ALIEN Franchise

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  • I may be the only one who likes all the Alien movies except Aliens.

    I haven t seen Alien vs Predator, so can t comment on that.

    Not counting the AvP movies (the second of which was sub SyFy Channel garbage, the first of which was surprisingly passable for a PG-13 AvP movie), Aliens has long been my least favorite of the four. The original is masterclass filmmaking—simply one of the greatest horror films of all time. Alien 3, in either its theatrical form or extended "director's" cut, hits all the right marks. It's deliciously dark and gory with all that wonderful Goldenthal brass and perfectly caps off the trilogy. Alien: Resurrection is pure guilty pleasure territory. Great cast, quirky oddball French aesthetic, cool action sequences. The only thing that lets it down is the awful final act with the newborn. That aside, it's the Alien film you can throw on late at night and shut your brain down to.

    Aliens has Michael Biehn and Bill Paxton and some very well executed suspense and action sequences. The Alien Queen is legendary as well. But it's lacking any particular artistic qualities (which appear throughout all three of its brethren) and at the end of the day is just kind of ridiculously overrated. I enjoy it, sure—that scene with the scampering facehuggers is fantastic—but it's the one I watch the least, by far.

    Blomkamp hasn't impressed me as a director. I was not fond of District 9 and have no interest in his other films. But I am intrigued by his Alien V if only for the chance to see Biehn and Weaver back in action. If they retconned 3 and Resurrection into oblivion, I'd be pissed, but if they somehow bring Biehn back into the fold while respecting all the existing films, I'd be game for another grand, action-packed Alien film. Otherwise I guess I'd just be interested in seeing the film as an alternate reality curiosity.
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    Aliens does have its moments like you said, but there is just too much mindless, boring cliche action in it.
  • Aliens does have its moments like you said, but there is just too much mindless, boring cliche action in it.

    Yes, it's very much a straight 80s action movie and doesn't quite fit into that whole "dark art" aesthetic that characterized the others. Very good performance from Sigourney though. It is notable that she was nominated for Aliens. An enormous, yet most welcome, surprise from the Academy.
  • ShardlakeShardlake Leeds, West Yorkshire, England
    Posts: 4,043
    Aliens is a great film and Cameron's 2nd best but it doesn't hold a candle to the original, I rank no. 3. Weaver is exceptional in this, its just the gung ho dialogue starts to grate after a while but most of the set pieces hit the mark. It's just the original is a masterpiece and this isn't.

    Aliens has considerably dates whereas Alien looks timeless, all the model work looks stunning and it has such a sweep and class to it, easily no 1.

    Alien 3 would be my 2nd, the assembly cut, even this early Fincher's genius is on show, a great film and has far more of the spirit of the original, Fincher's left both Scott and Cameron considerably behind now, he has a track record the others would kill for.

    Resurrection is OK, some nice visual flourishes and Weaver is good as well as Perlman is always entertaining, the ending with the white alien is unforgivable.

    Though must say I find the moment Ripley discovers all the failed versions of their experiments quite powerful and disturbing, like it deserved a better film to showcase this.

    Prometheus was just a big let down and while AVP 1 was acceptable the 2nd one was complete garbage.

    I hold out hope for Covenant but will wait for any reviews before I commit to a theatrical visit.
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,372
    @Shardlake, 'Alien 3' would be much more heavily appreciated by me if they managed practical effects/animatronics with the Xenomorph. That flashy, CG puppet stuff is terrible to watch.
  • ShardlakeShardlake Leeds, West Yorkshire, England
    edited April 2017 Posts: 4,043
    Creasy47 wrote: »
    @Shardlake, 'Alien 3' would be much more heavily appreciated by me if they managed practical effects/animatronics with the Xenomorph. That flashy, CG puppet stuff is terrible to watch.

    I'll agree the CGI isn't great in some sequences but much preferred the 1 Xenomorph to loads running about in the previous film.
  • Posts: 5,767
    Alien is so wonderful because it´s a great film, while 2, 3 and 4 too much relied on Ripley and facehuggers and xenomorphs. That is why I think Prometheus is much better than it´s said to be.

    Anyway, I think it´s fun to have two lines to follow, Alien 1-4 on the one hand, and Alien-Prometheus-Covenant on the other hand. Provided Covenant is as good as it´s visuals suggest.

  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,372
    Some more images from the Empire magazine preview have dropped online. Beware, the article warns of them being spoiler-ish:

    http://collider.com/alien-covenant-images/#neomorph
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    That looks pretty disturbing.
  • edited April 2017 Posts: 5,767
    Saw those a few days ago on youtube. As disturbing as they are, they make me even more interested in this Prometheus-Covenant story. I can understand why Scott wants to pursue that, and I would find it believable that he didn´t do any Alien film all that time because he missed an interesting idea. The black goo feels more "natural" to me than the idea of an alien queen laying eggs (which nevertheless was a great story).

    All that of course would fall flat the moment the film doesn´t rock righteously.
  • ShardlakeShardlake Leeds, West Yorkshire, England
    Posts: 4,043
    I want Covenant to be good, May 13th will be an ideal time for me to want to go to the cinema before we go on holiday on the Monday.

    The thing is I'm waiting for the reviews if this gets similar to what Prometheus got I'll give it a pass.

    I just don't trust Ridley anymore and haven't for sometime, although I enjoyed The Martian, apart from that I can't think the last time I was impressed with what he put out, The Counsellor was utter garbage.

    I wished he'd done as Bladerunner and taken a production credit and got someone younger with zest to direct these films if they must continue with the franchise.

    Bladerunner 2049 is going to be one of the most awaited films of all 2017 and that is down to Villeneuve not Ridley Scott, the relief when I saw he'd handed the baton over to one of the most exciting directors on the planet, I knew that this project had a real shot at being special.

    I held out for Prometheus because it promised to be something different set in the same universe, the promise that it wouldn't lean back on the Alien films and this would be out where they came from and the origins of that spaceship.

    Yes and it did to a point but it couldn't help but lazily reference them by the end. I don't think the plan was to make the sequel so Alien like originally but the reaction to it made them change it's direction.

    The criticism was either that it was too familiar to the Alien films and didn't have the balls to stand on it's own feet or some just wanted another stand up Alien film and it seems from the trailer that they decided to go with the second camp and just give us more of the same.

    Yes these new beasts look different and have a new way of infecting their hosts and bursting out but it's essentially the same thing, they touch down on a planet and bring it back onto their ship, seriously where have we seen that before?

    I hope I'm wrong and it's not such a lazy photo copy with the odd new beat but one that isn't able to stand on it's own feet but from the trailers that is exactly what it looks like.
  • Posts: 4,813
    Did you see this yet? We've gotta get her in some Alien movies and quit dicking around with Avatar!

  • ShardlakeShardlake Leeds, West Yorkshire, England
    Posts: 4,043
    Hopefully Avatar will be a huge belly flop, teaching Cameron's he's taken one big assumption that anyone is that excited that this franchise is continuing.
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    I will definitely go watch it.
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,372
    @Shardlake, if you catch 'Alien: Covenant' before I do, please share your thoughts. As of now, I'm not terribly interested in rushing out to see it in theaters - the more I see, the more my interest disappears - but I may give it a go in the moment and check it out.
  • Posts: 1,964
    I am really looking forward to Alien Covenant. It seems more in the direction of the original Alien.

    Im still hoping we get Blomkamps Alien 5. We need to write the wrongs that were Alien 3 and Alien Resurrection.
  • ShardlakeShardlake Leeds, West Yorkshire, England
    Posts: 4,043
    Creasy47 wrote: »
    @Shardlake, if you catch 'Alien: Covenant' before I do, please share your thoughts. As of now, I'm not terribly interested in rushing out to see it in theaters - the more I see, the more my interest disappears - but I may give it a go in the moment and check it out.

    I will indeed, as I said I will look at the reviews, I believe the embargo gets lifted 6th May.

    If they are positive and the film has more to offer than an Alien clone as the trailer is suggesting I will likely become a paying customer and will gladly share my thoughts one here.
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,372
    I think I'll manage to enjoy it more than 'Prometheus,' but those CG Xenomorphs could put a massive damper on the film, too, so time will tell.
  • LeonardPineLeonardPine The Bar on the Beach
    Posts: 3,985
    By the looks of the trailers I'm seeing too much CGI.

    I'll reserve judgement until I've seen it, but too much CGI aliens and I'm walking.
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,372
    @LeonardPine, that's all I've seen the trailers, haven't spotted a single practical looking Xenomorph yet.
  • LeonardPineLeonardPine The Bar on the Beach
    Posts: 3,985
    Creasy47 wrote: »
    @LeonardPine, that's all I've seen the trailers, haven't spotted a single practical looking Xenomorph yet.

    Yep. Even the Facehugger in the egg looks like CG. I.E...fake



  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,372
    Alongside the "crowning" shot of the Xenomorph atop the ship, trying to break the glass of the pilot's seat and enter, and it's completely computer-generated and bad looking.
  • Posts: 5,767
    fjdinardo wrote: »
    I am really looking forward to Alien Covenant. It seems more in the direction of the original Alien.

    Im still hoping we get Blomkamps Alien 5. We need to write the wrongs that were Alien 3 and Alien Resurrection.
    I wonder if that´s possible with focus on Ripley. On the other hand, I would be curious.

  • DaltonCraig007DaltonCraig007 They say, "Evil prevails when good men fail to act." What they ought to say is, "Evil prevails."
    edited April 2017 Posts: 15,686
    @Creasy47 I'll be seeing 'Alien: Covenant' on May 10th, so I'll also give you my thoughts on it. :)
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,372
    @Creasy47 I'll be seeing 'Alien: Covenant' on May 10th, so I'll also give you my thoughts on it. :)

    Sounds good! The one thing holding me back is all that CGI.
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 23,449
    I went to see ALIEN in my local theatre last Wednesday. After the screening, Ridley Scott himself (on screen, mind) delivered us some footage from ALIEN COVENTANT which, according to him, hadn't been officially released yet. So I guess I should take his word on that. Either way, I saw
    a "backburster" resembling our familiar xenomorph but not quite there yet
    .

    I definitely want to watch the movie! May 17 is when I'll be there.
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,372
    @DarthDimi, sounds like the same footage they screened for certain people on 'Alien Day.' Very cool you got to check that out! It still hasn't made its way online, past the footage from that particular scene showcased in the trailers and TV spots. Seems like a reveal that would've been better saved for the finished product.
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 23,449
    Yeah, I like having seen it but I didn't demand it. I was there for ALIEN, one of my all-time favourite movies. Being able to see it on a large screen for the first and most likely only time in my live, made me tear up a little at the end.
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,372
    @DarthDimi, glad you had an excellent time, that's one of my favorite movies and I would love to catch it in theaters some day. A local cinema has a 'Heat' 4K remaster showing in theaters in a few days, and I would kill to go and see it. If I didn't walk out of the theater afterward completely deaf due to the bank heist sequence, then I'd be disappointed.
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    DarthDimi wrote: »
    made me tear up a little at the end.

    Because you identified with the poor monster? It is a very sad ending indeed.
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