January 13, 1989 (United States)
April 13, 1989 (Australia, Germany)
May 31, 1989 (France)
DeepStar Six (released in the Philippines as Alien from the Deep) is a 1989 American science-fiction horror film about the struggles of the crew of an underwater military outpost to defend their base against the attacks of a sea monster (possibly a giant eurypterid). It was released in January 1989. The film's main actors and supporting players included Greg Evigan, Taurean Blacque, Nancy Everhard, Cindy Pickett, Miguel Ferrer, Nia Peeples, and Matt McCoy.
DeepStar Six was theatrically released in the United States on January 13, 1989, and received generally negative reviews from critics.
Storyline
DeepStar Six is an experimental deep-sea US Naval facility, crewed by a mix of 11 military and civilians, now in the final week of their tour. The project is headed by John Van Gelder, to test underwater colonization methods, while overseeing the installation of a new nuclear missile storage platform. Already nearing his deadline, Van Gelder's plans are threatened when geologist Burciaga discovers a massive cavern system under the site. Van Gelder orders the use of depth charges to collapse the cavern, to the dismay of Dr. Scarpelli, who wants to study the potentially primordial ecosystem inside.
The ensuing detonation collapses part of the seabed, forming a massive fissure in the ocean floor. Submarine "Sea Crab" pilots Osborne and Hodges send an unmanned probe to explore, but lose contact and venture in after it. Upon finding the probe, they detect a large sonar contact moments before being attacked and killed by an unseen entity. The aggressor then attacks the observation pod "Sea Star", leaving Joyce Collins and a dying Burciaga trapped inside as it teeters on the edge of the ravine. Captain Laidlaw and submarine "Dsrw" pilot McBride - who is also Collins' lover - attempt a rescue. They dock with the pod and rescue Collins, but the unstable hatch door closes on Laidlaw. Mortally wounded, he floods the compartment, forcing McBride and Collins to return to their "Dsrw" submarine and leave without him.
The remaining crew now prepare to abandon the base "Deep Star", but the missile platform must first be secured. Without Laidlaw, facility technician Snyder is forced to interpret the unfamiliar protocol. When prompted by the computer to explain the reason, Snyder reports "aggression" (due to the creature). The computer jumps to the conclusion that an enemy military force is attacking and advises the humans to detonate the missile warheads. Snyder complies and the resulting nuclear explosion creates a shockwave that damages DeepStar Six and the cooling system for the base's nuclear reactor, which will go supercritical and explode in several hours. With failed life support, they begin repairs to restore power and pressure for the decompression procedure.
Engineer Jim Richardson ventures outside in a JIM suit to effect repairs, but the creature (a Depladon, some species of crustacean-like sea monster) comes after him, leading Scarpelli to conclude it is attracted to light. The crew retrieves his suit and hauls him through the airlock, but the Depladon forces its way inside and bisects him. The team retreats as the Depladon consumes the panic-stricken Scarpelli. Arming themselves with shotguns and harpoons with explosive cartridges, they venture back in to finish repairs. They succeed, but the Depladon attacks and Van Gelder dies when he accidentally backs into Snyder's harpoon. They escape to the med lab. Already badly stressed, Snyder quickly begins to unravel with guilt and fear. After a hallucination of Van Gelder, Snyder jumps into the escape pod and launches. However, since he has not undergone decompression, the pressure change from the ascent causes him to burst.
McBride swims through the flooded base to the minisub, to use it as their means of escape. While he is gone, the Depladon bursts into the med lab and Diane Norris attacks it with an overcharged defibrillator. Norris electrocutes herself and the Depladon as it attacks her, allowing Collins and McBride to escape, fleeing before the reactor goes critical and explodes DeepStar Six. The sub breaches the surface, where they deploy a raft, only for the Depladon to emerge. McBride discharges the minisub's fuel, then fires a flare, killing the Depladon as the sub explodes. McBride soon resurfaces and joins Collins, as they wait for a Navy rescue team to arrive.