OT: showing the wife the Alien series!

[JAllen]

So she hadn't seen any of them...until now!

We picked up the quadrilogy DVD box set from a yard sale for a buck. We watched the Alien theatrical release the other night and got halfway through the special edition of Aliens before getting sleepy (we are the most exciting 20 somethings you'll ever know). The getting sleepy isn't a reflection on the film, we are just used to going to bed early.

I feel like I'm sharing an important part of my childhood with her.

Guys and gals, thoughts on the series? :)

[pbarry]

Sigourney Weaver made sweat sexy for a whole generation.

[8aaron8]

Though I enjoyed the series, I have to say, in my opinion, only the second movie is great, and I mean great. I have loved that movie since my induction at five years old. Even though it took almost another ten years to be able to sleep well the night after watching Aliens, I still have a special place in my heart for it. I have tried to like the other three as much, but they just don't have the same appeal to me.

[oldpotatoe]

Though I enjoyed the series, I have to say, in my opinion, only the second movie is great, and I mean great. I have loved that movie since my induction at five years old. Even though it took almost another ten years to be able to sleep well the night after watching Aliens, I still have a special place in my heart for it. I have tried to like the other three as much, but they just don't have the same appeal to me.

Movies are like that, opinions. At least the first 3 follow a logical sequence and proper follow up. BUT the 2nd was just techiness for its own sake. Equipment, space marines, I think it lost a lot of 'personality' of the first and certainly the 3rd(I think without the wierd creature in the 4th, it would have been ok but that thing was silly). I like Dark sequels and number 3 was that, IMHO.

[false_Aest]

The Alien series was soooo good.

I want a TV + Sound System just to watch them

[a4racer]

Aliens was mostly the best. Mostly.

[JAllen]

The first one had this feel to it that can't be explained. Like instant nostalgia. Some of the best ambient and minimal styled soundtrack that is, IMHO, one of the best soundtracks I've ever heard (I'm a sucker for the 1982 "The Thing" soundtrack, and from what I can tell "It Follows" as well.). I liked the 3rd one too when I saw it as a teenager. We shall see if it holds up when we watch it. The 4th sucked... but I need to watch again. It has been a decade for that one too.

[milkbaby]

I almost bought the four films on blu ray yesterday because my player has crapped out on playing DVDs but can still play blu ray.

I am the rare person that likes all four movies. All are different and have their own charm. I even like the fourth one; it's like a comic book series come to life.

Don't get me started on Prometheus though. That was horrible.

[JAllen]

Don't get me started on Prometheus though. That was horrible.

Haha! I actually liked it. I mean it was lacking but still enjoyable

[cmg]

1st and 2nd are the best, resurrection didn't have enough shock. i guess what hooked me was the level of surprise when the creature burst out and general level of destruction. the action builds, the threat keeps escalating. Prometheus didn't tell a detailed enough of story.


also a fan of john carpenter's the thing. another one that builds.

[45K10]

Loved the 1st and the 2nd ones the rest were pretty bad IMO especially Prometheus
Top three 80's Sci-Fi movies IMO:
1. Bladerunner
2. Aliens
3. Howard the Duck (Just Kidding) JC's The Thing

[oldpotatoe]

I almost bought the four films on blu ray yesterday because my player has crapped out on playing DVDs but can still play blu ray.

I am the rare person that likes all four movies. All are different and have their own charm. I even like the fourth one; it's like a comic book series come to life.

Don't get me started on Prometheus though. That was horrible.

Agree..like the 4th Alien, the first parts are intriguing, holds your interest during the 'discovery' phase, then the creature(s) at the end are a dumb answer. Nice CGI on Prometheus tho..

For right above. Bladerunner, one of my all time favorites, just watched it again for like the 150th time. I like the narrated version, sorry, I do. "Lost like tears in rain'..amazing. I also think Soylent Green is right up there. Edward G. makes it so.

[JAllen]

Haven't seen Soylent Green yet. Bladerunner is easily a classic. My DVD player crapped out! I'm going to run by the goodwill and get another. Still only halfway through Aliens...

[oldpotatoe]

Haven't seen Soylent Green yet. Bladerunner is easily a classic. My DVD player crapped out! I'm going to run by the goodwill and get another. Still only halfway through Aliens...

:eek::eek:

Not a Heston fan but Omega Man is also pretty good..dumb symbolism at end tho, IMHO.

I know this is morphing into older Sci-Fi but The Day the Earth Stood Still..what this daffy globe needs right now.

BTW-you can get a BlueRay/DVD player for like $70 these days.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/lg-streaming-blu-ray-player-black/4800014.p?id=1219637500666&skuId=4800014&ref=06&loc=01&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=4800014&extensionType=pla_multichannel:g&s_kwcid=PTC!pla!!!65863328783!g!!49363596671&kpid=4800014&k_clickid=992ac949-9feb-4bef-95fa-2ba1d5bdf61d&kpid=4800014&lsft=ref:212,loc:1&ksid=992ac949-9feb-4bef-95fa-2ba1d5bdf61d&ksprof_id=16&ksaffcode=pg1680&ksdevice=c&gclid=COCf5sXhkcYCFQWTaQodvqsAvA

[Bob Ross]

I liked the 3rd one too when I saw it as a teenager. We shall see if it holds up when we watch it. The 4th sucked... but I need to watch again.

I'm the opposite: I hated the 3rd one when it came out, and haven't seen it since, so my opinion is still that it sucks...but I'm willing to concede that if I watched it again now I might find something redeeming about it. Whereas the 4th I've seen two or three times, including quite recently, and I think it rocks. Sigourney's performance is incredible; she takes the whole notion of self-awareness to a place that is both intriguing and alluring.

[milkbaby]

Visually, Prometheus is the most polished and grand, but it fails when it comes to the story and characterization. Michael Fassbender as the android puts in a great performance, and I think Noomi Rapace is a "babe".

John Carpenter's The Thing is another classic SF/horror flick from the similar time period as Alien/Aliens. It's extremely underrated, IMHO, and should belong high up on those "greatest movies of the 20th century" lists. When it first came out, most of the hullabaloo was over the graphic gore, which to be honest, was really far out there for the time and maybe still even to this day some people can't get past that. But the whole build up of tension and the distrust seething beneath the surface between the individuals that's simply catalyzed by the thing is pretty awesome. SPOILER: It even has a great cliched horror movie ending that works perfectly.

[DHallerman]

Here's what happens when I read quickly.

I saw this subject line as "showing the wife the ALLEN series," and I thought:

What's so special about a bunch of hex wrenches?
and
Why is the topic of bicycle tools off-topic?

Dave, whose wife can be quite adept with bike mechanics including allen wrenches but prefers sci-fi more like Battlestar Galactica and Star Trek

[JAllen]

Here's what happens when I read quickly.

I saw this subject line as "showing the wife the ALLEN series," and I thought:

What's so special about a bunch of hex wrenches?
and
Why is the topic of bicycle tools off-topic?

Dave, whose wife can be quite adept with bike mechanics including allen wrenches but prefers sci-fi more like Battlestar Galactica and Star Trek

As my dad always says, "all my wrenches are Allen wrenches..." :)

[JAllen]

Visually, Prometheus is the most polished and grand, but it fails when it comes to the story and characterization. Michael Fassbender as the android puts in a great performance, and I think Noomi Rapace is a "babe".

John Carpenter's The Thing is another classic SF/horror flick from the similar time period as Alien/Aliens. It's extremely underrated, IMHO, and should belong high up on those "greatest movies of the 20th century" lists. When it first came out, most of the hullabaloo was over the graphic gore, which to be honest, was really far out there for the time and maybe still even to this day some people can't get past that. But the whole build up of tension and the distrust seething beneath the surface between the individuals that's simply catalyzed by the thing is pretty awesome. SPOILER: It even has a great cliched horror movie ending that works perfectly.
I completely agree about the thing. It unfortunately came out when ET did. People wanted to see the friendly alien...

[thermalattorney]

I don't know if these are included in the box set, but there are two excellent documentaries on Alien/Aliens available on Youtube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cl4aKjXhZNY&list=PL85491038CCF48329
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWLKwrmYd6A

Showed my GF Alien for the first time recently and I have to say that it holds up pretty darn well (and had her at the edge of her seat).

[bcroslin]

There's a really interesting fan edit floating around called "Derelict" that presents the first Alien movie and Prometheus 30 years earlier on a parallel timeline. Both movies have been converted to black and white for continuity's sake and it's beautiful to watch. It chops about an hour out of Promethus which helps the story immensely. Prometheus was a huge disappointment IMO but this definitely makes it watchable.