I feel that AVPR was never given its proper due, and that it deserves a directors cut. With the Alien and Predator franchise constantly being dug up for future content and re releases and repackaging, a new version of AVPR is very much needed. Bring back the two Struase directors and give them the opportunity to release a more clean version of the film that isn't so dark, add in some deleted scenes and re edit it to flow quicker in narrative. Alien 3 had two different versions made, why not AVPR?
There are two versions of AvPR. The 94 minute theatrical and 101 unrated cut.
We had this, dude. It's the unrated cut.
It's even worse.
Quote from: SM on Dec 20, 2017, 02:38:07 AM
There are two versions of AvPR. The 94 minute theatrical and 101 unrated cut.
From what I recall their were two versions of the film completed, with the brightened version sent off to the trailer company and the darkened version sent off for the actual release. Their was also a number of deleted scenes not found on the unrated cut. A second do over would also give us more of an inside look into ADI's involvement, the writers take on it, and if FOX wanted to, put in some money to perhaps add new scenes of the Predator home world and to re-edit and reshoot the cheap ending to what was initially put on script of the Yutani corporation having a bunker filled with salvaged remains of the Aliens in tubes.
ADI released a book about making AvP:R. The Blu-ray has a commentary with the Strauses and Davis. And ADI (but they sounded a bit bored).
What if the Directors don't like the stuff that was left out of the unrated cut? And what would extra scenes of the homeworld be for?
The ADI guys are hysterical in their commentary. "You can buy our book... Where?" "Uhhh... Amazon dot com."
As to hearing what the writer has to say... I don't think I need anymore insight into Shane Salerno's mind. I'm sure there's a lot of nodding going on in there.
Quote from: SM on Dec 20, 2017, 03:15:52 AMWhat if the Directors don't like the stuff that was left out of the unrated cut? And what would extra scenes of the homeworld be for?
I imagine the directors didn't like a lot of what was shot, hence giving them a second chance to get back into the editing room to recut the film to make the pacing better, especially now after they would come back with new experience. New footage of the Predator homeworld would give a deeper look into the Predators that we only got the smallest taste of. Maybe even have a call back to the first AVP of the Elder stand in his way at first as the two glare each other down, until he relents and steps aside. A silent gesture of respect for his mission. A scene like this would give some kind of continuing thread through the movies to connect it together.
Also I heard their was certain edits made that could have given the Predator a bit more of a struggle when manhandling the two xenomorphs in the sewer, and more hospital scenes. Add some digital layering to make some of the gore splutters look less cheap...anything is possible if given the budget to polish.
From the sounds of it they're as happy as they'll ever be with the extended version and aren't interested in revisiting it.
There was no extra footage to make Wolf struggle more while holding the Aliens; instead that it could've been tightened in the edit to make the Aliens seen less like dolls.
The stuff in the hospital was with the two children, and they were cut for good reasons.
Namely, their acting sucked?
I had to turn off the ADI commentary because of how bored they sounded. This movie really doesn't deserve another chance.
Quote from: OpenMaw on Dec 20, 2017, 03:04:22 PM
Namely, their acting sucked?
The scenes were rushed when they were filming, and they didn't need even more characters than the already were.
Director cuts are overrated.
Quote from: OpenMaw on Dec 20, 2017, 02:49:34 AM
It's even worse.
The blond girl's death is much better in the unrated cut.
It's much worse. Everyone else's reactions becomes hopelessly underacted with the extra gore.
Those guys really don't like women...
Gore for the sake of gore does not make things better. The unrated edition makes sense of beginning part by having the Predalien be on the scout ship instead of the mother ship ( after all, it would not be able to take out every single predator on the mothership.)
Sadly most of the other changes that the unrated edition gives is just extra gore which does not improve things.
*Longer chestburster scene of Buddy and Sam.
*Carry's death by Bellybursters is shown.
*Man gets head blown off in cemetary.
*Longer bellyburst scene.
*The blond woman's death.
I think there may be more but can't recall the rest atm.
The mother ship vs. scout ship still doesn't make sense. Why does it detach while passing Saturn and fly back to Earth? Did they forget their phones of something? An insert of the bridge of the mother ship with some Predator captain seeing the PredAlien on the scout ship and ejecting it might've helped.
Never really given that much thought, just assumed that they were going on a hunt.
Quote from: The Cruentus on Dec 27, 2017, 10:57:39 PM
Never really given that much thought
That's okay, the director's didn't either.
You know what would have made that intro far less convoluted, stupid, and cheaper?
Quote
EXT. SPACE - EARTH ORBIT
The stars twinkle, a sense of eerie isolation takes hold as we slowly drift among the heavens.
TITLE CARD : ALIENS VS PREDATOR - REQUIEM
Suddenly, one of the stars BREAKS RANK, growing in size until it is a fiery inferno before us. It is a PREDATOR SCOUT SHIP. Much like the one seen in the opening of the original PREDATOR. This one is spinning wildly off course, venting atmosphere, burning up. Pieces of hull plating chip off and trail behind it.
As the lumbering mass of burning metals passes by frame, we track it. It hits the atmosphere of EARTH with a thunderous sonic boom. Fire trail forming behind it.
I could rewrite the whole damn movie, but that's like... Two seconds of thought. It's true to the hard opening of PREDATOR, eliminating the very annoying Aliens sound effects references which serve no purpose but to piss you off and have you imagining a better movie, and it builds some mystery/suspense.
The movie can doll that information regarding the crash, out at the appropriate time. Now the Predators don't look so stupid right up front. Hell, the movie already has the revealing moment when Wolf arrives and see's what happened. They didn't need to double-down on that information.
One way small reshoots to a directors cut could improve the ending is expand the scene of Yutani people meeting with the Weyland people in secret. Alexa Woods is reintroduced as an advisor to the Weyland company who confirms that indeed the weapon belonged to the same creatures from the south pole incident. Cut to tubes of xenomorph and predator skeletons recovered from other unseen battles that have taken place on earth. End it on one saying "soon they will regret the day they set foot on our world" with the predator cannon placed beside the xenomorph tail spear.
This movie is beyond saving, unfortunately.
The least they could do is fix the darkness issue. They haven't even bothered to do that, which shows how much they care.
Quote from: Scorpio on Dec 28, 2017, 11:03:16 PM
This movie is beyond saving, unfortunately.
The least they could do is fix the darkness issue. They haven't even bothered to do that, which shows how much they care.
Totally agree, this is the main thing that makes it unwatchable.
"Its not bright enough":
Based on the above still, the darkness was a mercy.
I recently sat down and rewatched AVPR and... it's sad that even on Blu-ray, you really have a hard time distinguishing any sort of detail. It's like a film version of a Rorschach test. Then again, I'm glad I couldn't see some of the terrible VFX. I hate that Predalien design so much.
(https://www.avpgalaxy.net/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fusers.vic.chariot.net.au%2F%7Eryley%2FPREDALIEN.JPG&hash=22fedc5cea2516dc28a9642a0867a9424f871e7f)
Thoughts on this design?
Quote from: AliceApocalypse on Jan 12, 2018, 08:48:06 PM
http://users.vic.chariot.net.au/~ryley/PREDALIEN.JPG
Thoughts on this design?
Out of all the concept art I've seen, I like Dorman's take the best. I don't see the need however, for the dreads, on every Predalien design. I hate them on that piece of art by Dorman as well. They flow more naturally and are more spikey. Still, don't like them.
Better than the film. Still don't like the dreads.
Quote from: AliceApocalypse on Jan 12, 2018, 08:48:06 PM
http://users.vic.chariot.net.au/~ryley/PREDALIEN.JPG
Thoughts on this design?
It is a bit too busy looking with all the spikes on it. If the dreads were made a bit more slender and blended in with the rest of the head better it would look good.
I think the final Predalien design was decent, although you could not really see it with all the darkness. The NECA figure is pretty good and you actually get to see the details. The Predalien designs have been quite wild in different mediums, I remember it looked like a red bulldog in the AvP 99 PC game.
Quote from: SM on Jan 13, 2018, 03:22:56 AM
Better than the film. Still don't like the dreads.
Out of all of them, this is still the best I think. But yeah, the floppy dreads are still a no. I don't mind it when they get turned into spikes of sorts like Duel did.
It's still better than the original comic version
(https://static.comicvine.com/uploads/original/1/15659/4082396-light-stepper-avp-duel%232-vs_predalien-.jpg)
I think the head of Kenner's Snake Alien would've been a good place to start designing a predalien.