Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.5
Overall		4.0

DeepStar Six Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov October 17, 2020

Sean S. Cunningham's "DeepStar Six" (1989) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the disc include vintage promotional materials for the film; exclusive new interview with stunt coordinator Kane Hodder; exclusive new video interview with actors Greg Evigan and Nancy Everhard; and a lot more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

"Not all aliens come from space"

It is almost time to go back home. For nearly six months they have been on the bottom of the ocean assembling a giant rocket silo for the U.S. Navy and are ready to install the final components. They know the proper procedure and what every member of their team needs to do to get the job done right.

But on the day when they go to work to complete the installation a rushed decision is made to blast open an uncharted cavern next to the rocket silo and when the explosion collapses the ground, first causing powerful tremors and shortly after huge underground waves, they lose control of an expensive tracking machine with multiple cameras. Two technicians then enter the cavern to recover the machine and disappear without a trace.

Meanwhile, back on the main station, the damage from the explosion and the news about the missing technicians cause serious tension between their colleagues. A small rescue team then discovers that a big and remarkably fast creature has emerged from the cavern and is now determined to hunt down and crush the human visitors that have dared to disrupt its peace.

It is awfully easy to compare Sean S. Cunningham’s DeepStar Six to genre classics like The Abyss and Alien and then immediately write it off as a shameless copycat. After all, DeepStar Six is a hybrid project that definitely takes advantage of some standard genre tricks and its visual style seems quite familiar. But this film also does some serious heavy lifting to convince that it has an identity of its own and, believe it or not, it actually succeeds.

The first and most obvious clue that DeepStar Six was never meant to be a copycat is the quality of its production values. This wasn’t a cheap film, which is why even by modern standards, large portions of it still look very respectable. In fact, the bulk of the footage from the second half where the main station is seriously damaged reveals emphasis on detail that is quite impressive. (The same cannot be said about Leviathan, which is a genuine copycat with decisively unimpressive production values). It is also telling that the quality of the writing is very strong. Much of the technical information that is utilized to describe the nature of the dilemmas which the survivors face as the film progresses is impressively researched. Admittedly, some of the technical verbiage could be slightly overwhelming or perhaps even annoying to those expecting only a straightforward dose of underwater action, but it absolutely places the mayhem in a realistic context. On top of this, it is delivered with authority, which gives the film a certain type of depth that becomes an integral part of its identity. The casting choices are also good. No, we are not talking about A-list actors that would immediately attract and keep the attention of a wide range of viewers, but they are all professionals that maintain excellent chemistry while in front of the camera.

Old reviews loved to point out how the special effects weren’t as good as they should have been to make the film look impressive, but the truth is different. The film shows enough to make the reality of its characters appear authentic. In fact, some of the best footage in the entire film is the one where they are left to guess or play a waiting game with the alien creature, effectively forcing the suspense to flourish the right way.

The one element of the complete production that feels off is the music. Harry Manfredini’s score just does not have that truly intense, dark quality the film begs for.

DeepStar Six Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, DeepStar Six arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.

The release is sourced from an old master, which can look quite good at times but also reveals some pretty typical limitations. Indeed, despite mostly pleasing close-ups and even some darker wider panoramic shots, there is quite a bit of well-lit footage where delineation and depth are obviously not as impressive as they should be. To be clear, they are not problematic either, but the bigger your screen is, the easier it will be for you to tell that there are plenty of vital nuances that are not as nicely defined as they could have been. In fact, some are actually unrecognizable. Highlights routinely appear blown out and tend to stick out as well, which is a very common limitation on older masters. Density levels are pleasing, but the grain does not have the steady organic appearance that new 2K/4K masters produce. On the other hand, it does not appear digitally manipulated either, which is definitely a good thing. Colors are stable, but if properly remastered, this film should be quite the visual stunner. On the current master, a lot of the primaries and their supporting nuances can appear somewhat anemic. Image stability is very good. There are no distracting large debris, damage marks, cuts, stains, warped or torn frames to report. All in all, the technical presentation ranges from decent to occasionally good, but with a proper 2K/4K makeover, this film will instantly acquire a vastly superior organic look. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

DeepStar Six Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.

The lossless track met my expectations. I liked the stability and oomph of its lower end and I liked how healthy its upper register was. The dialog was clean, sharp, and stable. Can a new remaster introduce meaningful improvements? I am unsure. In fact, I suspect that more than likely it won't. On the other hand, most of the action footage can be opened up quite a bit, which is why I think that the film deserves a proper 5.1 track as well.

DeepStar Six Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - vintage trailer for DeepStar Six. In English, not subtitled. (2 min, 1080i).

• TV Spot - vintage TV Spot for DeepStar Six. In English, not subtitled. (1 min, 1080i).

• Image Gallery - a collection of production and promotional stills for DeepStar Six. With music. (17 min, 1080p).

• Original EPK - a press kit with clips from cast and crew interviews. In English, not subtitled. (4 min, 1080i).

• Behind the Scenes Featurette - an archival featurette with raw footage from the shooting of DeepStar Six. In English, not subtitled. (5 min, 1080i).

• Extended Vintage Interview Clips - cast and crew members discuss their involvement with DeepStar Six. In English, not subtitled. (9 min, 1080i).

• Water Damage - in this exclusive new video interview, stunt coordinator Kane Hodder discusses his professional relationship with director Sean S. Cunningham and his contribution to DeepStar Six. In English, not subtitled. (13 min, 1080p).

• The Survivors - in this exclusive new video interview, actors Greg Evigan and Nancy Everhard recall what it was like to work on DeepStar Six and share information about the evolution of their careers. In English, not subtitled. (17 min, 1080p).

• From the Deep - in this exclusive new program, special effects/make-up designer Mark Shostrom, creature supervisor Greg Nicotero, and creature artist Robert Kurtzman explain precisely how they created and used the alien creature in DeepStar Six and share information about their time in the film industry. In English, not subtitled. (22 min, 1080p).

• Isolated Score/Commentary - a new audio commentary by composer Harry Manfredini with isolated score.

• Audio Commentary One - in this audio commentary, screenwriters Lewis Abernathy and Geoff Miller discuss the production history of DeepStar Six, its narrative and visual style, the special effects, some of the humorous situations in the film, etc.

• Audio Commentary Two - in this audio commentary, director Sean S. Cunningham and visual effects supervisor James Isaac go down memory lane and explain what it was like to work on and put together DeepStar Six.

• Cover - reversible cover with vintage poster art.

DeepStar Six Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

All of the mom-and-pop video stores that I used to visit had big posters of DeepStar Six. It was one of those genre films the owners simply loved to promote. I have always had a soft spot for it, and absolutely cannot even begin to agree that it is the copycat some old reviews have described. I get a Hardware vibe from it, but as you know well by now it fits somewhere between Leviathan and Deep Rising. Kino Lorber's release is sourced from an old but rather decent master that was supplied by StudioCanal. It also features a big selection of exclusive new and archival bonus features. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.