Lifeforce (1985) - Arrow Films BluRay release.

Director(s): Tobe Hooper
Cast: Steve Railsback, Peter Firth, Frank Finlay, Mathilda (Gorgeous) May, Patrick Stewart
BBFC Certificate: 18
Running Time: 116 (International version)/101 minutes (American Theatrical release)

The simple fact is is that I owe the director, Tobe Hooper an apology for the poor box office performance of his 1985 movie, Lifeforce. I propose this seemingly bold statement because it was partly my fault why the movie wasn't a great success at the time, let me explain. 1985 was a strange old year all round. Bob Geldof was busy feeding the world with his live Aid, I gave money and watched the whole event in a haze of beer. I also spent a great deal of time throughout that year's summer at a variety of open-air Rock gigs , much of it seemingly in perpetual rain, all of it in a haze of beer. It was in truth, my year of hedonistic fun.

There were also parties, plenty of parties - well at least that's what I seem to remember as time has passed. Yes, Lots of parties filled with music, bad food, girls and all in a haze of beer. However, 1985 wasn't just my year of self-indulgence (there are indeed some who know me that would argue that I've had many other years of me, me, me, in addition to just that one), it was also a year of strange contradictions in the science fiction movie world.

It was the year that produced science fiction perfection in the form of Brazil, Back To The Future, The Quiet Earth and O-Bi, O-Ba: The End of Civilisation. However, it was also the year that brought us Morons From Outer Space, Cocoon and Weird Science………

Now it could well be that most years are full of such cinematic contradictions, however this particular year stands out for me for one particular reason. It was during one particular hazy beer episode in June of 1985 when it was suggested by a female friend of mine that we go and see a movie that week. Of course it would have to be sci-fi or horror - she was a major Gothic horror buff herself, which was one reason why we were close. The other was that she was drop-dead delicious. Anyhoo, the choice of movie going came down to two simple choices: the current box office smasher, Cocoon, or a lesser known sci-fi/horror film, Lifeforce, that had been released around the same time, but to less glowing reviews. 

Well, I say it was a simple choice, however it quickly became apparent that it was far more complex than that. The problem was that she wanted to see the aforementioned piece of sentimental syrupy claptrap directed by that guy who used to be Richie Cunningham in 'Happy days' (Cue, my very bad Fonzie impression), whilst I wanted to see the intriguing looking film about space vampires directed by the guy who made a rather good flick about a Leatherfaced, chainsaw-loving guy and his slightly eccentric family in Texas. I would love to say that I held out for days with my side of the argument, citing the quality of director Tobe Hooper's previous work and the profound effect that his work had had on not only within the genre's that we both loved, but on the wider cultural landscape as a whole. However, those who know me well will not be in the least surprised to learn that after a small discussion, I quickly relented and agreed to watch Cocoon. Did I mention that she was drop-dead delicious?………..

The consequence of my not sticking to my movie-going principles and instead thinking with my, er, well you know, was that Lifeforce was released to underwhelming box office returns. It found itself in a disappointing fourth place, losing a head-to-head battle against Cocoon, earning just over $11,000,00 at the US box office. I did manage to see Tobe's movie when it came out a year or so later on video (in which the film was finding something of a new resurgence), but the damage had been done. I'm sorry Tobe, I really am.

So when I found out that the good people at ARROW FILMS were due to release a remastered edition of Lifeforce BluRay, then I thought that possible redemption might finally be mine.

"Follow me lads, what's the worst that could happen?"

Lifeforce is based on Colin Wilson’s novel ‘The Space Vampires’. The screenplay was written by non other than Dan O’Bannon (Alien, Total Recall & Return of the Living Dead) and directed by the aforementioned friend of leather face, Tobe Hooper. So far, so good.

The movie begins with a joint British and American Space shuttle mission researching Halley's Comet when they discover that within the head of the Comet is an enormous alien space ship, seemingly derelict. Naturally, our intrepid Astronauts waste little time in spacewalking from the Churchill (the shuttle) over to the alien vessel where they discover the interior to be more organic in nature rather than mechanical. They soon come across a huge number of alien corpses, who are remarkably bat-like in their appearance. Amidst the floating corpses the crew find what appear to be three naked humanoid bodies in glass boxes, apparently in some kind of suspended animation.

At this stage the wise move would be to leave the alien lifeforms where they are and get assistance, thereby not risking bringing anything harmful back to their ship that could run amok and, well, kill them all……….. So naturally the crew decide to bring the three humanoids back to the ship and return to Earth. The consequences are naturally dire, as contact is lost with the shuttle and a rescue mission is launched, sending the space shuttle Columbia to find out just what the heck is going on. The rescuers soon find that the interior of Churchill has been almost completely decimated by a fire. All that has survived the trip back to Earth are the three glass containers with the humanoids inside, who are immediately transported to the European Space Research Centre in London (yes really, London).

At this point things start to go pear-shaped as the aliens turn out to be anything but nice as they begin to literally suck the life out of their captors and in turn set off a chain event of transforming the populace of London to a fellow life sucking Zombies. The race is on to save humanity from having the life-force sucked out of it by these space vampires.

"Look at me everybody, apparently I'm a bit gorgeous"

Now before I start with such lesser topics as dialogue and plot, I'll get to it straightaway. When I mean 'it', I mean something far more important, and one of the foremost associations that many minds have with this movie (both positive and negative) - her name is Mathilda May. The 18 year old French girl & in only her second acting experience, plays the female vampire completely naked throughout the film (well except for in a couple of brief scenes). I will leave it up to others far more able and qualified to examine whether this is another example of cinematic female exploitation (after all, neither of her fellow male aliens at any time display the 'sexual tackle' bestowed upon them), or if the filmmakers intention it was to exemplify the message of the female empowerment of her sexual irresistibility to all. Whatever the view some may have, the truth that cannot be denied is that her brave and fearless performance has a genuine spectral and supernatural edge about it that perfectly compliments the genuine erotic nature of her appearance and interpretation. I do not wish to dismiss the suggestion that it is exploitation, however it is the stuff of a million male fantasies - now maybe that's the real reason why my girlfriend didn't want me to go and see it……….

Lifeforce it neither a bad film or a great one, however it does have clear examples of both extremes within it. The movie didn't perform at all well on it's initial cinematic release, and while that may be partly my fault, it's safe to say that critics and audiences alike were intrigued and confused in equal measure on it's first viewings. In part this is due to the movie's numerous influences, it's almost as if the homages were fighting to be acknowledged. A prime example are the opening scenes where the astronauts first come across the alien ship and travel through its interior is a clear reference to Ridley Scott's masterpiece, Alien.

"Nothing to see here guys….move along, move along"

The fact that the screenwriter was also responsible for writing that seminal movie is perhaps no coincidence with the slow atmospheric build up as the humans head towards the alien ship and then the journey through a very organic-living spacecraft interior (all accompanied by a majestic musical score by Henry Mancini). 

Another more implicit influence on Lifeforce are the various parallels to the familiar Dracula story with Vampires brought back to our shores only for him/her to escape and wreak havoc upon the people and place it finds itself in. This reference is has been clearly identified by Tobe Hooper himself who says in one of the interview extras that he consciously wanted the alien spacecraft to have an authentic classical Gothic look, or as he puts it “The look of the ship in my head was Dracula's castle…."

Indeed, The whole movie can been seen as a disjointed concoction of of different themes within one movie - we start with a traditional creepy strange alien found in space, then we move onto to an alien invasion of earth with the final third of the film morning into a more modern day obsession of a Zombie apocalypse taking over one of our major cities. 

This very unevenness has confused and distracted critics and audiences alike ever since it's initial release.

Yes, this is something of a mishmash of a concept and film, though that could be explained in part by the films legendary complex and problematic production and post-production history. Not only did the film-shoot quickly fall behind schedule, it soon started to go well over-budget as the film studio, Cannon, began to lose what little control it had over it's films finances (hence one of the many reasons for the demise of one of the last great hopes for the British cinema industry). The result was the non-filming of key scenes and some lingering mechanical issues with the Zombie characters malfunctioning on a regular basis. These were but two problems, there were many, many more.

Things didn't get any better in post-production when it seemed at times that the movie would never see the light of day. The initial cut of the film came out at 128 mins which Tobe Hooper said was needed to fully cater to the ambitious themes, messages and feel of the movie - otherwise, he said, the story just wouldn't make sense. However both the film company and the home distributors practically choked on their prawn sandwiches at the expansive running time and insisted that nearly 30 mins was chopped off, many of them taking place at the beginning of the film on the space shuttle Churchill. Not only that, it was felt that the 'overtly British' feel of the film would put off wider (American) audiences so a number of the British performances (notably that of Nicholas Ball) were not only trimmed, some were cut completely, but also some voices were over-dubbed with American actors - Tobe was not pleased.

Finlay and Finch search frantically

 for their careers

Another uneven quality to the film is the acting and certain plot issues. Lifeforce boasts something of a stellar British cast with the likes of acting stalwarts such as Frank Finlay, Peter Finch, Nicholas Ball and a pre-Star Trek Next Generations Patrick Stewart - to name but a few. Some of the performances, particularly from Finlay are truly excellent and evenly played and only rarely encroaching on the territory of the 'Ham'. However, some of the other performances are less convincing, for example, Steve Railback's performance in the central role being at times somewhat toe-curling and bordering on histrionic. 

The dialogue too at times is hard to believe, with such lines as "Don't worry. A naked girl is not going to get out of this complex."….. which is soon to be followed by the classic "Now she has clothes". Shakespeare this aint.

Oh and yes, there are certain plot issues that I've always had. For instance, just what the hell sort of organisation brings back three potentially threatening aliens back to Earth and puts them in a complex guarded by a few unarmed middle-aged overweight men?

However for all it's faults, and there are quite a few, I truly love this movie. What it occasionally lacks in logic, structure and dialogue, it makes for in spades in other areas. Mathilda May is not only delicious but utterly convincing in her role as the life sucking alien. The special effects provide a knuckle ride of an experience at times from the beginnings of the alien ship exploration through the blue light life forcing sucking visuals and finally right through to London's violent Zombie apocalypse.

Some may call this a so-bad-that-it's-good-guilty-pleasure of a movie experience, but it's far more (and better) than that. It is almost Tobe Hooper's whole career in one single movie - periods of brilliance mixed with moments of ordinaryness and all surrounded with a modicum of chaos. Hooper has not directed a movie of the stature and budget of Lifeforce since, that may be down partly to his own reserved character and well-known shyness or partly due to the politics of contemporary film making. Tobe Hooper deserves much more than that.  

One is for certain is that I love this film. Yes it is unevenly chaotic at times and utterly brilliant at others - it sort of reminds me of myself…….

It is widely considered (well at least between me and a mate after an online discussion yesterday) that in the last year or so, Arrow Films have noticeably raised their game in terms of the quality of their releases. Whatever your opinion on the quality of the movie itself, one cannot deny that once again they have kept up the constantly high standard of treatment and packaging. In terms of the visual treatment, the effect is simply jaw-dropping with the crispness and colour quality that at times overwhelms the visual input - the transfer is simply excellent.

The BluRay release comes on two separate discs - one with the original American theatrical release version and the other is the international version which is the far superior of the two as it is the fuller 116 min cut and resembles far more Hooper's original look for the film rather than the one cut and butchered by the American distributors. 

The restoration in particular highlights the high standard of the original lighting, photography and especially the special effects which were put into the film's production - The scenes of, and inside the alien ship, together with the subsequent 'battle for London' simply take on a further breathtaking quality of clarity and detail. The film is now quite simply a stunning visual feast for the eyes.

The ears don't lose out either as a result of the restoration, the music and sound effect quality means that the restored master audio mix is astonishing in it's clarity, adding tension and fear during the action sequences and providing a genuine level of atmospheric on other set-pieces. All of which serves to envelop and consume you completely as it combines with the visual elements - It is quite possibly the best sound 're-vamp' for a BlueRay release that I have heard for quite some time.

As usual Arrow films provide a genuine profusion of extra special feature goodies to further tempt us.

2-Disc Blu-ray Special Edition Features:

- High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation of both the Theatrical and International Versions, transferred from original elements by MGM with supervision by director Tobe Hooper

- Optional uncompressed 2.0 Stereo PCM and 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio Surround Sound

- Isolated Music and Effects Sound Track

- Optional English SDH subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing

- Audio commentary with Tobe Hooper, moderated by filmmaker Tim Sullivan

- Audio commentary with Academy Award-winning visual effects artist Douglas Smith, moderated by filmmaker and scholar Howard S. Berger 

- Audio commentary with make-up effects artist Nick Maley, moderated by filmmaker Michael Felsher

- Cannon Fodder: The Making of Lifeforce - An epic UK-exclusive look at the genesis, production and release of Lifeforce featuring interviews with Hooper, producer Michael J. Kagan, editor John Grover, actors Aubrey Morris and Nicholas Ball, makeup artist Sandra Exelby, screenwriter Michael Armstrong, sound designer Vernon Messenger, artistic designers Tom Adams and Douglas Smith and effects artist John Schoonraad

- Space Vampires in London: An interview with Tobe Hooper

Blimey, someone still looks a bit hot….

- Dangerous Beauty: An interview with Mathilda May, Lifeforce’s iconic star.

The still remarkably gorgeous French actress talks candidly about the strange experience of being 18 and able to speak virtually no English in London AND spending most of the production naked. Her account of the nerve it took to stand and perform with out any clothes on in front of so many people and her lack of regret of the experience whilst acknowledging that she wouldn't do it again, is refreshing and humorous. She gives a lovely account of her time before and during the movie recounting how all her dialogue was learnt phonetically in her only one previous acting experience. Indeed, she confides that much her English speaking performance was leant from listening to and copying Frank Finlay's magnificent speaking voice.

- Carlsen’s Curse: Star Steve Railsback looks back on Lifeforce and his career

- Original Theatrical Trailer

- Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Gary Pullin

- Collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by science fiction expert Bill Warren, a new interview with Oscar-winning visual effects artist John Dykstra by Calum Waddell, illustrated with original archive stills and posters

This article can also be found on that most excellent of websites UKHorrorScene.

Level 17 - A John deCaux Web series.

Fifth Dimension disclaimer: At no time were any bloggers, Aliens, Australians or assorted independent film-makers harmed in the production of this piece. At no time is any offence meant, well that is except for the Aliens - I don't trust those buggers…..

Even though I love my classic sci-fi/Fantasy and Horror more than any sane man really should, It was nevertheless a welcome chance this weekend to watch some brand new work out that is currently out there in Internetland. As I've said before somewhere in the depths of this blog, I do wonder sometimes why I put myself through the trauma of watching some of the work that is being independently produced - I really do. Though well intentioned, the result without exception results in one of three different reactions for yours truly: 

1) Pure despair at the well-intentioned but downright awful nature of some independent productions - namely bad writing, bad production, bad acting and bad effects….you know what I'm saying, they're bad! The passion is there but unfortunately, the talent is not.

2) Pure joy at the rather excellent independent productions  - these guys clearly have a passion AND some genuine talent.

3) The realisation that these good filmmakers are annoyingly, far more talented, inventive and depressingly much younger than I ever will be. (Number 3 reaction inevitably follows quickly after number 2 reaction, and usually with tears and tantrums on my part).

I know that this make me sound like a bitter and twisted guy, that I simply resent people of drive, talent and charisma. No not at all, I don't resent them, I just find them annoying. I think they make me as jealous as hell, so maybe I do get a little envious as to how good some of these people are - does that make me a bad person?

Take for instance a new friend of mine from Australia - John DeCaux. For a start, I know what you are thinking, but steady on, it's not his fault he's Australian. I have many Australian friends and many of them are actually quite nice too. Secondly, I have absolutely no idea how to pronounce or correctly spell his surname - so far I have at least six variations. For that Jon DiCaux  John deCaux, I apologise.

John had very nicely asked via my facebook page for this blog whether I would be good enough to check out episode 1 of his Science Fiction web-cast production, Level 17 on the old interweb. So having a few valuable minutes of free time in my all too busy life I decided to watch the said production that can be located on that wild and wondrous land called 'YouTube.

So Mr DeCaux, before I bestow words of wisdom, humour and dare I say it, beauty about episode one - I wanted him in his own words to please provide me with a snappy synopsis….to which the reply came.

We all hate those days when you wake up during
an apocalypse

"Smart, savvy and unpredictable, Ethan is a college student who struggles to understand his destiny when time begins folding in on itself. According to the mysterious arrival of Professor Anderson, the only way Ethan can save his gorgeous girlfriend Danielle is to save the world by any means necessary."

Well that kind of wets the appetite doesn't it? Let me say straight away that the seven-ish minutes of LEVEL 17 - Episode 1 is, barring a couple of minor gripes very,very good. 

There is little time at the beginning of the episode for a namby pamby detailed exploration of the characters or plot here. Instead we are immediately faced with the sight of Gun toting Bio-suited soldiers rounding up civilians and chasing a rather excellent Alien down a city street (not an entirely unknown sight here in the North of Scotland….). We then have essentially a few rip-roaring minutes of the main character Ethan (excellently played by Hjálmar Svenna) first being confronted by the sudden morphing of Professor Anderson into his kitchen (like that has never happened to me either), who proceeds to give our hero a cryptic message about saving his girl and the planet before morphing away once again. Ethan then spends the rest of the frantic episode being chased through the streets in an effort to evade the gun-wielding Bio-suits, whilst at the same time trying to locate the whereabouts of his girlfriend. A rather nice cliffhanger leaves us guessing as to who is hiding in the house he finds himself in at the end …..……..

Just a hunch, but I'm thinking the IOB Corp may not be nice people..

What we have here is a production that belies the origin of many of the people involved in it's creation. The direction and camerawork is excellent, providing a truly professional creation yet still making the viewing experience as realistic an experience for the viewer as possible. The episode as a result is genuinely exciting as the chase progresses through the streets. The acting too is good, with Hjálmar Svenna as the lead character, Ethan, showing a remarkable range of acting ability. We don't really see enough as yet of the other principle characters to be able to make much of a judgement as to the overall acting quality, which will be of interest for future episodes as the quality of the supporting cast can affect the quality of the production

The special effects for the brief glimpse that we have of the Alien is simply stunning - I cannot say anything else but that. Though the glimpse that we have of it is brief, It far out-shines anything I've seen from an independent production in a very long time. I simply can't wait to see more of this creation.

There are a few gripes, minor ones, but they are there just the same. While the Alien special effect is amazing, one or two of the others - a car in the street and the initial shot of a flying machine - are OK, but not overly authentic. The scene where the professor appears in  Ethan's kitchen has some very unconvincing blood and the 'finding' of the box with the character's name on it in which he finds a gun seemed a little cliched. However, as I said, these are but minor criticisms - the overall quality is excellent. 

Something is happening - but what? Who are the mysterious and seemingly all-powerful IOB corporation? Is it an Alien invasion? Will Ethan save his girl? And will I actually receive a reply to any of my letters to Helena Bonham Carter? 

The assurances from John that many of these questions will be answered in the future episodes will be answered is good - though just how he may get Ms Bonham Carter to leave her director chappy and spend her days up here in the North of Scotland remains to be seen.

See the You Tube clip for yourself below and make up your own mind about the episode. However, if you watch it and find yourself disagreeing with me then of course you are quite wrong and misguided.

However, that's all well and good - just because the first You Tube clip looks pretty darned good, with the excellent direction, camera work and Alien special effects it doesn't mean to say that I can completely trust these guys. I mean, I don't want to find out that John and some friends got together over a beer or three and thought that it would be a good wheeze to play around with a camera for while. Then get bored and bugger off after an episode or two when they had to give the camera and Bio-suits back to the guy from the fancy dress shop down the street.

So I suggest that you tell me and my loyal reader or two (I do have at least two, probably) a little bit about yourself.

" I'm a director/writer/producer at Six Foot Four Productions in South Australia. Level 17 is an Australian Action Adventure Sci-Fi web-series that has just been released. Professional, emerging, amateur and student independent South Australian filmmakers have combined their talents to produce the digital web series “Level 17". We are hoping to get the word out there about the production and all the hard work that has gone into everything from the shooting to the visual effects."

So why this genre? After all, Science Fiction is a highly competitive and can have a, how can I put it politely, rather emotional and opinionated fan-base at times…...

"Part of our culture is interest in science fiction, fantasy and action based adventures with Level 17 promising to meet those needs in a fresh, new innovative web-series. With a confirmed YouTube partnership, the web series launched on August the 14th to satisfy an already large following based on the successful “likes” count on the Internet such as Facebook."

Don't stop now John mate, you're on a roll - this is good stuff. You've got me convinced.

"Be honest John - do these make my head look small?…."

"The production has brought together very talented South Australian individuals that are on the way to establishing themselves in their chosen careers.’Level 17’ is an all-new sci-fi, action based web series that relied on emerging Film makers and volunteers to create."

The effects for Alien character we briefly see in episode 1 are simply stunning. So have you some experience of doing this sort of thing before?

The amazing visual effects you see in episode 1 were
created by the team at JFX.

"Previously having worked before on ‘Almost There’, a feature film nominated for “Best Feature” in 2011 and 2013, the team of John deCaux (Director) and Adam M. Carter (Producer) have gathered together some of the finest Indie film makers and volunteers to create the all-new sci-fi action based web-series filming just under a week. Although the production team worked well together with the help of sponsors such as The Adelaide City Council, the post production team have been working around the clock creating special effects including amazing CGI sequences that will hit audiences in the face. The amazing Alien characters were carefully constructed under the direction of myself (John deCaux) along with Jack French, the Special Effects Supervisor."

So when is episode 2 due out? - hopefully we won't be waiting for too long or else I may have so 'send the boys round'…..Oh and how many episodes are you and your band of merry men (and girls)planning to release?

"I'm post production right now and the next episode is due out mid November. We plan to have three seasons of six episodes."

In all seriousness, I simply can hardly wait for episode 2. What we have here is a group of thoroughly professional, gifted and passionate people who are putting their heart and soul into this project. This is no half-hearted amateurish 'lets have a go and have a laugh' attempt at making something of note. If you don't believe me then check out the first production diary to see just how much work these guys are putting in to the preparation of this web-series. I have it easy on comparison, I just sit at my iMac and watch this stuff then spend a little while putting a few scribbles together and a deluded attempt to sound humorous and witty. These guys are the ones doing the real work, they are the real deal. 

I am still as envious as hell as to how good this series could become - but I can live with that.

John and the team can be reached on the Level 17 Face book page 

www.facebook.com/level17webseries.

The project can also be at the Level 17 official webpage HERE.

Scary Stories: The Children's Film Foundation (BFI DVD)

I'm not one to dwell too much on the past, I'm really not. I have little time for regrets and for the plethora of 'what could have be been's' that we probably all have in the tattered timelines of our existence…..Well, there is the case of the missed opportunity with those sisters from Greece in 1999, but that's another story…………

Nostalgia, on the other hand - well that's something completely different, I often have time for that. Which is probably a good thing considering my love of classic sci-fi, fantasy and horror. So when I was received the latest preview DVD from the British Film Institute (BFI) via the marvellous ukhorrorscene I was as nostalgically excited as I have been for quite some time. Because not only was I going to watch and review a chilling story or three from a cherished but long-gone media production company, I was also going to take a brief trip back to perhaps the most important and influential parts of my childhood. The DVD in question is a three-part collection called Scary Stories and the company is The Children's Film Foundation.

For those of few of you that may not know (and boy do I pity you having missed out), The Children's Film Foundation (CFF) produced home-grown entrainment for young cinemagoers for well over 30 years. It was originally set up in 1951 as a non-profit initiative by the owner of the Rank and Odeon chains to give youngsters the chance to get the film-going habit, and not only that, they would get the opportunity to see the types of entertainment that THEY wanted to see. So saw the birth of the Saturday morning picture club. In truth it is difficult to over-estimate the importance and contribution the the CFF made to the entertainment landscape of Britain for over three decades. This wasn't some two-bit tin pot attempt to throw some cheap rubbish at the kids of this country in the hope of keeping us occupied for a few hours on a Saturday Morning (though if you ask my mum, she would say that my and my brothers weekly cinema trips were her much needed time of rest and sanctuary within the chaos of the Anderson boys' weekend). No, there was indeed a genuine warmth and rapport between the CFF and it's audience that was both unique and pleasurable. The Foundation knew what it was doing, and boy it did it well.

It is difficult to convey the excitement that I and many of my friends experienced each weekday until that long awaited Saturday morning came, and along with it, it's many delicious delights. Each and every member of the audience would be armed with enough sweets, chocolate and drinks to feed a small African nation, before plowing into the Halifax ABC cinema (now sadly gone i'm afraid) and bring good natured havoc and stress to the poor workers there who most probably dreaded the onset of this day just as much as we looked forward to it. Each new feature during the morning would be greeted with raucous cheers from the audience now out of it's collective head on sugar products - ahh, good times, good times.

But enough of that splash of Nostalgia for now, I'll return to the CFF later…… back to the DVD review, driver, and don't spare the horses!!!

Do not be fooled by the notion that this is a collection of stories designed for a young audience and that as a consequence the result for an adult wanting a few 'scares' would be be lacking and insipid. There are authentic periods of fear, drama and yes, even terror, in this collection. It's something of a contradiction that as the fortunes of the CFF were in financial straits the decision was made to be more and more daring and inventive in the material being produced. The later Gothic themed productions which thrilled and chilled young audiences back then will, dare I say it, still have the same effect on young and older viewers alike on this re-release.

It certainly helps that the usual CFF quality writing, production and acting is clear to see in this collection. The calibre of the storytelling is simply of the very highest order, there is no 'dumbing down' of the dialogue just because the target audience is young - a lesson perhaps that some could learn today in the annuls of children's entertainment. The locations are sumptuous, the special effects convincing and the action sequences are exciting. This is made all the more impressive by the fact that all three films were (as all CFF films had been) made on very limited budgets. 

Each of the three films are perfect illustrations of how the 'ghost' movies in the CFF catalogue often shared a common element - the past. Whether it be a 19th century Gothic fare as in the first film, the recent and harsh past in the second film and the unsettling and traumatic past in the third edition  - the element of time and its powerful effect are equally effective in their results.

The Man From Nowhere (1976) is a delightfully written nineteenth-century Gothic chiller and directed by non-other than the acclaimed director James Hill (A study in Terror, Born Free). Alice Harvey, an orphan, has been invited to the country to live with her great-uncle at his mansion, Tower House. However, from the very beginning of her arrival in the countryside, a strange and sinister Man appears & insists she return to the orphanage. If she doesn't leave, the stranger insists that the consequences will be deadly.  Who is this 'man from nowhere', why is he trying to scare her away? and will anybody believe her that this man from nowhere actually exists?

The acting in this piece is sublime - particularly from the young Sarah Hollis-Andrews who as Alice is magnificent as the at first terrified but still determined and resourceful girl. Excellent too is that fine British character actor, Ronald Adam as the grouchy old Uncle. Mention too should go to the location of the film, especially the old, rambling Gothic mansion that simply exudes menace and atmosphere.

The Theatre-style closing credits, with each of the principle actors bowing or curtsying to the camera is a genuine joy.

Haunters of the deep (1984) is perhaps my least favourite of the three films, though that may have something to do with it in part being set underground, thereby playing on my longtime fear of closed spaces. Nonetheless, it is a worthy feature. A wealthy American business man and CEO of a powerful mining company. together with his young daughter, is visiting an old disused Cornish Tin mine. He is intent on re-opening the mine to tap into the huge wealth of Tin that lies deep below the surface of the sea - despite the warnings of peril from a grizzled old miner (played by the magnificent character actor, Andrew Keir) about the violent past of the mine. The pressures of contemporary unemployment and the demands of big business (remember this is Thatcher's 1980's) means that there is plenty of local demand for risking their lives in the dilapidated tin mine - despite the reasons for it being closed in the first place. When history threatens to repeat itself and the ghosts of miners who suffered a grisly death reappear, It is left to the American businessman's bored daughter and local lad, Josh, to attempt a daring rescue.

The setting for this ghost story is once again a major plus with the Cornish coastline shown in all its picturesque yet dramatic glory.

In John Krish's Out of the Darkness (1985), we witness perhaps the most unsettling of the three stories in which a seemingly idyllic Derbyshire village is scarred and haunted by a tragic secret from the era of the Black Death. When the Neil family chance upon the picturesque village and decide to buy a dilapidated cottage they have no idea that it was once inhabited by a family who were destroyed by the plague. Things start to change though when a friend of one of the Neil boys starts to 'see' the ghost of a boy who it turns out was a 'village outcast of the plague', hunted out by the angry village mob. Soon, boys find themselves in the middle of a dramatic adventure when the horrific events of the past threaten to keep their painful secret, assisted by their friend, Tom, and a local folklore expert (played by Michael Carter - The Keep, Return of the Jedi).

Apart from the genuinely thrilling climax to the film, the audience is asked to consider the real world implications of the story - mainly the lengths that a group of people, in this case a village community, can ultimately be capable of. This is intelligent stuff.

The events of the film are given even greater resonance taking pace as they do in around Eyam, Derbyshire, where the plague had a huge impact. Even today you can see you can see the headstones of plague victims dominating the local graveyards.

Extras

• Brand new High Definition transfers of all films - and believe me, they look great! As usual the BFI have made sure that the best available film materials from the national archive have been used in the transferring of these productions. Each of the three films has benefited beyond all recognition from the digital remastering resulting in a real clarity of picture free from dirt or crackles. 
  
  UK | 1976 + 1984 + 1985 | colour | English language | 57 mins + 59 mins + 66 mins | DVD9 | Dolby Digital mono 2.0 audio (320kbps) | Original aspect ratios 1.33:1 + 1.85:1 (16x9 anamorphic) + 1.33:1
  
  
  
• Complete illustrated booklet with essays by The Man from Nowhere writer John Tully, actor Michael Carter and Dr. Rachel Moseley all providing fascinating insights and personal recollections into the making of the movies.

A little bit more on the Children's Film Foundation

The three hour(ish) long features included one this marvellous DVD perfectly encapsulates the ethos of the CFF throughout it's existence - to produce a variety of genre films all containing common ingredients such as mystery, adventure, science fiction and horror. 

Perhaps the Foundation's greatest achievement (apart from keeping raucous under-12's off the streets for a while) was it's major contribution in not just nurturing young and upcoming talent, but also using the talents of many well-established stalwarts of the British film industry. 

The golden years of the CFF were during the 1960's and early 1970's had weekly national attendances not far short of the half a million mark - staggering figures.

Alas, by the mid-1980's the audiences for these Saturday morning rituals were beginning to dwindle. Age, work and and an obsession with the opposite sex meant that yours truly had long since ceased to join my fellow manic throng at the Halifax ABC. In a wider sense, the output of the CFF was dealt two separate death blows. Firstly, the small tax on cinema tickets that channelled funds into British Film production was cancelled in the early 1980's by Margaret Thatcher and her band of society cut-throats. The cessation of the Eady Levy not only dealt a mortal blow to the CFF but it also meant deep trouble for the wider remnants of the British film industry that were holding on by their crumbling fingernails. 

The second death blow came in the form of television with the onset of children's Saturday morning shows with their selections of swapping or custard pie throwing. The organisation tried in vain to change with the times by negotiating production deals with the major TV companies and changing into the Children's Film and Television Foundation (CFTF), but the damage had been done. The production money and the audiences were gone.

Film production eventually stopped in 1987. 

The company is still in existence, with it now known as The Children's Media Foundation. It is an independent non-profit organisation which campaigns for good quality entertainment for children and young people throughout the UK. Not only that, it actively supports production and is determined to further wider understanding of cultural  media for children.

It would be all-too easy to become too blinded by the nostalgia of my childhood when talking about the special place the CFF and those Saturday morning get-togethers have in my and millions of others who shared that unique experience. What is perhaps more important is the knowledge that this company produced entertainment that never preached or patronised but always achieved the highest quality in all artistic areas.

So without being overly sycophantic, the BFI's objective to create a flourishing and innovative movie environment whilst cherishing and preserving the magnificent film collection that we have, should be applauded.

This collection of stories is a prime example of that need for preservation. That movies of a dark and risky nature, such as the 3 in this series were being made by an organisation in trouble is testament to the ethos of the CFF. 

That is why I have no qualms in giving this DVD 8.5 out of 10.

It may be made for youngsters…. but it will still scare!

This article can also be found on the most excellent of horror websites at http://www.ukhorrorscene.com/scary-stories-childrens-film-foundation-vol-4-2013-bfi-dvd-review/

Sleepwalker (1984) BluRay review - BFI Flipside

You know me by now…...

I like to think of myself as many things: intelligent, fearless, loyal, lover, fighter, and daredevil are all but a few of my many qualities. I firmly believe that when the inevitable Zombie apocalypse happens I will undoubtedly be the 'Rick character', fearlessly leading my trusty band of fellow survivors to evade the Zombie hordes. Of that I have little doubt.

With regards to being something of a love-god, I'm also certain in my own mind that one day Helena Bonham Carter will finally remove those pesky restraining orders, dump that director fella of hers and finally see the light that I'm the real love object of her dreams.

Now, for some reason that I cannot fathom, but there are some people in the world that that profess to know me who would actually regard the thoughts that I have about myself as near being near-delusional. The words cowardly, nerdy and sadly fixated would probably be more like the descriptions that they (my so called friends and family) would have of me. They may have a point. After all, the medication has yet to quite kick-in and those voices in my head are still chattering away. 

So maybe I won't survive the Zombie apocalypse - or if I do I'll probably end up being that guy that goes insane and hides away in some top story apartment with his collection of firearms and a few department store mannequins for his conversational needs………And Helen may thank her lucky stars that I'll never utter those words of romance that I long to say - " Get your Bellatrix Lestrange outfit on, m'dear".

What I AM sure about is my love and passion for many things science fiction, fantasy and horror. When it comes to horror, my love of the genre knows few bounds but when it comes to British Horror, especially obscure British horror, then I'm well and truly obsessed. There is a huge catalogue of lost and forgotten gems of UK films out there that we need to keep established in the public psyche. Thankfully I'm not alone in that endeavour.

The British Film Institute (BFI) Flipside series has one singular purpose - and that is to revisit and reassess British film releases, particularly those movies that may have become overlooked, brushed aside or simply misunderstood at the original time of release. I'm not talking about the established collection of British classics that may have suffered for whatever reason on their initial release but have since garnered a reputation of loving cult proportions - The Wicker Man is an obvious example. No, what we are talking about movies which still lurk outside the list of acknowledged classics.

The BFI Flipside titles are all remastered to High definition and are always accompanied by a veritable plethora of extra goodies, many of which are often previously unavailable short films, documentaries and interviews. If that wasn't enough, each film title has it's own individual numbered packaging together with illustrated booklets often with contributions from the actual filmmakers themselves - you can tell I'm a fan, eh?!

So when I received the preview copy sent from the BFI (via the fantastic UKHorrorScene of the latest release of a long-thought forgotten gem of British Horror - well put it this way, I almost choked on my mouthful of Red Wine when I saw the title.

The reason for my excitement is many fold, perhaps mostly because it's a film that I've had high on my wish-list for many a year. I've wanted to see this for many reasons, not just for the film's content, but also because the film's initial critical reception, problematic release and eventual curtailing of a potentially great directing career could be a film plot of of it's own. It's an all-too familiar tale of the failure of the British film industry to recognise what talent it has on it's hands.

Sleepwalker (1984) is the 27th title in the BFI Flipside series. Directed by Saxon Logan, it is a biting mix of horror and social satire. 

THE PLOT

Not exactly the happiest of couples…..

The story is a relatively simple one. It features a wealthy couple Richard and Angela Paradise who are driving on their way to visiting friends Marion and Alex Britain in their decomposing country family home, the interestingly named 'Albion'. Tensions between the immediately obnoxious Richard (played by the always excellent Nicholas Grace) and his meek wife (Joanna David) are obvious - especially when Joanna has problems directing her husband in the ever-worsening rain storm to her friend's home. Meanwhile, intermixed between the scenes of the visitors marital disharmony we witness, back at Albion, snippets of some violent nightmares that the host Marion (played by the gorgeous Heather Page) is experiencing. Her mood isn't improved when the on the evening that the visitors are due to arrive the violent storm has smashed one of the windows of the ever-decaying house and ruined the meal that she had been preparing - I hate it when that happens….

Marion has no forced to abandon plans for the cosy candlelit meal, much to the displeasure of her brother Alex, a 'couple' who also seem to be perpetually on the edge of argument and who seem to be harbouring more than the usual level of sibling rivalry.  The atmosphere, on the arrival of the wealthy couple, is immediately strained with the meeting for the first time between the two men resulting in obvious dislike. The  foursome head for a local restaurant where the conversation becomes ever more aggressive with comments on the state of the nation, greed and power. The contempt that the wealthy and obnoxious Richard has for the more socialist principled Richard is palpable - the dialogue here is deliciously aggressive.

When the foursome return back to the house the so far strained evening of drunkenness and the heady mixture of social and sexual rivalry soon turns to horror as the inhabitants become the victims of a violently disturbed attacker…………………..

How not to shave without a mirror

Sleepwalkers is part horror and cunning social commentary - it has real intelligence at it's core. Logan's film cleverly puts together two contrasting couples who's social tension parallels the political and wider social tension of the time of filming. This was the 1980's when Thatchers' Britain was in full swing with all the new ideas of greed, ambition and uber-capitalism fighting headlong with the decaying socialist and perceived ideas of the traditional way of British life. Indeed, the director clearly signposts his intentions with the surnames of the main characters - brother and sister "Britain' who live in 'Albion' (the ancient name of Great Britaian) representing the dwindling fortunes of a once great era who's best years are clearly behind it. The surnames of the wealthy 'Thatcherite' couple -  Paradise - is a unmistakable reference to the new conservative ideal of a place where society no longer exists and where the world of socialism and it's 'life-sucking' ideals have disintegrated into dust. 

The dialogue, particularly between the Alex and Richard who clearly despise each others view of the world, is biting and snarling - the scene where Richard, seeing that Alex is little more than a pseudo-socialist, lets loose in this fabulous verbal broadside: 

"You know what you are, don't you? You're the meat-eater that can't bear the blood. And do you know what's put all that flab on your conscience? Blood. Hundreds of years of it. It's bought you your little nest to get squeamish in. You're a pimp Alex, you're a kept man."

This is no left-wing attack on the times, it looks at the absurdity of both extremes of the respected ideology. If that wasn't enough the story also contains more than it's fair share sexual undercurrent and tension - the feeling of frustrated lust and pent up violence is delicious. The scene where the previously aggressive Richard meekly shuns away from the overt sexual advances of Marion is genuine gold.

There's a little something in your eye m'dear

It would be pure hyperbole to suggest that Sleepwalker is a complete masterpiece. Its is good, very good, though are are a couple of mementoes when the story falters slightly - but only very slightly. The atmospheric  and violent beginning and end of the movie is brilliantly filmed by lighting cameraman Nicholas Beeks-Sanders. The editing,  by Michael Crozier is simply stunning and is pivotal to the potency of the film with it's images of violence and horror. The final scenes are as powerful as any I can remember. 

So why did this particular film slip into the cracks of movie history, and apart from the rare appearance in selected cinemas rarely has rarely shown its face in nearly 30 years? Perhaps one reason is it's short running time of just 49 minutes, making it neither a short film or a feature length film. In the newly booming world of VHS sales providing a sanctuary for even the most forgetful of movie productions, the running time provided a real problem of how to fill the rest of the tape.

Yet, upon initial completion of the film things had began so well. The initial screenings at the Berlin film festival were received with great enthusiasm, so much so that it received the prestigious Special Jury prize. Saxon Logan had fully expected the film to perform as the opener for another more bankable release, however the ever-increasing 'multiplex' mentality of 1980's movie distribution meant that the old headlining feature with supporting featurette had died. Quite simply, even though it had received critical acclaim, the British distributors completely failed to understand both what the film was about and what to do with it. Consequently, the film was stuck away in storage and largely forgot about….. forgotten that is, apart from a few in the industry and some of here in internet land.

Not only was a fine film ignored, a potential great direction career was damaged. Zimbabwe-born Logan had originally cut his teeth under the tutorship of the great Lynsey Anderson, acting as the great man's assistant during the filming of the classic O Lucky Man! Indeed, the Anderson-esque feeling of Sleepwalker is clear for all to see.

However, so disillusioned was he with the movie process within the disintegration of the British film industry that films projects on such a scale of Sleepwalker failed to materialise again. It was only thanks to the director himself that actual proof of the existence of the film in fact existed.

It is my hope that not only now will the existence of an excellent piece of British Horror filming reach the audience it deserves but also the talent of Saxon Logan will be finally recognised. It is still not too late for him to flourish.

The Extras included in this set are more than up to the BFI Flipside's usual quality

* Presented in both High Definition and Standard Definition

* The Insomniac (Rodney Giesler, 1971, 45 mins): a man experiences a night-time world that is part nightmare, part sexual fantasy 

* Stepping Out (Saxon Logan , 1977, 10 mins): a couple's untraditional early morning ritual is observed in a short drama which originally supported Polanski's The Tenant in UK cinemas 

* Working Surface: A Short Study (with Actors) in the 'Ways' of a Bourgeois Writer (Saxon Logan, 1979, 15 mins): Bill Douglas plays a writer struggling with a script about two women (Joanna David and Heather Page) 

* O Lucky Man: Saxon Logan in Conversation (2013, 72 mins): exclusive feature-length interview with the director of Sleepwalker

* Extensive illustrated booklet with new essays on all films and complete credits 

Sleepwalker (1984) is due for release on 23rd September 2013, it is remastered from the only surviving print and presented for the very first time on a home entertainment format. The title is available both on BluRay and DVD as a dual format edition.

This article can also be found on the most excellent of horror websites http://www.ukhorrorscene.com/sleepwalker-1984-bluray-review-bfi-flipside/