Species (1995)

In our Species 1995 Movie Review, we drop you straight back into the chaotic brilliance of mid-90s cinema, where practical effects, erotic sci-fi horror and unapologetic B-grade madness collided to create something truly unforgettable. In this episode of Born to Watch, Whitey, Gow, and Damo go deep into the 1995 creature flick that defined many a teenage boy's movie-going experience. They unpack the film from top to bottom, celebrating the nostalgia, questioning the logic and laughing at the sheer absurdity that made Species a cult classic.

Whitey kicks things off by reminding us that the nineties were the final analog decade. Plans were made by phone, movie rumours spread by word of mouth, photos were printed, and mystery still existed. Out of that world came an alien seductress named Sil, played by Natasha Henstridge in her unforgettable debut. The boys discuss how this “erotic sci-fi horror” served as the perfect storm of schlock, suspense, and snorbery, with a surprising amount of A-grade pedigree hiding behind the B-grade sheen.

The crew swap first-watch stories, revealing who saw it at the movies, who wore out the VHS and who had only seen the, let's say, memorable scenes on repeat. They break down the cast, including a peak Michael Madsen showing maximum smoulder, Ben Kingsley collecting a paycheck, Forest Whitaker feeling everything as an empath, and Alfred Molina delivering one of the most gloriously stupid character decisions ever put on screen.

From there, the episode dives into Species' glaring logical gaps. The boys question how a creature only days old can understand cars, language, currency, sex, and self-sacrifice. They rip into the nightclub bathroom scene, which was somehow empty, the world's cleanest train conductor uniform, the magically perfect self haircut, and that spectacularly unconvincing fake-death scene, which makes no sense. Add an oil reservoir under Los Angeles, a fireball that should still be burning today and a final sewer showdown straight out of Aliens, and you have a recipe for pure nineties chaos.

The team also digs into production trivia. Henstridge's big break as a 19-year-old model, Madsen's reluctance toward violent roles, HR Giger's sexualised creature design and the film's surprising success at the box office. The boys even cover Species' most prestigious accolade, the 1996 MTV Movie Award for Best Kiss, complete with an on-stage pash and a very unimpressed boyfriend watching on.

As always, the gang wrap things up with The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, Snorbs Report, Ordinary People and Question Time, where the dumb decisions of this film truly shine. Was Spa Man the dumbest man alive? Would anyone ever leave a hot tub to answer the phone? Do diabetics get a raw deal in this movie? Why does Sil's intelligence fluctuate depending on what the script requires? It is all here, and it is all hilarious.

This Species 1995 Movie Review is full of nostalgia, stupidity and sci-fi sleaze, but above all, it is pure Born to Watch. Strap in for '90s madness, a whole lot of snobs chat, and plenty of laughs as the boys relive one of the most chaotic creature features ever made.

JOIN THE CONVERSATION

• Is Species the most outrageous sci-fi horror of the '90s, or just the most unforgettable?
• Did Natasha Henstridge redefine the term B-grade icon?
• Would you have survived Sill's mating spree, or ended up like poor Rapey Robbie?

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