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I wonder how David Fincher feels about it these days....

It's so weird. If he had never done an Alien movie and it was announced now (or any time post-Se7en) that he was doing one it'd get people leaning forward in their seats.


Hasn't he pretty much distanced himself from it entirely? A shame really, he should be fairly proud of what he achieved given the circumstances.
 
[...] Wow, I *love* this movie! [...]

I remember enjoying it in the theatre. I was in particular a fan of the cinematography and production design.

I didn't feel great about Newt and Hicks being killed off, but at the time it wasn't a deal-breaker for me. Ripley's sacrifice as it played out did sort of take me out of it a bit, though. I remember thinking it was cheesy and unrealistic.

[...]The other thing that I found superior in the WP was Ripley's final pause in front of "Bishop II" before saying "no" and closing the gate in front of him. In the WP it's *incredibly* long. I'm talking like a full 10 seconds long! She just stands there, pondering and pondering and pondering, before deciding once and for all that no, she can never trust the company under any circumstances and resigns herself to her fate.[...]

I've only ever seen the theatrical cut. Would have given a lot more weight to her sacrifice, I think.

[...] (I even found the dated puppetry to be quite endearing) like few films from the 80's and 90's have. Thanks again for calling this out a-dev. :duff

Haven't seen it in years, but today's CG seldom holds up for me, it's too obviously CG, uncanny valley or something. I often prefer the puppetry. Especially since it often leads to a less-is-more approach.

[...]
Alien 3 is unfortunately maligned because of Hicks and Newt's demise, but it's a great movie, and the EE even more so.

I don't know how it could have been any other way. Certainly wouldn't have been the same film.

Golic is awesome. He's the reason I always called the A3 alien "the dragon". But everybody just insists on calling it the "dog-alien", so :dunno[...]

The alien was very dragon-like. Sinuous and nasty, from what I recall.

Good post, It's nice to see our numbers growing more and more in recent years. Maybe Alien 3 will finally receive the more widespread acclaim it deserves one day after all.

I can't remember having a major problem with it. If anything I may have been influenced by haters years later, but Aliens is my favourite anyway, so I wasn't that invested in the rest of the franchise.

Great to read those posts Khev, nice to so completely agree on this.

It disappoints me how many people still refuse to give Alien 3 a chance [...]

About to crack open a lager and re-watch it. Pandemic Sunday Style.
 
Hasn't he pretty much distanced himself from it entirely? A shame really, he should be fairly proud of what he achieved given the circumstances.

I believe he has. He doesn't talk about it and I don't think he had anything to do with putting together the extended cut.

About to crack open a lager and re-watch it. Pandemic Sunday Style.

I've just put it on again myself

vlcsnap-2020-06-15-00h47m54s744.jpg
 

:duff

...well...that didn't age quite so well for me. It actually has some really great moments, but I feel it's definitely a weaker film.

The placement of the egg on the Sulaco was something I had forgotten -- the location makes zero sense, and neither does the idea that Ripley and company wouldn't have thoroughly checked the ship after everything they'd just been through.

But I get that it was a clumsy plot device.

Not a bad way to kill a couple of hours, but not as satisfying a cinematic experience like Alien or Aliens.

Not sure I can bring myself to re-visit Resurrection at this time, but it may be entertaining in an over-the-top, campy way. Maybe.
 
:duff

...well...that didn't age quite so well for me. It actually has some really great moments, but I feel it's definitely a weaker film.

The placement of the egg on the Sulaco was something I had forgotten -- the location makes zero sense, and neither does the idea that Ripley and company wouldn't have thoroughly checked the ship after everything they'd just been through.

But I get that it was a clumsy plot device.

Not a bad way to kill a couple of hours, but not as satisfying a cinematic experience like Alien or Aliens.

Not sure I can bring myself to re-visit Resurrection at this time, but it may be entertaining in an over-the-top, campy way. Maybe.

I've approached Resurrection with a similar hopeful mindset many times but somehow, each time, that movie manages to disappoint me anew. I've just never discovered a love for it as I have Alien 3. To me it scarcely bears enough relation to the others in tone for me to consider it part of the same universe.

Yeah, the eggs on the Sulaco remain a big WTF, both as to how they got there and the unlikelihood that Ripley wouldn't make sure there were no more unpleasant surprises after her experiences now with two Alien stowaways (the other being the original Alien getting onto the shuttle). HISHE had fun with this in their Aliens vid.

Anywho, seems you've watched all the others lately, you might aswell try Resurrection again. Though I haven't been able to bring myself to do it after my latest viewings of the Alien OT.
 
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Resurrection really is a huge letdown...
There's some interesting ideas there, but the script isn't very good, and when Jeunet decided it was going to be a dark comedy or whatever, it just was all downhill from there...
 
:duff

...well...that didn't age quite so well for me. It actually has some really great moments, but I feel it's definitely a weaker film.

The placement of the egg on the Sulaco was something I had forgotten -- the location makes zero sense, and neither does the idea that Ripley and company wouldn't have thoroughly checked the ship after everything they'd just been through.

But I get that it was a clumsy plot device.

Not a bad way to kill a couple of hours, but not as satisfying a cinematic experience like Alien or Aliens.

Not sure I can bring myself to re-visit Resurrection at this time, but it may be entertaining in an over-the-top, campy way. Maybe.

Did you watch the Alien 3 SE or theatrical cut? Another bit with the SE that I prefer is not having the queen burst out of her as she's falling. That scene in the theatrical version showed that her death was imminent either way as opposed to her potentially killing herself when she COULD have been saved by the Company but simply refusing to let even her own life get in the way of denying them their prize.

As for A:Res, well I went ahead and watched the EE of that for the first time ever and other than the idiotic line about Walmart buying out Weyland-Yutani (FFS Joss), I prefer it to the theatrical. As a hard R 90's sci-fi thriller/dark comedy, well, I suppose it works as a passable way to kill a couple hours. As a continuation of the Alien trilogy? No, no, no. As a-dev said it feels like a completely different universe altogether even with the 200 year cushion. I just can't accept it.
 
Did you watch the Alien 3 SE or theatrical cut? Another bit with the SE that I prefer is not having the queen burst out of her as she's falling. That scene in the theatrical version showed that her death was imminent either way as opposed to her potentially killing herself when she COULD have been saved by the Company but simply refusing to let even her own life get in the way of denying them their prize.

Great point, I hadn't even thought of that. I too have preferred the special edition choice of no Queen-burster because the horror of an Alien bursting out of her chest was precisely a thing she wanted to avoid. To not even be spared that on top of all the other terror and tragedy she'd endured just seemed too cruel.

As for A:Res, well I went ahead and watched the EE of that for the first time ever and other than the idiotic line about Walmart buying out Weyland-Yutani (FFS Joss), I prefer it to the theatrical. As a hard R 90's sci-fi thriller/dark comedy, well, I suppose it works as a passable way to kill a couple hours. As a continuation of the Alien trilogy? No, no, no. As a-dev said it feels like a completely different universe altogether even with the 200 year cushion. I just can't accept it.

I've seen the SE of Res probably more than the theatrical at this point but not by choice - the version I seem to have just happens to be the SE. The opening shot of the CG fly is ridiculous, a total mismatch with the openings of the other movies - I feel like the beginning of the Theatrical cut was better though it's been a while since I saw it. Anyway it gets the film off to a really awful start and it pretty much continues in that vein. The characters, though visually interesting, just don't seem like real people at all, their lines of dialogue just feel like lines of dialogue. Even Sigourney couldn't salvage the human element because, well, this isn't really Ripley, it's not a continuation of the Ripley character so who even cares. And that leaves, what, the Aliens - their exposure in this movie completely strips them of any mystery and scariness. Maybe the Newborn could have compensated but the general tone of the movie makes you wonder if you're supposed to be laughing when it's on screen. Just a total misfire.
 
Great point, I hadn't even thought of that. I too have preferred the special edition choice of no Queen-burster because the horror of an Alien bursting out of her chest was precisely a thing she wanted to avoid. To not even be spared that on top of all the other terror and tragedy she'd endured just seemed too cruel.



I've seen the SE of Res probably more than the theatrical at this point but not by choice - the version I seem to have just happens to be the SE. The opening shot of the CG fly is ridiculous, a total mismatch with the openings of the other movies - I feel like the beginning of the Theatrical cut was better though it's been a while since I saw it. Anyway it gets the film off to a really awful start and it pretty much continues in that vein. The characters, though visually interesting, just don't seem like real people at all, their lines of dialogue just feel like lines of dialogue. Even Sigourney couldn't salvage the human element because, well, this isn't really Ripley, it's not a continuation of the Ripley character so who even cares. And that leaves, what, the Aliens - their exposure in this movie completely strips them of any mystery and scariness. Maybe the Newborn could have compensated but the general tone of the movie makes you wonder if you're supposed to be laughing when it's on screen. Just a total misfire.

Alien 3 director's cut is a good movie. Resurrection is just trash. I liked the aliens swimming though.
 
Not sure which version I have in the blu ray box set, but I think I'll give Resurrection another watch myself soon. I've never really disliked it, in fact I quite enjoyed it when I was younger (Has it seriously been out for 23 years?? Damn...) But it is the weakest entry. It has a pretty decent cast however which does help. It's been a good few years since I watched it mind, maybe I'll feel differently now....
 
Did you watch the Alien 3 SE or theatrical cut?

Just the theatrical cut.

Another bit with the SE that I prefer is not having the queen burst out of her as she's falling. That scene in the theatrical version showed that her death was imminent either way as opposed to her potentially killing herself when she COULD have been saved by the Company but simply refusing to let even her own life get in the way of denying them their prize.

Yeah...I feel like that was there to spare the audience the idea that their hero burned to death in the plunge into a giant incinerator. Not that a chestburster is a good way to go.

Either way her serene expression and perfect high-dive form took me out of that scene every time, among other things.


As for A:Res, well I went ahead and watched the EE of that for the first time ever and other than the idiotic line about Walmart buying out Weyland-Yutani (FFS Joss), I prefer it to the theatrical. As a hard R 90's sci-fi thriller/dark comedy, well, I suppose it works as a passable way to kill a couple hours. As a continuation of the Alien trilogy? No, no, no. As a-dev said it feels like a completely different universe altogether even with the 200 year cushion. I just can't accept it.

Agreed. Haven't revisited yet but from what I recall, agreed.

Great point, I hadn't even thought of that. I too have preferred the special edition choice of no Queen-burster because the horror of an Alien bursting out of her chest was precisely a thing she wanted to avoid. To not even be spared that on top of all the other terror and tragedy she'd endured just seemed too cruel.

That's a tough one. These are cruel films, and her incinerator dive is pretty gnarly too, so ...
 
[...]
As for A:Res, well I went ahead and watched the EE of that for the first time ever and other than the idiotic line about Walmart buying out Weyland-Yutani (FFS Joss), I prefer it to the theatrical. As a hard R 90's sci-fi thriller/dark comedy, well, I suppose it works as a passable way to kill a couple hours. As a continuation of the Alien trilogy? No, no, no. As a-dev said it feels like a completely different universe altogether even with the 200 year cushion. I just can't accept it.

Finally re-visited. Not as bad as Prometheus, good for laughs but also completely tone-deaf. As you say, it just felt like somewhere else and that wasn't because of the time jump.
 
What's this? People talking about how great Alien 3 is?

Here's a hot take: best score in the series. Not only is it unique as far as film scores go, but much like the scene where the Dog Alien 'sniffs' Ripley, it's become a strong point of association with the entire franchise. Elliot Goldenthal created "the Alien sound" and video games, shorts, and other films have been calling back to it since. The haunting choral elements, the low horns that drone on like synthesizers, and the drama... good lord, the oppressive sense of drama that permeates every moment from the softest to the most bombastic. It hits you like a ton of lead, no pun intended.

 
It's a fantastic score, very nice after Aliens' somewhat generic action-movie score.

Horner's score for Aliens is so good that part of it was used for the ending of Die Hard. It's definitely up there with my favourite musical scores and I listen to it frequently. Absolutely love the little melody as the titles come up at the end as the camera lingers on the sleep pods... cannot agree that it sounds generic.








(though might agree that it sounds somewhat similar to wrath of khan)
 
Horner's Aliens score at times sounds exactly like his Wrath Of Khan (1982) score. I listen to it and can't help but think of WOK. Horner was so rushed to complete the Aliens score that you can't blame him for reusing parts of it. Still a great score for Aliens and WOK though.
 
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