Newt sleeping.

[Kimo]

So watched Aliens at the cinema tonight and I've seen it hundreds of times on VHS,DVD Blu-ray ect in the past. But tonight it popped in to my head and got me thinking? Why would Ripley put Newt in another room so Newt can rest. I know it happens to get the plot moving with the Facehuggers ect. But seriously would u put a tired child in another room why Aliens are trying to get you. Yes I know the was a camera on the wall watching, and yes Ripley and the marines were only in the next room. But she weren't in eyes sight. The only way the could keep an eye on Newt was to watch Newt on the monitor. But if this was real life I bet the marines would put a makeshift bed in the same room as them for Newt. As I said I know it's there to have the facehugger sequence, but it somehow bugged me tonight that Ripley and the rest would put Newt in another room on her own. You can argue that the marines secured the perimeter, but I still feel that if I was there, or if that was my child I would of had Newt in the same room as me. Also I can see the marines doing something like this but Ripley in real life would of had Newt no more then a few feet away.

[SiL]

Hard to sleep with panicky adults running around planning stuff around you.

[Kimo]

I thought about this Sil. But I've got a child myself, and one thing I know is kids can sleep through anything. Also when Hicks shows Ripley how to use the pulse rifle, he says to Ripley it must of been around 24hours since Ripley last slept. So why Newt may of not been awake for that long, she has defo been awake long enough to be exhausted. Also I would rather have Newt at arms distance and in the same room as Ripley and the marines and have her struggle to sleep then have her isolated in another room like in the film. Like I said I know it's to get the plot moving but I don't think Ripley in real life would let Newt be out of her sight.

[SiL]

Medical is also the fall-back point. It's the most secure location they have.

I mean you can disagree with her doing it but it's not like it was completely nonsensical.

[TC]

I remember watching Aliens for the very first time (all those decades ago) and thinking how risky that was. But it was only a momentary thought because I had faith the storyteller wouldn't steer me wrong. I knew Ripley was a smart woman who wouldn't  risk Newt's life, so if Ripley knows the room is 100% safe against attack, then I can be sure the room really is 100% safe. There's a kind of pact that most stories abide by; the director is saying to the audience, "I'm making it clear that a particular situation exists, so for the sake of the storytelling, just accept that it is so and I won't betray your trust." This way, the film doesn't have to waste time on expository scene after expository scene explaining every last little.detail.

It's the same in Predator when Dutch and the team are preparing the mantraps for the predator. How come they aren't worried the predator isn't watching them while they work, about to launch an attack while they are so preoccupied and vulnerable? As an audience, the reason we aren't worried is because they aren't worried.

Which is why the Covenant landing crew not wearing protective EVA suits is so egregious.   In that moment the director is telling us, in this story there is no threat from micro-pathogens harming humans when they visit strange planets. That's the storytelling pact. But then a few scenes later he goes back on his word, and that is an intellectual insult that has been niggling at fans ever since.

TC

[SiL]

I don't think I'd go that far. Situations change, and luring the audience into a false sense of security is par for the course in horror and thriller. It's one of the ways to create, shock, surprise, suspense.

The Nostromo crew act like everything's fine at the dinner table until Kane starts convulsing and his chest explodes. It wouldn't have quite the impact if the characters were on-edge the entire scene leading up to it.

[TC]

I also have distinct memories of watching the Alien meal-time scene for the first time, and to my eternal regret, I spoiled it for myself by having advance knowledge of what was going to happen. (Aside: How many people here really saw it for the first time without any prior knowledge whatsoever?)

Anyway, I'm going to suggest that that case is different because the audience has an inkling that something isn't quite right with Kane, even if he seems to be fine. And when he pops, the logic for it immediately clicks into place. IOW, you can deceive an audience with misdirection (without incurring their wrath), as long as you plant a foreshadowing, or some sort of advance set up or clue (that at the time, they hopefully won't identify as such) that gets paid off at the surprise reveal. That way the surprise makes sense.

For example, Aliens takes a right hand turn in the 3rd act by presenting us with a boss enemy in the form of the Queen, much smarter and more formidable than the previously encountered drones. Which is a surprise, but foreshadowed by earlier conversation speculating of something's existence, and therefore slots right into the story's logic. If that conversation hadn't been there, I don't think the Queen reveal would have worked as well.

TC

[Kradan]

Can somebody here explain to me why you need to foreshadow things in movies ? Not joking, just curious

[SiL]

Anyway, I'm going to suggest that that case is different because the audience has an inkling that something isn't quite right with Kane,

We have have an inkling there's something wrong with the planet on account of the human transmission of unknown origin in Covenant. Them not having space suits doesn't tell the audience "There are no pathogens in this film", tells the audience "these characters have been lead to believe it's safe".

And then it's not.

Can somebody here explain to me why you need to foreshadow things in movies ? Not joking, just curious

It's heavily contextual, but the short version is "so it doesn't feel like you're pulling information out of your arse at the last second". It helps build suspense, expectation, etc.

[Kradan]

Thanks 

[LV-12986]

If I remember rightly from reading the novel the description of the area where newt was going to sleep was meant to be the safest area in the complex and a place they would fall back to if they got overrun.

[son_of_kane]

If a xeno broke in, there would have been gunfire. Chaos. Newt might have been caught by a stray bullet. Better to keep her in a separate and secure room.

[Kimo]

It does make more sense that Newt was put in a area were it was seen to be the safest. But the room that Newt was in was soundproof and the security tv monitor either had no audio or it was turned down so the wouldn't hear Newts calls for help if she was in danger unless someone was constantly watching the monitor. However that last part with the sound, would only be a problem if the door was closed (doesn't have to be locked) when Ripley left Newt to rejoin the marines.

Why I was typing this it came to mind, that the marines had motion detectors, so ya the could probably use them to track any movement coming toward Newt. Makes sense right? but why didn't the motion trackers pick up the 2 Facehuggers moving around on the floor after Burke released them? Only 3 reasons I can think off was
1. The facehuggers weren't moving around much to set of a nearby motion tracker. However the motion tracker manages to pick up the hamsters in the cage so the motion trackers are capable of picking up small creatures.

2. The room was out of range.

3. Why Ripley and Newt slept the were motionless and the marines just assumed the two other movements in that room were Ripley and Newt.

Anyhow even if Ripley and the Marines were 100% sure Newt was in a safe area. The plan was doomed to fail from the start, since a lone alien could of easily used the loft insulation to get to her why she slept. That's if it could avoid triggering the marines motion trackers.

It would of made more sense, if one of the marines were on guard outside the room why Newt slept but obviously this was never going to happen because Cameron needed to have the Burke/facehugger plot scene in the movie.

Like I said people, I know it's done for plot reasons ect. And I still love this movie and wouldn't change a thing. But thought it would make an interesting topic.

[SM]

Why I was typing this it came to mind, that the marines had motion detectors, so ya the could probably use them to track any movement coming toward Newt. Makes sense right? but why didn't the motion trackers pick up the 2 Facehuggers moving around on the floor after Burke released them?

Hudson and Vasquez had the trackers patrolling the perimeter.  Out of range.

The plan was doomed to fail from the start, since a lone alien could of easily used the loft insulation to get to her why she slept.

"We didn't miss anything."

It would of made more sense, if one of the marines were on guard outside the room why Newt slept but obviously this was never going to happen because Cameron needed to have the Burke/facehugger plot scene in the movie.

What are they guarding against?  Burke?  As has been pointed out - it was believed to be the most secure spot.  Being an operating theatre it may not even be connected to the rest of the colonies airduct network to protect against contagion, making it more difficult for anything to get in.

But then a few scenes later he goes back on his word, and that is an intellectual insult that has been niggling at fans ever since.

Sounds a bit hyperbolic.  It's not like the Covenant crew investigated an SOS, searched around a creepy alien ship, found a dead body and then stuck their face in an Alien egg.

[Kimo]

@SM

Even if the room Newt was in was like Fort Knoxs, I still think it was a bad idea to put a child in another room on her own out of sight, with only a camera with no sound watching her. That's why I said it would make more sense having one of the marines keep an eye on her incase something happened. Also Ripley, early in the film had a bad time with trusting Bishop because him being an Android. But she's fine with Newt resting in a room with a  facehuggers inside a glass Jars just outside the room? And they is at least 1 facehugger in a jar that looks alive right outside the window when Ripley goes to rest with Newt, it's on Ripley's right just behind the glass window at around the 1:23:09 mark if you watch the aliens special edition. Why the facehugger ain't moving it looks alive because it's not curled up into a ball like a dead spider would be. I'm assuming it's one of the facehuggers burke releases. One more thing and I'm sure this is just due to editing to keep the facehugger attack on Ripley flowing nicely for the audience. It Takes around 42seconds for when Hicks hears the fire alarm sprinklers go off to get to were Newt and Ripley are. Hicks was at least moving a jogging pace and not casually walking so the marines were pretty far away from newt and Ripley when the were getting attacked by the Facehuggers. If Ripley never went to rest with Newt she would of been at some points some distance from Newt. As I said that's just probably a editing time issue just like how most films with a 1-minute countdown timer seem to go on much longer on film.

SM or any other forum members. Do u know of any maps/diagrams of the colony complex layout were the marines were and the room Newt was sleeping in? The film obviously makes it hard to memorize the layout of the rooms and the events. But it would be nice to see a map or something, of the colony complex at were the marines were at certain points in the film.