Python
Super Freak
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.
Neill Blomkamp's ALIEN is official!
- Thread starter MagnumOpus
- Start date
Help Support Collector Freaks Forum:
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.
- Joined
- Apr 19, 2013
- Messages
- 10,980
- Reaction score
- 4,930
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.
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.
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.
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[...]
The alien was very dragon-like. Sinuous and nasty, from what I recall.
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.
About to crack open a lager and re-watch it. Pandemic Sunday Style.
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.
I've just put it on again myself
- Joined
- Apr 19, 2013
- Messages
- 10,980
- Reaction score
- 4,930
...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.
...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.
Last edited:
abake
Rex Tremendae Majestatis
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...
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...
...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.
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.
punisher1974
Super Freak
Alien 3 director's cut is a good movie. Resurrection is just trash. I liked the aliens swimming though.
Python
Super Freak
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....
- Joined
- Apr 19, 2013
- Messages
- 10,980
- Reaction score
- 4,930
Just the theatrical cut.
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.
Agreed. Haven't revisited yet but from what I recall, agreed.
That's a tough one. These are cruel films, and her incinerator dive is pretty gnarly too, so ...
Twitter is telling me that Ian Holm has died....
abake
Rex Tremendae Majestatis
Yeah, sad.
But, the man was 88, that's a pretty respectable age to go.
But, the man was 88, that's a pretty respectable age to go.
- Joined
- Apr 19, 2013
- Messages
- 10,980
- Reaction score
- 4,930
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.
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.
abake
Rex Tremendae Majestatis
It's a fantastic score, very nice after Aliens' somewhat generic action-movie score.
The first part of your post was good, I'll give you that 
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)
screamingmetal
Super Freak
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.
