Leviathan (movie)
Encyclopedia
Leviathan is a 1989 science-fiction horror film about a hideous creature that stalks and kills a group of people in a sealed environment, in a similar vein to such films as Alien
(1979) and The Thing (1982). It is one of many underwater-themed movies released around 1989, including The Abyss
, DeepStar Six
, The Evil Below
, Lords of the Deep
, and The Rift
(Endless Descent).
), CEO of Tri-Oceanic Corp, hired Steven Beck, a geologist, to assist in mining operations as well as command the undersea mining station. While outside their vessel in a pressure suit, Sixpack discovers a wrecked ship. Because he does not respond to hails over his radio, Williams looks for him and finds him excited over "treasure." Dr. Thompson understands Russian and identifies the ship as the Leviathan. The crew discover that it is marked as an active ship on duty in the Baltic Sea.
Sixpack and the rest of the crew open a safe from Leviathan and find crew records relating to deceased crew members, as well as a video tape from the ship's captain. Sixpack also finds a flask of Vodka. Being there is no alcohol permitted on the station, he hides this for his own use. Bowman figures out Sixpack has hidden the Vodka and persuades him to share it.
The doctor and Beck review the video of Leviathans captain and believe his video log was cryptic regarding the crew's poor health, commenting that it didn't resemble any illness he had witnessed before. They also review the video tapes of Leviathan and Doc notices the hull may have been hit by a torpedo while Beck claims a run-in might have caused the hole. The Doc then points out the jagged tear as evidence of a torpedo hit that scuttled the ship.
The following morning, Sixpack awakes feeling sick. At first, the doc thinks it looks like a hangover, but during the exam he notices strange lesions along his back. The doctor is unable to offer any explanation and collects a sample of the lesion to analyze. He asks the computer for an opinion and it suggests "genetic alteration?" Sixpack dies eight hours later, but the doctor and Beck hide news of his death to avoid a panic. Dr. Thompson carries out routine medical checks to confirm no one else is sick, but does not have the chance to examine Bowman due to being called into a conference.
While Beck and Dr. Thompson have a video conference with Martin (on the surface), Bowman has begun feeling ill. She becomes distraught when she begins losing hair. Bowman accidentally stumbles upon Sixpack's corpse and witnesses it mutating. Beck and Dr. Thompson do not want to take risks and ask Martin to execute an emergency medical evacuation. Martin claims the evacuation will happen, but there may be a severe storm on the surface that will delay the evacuation for 12 hours.
Dr. Thompson finds that Bowman, unable to cope with the idea of dying like Sixpack, has committed suicide. Her body is taken to sickbay, where Beck and Thompson find Sixpack's corpse mutating. Later, her body merges with Sixpacks's. They decide to dump both bodies. As they are about to "flush" the cadavers, the bodybag begins to squirm and, believing someone inside may still be alive, the crew opens it.
The creature that is forming attacks and claws Cobb before they manage to eject it. The surviving crew are informed of what has happened and realize that Leviathan was experimenting with mutagens without its crew's knowledge. The mutagen was mixed with the vodka that the crew - and later Sixpack and Bowman - drank. The ship was scuttled when the experiment escaped control.
A piece of Sixpack's leg was severed when the corpses were ejected and remains on board; it mutates into a lamprey-like creature that attacks Dejesus in the kitchen. Jones seals the kitchen's pressure doors and goes for help. He asks Cobb to watch the door, but when he goes to find something to defend himself, the creature assimilates Dejesus and rips it's way out of the kitchen. It then grows tentacles that attack the crew.
The creature attacks the medical bay, devouring all the blood and plasma from the cooler. This inspires Beck to use a freshly drawn pint of his own blood to lure the beast to the area called the Swamp (where they would suit up to enter the sea to mine) and attempt to flush this mutation the same way they did with Sixpack and Bowman earlier.
Thompson ejects the escape pods so that no one can escape and risk bringing the mutagen to the surface. Beck consults with Martin for emergency evacuation. Martin assures them that they will not be left behind, but that she cannot carry out the rescue because of a hurricane on the surface.
Cobb's injuries grow worse, causing him to mutate and infect Dr. Thompson. Williams escapes as Beck and Jones try trapping the creature. Williams joins them but is almost captured by the creature. They escape to another part of the station.
The crew tries accessing weather information through the computer, but it is blocked. Williams asks the computer for a financial report from the company and they discover that the Tri-Oceanic Corporation has declared them dead, labeling it an accident.
The creature damages vital systems, causing the pressure to drop and an implosion to occur in a short period of time. They make a run for the Swamp, to try stopping the implosion. Jones is unable to access the valves because of steam blasting them. They decide to use their special dive suits to escape.
The creature attacks them, but is crushed by the lift as Beck escapes. They make it to the surface, where they are met by the Coast Guard. After a small brush with sharks, the mutant composed of Sixpack and Bowman surfaces near them and attempts to drown Jones. Jones stalls it at the cost of his life and Beck throws a demolition charge into the creatures mouth, causing it to explode.
After they are dropped off on a Tri-Oceanic oil drilling platform, the two survivors are greeted by Martin. Martin tells them she believed they would make it, smiling insincerely and asking how Beck feels. Beck punches Martin in the face, knocking her out. "Better. A lot better."
. Goldsmith used a number of creative ways to identify the score to the film, such as incorporating the use of recorded whale sounds into the music during the opening credits. The soundtrack was released through Varèse Sarabande
in 1989 and features eleven tracks of score with a running time just under forty minutes.
with 2 fresh and 17 rotten reviews.
Alien (film)
Alien is a 1979 science fiction horror film directed by Ridley Scott and starring Tom Skerritt, Sigourney Weaver, Veronica Cartwright, Harry Dean Stanton, John Hurt, Ian Holm and Yaphet Kotto. The film's title refers to its primary antagonist: a highly aggressive extraterrestrial creature which...
(1979) and The Thing (1982). It is one of many underwater-themed movies released around 1989, including The Abyss
The Abyss
The Abyss is a 1989 science fiction film written and directed by James Cameron. It stars Ed Harris, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, and Michael Biehn. The original musical score was composed by Alan Silvestri...
, DeepStar Six
Deepstar Six
DeepStar Six is an American 1989 science fiction horror film about the struggles of the crew of an underwater military outpost to defend their base against the attacks of a monster ....
, The Evil Below
The Evil Below
The Evil Below is a 1989 horror film about an adventurer who goes hunting for treasure on a cursed shipwreck.Starring actors included Paul Siebert and June Chadwick.The movie has never been released on a region 1 DVD....
, Lords of the Deep
Lords of the Deep
Lords of the Deep is a 1989 science fiction/horror film about an underwater colony being attacked by alien life forms.Starring actors included Bradford Dillman and Priscilla Barnes....
, and The Rift
The Rift (film)
The Rift is a 1989 film directed by Juan Piquer Simón and starring R. Lee Ermey involving a submarine rescue that goes awry. It is one of many underwater-themed movies released around 1989, including The Abyss, Leviathan, Deepstar Six, The Evil Below and Lords of the Deep.-Cast:*Jack Scalia as...
(Endless Descent).
Cast
- Peter WellerPeter WellerPeter Frederick Weller is an American film and stage actor, director and lecturer.He is best known for his roles as the title character in the first two RoboCop films and Buckaroo Banzai in the cult classic The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension...
as Steven Beck - Richard CrennaRichard CrennaRichard Donald Crenna was an American motion picture, television, and radio actor and occasional television director. He starred in such motion pictures as The Sand Pebbles, Wait Until Dark, Body Heat, the first three Rambo movies, Hot Shots! Part Deux, and The Flamingo Kid...
as Dr. Glen Thompson - Amanda PaysAmanda Pays-Personal life:Pays was born in London, England, the daughter of Joan , an actress, and Howard Reginald Pays, a talent agent and former actor. She is the niece of former child actress Mandy Miller, after whom she is named. Her first marriage, from 1984 to 1987, was to Peter Kohn, production manager...
as Elizabeth 'Willie' Williams - Daniel SternDaniel Stern (actor)Daniel Jacob Stern is an American film and television actor. He is known for his roles in the Hollywood films C.H.U.D., Diner, City Slickers and the first two Home Alone films, and as the narrator for the television series The Wonder Years.-Early life:Stern was born in Bethesda, Maryland to a...
as Buzz 'Sixpack' Parrish - Ernie HudsonErnie HudsonErnest Lee "Ernie" Hudson is an American actor known for his roles as Winston Zeddemore in the Ghostbusters film series, Sergeant Albrecht in The Crow, and Warden Leo Glynn on HBO's Oz.-Early life:...
as Justin Jones - Michael CarmineMichael CarmineMichael Carmine was an American actor.Born in Brooklyn New York to Puerto Rican Parents, he graduated from the High School of the Performing Arts at the age of sixteen, and went on to study his craft at the California Institute of the Arts in Valencia...
as Tony 'DeJesus' Rodero - Lisa EilbacherLisa EilbacherLisa Eilbacher is an American television and motion picture actress.-Personal life:Eilbacher was born in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, the daughter of an American oil company executive. She was raised in France...
as Bridget Bowman - Hector ElizondoHector ElizondoHéctor Elizondo is an American actor. Elizondo's first major role was that of "God" in the play Steambath, for which he won an Obie Award...
as G. P. Cobb - Meg FosterMeg FosterMegan "Meg" Foster is an American actress best known for her roles in the TV miniseries version of The Scarlet Letter, Ticket to Heaven, The Osterman Weekend, and They Live .-Life and career:...
as Martin - Eugene Lipinski as Russian Ship Captain
- Larry Dolgin as Helicopter Pilot
- Pascal Druant as Winch Operator
- Steve Pelot as Winch Operator
Plot
Tri-Oceanic Corp has hired undersea miners for a 90-day project. Martin (Meg FosterMeg Foster
Megan "Meg" Foster is an American actress best known for her roles in the TV miniseries version of The Scarlet Letter, Ticket to Heaven, The Osterman Weekend, and They Live .-Life and career:...
), CEO of Tri-Oceanic Corp, hired Steven Beck, a geologist, to assist in mining operations as well as command the undersea mining station. While outside their vessel in a pressure suit, Sixpack discovers a wrecked ship. Because he does not respond to hails over his radio, Williams looks for him and finds him excited over "treasure." Dr. Thompson understands Russian and identifies the ship as the Leviathan. The crew discover that it is marked as an active ship on duty in the Baltic Sea.
Sixpack and the rest of the crew open a safe from Leviathan and find crew records relating to deceased crew members, as well as a video tape from the ship's captain. Sixpack also finds a flask of Vodka. Being there is no alcohol permitted on the station, he hides this for his own use. Bowman figures out Sixpack has hidden the Vodka and persuades him to share it.
The doctor and Beck review the video of Leviathans captain and believe his video log was cryptic regarding the crew's poor health, commenting that it didn't resemble any illness he had witnessed before. They also review the video tapes of Leviathan and Doc notices the hull may have been hit by a torpedo while Beck claims a run-in might have caused the hole. The Doc then points out the jagged tear as evidence of a torpedo hit that scuttled the ship.
The following morning, Sixpack awakes feeling sick. At first, the doc thinks it looks like a hangover, but during the exam he notices strange lesions along his back. The doctor is unable to offer any explanation and collects a sample of the lesion to analyze. He asks the computer for an opinion and it suggests "genetic alteration?" Sixpack dies eight hours later, but the doctor and Beck hide news of his death to avoid a panic. Dr. Thompson carries out routine medical checks to confirm no one else is sick, but does not have the chance to examine Bowman due to being called into a conference.
While Beck and Dr. Thompson have a video conference with Martin (on the surface), Bowman has begun feeling ill. She becomes distraught when she begins losing hair. Bowman accidentally stumbles upon Sixpack's corpse and witnesses it mutating. Beck and Dr. Thompson do not want to take risks and ask Martin to execute an emergency medical evacuation. Martin claims the evacuation will happen, but there may be a severe storm on the surface that will delay the evacuation for 12 hours.
Dr. Thompson finds that Bowman, unable to cope with the idea of dying like Sixpack, has committed suicide. Her body is taken to sickbay, where Beck and Thompson find Sixpack's corpse mutating. Later, her body merges with Sixpacks's. They decide to dump both bodies. As they are about to "flush" the cadavers, the bodybag begins to squirm and, believing someone inside may still be alive, the crew opens it.
The creature that is forming attacks and claws Cobb before they manage to eject it. The surviving crew are informed of what has happened and realize that Leviathan was experimenting with mutagens without its crew's knowledge. The mutagen was mixed with the vodka that the crew - and later Sixpack and Bowman - drank. The ship was scuttled when the experiment escaped control.
A piece of Sixpack's leg was severed when the corpses were ejected and remains on board; it mutates into a lamprey-like creature that attacks Dejesus in the kitchen. Jones seals the kitchen's pressure doors and goes for help. He asks Cobb to watch the door, but when he goes to find something to defend himself, the creature assimilates Dejesus and rips it's way out of the kitchen. It then grows tentacles that attack the crew.
The creature attacks the medical bay, devouring all the blood and plasma from the cooler. This inspires Beck to use a freshly drawn pint of his own blood to lure the beast to the area called the Swamp (where they would suit up to enter the sea to mine) and attempt to flush this mutation the same way they did with Sixpack and Bowman earlier.
Thompson ejects the escape pods so that no one can escape and risk bringing the mutagen to the surface. Beck consults with Martin for emergency evacuation. Martin assures them that they will not be left behind, but that she cannot carry out the rescue because of a hurricane on the surface.
Cobb's injuries grow worse, causing him to mutate and infect Dr. Thompson. Williams escapes as Beck and Jones try trapping the creature. Williams joins them but is almost captured by the creature. They escape to another part of the station.
The crew tries accessing weather information through the computer, but it is blocked. Williams asks the computer for a financial report from the company and they discover that the Tri-Oceanic Corporation has declared them dead, labeling it an accident.
The creature damages vital systems, causing the pressure to drop and an implosion to occur in a short period of time. They make a run for the Swamp, to try stopping the implosion. Jones is unable to access the valves because of steam blasting them. They decide to use their special dive suits to escape.
The creature attacks them, but is crushed by the lift as Beck escapes. They make it to the surface, where they are met by the Coast Guard. After a small brush with sharks, the mutant composed of Sixpack and Bowman surfaces near them and attempts to drown Jones. Jones stalls it at the cost of his life and Beck throws a demolition charge into the creatures mouth, causing it to explode.
After they are dropped off on a Tri-Oceanic oil drilling platform, the two survivors are greeted by Martin. Martin tells them she believed they would make it, smiling insincerely and asking how Beck feels. Beck punches Martin in the face, knocking her out. "Better. A lot better."
Soundtrack
The score to the film was written by veteran composer Jerry GoldsmithJerry Goldsmith
Jerrald King Goldsmith was an American composer and conductor most known for his work in film and television scoring....
. Goldsmith used a number of creative ways to identify the score to the film, such as incorporating the use of recorded whale sounds into the music during the opening credits. The soundtrack was released through Varèse Sarabande
Varèse Sarabande
Varèse Sarabande is an American record label, distributed by Universal Music Group, which specializes in film scores and original cast recordings. It aims to reissue rare or unavailable albums as well as newer releases by artists no longer under a contract...
in 1989 and features eleven tracks of score with a running time just under forty minutes.
- "Underwater Camp" – 3:23
- "Decompression" – 3:16
- "Discovery" – 5:24
- "One Of Us" – 1:41
- "The Body Within" – 4:33
- "Escape Bubbles" – 5:37
- "Can We Fix It" – 3:25
- "Situation Under Control" – 1:49
- "It's Growing" – 3:10
- "Too Hot" – 3:27
- "A Lot Better" – 3:31
Critical reception
The film grossed $15,704,614 (USD) in 1,393 theaters and was the #2 movie the weekend it opened. However, it was received poorly and currently has an 11% percent rating on Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
with 2 fresh and 17 rotten reviews.