DEEP SPACE (1988)
Not to be confused with 1991's Dead Space. I was just telling a friend the other day that I am easily entertained. It really doesn't take much to cajole me into writing a positive review of your work, even if you're Fred Olen Ray. See, Fred understands this. I'm sure he knows everything about me. Aside from being omnipotent (???), he knows that I'll watch any and all Alien ripoffs. I have to, folks. And when it comes to these snow jobs, these peculating pieces of plagiarism, Deep Space is dependable. In fact, it's on the level of Xtro 2: The Second Encounter, an Alien riff that holds a special place in my moth-eaten heart. Charles Napier plays Ian McLemore, a no-nonsense cop who is on probation for being a no-nonsense cop. Yeah, the action movie clichés are laid on thick. His partner is just as tetchy. Normally, the sidekick is a token goofball, so I actually appreciated this dude. Unfortunately, he does happen to be the token black guy, so he doesn't stick around very long.
What about the monster? Does it look like a xenomorph? You bet! Since we never see its legs when it's ambulatory, I'm thinking that they only built a torso. That's fine by me. Deep Space was afforded a reputable budget for a Fred Olen Ray joint (this was probably his biggest project yet), but I wasn't expecting aerodynamic special effects. We get a couple of car chases, an occasional explosion...y'know, the usual. The second act is sluggish, but ol' Fred brings it home for the finale. There should have been a "goop wrangler" listed in the credits. An honorable mention goes out to this flick's version of a facehugger. Good stuff. If I had to interject with a complaint, the subplot with the psychic isn't terribly interesting. I almost completely forgot that it existed. Nevertheless, if you're looking for a hassle-free cheese dish, Deep Space might be for you. At the very least, it's notable for being an Alien ripoff that takes place in the suburbs. Yippee?