Species (Collector’s Edition): Blu-Ray Review

Arriving this week on Collector’s Edition Blu-ray is the 1995 sci-fi/thriller “Species”.  Although it spawned three forgettable sequels, “Species” remains one of the best pieces of sci-fi cinema to come out in the 90’s.  Not only was it fun, but having a cast that included Ben Kingsley, Michael Madsen, Alfred Molina, Forest Whitaker, and Marg Helgenberger elevated the B-movie material.

“Species” still holds-up today minus one glaring issue, the CGI.  Because this was a relatively low/mid-budget production, the CGI was decent at best, but two decades later, they look syfy channel movie bad. If “Species” stuck to practical effects only the film’s final act wouldn’t look so dated.  Having said that, I still love the film and the new 4K scan looks terrific. There are tons of bonus features and it’s a definite pick-up for the fans.

Bonus Features

DISC ONE

• NEW 4K Scan Of The Film’s Interpositive
• Audio Commentary With Natasha Henstridge, Michael Madsen And Director Roger Donaldson
• Audio Commentary With Director Roger Donaldson, Make-up Effects Creator Steve Johnson, Visual Effects Supervisor Richard Edlund And Producer Frank Mancuso Jr.

DISC TWO

• NEW Afterbirth: The Evolution Of SPECIES Featuring Interviews With Director Roger Donaldson, Cinematographer Andzej Bartkowiak, Production Designer John Muto, Composer Christopher Young, Creature Designer Steve Johnson, And More
• From Sil To Eve – An Interview With Actress Natasha Henstridge
• Engineering Life
• R. Giger At Work
• The Making Of Species: The Origin, The Concept, The Discovery
• Designing A Hybrid
• Theatrical Trailer
• Alternate Ending
• Photo Galleries (Production Design, Creature Designs, Film Stills, Behind-The-Scenes Photos, Posters And Lobby Cards)

By: Marc Ferman