Best pic of an Alien

[Local Trouble]

 

[426Buddy]

You know what I really love about Winston's design? Its the way the lips draw back to reveal the rictus grin. That was part of what terrified me as a youngster. I like the lips on the runner too but in a different way

[SiL]

I always thought the original had the best lips. The sculpted ones from A3 onwards were never as interesting as the original condom lips, and the thick drool they used in Aliens made them look rabid.

[426Buddy]

Overall the original is my favorite. I love the hidden skull and I think the lips were great as well, especially during Brett's death. Just love the whole design, I would love to see it done with today's technology on the big screen.

[Vermillion]

Oh man. Bishop did it. Give it a rest!!

Lol. Giger's design rules.  Winston's works better in action mode. 
Both scare the crap outta me. Still.

[Pvt. Himmel]

[Local Trouble]

[Nyarlathotep]

Someone seems a bit triggered.

[FiorinaFury161]

That is SO hideous.

#HateTheSkull

[SiL]

Beautiful. And they didn't give it angry eyes for once.

[Elmazalman]

The original had the best lips. The translucent lips curling open in loving close-up, during Parker's struggle, is a moment to cherish forever.

[OmegaZilla]

I always thought the original had the best lips. The sculpted ones from A3 onwards were never as interesting as the original condom lips, and the thick drool they used in Aliens made them look rabid.

agreed and there's also a somehow silicon-esque, biological-but-not-quite quality of the skin they never quite managed to recapture in the sequels, Alien: Isolation is the first time they actually got that kind of texture and appearance exactly like the original's


as far as the skull goes, having it inside the dome is a brilliant design idea; having it outside not so much and that's why the Alien one-ups any cheesy film monster with a skull head

[Vertigo]

It's the dome-free Aliens look that I can't stand.

Forward-facing eyes are the trait of a predator, as it facilitates the depth perception necessary to launch an attack. But sideways-facing eye-sockets, as featured in Aliens, are for prey (or at least something that doesn't need to hunt), as they give a surround-view perspective that makes it easier to spot threats. I'm aware the side openings are representative of the back of the skull in the Alien design, but without the rest of the skull shape, the first set of side openings looks like the eye sockets.

The instinctive impression you get from the Aliens 'drones' is that they're insects or robots. Not terribly threatening - until the jaws start working, at least.

I'm kinda with Local Trouble on the skull, but... there are worse things in the series. Even one of the best entries in the series.

[OmegaZilla]

Forward-facing eyes are the trait of a predator, as it facilitates the depth perception necessary to launch an attack. But sideways-facing eye-sockets, as featured in Aliens, are for prey (or at least something that doesn't need to hunt), as they give a surround-view perspective that makes it easier to spot threats. I'm aware the side openings are representative of the back of the skull in the Alien design, but without the rest of the skull shape, the first set of side openings looks like the eye sockets.

That opening is also present in the Giger design and simply represents the temporal fossa (or rather, it's exactly where a temporal fossa would be because Giger literally melded the back of the head to the mould of a real human skull). Eye sockets or not, the Alien was always supposed to be eyeless. The skull sockets are just vestigial host traits and it perceives its surroundings in other ways we don't know. If we take into account Alien3 their sight is a fish eye cam view and definitely faces forward

also not all predators have forward facing eyes

[Local Trouble]

If the alien soldiers do indeed shed their domes as they age, then it seems obvious to me that the skull cavities are definitely vestigial and unnecessary since they apparently get filled in and smoothed over.