LIFEFORCE SE desperately wanted... (1 Viewer)

[TheBat]

the HD channel: universalHD is showing the theatre version of lifeforce. they have commerical, but its uncut. they are showing everything.

Jacob

 

[Douglas R]

I saw LIFEFORCE when it first opened theatrically in London and there were certainly no laughs from the audience. Everyone took the film seriously and I'm sure that is what was intended. I would hate to see the film with an audience constantly laughing. The problem is that some people start suggesting to others that it's full of unintentional comedy and so you end up with a situation when an audience overreacts and ends up laughing at everything.

 

[JeffMc]

And I saw it opening night in Los Angeles at the Picwood Theater. I can tell you that a lot of the audience was chuckling at the over-the-top nature of the film. By the finale, it was practically a laugh riot. I know I was laughing at it and I try to be respectful at any film. This was also not a festival screening years later where audiences are usually geared up to make fun of any movie. This was a general audience on opening night who went to see a respectable sci-fi film and were befuddled with what they actually were watching. And as far as Tarantino saying "not to laugh" at his festival screening, that's all well and good as I've been to revival screenings and it seems to be the norm to make fun and hoot and holler at any film. In the case of LIFEFORCE on its original release, though, you can't tell a general audience not to feel what they are feeling - and if they think something is absurd and laughable, they just might laugh. And they did.

That said, I do love LIFEFORCE just because it's so laughable. I honestly cant see anybody taking it seriously, but I guess that's what makes us all individuals.

 

[Jeffrey Nelson]

I bet that same audience would have had the same general reaction towards many classic British sci-fi/horror films. Again, all too typical.

Differences of opinion aside, this film needs to be restored, remastered, and re-released properly, with all the extras that can possibly be stuffed into it.

 

[JeffMc]

Maybe so, but I don't think that kind of unintentional derision from the audience was quite the norm back then. I think the opening-night audience I saw it with responded in genuine terms and I think it was mostly deserved - and was not a flippant 'typical' response. Nowadays, it's almost a requirement to laugh at an older film - which does suck - but I don't remember too many theatrical experiences upon original release getting such a laughing audience response at the time. And I saw everything from XANADU to MOMMIE DEAREST.

By the way, I saw a theatrical revival of QUATERMASS AND THE PIT ('Five Million Years to Earth') at the Nuart Theater somewhere in the early 80's as well. No one laughed at it at all. The flashback scenes with the very fake-looking aliens could easily have garnered guffaws, but the audience just went with it. Of course, that was then. I suppose an audience today may laugh it off the screen and that's the world we live in.

In any event, I agree LIFEFORCE deserves a way better presentation on DVD.

 

[Mark_TS]

It was one of the very first batch of DVDs released, yet we have no SE-not even an enhanced version-at this late date-which should have been a given.
I prefer the short version-the longer is more exposition and seems even more hysterical. You can get LIFEFORCE 16x9 in Germany (theatrical)

 

[Dharmesh C]

I love Mancini's score and some of the effects in the film.

 

[Mike_Richardson]

Agreed wholeheartedly, which is why I disagreed with the other poster's experience with audiences finding it funny. People thought it was amusing WHEN IT OPENED and enjoyed it as such for that reason.

There are some seriously good elements as Dharmesh mentioned, including mancini's magnificent score and the FX. But the story and performances are very hard to take seriously.

 

[Charles_Y]

Just checked out HDNET's work and it's quite nice. My, does Mathilda look GREAT! Would hope this drums up support for a future video release, maybe, even in HD someday soon.

 

[Jeffrey Nelson]

Apparently these Londoners didn't find it amusing WHEN IT OPENED, and enjoyed it as a straightforward sci-fi/horror epic in the tradition of Quatermass. I've got company.

 

[Simon Caleb]

What! still no 'Lifeforce' SE?

I don't know how much more of this I can handle!

Prior to it's UK theatrical release, a respected English genre journo described to me his annoyance concerning zombie mayhem missing from the UK theatrical release, which he saw in a preview print.
Knowing this man and his jaw dropping memory, I believe there's graphic footage ripe for a SE release...

 

[AlanBrom]

Would love to see a SE of LIFEFORCE! Are we even sure that MGM will ever release any old cult films again after this year's drought???

 

[kingfish]

I remember Mathilda may appearing in the remake of Day of the Jackal. In the movie[The Jackal] she played the ex love of Richard Gere's character. Lifeforce was a good movie. I believe that it was Patrick Stewart's first movie.

 

[kingfish]

Columbia House Movies, Television and More available at ColumbiaHouse.com





details:


Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1

Audio Tracks:
Original Language: English

Closed Captioned: No

Subtitles: French, Spanish, English

Aspect Ratio: Widescreen

* Contains an additional 15 minutes of footage not shown in theatres
* New Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack
* 8-page booklet featuring trivia, production notes and a revealing look at the making of the film
* Original theatrical trailer



extras:

* Contains an additional 15 minutes of footage not shown in theatres
* New Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack
* 8-page booklet featuring trivia, production notes and a revealing look at the making of the film
* Original theatrical trailer

 

[Mark_TS]

This was one of the very first batch of MGM DVDs out back in 1997-8
One of the very fist Widescreen laserdiscs from Japan (the subtitles were on the right side of the frame!)

I still root for both the Theatrical and Directors/International cut-thought there are rumors of a much longer beginning section shot with NO dialog-just Mancinis music as they explore much more of the alien ship
And also rumors of an even longer 3 hour version.

So what IS holding MGM up?
A perfect disc for BR and the millions of waiting DVD fans

2 disc SE-international cut; Theatrical cut;
The half hour docu-MAKING OF LIFEFORCE
and there must be a ton of other extras.

I must admit that while I find the film a silly guilty pleasure, I wonder
just what the hell Hooper and O'Bannon were thinking, while using millions of other peoples money to film this? It borders on slapstick/hysterical comedy
Both men are firmly locked in a b movie mentality-and were given the task of making a spectacle

I dont think Hooper had any grasp on what a big budget epic should contain as the film goes back and forth between generes and budget styles
He is more on with close-in low budget film....zombie in the back woods and shopping mall nonsense films, and I swear some of the lines and acting were hysterical-and practically a showstopper when Railsback is driving in search of Miss B cup, and a rotting arm reaches in grabs him, breaks off, then continues to contort as Railsback casually tosses it into the back seat.
Being surrounded by Shakesperian grade thespians, I wonder how the B movie unknown Mr Railsback felt-he gave such a forced wooden performance...

It is a film which really had much more potential-but had a weird disjointed feel to it-they failed to emulate the "Hammer" magic they claimed to be aiming for;
The movie was not really a grand spectacle that I think it might have been- when Golan Globus finally looked at the rushes, both had coronaries, then called the bank to stop the credit line as of yesterday, it then became just a higher than normal budget "B" movie. Ill bet they hired someone to come in and finish the movie, cut the budget and pushed it out the door-as is rumored on Poltergeist
You could just kind of feel the slide into just another -well-zombie movie-and they are a dime a million-
that had some interesting sci fi overtones and ideas

Hooper has said it was going to be his BEN HUR of sci fi movies(!?!)

More like Hercules and the Sea Serpent in the Island of Lost Women

Imagine what Ridley Scott could have done with it.

So, if nothing else MGM at least but both versions on a disc, 16x9 enhanced and call it even-lets not wait until the next big media delivery system comes out-I can see the ad copy now:

"Looks even better than film itself!" only $19.95

 

[MichaelEl]

They've been showing this on Universal HD, but it appears to be either edited for TV or cut, as several scenes from the Encore version are missing.

I'm not really surprised this movie hasn't gotten a new DVD release, given that sci-fi (superhero movies excluded) isn't that big at the box office anymore.

 

[Mark_TS]

Yeah, but its one of the cheesiest cult films out there!

you are probably being shown the Theatrical cut-99 mins-for some odd reason a small market like Germany takes it upon itself to release the theatrical cut 16x9 enhanced on DVD-the only place in the world.

I dont get how these small markets can do these things yet the US -with its huge captive Zone 1 market, plead poverty or insanity, when it comes to the practice of quietly upgrading a film. No fanfare- no big 'sale of the century' no waiting until an SE is out (though icing on the cake)

Italy had the SE of THE NEW WORLD out months ago
UK-the only place for an enhanced ANGELS AND INSECTS. Austrailia for an enhanced ROMY AND MICHELLES HIGH SCHOOL REUNION (ill never live that down) Korea for an enhanced english subtitled LA REIN MARGOT. There are other examples im sure. UK for the fully restored KWAIDAN (MUCH better than the Criterion GET IT!)The list goes on

It just seems odd that these US Conglomerates "dont see profit", when they have millions of buyers at hand- and are terrified if they dont see immediate returns on investment. Greed.

And how ridiculous is it that Warner would dare release a box set devoted to the Master himself, Stanley Kubrick, yet shortchange him-ill go further-slap him in the face-insult the man, by not including LOLITA and BARRY LYNDON (which would have looked stunning)as part of the set, 16x9 enhanced. A half-assed job for SK! Disgusting
I know there are always plenty of corporate excuses-and in the end-thats all they are-excuses.

If they needed extra time-delay it a bit and DO IT RIGHT.

Now we will need wait a few years for a new box for those to be included-as an inducement to repurchase SK yet again, unless Warner has the good sense to clean and enhanace them for a pending release ala cart, SOON I hope ie before Christmas
----
Only in France: did they include both the films in the SK Box-they were not 16x9 enhnaced- but out of respect to SK they were at least included and had the same fonts/theme/ design continuity covers as the rest of the set as released here. When the new L and BL enhanced come out I can swop them out

Sometimes i just wonder at the blundering foolishness-im sure WB made a mint off the sets-as after all, most have bought it 3 times already-plus the early and current individual titles.

sorta OT i know
polite, friendly constructive chatting on this subject is most welcome
otherwise, put a lid on it

 

[Mike_Richardson]

Listen, you obviously have a different recollection than I do about what kind of reviews and reaction this movie got when it FIRST CAME OUT. The writer of the film in Starlog Magazine admitted the direction was comedic -- and this was WHEN IT OPENED. I had a friend in London who thought it was hysterical when it was shown in previews before it opened. I also remember movie critics -- in this country -- saying how entertaining it was, and packed with unintended laughs...and recommending it (as Leonard Maltin even did on Entertainment Tonight) for that very reason. Not because it was seriously good, but because it was crazy, wacked-out sci-fi with a script that took itself so seriously you couldn't help but enjoy it.

That's not "revisionist history," that's actually the reaction of people when the picture first FIRST OPENED.

And while I don't share your opinion, I think it's great you find it fully satisfying as a straightforward sci-fi/horror epic "in the tradition of Quartermass." I just find it odd you can't accept that others -- and I dare say the MAJORITY of fans of this movie -- enjoy it for totally different reasons than you do, and yes, even did when it first came out in 1985.

 

[Simon Caleb]

I clearly remember the almost unanimous negative reviews 'Lifeforce' received upon it's rather brief UK theatrical release. I also remember the audience laughing out loud at the Streatham cinema where I saw it.

Even genre magazines such as England's Starburst reviewed it negatively.

Personally I wouldn't call 'Lifeforce' a guilty pleasure, as I don't subscribed to that way of thinking. What other's think of a particular film, means nothing to me. IMO it's a great fun cheese fest, with a strange 60's Quatermass feel to it.

Now, please, let's have a group hug, and cross our bits for a 16x9 restored SE...

 

[Douglas R]

Let's face it...they'll laugh at anything in Steatham. The West End premiere audience where I saw the film was far more respectful!