DEEP RISING is one of my cult favorites from the 1990s. I first rented it on VHS and watched it twice. I haven't really seen it until recently when catching bits of it on HBO and now a new viewing it with Kino Lorber Studio Classics 20th anniversary release of this cult monster movie which has plenty of action and one liners from enjoyable characters. DEEP RISING showed what director Stephen Sommers could do as a director and he expanded on that with THE MUMMY and THE MUMMY RETURNS (too bad he couldn't get his feature film version of FLASH GORDON off the ground or the remake of WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE). This movie has a few actors you have recognized from other movies and TV shows like Treat Williams, Kevin J. O'Connor, Wes Studi, Anthony Heald, and the gorgeous Famke Janssen.

The movie starts on the Argonautica- a luxury cruise ship on its maiden voyage in the South China Sea and the ship encounters a few problems. Meanwhile, Finnegan (Treat Williams), Joey (Kevin J. O'Connor), and Lelia are hired to pilot their boat by a group of mercenaries led by Hanover (Wes Studi) to take the group to a certain location which is the cruise ship that happens to empty for some reason except for a few surviving passengers (including a beautiful jewel thief), the ship's owner (Anthony Heald), and the ship's Captain. What is just a simple plan becomes a fight for survival when everyone soon learns something else is on the boat within them and it wants to kill them.

SPECIAL FEATURES:
Audio Commentary by Writer/ Director Stephen Sommers and Editor Bob Ducsay

WET COLD CANADIAN SUMMER- Interview with actor Wes Studi
PANTUCCI THE GREASEMONKEY- an interview with actor Kevin J. O'Connor
THE ARGONAUTICA- an interview with actor Anthony Heald as he talks about he got the role right before the production started and he fought an infection in his foot at the start of the shoot
DEEP TERROR- Second Unit Director Dean Cundey talks about working on DEEP RISING and what a second unit director does

BUBBLEFUNK AND THE BIG KABOOM- THE VFX OF DEEP RISING- interviews with VFX artists John Berton and Van Ling talk about the digital effects in DEEP RISING plus Van Ling tells how Banned From The Ranch Entertainment formed as a VFX studio (after they broke into the private Office of George Lucas at Skywalker Ranch and got in trouble for it)
FROM THE DEPTHS: THE PRACTICAL EFFECTS OF DEEP RISING- interviews with SFX Make-up artists Brad Proctor and Doug Morrow
SINKING THE BOAT- Cinematographer Howard Atherton talks about filming DEEP RISING as the Director of Photography

Theatrical trailers for DEEP RISING, THE PUPPET MASTERS, and RAWHEAD REX

FINAL ANALYSIS: DEEP RISING is a fun B-movie cult gem that you should just sit back and enjoy without worrying if it was meaning to be a blockbuster film. The extras give labels like Criterion and Scream Factory a run for their money. I hope KL Studio Classics do more extra filled releases like this one.

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