This movie was another of my delves into the bargain bin, and I have a couple of issues with it.
Firstly, the title, Alien Species.
This sort of infers that the titular creature is of extra-terrestrial origin, but according to the story what is in fact created is a genetically modified virus which infects and takes over its host, transforming it into some kind of mutant. Hardly, ET
Secondly, I am staggered that nobody got sued as this movie is a painfully close rip off of the classic sci-fi film, Alien. OK, little bits have been changed the scientists are in an underground lab (not a spaceship), but much of the plot has just been lifted and transplanted. Its all there the pushy female (Ripley type) character, the chest bursting scene (although the creature looks more like a turd on a string than a virus-born mutant, and actually comes out of the guys back), the hunt around badly lit corridors, the attempt to shut the creature in a specific sector using airlock-type doors, the telltale sign of alien exudate being left everywhere, the heartless corporation sacrificing its employees for the sake of a potential money spinning bioweapon, the scientific guy with a hidden agenda even the hunt for a troublesome cat.
After escaping the breakfast table carnage the suspended face evolves off camera into a man in an unconvincing rubber monster suit. The film makers must have realised how bad he looks, and so shots of the monster are brief and partial sadly, not brief or partial enough.
Fortunately for nudity fans out there one of the female scientists seems to enjoy going topless whenever the plot allows, and the site of her large, perfectly formed (and probably silicone-enhanced) breasts adds a bit of "interest" to the proceedings. This isn't so much a sexist opinion, more a comment on a movie that is so dire that brief female semi nudity is needed to keep half of the audience awake.
The ending is weak enough to qualify for some kind of disability grant I know that the life support systems were shutting down, which would ultimately lead to the expiry of the remaining cast, but why did the base explode? I don't recall anything about self - destruction being a built-in feature...
In all, it was OK for the £1 I paid for it...
Firstly, the title, Alien Species.
This sort of infers that the titular creature is of extra-terrestrial origin, but according to the story what is in fact created is a genetically modified virus which infects and takes over its host, transforming it into some kind of mutant. Hardly, ET
Secondly, I am staggered that nobody got sued as this movie is a painfully close rip off of the classic sci-fi film, Alien. OK, little bits have been changed the scientists are in an underground lab (not a spaceship), but much of the plot has just been lifted and transplanted. Its all there the pushy female (Ripley type) character, the chest bursting scene (although the creature looks more like a turd on a string than a virus-born mutant, and actually comes out of the guys back), the hunt around badly lit corridors, the attempt to shut the creature in a specific sector using airlock-type doors, the telltale sign of alien exudate being left everywhere, the heartless corporation sacrificing its employees for the sake of a potential money spinning bioweapon, the scientific guy with a hidden agenda even the hunt for a troublesome cat.
After escaping the breakfast table carnage the suspended face evolves off camera into a man in an unconvincing rubber monster suit. The film makers must have realised how bad he looks, and so shots of the monster are brief and partial sadly, not brief or partial enough.
Fortunately for nudity fans out there one of the female scientists seems to enjoy going topless whenever the plot allows, and the site of her large, perfectly formed (and probably silicone-enhanced) breasts adds a bit of "interest" to the proceedings. This isn't so much a sexist opinion, more a comment on a movie that is so dire that brief female semi nudity is needed to keep half of the audience awake.
The ending is weak enough to qualify for some kind of disability grant I know that the life support systems were shutting down, which would ultimately lead to the expiry of the remaining cast, but why did the base explode? I don't recall anything about self - destruction being a built-in feature...
In all, it was OK for the £1 I paid for it...