Why does Dallas panic in the airshaft?

Started by Chestburstedlol, Jan 22, 2023, 11:37:08 PM

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Why does Dallas panic in the airshaft? (Read 5,401 times)

Chestburstedlol

Rewatched Alien recently and thought of something. When Dallas goes into the airduct, the plan is to drive the alien into the airlock with the flamethrower. So when the Alien turns and heads toward him, why is it such a shock? Wasn't he planning on having a direct confrontation with it?

He didn't know what direction it was coming from when it came after him...but he didn't know the exact location when he started his journey?

Was it a bad plan that he didn't think through...and the gravity of the situation was setting in with him? Was Lambert's panicking making him panic?

Rankles75

Probably a number of reasons. It was a tense, claustrophobic situation. The motion tracker was on the fritz, so he wasn't sure where the alien was. Lambert panicking probably wasn't helping and he wasn't really getting any helpful advice from anyone else.

dnicholson277

His first encounter with a terrifying alien maybe?

SiL

When he goes in there's only one way in or out. When he's already in and the tracker isn't working properly, he has no way of knowing which direction it'll be coming from to drive it properly.

Plus everything else - claustrophobia, Lambert panicking, encountering a giant killer alien organism, etc

PsyKore

Same reason I panic when see a spider on my wall but then the f**ker disappears! :'(

ralfy

I think the problem is that there are several levels, but I think Lambert's monitor doesn't show them. Meanwhile, there's no direction indicator, so she can only tell Dallas that the creature is heading towards him. She can't tell if it's coming from one end of the shaft or the other, and if it's on the same level or on another.

Elmazalman

Quote from: ralfy on Feb 19, 2023, 03:53:57 AMI think the problem is that there are several levels, but I think Lambert's monitor doesn't show them. Meanwhile, there's no direction indicator, so she can only tell Dallas that the creature is heading towards him. She can't tell if it's coming from one end of the shaft or the other, and if it's on the same level or on another.


Both trackers were built in a rush by Ash. He may've also not wanted them to be too accurate in their readings ...

judge death

Quote from: Elmazalman on Feb 19, 2023, 05:34:58 AM
Quote from: ralfy on Feb 19, 2023, 03:53:57 AMI think the problem is that there are several levels, but I think Lambert's monitor doesn't show them. Meanwhile, there's no direction indicator, so she can only tell Dallas that the creature is heading towards him. She can't tell if it's coming from one end of the shaft or the other, and if it's on the same level or on another.


Both trackers were built in a rush by Ash. He may've also not wanted them to be too accurate in their readings ...
Well to me its clear he sabotaged them, once Dallas is near where the xeno was: they lost the signal of where it was but not Dallas, it still showing him, had it broken down it wouldnt have shown anyone.
Plus the dot for the alien just appears at a different place on its screen and coming towards Dallas, when we can see the xeno sitting still waiting when Dallas is climbing down that ladder.

SiL

We don't see the motion tracker again after seeing it moving towards Dallas. It moves to him and stops.

But the trackers don't work well, period. "Micro changes in air density my ass," said Ripley.

judge death

Only issue I have of that is: Dallas get to the position they saw the xeno on the motion tracker, as she says: "it should be there, you sure you dont see it?" Its just then they lose its signal.
When the signal comes back online, its at a different location, moving towards the same position again.
So: the alien was there dallas was, ran off at the exact time the signal gets lost, turns around and starts heading back to the exact same spot it was at earlier when the signal reappears. Sounds kinda too convenient.

As they say the easiest solution is likely the correct one: it was there lambert saw on the tracker, Lambert just misstok which level it was at, one level below where dallas came from. Then the signal gets lost, and then reappears at a different location, heading towards dallas, making them panic and dallas decide to not go back where he came but go down one level, right into the arms of the xeno who was sitting there the whole time. Im convinced it was Asch who made the signal to disappear, load at a different location and have it move towards dallas to trigger a mistake.

But thats how I see it, hard to tell, you can be just as easily right.
Nothing wrong with the air densisty, its the same system the motion trackers use in aliens from my understanding. :P

TheBATMAN

Well there is something wrong with the air density. It changes as soon as Ripley opens the hatch door and the tracker doesnt register it. Hence why she says what she does.

Immortan Jonesy

Immortan Jonesy

#11
An Alien? I would panic even if it was a dog! oh well not any kind dog of course 👉👈

Spoiler

[close]
And it certainly wouldn't help someone yelling at me "Get out of thereeee! MoooOve! JoOonesy! MooooveeeEEE!!! as I struggle to move in a claustrophobic environment. :o



Quote from: judge death on Feb 19, 2023, 05:53:15 AM
Quote from: Elmazalman on Feb 19, 2023, 05:34:58 AM
Quote from: ralfy on Feb 19, 2023, 03:53:57 AMI think the problem is that there are several levels, but I think Lambert's monitor doesn't show them. Meanwhile, there's no direction indicator, so she can only tell Dallas that the creature is heading towards him. She can't tell if it's coming from one end of the shaft or the other, and if it's on the same level or on another.


Both trackers were built in a rush by Ash. He may've also not wanted them to be too accurate in their readings ...
Well to me its clear he sabotaged them, once Dallas is near where the xeno was: they lost the signal of where it was but not Dallas, it still showing him, had it broken down it wouldnt have shown anyone.
Plus the dot for the alien just appears at a different place on its screen and coming towards Dallas, when we can see the xeno sitting still waiting when Dallas is climbing down that ladder.

Aye! : "Bring back life form, priority one. All other priorities rescinded".

kwisatz

Holy F that thing looks like straight out of Ghostbusters

ralfy

ralfy

#13
Is this the scene?


If so, it's in the 57-second mark onward. The monitor shows two dots, representing the creature and Dallas. So when Lambert tells Dallas to move away he doesn't know where to go because depending on where he's facing it can be one end of the shaft or the other. OTOH, it's probably a fixed map (e.g., the top part refers to the left side of the shaft when you're facing the other end). Meanwhile, the monitor also does not appear to indicate what level the creature (or Dallas?) is in so he doesn't know if he should shift to another level.


oduodu

Quote from: ralfy on Feb 20, 2023, 06:41:38 AMIs this the scene?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRXyWtv-huc
If so, it's in the 57-second mark onward. The monitor shows two dots, representing the creature and Dallas. So when Lambert tells Dallas to move away he doesn't know where to go because depending on where he's facing it can be one end of the shaft or the other. OTOH, it's probably a fixed map (e.g., the top part refers to the left side of the shaft when you're facing the other end). Meanwhile, the monitor also does not appear to indicate what level the creature (or Dallas?) is in so he doesn't know if he should shift to another level.

tongue in cheek:

dallas doesnt actually die if the directors cut is anything to go by.....

but probably since that isnt cannon it is actually true enough

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