DeepStar Six (1989) (blu-ray film review)
‘DeepStar Six’ originally came out in 1989 and this is the first time I’ve seen it. The film title comes from the undersea base where its crew is charged with placing nuclear missiles as you do. Actually, it’s the replacement crew we follow as they exchange positions and report there’s a cavern under the missile site. The crew above them, Scarpelli (actress Nia Peeples) warns them that there had been problems with the caverns a few years back and should be investigated before destroying it but is refused.
One of the manned instalment machines, Seacat, breaks into the cavern and sends a remote to look inside, only for it to vanish. Leaving their wheelbase, the Seacat goes down itself to retrieve the remote. They meet the same thing and also disappear. The same creature then attacks its base, DeepTrack. A little more hardy but they don’t last neither. Their boss, Laidlaw (actor Taurean Blacque), in DeepStar Six above but still underwater, thinks it’s probably a faulty radio but is determined to go down in a USRV-2 and check. Their vehicle is nearly attacked but turning their lights off and engines, evade whatever it is. DeepTrack is also in a precarious situation, likely to fall into the cavern during the rescue.
I’m having to be careful about spoilers here as the casualty rate is rather high so don’t have too many favourites.
They are supposed to abandon DeepStar but need to neutralise the missile site. Without their captain, Snyder (actor Miguel Ferrer) follows the manual but ends up putting the missiles on standby to detonate and have to get out. Presumably, only the detonators ignited not the nuclear warheads. Er…no. Even so, DeepStar is in trouble without their decompression air supply. While doing repairs, one of the beasties gets on-board.
As the film progresses, things go from worse to worst. The absurdity at the end being in the middle of an ocean with only a paddle is only matched with why would DeepStar carry an arsenal of compressed air harpoons? I mean what are they supposed to shoot with them down there?
As with ‘The Abyss’ from the previous year, normal voices rather than the high-pitched voices you get with a helium/oxygen mix. Who in their right minds blows up a cavern below a missile site and not choose a better solid site? Wouldn’t it make the ground less even? Don’t forget, CGI was pretty nascent at the time and this is a film that didn’t rely on it. Other concessions is giving them some light down there so we can see what is going on. You would think they would have more than one radio to keep contact with DeepStar, let alone the surface, let alone have one that is reputed to be faulty. Want me to go on?
There’s enough faults in this film to drive a submarine through. It might have a better budget for sets and special effects but the plot is still sub-B movie. It is oddly watchable if you forget all of that.
There are three audio commentaries. The first is with film analysts James G. Chandler and Ash Hamilton, recorded in 2025. The film budget was about $8 million and rushed out with five other underwater films because the studios realised Jim Cameron’s ‘The Abyss’ would attract viewers. None of these films made a big profit. A lot of the cast came from television to keep the costs down. I tend to think these two are director Sean Cunningham fans and although they give a lot of info about the film, they are less critical of it.
The second audio commentary is with director Sean S. Cunningham and visual effects supervisor Jim Issac from 2001. Issac directed all the underwater footage. They both agree that learnt a lot from making this first of their underwater films. Some of the underwater effects didn’t have water, just smoke and particles. They agree that CGI would have made it different today. Both of them stop when the actors are speaking.
The third interview is with co-screenwriters Lewis Abernathy and Geof Miller from 2020. The film was supposed to be called ‘Deep Six’ but a clash with Warners as it was an Alan Ladd film. The other title was ‘Claws’. This commentary was recorded before the other two. This is a very animated commentary and they take the mickey out of their own story. Even they didn’t understand some of the things that happened and they were recorded during the Covic pandemic.
You’ll have to forgive me for skipping the version with just the music soundtrack and its composer Harry Manfredini.
More extras. ‘From The Deep: 2020 Interviews With Mark Shiostrum, Greg Nicotero And Robert Kurtzman’ runs at just under 22 minutes. All about the creature effects by those who made them. Seeing them sorting out the water problems and footage is fascinating.
‘The Survivors: 2020 Interviews With Greg Evigan And Nancy Everhard’ runs at nearly 17 minutes. They’re interviewed separately about the same scenes. The ending was done as an addition.
‘Water damage: 2020 Interview With Kane Hodder’ runs at just under 13 minutes interviews him in his capacity as stunt coordinator. He gives a lot of insight into how well he worked with the cast and crew.
‘Behind The Scenes Vintage 1989 Featurette’ runs at about 4 minutes and shows much of the sets without the studio lights.
Under 4 minutes of extended 1980 interviews with the crew and cast with footage tends to be just a taster.
‘Original 1989 EPK’ runs at 8 minutes from 1980 with Sean Cunningham, Greg Evigan, Nancy Everhard, Cindy Pickett, Nia Peebles, John Reinhart, Jim Issac, Miguel Ferrer and Marius Weyers mostly answering questions.
The Stills Gallery runs at 16 minutes from 2020. Most of them are in black and white until you get to the film promotion stills and film posters in various languages. The caption, ‘Not all aliens come from outer space’ comes up towards the end and ‘saving your last breath to scream’.
For the age of the film, that’s quite a lot of extras. B-level films always get a fanbase and if you’re part of it, then this blu-ray will hit all your marks.
I’m watching this on an advance disk. Presumably, moving back to the main menu from the extras won’t involve ejecting the disk.
GF Willmetts
June 2026
(pub: StudioCanal, 2026. 1 UHD blu-ray disk 100 minute film with lots of extras. Price: £14.99 (UK). ASIN: B0GS6WDH1G)
cast: Greg Evigan, Nancy Everhard and Taurean Blacque and many others
check out website: www.studiocanal.co.uk/title/deepstar-six-1988-3/
