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I say we take off and nuke The Behind the Scenes Pic of the Day from orbit. It’s the only way to be sure.
Ahoy, squirts! Quint here with today’s Behind the Scenes Pic!
I’ve got a nice treat for you today, a look inside the effects shop as they prepare the Alien Queen for James Cameron’s Aliens. I don’t see Stan Winston in the shot, but it’s still spectacular to see the bitch in all her glory.
This creature blows me away every time I watch Aliens… there’s just a majesty to her movement. As big and slow as she is, there’s an elegance to her that is unmistakable. For a creature without eyes Winston’s team gave this giant monster an amazing amount of personality.
Even in this shot of her lying around the warehouse, without arms or legs, you can see the elegance of her design. Especially with the tail. I love the little insert in the finished film of the tail in strike position, coiled like a snake and shivering with anticipation of revenge on this puny little meatsack that murdered her children.
Brilliant film, brilliant design, awesome photo. Hope you guys enjoy! Click to embiggen!
If you have a behind the scenes shot you’d like to submit to this column, you can email me at quint@aintitcool.com.
Come back tomorrow for the next Behind the Scenes Pic. It is another day, afterall!
-Quint
quint@aintitcool.com
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From the best Alien movie
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May 11, 2011, 9:15 p.m. CST
Cue the lament of practical effects becoming a bygone art form in 3...2...1...
by spire_walk
Though I do agree that practical effects are the solution 95% of the time.
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Got kicked out of the theater when I was 12 when I snuck in to see this. Cried all the way home. Saw it on video about a year later and thought it was awesome. Had not watched the whole thing in years then caught it on Netflix streaming about 3 weeks ago. Awesome! Great to watch it again. Love the bitch!
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May 11, 2011, 9:18 p.m. CST
Man, I really lament the fact that practical effects are becoming a bygone artform
by NeonFrisbee
Wait... oh... damnit!
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Yes the practical effects look better in this film in almost every way except for the flight sequences- I think CG actually looks better. I fyou compare the descent of the shuttle in ALIENS to AVATAR there is just no comparison- ALIENS does look fake. It looks fake in AVATAR too but it's so much better of quality in my opinion. Maybe the modern green screen work would look a little better. But the aliens themselves still could not look better if they were done in CG. Maybe in a few more years- but the sense of danger is so much more palpable in the climax precisely because the practical effects look so much more visceral and honest. Amazing how the effects hold up after 25 years. Thanks for the pic, Quint! I love this column.
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Pretty great popcorn flick but brilliant? Nyet
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May 11, 2011, 9:29 p.m. CST
JIM CAMERON DRINKS A BEER AND CHEATS ON HIS BYGONE ART FORM
by ScoobySnack
That is all.
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How could 20th Century Fox do such a bang-up job on all fours films in the Alien series on Blu, yet Predator looks like a wax museum horror show?
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Shooting Aliens. Brilliant no, but an absolute blast of a film.
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Put in the context of the time it was released, the female lead, anti-corporate theme, effects, pacing, tension, plot, character development- they are all spot on. I would say it's both brilliant and a popcorn movie. Something like COMMANDO (which I love!) would be more of a plain popcorn movie in my book.
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Aliens is still one of the best SciFi films out there IMHO. And I think it takes the crown of Best Movie Sequel as well. Maybe tied for ESB in that they both utterly redefined the movie before them. Of course the Aliens franchise trainwrecked far sooner than Star Wars did. Can anyone else think of any sequels that qualify for best sequel? T2 comes to mind, but I think Aliens is better ( by that I mean, Aliens to Alien is a superior sequel than T1 to T2 )
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May 11, 2011, 9:46 p.m. CST
One of my top ten of all time that has been consistent since I first saw it a decade ago
by stu_pickles
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Many would say that Godfather Part 2 is the best sequel of all time. </p> </p> For me it's a 3-way tie between ESB, Terminator 2 and Aliens - but that may be more of a generational thing. Although, of those 3, I think only ESB surpasses its predecessor.</p> </p> More recently, I think The Dark Knight would certainly rank right up there, though. Also, the Toy Story sequels are better than the 1st one, IMO.
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May 11, 2011, 10:05 p.m. CST
LOOOVED the quiet "meet the bitch" scene in the movie!
by Aziraphale_11
This movie remains, by far, my favorite movie of all time. I'm about to finally buy the blu-ray version in the next day or so (as it's just a mere $14.99 on Amazon right now). "Get away from her you BITCH!"
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The Dark Knight definitely deserves a mention. I didn't like Batman Begins half as much as I wished I had ( if that' makes sense ), but TDK was just jaw droppingly good. And Toy Story 2 definitely... it's funny how watching 2 makes 1 look pretty dated, and 3 makes 1 look absolutely prehistoric. After I posted I also realized Wrath of Kahn also deserves a mention. Imagine if Star Trek had quit after ST:TPM *shudder*
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Whatever works. I thought the new Tron movie looked amazing and that was mostly CG with some practical sets. There is something more fun / toyetic about practical stuff though; I always liked the idea of there being models of this stuff and giant, life sized things. Like giant toys.
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May 11, 2011, 10:17 p.m. CST
Aliens is brilliant because such a cohesive sequel compared to the original Alien
by lv_426
Besides something like Indiana Jones sequels or The Matrix sequels, or a planned trilogy like Lord of the Rings, Aliens is brilliant because of the way James Cameron took the mood and style that Ridley Scott initiated with Alien, and then built on it without overwriting, disrespecting, or tarnishing it. Look at most sequels directed by a different director than the one who originated the first film in any given series. Most of them try to change things too much because the director has their "vision". Aliens showed you can have a unique vision while fitting it into already established mythos and visual design philosophy. Aliens built on Ridley's creation of the fictional universe of Alien while smartly adding a new twist. Cameron injected some of his own ideas into it while respecting what Ridley did by not making it too different. Look at the color palette, the lighting, the treatment of the planet that the colony is located on. It is all extremely consistent with the look and feel of what Ridley and crew did in the first film. Now, take Alien 3 and Resurrection. Both are wildly different films that don't mesh well with the first two Alien films, both in terms of style and in terms of the narrative voice of each film. Cameron was smart to also make Aliens a continuation of Ripley's character arc. One can sit down and watch Alien and Aliens back to back and experience a full and satisfying character arc that Ripley goes through, and then feel like they've hit the most logical end point for the characters, both human and alien. Along with Empire Strikes Back, Godfather 2, and T2, Aliens is a textbook case of how to approach a great sequel. Alien 3 and Resurrection, both interesting but flawed films, are sort of the textbook case of exactly what not to do when making a sequel. Also, I think one of Aliens' secret weapons was conceptual designer Ron Cobb. He did such great practical design work on the exteriors and interiors of the ships and colony sets for both films. Alien 3's sets and designs felt like too drastic of a turn away from the industrial and battered-yet-functional futuristic design work seen in first two Alien films. Everything echoed the whole space monk aesthetic too much, yet that doesn't really work that well when it was changed to a prison planet. Resurrection's sets and environments felt a bit too clean. Alien and Aliens hit that sweet spot of taking place in a world that was both relatable and futuristic at the same time.
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You wouldn't catch me in there alongside a queen Alien like that!
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One thing that has not seemed bad about the AVP movies was how Aliens looked in some shots, as CGI creatures scurrying around. Obviously these practical creatures are awesome, and have their place, but for distance shots especially CGI is great for Aliens.
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I'm sure that's a sizable sum -- $40 million, $50 million? -- if you adjust for inflation, but the fucker looks better and more expensive than most of the $100 million films that came 20 years later. I like to think it's the practical effects that make it look so good, but even the Cameron haters out there have to admit he has an unmatched talent for shooting movies in a way that makes them look just as good decades later. Just go back and watch both this and "The Abyss" and you can't deny it.
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Personally, I've never liked the queen. Her movement to me was always awkward looking. She also goes against the intended alien lifecycle. In an interview from 1987-88, Cameron stated that he had the utmost respect for Ridley Scott's film and almost in the same breath claimed he had no intention of kissing the hind ends of the die hard fans of Ridley's film (I paraphrase) when asked about why he ignored the infamous cocoon scene and created the queen. That goes against everything I, as an amateur filmmaker, huge film fan and geek, hold dear. That scene was one of the most sought after deleted scenes in film history and the fans loved the concept. It should have been addressed in at least a limited capacity even if he wanted to add something new. It should have been somehow included out of respect for those fans, a member of which he claims to be. It also shouldn't have been so obviously female either, right down to the damned 'high heels' she had. Why, for God's sake? Logically, why would this thing that does what it does and has the lifecycle it does in addition to the fact it takes on certain characteristics of it's host, why would it look so feminine with HIGH HEELED FEET?!?!? I have a word for it... STUPID. That being said, I had less of a problem with the queen as it appeared in both Alien Resurrection and Alien vs. Predator (neither of which are great films, but at least she looks better in both (the head more than the body in A:R) & sounds bad ass in both compared to Cameron's film. The battle with the queen in AvP is far superior and more exciting than Aliens even though Aliens is by far the better film. I so very MUCH look forward to Ridley's return to the franchise and to his take on the origin of the species. Two to one we won't be seeing ANY trace of the "queen".
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I wonder what a Fincher-directed Alien film might be like now that he has the clout to make it his way. I have to say, even though I don't love Alien 3, I think that it would have been interesting if David Fincher directed Alien Resurrection. Dont' get me wrong, Jean Pierre Jenuet is great, but seeing what he did with the xenomorphs shows that he was really not the right choice to make an Alien movie. He seemed to shy away from bringing much action and suspense into the film, as Josh Whedon's script reads a bit more like Aliens mix of horror/action/cool sci-fi concepts than the wacky space pirate adventure we eventually got with Resurrection. I mean, for fuck's sake, the basic concept of Resurrection is pretty much The Poseidon Adventure in space, with Aliens in it! With Fincher though, by 1996/1997 when Resurrection was made and released, he'd have had more experience, plus they actually had a script written before the damn movie was made. Alien 3 was made under such duress that I have to give Fincher points for being able to make a film as good as he did under such shitty conditions. Of course, some will say that Aliens was also made in a very stressful environment as well, which it was. The thing is that James Cameron had more experience by that point after having worked for Roger Corman and having just made The Terminator. Also, he was able to start from an earlier, untarnished point from the beginning. Aliens was basically his vision from the start since he wrote the script and came up with the whole shebang. Add to that he had some allies there at Pinewood Studios, dudes like Stan Winston that wouldn't second guess his designs for important elements. Elements like the queen, who is one of the all time greatest movie monsters ever to grace the screen. Oh well, hopefully Ridley will give us something that is both awesome and Alien-like with Prometheus.
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...before we went on the hiatus that I'm still currently riding, we had an interesting discussion pop up. We were generally talking about the artistic merit of sequels but the conversation exploded into an "Alien"/"Aliens" debate and eventually, we all pretty much agreed... they're like separate sides of the same coin. Either you're an "Alien" person, or you're an "Aliens" person. you're definitively one or the other at your core. its hard to argue the notion. me, personally, I'm decidedly an "Alien" person. don't get me wrong, I enjoy Cameron's film a GREAT deal... "Aliens" boils down to an action-packed, men-on-a-mission spectacle, which is certainly awesome. But I've always grooved more to the side of the dark-as-hell serious tone of "Alien," and the fact that it peeked the "survival horror" genre before that sub-genre even existed. "Alien" puts your balls in a vice grip and it doesn't let them go until the credits roll. you gotta respect that. you really can't go wrong, either way.
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personally, I never, ever, ever, EVER understood the people who cried that "Godfather 2" is better than "The Godfather." sorry, I simply will never understand that. The Godfather is all about the family dynamic. the ties that bind. what you and your brother next to you are willing to do when the crux of your family is threatened. the first film just has a MUCH better arc. the gangster business ascending towards drugs and the Corleone's reluctance to accept that; the Don slipping in his ways and ultimately becoming a target for it; the character of Sonny and his untimely death; and, of course, the rosy-cheeked-good-boy Michael "turning to the dark side" to keep the lineage of his family intact. "Godfather 2" is awesome but its all over the place, and lacks any of the real emotional arcs of its predecessor. yeah DeNiro as Vito is fucking awesome, and the Fredo stuff is classic, but outside of that... doesn't compare to the original. *majorly derailing this TB, sorry... back to Aliens*
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May 11, 2011, 10:55 p.m. CST
Definitely a contender for my favorite movie ever.
by Seven_of_Borgnine
I saw it the day it came out. It remains the most satisfying movie-going experience I've ever had. Spot-on blending of at least three movie genres (war, horror-survival, science fiction). Great characters. Economical storytelling at its finest. Fascinating in how it is both a straightforward sequel and yet a completely new creation. It floored me the first time and I've seen it at least 20 times since and it never gets boring. Beautifully constructed picture.
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I have to disagree with the notion of the queen being a bad move in terms of developing the xenomorph race. True, the cocoon concept is a creepy and downright disturbingly cool way to explain the origin of the alien eggs and thus the life cycle, but overall it just doesn't make as much sense as the queen laying eggs to then be taken to the hosts for impregnation. One thing I could see as a viable way to re-introduce the concept of the cocooning of the alien's victims, would be to maybe have the cocooning process be the origin of the space jockey/pilot type of creature seen in the derelict ship in Alien. Maybe they take longer to incubate, and since the aliens were pretty much grounded on the planet in Aliens due to the place being a colony without any ships*, maybe they go the queen route in those situations? In Alien they were already on board a ship, so maybe it makes sense to turn the victims that the alien captures into space jockies? Maybe then the space jockey will be able to fuse with the mechanics of the ship and take control of it? It sorta works conceptually if you think about how the aliens are part of H.R. Giger's whole "biomechanical" motif. This actually works, as there is noting to say that in Aliens, the aliens weren't incubating a space jockey or two in the hive located in the bowels of the atmosphere processor. We the audience (Ripley/Marines) just didn't see these incubating space jockies because, well, we shooting at all the damn aliens that were coming out of the walls and attacking us. I think that could work. I could get behind something like that, so that we could have both the queen and cocoon concepts as canon in the Alien fictional universe. * I say the Hadley's Hope colonists in Aliens have no ship, because as I recall, Cameron stated in an interview that much of the colony itself was built from re-purposed components and modules that were originally part of the ship that the colonists initially traveled there in. Also, if they had a ship, some of them would have gotten away. The colony having no ship(s) would also would explain why the company needed to send a rescue mission. So maybe no ships, in the aliens' minds mean no way off the damn rock, so might as well build up their forces. Also, initially the colonists might have tried to hunt down the first few aliens after they hatched, not unlike the crew of the Nostromo did in the first film. Maybe the aliens actually needed to bolster their forces before setting in motion the long process of incubating a space jockey? Seems to make sense to me.
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"One thing that has not seemed bad about the AVP movies was how Aliens looked in some shots, as CGI creatures scurrying around. Obviously these practical creatures are awesome, and have their place, but for distance shots especially CGI is great for Aliens." I agree, that if you have hundreds or thousands of aliens scurrying around, then the digital effects route would be fine. I remember the scene from AvP, with all the aliens crawling up the Mayan pyramid to attack the predators. That wide shot with hundreds of them, nearly becoming like a mass of ants, that made me wish for an epic scale Earth War film. They'd have to have a shot or two of hordes of aliens crawling all over the place. For the close up alien stuff though, I prefer the practical effects route.
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Yep. Those are great. I believe it was Aliens Book One, Book Two, and Earth War before they changed Hicks and Newt to Wilks and Billie so as not to mess with the continuity going into Alien 3 and Resurrection. There were a few other Dark Horse Aliens comics that were pretty good, but these three limited run series were the closest in terms of capturing the vibe of the first two Alien films. I know they probably couldn't change it back to having it be Newt and Hicks, but I'd love to see a TV series or miniseries made using the 3-book Earth War storyline as the basis. Unless Prometheus hems really close to the Alien mythology, then I say at this point, maybe a TV series is the best route for expanding the Alien(s) stories via live action.
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There's nothing this good coming out of Hollywood anymore.
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20th Century Fox has an uncanny ability to not only make sequels that ruin franchises, they have this ability to make sequels so deadly that they travel back in time and destroy the earlier, superior installments. Alien 3 not only ruined itself, but it reached back and degraded the viewing quality of Aliens. No shit. Try to watch the first two movies and not once think about Alien 3 or Resurrection. Try to watch the growing relationship Ripley has with Hicks and Newt and not think about how they die at the beginning of Alien 3 for no fucking reason. Think about that. Alien 3 renders all that Aliens accomplished irrelevant, and it does it with all the sensitivity of a porn star's penis after a week straight of filming, and Aliens serves as a vessel to remind you of that piece of shit movie. You may pretend that Alien 3 doesn't exist or isn't canon, but that all proves my point more. You have to play mind games that alter sense of reality just to watch Alien and Aliens
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It makes you wonder why the people at Fox couldn't have just said: "Alien 3. Ripley, Newt, Hicks, and Bishop's half-torso must fight a new swarm of aliens on Gateway Station and prevent them from reaching the surface of the Earth and infesting the entire planet." And before anybody decides to laugh about Bishop's hapless half-torso flailing at an alien, what if he were needed to be hooked into Gateway Station's mainframe computer (Mother) to override the computer's Company orders to preserve the aliens for further testing? Plus, they could still have Ripley running around with a baby queen inside her tummy to amp up the tension. If anything, Gateway Station should have at least been the setting for Alien Resurrection. Who gives a shit about the fucking Auriga and its horny captain with the big goofy eyebrows?
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The first three miniseries would have made an EPIC movie (or trilogy of movies...it's that massive in scale) and a terrific finale for Ripley, Hicks and Newt. I just wish they'd make a new Alien movie that just completely ignores the third and fourth entries and brought Hicks and Newt back. Michael Biehn can still kick-ass onscreen (see Planet Terror), and there must be a number of actresses in their twenties or thirties who would KILL for a chance to play a grown-up Newt. Like spire_walk said above, the dour, fatalistic tone of Alien 3 actually DOES wreck Aliens somewhat. Watching all four films on Blu-Ray last week, when Newt says "Can we dream?" and Ripley replies "I think we both can" at the end of Aliens, I literally found myself muttering out loud, "Yeah, until we BOTH DIE in the next movie". Imagine if the opening text crawl in Return Of The Jedi informed us that Han Solo and Chewie died in-between films, and Luke ended up throwing HIMSELF into the heart of the Death Star to keep the Emperor from claiming him to the Dark Side. It's THAT much of a slap to series fans.
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May 11, 2011, 11:27 p.m. CST
The military in Aliens were Jim Cameron's cartoon image of the military
by SmokingRobot
In other words, totally fake.
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This discussion will never take an end. But for me Alien 3 was a stunning end of the trilogy. So hopeless and dark but at the same time it was Ripleys salvation. Part 4 is crap, withaout a doubt. But yeah, Aliens is simply brilliant. And it's still today.
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THANK YOU!! I've been telling people the exact same thing about Godfather and Godfather 2 for years, I'm glad somebody else out there has some sense when it comes to these films! That's not to say Godfather 2 is a bad film. To the contrary, I feel Godfather 2 is brilliant. The Godfather just works better on more levels and is the superior film. Sorry to re-hijack the thread, but this had to be said.
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Aliens is fucking brilliant. Not even James Cameron makes movies as good as Aliens anymore.
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"Like spire_walk said above, the dour, fatalistic tone of Alien 3 actually DOES wreck Aliens somewhat. Watching all four films on Blu-Ray last week, when Newt says "Can we dream?" and Ripley replies "I think we both can" at the end of Aliens, I literally found myself muttering out loud, "Yeah, until we BOTH DIE in the next movie"." You know what would have been interesting? If Alien 3 was a dreamlike take on the aliens. Maybe something were Ripley and company are being brought out of hypersleep back at Gateway Station, and she is still very groggy and out of it (remember how she was really not in good shape after being in hypersleep for 57 years at the beginning of Aliens). So groggy out-of-mind Ripley is still having nightmares. Eventually, after a couple days of rest, she is released from the infirmary, and goes back to her apartment to begin a new life as Newt's surrogate mother. The thing is, Ripley just doesn't feel right, things seem wrong, like deja vu in that she just can't figure out why. She is just paranoid, and is still having horrible nightmares involving the aliens (which maybe we could see some of these nightmares at this point in the series). Eventually, she realizes that there is an alien embryo inside her, or she finds that the Company has a specimen and is studying it on Gateway station. How would the Company slimeballs have an alien? I don't know. I'm sure they could think of something better than the queen pooped one out while hiding in the dropship's landing gear. Anyways, something along these lines would have worked, where the third Alien film could be sort of be a mindfuck or use a slow realization kind of terror method and then boom! All hell breaks loose. Ripley and Hicks must fend for their lives and Newt's while Gateway Station is nearly destroyed by the rampaging aliens. So Alien 3 could still have had action and terror, but with a bit more of a reality bending psychological horror element as well.
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May 11, 2011, 11:49 p.m. CST
The critter in Alien 3 wasn't stop-motion *or* CGI
by Nasty In The Pasty
It was this weird rod puppet deal where they rotoscoped it into the live-action footage (check out the making-ofs on the Blu-Ray). It pretty much sucked, though...not as charmingly hand-crafted as true stop-motion, not as fluid as full CGI. Easily the worst alien F/X in the series. The full-scale animatronics and suit work was fine, though.
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... and ask for more. It delivers on every Sci-Fi/horror/action/sequel level. Definitely my fave movie from JC, even though it cribs/nods to/from ALIEN here and there for cohesion. Cameron really wrote in tune with the Ripley character's psychology and for Weaver's range. Her arc in the film from shell-shocked disaster survivor to maternal Rambolina is perfectly paced and staged. The set designs, miniature work, mech and creature (re)designs remain superb; with much coming from Cameron himself - who was ''competing'' with Syd Mead and Stan Winston! The only think that bothers me is Carter Burke pulling out some dot matrix printout paper for Ripley in the ALIENS SE cut...literally that's it. I've seen ALIENS in theaters numerous times - from 70mm prints to 35mm in revival houses - and nothing comes close to the recent restoration for Blu-ray. Thank you FOX HOME VIDEO.
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What if in the end, Ripley sort of goes crazy, and she had been imagining the whole time that the aliens have followed her and Newt to Gateway Station via the Sulaco? The mental scars were just too deep, even after the catharsis of Aliens. It would have been an ironic twist if the whole of Alien 3 were in her mind. Alien 3 = three levels of alien 1. 3rd film in the series 2. Aliens are physically there 3. Alien presence in the mind. Or maybe they could have had this angle, and then somewhat crazy Ripley breaks out of her locked room in the infirmary when the aliens actually do start running amok on Gateway... or at least that is what the audience thinks is happening by then, that the aliens are actually there, but then again... maybe it is just more of Ripley's delusions? Plus, there is the whole notion that the aliens communicate through some sort of ESP method. So maybe another queen, on Gateway Station, is somehow messing with Ripley's mind? Maybe the whole thing is a ruse to let the queen out of the high tech cage the Company has it in, and it uses Ripley to set things in motion? What if Ripley actually is responsible for letting the aliens out, thus releasing them on Earth? At least something like that would have been boldly different for Alien 3 instead of reheating the formula of the first film with pissy bald British space monks...er prisoners.
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...is that Fox Executives think they know more about filmmaking than the actual people making the films. One of the key things Alien and Aliens have going for them is the hands-off nature the people at Fox took in the productions. The filmmakers had a ton of control, made the films their way and rewarded Fox with incredible genre pictures, Oscar nominations and high grosses. Then, starting with Alien 3, the executives at Fox decided they knew more about making Alien films than the filmmakers they hired to do so and began dropping their dicks in the pool. Alien 3 (and all subsequent Alien films to a degree, including the AvP series) suffers from many problems, no doubt about it. But the fingerprints, bruises and sticky leavings of a hard and heavy fucking by Fox execs are evident all over that film. Had the filmmakers been treated with the same respect as the makers of the first two Alien films, the subsequent films in the series would have been dramatically different. Better? Maybe, maybe not. But Fox hired talented folks (well, in the case of Alien 3 and Resurrection, anyway...the less said about the AvP series the better) and they should have trusted those folks a whole lot more than they did. Instead, what we're left with is a truncated and bastardized version of what could have been the Bond series of sci-fi horror films. Imagine what could have happened if Alien 3 and Resurrection had been unfucked with, resulting in better, more profitable films. Every two to three years, a new hotshot filmmaker could have been given the chance to cut his teeth on the series, telling a myriad of different stories in this universe! There's a tremendous amount of written material to draw from, or the sequels could have built off of previous films in the series. Either way, there would have been more stories filmed to this point and we'd always have interesting films to look forward to. Instead, douchbag executives had to meddle and tamper and fuck with their filmmakers and we're left with lesser films. Sad, really...
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I don't necessarily hate Alien 3. I just have to be in the right mood to enjoy it. It is the same with Resurrection, although that "right mood" for that one rarely every hits me. Alien and Aliens, I could watch any old day of the week. As for the Alien fan fiction mumbo jumbo, which one of my ideas did you like? The cocoon being the Space Jockey origin? or What if Alien 3 were a psychological horror mindfuck? I have to admit, I do feel like I would have a blast making a fan film out of one or both of those concepts. Maybe if I could somehow combine both ideas, and by using a new main character? At this point it would be silly to try and reboot Ripley as a character, especially for some sort of fan fiction or fan film. I could see it being a Newt/Ripley hybrid of a character though. Someone that encountered the aliens at a young age, but then went on to face them again once they were an adult. What if the psychologically scarred alien survivor is the only known person to have seen the alien homeworld, and actually lived to tell about it? I bet that place would scar even the most battle hardened colonial marine or space trucker to the core.
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I agree. It sucks that the Alien series never could mature past completely revolving around Ripley. Don't get me wrong, I adore the character, and Sigourney's portrayal, even in the lesser Alien 3 and Resurrection, is a great act to watch. I think in the long run though, they have to get away from it being about Ripley all the time. I mean, look at all the stuff they could play with: Earth War Alien Homeworld Infestation of other colonies Aliens in zero-G Hell, even Aliens vs. Predator was pretty much a given, as it should have been about a squad of Colonial Marines getting caught up in the middle of the Predators hunting the Aliens on some uncharted hostile planet. I mean, for fuck's sake, how could they not see this? Even the AvP video games made several years before the first AvP movie were able to recognize this simple logic. It may have been retreading the formula of Aliens a bit, but at least it would have worked and would have been something that the fans could get behind. It would not only have satisfied Aliens fans, but Predator fans as well due to it having the military angle that is similar to the original Predator's mercenary opponents.
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Saw this at the theater on my eleventh birthday. Opening day with my dad. A perfect day too...
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May 12, 2011, 12:34 a.m. CST
Where the hell is darth_kong? This is an Alien talkback for goodness sakes!
by lv_426
Not only that, I'm going into Alien fan fiction mode here.
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One of my favorite movies. I watch it at least once a year. Have you seen the compendium of Hudson quotes on youtube?
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One of those very rare things, where a sequel is better than the first film, much like The Empire Strikes Back. This is definitely in my top 10 for all round entertainment in a movie. Jim Cameron nailed it .
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May 12, 2011, 1:31 a.m. CST
I still vote Alien 3 is a dream sequence after the queen discovery
by Domi'sInnerChild
She hit a pipe that she imagines is the Alien and it's full of lice. Stupid if any of that is real. The company arrives the next day, apparently ignoring the space travel rules of the previous films and using Jack Bauer LA traffic rules. The Alien does the lame "it's going to get up" jump out of tons of molten lead even though Aliens had the scene where it proved they squash under heavy weight when they ran over one. And of course, any more that ends with a slow motion "NOOOOOOOO!" out of any character is obviously a joke. I also remember reading there was a scene where Ripley wakes up with a surgical scar on her belly.
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May 12, 2011, 3:14 a.m. CST
THAT THING COME ON MY LAWN, I KILL IT! DAMN NATURE, YOU SCARY!
by RobertoInfinite
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May 12, 2011, 3:15 a.m. CST
Cue Cue-ers cueing things while in a queue in 3...2....1...
by RobertoInfinite
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It's been years since I read them but my two main beefs with the DH Aliens comics were that: a) they abandoned the Space Jockey stuff they set up in book 1. I really wanted to know where they were going with that. IIRC the Space Jockey telepathically told them that his people were coming to conquer humanity or something. b) Part three was pretty crap, especially the artwork, as they didn't have Dennis Beauvais' fantastic artwork from part 2. I hated that they changed it all to Wilks and Billie and turned Ripley into an android. Totally ruined the original plot.
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I still don't like the whole "queen alien" thing. It just turns the aliens into giant space termites rather than shit-your-pants, scary, unpredictable monsters. Also, am I the only one who thinks Cameron's films from the 80's and early 90's don't age particularly well? I mean, what's with all the up-turned collars on the suits in the future? And aviator shades? They were never fashionable and still aren't unless you're an italian gigolo.
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Alien Resurrection nicked one of its best ideas from the 'Ripley returns as clone' books: where the imprisoned Aliens turn on one of the weaker ones to facilitate an escape.
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some of the cracks are beginning to show a little, but it's still one of best example of an action-horror-thriller in that err 'multi-genre'? still to this day; can't think of a better film example really off the top of my head. That said, one of the most stupid embarrassing shame/regretful things I think I've ever expressed film wise - in bar conversation - is that Aliens is the better film than Alien just for or at least in the sense of what it was trying to achieve or inhabiting within its designated 'genre'. Stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid....
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FYI, 95% of Alien 3 was a stop-motion puppet. Only the sequence in which the Alien is sprayed with water (when hot) and cracks appear on its skin is the Alien CG. Watch the documentaries or even look it up, but it's true. CG was still in its infancy in 1991/1992, and the effects they were able to produce weren't ready for prime time.
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But out of the two it's the one I go back to more. Michael Biehn is awesome in it, probably one of the few men that Ripley respects , it's just a fucking shame about what happened to his character in the following film.
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Assume Newt and Hicks made it and everything is fine. Regardless, I'm willing to back Aliens as the better of the first two films. Alien is an amazingly tense piece of film-making, but there are so many small niggles I have with it, that I go back to the sequel more often. Saying that, they are both two of my favourite movies.<P><P>On a side note, I've been trying to sign in/make a new account here since the big renovations a couple months back. Everything is weird.
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As the dog alien is running through the prison, it's constantly surrounded by a blue-hue. Surely it's computer generated in more than one scene?
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Or really didn't totally ruin it but really marred it. They should have shot him the first time he tried to get them killed. It was just totally absurd. Aliens doesn't hold up that well but it was great when it was released...Alien is still the better movie though.
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All these years later, the following is still pretty much true: 1) "Alien" is the most frightening movie I've ever seen. 2) "Aliens" is the most exciting movie I've ever seen. In other words, I had an horrifically strong "fear" reaction, sheer dread, to the first film. And with the second, sweat was literally drooling down my face by the end. Pure adrenal reaction. BTW, Jack Cohen, one of the world's top reproductive biologists who has advised many world-class SF writers (he designed Anne McCaffry's dragons) thinks the Alien biology is pure bullshit. I love Jack, but could care less. Those movies ROCK!
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You know its true.
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but when I see that people are saying Aliens isn't really that good and doesn't hold up very well, I want to ask that person for five films that can even approach it in terms of action, suspense, plot etc. I'm hoping that it is just the 'hate everything' talkback attitude, cause if Aliens is shit, then what is left?
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Too fucking right iwasinjuniourhighdickhead
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You'd think so, but it's not so. In fact, the hue is just an after-effect of the compositing work done at the time. That was a maquette, filmed against a screen (I can't remember if they were using green screen or blue screen at the time.) It was likely an after-effect of the traditional optical compositing still in use at the time. (Of this, I'm not 100% sure, but I explain in the next paragraph.) The key is that I don't believe that digital compositing was in use at the time, at least not in full scale. It took some looking, but according to my info, the first professional digital compositing system was the Cineon system, which first rolled in 1993 (too late to have been used in Alien 3). Until digital compositing hit main stream use, you still had to combine film elements (even those produced via CGI) optically. As a result, you'd get matte lines (or that halo effect we all hate). To fix some of it, they'd fiddle with the image opacity, so you'd get this kind of faded look to images, especially when watched on video. (This was covered a lot in a documentary about how they "fixed" the compositing on the Special Editions of Empire in the Hoth speeder sequences.) So in essence, you're probably confusing the "fake" look of CGI with the washed-out effect you'd get from using optical compositing, especially apparent when watching videos on the TV's of today with their high contrast ratios. I'm one of those guys that tends to rail against CGI, but I also admire how much the use of computers has massively improved the post-production process.
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I've maybe seen Aliens close to 100 times over the last 20+ years and i'm still excited to see it on Blu Ray tonight. They just don't make 'em like this anymore. Could you imagine how crappy a CG Alien Queen would have been?
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I just paid $35 for blu ray 'Despicable Me' for my son. Screw it, he's watching Alien and Aliens double bill instead.
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The go-motion puppet was filmed as a separate element against a blue screen, then composited in. You probably get the blue fringe because of the motion blur. Go-motion was formulated to get rid of the jitters that come from stop motion, but if you're moving something against a blue screen, well... The blur comes from something being in the shot for part of the exposure, and not in the shot for the other part of the exposure. Light from both periods hits the film or the chip that's being exposed, so you get a kind of transparent combination of the two. So, what do you get when you combine the moving rod puppet and the blue screen? A fringe where both the rod puppet and the blue screen were, a fringe that has to remain to keep the motion blur. If they were to get too choosy, it would defeat the whole purpose of the go-motion. Okay, let's turn our attention to the matter of the CG vs. Practical debate. I'd say if you can reasonably get something in practical, do so, if you can afford it. It's not that practical is necessarily better than CG, but it's more automatic. It's there. Most productions these days actually do a mix. Models are not quite as dead as people think. In fact, they're often what gets tagged as bad CGI! Truth is, CG stuff is like stop-motions and optical effects. Your mileage will always vary based on your tastes, but also based on the skills of the artists. You watch Cameron's The Abyss, and you'll probably think that half the shots he did as models were actually shot for real. Watching Avatar, I found a lot of what he shot to be photorealistic in quality. Some things, of course, are so unreal you know they're fake, but that's par for the course. You know the shuttle's a special effect, and so are most of the creatures. This is art, folks, especially in effects movies. Folks blindly praising opticals and practicals should go back and look at what special effects were really like before the digital revolution. They should realize that just as there are sloppy CGI artists, or artists who are under a deadline and just do the best they can, the same applies to the quality and economy of those old optical effects. Those often look fake, too, look unrealistic, etc. It's not a question of technology, but of artistry, and about making wise decisions of how to acheive the artistic effect. And remember folks, it's all fake anyways, so don't get too wound up over it.
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Now what am I supposed to do with this tissue?
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-- they all despise you.
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May 12, 2011, 7:32 a.m. CST
Also, can everyone agree to use "BD" instead of typing out "blu-ray" every damn time
by MooseMalloy
Thank you.
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Like the dog-like creature in Hellraiser. Other times they looked fantastic, like the Alien Queen here, or Jabba the Hutt. It's a moot point now, since they don't even make the attempt anymore.
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1) We can all blame the failure of ALIEN 3 on "filmmaker" Vincent Ward, who proved just how fucking insane he was by writing an ALIEN 3 script in which Ripley and Co. crashland on a wooden spaceship/planet full of fourteenth-century monks. Amazingly, Fox actually ran with this ball for quite a while, before the voice of reason somewhat set in and they changed it to a prison planet with no weapons. William Gibson also wrote a version of the script that, sadly, never got made. Not sure who to blame for RESURRECTION, though. That albino giant alien/human baby at the end was pretty fucking bad.</p><p> 2) The actual budget for ALIENS was around 16 million. Giler and Hill only greenlit it after Cameron claimed he could make the movie for about twice the budget of the original (8 million, same budget as STAR WARS). Even in 1986 dollars, this was a low number, considering LETHAL WEAPON and DIE HARD were made for around 40 million.</p><p> 3) The shitty full-body aliens in ALIEN 3 were a combination of Amalgamated Dynamics puppets and 1991-era CGI, though stop motion may have looked better.</p><p> 4) Mark Verheiden's ALIEN series was probably the only decent "sequel" written after ALIENS. No Ripley, Hicks is a grizzled, disenfranchised war vet and teenage Newt agrees to go along to the aliens' homeworld with a ship full of Marines (where the "one of us is an andriod" twist from the original is stood on its head when she discovers the Marines -- one of whom she slept with -- were ALL disposable androids. Which beggars the question ... how come they just didn't send remote-controlled robots to Acheron instead of easily-killable Marines who could be used to make more aliens?!?). I could have done without seeing the Space Jockey in a hokey NASA-style spacesuit, though ...
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of the pulse rifles being dug out of some prop cupboard at Pinewood. They are in bad condition but they still fire, and god do they look cool....
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Even BETTER than the original. :-)
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unless its a cartoon fish. Finding Nemo would look worse with practical effects.
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Spunkmeyer seems more or less the same, younger even, Ferro looks pretty good. Biehn has grown back his Johnny Ringo tache and looks awesome. Anyone seen that video of him passing out in a scene? He asked another actor to use a chokehold on him to make it more realistic and you see him attempt to tap out before he goes under.
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"They mostly come at night. Mostly."
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as cool as aliens is, cameron exposed too much. turning them into bugs takes away alot of the horror and the mystery of what kind of organism it is and ultimately limits it. less is way more in this case. aliens is still a cool adventure sci-fi flick tho.
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Which is why Alien3 attempted to be more of a horror film. I actually thing it's a good concept, but I don't think it was done as well as it could've been. As for Resurrection, I liked it up until the bit with the hybrid. Really?
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When Ash tries to kill (?) an unconscious Ripley by... vertically applying a rolled-up magazine to her lips? Uncomfortable and weird, yes. But it makes no sense.
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one of the best action/sficif movies EVER. FACT.
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Giger photo collections and i was blown away with his work.his combination of horror and sex is ingenious.
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1. Best guns ever featured in a movie. I bet all of you, right as I type this, can picture the sound that those pulse rifles made. 2. Most 3-dimensional cast of characters ever. Even now, 25 years later, you can walk up to any movie geek worth his salt and say, with no preamble, "Sgt. Apone, Frost, Spunkmeyer, Lt. Gorman" and they will instantly respond "Aliens" without hesitation. Everyone knows every character from Aliens. 3. One of the best uses of a shotgun of all time, which leads to..... 4. There is one thing that is unquestionable and unimpeachable about Aliens: the most quotable movie ever, EVER. Literally every line is an awesome quote, to the point where is almost impossible to even pick a top 5. Although I know one, the most bad-ass two word quote ever: "EAT THIS!!!!" BLAMMMMMMMMM!!!!
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"FALL IN PEOPLE!!"
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just kicking ass all over the universe, would you watch it? I would have to say.........FUCK YEAH!!!!
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things turned out in the end.I cant imagine someone else to play Quaritch in the same way i cant imagine someone else to play Apone.
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AAAARGGGHHGHGHGHGH
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AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUGGGGGGGHHHHHH.
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"Get away from her, you BITCH!!!"
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May 12, 2011, 8:52 a.m. CST
"I like to keep this handy (pumps shotgun)...for close encounters."
by JDanielP
"I heard that."
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Yes, it's scientifically bullshit. The aliens are the stuff of our deepest nightmares, including rape anxieties, and thus in a way not "alien" at all, possibly the single biggest irony of the films. That's because the aliens originate more from a horror tradition than that of science fiction, and the SF elements are mostly window dressing. It's Mad Science, not Science, with The Company as the overreaching Mad Scientist. Frankenstein is probably the most basic prototype for Alien (it's the original science fiction and Gothic horror hybrid), but the monster's biology in that story is not exactly plausible either. Complaining about the alien biology is basically misunderstanding what genre(s) the Alien movies belong to, judging them by the standards of "hard" science fiction. (By 3+ though it becomes clear there are no longer any internal rules to the Alien biology, and the genre mixing just starts to get weaker and weaker.)
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May 12, 2011, 8:58 a.m. CST
"...you might as well show me everything. I can take care of myself."
by JDanielP
"Yeah. I noticed."
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"Yeah. Yeah. Bishop should go."
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"Alright. --We waste him."
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"Alright. We waste him."
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May 12, 2011, 9:11 a.m. CST
Caption: "A little to left...yea..yea..ahhhh, that 's the spot.."
by openthepodbaydoorshal
I thought a pic of Shane Mahan would be featured. If anyone is qualified to run the Winston Studio, it's him.
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That was weird. That last posting of mine originally didn't show, at least for me. So, I just did it again. My apologies. --I'll stop quoting the most quotable movie of all time. :-)
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May 12, 2011, 9:14 a.m. CST
Hey Ripley, don't worry. Me and my squad of ultimate badasses will protect you!
by KilliK
The Sarge is gone! Let's get the fuck outta here!
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"You can't. You still don't understand what you're dealing with, do you? The perfect organism. Its structural perfection is matched only by its hostility. I admire its purity. A survivor … unclouded by conscience, remorse, or delusions of morality." - However a machine gun will make mincemeat of of dozens of them in seconds. One thing about Aliens compared to Alien that I bought into reluctantly is all the "sequel inflation". More Aliens vs more humans with better weapons. It sort of demotes the single unstoppable Alien of the first movie. Cameron had to introduce the alien queen to make up for this. (PS - Why doesn't Ripley just grenade the queen in the head and leave the eggs? The whole place is getting nuked in ten minutes anyway. That scene is so awesome I don't care though).
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"Who's Snow White?"
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May 12, 2011, 9:25 a.m. CST
seven_of_borgnine - I agree, that scene with Ash and
by openthepodbaydoorshal
Ripley, aphixiation by rolled up magazine?, always struck me as odd and kind of unnerving. It's as if Ash had to use whatever was available at his disposal, and the nearest thing was the magazine, so, what the hell..give it a try..
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Was supposed to be Ash 'getting off' and raping Ripley with the magazine, Seriously Scott says it on the DVD boxset.
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but that doesnt mean that we must believe that this were his intentions from the start.. Turd here said something true in a previous talkback: Riddley Scott doesnt give deep thoughts in the themes onf his movies,he is mostly focused on their visual aspect since he has studied arts..
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Ripley kills the Queen's children to avenge her because her species was responsible for losing her daughter.
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No...have you?
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woke up after being coccooned, said "Mother-FUCKER!", managed to work one hand free, and then had the absolute bad-ass will to snatch the alien baby as it burst through his chest and bite it's head off. And then he died laughing and choking on alien acid and his own blood.
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Turning my possessive pronoun into a contraction.
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Yeah, I get it, it's a story of two moms protecting their cubs, and it's supremely emotionally satisfying. It makes "movie sense". That's why I only thought of that nitpic now... over 20 years and 20 viewings later, as I was typing it out. Damn, what a great movie.
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Should I even bother finishing it? We all know the rest of that line.
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the cornbread either!"
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and drop your linen. Found em!!"
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goin DOWN!!!"
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Just an FYI, the full size Queen Alien puppet pictured in this article is on display at the Science Fiction Museum in Seattle.
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I'd like that"
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I get it up to a point, it probably would not have been so awkward if the movie didn't linger on it for so long. With all the dripping Gigerian bio-mechanical genitalia analogues in that movie it's weird that this scene is the most clumsy of the Freudian bits. It still seems that Ash should either strangle her or try to violate her in a more direct manner. Anyway I'm just glad Parker bashed the guy's head off before Ash escalated to whatever else he had planned.
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Is it? Last time I was there, a few months ago, it wasn't. Shortly after that museum opened, I did see an AWESOME set up of the alien queen in fighting post against the load lifter there... almost certainly the actual on-screen props... by far the best thing in the entire museum. But I've been back a few times and I haven't seen it there since. Too bad!
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May 12, 2011, 10:56 a.m. CST
More magazine stuff...and didn't Ash look like he was about
by openthepodbaydoorshal
to unleash a torrent of milky white goo from his mouth while he was holding Ripley down? A robot filled with a milky substance? Freudian bit indeed.
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not "post", arrrgh
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How about Godfather Part 2!
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1. Watch Aliens. 2. Pay close attention to Hudson. 3. Do a shot each time he says "MAN". 4. ????????? 5. Profit.
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roach-like in impression. While I dislike dumbing down the original ALIEN concept to an analogy for action insects (termites?)... I do think this movie is the most skillful scavenging and alteration of concept into an engaging forward moving story. Even if it was dumbed down a lot. Ad if the movie was stand alone in a seperate universe where ALIEN never came out... it would be completely awesome! of course then the chest burster dream sequence wouldn't have made too much sense. And there would have to be just a bit more at the beginning about her story's credibility, where we as an audience would doubt her sanity. That would be a cool film!
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*FTHTTFTHTTFTHTTFTHTTFTHTTFTHTTFTHTTFTHTTFTHTTFTHTTFTHTTFTHTTFTHTTFTHTTFTHTTFTHTTFTHTTFTHTT* I love this movie so very much.
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May 12, 2011, 12:14 p.m. CST
The fact that the Alien Queen was life size, not a miniature, force perspective
by openthepodbaydoorshal
or stop motion, makes it all the more incredible. I wouldn't call it a puppet, but a movable piece of art.
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The Alien is a mix of man in suit and rod puppet. Even the cracks are digital effects over a practical effect. There was no stop frame animation. The Alien was a rod puppet with operators, one each limb and one for the tail. When ever you can see hind legs it is a puppet. There was a digital composition in Alien3 but this was not what you would think. The pod crashing in the sea was the only digital effect. None of the actual alien effects were digital. Digital mattes were in their infancy in he 90s. There were digital mattes before Alien3 I think that Death Becomes Her was the first for the hole through the body. Never thought I would log in here again! LV426 I salute you for bringing actual discussion to a talk back... Braindrain, your still a burk; and a banal one at that.
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There was a quarter size version of the queen too, that fights with a quarter sized power loader. Used in most of the shots where she crashes into boxes. As she is smooth and shiny the textures scale down very well. Also when she is sucked out into space she is a smaller model. There are some great shots sculpting her out of clay where you can really see the intricacy of the design and detail that is included on her. It is great that Cameron got such a good design with out asking Giger, some that would have the masses here foaming at the mouth sand saying the film was DEAD TO THEM!!!! I would like to see what Giger would have done. Maybe he will get to do a little redesign on it in Promethius if she is included.
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May 12, 2011, 12:59 p.m. CST
RE: ""You know, Burke, I don't know which species is worse. You don't see them fucking each other over for a goddamn percentage"
by Stalkeye
Ah, so very true. It's no wonder why it's one of my favorite lines from the film along with "game over man" "this is some pretty fucking shit" and "when vasquez heard about aliens she thought, illigal aliens." Goddamn Hudson was the MAN! For all his cowardice, he still died like a Warrior. classic stuff.
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his berserk outburst put everyone else into imminent danger.nice going there Hudson.
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you see every penny of that budget up on the screen.
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May 12, 2011, 1:39 p.m. CST
mattman that does not excuse Hudson's behaviour as a trained soldier
by KilliK
facing a dangerous situation. besides there was a chance he might have survived if he didnt lose his nerve. Hudson is a disgrace for the USA army.
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May 12, 2011, 1:53 p.m. CST
I thought that Hudson was just finally stepping up
by IWasInJuniorHighDickhead
they were in a pretty hopeless situation anyway, and he was buying time.<P> I know, 'short, controlled bursts', but I didn't think it was implied that Hudson was freaking out and firing wildly. He was hitting what he shot at, wasn't he?<P> I may be wrong, i've seen the film over a hundred times but i'm pretty set in my ways with it now, I don't really notice new things in it. I read the Hudson exit as him redeeming himself for his cowardly attitude earlier, I didn't see it as just a continuation of his freakout.<P> One thing I will say against this film. For me, the film climaxes at the end of the medlab/operations, ie when Ripley and Hicks make it back to the dropship. The rest is great, but the tension never reaches this level again. Not a criticism of the rest of the film, really.
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but not so much the Alien 3 one. I always had the impression that the queen was distinct from 'female' Aliens, and therefore after discovering that missing scene from Alien, presumed some bizzaro concept in my mind that the 'male' Aliens in Alien were somehow or origionally, or perhaps even vice-versa after bio-genetically-altered/evolved according to some Fantastic Planet scenario, to be able to reproduce themselves via this life-cycle method as specifically 'male' versions, should a queen not be available. It will be really interesting to see how Prometheus might (that's MIGHT before i get leaped on) deal with or handle this.
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is pretty clear in the movie.and that does not redeem you in any way.
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That's an interesting decision. After so many years of hosting it on AICN's server, why the switch?
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Listen to Hudsons words and he is clearly shooting at individual aliens, "over there get them" "You want some too" that suggests he is targeting not firing randomly.
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I came up with the idea of having alien 3 and 4 be psychological tests/dreams and then simply continuing on after the events of Cameron's Aliens. Way back I also suggested an alternate dimension/timeline ST type route where the events of alien 3 & 4 really did occur perhaps in an alternate timeline. A new film could acknowledge that but move forward after Cameron's Aliens. But I'm sure others may have thought of stuff like this as well as we've seen it mention in this TB. "Imagine if the opening text crawl in Return Of The Jedi informed us that Han Solo and Chewie died in-between films, and Luke ended up throwing HIMSELF into the heart of the Death Star to keep the Emperor from claiming him to the Dark Side. It's THAT much of a slap to series fans. " ^^ Exactly
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It's not even a problem for me. This is an alien species so I don't see why everything about them and their reproduction needs to make perfect sense. The films are only sorta half of the picture - from the human perspective. One can always infer things to fill the gaps. If ever there was some room for a nice gray area I think it's with the alien films. I just chalk up inconsistencies
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-- HARRY IS GETTING HIS ASS KICKED UP THERE!!
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May 12, 2011, 2:58 p.m. CST
We got tactical smart missiles, phase plasma pulse rifles, RPGs
by stu_pickles
We got nukes, we got knives, we got sharp sticks.
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May 12, 2011, 3:02 p.m. CST
"Any questions?" "Yeah. How do I get out of this chickenshit outfit."
by BanditDarville
"You secure that shit Hudson!!!" Paxton stole the movie. I think his only significant role up to that point was giving his clothes to nekkid Arnie in the Terminator and Chet the dickhead brother in Weird Science.
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May 12, 2011, 3:17 p.m. CST
"You know, Burke, I don't know which species is worse. You don't see them fucking each other over for a goddamn percentage"
by SutureSelf
<p>How does he know whether the Aliens ever betray each other or for what reasons? Does he speak Alien? Is he intimately familiar with all aspects of Alien culture, social structure and institutions?</p> <p>That line is just another expression of the noble-savages-are-better-than-American-capitalists horse pucky that Cameron and so many other beneficiaries of corporate legal structures in the media like to expound.</p>
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total invasion, overrun, and the only safe places are the offworld colonies. Couldn't go much further with the series after that, but it would have been awesome. I love Alien 3, but the waste of Newt and Hicks was too jarring.
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..when taking out as much aliens as possible. Lt. Gorman also stepped up when making an attempt at saving vasquez only to find himself in a hopeless situation thus in turn, detonating the bomb/grenade along with himself and Vasq. Even Ripley's mistrust of bishop has changed so yeah, Aliens is Cam's best film ever, character development, solid action, and memorable lines make this film legendary. Sorry avatar, but you can't compete with this classic. Worth every penny for Blu ray copy.
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that's a great comedy persona you have there...
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Yeah,because compared to Aliens,it didnt have a lot of pew pew and muscular men in it for the little boys,right?
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Not much more to say, really. Aliens is superb, brilliant, and a great piece of film legacy.
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May 12, 2011, 5:52 p.m. CST
the novelisation had Hicks fire a burst at Hudson
by IWasInJuniorHighDickhead
as he disappeared, so it was probably on Cameron's mind at one point to have a mercy killing. Don't like the idea of him getting dragged off.
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So good.
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Losing your cool and starting uncontrollably shooting everything does not make you a hero who redeems himself,especially if you are a fucking trained soldier. First of all the responsibility of a soldier is exactly that: to stay calm,focused and disciplined and do his job in the limits of his physical and mentally abilities.That is why he is trained and he is given a gun.To use it in situations where an ordinary man would have lost it and didnt know what to do.Survive And Hicks,Vasqueze and Gorman did exactly that after their initial shock with their first encounter with the aliens: they acted as fucking soldiers. do you deny that? On the other hand Hudson until his bitter end acted as a whinny coward,who had to be "persuaded" in order to do the job he was ordered to. So he became berserk and started killing the aliens in a very bad-ass,macho way.So fucking what? He stopped acting as a soldier exactly in a situation where his training and skills were needed the most in order to achieve what is the quintessential job of every soldier in the whole world: his survival Moreover his impulsive reaction put the rest of his team in imminent jeopardy while they were under attack.Their lives were already under danger by the attack of the aliens,but Hudson made the things a lot worse. You do know that in the army,soldiers get punished if they put in any way the lives of other soldiers under threat right? Lets go to the killings.Hudson killed 2-3 more aliens for the other.and? did this benefited them in any way? did his sacrifice create a moment of salvation for the rest of his team? Nope,in fact not only he was in his own world while Hicks was shouting at him to take cover in order to protect himself,but at the end he was grabbed by the aliens and forced Hicks to risk his life in order to save him while the second wave of the attacking aliens was coming. Well done there mr Hudson,great job redeeming yourself. If someone redeemed himself that was Gorman.The guy went back to save a fallen soldier while he gave the order for the rest to move on.The guy died as a fucking hero with balls of steel.Not as a whinny,reckless,coward bitch that Hicks was. Mr Gorman i salute you.
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May 12, 2011, 6:22 p.m. CST
well if were talking about being a good soldier they disobeyed orders directly and all lost their shit in a panic and fired didn't they?
by alexander
So they all fucked up as soldiers technically, and Hudson contained himself for control concentrated fire. This argument is null or void or non existent to begin with. I'm getting a personal existential hang-up being the impetus for this "whinny, reckless, coward, bitch" nonsense thrown at Hudson. But each to his own i guess.
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Hey Seven_of_Borgnine, you probably didn't see the Queen Alien because the SFX Museum had to close the basement in preparation for an upcoming Avatar exhibit. I spoke with some of the staff and they said the queen and the load lifter are currently boxed because they didn't have the room but plan to bring her back.
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May 12, 2011, 7:24 p.m. CST
i'd have taken off and blown the place when I found
by IWasInJuniorHighDickhead
the facehuggers in stasis.
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May 12, 2011, 7:33 p.m. CST
alan_grant_lives yes they fucked up royally in the first encounter
by KilliK
but they pulled their shit together after that and stayed united as a team until the end. And ultimately they did finish their mission together with the help of a civilian: they saved the colonial girl and brought her back home. Guess who lost his nerve and kept fucking the whole time with the psychology of the team,becoming more of an obstacle rather than someone whom you could trust your life and rely on. For me the best moment with Hudson was when he saved the girl from the face-hugger.He showed redeeming qualities there,not in the end where he died like a screaming bitch.
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May 12, 2011, 8:02 p.m. CST
take note folks: you will not redeem yourself in life if you die "like a screaming bitch"
by alexander
i think your seriously overestimating how much he fucks with the psychology of the team, if at all, he appears mostly to just be ignorant or a goof to them and it furthur winds up his attitude. But if you think about it, past a load voice, which arguably makes the Aliens single him out and drag him under, he is hardly responsible for anything, certainly not at all relative to the rest of the team. Hudson was always a badass like the rest, just one who couldn't help saying what was on all the other sane peoples minds... oh okay... he didn't exactly eminate or was a beacon of hope, so you could add the non-hopefuls to that... but to me if you don't get the Queen and the Aliens are the truly whinny Bitches, then you don't get Aliens
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May 12, 2011, 8:04 p.m. CST
since were making it all about how we don't like or trust the species who bleed for days and don't die and whine about it... bitches...
by alexander
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May 12, 2011, 8:06 p.m. CST
its almost like hudson bleeds, dies instantly as he's ripped to pieces and has the audacity to scream his head of
by alexander
sounds more like a proper prick or guy who just got a cold to me in the great analogy of gender and biology here
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" think your seriously overestimating how much he fucks with the psychology of the team, if at all, he appears mostly to just be ignorant or a goof to them and it furthur winds up his attitude. " what are you talking about? even Ripley gets angry with him and tells him that his attitude doesnt help the team.what more proof do you need than that? "But if you think about it, past a load voice, which arguably makes the Aliens single him out and drag him under, he is hardly responsible for anything, certainly not at all relative to the rest of the team." So? it is his actions as a trained soldier that we judge in this case,not the hypothetical results. I say nobody was killed from a stray bullet of his because of pure luck.Hell even Hicks was very lucky that he wasnt grabbed or killed when he tried to save him.jesus. " Hudson was always a badass like the rest, just one who couldn't help saying what was on all the other sane peoples minds... oh okay... he didn't exactly eminate or was a beacon of hope, so you could add the non-hopefuls to that... but to me if you don't get the Queen and the Aliens are the truly whinny Bitches, then you don't get Aliens " sorry but i cant follow you.Because Hudson had a bad-ass attitude,which in reality he was pretending that he was bad-ass in order to hide his real cowardliness,he is automatically a redeemed hero? that doesnt make any sense. As i said Hudson is a disgrace for the USA army.
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May he rest in peace.
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We have a saying in the Army, "If Joe ain't bitching, he ain't happy." Soldiers gripe and piss and moan (yeah yeah, he's a Marine... got it...) and it's allowed to a certain degree. If he's bitching about something, it's probably because it sucks, and he's a human being so he's going to bitch about it. Officers and NCOs are more worried about the quiet guy who doesn't show any range of emotion. There's always the *real* whiney guy. He may be a badass when the shit hits the fan, but his vaginitis flairs up at every other opportunity.
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first of all im drunk - so 'ignorant' should have read 'irritating', secondly, yes, Ripley tells him that, but in one specific moment, not for the entire duration or as a summation of his attitude/antics "I say nobody was killed from a stray bullet of his because of pure luck." No, that's bullshit, that's entirely your subjective perception as opposed to any kind of objective reality set by the film there "Hell even Hicks was very lucky that he wasnt grabbed or killed when he tried to save him.jesus." What the hell are you on about there, or what does that even mean!? So now your making it about a soldier trying to save another soldier when he's surrounded/down? That's Hicks call to make, you could say Hicks was fucking irresponsible and subsequently let his whole team down in the most shit-headed way according to what your saying about putting other in danger and being a liability there. "sorry but i cant follow you.Because Hudson had a bad-ass attitude,which in reality he was pretending that he was bad-ass in order to hide his real cowardliness,he is automatically a redeemed hero? that doesnt make any sense." That's because that is a) not the case and b) not what I'm saying. Let me put it another way: Hudson was a badass, but not as cool or didn't keep as cool as the others in certain points. Doesn't mean he was fronting through cowardice, it means he felt the need to express surface emotions and thoughts rather than repress them, which no is not the most soldier like attitude i guess, but he never lets the team down when it counts, never any more than the rest of them, its just there more cool and collective about their arguably bad decision making at certain points than he is. But Ill give you a soldier should not whine as much as he does about misfortune. Still that's not enough to be considered a disgrace. You should see the Legion of Police Officers here in The UK who love to think of themselves as like Vasquezes for example (guys too!) but in reality just use their badge and uniform to moan and bitch and troll and obsessively indulge in their personal dislikes of people., and often clearly through histeria, or fear-ignorance towards certain things they won't acknowledge on their part. They're a fucking disgrace to a uniform and a badge... not the US Army or Marines granted but... Hudson was at least a good team player and a true soldier (and a sensible shot despite his nerves) when the shit hit the fan and it counted - he just didn't know how to shut up inbetween and leading up to those moments. That doesn't take away his badassness or mean he needs to complain and raise his voice to cover cowardice, it means he was amongst the 1st to truly take on board how realistically screwed they were. If not being a disgrace to the Army means not raising your voice when your pretty sure your to be slaughtered and have concerns the plan in hand may not cut it, then fair enough, but this is The Marines, on a remote planet, having walked right into a trap of the universes arguably greatest predators
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Then one day I actually read his fucking name on his HUD monitor... OOOOOOOh. Wiersbowski. Got it. Derpdee derp!
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Drink slows down my wits a bit so forgive me if the answer either way is obvious
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Is with the obama attack ad on this site? Totes inappropes Harry, cmon man, this is a movie site
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that fucking Digits one, that feels like its been here for a god-awful eternity now, and will continue to do so well into the future. I don't like hate nor hate much much at all, but god I hate Gone With The Wind, Xmen3, and that frigging Digits advert. And now I have to look at those assholes BT having a deal with AICN and advertising here. God damn. Back on Topic: I love Aliens. I'm Grateful for a movie like Aliens in this world. They don't make em like that anymore etc.
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it sucked.
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May 12, 2011, 10:38 p.m. CST
There needs to be a better balance between practical and special effects today.
by IronEagle74
I realize that older practical effects don't work exclusively anymore, but these movies today that use almost exclusive CGI just look lame and unbelievable. The goal is to make the audience suspend disbelief, not shake their heads and laugh every time a CG effect looks like a cartoon. Like what was discussed in the thread under the recent Spider-Man story, a better balance needs to be struck. Use practical effcts as much as possible, and only use CGI when it's absolutely necessary.
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Praise Weyland Yutani! The Queen is still in Seattle!!!
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The head of that costume was also in Seattle at EMP SFHOF and then went away. I hope it's in a box somewhere too, soon to be on display again.
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See my answer above. The alien in Alien 3 was a rod puppet with multiple opperators done against a green screen when the whole of it is seen. When it is from the waist up it is a man in a suite. It was then composited on film optically. There is no stop frame animation in the film. There is no go motion animation in the film. When the alien jumps out the lead it is still a rod puppet. The shot of it cracking may be a CGI model and the cracks certainly are, but it is only 1 shot - It may be that the Alien is still a puppet and the cracks were added later as CGI. There are no reports of how a CGI alien was made, or what software or effects house did it, and given the rushed and unorganised nature of the filming I beleive there was no CGI alien. The Alien jumping out the lead was added after the film was finished and may explain the rather rushed and poor effects work. I am sure I can remember a documentary saying that the underwater aliens in Ressurection were the first CGI models used in the franchise. The poor shading of the alien when it is on the roof is from the timings being slighlty wrong when it was compossited on film. Some of the shadows are CGI but added to film not in a CGI workstation. There is however at least one digital composit in the film. When the EEV shoots into the ocean. This is because they needed to do the shot quickly and the effects were done a long time after the rest of the effects. I think the script change made this happen when they changed from the work print to the final version. This was not the first digital composit done in a film as some people think. There is a very good Cinefex book that has almost all the effects work in it.
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That discussion cracks me up . Look up "wierzbowski.net" for a funny tribute site.
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Hudson is pretty much a stock character from war and horror/survival films, "the guy that can't handle it". In cinematic terms, yes, he redeemed himself to a degree, in that he got a good death. He was spitting in face of death instead of cowering, taking out individual aliens while insulting them, which for a him counts as a huge leap of character development. You can argue that it rang false for you (who's to say you're wrong on that), but I don't think you can argue that was not what the filmmakers were trying to convey, there are just too many explicit cues to the contrary. If he redeemed himself if real-life military terms is another matter, I'd defer to actual service members and combat vets on that one.
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FUCK the goddamn tennis ball on the end of a long fucking stick, green screen bullshit. <p> Build a goddamn REAL MONSTER as a reference point. <p> That huge practical T-Rex in Jurrassic Park was TWICE as as exciting to watch on screen as its CGI counterpart. I would even say, the practical version actually COMPLIMENTED the suspension of disbelief of the CGI Rex on many levels. <p> Stan Winston deserves the Irving Goddamn Thalberg Award this year at the Oscars. <p> CGI should be used to create WORLDS...old Victorian England...or 1933 NYC (like in Jackson's Kong)...or the home planet of the Green Lantern Corps. The second they use it to make an alien Lantern...it takes you out of the scene (Hi Jar Jar!). CGI is GREAT for showing human SCALE...Thousands of tiny troop members on a battlefield (Gladiator, The Patriot, 300 etc) or the tiny passengers inhabiting the massive CGI Titanic as it passes under the camera frame. All genius and realistic uses of the technology. <p> All the $$$ Cameron spent on Avatar still didn't convince me that I wasn't just watching the world's most expensive cartoon. Granted, I felt for the characters, which is rare in a CGI fest...but they still weren't "real" beings to me. <p> I bawled my eyes out at fuckin ET, I tell ya. <p> Lookin forward to some REAL webslinging this time out in Spider-Man...I hope I get to see some REAL flying (ala Chris Reeve) in Man of Steel. <p> But, please...Hollywood...BUILD THE GODDAMN REAL MONSTER, you lazy basterds!
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Near the start of the movie, when nervous wreck Ripley is still on Earth, there's a close-up of Ripley's fingers holding a cigarette burned away to almost nothing. The close-up is extreme. Weaver's fingers are extraordinarily striking, long and bony to begin with, but this shot makes them look like surreal flying buttresses. The shot looks like something out of H.R. Giger... every pore is visible and the smoke curling around her fingers look for all the world like a visual allusion to the aliens themselves. Did anybody else ever notice that and think that shot was intentionally done that way? On opening day, I turned to one of my friends during that shot to comment on it with a whisper, and in a telepathic moment I realized that he'd seen it, too.
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I have always loved that shot as well. Another good one in the fade from ripley's face to the earth. This was the absolute top of Cameron's game.
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May 13, 2011, 12:05 a.m. CST
The close-ups of Ripley's face as she blasts the alien eggs...
by Ironhelix
wow.... what a great shot of pure maniacal frenzy. Those quick shots in between her blasting the eggs with the pulse rifle really capture all the hatred she had for the aliens. Love it.
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May 13, 2011, 3:13 a.m. CST
RE:"Yeah,because compared to Aliens,it didnt have a lot of pew pew and muscular men in it for the little boys,right?"
by Stalkeye
Typical defensive response from Mr. killik/omnibus. look here you fucking crybaby, Aliens wasn't about muscular men firing guns, it had a great ensemble cast ,suspense,sheer horror,impressive dialog without cheesy one-liners and like i had previously mentioned; character development. Oh, and by the way i applaud the film for having a strong female character lead. (who the fucks at FOX killed off in the second sequel.) like say, the redemption of Private Hudson Space marine NOT US Army.(get it together fuckhead.) And yeah, Aliens is much better than than Avatar in so many ways, ergo deal with it. i guess in turn, can say that you love avatar because of the blue muscular men in tunics carrying bows. touche, mon ami.
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May 13, 2011, 3:20 a.m. CST
Oh nice, killik (Soul calibur) got schooled by Turd and Alan
by Stalkeye
follow the line to the desk wheras you can turn in your geek card, sir. Cheerio.
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LOL. Because it made a billion dollars? Does that make Justin Bieber better than Led Zeppelin?
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...that aliens also had one of the best soundtracks in Sci Fi cinema ever? Horner ain't John Williams, but goddamn if he doesnt deserve praise for that kick ass score. And of course it wouldn't be Aliens without the brilliant but late Stan-the muthafukin-man winston. brilliant effects without the overused reliance of CGI that's happening nowadays. $14.00 Blu-Ray @ Amazon? A must buy!
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May 13, 2011, 3:55 a.m. CST
ALIENS has so many great shots and scenes on a pure visual level
by lv_426
The whole opening that calmly transitions to the Narcissus shuttle slowly drifting towards the camera. Then the robotic probe and its super deep low-bass"wub wub" laser scanner. The establishing shot of Gateway Station against Earth. The Sulaco coming into frame against the blue nebula. The whole dropship sequence, especially the shot of the tiny dropship dwarfed against the huge atmosphere processor as they approach the colony through the heavy cloud cover. The shot where they are all looking out the window at the atmosphere processor and the giant blue flame of venting gas flares up. When Newt is in the sewer system, the alien slowly rising up behind her is so freaking unsettling yet graceful. Hicks peering up into the ceiling with the flashlight. The dropship flying into the raging inferno of the atmosphere processor, going right through the large gate-like structure. The reveal of the queen. The elevator opening, with Ripley and Newt on the landing pad, and the queen slowly coming out and being revealed by the flashes of the lightning and explosions. The backlit Ripley/power loader combo walking out into frame, followed by the famous "get away from her you bitch" line.
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...The classic action game Contra would not exist same goes for HALO. But You already knew that since you profess to be a gamer right, Killik? (0:'
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Obviously it's no coincidence why your username is lv_426. And yes, those aforementions scenes/shots are evidence of why this film stands out among the best sci fi sequels ever. Note to FOX: Don't even THINK about a 3D re-release, cause as the saying goes; "if it aint broke, don't fuck with it"!
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is Vasquez in the ducts. When she empties the pulse rifle, the direction of her aim suggests that the chasing aliens were only about two feet away. Give that scene a watch and you'll see what I mean
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What I'd really love is an exhaustive making of Aliens book, hardback, tons of photo's like those they released for Star Wars. Look what I find on Amazon due September 2011. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Alien-Vault-Definitive-Story-Making/dp/0760341125/ref=sr_1_23?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1305283959&sr=1-23 It's about Alien rather than Aliens but hell, looks good to me.
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...I've realized that Hudson is more important to the success of the mission than I thought. 1. He gets the team's morals up/pumps them up in the drop ("The Speech", as Bill Paxton says in the commentary - awesome commentary btw!) 2. He "runs the bypass" to get the team into the colonist building. 3. He's the one who finds where the colonists are ("Stop your grinnin' and drop your linen!"). 4. He helps set up the sentry guns. 5. He "runs the perimeter" with Vasquez to check for any aliens entering the vicinity. 6. He saves Newt from the face-hugger. 7. He's ready and willing to kill the sleaze-bag Burke 8. He stands and delivers when the shit hits the fan in the med lab alien attack sequence. Finally, all of his rants/cries are really what the audience feels, and if he didn't do that, perhaps it woudn't have psychologically put the other members of the team in a more brave stance - they could bounce off his fears, and go the opposite direction (because really what Hudson says out loud is what the other members of the team are really feeling inside). Hudson is a hero.
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Props bubba! Anything else you would like to add Killik? No rebuttal or response whatsoever? (*crickets churpng*)
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nearly ruins the movie for me.
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May 13, 2011, 11:27 a.m. CST
"For every Ripley, there are a *million* Hudsons!"
by Seven_of_Borgnine
I read that quote is an article somewhere, maybe in Starlog? It was long ago and I've forgotten the rest, but that quote was a standout. I'm guessing it was probably in an interview with some BTS folks, maybe Paxton himself. Hudson is indeed in there for the audience to relate to with his outbursts and to make everybody else look more brave. That's how most normal people would react in that situation. Sure, he may be a marine, but this alien shit is freaky, man!
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Could have been a fucking annoying character who just pisses you off when hes on screen but imo Bill had the acting ability to give him a likeable edge ... but I do see both sides of the argument.
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The Narcissus shuttle model (beautifully detailed... I don't think it was the same model used in Alien)... about the size of a large X-Wing toy. Also Hick's armor and helmet (complete with helmet cam). And I'm pretty sure there's a pulse rifle, too.
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while i pawn their sorry asses.Lets go: "first of all im drunk - so 'ignorant' should have read 'irritating'," i dont know what you are talking about so anyway. " secondly, yes, Ripley tells him that, but in one specific moment, not for the entire duration or as a summation of his attitude/antics" Nope.Ripley said: i am fed up with your bullshit or something similar.that clearly means that she is referring to Hudson's attitude for the whole time,not for that specific moment. ""I say nobody was killed from a stray bullet of his because of pure luck." No, that's bullshit, that's entirely your subjective perception as opposed to any kind of objective reality set by the film there" The objective reality of the film shows that Hudson is in berserk mode and is shooting left and right.Yeah he is aiming for the aliens,but anyone with common sense wouldnt want to stay near him during his outburst.do you objectively deny that? "Hell even Hicks was very lucky that he wasnt grabbed or killed when he tried to save him.jesus."" What the hell are you on about there, or what does that even mean!? So now your making it about a soldier trying to save another soldier when he's surrounded/down? That's Hicks call to make, you could say Hicks was fucking irresponsible and subsequently let his whole team down in the most shit-headed way according to what your saying about putting other in danger and being a liability there. Hicks tried to save Hudson because that is what soldiers do,among other things: they try to save their comrade.The problem here is that Hudson's irresponsible reaction put both himself and Hick's lives into danger,this is what i criticize.If Hudson remained cool as he was supposed to because he is a fucking soldier and listened to Hudson,he might have been still alive and ofc Hicks wouldnt have to risk his life for him. You do understand that the above things is part of the stuff that soldiers learn in the army right? my life is on your hands,and your life is my hands etc.. ""sorry but i cant follow you.Because Hudson had a bad-ass attitude,which in reality he was pretending that he was bad-ass in order to hide his real cowardliness,he is automatically a redeemed hero? that doesnt make any sense."" That's because that is a) not the case and b) not what I'm saying. Let me put it another way: Hudson was a badass, but not as cool or didn't keep as cool as the others in certain points. Doesn't mean he was fronting through cowardice, it means he felt the need to express surface emotions and thoughts rather than repress them, which no is not the most soldier like attitude i guess, but he never lets the team down when it counts, never any more than the rest of them, its just there more cool and collective about their arguably bad decision making at certain points than he is. But Ill give you a soldier should not whine as much as he does about misfortune. Still that's not enough to be considered a disgrace. You should see the Legion of Police Officers here in The UK who love to think of themselves as like Vasquezes for example (guys too!) but in reality just use their badge and uniform to moan and bitch and troll and obsessively indulge in their personal dislikes of people., and often clearly through histeria, or fear-ignorance towards certain things they won't acknowledge on their part. They're a fucking disgrace to a uniform and a badge... not the US Army or Marines granted but... Hudson was at least a good team player and a true soldier (and a sensible shot despite his nerves) when the shit hit the fan and it counted - he just didn't know how to shut up inbetween and leading up to those moments. That doesn't take away his badassness or mean he needs to complain and raise his voice to cover cowardice, it means he was amongst the 1st to truly take on board how realistically screwed they were. If not being a disgrace to the Army means not raising your voice when your pretty sure your to be slaughtered and have concerns the plan in hand may not cut it, then fair enough, but this is The Marines, on a remote planet, having walked right into a trap of the universes arguably greatest predators ROFL.HAHA.have you seen the movie at all,or did you see it while you were drunk.? Hudson was a fucking COWARD who tried to hide this weakness of his under the pretension of being a bad-ass soldier.This is not an opinion,this is a fact. You have a guy who was pretending the whole time how bad-ass he was,but in the first fuck up his first words that he uttered was: "lets get the fuck out of here." The guy who was the first who openly didnt mind to leave behind his cocooned comrades although they were still alive because "they were already gone",the guy who immediately refused to go outside and fix the antenna and preferred that someone else should do it,the guy whose only response to the every effort his team-members did for their survival was "i dont do it" and "we are going to die" and at the end of the movie he completely lose it because he knows he is going to die and starts shooting like a maniac. What a hero that Hudson soldier,he should get a medal for his heroism to help his team escape that planet even with his cost of his life.NOT.
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Yeah, those are all awesome shots!!! Weaver's Earth-fade almost looks like a subtle (?) 2001 star child reference.
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if Aliens were released today for the very first time... it would still be the greatest sci-fi flick ever created.
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"Typical defensive response from Mr. killik/omnibus." it is ominus...sigh.. " look here you fucking crybaby, Aliens wasn't about muscular men firing guns, it had a great ensemble cast ,suspense,sheer horror,impressive dialog without cheesy one-liners and like i had previously mentioned; character development. Oh, and by the way i applaud the film for having a strong female character lead. (who the fucks at FOX killed off in the second sequel.) i dont disagree.Buuuuuut if you have a look in this talkback here and see what quotes or scenes are mentioned by the majority of the talkbackers,you will see that they are about the cool aspects of the film: macho lines,sexy chicks,the killings,how deadly the Queen looks,how the biology of the aliens work etc. But how many references in the dramatic aspect of the film are mentioned here in the talkback? Ripley learning about her dead daughter,or when he is cleaning the face of Newt and later they sleep together in the bed like mother and daughter. somehow i dont get the impression from this talkback,that the fans of the movie are that interested in the drama of the film dont you think? not that they ignore it,but they prefer to talk more about how bad-ass is Hudson and how heroic was his sacrifice rather than how perfectly Ripley expressed her need for motherhood in the film. dont you agree? " like say, the redemption of Private Hudson Space marine NOT US Army.(get it together fuckhead.) " ROFL.like that changes the meaning of what i am saying.besides i am greek and the words military and army here have a slight different usage than yours.when i say army,i mean military.got it? " And yeah, Aliens is much better than than Avatar in so many ways, ergo deal with it. i guess in turn, can say that you love avatar because of the blue muscular men in tunics carrying bows. touche, mon ami. " Aliens and Avatar are different beasts so any kind of comparison between them is pointless.But the ignorant fans keep comparing them because deep down inside them they cant accept that Cameron didnt give a fuck for them and didnt make the new Aliens movie that they were expecting but instead he made his own original movie to tell a different story with a different more important meaning.and they cant forgive him for that.i feel almost pity for them.nah,fuck them indeed.
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1. He gets the team's morals up/pumps them up in the drop ("The Speech", as Bill Paxton says in the commentary - awesome commentary btw!) yeah,but when the team really needed encouragement after their initial disaster,what was Hudson response? "we got our asses owned man." haha 2. He "runs the bypass" to get the team into the colonist building. he was trained to do that,it was his fucking job.jesus are we going to use self-evident facts as arguments now? LOL 3. He's the one who finds where the colonists are ("Stop your grinnin' and drop your linen!"). see the above answer. 4. He helps set up the sentry guns. see the above answer.plus he needed Ripley/Hick's pissed of remark to do even that.talk about a soldier who encourages his fellow comrades.haha. 5. He "runs the perimeter" with Vasquez to check for any aliens entering the vicinity. check the above reply.really now is this supposed to be an argument?.hell even Newt and Burke helped with their way, with the defense reinforcement of the base.Does that mean that Newt and Burke are as bad-ass and heroic as Hudson? lol 6. He saves Newt from the face-hugger. as i said,his only heroic moment.bravo to him 7. He's ready and willing to kill the sleaze-bag Burke so being a cold-blood murderer makes him a bad-ass hero? no wonder you americans defend your american soldiers when they kill unarmed citizens... 8. He stands and delivers when the shit hits the fan in the med lab alien attack sequence. take Hudson from that moment,and replace him with a junkie holding a gun.Believe me the junkie would react the same way,having no connection with the real world and shooting every bad monster he sees while he is under the influence of the narcotics,in Hudson's case the adrenaline. In other words,having an adrenaline rush doesnt make you a hero,especially when your reaction doesnt have the slightest effect in the outcome of the battle.FACT.
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"But how many references in the dramatic aspect of the film are mentioned here in the talkback? Ripley learning about her dead daughter,or when he is cleaning the face of Newt and later they sleep together in the bed like mother and daughter" Like I said, character development and I could really care less why someone would like the film because of violence and sfx. I saw something more and not to mention that for a sequel, it's your above average popcorn flick. "Aliens and Avatar are different beasts so any kind of comparison between them is pointless.But the ignorant fans keep comparing them because deep down inside them they cant accept that Cameron didnt give a fuck for them and didnt make the new Aliens movie that they were expecting but instead he made his own original movie to tell a different story with a different more important meaning.and they cant forgive him for that.i feel almost pity for them.nah,fuck them indeed." You're shitting me right? both are acclaimed sci fi franchsies and there are minor simularities between the two.In your twisted logic, that's like saying I can't compare Superman returns to Thor.(OMMFG) I'm not bitter that JC didn't make Avatar in the vein of Aliens, after all, how could he top his best film since Terminator? I was expecting something new with Avatar, only to find that the film was derivative. that's my opinion, so fucking what? If anyone is a baby, it's you my Juvenille friend, who takes any comment or criticism towards your beloved Avatar personally. As if you produced the damn film yourself. Your defensive rants does nothing for your "geek cred" whatsoever. "ROFL.like that changes the meaning of what i am saying.besides i am greek and the words military and army here have a slight different usage than yours.when i say army,i mean military.got it?" Weak response coming from someone who uses the term "Haters gonna Hate" lemme get this straight, you're from Greece, yet you use a slang as if your from the Hood. (You're not even American let alone Black.) So you are aware of Amrican slang but can't tell the difference between the Army and the Marines...uh, yeah. Thanks for further pointing out your beligerence. You just pwned yourself.
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May 13, 2011, 1 p.m. CST
I say we take off and nuke Greece. It’s the only way to be sure..
by Stalkeye
..that Killik..er, excuse me.."Ominus" would shut the fugg up. (0:'
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Killik: "so being a cold-blood murderer makes him a bad-ass hero? no wonder you americans defend your american soldiers when they kill unarmed citizens..." Generalizing a whole bunch of people for the actions of a few as if the overwhelming majority of Americans endorse killing unarmed civillians.Now that's sheer ignorance from your part of course. I guess all those protests against the Iraq war was just a figment of someone's imagination or worse..CGI'ed. Go back to playing Cod Black Ops son, cause your response in regards to Hudson and ..other subjects are nothing more than a strawman's arguement. Reeks of desperation don'tcha think?
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nuking greece is the only way to save her.i swear. now lets continue with your pathetic attempt to pawn me,ok?
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"Like I said, character development and I could really care less why someone would like the film because of violence and sfx. I saw something more and not to mention that for a sequel, it's your above average popcorn flick. " how you personally perceive the film is irrelevant.we are talking about the general consensus here.now if you want to persuade me that you are not like the average Aliens fanboy,then ok i believe you,you dont have anything to prove to me. You're shitting me right? both are acclaimed sci fi franchsies and there are minor simularities between the two.In your twisted logic, that's like saying I can't compare Superman returns to Thor.(OMMFG) I'm not bitter that JC didn't make Avatar in the vein of Aliens, after all, how could he top his best film since Terminator? So according to your logic i can compare Terminator with Aliens because they are both scifi films? Does that mean that i can compare 2001 with Robocop? or Blade Runner with Predator? How about BTTF? can i compare it with Bill and Ted because they are both comedy/scifi films with some common similarities? Well in that case allowha me to compare Indiana Jones with TDK because they are both pulp films and argue that IJ is the better movie.do you agree with this? I was expecting something new with Avatar, only to find that the film was derivative. that's my opinion, so fucking what? exactly,so fucking what.btw what do you think of Inception.do you think that this movie is also very derivative of other movies and stories? well? "If anyone is a baby, it's you my Juvenille friend, who takes any comment or criticism towards your beloved Avatar personally. As if you produced the damn film yourself. Your defensive rants does nothing for your "geek cred" whatsoever." oh i am sorry,i didnt know that in a talkback,an open discussion thread for everyone to discuss about movies and share their opinions,you are not allowed to criticize the opinions of others..especially the same,unjustified opinions who are expressed repeatedly like in this case, the hate against Avatar. and as the geek cred is concerned,who gives a fuck? if it is that importan t to you,then go ahead,do whatever it is needed to "get" your cred and be acknowledged as a geek.but for me,i only laugh at this juvenile shit. "Weak response coming from someone who uses the term "Haters gonna Hate" lemme get this straight, you're from Greece, yet you use a slang as if your from the Hood. (You're not even American let alone Black.) So you are aware of Amrican slang but can't tell the difference between the Army and the Marines...uh, yeah. " ROFL.but the thing is that i didnt even know that this internet meme originates from the hood slang.i learned that fact now because you mentioned it.see there? do u understand? you yourself just proved why a foreigner doesnt necessarily need to know all the details about all the words or phrases you use.get it?
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"exactly,so fucking what.btw what do you think of Inception.do you think that this movie is also very derivative of other movies and stories? well?" Sowwies, didn't bother to see Inception ergo I cannot tell if it's derivative or not. Next... "oh i am sorry,i didnt know that in a talkback,an open discussion thread for everyone to discuss about movies and share their opinions,you are not allowed to criticize the opinions of others..especially the same,unjustified opinions who are expressed repeatedly like in this case, the hate against Avatar. " You simple, simple boy, not once did I mention or even hinted to hating Avatar. But you are a super geek because it takes a real dweeb to insult someone because they didn't think too highly of their beloved Movie. And for the record, you didn't critizize, you chastize those who hold opinions different than yours. I have seen your handiwork after all. "nuking greece is the only way to save her.i swear." Nah, there's something better than that..it's called a weak economy. Next...! "ROFL.but the thing is that i didnt even know that this internet meme originates from the hood slang.i learned that fact now because you mentioned it.see there? do u understand? you yourself just proved why a foreigner doesnt necessarily need to know all the details about all the words or phrases you use.get it?" Suffice to say, I don't utilize slangs like "Hater" and if you have learned something from moui, I'm happy to help. "Yeah,because compared to Aliens,it didnt have a lot of pew pew and muscular men in it for the little boys,right? " Yeah, You would know all about little boys and muscular men, after all you are Greek. Ceasar tossed salad. Muahahahahahahhahahahah!
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Vitrolality!
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Just thought I'd put a little spin on the Hudson's character to bring you into the fore. I can see your arguments - just be nice about it :) By the way I'm not American, and I think your argument regarding Americans could easily apply to people of other nationalities. Just sayin'. On a (slightly) related note, I got to hang with Bill Paxton's brother in Costa Rica several years ago. The guy is hilarious - he even got up in the aisle in the plane and started doing "The Speech" Bill does in Aliens (note that this was pre-911, so he could get away with it). Good times.
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owwies, didn't bother to see Inception ergo I cannot tell if it's derivative or not. Next... well you dont miss much.the movie sucks. " You simple, simple boy, not once did I mention or even hinted to hating Avatar. But you are a super geek because it takes a real dweeb to insult someone because they didn't think too highly of their beloved Movie. And for the record, you didn't critizize, you chastize those who hold opinions different than yours. I have seen your handiwork after all. " so you do like Avatar right? you think it is a good movie but not as good as Aliens,right? And as the insults are concerned,please spare me. just reread your initial posts towards my person and do tell me who started the insults without even been provoked. hmmm? "Nah, there's something better than that..it's called a weak economy. Next...! " that doesnt even make any sense.so greece will be saved through a weak economy? lol what? "Suffice to say, I don't utilize slangs like "Hater" and if you have learned something from moui, I'm happy to help. " dont tell me.you are aiming for the philologist cred right? just kidding just kidding. "Yeah, You would know all about little boys and muscular men, after all you are Greek." FUCK I AM HARD.please do tell me more. ps.i noticed that your replies are shorter this time.fatigue bro? please dont give up to me yet.
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Sci-Fi museum in Seattle is a Mecca for sci-fi enthusiasts. If you like Star Trek, Star Wars and the ilk, it's the shit. The load lifter and queen were absolutely cool. But the coolest things on display easily and by far are the the Deathstar and Captain Kirk's chair from TOS. Those two things are about the most iconic things one could see. You could show them to just about anybody on earth and they would know just what they are.
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american soldiers to hit a nerve there with my dear talkbacker.heh.but i dont mean it. lol Paxton's brother seems to be as funny as him.i wish i was there to see his speech on the plane,it must have been hilarious.
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Liked to drink (within reason), party, and have fun. Overall a great guy who seemed genuinely happy about his brother's success. Wish them both the best!
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"that doesnt even make any sense.so greece will be saved through a weak economy? lol what? " No Silly, if the Nukes can't take ya/Greece down, there's always the economy or lackthere of that has your native land in a bind. I didnt say anything about saving Greece..just the opposite. *wink* wassamatter, not up on current events? "And as the insults are concerned,please spare me. just reread your initial posts towards my person and do tell me who started the insults without even been provoked. hmmm?" I don't intentionally start flame wars or stir shit but, hey if someone provokes me with childish defensive remarks, yeah I'm not gonna let that ride. Your fault, not mine friend. "ps.i noticed that your replies are shorter this time.fatigue bro? please dont give up to me yet. " Hey, I said my piece and this bullshit ranting back and forth is really getting nowhere.If ever you wish to discuss why this film is not better than that film,etc,, then I'm all ears.But i don't think you are really capable of a civilized exchange ergo, I'm done with you Killy. Peace
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May 13, 2011, 3:24 p.m. CST
Lots of Aliens references in COD: Modern Warfare! Best Aliens line: "Game over man, GAME OVER!"
by Aziraphale_11
If anybody's played the prologue mission in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, y'all know what I'm talking about!
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I don't think that Hudson was all talk and no walk, like someone pointed out previously, he was a short timer in what looked like a no win situation. My take on Hudson's reaction is that he was used to things going his way and almost certainly had never been in a situation where everything started to go to hell in a handbasket and his buddies were dying all around him, including his platoon Sgt., the pillar of any unit. It was inferred in the dialog that the whole platoon, minus Gorman, were all vets but at the same time none of them had ever encountered a situation like they did with the aliens and most of the rest of the platoon dies before we could any sense of how they would have reacted in Hudson's situation. In the end I thought that Hudson did manage to redeem himself somewhat, at least he didn't try to run and hide like Burke did. I think he allowed himself to get caught in the heat of the moment of the firefight and didn't really hear Hicks calling him. It's not exactly unrealistic, if you read up on the accounts of various Medal of Honor winners some of things they did to earn their Medals were on par with Hudson in that they completely disregarded all good/common sense in the heat of battle. The only difference between the Medal of Honor winners and Hudson is that their acts were considered heroic because they actually accomplished some good while Hudson didn't do much more than to kill a few aliens and get himself killed.
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"No Silly, if the Nukes can't take ya/Greece down, there's always the economy or lack there of that has your native land in a bind. I didnt say anything about saving Greece..just the opposite. *wink*" oh you change it now? ok then.and you are wrong.our lack of economy might cause something that our country needed for the last 40 years: change. "don't intentionally start flame wars or stir shit but, hey if someone provokes me with childish defensive remarks, yeah I'm not gonna let that ride. Your fault, not mine friend. " " Oh nice, killik (Soul calibur) got schooled by Turd and Alan by stalkeye follow the line to the desk wheras you can turn in your geek card, sir. Cheerio. " well facts speak by themselves.cheerio indeed. "Hey, I said my piece and this bullshit ranting back and forth is really getting nowhere.If ever you wish to discuss why this film is not better than that film,etc,, then I'm all ears.But i don't think you are really capable of a civilized exchange ergo, I'm done with you Killy. " deal.but lets do it in the next JC talkback not here.cheers.
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May 13, 2011, 7:28 p.m. CST
I'm glad sevenofborgnine brought up Aliens props in Seattle..
by BanditDarville
Years ago when I was a young buck I was in a comic book/pop culture memorabilia shop within Pikes Place Mkt in Seattle. They had an actual pulse rifle in the glass case up front priced somewhere around $1500.00. If I had the cash at that time I would have snatched that sucker up and hung it up next to the Scarface black and white still of Montana leveling the M-16 that I bought in the same store. "Adios Muchachos" indeed bitches!!!!!! Go Yankees.
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May 13, 2011, 7:41 p.m. CST
"Game Over, Man! Game Over!!!!! We're in some real pretty shit now!!!!"
by BanditDarville
I have to give him credit. One of my douche bag buddies kept leaving a recording of Paxton saying this on my voicemail the day after the 2004 Presidential Election. I laughed my ass off and then realized Dubya was still president.
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i think your agrument and responses are coming of as a load of heavily subjective waffle with the desperate need to prove something out of some personal issues. When it gets a point like this : "Yeah he is aiming for the aliens,but anyone with common sense wouldnt want to stay near him during his outburst.do you objectively deny that?" something that is so clearly a heavily subjective deluded sense of reality and fact to prove your point, its just ridiculous to me. I mean, do you really not get other marines are firing 'left' and 'right' and aiming for aliens. Its like your the one thoroughly freaking out, as opposed to Hudson So yeah, when it gets to these kinds of ridiculous responses, this is where i end a debate, because its entirely pointless to me based on the worth of the persons opinion-piont of view and the discourse. I'm not a big fan of a load of mental masturbat6ion fella, sorry, again - with all due respect. Except to respond that yes I have seen this movie many times since i was a young boy when i had use to have an over reactive ego temper to making sure my ability to be correct on everything was not infallible and get roped into single self-perpetuating propaganda tactics such as "anyone with common sense" leading into "do you objectively deny that?" "Hudson was a fucking COWARD who tried to hide this weakness of his under the pretension of being a bad-ass soldier.This is not an opinion,this is a fact." I'm sorry fella, you just come off as a very angry irrational young man with some major existential hang up to me. If this is an army thing and you have been in the army and seen some action and suffered through some bad or regretful experiences due to someones stupidity or hysteria or something that has cost the lives or well being or youself or those close to you you care for dearly, i offer my sympathies and hope you find piece of mind, but other than that i just can't appreciate your point of view or the very desperate need for it and point your trying to prove. LoL
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There's also a (temporary) Battlestar Galactica exhibit there right now... stuff from both series. Life sized on-screen Viper props! And just a few weeks ago, at the nearby Pacific Science Center, there was a Star Wars exhibit with jaw-dropping props from the entire series. Luke's landspeeder. THE Millennium Falcon. THE AT-AT models. Star Trek TOS tricorder and communicator. THE life-sized Spinner from Blade Runner. Real Stan Winston terminator endoskeletons! More authentic on-screen icons in a single city block than a geek's mind can possibly process. Jimi Hendrix's guitars, amps and clothes are next door if you get bored.
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