Aliens revisited
Discussion
Watched Aliens again last night. Not seen it for a while. Wanted to show it to my daughter (on the list of must see films I think - at least she now understands references elsewhere in popular culture like in Wallace and Gromit or Red Dwarf).
Several things struck me. Firstly how much more modern it seems than Alien, even though there is only 7 years between them. Some of the FX was a little ropey but the scenes with the queen are excellent and the whole family agreed are much better for having been done without (I think) computer graphics. Not sure how they made it so real.
Secondly - whatever happened to Michael Biehn? I liked him a lot on Terminator and Aliens and never understood why he didn't really make it outside of James Cameron films.
Watched it with daughter, wife and mother. They all thought the first half was too slow. Personally I quite like the build up.
Overall a cracking film that has really stood the test of time.
Several things struck me. Firstly how much more modern it seems than Alien, even though there is only 7 years between them. Some of the FX was a little ropey but the scenes with the queen are excellent and the whole family agreed are much better for having been done without (I think) computer graphics. Not sure how they made it so real.
Secondly - whatever happened to Michael Biehn? I liked him a lot on Terminator and Aliens and never understood why he didn't really make it outside of James Cameron films.
Watched it with daughter, wife and mother. They all thought the first half was too slow. Personally I quite like the build up.
Overall a cracking film that has really stood the test of time.
Aliens is one of my all time favourite films, especially the extended edition. You're right in commenting on the "quality" differences between the films, Ridley Scott's Alien was a lower budget horror film whilst James Cameron's Aliens was the action packed film. Both excel at what they intend to be and to the young me (I must have seen Aliens when I was Primary school age; my mum to this day insists I watched it against her wishes by sneakily recording it one night but I swear I was allowed to watch it) took this world to heart meaning I'm a big fan of the Aliens universe in general.
The first half of Aliens is meant to be suspenseful and slow as you know, and the initial scenes of the Marines slowly working their way through the building with the 'click click click' of the motion scanners and grainy shoulder-cam footage adding the tension nicely.
I'm excited for the upcoming Neil Blomkamp Alien movie, I'm a fan of his style and with Ripley and Hicks making a return (he's effectively ignoring Alien 3 onwards) it could be another Aliens in the making.
The first half of Aliens is meant to be suspenseful and slow as you know, and the initial scenes of the Marines slowly working their way through the building with the 'click click click' of the motion scanners and grainy shoulder-cam footage adding the tension nicely.
I'm excited for the upcoming Neil Blomkamp Alien movie, I'm a fan of his style and with Ripley and Hicks making a return (he's effectively ignoring Alien 3 onwards) it could be another Aliens in the making.
Maybe my all time favourite film, seen for the first time as an impressionable teenager. That final half hour was the first time a movie had me literally on the edge of my seat.
Alien, Aliens, Terminator, Predator, Robocop... they just don't make em like that anymore. Just the right level of violence and gore to make it a bit edgy, interesting 'baddies' and great action scenes. I think the recent Judge Dread is the only recent movie that comes close.
Alien, Aliens, Terminator, Predator, Robocop... they just don't make em like that anymore. Just the right level of violence and gore to make it a bit edgy, interesting 'baddies' and great action scenes. I think the recent Judge Dread is the only recent movie that comes close.
mdavids said:
Maybe my all time favourite film, seen for the first time as an impressionable teenager. That final half hour was the first time a movie had me literally on the edge of my seat.
Alien, Aliens, Terminator, Predator, Robocop... they just don't make em like that anymore. Just the right level of violence and gore to make it a bit edgy, interesting 'baddies' and great action scenes. I think the recent Judge Dread is the only recent movie that comes close.
100% agree!Alien, Aliens, Terminator, Predator, Robocop... they just don't make em like that anymore. Just the right level of violence and gore to make it a bit edgy, interesting 'baddies' and great action scenes. I think the recent Judge Dread is the only recent movie that comes close.
Express elevator to hell...GOING DOWN!!
Maybe District 9 too, but I concur.
They filmed Aliens in the UK actually. The main stages were at Pinewood and they used the disused Acton power station in West London as the interior of the atmosphere plant. I seem to remember it being featured on Newsnight at the time, showing some of the filming.
russ_a said:
mdavids said:
Maybe my all time favourite film, seen for the first time as an impressionable teenager. That final half hour was the first time a movie had me literally on the edge of my seat.
Alien, Aliens, Terminator, Predator, Robocop... they just don't make em like that anymore. Just the right level of violence and gore to make it a bit edgy, interesting 'baddies' and great action scenes. I think the recent Judge Dread is the only recent movie that comes close.
100% agree!Alien, Aliens, Terminator, Predator, Robocop... they just don't make em like that anymore. Just the right level of violence and gore to make it a bit edgy, interesting 'baddies' and great action scenes. I think the recent Judge Dread is the only recent movie that comes close.
They filmed Aliens in the UK actually. The main stages were at Pinewood and they used the disused Acton power station in West London as the interior of the atmosphere plant. I seem to remember it being featured on Newsnight at the time, showing some of the filming.
It really is a fantastic film and still looks great today. The special effects certainly still hold up especially compared to other films of that era - I think they concentrated on what works within the limitation they had, so everything is kept dark and moody so you can't see the detail too much, from memory the only thing that look a tiny bit ropey by 2016 standards is the Gerry Anderson style landing craft crash - and like so many 80s sci-fi films the CRT screens.
Brigand said:
As for Michael Beihn, he was one of James Cameron's favourites it seems as he appeared in many of his movies. You'll also note that the woman who play Vasquez is also in many of his films.
She was kyles mum in terminator who speared her husband through the milk 
was also in that excellent vampire film with that other aliens guy man my memory for names is dead today.Beihn was in a few good none Cameron films actually I'll have to check.
The western with what's his face and what's his face ok coral thing I'll be your huckleberry etc
Was the rock Cameron?
Had the pleasure of meeting Michael Biehn at Bournemouth ComiCon last year.
Came across as a really down to earth and friendly guy and was happy to chat for a good while, he was very much in agreement the they "don't make films like that anymore".
Around an hour after meeting him I was standing chatting to my brother-in-law with his son Zakk and realised MB was pointing to us - more specifically Zakk - he called him over and gave him a signed Terminator movie book.
Also got him to sign my Aliens special edition DVD
Top bloke, oh and the bit where he spins his revolver in the bar in the movie Tombstone took him 3 months of practice
Came across as a really down to earth and friendly guy and was happy to chat for a good while, he was very much in agreement the they "don't make films like that anymore".
Around an hour after meeting him I was standing chatting to my brother-in-law with his son Zakk and realised MB was pointing to us - more specifically Zakk - he called him over and gave him a signed Terminator movie book.
Also got him to sign my Aliens special edition DVD
Top bloke, oh and the bit where he spins his revolver in the bar in the movie Tombstone took him 3 months of practice
If this had moving parts then I would be all over one of these:
https://forbiddenplanet.com/149487-aliens-colonial...
https://forbiddenplanet.com/149487-aliens-colonial...
Beati Dogu said:
Bill Paxton (Hudson) was in a few Cameron films as well.
He's one of the punks that confront Arnie at the start of The Terminator. True Lies (where Arnie hangs him over a dam wall) and Titanic (No Arnie, sadly).
Isn't he the only person to be killed by a terminator, predator and alien ?He's one of the punks that confront Arnie at the start of The Terminator. True Lies (where Arnie hangs him over a dam wall) and Titanic (No Arnie, sadly).
Skii said:
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