I was pondering this as I rewatched AVP. She is practically a no-name actress, and it's very unusual to see an African-American female as the lead for an action movie. It appeals to a very small demographic. Unless you count Catwoman which came out the same year. Was AVP trying to be progressive or is the issue irrelevant?
They liked her audition I guess.
It's not like anyone was especially high profile in that cast with the possible exception of Lance. She did alright with a very average script.
I always got the impression she was a take on Machiko. Petite, tough, 'minority'.
Mila Jovovich must have been unavailable.
They liked her for the role. The end.
At least she wasn't a Ripley (or Dutch) relative.
I think they were looking to recapture the essence of a unknown actor making a break through preformance like Sigourney Weaver did in Alien. The problem is Sanaa Lathan she had no charisma. I found her annoying and laughed when she said " it's a bomb.. well I hope it's kills every f**king one of em!!!" Cringe..... Lol
Lathan was the least of AvP's problems
The bigger problem im struggling with is the cringe Spanish guy, really totally out of place.
As for Sanaa, Maria Conchita Alonso or Elpidia Carillo didnt age very well.
He was Italian.
Wasn't Milla offered AvP?
Quote from: Scorpio on Jun 14, 2017, 11:38:50 AM
I was pondering this as I rewatched AVP. She is practically a no-name actress, and it's very unusual to see an African-American female as the lead for an action movie. It appeals to a very small demographic. Unless you count Catwoman which came out the same year. Was AVP trying to be progressive or is the issue irrelevant?
What would it matter if it was trying to be progressive?
Why shouldn't we have more diverse actors in our action films?
I don't really care, it's just unusual for big budget studio films.
Yeah, it's a bit of an issue.
Why?
I actually liked her in the film. Now the italian guy had some terrible lines. That bit about the hunters moon makes me crack up laughing every time.
Made a hell of a lot more sense when that was the segue into showing the Predators arriving. Still cheesy, but at least you know why it's there.
Quote from: Corporal Hicks on Jun 26, 2017, 08:54:04 AM
Why?
It doesnt fit, its the so called old man's knowledge a la Santiago/Paolo Coelho played and acted by a guy who more looks like he is there for the pussy then he does show some hero aka Hicks type character, Hicks you have sympathy for because he embodies that tough guy who gives his life for justice, this guy comes across so cheap, and the is lines and how he pronounce it just comes across so wrong
He's nothing like a Hicks type.
I cannot agree with that at all. He's nothing like Hicks - nor would I say he's intended to be - and I have no idea what any of that has to do with him being Italian and how his nationality somehow makes it worse.
Exactly, he is nothing like Hicks, overall a very bad character with a lot of cringe in his overacted Italian accent.
personal taste, i dont like Italians and Greeks, mostly a lot of talk about nothing, like their sacred olive oil crap.
But im probably not he only one who thinks that way, because nobody felt that guy in the movie. ;)
Quote from: Corporal Hicks on Jun 26, 2017, 01:58:48 PM
I cannot agree with that at all. He's nothing like Hicks - nor would I say he's intended to be - and I have no idea what any of that has to do with him being Italian and how his nationality somehow makes it worse.
Something different that caught my eye on this site.
With special personnel i saw the Strause Brothers on this site, Colin and Creg aka the makers of AVP:R and the awesome Skyline movie,
are you telling me both where active members on this site??????
Quote from: Infected on Jun 26, 2017, 05:12:07 PM
Exactly, he is nothing like Hicks, overall a very bad character with a lot of cringe in his overacted Italian accent.
personal taste, i dont like Italians and Greeks, mostly a lot of talk about nothing, like their sacred olive oil crap.
But im probably not he only one who thinks that way, because nobody felt that guy in the movie. ;)
Quote from: Corporal Hicks on Jun 26, 2017, 01:58:48 PM
I cannot agree with that at all. He's nothing like Hicks - nor would I say he's intended to be - and I have no idea what any of that has to do with him being Italian and how his nationality somehow makes it worse.
Something different that caught my eye on this site.
With special personnel i saw the Strause Brothers on this site, Colin and Creg aka the makers of AVP:R and the awesome Skyline movie,
are you telling me both where active members on this site??????
Dislike for his character stems from the qaulity of his acting, not his nationality. People should be judged by their character and as individuals not as a group or race
It amazes me that you would dislike Italians or Greeks based upon something as trivial as olive oil. :o
Quote from: Infected on Jun 26, 2017, 05:12:07 PM
Exactly, he is nothing like Hicks, overall a very bad character with a lot of cringe in his overacted Italian accent.
personal taste, i dont like Italians and Greeks, mostly a lot of talk about nothing, like their sacred olive oil crap.
Thought it was going to be something as stupid as this. I don't tolerate this kind of crap on here. Please enjoy a week of being unable to share your thoughts with us. If you return from that little sojourn with the same crappy attitude towards people just because of their nationalities, we'll make it a permanent break.
Quote from: Corporal Hicks on Jun 26, 2017, 01:58:48 PM
With special personnel i saw the Strause Brothers on this site, Colin and Creg aka the makers of AVP:R and the awesome Skyline movie,
are you telling me both where active members on this site??????
And yes, they were.
Quote from: Corporal Hicks on Jun 26, 2017, 06:28:41 PM
Quote from: Corporal Hicks on Jun 26, 2017, 01:58:48 PM
With special personnel i saw the Strause Brothers on this site, Colin and Creg aka the makers of AVP:R and the awesome Skyline movie,
are you telling me both where active members on this site??????
And yes, they were.
It always fascinates me that they were actively engaging with the fan community on a public forum - I don't know any other instances of that happening (I'm sure there must be).
I can't help but think that their hearts were in the right place about wanting to make a good movie that delivered on the violence and horror and wanting the fans to be excited about it and all that stuff.
It turned out quite... acrimonious in the end though I think? I don't think I was a member here at that time, but I recall a discussion
about the Strausse discussions that they got a little offended when the AvP:R wasn't received that well.
They were certainly brave but also incapable of fathoming that people didn't slavishly worship Aliens. SiL had some interesting discussions with them. I never saw AvP:R in cinemas so didn't have any need to speak to them.
Peter Jackson used to participate on The Bastards Have Landed internet forum back before Lord Of The Rings, and he was pretty cool.
Quote from: SM on Jun 27, 2017, 09:23:24 AM
They were certainly brave but also incapable of fathoming that people didn't slavishly worship Aliens. SiL had some interesting discussions with them. I never saw AvP:R in cinemas so didn't have any need to speak to them.
Peter Jackson used to participate on The Bastards Have Landed internet forum back before Lord Of The Rings, and he was pretty cool.
Brave is certainly the word. It's a huge risk, I think, because - even if it was "not great in the end" - no one sets out to make a bad movie, but in fandom... its very hard to please everybody.
I was going to ask my agent to pitch an Alien-verse novel, l but I wonder if people on here would tear me a new one if it ever got written. I suspect they would *lol*
As for LOTR, I religiously avoided internet "stuff" about it as I really didn't want any spoilers, but I guess PJ was pretty confident he'd made a good movie!
That was back before he was even making it from memory. Back circa Frighteners probably when he was trying to get King Kong off the ground the first time.
Quote from: SM on Jun 27, 2017, 09:23:24 AM
They were certainly brave but also incapable of fathoming that people didn't slavishly worship Aliens. SiL had some interesting discussions with them.
I got accused of just wanting insect Aliens because I thought egg barfing was nonsense.
By the co-director of a multi-million dollar movie.
I remember that. You were 100%, that whole egg barfing thing was awful in every way.
Quote from: SM on Jun 27, 2017, 09:49:05 AM
That was back before he was even making it from memory. Back circa Frighteners probably when he was trying to get King Kong off the ground the first time.
Well - I guess at that stage, if you're not on a beloved franchise, you'd have more leeway because naturally film fans are keen to communicate with film-makers.
Quote from: SiL on Jun 27, 2017, 10:01:28 AM
I got accused of just wanting insect Aliens because I thought egg barfing was nonsense.
By the co-director of a multi-million dollar movie.
It was nonsense - and maybe they were feeling bruised at that stage if things hadn't been going according to plan. I mean - I'd be gutted if I was one of them. As I say above, they didn't set out to make a poor movie, but... it wasn't great in the end.
Though in their slight defense, I think they wanted to set it in space with Colonial Marines and the money guys said "No, set it that First Blood town that everyone loves so much" (Hope, I think its called *lol*).
Now I read that back, I'm coming across as an Avp:R / Strausse apologist... I'm really not. You know, years ago I looked on that movie much more kindly but I watched the blu-ray again a little while back and thought "What was I thinking!"
I am, on the other hand, a complete Paul WS Anderson fan-boy apologist. I genuinely rate AvP - I think it does what it says on the tin and I'd argue with anyone who says Anderson didn't care about the franchise - I mean... he loves Alien(s) (Look at Event Horizon which is clearly set in the same Universe. And Soldier... which is probably set in the same Universe (if you believe that Blade Runner is too)).
Listening to the AvP commentary, he often sounds regretful but he's never outright critical of Fox and so on (because he wants to carry on working, I guess), but as I've said before... was the AvP we saw really the AvP he wanted to make? I don't know that it was (I could be wrong, he could think its his magum opus for all I know).
As for Latham - why not? She was a good choice for a lead: I think she's a strong actress and she didn't look out of place in her climbing / action bits.
Quote from: SiL on Jun 27, 2017, 10:01:28 AM
Quote from: SM on Jun 27, 2017, 09:23:24 AM
They were certainly brave but also incapable of fathoming that people didn't slavishly worship Aliens. SiL had some interesting discussions with them.
I got accused of just wanting insect Aliens because I thought egg barfing was nonsense.
By the co-director of a multi-million dollar movie.
I have a recollection that they made some sidelong snipe at you (without naming names obviously) an interview afterwards by saying something along the lines of 'Who doesn't love Aliens?' Which completely misrepresented everything you were saying.
I remember Steve Perry interacting with us years ago and I took issue with there being a lingerie store on the Death Star (while still enjoying the book he co-wrote). He stood his ground on it without being a dick (and he can be very opinionated).
The Strauses were the very epitomy of unprofessional hacks in that regard.
Why in the world did they expect slavish Aliens fans to approve of their egg-barfing idea?
Sanaa Lathan was the LEAST of AVP's problems, and who gives a shit about the nationality of the actors. It's the script that made them bad.
And AVPR was a solid self-aware B movie. Haters can go get impregnated by the Predalien IMO.
Which bit was solid?
I think I missed it.
Quote from: SM on Jul 17, 2017, 02:55:35 AM
Which bit was solid?
I think I missed it.
I liked the Predator and Alien fights at both the power plant and in the sewer. I grew up on the
Scream films in the 90s, so the middle America small town slasher setting worked pretty well for me. Also, the gore was good.
Does the power plant really constitute a "fight"? Unless it was AvP: A steel pipe vs. Predator.
If it's a form of violent confrontation then it's a fight.
If getting belted with a tail and falling over a railing counts as a fight, it's a pissweak fight.
Quote from: SiL on Jun 27, 2017, 10:01:28 AM
Quote from: SM on Jun 27, 2017, 09:23:24 AM
They were certainly brave but also incapable of fathoming that people didn't slavishly worship Aliens. SiL had some interesting discussions with them.
I got accused of just wanting insect Aliens because I thought egg barfing was nonsense.
By the co-director of a multi-million dollar movie.
Omg this sounds hilarious, could someone provide me with a link if not too much trouble?
Quote from: SM on Jul 28, 2017, 06:42:49 AM
If getting belted with a tail and falling over a railing counts as a fight, it's a pissweak fight.
A fight, nonetheless.
AvP-R fights were one sided and shitty. The only one good enough was rooftop fight, but you couldn't see much of it.
I rewatched AvPR all the way throughout for the first time in about 7 years last night and it's a little better to the Alien than I always remembered. Granted, it's still pretty one-sided considering it's one Predator vs a bunch but you have little moments like the Aliens crawling under Wolf in the Power Plant and him not noticing and the Aliens stalking (granted, they're walking into a trap so he may have actually seen them) in the ceiling during the sewer sequence.
I haven't seen the movie in years either, even when the alien and Predator marathons come on I find myself skipping over it.
But I will say AVPR gave us some pretty bad ass creature designs on both sides, I was very impressed. However, the film really failed to show this...lighting of course. They were a thing of beauty though, wish they accompanied that with a good script.
Far and away, AvP:R had the worst Alien designs out of any of the films.
It was the overbite that ruined it for me. Otherwise I didn't actually mind the redesigned head.
Ugh, that overbite.
I was a big fan of the rigid head, and the tail design. Except the front of the head always seemed off, maybe that's your overbite.
Don't care for the ADI ridged head either.
They looked OK to me, not as good as Cameron's...a bit rubbery and small.
I like the ridged head. Don't like anything else about it, though.