Favorite Alien Films

[Starkiller]

There was no CGI in A3.
It was all done with a rod puppet (the last cool thing ADI did for the Alien franchise -wait, let me correct that- the only cool thing ADI did for the franchise) which was inserted into the movie. Those were all old-school optical effects.

The alien is played by Alien Effects Designer Tom Woodruff, Jr. wearing a costume designed by himself and Alec Gillis, and also appears in the form of a rod puppet filmed against bluescreen and optically composited into the live-action footage. A mechanical alien head was also used for close-ups.

A small number of shots contain CGI elements, most notably the cracking alien head. Other CGI elements include shadows cast by the (rod puppet) alien, and airborne debris in outdoor scenes.

The bluescreen scenes where you can tell in all of them that that alien was placed there and the cgi looked very fake and crude then.

 

[abake]

Yeah, I meant the rod puppet was the one used in the scenes most people refer to as "CGI".

 

[Rob]

Nope but at least Aliens was different as in the people fought back...and kicked some major alien butt there for awhile.

So did the the Nostromo crew and the Prisioners. The only difference was that Cameron raped the Alien character and made it into a stupid bug only to be shot at, whereas the Aliens in 1 & 3 were intelligent, cunning, tricky and agile, hence why it was so hard for the Nostromo crew and Prisioners to fight back(On top of the fact that the had to fight with rigged up weapons or kitchen knifes and axes). If the characters in ALIEN and ALIEN3 didn't fight back, then how did the Aliens in the two movies die?

Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to sound like a jerk or anything, ALIENS is alright, though IMHO it's nothing compared to ALIEN and Special Edition of ALIEN3, but I'd take it over ALIEN: Resurrection anyday.

 

[Starkiller]

So did the the Nostromo crew and the Prisioners. The only difference was that Cameron raped the Alien character and made it into a stupid bug only to be shot at, whereas the Aliens in 1 & 3 were intelligent, cunning, tricky and agile, hence why it was so hard for the Nostromo crew and Prisioners to fight back(On top of the fact that the had to fight with rigged up weapons or kitchen knifes and axes). If the characters in ALIEN and ALIEN3 didn't fight back, then how did the Aliens in the two movies die?

Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to sound like a jerk or anything, ALIENS is alright, though IMHO it's nothing compared to ALIEN and Special Edition of ALIEN3, but I'd take it over ALIEN: Resurrection anyday.

The difference was that they were trained for combat and had major fire power, while the crew and prisoners made makeshift weapons and did the best they could. I think the Aliens in Aliens were intelligent as well.

 

[Les Walker]

Just discovered something cool. Been collecting the soundtracks for these, so I could listen as I work, and found I like the AR score a LOT. A3 is cool but weird and zoney. Fits more into the movie than a listening experience. Aliens of course, is another Horner tour deforce, so you know it is music to blow up worlds to.
Alien still has the creepiest of them all, and some of my favorite sounds. There's one that I always thought was the alien in the movie, so I like it, that sort of buzzing noise.
But I am surprised at how much I like the AR score. It is really good listening.

Anyway, a sidebar take on this poll. For what it's worth.

 

[uscmhicks]

Just discovered something cool. Been collecting the soundtracks for these, so I could listen as I work, and found I like the AR score a LOT. A3 is cool but weird and zoney. Fits more into the movie than a listening experience. Aliens of course, is another Horner tour deforce, so you know it is music to blow up worlds to.
Alien still has the creepiest of them all, and some of my favorite sounds. There's one that I always thought was the alien in the movie, so I like it, that sort of buzzing noise.
But I am surprised at how much I like the AR score. It is really good listening.

Anyway, a sidebar take on this poll. For what it's worth.

Alien resurrection music has always been awesome , I actually mentioned that before to my cousin as it was on cable , we didn't watch it all but it happened to be at the bit with Call and Ripley together in her prison thing where Call breaks in to try and kill her. I may have to buy the score now too.
When the avp:r trailer came out it actually featured some alien resurrection music which I loved , then in the movie it was changed which disappointed me big time !. Ah well , you can't have it all right.

 

[prefused]

i'd say it's a tie between the 1st one and the 3rd one.

the 1st is a ground-breaking work of scifi and one of the first scifi flicks to successfully and artfully combine genres.
it's got scifi, horror, thriller, mystery... i could go on.
i'd have to say it's best features are Giger's art design, and it's introspection into the nature of the alien.

the 3rd has many elements of the original, plus beautiful art direction and set design and David Fincher's instantly recognisable visuals. it even has a weird aids allegory.

next would be 4; which is strange in many ways, in most part due to Jeunet's influence, but had a weak script. that said, Ron Perlman and Brad Dourif are always entertaining.

the 2nd one is dead last due to it being Starship Troopers with a few elements of Alien awkwardly thrown in, and doesn't have the artistic style or biting social commentary of either movie. it's par-for-the-course for a Cameron action flick.
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[uscmhicks]

i'd say it's a tie between the 1st one and the 3rd one.

the 1st is a ground-breaking work of scifi and one of the first scifi flicks to successfully and artfully combine genres.
it's got scifi, horror, thriller, mystery... i could go on.
i'd have to say it's best features are Giger's art design, and it's introspection into the nature of the alien.

the 3rd has many elements of the original, plus beautiful art direction and set design and David Fincher's instantly recognisable visuals. it even has a weird aids allegory.

next would be 4; which is strange in many ways, in most part due to Jeunet's influence, but had a weak script. that said, Ron Perlman and Brad Dourif are always entertaining.

the 2nd one is dead last due to it being Starship Troopers with a few elements of Alien awkwardly thrown in, and doesn't have the artistic style or biting social commentary of either movie. it's par-for-the-course for a Cameron action flick.

how the hell can you compare aliens to starship troopers !.
I think its one of the best movies ever !.
Don't let abake or sabres read this !.

 

[YoNoSe]

I like pretty much everything up to AvP. In my eyes, ALIEN is a great horror movie, and the rest are all riffs on what Scott established. I like them all, for different reasons, and I actually think it's one of the more interesting franchises for the diversity. Even though I didn't care for AvP I didn't hate it, and cheers to those who dug it. It's definitely preferable to repeating the same thing over and over.

 

[prefused]

how the hell can you compare aliens to starship troopers

simple

both stories revolve around a group of grunts sent on a suicide mission to kill bugs indescriminently ending with consequences forcing them to question their militaristic actions.

the only difference plot-wise is Starship Troopers didn't have an annoying kid who is used as a contrived plot device for the main character to exhibit parental instincts for the test audiences to connect with favorably.

next silly question
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[uscmhicks]

most people who were involved in aliens and alot of the hardcore fans didn't like the term bugs. Starship troopers didn't involve a group of grunts really , it was all based around a huge army fighting a huge ( thousands or millions ) amount of insect like aliens.
I considered everyone in that movie an annoying kid.
I can see from a distance that its sci-fi and invloves marines but nothing else really stands out to me.

 

[gofourindian]

most people who were involved in aliens and alot of the hardcore fans didn't like the term bugs. Starship troopers didn't involve a group of grunts really , it was all based around a huge army fighting a huge ( thousands or millions ) amount of insect like aliens.
I considered everyone in that movie an annoying kid.
I can see from a distance that its sci-fi and invloves marines but nothing else really stands out to me.

Well like the term or not, it really doesn't matter....that's what Cameron turned them into. A completely different characteristic and look. And that is why ALIEN is superior. ALIENS is a Saturday afternoon shoot 'em up Popcorn flick.

 

[Voorhees27]

You know I must say and I know earlier I voted for Aliens but today I watched both Alien and Aliens and Alien was a much better film. My bad, I remember liking part 2 better than part 1, unfortunetly the last time I watched either film was like 8 years ago.

Alien

 

[Starkiller]

Aliens is done so much better than Starship Troopers. ST is more of a summer B-movie classic that you caught on TNT late at night and can't help but watch. Aliens is a film you plan to sit down and watch the nearly 3 hour long directors cut...and marvel at how awesome it is.:chew

 

[uscmhicks]

yep..

 

[FACEBOX]

I voted ALIENS.
That one scare the crap out of me the 1st time I saw it.
Alien was "a monster in the dark" that I couldn't make out.
ALIENS... that hive scene! WOW!

As for the term "bugs".. that's a load of crap.

ALIEN: Parasite- Perfect Organism
ALIENS: BUGS
ALIEN3: Dragon
AR: Monster (?)
AVP: Serpents
AVP-R: Who the hell cares anymore

 

[uscmhicks]

AVP-R: Who the hell cares anymore

too right man !!!
And yeah that hive scene is scary as hell , the idea of being in the dark with these killer acid blood creatures climbing all over the walls !!.

GAME OVER MAN !! GAME OVER !!.

 

[prefused]

most people who were involved in aliens and alot of the hardcore fans didn't like the term bugs.

semantics.

Starship troopers didn't involve a group of grunts really , it was all based around a huge army fighting a huge ( thousands or millions ) amount of insect like aliens.
I considered everyone in that movie an annoying kid.

no, ST revolved around a small group of friends who joined the military. the "huge army" was just a backdrop.
again, you're just arguing semantics, here.

I can see from a distance that its sci-fi and invloves marines but nothing else really stands out to me.

it sounds like you have a bias, and that's fine.
on it's own, Aliens is an entertaining flick, but this thread is about comparing each instalment of the series with all the rest.
and the fact is Aliens is not as strong stylistically because it was directed by a guy who focuses more on drawing in his audience with lots of action and minimal substance. all his movies work that way.
Cameron is kind of the odd man out in the series because the other directors go more towards the "art film" route.

and i realize i didn't mention either of the AVP movies, and that's only because they don't count.
i think of them kind of like all the lousy Disney straight-to-video sequels.
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[uscmhicks]

dude , I have no idea what semanatics means .
Heres a quote from a dictionary.


a word you use to further piss off detailed oriented people when they're squabbling over what clearly are to you, moot points, or matters of minor significance, surface ^^^^. when used correctly, it elicits immediate correction from the offended party.

whatever man..

 

[FACEBOX]

Bwahahaha!

... and ALIENS still rules!