I’ve always really enjoyed Leviathan. This is another exceedingly entertaining, late 80’s genre hybrid (a bit of sci-fi, a bit of horror, a bit of action, tons of drama) from my childhood that holds up remarkably well considering how things have progressed in the visual effects department in later years. But part of the now-novelty of seeing films like this is that they feel awesomely quaint by modern standards, and for me, there’s a true sense of old-school movie-magic that guides these sort of creature features. The cast is oh-so-1989-perfect: Peter Weller, Richard Crenna, Ernie Hudson, Lisa Eilbacher, Daniel Stern, Hector Elizondo, and Meg Foster are all on display giving solid, no-nonsense performances. Co-written by the estimable pair of David Peoples (Blade Runner, Unforgiven, 12 Monkeys) and Jeb Stuart (Die Hard, The Fugitive) and directed with gritty integrity by George P. Cosmatos (Cobra, Tombstone, Rambo: First Blood Part II), Leviathan is an underwater actioner in the same vein as Alien and The Thing — a group of scientists and adventurers are confined to a single location and terrorized by a creature that they never see coming. Stan Winston did the sensational and refreshingly practical special effects, Jerry Goldsmith’s score is appropriately pulse-pounding, and Alex Thomson’s moody and atmospheric lensing bolstered every single scene. The March release date beat The Abyss by 5 months, but the film would still end up being a mild box office performer, which would eventually lead to cult status in later years. What’s the last monster at sea movie? Deep Rising? We need a good return to form for this sort of movie!
Podcasting Them Softly 