Alien 3 – Paranoia in Pinewood - Blog by Ralph Brown

Started by Corporal Hicks, Oct 13, 2016, 07:18:26 PM

Author
Alien 3 – Paranoia in Pinewood - Blog by Ralph Brown (Read 47,747 times)

Look into my eye

Great read! Gives a rare insight to a troubled production. Seems like the stress levels were through the roof of most involved.

HuDaFuK

HuDaFuK

#16
Definitely be giving this a read. Brown's comments in some of the old making-ofs were gold :)

Quote from: SM on Oct 15, 2016, 05:50:51 AMI'm not sure Weaver had even committed when Ward decided to kill them off.

Ward's script is all about Ripley, they must have known she was on-board at that point.

They'd already been through several scripts that didn't have her because she wasn't interested.

BishopShouldGo

Lol. Sigourney didn't want any stars in the film. How dare you, girl. Fox would've shelled out some dough for them, but you made me endure a bunch of theater no-names?

Well, thank you? Ick.


Quote from: Bad Replicant on Oct 15, 2016, 02:54:04 AM
Crazy. I'd shell out some $$$ for a book of inside accounts like this from Alien 3. The Veronica Cartwright comments are a little... befuddling? The stuff about Sigourney certainly seems to jive with some of Paul McGann's comments about her in the documentary. :D

What'd Paul say?

Scorpio

Quote from: BishopShouldGo on Oct 15, 2016, 03:15:54 PM
Lol. Sigourney didn't want any stars in the film. How dare you, girl. Fox would've shelled out some dough for them, but you made me endure a bunch of theater no-names?

Well, thank you? Ick.

Alien 3 starring Tom Cruise, Kevin Costner, Harrison Ford & Mel Gibson.  Box office gold.   :D

BishopShouldGo


Local Trouble

Quote from: Guts on Oct 15, 2016, 03:23:59 AM
I once heard this story years ago, related to Alien 3 that Reason why Hicks and Newt got killed off was because Weaver wanted all of the star power and she didn't like That Michael Biehn's character was becoming so popular.

That's what i was told. But who knows.

She's also the reason there were no guns.

Scorpio

Quote from: Local Trouble on Oct 15, 2016, 05:36:15 PM
Quote from: Guts on Oct 15, 2016, 03:23:59 AM
I once heard this story years ago, related to Alien 3 that Reason why Hicks and Newt got killed off was because Weaver wanted all of the star power and she didn't like That Michael Biehn's character was becoming so popular.

That's what i was told. But who knows.

She's also the reason there were no guns.

A good decision as well.  It robs the threat if you can just shoot an alien with a gun. 

Bad Replicant

Quote from: BishopShouldGo on Oct 15, 2016, 03:15:54 PM
What'd Paul say?

Nothing too direct, but I believe he references her air of authority on set, and being able to give as good as she got. He also comments that it seemed like she might've had a bit of a distaste for the filmmaking process vs. theater work, though he frames it all pretty fondly.

Local Trouble

Quote from: Scorpio on Oct 15, 2016, 06:40:58 PM
Quote from: Local Trouble on Oct 15, 2016, 05:36:15 PM
Quote from: Guts on Oct 15, 2016, 03:23:59 AM
I once heard this story years ago, related to Alien 3 that Reason why Hicks and Newt got killed off was because Weaver wanted all of the star power and she didn't like That Michael Biehn's character was becoming so popular.

That's what i was told. But who knows.

She's also the reason there were no guns.

A good decision as well.  It robs the threat if you can just shoot an alien with a gun.

Did you see Aliens?  Did you read the William Gibson scripts?

Xenomorphine

Quote from: Bad Replicant on Oct 15, 2016, 02:54:04 AM
Crazy. I'd shell out some $$$ for a book of inside accounts like this from Alien 3. The Veronica Cartwright comments are a little... befuddling? The stuff about Sigourney certainly seems to jive with some of Paul McGann's comments about her in the documentary. :D

I think that's to do with Sigourney replacing Veronica in the role of Ripley. Have heard some personal issues were allegedly going on behind the scenes which contributed to that taking place, which would seem to line up with these other comments.

Quote from: Scorpio on Oct 15, 2016, 06:40:58 PM
A good decision as well.  It robs the threat if you can just shoot an alien with a gun.

As 'Aliens' showed, that's what acid and a conveniantly sudden lack of ammunition is for.

No reason they couldn't have gone back to the formula of 'Alien' and set it aboard a space station for much the same reason. 'Alien 3' doesn't really gain anything by being set on a planet.

Valaquen

There was a lot of strain between the actors on Alien, and I suspect enmity between Cartwright and Weaver. Nothing malicious, but Cartwright has spoken about there being politicking around Weaver because she was something of royalty given her background. Plus the fact that Cartwright read for the part of Ripley, only to find she was Lambert once arriving in England.

Weaver's digs in the article remind me of some things she said filming Alien. Ian Holm and Ridley mentioned that one day, as Ridley rolled into the studio in his Rolls Royce, Weaver quipped, "Nice car. Did your dad buy it for you?"  The comment really irked Scott, but Holm seemed to observe that she was yanking Scott's chain, having recognised him as being self-made and proud of it.

PsyKore

Quote from: Mr. Clemens on Oct 14, 2016, 10:02:00 PM
It's likely Sigourney was just winding everybody up for the sake of character.

I was wondering if this was the case; because she refers to him by his character name. She may be trying to create a bit of tension so it comes off on screen later. But I dunno.

Scorpio

Quote from: Local Trouble on Oct 15, 2016, 07:37:11 PM
Quote from: Scorpio on Oct 15, 2016, 06:40:58 PM
Quote from: Local Trouble on Oct 15, 2016, 05:36:15 PM
Quote from: Guts on Oct 15, 2016, 03:23:59 AM
I once heard this story years ago, related to Alien 3 that Reason why Hicks and Newt got killed off was because Weaver wanted all of the star power and she didn't like That Michael Biehn's character was becoming so popular.

That's what i was told. But who knows.

She's also the reason there were no guns.

A good decision as well.  It robs the threat if you can just shoot an alien with a gun.

Did you see Aliens? 

Yeah, and dozens of aliens get mowed down, makes for good action but less suspenseful.  The most suspenseful scene in Aliens was the facehugger scene because Ripley didn't have a gun.

SM

QuoteWard's script is all about Ripley, they must have known she was on-board at that point.

They'd already been through several scripts that didn't have her because she wasn't interested.

Yeah but I'm talking about sequence of events.  Brandywine may have asked Ward to pitch without a commitment from Weaver, then she committed after hearing what they were thinking of doing.  Maybe.

Doggo33

That's sad and annoying to hear about Sigourney Weaver. At least she apologised though.
On another note, I don't think the character of Aaron is at all brought down by his lack of intelligence and I never saw him as comic relief. He's less aggressive but he gets tense and scared so I'm not sure where the comedy really is there with that character. I like that he's less intelligent as that's a key part of his character and it makes a point that he's one of the last ones to survive and only doesn't because he bravely sacrificed himself.

BishopShouldGo -
Quoteyou made me endure a bunch of theater no-names?

Were the actors not "no-names" I don't think it would have worked nearly as well as you'd lose immersion.

Xenomorphine -
QuoteNo reason they couldn't have gone back to the formula of 'Alien' and set it aboard a space station for much the same reason. 'Alien 3' doesn't really gain anything by being set on a planet.

I think 'Alien 3' being set on a planet makes it more interesting... well not necessarily a planet but the planet. Firstly, I think it could have come across as a lesser version of the original were it set on a spaceship; and secondly, putting your thoughts on the overall quality aside, do you not think the set design of the film is great? Something I like about the 'Alien' franchise is that each film has a different tone and feel while still feeling like part of the same story (which is one problem of 'Prometheus' - it doesn't have that feel). I think 'Alien 3' looks great and I really like the prison concept it went with.

Scorpio -
QuoteThe most suspenseful scene in Aliens was the facehugger scene because Ripley didn't have a gun.

Not to disagree but that scene does have the advantage of being longer. The motion tracker distance countdown scene is suspenseful. As is actually, the chase scene towards the end (the Queen chasing Ripley). And actually, the scene where the marines first enter the hive.
^ See this is why I disagree with the comment some people make that 'Aliens' is just a shoot-em-up with explosions and stuff. Aliens are killed but there is a load of suspense in that film.

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