Ahoy, squirts! Quint here with today’s Behind the Scenes Pic!
Having seen James Cameron speak about Aliens (with clips and everything) it’s clear that some of the model work used in the film bugs him, but to me that’s part of the identity of the film. Some of the miniature shots and even that rough rear-screen projection work during the dropship crash really help give the film that unique Cameron grit that was so prevalent in both The Terminator and Aliens. With The Abyss that grit started to wane a bit and by Terminator 2 (a movie I dearly love by the way) his style had evolved into something else.
The man’s a perfectionist, but I will say that seeing the edges to some of the effects in Aliens is what helps give that movie its personality and why it is, to this day, still one of my all-time favorite films.
Today we’re going to look at some of the miniature work done during the big power-loader/Queen Alien fight. I actually have two pictures, one showing the miniatures being filmed and the other the full-sized puppet in play with the full sized power-loader. I’m a big fan when movies change up their effects so you can never really quite tell what it is you’re seeing, which is crucial to selling an effect to me and one of my main complaints with the over-use of CGI today. It’s an amazing tool that has given us some particularly brilliant and jaw-dropping movie moments, but when it’s the only tool in the filmmaker’s toolbox then the gag becomes obvious and there’s a staleness that sets in.
Thanks once again to the Practical Effects Group for unearthing these shots. Up first is the miniature, followed by the live-action. Enjoy!
If you have a behind the scenes shot you’d like to submit to this column, you can email me at quint@aintitcool.com.
Tomorrow’s pic should have another cherry!
-Eric Vespe
”Quint”
quint@aintitcool.com
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Click here to visit the complete compilation of previous Behind the Scenes images, Page Two
