Lifeforce (1985, UK)

Sometimes British filmmakers try to take on the American industry at its own game, and fail abysmally. Do you remember The Professionals, a pathetic copy of the groundbreaking Starsky and Hutch?

This is such a case; all the Britishness in the film is embarrassing, as are the attempts at American phraseology, like the dismissive military "That will be all" ...

An alien from outer space, apparently a human female, and certainly naked, is discovered in suspended animation in a capsule in space. She is brought back to a British laboratory, and all the experts hum and hah over her. When the conference is over, a naughty lustful guard goes back alone and touches her naked body. None of the others had thought of that, apparently. This wakes her up; but she needs to take the life force from living humans to continue her work, and this involves a certain amount of "possession" of real humans. She does this by kissing them passionately, which at first the guard thinks is a good idea, until his lifeless husk collapses to the floor.

The cast and crew list is remarkable; countless people in stunts, prosthetics, special effects, even a large mime department; and music by Henry Mancini and the London Symphony Orchestra. But precious little in the script writing department (Dan O'Bannon and Dan Jakoby). That was the problem.

HF February 2003

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