[jy1541]

I used to prefer Aliens, but having watched both recently I now prefer Alien. That cheesy American macho stuff that Aliens is filled with hasn't aged well.

[Lewnaticc]

I think both more or less are on par with each other, they both succeed doing different things very well. Though if I had to pick one it would be Aliens... This could change, however.
Alien is very good at creating suspense, and at times is genuinely scary. That absolutely horrible scene where Ripley sees it coming from round the corner from the darkness, the lights are flickering enough to send someone into a seizure, she goes into a state of panick -- it's a magnificent scene.
Aliens is just a perfect action film, though it still incorporates elements of horror/thriller. It's action from start to finish, their are characters to care for (Newt, Ripley, Hicks, the flamethrowing Vasquez, the comedic Hudson etc.) and it offers an expansion on the actual Alien universe by using more than, well, 50 Aliens and showing how they work as a "family", to the extent of using a mother: their Queen.

Both films are masterpieces and shouldn't be compared. I consider them two halves of the same whole.

[Lewnaticc]

Originally Posted by jy1541

I used to prefer Aliens, but having watched both recently I now prefer Alien. That cheesy American macho stuff that Aliens is filled with hasn't aged well.

On the contrary, I find it more refreshing... It's easy to see so many action films still ripping pages from Aliens action. Hell, any action heroine is basically a homage to Ripley.

[tysonstorm]

Originally Posted by brangdon

I can't remember much about them, other than that they seemed formulaic.

I don't think they can have been much else. Whatever happens in the film will just be an excuse for the titular species fighting each other. The Predator series pretty much run out of ideas, and made all the Predators carbon-copies of each other with no character, so they became boring. And with the Predators being smart, the Aliens were reduced to being animals. It seemed clear that humans would have to ally with Predators because the Aliens would have no concept of alliance.

I think that was the argument raised by Xeno fans was that the Aliens had been degraded and fobbed off as some kind of weak wild animal of sorts and easy cannon fodder for the Predators.

(One of the things I liked about Aliens is that it's suggested they might be quite smart. Doing things like cutting the lights and using elevators. I am convinced that when Ripley finds the queen and her eggs, there is a tacit agreement made, that the queen will let Ripley live if Ripley does not destroy the eggs. An agreement Ripley renegades on. It saddens me that in later films, the notion of smart Aliens was lost.)

This is why I tend to disagree, I know a lot of fans take the line that the Aliens were smart to cut the power but I generally think the whole cutting of the power was accidental. I don't know if it has been officially stated that they did intentially cut the power but I prefer to think that when the Aliens had found a way into the overhead ducts that power cables were accidentally damaged. If they were as smart as people make out they would have cut the power to the entire complex and not just the floor in which ops/medical was on. When Ripley and Hicks go back down a level or 2 to get Newt, the power is still on on those floors. So I figure they probably clawed through some cables climbing in the overheads. But each to their own.

I know that kinda contradicts my above comment about the aliens being degraded, don't get me wrong I believe the Aliens are clever enough to use the environment to their own advantage and are sneaky little buggers but to intentionally cut the power to ops seems a little far out. But I wouldn't rule it out entirely.

I'll probably sit and watch Aliens again tomorrow night, it's just a film I can never tire of.

[tysonstorm]

Originally Posted by Lewnaticc

On the contrary, I find it more refreshing... It's easy to see so many action films still ripping pages from Aliens action. Hell, any action heroine is basically a homage to Ripley.

I agree. How many action or even Sci-Fi films, tv shows and video games has Aliens inspired over the years, there's even been references in Family Guy http://www.gametrailers.com/user-mov...en-clip/263628

[jra]

Originally Posted by Chip Popple

And I love the scene where he says 'hey Vasquez, you ever been mistaken for a man', to which she replies 'no, have you?'. Brilliant!!

It's not an original quote though, but nevertheless gold.

From IMDB trivia.

Originally Posted by IMDB

In the scene where the crew is getting dressed after waking up from hypersleep, Hudson says, "Hey Vasquez, have you ever been mistaken for a man?" to which Vasquez answers, "No. Have you?" This is "borrowed" from Hollywood legend. Columnist Earl Wilson once asked Tallulah Bankhead, "Have you ever been mistaken for a man?" Bankhead responded, "No darling. Have you?"

[Chip Popple]

Originally Posted by jra

It's not an original quote though, but nevertheless gold.

Oh pardon me for leaving out the word have -

[jra]

Originally Posted by Chip Popple

Oh pardon me for leaving out the word have -

Calm down. I wasn't talking about that. See my amended post above.

=

As for the four versions of the two films, I prefer the theatrical cut of Alien and the director's cut of Aliens.

[Chip Popple]

Originally Posted by jra

Calm down. I wasn't talking about that. See my amended post above.

=

As for the four versions of the two films, I prefer the theatrical cut of Alien and the director's cut of Aliens.

Ah right, now I understand. Until you amended your comment I thought you were having a pop, much love

What a great woman Tallulah was eh?

[tysonstorm]

"Alright people you heard the man and you know the drill, assholes and elbows!. Hudson come here, come here!"

Without Googling.

[moose1982]

Just started watching Alien 3. It was almost comical when the alien bursts out of the cow or bull and then prances off like a puppy...

[moose1982]

Cannot believe how awful Alien 3 was! (IMO...)

[jra]

Originally Posted by moose1982

Just started watching Alien 3. It was almost comical when the alien bursts out of the cow or bull and then prances off like a puppy...

The alien was newly born and learning how to adapt.

You couldn't walk just after you were born.

[moose1982]

Originally Posted by jra

The alien was newly born and learning how to adapt.

You couldn't walk just after you were born.

Yes I understand that but IMO it was far creepier the way it was done in Alien- the way it slithered off gave me chills.

[jra]

Originally Posted by moose1982

Yes I understand that but IMO it was far creepier the way it was done in Alien- the way it slithered off gave me chills.

Indeed. Although it was just pulled along by a wire/string. Very convincing though.

[brangdon]

Originally Posted by moose1982

Yes I understand that but IMO it was far creepier the way it was done in Alien- the way it slithered off gave me chills.

That bit never worked for me. It looked like it was being pulled along on a string, like Dougal. Kinda spoils the scene.

[Paddy C]

I agree, in Alien it is so obviously being pulled along with a string, it kind of ruins that scene for me.

At least in Alien 3, even though it was CG, it showed it properly trying to walk and not having the hang of it straight away. As all newborn live birth animals cannot walk straight away and have to get used to their own legs and supporting their own bodies. As the Alien takes on qualities from its host, I thought this was a nice touch. Of course, that's in the Assembly Cut featuring the ox, if it's the theatrical version with the dog you're watching, you just see it burst out and sit up and that's it, no running away just the camera pulling away from the dog as a POV shot of the alien scarpering. Not quite as effective.

[jra]

Originally Posted by Paddy C

I agree, in Alien it is so obviously being pulled along with a string, it kind of ruins that scene for me.

It was 1979. What do you expect. CGI in films was in its very early stages.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_animation
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History...uter_animation

Like I said above, considering when the film was made, it was pretty well done.