How is AVP-R "going back to the roots"?

[RoaryUK]

1. How did the Derelict arrive on LV-426? Were the Jockey's carrying the Alien eggs already, or did they find the Alien eggs on LV-426?

There are numerous ideas but, according to Ridley Scott, the Alien Eggs where being transported by the Space Jockey's from their homeworld when an Alien escaped causing the ship to crash on LV 426.

2. How did WY know about the Alien species in ALIEN, before the Nostromo investigated LV-426/Derelict?

No one really knows.  But it's clear they new before the Nostromo left Thedus because Ash was assigned as replacement Science Officer under SPECIAL ORDER 937, in which the Nostromo was re-routed to the then unknown LV426, to secure whatever was on the planetoid, even at the expense of the crew.

3. If Alien drones can molt into Queens, why ddin't the Alien in ALIEN molt into a Queen?

The orginal idea for ALIEN was the creature would implant its seed into various members of the Nostromo crew MORRPHING them in Alien Eggs.  Indeed, Ridley Scott once stated that the eggs on board the Derelict were in fact once its crew.  Since the sequel however ideas quickly changed, and it's now generally (and more logically) accepted the original Alien was in the process of creating a Queen using the host.

4. Why did the Alien kill Parker and Lambert and not use them as egg-morphing hosts?

Parker is thought to have been killed by the Alien as a source of food for its brood.  The same fate may well have been for Lambert, however, having not seen a female human, it's clear the Alien found her somehow fascinating and may have attempted to rape her.  Note Lambert's bare leg can be clearly seen dangling when Ripley finds her, yet she was fully clothed before the attack.  

5. How come the Alien in Alien 3 didn't use the egg-morphing process, before encountering Riplley?

There's no reason to suggest it didn't since we never see what happens to the prisoners after the alien captures them.  However, since the Alien Queen was already in place, there's logically no need so it's sole purpose became to protect her.

6. Why didn't the Alien in Alien 3 capture/cocoon Ripley?

Interesting question since previously in ALIENS hosts were deliberately captured and restrained ready to be impregnated.  Obviously this already happened in Alien 3, but the creature had numerous oppertunities to take Ripley and didn't.  Aware the Queen was inside her and pressumably of the threat she might kill herself and/or the Queen, I always found it strange the Alien seemed reluctant to do anything.

7. Why didn't the Alien in Alien 3 kill Ripley and allow the Queen to emerge from her dead body, if we are to believe that chestbursters can burst from dead bodies (Scar, for example)?

Well, this is a problem with AvP really (and Alien 3's Ox-Burster to a certain extent) as its always been assumed the Alien Embryo can't develop inside a dead host, and why Ripley sacrificed herself, before it could burst from her in the first place.  If you ask that you may as well question why is there a hive at all??

8. How is it possible that one facehugger impregnated two hosts in Alien 3? If it had the two drone and Queen embryos in both of those sacs, then why didn't it do the same in ALIEN?

There are several theories sadly, despite being a great movie, Alien 3 is a mess when it comes to canon.  The most likely explaination is a new creature called a Super Face Hugger, which was able to impregnate 2 hosts, one with a Queen embryo the other with a regular Alien to protect it.  The reason we don't see this in Alien, disreguarding the Alien Queen came after, is because the Super Face Hugger comes from a special egg she most likely creates seperately, but of course no Queen was around in ALIEN anyway.

9. Did the Queen lay one final egg on the Sulaco? If so, did she lay the egg, because it carried a Queen embryo, therefore, she layed that egg as a last resort to carry on the species?

More than likely. (see No8 above)

10. Did the Queen in Alien: Resurrection use an egg-sac?

Unknown, but since she was in captivity it's unlikely because the scientists appear to have complete control over the breeding process.  It's only when the Aliens escape we see her nest, which is NOT in the same location she was being held and now appears to be part of the hive.  I doubt the Alien Queen would make another nest since, by then, she had already entered her second cycle.

11. Was the face-hugger that attacked Newt's father, the Queen carrier?

No, and not just because the Super Face Hugger hadn't been invented yet.  Cameron was aware of the then unseen "egg morphing" scene in ALIEN, and it's suggested his ideas were she was either created like the original Alien morphed Brett into a Queen, or the alien born from Jorden "molted" into a Queen, later joined by other Aliens from another group of colonists sent out to investigate the Derelict, who inevitably met with the same fate.

12. How was the Queen burster cloned through Ripley's blood? Isn't that too far of a stretch to have mixed the Alien blood, with hers?

Probably, though frankly, as much as I like A:R, the movie really only came about after the mess FOX made of Alien 3, and insisted on bringing Ripley back.  They hired writer Joss Wheddon (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) who suggested the idea of cloning Ripley.  The studio bought it and Alien Resurrection was made, the idea being samples of blood recovered by the United Systems Military from Fury 161, could be used to reconstruct Ripley with the Alien Queen still inside. How they actually achieve this or even knew about the Alien is never explained and, though I like the idea of the new Ripley who's DNA became mixed with that of the Alien, the deliberate dark humour of A:R was something I found just too distant from the previous films.    

[Space Disc Jockey]

Thank you Sil, xeno, sm and Roary, for taking the time in answering the questions. Interesting responses/opinions.

Sil,

IMO, I think the "regurgitation" method fits as more of a "Alien" characteristic, than the egg-morphing one. The idea of a egg growing around a human and a face-hugger growing inside is odd/creepy, but I don't think it works as an Alien cycle. For the Alien species, to me, it doesn't fit.

It's an interesting concept, for sure, but I think it slows things down, and that's not good for the Alien life-span. The Aliens need to reproduce quickly and I think the egg-morphing process is too slow.

Yes, the regurgitation method has been done before in other sci-fi movies and egg-morphing is more original, but it's a slower process. Ironcially, just like the reason the scene was cut in the first place...it's slow.

[Xenomorphine]

The Aliens need to reproduce quickly and I think the egg-morphing process is too slow.

Why?

One of the arguments for introducing this was that an advance army would be required. It wouldn't, of course, because thsi creature has a luxury surplus of time and space, if anything, but even so, we now learn there are "many" facehuggers getting on with doing what they do best, making this new thing even more superfluous than it already was.

I agree that it fits with the kind of methods the creatures use, but the previous films rendered it null and void.

[Space Disc Jockey]

Xeno,

Egg-morphing takes longer than regurgitation. Right?  The Aliens grow quickly and they need to reproduce quickly. Heck, a face-hugger implanting an embryo and a chestburster born, seems to be quicker, than someone being turned into an egg.

How many hours are we talking about, after Brett and Dallas are cocooned/turning into eggs and Ripley finding them?  Was Kane's impregnating and bursting, quicker?

Don't you think the regurgitation method is faster and also, when Brett and Dallas turn into eggs, they still need hosts for the facehuggers...so would there be other living hosts around, other than Ripley?

I don't think the egg-morphing process fits with their methods...I said regurgitation does.

Remember that the Aliens grow fast and have to reproduce fast, to keep the species going. I don't know why the Alien in ALIEN would turn people into eggs, when there wouldn't be anyone left to use as a host, other than Ripley.

If this is just something the Alien does as a natural function, without thinking of what could happen later, then fine. But given the situatoin that it was in, I don't know why it did it.

It killed Parker and Lambert...so they couldn't be hosts. Ripley is the only one, so why should the Alien kill her? Was the Alien going to capture her and egg-morph her too, or was she going to be a host for a facehugger?

[vehtam]

i can imagine short conversation of fox executives thinking about sequel after avp1

guy #1 - damn, we've earnad a lot of money and that's cool, but i don't know, why so many people says that this movie is total failure. we should change something in the next one to make it closer to both series, maybe then we earn even more.
guy #2 - yeah, but what?
guy #1 - maybe good script with memorable characters?
guy #2 - nah...
guy #1 - maybe creatures should resemble the original ones more?
guy #2 - nah...
guy #1 - maybe some cool, futuristic setting?
guy #2 - nah...
guy #1 - i know, i know! blood!
guy #2 - omg, you're right! that's what we're missing here, not great plot, scenery and monsters. blood, the most important factor of alien and predator movies! lets leave directors free hands at rating, that is so cool.

meh

[Xenomorphine]

Egg-morphing takes longer than regurgitation. Right?

We have no way to know.

The Aliens grow quickly and they need to reproduce quickly. Heck, a face-hugger implanting an embryo and a chestburster born, seems to be quicker, than someone being turned into an egg.

How many hours are we talking about, after Brett and Dallas are cocooned/turning into eggs and Ripley finding them? Was Kane's impregnating and bursting, quicker?

Both took only a small number of hours.

Don't you think the regurgitation method is faster and also, when Brett and Dallas turn into eggs, they still need hosts for the facehuggers...so would there be other living hosts around, other than Ripley?

What would it matter? An egg could stay in hibernation until more prey comes along, just like the creatures can.

I don't think the egg-morphing process fits with their methods...I said regurgitation does.

Both fit with their methods. Regurgitation, however, contradicts what came before it.

It could have worked, if 'Alien 3' and its own sequel had not come along.

Remember that the Aliens grow fast and have to reproduce fast, to keep the species going. I don't know why the Alien in ALIEN would turn people into eggs, when there wouldn't be anyone left to use as a host, other than Ripley.

What's wrong with Ripley? And what's wrong with the goal of egg transformation being to produce a Queen facehugger?

If this is just something the Alien does as a natural function, without thinking of what could happen later, then fine. But given the situation that it was in, I don't know why it did it.

To reproduce.

It wasn't working to some sort of tightly-defined schedule. There was prey and it took them at its leisure. There was no need to try spawning at hyperspeed. Making people into eggs only feels like it takes ages, because the conclusion is at the end of the film, but that's damn fast, considering what is involved.

It killed Parker and Lambert...so they couldn't be hosts. Ripley is the only one, so why should the Alien kill her? Was the Alien going to capture her and egg-morph her too, or was she going to be a host for a facehugger?

Very probably the latter. In the shuttle, however, it had a blank slate. Perhaps it was going to kill, perhaps it was going to egg. Who can really say?

[Weasel]

The egg morphing is a deleted scene. I don't see whats so hard about this.

[SiL]

The directors see DCs as canon.

And fast reproductive cycle?

Only comparatively speaking. Kane still took over 24 hours to pop open.

[wmmvrrvrrmm]

Egg morphing is still scarier.

I don't know why but the idea of being morphed into an egg sounds way less painful than being chestbursted.

I suppose it's a question of what you mean by "egg morphing". I suppose I'm still not quite sure what was going on in the silk like cocoons in O'Bannon's script, but there are two other points of view:

1. Ridley Scott's idea involved basically being slowly absorbed by the nest material and being eaten by the alien young in the form of the egg structure with it's facehugger occupant.

2. James Cameron's idea where somehow the human body undegoes DNA changes which transforms the body into a spore, which he thought was ridiculous in the end and well I suppose he never actually found out about Ridley Scott's idea about the scene

[wmmvrrvrrmm]

Its not vomit, its more like rape through the mouth.

well, I hope so, but talking about regurgitation makes it sound like vomit

[vehtam]

Its not vomit, its more like rape through the mouth.

well, I hope so, but talking about regurgitation makes it sound like vomit

yeah, you can rape through the mouth by genitalia, not your tongue and liquids from your stomach. if they would put penis-like thing or whatever else between chets legs and let her impregnate victims with this way, that would be rape through mouth. throwing liquids from mouth to mouth isn't, even if the secondary jaw have fallistic shape.

[Reborn]

well,the design of the aliens is similair to the one in ALIENS,that might mean something.

[Porkus Maximus]

1. Ridley Scott's idea involved basically being slowly absorbed by the nest material and being eaten by the alien young in the form of the egg structure with it's facehugger occupant.

Yeah I liked that explanation better.  I'd imagine being slowly eaten alive on a molecular level would be amazingly painful.

[RoaryUK]

Only comparatively speaking. Kane still took over 24 hours to pop open.

(scratches head)  ermmmm I don't think so!!   No offence SiL, I'm actually a great admirer of yours on these boards because of what you write, but sometimes some of you guys leave me scratching my head.   

This is what I worked out anyway, if Alien takes place in about 48 hours from start to finish, around half of which is spent getting to and from LV 426.  The ship lands approximately 2000 meters away from the Derelict, a walking distance (given weather conditions) of no more than 5 hours.  Although it's unclear how long, I believe Dallas, Kane and Lambert probably set off for the Derelict approximatly 3 hours after the ship set down, so by the time they get back, taking into account time spent inside the Derelict of no more than a couple of hours, the Hugger has been attached to Kane approximately 6 hours (splitting the difference) making the total away time about 12.

When the Nostromo originally touches down the landing causes some internal damage, about an hour later Parker informs the crew this will take at least 25 hours to repair, even though Brett actually informs him only 17.  For the sake of arguement we assume Brett is right because Parker asks him, it's obvious Parker's  "at least 25 hours" comment was taking the piss.  Shortly before take-off, no less than 9 hours after it attached itself to him, the Hugger comes off Kane itself and appears to die. Ripley and Dallas discuss Ashe's seemingy unchallenged decision to keep the Hugger before she imforms him they're ready for take-off.

18 hours after it set down the Nostromo finally takes off, reconnects with the refinary and sets off back for Earth.  According to the script, we rejoin the crew a few hours later, but again I'm guessing around 4 hours just to add a number.  Which brings us forward 22 hours after it originally landed, the Embryo now safe inside Kane, its now been at least 13 hours since he was attacked.   Shortly after, clearly in minutes, the crew are informed of a change in Kane's condition and we see he appears to have recovered.  What can only reasonably be an hour later, the crew meet for dinner in the Mess Hall before returning to hypersleep, shortly after which the Chestburster appears....14 hours thereafter!

So I have to ask, where did you get the idea it takes the Chestburster "over" 24 hours to pop out from Kane...by all means correct me if Im wrong, but by my calculations that's simply impossible?  Maybe I misunderstood you and apologies if I did.  I assume you're not referring to Ripley's comment in ALIENS...

"just one of those things managed to wipe out my entire crew in less than 24 hours"

...which is clearly based on from when Kane is first brought back on board the Nostromo.  But even if it isn't and Ripley makes an estimate based on everything as I've done, perhaps to demonstrate to Company officials the length of time the Embryo gestates inside a host, even so this still doesn't add up.  Same goes for the repairs on the Nostromo if Parker got his way, another 8 hours still doesn't make 24.  

[Reborn]

Good point,very good point.