I hate Fiefeld SO much.

[Gash]

I've not been tempted by fan edits either. I've seen the deleted scenes, some of them add extra context, others create continuity problems. Now that I've seen them, I look at them like some of the viral stuff, if they add a little extra depth and understanding to the film fine, but I don't need them to be recut into the actual film.

I do sort of prefer the Fifield mutation, but it doesn't change anything about the story or what the pathogen does.

[SM]

Quite.

I prefer the practical version.  The WETA version was little too Gollum on speed.

[SM]

I've heard Ridley saying he'd eventually end up like the dead Engineer and his head would explode.

[Gash]

Was it actually confirmed that he was turning into a Xenomorph or was he just INCREDIBLY upset that he got reemed by Aliens and wanted to take revenge against the crew?

Given that worms turn into aggressive Hammerpedes I assumed Fifield was being turned into a violent bloodthirsty reinvention of a human, courtesy of the Engineers unwise experiments with biological weapons, not any version of the pure alien.

[SM]

Yeah.  The larger head is supposed to evoke the Alien, but he's not literally turning into an Alien.

[Olde]

Cause I wouldn't trust most fans to recut a movie.  And I find it a bit disrespectful.  And every trailer I've watched for a fan edit has left me scratching my head (to be generous) instead of really wanting to watch it.

I just watched it. It is leaps and bounds better than the original cut. Fans are people, too, and honestly I'd trust a fan more with the IP than 80-year old Ridley Scott at this point.

[Elmazalman]

I've heard Ridley saying he'd eventually end up like the dead Engineer and his head would explode.

Interesting. Where did you hear this?

[SM]

Either the commentary or Furious Gods.  I need to watch it again to check.

Cause I wouldn't trust most fans to recut a movie.  And I find it a bit disrespectful.  And every trailer I've watched for a fan edit has left me scratching my head (to be generous) instead of really wanting to watch it.

I just watched it. It is leaps and bounds better than the original cut. Fans are people, too, and honestly I'd trust a fan more with the IP than 80-year old Ridley Scott at this point.

Hurrah for you.  I'd rather watch what the actual artist created, for good or ill.

[marrerom]

I've heard Ridley saying he'd eventually end up like the dead Engineer and his head would explode.

Its in the audio commentary. Ridley comments on how the Engineer was already infected when his head came off and that the mutation is similar to what happen's with Fifield. Though he never says that the head exploding is part of the mutation. I'd say that its implied that reason the Engineer's head exploded was because the Xenovirus was trying to mutated what was essentially a severed mummy's head, which then was hit with decontamination gas. Fifield was much farther along in his transformation and his head was fine.

[Jango1201]

Cause I wouldn't trust most fans to recut a movie.  And I find it a bit disrespectful.  And every trailer I've watched for a fan edit has left me scratching my head (to be generous) instead of really wanting to watch it.

Disrespectful from a lawful or visionary standpoint?

[SM]

The latter. It strikes me as 'I don't care how many people spent however many years pouring their energy into this - they don't know what they're doing and I'm going to sit at my computer and do it properly.'

[Jango1201]

Completely agree. Like it or not, directors or story tellers have a vision and it's their vision they want you to see.

[SM]

It's certainly the one I want to see for good or ill.

If people want to make fan cuts - good for them.  Art has been purloined and turned into new things since forever, but they have a different kind of investment in it, and in these instances it's not really one I'm interested in.

[Local Trouble]

How do you feel about the director's cut of Alien?

[SM]

Riddles was correct to leave the 'what are my chances scene' in and cocoon scene out the first time.

It is his prerogative to change it however.  Same with Cameron on Aliens, Abyss, T2 etc or Lucas on Star Wars.