Deepstar Six (1989) – Film Review

Director: Sean Cunningham
Cast: Greg Evigan, Nancy Everhard, Miguel Ferrer
Certificate: 15

By Roger Crow

Underwater thrillers were all the rage in Hollywood in the late 1980s and early 1990s. One of the reasons was James Cameron’s then-top secret movie, The Abyss. Few knew what was going on with the master of epic sci-fi thrillers, so people like director Sean (Friday the 13th) Cunningham were brought on board to make this thriller. It probably cost a fraction of The Abyss‘ budget, which wasn’t difficult, considering Cameron spent an absolute fortune on his 1989 sci-fi thriller.

Deepstar Six is a mere 109 minutes, but feels a lot longer. The cast you’ll probably recognise from assorted projects. Taurean Blacque was in Hill Street Blues; Greg Evigan was in BJ and the Bear; Miguel Ferrer you’ll remember from things like Star Trek 3, Twin Peaks, and Robocop, while Cindy Pickett was perhaps best known as Ferris Bueller’s mum.

So what is it about? Well, according to the IMDb, ‘A team of Navy personnel stationed at a temporary base at the bottom of the ocean are tasked with setting up nuclear missiles, but they discover a huge underwater cavern, which houses a giant prehistoric creature.’ So far, so predictable, even in 1989. Tagline: ‘Not all aliens come from space.’

“Spirited performance”

Now, for the most part, the first act is obviously setting out its stall and is very so-so. We get to enjoy the not-bad set; the banter between the main characters, and the sense of day-to-day living on this submerged platform. So very much like The Abyss, although tonally, it owes more of a debt to things like Jaws, Alien, and Aliens.

Just after this was released we had Leviathan, which was more of the same, essentially. (I’ve not seen it since 1990, but that did boast a very good soundtrack by Jerry Goldsmith). This hasn’t got a bad soundtrack by Harry Manfredini, but I imagine his budget was minimal.

The effects aren’t bad, though we spend a lot of time waiting for anything to happen. Miguel Ferrer gives a spirited performance, despite an underwritten role, and Greg Evigan is the macho hero. It ticks over, and is just okay.

Just a side note that instead of actually flooding anywhere, like James Cameron did with an abandoned nuclear facility in South Carolina, the DS6 producers decided to shoot what is called ‘Dry For Wet’, when a studio is filled with smoke and feathers to give the illusion of under water (Leviathan was shot in a similar way). It’s not a bad way of making a relatively cheap ‘underwater’ film instead of going to the extreme lengths that Cameron does. Although obviously his film looks better.

“Assorted extras”

For a 1989 movie, the new 4K UHD release has scrubbed up quite well. It’s still quite grainy in places, but then again, it wasn’t shot on HD cameras, so little wonder.

The monster, when it finally emerges at the end, isn’t bad at all. Take a bow The Fly (1986) veteran Chris Walas. In fact, some might say the finale is actually better than The Abyss, because that denouement was a bit of a damp squib.

This new release is worth at least one look, and does feature assorted extras, including Sean Cunningham discussing the movie, though he sounds a bit bored by the project. And it’s not one of those yack tracks where people are talking all through the film; there are huge patches where no one says anything, so you will wonder if you’ve actually selected the special commentary or not, because it takes a while to kick in. The whole thing is not a bad watch. Just don’t expect too much, and it passes the time a treat.

Roger Crow( Writer )

Adopted Yorkshireman Roger Crow developed a passion for film and TV in the 1970s and 1980s. He has been a published film and TV reviewer since the 1990s; a world travel and restaurant critic since the noughties, and for the past decade has assessed the pros and cons of live gigs and theatre productions around the UK. His ideal day would involve reviewing a performance of Bat Out of Hell, followed by a Pad Thai while being serenaded by Texas on a cruise around Europe.
crowsfeat.com; nostalgiahhh film podcast

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