Favourite Alien Movie?

[SM]

Why is that a bad thing? We know there's an Alien, but that doesn't tell us where the story is heading. Or rather, how it will pan out.

It's a bad thing because it makes the hero look foolish for not knowing what the audience does.

But thats the whole point, shes got a false sense of security...  

But it's a false, false sense of security, because there's no real shock when Ripley finally finds out the truth.  We've been waiting too long for her to find out.  We even suspect she's carrying a embryo by that point because of the title sequence and the Alien leaving her be (and the trailers...)

Exact same thing made all the characters in AvP seem like idiots because we'd seen so much of the Aliens and Predators that they hadn't.

So there's a whole lot of wasted time there.

Particularly in the AC or WP with the stuff about Golic, Boggs and Rains.  I do like the "I mind Golic" scene, and I see what they were trying to do - same thing with the early Murphy scene with Spike, but in the grand scheme of things it's just too slow.

[MadassAlex]

The funny thing is that it could all be fixed with some editing and cutting down. Reintroducing the whole Assembly Cut version of when they capture the Alien can pad the meaty part of the movie while they cut stuff that isn't so relevant.

In addition, leaving the Alien's birth until later in the film would compact the action-time. So we could have all the character relations scenes before the monster ever shows up, have it born and cut the crap about it waiting around until it starts ripping into those bastards.

[SM]

Reintroducing the whole Assembly Cut version of when they capture the Alien can pad the meaty part of the movie while they cut stuff that isn't so relevant.

You mean have the character stuff while it's stashed away in the waste dump?

Possibly - but the earlier stuff was an attempt to connect with characters who were about to die - Boggs, Rains and Murphy.  In the end they were so hard to tell apart, it didn't make much difference.

One disappointment though was there was no pay off for the Ripley-Junior thing.  There's a great look between them during the fire and Junior was robbed of his sacrifice and redemption.  Mind you, once again, it's likely the audience wouldn't have recognised him during the fire sequence anyway (unless he had his rape goggles on perhaps).

[MadassAlex]

Some of the character stuff while it's stashed, sure, but stuff that needs to come before the Alien can do just that.

[Bevo2506]

Wow it changed to another subject now

[Alien³]

Reintroducing the whole Assembly Cut version of when they capture the Alien can pad the meaty part of the movie while they cut stuff that isn't so relevant.

You mean have the character stuff while it's stashed away in the waste dump?

Possibly - but the earlier stuff was an attempt to connect with characters who were about to die - Boggs, Rains and Murphy.  In the end they were so hard to tell apart, it didn't make much difference.

One disappointment though was there was no pay off for the Ripley-Junior thing.  There's a great look between them during the fire and Junior was robbed of his sacrifice and redemption.  Mind you, once again, it's likely the audience wouldn't have recognised him during the fire sequence anyway (unless he had his rape goggles on perhaps).

I agree with you there. The look Junior gives Ripley before he sacrifices himself could have been emphasized more because it was like he was saying sorry to Ripley for being a bastard and to make up for it he saves everyones lives. Well for a while at least.

[AlienQueen79]

Alien and Aliens are my two favourites, but I would probably say that Alien is my favourite

[Bad Replicant]

To be perfectly honest, I like Alien, Aliens and Alien 3 all equally for different reasons... so I gave the vote to Alien 3 just because it has the lowest number of those three.

[Nightmare Asylum]

Alien and Aliens are my two favourites, but I would probably say that Alien is my favourite

That's exactly how I feel.

[SpaceMarines]

Same here. Both are great films, but Alien has a certain feel to it that Aliens just doesn't have.

[TJ Doc]

Wow, I don't think I've ever posted here. I definitely haven't voted anyway.

Now, I notice that the thread title concerns my favourite 'Alien' film. In that case, I'm going to go with Aliens. It's just a blast to watch and never gets old with repeated viewings (for me, in any case).

But I do recognize Alien as being the best of the set. It really is; and it it deserves its place as numero uno for a whole raft of reasons.

Alien 3 is great too. If I had to rate it (something I will try to avoid from now on) I'd award it a 4/5 for the assembly cut. Maybe a 3 for the theatrical cut.

Finally (and just for the sake of it), I do like Resurrection quite a bit. I guess I just like its bizarre... French feel. The Newborn was kinda cool too; and provided a 'nice' little surprise for the climax.

The End

[keylight-di]

For me definitely Alien. The first and the best. And two reasons more: This was the first movie about the Alien/s I watched (it was very long ago, I was almost a child). And it changed me irrevocably.  It changed my way of thinking, perception of the world, everything. Subsequent movies were only used to supplement of reshape my diseased imagination. 
Another pieces of the puzzle.

[predalien27]

Aliens
Alien3
Alien (beginning is too slow for my little mind  )

[SpaceMarines]

It's slow for a reason; to build the suspense. Although I can see how some people wouldn't like that.

[DoomRulz]

Buildup is insanely good; only movie to ever make me jump due to a loading computer screen