Film
What's on at the cinema plus reviews of the latest movie and DVD releases
Bookmark this pageLifespan (1975)
Director: Alexander Whitelaw
Movie review
From Time Out Film Guide
Though visibly a low-budget Euro-thriller, Lifespan is none the less lent weight by its ingenious narrative and thematic audacity. In evoking and combining Faustian mythology, the modern pharmaceutical trade, Nazi medical experimentation, and Kinski's demonic search for eternal life, it perversely brings to the 'mad scientist' movie tradition a serious view of research ethics. Its horror resides in the fact of natural death, its questers after immortality working at the point where liberal science and fascist idealism collide in attempts to improve humanity by prolonging life. Its humour is equally unexpected: even what looks like a catchpenny bondage scene has Aumont tied in the knot symbolising DNA. Get past Hiram Keller's woodenness, and this is a bold and intelligent fun-movie.Author: PT
User reviews of this film
-
- Dick Murphry said...
- Posted on Mar 31 2009 06:55 balls
- Report as inappropriate
Cast & crew
Director: Alexander Whitelaw
Producer: Alexander Whitelaw
Cast: Hiram Keller, Tina Aumont, Klaus Kinski, Fons Rademakers, Eric Schneider, Frans Mulders full cast
Genre(s): Thrillers
Duration: 85 mins
Most popular on this site
Top Stories
Our verdict on Peter Jackson's The Lovely Bones
Peter Jackson ends a triumphant decade with a sentimental misfire with this lush Alice Sebold adaptation
On the set of Ken Loach's 'Route Irish'
Dave Calhoun meets Ken Loach on the set of his forthcoming Iraq war movie
Stephen Poliakoff discusses 'Glorious 39'
Stephen Poliakoff’s ‘Glorious 39’ is his first film for cinema since ‘Food of Love’ in 1997. Dave Calhoun met him
Is 'Paranormal Activity' the new 'Blair Witch'?
How does a film go from DIY experiment to box-office smash? 'Paranormal Activity' director Oren Peli explains
Steven Soderbergh on 'The Informant!' and 'The Girlfriend Experience'
We talk to Steven Soderbergh about his two forthcoming films: one featuring a porn star, the other a chubby Matt Damon
A gateway to all things 'New Moon'
In anticipation of 'The Twilight Saga: New Moon', Time Out is offering the chance to pick up a limited edition pack with three exclusive magazines and a free poster.
London Children's Film Festival
Read our exclusive reviews of films playing at the 2009 London Children’s Film Festival
The films that deserve a TV spin-off
With Roland Emmerich suggesting he'd like to make a '2012' TV spin-off, we propose some more movie-to-TV serialisations
The Coen brothers discuss 'A Serious Man'
Masters of contrary comedy, Joel and Ethan Coen have struck gold again with their latest, ‘A Serious Man’
Time Out's 50 greatest animated films with commentary by Terry Gilliam
In celebration of the release of Pixar's 'Up' and Wes Anderson's 'Fantastic Mr Fox', read our rundown of fifty classic feature length animations
What do you think?
Post your review now