Themes: Experiments Gone Awry, Terror in the Water, Mutants
Director: Barbara Peters
Main Cast: Doug McClure, Ann Turkel, Vic Morrow, Cindy Weintraub, Anthony Penya
Release Year: 1980
Country: US
Run Time: 81 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
This gory, scary low-budget shocker from the Roger Corman stable concerns the battle over a salmon cannery in a Pacific Northwest town. Genetically treated salmon escape the plant and are eaten by coelacanths, who mutate into humanoid monsters with giant craniums and sharp claws. The creatures begin attacking teen couples, killing the boys and mating with the girls (in some pretty graphic monster-rape scenes). Eventually, a bunch of them create total pandemonium at the annual salmon festival. Barbara Peeters directs with flair, Rob Bottin's effects are nauseatingly effective, and the cast is good, especially Vic Morrow as a racist fisherman and Doug McClure as the stalwart hero. An uncompromising shockfest with enough gratuitous blood and nudity to keep fans happy, the film features an Alien-inspired shock ending which still makes viewers jump today. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
Review
This New World Pictures quickie essentially updates Creature From the Black Lagoon to fit 1980s standards of sex and violence. Humanoids From the Deep isn't a good choice for sensitive viewers because it is never passes up an opportunity for its mutated fish-men to rip apart (or molest) unwitting victims on camera. However, the story is so absurd in a comic-book manner that it never becomes serious enough to be truly offensive. Humanoids From the Deep also benefits from skillful work on both sides of the camera. Director Barbara Peters maintains a rapid-fire pace throughout that keeps the film from devolving into campiness and Doug McClure and Vic Morrow give solid, dignified performances that keep the viewer involved in the strange story line. The film is also blessed with surprisingly high-quality makeup effects by Rob Bottin and a nice orchestral score by a pre-TitanicJames Horner. Ultimately, a viewer's feelings about Humanoids From the Deep will depend on their tolerance for low-budget sleaze, but it does offer up a tasty morsel of cinematic junk food for exploitation film addicts. ~ Donald Guarisco, All Movie Guide
Denise Galik - Linda Beale; Amy Barrett - Amy; Meegan King - Jerry Potter; Don Maxwell - Dickie Moore; Lynn Theel - Peggy Larson; Greg Travis - Radio Announcer; Frank Arnold; Rob Bottin - Humanoid; Hoke Howell - Deke Jensen; Linda Shayne - Miss Salmon; Lisa Glaser - Becky; Breck Costin - Tommy
Credit
Michael Erlere - Art Director, Barbara Scott - Costume Designer, James Sbardellati - First Assistant Director, James Sbardellati - Second Unit Director, Mark Goldblatt - Editor, James Horner - Composer (Music Score), Daniel Lacambre - Cinematographer, Martin B. Cohen - Producer, Roger Corman - Producer, Hunt Lowry - Producer, Rob Bottin - Special Effects, Roger George - Special Effects, Mark Harris - Sound Mixer, Frank Arnold - Screen Story, Martin B. Cohen - Screenwriter, Frederick James - Screenwriter
