Spoilers Alien: Earth Spoiler Thread

[dragoner]

There is no other Alien movie. If you think that there was a movie after Alien3, then you're wrong. That was a terrible dream.

Banish you, it has Ron Perlman. While Resurrection and Prometheus have terrible stories, they are well made; curiously enough also similar to RPG sessions, (or ironically). I saw Alien in the theater, and while Dallas was in the air ducts, a woman started uncontrollably screaming so they had to turn up the lights. Paraphrasing Sam Raimi it's an immortal classic. Same as Aliens, though it's way more an action film than Alien. Mixing Alien, Blade Runner, and Predator into the same universe would make for a good setting. One has to be connoisseur of cheesy sci-fi to appreciate these movies though.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

Banish you, it has Ron Perlman. While Resurrection and Prometheus have terrible stories, they are well made; curiously enough also similar to RPG sessions, (or ironically). I saw Alien in the theater, and while Dallas was in the air ducts, a woman started uncontrollably screaming so they had to turn up the lights. Paraphrasing Sam Raimi it's an immortal classic. Same as Aliens, though it's way more an action film than Alien. Mixing Alien, Blade Runner, and Predator into the same universe would make for a good setting. One has to be connoisseur of cheesy sci-fi to appreciate these movies though.

Hey, I love Ron Perlman. Forget the usual stuff, because Name of the Rose? Cronos? Drive? But no one bats 1.000

The .... non-existent fourth Alien movie ... it's not an Alien movie. I will acknowledge that it is creditably directed (Jeunet is no slouch) but the cinematography isn't a match for the material. And the Joss Whedon script is definitely not a match for the material. I am confident in saying that almost everything about it does not work, in perfect disharmony, to create what I can only describe as the "Anti-Alien" movie.

But that's, just, my opinion man.

 

[dragoner]

Hey, I love Ron Perlman. Forget the usual stuff, because Name of the Rose? Cronos? Drive? But no one bats 1.000

The .... non-existent fourth Alien movie ... it's not an Alien movie. I will acknowledge that it is creditably directed (Jeunet is no slouch) but the cinematography isn't a match for the material. And the Joss Whedon script is definitely not a match for the material. I am confident in saying that almost everything about it does not work, in perfect disharmony, to create what I can only describe as the "Anti-Alien" movie.

But that's, just, my opinion man.

Yes, because then you would hate City of Lost Children, and that would be absurd. I would say even the worst of the movies essentially work, it's a hardy setting, the worst film, is in fact one of the AVP's. The straight Alien ones are at least all watchable.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

Yes, because then you would hate City of Lost Children, and that would be absurd. I would say even the worst of the movies essentially work, it's a hardy setting, the worst film, is in fact one of the AVP's. The straight Alien ones are at least all watchable.

Well, as you saw from my rankings, I don't even consider the AvP movies Alien movies.

....or movies, really.

 

[Nikosandros]

Well, they say kill your darlings, right?
I think that Vincent Ward and David Fincher weren't really thinking about Alien3 in terms of being the stewards of a franchise (After all, apart from maybe Bond and Star Trek, these sprawling franchises with ten or more movies and a streaming series on the side just didn't exist back then. Star Wars was a franchise, yes, but it was still only three movies. Okay, five, if you want to count the wacky stuff). They just wanted to make that one movie. And I think that used to be a strength of the franchise - that it didn't really behave like a franchise. Each of the first three entries had its own artistic integrity. They didn't want to set up a sequel, keeping all characters that might be needed available. They wanted to tell a story. And Alien 3 had no qualms about nuking the previous movie from orbit to do that. And I really respect that.

Exactly! I posted this earlier, but I really feel that it is best to see each Alien movie as a variation on a theme, with very different stylistic and narrative choices. Sure, they pretend to be sequels and (at least at the beginning of each one) go through the motions of being sequels, but, IMO, if you ignore that, they work much better.

And I actually like Alien3. There, I've said it.

 

[dragoner]

Well, as you saw from my rankings, I don't even consider the AvP movies Alien movies.

....or movies, really.

Sure, and why I say that you have to be a connoisseur of cheesy sci-fi to appreciate them. Tying all three into an 80's dystopia is sort of genius. Plus for the criticisms of Prometheus, it does have Noomi Rapace, and Idris Alba, such a good cast. The herpetologist touching the alien snake? I have a friend who worked at the aquarium in San Francisco, and he is exactly that guy, I think it is a badge of honor as to how many weird animals they have been bitten by.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Sure, and why I say that you have to be a connoisseur of cheesy sci-fi to appreciate them. Tying all three into an 80's dystopia is sort of genius. Plus for the criticisms of Prometheus, it does have Noomi Rapace, and Idris Alba, such a good cast. The herpetologist touching the alien snake? I have a friend who worked at the aquarium in San Francisco, and he is exactly that guy, I think it is a badge of honor as to how many weird animals they have been bitten by.

Yeah, that part never bothered me as much as it did some people. I have had smart coworkers put themselves in life-threatening situations due to enthusiasm. It definitely happens.

 

[Swanosaurus]

Yeah, that part never bothered me as much as it did some people. I have had smart coworkers put themselves in life-threatening situations due to enthusiasm. It definitely happens.

I'd be fine with all the stupid stuff in Prometheus, but I just hate the engineers. Such a disappointing demystification of the pilot.

 

[dragoner]

I'd be fine with all the stupid stuff in Prometheus, but I just hate the engineers. Such a disappointing demystification of the pilot.

Esp the opening scene, if it is before all life on Earth, it's nonsense.

Yeah, that part never bothered me as much as it did some people. I have had smart coworkers put themselves in life-threatening situations due to enthusiasm. It definitely happens.

Herpetologists aren't doing it for the money, that is for sure.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

I still don't get it. How is collecting alien specimens related to a false sense of security?

It's not.

It's the first thing you see in the show (IIRC)

It's foreshadowing what's going to happen more broadly. It's irrelevant that it's a ship, it's irrelevant that it's collecting specimens. It's a theme, if we're going with the "EXTREMELY ON THE NOSE" approach the show seems to be taking more broadly.

That's my guess on the name anyway - they do make sure you see the name as it goes past, which I supports this, because what, Western man/woman/nb does the word "Maginot" say to you? It says failure of defences. It says your expensive and extensive plans and preparations are worthless. It says "arrogance" and "failure to anticipate". It says you're looking in the wrong direction.

I could be totally wrong but it is a peculiar name.

There's another "On the nose" name - "Best Laid Plans" - bit of a more Banksian vibe. Or "Mice and Men" but then we'd just expect someone to get Lennie'd.

EDIT - If it's SUPER DUPER on the nose, the biggest threat will not be any of the aliens on the Maginot. It'll be the Hybrids. Because you're getting hit from an angle you weren't ready for.

EDIT EDIT - Looked to see what people online thought - a lot of people seem to be taking it as more literally meaning the containment of the species inside the ship will fail but like, duh, come on, that's not even a theme, it's Alien show, obviously that will happen. Some people do think similarly that it's theme-related though.