a terrific sequence involving an autopsy, as well as a scene inside a copter when the vampire uses blood to form a surrogate body. Although one wouldn't expect this is the kind of material to be scored by Henry Mancini, the composer does an excellent job. 

Steve Railsback and Patrick Stewart 

Steve Railsback gives a very effective performance as Colonel Carlson. As for the supporting cast, Peter Firth seems to be channeling Brian Donlevy as Professor Quatermass in his generally cold portrayal of Colonel Caine. Patrick Stewart scores as Dr. Armstrong, who runs a psychiatric institution and who has been possessed, in a way, by one of the vampires. There's a wild scene when Tom Carlson smooches Dr. Armstrong on the mouth, thinking he's kissing the lady from space! Frank Finlay and Michael Gothard are also good as scientists fighting against the vampires. 

Mathilda May

Lifeforce was undoubtedly influential on Species -- which also featured a sexy female creature --  which came out ten years later. It's also possible that Lifeforce was influenced by Alien, as well the 1979 "Proteus" storyline in the X-Men comic book, in which the villain absorbs energy from victims, leaves them desiccated husks, and takes on their form. One might argue that the entertaining and fast-paced Lifeforce is a bit too busy at times, and is borderline campy, but in general the film is quite well-made and entertaining, if rather cold-blooded.

Verdict: One of Hooper's best pictures. ***. 

EATEN ALIVE AT A CHAINSAW MASSACRE: THE FILMS OF TOBE HOOPER

EATEN ALIVE AT A CHAINSAW MASSACRE: THE FILMS OF TOBE HOOPER. John Kenneth Muir. McFarland; 2002. 

In this entertaining look at the career of director Tobe Hooper [The Texas Chainsaw Massacre], Muir makes a case that he was under-rated and should have received the same accolades as, say, John Carpenter or Wes Craven. He examines how the untrue rumor that Poltergeist was directed not by Hooper but by producer Steven Spielberg was detrimental, as was the critical and financial failure of the under-rated Lifeforce. Muir, however, does not love every Hooper film and is unsparing in his criticism of certain pictures that turned out very badly. Muir is also not a mindless gore geek, arguing that the extreme graphic carnage of certain Hooper films, such as The Mangler, actually detracted from the films' effectiveness and enjoyment. Muir occasionally goes awry in trying too hard to find deep meaning in some of Hooper's films. Is Lifeforce really an allegory of sex in the age of AIDS? His lengthy and admittedly interesting analysis of Texas Chainsaw at times borders on the pretentious. Still, if Muir wants to see Chainsaw as some kind of profound masterpiece, that's his prerogative. Whatever your opinion of that particular film and of Hooper as a director, this book is well-written, well-researched, and very informative and readable.

Verdict: A must for Hooper and Texas Chainsaw Massacre fans. ***.

THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE

Marilyn Burns 

THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE (1974). Director: Tobe Hooper. 

"No need to torture the poor girl."

Sally (Marilyn Burns), her brother Franklin (Paul A. Partain), and some friends travel to their childhood home to see if any of their relatives' graves were disturbed by grave robbers. Investigating what seems like a perfectly nice house nearby, two of the young people are almost immediately set upon by "Leatherface" (not referred to as such in the film) an obese, squealing man in a mask of flesh (Gunnar Hansen). Setting out to find their missing chums, Sally and Franklin come across Leatherface wielding his chainsaw. The only survivor of the attack, Sally is taken captive by Leatherface and his family,  and tries to hold onto her sanity as well as her life. 

The edge of disaster

Texas Chainsaw has been excoriated by people who have never seen it, because they imagine it is a grisly bloodbath, but the effects of the chainsaw upon flesh are never actually shown (which is not true of the sequels and remakes). However, the film is intense, with a disturbing and horrifying atmosphere. The emotional torture of the heroine eventually becomes repellent and can even seem misogynous to some. The soundtrack consists more of jangling eerie noises than music. It's interesting that the house Leatherface and his family live in appears so attractive and well-kept-up, at least on the outside. When Franklin refers to his grandfather's house as the "Franklin place," are we to assume that his full name is Franklin Franklin, or  was this just a mistake? 

Marilyn Burns

Many years have gone by since Texas Chainsaw premiered and there have been loads of similar films since then. How does it hold up? Well ... Despite all the gruesome goings-on in the final quarter, the movie actually becomes a little tedious, the ending isn't nearly as exciting as remembered, and there are times it seems rather schlocky to boot, although the art direction of the house of horrors is swell. Considering everything Marilyn Burns has to go through, she gives a damned good performance in this, never going over the top, detailing her character's shock and hysteria with aplomb (the repeated close-ups of her bulging eyes are over-the-top, however). She also appeared in Hooper's lousy follow-up, Eaten Alive. Edwin Neal is certainly vivid as the crazy Hitchhiker who is also a part of the family. All and all, Texas has been over-rated over the years. Psycho may not shock as it once did, but it is still a masterpiece. Texas was never a masterpiece, and it certainly isn't now. 

Verdict: Zesty if half-baked horror film. **1/2.