Not to be confused with Dario Argento's classic 1975 Giallo (known to it's native Italian audiences Profondo Rosso). This 1994 film also known as "Deep Red" to English speaking audiences debuted not in theatres, but on the Sci Fi Channel more than a decade before it was given it's ridiculous Syfy Channel rebranding. That's really another way of telling you that "Deep Red" is from the days when a Sci Fi Channel original was not so easy to dismiss & you'd be making a major error of judgement to dismiss this interesting & involving slice of Sci-Noir. A subgenre which encompasses everything from Future-Noir ("Blade Runner") to Tech-Noir ("Strange Days"). And in the case of "Deep Red" it could perhaps be described as Bio-Noir if not simply Sci-Noir itself...
...With it's plot dealing with biological alteration & regeneration as a result of contact with shrapnel from an Alien spacecraft under attack, "Deep Red" is as deeply rooted in pure Science Fiction as a film can get. But in terms of presentation it has far more in common with the mood driven detective novels of yesteryear. With our burned out protagonist narrating throughout a film which takes place almost entirely at night, "Deep Red" guides us through the darkness without telegraphing any of the twists which occur later down the road. To call the film unpredictable would be inaccurate as anyone who has watched enough films or read enough books in this genre will be wise enough to guess how this one plays out. But that doesn't mean the unfolding story is any less enjoyable...
...And with a cast of familiar film & tv faces including Michael Biehn, Steve Williams, Joanna Pacula, John de Lancie, Tobin Bell, John Kapelos, Lindsey Haun & Michael Des Barres, you know you're in good enough hands to give "Deep Red" the benefit of the doubt upon first impressions. And it must be said that with the film's opening space battle featuring some of the cheapest looking CGI of the 90's you may find yourself put off continuing. But let me tell you that you will not see another shot like it for the remainder of the film! In fact, "Deep Red" is fairly lo-fi for a Sci-Fi film. This one is more about the story than it is spectacle & that's something which most modern Syfy Channel originals sorely lack! And since the quality of CGI in Syfy Channel films are as poor today as they ever were you'd think they'd want to focus more on their scripts rather than "flaunting" their not so special effects. And this is exactly why a mid-90's film like "Deep Red" can be a refreshing experience to modern audiences who roll their eyes at the mere mention of a Syfy Channel original...
...The story of "Deep Red" is not going to rock your world or anything, but it's well told & played enough to keep you invested in the characters at it's heart. The ever-heroic Michael Biehn is naturally our lead & delivers a solid performance as a depressed security agent who works alongside the law. But as good as he is, Biehn is admitedly upstaged by Sci Fi tv icon John de Lancie as (who else?) the villain of the piece. A once renowned scientist turned self serving leader of his own team of "men in white", he's not above murdering anyone who gets in his way. And what could have possibly turned him into such a power mad monster? A taste of immortality of course! Not only that, but also shapeshifting capabilities & other benefits which come from his own contact with the aformentioned Alien shrapnel. Naturally he wants to seek out & silence everyone else "gifted" with such capabilities in order to obtain such god-like capabilities for himself. His main target being a child seen being struck by the shrapnel at the start of the film. It's not the most original setup & the script has more than a few cheesy moments, but at least some thought was put into this Sci Fi Channel original. Which is more than can be said of a Syfy Channel original! 😉
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