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Species

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Species (1995)

July. 07,1995
|
5.9
|
R
| Horror Action Science Fiction
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In 1993, the Search for Extra Terrestrial Intelligence Project receives a transmission detailing an alien DNA structure, along with instructions on how to splice it with human DNA. The result is Sil, a sensual but deadly creature who can change from a beautiful woman to an armour-plated killing machine in the blink of an eye.

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Jeanskynebu
1995/07/07

the audience applauded

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Scarlet
1995/07/08

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

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Dana
1995/07/09

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

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Cristal
1995/07/10

The movie really just wants to entertain people.

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Metra Ton
1995/07/11

Does this movie have anything unique about it? Let's see how similar it is to The Thing:1. Alien a pure mixture of Xenomorph(looks like Giger isn't that inventive after all) and tentacles from The Thing.2. Alien disguises as a human.3. The trick is in the DNA.4. You get a doofus team of "experts"5. Alien's goal is to reproduceHowever, if Alien(the movie) was original, dreadful and with a lot of acting, Species is a, quoting the movie, "wild (monster) goose chase". And, unlike the real horror of the Thing, with endless thrill and plot twists, this movie doesn't even try to be predictable.The whole movie revolves around just look at... nothing really. With a few cheap jumpscares. And a finale that... well, really, fits more for a 2010+ Sci-Fi movie than for a pre-2000. Really, the stupidity is palpable, it's in the air, in every shot. Practically every action is entirely nonsense. Let's put that into the perspective: the person, who has been tracking the alien - suddenly gets left behind, while the "big guy" goes in. Surprise, the next minute the tracker finds the alien. Of course, he doesn't shoot, why would he? This causes the third person to slip and fall, and spend the next few minutes crying to help, saying she's stuck. After that - she will get out by herself and... well, not contribute to the final scene NOT EVEN ONE BIT!Michael Madson playing himself mostly, Ben Kingsley... well, really, I couldn't imagine a terrible performance from Ben, but he doesn't deserve a point here. He was totally wasted, his whole point was - to NOT CHANGE A FACE, not even once, in the entire movie. That was literally everything he did, besides embarrassing himself in the plot for... no real reason.But, there is something in this movie that deserves 3/10. The proof that this a pre-2000 Sci-Fi movie. It has ti.... Nudity. Plenty of it. Now where was that in Ghost in the Shell...

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gavin6942
1995/07/12

A group of scientists try to track down and trap a killer alien seductress (Natasha Henstridge) before she successfully mates with a human.The film was conceived by writer Dennis Feldman in 1987 while working on "Real Men", another alien story; he had recently achieved success with "The Golden Child". The "Species" story was originally pitched in the style of a police procedural called "The Message". For whatever reason, "Message" failed to find the same level of interest as "Golden Child". In an interestingly twist, he modified it and called it a spec script, and it was picked up! With MGM and director Roger Donaldson ("Cocktail") involved, the budget became rather respectable. The effects crew consisted of legendary H. R. Giger ("Alien"), the lovable Steve Johnson, and Richard Edlund ("Ghostbusters"). MGM was open to Giger's input on the script, as he feared some aspects might be too close to the "Alien" franchise and would typecast him. Giger had a massive set of props produced and ready to go. He made new drawings very day, focusing on every minute aspect from the inner workings of the alien to the feet. Steve Johnson has noted that 99% of Giger's art is female, which makes him particularly apt for the job. His finished work actually looks more like an homage to "Metropolis" than a redux of "Alien", which is always a good thing.We even get composer Christopher Young, whose score is vaguely reminiscent of his earlier "Hellraiser" work. Strangely, although Young had worked on many films (mostly horror) since "The Dorm That Dripped Blood" (1982), he has claimed that "Species" was the first one that actually had him working in Los Angeles. This relocation could very well have been his turning point for bigger budget and non-genre films. The cast is arguably the most impressive of any horror or science fiction film of the 1990s. The film stars Natasha Henstridge in her debut role, and to date (2017) the role she is best known for. But we also have heavy hitters Ben Kingsley, Michael Madsen, Alfred Molina, Forest Whitaker and Marg Helgenberger. A pre-fame Michelle Williams carries the beginning of the film, and watching this years later it is fascinating to see that this young woman has blossomed into an Oscar-caliber actress. As others have pointed out, the top-notch cast is what really elevates this from a B-movie (something Roger Corman would have made) to a major motion picture.Although critics were less than thrilled by the picture, seeing it as sort of fluffy and relying heavily on nudity to carry the picture, it still was a success. Budgeted at $35 million, the film earned a total of $113 million worldwide. And, loved or hated, it really made its mark on pop culture, being one of the more memorable science fiction films more than twenty years on. The story really sticks with you. And, it never hurts to have three (!!) sequels.The Scream Factory Blu-ray release is phenomenal, pure and simple. They have ported over the special features from the earlier DVD release, which included two audio commentaries and a wide selection of interviews. But then they go above and beyond, giving the film a 4K scan from the interpositive, so you know it will look far better than it ever did on DVD or VHS. And if those old interviews and commentaries were not enough, they have an all-new making-of documentary with Christopher Young, Steve Johnson, and many others. The focus is strongly on the special effects and creature design, which means plenty of entertaining anecdotes from Johnson.

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rzajac
1995/07/13

Pretty much B-movie territory... but like I said it has its moments of real class.As the adult S1L works out her destiny, there are times you feel like you're seeing the kinds of primitive psychological insights into an idealized character, such as you'd get from Philip K. Dick or Jerome Bixby. I found those flashes refreshing and exciting. I also sometimes found myself gripped by the central existential issue: That the fate of the human race rests on the outcome, no less than in the original "Alien".But, yes, these rather pristine story elements wind up a bit inundated by the succession of de rigeur horror flick alien/human encounters.And there is the fact that one of the most interesting plot points is a tech hubris of ginormous proportions (NO SPOILER: It's revealed in the first 10 minutes): WHO the HECK's Bright Idea was it to shotgun a DNA sequence radioed from outer space into a human egg?!?!?! Sheesh!!!So, with the proviso that it's pretty much a horror movie snack, it's worth watching for the aforementioned sterling conceptual stings, the general decent production values, the nicely turned dramatic tension over the outcome, and almost all of the acting. There are some letdowns, but I still consider this a not-half-bad "period" classic of the genre.

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bowmanblue
1995/07/14

I think it's fair to say that you can't spell 'Species' without a capital B (and that's B for 'B-movie'). And, for an out and out B-movie, Species has to be up there with the best of them.There is nothing particularly 'stand-out' about anything in it. An alien – or rather the most ATTRACTIVE alien you've ever seen – is unleashed on an unwitting L.A. population and we follow the rag-tag bunch charged with the task of tracking her down before she reproduces (and, if you're interested, the 'reproducing scenes' are worth watching this film from most red-blooded males' points of view!).Absolutely nothing new to see, just a hell of a load of cheesy fun that, albeit quite serious, never gets heavy enough to drag the film down into a melodrama. It just manages to stay slightly above 'tongue-in-cheek' to allow everyone (and when I say 'everyone' I probably just mean men) to enjoy the crazy, corpse-strewn ride.There are plenty of memorable moments, but most of those involve a nude woman. Yes, you're completely right in thinking that 'Species' is hardly a deep and meaningful film, filled with Oscar-worthy dialogue and complicated character arcs. It's cheesy, tacky, low-brow, but ultimately great fun.Enjoy with popcorn.http://thewrongtreemoviereviews.blogspot.co.uk/

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