Lifeforce - L'étoile du mal

Lifeforce, l’Étoile du mal fut l’une des trois productions les plus coûteuses des studios Cannon Films. D’un côté, la firme pondait des films d’action bon marché et sans âme bêtement basés sur la rentabilité et, de l’autre, elle se risquait, de temps en temps et avec certains réalisateurs originaux, à ce genre de projet ambitieux mais délicat. En l’occurrence, il en est manifestement ressorti un fiasco commercial dont le rendement fut catastrophique, mais qui a au moins le mérite de nous laisser aujourd’hui en présence d’une œuvre relativement innovante. Tobe Hooper s’est inspiré de l’écrit élégamment intitulé The Space Vampires et du scénario de Dan O’Bannon and co. Cette variante terriblement exacerbée des policiers de science-fiction britanniques classiques sort clairement des sentiers battus par sa façon de présenter une apocalypse cosmique imminente. Malgré la tentative, de la part de Hooper, d’enrober le tout d'un certain prestige, le spectacle est globalement pompeux et extrêmement typé « série B » par son thème complètement trashy. Je dois souligner que le premier visionnage m’a laissé assez indifférent et que je ne l’ai trouvé excellent qu’en le revoyant des années plus tard ; c’est exactement le type de films que je parviens aujourd’hui à savourer pleinement et à évaluer correctement – surtout quand Mathilda May y joue un rôle aussi substantiel ! (28/01/2020)

I didn’t like this at all. The promising premise is literally killed by bad acting and an excessive runtime – there are some scenes that I would simply delete. The story changes locations constantly, which affects the already weak atmosphere – it basically never manages to build one – and the stupid behaviour of the characters doesn’t help, either. The special effects didn’t look that good, quite the opposite, actually. I didn’t like the ending, either, it’s too predictable and kitsch. Lifeforce was a disappointment. 45% (12/05/2008)

The film is based on the novel "Lifeforce" by Colin Wilson, which was inspired by Stoker's classic "Dracula." The book is a modern cosmic paraphrase of the classic vampire story in the style of a gothic novel. Combining vampire themes, zombie horror, and pure sci-fi in one film may seem absurd at first glance, and that's exactly how contemporary criticism perceived it, literally tearing it apart. From my perspective, surprisingly, it all works quite well, mainly because the creators constantly strive to stay in the realm of pure sci-fi and only draw ideas and props from other genres. The space scenes are skillfully filmed and strive for maximum authenticity, and the shots of the burning city and panic-stricken people are equally impressive. The quality of the effects naturally corresponds to its time, nothing can be done about that... There were no big stars in the film, only Patrick Stewart from Star Trek got one of the supporting roles. This dark horror sci-fi with a B-movie charm is worth seeing. Overall impression: 55%. (06/01/2008)

Only at Cannon Films could Tobe Hooper get a three-picture deal and, what’s more, funding for a bizarre, big-budget project that combines the style of the classic British sci-fi horror movies Quatermass and the Pit and The Day of the Triffids with spectacular special effects and grandiose sets. Though the result ranked among infamous flops and foreshadowed Cannon Films’ financial demise in the second half of the 1980s, its tremendous charm cannot be denied. For its time, it was actually an utterly unique fanboy project in which Hooper enjoyed paying homage to his favourite old-school movies. Like those earlier works, the foundations of Lifeforce are composed of dialogue passages and talking heads. However, these attributes cause it to fail as a spectacle, so it remains merely a tribute for a knowledgeable audience. The colossal deep-space sequences, the apocalyptic destruction of London and the bizarre premise of a nude space vampiress sucking the life force out of men do not in any way change that. (03/09/2015)