Director – Fred Olen Ray (Scalps, Biohazard)
Starring – Charles Napier (The Silence of the Lambs, The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard), Ann Turkel (Humanoids from the Deep, Night Court), and Bo Svenson (Butcher, Baker, Nightmare Maker, Maniac Killer)
Release Date – 1988
Rating – 3/5
Blu Release – 3/5
A year or so ago I started collecting the Retromedia Entertainment releases that were exclusive to Makeflix.com. I’m a fan of director and producer Fred Olen Ray and I’ve been collecting his films for years on DVD. I was looking forward to upgrading many of those films to blu while a few of them were new to my collection.
Several months ago I was shocked to learn that Ronin Flix was releasing the 1988 sci-fi horror flick Deep Space that was directed by Ray as well. This was one I had never seen before and I couldn’t wait to add it to my collection. I reached out to my friends at MVD and they were kind enough to send a copy my way to review. Like always, I want to thank MVD for hooking me up!
**Spoiler Alert** The film follows a cockroach-like alien that crashes to Earth with a satellite. The beast begins killing locals and before long it’s spawn joins in on the carnage forcing a cop to stop them when one of it’s eggs hatches and kills his partner. **Spoiler Alert**
Deep Space is not a good movie. It’s unintentionally funny, it’s predictable, and many of the scenes are rushed. However, I had a lot of fun with it. It’s nowhere near as amazing as some of Fred Olen Ray’s work. It’s campy and fun if you are into those types of films. Most of you know by now just how into these types of films that I am.
The acting in this one is enjoyable but there is plenty of room for improvement. I love Charles Napier and seeing him as lead in this film was really a pleasant surprise. His performance wasn’t the most memorable of his but he did a fantastic job. It fits the film very well and he is one of the reasons the movie is as enjoyable as it is. The supporting cast fits the film as well but the lack of memorable performances is a bit of a disappointment.
The story for this one is a cliched sci-fi and horror hybrid that follows the same song and dance that we’ve seen so many times from the 60s to even today. The genre mashing stories following something crashing to Earth only to kill and possibly eat humans is nothing new. In fact, I can count dozens of films that use this same story. I love horror, especially those from the 80s, but this one doesn’t really celebrate the year it was made like most of the other films from the time. It’s not a memorable 80s film and the story is painfully forgettable. It’s still fun for a first time watch but it’s not something that you can rewatch over and over.
Finally, the film has some bloody moments with some practical effects. It’s not an overly gory flick but I do enjoy the look of the creature and the eggs/pods. Overall, Deep Space is not a memorable film but it’s entertaining enough for a first time watch. I could enjoy it with some friends and some drinks but I don’t expect to revisit it anytime soon. Check it out.
Special Features:
High Definition Blu-ray 1080p Widescreen Presentation (1.85:1)
DTS-HD Master 2.0 Stereo
Brand New 2018 HD Master
Audio Commentary with Director Fred Olen Ray
English Subtitles for the Deaf & Hard of Hearing
