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Exhumed & Exonerated: ‘Species’ (1995)

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Every decade has its ups and downs when it comes to cinema, no matter the genre. Horror fans love to loft on high the output of the ‘30s & ‘40s, the ‘70s & ‘80s, and the more recent decades. More often than not, however, the 1990s are labeled as the worst decade for the genre. Not only that, but ‘90s horror tends to be written off as a whole, beyond a handful of undisputed classics. The purpose of Exhumed & Exonerated: The ‘90s Horror Project, is to refute those accusations by highlighting numerous gems from the decade. Stone cold classics will be tackled in this column from time to time, but its main purpose will be to seek out lesser-known and/or less-loved titles that I think deserve more attention and respect from fans. Let the mayhem begin!

SPECIES

Directed by Roger Donaldson
Screenplay by Dennis Feldman
Produced by Frank Mancuso Jr. & Dennis Feldman
Starring Natasha Henstridge, Ben Kingsley, Michael Madsen, Marg Helgenberger, Forest Whitaker, Alfred Molina, and Michelle Williams.
Released on July 7, 1995

In 1974, S.E.T.I. (Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence) sent the Arecibo Message out into the cosmos. Among many other tidbits of information, it contained details on human DNA and the Earth’s population at the time. In 1993, they received a response. The first bit of information returned to us gave humanity the formula for creating a new renewable energy source. The second part of the response dished out plans to splice alien DNA with our own. S.E.T.I. jumped with delight, of course, and set about growing some embryos based on the latter. After all, these unknown pen pals gave us a rad new fuel source, so why not trust in them enough to create an alien/human hybrid?

We all know this was a big mistake, but it’d be no fun if the film’s scientists hadn’t rolled with it. Personally, we also kind of had it coming. After all, we were dumb enough to send our biological and population information into the stars. That’s like a termite walking out of the wall in your house and announcing how many of them there are and where this nest is. It’s basically like placing an intergalactic “kick me” sign on our own backs.

Species - Xavier & Stephen

The film opens in media res, with all of the above already having occurred. We don’t find out the specifics until later on. Instead, the opening sequence relies more on emotion than information. We see a young girl residing in a quarantined environment, with some scientists looking on. Chief among them is Xavier Fitch (Ben Kingsley), who has a grim look upon his face. It soon becomes evident that they are terminating the girl, who is played by a young Michelle Williams for the first third of the film.

She looks confused and terrified at first, then downright sad once she realizes what is happening. Fitch himself begins to cry as well, as a team of technicians pumps cyanide gas into the girl’s chamber. Naturally this gaseous killshot has no effect on her and she escapes, necessitating the assemblage of a team of experts to track her down.

Our team is comprised of molecular biologist Dr. Laura Baker (Marg Helgenberger), anthropologist Dr. Stephen Arden (Alfred Molina), empath Dan Smithson (Forest Whitaker), and government assassin Preston Lennox (Michael Madsen). Fitch briefs them on the situation (where the above exposition comes in) and then joins them on their mission to take the girl, Sil, down.

They track her across the country as she leaves a few bodies in her wake, with most initial kills occurring out of fear or the need for survival. After gorging on food and cocooning herself, she emerges as a fully-formed adult woman, played by Natasha Henstridge in her debut role. From there on out, with her biological clock ticking, Sil is determined to find a suitable mate so that she can reproduce.

Species - Sil2

I’m a sucker for monster movies, particularly science fiction-tinged ones. There’s just something about the melding of both the horror and sci-fi genres that speaks to me. Species has elements of both genres in spades; playing like an early-‘80s Corman riff on Alien, but with an A-picture budget. It even has the requisite nudity that old school Corman exploitation films always contained, although the results are less sleazy here.

The plot here is pretty standard fare, albeit with a higher budget than usual. When threatened, she morphs into her alien form, which comes courtesy of some absolutely fantastic physical effects created by the great Steve Johnson. We’re also treated to the occasional CGI version. Those particular FX shots are obviously dated now, but on the whole, they still work. Sil’s design was created by none other than H.R. Giger and much like his unforgettable work in Alien, she’s a pretty iconic creation.

Species is well-directed and the script is pretty tight, but what really elevates this film above your standard DTV monster movie fare is the cast. Everyone here is on point, with none of the main cast members phoning it in. Michael Madsen is an actor I like, but he’s often not used well in films, particularly recently. Quentin Tarantino has always managed to pull some nice performances out of him, but that’s not always true of other directors. Lucky for us, New Zealand-filmmaker Roger Donaldson (No Way Out, Thirteen Days) hews closer to the former than the latter.

Preston Lennox easily could have been your standard government stooge tough guy role, but Madsen plays him far more subdued than most might have. If the need calls for it, Lennox will immediately spring to action, but on the whole he is rather laid back. Instead of launching to the forefront in every situation, he often tends to hang back and just observe his surroundings. There’s an air of loneliness about him that makes for an interesting juxtaposition when you factor in his matter-of-factness. Ever the professional, Lennox knows his role and his mind is almost always on the job, which is something to be admired in a character that would now probably be blandly portrayed by Charlie Hunnam.

Species - Press & Laura

Alongside Madsen, Forest Whitaker is the other standout here, which should come as no surprise to anyone familiar with him. As psychically-gifted “empathy” Dan, Whitaker gets loads of scenery to chew on, though never goes over-the-top in his mastication. His abilities weird out his cohorts, but in the face of them all being on a manhunt for an alien/human hybrid, no screentime is wasted on the other characters scoffing at his gifts. Thankfully, they all just roll with it, which is positively refreshing.

The remaining three team members are all scientists and approach things from an entirely different perspective. Fitch seems utterly conflicted throughout; wanting to stamp out the obvious threat to humanity, but also utterly remorseful for having to kill what pretty much amounts to his adopted child. Baker and Arden seem bummed about the prospect of killing such an interesting specimen and are at first fascinated by all around them, but that too gives way to the mission at hand. All too often we are given a team full of in-fighting in a film like Species, making the lack of such a narrative crush yet another breath of fresh air.

Lastly, of course, is Sil herself. Both Michelle Williams and Natasha Henstridge sell her constant fear, sadness, and confusion extremely well. Combined, the performances manage to gel into this weird, innocent, and occasionally creepy character. It’s telling that Sil could have busted out of her cell at any time before the start of the film, but chose not to until she was endangered. The same goes for her first three kills.

The homeless man and the train worker are both killed out of fear, not malice. Hell, even her first mating kill is done in self-defense. After being taken home for sex by a man she meets in a club, Sil decides that he isn’t a suitable mate for her after all. Her initial instinct is to simply leave his home and seek another mate, leaving him unharmed. It isn’t until after he attempts to force himself on her that she lashes out and takes his life.

Species - Dan & Laura

This in turn informs her next sexual encounter, where Sil becomes more aggressive when it comes to making her desires known. Was Sil being rougher with her second suitor because she assumed the way her first suitor acted was how all human men were? It seems likely. Sil might be a sexually violent woman (something the film was criticized for upon release), but she was absolutely driven to it by male sexual aggression.

In a world where misogynists proclaim loudly that women are only here to look pretty and have babies, Sil has a counter-argument: men are only good for sperm and not all men are worthy of her sexual attention. This, along with her iconic look, makes her a rarity in the pantheon of memorable horror characters.

Species is not a perfect film, nor an underseen one (it did spawn 3 sequels, after all), but I do feel that it is an underrated one. It is well-directed, is tightly-paced, has stellar special FX, and contains good characters. It also has a great concept and monster design. That alone makes it worthy enough to be considered a good ‘90s horror film. Add in the fact that it is the inspiration for the “chupacabra” myth and there’s no denying Species‘ place in both film and cultural history.

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Up Next: Mute Witness (1995)

Previously On…
Species | Mute Witness | Popcorn | Wishmaster | Alien 3 | Cast A Deadly Spell
Disturbing Behavior | The Sect | The Addams Family

Devourer of film and disciple of all things horror. Freelance writer at Bloody Disgusting, DVD Active, Cult Spark, AndersonVision, Forbes, Blumhouse, etc. Owner/operator at The Schlocketeer.

Editorials

‘Leprechaun Returns’ – The Charm of the Franchise’s Legacy Sequel

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leprechaun returns

The erratic Leprechaun franchise is not known for sticking with a single concept for too long. The namesake (originally played by Warwick Davis) has gone to L.A., Las Vegas, space, and the ‘hood (not once but twice). And after an eleven-year holiday since the Davis era ended, the character received a drastic makeover in a now-unmentionable reboot. The critical failure of said film would have implied it was time to pack away the green top hat and shillelagh, and say goodbye to the nefarious imp. Instead, the Leprechaun series tried its luck again.

The general consensus for the Leprechaun films was never positive, and the darker yet blander Leprechaun: Origins certainly did not sway opinions. Just because the 2014 installment took itself seriously did not mean viewers would. After all, creator Mark Jones conceived a gruesome horror-comedy back in the early nineties, and that format is what was expected of any future ventures. So as horror legacy sequels (“legacyquels”) became more common in the 2010s, Leprechaun Returns followed suit while also going back to what made the ‘93 film work. This eighth entry echoed Halloween (2018) by ignoring all the previous sequels as well as being a direct continuation of the original. Even ardent fans can surely understand the decision to wipe the slate clean, so to speak.

Leprechaun Returns “continued the [franchise’s] trend of not being consistent by deciding to be consistent.” The retconning of Steven Kostanski and Suzanne Keilly’s film was met with little to no pushback from the fandom, who had already become accustomed to seeing something new and different with every chapter. Only now the “new and different” was familiar. With the severe route of Origins a mere speck in the rearview mirror, director Kotanski implemented a “back to basics” approach that garnered better reception than Zach Lipovsky’s own undertaking. The one-two punch of preposterous humor and grisly horror was in full force again.

LEPRECHAUN

Pictured: Linden Porco as The Leprechaun in Leprechaun Returns.

With Warwick Davis sitting this film out — his own choice — there was the foremost challenge of finding his replacement. Returns found Davis’ successor in Linden Porco, who admirably filled those blood-stained, buckled shoes. And what would a legacy sequel be without a returning character? Jennifer Aniston obviously did not reprise her final girl role of Tory Redding. So, the film did the next best thing and fetched another of Lubdan’s past victims: Ozzie, the likable oaf played by Mark Holton. Returns also created an extension of Tory’s character by giving her a teenage daughter, Lila (Taylor Spreitler).

It has been twenty-five years since the events of the ‘93 film. The incident is unknown to all but its survivors. Interested in her late mother’s history there in Devil’s Lake, North Dakota, Lila transferred to the local university and pledged a sorority — really the only one on campus — whose few members now reside in Tory Redding’s old home. The farmhouse-turned-sorority-house is still a work in progress; Lila’s fellow Alpha Epsilon sisters were in the midst of renovating the place when a ghost of the past found its way into the present.

The Psycho Goreman and The Void director’s penchant for visceral special effects is noted early on as the Leprechaun tears not only into the modern age, but also through poor Ozzie’s abdomen. The portal from 1993 to 2018 is soaked with blood and guts as the Leprechaun forces his way into the story. Davis’ iconic depiction of the wee antagonist is missed, however, Linden Porco is not simply keeping the seat warm in case his predecessor ever resumes the part. His enthusiastic performance is accentuated by a rotten-looking mug that adds to his innate menace.

LEPRECHAUN RETURNS sequel

Pictured: Taylor Spreitler, Pepi Sonuga, and Sai Bennett as Lila, Katie and Rose in Leprechaun Returns.

The obligatory fodder is mostly young this time around. Apart from one luckless postman and Ozzie — the premature passing of the latter character removed the chance of caring about anyone in the film — the Leprechaun’s potential prey are all college aged. Lila is this story’s token trauma kid with caregiver baggage; her mother thought “monsters were always trying to get her.” Lila’s habit of mentioning Tory’s mental health problem does not make a good first impression with the resident mean girl and apparent alcoholic of the sorority, Meredith (Emily Reid). Then there are the nicer but no less cursorily written of the Alpha Epsilon gals: eco-conscious and ex-obsessive Katie (Pepi Sonuga), and uptight overachiever Rose (Sai Bennett). Rounding out the main cast are a pair of destined-to-die bros (Oliver Llewellyn Jenkins, Ben McGregor). Lila and her peers range from disposable to plain irritating, so rooting for any one of them is next to impossible. Even so, their overstated personalities make their inevitable fates more satisfying.

Where Returns excels is its death sequences. Unlike Jones’ film, this one is not afraid of killing off members of the main cast. Lila, admittedly, wears too much plot armor, yet with her mother’s spirit looming over her and the whole story — comedian Heather McDonald put her bang-on Aniston impersonation to good use as well as provided a surprisingly emotional moment in the film — her immunity can be overlooked. Still, the other characters’ brutal demises make up for Lila’s imperviousness. The Leprechaun’s killer set-pieces also happen to demonstrate the time period, seeing as he uses solar panels and a drone in several supporting characters’ executions. A premortem selfie and the antagonist’s snarky mention of global warming additionally add to this film’s particular timestamp.

Critics were quick to say Leprechaun Returns did not break new ground. Sure, there is no one jetting off to space, or the wacky notion of Lubdan becoming a record producer. This reset, however, is still quite charming and entertaining despite its lack of risk-taking. And with yet another reboot in the works, who knows where the most wicked Leprechaun ever to exist will end up next.


Horror contemplates in great detail how young people handle inordinate situations and all of life’s unexpected challenges. While the genre forces characters of every age to face their fears, it is especially interested in how youths might fare in life-or-death scenarios.

The column Young Blood is dedicated to horror stories for and about teenagers, as well as other young folks on the brink of terror.

Leprechaun Returns movie

Pictured: Linden Porco as The Leprechaun in Leprechaun Returns.

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