Why did the folk of Hadley’s Hope not send a signal?

[SiL]

Alien 3 established communications can be instant, but it's not common. We also don't know who they're communicating with - they could be substantially closer than Earth to LV-426.

Ultimately it doesn't really matter why, just that it happened.

[Kradan]

Is there a need to explain it and make it so obvious when its hinted at between the lines and expanded EU?

I don't think it really NEEDS an explanation. It's just fun mind-sharpening gymnastics trying to come up with one

One shouldn't need to read some obscure comic or novel to make sense of a script contrivance.

True that

[judge death]

Is there a need to explain it and make it so obvious when its hinted at between the lines and expanded EU?

I don't think it really NEEDS an explanation. It's just fun mind-sharpening gymnastics trying to come up with one

Yep, its all up to each viewer I would claim.

[St_Eddie]

Alien 3 established communications can be instant, but it's not common. We also don't know who they're communicating with - they could be substantially closer than Earth to LV-426.

They must have been a lot closer to Earth, considering that the communication from Fury 161 was instantaneous and considering that people are claiming that it takes two weeks for a transmission to reach anyone from Hadley's Hope.  Odd then that the escape pod Ripley was in crash landed on a planet vastly closer to Earth, considering that she departed from LV-426.  Also, Ripley herself describes Fury 161 as being located at the "ass-end of space" (because why would one want a planet of convicted rapists and murders situated relatively closer to Earth than a colony of families).

Ultimately it doesn't really matter why, just that it happened.

This is a weak handwave being made because you happen to like the movie.  "It doesn't matter. Don't think about it. Just accept the script contrivance."  Would you make such excuses for a movie you didn't like?

[SiL]

Who said they were communicating with Earth?

This is a weak handwave being made because you like the movie.  "It doesn't matter. Don't think about it. Just accept the script contrivance."

You're getting hung up over what amounts to trivia because you don't like the movie.

The whole point is we don't know what happened to the colony.  Something bad happened, and they didn't get a message out. That suffices.

[Kradan]

Ultimately it doesn't really matter why, just that it happened.

This is a weak handwave being made because you happen to like the movie.  "It doesn't matter. Don't think about it. Just accept the script contrivance."  Would you make such excuses for a movie you didn't like?

That's the thing, if you like the main bulk of the movie you tend to forgive it shortcomings, if you don't - all its flaws will stick up in your face. Simple as that

[St_Eddie]

Who said they were communicating with Earth?

You did, when you said "they could be substantially closer than Earth to LV-426".  If you're now claiming that Hadley's Hope could have communicated with any number of off-world Weyland-Yutani bases, then that only makes the claim that it literally takes two weeks for a message to reach anyone make even less sense.

You're getting hung up over what amounts to trivia because you don't like the movie.

Whoever said that I didn't like the movie?!  Aliens is one of the greatest movies of all time.  The only difference between you and I is that I don't make excuses for movies which I enjoy.  If there's a contrivance within the script, I will acknowledge it.

The whole point is we don't know what happened to the colony.  Something bad happened, and they didn't get a message out. That suffices.

But why didn't they get a message out?  It makes zero sense that they colonists wouldn't have tried to reach out to someone for help.

That's the thing, if you like the main bulk of the movie you tend to forgive it shortcomings, if you don't - all its flaws will stick up in your face. Simple as that

Odd then that I like the main bulk of the movie.  What you're saying amounts to "it's a flaw but I choose to ignore it because I like the movie", which is fine but that being the case, at least admit that it is a flaw within the narrative.  A flaw is objective.  Whether or not said flaw bothers you is subjective.  Just because the flaw may not bother you personally, it doesn't negate the flaw's very existence.

[Kradan]

Ok, it is a flaw

[St_Eddie]

Ok, it is a flaw

Thank you.

[BlueMarsalis79]

The bigger and dumber contrivance in my opinion's no one being left on the Sulaco so the plot can happen.

[Kradan]

  Good point

[St_Eddie]

The bigger and dumber contrivance in my opinion's no one being left on the Sulaco so the plot can happen.

Agreed.

[SiL]

You did, when you said "they could be substantially closer than Earth to LV-426". .

No, I specifically said we don't one who they're talking to and what the distance is - and that that distance could be closer than LV-426 is to Earth.

Fiorina is a purely WY operation, Hadley's Hope isn't. We can't compare them.

Whoever said that I didn't like the movie?! 

Who said I liked it enough to ignore problems?

But why didn't they get a message out?  It makes zero sense that they colonists wouldn't have tried to reach out to someone for help.

Who said they didn't try?

That's the point. We don't know. It's fun to speculate but it's entirely irrelevant to the plot precisely why they didn't get a message out. That doesn't make it a glaring flaw, any more than not knowing precisely why there are eggs on the derelict is a flaw.

It's enough to know that's what happened and move on.

[St_Eddie]

Fiorina is a purely WY operation, Hadley's Hope isn't. We can't compare them.

Source (and please don't cite some expanded universe comic book or such)?

Fiorina is surely a joint operation by Weyland-Yutani and the Government.  It's as much a company operation as Hadley's Hope at any rate...

[SiL]

Fiorina in its current state is owned and operated by WY, Hadley's is government and WY.

EDIT

The source is the movie. WY is the only body mentioned or interacted with. You'd need to provide proof it was a joint venture.