ALIEN FROM THE DEEP (Alien degli Abissi - 1989)

Environmental warriors (from the net)

Somewhere deep in the jungle, a chemical company poured gallons of toxic waste in a still active volcano. Two environmental activists try to expose this illegal dumping practices of highly dangerous toxic waste. However, while at the site, they are found out, and caught by henchmen of the company.

Jane, played by the stunning Maria Giulia Cavalli, manages to escape. She is saved by a snake farmer who lives alone in the jungle. Together they battle the company, and try to stop the criminal activities of the villainous company once and for all.
Only, perhaps it is already too late. Sniffing toxic fumes for a decade will leave some marks! 'Something' lives deep in the deepest, darkest recesses of the jungle, and 'something' is quite pissed off!

The Big Giant Claw (from the net)

To call Antonio Margheriti's Alien degli Abissi an Aliens rip-off goes a bit too far. Only the monster, once it comes into the picture, bears some vague resemblance to an Alien-esque creature. But to me it is not all that bad. This is a great action / adventure, in the middle of the jungle. And that produces beautiful images anyway! It is a highly entertaining ride, a creative crossover of different styles and genres. Nasty gore, strong action, bold shootouts, explosions and beautiful bastard hard bloody effects! And a wonderfully hammy lumbering over-the-top Monster (the infamous "Big Claw"). Throw in some particularly saucy moments, lovingly brought to you by the magnificent Maria Giulia Cavalli, and you have an hour and a half of spectacular adventure! How bloody great is that?!

The locations are all beautiful. Like many Italian B-movies from the era, Margheriti shot his images authentically, in the actual jungle. And that benefits the reality of the film tremendously. The special effects are awesome for a low-budget sci-fi flick. Margheriti definitely went above-and-beyond. Sure, the monster looks like a mutant lobster that has been simmering in the pan for too long, but so what! The colors are bright, the sets are extensive and beautifully designed, the settings are great. Margheriti has maximized his little bag of money by using all available means, and with little more than some rubber suits, a giant sand digger, some duct tape, and a ballpoint pen, MacGyvering an impressively looking space/jungle adventure.

Shout-out for Charles Napier! The King of the Jaws, the Sultan of the Flatirons, the Killer Chin himself has a delicious cheesy supporting role. The cult hero, famous for exploitation gems such as Russ Meyer's Supervixens, The Blues Brothers, Rambo and Ron Jeremy's One-eyed Monster suaves, hacks and overacts his way through a wonderful supporting role. This ultimate ever grimly smiling chinny bastard in many a Russ Meyer boobies spectacle, pants, puffs, grinds his teeth, and throws his chin into the mix. And you know that the good guys can expect one hell of a dirty fight! As Col. Kovacks he delivers as a badass badguy, once again.

The King Of Chins, the late, great Charles Napier (from the net)

Minor point of criticism then. Before we get to "The Spectacle" we've already progressed fairly far into the film. It starts a bit flat, as the two environmental activists sneak through the jungle. The classic hide-and-seek jungle adventure is already a bit more action-packed. It turns into a popping science fiction feast rather late, but what a feast it is! Sometimes, the timing is a bit off balance, but those with patience will be richly rewarded!

For the beautiful environment freak Jane of the Jungle, The Chinniest Bastard 'em all !, and Big Claw, 4.0 stars dumped in the jungle.You go look for them!