DEEPSTAR SIX (1989)

3 stars

StudioCanal. UHD, Blu Ray, Digital. 8th June

Undersea soggy sagas were clearly a thing when DEEPSTAR SIX originally came out. Around the same time we got James Cameron’s ABYSS, LEVIATHAN and LORDS OF THE DEEP amongst others. Sadly the film at hand wasn’t one of the better ones.

This outing was helmed by Sean S. Cunningham, who is probably best known for FRIDAY THE 13TH (1980). Here he is saddled with an unexciting script by Geof Miller and Lewis Abernathy, which is basically a riff on ALIEN as a crew are stationed on an undersea research base where they inevitably do something they shouldn’t, by blowing up a cave, and end up releasing a monster from the deep.

The problem here is it takes forever for anything to really happen and the creature doesn’t turn up until the last knockings. In the meantime there is lots of chat among the crew with the only familiar face amongst them being Miguel Ferrer.

Whilst Cameron was playing with early doors CGI this watery escapade is resolutely old school, with almost quaint model work which could have graced an episode of Gerry Anderson’s THUNDERBIRDS TV series.

Still if you are a fan, there are copious extras to keep you entertained.

Steve Kirkham

Four (!) Audio Commentaries with Horror-Fix.com’s James G. Chandler and Ash Hamilton (2025); with director Sean S. Cunningham and visual effects supervisor James Isaacs (2001); with screenwriters Lewis Abernathy and Geoff Miller (2020); Isolated Score with audio commentary by composer Harry Manfredini

Interviews with Mark Shostrom, Greg Nicotero, and Robert Kurtzman/with Greg Evigan and Nancy Everhard/with Kane Hodder

Behind The Scenes vintage 1989 featurette

Extended Vintage 1989 Interviews with Cast & Crew

Behind-the-Scenes Footage

Original 1989 EPK

Stills Gallery/Theatrical Trailer/TV Spot