Tobe Hooper at MoMA: Lifeforce

When the European Space Agency gets in trouble, NASA is there to rescue them. Unfortunately, everyone was already dead on the ESA shuttle, except for the space vampires in suspended animation. However, there is a survivor heading home in the escape pod. Of course, he was the one American crew-member. Perhaps that is why naked “Space Girl” (as fans refer to her) forged a telepathic connection to Col. Tom Carlson, but that link works both ways in Tobe Hooper’s cult classic Lifeforce, which screens again Tuesday as part of MoMA’s retrospective of Hooper’s 1980s films.

You would think screenwriter Dan O’Bannon (who also penned Alien and Dark Star) would have made Carlson a “Major Tom” instead. However, he was certainly on solid ground describing an unexpected encounter with a dangerous race of space aliens. Ironically, the early scenes of the space vampire’s lair on Halley’s comet have serious Prometheus and Covenant vibes. Understandably, most of the Churchill’s crew assume the three good-looking humanoids are dead—since they are not breathing. Yet, the comatose bodies still exert a strange disruptive influence over the humans.

Things will go very badly on the Churchill, but Carlson’s explanation must wait for a later flashback. Frankly, by the time he reaches Earth Dr. Hans Fallada of the ESA and Col. Colin Caine of the SAS have already figured out the aliens consume people’s lifeforce. Like vampires, their victims also turn into lifeforce-suckers, but they are not as powerful. Apparently, Space Girl ditched her conspicuously naked body, having assumed control over a chin of hosts, but Carlson can now detect her influence with even an incidental touch.

Admittedly, it is hard to explain Lifeforce, even though it obviously layers science fiction elements over the narrative bones of Dracula. However, Hooper’s film is still an under-heralded genre gem. In some ways, it represents a once-in-a-lifetime genre collaboration, including Hooper (the director of Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Poltergeist), narrator John Larroquette (who also supplied the voice-over intro to Texas Chainsaw), O’Bannon, special effects artist John Dykstra (notable for Star Wars in 1977 and Spider-Man in 2002), a grand symphonic score composed by Henry “Pink Panther” Mancini, and it even features Patrick Stewart in a supporting role, as Dr. Armstrong. Plus, it was produced by Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus, of Cannon Films, who contracted Hooper to a three-picture deal.

Despite some excesses, like Space Girl walking through the city of London without a stitch of clothing, Lifeforce holds up nicely as a hybrid sf-horror production. Arguably, many of the scenes aboard the Churchill have a look and texture that evoke the vibes of earlier Dykstra films, such as Star Wars and Silent Running, which is very cool.

Peter Firth and Frank Finlay also develop intelligent, crisply professional chemistry in the Peter Cushing-Christopher Lee tradition, as Caine and Fallada. They embody smart, coolly competent characters, who admittedly have an awful lot on their plates. As Col. Carlson, Steve Railsback has terrific freakouts and fully commits to some over-the-top sex scenes, but if there had been a sequel, Firth’s Col. Caine would have been the one to carry it.

Sundance ’16: Green Room

They are the far-right, but if you ask them, they will admit they are really the ultra-left. At least they are self-aware. They also appreciate hardcore rock and punk. Playing a hate-rock palooza will give a hipster punk band enough gas money to get home, but all bets are off when they witness a murder in Jeremy Saulnier’s Green Room (trailer here), which screens during the 2016 Sundance Film Festival.

Pat’s band the “Ain’t Rights” was booked by a college presenter right before he lost his regular programming night. To make it up to them, he arranges a spot on the bill at a backwoods Aryan club through his rather intense cousin. If they stick to their early stuff and avoid politics, the band should be fine. However, when they walk into a drug-related murder, they suddenly find themselves in a stand-off with the Neo-National Socialists.

Fortunately, the lead singer knows his mixed martial arts, but they are still woefully outgunned. They will also be outclassed in terms of tactics and strategy when the club’s mysterious owner Darcy Banker takes charge of the green room siege. The victim’s friend Amber is not much help either, at least at first. However, when the chips are really, really down, she just might have more fight in her than the punk rockers.

Although not quite as stylish and satisfying as his debut, Blue Ruin, Saulnier certainly does not shy away from carnage this time around. This is not a film for Hallmark Channel viewers, especially considering the explicit ways Banker’s Black Shirts use attack dogs as weapons. Saulnier creates a real claustrophobic sense of place in the skinhead club, stage-managing the successive attacks quite adroitly.

Anton Yelchin sure works a lot. He is fine as Pat the nebbish bassist, but it is not a showy or particularly memorable role. On the other hand, Alia Shawkat’s regular, standard issue sarcastic Daria-esque persona fits Sam the lead guitarist like a glove. To her credit, an unrecognizable Imogen Poots manages to scratch a bit of a character development arc as Amber. However, all the attention will be focused on Patrick Stewart’s spectacularly villainous turn as calmly ruthless Banker.

If you like hardcore punk and blood splatter than Green Room is the film for you. Somehow, Saulnier makes violence, hate groups, and the state of Oregon a good deal of fun. Recommended for fans of slyly subversive thrillers with high body counts, Green Room screens again today (1/25) and tomorrow (1/26) in Park City, as part of this year’s Sundance Film Festival.

Hunting Elephants: a Family-Friendly Israeli Caper

Old freedom fighters never die, they just get increasingly irascible. Indeed, even in his advanced years, nobody trifles with Jonathan’s estranged grandfather Eliyahu, who was manning the barricades long before 1948. After the untimely death of his father, the socially awkward middle schooler will get close enough to grandpappy to plan an audacious bank job in Reshef Levi’s Hunting Elephants (trailer here), which opens this Friday in select theaters.

Jonathan is a tough kid to love, but somehow Daniel, his bank security guard father did. Unfortunately, when he witnesses his father’s heart attack demise, Deddy the jerkheel manager uses his unauthorized presence to deny Daniel’s death benefits. Much to Jonathan’s disgust, his emotionally and financially needy mother Dorit takes up with the oily Deddy soon thereafter. Suddenly in need of a minder for Jonathan, Dorit starts dumping him off at Eliyahu’s nursing home. Initially, the old codger is less than thrilled, but he and his old crony Nick start to like having him around.

Jonathan is also delighted when his long lost thespian Uncle Mike (a.k.a. Lord Michael Simpson) turns up. He is definitely one of those cash poor blue bloods. To get some payback and a few million Euros, Jonathan convinces the old-timers to stage a bank heist, utilizing his father’s inside knowledge.

So yes, its Going in Style in Israel, but the tone is considerably lighter. In a role originally conceived for John Cleese, Sir Patrick Stewart hams it up something fierce as the hammy Lord Michael. Clearly, he is not above playing to the Summer Stock crowd, which makes him a good sport. However, veteran Israeli actor Sasson Gabai (probably best known in America for The Band’s Visit) shows how to play the grouchy grandpa while maintaining a sense of dignified gravitas. Moni Moshonov charts a middle course between them as the genial, mild mannered, and slightly addled Nick.

Despite the occasional excesses of Lord Michael’s flamboyance, Hunting is a pleasant film to spend time with, springing a reasonably fresh twist here and there, especially by the standards of family-friendly comedies. Stand-up comic Levi executes the bank robbery business surprisingly adroitly and he is relatively restrained when it comes to the sentiment. It is small in scale, but determined to entertain. Recommended for fans of Israeli cinema and feel-pretty-good capers, Hunting Elephants opens this Friday (5/8), in major markets.

Hollow Crown: Shakespeare’s Henriad

The House of Plantagenet had a good run, but their dynasty would not last forever.  You can blame Richard II.  His fall and the rise of his Lancaster cousins provided ample inspiration for Shakespeare’s three king-four play cycle known as the Henriad.  Executive producer Sam Mendes and three of Britain’s leading stage directors adapted the Richard and Henry plays for television as The Hollow Crown (promo here), which premieres on PBS this Friday as part of the current season of Great Performances.

Richard II begins with the title monarch on the throne, but that may soon change.  Callous and erratic, Richard is a sad excuse for king.  Nonetheless, the nobility has maintained their loyalty.  Richard’s own actions will drive many lords into rebellion, starting with the precipitous banishment of Henry Bolingbroke.  When the King confiscates the estate of his late uncle, Bolingbroke’s father, John of Gaunt, he pushes the Earl of Northumberland and his associates into rebellious conspiracy.

A bit of a slow starter, Richard II might be the weakest link of the Crown.  However, it exceeds viewer expectations for one of the marquee Henriad highlights, when Patrick Stewart knocks John of Gaunt’s “This England” soliloquy out of the park.  The stout Rory Kinnear and David Morrissey also bring an appropriately Shakespearean physicality to Bolingbroke and Northumberland, respectively.  Unfortunately, Ben Whishaw’s sickly, petulant presence poorly serves the villainous Richard.  Even more problematic is Richard II director Rupert Goold’s depiction of the deposed tyrant through Christ-like imagery.

Bolingbroke is now Henry IV, but he plays more of a supporting role in the two plays that bear his name: Henry IV Parts 1 and 2.  The King has an heir to succeed him, but has little confidence in the free-spirited Prince Hal.  The future Henry V would rather carouse with the disreputable Sir John Falstaff than worry about affairs of state.

Succeeding Kinnear as Henry IV, Jeremy Irons gives one of his best performances in years, acutely conveying the burdens of guilt, command, and fatherhood.  Likewise, Tom Hiddleston relishes the roguishness of Prince Hal, while also convincingly growing in stature once Henry V ascends the throne.  As director of both parts of Henry IV, Richard Eyre makes amends for misfiring with The Other Man.  He seems to love Falstaff even more than Welles did, but Simon Russell Beale looks so haggard and dissipated as the jolly fellow, viewers will fear he might keel over, well before his character’s spirit is broken.

Renouncing his wild past, Henry V turns his attention towards France in the Henriad’s conclusion, which should particularly interest Francophiles because of the presence of Lambert Wilson as the King of France and Mélanie Thierry as his daughter, Princess Katherine.  Hiddleston’s courtship scene with Thierry has considerable charm, but Henry V director Thea Sharrock strangely underplays the St. Crispin’s Day speech, perhaps hoping to avoid comparison with Branagh’s rendition.

Shot on some notably picturesque locations, Hollow Crown opens up Shakespeare quite cinematically.  While there is a considerable editorial hand at work, the language is never dumbed down.  It is a smart way to present the Bard on television, with discrete productions that still have the continuity of a mini-series.  The all-star cast should be of particular interest to fans of Downton Abbey (due to the too briefly seen Michelle Dockery and Glen).  It is a great looking period piece, buttressed by a number of fine performances.  Recommended for patrons of classical theater and fans of British television, The Hollow begins this Friday (9/20) and continues for the next three Fridays on most PBS outlets nationwide.