Favourite Alien Movie?

Started by Darkness, Nov 01, 2006, 08:07:10 AM

What's your favourite Alien movie?

Alien
374 (33%)
Aliens
590 (52%)
Alien 3
114 (10.1%)
Alien: Resurrection
41 (3.6%)
Prometheus
8 (0.7%)
Alien: Covenant
7 (0.6%)

Total Members Voted: 1044

Author
Favourite Alien Movie? (Read 493,973 times)

Mus

Mus

#1215
If you have two cakes, and the other one's bigger, is there not more of the other cake?

StrangeShape

StrangeShape

#1216
Quote from: Mus on Apr 19, 2011, 10:51:14 PM
If you have two cakes, and the other one's bigger, is there not more of the other cake?

No. Its still one cake, even if bigger. Its still the same amount of cakes, just as theres the same amount of action in Alien and Aliens, even tho its bigger in one of them

SM

SM

#1217
Eh?  The last 40 minutes of Aliens is one long action sequence, with a couple of brief pauses.  The last 40 minutes of Alien - isn't.

Just because there's always stuff happening in Alien doesn't make it an action flick.  Ripley interrogating Mother and later Ash aren't what anyone would call 'action' sequences.  Ripley running down corridors with flashing lights and smoke and not knowing if the Alien is around the next corner - are.

Mus

Mus

#1218
Quote from: StrangeShape on Apr 20, 2011, 01:18:59 AM
Quote from: Mus on Apr 19, 2011, 10:51:14 PM
If you have two cakes, and the other one's bigger, is there not more of the other cake?

No. Its still one cake, even if bigger. Its still the same amount of cakes, just as theres the same amount of action in Alien and Aliens, even tho its bigger in one of them

So 12 and 27 are the same amount, because both have two digits.

StrangeShape

StrangeShape

#1219
Quote from: SM on Apr 20, 2011, 01:38:32 AM
Eh?  The last 40 minutes of Aliens is one long action sequence, with a couple of brief pauses.  The last 40 minutes of Alien - isn't.

Just because there's always stuff happening in Alien doesn't make it an action flick.  Ripley interrogating Mother and later Ash aren't what anyone would call 'action' sequences.  Ripley running down corridors with flashing lights and smoke and not knowing if the Alien is around the next corner - are.

Im not saying Alien is an action flick. But like in Aliens, last 40 minutes IS nonstop activity aka action. Ripley/Parker vs Ash IS action. Again, action doesnt equal weapons, its hightened activity

SM

SM

#1220
Sitting talking about continuing with Dallas' plan isn't heightened activity, not is Ripley talking to Mother, nor is Ripley talking to Ash.  It's all interesting but very static. There's no movement.

Compare it to Aliens where it barely stops up from when Ripley and Newt are attacked by the huggers right to the end.

StrangeShape

StrangeShape

#1221
Quote from: SM on Apr 20, 2011, 03:26:17 AM
Sitting talking about continuing with Dallas' plan isn't heightened activity, not is Ripley talking to Mother, nor is Ripley talking to Ash. 


Talking? No, but the subsequent fight is

StrangeShape

StrangeShape

#1222
Again. Im talking about the amount of action sequences (and not the length or scale or amount of events within the action sequences of them either) and how they impact and flow with the story.

To make it as simple as possible

ALIEN

- nothing happens for half of the movie, its just a buildup
- Then one major event happens  (1).Chestbursting in Alien, which changes the course of the story into a different track, from planned return home into survival story
- While the characters are sitting thinking what to do next, nothing happens for a while again aside from 2 relatively brief action inserts - (2). Brett's death which alters the events even futher, showing that the alien is now big and lethal forcing them to alter plans and figure something new out and (3). Dallas' vents accident, which alters their plan again and makes them rethink their next move
- Then the crew realizes one of them was trying to sacrifice them to obtain the alien, trying to kill them to shut their mouth and not intervene, so (4).Ash tries to kill Ripley
- then the action that doesnt let go till the end starts after (5). Parker and Lambert get attacked and killed,
- (6). Ripley goes back into the bowels of the dying, alarming ship with timer closing in to the explosion that will vaporize it. Takes Jonesy and barely makes an escape from the exploding location
- After a brief sight of relief it appears its not the end yet, as it appears that Alien stowed in the ship, and (7).last conflict/fight for survival commences between Ripley and the alien after which the creature is hurdled into space.

ALIENS

- nothing happens for half of the movie, its just a buildup
- Then one major event happens  (1). Marines ambushed in the hive in Alien, which changes the course of the story into a different track, from planned rescue mission into survival story
- While the characters are sitting thinking what to do next, nothing happens for a while again aside from 2 relatively brief action inserts - (2). Ferro's and Spunkmeyer's deaths, which alter the events even further forcing them to alter plans and figure something new out and Atmosphere Processor starting to vent, which alters their plan again and makes them rethink their next move. (3). Sentry gun sweep happens
- Then the crew realizes one of them was trying to sacrifice them to obtain the alien, trying to kill them to shut their mouth and not intervene, so (4).Burke traps Ripley and Newt with 2 loose facehuggers
- then the action that doesnt let go till the end starts after (5). Vasquez, Hudson, Burke and Gorman get killed in Operations ambush,
- (6). Ripley goes back into the bowels of the dying, alarming Atmosphere Prcessor with timer closing in to the explosion that will vaporize it. Takes Newt and barely makes an escape from the exploding location
- After a brief sight of relief it appears its not the end yet, as it appears that Queen stowed in the ship, and (7).last conflict/fight for survival commences between Ripley and the Queen after which the creature is hurdled into space.

Point being, theres a bigger and louder action in Aliens, but theres not MORE action sequences in Aliens, its not like it suddenly packed the franchise with action and like if in Alien nothing happened

SM

SM

#1223
No one's saying there's no action in Alien.  There's just a shitload more in Aliens.

It's like comparing a couple of setpieces Resurrection and AvP.  In Resurrection you have the Alien breakout and evacuation, and the flooded kitchen/ liftwell.  In AvP you have Grid vs. Predator and Queen vs. Lex and Predator.  The flooded kitchen/ lift well scene goes for longer than both major 'versus' bits of AvP combined, so one can argue there's more action in Resurrection.

And you missed the first major bit of Alien with Kane getting hugged, which occurs about a third of the way into the film.  With all the stuff you outlined for Aliens you've glossed over the fact that points 4, 5, 6 and 7 all run into each other.

With Alien after point 4, they stop for another 'dialogue' scene and talk to Ash.  And the rest of it is quite different from Aliens where you have Aliens coming left right and centre, where in Alien is more 'suspense' than 'action' because you're wondering if the Alien is going to come from the left, right or centre.

StrangeShape

StrangeShape

#1224
I dont know if its miscommunication or simple disagreement, but I just dont have anything else to ad really without being repetitive. The amount of action is more or less the same, whether its bigger or smaller. Its roughly 7 action sequences in each

QuoteAlien is more 'suspense' than 'action' because you're wondering if the Alien is going to come from the left, right or centre.

I always say Alien relies on suspense (where is it gonna come from) while Aliens relies on tension (you dont know if the doors will hold)

DoomRulz

DoomRulz

#1225
How is suspense any different from tension? You're left with the feeling of "What if?" in both situations.

StrangeShape

StrangeShape

#1226
Quote from: DoomRulz on Apr 20, 2011, 04:23:31 AM
How is suspense any different from tension? You're left with the feeling of "What if?" in both situations.

Theyre often together, sure, but with suspense you more often dont know whats gonna happen and fi its gonna happen at all, for example the crew members walking alone in the dark - Bret gets killed alone, Parker doesnt, something may happen or not, something may jump put from somewhere or not at all. Tension is usually when something's happening and you dont know the outcome, all you can do is watch, hence the door holding up example

SM

SM

#1227
I dunno.  Like Doom, I'm not seeing a difference.

As for the amount of action being the same, you clearly have quite a different definition of the word "action" when it comes to movie terminology.

StrangeShape

StrangeShape

#1228
Forgot to address this too

Quote from: SM on Apr 20, 2011, 04:14:00 AM
With all the stuff you outlined for Aliens you've glossed over the fact that points 4, 5, 6 and 7 all run into each other.

With Alien after point 4, they stop for another 'dialogue' scene and talk to Ash. 

Its just one delay between 4 and 5, otherwise its "go till the end" non stop action



Valaquen

Valaquen

#1229
You know, if one action scene lasts 5 seconds, and another lasts 3 minutes, there's still more action in the latter sequence even though they're both action sequences. You can't count all of the action scenes, say they're equal numerically, and then draw the line there. Aliens is absolutely action-packed in comparison, despite arguably sharing the same amount of action-specific scenes.

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