Coroner’s Corner – Species – Column

Coroner’s Corner

by John Bikowski

There wasn’t too much brewing in the fear department this summer. Probably the biggest flick that leapt from the screen was Species – an entertaining, yet ultimately disappointing Alien ripoff. The story concerns a genetic mutation, which develops into a young woman/kick-ass monster intent on mating with our male population and spreading its own kinds. Species has a great cast including Mike Madison (psycho cop-ripper from Reservoir Dogs) and Ben Kingsley (Ghandi himself from the same-named videocassette-shaped sleeping pill). The effects are also phenomenal – shape-shifting, face-crushing, spine-ripping, etc. And don’t forget the great creature design by H.R. Giger, who was responsible for the design in the Alien series. The computer-generated effects are cool, but sometimes I prefer a guy in a big rubber suit hiding in the shadows. One strange flow is that this creature grows from Petri dish to adolescence in a day or two. And from there to supermodel in a half hour or so. But then, by miracle, she stays in the garb of a supermodel for most of the rest of the film. Actually, let me take back my gripe, because the several nude scenes helped the dramatic flow.