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Mark Newman,
Stuart St. Paul,
Paul Weston,
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James Cameron,
Ridley Scott,
David Fincher,
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: 20th Century Fox, 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
: Foreign, Horror, Science Fiction , Aliens, Robots & Cyborgs, Killer Critters, UK
: English, Spanish
: English, Spanish
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Alien Quadrilogy: Alien (1979)
"In space, no one can hear you scream." A close encounter of the third kind becomes a Jaws-style nightmare when an alien invades a spacecraft in Ridley Scott's sci-fi horror classic. On the way home from a mission for the Company, the Nostromo's crew is woken up from hibernation by the ship's Mother computer to answer a distress signal from a nearby planet. Capt. Dallas' (Tom Skerritt) rescue team discovers a bizarre pod field, but things get even stranger when a face-hugging creature bursts out of a pod and attaches itself to Kane (John Hurt). Over the objections of Ripley (Sigourney Weaver), science officer Ash (Ian Holm) lets Kane back on the ship. The acid-blooded incubus detaches itself from an apparently recovered Kane, but an alien erupts from Kane's stomach and escapes. The alien starts stalking the humans, pitting Dallas and his crew (and cat) against a malevolent killing machine that also has a protector in the nefarious Company. ~ Lucia Bozzola, All Movie Guide
Alien Quadrilogy: Alien (Bonus Disc) (1979)
"In space, no one can hear you scream." A close encounter of the third kind becomes a Jaws-style nightmare when an alien invades a spacecraft in Ridley Scott's sci-fi horror classic. On the way home from a mission for the Company, the Nostromo's crew is woken up from hibernation by the ship's Mother computer to answer a distress signal from a nearby planet. Capt. Dallas' (Tom Skerritt) rescue team discovers a bizarre pod field, but things get even stranger when a face-hugging creature bursts out of a pod and attaches itself to Kane (John Hurt). Over the objections of Ripley (Sigourney Weaver), science officer Ash (Ian Holm) lets Kane back on the ship. The acid-blooded incubus detaches itself from an apparently recovered Kane, but an alien erupts from Kane's stomach and escapes. The alien starts stalking the humans, pitting Dallas and his crew (and cat) against a malevolent killing machine that also has a protector in the nefarious Company. ~ Lucia Bozzola, All Movie Guide
Alien Quadrilogy: Alien 3 (1992)
Acclaimed director David Fincher's promising career was lucky to survive this astonishingly wrong-headed, almost universally-despised second sequel to Alien (1979). The film careens into oblivion virtually from the beginning, as Lt. Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) is the only survivor of a crash-landing on a hellish, God-forsaken prison planet. Not only does the crash kill little Newt, completely obviating the entire point of the superior Aliens (1986), but Fincher then compounds his betrayal of that film's fans by having Ripley attend the girl's gruesome autopsy and barely bat an eye as the child's chest is bloodily ripped open with a steel bonesaw. Things just go downhill from there, as the rather unthreatening rapists and murderers harass Ripley and curse a great deal before being torn apart by large fans, having their heads crushed by the unconvincing CGI alien, and finally volunteering to be murdered by the beast rather than letting the evil Company get hold of it. Fincher does the best he can with a terrible script, and there are some nice supporting turns by Charles S. Dutton, Charles Dance, and Brian Glover, but nothing could redeem the film's first 15 minutes. By the time Ripley takes a suicidal swan-dive into a vat of molten lead, cradling a baby alien as it explodes from her chest, many viewers will not know whether to reach for the remote control or a warm bath and a razorblade. A loathsome experience by any standard, Alien 3 still made enough money for Weaver to return as a Ripley clone in Alien Resurrection (1997). ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
Alien Quadrilogy: Alien 3 (Bonus Disc) (1992)
Acclaimed director David Fincher's promising career was lucky to survive this astonishingly wrong-headed, almost universally-despised second sequel to Alien (1979). The film careens into oblivion virtually from the beginning, as Lt. Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) is the only survivor of a crash-landing on a hellish, God-forsaken prison planet. Not only does the crash kill little Newt, completely obviating the entire point of the superior Aliens (1986), but Fincher then compounds his betrayal of that film's fans by having Ripley attend the girl's gruesome autopsy and barely bat an eye as the child's chest is bloodily ripped open with a steel bonesaw. Things just go downhill from there, as the rather unthreatening rapists and murderers harass Ripley and curse a great deal before being torn apart by large fans, having their heads crushed by the unconvincing CGI alien, and finally volunteering to be murdered by the beast rather than letting the evil Company get hold of it. Fincher does the best he can with a terrible script, and there are some nice supporting turns by Charles S. Dutton, Charles Dance, and Brian Glover, but nothing could redeem the film's first 15 minutes. By the time Ripley takes a suicidal swan-dive into a vat of molten lead, cradling a baby alien as it explodes from her chest, many viewers will not know whether to reach for the remote control or a warm bath and a razorblade. A loathsome experience by any standard, Alien 3 still made enough money for Weaver to return as a Ripley clone in Alien Resurrection (1997). ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
Alien Quadrilogy: Alien Resurrection (1997)
The fourth film in the Alien series, directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet (Delicatessen, The City of Lost Children) at a cost of $70 million, takes place aboard an immense ship, the Auriga, where General Perez (Dan Hedaya) heads a staff of seven science officers and 42 enlisted, all employed by United Systems Military (replacing the Company of the earlier films). The time is 200 years after the events of Alien 3. Scientists researching the aliens need hosts, and they rely on space mercenaries who make spacecraft raids to acquire bodies for the scientists. The research requires an Alien Queen specimen, so Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) has been cloned from preserved blood samples. The scientific team then removes the baby Alien Queen from Ripley's chest. Since the Ripley clone has alien DNA mixed into her genetic structure, she is not totally human. Later, a commercial freighter, the Betty, arrives with a crew of mercenaries -- Elgyn (Michael Wincott), pilot Hillard (Kim Flowers), paralyzed mechanic Vriess (Dominique Pinon), space jock Johner (Ron Perlman), and junior mechanic Annalee Call (Winona Ryder) -- who deliver a load of human hosts with alien eggs. Problems begin when the mercenaries take over the Auriga, and aliens escape to massacre humans. As the aliens attack, Ripley and the mercenaries try to reach the Betty in order to escape. Cinematography by Darius Khondji features the same ENR process he used on Seven, adding silver to the printing process to heighten contrasts, making the dark colors richer. An electric blue tint was employed during the underwater firefight between the mercenaries and the aliens. For the more physical aspects of her role, Ryder got in shape with six hours of daily workouts. Although all previous films in the series were shot at London's Pinewood Studios, filming of Alien Resurrection took place West Los Angeles soundstages with special effects in California and Paris. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
Alien Quadrilogy: Alien Resurrection (Bonus Disc) (2003)
This disc contains bonus features for the Quadrilogy edition of Alien Resurrection.
Alien Quadrilogy: Aliens (1986)
Big-budget special effects, swiftly paced action, and a distinct feminist subtext from writer/director James Cameron turned what should have been a by-the-numbers sci-fi sequel into both a blockbuster and a seven-time Oscar nominee. Sigourney Weaver returns as Ellen Ripley, the last surviving crew member of a corporate spaceship destroyed after an attack by a vicious, virtually unbeatable alien life form. Adrift in space for half a century, Ripley grapples with depression until she's informed by her company's representative, Carter Burke (Paul Reiser) that the planet where her crew discovered the alien has since been settled by colonists. Contact with the colony has suddenly been lost, and a detachment of colonial marines is being sent to investigate. Invited along as an advisor, Ripley predicts disaster, and sure enough, the aliens have infested the colony, leaving a sole survivor, the young girl Newt (Carrie Henn). With the soldiers picked off one by one, a final all-female showdown brews between the alien queen and Ripley, who's become a surrogate mother to Newt. Several future stars made early career appearances in Aliens (1986), including Lance Henriksen, Bill Paxton, and Reiser. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
Alien Quadrilogy: Aliens (Bonus Disc) (1986)
Big-budget special effects, swiftly paced action, and a distinct feminist subtext from writer/director James Cameron turned what should have been a by-the-numbers sci-fi sequel into both a blockbuster and a seven-time Oscar nominee. Sigourney Weaver returns as Ellen Ripley, the last surviving crew member of a corporate spaceship destroyed after an attack by a vicious, virtually unbeatable alien life form. Adrift in space for half a century, Ripley grapples with depression until she's informed by her company's representative, Carter Burke (Paul Reiser) that the planet where her crew discovered the alien has since been settled by colonists. Contact with the colony has suddenly been lost, and a detachment of colonial marines is being sent to investigate. Invited along as an advisor, Ripley predicts disaster, and sure enough, the aliens have infested the colony, leaving a sole survivor, the young girl Newt (Carrie Henn). With the soldiers picked off one by one, a final all-female showdown brews between the alien queen and Ripley, who's become a surrogate mother to Newt. Several future stars made early career appearances in Aliens (1986), including Lance Henriksen, Bill Paxton, and Reiser. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
Alien Quadrilogy: Quadrilogy Bonus Disc (2003)
This disc contains bonus features for the Alien Quadrilogy set.
This disc includes the 1979 Theatrical Version as well as the 2003 Director's Cut, both versions have optional audio commentary and are presented in anamorphic widescreen (2:35:1).
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| Alien Quadrilogy: Alien (Bonus Disc) (1979) |
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| Alien Quadrilogy: Alien Resurrection (1997) |
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| Alien Quadrilogy: Alien Resurrection (Bonus Disc) (2003) |
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| Alien Quadrilogy: Aliens (Bonus Disc) (1986) |
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| Alien Quadrilogy: Quadrilogy Bonus Disc (2003) |
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| More is more.
by sfspaz
February 28, 2005 - 4:58 PM PST
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2 out of 2 members found this review helpful
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When a science fiction / horror movie featuring acid-spewing aliens gets nominated for no less than seven Oscars, you know you're onto something much grander than your standard space monster fare, and making a movie both as scary and as successful as the brilliant original is no small feat indeed. While Ridley Scott's seminal "Alien" was a noir masterpiece of tension and asphyxiation, James Cameron (of Titanic fame) creates something grander, louder, bigger, and possibly even more of a thrill ride than the original (fans can argue this one amongst themselves). The pacing is brilliant, from the first frames in an icy sleep chamber to the balls-out finale which has spawned one of the most-loved one-liners ever (you know the one) Cameron alternates between the silent hold-your-breath tension that characterised the first movie, and the guns-blazing spectacle that often characterizes this one.
What raises this movie to a "great" level, however, is that Cameron finds a way to expand Sigourney Weaver's Ripley character into an even stronger feminist icon than in the first film - not by slinging flamethrowers over her back (though he does just that), but by giving her a sensitive, emotional, and wholly human side only hinted at in the first film. Her relationship with Newt, the orphaned colonist, shows a "hero" that is not simply the one-dimensional actions heroes we've been dumbed-down enough to accept. Horror movies rarely manage to slip poignant or touching moments in between beheadings and impalements, but Aliens manages to do just that, and it creates a film that is altogether more rich for the attempt. Ripley's survival was exciting in the first film - in this one, it actually matters to us.
The cast adds excellent support, both heroic and comedic. Bill Paxton is hilarious as a lily-livered, smack-talking jackass, Paul Reiser seems born to be the slimy company man with business his only priority, and Michael Biehn even manages to squeeze a little intelligence and sensitivity into his tough-guy routine. Production is of course top-notch (remember this is the man who brought us the highly polished "Titanic") and the movie has barely aged in the nearly 20 years since its release. It continues to thrill even after dozens of viewings.
Endlessly copied in subsequent, sub-par sci-fi films (including its own dissapointing sequels, sadly), Aliens showed how an action/horror film could have both grand scale, fast action, subtle emotion, but above all, was an absolute blast from start to finish. Sometimes more IS more. |
| Kindof interesting.
by dojothemouse
January 15, 2004 - 1:21 PM PST
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2 out of 2 members found this review helpful
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Everyone knows how much Alien3 sucked. The bonus features are a little too long, but you get to see most of the reasons that the movie blew so badly. They speak to the actual studio execs that drained all artistic invention from the project. They speak to the directors that got pulled from the film. They speak to the artists and screenwriters that watched the charlie fox as it happened. They also talked to Sigourney, a bit.
They speak to everyone but David Fincher, which is a sore lack. Worth watching if you're obsessed with the franchise, or interested in why studio film sucks. |
| In space, no one can hear you scream.
by sfspaz
January 13, 2004 - 4:02 PM PST
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5 out of 5 members found this review helpful
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Though imatations have peppered screens for decades, none have really come close to the fascination, suspense, and dread that Ridley Scott's classic invokes in its viewers.
Ridley Scott's cold and bleak vision of space sets the stage effectively for H.R.Giger's near-pornographic alien imagery, for which the movie won deserved acclaim. Sigourney Weaver single-handedly creates the female horror hero by being the first women not only to survive the movie monster, but to defeat it (and in her underwear to boot).
The brilliance of the movie, at least in part, is the variety of ways in which the viewer is made to squirm. Fear of suffocation, penetration, impregnation are themes which resound in the film, making the choice of Sigourney Weaver as the reluctant hero all the more profound (the script was written so that the lead could be played by a male or female).
Grand, compelling, and still terribly frightening even 20 years later.
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