31 Days of
Drafts and Darkness: VOL 2!
"Deep Blue Sea" (1999)
Man, did "Jaws" ever do a lot for modern creature
features. Not just shark films, but pretty much any movie starring a killer
animal owes its existence to this classic. Oh sure, animal-attack films existed
before "Jaws" was released, but few tapped into such a primal level
of terror. It really felt like man vs. nature, and nature was huge and hungry.
Frightening as the big old shark is, it's still an
animal. A monstrous animal, no doubt,
but not a monster. "Jaws" was just a very, very large great white
shark. It hunted and killed to eat, and that's the end of it. The fear came not
from the idea that some killer was maliciously stalking you. Rather, this shark
was a natural force that reminded us just how small and vulnerable we are.
Especially in the water. Granted, it is bizarre that a few great whites managed
to track down only members of the Brody family, but let's not cloud things with
cheesy sequels. The original "Jaws" had a shark that was just that: a shark. A damn big one. But still a shark.
Now let's take the
same physical ability and power as "Jaws", only this time, we'll
crank up the intelligence. These sharks are happy to tear you apart with their
teeth, but can organize and plan a trap before they do it. They have an agenda.
Give them wants and desires outside of pure survival, and then, my friends, do you have a monster.
Is "Deep Blue Sea" as scary as "Jaws"?
Hell no.
But it's premise of hyper-intelligent sharks is original and a ton of
fun.
The Plot:
In the middle of the ocean lies Aquatica, an underwater
laboratory that studies sea life for the purpose of curing various diseases.
One of the head researchers, Dr. Susan McAlester, is nearing a breakthrough in
her work with genetically-modified mako. The trio of mutant sharks she's
developed are resistant to a variety of diseases and far more powerful than
normal. Harvesting their brain material could hold the answer to saving
countless lives.
Problem is, the average size of an adult mako brain is too
small to extract tissue from and have the animal survive. For a
cure to be viable, shark brain-tissue would have to be harvested repeatedly. So
Dr. McAlester makes a well intentioned but unwise move: she enhances the neural
capacity of each shark. What results are a trio of giant mako sharks that are ten
times more intelligent than your average fish. And unbeknownst to the
scientists, they've hatched themselves a plan to escape.
If these sharks get into the open ocean and start
reproducing, we'll have waters full of mutated, hyper-intelligent sharks. Not a
good thing.
The Flavor:
Super sharks, huh? Even my bare-bones plot description, wherein I named only one character, should give you enough of an idea
whether or not "Deep Blue Sea" is for you. If all you needed to hear
was 'mutant sharks' to get excited, than this is your movie.
Naturally, there's more to the story. Once the sharks flood
the facility, all the surviving scientists must escape and manage to trap the
beasts before they can break free. As you can imagine, many folks are chomped
along the way. And "Deep Blue Sea" pulls no punches with its shark
carnage. We get to see plenty of toothy action from the makos, who are essentially
aquatic velociraptors. Some of my favorite moments involve the researchers just
watching the sharks behind the glass and wondering what they're thinking. Only
then to have one of the sharks trip a switch or figure out a door. Time to run!
Go in expecting to have fun. The scares are jumpy and
splattery, but not designed to evoke dread. This is no "Jaws". This
is a 90's-era creature feature roided-up on adrenaline and outdated CGI. There's
the stoic tough guy, the naive scientist, and even L.L. Cool J as a chef! Cut
this movie, and I'm sure it bleeds Trapper-keepers. That's how 90's it is. I have every belief it's
destined to become a nostalgic cult-classic in a few years.
Bloody and goofy, "Deep Blue Sea" offers up
everything you'd want it to. Yes, much of the computer effects are woefully
outdated. Just roll with them. There's enough action and horror spectacle to
keep you entertained despite a few wayward polygons. The sharks themselves are
a blend of computer effect and some damn-fine animatronics. There's a scene
where one of the makos is removed from the water for examination, and the sight
of the tiny cast members standing around the massive model shark is imposing.
It doesn't quite look real, but it's
getting there.
"Deep Blue Sea" just has a neat concept that
you want to see the filmmakers explore. No question, the sharks are the bad
guys, but you're still curious to see what they'll learn next.
Best Paired with:
It's a R-rated shark horror/action film. Of course it's
gory! Yes, some of the death scenes suffer from the overuse of old CGI, but
there's enough practical blood and guts to make up for it. In fact, one of
"Deep Blue Sea's" death scenes was so unexpected and shocking that
it's still talked about to this day. If you've seen the film, you know what
scene I'm talking about. If not, far be it from me to spoil anything. Let's
just say that even the main characters aren't safe.
Combine "Deep Blue Sea" with a liberal dosing of
beer, food, and friends. You'll all have a blast.
Accompanying Brew:
Something nautical would be obvious, but seeing as
"Deep Blue Sea" has a tone very-much in the Halloween spirit, I'm
going pumpkin again. This film is scary fun, meant to make you laugh right
after it makes you scream. And speaking of screams....
.JPG)
Name: Wilhelm Scream
Brewery: Magic Hat
Where Brewed: Burlington, VT
ABV: 5.4%
Style: Pumpkin Ale
You many never have heard of the Wilhelm Scream, but
you've certainly heard it before. It's a sound bite that plays in hundreds of
films whenever someone bites the dust. A particular high-pitched
Yaaa-arugh!, you'll know it when you hear
it.
I'm not sure if it happens in "Deep Blue Sea", but
I wouldn't be surprised.
Color: Darker than
most other pumpkin ales, Wilhelm Scream veers more on the side of red than it
does orange. The overall shade is copper.
Aroma: The scent reminds me of a fusion of pumpkin and
octoberfest-style ales. The classic Fall spice trio is there (one for each
shark!), but equally present is a nice roasted-malt aroma.
Taste: The spice trio
once again comes to the forefront. You're aware of the cinnamon, nutmeg, and
clove very soon into each sip. However, rather than joining it with a sugary
sweetness, this beer blends the spice with caramel malts. As such, the
resulting flavor comes off more like toasted spices, almost like a baked
good, rather than it does like candy. There's no cloying or syrupy flavor to
it. Just clean malts melding with a nice spice profile. Very refreshing.
.JPG)
Aftertaste: Very mild on the hop, Wilhelm Scream ends like
an octoberfest ale with spices thrown in. The toasty taste of the malts lingers
on the tongue alongside the spices. Tastes like Fall.
Body: Fairly light, this brew goes down easy. It's very
drinkable, and though light in body, does not skimp on flavor. Very flavorful
for such a crisp brew.
Pair: Because this beer is less openly sweet than other
pumpkin ales, I'd recommend pairing it up with a desserts. I'm
thinking apples and/or vanilla ice cream. Pie in general would work very well
with the brew's flavors.
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