Movies
Celebrate Tobe Hooper’s Birthday by Watching His Most Underrated Horror Classic
Were he still alive, it would have been Tobe Hooper’s 81st birthday today, and I’d like to take time on this birthday to shine a light on one of Hooper’s cult classics to celebrate that occasion. Most horror movie lovers will carry with them vivid memories of seeing Texas Chainsaw Massacre or Poltergeist for the first time, but it’s Hooper’s most underrated classic you should be checking out and making some new memories with today: Lifeforce.
Filmmaking without limits sounds like a pipedream for many. It’s lofty, it’s incredibly expensive, and it feels borderline impossible without the world’s most massive windfall of good luck. But one of horror’s favorite directors, Tobe Hooper, got a chance to do just that back in 1985. And he did it with a film that most people outside of the horror sphere have forgotten.
Were he still alive, it would have been Tobe Hooper’s 81st birthday today, and I’d like to take time on this birthday to shine a light on one of Hooper’s cult classics to celebrate that occasion. Most horror movie lovers will carry with them vivid memories of seeing Texas Chainsaw Massacre or Poltergeist for the first time, but it’s Hooper’s most underrated classic you should be checking out and making some new memories with today: Lifeforce.
While the British-American space shuttle called the Churchill approaches Halley’s comet to study it, it ends up running afoul of a bizarre construct: a hundred and fifty-mile long spire, made out of an unidentifiable organic material. What the crew finds inside is the corpse of a massive, strange bat creature, and three crystal coffins, one containing an enchantingly beautiful woman. And what the Churchill brings back to Earth kickstarts a vampiric alien invasion, and puts not just the lives of the astronauts at risk—it’s the lifeforce of the entire world in the balance.
For the moviegoers of 1985, the film Lifeforce was just another odd b-movie filled with weird visual effects and a pale, nude French woman walking around and sucking out people’s souls. Like most weird science fiction, the initial test audiences didn’t get it, and when it went to theatres public audiences and critics REALLY didn’t get it (outside of star Mathilda May’s sex appeal, which everyone gets). But Lifeforce isn’t just a misunderstood sci-fi horror movie about energy vampires; it’s a testament to Hooper’s creative spirit more than any of his other works. And that’s partly to do with the studio that produced it, who gave Hooper free reign over the set.
I sometimes wonder if we’ll ever get another movie studio like Cannon, mainly because The Cannon Group was the closest thing to a “free-spirited” film company I’ve ever seen. Under the control of partners Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus, the studio was notorious for not only their prolific output and the number of productions it had running simultaneously, but also for their hands-off approach to producing these movies. They largely left their directors to make whatever they wanted and picked up the finished product when it was ready to distribute. So, when Hooper was approached to direct a science fiction film after many years of working on horror movies like The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and The Return of the Living Dead, he took the opportunity. What he got was a lofty and loose script, an adaptation of the British sci-fi novel The Space Vampires, a title which was quickly reworked into Lifeforce.
What he made was completely unexpected.
A madcap production ensued that really sculpted a legendary image of the director among the cast and crew. Those who worked on the set of Lifeforce described the energy Hooper brought to the set as something like “a demonic dwarf” scurrying around and “sprinkling gunpowder on everything”. According to them, he was a man filled with energy, running about with a cigar in one hand and a Dr. Pepper in the other. Watching Lifeforce now, that energy definitely shows; it feels a lot less like a director getting a simple blank check, and more like an artist getting the funds and manpower of a small nation to do a classic 60’s science fiction film; Hooper cited Quatermass and The Pit as major inspirations for the style and tone of Lifeforce.
He lovingly smithed the movie, piece by piece until it was exactly what he wanted, and each piece that was forged together seemed more complicated than the last. Lifeforce’s early sequences in space are a bombshell launched by an art department of a different caliber; the kind of talent that could make unbelievably realistic matte paintings of the vampire’s ship exteriors, and also carve a soundstage of the same quality out of real-life materials to represent its guts. On Earth, the miniatures are just as grand, giving us a bird’s eye view of London in chaos as explosions and rioting rock the city; this all culminates at the final showdown, running through the flaming streets of London to St. Paul’s Cathedral, a set that could fool anyone into thinking it’s the real thing. Everything is ablaze, a perfect reflection of the atmosphere that Hooper has conducted, a symphony of kinetic energy and Lovecraftian madness.
And on the ground, up close, a team of makeup artists led by ILM champion and Academy Award winner John Dykstra brought to life the film’s various fiends: incredible instantly decaying energy zombies, people exploding into dust, giant alien bat creatures, and ethereal flying light effects painstakingly etched into the film frame by frame (not including the massive, actual 10,000-lumen bulb they had flying through the set on a wire).
Hundreds of extras moving in concert, pyrotechnics exploding on a macro and miniature scale, controlled burns and swarms of people all inside of Hooper’s sweeping and apocalyptic camera work. It is an incredible and grandiose finale that serves as a crescendo to the film’s narrative, one that makes a sci-fi of planetary proportions really feel that massive. It just all comes together to feel so much bigger than the sum of its parts.
Lifeforce is a tribute to Tobe Hooper’s boldness as a filmmaker, and his love of the craft; it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to create, as he described it in the documentary Cannon Fodder, anything he wanted to make. He seized that chance and used it to its fullest, and what resulted is a love letter to the art of making movies with no boundaries and no restrictions. And on his birthday, I can’t think of a better way to honor his work than to see what he could do when the gloves were off, and he could hit you with some serious bare-knuckle cinematography.
Best of all you can find the movie free to stream on Tubi, so you have even less of an excuse to not check it out now. So as always, happy watching horror fans!
Looks like another July will be spent getting cozy with Shudder in this house. Between all the new (to me) international titles and the conclusion of Hell Motel on July 29th, the app has filled my calendar for the month. Hold my texts, keep your emails in the draft folder, and don’t look for me outside. My TV and I are on a mission, and we’re prioritizing the five titles below. I hope they grab your attention and make it into your Shudder viewings this summer as well. However, I’ll be too busy watching them to know what anyone else is doing, so happy streaming whatever you decide to get into.
While we have you here, you should consider joining us for Bloody Brunches! Every Sunday at 11 AM CST / 12 PM EST, we’ll be livestreaming a new episode of Hell Motel. Who know’s who you’ll see, sometimes Ian Carpenter and crew stop by!
The Best Movies to Stream on Shudder This Month
Lake Placid (1999)
A small group of people try to capture a gigantic crocodile terrorizing the people of Black Lake, Maine. I am not an aquatic horror girl, and I am usually unimpressed with 90s action horror titles. I make a special exception for Lake Placid though. Sure, it stars Bridget Fonda, Bill Pullman, and Oliver Platt. However, real film buffs know that it’s really the late Betty White who carries this movie. Her foul-mouthed character stood on business and is the reason most of us revisit this title during the summer.
You can watch Lake Placid on July 1st.
Nyi Blorong (1982)
The South Sea Queen’s daughter rises to take a human lover. I have a long history of disliking snakes and movies about snakes. However, I’m leaning into this 1982 film because I deserve a retro Indonesian horror fantasy moment. I am also excited because it stars the late Suzzanna, the queen of Indonesian horror. I only learned about her a few years ago and wanted to spend some time with her work. As usual, Shudder is making it too easy to become a better cinephile.
You can watch Nyi Blorong on July 7th.
The Housemaid (2018)
An orphaned girl is hired as a housemaid at a haunted rubber plantation in 1953 French Indochina. Once there, she falls in love with the landowner, which sends the ghost of his dead wife into a jealous rage. I was excited to watch this just because it sounds chaotic, and I do not see enough Vietnamese horror for my liking. However, I recently discovered it is also an IFC Midnight title, so now my expectations are through the roof. IFC has been the home of upsetting, weird, and unique horror since 2010. I have a date with Shudder on July 14th, because I want this movie in my eyeballs the second it becomes available.
You can watch The Housemaid on July 14th.
Swallow (2020)
A pregnant housewife is compelled to eat dangerous objects, leading her husband and in-laws to become more controlling. Swallow had the misfortune of debuting during the top of the pandemic, so many people missed it. I found it on accident during Thanksgiving back when Showtime still had its own app. It’s quiet chaos that surprised me in a good way. I have been trying to make everyone I know watch it, and Shudder is making that so much easier this month. I am overdue for a rewatch myself, so I will also be hitting play while it’s available this July.
You can watch Swallow on July 21st.
Monster Island (2024)
A Japanese ship transporting prisoners of war and a British POW are stranded on an island where a mythical creator hunts them. Can they work together now that their very survival depends on it? I was bummed I missed this movie at Overlook Film Fest this year because all my friends loved it. So, obviously, I am thrilled Monster Island (also known as Orang Ikan) is hitting the Shudders streets so soon. I do not know what the other monster movies are doing this July because my heart belongs to this baby.
You can watch Monster Island on July 25th.
So, as usual, I will be hiding in my apartment and trying to make Shudder Saturdays my personality. I’m running at their international titles like it’s my job and revisiting a few movies I never spend enough time with. I hope your Shudder watches spark as much joy for you as I expect mine will this July.
In the 90 years since its release, The Bride of Frankenstein is still the Universal Monsters franchise’s strongest film.
I first watched The Bride of Frankenstein on cable around 15 years ago. Director James Whale’s fable of a misunderstood creature’s quest for a bride really stayed with me after subsequent viewings. Speaking of The Bride, she’s the Universal Monster with the most potential for a gripping and modern reimagining that hasn’t been fully tapped into yet. Universal’s newest theme park Epic Universe, opening back in May, inspired a deeper dive into The Bride of Frankenstein, the titular role and its legacy.
Unveiling The Bride: The Plot and Power of the 1935 Classic
Immediately following 1931’s Frankenstein, The Bride of Frankenstein centers on Henry Frankenstein (Colin Clive) as the sinister Dr. Pretorius (Ernest Thesiger) urges him to collaborate on creating a mate for The Monster (Boris Karloff). In the meantime, The Monster travels across the countryside, learns to speak, and meets Pretorius. When both scientists complete and unveil The Bride (Elsa Lanchester), she rejects The Monster, motivating him to pull a lever and famously say, “We belong dead.” Pulling the lever ignites an explosion, killing The Monster, The Bride, and Pretorius.
Just as it took two scientists’ minds to create her onscreen, two individuals gave life to The Bride’s characterization and look: Lanchester and makeup master Jack Pierce, who designed nearly all the original Universal Monsters.
The Bride’s Hiss: How Lanchester Stole the Show with Limited Screentime
The Bride not being the film’s main protagonist is ironic since she’s the title character. Making the most of her brief performance, Lanchester’s swan-like mannerisms as The Bride sharply contrast with the humanity Karloff brings out of The Monster. After her dual role as The Bride and author Mary Shelley herself in the film, Lanchester took on more horror film roles like Henrietta Stiles in Willard (1971). It’s not hard to imagine what could’ve been for her career if she reprised her role in The Bride of Frankenstein’s sequels Son of Frankenstein and Ghost of Frankenstein. If a lab explosion couldn’t kill The Monster, wouldn’t it be the same for The Bride?
Besides the white streaks, Lanchester surprisingly didn’t wear a wig to portray The Bride since Pierce shaped her red hair to look the way it does. Pierce’s work on The Bride is just as iconic if not more so than Lanchester’s performance, ensuring the character became inseparable from her intended suitor in pop culture’s eyes. Case in point: There’s so much officially licensed merchandise playing up a romance between the two characters, even though The Bride can’t stand her intended mate. Beyond Lanchester and Pierce, there is one man responsible for how the film itself would come out.
James Whale’s Masterpiece: Directing The Bride of Frankenstein
Whale stitched great set designs, fantastic performances and composer Franz Waxman’s eerie score together to create a masterpiece.
Having Frankenstein, The Old Dark House and The Invisible Man under his belt by the mid-‘30s, it’s clear Whale creatively peaked while working on The Bride of Frankenstein. Although so much about Whale’s talents has been said, there’s a reason why his work on the film stands out across his filmography: He really went wild when directing it. Every character is practically cartoony, the sets are more elaborate and the plot is thematically richer than the original’s. Being an openly gay filmmaker, he cranked up The Bride of Frankenstein’s camp to legendary heights.
The Bride of Frankenstein is the final horror movie Whale directed. The novel Father of Frankenstein and its film adaptation Gods and Monsters, starring actor Ian McKellen as Whale, dramatize his life after directing the film. According to the reference book Universal Horrors by Tom Weaver, Michael Brunas and John Brunas, he initially didn’t want to direct his horror work’s apex. Just like Henry Frankenstein’s relationship with the monster he created, The Bride of Frankenstein’s production is a case of life imitating art. The Monster’s in-universe infamy further parallels Whale’s Frankenstein duology’s lasting popularity.
How The Bride of Frankenstein Shaped Horror Sequels and Adaptations
The Bride of Frankenstein’s influence can be seen across other horror films and Frankenstein adaptations.
Having “Bride of” in a horror sequel’s title is synonymous with including the main character’s female counterpart, leading to Bride of Re-Animator, Bride of Chucky, etc. The similarities go further than the titles, with The Bride of Frankenstein inspiring the former’s plot and furthering Tiffany’s arc in the latter. The Bride of Frankenstein inevitably shaped Frankenstein’s future adaptations as well.
Directed by Kenneth Branagh, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein from 1994 closely follows the original novel. Breaking away from the novel’s narrative, its third act pays homage to The Bride of Frankenstein when Victor brings Elizabeth back to life with similarly brief screentime. Mia Goth’s seemingly red hair on the set of Guillermo Del Toro’s upcoming Frankenstein may hint at her character similarly becoming The Bride.
The Bride’s Untapped Potential for a Modern Horror Remake
With Warner Bros. releasing its own take on the character with The Bride! in 2026, it makes Universal’s reluctance to make a new remake downright egregious.
The Bride is still the literally redheaded stepchild among the Universal Monsters. When it comes to being neglected by Universal, The Creature From the Black Lagoon is the only character who rivals The Bride, but that’s another story. Universal did plan a remake directed by Bill Condon, who helmed Gods and Monsters, for its aborted Dark Universe film franchise.
The Bride’s Absence in Epic Universe’s Monsters Unchained Ride
Looking at Epic Universe, the Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment ride apparently leaves The Bride out, even though she makes more sense to be in it than The Phantom of the Opera. However, The Bride does make meet-and-greet appearances across Dark Universe’s grounds.
Several ideas can be incredible for when Universal finally releases a remake of The Bride of Frankenstein someday. Based on what I’ve heard about 2023’s Poor Things, it’s exploration of a mad scientist’s creation’s experiences in a restrictive society is closer to what a modern reimagining should be. Having a woman behind the camera can lead to a feminist vision, delving into The Bride questioning her life’s purpose.
Until the day a proper remake debuts, the original 1935 film remains The Bride of Frankenstein’s definitive incarnation.
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