[starman]

No, not a sequel to that horrid Alien: Resurrection, but a true sequel to Aliens

As if A3 and A:R never happened.

Eff. Yes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Th8os-IfZhg

[reader50]

Yes.

[BadKosh]

What about the hideous Prometheus follow ons?

The vid is PRIVATE? They will follow Ripley getting a thing on her face? The Crash of the Sulaco(sp?) or its escape pod.

[starman]

The vid wasn't private when I posted it. It's essentially SW and NB talking about how the series should have a proper ending.

[ShortcutToMoncton]

Prometheus was ostensibly a prequel to Alien, although I think Scott backed away from making that direct connection at some point. But anyway that shouldn't directly affect a series-ending movie....but just to be clear, in today's Holywood there is no such thing. Impossible. It will not be a conclusive end to the series, especially if it's halfway good.

Whether this will be good or not is another thing. Blomkamp obviously did a great job with District 9 but Elysium was very simply a thoroughly mediocre and not-good movie, although it had its moments. He's got that Chappie film coming out next week that sort of looks interesting...if it's better than Elysium, then maybe this will be worth getting excited about!

Regards,
Greg

[starman]

Another take on all this:

Kids that grew up in my era watching all these 80s movies are now coming to be in Hollywood, and the writers back then were making terrible decisions (e.g.: Superman 3/4, Alien 3/Ress., etc.). Now they have the power to take the stories back and allow better stories to be made. I'm all for it.

[sek929]

I thoroughly enjoy Alien 3, everything afterwards is hot garbage.

[subego]

Is Cameron going to let them use pulse rifles?

That's all I really care about.

[mattyb]

Aliens was the shite one.

[subego]

Director's Cut wrecked it IMO, but the theatrical was pretty spectacular.

Defend your claim!

[ort888]

I was a HUGE fanboy of the first two movies. Loved them both. Have probably seen them 20+ times each... but meh. There hasn't been anything even close to a good Alien movie in almost 30 years.

I'm also not super impressed by Neil Blompkamp either so I'm not really enthusiastic.

[Waragainstsleep]

Some of the dialogue in Aliens has aged very badly. Nearly as cringeworthy as Terminator two. Beyond that though, it took a fantastically made, genre-creating concept and successfully developed and expanded it, adding some extra depth to the Alien universe plus one or two iconic moments/lines/characters.

Look how much of it Cameron cloned into Avatar.

[mattyb]

Originally Posted by subego 

Director's Cut wrecked it IMO, but the theatrical was pretty spectacular.

Defend your claim!

It was matcho Rambo, US kicks ass drivel. The reason the first was so good was the no weapons aspect. The 3rd was excellent because of all places it arrives in a prison (planet) where (of course) no weapons are allowed. The religious aspect and the fact that Ripley was 'infected' added to the story.

The 4th was OK. Big Bad Corporation wasn't yet boring. Ripley's connection to her off-spring added something.

[BadKosh]

Some good stuff here!

A L I E N FIVE Neill Blomkamp's ALIEN movie

[Doc HM]

Aliens has some wonderful model and practical effects in it. I like it just for that.

[P]

Originally Posted by mattyb 

It was matcho Rambo, US kicks ass drivel. The reason the first was so good was the no weapons aspect. The 3rd was excellent because of all places it arrives in a prison (planet) where (of course) no weapons are allowed. The religious aspect and the fact that Ripley was 'infected' added to the story.

The 4th was OK. Big Bad Corporation wasn't yet boring. Ripley's connection to her off-spring added something.

Alien was Jaws in space (famously the elevator pitch for it). Not my kind of movie, but it is very well done for what it is. Aliens was a Vietnam parallel, with the cocky marines going in expecting to win easy and getting destroyed before Ripley pulls off a Rambo saving the day. A simpler movie, in many ways, but again well done. Alien 3 was supposedly based around the five stages of grief, but it became the archetypical director-studio fight, and those never end well. Actually saw Resurrection yesterday, not sure if I ever bothered before, and while it has its bright spots (Ron Perleman), the story doesn't work for me. That corporation is not believably evil, it's cartoonishly evil, and that breaks the story for me.

Bloomkamp has now clarified his comments, saying that he won't undo Alien 3 and Resurrection. To me this sounds like a midquel, as you could easily squeeze in something after Aliens where Weyland-Yutani (or some other evil) intercepts the ship from Aliens, adventure happens, and Ripley is eventually sent off to the prison planet alone with a memory wipe. Or the Internet's favorite theory, that Alien 3 is just a nightmare while in hypersleep and this new thing happens when they wake up from that.

[subego]

Originally Posted by mattyb 

It was matcho Rambo, US kicks ass drivel. The reason the first was so good was the no weapons aspect. The 3rd was excellent because of all places it arrives in a prison (planet) where (of course) no weapons are allowed. The religious aspect and the fact that Ripley was 'infected' added to the story.

The 4th was OK. Big Bad Corporation wasn't yet boring. Ripley's connection to her off-spring added something.

One can't deny there's a macho aspect, but the macho guys and gals get their asses kicked.

Likewise, one has to note the Colonial Marine aspect hit such a strong chord with people. They directly inspired Warhammer 40K and Starcraft. Neither of these franchises would exist if it weren't for Aliens.

[Spheric Harlot]

Am i the only one who really liked Resurrection?

[P]

Originally Posted by subego 

One can't deny there's a macho aspect, but the macho guys and gals get their asses kicked.

Likewise, one has to note the Colonial Marine aspect hit such a strong chord with people. They directly inspired Warhammer 40K and Starcraft. Neither of these franchises would exist if it weren't for Aliens.

They all copy from each other, but the source of the whole space marine thing is the original Starship Troopers - Heinlein's book, not the movie that shares its name and little else. The marines in Aliens are fairly far away from either - they wear body armor rather than the full armored spacesuits.

[BadKosh]

Alien was a gothic horror movie as Ridley Scott said at the time. Aliens was the war movie, and James Cameron was probably the only director to do it on the budget he had. The original Alien costume cost almost $150,000, and Cameron had to have 20 guys in costume so his people devised a less expensive one. The model of the complex on LV426 was made of off the shelf pots n pans and boxes, weathered by the crew with chalk. Most of the fight between Ripley and the Queen were done with small cable controlled puppets and very fast cuts in the action. Alien 3 was Alien Rottweiler, and it tried to explain what kind of differences the real alien species altered into, based on the host. The Last one was just a romp for Ms. Weaver, being part Ripley and part Alien. A side note - Raymond Cruz played a marine in it, and later has played Tuco Salamanca in Breaking Bad.

[subego]

Originally Posted by P 

They all copy from each other, but the source of the whole space marine thing is the original Starship Troopers - Heinlein's book, not the movie that shares its name and little else. The marines in Aliens are fairly far away from either - they wear body armor rather than the full armored spacesuits.

I'll give you that, though will note the Aliens marines and the Starship Troopers marines... are not mobile.

[Waragainstsleep]

Originally Posted by BadKosh 

The original Alien costume cost almost $150,000, and Cameron had to have 20 guys in costume so his people devised a less expensive one.

Actually Aliens was shot with only 6 "Aliens".

[Waragainstsleep]

Originally Posted by Spheric Harlot 

Am i the only one who really liked Resurrection?

Yes.

I'm not a fan of memories being genetically transmitted. Its lazy storytelling. This movie only tried to add one thing to the alien verse and it failed spectacularly to do that job justice by not involving HR Giger. An alien/human hybrid was arguably the thing he was born to create. Nothing has ever been so far inside a specific persons wheelhouse in all of recorded history.

Did anyone notice how much of Alien was copied into Prometheus? Some of the characters were basically carbon copies. Even a lot of the wardrobe.
It will undoubtedly surprise no-one to learn that I am not fond of Hollywood creating scientific genius characters with such strong spiritual sides while I'm moaning about Prometheus.

[Waragainstsleep]

Here is an question: Is Giger's Alien the best modern example of a new classic monster? IE, in 200 years time, will it be as iconic as Frankenstein, Vampires, werewolves, Mummies, Zombies etc etc?

What about the Terminator?

[subego]

Originally Posted by Waragainstsleep 

Did anyone notice how much of Alien was copied into Prometheus? Some of the characters were basically carbon copies. Even a lot of the wardrobe.
It will undoubtedly surprise no-one to learn that I am not fond of Hollywood creating scientific genius characters with such strong spiritual sides while I'm moaning about Prometheus.

I felt I noticed more where it was trying not to be Alien.

"Better not have a character like Ripley, so let's make the women in the movie hugely annoying, instead!"

[mattyb]

Originally Posted by Spheric Harlot 

Am i the only one who really liked Resurrection?

I liked it.

[subego]

Never saw it, but was curious because IIRC, the guy who shot Se7en shot it, and he's pretty good.

[P]

Originally Posted by subego 

Never saw it, but was curious because IIRC, the guy who shot Se7en shot it, and he's pretty good.

David Fincher, and he shot Alien 3, not Resurrection. Resurrection was shot by the guy who did Amelie from Montmartre.

TAN, but Fincher's latest, Gone Girl, is the best he's done in years.

[subego]

I shouldn't have used lingo.

"Shot" refers to the Director of Photography, who was Darius Khondji.

[P]

You'd see a movie based who was Director of Photography?

[Cap'n Tightpants]

I've watched movies based on who did the musical score or costume design, so I don't believe that's too unusual.

[subego]

Originally Posted by P 

You'd see a movie based who was Director of Photography?

In this case, no, since I didn't see the movie.

In general, if the person in question knocks it out of the park like Khondji did on Se7en? Yes.

Full disclosure: I've been both a gaffer (lighting guy) and a director of photography, so such choices are also work related.

[BadKosh]

Originally Posted by Waragainstsleep 

Here is an question: Is Giger's Alien the best modern example of a new classic monster? IE, in 200 years time, will it be as iconic as Frankenstein, Vampires, werewolves, Mummies, Zombies etc etc?

What about the Terminator?

Alien will survive, as well as The Creature, Mummy, Frankenstein, Dracula, and the Wolfman. Sil won't be on the list. Predator probably will.


Terminator will be as classic as Robby, Gort, R2D2 & C3PO, and even B9.

I also think most All of Ray Harryhausen's stop motion stars will endure.

[ShortcutToMoncton]

Sooooooo apparently Chappie is horrendous. That's two misses in a row for Blomkamp and trending downwards. And apparently his plot still blissfully employs the same sort of politically idealogical incoherence that plagued both Elysium (just one of many problems) and District 9 (really the only bad spot of an otherwise good movie).

Not a good sign at all. If they'll still let him make New Alien, it seems likely to be a disappointing mess.

[subego]

I still want to see it because Die Antwoord.

[ShortcutToMoncton]

Originally Posted by subego 

I don't want to see it because Die Antwoord.

Fixed?

[subego]

I think being petty thugs in dystopian sci-fi movies is their true calling.

[P]

Originally Posted by ShortcutToMoncton 

Sooooooo apparently Chappie is horrendous. That's two misses in a row for Blomkamp and trending downwards. And apparently his plot still blissfully employs the same sort of politically idealogical incoherence that plagued both Elysium (just one of many problems) and District 9 (really the only bad spot of an otherwise good movie).

Not a good sign at all. If they'll still let him make New Alien, it seems likely to be a disappointing mess.

It's not like it can be any worse than Resurrection. Bloomkamp seems to be a massive Alien fan - there are worse starting points

[ShortcutToMoncton]

Originally Posted by P 

It's not like it can be any worse than Resurrection. Bloomkamp seems to be a massive Alien fan - there are worse starting points

Being a massive fan has nothing to do with anything when it comes to making a good movie IMO. At the end of the day there are worse starting points - it could be Michael Bay doing Alien? - but there are also better ones than a guy who started as an indie darling but has now made two terrible and annoyingly derivative movies in a row (AND loves Die Antwoord to boot).

[subego]

Haters gonna hate.

[ShortcutToMoncton]

Originally Posted by subego 

Haters gonna hate.

Hey, I love Alien and Aliens (and A3 isn't as bad as its rep, either). I was all in for Prometheus (sad trombone) and would love another good Alien movie.

I mean, I could be wrong. But I really don't see that Blomkamp has shown he has anything close to the chops, other than the fluke that appears to be D9.

[The Final Dakar]

Originally Posted by ShortcutToMoncton 

Sooooooo apparently Chappie is horrendous. That's two misses in a row for Blomkamp and trending downwards.

Someone called him the next M. Night Shamalan. Scary thought.

[ShortcutToMoncton]

Not a bad comparison at this stage, although Shyamalan actually made two pretty solid Holywood movies to start off (Unbreakable is fairly underrated IMO).

I would go so far as to say that he's like a worse Shyamalan - maybe a Shyamalan for the 2010 decade? "Like Shyamalan, but even more so". Lol?

[Cap'n Tightpants]

Unbreakable was better than 6th Sense, IMO.

[The Final Dakar]

Blokamp is just compressing the career arc.

[ShortcutToMoncton]

Timely little Grantland article on Blomkamp and Alien franchise