Invaders From Mars!

I watched both the 1953 original and the 1986 remake of Invaders From Mars.  I've long owned outdated VHS copies of both, but I don't think I've ever watched them both back-to-back. My VHS copy of the classic movie by Cameron Menzies was pretty grainy and not really all that much fun to stumble through. I long ago replaced it with a DVD version several months ago, and also I picked up the Tobe Hooper version as part of a Midnite Movies double feature. To be frank, I don't really have much affection for the remake. I saw it in the theater, but don't really have any strong memory of it. Getting it on VHS many years ago was simple completism. I've watched it once I think. 

But I have to say watching them back-to-back really opens up both movies a bit for me. For one thing my DVD copy comes with two versions, a British cut and a longer American cut. When I got the DVD I watched the British cut and the picture quality seemed not unlike my VHS copy. I was pretty disappointed. But this time I watched the American cut, and this is the cleanest version of the movie I've ever seen. It's really a feast of images. Tobe Hooper made his version out of an affection for the original, but sadly the pacing of the 1986 movie is too slow. Stuff happens but the editing of scenes is relaxed and there are things we don't need to spend so much time on that make the story almost stop in places. The stuff at the school for one just gets on my nerves. They needed to stay focused on David's home and his parents more. But that would've meant getting rid of much of Louise Fletcher's stuff and she's one of the most entertaining things in this movie, her over-the-top villainy is fun to watch. 

There is a weird dreamlike logic to the original, supported by the high-art style they used. The movie has a steady beat to it as the story gets a bit more peculiar all the way through right up to the rumble through the Martian tunnels. The fact they had to make do with men-in-suits and other limited effects put the premium on the story and the pacing. Sadly, Hooper is able to use more elaborate physical effects and that seems to slow things down too. You build a wonderful set, and you want to show it off, I get that, but it's to the detriment of the story. I will say it's always refreshing to see any movie that relies so heavily on physical effects for its monsters though, as I'm about tired of the endless CG critters we get nowadays. 

I really found the story of young David compelling in the original this time, more than ever and the themes of the story, ripe with paranoia really shine through. The death of the little girl was shocking and gave the story a weight it would otherwise lack. The deaths in the Hooper version were less involving, more played for humor even in spots. None of that in the original. It was creepy. I like that Jimmy Hunt, the actor who played the original little boy "David" in 1953 showed up as an adult policeman in the 1986 movie. That kind of insider stuff is cute and doesn't hurt the story if it's done quietly. It's not like Stan Lee showing up and taking you out of the movie, just a hidden gem for folks in on the secret. So I find I like the original a lot more than I ever imagined I would. The remake is still unremarkable.

 NOTE: This is a Dojo Revised Classic Post. 

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Vampires From Space!

Lifeforce is one of those movies which sits between genres. It's clearly science fiction with shuttles full of astronauts exploring the depths of space and Halley's Comet where they discover an enormous alien craft full of dessicated bodies and three humanoids who would strike most anyone's fancy. And the movie then is also clearly horror as the three humanoids turn out to space vampires, the very source of the Earth legends about bloodsuckers, who have returned to ravage the planet and extract not blood exactly but "lifeforce"-- hence the title.

The title is largely the problem with this movie I suspect, at least as regards its meager box office. Lifeforce could be about anything and sadly sounds like it could be about nothing much as well. I didn't see this one in the theater at the time and I don't know exactly why, because it was released when I was devouring most any movie in the genre. I missed it and I bet the vague title has a lot to do with it. It's based on a Colin Wilson novel title The Space Vampires, that's a much better title.

As well as this poster which seems like the title not to be about anything in particular. It's going for a Space Odyssey vibe I guess, but it ends up being a collection of images which don't compute. A hairy eyeball sees the Earth -- so what! It's horrible! I'd rather have seen the gloriously exotic poster at the top of this post with naked girls strapped to indistinct space pods flying away from some Lovecraftian thorne-themed spacecraft. That's an attention getter.

The movie itself though is a compelling bit of cinema directed by Tobe Hooper and offers up a slathering of classic sci-fi smeared onto a horror yarn with great all-around effect Lots of folks get totally distracted (as do almost all the characters) by the insanely nubile naked body of Mathilda May who plays the key "Space Girl" and head vampire. But if you can take your eyes off the delicious Miss May, you'll find a robust Hammeresque fear-fest with rampaging zombies, grotesque bat-creatures, and a solid cast of Brits more than capable of standing toe-to-toe with the utter destruction of the planet.

Lone American Steve Railsback charges through this movie getting ever more intense, but I find the likes of Peter Firth, Frank Finlay, and future "Jean Luc Picard" himself Patrick Stewart much more compelling with half the screaming. The story is pretty simple one actually. Astronauts find those alien vampires in the tail of Haley's Comet and under their hypnotic influence bring them to Earth where they ransack London and call out to their brethren to come and share in the feast. Along the way the police try to track the aliens with little effectiveness.

There are lots of back end explanations and without some convenient psychic flashes the story would grind to a halt pretty quickly, but when it's all said and done, I find Lifeforce to be a moody and involving horror show. The gorgeous Mathilda is just cream on an already tasty cake.

But The Space Vampires would have been a much much better title.

NOTE: This is a Dojo Revised Classic Post. 

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Dojo Classics - Invaders From Mars!

I watched both the 1953 original and the 1986 remake of Invaders From Mars.  I've long had VHS copies of both, but I don't think I've ever watched them both back-to-back. My VHS copy of the classic movie by Cameron Menzies was pretty grainy and not really all that much fun to stumble through. I replaced it with a DVD version several months ago, and recently I picked up the Tobe Hooper version as part of a Midnite Movies double feature. To be frank, I don't really have much affection for the remake. I saw it in the theater, but don't really have any strong memory of it. Getting it on VHS many years ago was simple completism. I've watched it once I think. 

But I have to say watching them back-to-back really opens up both movies a bit for me. For one thing my dvd copy comes with two versions, a British cut and a longer American cut. When I got the dvd I watched the British cut and the picture quality seemed not unlike my VHS copy. I was pretty disappointed. But this time I watched the American cut, and this is the cleanest version of the movie I've ever seen. It's really a feast of images. Tobe Hooper made his version out of an affection for the original, but sadly the pacing of the 1986 movie is too slow. Stuff happens but the editing of scenes is relaxed and there are things we don't need to spend so much time on that make the story almost stop in places. The stuff at the school for one just gets on my nerves. They needed to stay focused on David's home and his parents more. But that would've meant getting rid of much of Louise Fletcher's stuff and she's one of the most entertaining things in this movie, her over-the-top villainy is fun to watch. 

There is a weird dreamlike logic to the original, supported by the high-art style they used. The movie has a steady beat to it as the story gets a bit more peculiar all the way through right up to the rumble through the Martian tunnels. The fact they had to make do with men-in-suits and other limited effects put the premium on the story and the pacing. Sadly, Hooper is able to use more elaborate physical effects and that seems to slow things down too. You build a wonderful set, and you want to show it off, I get that, but it's to the detriment of the story. I will say it's always refreshing to see any movie that relies so heavily on physical effects for its monsters though, as I'm about tired of the endless CG critters we get nowadays. 

I really found the story of young David compelling in the original this time, more than ever and the themes of the story, ripe with paranoia really shine through. The death of the little girl was shocking and gave the story a weight it would otherwise lack. The deaths in the Hooper version were less involving, more played for humor even in spots. None of that in the original. It was creepy. I like that Jimmy Hunt, the actor who played the original little boy "David" in 1953 showed up as an adult policeman in the 1986 movie. That kind of insider stuff is cute and doesn't hurt the story if it's done quietly. It's not like Stan Lee showing up and taking you out of the movie, just a hidden gem for folks in on the secret. So I find I like the original a lot more than I ever imagined I would. The remake is still unremarkable.

 Rip Off

The Space Vampires!

Lifeforce is one of those movies which sits between genres. It's clearly science fiction with shuttles full of astronauts exploring the depths of space and Haley's Comet where they discover an enormous alien craft full of dessicated bodies and three humanoids who would strike most anyone's fancy. And the movie then is also clearly horror as the three humanoids turn out to space vampires, the very source of the Earth legends about bloodsuckers, who have returned to ravage the planet and extract not blood exactly but "lifeforce"-- hence the title.

The title is largely the problem with this movie I suspect, at least as regards its meager box office. Lifeforce could be about anything and sadly sounds like it could be about nothing much as well. I didn't see this one in the theater at the time and I don't know exactly why, because it was released when I was devouring most any movie in the genre. I missed it and I bet the vague title has a lot to do with it. It's based on a Colin Wilson novel title The Space Vampires, that's a much better title.

As well as this poster which seems like the title not to be about anything in particular. It's going for a Space Odyssey vibe I guess, but it ends up being a collection of images which don't compute. A hairy eyeball sees the Earth -- so what! It's horrible! I'd rather have seen the gloriously exotic poster at the top of this post with naked girls strapped to indistinct space pods flying away from some Lovecraftian thorne-themed spacecraft. That's an attention getter.

The movie itself though is a compelling bit of cinema directed by Tobe Hooper and offers up a slathering of classic sci-fi smeared onto a horror yarn with great all-around effect Lots of folks get totally distracted (as do almost all the characters) by the insanely nubile naked body of Mathilda May who plays the key "Space Girl" and head vampire. But if you can take your eyes off the delicious Miss May, you'll find a robust Hammeresque fear-fest with rampaging zombies, grotesque bat-creatures, and a solid cast of Brits more than capable of standing toe-to-toe with the utter destruction of the planet.

Lone American Steve Railsback charges through this movie getting ever more intense, but I find the likes of Peter Firth, Frank Finlay, and future "Jean Luc Picard" himself Patrick Stewart much more compelling with half the screaming. The story is pretty simple one actually. Astronauts find those alien vampires in the tail of Haley's Comet and under their hypnotic influence bring them to Earth where they ransack London and call out to their brethren to come and share in the feast. Along the way the police try to track the aliens with little effectiveness.

There are lots of back end explanations and without some convenient psychic flashes the story would grind to a halt pretty quickly, but when it's all said and done, I find Lifeforce to be a moody and involving horror show. The gorgeous Mathilda is just cream on an already tasty cake.

But Space Vampires would have been a much much better title.

Rip Off

Invaders From Mars!

I watched both the 1953 original and the 1986 remake of Invaders From Mars yesterday. I've long had VHS copies of both, but I don't think I've ever watched them both back to back. My VHS copy of the classic movie by Cameron Menzies was pretty grainy and not really all that much fun to stumble through. I replaced it with a dvd version several months ago, and recently I picked up the Tobe Hooper version as part of a Midnite Movies double feature. To be frank, I don't really have much affection for the remake. I saw it in the theater, but don't really have any strong memory of it. Getting it on VHS many years ago was simple completism. I've watched it once I think.

But I have to say watching them back to back really opens up both movies a bit for me. For one thing my dvd copy comes with two versions, a British cut and a longer American cut. When I got the dvd I watched the British cut and the picture quality seemed not unlike my VHS copy. I was pretty disappointed. But this time I watched the American cut and this is the cleanest version of the movie I've ever seen. It's really a feast of images.

Tobe Hooper made his version out of an affection for the original, but sadly the pacing of the 1986 movie is too slow. Stuff happens but the editing of scenes is relaxed and there are things we don't need to spend so much time on that make the story almost stop in places. The stuff at the school for one just gets on my nerves. They needed to stay focused on David's home and his parents more. But that would've meant getting rid of much of Louise Fletcher's stuff and she's one of the most entertaining things in this movie, her over-the-top villainy is fun to watch.

There is a weird dreamlike logic to the original, supported by the high-art style they used. The movie has a steady beat to it as the story gets a bit more peculiar all the way through right up to the rumble through the Martian tunnels. The fact they had to make do with men-in-suits and other limited effects put the premium on the story and the pacing. Sadly Hooper is able to use more elaborate physical effects and that seems to slow things down too. You build a wonderful set and you want to show it off, I get that, but it's to the detriment of the story.

I will say it's always refreshing to see any movie that relies so heavily on physical effects for its monsters though, as I'm about tired of the endless CG critters we get nowadays.

I really found the story of young David compelling in the original this time, more than ever and the themes of the story, ripe with paranoia really shine through. The death of the little girl was shocking and gave the story a weight it would otherwise lack. The deaths in the Hooper version were less involving, more played for humor even in spots. None of that in the original. It was creepy.

I like that Jimmy Hunt, the actor who played the original little boy "David" in 1953 showed up as an adult policeman in the 1986 movie. That kind of insider stuff is cute and doesn't hurt the story if it's done quietly. It's not like Stan Lee showing up and taking you out of the movie, just a hidden gem for folks in on the secret.

So I find I like the original a lot more than I ever imagnined I would. The remake is still unremarkable.

Rip Off