Leviathan (1989)

Peter Weller gives a great performance in this deep-sea incarnation of The Thing (with hints of Alien). With a great supporting cast and very polished direction, the film is suspenseful and interesting until the very end when the surviving crew members escape the undersea mining facility... and that's where everything goes to shit! Luckily, the embarrassing footnote of an ending (after the climax, mind you) is not enough to destroy the complete integrity of the film and is more humorous/idiotic than anything else. Slick, atmospheric, and exciting with fantastic special effects, Leviathan is worth at least a peek.

7/10

Sphere (1998)

A solid sci-fi effort starring Dustin Hoffman, Sharon Stone, and Samuel L Jackson. Unfortunately, while the premise is interesting and the first 3/4 of the film are entertaining, Sphere peters out in the end with a lackluster and disappointing climax. Once the film starts its attempt to wrap itself up, it devolves into ridiculous camp moments like an idiotic struggle through the "maze of the human mind."

6/10. Read the book instead.