ALIENS in '80s and '90s Horror and Sci-Fi Forum

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strangenstein	ALIENS	Lead	[-]
Oct 26 09 7:16 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Hi all, I searched and didn't see a current thread about ALIENS. Just wanted to see what you thought? For me, it's one of the greatest sci-fi/horror movies of all time. Cameron really got everything right. He didn't simply rehash the first film, he took the best ideas and elements and expanded upon them. I remember quite well seeing the film in '86 when it first came out and the sense of "creeping dread" it gave me! The theater was packed and the audience screamed and laughed in all the right places. It was quite an experience, similar to seeing Cameron's T2 when it came out. One final thought regarding the ALIEN(S) mythos; for me, the real horror is the feeling of suffocation you'd experience with a face hugger attached. On top of that, it's forcing a long, slimy tentacle down your throat. For some reason that just really gives me the heebie jeebies! Strangenstein
hermanthegerm		#1	[-]
Oct 27 09 9:34 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	O yeah? How a bout a toothy baby thing eating you from the inside out! "There is a lot of money tied up in this film and people expect to hear a boom when something blows up, so I'll give them a boom." George Lucas as quoted by Harlan Ellison's WATCHING
strangenstein		#2	[-]
Oct 27 09 1:58 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Yeah, that is also pretty terrifying. But like I said, the real horror for ME is the thought of suffocation. Pick your poison when it comes to ALIEN(S). Strangenstein
G Vallejo		#3	[-]
Oct 27 09 2:48 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I didn't see this in a theater. In 1986 I was vaguely familiar with Alien from cable, but all my knowledge of the film came solely from the MAD and CRACKED parodies. I could tell even from that it was going to be a good movie. At the end of the school year, on the last day, every classroom was showing movies on the class VCR... whatever was big that year. One classroom was showing Aliens. I made sure to be in that room, which was jam packed. The movie blew me away. It was an action-horror film that worked. All the characterizations were done well, the script was crisp and intelligently plotted, and it built logically on Alien in every way. Reiser's 80s-style evil yuppie is the only thing dating the movie, and even that's not bad at all. The whole "cocoon" concept was handled much better than in the cut scene from Alien, and the Queen was an effects milestone that I don't think was touched until Jurassic Park. I think both this movie and Alien utilized the build-up of action/suspense in a way not unlike King Kong, which was to set things up in a slow, deliberate way, and when the horror finally started it didn't let up until the end. The soundtrack may even be more successful than Alien's. Both are excellent, but Aliens' just seems catchier and I can hear it right now. The whole role-reversal thing between Hudson and Vasquez/Ripley was handled well, and the weaponry (pulse rifles, smartguns, the vehicles) was iconic. A flawless movie from the 80s. I had a magazine that detailed a role-playing game for Aliens. On a hexagonal grid, you roled dice to determine your moves versus the aliens. There was a sample in the magazine, and I played it and enjoyed it very much... and I have no patience for role-playing games. I wish I could find it again, but I don't even know if it was an actual game or a magazine feature or what.. and I don't remember the magazine either. A perfect Monster has no end...
Rakshasa		#4	[-]
Oct 27 09 3:12 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I loved ALIENS, but I distinctly remember having a big headache when I walked out of the theater after seeing it. Too many strobe lights, quick cuts, and loud noises! Links To All The Classic Monster Stills I've Posted: http://monsterkidclassichorrorforum.yuku.com/topic/30758 Last Edited By: Rakshasa Oct 27 09 4:59 PM. Edited 2 times.
hermanthegerm		#5	[-]
Oct 27 09 4:51 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Good luck on that Aliens game. It's pretty expensive if you can find it: http://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/1770 "There is a lot of money tied up in this film and people expect to hear a boom when something blows up, so I'll give them a boom." George Lucas as quoted by Harlan Ellison's WATCHING
G Vallejo		#6	[-]
Oct 27 09 11:27 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Interesting! Thanks for the link. I have no way of knowing if that's the same game or not. I played a sample out of a magazine feature without any of the figures. It's way too expensive anyway. It looks pretty good, though! A perfect Monster has no end...
delgadosaur		#7	[-]
Oct 30 09 3:42 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	The alien queen was such an awesome character. Begrudgingly, one of Stan Winston's finest moments, although Cameron designed the Queen himself.
WalesGuy		#8	[-]
Jul 1 12 4:10 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Watching the blu ray tonight, very shocked that I can see the strings holding the copter/spaceship things up
delgadosaur		#9	[-]
Jul 8 12 11:08 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	OMG you're kidding. Still, one of the best science fiction films ever made, in my opinion.
Spoiler II		#10	[-]
Jul 10 12 1:01 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	It didn't bother me in the 80's but as the years go by,i don't much care for the idea of a queen laying all those eggs. The first ALIEN had so much mystery surrounding the eggs (even playing it up in the teasers/posters/tv spots) and to think one solitary alien was birthing all the eggs in one locale took the mystique right out of it and made them like some sort of socialized insect colony,which makes the aliens themselves much less interesting. They become simple animals as opposed to some sort of specialized and evolving superior race. I amnguessing Ridley Scott isn't a fan of the idea either.
Uncle Bingo		#11	[-]
Jul 10 12 10:47 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I saw Aliens in the theater and was blown away. I remember walking out and feeling like I'd just gotten off the longest roller coaster I had ever ridden. That was my mental analogy at the time and I was surprised when others said the exact same thing in reviews. Aliens is one of the best sequels ever made in my opinion. It took the source material and bravely went in a new direction. Only thing that I always felt could have been improved story wise was to streamline Ripley's reasoning for going back. Instead of the company not believing her and throwing her under the bus, they could have simply have said, "We need you to show us where you saw this stuff on the planet." Paul Reiser played a really good scumbag in this movie. A mousy, shady self-serving S.O.B. that you just love to hate. The casting of the marines was EXCELLENT. All of them are different and unique in their own way (although some get more screen time and embellishment than others). The shift in Hudson's bravado was handled wonderfully. His switch from being "recklessly brave" to being traumatized really hit it home for me. It made the situation seem completely hopeless. I used to feel that maybe Aliens might be one of those rare instances where the sequel is better than the original. However, I've come to the conclusion over the years that was more me being able to view the aliens in detail and see more of them on screen. The original Alien is still slightly better in my eyes due to the pacing and the fact it was the first and so damn original. When they threw in chestburster scenes in Aliens, they didn't have the same impact as seeing John Hurt writhe about that first time. Aliens is without a doubt one of the BEST sequels ever done. However, the door was left wide open to explore the material because Ridley Scott left so much unanswered in the original. James Cameron obviously was a "fan boy" of the original movie and approached as a fan - wanting more answers, more aliens, and more action. The reveal of the Queen Alien on the big screen for the first time was awe inspiring. Does anyone know what Ridley Scott thought of Aliens?
Andy Sheets		#12	[-]
Jul 10 12 11:32 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Spoiler II wrote: It didn't bother me in the 80's but as the years go by,i don't much care for the idea of a queen laying all those eggs. The first ALIEN had so much mystery surrounding the eggs (even playing it up in the teasers/posters/tv spots) and to think one solitary alien was birthing all the eggs in one locale took the mystique right out of it and made them like some sort of socialized insect colony,which makes the aliens themselves much less interesting. They become simple animals as opposed to some sort of specialized and evolving superior race. I amnguessing Ridley Scott isn't a fan of the idea either. I agree completely. I like Aliens a lot, but it pales next to the original film and a major reason is the boring notion of the aliens as big bugs, with a hive and a queen laying all the eggs. The original has a great sense of Lovecraftian eeriness.
Bob Meyer		#13	[-]
Jul 12 12 9:59 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I'm sure this has been mentioned before, but ALIENS owes a whole lot to 1954's THEM!
flashback		#14	[-]
Jul 12 12 10:17 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	i rewatched it again last night.i enjoyed it as much as i did then. i would like to see james cameron make more movies like aliens and the terminator rather then things like avatar.
Carl Eyesnheart		#15	[-]
Jul 19 12 5:03 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	WalesGuy wrote: Watching the blu ray tonight, very shocked that I can see the strings holding the copter/spaceship things up This is something I was wondering about recently during a discussion of the GODZILLA blu-ray. People were talking about seeing the wires. My question is: can't this stuff be fixed, removed, or something for fairly cheap? One would think that this could be a part of the whole "remastering" and clean-up process. Why spend all of this money to make these films look the best they can, only to make them lose their believability? I was blown away when I was a kid and I saw that the big transport vehicle, the thing the marines ride in that blows the transaxle, was actually a flippin' model! It just seems that wire removal would be an easy digital fix. My fanzine all about Rock N Roll: www.sonicruin.com
Andy Sheets		#16	[-]
Jul 19 12 6:55 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	That's why I'm in no particular rush to get old sci-fi movies or tv shows on blu-ray - they were never meant to be seen in such clarity.
flashback		#17	[-]
Jul 19 12 7:12 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Carl Eyesnheart wrote: WalesGuy wrote: Watching the blu ray tonight, very shocked that I can see the strings holding the copter/spaceship things up This is something I was wondering about recently during a discussion of the GODZILLA blu-ray. People were talking about seeing the wires. My question is: can't this stuff be fixed, removed, or something for fairly cheap? One would think that this could be a part of the whole "remastering" and clean-up process. Why spend all of this money to make these films look the best they can, only to make them lose their believability? I was blown away when I was a kid and I saw that the big transport vehicle, the thing the marines ride in that blows the transaxle, was actually a flippin' model! It just seems that wire removal would be an easy digital fix. i see movies as a time capsule.the pictures can be polished polished but the details and effects should stay the same.warts and all.that espically goes for george lucas. Last Edited By: flashback Jul 19 12 8:52 PM. Edited 1 times.
CapnDunsel		#18	[-]
Jul 19 12 8:50 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	"game over dude!" My favorite moment is when the cocky male marine freaks out during the turbulent shuttle descent while the female pilot is perfectly in control, with a small knowing grin. I dislike she had little screen time, and just gets killed off.
blackbiped		#19	[-]
Jul 19 12 10:34 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	If Blu-Ray reveals wires that weren't visible before, then maybe the wires should be erased in order to preserve the original viewing experience. The SPFX guys didn't know their work was going to be tweaked--in effect, altered-- like that in the future. Legend, oh legend, the third wheel legend...always in the way. Porfle's Secret Blog HK and Cult Film News Andersonvision.com
FXRH		#20	[-]
Jul 19 12 11:07 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	blackbiped wrote: If Blu-Ray reveals wires that weren't visible before, then maybe the wires should be erased in order to preserve the original viewing experience. Be careful, guys... the villagers over at the Universal Monsters Blu-ray thread are preparing to light their torches and head this way! "That which does not kill me makes me vanish." - Jack Griffin

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