William Gibson's Alien 3

[The Old One]

Well, I was asked to give a list of reasons why the Special Edition's superior.
I think I've done that. (And it took f**king ages to write.)
&
I've highlighted a few people's character arcs that might've been overlooked.
Or character quirks in Eric's case for instance. That define them.
It doesn't matter that I don't know their names, I know their faces.

[SM]

The problem for the vast majority of punters - not those of us who watch alternate cuts over and over - is that they don't know their faces.  (Except for all the people who proclaim to be great fans of Alien 3 but still can't tell them apart).

Well, I was asked to give a list of reasons why the Special Edition's superior.

And I was responding specifically to the bit where you name checked me.

[Local Trouble]

That was some list.  I thought for sure it would put a crack in SM's resolve.

[KiramidHead]

And if not that than the faux rhyme would drive him nuts.

[The Old One]

The problem for the vast majority of punters - not those of us who watch alternate cuts over and over - is that they don't know their faces.  (Except for all the people who proclaim to be great fans of Alien 3 but still can't tell them apart).

I don't care about the vast majority of punters who've never see the Special Edition,
I wasn't addressing them but Local Trouble.

I can tell them apart, but I couldn't tell you all of their names-
there is a difference.

[Local Trouble]

I'm a wanker, not a punter.

[Xenomrph]

The problem for the vast majority of punters - not those of us who watch alternate cuts over and over - is that they don't know their faces.

Counterpoint: I've seen a lot of casual viewers on other forums who...
1. didn't like 'Alien3' to begin with
2. watched both versions back to back
3. liked Alien3 but hadn't seen the extended edition
...and gave the extended edition a shot and greatly enjoyed it more than the original cut. Like, it's far and away an overwhelming opinion I've seen from casual fans or non-fans.

I've seen reasons such as better being able to tell the characters apart (simply due to them being on-screen for longer), the Golic arc having an interesting payoff (as opposed to him getting strapped down in the medical ward and then.... vanishing), the further development of Michael Bishop in his additional scenes, simply having the opportunity to drink in more of the film's atmosphere, set design, and soundtrack, preferences on the movie's opening with Clemens recovering Ripley, the list goes on and on.

I've heard pretty much every reason and they generally amount to 'I like the Special Edition more'.

That seems hilariously reductionist when people are genuinely honest-to-god giving more involved reasons than this.

SiL sums it up perfectly above - it doesn't fix any of the problems with the Theatrical Version.

Well, I mean, other than making it easier to tell a bunch of the characters apart merely by putting them on the screen more, and resolving the "Golic vanishes into thin air" thing.

Ive always been a sucker for a good chestbursting and that queenburster was really cool. Ripley took it like a champ though lol.

Absolutely, I wasn't big on the extended edition taking out the chestbursting. The Queen Chestburster puppet is magnificent, and seeing Ripley unnecessarily clutch it to herself all the way down just to make sure was great.

[Huggs]

I didn't care for the bursting ending. It just felt cheesy and forced. She shouldn't have even been alive to clutch it at that point. It just felt so forced and like such blatant fan service/movie moment that it took me right out of the experience. Her just falling into the inferno flowed much better, in my opinion.

[SM]

It was fan service before fan service was really a thing.

I think it was Richard Edlund who said it felt like a cheat not to include it.  Fincher didn't care for it.

[The Old One]

Agreed Huggs, and the crucifixion pose. (On the steelbook.)

Is a much more appropriate final image considering the themes.

[Local Trouble]

Just imagine the disappointment it was for those us who were old enough to see it when it was new and expected a worthy follow-up to Aliens.

[The Old One]

I'd rather not. It must have been disappointing.
Given the Nihilism, and what I consider an incomplete version of the film-
chopped to hell and back, that made it to the theatres.

I have the benefit of hindsight, and as a kid-
I knew Alien, Aliens and A3 as a complete package.

There was no thought given to the idea
one entry might have been disappointing upon release.
I thought they were all cool and all entertaining.

Although, even as a kid- Resurrection felt weird.

[Local Trouble]

Alien 3 only disappointed me.  Resurrection infuriated me.

[SM]

I read the Alien 3 novel shortly before the film came out and it was very WTF after years of  more combat related comics. Then the film was different again. I made peace with it pretty quickly though.

[Local Trouble]

I had Stockholm syndrome the first couple of years after its release and even defended it against the people who really hated it.

I did nothing of the sort for AR though.  In fact, I nearly left the theater halfway through in impotent rage.