Humanoids From The Deep (1980)

This is ... not good.  Like, bad. Grotesque, and not in a good way.

A small fishing community ins assailed by malevolent demi-human fish creatures that like to rend flesh and rape women,  the latter is shown in embarrassingly bad - but needlessly prolonged - sequences.  And repeated, in case you didn't get the idea first time round.  Fish guys raping human girls.  For your amusement.  Because there wasn't no way anyone was expecting anyone would be scared by this shit.

In case you didn't believe me about the fish guy rape bit

It would have been rubbish in the 1960s, but this was made in 1980, so there is no excuse for it being this inept and clueless.  Horror films have often been a stepping stone for film makers - a simple plot, gallons of fake blood and some gratuitous nudity.  Roger Corman's persistently schlocky endeavours probably helped more film writers, actors, directors and technicians learn their trade - and pay the bills - than any pretentious film school issuing diplomas in semiotically discursive interpretations of nouvelle vague mise en scène.

I wish we could do this to the movie.

It is worth noting the director of this sorry mess, Barbara Peeters, had a pretty good film B-movie pedigree - her most awesome credit being 'Costume Designer' on the brilliantly named The Fabulous Bastard From Chicago and went on to direct well known TV shows like Remington Steele.  Which possibly proves my point - even the most worthless trash is jobs and paychecks for the people that make them.  And many good films are made in the seamy underbelly of low budget schlock - personal favorites include the way too cool Def By Temptation, the way too violent The Bronx War, and my recently discovered way too sinister Offseason.

For what it is worth, I don't think Peeters does a terrible job directing the picture - there is some good footage where she focuses her camera on the fishermen going about the business of making a living in the opening minutes; and onc ewe stumble into the horror narrative there are some sequences that are are fairly well made, such as the visit to the bayou cabin, or when the Humanoids menace Carol at home.  But whenever the film lurches away from suspense and hurls a ludicrously fake monster at us, and all the rapin' begins ... Well, you can assume everyone involved is working through clenched teeth, thinking about the paycheck.

Horror films rely on suspension of disbelief - we need to be convinced, on some level, this is a plausible yarn.  It's noticeable how the films that succeed at this - even years after they were made - tend to be ones that withhold the monster.  Michael Myers is glimpsed in shadows, little more than a pale face.  Night of the Demon does not deign to show us a monster at all, until the very end - and then it all goes wrong.  Humanoids From the Deep  prefers to show us its rubbish fake monsters at every opportunity, however, and the results are not scary or horrific, just embarrassing.

STAR RATING: NO STAR