Alien Species (1996)

An entertaining science fiction thriller that doesn't deserve the incredibly low rating it's been given on this site. While the film is obviously low budget direct-to-video fare and not a lavish Hollywood production, the special effects are about as good as anything you'll see on made for TV movies or any number of Sy Fy network productions. The film itself is fast paced, the acting is decent and the alien monsters look pretty good (all things considered). Veteran character actor Charles Napier (First Blood) stars as a small town sheriff. The other actors are for the most part unknown but competent in their roles. Worth seeking out if you're a fan of the genre.

I may have been up really late at night, but I didn't mind 'Alien Species' at all. Its craftsmanship for such a cheap B-movie production was pretty good (although the special effects looked like they were created on a Nintendo or Sega Genesis, and then grafted onto the film), the script was interesting enough in the realm of 'alien hostile takeover' movies, and its pace never lagged for a second. While watching it, the film's ending was very ambiguous, as if this had been planned as a pilot film for a TV-series, or at the very least, a feature-length sequel.I loved the work of veteran character actors Charles Napier and Hoke Howell (the latter died shortly after the film's completion, and the death is mentioned in the end credits). Their consummate professionalism gave a classy sheen that the film otherwise didn't deserve. It's definitely worth a watch, though, to fans of both B-movies and of science fiction.

I don't know where these vicious reviewers came from but I've seen some horrendous schlock films get better reviews and better ratings. Even the worst of the worst were not defiled like this group of post XGen reviewers looking for anything they can trash. Especially if it was from their parents generation.This movie doesn't deserve the treatment it has received from this group. In fact, it looks like an organized trashing effort from someone who has a personal bone to pick who gathered his friends to help attack this movie. Anarchistic shallow mentality by their own declarations of intent.The story is good. The film & sound quality are clear. The camera-work is professional. The editing has good continuity. The screenplay & dialogue are well done. The dialogue has depth. The Actors all deliver their lines well. There is Entertaining riveting Action from beginning to end. The special effects & alien technologies are well done. Even the ending song & performance were worthy of a top 10 hit record.I don't see the problem these neophytes are complaining about. The only weak points would be the need for better lighting on the night scenes and less screaming by the females. While the characters prevailed at the ending it was clearly left open for a series or sequel.This movie is just as good as the acclaimed "Species" and certainly as good or better than the sci-fi schlock produced over the past 15 years.These reviewers are just being nasty for means sake because they thrive on destruction. What kind of true Sci-fi fan would trash Independence Day? Consider what kind of people are posting these unfair, rotten reviews. These attacks are unfounded & undeserved. They must find pleasure out of trashing an undeserving film. A power play to satiate a need to bully. Certainly not genuine sci-fi fans.Check out the reviews on The phantom planet or the war of the planets for review comparisons. Those were far worse productions with far less criticism.This was an enjoyable film. Maybe not a great film but quite well done & holds your attention throughout. It has a lot more depth to the alien attacks than most major films with high ratings.

Surprisingly, a number of things came to mind while watching ALIEN SPECIES, Peter Maris' empty skulled direct to video ripoff of the equally idiotic INDEPENDENCE DAY, mostly because the film is so vapidly uninteresting that it served as an opportunity to engage in free-form speculation for ninety minutes while things got blown up while bathed in fluorescent green lights: 1) I am in awe of Charles Napier. He may not be as endearingly grandfatherish in appearance as Peter Cushing or have a spry, mischievous old coot thing going on like John Carradine. But like those two legends Napier has made a career out of making the ridiculous seem perfectly ordinary. Usually he is cast as a cop or military officer who always has that glint in his eye that says he knows more than he is letting on, playing the fool to keep everyone at arm's length. My favorite Charles Napier scene is from Fred Olen Ray's DEEP SPACE where he dons a Scotsman's kilt and takes up the bagpipes after an intimate dinner. His date asks "What, is that supposed to make me want to sing or something?" to which Napier matter of factly replies "No, it's supposed to make you want to take your clothes off." She does.2) The "hero" in this movie comes across as a dirtbag who has a haircut that makes him look like at least two of The Red Hot Chili Peppers. Which two I am not certain since they usually only wear socks and their underpants on-stage, and as such I have never really gotten a good look at them.3) Actress Jodi Seronick Golden is indeed the best thing about this film: She is spunky and speaks with excellent enunciation, looks great splattered with alien blood while running around in a torn business suit and has a cute little nose. She deserves better than this.4) I do not miss Will Smith at all (in fact, there are only white folk in this ID4 ripoff, which sort of misses the point why that giant bag of hot air actually kind of worked: We are ALL doomed, not just the white suburban punks & techno nerds) but the film could use an appearance by Brent Spiner without his "Data" makeup on. Without that white pancake base and ping pong ball contacts, he looks creepy.5) The kook 9/11 Truth theory idiots have nothing on the whacked out techno paranoia conspiracy allegations spouted by homogeneous white suburbanite nerds in this baby. Maybe if they didn't look like members of Garbage or Curve I could take it more seriously ... Actually, no, I couldn't.6) Computer grapics animation & special effects should only be made by people who's work does not look like it was recorded from a video game. It is one thing to make a movie that inspires or resembles a video game, but to get the process backwards requires such a willingness to look like such a moron that it us unacceptable.7) Usually I praise a film with the audacity to ignore any kind of "suspension of disbelief", has no remorse about it's ultra-low budget and sticks to it's subject matter without ever look up from the gutter once. The problem here is that this film is pilfering global threat topics and doesn't have the good sense of a movie like ZONTAR, THING FROM VENUS to just have people sitting around and talking about it. By trying to show us instead the movie crosses the line from just being vapid & amateurish to having the gall to think it would be able to hold a candle to the sight of John Agar sitting on a Naugahyde couch looking concerned as the deaths of thousands are described to him.8) The movie appears to have been intended to be the first part in a two-installment story, with no mention of whether or not part 2 was ever executed. My suspicion is that somebody had their Powermac taken away.9) The film seems unsure at times if it is a parody or just a low budget ripoff, resulting in the film's most interesting scenes. You aren't sure if you are supposed to be laughing at the idiocy or poking your friends in the ribs to make sure they get the joke too. It is a disorienting viewing experience: Are we supposed to be taking this seriously? I hope not, but if so, what was the point of it? 10) The film has an affection for colored neon lighting that is used as a substitute for atmosphere. To be frank, the most unnerving scenes were ones set inside of a car with the principal characters attempting to have a conversation. It was like listening to a bad "X-Files" episode, which amazingly is referred to in dialog in what may be a rare instance of the film's self awareness showing.11) At one point during a moment of crisis inside of the abandoned warehouse level from "Half-Life", one of the characters sweeps the area with his shotgun, at one point aiming it directly at the pretty head of Jodi Seronick Golden. Good thing it wasn't really loaded and they weren't really being attacked by space aliens or she would have been toast.ALIEN SPECIES can be found on a new 50 movie/12 DVD box set called NIGHTMARE WOLRDS. It can be found there, but just why you'd go looking for it is a matter for you to decide.2/10