DeepStar Six (1989)

Director: Sean S. Cunningham

Starring: Greg Evigan, Nancy Everhard, Taurean Blacque

At the bottom of the ocean, the DeepStar Six has just discovered a new and deadly alien menace.

I’m never sure: is it ‘DeepStar Six’ or ‘Deep Star Six’.

1989 brought us the underwater creature features ‘The Abyss’, ‘Leviathan’, and ‘DeepStar Six’. I certainly did enjoy ‘DeepStar Six’. It has a good cast, nice characters, and I enjoyed the suspense set in the confines of an underwater research station.

So, after 6 months a group of researchers have one more day before heading home. However, fate intervenes and they accidentally unearth a hideous creature, and inadvertently unleash terror. Well, that’s the premise anyway. Fact is, we so seldom see the creature for most of the first three quarters of the movie, and most of the damage is done by themselves. The creature sort of gets caught in the middle of everything.

Despite this fact, the film was very interesting. I absolutely loved the characters (and absolutely loved hunky Greg Evigan – what a sexy man!). I enjoyed the very different ways each character reacted to the chaos. Miguel Ferrer was well cast as the hapless guy who fails time and again, no matter what he does.

The visual effects – in a time before CGI – doesn’t hold so well by today’s standards and the new generation might raise an eyebrow or two at the obvious models. The monster itself also doesn’t really seem very lively, but back then they had to use practical effects. I absolutely enjoyed this. And I just love it when movie sets get flooded! The film has a very good final scene. Love it!

Would I watch it again? Yes.