Humanoids from the Deep Blu-ray delivers great video and mediocre audio in this fan-pleasing Blu-ray release
Something horrendous is happening in the sleepy fishing village of Noyo. An aquaculture experiment has gone very wrong and the results-fish-like humanoids- are rising from the sea to spawn their vengeance.
Humanoids From the Deep is easily one of the most frustrating of all the Roger
Corman-produced New World Pictures films. Here's a movie with no rhythm, little focus, a mangled
plot, a
haphazard script, inconsequential characters, and a terrible climax. Corman's pictures aren't
exactly beacons of all that's good in the cinematic medium; his films tend towards the exploitative,
capturing grotesque visuals and naked female bodies while usually made on the cheap and targeted
to the drive-in audiences of the 1970s and 1980s. Many have since
become cult classics for one reason or another -- justifiably so -- and most at least deliver focused
stories, even if the
nudity and violence sometimes seem wrenched into the plot. That notion of force-fed exploitation
is
taken to the extreme with Humanoids From the Deep, the picture one that's seemingly of
two distinct styles, ideas, and stories. Director Barbara Peeters' cut was deemed too tame, and
Roger
Corman ordered the film retooled to include more of his trademark elements into the final product;
many of the more hardcore elements -- particularly the creature-on-girl rape scenes -- were
completed by a different director. It's a formula for disaster, and indeed, it certainly
does no favors for Humanoids From the Deep, an admittedly fun but structurally-impaired
picture that just doesn't capture that Roger Corman magic.
Peek-a-boo!
The salmon have disappeared from the local waters off the shore of the small fishing community of
Noyo. After a troller is destroyed under suspicious circumstances and the local canine population
turns up not only dead but grotesquely mangled, tensions rise and warring factions fall into verbal
conflict. That't nothing compared to the true threat that Noyo's about to face. The town's real
enemy turns out to be mutated sea monster humanoids with a knack for murder and a ravenous
sexual
appetite for the town's young female population. When teenagers start disappearing or turning up
dead, the town falls into disarray; it's revealed that there may be a connection between the
disappearing salmon and the scientific community's efforts to reinforce that population, but the
slow
going on the high seas, empty nets, dwindling bank accounts, and in-fighting amongst the
townsfolk
soon become afterthoughts when the humanoids from the deep ramp up their attacks and
threaten
to tear the town apart.
Humanoids From the Deep is a picture of stark contrasts that's defined by and culminates
with a visually confused, boring, and tripe finale that seems fitting considering how random the film
feels during its first two acts. Humanoids cant seem to decide if it's a
small-town-in-turmoil Drama or a completely insane exploitation flick, so what does it do? It tosses
both elements into blender to produce its third act. The picture's first two acts are predominantly
defined by Drama with only hints of what's to come, but while the movie establishes the
town-in-turmoil plot, it randomly cuts to teenagers being slaughtered or raped by the creatures and
goes back to the
in-fighting and dramatic elements that make up the bulk of the picture. The sudden transitions
from drama to exploitative ultra-violence seem as jarring as the injection of vampires into
From Dusk Till Dawn, but Robert Rodriguez handles his topsy-turvy material far better and
to
the point that it only improves his movie. Humanoids From the Deep, however, feels like
two completely different films spliced together and with a final act that haphazardly integrates the
two in hopes of building some cohesion and a coherent story. Unfortunately, it just doesn't work.
Otherwise, there are a few things to like about this Roger Corman picture. It's plenty gory and
gratuitously sexy without going overboard Forbidden World
style. Even if the plot can't find its footing, the visuals are built on a strong foundation that
supports the right balance between violence and sex, and while there's not much humor in the
film, it does play with an ever-so-slight wink-and-a-nod that asks its audience to just sit back and
enjoy the ride; after all, who could possibly take seriously slimy green creatures taking advantage
of nubile young girls who just so happen to lose their tops in every scene? Speaking of the
creatures, they look rather good; Humanoids hails from the pre-CGI era (thankfully saving
viewers from more ScyFy-like bad special effects) and while it's obvious that the creatures are but
actors in costumes, the costumes look great with plenty of slime and seaweed adding to that
Creature From the Black Lagoon motif (and no doubt hiding things like seams and zippers
and buttons). The picture's gore is
nicely realized, too, and adding the finishing touches is an early score from James Horner (Star Trek II: The Wrath of
Khan, Glory, Field of Dreams)
that's a nice complimentary piece to the film and strongly supportive in building the atmosphere in
several well-done scenes that look like they could be straight out of a John Carpenter movie.
Humanoids from the Deep's 1080p transfer is the best yet to come from Shout! Factory's
Roger Corman Blu-ray releases. Like the other Corman titles, this one's littered with some excess
noise, crushed blacks, random lines, dirt and debris, blooming, a few soft elements, and a bit of
banding, but none of it, save for the noise, appears with any kind of excess. Given the picture's
age, cheap production, and the like, it's a bit easier to dismiss the problems found about the transfer,
particularly considering that some of them actually enhance the film's drive-in appeal while the image
as a whole still benefits from the Blu-ray boost. Indeed, colors and details are surprisingly strong in
many places; the opening minutes on a fishing boat feature nicely-rendered rusty and weathered
surfaces while also capturing the nuances of the wooden deck and the trinkets scattered about the
ship. Several exterior scenes come alive with nicely-detailed sand and dirt terrains and foliage. Colors
are surprisingly steady and vibrant in many scenes, too, even if they do fade a bit in a few places,
notably around some of the softer shots in the film. Humanoids From the Deep certainly
doesn't stand toe-to-toe with some of the best of the new releases-turned-Blu-ray, but all things
considered, this is a top-notch transfer from Shout! Factory.
Like Piranha, Humanoids
from the Deep features a messy but adequate PCM 2.0 soundtrack. There's not much to this one;
it's center-focused and rarely features any distinctive elements off to the sides. It's an ear-piercing
track that's too loud at normal listening levels, and even though it's never lacking in volume, it
wants for the crispness and spaciousness of better tracks, even those of the 2.0 variety.
There are a few pops scattered about the track, while screams, music, and some dialogue sound shrill
and indistinct. Several sound effects -- a ringing telephone, a few gunshots -- are also absent clarity
and play instead like canned tape-recorded effects. Still, the track more often than not chugs along
well enough; there are some jarring elements that will have listeners lamenting the absence of a more
refined presentation, but things never get so bad as to ruin the experience.
Humanoids from the Deep's Blu-ray release sports a rather short assortment of extras
compared to Shout! Factory's other Roger Corman high definition releases. First up is The
Making of 'Humanoids From the Deep' Featuring New Interviews with Roger Corman, Second Unit
Director
James Sbardellati, Actress Linda Shayne (Miss Salmon), Composer James Horner, and Many
More (1080i, 22:42). As it's described, this is an interview piece that looks back on the
production through cast and crew interviews and clips from the film. The discussions include
Director Barbara Peeters' take on the film; the absence of exploitative elements in her cut; the lack
of thrills and scares; the cast and crew's displeasure with the final product; the elements such as
music, editing, and special effects that enhance the picture; the design of the creature suits; the
demanding nature of a Roger Corman production; the role of women in Roger Corman films; and
much more. This is a very strong, informative, and entertaining supplement that's more interesting
and worthwhile than the movie; it's a must-see companion to Humanoids From the Deep.
Leonard Malting Interviews Roger Corman on the Making of the Film (480p, 3:26) features
the famed producer and the longtime critic discussing the picture. Also included is a series of
"never-before-seen" deleted scenes (1080p, 7:19); a radio spot advertising
the film (1080p, 0:32); a TV spot (1080p, 0:32); a poster and still gallery (1080p); the
Humanoids
From the Deep trailers (480p) in English (1:47) and German (1:43); and additional 480p
trailers
for Galaxy of Terror,
Forbidden World, and
Up From the Depths. The case features reversible cover art and a full-color eight-page
booklet
with an introduction from Roger Corman and the essay "Half Man, Half Fish, All Good!" by Michael
Felsher.
Humanoids from the Deep is a disjointed and disappointing entry into the Roger Corman
catalogue. It lacks a coherent structure and flow and can't seem to decide what in the world it is or
wants to be. It's got all the hallmark elements of classic Corman exploitation rubbish, but the absence
of stronger pacing and purpose -- even considering a third-tier film like this -- is too much for it to
overcome. There's some nifty creature effects and gore to be found, though, not to mention a few
decently intense scenes supported by a good early score from James Horner, but ultimately,
Humanoids From the Deep sinks far more often than it swims. On the plus side, Shout!
Factory's Blu-ray delivers a strong 1080p transfer, a midlevel soundtrack, and a nice but rather limited
array of extras.
Corman completists will want to pick this one up, but genre fans unfamiliar with the film would be
smart to
rent before committing to a purchase.
Shout! Factory has revealed the full details for the two titles it will release on Blu-ray on August 3 as part of its Roger Corman's Cult Classic collection: Piranha (Joe Dante, 1978) and Humanoids from the Deep (Barbara Peters, 1980). The latter will feature a ...
An early announcement to retailers indicates that, on August 3, Shout! Factory will release on Blu-ray another title from the Roger Corman Cult Classics collection: Humanoids from the Deep, a 1980 horror movie about an aquaculture experiment gone wrong, resulting ...
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