Species Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		5.0
Overall		3.5

Species Blu-ray Movie Review

My colleague Marty Liebman reviewed the 2006 MGM Blu-ray of Roger Donaldson's Species (1995) seven years ago. To read Marty's analysis of the film and a critique of a/v/extras, please click here.

Is there an imposter in the ladies' room?

Species Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Species had three US DVD releases, which doesn't even count its inclusion in a Species Trilogy box set courtesy of MGM. The latter also put out a very early Blu-ray using the antiquated MPEG-2 codec. Donaldson's eleventh feature also received overseas editions courtesy of Fox which employed the superior MPEG-4 codec. However, all BDs prior to 2017 were struck from the same master. I own the MGM BD-25 and the first two reels look derived from a recycled theatrical print. There are numerous print artifacts, flecks, and other blemishes that seem to crop up in every other shot. The transfer improves for the remainder of the feature although occasional blips do appear.

Shout! Factory has given the movie's interpositive a new 4K Scan on disc one's AVC-encoded BD-50. The transfer sports a mean video bitrate of 35000 kbps, which outpaces both the MGM (17184 kbps) and EU Fox (20296 kbps). Comparing the three, the MGM/Fox seems to suffer from artificial brightness. It's also vertically stretched at times. The Shout! is noticeably darker. The color temperature has also been tweaked. Shout! has imbued it with a blue-gray tinge. The new transfer also shows more information on the edges. If one examines Screenshot #s 2, 3, 6, 7, 12, 16, & 19 and compares them with the old transfer, s/he will see a cleaner picture. The Shout! is definitely smoother and more film-like. It retains a thin layer of grain. It's not perfect as the label may have applied de-noising techniques. It also exposes the limitations of the pre-CGI effects. My video score is 4.25.

Shout! has provided twelve chapter selections (the MGM/Fox had more).

Species Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Shout! has given Species's theatrical DTS mix a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 Surround (2017 kbps, 24-bit) and a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Stereo (2030 kbps, 24-bit). I've always been an LPCM purist so I savor MGM's mix on the old Blu-ray. Admittedly, the "core" of Shout!'s DTS-HD MA sounds very similar to MGM's. Directionality, effects, and music originate from the same sources. Dialogue is almost always easy to hear and comprehend. Christopher Young's score has a dreamy and airy quality about it. I have appreciated and gotten more out of the composer's compositions each time I've watched Species. Marty was not high on MGM's uncompressed audio but I like it if not more than the Shout!. MGM encode it at a bitrate of 4608 kbps although it's disappointing the bit-depth is only 16. If I had to choose between the two lossless 5.1 tracks on the two editions, I would go with the MGM probably because the dynamic amplitude seemed greater to my ears. MGM's LPCM wasn't one of the best in the first years of the format but it was an impressive early effort, especially for a 1995 film.

Shout! has supplied optional English SDH for the movie. MGM's SDH seem more complete as they indicate on the screen which song/artist is playing.

Species Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

DISC ONE: Feature Film

• Audio Commentary with Natasha Henstridge, Michael Madsen, and Director Roger Donaldson - an archival track from MGM's 2004 Special Edition DVD. The trio are recorded together as they reminisce about making Species. In English, not subtitled.

• Audio Commentary with Director Roger Donaldson, Make-up Effects Creator Steve Johnson, Visual Effects Supervisor Richard Edlund, and Producer Frank Mancuso Jr. - another leftover from the '04 SE. The four filmmakers engage in a screen-specific discussion about the f/x used in the film. In English, not subtitled.

• 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 (36:42, 1080p) - Shout! filmed new interviews with the filmmakers in this retrospective doc. It moves at a fairly brisk pace but covers a lot of ground. In English, not subtitled.

• From Sil to Eve – An Interview with Actress Natasha Henstridge () - this is the same interview that previously appeared on Shout!'s edition of Species II. Henstridge discusses her modeling career and recounts a story about the audition that landed her the role of Sil. In English, not subtitled.

• Engineering Life (16:50, 480i) - this featurette initially appeared on MGM's 2007 Collector's Edition DVD. It includes talking head interviews with scientists at USC and the University of California, Santa Barbara. They discuss genomes, cloning, and the ramifications of genetic engineering. In English, not subtitled.

• H.R. Giger at Work (12:07, 480i) - this segment shows Roger Donaldson and his crew visiting Giger at his studio in Switzerland ca. 1994. The inventor of Alien is shown with the train model that will later be composited into Species as well as different props during pre-production. In English, not subtitled.

• The Making of Species: The Origin, the Concept, the Discovery (49:04, 480i) - this is a compilation of three featurettes that were originally incorporated on the European special editions of Species around 2004. They play consecutively and contain interviews with cast and crew members. In English, not subtitled.

• Designing a Hybrid (15:48) - excerpts of interview with makeup and visual effects personnel, focusing primarily on the creation of Sil. In English, not subtitled.

• Theatrical Trailer (1:52, upconverted to 1080) - MGM's trailer for Species presented in anamorphic widescreen.

• Alternate Ending (2:10, 480i) - this is one of three endings that was considered to conclude the picture. There is a photo from this ending in Yvonne Navarro's novelization of Species.

• Production Design Gallery (3:27, 1080p) - a running slideshow of hand-drawn Crayola sketches, storyboards, on-set photographs of the Species crew at work, and stills of the shoot. This is accompanied by selections from Christopher Young's score. Very attractive images and nicely put together.

• Creature Design Gallery (8:10, 1080p) - another slideshow consisting of over 120 images illustrating design concepts for the movie's creatures and the makeup department hard at work sculpting them. More of Young's music is played throughout.

• Still Gallery (Behind-the-Scenes Photos, Posters, and Lobby Cards) (8:37, 1080p) - over one hundred high-res images depicting various aspects of Species' publicity campaign. The user can navigate through the gallery using the arrows on his/her remote control.

Species Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

In retrospect, Species is an influential sci-fi/horror hybrid in its concept and characters. It also is one of the very earliest examples of utilizing motion capture. As ingenious as Dennis Feldman's ideas are/were, his screenplay brings down the film in certain moments. Ben Kingsley's Xavier Fitch deserved better writing as he is too clockwork and robotic (even if he's supposed to be the mad scientist). There is at least a couple of ridiculous scenes in which the audience could outsmart him. I also questioned some of the characters' motives, particularly Alfred Molina's cultural anthropologist. Feldman lays in some red herrings that aren't convincing. Still, Species has a wonderful cast with Forest Whitaker standing out as an "empath." The luscious Natasha Henstridge is also a main reason to watch this. Shout! Factory has significantly upgraded the video and consolidated all the prior extra features from the MGM and Fox discs. The new making-of doc is a nice addition as well as the vast image galleries. For genre fans, Species garners a VERY SOLID recommendation.