Alien Series

The Best of the Alien Films?


  • Total voters
    91

Dr. Gonzo

New member
I have a feeling Scott will steer it into "R" territory any how...
This was the baby that really launched him, he won't hold back.
 

Montana Smith

Active member
Dr. Gonzo said:
I have a feeling Scott will steer it into "R" territory any how...
This was the baby that really launched him, he won't hold back.

Ridley does have a history of doing things the way he wants, so hopefully this time won't be any different.
 

teampunk

Member
i don't really see the pg-13 being much of an issue for aliens. i mean, if the original alien came out today it would be pg or pg-13. it's amazing how tame old R movie seem today.
 

Montana Smith

Active member
teampunk said:
i don't really see the pg-13 being much of an issue for aliens. i mean, if the original alien came out today it would be pg or pg-13. it's amazing how tame old R movie seem today.

John Hurt's exploding gut was a shocker back then. Ridley even managed to shock the actors with the amount of 'blood' that hit them. Ratings are all over the place nowadays, depending on current sensitivites.

Much of the horror in Alien was the level of menace the creature generated.
 

Montana Smith

Active member
Just saw this artwork. An intellectual AvP, sorting their differences out in a gentleman's club!

AVPCHESS.jpg
 

AgentBelloq

New member
Aliens. I love it, it's a brilliant action movie with good performances and more aliens than you can care to count.

I enjoyed Alien but it's definatly not as good as the sequel. In fact some bits of Alien bored me and I just wanted something to happen.

Alien 3 was bad, and Resurrection was OK, but it was'ent as good as Alien. When they make the prequel I hope it is as good as the first and second films but it should never try to be better. Because in the case of most sequels and prequels if it tries to be better it usually falls flat on it's face.
 

TheMutt92

New member

Montana Smith

Active member
TheMutt92 said:
Alien no more...

That's a bit of a turn around.

Here?s what Ridley scott has to say about the film:

"While Alien was indeed the jumping off point for this project, out of the creative process evolved a new, grand mythology and universe in which this original story takes place. The keen fan will recognize strands of Alien?s DNA, so to speak, but the ideas tackled in this film are unique, large and provocative. I couldn?t be more pleased to have found the singular tale I?d been searching for, and finally return to this genre that?s so close to my heart."

Damon Lindelof seems to agree:

"In a world flooded with prequels, sequels and reboots, I was incredibly struck by just how original Ridley?s vision was for this movie. It?s daring, visceral and hopefully, the last thing anyone expects."

So, "a new, grand mythology", instead of the old grand mythology.

Not sure how to take this at the moment, if it's going to Alien inspired, but not Alien related.
 

teampunk

Member
i got the alien blu ray set for christmas and after watching it i would like to chance my vote from aliens to alien as the best of the series. i was shocked at how much i liked it, and how good it looked. on blu-ray it looks spectacular. it's like a whole different movie. aliens is still one of the top action flicks of all time. but after watching aliens again you can really see how lame and weak avatar is.
 

Montana Smith

Active member
The Man said:
Scott or not, Fox will do their damnedest to f*ck this up.

That reminds me of the Family Guy episode "North-by-North Quahog", that begins:

Peter: Everybody, I got bad news: We've been canceled!

Lois: Oh, no! Peter, how could they do that?

Peter: Well, unfortunately, Lois, there's just no more room on the schedule. We've just got to accept the fact that Fox has to make room for terrific shows like Dark Angel, Titus, Undeclared, Action, That 80's Show, Wonderfalls, Fastlane, Andy Richter Controls the Universe, Skin, Girl's Club, Cracking Up, The Pitts, Firefly, Get Real, Freaky Links, Wanda at Large, Costello, The Lone Gunmen, A Minute with Stan Hooper, Normal, Ohio, Pasadena, Harsh Realm, Keen Eddie, The Street, American Embassy, Cedric the Entertainer, The Tick, Luis, and Greg the Bunny.

Lois: Is there no hope?

Peter: Well, I suppose if all those shows go down the tubes we might have a shot.
 

The Man

Well-known member
Signing on...

Charlize Theron has inked a deal to star in "Prometheus" for Twentieth Century Fox.






EDIT: Oi, 92! Since 'twas you who broke the big news of late, perhaps you should open a spanking new thread for this...
 

TheMutt92

New member
The Man said:
EDIT: Oi, 92! Since 'twas you who broke the big news of late, perhaps you should open a spanking new thread for this...

Or maybe not...? This whole business is confusing me... I just got through watching Alien and Aliens for the first time (I'm in the beginning phase of an Alien/Predator marathon), so maybe I'm missing something?

http://www.slashfilm.com/prometheus/

“Oh, absolutely. There’s a definite connecting vein,. You realize you’re part of something else, but it’s definitely in keeping with the old ones.” … “When I read it, I was like, ‘Well, okay, another Alien. Where do you go with this idea?’ And then I sort of read the script, and it’s new, yet it’s in keeping with the old traditions as well. But there’s a whole new revelation within this film.” …. “The first ‘Alien’ [movies], they were thrillers. Something’s going on. It’s creeping, it’s sinister. Things are happening, it’s building, [and there are] different sorts of intrigues and politics going on between the different relationships on board. There’s action in it,” he said, “but the intelligence is what struck me when I read it. It’s more sort of like the original ones. There are things happening and building, and the intelligence of the first two-thirds of the film gets you ready for the action.”
 

Dr. Gonzo

New member
TheMutt92 said:

Well Francis Ford Coppola wanted to have the last Godfather film be called "The Death of Michael Corleone" Paramount superseded his decision and slapped the title "Godfather Part III" on the film. Generally most people dislike the godfather 3, would it have made a difference if the film would have been titled as originally intended? who knows.
Maybe Scott see's the fact that most "Alien" franchise fans might be disappointed with the lack of actual "alien" (xenomorph) material in this prequel and is therefore disassociating this film with the franchise name and saving the film from future criticism from those fans...
 

Montana Smith

Active member
It's still very confusing what they're getting at at the moment.

The older quote again:

Much of the story is being kept under wraps, but Scott has said the movie will have the “Alien DNA”, whatever that means. The project has become something “more original,” an the Jon Spaihts draft has been reworked by Scott and Damon Lindelof. Scott says Prometheus has “a new, grand mythology and universe in which this original story takes place” and “the ideas tackled in this film are unique, large and provocative.” Damon Lindelof has called the project “daring, visceral and hopefully, the last thing anyone expects.”

A "new grand mythology and universe" sounds like it takes the story out of the timeline and universe of Alien 1-4. Yet supposedly it will have the "Alien DNA": question is are they being literal with "DNA". Will these be the same xenomorphs, but transplanted into another universe unrelated to the stories we're already familiar with on screen? Like another shot at the tale from a completely new angle.

The common usage of “Prometheus” is a character in Greek mythology, a Titan, “a champion of mankind, known for his wily intelligence, who stole fire from Zeus and gave it to mortals” according to Wikipedia. That notion of taking from the more fortunate to help the less fortunate fits in perfectly with what the guys at ScriptFlags think Prometheus is in the new Scott film. Apparently, in one of Spaihts’s other scripts called Shadow 19, there’s a terraforming ship that’s called…you guessed it, Prometheus. Terraforming is the idea of physically making other planets habitable because of Earth’s decline which has become a regular theme in modern science fiction.

Fire is also a metaphor for knowledge and revolution (the awakening of man's consciousness to his predicament) - as in William Blake's poem, The Tyger. Fire burns away ignorance, bringing light to darkness. It's also dangerous, since man is also stepping into a 'brave new world'.

Therefore, to me, Prometheus implies man (or another species) metaphorically stealing the knowledge of creation - which the quote suggests by terraforming. It then suggests, to me, that it's not the creation of new worlds that man is engaging in, but new species. Man (or another species) may be the creator of the xenomorphs. Though, since Prometheus will only share the "Alien DNA", these primitive xenos may not yet resemble anything we've already seen.

Alien 5 was originally going to be about the Space Jockeys, so that would tie in with the idea of Prometheus, but possibly set much further back in time.
 

TheMutt92

New member
So this weekend I'm going through all the Alien/Predator films (in order of release). I've just made it through all the Alien films, and must admit I was both excited and disappointed. I'm gonna be in a minority here by agreeing w/ Resident Alien's opinion: I'm surprised a lot of people believe Aliens to be the best in the franchise, and sometimes even the greatest sci-fi film of all time. Here's my analysis of each film, and in ranking order from best to worst.

Alien - (4/5, maybe a 5/5) the original and the greatest. Perfect example of atmospheric tension and horror. What Ridley Scott managed to do w/ few sets, a couple of actors, one monster, and the lighting is a testimony to his skill as a director. Its Jaws in space, and one of the greatest sci-fi films of all time.

Aliens - (4/5) a solid action film. I give Cameron props for taking the initiative w/ this sequel and not making it a retread of the first. With that said, my main grip is that the film feels bloated to me. Its not until the second half that the film takes off, and even then it feels longer than it needs to be. I'm not opposed to long movies (in fact some of my fav films are around the 3 hr mark), and I understand the need to build up tension in the first half and not show the aliens, but it still felt about 30 minutes longer than need be.

Alien3 - (3/5) the most interesting of the franchise. But I have to admit, this is where the franchise starts losing it. Killing off Hicks and Newt is the worst thing they could've done. They spend all that time at the end of Aliens rescuing Newt only to kill her offscreen within the first two minutes of the film, while Hicks would've been a great character to carry on. And also, Ripley shouldn't have been in this one, or at least as the main character. Hicks would've been a more reasonable lead, w/ Ripley and Newt living in peace somewhere. Its something the franchise should've followed: the survivor of the previous film is the lead in the next.

But we're stuck w/ the film we got. I have to commend Fincher's direction (although I'm not sure how much was actually him) and the cinematography. And the story, while obviously neutered from what was previously put together, is still interesting. The religious aspects, all male society, etc.

Alien: Resurrection - (2/5) weird, at times laughable. It feels more like fan fiction or a spin off than a sequel to any of the other films. Its actually kinda embarrassing.

As a whole, Alien is an interesting franchise. It starts off w/ a bang, shows promise as a franchise, but pretty much shoots itself in the foot. My one major complaint is how repetitive the films are to an extent: alien on ship/planet, company wants to experiment/bring it back to earth, alien wreaks havoc, heroes kill alien, alien manages to survive for the next film. In one of the films at least the alien should've made it to earth. This would've made for a more interesting finale to the series.
 
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