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We have just uploaded the 177th episode of the Alien vs. Predator Galaxy Podcast (right-click and save as to download). For our first podcast episode of 2024, regular hosts Corporal Hicks, RidgeTop and Xenomorphine are joined by special community guest Nightmare Asylum to start the year of Alien’s 45th anniversary of discussing the differences between the Director’s Cut and the Theatrical Cut!

We discuss the major differences – added and removed scenes – between the two cuts, our preferences between the two and plenty more!

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, and Spotify! Please be sure to leave a rating and review on whichever platform you're using!

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Another great episode lads. Apart from the additional scenes I never actually knew of all the little differences between the films. I now need to go and rewatch the theatrical! I've got good memories of watching the Directors Cut in cinemas - I remember the audience laughing at Ash's head scene. That one definitely should have been fixed for the DC.

NA! What a treat.

I am happy to have been asked to join! It was a very fun chat and a cool topic to discuss.

Also, apologies for my audio quality - this is actually my first time hearing myself back on that headset and, oof!

Weird.  For some reason, I always thought NA was a limey. :-\

Quote from: Local Trouble on Jan 29, 2024, 08:44:06 PMWeird.  For some reason, I always thought NA was a limey. :-\

Not quite!

This was really good.

The original 1979 Theatrical Cut is still my favourite version of the film.

I went to see the Director's Cut twice, back in November, 2003. I enjoyed it (obviously), but didn't agree with the many trims and edits to the film (to accommodate the 'new' material for a more streamlined edit acceptable to modern audiences).

The deletion of the scene with Dallas and MU/TH/UR, and the inclusion of the 'cocoon scene' (with new placement, and sadly truncated) was what really ruined the 2003 cut (for me) - I did, however, appreciate the use of the more polished takes for the deleted scenes (Lambert slap was / is a favourite).

I would have enjoyed the Director's Cut even more - if the bonus material had been added without any edits to the surrounding material - for an extended, rather than alternate cut.   

Egg morphing all the way!

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It's just that much more horrifying and it's much more alien than, say, the Queen and I love the Queen!

Theatrical.

Quote from: Acid for Blood on Jan 29, 2024, 07:53:12 PMI remember the audience laughing at Ash's head scene. That one definitely should have been fixed for the DC.

I do wish they'd fix this too. It's the only real revisionism for Alien I'd accept. lol

A little eggmorphing does not hurt anything. Will check this out.

Quote from: Corporal Hicks on Jan 30, 2024, 10:08:28 AMI do wish they'd fix this too. It's the only real revisionism for Alien I'd accept. lol

It's the only part of the film when I have to suspend my disbelief. It's a shame because I think a bit of better editing could easily fix it.

"eggmorhing all the way"

yes all the way!

Great pod, as usual. Appreciate it may be a bit sensitive, but does anyone have any pointers on how to see the Virtual Assembly cut that gets mentioned? I found a couple of threads here but nothing less than five years old!

Theatrical better by a fair margin.

Too many cuts makes the second half of the film go way too fast and Riddles was right the first time to cut the cocoon scene.

Ben Burrt's OG signal was better too.

Great podcast!

Always partial to the Theatrical of all the films myself. This one especially.

This was a really great podcast!

Quote from: maggieloveshopey on Jan 30, 2024, 10:32:49 PMGreat pod, as usual. Appreciate it may be a bit sensitive, but does anyone have any pointers on how to see the Virtual Assembly cut that gets mentioned? I found a couple of threads here but nothing less than five years old!

I'm checking with the fella. I'm not sure if he still has it available online these days.

Quote from: Corporal Hicks on Jan 31, 2024, 09:29:58 AM

Quote from: maggieloveshopey on Jan 30, 2024, 10:32:49 PMGreat pod, as usual. Appreciate it may be a bit sensitive, but does anyone have any pointers on how to see the Virtual Assembly cut that gets mentioned? I found a couple of threads here but nothing less than five years old!

I'm checking with the fella. I'm not sure if he still has it available online these days.

Could you post the DVD cover, please? I like the design - it reminds me of the 1979 Official Movie Magazine.

PARKER: "We found this just laying there. No blood. No Dallas."

So what happened to Dallas? Apparently he wasn't killed or eaten; so what did the Alien do to him? The missing cocoon sequence answers this mystery.

More than that, it answers the much larger question of what the Alien's motives are. Up until this scene, it's been nothing more than a nasty monster with a penchant for killing people. Once we see the Brett and Dallas eggs, we get an a-ha moment as we recognise the eggs as identical to the ones from the derelict. Now we understand that the motives of the Alien are one of completing its life cycle.

We also infer that each one of those derelict eggs was originally another victim of the Alien, attacked and parasitised many years ago, perhaps even thousands or even millions of years ago. Once we understand that, we realise that if the Brett and Dallas eggs are left to their own devices they will, in turn, spawn a new source of Alien infestation and the cycle will continue.

Ripley also realises this. That's why she decides to blow up the ship instead of heading directly to the shuttle. She wants to terminate the cycle instead of leaving the eggs to perpetuate the Alien species upon discovery by a hapless space-farer some time in the future. (In the original version of the script she doesn't set the self-destruct until after learning of the egg-morphing.)

In terms of the writing, the cocoon sequence adds a nice structure to the story. The Brett and Dallas eggs create a circularity to the plot in which we end up back at the beginning. We thought we were just watching a sequence of kills, 10 Little Indians-style, but now we understand that the movie has been carefully laying out the life-cycle of the Alien through all its component stages. I find that very satisfying and it's why I think the DC is the superior version.

TC

We need more eggmorphing. Maybe not in the films because that would confuse the sh*t outta people, but like in a true survival horror game. I'd play it.

Quote from: TC on Jan 31, 2024, 11:14:14 AMRipley also realises this. That's why she decides to blow up the ship instead of heading directly to the shuttle. She wants to terminate the cycle instead of leaving the eggs to perpetuate the Alien species upon discovery by a hapless space-farer some time in the future. (In the original version of the script she doesn't set the self-destruct until after learning of the egg-morphing.)

The plan was always to blow up the ship, though. They didn't just want to escape -- they wanted to kill the Alien. Finding the hive had no impact on Ripley's decision to start the scuttle procedure in the script.

Quote from: SiL on Jan 31, 2024, 12:03:52 PM

Quote from: TC on Jan 31, 2024, 11:14:14 AMRipley also realises this. That's why she decides to blow up the ship instead of heading directly to the shuttle. She wants to terminate the cycle instead of leaving the eggs to perpetuate the Alien species upon discovery by a hapless space-farer some time in the future. (In the original version of the script she doesn't set the self-destruct until after learning of the egg-morphing.)

The plan was always to blow up the ship, though. They didn't just want to escape -- they wanted to kill the Alien. Finding the hive had no impact on Ripley's decision to start the scuttle procedure in the script.

Actually, you're right. I have to take that part back. I was thinking that at that stage things were so dire the expedient thing to do was to get the f**k outta there but she obviously placed a high measure of importance on the scuttle, and at great risk to herself.

TC

I Feel mixed about the egg morphing scene. On one hand it's incredibly grim and creepy. Then on the other hand the life cycle established in Aliens seems to be a faster and more effective way to invaded an environment and destroy other species.

Knowing how the filmmakers used insects as inspiration for how the alien gestates inside a host before hatching, doe's anyone know whether it's possible for a species to reproduce with multiple life cycles?

I've recently been wondering how the egg morphing would work. I obviously not a scientist, but could the cocoon break down Dallas and Brett on a cellular level and then using their matter create the new eggs? I heard that James Cameron thought it was a dumb idea.

Wasn't the alien also dying towards the end of the film and that's why it was hiding amongst the machinery in the narcissus?

Anyway I still prefer the Original film. Like others have said the editing in the director's Cut feels messy. Although I did enjoy the cleaned up deleted egg scene. The original deleted scene felt a little rough. I didn't like the new alien transmission sounds, still prefer the deleted scene's original sound. The first time I watched the DC on DVD the scene where the alien hits the cat box made me jump out of my skin! 🤣

I wish they could release the Alien extended edition they originally did for the quadrilogy before Ridley got involved. Lazurika said it was pretty much ready to go before Scott blocked it.

Quote from: TheBATMAN on Jan 31, 2024, 07:19:01 PMI wish they could release the Alien extended edition they originally did for the quadrilogy before Ridley got involved. Lazurika said it was pretty much ready to go before Scott blocked it.

Agreed.

Apparently everything thrown in - including unreleased material. Would love to see it for the 50th anniversary.

That was awesome. I loved this one so much I've listened to it twice.

To be honest I'm not really sure which version of the film I like more. Like most of you there are aspects of both releases that I enjoy. I like the inclusion of the lambert's slap into scene. It really adds to the emotion and tension of the moment.

I also prefer the shorter cut of Brett's death. I feel in this case " less is more." You don't even really see the whole design of Alien until later in the film which adds to the horror of the creature design in my opinion.

Boy oh boy I've got to agree with Xenomorphine with yaphett Kottos delivery of his description of the Alien size.  He sells the f**k out of it. You absolutely believe Parker saw something huge.

As a side note: I really appreciated the inclusion of the distress signal audio(before and after director's cut.) in podcast. I could get used to that feature.

Great job guys!

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Almost forgot the biggest inclusion. The egg morphing. It's cool and I appreciate it as a potential life cycle(nerd-splaining)  but I prefer the film with out it.

I liked the part about watching the audience more than the movie when seeing it in a theater. I recently went to a screening of Alien and when the creature descended on Brett I heard the guy behind me say "Jesus that's a big f**ker". It was so fun listening to this guy watch the movie for the first time comment about the film and now I can't see the Brett death scene without thinking "that's a big f**ker".

I would have liked if Ridley just went with the "lets insert the deleted scenes" approach that he originally intended. Just a longer cut for the fans, like the Aliens and Alien: Resurrection one.

Quote from: TheBATMAN on Jan 31, 2024, 07:19:01 PMI wish they could release the Alien extended edition they originally did for the quadrilogy before Ridley got involved. Lazurika said it was pretty much ready to go before Scott blocked it.

Wow. I didn't know that.

 "reproducing with multiple life cycles."

As AvPG's resident lab tech/parasitologist there are some parasites, specifically plasmodium species(cause of malaria) that have an asexual and sexual stage of reproduction depending on the situation. I

As far as nematodes go, humans are the definitive host and some organisms produce either fertilized eggs or larvae that may be infective to a new host.

Stay tuned for more fun facts with AvPGs resident lab tech/parasitologist.

Quote from: battyfan on Feb 01, 2024, 04:07:37 PM

Quote from: TheBATMAN on Jan 31, 2024, 07:19:01 PMI wish they could release the Alien extended edition they originally did for the quadrilogy before Ridley got involved. Lazurika said it was pretty much ready to go before Scott blocked it.

Wow. I didn't know that.

https://www.avpgalaxy.net/forum/index.php?topic=62824.msg2424524#msg2424524

Quote from: Wweyland on Feb 01, 2024, 12:33:14 PMI would have liked if Ridley just went with the "lets insert the deleted scenes" approach that he originally intended. Just a longer cut for the fans, like the Aliens and Alien: Resurrection one.

Aliens is an actual director's cut. Cameron prefer the long version.

He wanted a version he thought would appeal to a contemporary audience so sped things up a bit.

Slapping every cut scene back in makes for a slow movie. Like the Alien 3 Special Edition, minus the repetition.

Sometimes it makes for a better one though.

Would like to see that 2003 extended cut of ALIEN turn up for the 50th anniversary, if not the 45th.

can someone not just make a fan cut with the same scenes as the one Cdl made before Scott altered it?

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is there a cut of alien where the deleted scenes(not polished or altered) were just inserted either fan made or otherwise?

Never watched one but people have touted a few over the years.

Quote from: oduodu on Feb 02, 2024, 05:46:22 AMcan someone not just make a fan cut with the same scenes as the one Cdl made before Scott altered it?

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is there a cut of alien where the deleted scenes(not polished or altered) were just inserted either fan made or otherwise?

Several!

Quote from: oduodu on Feb 02, 2024, 05:46:22 AMcan someone not just make a fan cut with the same scenes as the one Cdl made before Scott altered it?

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is there a cut of alien where the deleted scenes(not polished or altered) were just inserted either fan made or otherwise?

There's a few out there.

I put together an extended cut, using as much of the deleted material as was possible. My edit runs at about 2hrs and 19 mins. Turned out okay - very viewable - but nothing beats an official product released (with previously-unreleased material added).

I think I saw part of one that had the long grainy tracking shot of the refinery. Test footage I think.

We have editors for a reason.

ah thanks

is there a known cut like that which is downloadable?  a fan cut perhaps?

Quote from: SM on Feb 02, 2024, 08:48:40 AMI think I saw part of one that had the long grainy tracking shot of the refinery. Test footage I think.

We have editors for a reason.

As one of them, I like watching the virtual workprint. It's not a better movie, but it is fascinating and engaging.

Some bits are. Seeing how they fit together- or don't. Long slow VFX shots are boring.  Might as well be watching Star Trek - The Motion Picture.

I like that movie too.

It's okay as far as movies of people who spend most of the time watching a viewscreen go.

For anyone curious about fan made cuts, there's an excellent subreddit called r/fanedits. There's a 2-in-1 called Paradise which merges Prometheus and Covenant, alternating between the events of each movie in a way that feels like it was the intended effect. Brilliant! It's under 2 and a half hours, which is crazy if you think about how much of each story gets cut without losing sense.

Butchery by uncultured swine.

Quote from: SM on Feb 01, 2024, 08:18:11 PMHe wanted a version he thought would appeal to a contemporary audience so sped things up a bit.

Slapping every cut scene back in makes for a slow movie. Like the Alien 3 Special Edition, minus the repetition.

I feel like the extended/Directors cut movies though should be just about volume regardless of pacing (within reason). They already made that movie, trying to make another one seems like double dipping.

As long as one scene doesn't contradict another, they should put as much in as possible. After all it's likely us that's going to buy/watch it and not Mr pacing issues.

Going to listen to the pod now at work !

Quote from: Highland on Feb 02, 2024, 11:07:28 PM

Quote from: SM on Feb 01, 2024, 08:18:11 PMHe wanted a version he thought would appeal to a contemporary audience so sped things up a bit.

Slapping every cut scene back in makes for a slow movie. Like the Alien 3 Special Edition, minus the repetition.

I feel like the extended/Directors cut movies though should be just about volume regardless of pacing (within reason). They already made that movie, trying to make another one seems like double dipping.

As long as one scene doesn't contradict another, they should put as much in as possible. After all it's likely us that's going to buy/watch it and not Mr pacing issues.

Going to listen to the pod now at work !

That's not at all the point of a director's cut, though. The director's cut is an actual stage of the editing process and is the director's preferred version, before final changes are made for theatrical.

Some directors end up liking the finished version fine (like Scott) and others try to get their version released.

Quote from: SiL on Feb 03, 2024, 01:46:52 AM

Quote from: Highland on Feb 02, 2024, 11:07:28 PM

Quote from: SM on Feb 01, 2024, 08:18:11 PMHe wanted a version he thought would appeal to a contemporary audience so sped things up a bit.

Slapping every cut scene back in makes for a slow movie. Like the Alien 3 Special Edition, minus the repetition.

I feel like the extended/Directors cut movies though should be just about volume regardless of pacing (within reason). They already made that movie, trying to make another one seems like double dipping.

As long as one scene doesn't contradict another, they should put as much in as possible. After all it's likely us that's going to buy/watch it and not Mr pacing issues.

Going to listen to the pod now at work !

That's not at all the point of a director's cut, though. The director's cut is an actual stage of the editing process and is the director's preferred version, before final changes are made for theatrical.

Some directors end up liking the finished version fine (like Scott) and others try to get their version released.

I get that, I'm saying is more like I already know how the movie unfolds and A Directors will rarely add anything that was integral to the original, it ends up more like "oh that's kind of interesting"

I still usually like the originals better, but I just want to see more "stuff" usually, more word building, more of the characters. I think most of the extended cut versions of movies (Aliens, LOTR, The Abyss etc), they just feel better with more. Personal preference obviously!

You just gave examples where they intentionally added more material back to the stories to flesh them out rather than just adding "stuff" though :laugh:

Like entire characters and subplots are resolved in the extended LotR that are lost in the theatrical versions. That's why those movies feel better longer; they're actually able to develop the story more fully.

Quote from: SiL on Feb 03, 2024, 05:24:03 AMYou just gave examples where they intentionally added more material back to the stories to flesh them out rather than just adding "stuff" though :laugh:

Like entire characters and subplots are resolved in the extended LotR that are lost in the theatrical versions. That's why those movies feel better longer; they're actually able to develop the story more fully.

Yeah that's my point, those movies didn't cut bits out at the expense of the new bits, we got all of it and don't have to pick between movies that have different scenes removed/replaced.

I prefer the Cameron style " long road"

I'm a bit lost. Those edits still considered pacing and trying to make the stories flow well - but you said they should just throw in everything plus the kitchen sink originally.

I think we actually agree in the end.

I enjoyed this podcast. I always tend to watch the Director's Cut whenever I watch Alien. I don't think I realised that they changed the sound effects that you pointed out there.

I realize I haven't watched the theatrical cut for so long.

Weird since I don't really think the director's cut is better than the theatrical one.

I now only watch A3's assembly cut though, which I think is far better than theatrical.

For Aliens and Alien 3 I default to the Special Editions. For Alien, like I said in the podcast, I'm very much a theatrical cut purist (though I'm interested in a lot of the DC's sequences in isolation of the film), and for Alien: Resurrection I always go for the theatrical cut as well.

I like seeing the extra footage and scenes but I find the Aliens TC to be a master class in pacing and tension building. So I still usually watch the theatrical cuts of all films when I do watch them. Which is admittedly not very often these days.

I also go with the Aliens DC almost exclusively nowadays.

Rez I don't really mind, both are okay except for the HORRIBLE intro in the DC.