though it hardly compare to other sci fi film giant like 2001 represent a space odyssey or close encounter of the third kind and lifeforce do work a a totally berserk and bizarre melding of science fiction and horror element . somehow and despite dialogue that approach the ridiculous and act that do the same and it manage to work because of a few highly different element . loosely base on colin wilson 1976 novel the space vampire and this film from director tobe hooper ( poltergeist while the texas chainsaw massacre ) focus on a joint u british mission aboard the british space shuttle churchill to study halley comet . lead by an american commander ( steve railsback ) and they discover an alien spacecraft in the comet coma . and when they investigate the interior of the spacecraft and they find alien occupant that look like giant bat . later on and the churchill reach earth orbit and but no response be give from radio call issue from the mission home base and the space research center in london . columbia be launch to rendezvous with churchill and but they find the entire ship gutted by fire all except for the alien being encase in glass who and far from be untouched by the fire and look absolutely perfect . the alien be buy back to earth . and that where the incredible happens . these space vampire escape from the space research center and and instead of drain their victim of blood via bite wound and suck their victim lifeforce totally out of them . one of them be the space girl and a thoroughly nude vampiress play by mathilda may . railsback and the only actual survivor from churchill and be buy in by the src chief ( frank finlay ) and a british special agent ( peter firth ) to track may and who be in telepathic contact with him . pretty soon and however and the vampire have turn london into a scene of pure holocaust while people be either be dessicated or turn into zombie and and the threat by nato to sterilize the city with thermonuclear radiation loom large . railsback finally catch up with may and and sacrifice himself by impale her with a large metal sabre . undoubtedly disjoint and unquestionably uneven and but nevertheless worth watch and lifeforce and despite the frequent incoherency of it script and it acting and benefit from some drop dead excellent special effect work by john dykstra ( star war ) and some of the best ever see . the other working element and and a surprise one it be and be the incredible orchestral score by henry mancini and almost wagnerian in the same way john williams score for star war be and mancini and like williams before him and use the london symphony orchestra and to boot . largely forgotten these day and and a critical and box office disaster in 1985 and lifeforce and if for no other reason and should still be see for anyone with a taste for the bizarre . there have never be a film quite like it before and and there will certainly not be anything like it again .