Alien(s)

The first - It's one of the scariest movies I've ever seen. And despite multiple viewings, certain scenes still make me jump out of my seat. Excellent world building. Great cast. Good special effects, but the director doesn't rely on those alone to create a sense of dread. I love the scenes of Dallas scouting the ship through dark corridors. The sets don't look expensive but are well used.

Aliens. It’s my favorite movie. I think the original is just as high in quality, I just prefer action to horror.

The less said about everything that came after Aliens, the better.

I think the first two are both fantastic movies. The first is sci-fi/horror, and the second is sci-fi/action. They both do a great job of embracing their own sub-genre, have excellent performances with memorable characters, smart pacing, impressive productions, and special effects that still hold up really well today.

The first one. The acting and the mood makes it the true thriller of the eries.

Loved them. Great films that were truly suspenseful and terrifying, yet had enough human relatability, expressed through survival of the fight to survive and live, reminding us that while we may travail through light years and the multiverse, cohabitating or not, with aliens, aliens are still aliens, we’re only human... still.

And nope. Not interested in the aliens in these films. The Coneheads, however, always have a shot.

Although I prefer Alien, i think Aliens has is better for reviewing, I just find the first part of alien a Little boring now (after countless times seeing it).

Aliens. Brilliant movie, and doesn't look dated at all which is really something for a movie from the 80s.

OP I would fuck Bill Paxton, as he was very fucking cool.

They are both so different, so both one and two.

Aliens is my favorite by far. Then Alien, and then Alien VS. Predator. Hate the Joss Whedon one.

I hate the Millennial ones even more. Apocrypha!!!

I think the sexiest guy is Raoul Bova in A VS. P.

Raoul Bova was also a Gap model in 2003!

Michael Biehn, without question.

Alien

Yes, r8, bill pacton was so fucking sexy there. But even Hicks was sort of sexy.

Michael Biehn - space candy.

Is Paul Reiser supposed to be a weasely, evil gay in 'Aliens?'

That scene of Sigourney Weaver in her underwear in Alien makes it the best movie of the series for me. She was so young and fresh looking then.

Alien and Aliens are genius. Everything after is nearly unwatchable.

[quote]If you had to choose one guy to fuck in the 4 movies, who would you choose?

Ripley.

They're already planning Alien 5 with Sigourney.

Alien3 was perfect, r16, though I understand people may not like it, it is bleak

They moshtly come at night. Moshtly.

Alien3 is so terrible David Fincher won’t even acknowledge it, R19.

R19 Everyone is laughing at you.

Haha,I absolutely love alien 3, it maintains the whole thing , goes in different directions, has a bald Ripley and a devastating end .

I love the 80s ones because they have all that now-dated but then-high tech computer stuff. I watched "Aliens" recently and Ripley was definitely Skype-ing with someone- decades before it was invented.

I believe in "Alien" that the mission was not a salvage one, but to use them as human bait from the get-go- to trap monsters and study them.

I love Alien and Alien3. I prefer horrors that end on somber tones.

Personally I find Aliens to be like Terminator 2: too action-packed and big-budgeted. I prefer the grittier, lower budget feel of Alien, Alien3 and Terminator.

1. Aliens

2. Alien

3. Prometheus

Michael Biehn. Always thought he'd have a bigger career but I guess his drugginess kept that from happening.

Aliens is best, specifically the scene where Ripley gets in that machine and cat-fights the alien. Alien 3 was visually stunning and the ending was beautiful, but it drags a bit. They shouldn't have made Alien Resurrection, that was cinematic garbage.

Yes, Michael Biehn unfortunately had drug and alcohol issues that wrecked his career. It's too bad, because he had great screen presence.

R29 Lauren Bacall drove him to the booze.

I know it!s considered the worst but I thought Alien 4 was fun and suspenseful.

Michael Biehn did okay considering his issues. He was in three of the most iconic films of the '80s - and I maintain these are still James Cameron's best films - Terminator, Aliens and The Abyss.

I like all the Alien films, though Alien and Aliens remain the best. Sigourney Weaver was deservedly nominated for an Oscar for Aliens. She is absolutely fantastic in the movie. She holds it together, and it wouldn't be the same without her.

The recent death of Ian Holm reminded me of his great performance in Alien. It just goes to show how a subtle performance can reveal so much. He was brilliant as Ash. Terrifying, but never restoring to theatrics or mustache-twirling to get the point across.

Alien, Aliens. After that, drecky fun that is completely predictable. I wish they hewed to the Aliens vs. Predator comic book, as it was a great premise.

I have a thing for Fassbender, so I would stup him.

r24, Blade Runner had vid phones 4 years prior Aliens, Syd Mead was a master of sci fi prognostication.

Didn't Dick Tracy have a watch with something like facetime on it?

Michael Biehn will be in the second season of the Mandalorian, so here’s hoping he’s conquered his demons and gets a shot at reviving his career. His role is the Terminator actually required someone genuine talent to pull off - so much explanatory dialogue! - and it’s always been a shame that he didn’t have a bigger career.

[quote]I have a thing for Fassbender, so I would stup him.

And then he'd beat the shit out of you in a drunken rage.

I saw the director's cut versions of the first 3 movies about a month ago.

I like #1 (more than I did when I saw it in a theater years ago)

Love #2 (I mean, it's James Cameron)

#3 was only bearable, but I'll say the longer version makes it more watchable than when I tried watching the theatrical release on cable years ago.

I remember feeling so disappointed when I saw Alien 3 on opening weekend.

My favorite is the original 'Alien', which achieved so much with such economy. I love 'Aliens', since I love action movies, but also because it transcends pretty much any sequel I can recall, and has a heart of its own.

[quote]I hate the Millennial ones even more. Apocrypha!!!

Those films are so not part of the Alien universe for me that it took me second to realize what you were talking about.

"[R24], Blade Runner had vid phones 4 years prior Aliens"

Well if you want to nitpick..

Aliens doesn't freak you out as much as the original. It also loses points for having a child actor which basically ruins everything.

But r42, we wouldn't have THIS line:

Alien is so timely. Remember how Ripley fights to maintain quarantine protocols and won't open the hatch despite requests from the others. (Ash eventually defies her and opens it.)

Ripley would wear a mask nowadays.

[quote] It also loses points for having a child actor which basically ruins everything.

Normally I would agree with you, but they kept the kid to a minimum in Aliens.

I loved Vasquez! Her death scene always makes me sad, I wish she'd lived.

BTW, the actress who played Vasquez wasn't actually Latina. Expect "Aliens" to be cancelled by the Twitter mob soon lol!

Carrie Henn, the kid in Aliens, was actually pretty good. She also never acted again after making the film. And why would she when her filmography is perfect?

I saw a a reunion of the cast somewhere on youtube.

Henn was there. She became a teacher I think. She explains her father's job took them to London for a while and that is why she has that slight British accent.

r46 Vasquez's other famous role is so different. She is the Irish mother on Titanic who doesn't get her kids on a lifeboat and reads them a story as the boat sinks.

R49 Near Dark is her best role.

r49, I didn't like Near Dark as much as most seem to have. I thought she was terrific in T2 as Janelle, the bitchy foster mom.

Favorite Alien film? Aliens. Saw an extended cut recently and so many great moments were left out, including the scene where Ripley and Hicks tell each other their first names. Only about 20 seconds but it's weirdly sexy.

The Assembly Cut of Alien3 is very different from the one people saw in theaters and it's worth checking out. I bought the dvd even though it was expensive and it was well worth it.

As far as men I'd most like to fuck in the franchise, let's just admit it's "men who I'd quite like to fuck me" and I'd go for Private Mark Drake, Vasquez's best buddy. Sure, he's straight, but he's overloaded with hormones and I like to think he'd use me like a bitch, saying something like "you like this dick, fag?" as he's coming in my ass and then awkwardly say "Thanks" after he pulls out. So, in other words, he's PERFECT.

Alien 3 was such a shit show. It should have been David Fincher's big introduction to the big screen but that would have to wait a few more years. Apparently Sigourney didn't want guns in it; that's why there are no weapons. I hated that they killed off Newt and Hicks, but it kind of goes with the pessimistic mood of the entire film. At least all three of the first Alien films are tonally different but Aliens still connects perfectly to Aliens whereas Alien 3 is just way too different in tone from Aliens.

I also had problems with Alien 3. The quality just wasn't there like it was with the first two, which were amazing.

[quote] As far as men I'd most like to fuck in the franchise, let's just admit it's "men who I'd quite like to fuck me" and I'd go for Private Mark Drake, Vasquez's best buddy.

I'll go for the guy in the original whose dick was too big for the white shorts so it looks like they had to tape it in so it wouldn't fall out when he was getting out of the cryosleep chamber thing.

I've always liked Private Frost.

R54 Tom Skerrit?

Fans of this franchise who are also into video games should immediately play Alien Isolation. It tales you right inside the environment of the first movie and it is an absolutely terrifying game and overall experience. It’s the best video games that I have ever played, to be honest.

R54, no it's the guy who has the alien in his stomach. The guy who wakes up first. Not the greatest looking but I go for dick before looks.

R58 John Hurt.

No takers?

The original Alien.

I'd want to fuck Tom Hardy from Prometheus.

R61 that wasn’t Tom Hardy but the discount version. He also goes by Logan Marshall-Green.

I worked out next to Michael Biehn in a gym in London. Early 90s. He was ratfucking me in the mirror because, in those days, I was in great shape and had the full on biker/mc thing going on and I was in better shape than him. I guess he had a certain alpha male outlook at the time. Really, all I wanted to do was go up and say ‘Mate, you were in two of my favourite films’.

I doubt either of our lives turned out exactly as we imagined them.

Alien is the best. Flawlessly written and acted, interesting characters, devoid of cliche. The bit where the Alien’s tail/cock moves up between Lambert’s legs and then we see Ripley hearing her grunts and scream still disturbs me. That said, flawed as later films are I’ll always be a sucker for the franchise.

Was it Vasquez that went down with the officer in aliens? That scene really impacted me. Something about them being combative up to that point and then showing brotherhood at the end.

Aliens is my favourite. The chemistry between the cast is fantastic. And i'll take Ressurection over Alien 3 any day.

Yep, R64, that's the scene. Great and subtle performance from both of the actors here. It's kind of a quiet, immediately resigned sacrifice, rather than the "rah! rah! rah!" self-sacrifice you might normally get in an action movie.

R31, it was fun, until Ripley sinks into the floor. Total failure after that.

It's interesting how many movies tried to copy Alien's formula but don't close. A lot of these copies have a group of people that we don't get to really know all that well before all hell breaks loose but you don't give a shit about the people, but somehow in the original Alien they made all the characters feel like real people you would enjoy hanging with.

In "Aliens" they send a bunch of families to live and work on a planet where a hideous monster had emerged from. Isn't that so Republican?

R69 lmao

Of course Michael Biehn is the one you want to fuck.

As much as I hate redundant threads and repeating myself, I don't mind contributing here because the recent discussion got flamewalled.

But you should read the original thread.

ALIENS is my favorite because of the kick-ass action. There's a real contest that's exciting, whereas victims in the first movie are just victims and mostly helpless. There's more spectacle to Part 2.

I do think ALIEN is scarier. But ALIENS is damn scary enough!

Bill Paxton was a fundie nutjob.

But I wouldn't wish him into a giant pile of poo.

My favorite was Aliens, a great mix of suspense and action. Michael Biehn was great eye candy, but if I was a lesbian, Vasquez would have made my heart beat a little faster.

r19/ r23 is a contrarian, shit-stirring troll. Pay it no mind, just like ALIEN 3.

ALIEN 3 had a much bigger budget than ALIENS, r25.

That show went through so many re-shoots and re-designs it's disgusting. It was originally going to be an all-wooden planet, with all wooden/ Medieval technology.

What Fincher left you was simpler looking because they ran out of everything.

And action movies are great. I don't understand the hate or bias. There's no "either-or." ALIENS was horror AND action AND sci-fi.

You people trying to legitimize Part 3, PROMETHEUS or COVENANT need to just STOP.

Eventus stultorum magister.

(Events are the teachers of fools)

ALIEN: RESURRECTION had very interesting and heartbreaking themes.

But I wouldn't expect the fanboys to get that, so whatever.

Well. It was heart breaking...

Michael Biehn was in GRINDHOUSE, r35.

Ditto, r38.

I had ditched high school to go with my friends, the same group who ditched class to see Coppola's DRACULA.

We learned if we wanted to ditch class for opening day the movie was going to be AWFUL.

The water sequence in Aliens 4 was well done.

Newt's presence was NOT ruinous, r42.

ALIENS was still a Rated R movie for adults and action or horror movies without some kind of humanity at the center SUCK.

That video game was so terrifying and unfair, I couldn't finish it, r57.

I hated trying to do the campaign all alone against an alien hive — super terrifying and dark. But the game was also cheap at standard difficulty — I got stuck on some level where you have to enter some pitch black room where the aliens can attack from any direction without warning.

I couldn't find any way to defend myself and got sick of the white-knuckle terror.

I couldn't handle the video game of John Carpenter's THE THING, either. I can get through games like HALO because at least they give you A.I. allies to go in with you and Cortana is always keeping you company. These solo horror campaigns where you can't even co-op with friends just devastate me.

r58 has the hots for John Hurt.

Madness!

I liked 4. I liked how Ripley had to keep changing plans in the original. But it did get a little tired. The basketball scene when the Betty first showed up at the station made we want to suck ripley’s dick.

If you treat Alien Resurrection as a stand-alone film, it's pretty entertaining (in spite of Winona Ryder). It's only when you compare it to 1 and 2 that it's obviously lacking.

BTW why the fuck was such an empty void as Winona Ryder cast in every third movie back then? She is one of the worst actresses ever.

I like Winona but, yes, she was horrible in Alien Resurrection.

AR was never going to win over audiences simply because Ripley is not really Ripley. Sigourney was excellent as usual but people wanted the tough, resilient Ripley of the first two films, not the snarky hybrid in this film.

The original is a CLASSIC. A masterwork.

Aliens is LEGEND. Its one of the best sequels to a classic that is SO different from the predecessor. And Sigourney was outstanding.

Alien 3- I really liked. I know its the most divisive. I thought it was an interesting take, and worked well. It does seem VERY British-

Alien Resurrrection- Probably the worst of them all. But still a fun ride.

I did enjoy Prometheus on its own merits and was VERY entertained by Covenant.

ALIEN VS. PREDATOR II is hands-down the worst of the franchise. But followed closely by ALIEN 3.

Ridley Scott's sequels are GARBAGE franchise killers.

ALIEN VS. PREDATOR 2 is a revolting snuff film. There's nothing soulful or coherent about it. The hybrid egg tendrils impregnating human slaves via their throats will absolutely sicken you.

Nothing to care about there.

What we need to do is get a hold of the ALIEN 5 spec script written by DISTRICT 9 director Neill Blomkamp.

It ignored ALIENS 3 and 4 and returned classic Ripley. Sigourney Weaver said it was great and was eager to do it. She publicly promoted it and lobbied the studio to give the franchise over to Blomkamp.

But they chose Ridley Scott 🤮🤮🤮

That is saying a lot, because Sigourney Weaver is not shy about telling the media when she doesn't like a script or a production — even after she agrees to do them.

I love the second movie for its action thrills and wonky fascination with worldbuilding. But for me the only truly great film in the series is the first. It’s a brilliant nexus of writing, acting, directing and effects that’s literally never been equaled in a creature feature.

Actually my favorite scene in the movie was left on the editing room floor — the extended search for Jones by Brett in the cargo bay. It’s desolate sense of isolation and industrial decay is beautiful and terrifying. It’s in the directors cut and I strongly recommend watching just for that.

^^^ Its ... damn auto”correct”

I still think Sigourney and Cameron have one more Alien movie in them. Yes Sigourney's in her 70s now but you'd never know it, she's in fantastic shape.

AvP2 was the worst IMO because it was like nobody paid the light bill.

I still say Jones was in cahoots with the alien to kill everyone off.

Jones led Harry Dean Stanton to his death and as you hear his screams, the camera focuses on Jones with this look of satisfaction on his face.

Later we see the alien looking at Jones in the carrier but he never attacks or kills Jones. I bet Jones was discussing with him how best to kill Ripley.

As far as I'm concerned those crossover movies with Predator are trash for children.

Sigourney was funny about the predator movies. She knew nothing about them but heard there was a crossover storyline and aliens were involved. She thought that was neat, until she heard the predators were more powerful than aliens -- "oh well fuck that," she said.

R57 I didn't play it myself (too chicken shit). But the part where you have to sneak around while there are androids was terrifying.

Here are the top ALIEN films ranked from BEST to WORST.

1. ALIENS 2. ALIEN 3. ALIEN: RESURRECTION 4. ALIEN VS. PREDATOR 5. ALIEN: COVENANT 6. ALIEN: PROMETHEUS 7: ALIEN 3 6. ALIEN VS. PREDATOR 2

What happened after Aliens? It’s tragic how they ruined a good thing.

The first two were excellent. The best description comparing them I ever heard was that the first Alien was like a haunted house--scares jumped out at you from everywhere. The second was like a roller coaster--non-stop chills and thrills until the ride came to an end. Everything after that has been useless and unnecessary.

[quote]I had ditched high school to go with my friends, the same group who ditched class to see Coppola's DRACULA. We learned if we wanted to ditch class for opening day the movie was going to be AWFUL.

Heh - someone talked me about leaving work early to see premiere of he Village. Other than it being work rather than school -- it falls into line with AWFUL. My friend had it on her calendar for months. Never did that again.

I like Alien a bit better than Aliens, just because I like the suspense more than the 80's action, but both are great movies. For some reason I have not seen any of the others.

I would love for Sigourney to get one more great role and win an Oscar.

It’s really fucking ridiculous that Sigourney doesn’t have an Oscar.

I think what happened after Aliens is that there were too many cooks in the kitchen with Alien 3. Fincher, the studio, Sigourney not wanting guns, producers, etc. Also, Alien 3 killed off two beloved characters at the beginning and of course, the most beloved character in the franchise. Plus, it was a bleak downer when released in the summer. Blockbuster summer popcorn flick it wasn't.

I would never say Alien 3 is a good movie but there was something disturbing about it in parts.

Alien is my favorite. First saw it when I was five and loved it. The scenes of Dallas crawling around the air shafts looking for the alien were so intense, some of the most suspenseful scenes I’ve ever seen. I was disappointed we didn’t see him again after the alien took him, but I’m glad the director’s cut included the scene where we see him in the alien cocoon telling Ripley to kill him. Good closure.

I wouldn’t drink milk for a while after I first saw Alien b/c I thought that’s what Ash was leaking after he got his head knocked off, haha.

Captain Dallas was very handsome, and I loved his beard, but my choice would have to be Hicks.

Though, I agree that Drake would probably be a hot fuck.

Get down real deep like...

[Quote] Heh - someone talked me about leaving work early to see premiere of he Village. Other than it being work rather than school -- it falls into line with AWFUL. My friend had it on her calendar for months. Never did that again.

I remember my friends in high school were so excited to see that movie. It was hilarious to see their disappointed faces when I asked them how it was.

[quote] Bill Paxton was a fundie nutjob.

Ugh, is that true?

I never thought he was sexy or attractive until I saw him in Big Love. He exuded sex appeal even in the opening credits.

Alien and Aliens are both very good in different ways. The rest of it I can take or leave, mostly leave.

Jason Biehn was beautiful in Aliens.

I like watching some of the later movies just for the effects. I liked Idris in the one he did. But they are nowhere near the first two and never really come together IMO.

Idris did a good American accent in The Office but his accent in Prometheus was pure shit.

Why would he necessarily have an American accent the far in the future on a spacecraft? I know he made the classic American Rock references, But Brits have been ape shit over all that for decades.

The music in Prometheus was the best part. Though, the visuals when David turned on the star map thing in the Engineer’s cockpit were beautiful.

Story could have been better. I hated those morons who got left behind in the spaceship- the geologist and the other scientist.

Has it ever been mentioned exactly how far in the future the Alien films take place? I can't remember if that's ever been revealed or not.

Sigourney’s panties in the first film were from the Hanes 2052 fall collection.

Yes r121, the Holographic Orrery was beautiful.

Prometheus is a film that I like more as the years go by. But there are so many frustrating parts. And there are way too many stories going on and characters acting like morons. And yet I like lots of it.

I never heard that Paxton was a right wing nut.

This doesn't sound like a fundie or right winger:

The film Call Me by Your Name, released in November 2017, is dedicated to Paxton's memory. Peter Spears, producer of the film, explained that this was because his husband, Brian Swardstrom, who was also Paxton's best friend and agent, visited the set with Paxton during filming and befriended the film's director, Luca Guadagnino, who ultimately decided to dedicate the movie "in loving memory of Bill Paxton."

Well, FRAILTY is fundie Christian propaganda.

Yes, the films give the dates of their events.

ALIEN takes place in 2122 C.E.

Alien and Aliens are classics and I LOVE them, but Alien3 is my personal favorite.

It's just so dark and pessimistic.

^The expanded edition of Alien 3, not theatrical version.

Listen to Ridley Scott's narration in the "Alien" DVD extras on how a low budget caused them to get more creative. At one point he used his own kids in space suits to make a particular object look larger. The dead alien was partially composed of fresh oysters. I love stuff like that.

You can do amazing things with shadows, paint, dry ice, atmospheric music and good actors. But you have to be brilliant- not Edward D. Wood, Jr.

Yes r131. I was thinking about how accessible the tech was in the original. I am not surprised that they had to bootstrap some of it. It shows a real passion for the concept.

Like many productions it was hard to recreate the atmosphere of the original work. So having Aliens go in a different direction was smart. Most of the audience already had a relationship with Ripley and the themes of the movies were already established. Cameron was the ideal pick. Minimal but well done character development with a main course of kick ass.

r131, a lot of low budget tricks are dim lighting (so you don't see the crappy sets), wet surfaces, and smoke/fog, all which Alien utilized.

yes r131. The famous scene near the end of the alien wrapping its tail around Lambert was actually done with Harry Dean Stanton. Lambert was supposed to crawl away and die of fear while hiding but they never got around to filming it so they inserted part of what was supposed to be in Stanton's death.

R77

Fun fact:

Luca Guadagnino dedicated Call Me By Your Name to Bill Paxton.

Sigourney can do no wrong.

I don't think either of the effects you mentioned were due to budget constraints, r131.

I've always heard Ridley Scott describe in documentaries that he did those things because they were the best look they could give the film.

He said the real animal guts used for the alien egg and facehugger were the most realistic you could make those props look. "Nothing beats the real thing" or similar.

He also said using his children in space suits on the exterior of the Nostromo was just to double the size that a set looks. He would have used any children or dwarves.

Yes, both techniques saved a ton of money. But you're not going to spend any more than you have to on most any film budget. And there would be no desire to built a life-size replica of the Nostromo or rubber animal entrails or something. Not practical.

Excellent R137! Thanks for the post.

I hate it when people complain about special affects (I don't mean you R131) , on older movies. You have to have some kind of context.

To me, Tim Burton is the epitome of this situation. The sets for his older films had to be created. Think Edward Scissorhands or the Batman movies. Bringing those stories to film and needing sets that conveyed a sense of the project was a true creative en devour. When he went to CGI, that was lost and to me some of the sparkle of his movies.

I love the part about using the kids for scale enhancement. Things like that created what was, for the time, jaw dropping movie making at the time of its release.

r138, you've reminded me of "Bram Stoker's Dracula", which utilized all practical effects and looked amazing. Coppola knew what was coming with CGI and fought it with every fibre of his being.

I hadn't thought about that, R139. I agree completely. And thanks for not flaming me for calling them "special" effects.

I have a daughter who did set design in High School. While some of the schools had parents that would just buy expensive pieces for their kids or just stream up some lights, Her sets were mainly hand crafted and fluid with lots of moving parts. I got to watch her get better every year and even though her school had some questionable performances, her sets usually won the city competitions. Her Rent set won her the overall artist reward for the district and got her a modest scholarship. It was the first time that was awarded to someone in set design.

Sigorney can do no wrong indeed. Her acting in these movies , specifically the first ones, was really underrated. I think she gets a little self-conscious of the role in 3 and 4, though the screenplay asks for it, specially on the latter.

R141 truly. Her performance in ‘Aliens’ is one of the best in the genre. It would have been so cool for to win for it, but the fact that she was nominated for an action movie at all was pretty exciting.

I don't even think the "using children or dwarves in the long shots to increase scale" is an obsolete filming technique, r138.

I think lots of productions with modern CGI still prefer it because it's cheaper than CGI.

Wouldn't you still have to build the background, R143?

I loathe CGI. It looks so fake, so digital and non-dimensional.

r138 and others would enjoy any number of the documentaries about making the ALIEN movies.

Most of them are on the "Anthology" Blu Rays or "Quadrilogy" DVDs.

What's great about the "Making of" documentaries directed by Charles de Lauzirika for the "Quadrilogy" and later box sets is that they're feature-length and dish a LOT of dirt.

They were retrospectives and got lots of quotes from all the big players 25 years later. I am still amazed at how much dirt and candid assessments of trouble on the set that Fox allowed to be quoted. They're almost like E! TRUE HOLLYWOOD STORIES.

You can find most of the docs online for free.

A newer doc is MEMORY: THE ORIGINS OF ALIEN made to coincide with the 40th anniversary.

It tells you a lot of the influences that went into ALIEN and has some fans / "experts" waxing poetic about what they liked.

The Alien movie that annoys me the most is the one with Charlize Theron.

The big climax is when the ship is falling on her and she tries to outrun it. She runs straight ahead in hopes it won't fall on her. She could have easily stepped slightly to the right or slightly to the left and she'd have been ok. Dumb plotting.

And here is said running away scene set to "Yakety Sax."

Once more, with feeling:

Prometheus just has too many stupid characters who did stupid things. Otherwise, I do like it and it has interesting concepts.

Charlize's character was a one-note bitch who added nothing to the movie.

R150 Sigh, it is a very silly film.

[Quote] I am still amazed at how much dirt and candid assessments of trouble on the set that Fox allowed to be quoted. They're almost like E! TRUE HOLLYWOOD STORIES.

Care to give some examples??

r149, yeah, when I was watching that scene, I was internally screaming, "Run sideways, you dumb bitches!". I completely forgot Charlize was in because of Noomi. The best scene from that movie was Noomi's delivery scene, such great body horror.. Although the exponential growth of the xenomorphs is hilarious to me.

R154 agree, the “abortion” scene in Prometheus was totally riveting. Strange film - there were some good scenes in it but they didn’t come together quite right. And they could have written Charlize something better to play.

Try WRECKAGE AND RAGE: MAKING ALIEN 3, r153.

That production was a shitshow from start to finish. It went through four, different directors until David Fincher finally had to salvage something. The documentary actually interviews all four directors, including Renny Harlin and Vincent Ward, who trash the studio execs for interference and each other for messiness.

Fox DID censor 21 minutes of dish on the DVD Quadrilogy version. The uncensored version didn't come out until 2010 with the Blu Ray Anthology. But both versions had quite a lot of badmouthing and sour grapes. I was surprised at the candor back in 2003.

I have to hand it to director Charles de Lauzirika for artistic and journalistic integrity. He fought the studio over the censorship and even had his name taken off. Both versions are rather juicy and way beyond the typical "behind the scenes" fluff that studios normally release for publicity. A real investigative doc.

Actually, I don't think Fincher sat for an interview, but they have some footage of him from the time of filming (1992).

R150

Thank you for the comic relief, Darling.

To think of Nomi and Charlize as Hill's Angels...

[quote]Jason Biehn was beautiful in Aliens.

Michael Biehn.

And I find it hard to believe that Bill Paxton, who as a boy famously begged his dad to take him to see JFK give a speech the day Kennedy was assassinated, was a huge collector or art, and was close friends with Tom Hanks, was a fundie right-winger.