Humanoids from the Deep

The title kind of explains everything you need to know about this film anyway. If you can't work out what the film is about and the quality of the movie, then you need to watch more films! A small town gets more than they bargained for when someone does something or other (it doesn't really matter) that makes giant fish men come up from the depths and start trying to 'get to know' the local female population. But don't worry... a plucky band of fish-fighting men are on hand to sort out these aquatic Casanovas.

The film has a real eighties feel about it - which is odd as it was made in 1996 - the same year as sci-fi blockbuster, Independence Day. It's hard to believe that two so radically different looking films can be made at the same time (although, Humanoids From the Deep is a little more believable when it comes to plot - no fish men were killed with the help of an Apple computer).

The first half of the film is played straight, however in the second half, the mood starts to change to something a bit more tongue-in-cheek (definitely how this movie should be taken, in my opinion). Yes, it's cheesy, yes, it's daft and yes, this film will never be up there with The Godfather and Shawshank Redemption. However, it is rather silly fun and if you're a fan of eighties horror movies with men in big rubber suits trying their hand at dating human females, then you might enjoy this - definitely one of those 'guilty pleasure' films.

NB. Was it just me, or did anyone else think there were a few 'Aliens' references in this film? I won't go on about them. It might just be my imagination.

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Humanoids from the Deep (1996) is a remake of a 1980 film of the same name. The original was not the greatest, but the remake is horrible. The basic story: Through some crazy experimentation, death-row inmates have been mutated into killer (for lack of a better word) fishmen. They kidnap women with whom they mate. The father and boyfriend of one of the victims must save her before it's too late.

The movie stars Robert Carradine and Emma Samms. For the most part, both act as if they would rather be anywhere than making this movie. Carradine actually sounds as if he's reading many of his lines. His lines are delivered with no emotion whatsoever. And what lines they are. Some of the silliest dialogue imaginable.

The people populating this movie are especially dumb. Once it's established that fishmen are killing and abducting the citizens, do you think the townspeople cancel their water festival? No! They go right ahead. They seem genuinely surprised when the festival is invaded by the fishmen. What dolts! The special effects are also weak. The fishmen are never seen in any one shot for very long. This is probably because their plastic heads are more unrealistic than the cheesiest of the 50s monster films. The birth sequence is a direct rip-off of Alien, but nowhere near as effective.

If you really want to see a monster film, find another. This one is terrible.

In the mid 90's producer Roger Corman did a series of re-makes of his previous movies for the Showtime cable network. Corman is a great low budget producer, but it does not really show here. They have cut back on all of the extreme gore and sex that made the first one a drive-in classic.

All in all, worth a watch for only a true horror, or Roger Corman, fan.

I must say that Emma Samms shines in this film. I thought the film was tense and suspenseful, even though I typically do not like horror movies. The storyline is on the one hand silly, yet frightening at the same time. Robert Carradine and Danielle Weeks play father and daughter and have good screen chemistry. I have not seen the original picture that I see people commenting on, but found this one to be well done. Recommend.

From the careful hands of Roger Corman, comes a remake of his 1980's produced film of the same name, slightly updated, slightly better, but just as cheap.

Suffering from that awful nineties glare of bad jeans and over acting, this remake offers quite a few decent moments, hilarious monsters, and unintentional dialogue that actually helps to get you through it.

In a nutshell - Scripting and story is so messed up you can't help feel like you've been thrown in at the deep end from the very beginning. Hilarious acting and dialogue make sure you enjoy this low budget cheese-fest that entertains for all the wrong reasons!

In my opinion - Certain movies should never be remade. This is one of them! With a storyline that is more classic 60's sci-fi than anything, the reasoning behind it all seems to be lost in its nineties setting. That said, this is small town America, where strange stuff happens all the time and the locals all dress alike...

To be fair, its leading man, Robert Carridine is quite a likable guy and comes across quite well for the most of it. Everyone else though, not so much, and you can't help not caring for them in the long run. The film hints at action with some scenes as it tries to do with horror, but most of the scary scenes are done with such amateurish direction, it comes across more comical in a sense which makes it less horrific.

The remake of Humanoids From The Deep is fun, in a strange sort of way. Just don't take it too seriously!