Entertainment
Extremely R-Rated Sci-Fi With Shape-Shifting Vampire Aliens Is A Hidden 80s Masterpiece
By Robert Scucci
| Published
Has this ever happened to you? You’re flying around in a space shuttle when you discover an unidentified spaceship riding on the tail of a comet. You go inside with your loyal crew, only to find a bunch of bats, aliens, and bat aliens, all seemingly guarding the same thing: two naked men and a naked woman, each encased in their own glass coffin. You decide the best idea is to bring these bodies back home to Earth for research purposes, thinking to yourself, “This is going to go absolutely great. I foresee zero problems with what’s about to transpire!”
That’s the setup to Tobe Hooper’s 1985 cult classic, Lifeforce, based on the 1976 Colin Wilson novel The Space Vampires.
As a fan of Hooper’s work who still hasn’t seen everything he’s made, this might actually be his best movie. I’m not trying to throw shade at the Texas Chainsaw Massacre movies or Poltergeist, because they’re bona fide classics for a reason. But Lifeforce is such an ambitious film telling such a ridiculous story that you can’t help but sit back in admiration over how completely insane it is.
Texas Chainsaw is one of the best slasher franchises of all time, but they’re still just slashers. Poltergeist is one of the best haunted house films ever made, but it’s still just a haunted house movie. Lifeforce has shape-shifting vampire aliens, or is it alien vampires, trying to take over the world. It’s a sample size of one.
Words Cannot Do Lifeforce Justice
I basically already told you everything that happens in Lifeforce, but there’s a little more to it that makes it interesting. When Colonel Tom Carlsen (Steve Railsback) first investigates the spaceship and its contents, curiosity quickly turns into carnage. We don’t know exactly what happens to Tom right away, but it’s soon made clear that nobody aboard the Churchill Space Shuttle survived whatever transpired inside. The rescue mission confirms the entire interior had been incinerated and that one escape pod is missing.
Back on Earth at the European Space Research Centre in London, the bodies are examined, and this is where everything goes to hell. The female body (Mathilda May) awakens from suspended animation, and we learn how these vampires operate. She seduces her male victims, who become overwhelmed with uncontrollable lust before she literally sucks the lifeforce out of them, reducing them to ash.
When Tom Carlsen is found in his escape pod, he’s physically unharmed but deeply traumatized as he recounts what happened to his crew before setting the entire ship ablaze and jumping ship himself. We learn these creatures are harvesting humanity’s life force to power their spaceship, and they quickly overwhelm the human race with that goal in mind. Officials declare martial law, but humanity proves no match for the space vampires that never should have been awakened.
Just Let It Happen
If Lifeforce sounds like one of the most ridiculous sci-fi plots you’ve ever heard, you’re right. It’s an incredibly far-out concept, but Hooper plays the whole thing completely straight, which is exactly what makes it work as horror. Even better, it has my favorite kind of gore, which is barely any. There are some graphic moments, as you’d expect from a Tobe Hooper film, but it’s all so spectacular that it never feels like the kind of movie that will make you sick to your stomach. There’s an almost dreamlike aura hanging over everything.
Despite Lifeforce failing at the box office, earning just $11.6 million against its reported $25 million budget, it remains a cult classic because it’s willing to go completely off the rails without ever winking at the audience. It’s sexy, violent, and plays like the best kind of fever dream. It’s truly a one-of-a-kind film, and a must-watch if you’re a fan of Hooper’s more iconic work but want to see what he was capable of when given free rein to do whatever he wanted.
As of this writing, Lifeforce is streaming for free on Tubi.
Entertainment
The smartest language lessons still start with human experts
TL;DR: Get Babbel Language Learning for life for just $159 through July 31 and unlock all 14 languages with one purchase.
Language learning usually starts with good intentions. The trick is sticking with it long enough to order dinner confidently, ask for directions without panicking, or actually hold a conversation.
That’s where Babbel truly shines. Through July 31, you can get lifetime access for a one-time $159, giving you unlimited access to 14 languages without worrying about another recurring subscription.
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Babbel keeps lessons short — just 10 to 15 minutes — making it much easier to fit learning into a lunch break, commute, or quiet evening at home. The lessons focus on real-life conversations, covering everything from travel and dining to shopping and business situations, so you’re learning phrases you’re actually likely to use.
Plus, the biggest win is that the lessons were created by 100+ professional linguists, not just bots.
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The platform also includes an AI Conversation Partner for speaking practice, speech recognition technology to help improve pronunciation, personalized review sessions to reinforce what you’ve learned, and offline access so you can keep studying without an internet connection.
More than 15 million people worldwide have used Babbel, and the app holds an impressive 4.6-star rating on the App Store.
Whether your goal is planning an overseas trip, connecting with family, or simply learning something new, Babbel offers a flexible way to build practical language skills at your own pace.
A lifetime of Babbel Language Learning is available for just $159 (reg. $299) through July 31, making it an easy way to invest in a skill you can keep using for years.
StackSocial prices subject to change.
Entertainment
Meta avoids another trial over social media harms as teen plaintiff drops lawsuit
Meta has skirted another jury over claims its platforms are facilitating a youth mental health crisis.
The company was set to go to trial in the Superior Court of California for the County of Los Angeles next week, but the 15-year-old plaintiff, referred to as R.K.C, has now dropped the lawsuit.
“In light of the overall successful result of the litigation and his concerns about enduring a grueling weeks-long trial, he has elected to withdraw his claims against Meta. He’s ready to close this chapter and focus on his recovery and engage in therapy as he aspires to have a normal life,” attorneys for R.K.C. said in a statement.
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According to the lawsuit, R.K.C. said he became addicted to social media over the last seven years, and linked his anxiety and depression to extensive time online. Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube were also named in the initial lawsuit, but the companies reached settlement deals with R.K.C prior to going in front of the jury.
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“Days after settling with other social media companies, the plaintiff dropped his case against Meta, the only remaining defendant, without receiving any payment,” a Meta spokesperson said following the news. “The claims never held up, and this outcome makes clear that we will not back away from defending ourselves against baseless lawsuits.”
Meta’s spokesperson said the facts of the case could not prove that the company’s platforms caused R.K.C.’s mental health struggles. Meta previously called attention to the fact that R.K.C. had not spent significant amounts of time on Meta platforms, like Facebook and Instagram, in a Motion for Summary Judgment. The company also said they could not verify that R.K.C. had a long-standing account history on Meta platforms.
In March, Meta and YouTube were ordered to pay $6 million to another teen plaintiff who accused multiple social media companies of knowingly investing in design features that would hook users, despite knowing of their potential harm. The jury found the two companies liable for mental health-related harms caused by negligent design features and “social media addiction.” It was the first time a jury found social media companies responsible for the psychological effects of their platforms on teens.
At the time, Meta said it was appealing the decision. The company has faced multiple lawsuits brought forth by teens, parents, school districts, and state leaders. “Teen mental health is profoundly complex and cannot be linked to a single app,” a Meta spokesperson said following the March verdict. “We will continue to defend ourselves vigorously as every case is different, and we remain confident in our record of protecting teens online.”
Entertainment
NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for July 23, 2026
The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult if you’re a frequent flyer.
Connections is the one of the most popular New York Times word games that’s captured the public’s attention. The game is all about finding the “common threads between words.” And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we’ve served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.
If you just want to be told today’s puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for today’s Connections solution. But if you’d rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.
What is Connections?
The NYT‘s latest daily word game has become a social media hit. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications’ Games section. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.
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Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there’s only one correct answer.
If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.
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Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.
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Here’s a hint for today’s Connections categories
Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:
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Yellow: Rounded
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Green: Nervous Nancy
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Blue: Catch a flight
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Purple: Math words
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Here are today’s Connections categories
Need a little extra help? Today’s connections fall into the following categories:
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Yellow: Spherical things
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Green: In an anxious state
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Blue: Parts of an airport
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Purple: Ending in geometry terms
Looking for Wordle today? Here’s the answer to today’s Wordle.
Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today’s puzzle before we reveal the solutions.
Drumroll, please!
The solution to today’s Connections #1138 is…
What is the answer to Connections today
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Spherical things: BASEBALL, GLOBE,
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In an anxious state: EXCITED, FEBRILE, FRENETIC, INTENSE
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Parts of an airport: PINS, SNAPS, TWEETS, VINES
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Ending in geometry terms: APPOINT, DEPLANE, FELINE, JANGLE
Are you also playing NYT Strands? Get all the Strands hints you need for today’s puzzle.
If you’re looking for more puzzles, Mashable’s got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Not the day you’re after? Here’s the solution to yesterday’s Connections.
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