Humanoids from the Deep . Weekly Alibi . 09-21-98

Humanoids from the Deep

DIRECTED BY: Barbara Peters

REVIEWED: 09-21-98

Good Lord, I'm really gonna have to come up with some way to keep track of these things, 'cause I can't remember if I've reviewed this one before or not. Humanoids is another Videodrome all-time favorite--a Roger Corman-produced throwback to the cheesy monster-on-the-loose flicks of the '50s, only with the added bonus of naked girls. We meet Doug McClure in the tiny fishing village of Noyo, which is on the verge of collapse due to the strange lack of fish in her waters. Cranky old Vic Morrow and his cronies are excited about the impending opening of the new cannery, but "Johnny Eagle" and the other local Indians are cheesed off, claiming the cannery will violate their fishing treaties. Doug wants to make the long green, but his sympathies lie with the Indians, so he and Morrow are constantly at each other's throats (which is kinda cool for fans of crotchety bastard actors). On the cannery's payroll is pouty marine biologist /non-actress Ann Turkel, who is sent out for some "pleasure fishing" with Doug, much to the chagrin of his fat-lipped wife. Ann sez she can increase the salmon productivity, but when she explains how, she mispronounces the word "coelacanth," pretty much destroying any credibility she might have had. Of course, we already know that there ain't no damn fish in the water simply because the titular Humanoids are eating 'em all and are now beginning to wade ashore to fondle and grope bikini-clad young lovelies. When Ann and Doug discover a missing girl, still alive but nekkid and slime-slathered, Ann quickly reaches the conclusion that the creatures are driven to mate with human bikini girls in order to "continue their incredible evolution." Y'see, as it turns out, Ann herself is responsible for the monsters' existence, thanks to her super-salmon-serum. Everything speeds along toward the monster-filled finale, when the long-armed Humanoids bust up the local Salmon Festival in search of more hot young thangs to do the ol' fishy fandango with. Directed by Barbara Peeters (who brought us the classic Bury me an Angel), Humanoids was recently remade with Emma Samms as the scientist!

--Scott Phillips

Film Vault Suggested Links
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Polymorph
The Brood

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