Species (1995)

Director:

Roger Donaldson

Writer (WGA):

Dennis Feldman (written by)

Release Date:

7 July 1995 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

If you build it, they will come.

Plot:

A message from outer space contains instructions on how to modify human DNA.

Plot Keywords:

Alien | Scientist | Killing | Seti | Human Alien

Awards:

3 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Ben Kingsley	...	Xavier Fitch
Michael Madsen	...	Preston Lennox
Alfred Molina	...	Dr. Stephen Arden
Forest Whitaker	...	Dan Smithson, Empath
Marg Helgenberger	...	Dr. Laura Baker
Natasha Henstridge	...	Sil
Michelle Williams	...	Young Sil
Jordan Lund	...	Aide
Don Fischer	...	Aide
Scott McKenna	...	Train Hobo
Virginia Morris	...	Mother
Jayne Luke	...	Snack Shop Clerk
David K. Schroeder	...	German Tourist
David Jensen	...	Conductor
Esther Scott	...	Female Conductor

MPAA:

Rated R for sci-fi violence, strong sexuality and some language.

Runtime:

108 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Portuguese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS

Certification:

Canada:18A (Alberta) (1999) | Iceland:16 | South Korea:18 | Philippines:R-18 | Brazil:14 | Argentina:16 | Australia:MA | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:18 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:R (Manitoba) | Finland:K-16 | Germany:16 (w) | Ireland:18 | Netherlands:16 | Norway:15 | Portugal:M/16 | Singapore:M18 | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Arecibo Observatory, Arecibo, Puerto Rico

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

Xavier (Ben Kingsley) Fitch says that the alien signal was received by the Arecibo radio telescope exactly nineteen years after an outbound message was transmitted. Since the transmissions traveled at the speed of light, that means that the alien solar system is approximately nine light-years from Earth. There are two stars which are likely candidates, Sirius and Luyten 726-8A.

Goofs:

Boom mic visible: Shadow, on the train compartment, above Dan's head.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Xavier Fitch: I'm sorry.
Young Sil: [mouthing] I'm sorry.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Vision of a Future Passed: The Prophecy of 2001 (2007) (V)

Soundtrack:

Come Into My Life

bad because of what it could have been

species has an interesting premise, and apparently had the involvement of HR giger... according to another reviewer, the plot was stolen from an old BBC production... i can't say how true that is, but one thing is for sure... plagiarised or not it could have made a great movie, and with giger on board it could have been the "alien" of the 90's...

it seems to be content with being a b-grade killer monster flick, with tired clichés and a lack of suspense...

i loved the idea of the aliens propagating themselves by a signal, which other civilisations use to bring the creature into being... i loved the "alien dreams" scenes, and natasha henstridge is a good choice to be the lethal seed bearer... instead of delving into the fascinating realms the premise offers, like the alien's character and feelings (and the internal struggle with its human aspects), it merely hints and tantalises us with them...

instead we get the standard "race against time"... a squandered opportunity, and probably the reason why this movie fails rather for what it could have been, as opposed to what it is...

contrary to what other reviewers have said, i think this is one of the few horror/sci-fi movies that actually required nudity... although i think gratuity is a ridiculous concept when applied to nudity in films anyway...