DeepStar Six (1989) **

 Companion to DeepStar Six*

You see a scene like the one to the left, I totally get why critics bring up Alien (1979). A lot of films, no matter whether in space or underwater, there are these scenes involving workers at a table, eating and discussing their job, laborers ready to go home. Cunningham's DeepStar Six (1989) is no different. I think the key to success for any film following Alien is to make their own film interesting and unique somehow. Not only that but provide at the very least a fun cast. I think where I'm a bit disappointed in this film is that really good actors like Taurean Blacque (Captain Laidlaw) and Elya Baskin (of 2010 (1984), as a geologist, Burciaga) just don't last very long in the film. And I would have LOVED more of Cunningham regular, Ronn Carroll and Thom Bray (who has little one liners about reactions from what their remote camera would capture while touring a large underwater cavern) as a team navigating carefully and nervously a detonation that took out ground near their vehicle, causing them to backpedal. 

Cunningham's monster is awfully big and looked very difficult to operate by the crew. Its mouth sort of flaps open...that's a gigantic mouth. I wonder how it could devour half a metal JIM suit...those must be some seriously sharp teeth to do that. And when Dr. Norris (Cindy Pickett) uses shock pedals to electrocute the creature, it survives that while she bolts herself into oblivion.

When Nancy Everhard learns she's pregnant with Greg Evigan's baby, the two seemingly set on very different career paths, I sort of felt that bit of character detail for both telegraphs who lives and doesn't. I don't think anyone expected Miguel Ferrer would, considering how fragile and vulnerable he is in the face of intense peril. Still I think the model work and set design help mask the budgetary restraints Cunningham was obviously up against.