Aliens: The Quintessential SciFi/Action movie

[s/LaSH]

as to the All-Time Greatest tag, I have to muddy the waters and nominate Blade Runner and Terminator 2: Judgement Day (hmm, there's Ridley Scott and James Cameron again).

I hate to be contrary and kick up a fuss (again), but I always preferred the original Terminator to T2. It just seemed more purely relentless, and the heroes were screwed if they tried to stand and fight. Unlike T2, where they had a juggernaught on their side.

Now, on to the subject of Director's Cuts...

Is there anyone who doesn't like director's cuts better than the original? If so, then why do the cuts of material that's put back in later get made in the first place? I suppose I'll just blame the studios and leave it at that. Of course, Peter Jackson tells you all about it on the DVD releases of LotR, and him I'll excuse... he seems to know what he's doing.

 

[Kai Lord]

WHY were the sentry scenes cut out? Anyone know?

Yes, it was because of time constraints. In 1986 it wasn't as fashionable to release two and half to three hour films, especially action movies.

 

[Dark Jezter]

there's some real interesting stuff in the Alien Series documentary, which might be on the dvd (I saw it on television): several scripts for Alien 3 were rejected, including one written by William Gibson; Ridley was originally written to be a male character, and when they changed it to a woman they didn't alter any of the dialogue, they just had a secretary change all the pronouns; there were several interesting scenes in the first two movies that were deleted; Sigourney Weaver was angry that they deleted Ripley's daughter; Michael Biehn was angry that they killed Hicks, but Weaver thought it worked; Ridley Scott filmed his children in space-suits to make the exterior of the Nostromo look bigger. it's definitely worth a couple of hours if you're a fan.

I've actually read the Gibson script, and it was quite interesting. It almost definately would have made a better movie than the script they actually used.

Let's see what I can remember about the Gibson script... First off, the main character in the movie was Hicks. Ripley only had a small part (and she was in a coma for most of that), and Newt got sent away to live on Earth near the start of the movie. Anyways, the ever-present company (Weyland-Yutani Joint Stock Corperation) manages to get their hands on an Alien that was onboard the Sulaco (the ship used by the Colonial Marines), and they start doing genetic experements on it in a laberatory located inside a gigantic space station.

Somehow, the scientists manage make an alien "virus" that causes infected individuals to transform into an alien. What happens next shouldn't surprise anyone: the virus gets loose and starts infecting people in the space station. Chaos ensues, and it's up to Hicks (who happens to be on the space station) to help the few survivors of the epidemic escape from the space station and avoid being eaten by the aliens. He also has to self-destruct the station so that the aliens won't spread to Earth.

I'll admit that the idea of the alien virus sounds kinda silly, but I still think it would have made for a better movie than the one appeared.

 

[Olive]

I actually quite liked alien3... try to forget it's an alien movie, and see how you enjoy it then.

 

[John Crichton]

Aliens is one of the greatest sci-fi/action films of all time, no doubt. Too bad that Alien 3 and Alien Resurrection were so... mediocre.

I'm still bitter that whoever wrote the script for Alien 3 decided to kill off Hicks.

They really dropped the ball for 3. They had a great director (David Fincher: Fight Club, The Game, Se7en) who's movie-making motto is "I like to make movies that scar" and it still wasn't very good. It's understandable that it was following one of the great scifi/horror/action films of all time but still. I was upset that Newt and Hicks weren't in it, too.

I actually haven't seen 3 since it was in the theaters. I have been meaning to watch it again just to see if my opinion has changed with the years.

As for it being the quintessential SciFi/Action movie, I would say that it is one of them but even Aliens owes something to Star Wars, the first and scifi/action/summer blockbuster flick.

 

[reapersaurus]

Just to let anyone know who doesn't know:
there's a HUGE DVD antholgoy coming out, apparently Dec 1st 2003 :
http://forums.dvdfile.com/interactive/forum/showthread.php?t=35502&highlight=quadrilogy
http://forums.dvdfile.com/interactive/forum/showthread.php?t=27786&highlight=quadrilogy
http://www.dvdboxoffice.com/descrip...=MAIN&s=gg&rate=USD++-1.3500++++&pid=90039647

 

[Pants]

As for it being the quintessential SciFi/Action movie, I would say that it is one of them but even Aliens owes something to Star Wars, the first and scifi/action/summer blockbuster flick.

Yeah, maybe, but Star Wars lacks a certain visceral feeling that Alien/Aliens has. Don't get me wrong, I love my Star Wars, but I like both on different levels.

 

[John Crichton]

Yeah, maybe, but Star Wars lacks a certain visceral feeling that Alien/Aliens has. Don't get me wrong, I love my Star Wars, but I like both on different levels.

I agree, they are certainly different kinds of movies. However, when discussing quintessential scifi/action films, Star Wars must be mentioned for without it most of the films that came after it would have never been made.

 

[Celtavian]

re

I just picked up the Special Edition version. Aliens is one awsome movie. The Special Edition actually improves on the original with the integrated footage. Great movie. One of the best Sci Fi/Action of ever.

I hope they can get Cameron back for an Aliens vs. Predator movie. James Cameron is one of the only directors I would trust to make a great movie out of two great Sci Fi concepts.

 

[John Crichton]

I hope they can get Cameron back for an Aliens vs. Predator movie. James Cameron is one of the only directors I would trust to make a great movie out of two great Sci Fi concepts.

That would be sweet but we're more likely to see an Aliens vs. Titanic before that happens. Cameron is one helluva director, I just wish he would hurry up and release another film soon. I know he is in love with the Titanic but I believe it may be time to move on...