Lifeforce (1985)

 

Arrow Films are releasing Tobe Hooper's deliriously entertaining LIFEFORCE in a brand new 4K restoration of not just the full and proper 116 minute cut but also the mucked about with yet fondly remembered by those of us who saw it at the cinema 1985 cut as well, and God bless them for it.

There are many who love LIFEFORCE - a number that has increased substantially since its original release - and those who don't. Much like the horror genre itself, it's almost impossible to explain to those who don't get its appeal just how wonderful it is, but let's have a go anyway.

LIFEFORCE is a film that, for seasoned aficionados of all things horror and British, always has something going on. Every minute has something to love, whether it's Henry Mancini's score (an odd and yet ultimately perfect choice of composer), the amazing special effects (that still hold up beautifully), or the sight of well-loved British character actors (Frank Finlay, Peter Firth, Michael Gothard, Aubrey Morris, Patrick Stewart, John Hallam, Jerome Willis, Nicholas Ball, John Woodnutt, John Forbes-Robertson) appearing in a horror film that cost nearly three times as much to make as STAR WARS. Have I mentioned Mathilda May? I don't really need to, do I?

The last 30 minutes is an absolute triumph of special effects, film editing and musical scoring as we see the London Underground, double decker buses and even St Paul's filled with zombies and all blown to bits. If you've watched this with an audience you'll know to cheer along with the perfunctory to occasionally downright odd dialogue because that's just all part of the fun. 

So what do we get in Arrow's two disc UHD set? Well for a start all the extras on Arrow's two disc 2013 Blu-ray release have been ported over, so we get all three commentary tracks (Tobe Hooper, FX artist Douglas Smith, Make Up FX artist Nick Maley, also of INSEMINOID fame) on disc one, plus the 70 minute making of which is essential viewing, in fact if you've not seen the film before it might be a good place to start. There are also interviews with Hooper (10 minutes), star Steve Railsback (7 minutes) and Mathilda May (15 minutes). You also get textless opening and closing credits and a trailer.

Disc two gives us the 101 minute version released to UK cinemas which, importantly, is worth watching if for nothing else the Michael Kamen score that was used to paper over the cracks of the edits. Extras on this disc are the new additions, and include 45 minutes of interview footage from Mark Hartley's documentary ELECTRIC BOOGALOO: THE WILD UNTOLD STORY OF CANNON FILMS, including Tobe Hooper, screenwriter Michael Armstrong, editor John Grover and sound designer Vernon Messenger. Also new is a scene by scene comparison between LIFEFORCE proper and its frankly bizarre US TV edit which was only 93 minute long and spent too much time on Mathilda May's zoomed in face. Watch and chuckle.

Finally, there's a collector's booklet on the film with new writing by Frank Collins (not supplied for review so I have no idea if the original booklet material from the Blu-ray release has been retained or not).

Tobe Hooper's magnificent (because Oh Yes It Is) LIFEFORCE is out on 4K UHD in a two disc set on Monday 17th February 2025