SPECIES (1995)
3 stars
88 Films. UHD/Blu ray. 23rd June
In a US government lab in Utah a young girl awakens (an early in her career Michelle Williams) inside a kind of pod, as researchers in hazmat suits fill it with gas – trying to kill its occupant. They are watched over by their boss Fitch (Ben Kingsley). Bad luck for them, as she breaks free – as she is obviously no ordinary girl. Managing to escape from the facility, she jumps on a passing train and is ultimately heading for Los Angeles, with the military in hot pursuit.
She is plagued by strange visions and is distressed as she seems to be changing – tentacles sprout from her face and elsewhere – for she is, of course, an alien.
Fitch assembles a team, in an effort to track her down and contain the situation – Dr Stephen Arden (Alfred Molina), an anthropologist, Dr Laura Baker (Marg Helgenberger), a molecular biologist, Preston ‘Press’ Lennox (Michael Madsen), a black ops mercenary and Dan Smithson (Forest Whitaker) an empath. They need to find the escaped alien, and kill it, as it matures rapidly. In fact by the time ‘she’ has reached LA she is now in the shapely form of Natasha Henstridge. The other problem they are facing is that she is sexually active and looking to mate – can they find her before she hooks up or goes full on alien?
This is a slickly made, fun slice of exciting and thrilling science fiction with a great alien designed by H.R. Giger, plus a fantastic cast giving it their all, including Henstridge in her feature debut. It was successful enough to warrant several follow ups and looks fabulous on this 4K disc.
Steve Kirkham
EXTRAS
Three Audio Commentaries with Natasha Henstridge, Michael Madsen and Director Roger Donaldson/Director Roger Donaldson, Make-Up Effects Creator Steve Johnson, Visual Effects Supervisor Richard Edlund and Producer Frank Mancuso Jr./Critics Kim Newman and Film-maker Sean Hogan
Interviews with composer Christopher Young (19 mins) and actor Jordan Lund (19 mins)
Various archival behind the scenes – After Birth: The Evolution of Species (2017 – 36 mins)/From Sil to Eve (2015 – 16 min)/The Making of Species: (2004) The Origin (9 mins), The Concept (17 mins) and The Discovery (21 mins)/Designing a Hybrid (15 mins)
Alternate Ending/Theatrical Trailer/Stills Gallery
Reversible sleeve featuring original art
