Ridley Scott's Alien (1979)

Discussion in 'Visual Arts' started by mj_patrick, Jun 30, 2014.

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  1. I agree with you, I'd also add Moving Pictures. But movie wise we got so many great pictues on the 70's and the 90's with so many silly and forgettable movies in between in the 80's.
     
  2. Oatsdad

    Oatsdad Oat, Biscuits, Abbie & Mitzi: Best Dogs Ever

    Location:
    Alexandria VA
    Can someone retitle this as the "'Aliens' Hate Thread"? :cry:
     
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  3. Manimal

    Manimal Forum Resident

    Location:
    Southern US
    Watched it the other night. The opening scene with the computer noises and lighting is creepy genius.
     
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  4. Neil Anderson

    Neil Anderson Forum Resident

    Location:
    Portland, Oregon
    Why did they put the self-destruct button in the middle of the ship instead of next to the door, so that you could hop into an escape pod immediately?
     
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  5. Because it created suspense. It's movie logic.
     
  6. Neil Anderson

    Neil Anderson Forum Resident

    Location:
    Portland, Oregon
    more like movie illogic
     
  7. Dillydipper

    Dillydipper Space-Age luddite

    Location:
    Central PA
    Because The Company didn't want to make it easy to destroy one of the buggers...? :idea:
     
  8. Neil Anderson

    Neil Anderson Forum Resident

    Location:
    Portland, Oregon
    putting the self-destruct button in the middle of the ship doesn't make it harder to destroy. it makes it harder to survive the destruction.
     
  9. It certainly gives you second thoughts when an alien is between you and the escape ship. "blow up the ship....maybe not. at.this.moment."
     
  10. Veni Vidi Vici

    Veni Vidi Vici Forum Resident

    Location:
    Chicago, IL
    Yes, it's a bit disturbing. "Aliens" is a masterpiece.
     
  11. Neil Anderson

    Neil Anderson Forum Resident

    Location:
    Portland, Oregon
    if the company wanted to make it hard to destroy, then why not just not install a self-destruct button?
     
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  12. Veni Vidi Vici

    Veni Vidi Vici Forum Resident

    Location:
    Chicago, IL
    I agree with this. I did like the auto-sentries, however. That is part of the appeal of "Aliens", it's a techie film.
     
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  13. I'm kidding.
     
  14. Although we know what happened (if we saw the earlier film), I think the introduction robs the film of some of its suspense and power. The opening sequence just isn't necessary to tell the story.
     
  15. Johnny66

    Johnny66 Laird of Boleskine

    Location:
    Australia.
    Absolutely. It cheapens the film somewhat, and feels like an unnecessary retread of Alien. Having the Marines descend to the deserted colony is much more effective. I recall seeing Aliens upon its release in 1986 and it played absolutely perfectly - no need for the Derelict, Newt's family, etc. I splurged all of my $4 fortnightly allowance a week later to see it again!
     
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  16. Oatsdad

    Oatsdad Oat, Biscuits, Abbie & Mitzi: Best Dogs Ever

    Location:
    Alexandria VA
    The early shots on LV-426 are perfect "deleted scenes" fodder. They're fun to see - in isolation.

    But as noted, they harm the movie. Granted, we can safely surmise what happened on LV-426 before the Marines arrive, but it's still more suspenseful without the early visit there.

    I guess Cameron thinks the scene humanizes the colonists more, but I don't think we need that sense. Outside of Newt, the movie's not about the colonists.

    I'm largely fine with the other additions, but the "Newt's family" scene makes the extended cut severely problematic...
     
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  17. Despite its flaws, I enjoyed "Covenant". The problem is that Scott started out wanting to make one kind of film and then, due to Fox and fanboy pressure, made it a more traditional styled "Alien" film.

    Is there an "Alien" UHD coming? Jeeze, I've bought this film so many times....I love it but at some point, like with your kids, you just have to say "enough". As to "The Predator" we really will never quite know what Black intended as Fox had him go back, reshoot large portions, restructure the narrative, change the characters, eliminating one completely. Whenever "suits" get involved in the filmmaking process, it's usually a disaster. It's clear that "improvements" that Fox asked for (probably due to screening feedback) altered the film significantly. It's ironic you should mention "Alien3" since it went through much the same process (although, in that case, I think it was even worse. It was so bad that Fancher refused to create a "Director's Cut" for the film--he wanted nothing to do with it). Putting a novice feature film director in charge of a project that massive was a mistake to begin with no matter how talented he turned out to be.
     
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  18. Indeed, today if something like that was shot it could be put on disc or on line as a short prequel. I think the other additions largely improve an already terrific movie but the opening is absolutely unnecessary.
     
  19. I think the theatrical cut is. As mentioned, the extended edition suffers from a beginning that is absolutely unnecessary because Newt briefly tells us what happened later. That's all we need to know. Now seeing the colonist in the station was kind of nice but, again, it wasn't essential to the narrative. There are some additional scenes in the special edition that are great and work well within the film but, unfortunately, we can't have one without the other.
     
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  20. DPM

    DPM Senior Member

    Location:
    Nevada, USA
    The auto-sentries were part of the movie when I saw it in the theater back in 1986 in Queens, NY. Later, when I purchased the movie on VHS in the mid 90s they were missing, and I wondered why they were removed. I didn't know that most theaters received a cut of the film that didn't have the auto-sentries to begin with. Strange.
     
  21. Veni Vidi Vici

    Veni Vidi Vici Forum Resident

    Location:
    Chicago, IL
    The scene I am thinking of is one, I believe, that only made the Director's Cut. Auto-sentries are mentioned in the theatrical cut, but IIRC in the DC they are shown being installed in the level above the ceiling where the survivors are holed up, there is a demonstration of them with some techno-babble, and then they are briefly seen blatting hordes of aliens until they run out of ammunition.
     
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  22. As I recall, yes, they are putting them in and testing them. It may not add to the film but it's a cool scene.
     
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  23. DPM

    DPM Senior Member

    Location:
    Nevada, USA
    Nope. It definitely made it out into some theaters. I saw that scene of those guns firing in the hallway in the theater in 1986. For whatever reason, the theater in which I saw Aliens had a different cut of the film.
     
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  24. Binni

    Binni Forum Resident

    Location:
    Iceland
    I´am 40 years old and I watched it for the first time tonight. No kidding. Loved it. Had seen Aliens many years and loved it as well. This one has more suspense though.
     
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  25. As I've been watching ALL Alien movies during this week and as my birthday will be in a few days look at what I bought for myself as a self-present.
    I've always loved the original Alien poster, its simplicity and the phrase "In space no one can hear you scream" says it all, get ready to see a damn good film with a great plot and some oustanding scary moments. After all those years, being almost 45 and having whatched Aliens countless of times (at least twice or three times a year) it still scares me and get me nervous.
    [​IMG]
     
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