I don’t know what I would do if an American satellite went haywire, though it would likely pique my curiosity in the event that it crashed. That would be a sight to behold, for sure. And who knows? I may even examine it as I try to ascertain why it crash-landed. Granted, I would be risking getting attacked by God knows what, but having seen Deep Space twice now, I can say that I would be much more cautious than the boyfriend, whose curiosity gets the best of him. He’s not exactly the sharpest tool in the shed, but I can’t blame him for checking out the wreck. I would’ve done the same thing.

This film is low-budget, but it’s also Lovecraftian. There aren’t too many films that I would attribute that to, let alone ones that involve a pair of policemen investigating wreckage. Sure, it’s a simple premise, but there’s some good visual storytelling on display, and McLemore and Merris are never really out of their element in spite of facing an unfamiliar threat. I’ll give Fred Olen Ray props for these. I can tell that he made the most of what he had, and I think that works to his advantage. I don’t know what deep space has to do with the plot, but I’m not gonna track down Ray and pick his brain about it either. He made a movie that works as creature feature as well as a detective story, which I can’t deny.

There are some cliches, such as a bureaucratic police department and a police captain who operates strictly by the book. These are par for the course, but they don’t overstay their welcome. Plus, Napier and Svenson are fun to watch as they butt heads over the case. You really get the sense that they don’t like each other, which I must say is well conveyed. I also like the fact that, aside from the parent monster, its offspring are along for the ride and are just as wild. I would go so far as to say that they were born with a penchant for wreaking havoc, which I’m sure McLemore could do without, but sometimes you have to take matters into your hands and send the arthropodic demon spawns back from the hell from which they came.

Deep Space is an undemanding but entertaining affair that features seduction by bagpipes, a demanding general, a creature with a vaginal slit for a mouth, bloody bodies, tentacle turbulence, chainsaw chaos, and a rather thrilling finale. There’s plenty to go around, so I recommend giving this one a look. You’ll be glad you did.