The alien nerds..

[abake]

I really enjoyed Alien 3, both the theatrical and DVD version. But I still don't like how they had to kill off Hicks and Newt. I can totally understand why they did it, but I still really miss those characters in 3.

May I start a new discussion in this thread? Which versions of the films do you prefer? I like the special DVD editions more, for the most part. The 1992 Special Edition version of Aliens is much better, IMO.

Interesting.
I think this might need a new thread though...

 

[Darthrazz]

I've always enjoyed all the Alien movies in one capacity or the other. I'm particularly intrigued by the Alien Creature itself. What do we know about it?

Where/ what planet are they from?
How long do they live?
How long can eggs live?

 

[Shanester]

actually, i want to see the back story on the pilot alien from the 1st movie.
it looked like their technology was based on the Alien, or vice-versa.
yes, i know they were in the comics/novels, but those guys don't make movies for a reason.
i'd rather hear it from Ridley Scott, or Dan O'Bannon.

and i could give a crap if Ripley is in it, honestly.

I totally agree. I've always hoped we'd get a movie or, at least, a graphic novel, that explains the origins of the alien or maybe where the "pilot" first encountered the aliens.

 

[abake]

I have no interest in that whatsoever...
I like the mystery behind the Space Jockey and the aliens.

 

[Sachiel]

Doubt we'll ever get a good Alien (or even Predator) movie again.

It will just be more movies trying to be 'cool' and copying stuff from the originals so they can be 'nostalgic', made by people who 'loved' the originals and 'get' them, without any real respect to the creatures.

 

[Elder_Predator2]

I have no interest in that whatsoever...
I like the mystery behind the Space Jockey and the aliens.

I like to let my mind make up where they came from, so yeah, I guess I do like the mystery.

 

[inuka]

I have always imagined that the Alien is a master species with many sub-species of Aliens out there among the stars. I use that imagination to explain to myself why the Aliens depicted in the different Alien and AVP movies are slightly different from one another. Just like ants for example.

But alas, a quick check on the internet and Wikipedia will put rubbish to my imagination on the species and sub-species structure of my favourite movie monster.

 

[DPrime]

Found this while searching for custom Hot Toys heads, of all things...

What needs to be done is to ignore Alien 3 and Resurrection, same way they did with Superman Returns and Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. I mean, who cares if the third and fourth films have already been made? Will fans really be angry if the continuity isn't followed and we get a sequel to Aliens with Newt and Hicks? I don't think so.

Ripley's a great character and it would be great if Sigourney Weaver would return for this, as well as Michael Biehn and maybe even the original actor who played Newt. Aliens on Earth would be great but it might not have the same impact it could have, now that we've seen them on Earth in both AVP movies. Who knows? All I know is it'd be great to see Colonial Marines again and some of our favourite characters.

 

[Darth Cruel]

Is the "Space Jockey" supposed to be one of the Aliens or another species that was used as hosts by them. 2 reasons that I ask are:

1) It looks nothing like the Aliens to me, and:

2) The signal from it's ship turned out to be a warning to stay clear and not a distress call. If the Aliens race was sending it, they would have made it a distress call to lure other species to the spot.

 

[nicky]

What needs to be done is to ignore Alien 3 and Resurrection, same way they did with Superman Returns and Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles.

Ripley's a great character and it would be great if Sigourney Weaver would return for this, as well as Michael Biehn and maybe even the original actor who played Newt.

I think that's a terrible idea. Superman was a lone chararcter, we didnt have to worry about where everyone else fit in. SCC doesnt ignore T3 exactly, it just slips into a timeline before it happenes and besides, that's a TV SHOW spin-off.

You couldnt expect Weaver and co to pick up from Aliens over 22 yrs later just like that after Hicks and Newt were only in one instalment - only the fans remember them. As I said it worked for Superman cos he was only one character who could fit into any new story going back to a familiar setting, Superman Returns wasnt even a direct continuation.

 

[Nocturne]

Personally I felt Alien 3 was the perfect ending for the series, I always enjoyed it anyway and even more so with it's extended cut (although I prefer the theatrical cuts funeral scene) and hearing about what the studios forced onto David Fincher. I feel the film is very coherent, well acted with some great performances by Charles Dance, Charles S. Dutton and the late great Brian Glover. It returned the creature to a near invincible killing machine instead of cannon fodder and was a character driven story. I have a lot of time for Alien 3 along with the first 2. I just felt that a lot of people hated it because they didn't get another Aliens.

 

[Simone]

It was indeed, because it was the last part to put the emphasys on the creatures characteristics and development. Killing off the main protagonists from Aliens gave the creature lots of credability among true fans of the design because not only did it set things straight, it was a statement.

Aliens was great, but it wasn't a coincidence that AvP picked up many of Camerons foci such as the dramatical replication process/mass invation and the equation that size equals badassness. It's very unfortunate that it was exploited this way in the AVP merchandise but there is parallels.
In fact, everytime I watch the Doom movie (which could be seen as a more action reduced "ripoff" of Aliens) I'm thinking to myself what the feedback from the people who rank Aliens well above Part 1 and 3 would have been if they had used that framework for AvP.

 

[Nocturne]

Have else felt as the series has gone further and further away from the original concept both in Ridley's vision and more importantly Giger's. The Alien has just become another movie monster and not this horrifically beautiful work of biomechanical art. With each iteration it's become more organic as opposed to biomechanical. Too much flesh and not enough tubing. The first Alien is a work of art, of course it did have the advantage of it being constructed and sculpted by Giger himself before the suit was cast from the sculpts.

 

[FACEBOX]

I agree.
Aliens don't have that mystique anymore.
They have become simplistic and average. Like you put it, "another movie monster".

 

[Elder_Predator2]

They look all organic now, instead of bio organic

 

[nicky]

All I know is it'd be great to see Colonial Marines again and some of our favourite characters (Hicks & Newt).

The Alien series has always been solely about Ripley, no one else - even when Winona Ryder shared billing on the poster for Alien: Ressurrection (1997) I could see something was wrong and it was just didn't look right - Ripley is not supposed to have a sidekick.

Ripley was the last surviving member of The Nostromo (even the flight recorder at the end of Alien 3 said that perfectly ending the trilogy) - Ripley should also be the last and only survivor of the Alien series. Trying to change that by adding new (and surviving) sidekicks is like bringing Robin into Nolan's Batman movies - Batman works alone and it's all about him.

Maybe if Hicks was played by a big star he would have survived in Alien 3 but the series all about Ripley and it was Sigourney's star vehicle - her franchise and her's alone. Anyone else had to die the focus was kept on her.

 

[DPrime]

The Alien series has always been solely about Ripley, no one else - even when Winona Ryder shared billing on the poster for Alien: Ressurrection (1997) I could see something was wrong and it was just didn't look right - Ripley is not supposed to have a sidekick.

Ripley was the last surviving member of The Nostromo (even the flight recorder at the end of Alien 3 said that perfectly ending the trilogy) - Ripley should also be the last and only survivor of the Alien series. Trying to change that by adding new (and surviving) sidekicks is like bringing Robin into Nolan's Batman movies - Batman works alone and it's all about him.

See, I don't agree. The franchise is about the Alien more than anyone else. The Alien is the star, not Ripley - she just happens to be the human element needed in any monster movie to keep the audience involved. Yes, she happens to be a very good character, but I don't believe the franchise necessarily needs her.

I agree.
Aliens don't have that mystique anymore.
They have become simplistic and average. Like you put it, "another movie monster".

True. I think Resurrection may have been the turning point. I'll admit it - my beef with Alien 3 is that it just wasn't the movie I wanted to see, but it still has merit and is at least very dark, as it should be. Resurrection is just too light-hearted and campy.

 

[Blackhole]

Man, those Aliens are awesome, still the best movie monster...monster that is, not stuff like vampires or werewolves...I know what I mean...

Can't wait for the Colonial Marines game...finally, a game that wants to be Aliens that actually is...

 

[nicky]

See, I don't agree. The franchise is about the Alien more than anyone else. The Alien is the star, not Ripley - she just happens to be the human element needed in any monster movie to keep the audience involved. .

But it wasnt the same alien all the way thru the series whereas it was always Ripley. Ripley was a character who the audience went on a journey with and watched her life develop from scared fragile survivor woman to independant warrior to bitter and suicidal. We went on a journey with her, not the alien IMO. The alien wasnt really a character IMO - it was a Maguffin - somethign walking around killing people and breeing with no other purpose.

 

[Jmek]

Alien's my favourite film of all time. Aliens, although an excellent movie in it's own right, was not what I had hoped for in a sequel. Alien 3 has it's moments but is not cohesive. And the less said about Alien Ressurection the better.

Is the Alien the star of the films? Yes, but you need strong human character's to make it effective.