Alien film series.

[KrisW]

[ Aliens was ] Good but a typical 80s action flick.

I’d say it was the prototypical 80s action flick - there’s a big difference in the theme of brainless action flicks before and after the release of Aliens. I think those inferior copies have dragged down the reputation of Aliens with them, which is anything but brainless: unlike its imitators, you genuinely care as each member of the squad [ spoilers spoilers spoilers ]

Alien fans may be interested in this that I've had bookmarked for a while:
https://typesetinthefuture.com/2014/12/01/alien/

Heh.. I was going to post that same article!

Recently, I’ve been watching The Expanse, and if there’s ever a production that owes a lot to Alien, it’s this one. From the ship-branded jumpsuits complete with operations patches, and even the similar-but-not-the-same warning symbols on the backgrounds, the whole look of the series gives a very clear tip of the hat towards Alien. They even live in worlds that seem to be very similarly organised, with huge corporations that [spoilers spoilers spoilers]

 

[bob]

Aliens V Predators, absolute genius whoever thought to put them 2 together. The 2 most fearsome Movie Beasties slug it out while killing humans.

Great films to just suspend belief and enjoy the slaughter, always helped by a few beers.

I saw Alien at the Odeon and it is the only film that ever made me jump out of my skin, from the moment John Hurt's big scene played out you knew this was a serious horror film and it just got better and better,

 

[Tim Jones]

I saw Alien, entirely by mistake, in 1979 when it came out. I was nine years old. It remained lodged in my psyche as an archetype of utter terror. I suspect for at least half of it I was hiding behind the cinema seat.

These things being what they are, I became obsessed with it in my late teens, and (to the irritation of many a better half) now know much of it off by heart. I can't remember if the dialogue was completely improvised, but it has that feel.

It was, at least in part, a product of the post-Star Wars sci-fi boom, much like the punk and post-punk boom with which it's roughly contemporaneous, wherein the studios were commissioning almost anything that was set in space (cf the abysmal, Martin Amis scripted Saturn 3 for the other end of the spectrum).

Some of the sequels have their merits (I think 3 is undervalued, for example), but despite its obvious antecedents it was a complete genre-buster that came with a ready-made pitch line ("Jaws in space").

It remains the focus of a certain amount of academic cultural theory writing - especially given the Freudian and sort-of feminist themes; even though the commonplace is that all parts were regardless of gender.

 

[farfromthesun]

I watched T1 recently with my 11yo son and he loved it.

I wouldn't mind watching The Terminator with my kids - they really enjoyed T2 - but the sex scenes put me off.

 

[Paul L]

Yep, something for everyone. The friends who love sci-if generally would go with most others here from first to latest or maybe 1 and 3. I guess I found them mostly so-so only liking the second and Alien vs Predator, but then my favourite sci-if is probably Live-Die-Repeat renamed something Tomorrow and Oblivion.

So probably no hope for me, I’ll get my coat...

 

[Amber Audio]

Yep, something for everyone. The friends who love sci-if generally would go with most others here from first to latest or maybe 1 and 3. I guess I found them mostly so-so only liking the second and Alien vs Predator, but then my favourite sci-if is probably Live-Die-Repeat renamed something Tomorrow and Oblivion.

So probably no hope for me, I’ll get my coat...

Acid Test - Bladerunner?

 

[nostromo]

Acid Test - Bladerunner?

Or the upcoming Dune saga...

As an aside: The prelude to dune trilogy by Frank Herbert's son Brian and Anderson is excellent.

 

[kanwar]

I watched Alien when it came out in the cinema and hated the experience. It wasn’t the film but rather the behaviour of the dick-head moronic audience. This was in the Mile End Cinema, Mile End Road in Whitechapel. As the lights dim 99.9 times out of a 100 a hush usually fades out the chatter from audience, followed by silence. Not in this case: the main cinema was packed (about 600 seats) with louts and their girlfriends, gangs, hooligans, pissed and semi-pissed spectators and the occasional plain old boring film buff out for a good night. The chatter was so loud from beginning to end that as the film played you couldn't hear the dialogue and when that amazing scene took place when the alien bursts out of John Hurt the audience were screaming with laughter.

Being of Asian origin and living in East London in the 70’s it was wise to keep your mouth shut and put it down to experience. I felt very ALIENATED at the time….

BOOM BOOM!

 

[djftw]

I have re-watched the lot recently, including Prometheus and Covenant, and the AvPs (and the Predator films too!) At its best it's brilliant, Alien is unquestionably the early peak! But all of it is hugely enjoyable even when it is more than a little silly if you watch without your film-snob hat on. The special editions of the original four are all, to me at least, improvements on the theatrical releases. Maybe the old timers had short attention spans, but I'd part of the LOTR generation, so they still seem like short films

 

[stairpost]

Acid Test - Bladerunner?

V.cool, Ridley Scott working his magic again

 

[nostromo]

I have re-watched the lot recently, including Prometheus and Covenant, and the AvPs (and the Predator films too!) At its best it's brilliant, Alien is unquestionably the early peak! But all of it is hugely enjoyable even when it is more than a little silly if you watch without your film-snob hat on. The special editions of the original four are all, to me at least, improvements on the theatrical releases. Maybe the old timers had short attention spans, but I'd part of the LOTR generation, so they still seem like short films

I think the extended Aliens suffered a bit. It was good seeing some of the extra footage, but it became a bit slower and disjointed, a little less of a thrill ride. The automatic guns were interesting but recalling from memory seeing how the xenomorph got onto the drop-ship ruined the surprise. Also the soundtrack seemed very disjointed.

 

[nostromo]

As for AVP, although I enjoyed the movie for what it was (an excellent B-movie), I feel Ridley is right in exploring the origins of the Xenomorph and the need the Engineers have for it. More dark mystery is the way to go. In Prometheus the biological weapons aspect was brilliant, the ultimate virus.

 

[robs]

I doubt it's of interest to most, but if anyone plays games on PC and likes the Alien movies, Epic are offering Alien Isolation for free from tomorrow, for a week - free to download and keep I think.
It's old and I've never played it (not really into games) but the reviews are very good! I might have a go.

https://www.epicgames.com/store/en-US/p/alien-isolation

 

[Fatmarley]

I doubt it's of interest to most, but if anyone plays games on PC and likes the Alien movies, Epic are offering Alien Isolation for free from tomorrow, for a week - free to download and keep I think.
It's old and I've never played it (not really into games) but the reviews are very good! I might have a go.

https://www.epicgames.com/store/en-US/p/alien-isolation

Cheers, I'll have to try that.

 

[Rug Doc]

I watched Alien 3 the other day after reading this thread to refresh my memory of it. It really is quite poor.

 

[Wolfmancatsup]

I doubt it's of interest to most, but if anyone plays games on PC and likes the Alien movies, Epic are offering Alien Isolation for free from tomorrow, for a week - free to download and keep I think.
It's old and I've never played it (not really into games) but the reviews are very good! I might have a go.

https://www.epicgames.com/store/en-US/p/alien-isolation

I picked up the main game and several DLC bits a few years ago in a Steam sale, for around eight quid. It looks and plays very well, and it’s very creepy, but it does get somewhat repetitive.

Mick

 

[Rug Doc]

I played alien on my PS1. Still have it and the gun

 

[Jimin]

There's something about horror films that just pass me by, I cannot for the life of me get beyond thinking, it's only a film, they're only actors with false teeth or whatever. They're all just total rubbish to me because of that, I just crave a good horror film that will sucker me in, the only two that have ever done it are Alien and The Blair Witch Project (bizarrely), the next 3 Alien films I enjoyed too but not like the first. I did enjoy the start of Prometheus but then it went off on one.

If you don't know anything about it, 'Don't look now' from the du Maurier story is very creepy, it has the sense of dread that the two films you mention have. When I say if you don't know anything about it, it's best, in my opinion, to get hold and watch it without knowing anything at all about it - no reviews, comments or anything. That's how I saw it and it was very affecting!

'Spoorlos' or 'The Vanishing' is supposed to be a fabulous example of accumulating dread that culminates in a very hard to watch finale - I have it but my other half won't watch it so I have to wait to scare myself silly...

 

[Snufkin]

If you don't know anything about it, 'Don't look now' from the du Maurier story is very creepy, it has the sense of dread that the two films you mention have. When I say if you don't know anything about it, it's best, in my opinion, to get hold and watch it without knowing anything at all about it - no reviews, comments or anything. That's how I saw it and it was very affecting!

'Spoorlos' or 'The Vanishing' is supposed to be a fabulous example of accumulating dread that culminates in a very hard to watch finale - I have it but my other half won't watch it so I have to wait to scare myself silly...

Ditto on Don't Look Now - you are in for a treat.

 

[David W Brown]

Love all the movies to be fair and take them all on their own merit. If I had to pick a fave its the extended cut of A3.
Pretty much an avid horror fan and especially love the the 70/80s Italian Slasher/Giallo flicks from the likes of Argento, Fulci and Bava.
I have a soft spot for sci fi horror with Event Horizon being up there with my all time faves, along with The Thing (both outings) and the rather underrated Dog Soldiers - an utter quoteathon.