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Despite the decades that have passed since its release, and the countless documentaries and explorations of its production, there are still secrets that "Alien" continues to keep its claws firmly entrenched in. Secrets locked away in a vault at 20th Century Studios, or as this article will explore, secrets kept in the personal collections of the people who worked on the film.  

One such secret is the mysterious Red City. I expect few of you reading this article will have heard about the Red City. It's a story element that has until relatively recently remained lost to the annals of time, and the first we ever saw of this mystery city that would have been found on the surface of the planetoid that would later become known as LV-426 was in the concept artwork of Elliot Scott.  

Elliot Scott was an art director and production designer who was born on the 19th of July 1915, and died at the age of 78 on 29th October 1993. He is perhaps best known now for his role as the production designer on "Labyrinth," "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" and "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade," as well as his Oscar nominated work on "Who Framed Roger Rabbit." 

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Super interesting! I should probably get around to reading Rinzler's book.

It seems that this scene was repurposed in Prometheus and Covenant.

I agree, or at least it inspired it.

I wonder if that "spherical ship with the rings around it" that was supposed to be the derelict later inspired Anderson's gravity drive in Event Horizon?

(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/96/4d/a6/964da6c4a0d3902ff3383f8a95f0b141.gif)

Scott also later sent a team to shoot footage for Prometheus at the Wadi Rum in Jordan, not far from Petra and of course in Covenant we eventually got a dead (albeit not red) city/necropolis.

Wow! I knew about Red Cylinder but the whole Red City is something special. Feels like someone loved a red color, ha-ha. Makes me think that we still don't have Alien movie in red tone/filter.

I always have a feeling that Covenant has a Red Cylinder vibes, but now with Red City i'm sure.

Also it shows how Hill and Giler's ideas are still living in the franchise. Ancient (stone) city - check. Alien as a bioweapon - check. Alien (indirectly) created by people - check. Don't even speak about androids.

Thanks to Ridley and Prometheus - the franchise also has O'Bannon's / von Daniken themes like paleocontact and ancient "pyramid" (temple/tomb).

Quote from: Drukathi on Apr 05, 2024, 05:35:53 PMMakes me think that we still don't have Alien movie in red tone/filter.

Closest thing would be Alien 3 I guess.

Quote from: BigDaddyJohn on Apr 05, 2024, 06:07:07 PM

Quote from: Drukathi on Apr 05, 2024, 05:35:53 PMMakes me think that we still don't have Alien movie in red tone/filter.

Closest thing would be Alien 3 I guess.

It's more brown with orange. I mean a red/dark red, like a crimson or vinous colors.

Really great video! Love digging into bits of Alien's history like this.

Quote from: SiL on Apr 05, 2024, 10:22:16 AMSuper interesting! I should probably get around to reading Rinzler's book.

Aye, same. I own his books on both Alien and Aliens, but haven't yet cracked either of them open for full readthroughs just yet.

Quote from: Nightmare Asylum on Apr 05, 2024, 07:01:21 PMAye, same. I own his books on both Alien and Aliens, but haven't yet cracked either of them open for full readthroughs just yet.

Making of books can sometimes be quite dry or tedious affairs but Rinzler's The Making of Alien reads like a gripping thriller. When you've finished reading you feel like you've been part of the production team on set.

So...turns out this book had a synopsis and some extra snippets of this particular draft.

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/512n0c8rnJL.jpg)

Which has been sat on my shelf for years and I can't remember ever reading it. Thanks to Dominic for pointing it out. So this is one that has been sitting under all our noses since 2016.

https://youtu.be/g9XrrEaZ7Y4?si=aA3bDtiwaDkh3sm-&t=288

Quote from: 𝔗𝔥𝔢 𝔈𝔦𝔤𝔥𝔱𝔥 𝔓𝔞𝔰𝔰𝔢𝔫𝔤𝔢𝔯 on Apr 05, 2024, 12:23:50 PMI wonder if that "spherical ship with the rings around it" that was supposed to be the derelict later inspired Anderson's gravity drive in Event Horizon?

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/96/4d/a6/964da6c4a0d3902ff3383f8a95f0b141.gif
Scott also later sent a team to shoot footage for Prometheus at the Wadi Rum in Jordan, not far from Petra and of course in Covenant we eventually got a dead (albeit not red) city/necropolis.

A little off topic, but I kinda like Event Horizon, now that you mentioned it. Paul Anderson isn't a well regarded director, to put it kindly, but his work on Event Horizon, I actually enjoyed that film as a space thriller/horror, a sort of a haunted house in space. You could see a lot inspirations from Alien in that film.

Quote from: Cougerboy on Apr 09, 2024, 08:38:49 AM

Quote from: 𝔗𝔥𝔢 𝔈𝔦𝔤𝔥𝔱𝔥 𝔓𝔞𝔰𝔰𝔢𝔫𝔤𝔢𝔯 on Apr 05, 2024, 12:23:50 PMI wonder if that "spherical ship with the rings around it" that was supposed to be the derelict later inspired Anderson's gravity drive in Event Horizon?

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/96/4d/a6/964da6c4a0d3902ff3383f8a95f0b141.gif
Scott also later sent a team to shoot footage for Prometheus at the Wadi Rum in Jordan, not far from Petra and of course in Covenant we eventually got a dead (albeit not red) city/necropolis.

A little off topic, but I kinda like Event Horizon, now that you mentioned it. Paul Anderson isn't a well regarded director, to put it kindly, but his work on Event Horizon, I actually enjoyed that film as a space thriller/horror, a sort of a haunted house in space. You could see a lot inspirations from Alien in that film.

It's not a masterpiece but I quite liked it. Best Anderson movie by far.

Quote from: BigDaddyJohn on Apr 09, 2024, 09:29:21 AM

Quote from: Cougerboy on Apr 09, 2024, 08:38:49 AM

Quote from: 𝔗𝔥𝔢 𝔈𝔦𝔤𝔥𝔱𝔥 𝔓𝔞𝔰𝔰𝔢𝔫𝔤𝔢𝔯 on Apr 05, 2024, 12:23:50 PMI wonder if that "spherical ship with the rings around it" that was supposed to be the derelict later inspired Anderson's gravity drive in Event Horizon?

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/96/4d/a6/964da6c4a0d3902ff3383f8a95f0b141.gif
Scott also later sent a team to shoot footage for Prometheus at the Wadi Rum in Jordan, not far from Petra and of course in Covenant we eventually got a dead (albeit not red) city/necropolis.

A little off topic, but I kinda like Event Horizon, now that you mentioned it. Paul Anderson isn't a well regarded director, to put it kindly, but his work on Event Horizon, I actually enjoyed that film as a space thriller/horror, a sort of a haunted house in space. You could see a lot inspirations from Alien in that film.

It's not a masterpiece but I quite liked it. Best Anderson movie by far.

Exactly. No masterpiece, but quite watchable, and certainly better than most of Anderson's later works.

Quote from: Cougerboy on Apr 09, 2024, 12:32:00 PM

Quote from: BigDaddyJohn on Apr 09, 2024, 09:29:21 AM

Quote from: Cougerboy on Apr 09, 2024, 08:38:49 AM

Quote from: 𝔗𝔥𝔢 𝔈𝔦𝔤𝔥𝔱𝔥 𝔓𝔞𝔰𝔰𝔢𝔫𝔤𝔢𝔯 on Apr 05, 2024, 12:23:50 PMI wonder if that "spherical ship with the rings around it" that was supposed to be the derelict later inspired Anderson's gravity drive in Event Horizon?

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/96/4d/a6/964da6c4a0d3902ff3383f8a95f0b141.gif
Scott also later sent a team to shoot footage for Prometheus at the Wadi Rum in Jordan, not far from Petra and of course in Covenant we eventually got a dead (albeit not red) city/necropolis.

A little off topic, but I kinda like Event Horizon, now that you mentioned it. Paul Anderson isn't a well regarded director, to put it kindly, but his work on Event Horizon, I actually enjoyed that film as a space thriller/horror, a sort of a haunted house in space. You could see a lot inspirations from Alien in that film.

It's not a masterpiece but I quite liked it. Best Anderson movie by far.

Exactly. No masterpiece, but quite watchable, and certainly better than most of Anderson's later works.

Supposedly it exist a cut where there is a ton of more gore, and that would've made it one of the most gory films ever.

Quote from: Corporal Hicks on Apr 08, 2024, 08:31:57 AMSo...turns out this book had a synopsis and some extra snippets of this particular draft.

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/512n0c8rnJL.jpg
Which has been sat on my shelf for years and I can't remember ever reading it. Thanks to Dominic for pointing it out. So this is one that has been sitting under all our noses since 2016.

https://youtu.be/g9XrrEaZ7Y4?si=aA3bDtiwaDkh3sm-&t=288

I have this book!  Problem is I can't remember where I stored it!  I will have to find it.

Quote from: BigDaddyJohn on Apr 09, 2024, 02:08:18 PM

Quote from: Cougerboy on Apr 09, 2024, 12:32:00 PM

Quote from: BigDaddyJohn on Apr 09, 2024, 09:29:21 AM

Quote from: Cougerboy on Apr 09, 2024, 08:38:49 AM

Quote from: 𝔗𝔥𝔢 𝔈𝔦𝔤𝔥𝔱𝔥 𝔓𝔞𝔰𝔰𝔢𝔫𝔤𝔢𝔯 on Apr 05, 2024, 12:23:50 PMI wonder if that "spherical ship with the rings around it" that was supposed to be the derelict later inspired Anderson's gravity drive in Event Horizon?

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/96/4d/a6/964da6c4a0d3902ff3383f8a95f0b141.gif
Scott also later sent a team to shoot footage for Prometheus at the Wadi Rum in Jordan, not far from Petra and of course in Covenant we eventually got a dead (albeit not red) city/necropolis.

A little off topic, but I kinda like Event Horizon, now that you mentioned it. Paul Anderson isn't a well regarded director, to put it kindly, but his work on Event Horizon, I actually enjoyed that film as a space thriller/horror, a sort of a haunted house in space. You could see a lot inspirations from Alien in that film.

It's not a masterpiece but I quite liked it. Best Anderson movie by far.

Exactly. No masterpiece, but quite watchable, and certainly better than most of Anderson's later works.

Supposedly it exist a cut where there is a ton of more gore, and that would've made it one of the most gory films ever.

Yeah I heard there was an unrated cut, supposedly it goes heavier into the hellraiser inspired gore and with more alien and haunted house movies elements.