DEEP BLUE SEA Resurfaces with Killer 4K UHD Release from Arrow

Some people love to say that physical media is dying, but those people are toxic and should be cut out of your life. Physical media is more awesome than ever, and we're here to celebrate the new 4K UHDs, Blu-rays, and DVDs making their way into the world. Now join us as we explore... Arow Video's new 4K UHD release of Renny Harlin's Deep Blue Sea!

Everyone has their favorite shark attack movies, and while Steven Spielberg's Jaws usually (and rightfully) takes the top spot, that second position is something of a chum-filled free for all. Fans of good times might choose The Shallows or Bait, while those who favor cynicism and cruelty might instead go with Open Water or The Reef. And some of you might even choose 1996's decades-in-the-making Indian film, Aatank, and if so, you are someone I'd like to party with.

All of that said, the most likely film occupying that second spot is probably Renny Harlin's 1999 genre hybrid, Deep Blue Sea. The rare shark horror to get a major budget, the film drops viewers into a deep-sea research facility where high tech work is being done to harvest shark brain cells to cure Alzheimer's. Susan McAlester (Saffron Burrows) heads up the research fueled by the loss of her own father -- she's a hero! -- but her drive has led to crossing some dangerous lines -- she's a mad scientist! Bad weather and human ambition soon collide as the facility crumbles and the sharks get hungry for both flesh and freedom.

Deep Blue Sea suffers in only one area, its use of some dodgy CG for some of its shark scenes, but it more than makes up for it with animatronic practical fx that bring the beasts to a wonderfully tangible life. They look phenomenal, and seeing them interact with the cast is something the genre almost never provides elsewhere. That care for the physical carries over to the production design with a full-size facility atop the water and the details below. It's immersive in more ways than one.

The film gets down to business pretty quickly and kicks off a thrilling tale of survival as our protagonists struggle to escape a flooding undersea facility with killer smart-sharks on their trail. Harlin orchestrates numerous set-pieces that build suspense and deliver on the action, and the film makes great use of its architecture and geography. It's big, blockbuster fun that makes you wish someone would give him a real budget again. (I wouldn't give him my money, I've seen what Cutthroat Island did to Carolco Pictures, but someone else definitely should!)

Harlin also attracts a great cast, with Burrows being joined by Thomas Jane, Samuel L. Jackson, LL Cool J, Stellan Skarsgard, and more familiar faces. Most everyone bites it, obviously, with at least three of them going in spectacular fashion -- one's incredibly brutal, one is just joyously audacious, and one is pretty darn surprising. It's exceedingly rare these days seeing big studio horror films like this, and it holds up beautifully.

This new 4K UHD features a new 4K restoration from the original negatives approved by Harlin, and it's a terrific upgrade. Much of the film takes place beneath the surface, and this new transfer with Dolby Vision highlights detail and depth (no pun intended) in the darkness while celebrating the warmer scenes when they arrive. Grain is intact in scenes with optical fx but never a distraction. The disc comes packed with extras, including a trailer, image gallery, and the following special features.

- NEW Commentary with film critic Rebekah McKendry
- NEW Commentary with the film's initial screenwriter Duncan Kennedy
- Archival commentary with director Renny Harlin

- NEW From the Frying Pan into the Studio Tanks: William Sandell on Designing Deep Blue Sea [25:08] - Sandell talks about getting his start in the business with Roger Corman's productions, meeting and working with talents like Joe Dante, Jonathan Demme, and Martin Scorsese, the scope of production on this film, and more. He has some great stories about his life in film, and he also shares some cool behind-the-scenes photos from Harlin's film.

- NEW Beneath the Surface [19:30] - Film critic Trace Thurman provides a video essay exploring the classical and psychological themes possibly at play in the film. The conclusions here are arguably ridiculous and something of a reach, but Thurman's essay is so well researched that... maybe they're not?

- When Sharks Attack: The Making of Deep Blue Sea [15:07] - An archival featurette on the film's production.

- The Sharks of Deep Blue Sea [8:19] - An archival featurette on the animatronic sharks.

- Deleted scenes [8:02] - Provided with and without commentary by Renny Harlin

We were provided with the 4K UHD disc for coverage, but the limited-edition release also includes a hardcase, slipcover, reversible sleeve with new and original artwork, a 60-page booklet with essays and artwork, and postcards.