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Post by Popeye Doyle on Jun 21, 2022 13:31:56 GMT
The screenplay is a masterclass in escalation - Marines wiped out, evacuation ship gets destroyed, 17 days until declared overdue for rescue, explosion from ship destruction leads to nuclear explosion within 4 hours, child gets taken by aliens and thus requires rescue, Alien Queen hitches a ride. It's exhausting but few movies are as riveting and exciting, no matter how many times I watch it.
After someone else pointed it out, it's impossible not to notice the atmosphere processor set was later used in the first Batman movie.
When Ripley is arming up as the elevator descends into hell with the blaring alarm and music it's fucking awesome.
Al Matthews and Bill Paxton are missed. RIP.
Like The Terminator, the series for me ends after the first two movies.
I was curious as to why Ridley Scott didn't direct the sequel. Apparently, he even wasn't approached for the job. Scott himself attributes to his difficult attitude when making the first movie.
With Jim Cameron having already made two of the great sequels, I'm hoping Avatars will continue that trend.
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Post by politicidal on Jun 21, 2022 13:51:32 GMT
“…With Jim Cameron having already made two of the great sequels, I'm hoping Avatars will continue that trend.”
We’ll find out.
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Post by Winter_King on Jun 21, 2022 14:18:27 GMT
And the quotes. Almost every line is memorable.
Also nominated for seven academy awards including best actress.
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Post by Spike Del Rey on Jun 21, 2022 16:03:45 GMT
I remember when I heard this was in production I was disappointed/terrified, as I had always thought the original was a perfect movie and that a sequel wasn't necessary. Then I learned Cameron was directing it and that gave me some hope, since I loved The Terminator. Saw it opening night and was blown away, I still rank the original a notch above it but this thing was a rollercoaster ride from start to finish...not as spooky or scary as Scott's vision, but just as white-knuckled and suspenseful due to the balls-to-the-wall action. OP is spot-on about being exhausted at the end, but it's a ride that's well worth it.
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Post by dwightmachinehead on Jun 21, 2022 17:50:00 GMT
One of my favourites. It traumatised me when I first saw it as a kid.
It's actually pretty sweet how Newt finds a mother in Ripley.
Everything about is awesome from the technology, the script, even the tactics of the marines and the aliens.
James Cameron, what a dude.
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Post by jcush on Jun 21, 2022 19:14:31 GMT
Just rewatched this along with the first and third movies last week. Both Alien and Aliens are among my absolute favorites.
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Post by Isapop on Jun 21, 2022 19:17:35 GMT
The best action movie of the 1980s. (Yes, ahead of Die Hard.)
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Post by phantomparticle on Jun 21, 2022 20:00:34 GMT
Alien was a haunted house thriller translated into science fiction. They wisely went in the opposite direction for Aliens and made one of the greatest action films of all time, with Ripley and Newt as the emotional center, firmly keeping the mayhem on a human level.
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Post by FridayOnElmStreet on Jun 21, 2022 20:23:05 GMT
Easily the best of the Alien series.
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Post by wmcclain on Jun 21, 2022 22:53:45 GMT
Aliens (1986), directed by James Cameron. Action/adventure sequel to SF/horror original Alien (1979). I like the original more (there is just no comparison) but there is no point in making the same film over again, so an action sequel is not a bad choice. The last hour is non-stop intensity. Cameron and the other crew obviously care about the mythology and bring forward a lot of the gear and recapitulate much of the original plot: sleep chambers, motion trackers, flame throwers, robot, crawling through the air ducts (a well-worn SF cliche), and the race against the big explosion. Sleepy time at the end. The photography has nothing like the fine composition of the original, and the sets and effects are more Cameron/Terminator than Scott/Alien. The characters are more one-dimensional: corporate bigs, their weasel, bone-headed marines. Sigourney Weaver tends to overpower the others. Introducing the little girl adds cuteness which can be deadly in this sort of film, but it gives us the "motherhood" theme which applies to both sides of the human/alien conflict. A heavy handed message. Once you've seen aliens splattered by gunfire they are no longer as scary. The biology and life cycle was mysterious in the first film; adding the Queen mother makes it more familiar to us, but less interesting. By the way, the old giant ant movie Them! (1954) has some striking plot parallels. James Horner score, with a bit of the original Jerry Goldsmith retained. The Blu-ray has more blue/orange color grading than Alien (1979), although not quite so much as some contemporary films.
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Post by alpha128 on Jun 21, 2022 23:17:00 GMT
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Post by Popeye Doyle on Jun 21, 2022 23:22:32 GMT
Big things have small beginnings.
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Post by Marv on Jun 21, 2022 23:46:21 GMT
Makes me want to watch it now.
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Post by sdrew13163 on Jun 22, 2022 0:58:13 GMT
I think I've only seen it once, but I wasn't terribly impressed.
Due for a rewatch. I'm usually fairly good at shifting expectations to like a movie more the second time.
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Post by Rey Kahuka on Jun 22, 2022 2:41:58 GMT
I love everything about this movie. The writing, the performances, all elements of the production design. It's incredible. I recently did a write up of it elsewhere on the site. Here it is, if anyone is interested. Caught some of Aliens (1986) on tv again last night. I remember wanting to do a quick write-up the last time, but not getting around to it. So here goes. This is another of those arguably perfect films where all of the elements come together. Story, production design, casting, directing (James Cameron, who also penned the script), acting, cinematography; all of it is so damn good. It's easily in my top 10 (probably top 5) action movies of all time, and it's widely regarded as an all time classic and one of the best sequels ever made. I can't stress this enough, when it comes to filmmaking (especially sci-fi), it absolutely matters that all of the actors understand who they are and what they're doing. The more they feel like real people, the better the movie will be. And everyone in this movie 'gets it,' no matter how minor their role. The way the characters play off of each other, the way the movie keeps its gritty edge but doesn't lose itself in self-seriousness; I don't know if they could make this movie today, but then again, I don't know how many filmmakers could make this movie this well in any era of Hollywood. One of the things that stands out to me are the multiple badass female characters. Ellen Ripley of course is one of the all time great female action characters (one of the reasons Sigourney Weaver is a Hollywood icon), and Vazquez is a fan favorite, but there's another female marine on the ground with them (whose character is much more subtle), and Cpl. Ferro who pilots the dropship onto a planet shrouded in mist rocking the aviator sunglasses, because that's what badasses do. The best part is the movie doesn't go overboard trying to prove equality or whatever, the women just exist in these roles. It's accepted without question. The only time it's ever brought up is the classic exchange between Vazquez (played by Jenette Goldstein) and Hudson (played by legend himself Bill Paxton). Private Hudson: Hey Vasquez, have you ever been mistaken for a man? Private Vasquez: No. Have you? It's much more enjoyable when people (defined by gender, ethnicity, sexuality, whatever) are depicted in perhaps untraditional roles with no questions asked. You don't need lazy social commentary, just put it onscreen and let the story tell itself. Any individual in the audience is either going to accept it or they aren't; preaching about it, literally writing messages on the wall or making them ten times more competent than their peers isn't going to change the audience's mind, and burdens the script unnecessarily. (One of the reasons I hate Mad Max Fury Road, but I digress...) So many quotable lines, so many fantastic action sequences, so many story details that have since become tropes over the years. Paul Reiser seems like stunt casting, but he nails it as the slimy corporate liaison. Michael Biehn's understated presence, Lance Henrikson is perfectly cast as the android Bishop-- and the movie really plays with your expectations of him going by Ripley's (and your own) experience with androids in the original Alien. Paxton's Hudson is such a memorable character. He's a sort of comic relief character without being a buffoon and feeling like he's in the wrong movie. In fact, it might be argued that Hudson inspired the 'goofball comic relief' character that would become common in action movies for decades after this film was released. He's capable, but a complainer. Every group has one. Hudson, "Seventeen days?! We won't last 17 hours!" Ripley: "This little girl survived a lot longer than that on her own." Hudson, raising his voice to a loud whine: "Then why don't you put her in charge?" Just another one of those exchanges that feels like a genuine conversation under extreme circumstances. The pacing is perfect and the tension never really breaks from the moment they hit the ground until the credits roll. The cold technological aesthetic, the darkness, the cramped quarters, everything feels so confined. The POV shots as seen through the soldiers' body cams, the motions sensors, the way the xenomorphs just seem to blend in with their surroundings. You know they're out there, you know they're coming, and there's nothing you can do to stop them. Expertly crafted from script to storyboard to screen. Another great bit of dialog: Ripley: I'm sorry Newt. Don't you think you'd be safer here with us? These people are here to protect you. They're soldiers. Newt: It won't make any difference... Burke eventually gets what he deserves, though it's unclear where he thought he was going to run off to. Guys like that usually think they can negotiate their way out of anything, I can assure you xenomorphs aren't there to bargain. They have a chance to escape, but Ripley refuses to leave Newt, leading to an epic showdown with the queen in arguably the greatest show of comprehension that we've had from the aliens-- the queen lets Ripley leave with Newt, provided she doesn't destroy any more eggs. (So perhaps they can be bargained with after all...) Ripley shoots (and flame-throws) her way out anyway, and just when it looks like Bishop betrayed her (as androids are wont to do), he swoops in with the second dropship and rescues them. Of course they aren't safe, the queen hitched a ride, ripped Bishop in half, and came after Newt, leading to an epic sci-fi showdown: monster vs. exosuit, featuring yet another classic line we all know and love. Other thoughts I had watching the movie: Did Cameron inspire his T2 take with this movie? The android becomes a secondary villain in the original Alien film, in this one Cameron makes it seem like it might go that way, but ultimately zags. I can't help but wonder if he thought, "What if the Terminator was good?" There's probably a story behind that that I don't feel like researching right now. Another observation is wow, Army of the Dead is a total ripoff of this movie. A group of soldiers are tricked into going into a quarantined area infested by creatures, accompanied by a corporate goon who just wants to use the creatures as a weapon. Army of the Dead even rips off the 'will the helicopter pilot come back for them' twist at the end. I guess if you're going to steal, steal from the best. Not sure what I would change about the movie. Newt's acting isn't the best; I think child actors have come a long way since then. Forgetting the mental capacity aspect of the situation, there's just no way the queen sends away her troops to save the eggs. She can lay more. There's a 100% chance she orders every fucking xenomorph on the planet (excuse me, moon) to swarm this one moron with a flamethrower. In fact they'd just do it instinctually. But whatever, the scene works, and it sets up the chase, the will Bishop show up or won't he hero moment, and eventual showdown on the ship so it's all good. I have somewhat controversial takes on the franchise within the Alien community, I think. I don't like any version of Alien 3 because I think it ruins the ending of Aliens. I actually enjoy Alien Resurrection as a weird kind of non-canon what if take on the concept. But for me there are only the first two films. I hated Prometheus and didn't even bother with the next one (though I read a plot synopsis online). A whole lot of lore building that to me makes the story less interesting. I don't know where the xenomorphs came from, and I don't care. They don't need a backstory. They are dread incarnate, that's enough. AVP, never bothered with either of them despite thinking it was pretty rad when the xenomorph skull was on the Predator's ship at the end of Predator 2. Aliens is a 10/10. It excels at everything it does and continues to influence films to this day. Not only is it an incredible film in its own right, it manages to equal (and in the eyes of some, surpass) its predecessor which itself is an all time classic. That's a hell of a feat.
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Post by twothousandonemark on Jun 22, 2022 6:05:48 GMT
What's incredible all these movie watching years later is how well they relay from Ripley-Alien to Ripley-Aliens without stepping over its own feet.
I still love & prefer Alien, yet Aliens' is right there below Predator as great action. It's also the 2nd best A-team of action stars/characters ensemble, & their hyped gear up alone makes me think they have a chance, every time lols.
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Post by dwightmachinehead on Jun 22, 2022 8:13:45 GMT
It was pretty cool when the aliens cut the power and tried to sneak above them stealth style and got rumbled by the motion trackers.
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Post by 博:Dr.BLΔD€:锯 on Jun 22, 2022 8:27:05 GMT
A few more comments.
Perfect, flawless story-telling.
A guy I know told me he was working on a sequel to Alien....building a giant Queen. Sequels 5 or so years after the originals was fairly rare back then. I sort of said I thought nothing could match or come close to Ridley's Alien. He said "I think you may be surprised. " About 18 months later.......bloody hell.....was I ever!!
A roller-coasting BiG movie I can and do revisit often.. It never palls or disappoints. Great casting and clever use of music/sound.
I liked the collar-less jackets, the Weyland-Yutani bigwigs were wearing during Ripley's grilling.
When the special edition came out on video, the thinking was 'how the hell could it be any better? After viewing it, the thinking was 'How the hell could they have left those scenes out!!?" The most satisfying Director's cut/Special Edition type thing I recall.....to date.
The second time I saw it in local cinema, with a date, the sound went haywire on second reel. Got our money back. The third time I saw it in the same cinema, with a different date, the sound was fine, but the picture went haywire on second reel. Got our money back.
James Cameron is a genius film-maker. I only eventually checked out the then ignored by me Terminator movie on video, was because I found out it was directed by him. Again loved it. And it's sequel .....bloody hell !!!
A friend of mine was mates with 'Drake' Mark Rolston's daughter.
In my top 5 desert Island discs.
Still have a photo of my and other kids looking jaw-dropped and riveted on the sofa watching it for first time.....when we thought they were old enough and ready. Made a cam-corder spoof version with the kids Highlights were Gordon The Gopher coming out of my screaming daughter's stomach....and the Bishop scene where he does that knife thing with Hudson's hand. The knife replaced by a hammer....and dried chicken bones replacing the hand. Hysterical carnage.
Lance, Bill Paxton and Jeanette (Bishop, Hudson and Vasquez) are all in Near Dark film.
R.i.P Bill and Al.
I have recently acquired a copy of Piranha 2: Flying Killers (directed by Cameron) Got to get some popcorn.
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Post by Popeye Doyle on Jun 25, 2022 20:27:19 GMT
One of my favourites. It traumatised me when I first saw it as a kid. It's actually pretty sweet how Newt finds a mother in Ripley. Everything about is awesome from the technology, the script, even the tactics of the marines and the aliens. James Cameron, what a dude. When Guillermo Del Toro’s father was kidnapped in 1997, Cameron gave him a million dollars to pay the ransom.
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Post by mstreepsucks on Jun 25, 2022 20:29:28 GMT
I remember siskel and ebert had a review of it... that proved that they were hack frauds.
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