Alien (The Director's Cut)
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Movie Reviews of Alien (The Director's Cut)
Movie Review: A Great Start to a Classic Series
Summary: 5 Stars
Read all my reviews at www.midnitcafe.blogspot.com
Each film in the Alien quadrilogy has differed from each other. It has helped that they each had a distinctive and imaginative director. Ridley Scott created a slow, tension filled science fiction epic. James Cameron pumped it full of adrenaline and made an action packed masterpiece. David Fincher cut his teeth on the Alien3 by turning the action into a dark, mostly muddled mess. Jean-Pierre Jeunet tried to rescue the franchise, but had no story to work with. Like the Star Wars movies what we're left with is a couple of top notch flicks and a few others that while showing a few moments of visual brilliance leave ultimately leave the series limp.
But my review is not of the series as a whole, but on the movie that started it all. In considering the franchise it is sometimes forgotten that Alien never started out as a quadrilogy. There was only this one movie about a group of average workers sent to capture a monster. Scott does a superb job of creating suspense. It is some 30 minutes into the picture before we actually see an Alien. And even then the action is slow to evolve. For the audience this creates a great amount of tension. Even for those who have never seen an Alien movie, the creature has so penetrated our popular culture that everyone knows it's not an ET kind of alien. So, while watching it we know that the alien is creeping around some corner just waiting to devour the characters. And yet we hardly see the alien. We not only don't get to see any alien through a third of the film, but when the alien does come out and begin its slaughter, we only catch glimpses of the creature itself. It is seen in the dark creeping in a corner, or in a flash as it jumps out of the darkness to attack. Scott, instead, uses shots of the crew to show the fear in their eyes, before their destruction, rather than show the creature in action. There are only one or two moments where the audience sees the alien in full figure, and those last only a short time. Even then the alien does not move, never allowing us to see it kill. This stroke serves to scare the audience even more. For how many times have we seen a movies monster in action only to laugh at its poor design?
The movie oozes with atmosphere. The cinematography is dark and shadowy. The ship's quarters are enclosed and tight, creating claustrophobic spaces in which to encounter the Alien. Then there is HR Giger's amazing design. His designs of the alien ship and the alien are absolutely perfect. The ship seems to slither and move as if it's alive. There are curves, ridges and smooth edges as on the alien itself. All of which creates an atmosphere, and mood that stimulates the horror to come.
All of the effects shot were done in without the use of CGI. Generally they still hold their ground. Sure, the glimpses we get of the alien standing look like a man in a rubber suit. But overall the effects look great. This is a testament to the genius of Giger. My main complaint is with MOTHER. Like other science fiction films the crew's ship, the Nostromo, has its brains in a giant computer. Here, MOTHER is housed in an inner room of the ship and only accessible by the ships captain. We see her captain, Dallas (Tom Skerritt) go to visit MOTHER for a "your eyes only" deal. Why a commercial ship needs this type of security is never mentioned. Mother turns out to be a Star Trekesque computer equipped with blinking lights and a faint whirring sound. All of this is so that the Dallas can sit down to a DOS prompt and ask silly questions like "What's the story, Mother?" They should have gone with a more 2001 approach and have the crew be able to actually speak to MOTHER.
All of the characters are very well acted and fleshed out. Each character is given their own personality and is fully realized. There is a nice scene in which the crew is searching for the recently unsucking face sucker has disappeared. Ripley (Signorney Weaver) has left the door open and Ash (Ian Holm) moves to shut it so the alien won't escape. The look Ash gives as he is doing this is incredible. Ash and Ripley have previously had a bit of a fight and you can see the anger and irritation at Ripley perfectly in Ash's face.
Signorney Weaver plays Ripley beautifully. This is a female action star that is sexy, but doesn't pander her sexuality (though they did manage to get her in her underwear.) She is tough as nails and intelligent. And Weaver plays her perfectly.
Alien is arguably the best in one of the most successful series in film history. It is also one of the best science fiction films Hollywood has ever made.
More reviews at www.midnitcafe.blogspot.com
Movie Review: Good 2 disc edition, "director's cut" doesn't add much
Summary: 5 Stars
This "director's cut" just seems like an excuse for a 2 disc special edition as well as an excuse to put in the cocoon sequence, and I think Alien was better without it. I honestly like the director's cut, even though it could have been more. If this movie has been in your top five list of favorite films over about the last 15 - 20 years, like it has mine, then get this edition. I knew what the director's cut was before I bought this edition, so if it's just a bigger, better, longer Alien that you want - well, wait for the limited edition special extended director's second cut or whatever. At the rate they're going, and this is essentially the 25th anniversary edition, they'll run out of editions if they do too much to it at one time! I mean this is a great film, the documentaries are good and the special features more than satisfy, the movie looks so crisp it's like it was filmed last year, but the "director's cut" leaves something to be desired, especially when one considers what the directors of the three vastly inferior sequels have added to those films. There are two scenes in particular that needed to be added, which I'll talk about later.A slightly shortened version of the cocoon scene and the Ripley/Lambert confrontation from the 20th anniversary edition are about all that's been added to Alien. One definite positive is that the scene where Brett looks for the cat has been tightly edited and also features a number of camera angles not in the theatrical version, and the director's cut also shows Parker and Ripley coming in as the alien takes Brett. On the whole, that scene is much better now. Other than that, it's pretty tough, even if you've seen this movie as many times as I have, to pick out what's been added and deleted besides what's been mentioned. I'm still not crazy about the cocoon sequence, as it does seem out of place. I really don't think it's important to explain precisely what happened to Dallas and Brett at that point in the film: the time to do that has come and gone. You know they're dead, it's main event time, we're down to Ripley and the alien, so it throws everything off a bit, and besides, I kind of liked not knowing what happened to them. They're gone, who knows what it did to them, use your imagination. So this just ends up being a minor re-edit job in which one scene really benefits, and I find Scott's pacing concerns a little odd. This is character centered; a few more added scenes won't get in the way of plot advancement since the plot, while it's hinted at throughout, is mostly revealed all in one scene. It would be like speeding up the pace of Dark Star, for example, which seems to be an obvious influence in many ways on Alien. You're not going to change the pace of a movie like that because the point of Dark Star (which is the point of much of Alien) is that there's nothing to do in space but sleep, stand around, argue, fix things that break, and go bonkers. It has to be slow.
The Ripley/Lambert confrontation is good, but two scenes that should have been added include the crew meeting before the search and Ripley interrupting the "work" of Parker and Brett, to name two. Those scenes are greatly missed because they make obvious a key point: nothing is getting done, no one is really doing anything or working with anyone else; they're just agitating or yelling at each other. Many of the deleted scenes were cleaned up, though, so you can watch them in the same stunning clarity and crispness as the movie itself. The scene where Ripley interrupts Brett and Parker is from an obviously different take than that in the 20th anniversary edition, and I think, based on the movements and positions of characters, that the rest of the deleted scenes are from different takes too.
Alien feels an awful lot like a last of its kind sort of film, and at least is being well preserved, since the Star Wars movies and The Terminator can probably be given a lot of credit (or blame, perhaps) for doing so much to merge sci-fi with harder, more explosive action in the subsequent years, and 1982's Tron, which helped push along the desire for more CGI based sci-fi. Alien isn't about action or CGI, it's about atmosphere, character, and a realistic feel so much so that in Ripley's legendary final confrontation with the alien, Scott refused to have a gun or blaster stowed away to be used and purposely went with the more mundane harpoon like device because he wanted to maintain the gritty, realistic feel. I like that he doesn't really stage it as an action sequence either and Ripley defeats the alien with her brain and instinct. Great movie, great edition, but don't expect a whole lot from the director's cut.
Movie Review: Alien - A true Sci-Fi treasure in the genre!
Summary: 5 Stars
"Alien" is one of the most intense Sci-Fi thrillers to have ever graced the silver screen or the home theater in any format! It is the film's intensity that provides such an incredible draw to this extraordinary film. If you're looking for a lot of action, this film is not really what you're looking for; "Aliens" is where the intensity and action comes into play in the line of Alien movies; the whole theme behind "Alien" is to scare to pants off of you with extremely intense scenes and if you've never seen this movie before, it may very well do just that! Never before in the history of this genre had there been a film of this magnitude and few have matched it in it's intensity since.Now, with this latest release, fans of "Alien" are treated to the best release of this film yet. The very first thing you'll notice when you put this DVD into your player is that you have the option of playing either the 1979 Theatrical Release or a 2003 Director's Cut. The 2003 Director's Cut is preceded by an interesting introduction by Ridley Scott himself. This cut is put together seamlessly and the additions to the film add just that much more flavor to the film, making it that much better. The only downside to this edition and I believe this just stems from the time in which this film was made, was the audio. Despite having the options of THX and 5.1 Dolby Surround or 5.1 DTS, the audio playback just isn't what it should be.
Copious amounts of credit and accolades go to the incredible cast for this outstanding cinematic treasure! Although I wouldn't go so far as to say that "Alien" is "the" movie that made Sigourney Weaver a star, I would say that it was the one that made her a superstar! And since the release of this film and the following three in the Alien legacy, she will forever be known for these roles and probably very few others, except maybe her role in "Ghostbusters."
Director Ridley Scott, who has directed some of the most influential films in just over the past quarter century, deserves high praise and acclaim for "Alien" and the direction he took this film in. There are several directors out there that may have made as many or more films than he has but few have enjoyed the success he has had and a lot of that success can be directly attributed to the work he did on this film!
The Premise:
Although never clearly defined as to when, it is the future and America has expanded Earth's atmosphere and is sending mining ships out there... The Nostromo, a civilian mining vessel is making the return trip home from an expedition and the crew is in cryo-freeze for the trip home but "Mother" the ships computer wakes them up to investigate what appears to be an alien SOS message.
As the crew goes through the necessary steps to investigate the signal on a small planetoid, the tension builds right to the moment that Kane (John Hurt) is deep within the bowels of the alien ship and is leaning over what appears to be an egg...
What follows from there is most certainly one of the most intense Sci-Fi thrillers ever to have been brought to the silver screen. I highly recommend this exceptional film to any and all who're fans of movies in this genre. {ssintrepid}
Special Features:
For those that have been waiting for a special edition DVD of "Alien" with all of the bells and whistles, this edition is most assuredly it!
-1979 Theatrical Version (Deleted/Extended Scene Index) (Alien Vs. Predator Teaser Trailer)
-2003 Director's Cut (Ridley Scott Introduction) (Deleted Footage Marker)
-Full Length Audio Commentary with Director Ridley Scot, Writer Dan O'Bannon, Executive Producer Ronald Shusett, Editor Terry Rawlings, Actors; Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, Veronica Cartwright, Harry Dean Stanton and John Hurt (Both Versions) +
-Behind the Scenes Featurettes:
*"Star Beast: Developing the Story"
*"The Visualists: Direction and Design"
*"Truckers in Space: Casting"
*"Future Tense: Music and Editing"
*"Outward Bound: Visual Effects"
*"A Nightmare Fulfilled: Reaction to the Film"
*"Fear of the Unknown: Shepperton Studios, 1978"
*"The Darkest Reaches: Nostromo and Alien Planet"
*"The Eighth Passenger: Creature Design"
*"The Chestburster" Multi-Angle Sequence with Optional Commentary by Ridley Scott
-Sigourney Weaver Screen Test with Optional Commentary by Ridley Scott
-Still Photo Galleries
-Deleted & Extended Scenes
Movie Review: We Are Not Alone...
Summary: 5 Stars
In the older days (some would call golden days) of cinema, monster movies were huge with moviegoers both young and somewhat older, but especially with teenagers who were out on dates. Where the guys were looking for a good scare to get their girls to snuggle up close for the duration of the film, so they could show how romantic and caring they were. Generally speaking these monster movies featured creatures that were merely actors dressed in shoddy costumes because visual effects hadn't advanced enough as yet, though at the time they were the best around so everyone thought they looked good. The movies weren't really all that scary or even all that good if you really stopped to think about it, but that wasn't what the target audience was really interested in after all. In 1979, director Ridley Scott ("Gladiator" and "Hannibal") released his groundbreaking, science-fiction/monster film "Alien", forever changing the dynamic of monster movies and audiences expectations of them.
"Alien" is the story of the doomed crew of the spaceship Nostromo, who were heading back to Earth when a distress signal caused them to detour to a nearby planet. When the crew searches the location of the signal, they stumble upon a field of what appears to be eggs. One of the eggs releases its contents, which latches on to one of the crew. Believing they can simply remove the life-form from the crew member's face without trouble, the remaining crew of the Nostromo makes the mistake of bringing the contaminated crew member back on board ship. Though all efforts to remove the object failed, after a short while the life-form simply detaches from the crew member leaving him alive and seemingly healthy. Believing all is well, they set course once more for Earth; however, appearances can be deceiving and the consequences of their actions brings about a horrifyingly deadly reality, as the creature that had latched onto their friend's face was only the beginning, and what it left behind will leave them all running for their lives.
So, what's the difference between "Alien" and all of those other monster movies of the past, you might ask. One major difference would be in the quality of the practical effects and costumes used in this movie. Yes, the creature was still just a man in a suit, but this was different from all the other times this method was used. The practical effects and costumes had greatly advanced beyond those early monster movies, so that when you saw the creature on screen you thought you were really looking at a living alien monster intent on killing you.
In addition to the costumes and effects employed in the film, the story for "Alien" was so well-written, and the suspense was so palpable that you couldn't stand to wait to see what would happen next. The direction by Ridley Scott was excellent for this type of movie, as he chose to create an ominous atmosphere, relying heavily on shadows, to serve as the main source for ratcheting up the anxiety factor that great horror films feed off of, rather than going simply for the cheap thrill achieved via blood and guts and jump scenes. So when the audience does see the alien it is only brief glimpses, leaving the viewer to wonder just what exactly the alien looks like, which increases the anxiousness and fun of the entire experience even further. Another excellent choice on the part of the director was not showing too much of the death scenes, by having the pain inflicted by the monster be mostly conveyed through the various characters screams of torture and agony, causing the audiences minds to create situations and scenarios far worse than any director could come up with, a method made famous by Alfred Hitchcock. Speaking of the actors, every single one of them turned in excellent, first-rate performances, which is a true rarity in horror or science fiction films, which aided the film in becoming one of the true classics in the monster genre, setting the standard by which all other monster films should be judged. The cast member that truly shined was Sigourney Weaver, who became an instant star and one of Hollywood's most popular movie heroines, and her character is the only one to be featured in every single `Alien' movie throughout the franchise.
The movie "Alien" is by far one of the best in the horror or science fiction genre (it actually belongs to both categories), and the fact that it is still so popular with moviegoers is a testament to how excellent the film is, even to this day.
"Alien" is rated R for violence and language.
Movie Review: Science Fiction/Horror Masterpiece
Summary: 5 Stars
Alien follows a group of six explorers who were basically duped into thinking they served some other purpose than to obtain the ultimate weapon. This weapon is a vile form of alien life that simply kills and breeds. It's blood is molecular acid, it's body is one organic weapon after another and it grows extremely fast after taking another life that had been it's host.
Alien is the purest of the sci-fi/horror genre. It is also one of the first of it's kind and truely the pinnacle of it's kind. It is all downhill from here, but the standard was so high we don't care to acknowledge this decline. Alien is not only one of my favorite films of all time but it is also unquestionably one of the greatest films of all time and the few who disagree will have a tough view to spin. The script is compelling with it's fiction and ideas of an ambiguous future setting that places the film in an unnerving microcosmic isolation. There is enough to satisfy everyone, from space fans who want to hear about the atmosphere on the Alien's planetoid and the horror fans who want to be scared by shock or spooky subtleties. At it's heart, Alien is old school gothic horror in the setting of space.
Some horror films are fortunate enough to have one scene that is memorable and will be praised for generations. Then there are the horror elite that have more than that and are unforgettable from beginning to end. The Exorcist, The Shining, Psycho, Jaws and Halloween are such films...and so is Alien. Whether it be the slow-paced questioning of John Hurt's character's fate in the quarantined room with a parasite attached to his face keeping him alive, the scene with Tom Skerritt's character in the air shaft waiting for the Alien to come to him or the scene where we actually wait as the Alien burrows it's way through Hurt's character's body and out to eventually wreak havoc on the rest of the crew, Alien is without a doubt unforgettable. It is a staple in both the science fiction and horror genres and a must-have for fans of either.
The most outstanding part about Alien to me is the fact that it is handled meticulously. The scene when that Alien bursts out of Hurt's stomach is fairly layered and foreshadows Ash's (Ian Holm) real intentions but not enough where you know what is happening exactly, although maybe enough where you suspect something. He is of course an android that takes the crew off course to obtain this life form and study it. The scene has Holm studying Hurt as he is about die with a face that spells "Hmmm, let's see what this thing can actually do". I credit Holm just as much as Scott for this example but Ridley Scott is without question an impeccable filmmaker. Scott is also one of the most versatile filmmakers around. He is almost on the same plateau as Spielberg for me.
Finally, Alien is also groundbreaking for it's characters and mostly of course the character of Ripley played by Sigourney Weaver in what has to among the earliest portrayals of a women emerging as the protagonist in a film like this. Her emergence from the rest of the cast by the way is an extremely effective device in which too many films that have followed Alien have forgot to apply. Even in good horror films we know full well who is going to survive all of the horrors before the credits even begin. In Alien we really have no idea. Weaver's character is given absolutely no special treatment by the script whatsoever. She is simply Ripley, one of the two female crew members that by chance and wit has survived this horrifying encounter. It also makes the horror of it far better because we might actually think for a minute that Skerritt's character is going to survive that ballsy plunge into the air vents. This point is precisely why all of the sequels are just not as good as Alien is. Although Jim Cameron knew what he had to do and opted to create a quality film of sci-fi action chaos with all the mysteries revealed by it's predecessor and although I'm running against popular opinion here, David Fincher's Alien 3 deserves some credit too. The four installment is sort of a waste.
Horror without mystery is simply madness and madness is not nearly as frightening as it is shocking. This is why so few horror films are praised by critics. Alien is not just original and innovative; it is sharpened, sophisticated and finer than the great majority of all films. The fact that it provokes fear and excitement as well as thought makes it even more exceptional.