If you are uninitiated into the world of B-films and want to know what exploitation cinema in its pure form looks like, there are few films that could provide an answer more clearly than Humanoids from the Deep, a 1980 science fiction horror film directed by Barbara Peeters. The plot takes place in Noyo, a Northern California fishing community which is affected by a depleting salmon population. The town’s fortunes might turn for the better when a new cannery is built, but the project has divided the community between supporters led by Hank Slattery (played by Vic Morrow) and opponents, led by environmentally conscious Indian activist Johnny Eagle (played by Anthony Pena). While tensions between the two sides escalate into physical confrontation, another, much more serious problem begins to affect the town in the form of disturbing incidents like a fishing boat being destroyed by a mysterious sea creature or local dogs being killed. The perpetrators are revealed to be large humanoid semi-amphibious fish that attack people from the water, killing the men and raping the women. Jim Hill (played by Doug McClure), a concerned citizen who was investigating the matter, receives some sort of explanation from Dr. Susan Drake (played by Ann Turkel), a scientist working for the cannery’s owners. Experimental DNA, used to speed up the growth of salmon, was accidentally discharged into the sea and caused a mutation that turned fish into humanoid monsters that instinctively mate with human women in order to speed up their evolution. Before Hill and Dr. Drake can do anything about it, the humanoids use the local salmon festival as an excellent opportunity for mass killing and rape.
This film was produced by Roger Corman, the king of B-films, who had envisioned it as an excellent opportunity to recycle themes and iconography of Jaws, slasher films and Alien, the latter being paid homage to in a seemingly shocking but predictably derivative scene. However, the real source of inspiration was the 1950s classic Creature from the Black Lagoon, which, among other things, led Corman to direct Attack of the Crab Monsters. One of the important plot elements of such films – various monsters being for some reason primarily attracted towards beautiful young women – was brought to its logical conclusion a quarter of a century later, with much laxer censorship standards allowing the graphic scenes of monsters having their way with helpless and conveniently disrobed female victims. Barbara Peeters, on the other hand, apparently viewed this film differently and tried to direct it as a serious story about racism and environmental pollution. Corman thought that this approach was at the expense of the exploitation content, so he fired her and replaced her with a director who added explicitly sexual material. Peeters very publicly objected, while Turkel, claiming that she had been unaware of the changes, even tried to have the film banned. This controversy actually helped the film at the box office, turning it into a modest hit and guaranteeing its future cult status.
Whether you consider scenes featuring fish-like men raping nubile young women abhorrent or artistically justifiable, Humanoids from the Deep is a very flawed film. This is partly due to Peeters’ inept direction, partly due to a mostly disinterested cast (including McClure and Turkel) and partly due to low budget, best seen in the poor special effects that portray the fishmen with the help of men in cheap suits. What makes this film watchable is its very short length of 80 minutes, which makes many of its flaws less noticeable. Some of the elements are surprisingly good, such as Vic Morrow, who is very effective in the role of the racist villain who sees the error of his ways at the end, or the character of Hill’s wife, played by Carol Weintraub, which shows that even supposedly misogynistic films like this one can apply the feminist trope of the Final Girl. The most ingenious scene – one of those allegedly inserted without Peeters’ approval – features the famous ventriloquist David Strassman in the role of an ill-fated youth who tries to use his dummy to talk a girl into sex. With more dark humour like in this scene, Humanoids could have been a masterpiece of campiness. The surprisingly effective and slightly recognisable musical score by James Horner, a composer who worked on many great films like Aliens, only reminds the audience of this film’s wasted potential.
RATING: 4/10 (++)
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