PaladinNites   Posted at 2020-07-05 13:19:29(227Wks ago) Report Permalink URL | ||
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|  Welcome to the First Nighter's Theater Macabre  You usual seat in the balcony is ready for you  Tonight's offering comes from the director of "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" and "Poltergeist". An apocalyptic science-fiction and horror epic. It's scripted by none other than Dan O'Bannon (Alien, Return of the Living Dead, Total Recall).  ================================================  The crew of the joint British/American space shuttle HMS Churchill, under the command of Colonel Tom Carlsen, are set to study the Halley's Comet. But as they approach, radar traces out an objuect hidden in the coma. a 150-mile-long, 2 miles in height spaceship. Ancient, pitted but definitely extraterrestrial.   The decision is made to EVA and investigate the craft. Going thru an opening that looks like a giant artery. Inside, the crew discovers hundreds of desiccated bat-like creatures.  As they are securing one of the creatures for return analysis, Churchill alerts them that the craft has activated and is deploying what resembles a giant umbrella. At the same time an opening is activated just past the crew...  Moving deeper into the ship the EVA team enters a chamber, Col Carlsen feels like something is happening to him. In the room they find crystal clear containers, containing 3 humanoid forms. 1 female, 2 males.Perfectly preserved, and perfect in every detail. As they close upon the containers, each crew member is experiences strange sensations in their heads.   The crew recovers a bat-alien and the three bodies and begins the return trip to the Churchill. 30 Days Later; Mission control loses contact with Churchill, once back in orbit of Earth - still no contact. Ground control systems also fail to connect. A rescue mission is launched with the SST Columbia to investigate.  The rescuers discover that Churchill has been gutted by fire. The crew are dead but one escape pod is missing. In the bay the three containers bearing the alien bodies remain intact. The bodies are taken to the European Space Research Center in London. At a status discussion it's learned that they were trying to figure out how to open the crystal like containers, when they "just popped open" What was known is that the containers were neither metallic or organic. So they decide to press on with dissection on an alien. They choose the female humanoid and place her in the autopsy room, under guard.But the guard in close proximity begins to move almost trance like into the room. The guard reaches out and touches her, female aliens eyes snap open and she arises.  The guard stands completely mesmerized as she approaches him. She takes him by the head and begins to kiss him. Lights flicker, and a blue electrical like material begins to spew out of his eyes and mouth.Seen on CCTV the Director Dr. Burkovsky runs the exam room, only to find... that what is left of the guard is a dried shriveled body. Space Girl comes out of the shadows and just like the guard Dr Burkovsky is transfixed. Dr Fallada comes into the office and sees what is happening on the CCTV summons a security squad and they proceed to the lab. They find the dead guard and a very pale and weakened Dr Burovsky, who points to the guard "She...did that". Security is alerted and as Space Girl walks thru the building, making her way towards the entrance they attempt to stop her. But using a form of telekinesis, she immobilizes the guards and proceeds to blow out the entrance glass wall. She calmly walks out into the night as Dr Falluda gets there. Enter Colonel Caine SAS. He takes over the investigation and questions Dr Berkovsky as to how did this girl overpower him and the guard. The only explanation he could give was 'she was the most overwhelmingly feminine presence I ever knew.I was drawn to her'. To the Colonel this is merely a puzzle to solve, who-how and where to find her now. But further discussion with the two Doctors reveals details withheld from the public. The tapes retrieved from Churchill were erased, not damaged. An escape pod was launched, but unknown if by accident from the fire or if someone made it out. Due to the condition of the bodies an accurate count has not been able to be made.  The fire was set off by a purge of the oxygen system. The containers that held the aliens have resisted all testing, and best guess is that they are some kind of force field. Dr Fallada is beginning to make a hypothesis, that the Space Girl drained the total 'life force' from the guard, and some from Dr Berkovsky. In essence a vampire. "That girl is no girl. Totally alien to this planet and totally dangerous" The remaining 2 aliens are now under military guard. When their containers explode and they are released. The guards empty full magazines into them without any effect.  They throw two frag grenades and .... as Fallada and Caine get there, he declares no chance of an autopsy on them. Little do they know, the aliens are shape shifters. The first guard killed by Space Girl is prepared for dissection, the pathologist noting that TOD was approximately 2 hours prior. As the first incision is about to be made, the corpse reanimates  The corpse locks eyes with the pathologist and beckons to him, he staggers forward and once in reach the corpse grabs him and the force drain begins again  As the pathologist withers, the supposedly dead guard fleshes back out. Fallada and Caine arrive in time to see the new 'resurrected' guard. Fallada and Caine order him confined in a isolation cell, and the now dead pathologist as well. Fallada's hypothesis is starting to congeal. That a pattern is developing. In 2 hour time increments.And then they receive a call, a body has been found in indescribable condition in the park. Caine and Fallada arrive, Fallada confirms it's not the Space Girl, but that now she has clothes. This body as well is whisked back to the facility. The Home Secretary is summoned by Caine and they go to the isolation cells. They bear witness to the reanimated guard going ballistic and withering and dying yet again. This time just a desiccated hulk. The pathologist is next, animated and tries to run thru the enclosure to get to Caine, Fallada and the Home Secretary but bursts into dust. Fallad has the victim in the park, strapped onto an exam table in multiple restraints. ECG, EEG monitors attached. As the time limit nears, she too 'awakes' and unable to break the restraints bursts into dust.  The Home Secretary demands to know how these creatures got abroad the Churchill. That unanswered question of how may be on the horizon. As Caine receives a message that JPL in California is tracking what could be the escape pod, coming down in Texas. It's a dark and stormy night as a squadron of troops find the pod, Upon opening it there is a very dazed Commander Carlson  Carlsen is flown to London, where he describes somewhat reluctantly the course of events on Churchill, destruction of the comm systems by the radio operator, who claimed he had no memory of the event. He was the first body found desiccated. Then one by one the other crew members. Carlson claims that he believes he survived by force of will alone, and when he saw earth approach is when he decided to try and destroy the Churchill to keep anything from reaching earth. But he never looks anyone in the eyes until he relates that doing that leaving her was the hardest thing he has ever done. That is when they tell him, the aliens survived the fire, have been brought to earth and that Space Girl has escaped and killed. Dr Fallada terminates the interview at this time and suggests letting Carlson get some sleep  THE DREAM Carlson awakes and is greeted by a Gothic setting and a huge bat coming towards him. As it lands on the bed-it's now Space Girl. And she tells him that it's just a dream, and life is being exchanged for life.He finally comes to, bathed in sweat and screaming. Fallada and Col. Caine press him for details, but the memory of the dream fades as quickly as it came. Fallada suggests hypnosis, and when he is hypnotized,'sees' her in a field. But in a different body. She has taken control of this body and is taking only enough energy to maintain herself. Leaving no trail. But Carlson's connection to Space Girl allows him to see that the body taken over has a name. And he describes the vehicle and license of the next victim. Col. Caine starts a trace of the car. Fallada, Caine and Burkovsky conference and it's Burkovsky brings up the old myths of vampires having to lay on their soil. And perhaps this is why she has not been seen, and explains this 'taking over'. NASA CONTROL picks up an object crossing the moon. On a path towards earth.  Dr. FALLADA'S THEORY TEST Having acquired a relic sword from the museum, he calls for one of the tissue samples from the presumed dead male vampires.A Sargent comes to the door asking for him. It's the male vampire, who has taken over one of the military guards. VEHICLE TRACE Home Secretary briefs Caine that the vehicle and driver has been found. He claims to have dropped off a "Nurse Ellen" at Thurlston...the asylum, for the criminally insane. The HS, Caine and Carlson take a chopper to the location. They are met by Dr Armstrong (Patrick Stewart) the director. Carlson and Caine interrogate the nurse. Carlson, due to his 'psychic' connection with Space Girl can, to a point, connect and ascertain some things from those taken over. He manages to get a physical description of who she has 'jumped' to after leaving the nurse.  Dr. Armstrong and the HS meet up with Caine and Carlson. Carlson describes a patient to Armstrong and is told it's a child murderer in confinement for being 'naughty'. They press to see this patient, Armstrong accedes to this and pats Carlson on the shoulder. You see a change come over Carlson. Back in Dr Armstrong's office as they are talking, Carlson takes Caine aside out in the hallway. A male nurse prepares an injection for the hypnotism, and they enter the cell of the child killer. Caine asks to see the syringe and as he takes it, Caine tackles Dr Armstrong and Caine injects him. Interrogation of Dr Armstrong (  )Carlsen possesses a psychic link to Space Girl by coming into contact with anyone she has taken over. As long as the drug has an effective concentration in the body, she is trapped. While giving a second injection to ensure 'capture' her voice emanates from Dr Armstrong "There's no need for that, no need" She relates that as the Churchill got close, "they' reached out and entered the minds of the crew, learned the language and took the shapes most appealing from the minds. She took her form from Carlson's mind. Even tho the second dose in on board, She reaches out and the blue lifeforce pierces Carlson and the room goes into a vortex of free flowing energy. Caine, takes the remaining 2 syringes and injects directly into the neck of Dr Armstrong, breaking the cycle...but perhaps too late. As Carlson tells Caine "It's already spreading" THE CHOPPER FLIGHT BACK Fallada contacts them by radio. The 2 males vampires have shape shifted into the guards watching them. Only they can shape shift, victims cannot. He has managed to kill one by "the old way, a leaded iron stake, in the energy center of the body. Just below the heart'. Space Girl has effectively lured Carlson and Caine away and now a geometric chain reaction has begun...throughout London.The vampires of legend have originated from creatures such as these. Carlson says that they have visited Earth before. A fountain of blood erupts from Dr Armstrong, hanging in the air and congeals into Space Girl and flees the craft (  )Caine figuring out that Carlson is hiding something demands to know what really happened on the Churchill. He admits it was he who destroyed the comm system, and erased the tapes. It was he that facilitated opening of her case. She had 'called' to him, it was more than love, more than spiritual to Carlson. Something much deeper. And upon the opening of the case and the kiss-she took some of his energy and gave some of hers to him. Thus the bond. She used Carlson, to help feed her and the two males...also to make sure they made it to Earth. LONDON is on fire and a vampire rampage is flowing thru the streets. Life energy is being taken and channeled towards a certain location. Martial law has been declared. And the craft that NASA was tracking...has not locked itself into a stationary position over London, and more of the ship has activated. (  )A solitary beam of blue light going straight up is seen in the distance...it's being captured by the alien craft. It's the male vampire collecting the energy, and sending it thru Space Girl to the craft. And now she is calling Caine to come...she gave part of herself to him...and now she wants it back. (  )Their chopper redirected to a Military Contonement on the outskirts. Carlson secures a vehicle and following her voice in his head, makes his way to her. Caine tries to make it to SRC and Fallada. Carlson makes it to the Cathedral, where the beam is directing up. (  )( Caine finds the SRC in shambles, and Fallada the only one left. The male vampire impaled on his desk. He tells Caine there is life after death because he can now sense it. And that Space Girl is at the Cathedral. Caine realizes Fallada has been victimized and shoots him. Fallada's life force blows out and takes a path towards the cathedral. Caine removes the old sword from the male vampire...and it turns to dust. Just like the old myths. He too heads to the Cathedral. Carlson makes his way to the lower part of the Cathedral, and finds her laying on a tomb. The same setting as he had in his dream. (  )Her disembodied voice greets him. "I knew you would come to me". (  )(  )"Come...be with me. It was always intended you should find us...and bring us to Earth". Caine makes a perilous way thru the streets to the Cathedral. As he makes it to the steps of the Cathedral, he finds the last male vampire standing sentinel and the blue force going thru him and into the chapel where she waits. He looks at Caine "It will by much less terrifying if you just come to me' (  )Caine smirks "I'll do just that" and taking the sword impales him (  )The male vampire screeches and returns to it's true form, it's life force a blood red. And crumbles into dust. (  )Once in the Cathedral, Caine makes his way to where the blue energy is beaming up. Peers down and sees Space Girl and Caine. Locked in an embrace. Caine screams Carlson's name several times, he finally looks up. And with what little is left of his free will extendes his hand up. Caine lets fall the sword, Carlson manages to catch it and still locked in embrace, impales both her and himself. Their energy force is both blood red and that breaks the flow from outside. The beam of blue light finishes in the craft. But it is now fully energized and those onboard are infused with life sustaining force. The craft breaks orbit and returns under incredible speed back to Halley's Comet, hidden again in the coma. TRAILER  ================================ PRODUCTION NOTES; The first male vampire to be killed was Mick Jagger's brother, Chris Jagger! Mathilda May (Space Girl) has only seven minutes of screentime. Mathilda had to learn her lines phonetically, for her audition as Space Girl, because she didn't know any English at the time. Mathilda had rubber soles glued to the bottom of her feet, in order to avoid cutting them, during the scene in which she walks out of the building, after breaking the glass windows. Tobe Hooper's Director's Cut was two hours and eight minutes, then the movie was cut down to one hour and fifty-six minutes, the cuts being mostly scenes set on the spaceship Churchill. The original unedited European version contains more violent and erotic footage, which Tri-Star Pictures cut from the domestic U.S. version. It also contains the full Henry Mancini score, in place of the occasional Michael Kamen music cues placed at the last minute for U.S. prints Tobe Hooper came up with the idea of using Halley's Comet in the screenplay, rather than the asteroid belt, as originally used in the novel, as the comet was going to pass by Earth one year following this movie's release. Frank Finlay was not allowed to use a German accent for his role, because Mathilda May, who had never acted in English, was using his voice as a guide in how to act in English. Likewise, Michael Gothard was not allowed to do a German accent for the same reason The dummies used as dissected corpses were reused in The Mummy (1999) Billy Idol was considered for the role of one of the vampires. Nicholas Ball found out his flying harness for the spacesuit scenes, had been worn by Christopher Reeve for the first three Superman movies. The cast members, playing the astronauts, exploring the alien spacecraft, were suspended on wires forty feet up in the air. Also, some days, Tobe Hooper only got a few seconds worth of footage, during the shooting of these scenes. Full-size models were made of the three nude aliens for the wide shots of them in their glass cases. ( )The model of London destroyed in the movie, was actually the remains of Tucktonia, a model village near Christchurch, England, that had closed not long before the shooting of this movie. The 25 million dollar budget looks like 50 million dollars, the FX are first-rate. When history is to be counted, this is one of the movies the Cannon Group will be remembered for, together with "Bloodsport", "52 Pick-Up", "Hanoi Hilton" and "Missing in Action" (come on, it's Chuck Norris). And it only took 60 or so movies to create five good ones :) The performance of the gorgeous Mathilda May (she's as beautiful as French actresses Sophie Marceau and Emmanuelle Seigner), is impressive. There are times when she can be quite creepy, by being simply seductive. Most of the film manages to work because of her. It took a week to film the death scene of the pathologist played by Jerome Willis, and bodycasts of Frank Finlay, Patrick Stewart and Aubrey Morris were made by make-up effects supervisor Nick Maley for their death scenes. (behind the scenes pics)   About the spacecraft...anyone remember our first interstellar visitor Oumuamua? That had a very curious orbit, and picked up speed on the outbound leg? From what little was captured of it, by the time anyone had a clue, here is that artists concept of what it may have looked like...  Curious eh? One effect near the end of the film involving the column of energy rising from the female alien through the top of St. Paul's Cathedral to the spacecraft was engineered by art director Tony Reading. A column of 3-M material was placed against black velvet and a crew member blew cigar smoke into its bottom. This image was then front projected onto a translucent projection screen behind the actors to create the energy column. Last edited by PaladinNites on 2020-07-06 20:53:07 | |
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Post liked by - Mafketel , Ange1  , Janor, Alien4, bigboy12 , RedBaron58   , Sheolraver   | ||
| SheolraverPosted at 2020-07-05 13:26:55(227Wks ago) Report Permalink URL | ||
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| Paladin, this is excellently written and presented. Thank you for this. One of my (so many. ;)) fave space vampire films. The comparison to Oumuamua, brilliant. | |
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| Post liked by - Ange1, Janor, PaladinNites, miok, bigboy12 | ||
| bigboy12Posted at 2020-07-05 13:49:45(227Wks ago) Report Permalink URL | ||
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| Another great piece of work.Thanks Paladin. 👍 | |
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| Post liked by - Ange1, Janor, Sheolraver, PaladinNites, miok | ||
| miokPosted at 2020-07-05 13:52:44(227Wks ago) Report Permalink URL | ||
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| Another excellent review! Thanks Paladin.  | |
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| Post liked by - Ange1, Sheolraver, bigboy12, PaladinNites | ||
| Alien4Posted at 2020-07-05 22:52:15(227Wks ago) Report Permalink URL | ||
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| A fantastic, well worded and thorough review of an all time classic movie. The comparisons to `Oumuamua are indeed quite spooky | |
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| Post liked by - Janor, miok, bigboy12, PaladinNites | ||
sherb Posted at 2020-07-05 23:43:46(227Wks ago) Report Permalink URL | ||
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| Another great review Paladin. Thanks for an enjoyable read. :) I haven't seen this in years, so a hunting I shall go . . . | |
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| Post liked by - Ange1, Janor, Alien4, PaladinNites, bigboy12 | ||
| JanorPosted at 2020-07-07 10:04:00(227Wks ago) Report Permalink URL | ||
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| OMG PaladinNites what can I say? Everything I've ever read of yours has been nothing but spectacular. You always have me on the edge of my seat and completely transfixed. You are an amazing writer and I think I'm your NUMBER ONE FAN :-):love:love:loveYou should be doing these as a professional because that is exactly what you are. I can't wait for the next one... but this time I will read it during the day. At night it's just a little too dark and quiet here :-) I think I may re-watch this movie sometime this week. 8o8o8o Last edited by Janor on 2020-07-07 10:08:17 | |
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| Ange1Posted at 2020-07-07 10:39:16(227Wks ago) Report Permalink URL | ||
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| OMG this is amazing hunni thank you so much for the enjoyable read :) i just love your work. I am a huge fan of vampire movies and one of my all time favourites is Interview with a Vampire i just admire the story and how beautiful it was portrayed on screen :) :love:love | |
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| PaladinNitesPosted at 2020-07-11 18:15:18(226Wks ago) Report Permalink URL | ||
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| Anyone wishing to watch or re-watch this, your in luck B4ND1T69 has put this up here;https://torrentgalaxy.to/torrents-details.php?id=14056495 Paladin | |
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| Post liked by - B4ND1T69, Janor, miok, sherb, bigboy12 | ||