Humanoids from the Deep (1980)

[trekgeezer]

Don't you just hate it when a group of nasty mutated Fishmen horny for nubile young women, evolve just in time to crash the town's yearly festival?

Hey, how can you beat a movie featuring an aging Doug McClure and Vic Morrow sporting a 'fro?

I'll avoid details of the plot because most of it is irrelevent. This movie is good stupid fun. There's gore, slimy monsters, and many gratuitous nudie bits. What's not to like?

Like most Roger Corman productions it's alway interesting to read the end credits to see who was involved.  Rob Bottin (The Howling, The Thing, Robocop) created and built the humanoids. Chris Walas (The Fly, Enemy Mine, Scanners,Gremlins) is listed in the SFX department. Gale Anne Hurd is listed among the  Production Assistants. She had the dubious honor of being married to James Cameron once and she also has long list of impressive producing and writing credits including Terminators I,II, &III, The Abyss, Aliens , Alien Nation, and Tremors.

Roger fired the original director (Barbara Peeters) when he decided the movie needed more sex. She refused to shoot the scenes of the humanoids attacking the nude young ladies, because she thought they were gratuitous and exploitive. She evidently didn't realize she was working for Roger Corman, those two words make up his middle name.

If you haven't seen this one, you need to.

[peter johnson]

Great analysis --
Yes, what struck me when I saw it was how the Humanoids were attacking in darkness, in some shots, and the pretty young victim somehow managed to stagger into a well-lit tent, just in time to LOSE HER CLOTHING!!  
I mean, who wudda thunk it?
Corman once said that he could sell any film as long as the actress onscreen got her top off within the first ten minutes . . .
Yep, definite baaadddnness about this one --
peter johnson/denny crane

[Andrew]

I love the fact that the monsters were coelacanths that ate salmon treated with an expeimental growth drug.  It did not do a lot for the salmon, but made a world of difference for a bunch of truly prehistoric fish.  Gave them an appreciation for human women too.  

You know, everything likes human females.  Aliens, monsters, prehistoric beasts - you name it.  I guess they just recognize quality when they see it.

[Neville]

I didn't saw it when it came to the theatres (was too young), nor even in the almighty VHS era, but could watch it on TV a couple of years ago. I found it surprisingly effective, specially considering Corman was behind it. Way better than, say, "Piranha", another Corman production that seems to be more popular.

My only complain is precisely the salmon bit. I found it too ridiculous. Still a must see for any horror fan out there.

Hell, it could be the perfect partner for a double-bill featuring "Dagon".

[Scott]

Looks like HUMANOIDS FROM THE DEEP had a simple alternative foriegn title. This is a one of those special Corman films. I liked it and wouldn't mind seeing it again.





Post Edited (08-28-05 21:30)

[Gerry]

Andrew wrote:

> You know, everything likes human females.  Aliens, monsters,
> prehistoric beasts - you name it.  

And robots...don't forget robots.

[PinkDog]

I caught this movie on its recent IFC showing and actually kinda liked it.  It's kinda cheesy (I mean, please, the monsters?), but it's really not too bad.  It kept me watching, although, things did take a dark turn when I realized the Humanoids were trying to get jiggy with all the women.  Seeing a fishman hump a girl was just a bit much.

Overall, though, I give it a place on my good shelf.

[Just Plain Horse]

PinkDog wrote:

> I caught this movie on its recent IFC showing and actually
> kinda liked it.  It's kinda cheesy (I mean, please, the
> monsters?), but it's really not too bad.  It kept me watching,
> although, things did take a dark turn when I realized the
> Humanoids were trying to get jiggy with all the women.  Seeing
> a fishman hump a girl was just a bit much.

I caught it too, and was surprised at how dark it was... although the interspecies sex made me feel like it belonged in some horribly twisted porn film, I actually heard somewhere that a woman directed it!

Uh, just how often in real life does a girl strip naked for a guy with a ventriluqist dummy?

[Just Plain Horse]

trek_geezer wrote:

> Roger fired the original director (Barbara Peeters) when he
> decided the movie needed more sex. She refused to shoot the
> scenes of the humanoids attacking the nude young ladies,
> because she thought they were gratuitous and exploitive. She
> evidently didn't realize she was working for Roger Corman,
> those two words make up his middle name.

Corman, corman corman... *shakes head*  I should have known...

[SaintMort]

Not just any robots either, the Ro-Men

[Flangepart]

> Uh, just how often in real life does a girl strip naked for a
> guy with a ventriluqist dummy?


Depends on how ev-il the dummy is.
Please..no Rob Schnider comments...too obvious...