Genetic Aberrations, Revisiting The Predator - AvP Galaxy Podcast #95

[Corporal Hicks]

We have just uploaded the 95th episode of the Alien vs. Predator Galaxy Podcast (right-click and save as to download)! Our newest episode sees us reconvene after a year to revisit The Predator to see if our opinions have changed – for better or worse – having had the last year to learn more about the film.

In addition to talking The Predator, also included are tangents regarding digital media and behind-the-scenes features and the recent copyright reports.

What did you think of our latest episode? Be sure to let us know down below! You can also listen to any of our previous episodes in the Podcast section under the News tab on the main menu. The Alien vs. Predator Galaxy Podcast is also available via iTunes, PodBean, GooglePlay Stitcher, YouTube and now Spotify! Please be sure to leave a review on whichever platform you're using!

Keep a close eye on Alien vs. Predator Galaxy for the latest on Alien and Predator! You can follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to get the latest on your social media walls. You can also join in with fellow Alien and Predator fans on our forums!

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[Whos_Nick]

everyone sounds crisp 

[AVP-CAPCOM]

Amazing sound quality with the professional microphones. Maybe Hicks, Ridgetop and Xenomorphine have affiliate links and quoting discount code "AVPGALAXY" for 10% off?

About xenomorphine's comments about why a "4K cinema projector" looks worse than a home Blu-Ray (4.45 onwards?). Well if he's an ex-cinema employee he should know they don't have on-site professional projectionists anymore adjusting lenses or quality control. Just a student flipping the "on" switch. Cinema budgets, jobs have been slashed along with professionalism. So the cinema is a "cheap" experience now with £5 admission and lack of maintainence and standards.

The film was a 2/5 for me. Started off 5/5 with the amazing fugative predator space scenes, first contact with McKenna's mercenaries and lab breakout.
Top notch practical suitmation work from Tom Woodruff Jnr and Alec Gillis.

As soon as "upgrade predator" shows up with his "pred-dogs" the film nosedives into sheer facepalming nonsense. Especially the upgrade with the bloody dispatching of henchmen in seconds, being indestructable to rpgs, gunfire and direct claymore mines from baddies. But then throwing key characters around for minutes rather than killing them as easily and also being killed by bullets from a handgun, that magically started to work when the lead character fired them.
The critical drinker noted this too.

The mainstream media, the studio and even disenfranchised audiences were pushing for a live action AVP3 and I wish they went with this. Before returning to a predator solo movie.
https://www.polygon.com/2018/9/15/17860582/predator-movie-timeline-reboot-orginal-predator-2-avp

If you ask me a PREDATOR movie set in Vietnam, or even BATMAN VS PREDATOR live action would be on my wishlist. The latter Batman universe works well with multiple canons as proven by The (Nolan) Dark Knight triogy, Snyder-verse, suicide squad and now Joker (2019).

[Corporal Hicks]

If the great folk over at Blue want to the sponsor the show, we're more than happy for them to get in touch. 

[Voodoo Magic]

Great Podcast gents on The Predator!  Well.. half a podcast actually.  The other half covered various other topics, but at least it made it less of a downer! 

I'll be first in line for those AvP Assembly Cuts!

[oduodu]

sheesh that YouTube video rips the movie to shreds.

you have my sympathies

shane black is a lot better than this. from everything i have read about him this is not the way he writes.

[Xenomorphine]

Amazing sound quality with the professional microphones. Maybe Hicks, Ridgetop and Xenomorphine have affiliate links and quoting discount code "AVPGALAXY" for 10% off?

"For a finer, more alien experience... Choose Blue Snowball."

About xenomorphine's comments about why a "4K cinema projector" looks worse than a home Blu-Ray (4.45 onwards?). Well if he's an ex-cinema employee he should know they don't have on-site professional projectionists anymore adjusting lenses or quality control. Just a student flipping the "on" switch. Cinema budgets, jobs have been slashed along with professionalism. So the cinema is a "cheap" experience now with £5 admission and lack of maintainence and standards.

That was, indeed, the case. We were only informed that it's all taken care of by itself and that it doesn't need anyone in there. I guess this and my 4K cinematic 'Alien' experience proves otherwise, though.

[XenoHunter99]

Good podcast. Sound quality was good. Too bad about The Predator. I haven't gone back to it at all. I'm hoping the Terminator movie fares better. I still like Predators. Guilty pleasure and all that. Ridgetop is probably right about living in EU-land for a long time. The rights-reversion issue is interesting, but doesn't seem likely to happen. Cheers!

[Samhain13]

"I hate this film so much right now" - Hicks, Corporal.

Good good. That's what I wanted to hear.

[Corporal Hicks]

It has just soured on my so much lately. I still enjoy the Loonies, I still like aspects of what the film did with the Predator but the assembled piece has just disappointed me so much I find it so fustrating to think about.

[TheSailingRabbit]

"I hate this film so much right now" - Hicks, Corporal.

Good good. That's what I wanted to hear.

Is it weird I read that in Emperor Palpatine's voice?

[Voodoo Magic]

Alien works best is when the human characters are normal, grounded regular men and women.  Predator works best when the humans are opposite of that, i.e. more exaggerated, larger than life, comic book like characters. The Loonie acrors on their own were fine, but they had no business being in a Predator film in my humble opinion.

Give the Loonies actors to Alien Resurrection and give the Alien Resurrection actors to The Predator and only 99 more fixes to go to fix both movies. 

[Samhain13]

"I hate this film so much right now" - Hicks, Corporal.

Good good. That's what I wanted to hear.

Is it weird I read that in Emperor Palpatine's voice?

[Corporal Hicks]

Alien works best is when the human characters are normal, grounded regular men and women.  Predator works best when the humans are opposite of that, i.e. more exaggerated, larger than life, comic book like characters. The Loonie acrors on their own were fine, but they had no business being in a Predator film in my humble opinion.

Give the Loonies actors to Alien Resurrection and give the Alien Resurrection actors to The Predator and only 99 more fixes to go to fix both movies. 

I can't agree with that. Predator doesn't "need" exaggerated characters to work well. I say it all the time - Predator is such a versatile series. It doesn't need a formula to work.

That said, I don't think the Loonies were particularly grounded. I couldn't envision them working in an Alien film. But like I said earlier, it was another one of those things that I think was really interesting but not used effectively - PTSD and damage. I don't think The Predator did anything too interesting with that angle which is a shame as it's been something I've been f**king loving in the EU - seeing the mental toll that encounters with the Predators has taken on the characters.

[AVP-CAPCOM]

Thanks hicks and xenomorphine.

Blue microphones "snowball models" are affordable at £40.00 from some outlets. I was panicking you might have gone for the DJ £300 ones- but sound on a £40 is good as. Seen many youtubers have the same mic on twitch livestreams.

Going back to cinemas its a common complaint in google reviews of "film not in focus" or "not set-up right". I cannot stress that Director's often change camera's or contrast based on predicted cinema set-ups and they often don't match.
AVP-Requiem, The Hobbit and Avenger's all suffered during cinema releases.
Again if your home viewing experience is superior we may end up with straight to Blu-Ray or TV quality films.