*UPDATE 9/4/2021* I rewatched the special edition, and I like it even better than the theatrical cut. Here are my thoughts on the additional scenes: ua-cam.com/video/dHtuzwPLTcg/v-deo.html
Surprising you like the special edition more than Theatrical cut. I saw it in theater when I was a sophomore in high school, and it was one of the best movie experiences I ever had. The special cut I feel is clunky. The the theatrical cut is perfectly edited, keeping the suspense taunt. The special edition kills the suspense in too many places, even if the scenes add more background/info.
@@topcat989 I agree. The added stuff at the beginning is dull and unnecessary. I've seen a lot of "director's cuts", and all of them demonstrated why the _original_ became the acknowledged classic that it did. Where did the director's cut trend come from? In 1988 an extended version of Lawrence of Arabia was released to cinemas and made a surprising amount of money. Then in the early 90s the workprint of Blade Runner was shown publicly and got a lot of attention, prompting the studio to put out an official director's cut (although it was not actually edited by Ridley Scott). After this, the floodgates opened because studios realised how much money they could make selling people a second or third copy of a movie they had already bought. Directors went along with it out of motives based in vanity and desire for money, but also because of studios saying they would do it with or without the director's input. This is why in the early 2000s special editions were put out for all the Star Trek films and all the Alien films. I own all of these, BTW! The director's cuts turned out to be not worth the money, but the extensive behind-the-scenes featurettes did make them something of a luxury product for film-lovers. In most of these cases, the new versions were treated simply as a supplement. James Cameron, however, followed George Lucas's example and actually rewrote history by making the original versions unavailable.
Ms. Jerome, The fact that you are so disturbed by the Xenomorph, is the reason you should be the one to review it. Your obsevations remind me of my first encounter with the Alien films. Alien was shocking, as a child it looked like nothing I had ever seen before. The design really was frightening. And I am a monster loving fan. When I watched Alien, I felt like I witnessed a horrific event more than just watched a film. I remember thinking to my self "am I old enough to be watching this? Should I be watching this?" It was so disturbing and realistic to me. And yes it gave me nightmares! I own the 2 films today! I really enjoyed your review. Thank you!
Watching this video reminded me of something I remember reading about this movie. Some people had some difficulty accepting Paul Reiser's _Carter Burke_ being a serious character, because Reiser was known more for comedy than drama. I had never seen Reiser play in anything before *ALIENS,* To me, his portrayal of a _'scheming corporate weasel'_ was spot-on.
3 does have interesting points and is valid in its own write, even if some don't like its downbeat tone. AvP is also a lot of fun, even if it fails to replicate the gravitas of its predecessors.
I think a third movie could have worked if they had not killed off _Newt._ After all that emotion of _Ripley_ risking her life to save _Newt_ in *ALIENS,* just to have the character killed off-scteen, was awful. I understand they would have to explain _Newt_ {actress Carrie Henn} being older by the time the next movie could be produced, but they could have written SOMETHING into the story. ANYTHING. *EDIT→* I posted this comment before _JW_ touched on it near the end of this video.
Fun fact is that the little picture of Ripley's daughter in the early scene there was a picture of Wevaer's actual mother, British actress Elizabeth Inglis.
My wife and 14-year-old daughter worked Horror Con in Indianapolis last year as volunteers and both Michael Biehn and Carrie Henn were there. "Newt" is reportedly an elementary school teacher, now.
I saw this movie in 1986 when it first hit cinemas. My daughter was born at the end of 1985. Seeing the 'dynamics' of _Ripley_ trying to save _Newt,_ and later learning the backstory of Ripley's daughter having grown up and passed while Ripley was in hypersleep, definitely hit me in _'the fee-fees'._
I was 8 years old when the Alien trailer first aired on TV. You can find the original trailer on UA-cam. They used that ghost siren shrieking sound and it sent me retreating under my covers. And they would air it every night at 9 o'clock when my mom was watching Hill Street Blues or Lou Grant and I could hear it in the other room even though out I was under the covers with pillows clamped around my ears. It had such a profoundly traumatic effect on me that I felt myself go week and collapse when I saw the movie poster with the egg. When I went to see Star Trek The Motion Picture. It was playing in the same theater and I remember wanting to collapse in dread on seeing just the word in Big red block letters: ALIEN -and every time someone mentioned it or I saw the paper-back cover of the novel by Alan Dean Foster on an entrance display at Walden Books in the mall, I had the same reaction. Mind you. I never saw the movie but until summer of 1986, that image of the Egg and the block letters was like the site of something haunting me. It just robbed me of joy and made me cold. -and what changed it all was the preview of ALIENS, that I saw in front of Top Gun and the tone and subject were somehow different enough to marry my intense dread with a kind of morbid curiosity. It was about courage as much as horror and when I saw the dropship and the APC and the queen my curiosity turned to fascination. I saw Alien for the first time two weeks later and a week after that, I saw Aliens. And both times, I had shivering nightmares but after that, something had been awakened that loved it. So, someone saying the visage of the xenomorph possesses them with fear and dread is something I know and support. If you find the irresistible urge to delve into the Xenomorph, I suggest playing Alien Isolation and streaming it on Twitch or UA-cam.
No, no, no no! I have not seen this movie since I saw it in the theaters as an 8 year old. 1986 was a very bad year for me Ms, Weiselberry because not only did I get nightmares from this movie, but my dad took me to see The Fly and Critters...and I could never go down in the basement because the furnace looked like something that Jeff Goldblum was turning himself into the Fly, the attic was where the aliens hid out and the Critters were somewhere rolling around in the garage...perhaps under the car! So you see, I was a pretty scared kid growing up because of flicks like this. But I certainly hope you enjoyed it! I'm also really glad that you said that no one has any business telling someone else what to be afraid of. That makes me feel so much better about being afraid of centipedes...and tomatoes.
One detail I liked in Aliens is when Ripley leaves a trail of glow sticks behind her when she goes to find Newt, so she can fine her way back. It's a clever echo of dark fairy tales like Hansel and Gretel, and the Greek myth of the labyrinth, when Theseus unwinds a ball of thread behind him so he can find his way out of the maze when he goes to face the Minotaur.
Thank you, Jerome, for facing your fears and giving us such an awesome review for this awesome movie. Myself and my fellow military veterans know all the cool lines & scenes, and often referenced them while on field exercises and deployments. :) One of the issues about Aliens 3 is that they killed-off Ripley's "found family," Newt & Hicks, before the opening credits finished. Keep up the good work!
Jerome mentioned it in passing, but it was a big deal for Sigourney Weaver to be Oscar-nominated for Best Actress. Back then, Hollywood recognized sci-fi for popular entertainment (especially after Star Wars and Star Trek), but generally treated it with disrespect. For a sci-fi / action / horror movie to get an acting nomination (and not the usual FX or sound editing nods) shows how special it was when Cameron et. al. were allowed to create a good story within these genres and give it to a great actress who could wow the audience.
So glad i found this. Love your reviews. This was great. Totally agree on this being the best. And alien 3 should have been about the three of them living together, and then some alien "fun" later. I had to read the novel adaptation when it came out in theaters first before my dad would take us - the special edition really helps lay out some of that info. Thanks for putting yourself through watching it again - the editing was great, and no xenomorphs were needed!
Fair play to you! It's a diabolically effective design! Did you know it exsisted independently before "Alien" ? HR Giger painted "Necronom IV" in 1976 for his own exhibition and when Ridley Scott saw it reproduced when preparing Alien he said "i want exactly that!" and it is pretty much exactly the same! Great review , always such a pleasure to hear
The Xenomorphs are without a doubt one of the scariest monsters to ever come out of Hollywood. This is one of best Sci-Fi/Horror/Action movies ever made. At the time the only Sci-Fi/Horror/Action movie ever made. Very good even better than the 1st Alien movie. I can't find anything to criticize in it. Dare I say a perfect movie?
I could barely watch most of "Alien" in the movie theater. I ended up on the floor of the theater with the popcorn and the spilled pop. I was reluctant to watch "Aliens," but friends talked me into it, but only if we went to a matinee. Turned out, I loved it! It was more of a war film, not a horror picture.
I could barely watch "Alien". I was so scared, I ended up on the floor of the theater, covering my ears and eyes the best I could. I didn't want to see "Aliens", but a group of my friends dragged me to a matinee (I absolutely refused to see it at night). But I ended up thoroughly enjoying it. It wasn't so much of a sci-fi horror movie as it was a war picture. I could handle that.
Consider listening to Howard Hanson’s “Romantic” Symphony 2. An excerpt from that work is heard at the very end of Alien, beginning with the creature being ejected into space.
I've read/watched/listened to a lot of analyses of Aliens...and yours might be the best. While 57 years have passed between films, Ripley’s trauma is fresh. And way to face your fears💪🏼💪🏼💪🏼
Another great review! I especially liked your point about the alien not having eyes. Without eye contact there is no chance for connecting to the xenomorph or understanding it, and certainly no hope of diffusing the situation. Very insightful. Thank you for going the extra mile for the review!
Amen! What a well written review. You hit all the right notes. I agree, the character development, but also the film as a whole makes this film my favorite.
Jerome, you knew you had to review this one, you just had to - no matter the intense ickyness of the Xenomorphs! Thank you for this extreme sacrifice! btw, Paul Reiser has said his own mother wouldn't speak to him for quite a while after she saw this film, so repulsive did she find his character. Anyway, this is a great, iconic sci-fi film, one that I've seen countless times, and it most certainly deserved a Weiselberry review!
Just a quick side note: Cameron was primarily the one who designed the alien Queen. Stan Winston was mostly/more involved in the mechanical/manufacturing aspect in the physical making of it. But the final look was Cameron's---he made the full-color, detailed design illustrations (same with the Power Loader).
Great stuff Jerome! So glad you voiced the same opinion I have regarding the third instalment. It just took everything that the sequel had constructed so beautifully... and threw it to the winds.
I agree with every single thing you said in this video. This is easily one of my favorite movies of all time, pretty much tied with *King Kong (1933)* for number one. I would add that I think this movie has some of the best practical effects of any movie (especially that fight with the queen at the end, the aliens coming out of the walls, and the face-hugger effects). It helps that James Cameron got his start in effects, and he came up with the overall design for the queen himself. Part of why the music sounds a lot like *Star Trek II* at times is because Horner didn’t have a lot of time to write the score. If I remember correctly, he said he was disappointed with it (the score, not the movie). Then again, the one time during my one viewing of *Avatar* that I decided to focus on the music because I realized I hadn’t paid any attention to it, I also thought it sounded like *Star Trek II/Aliens.* Most of the ideas that were not already present in the first movie came from the novel *Starship Troopers* by Robert Heinlein, which Cameron had the cast read in preparation for the movie. The power loader comes from the power armor the soldiers wear in the book, the dropship scene is basically how the book starts, and even the overall idea of soldiers fighting giant bugs on an alien planet is from the book. As much as I love this movie (more than the first), I do prefer the weird mystery of the creature in the first movie, as opposed to just making them giant bugs. The giant bug angle does make me wonder if the movie *Them! (1954)* was also an influence. Both movies feature a young girl who is traumatized by seeing her family die and is unable to speak at first, both movies feature a prominent female character who is knowledgeable about the giant bugs (although in *Them!* it was mostly her father), both movies involve soldiers armed with machine guns and flamethrowers fighting giant bugs in tunnels, and both movies end when the queens are exterminated. I’ve never seen anyone talk about it though, so maybe it’s a coincidence. Thanks for overcoming your fears in covering this movie, and especially for giving even movies that scare you a chance. Too many people miss out on good movies because they assume horror movies are all about jump scares (I personally hate those kind of horror movies, not because they are scary-they aren’t, at least not to me-but because they don’t have anything else to offer).
This is the best Aliens review on the internet. I am doing a deep dive on all of your video reviews for movies and books. Thanks for all the great content. Aliens is my third favorite film of all time only behind Alien and 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Excellent review. I remember when I saw this at the cinema, I was tempted to ask for a discount because of the amount of time I spent with my eyes shut.
Really great analysis of one of my favorite movies! I especially loved your comment about the movie's "fluid sense of escalation." The more I think about it, the more I think that could be the secret to any engrossing story or movie. I also liked your mention of the Hicks/Ripley relationship - one of my favorite parts of the movie. In a movie that's so relentless, violent and grueling, it's surprisingly subtle and sweet.
I subscribed after watching your Wuthering Heights video and enjoy your analysis; a minor quibble is the marine dialogue while in fact "cheesy" allows the characters to manifest coping with the stress of xenomorphs instead of being on Earth maybe reading a book.
Thanks for subscribing! The more I see the film and reflect on it, the less I agree with that side comment I made. While some of the machismo behavior does make me roll my eyes, there's something both functional and endearing about it.
I have not clicked on a video so fast in my life!!! I absolutely love this movie and the first movie, Alien. Aliens is a great sequel, wonderful characters and fantastic acting. Not to mention the special effects is great. Sigourney Weaver was nominated for best actress and I think she should have won. She was absolutely spectacular in this.
Yo Jerome, I’ve been binge-watching the x files. It’s free on prime with ads (not the ideal way to experience it, I know). I’d be very curious to see what you have to say on it. Personally I didn’t think it be up my alley, watching several episodes as kid scared to death. Now I appreciate the narrative and it’s over all “spooky” atmosphere. Sort of related to this topic, watching the x files reminded of a video game called L.A. Noir. It’s about a detective named Cole Phelps, a WWII veteran trying to solve several mysteries revolving on his personal life whilst on several cases for the LAPD right after WW2 or during… it’s been a while since I played it. The game has unique mode where you have to interrogated a suspect and analyze their micro expressions to determine what kind of questions to ask the suspect. The 40’s aesthetics are spot on. fun fact, the game developers used photographs taken by the first person to fly a plane over L.A. and San Pedro with a camera as reference. If you ever dive into the realm of video games in private or for your channel I think L.A. Noir should be on your list. Highly recommend.
My mom and I watched The X-Files back when it was on Prime without ads. :) She'd already seen a lot of it when it originally aired, but I was too young at that time. What I did see terrified me. I particularly remember seeing a scene from the episode with the cockroaches... Anyway, I thought it was great for the most part. There were a few episodes I didn't like, and sometimes the big picture "mythology" storylines got a little convoluted, but I had a fun time watching it, especially the "monster of the week" episodes. I don't play video games, ha, but I think I've seen some clips on YT of that one. Unless there are two games set in the 40s where you play a detective and have to analyze people's expressions? Not likely.
@@Weiselberry lucky you got experience x files without adds. I can’t wait to finish it and see where it all ends. Also, their is another video game set in the 40’s called Mafia II. It too has a WWII veteran as the main protagonist though as a mafia lackey in New York. I can’t remember if he Vincent becomes a police officer or not at some point in the story. I would also highly recommend it. Even just for the cutscenes. The crime drama is heavy with this one and Vincent is an interesting character.
I know I'm not supposed to notice, but I'm loving these particular owls. Anyhow, I give you tremendous credit. Rashomon, now Aliens -- I would strike you a medal if I could. I've seen this movie discussed endlessly but this may be my favorite analysis. (Perhaps "clavichord" is the musical instrument you're thinking of.) Sometimes empathy catches you by surprise -- I didn't think I had any opinion at all about Drake until he and Vasquez died together. (Gotta love Vasquez, I remember the audience cheering her on. That little early exchange may have helped: "Hey, Vasquez, have you ever been mistaken for a man?" "No. Have you?") I'm oddly happy -- well, relatively happy -- for you that you were able to get the disappointment of all the sequels out of the way before getting to this. You're coming on strong in 2021, Romey, looking forward to more, and owl be seeing you.
It’s so underrated and was a nightmare production,watch the making of videos it’s unbelievable what they went through. Imagine if the aliens weren’t the good guys,what a horror film it would have made.
I've been following your channel only for a couple months & it has become one of my favorites, your reviews are awesome! this channel deserves a lot more atention.
Thank you for this wonderful review . I saw Alien in the theatre when it first came out , and have seen it many times since then . For some reason , I have never gotten around to seeing Aliens . Thank you for spurring me on to correct this oversight . A great review , as always !
Great review! I loved this movie. I first saw it as a kid on TV - heavily edited of course. I later watched the extended version and was greatly rewarded. My favorite scene is where the automated sentinels have been sealed in the hallway, and the alien hordes are attacking. The guns keep shooting, and the aliens keep advancing. With just a small amount of ammo left, the aliens are stopped. That was such a suspenseful scene! I loved the space Marines too and their weapons. It was a fun movie. I could have done without the subsequent movies as well. Anyway, great review!
I’m glad u took the chance on watching the aliens movie “nothing ventured nothing gained”. I grew up watching movies like alien,predator, terminator,Godzilla,king kong, Friday the 13, nightmare on elm street when I was younger (I’m 24 now) and stuff like that and i think its desensitized me to stuff but they’re some of my favorite series even tho most of the sequels ruined them but I liked wen the movies had no connection to the prior films other then maybe a reference. Not gonna lie the only reason I found your channel is because I’m a huge Godzilla fan, i liked ur fair and honest reviews of them. I wonder have u ever played video games? I kno they’re not for everyone but I’m replaying the mass effect games right now and I love them, I can’t help but think maybe you’d like them too because watching a movie or reading a book can connect you to characters and stories but I feel such a deeper connection to the story and characters when they give me the illusion of control. Some of the easier games that give u that illusion are the telltale games like the walking dead,wolf amongst us, back to the future, tales from the borderlands,Batman that also don’t demand that much of u in terms of gameplay. I’d love to see u review something like that even tho it would probably take way more time then just watching or reading something to review ( even longer if the game had multiple endings or paths), video games are such a new and interesting way of story telling that has only really been around for 20-30ish years but they have such interesting stories to tell that are mostly an accumulation of movies and books that inspire most of them.
As a kid growing up in the 90's, there was a resergence of "Aliens" toys around 1994...ish. Predictably, all of us neighborhood kids were jealous of the one kid that actually got them, and this led to actually watching "Aliens" as a bunch of 10 year olds. Were we too young? Maybe. Was it awesome? Absolutely. The kid's dad was in the navy and we were already indoctrinated on fare such as Pork Chop Hill and The Sands of Iwo Jima, so space marines was the next logical step, right? So what if it was rated R? Anyway, what followed was awesome. It didn't scare me as much as I thought it would, it inspired weeks worth of outside play scenarios, and needless to say, that one dad got an earful of "You let them watch THAT?!" from the neighborhood parents. One of my favorite childhood memories. That being said, I didn't see the original movie until years later...probably college. And that scared the crap out of me. If I had seen the ORIGINAL as a 10 year old....yeah, nightmares would've ensued.
@@marianotorrespico2975 yeah he was pretty awesome. The dad was in the Navy, and the grandfather was in both World War II and Korea. So when we were playing outside we were actually using his battlefield equipment that he gave us to play with. I was way too young to appreciate the fact that I was going around wearing actual stuff that had been worn in 1944 and 1950 whatever. We would share it. The kids grandfather gave him a inert grenade, a replica (obviously inert but still realistic looking) 1911 colt 45, helmet, jacket, bag... everything. So we would go around playing with this stuff and our imaginations would be full of playing soldier. So naturally when it came to watching movies we wanted to watch war movies. And when we had our fill of those, I guess Aliens was the natural progression 😂
Aliens, Predator, Terminator 1 and 2 and Total Recall (Schwarzenegger version) are my Top 5 ‘modern’ sci-fi movies. Aliens is simply a movie with no faults. Just edge of the seat pure entertainment from beginning to end. Great review as usual.
That's a wonderful, well-rounded and fun review, Jerome! It's probably my favorite review of this title that I've seen and the one that it deserves. I'm glad you took the chance and watched this great sequel all those years ago and that you chose to review it now, despite your repulsion to the xenomorph. I agree with you 100% about all the other Alien sequels and prequels. The first two are masterpieces of sci-fi/horror and sci-fi action, respectively. The rest are all muddled, redundant, or mediocre by comparison.
Spot on review thank you 👍 One of my favourite parts is when we’re first shown the Sulaco arriving at LV-426 - the soundscape conveys both tension and expectation with militaristic overtones - that low tone vibrates through you,just fantastic,and the ship design and everything is wonderful,you know immediately it’s a state of the art warship here to do business and the whole scene acts as the mouth watering beginning of ‘chapter two’.
Great review! I can totally empathise with those kinds of fears. From the age of 6 all the way until I was at least in my mid-twenties, I was absolutely terrified of the Venusian monster from It Conquered The World. Couldn't look at pictures of it, refused to watch the movie! I did things like sandwiching the DVDs together to avoid looking at it too. I eventually de-sensitised myself to it, and the movie is one of my favourites these days... but it look some doing and plenty of nightmares across my childhood!
The reason Ripley cuts loose on the eggs is that in spite of the Queen Alien telling her subordinates to stand down, one of the eggs out of instinct opens up for face-hugging nastiness.
Hey Jerome, love that youre doing abit of a different movie to what you usually talk about :) I also wanted to tell you i just saw Arctic (2018) starring Mads Mikkelson based on your reccommendation and i was blown away by it. Thanks heaps for the videos.
Ripley tried to brief the Marines on what they might be up against, but I thought she gave up too easily. That's the one part of the film I didn't like. FLASHBACK 1979: Sitting in a packed theater in Ashland, Kentucky the 1st night "Alien" was released. The Xenomorph bursts out of John Hurt and the whole place screamed. Hell, I think I might have screamed too.
As a kid, this movie was very important to me. I was obsessed with it, and with the aesthetics of the colonial marines and the xenomorphs. It's the only movie I can quote from start to finish. I think it's really a compliment to the film that you are so terrified of the xenomorphs. And I agree 200% with you about Newt and Alien 3. I walked out of the theater when I saw what happened in the opening. The only other movie I did that with was the 1998 Godzilla.
I'm a bit late in commenting but had to since this is one of my top ten favorite films ever. Most times I don't like it when a different director gets a hold of a series of films but I think we can all agree that Cameron was the best one to pick up where Scott left off. As you said, obviously it's down to opinion on which is better (I prefer Aliens as well, bigger is better imo), but Cameron's vision respected the original film far better than anything that followed and also adds so much the first didn't have. Probably could have been a bit scarier, but if we want to watch atmospheric build and tension, that's why the first film exists. Great video. Continue to desensitize yourself, you won't regret it. Thoughts on just Predator itself? You may have answered that in another video (I'm assuming it's not your cup of tea) but I'm curious.
Your experience with Aliens feels exactly the way I feel about The Ring from 2003. I’ve always wanted to film a review but I honestly can’t bring myself editing the pictures from the film lol. Freaks me out too much
I had to get pretty creative to get it done. I jumped past the worst scenes that I knew I didn't need anything from. For the other ones I made the window as small as possible and let the movie play, covering it with my hand whenever a xenomorph came onscreen, LOL. I did miss a few times (which led to some squealing and flailing), but for the most part it worked out. Oh, and to get the posters, I used a blanket to cover all but the top of my screen, blocking out the umpteen search results with aliens in them. It was quite a workout, but it was worth it. Maybe you could try something like that. :D
When I was growing up in the 90s I had a lot of the figures from Kenner's Aliens toy line. Then I finally saw the film at the age of 10. It completely blew my mind! The Special Edition of Aliens is pretty much my favorite Sci-Fi / action movie ever. Thanks for another great review!
Yes, the special edition is the superior version. I also think that if this version had been shown at cinemas Sigourney would have come very close indeed to winning the Oscar for her performance. It gives much better perspective and adds more gravitas to her relationship with Newt. Btw, I hate spiders, and I totally emphasise with you in regards to the Aliens in the movie creeping you out.
Before Fincher started ALIEN 3 he said he didn't want to use ANY reference ---especially not visual---to ALIENS because he didn't like "Cameron's design sensibility". Thus, originally, no visuals of the Sulaco and such. Later, after he finished his cut and was off the film, the studio asked for a couple of shots of the Sulaco to be inserted into the film to try to have SOME kind of connection to the prior film. The model was dusted off from the holdings of a private collector and provided to Boss Film Effects in order to create a couple of visual-connection effects shots.
I was so thrilled to see this come up in my notifications list. Plus, I didn’t know you were making a review on Aliens (1986). Ellen Ripley is my favorite protagonist of all time and while it is popular to have female protagonist none of them are as organic as Ripley, it never feels forced and there is an emotional depth to her character that we did not see in the first installment, Ridley Scott's Alien (1979). I just love Aliens more than Alien for the aforementioned reasons but I understand why some people may prefer the first one. Without a doubt, the first two movies are classics and anything that came after just does not hold up. Also, by any chance will you be doing a Terminator or T2: Judgement Day review since you did one for Aliens?
Can you do a comparison for the book Who Goes There? and John Carpenter's The Thing? I'd love to hear what you think of that story. I have trouble with the movie but I can't find a legal copy of the book.
I don't know if this will fit the bill, but a couple years ago I did sneak a discussion of Who Goes There? (and its adaptations) into this video: ua-cam.com/video/o6ia08EjFbQ/v-deo.html
What a fantastic movie. I was actually introduced to the Alien from the AvP comic books, and I thought they were badass monsters, but I love my creature features from growing up on Godzilla movies.
thank you for letting me know about how utube notifys it's content creators as far as replys to older comments as opposed to new ones. to that end, i was just reading what you had mentioned in regard to an IMDB rabbit hole sometimes leading to undiscovered treasure in the form of an obscure or overlooked movie and how fun that can be. i agree. my latest treasure hunt actually lead me to a film rarity with Ellen Page not only being one of the main characters but also being cast against type which is always interesting to see. this discovery is especially rare because i thought i was somewhat well versed with her body of work as i consider myself a fan her hers to a point. honestly i am more likely to seek out a Veronica Lake or Clara Bow film rather than anything from an actress of the modern era. according to some of my friends i was born in the wrong time and would be much more at home in the 1930s. as for the Ellen Page film... i am in the process of trying to find out if it has a downbeat ending before i actually watch it. believe me... i know how dumb that sounds. to this day there is a Tim Burton film that i have not yet watched because of what i have heard about how it ends. if you think that's bad... i am even preparing myself to watch your film review of Aliens due to the fact the giant insects in the Alien films always had an unnerving affect on me.... especially their dripping slime and their acidic blood. wish me luck because it is the next one on your playlist and i don't want to skip a video... hopefully your review does not go into too much detail in regard their protruding tounge with its separate miniature biting teeth.... all kidding aside i am really looking forward to your review of it.
There are all kinds of inconsistencies with UA-cam comments: sometimes the notifications don't work, sometimes tags don't work, and sometimes comments just disappear into who-knows-where. Recently I've had my replies attach to the wrong comments, and just last night I had a whole bunch of replies show up in my "held for review" section that dated as far back as two months ago, and there was no rhyme or reason to why UA-cam had suppressed them or why they were suddenly showing up now. It's a pain. I totally get feeling like you were born in the wrong time. Same with feeling less enthusiastic about watching a movie if it has a downer ending. Things just end in a negative way sometimes, and that's realistic, but you're not always in the mood to experience something like that. I don't know if you've watched my Aliens review already or not, but I can assure you there will be NO upsetting images. I am also super freaked out by the xenomorphs, so I managed to make the entire video without showing a single one. (Well, there are two images where you can see a hint of one, but it's vague.) Kind of crazy to do a monster movie review and never show the monster, I know, but that's the only way I could get it done. Hope you'll enjoy the video. :)
@@Weiselberry i will consider this a test comment and see what happens as far as the notification algorithm... if you do not get this right away its fine because i am still terrified of hogging the comments section. i know you had mentioned that you had come across that one song dedicated to Vincent Price in the course of your research for Return of the Fly (the fanmade edits that comprise the various versions of "videos" for that "song" are hilarious to say the very least) your description of "not much to it" is pretty much dead on. the next year that same band subsequently wrote a song on their follow up album inspired by the disgusting creatures from the film Alien of all things. this one is just as obscure, to be sure, so i don't know if you were aware of it or not. as far as the song goes... the idea of subjectivity still applies but it will never be mistaken for one of Sergei Rachmaninoffs masterworks (although one of my friends insists that it is superior, if not catchier, than Return of the Fly) in any case, i am not recommending the song by any means, but just thought you might get a kick out of it.... ua-cam.com/video/pQVbFLv3WfM/v-deo.html at the very least it's proof that some pretty established artists are fans of science fiction and vintage horror. as far as your review... so good! i am glad that im not the only one who thinks those giant insects are complete nightmare fuel. i will admit that i did go out of my way to watch the forth installment in the film franchise just because Winona Rider was in it. she completely won me over in her portrayal of Veronica Cartwright in Heathers which is still a favorite of mine... but im definitely in the minority on that one. cant wait to continue with your Playlist.
Don't worry about it, really. It's always something with UA-cam, and it's impossible to predict what weirdness might happen next, so just leave comments as you will and hope for the best. :) I hadn't come across that song, no. Guess it's clear that I'm not a Misfits fan, though I have heard of them, of course. Second song is definitely more creative than the first, in my opinion. I think quite a lot of musicians, especially in the rock and metal genres, draw inspiration from horror and science-fiction films and literature. I'm glad you enjoyed the review!
im glad that the utube notification algorithm allows for a back and forth thread to evolve in the comments section as it is the closest thing to an actual conversation... even if the exchanges basically take an entire day to get back to the other person. i guess it's similar, in a way, to a long distance chess match that plays out over time ( you can probably tell that ive been watching a lot of The Queens Gambit ) i just noticed that you posted a follow up video to your Aliens review. your description to that link mentions the added scenes in the special addition which is so cool because that relates perfectly to my idea (however misguided) of researching certain films that have a downbeat ending before I actually watch them.... i am quite sure not too many other people do this. the tie in to the special addition of Aliens is that sometimes there is an "alternate ending" included in the extra features section. to be fair... there are only a handful of movies that i wish had a different ending but obviously i always respect whatever vision the filmmaker chooses to put out there. hoping for an alternative ending to a film is definitely a more realistic option than wishing the film gets remade one day in a version more to my liking. having said all that... if it's ok... i picked one film that, from what im told, has an ending that i wish was different (i will spare you from my Christina Ricci rewrite and my Ellen Page rewrite on their respective films) i don't know if you have already watched this one, or even if you are a Tim Burton fan in general, but i would love to get your take on Corpse Bride. i don't know precisely what it is... but there is something about the portrayal of the character of Emily in the parts ive seen so far. i think im going to bite the bullet and force myself to watch the film in its entirety this coming halloween. believe me... i do know how dumb i sound right now.
Delayed response--so sorry about that! Don't worry, you don't sound dumb at all. If you find an ending disappointing, especially if the final outcome for a character you liked isn't what you spent the whole movie hoping for, it can effectively spoil the entire film. I think most people experience something like that from time to time. As for Corpse Bride, I happen to have reviewed that one a couple years ago. I don't know if you've already come across it since you posted this, but if you haven't, here's a link to the video: ua-cam.com/video/3doHauagWL8/v-deo.html
Love your review.....saw Aliens on television many years ago...it is without a doubt one of the greatest action movies bar none...made me Cameron fan!totally agree with your comments on the future Alien movies
Aliens is one of my favourite movies of all time.I think it is Cameron,s masterpiece.Interesting that you saw the extended version before the theatrical cut.I like the longer version but I prefer the cinema one.I like the mystery of only knowing what happened to the colonists through Newt,s reporting and the evidence they find.I read that Sigourney Weaver did not like the cut to her daughter,s fate as she based her performance on this reveal.It is impressive that no real action takes place until past the hour mark.The screenplay to Aliens is a great read.I agree that this series should have remained a duology.Is that a word?I could go on and on but I respect that people have real lives to lead.Oh yeah.I read Jane Eyre.She is definitely an ancestor of Ellen Ripley.The Weiselberry influence strikes again.
Again, a big surprise. No King Kong (1976), to pay Charles Grodin tribute of his recent passing, RIP. No Airport movies yet, but Aliens, one of the best sequels ever made, no complaints here. Aliens, now that's how to do a sequel, different. Retain some of the horror aspect and throw in that "This time it's war", tag line next to the one you mentioned and bang, boom. Thank you for that review. Also, I recommend the movie Bicentennial Man starring Robin Williams as you mention about androids. It starts out with robotics then it turns into much more then that. It has a little Forrest Gump in it if that helps. Just make sure you have a tissue handy. Also, off subject, ever since hearing you read those 2 stories, I discovered a channel called Bitesize Audio Classics. One story in particular, The Tomb of Sarah: A Classic Vampire Story Book by F. G. Loring. It's a short story that "gained acclaim as a classic vampire story after it appeared in the Pall Mall magazine in December 1910". The channel also has tons of other short stories you might find interesting from 20 min, 30-50 minutes to 2 hrs. There are few authors as well including Arthur Conan Doyle. Hope you check it out but I rather have you read more stories. Another excellent review and hope all is going well. Now I wait for your next What Else I Saw...
I love science fiction. I love science. So, I love great SF movies. I am old enough to have seen these two Alien movies when they were first run. I grew up watching 50's space opera movies either in the theaters or on TV (L.A. TV stations had great film libraries). The two Alien movies, the first two Terminator movies and Blade Runner were my faves from that era. They were so refreshing after all the much loved junky SF from the 40's through 80's that I gratefully watched. I did very much enjoy your review on this movie. I also liked your review of Now Voyager; a movie that I haven't seen since I was a kid. I need to re-watch that one too!
Any comments about the Colony complex and Jordan family scenes that were originally cut, but later restored to the film? (The cuts were requested by the studio because they felt the film was too long and would cut down the number of screenings per day that theaters could have--ie the longer cut would've potentially cut into the potential profits.
I noticed the absence of those scenes immediately. From a storytelling perspective, I see the merit in maintaining the mystery of what happened at the colony until the team arrives there. This being a sequel, though, it's not much of a mystery. I don't think the removal of those scenes necessarily hurt the film, but I remember I did like seeing the culture of the complex beforehand. There are other cut scenes I miss more. I appreciated the heartbreaking reveal of Ripley losing her daughter (which then made her relationship with Newt even sweeter), and I believe the countdown in the last act actually played out in real time in the extended version. Overall, I enjoyed the extended cut. I get what the studio was saying about the numbers, but with the movie already running longing (not that it feels like it), I don't think an additional 20 minutes or so of good stuff would have been so injurious.
@@Weiselberry I'm glad you saw those excised parts tho. They were by far among the most time-consuming and challenging scenes that had to be created (by the, uh, effects guys)...and they could've just vanished into some obscure vault forever.)
I think you did a fantastic job! I will probably never watch this film, having avoided the first one like the plague, but I look forward to hearing the soundtrack!
Brilliant review of one of the best (in my opinion anyway) films ever made. I just love everything about this film, the visuals, the score but mostly the cast. The marines have such great chemistry, in the 'making of' section of features on the dvd I have says they were put through drills and training etc.. apart from Biehn who was a late replacement for someone else. Hence why they gel so well on screen. I can take or leave the extended version. Although in the extended version one of the cast (Mac MacDonald) in the beginning on LV-426 was also in the much loved British sci-fi comedy sitcom Red Dwarf. Once again great review and I'm impressed that despite being scared to death of the xenomorph, you've not only watched this film once, but twice!👍
Hello, just subscribed to your channel. I really enjoyed your reviews of the Godzilla franchise alongside other films and book reviews as well. Definitely enjoyed your review, keep up the good work!
Cool! Wait..... Let me rephrase...... Coooooool!!!!!! Glad that you took the chance and did a review for "Aliens" (1986), thanks, I was wondering if you would ever get around to it (LOL). Well, with that said, another superb review. This is what I Love about your channel, there is a tremendous amount of sincerity to your reviews that I do believe that if you say, "Hey! Everyone out there, this movie Sucks!" It will be like DAMN!!! That movie must really Suck! (LOL). Please keep doing what you do, until then. P.S.- Considering that you took that screenplay project back in the day, I think you can attest to this, but, it's really amazing how to this day in 2021 character development is still thrown by the wayside and a film that was released in 1986 has more of a punch to the gut then some, not all, modern movies and modern movies still just miss the mark, e.g. "Godzilla vs. Kong". Now, DON'T get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoy the movie, but! Let's be Real, the best parts were with Kong and Godzilla. And that is something that you can definitely say was a Duh! statement, but still!!!!! It could have been better and It has to do with something called...... CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT, Jeez Louise even Dino De Laurentiis production of "King Kong" (1976) regardless of its reputation, it has a certain amount of character development that I still enjoy to this day, in fact, I just recently purchased Shout! Factory edition of "King Kong". (I hope this makes sense as one film fanatic to another.)
I understand your fear of ailens. I have a fear of bees and any other flying insect that stings. Just being near one makes me want to jump out of my skin. Do you have any Jane Eyre related reviews coming up? Maybe I'm wrong, but I thought I heard you mention a while back that you were going to review a Jane Eyre radio broadcast recording or something like that.
You're not wrong! I have a list of possible Jane Eyre "things" to discuss, and the 1994 radio broadcast is on the top of it. It's been difficult to find a block of time to listen to (and concentrate!) on it, but I'm hoping to cover it sometime next month. :)
Hmmm, this looks like might be an interesting film. ;-7 Well-rounded and insightful review. Thanks for being brave enough to watch it again, especially with uncovered eyes!! Now THAT'S dedication!!
Your description of hiding the video cover so it doesn’t scare you made me laugh because my wife does the exact same thing She’s scared of scary books or films and if I have one out or is reading a book she feels has a cover she finds scary she will tape blank post it notes over the image do she can’t see it I’ve just always found that very funny and have not known of anyone else doing that sort of thing Aliens is an excellent film - one of my all time favourites Love the relationship between Ridley, Hicks and Newt - just don’t watch the first 5 minutes of the next film - it’s horrific what happens to them Excellent review - thanks!
I'm glad I'm not the only one! I once had to reshelve a picture book about snakes in the kids section at a library (with a closeup of one on the cover, of course), and I thought I was going to have a panic attack as I tried to juggle it onto the shelf. I didn't even want to touch the thing! She and I are definitely on the same page. :) Thanks!
Very glad you conquered your fear and watches and reveived "Aliens". As far at the banter and antics among the Marines; that is typical of military folks. Which brings another thing about the women other women in the movie. During the investigation the sharpest encounter was between Ripley and the woman on the board. The woman corporate person behaved like a corporate person. Private Vasquez behaved like any other marine private. Probably the popularity of ripley is she is someone everyone can identify with. As Alfred Hitchcock would say she's an ordinary person in extraordinary circumstances.
I've seen a lot of this film a few times, but for some reason, I've never watched it once all the way through. Maybe I should give it another go. The xenomorphs are pretty creepy, so I can definitely understand why you're so scared of them! :)
I prefer Alien but they are both Iconic films. Also Alien 3 really angered me too. There are actually novels that continue Hicks and Newts story although they changed their names after Alien 3 released and edited it a bit so they are different characters.
@@Weiselberry I have an omnibus with 3 novels in it. I've read 2 of them so far. If you're a fan of the franchise and go into them with the mindset of them being like junk food they can be fun. I wouldn't say they are extremely well written or anything.
awesome review, Miss! was always fascinated with ALIEN and the idea of biology flirting hard w/ philosophy concept, and it's ever-expanding mythology. ALIENS is one of cinema's finest sequels. pretty interesting how Cameron would eventually explore actual alien-like life in the ocean's floor - inspired! ^__^
*UPDATE 9/4/2021* I rewatched the special edition, and I like it even better than the theatrical cut. Here are my thoughts on the additional scenes: ua-cam.com/video/dHtuzwPLTcg/v-deo.html
Surprising you like the special edition more than Theatrical cut. I saw it in theater when I was a sophomore in high school, and it was one of the best movie experiences I ever had. The special cut I feel is clunky. The the theatrical cut is perfectly edited, keeping the suspense taunt. The special edition kills the suspense in too many places, even if the scenes add more background/info.
@@topcat989 I agree. The added stuff at the beginning is dull and unnecessary. I've seen a lot of "director's cuts", and all of them demonstrated why the _original_ became the acknowledged classic that it did. Where did the director's cut trend come from?
In 1988 an extended version of Lawrence of Arabia was released to cinemas and made a surprising amount of money. Then in the early 90s the workprint of Blade Runner was shown publicly and got a lot of attention, prompting the studio to put out an official director's cut (although it was not actually edited by Ridley Scott). After this, the floodgates opened because studios realised how much money they could make selling people a second or third copy of a movie they had already bought.
Directors went along with it out of motives based in vanity and desire for money, but also because of studios saying they would do it with or without the director's input. This is why in the early 2000s special editions were put out for all the Star Trek films and all the Alien films. I own all of these, BTW! The director's cuts turned out to be not worth the money, but the extensive behind-the-scenes featurettes did make them something of a luxury product for film-lovers.
In most of these cases, the new versions were treated simply as a supplement. James Cameron, however, followed George Lucas's example and actually rewrote history by making the original versions unavailable.
Ms. Jerome,
The fact that you are so disturbed by the Xenomorph, is the reason you should be the one to review it.
Your obsevations remind me of my first encounter with the Alien films. Alien was shocking, as a child it looked like nothing I had ever seen before. The design really was frightening. And I am a monster loving fan. When I watched Alien, I felt like I witnessed a horrific event more than just watched a film. I remember thinking to my self "am I old enough to be watching this? Should I be watching this?" It was so disturbing and realistic to me. And yes it gave me nightmares!
I own the 2 films today!
I really enjoyed your review.
Thank you!
Watching this video reminded me of something I remember reading about this movie.
Some people had some difficulty accepting Paul Reiser's _Carter Burke_ being a serious character, because Reiser was known more for comedy than drama.
I had never seen Reiser play in anything before *ALIENS,* To me, his portrayal of a _'scheming corporate weasel'_ was spot-on.
"For the later films in the franchise, I think they should've stopped at 2"
I agree
I’m in the minority who loved 3
3 does have interesting points and is valid in its own write, even if some don't like its downbeat tone. AvP is also a lot of fun, even if it fails to replicate the gravitas of its predecessors.
I think a third movie could have worked if they had not killed off _Newt._
After all that emotion of _Ripley_ risking her life to save _Newt_ in *ALIENS,* just to have the character killed off-scteen, was awful.
I understand they would have to explain _Newt_ {actress Carrie Henn} being older by the time the next movie could be produced, but they could have written SOMETHING into the story. ANYTHING.
*EDIT→* I posted this comment before _JW_ touched on it near the end of this video.
Fun fact is that the little picture of Ripley's daughter in the early scene there was a picture of Wevaer's actual mother, British actress Elizabeth Inglis.
* Weaver.
Wow, I didn't know that. That's pretty cool.
Weiselberry watched Aliens?!!! "Game over man game over."
"Get away from her you"....... turkey, in respect to Jerome Weiselberry.
😂
They come out at night ….. mostly
My wife and 14-year-old daughter worked Horror Con in Indianapolis last year as volunteers and both Michael Biehn and Carrie Henn were there. "Newt" is reportedly an elementary school teacher, now.
I saw this movie in 1986 when it first hit cinemas. My daughter was born at the end of 1985.
Seeing the 'dynamics' of _Ripley_ trying to save _Newt,_ and later learning the backstory of Ripley's daughter having grown up and passed while Ripley was in hypersleep, definitely hit me in _'the fee-fees'._
I was 8 years old when the Alien trailer first aired on TV. You can find the original trailer on UA-cam. They used that ghost siren shrieking sound and it sent me retreating under my covers. And they would air it every night at 9 o'clock when my mom was watching Hill Street Blues or Lou Grant and I could hear it in the other room even though out I was under the covers with pillows clamped around my ears. It had such a profoundly traumatic effect on me that I felt myself go week and collapse when I saw the movie poster with the egg. When I went to see Star Trek The Motion Picture. It was playing in the same theater and I remember wanting to collapse in dread on seeing just the word in Big red block letters: ALIEN
-and every time someone mentioned it or I saw the paper-back cover of the novel by Alan Dean Foster on an entrance display at Walden Books in the mall, I had the same reaction. Mind you. I never saw the movie but until summer of 1986, that image of the Egg and the block letters was like the site of something haunting me. It just robbed me of joy and made me cold.
-and what changed it all was the preview of ALIENS, that I saw in front of Top Gun and the tone and subject were somehow different enough to marry my intense dread with a kind of morbid curiosity. It was about courage as much as horror and when I saw the dropship and the APC and the queen my curiosity turned to fascination. I saw Alien for the first time two weeks later and a week after that, I saw Aliens. And both times, I had shivering nightmares but after that, something had been awakened that loved it. So, someone saying the visage of the xenomorph possesses them with fear and dread is something I know and support. If you find the irresistible urge to delve into the Xenomorph, I suggest playing Alien Isolation and streaming it on Twitch or UA-cam.
No, no, no no! I have not seen this movie since I saw it in the theaters as an 8 year old. 1986 was a very bad year for me Ms, Weiselberry because not only did I get nightmares from this movie, but my dad took me to see The Fly and Critters...and I could never go down in the basement because the furnace looked like something that Jeff Goldblum was turning himself into the Fly, the attic was where the aliens hid out and the Critters were somewhere rolling around in the garage...perhaps under the car! So you see, I was a pretty scared kid growing up because of flicks like this. But I certainly hope you enjoyed it! I'm also really glad that you said that no one has any business telling someone else what to be afraid of. That makes me feel so much better about being afraid of centipedes...and tomatoes.
One detail I liked in Aliens is when Ripley leaves a trail of glow sticks behind her when she goes to find Newt, so she can fine her way back. It's a clever echo of dark fairy tales like Hansel and Gretel, and the Greek myth of the labyrinth, when Theseus unwinds a ball of thread behind him so he can find his way out of the maze when he goes to face the Minotaur.
Thank you, Jerome, for facing your fears and giving us such an awesome review for this awesome movie. Myself and my fellow military veterans know all the cool lines & scenes, and often referenced them while on field exercises and deployments. :)
One of the issues about Aliens 3 is that they killed-off Ripley's "found family," Newt & Hicks, before the opening credits finished.
Keep up the good work!
Jerome mentioned it in passing, but it was a big deal for Sigourney Weaver to be Oscar-nominated for Best Actress.
Back then, Hollywood recognized sci-fi for popular entertainment (especially after Star Wars and Star Trek), but generally treated it with disrespect.
For a sci-fi / action / horror movie to get an acting nomination (and not the usual FX or sound editing nods) shows how special it was when Cameron et. al. were allowed to create a good story within these genres and give it to a great actress who could wow the audience.
The scene with the Marines in the cocoon, with that one survivor, that horrified me
So glad i found this. Love your reviews. This was great. Totally agree on this being the best. And alien 3 should have been about the three of them living together, and then some alien "fun" later. I had to read the novel adaptation when it came out in theaters first before my dad would take us - the special edition really helps lay out some of that info. Thanks for putting yourself through watching it again - the editing was great, and no xenomorphs were needed!
Fair play to you! It's a diabolically effective design! Did you know it exsisted independently before "Alien" ? HR Giger painted "Necronom IV" in 1976 for his own exhibition and when Ridley Scott saw it reproduced when preparing Alien he said "i want exactly that!" and it is pretty much exactly the same! Great review , always such a pleasure to hear
One part in a horror movie I physically can’t watch is the blood spurting scene in The Exorcist. I almost fainted the first time I saw it
The Xenomorphs are without a doubt one of the scariest monsters to ever come out of Hollywood. This is one of best Sci-Fi/Horror/Action movies ever made. At the time the only Sci-Fi/Horror/Action movie ever made. Very good even better than the 1st Alien movie. I can't find anything to criticize in it. Dare I say a perfect movie?
I could barely watch most of "Alien" in the movie theater. I ended up on the floor of the theater with the popcorn and the spilled pop.
I was reluctant to watch "Aliens," but friends talked me into it, but only if we went to a matinee. Turned out, I loved it! It was more of a war film, not a horror picture.
The first Alien movie is absolutely terrifying.
I could barely watch "Alien". I was so scared, I ended up on the floor of the theater, covering my ears and eyes the best I could. I didn't want to see "Aliens", but a group of my friends dragged me to a matinee (I absolutely refused to see it at night). But I ended up thoroughly enjoying it. It wasn't so much of a sci-fi horror movie as it was a war picture. I could handle that.
Consider listening to Howard Hanson’s “Romantic” Symphony 2. An excerpt from that work is heard at the very end of Alien, beginning with the creature being ejected into space.
I've read/watched/listened to a lot of analyses of Aliens...and yours might be the best. While 57 years have passed between films, Ripley’s trauma is fresh. And way to face your fears💪🏼💪🏼💪🏼
Wow, thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Another great review! I especially liked your point about the alien not having eyes. Without eye contact there is no chance for connecting to the xenomorph or understanding it, and certainly no hope of diffusing the situation. Very insightful. Thank you for going the extra mile for the review!
Amen! What a well written review. You hit all the right notes. I agree, the character development, but also the film as a whole makes this film my favorite.
Jerome, you knew you had to review this one, you just had to - no matter the intense ickyness of the Xenomorphs! Thank you for this extreme sacrifice! btw, Paul Reiser has said his own mother wouldn't speak to him for quite a while after she saw this film, so repulsive did she find his character. Anyway, this is a great, iconic sci-fi film, one that I've seen countless times, and it most certainly deserved a Weiselberry review!
Just a quick side note: Cameron was primarily the one who designed the alien Queen. Stan Winston was mostly/more involved in the mechanical/manufacturing aspect in the physical making of it. But the final look was Cameron's---he made the full-color, detailed design illustrations (same with the Power Loader).
Thanks for the information!
Great stuff Jerome! So glad you voiced the same opinion I have regarding the third instalment. It just took everything that the sequel had constructed so beautifully... and threw it to the winds.
I’m a fan of 3 it brought the horror element back and is so under appreciated,but I can understand why people despise it even though I don’t agree.
I don't want to sound patronising, but I think it's so sweet that you're scared of the Xenomorph. 🤗
I agree with every single thing you said in this video. This is easily one of my favorite movies of all time, pretty much tied with *King Kong (1933)* for number one.
I would add that I think this movie has some of the best practical effects of any movie (especially that fight with the queen at the end, the aliens coming out of the walls, and the face-hugger effects). It helps that James Cameron got his start in effects, and he came up with the overall design for the queen himself.
Part of why the music sounds a lot like *Star Trek II* at times is because Horner didn’t have a lot of time to write the score. If I remember correctly, he said he was disappointed with it (the score, not the movie). Then again, the one time during my one viewing of *Avatar* that I decided to focus on the music because I realized I hadn’t paid any attention to it, I also thought it sounded like *Star Trek II/Aliens.*
Most of the ideas that were not already present in the first movie came from the novel *Starship Troopers* by Robert Heinlein, which Cameron had the cast read in preparation for the movie. The power loader comes from the power armor the soldiers wear in the book, the dropship scene is basically how the book starts, and even the overall idea of soldiers fighting giant bugs on an alien planet is from the book. As much as I love this movie (more than the first), I do prefer the weird mystery of the creature in the first movie, as opposed to just making them giant bugs.
The giant bug angle does make me wonder if the movie *Them! (1954)* was also an influence. Both movies feature a young girl who is traumatized by seeing her family die and is unable to speak at first, both movies feature a prominent female character who is knowledgeable about the giant bugs (although in *Them!* it was mostly her father), both movies involve soldiers armed with machine guns and flamethrowers fighting giant bugs in tunnels, and both movies end when the queens are exterminated. I’ve never seen anyone talk about it though, so maybe it’s a coincidence.
Thanks for overcoming your fears in covering this movie, and especially for giving even movies that scare you a chance. Too many people miss out on good movies because they assume horror movies are all about jump scares (I personally hate those kind of horror movies, not because they are scary-they aren’t, at least not to me-but because they don’t have anything else to offer).
You bit the bullet to give us a thorough take, warrior. ⚔
Your Godzilla v Kong review was informative too, Well done.
This is the best Aliens review on the internet. I am doing a deep dive on all of your video reviews for movies and books. Thanks for all the great content. Aliens is my third favorite film of all time only behind Alien and 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Loved your review of "Them." Only just found your reviews. Really cool stuff.
Thanks!
Excellent review. I remember when I saw this at the cinema, I was tempted to ask for a discount because of the amount of time I spent with my eyes shut.
Really great analysis of one of my favorite movies! I especially loved your comment about the movie's "fluid sense of escalation." The more I think about it, the more I think that could be the secret to any engrossing story or movie. I also liked your mention of the Hicks/Ripley relationship - one of my favorite parts of the movie. In a movie that's so relentless, violent and grueling, it's surprisingly subtle and sweet.
I subscribed after watching your Wuthering Heights video and enjoy your analysis; a minor quibble is the marine dialogue while in fact "cheesy" allows the characters to manifest coping with the stress of xenomorphs instead of being on Earth maybe reading a book.
Thanks for subscribing! The more I see the film and reflect on it, the less I agree with that side comment I made. While some of the machismo behavior does make me roll my eyes, there's something both functional and endearing about it.
I have not clicked on a video so fast in my life!!! I absolutely love this movie and the first movie, Alien. Aliens is a great sequel, wonderful characters and fantastic acting. Not to mention the special effects is great. Sigourney Weaver was nominated for best actress and I think she should have won. She was absolutely spectacular in this.
Yo Jerome, I’ve been binge-watching the x files. It’s free on prime with ads (not the ideal way to experience it, I know). I’d be very curious to see what you have to say on it. Personally I didn’t think it be up my alley, watching several episodes as kid scared to death. Now I appreciate the narrative and it’s over all “spooky” atmosphere.
Sort of related to this topic, watching the x files reminded of a video game called L.A. Noir. It’s about a detective named Cole Phelps, a WWII veteran trying to solve several mysteries revolving on his personal life whilst on several cases for the LAPD right after WW2 or during… it’s been a while since I played it. The game has unique mode where you have to interrogated a suspect and analyze their micro expressions to determine what kind of questions to ask the suspect. The 40’s aesthetics are spot on. fun fact, the game developers used photographs taken by the first person to fly a plane over L.A. and San Pedro with a camera as reference. If you ever dive into the realm of video games in private or for your channel I think L.A. Noir should be on your list. Highly recommend.
My mom and I watched The X-Files back when it was on Prime without ads. :) She'd already seen a lot of it when it originally aired, but I was too young at that time. What I did see terrified me. I particularly remember seeing a scene from the episode with the cockroaches... Anyway, I thought it was great for the most part. There were a few episodes I didn't like, and sometimes the big picture "mythology" storylines got a little convoluted, but I had a fun time watching it, especially the "monster of the week" episodes.
I don't play video games, ha, but I think I've seen some clips on YT of that one. Unless there are two games set in the 40s where you play a detective and have to analyze people's expressions? Not likely.
@@Weiselberry lucky you got experience x files without adds. I can’t wait to finish it and see where it all ends.
Also, their is another video game set in the 40’s called Mafia II. It too has a WWII veteran as the main protagonist though as a mafia lackey in New York. I can’t remember if he Vincent becomes a police officer or not at some point in the story. I would also highly recommend it. Even just for the cutscenes. The crime drama is heavy with this one and Vincent is an interesting character.
I know I'm not supposed to notice, but I'm loving these particular owls. Anyhow, I give you tremendous credit. Rashomon, now Aliens -- I would strike you a medal if I could. I've seen this movie discussed endlessly but this may be my favorite analysis. (Perhaps "clavichord" is the musical instrument you're thinking of.) Sometimes empathy catches you by surprise -- I didn't think I had any opinion at all about Drake until he and Vasquez died together. (Gotta love Vasquez, I remember the audience cheering her on. That little early exchange may have helped: "Hey, Vasquez, have you ever been mistaken for a man?" "No. Have you?") I'm oddly happy -- well, relatively happy -- for you that you were able to get the disappointment of all the sequels out of the way before getting to this. You're coming on strong in 2021, Romey, looking forward to more, and owl be seeing you.
In Geigers painting Necronom IV the ‘xenomorphs’ head is a phallus.
That’s more scary than the film!
You should review The Abyss! It's incredibly underrated!
It’s so underrated and was a nightmare production,watch the making of videos it’s unbelievable what they went through.
Imagine if the aliens weren’t the good guys,what a horror film it would have made.
I've been following your channel only for a couple months & it has become one of my favorites, your reviews are awesome! this channel deserves a lot more atention.
Aw, thank you!
Thank you for this wonderful review . I saw Alien in the theatre when it first came out , and have seen it many times since then . For some reason , I have never gotten around to seeing Aliens . Thank you for spurring me on to correct this oversight . A great review , as always !
Glad you enjoyed it!
Great review! I loved this movie. I first saw it as a kid on TV - heavily edited of course. I later watched the extended version and was greatly rewarded. My favorite scene is where the automated sentinels have been sealed in the hallway, and the alien hordes are attacking. The guns keep shooting, and the aliens keep advancing. With just a small amount of ammo left, the aliens are stopped. That was such a suspenseful scene! I loved the space Marines too and their weapons. It was a fun movie. I could have done without the subsequent movies as well. Anyway, great review!
I’m glad u took the chance on watching the aliens movie “nothing ventured nothing gained”. I grew up watching movies like alien,predator, terminator,Godzilla,king kong, Friday the 13, nightmare on elm street when I was younger (I’m 24 now) and stuff like that and i think its desensitized me to stuff but they’re some of my favorite series even tho most of the sequels ruined them but I liked wen the movies had no connection to the prior films other then maybe a reference. Not gonna lie the only reason I found your channel is because I’m a huge Godzilla fan, i liked ur fair and honest reviews of them. I wonder have u ever played video games? I kno they’re not for everyone but I’m replaying the mass effect games right now and I love them, I can’t help but think maybe you’d like them too because watching a movie or reading a book can connect you to characters and stories but I feel such a deeper connection to the story and characters when they give me the illusion of control. Some of the easier games that give u that illusion are the telltale games like the walking dead,wolf amongst us, back to the future, tales from the borderlands,Batman that also don’t demand that much of u in terms of gameplay. I’d love to see u review something like that even tho it would probably take way more time then just watching or reading something to review ( even longer if the game had multiple endings or paths), video games are such a new and interesting way of story telling that has only really been around for 20-30ish years but they have such interesting stories to tell that are mostly an accumulation of movies and books that inspire most of them.
As a kid growing up in the 90's, there was a resergence of "Aliens" toys around 1994...ish. Predictably, all of us neighborhood kids were jealous of the one kid that actually got them, and this led to actually watching "Aliens" as a bunch of 10 year olds. Were we too young? Maybe. Was it awesome? Absolutely. The kid's dad was in the navy and we were already indoctrinated on fare such as Pork Chop Hill and The Sands of Iwo Jima, so space marines was the next logical step, right? So what if it was rated R? Anyway, what followed was awesome.
It didn't scare me as much as I thought it would, it inspired weeks worth of outside play scenarios, and needless to say, that one dad got an earful of "You let them watch THAT?!" from the neighborhood parents. One of my favorite childhood memories. That being said, I didn't see the original movie until years later...probably college. And that scared the crap out of me. If I had seen the ORIGINAL as a 10 year old....yeah, nightmares would've ensued.
Caomham --- Pork Chop Hill? Your friend's dad was spot on!
@@marianotorrespico2975 yeah he was pretty awesome. The dad was in the Navy, and the grandfather was in both World War II and Korea. So when we were playing outside we were actually using his battlefield equipment that he gave us to play with. I was way too young to appreciate the fact that I was going around wearing actual stuff that had been worn in 1944 and 1950 whatever. We would share it. The kids grandfather gave him a inert grenade, a replica (obviously inert but still realistic looking) 1911 colt 45, helmet, jacket, bag... everything. So we would go around playing with this stuff and our imaginations would be full of playing soldier. So naturally when it came to watching movies we wanted to watch war movies. And when we had our fill of those, I guess Aliens was the natural progression 😂
Ah man, one of my favorites !
One of the best sequels out there! Directed by, James Cameron
Aliens, Predator, Terminator 1 and 2 and Total Recall (Schwarzenegger version) are my Top 5 ‘modern’ sci-fi movies. Aliens is simply a movie with no faults. Just edge of the seat pure entertainment from beginning to end. Great review as usual.
That's a wonderful, well-rounded and fun review, Jerome! It's probably my favorite review of this title that I've seen and the one that it deserves. I'm glad you took the chance and watched this great sequel all those years ago and that you chose to review it now, despite your repulsion to the xenomorph. I agree with you 100% about all the other Alien sequels and prequels. The first two are masterpieces of sci-fi/horror and sci-fi action, respectively. The rest are all muddled, redundant, or mediocre by comparison.
Thank you!
Spot on review thank you 👍
One of my favourite parts is when we’re first shown the Sulaco arriving at LV-426 - the soundscape conveys both tension and expectation with militaristic overtones - that low tone vibrates through you,just fantastic,and the ship design and everything is wonderful,you know immediately it’s a state of the art warship here to do business and the whole scene acts as the mouth watering beginning of ‘chapter two’.
Great review! I can totally empathise with those kinds of fears. From the age of 6 all the way until I was at least in my mid-twenties, I was absolutely terrified of the Venusian monster from It Conquered The World. Couldn't look at pictures of it, refused to watch the movie! I did things like sandwiching the DVDs together to avoid looking at it too. I eventually de-sensitised myself to it, and the movie is one of my favourites these days... but it look some doing and plenty of nightmares across my childhood!
I can absolutely understand being freaked out by that monster! :D
The reason Ripley cuts loose on the eggs is that in spite of the Queen Alien telling her subordinates to stand down, one of the eggs out of instinct opens up for face-hugging nastiness.
Like the scorpion and the frog.
"I can't help it. It is in my nature."
One of my favorite movies of all time which you’ve done justice with such a perfect review.
Hey Jerome, love that youre doing abit of a different movie to what you usually talk about :) I also wanted to tell you i just saw Arctic (2018) starring Mads Mikkelson based on your reccommendation and i was blown away by it. Thanks heaps for the videos.
Oh, that's awesome! I'm so happy you decided to check out Arctic and enjoyed it. Thank you!
Ripley tried to brief the Marines on what they might be up against, but I thought she gave up too easily. That's the one part of the film I didn't like. FLASHBACK 1979: Sitting in a packed theater in Ashland, Kentucky the 1st night "Alien" was released. The Xenomorph bursts out of John Hurt and the whole place screamed. Hell, I think I might have screamed too.
Yes, she could have pushed harder even though they clearly weren't interested in listening to a serious warning.
As a kid, this movie was very important to me. I was obsessed with it, and with the aesthetics of the colonial marines and the xenomorphs. It's the only movie I can quote from start to finish.
I think it's really a compliment to the film that you are so terrified of the xenomorphs.
And I agree 200% with you about Newt and Alien 3. I walked out of the theater when I saw what happened in the opening. The only other movie I did that with was the 1998 Godzilla.
I'm a bit late in commenting but had to since this is one of my top ten favorite films ever. Most times I don't like it when a different director gets a hold of a series of films but I think we can all agree that Cameron was the best one to pick up where Scott left off. As you said, obviously it's down to opinion on which is better (I prefer Aliens as well, bigger is better imo), but Cameron's vision respected the original film far better than anything that followed and also adds so much the first didn't have. Probably could have been a bit scarier, but if we want to watch atmospheric build and tension, that's why the first film exists. Great video. Continue to desensitize yourself, you won't regret it. Thoughts on just Predator itself? You may have answered that in another video (I'm assuming it's not your cup of tea) but I'm curious.
Your experience with Aliens feels exactly the way I feel about The Ring from 2003. I’ve always wanted to film a review but I honestly can’t bring myself editing the pictures from the film lol. Freaks me out too much
I had to get pretty creative to get it done. I jumped past the worst scenes that I knew I didn't need anything from. For the other ones I made the window as small as possible and let the movie play, covering it with my hand whenever a xenomorph came onscreen, LOL. I did miss a few times (which led to some squealing and flailing), but for the most part it worked out. Oh, and to get the posters, I used a blanket to cover all but the top of my screen, blocking out the umpteen search results with aliens in them. It was quite a workout, but it was worth it. Maybe you could try something like that. :D
@@Weiselberry those are good ideas. Also, I just realized I could never become an editor for a horror movie lol
When I was growing up in the 90s I had a lot of the figures from Kenner's Aliens toy line. Then I finally saw the film at the age of 10. It completely blew my mind! The Special Edition of Aliens is pretty much my favorite Sci-Fi / action movie ever. Thanks for another great review!
Yes, the special edition is the superior version. I also think that if this version had been shown at cinemas Sigourney would have come very close indeed to winning the Oscar for her performance. It gives much better perspective and adds more gravitas to her relationship with Newt. Btw, I hate spiders, and I totally emphasise with you in regards to the Aliens in the movie creeping you out.
Before Fincher started ALIEN 3 he said he didn't want to use ANY reference ---especially not visual---to ALIENS because he didn't like "Cameron's design sensibility". Thus, originally, no visuals of the Sulaco and such. Later, after he finished his cut and was off the film, the studio asked for a couple of shots of the Sulaco to be inserted into the film to try to have SOME kind of connection to the prior film. The model was dusted off from the holdings of a private collector and provided to Boss Film Effects in order to create a couple of visual-connection effects shots.
I was so thrilled to see this come up in my notifications list. Plus, I didn’t know you were making a review on Aliens (1986). Ellen Ripley is my favorite protagonist of all time and while it is popular to have female protagonist none of them are as organic as Ripley, it never feels forced and there is an emotional depth to her character that we did not see in the first installment, Ridley Scott's Alien (1979). I just love Aliens more than Alien for the aforementioned reasons but I understand why some people may prefer the first one. Without a doubt, the first two movies are classics and anything that came after just does not hold up. Also, by any chance will you be doing a Terminator or T2: Judgement Day review since you did one for Aliens?
I literally just finished showing this movie to my son for the first time like 5 minutes ago. This is hilarious. Thanks for the review!
Whoa! :)
How old is your son? I was 4 when my dad let me watch Aliens.
Granted, I had my eyes covered for a few scenes. LOL
@@orinanime He's 12 and liked it! We'll see if there's any nightmares tonight
@@chrisbenavides3176 cool. I didn't have any nightmares. I hope he doesn't. I was running around quoting Hudson though.
@@orinanime The Hudson lines are all gold
Great review! Saw this on the big screen summer of '86.
Can you do a comparison for the book Who Goes There? and John Carpenter's The Thing? I'd love to hear what you think of that story. I have trouble with the movie but I can't find a legal copy of the book.
I don't know if this will fit the bill, but a couple years ago I did sneak a discussion of Who Goes There? (and its adaptations) into this video: ua-cam.com/video/o6ia08EjFbQ/v-deo.html
@@Weiselberry -- Cool! I'll check it out as soon as your Killer Shrews video is over! Thanks!
I may comment again to suggest a deeper dive. lol
@@Weiselberry -- I very much enjoyed that video. Thank you again.
Tootles!
@@Hum0ng0us Oh, good! You're welcome. :)
Have you ever reviewed Blade Runner (1982)?
What a fantastic movie. I was actually introduced to the Alien from the AvP comic books, and I thought they were badass monsters, but I love my creature features from growing up on Godzilla movies.
I think your review and video were excellent, and your observations on the film were spot on. Bravo!
Thank you!
thank you for letting me know about how utube notifys it's content creators as far as replys to older comments as opposed to new ones. to that end, i was just reading what you had mentioned in regard to an IMDB rabbit hole sometimes leading to undiscovered treasure in the form of an obscure or overlooked movie and how fun that can be. i agree.
my latest treasure hunt actually lead me to a film rarity with Ellen Page not only being one of the main characters but also being cast against type which is always interesting to see.
this discovery is especially rare because i thought i was somewhat well versed with her body of work as i consider myself a fan her hers to a point.
honestly i am more likely to seek out a Veronica Lake or Clara Bow film rather than anything from an actress of the modern era.
according to some of my friends i was born in the wrong time and would be much more at home in the 1930s.
as for the Ellen Page film... i am in the process of trying to find out if it has a downbeat ending before i actually watch it.
believe me... i know how dumb that sounds.
to this day there is a Tim Burton film that i have not yet watched because of what i have heard about how it ends.
if you think that's bad... i am even preparing myself to watch your film review of Aliens due to the fact the giant insects in the Alien films always had an unnerving affect on me.... especially their dripping slime and their acidic blood. wish me luck because it is the next one on your playlist and i don't want to skip a video... hopefully your review does not go into too much detail in regard their protruding tounge with its separate miniature biting teeth....
all kidding aside i am really looking forward to your review of it.
There are all kinds of inconsistencies with UA-cam comments: sometimes the notifications don't work, sometimes tags don't work, and sometimes comments just disappear into who-knows-where. Recently I've had my replies attach to the wrong comments, and just last night I had a whole bunch of replies show up in my "held for review" section that dated as far back as two months ago, and there was no rhyme or reason to why UA-cam had suppressed them or why they were suddenly showing up now. It's a pain.
I totally get feeling like you were born in the wrong time. Same with feeling less enthusiastic about watching a movie if it has a downer ending. Things just end in a negative way sometimes, and that's realistic, but you're not always in the mood to experience something like that.
I don't know if you've watched my Aliens review already or not, but I can assure you there will be NO upsetting images. I am also super freaked out by the xenomorphs, so I managed to make the entire video without showing a single one. (Well, there are two images where you can see a hint of one, but it's vague.) Kind of crazy to do a monster movie review and never show the monster, I know, but that's the only way I could get it done. Hope you'll enjoy the video. :)
@@Weiselberry
i will consider this a test comment and see what happens as far as the notification algorithm...
if you do not get this right away its fine because i am still terrified of hogging the comments section.
i know you had mentioned that you had come across that one song dedicated to Vincent Price in the course of your research for Return of the Fly (the fanmade edits that comprise the various versions of "videos" for that "song" are hilarious to say the very least)
your description of "not much to it" is pretty much dead on.
the next year that same band subsequently wrote a song on their follow up album inspired by the disgusting creatures from the film Alien of all things.
this one is just as obscure, to be sure, so i don't know if you were aware of it or not.
as far as the song goes... the idea of subjectivity still applies but it will never be mistaken for one of Sergei Rachmaninoffs masterworks (although one of my friends insists that it is superior, if not catchier, than Return of the Fly)
in any case, i am not recommending the song by any means, but just thought you might get a kick out of it....
ua-cam.com/video/pQVbFLv3WfM/v-deo.html
at the very least it's proof that some pretty established artists are fans of science fiction and vintage horror.
as far as your review... so good!
i am glad that im not the only one who thinks those giant insects are complete nightmare fuel.
i will admit that i did go out of my way to watch the forth installment in the film franchise just because Winona Rider was in it.
she completely won me over in her portrayal of Veronica Cartwright in Heathers which is still a favorite of mine...
but im definitely in the minority on that one.
cant wait to continue with your Playlist.
Don't worry about it, really. It's always something with UA-cam, and it's impossible to predict what weirdness might happen next, so just leave comments as you will and hope for the best. :)
I hadn't come across that song, no. Guess it's clear that I'm not a Misfits fan, though I have heard of them, of course. Second song is definitely more creative than the first, in my opinion. I think quite a lot of musicians, especially in the rock and metal genres, draw inspiration from horror and science-fiction films and literature.
I'm glad you enjoyed the review!
im glad that the utube notification algorithm allows for a back and forth thread to evolve in the comments section as it is the closest thing to an actual conversation... even if the exchanges basically take an entire day to get back to the other person.
i guess it's similar, in a way, to a long distance chess match that plays out over time ( you can probably tell that ive been watching a lot of The Queens Gambit )
i just noticed that you posted a follow up video to your Aliens review.
your description to that link mentions the added scenes in the special addition which is so cool because that relates perfectly to my idea (however misguided) of researching certain films that have a downbeat ending before I actually watch them....
i am quite sure not too many other people do this.
the tie in to the special addition of Aliens is that sometimes there is an "alternate ending" included in the extra features section.
to be fair... there are only a handful of movies that i wish had a different ending but obviously i always respect whatever vision the filmmaker chooses to put out there.
hoping for an alternative ending to a film is definitely a more realistic option than wishing the film gets remade one day in a version more to my liking.
having said all that...
if it's ok... i picked one film that, from what im told, has an ending that i wish was different (i will spare you from my Christina Ricci rewrite and my Ellen Page rewrite on their respective films)
i don't know if you have already watched this one, or even if you are a Tim Burton fan in general, but i would love to get your take on Corpse Bride.
i don't know precisely what it is... but there is something about the portrayal of the character of Emily in the parts ive seen so far.
i think im going to bite the bullet and force myself to watch the film in its entirety this coming halloween.
believe me... i do know how dumb i sound right now.
Delayed response--so sorry about that! Don't worry, you don't sound dumb at all. If you find an ending disappointing, especially if the final outcome for a character you liked isn't what you spent the whole movie hoping for, it can effectively spoil the entire film. I think most people experience something like that from time to time. As for Corpse Bride, I happen to have reviewed that one a couple years ago. I don't know if you've already come across it since you posted this, but if you haven't, here's a link to the video: ua-cam.com/video/3doHauagWL8/v-deo.html
Love your review.....saw Aliens on television many years ago...it is without a doubt one of the greatest action movies bar none...made me Cameron fan!totally agree with your comments on the future Alien movies
Glad you enjoyed the video!
Aliens is one of my favourite movies of all time.I think it is Cameron,s masterpiece.Interesting that you saw the extended version before the theatrical cut.I like the longer version but I prefer the cinema one.I like the mystery of only knowing what happened to the colonists through Newt,s reporting and the evidence they find.I read that Sigourney Weaver did not like the cut to her daughter,s fate as she based her performance on this reveal.It is impressive that no real action takes place until past the hour mark.The screenplay to Aliens is a great read.I agree that this series should have remained a duology.Is that a word?I could go on and on but I respect that people have real lives to lead.Oh yeah.I read Jane Eyre.She is definitely an ancestor of Ellen Ripley.The Weiselberry influence strikes again.
Again, a big surprise. No King Kong (1976), to pay Charles Grodin tribute of his recent passing, RIP. No Airport movies yet, but Aliens, one of the best sequels ever made, no complaints here. Aliens, now that's how to do a sequel, different. Retain some of the horror aspect and throw in that "This time it's war", tag line next to the one you mentioned and bang, boom. Thank you for that review.
Also, I recommend the movie Bicentennial Man starring Robin Williams as you mention about androids. It starts out with robotics then it turns into much more then that. It has a little Forrest Gump in it if that helps. Just make sure you have a tissue handy.
Also, off subject, ever since hearing you read those 2 stories, I discovered a channel called Bitesize Audio Classics. One story in particular, The Tomb of Sarah: A Classic Vampire Story
Book by F. G. Loring. It's a short story that "gained acclaim as a classic vampire story after it appeared in the Pall Mall magazine in December 1910".
The channel also has tons of other short stories you might find interesting from 20 min, 30-50 minutes to 2 hrs. There are few authors as well including Arthur Conan Doyle. Hope you check it out but I rather have you read more stories.
Another excellent review and hope all is going well. Now I wait for your next What Else I Saw...
Great review!
I love science fiction. I love science. So, I love great SF movies. I am old enough to have seen these two Alien movies when they were first run. I grew up watching 50's space opera movies either in the theaters or on TV (L.A. TV stations had great film libraries). The two Alien movies, the first two Terminator movies and Blade Runner were my faves from that era. They were so refreshing after all the much loved junky SF from the 40's through 80's that I gratefully watched.
I did very much enjoy your review on this movie. I also liked your review of Now Voyager; a movie that I haven't seen since I was a kid. I need to re-watch that one too!
Again, another top-notch review of a great movie.
Thanks!
Any comments about the Colony complex and Jordan family scenes that were originally cut, but later restored to the film? (The cuts were requested by the studio because they felt the film was too long and would cut down the number of screenings per day that theaters could have--ie the longer cut would've potentially cut into the potential profits.
I noticed the absence of those scenes immediately. From a storytelling perspective, I see the merit in maintaining the mystery of what happened at the colony until the team arrives there. This being a sequel, though, it's not much of a mystery. I don't think the removal of those scenes necessarily hurt the film, but I remember I did like seeing the culture of the complex beforehand. There are other cut scenes I miss more. I appreciated the heartbreaking reveal of Ripley losing her daughter (which then made her relationship with Newt even sweeter), and I believe the countdown in the last act actually played out in real time in the extended version. Overall, I enjoyed the extended cut. I get what the studio was saying about the numbers, but with the movie already running longing (not that it feels like it), I don't think an additional 20 minutes or so of good stuff would have been so injurious.
@@Weiselberry I'm glad you saw those excised parts tho. They were by far among the most time-consuming and challenging scenes that had to be created (by the, uh, effects guys)...and they could've just vanished into some obscure vault forever.)
I'd love to see you do a review of Terminator and Termintaor 2.
I think you did a fantastic job! I will probably never watch this film, having avoided the first one like the plague, but I look forward to hearing the soundtrack!
Hey, J. Will you be seeing Alien: Romulus this summer?
Probably not while it's in the theater, but I hope to see it after that!
Brilliant review of one of the best (in my opinion anyway) films ever made.
I just love everything about this film, the visuals, the score but mostly the cast.
The marines have such great chemistry, in the 'making of' section of features on the dvd I have says they were put through drills and training etc.. apart from Biehn who was a late replacement for someone else. Hence why they gel so well on screen.
I can take or leave the extended version. Although in the extended version one of the cast (Mac MacDonald) in the beginning on LV-426 was also in the much loved British sci-fi comedy sitcom Red Dwarf.
Once again great review and I'm impressed that despite being scared to death of the xenomorph, you've not only watched this film once, but twice!👍
Nice review!
I've been meaning to rewatch Aliens but haven't gotten around to it.
Might have to get on that!
Hello, just subscribed to your channel. I really enjoyed your reviews of the Godzilla franchise alongside other films and book reviews as well. Definitely enjoyed your review, keep up the good work!
Thank you!!
@@Weiselberry No problem!
Hey, thank you so much for reviewing this for us. I've never seen it before, weird right? I might check it out now :)
You're welcome! You should!
Cool! Wait..... Let me rephrase...... Coooooool!!!!!! Glad that you took the chance and did a review for "Aliens" (1986), thanks, I was wondering if you would ever get around to it (LOL). Well, with that said, another superb review. This is what I Love about your channel, there is a tremendous amount of sincerity to your reviews that I do believe that if you say, "Hey! Everyone out there, this movie Sucks!" It will be like DAMN!!! That movie must really Suck! (LOL). Please keep doing what you do, until then. P.S.- Considering that you took that screenplay project back in the day, I think you can attest to this, but, it's really amazing how to this day in 2021 character development is still thrown by the wayside and a film that was released in 1986 has more of a punch to the gut then some, not all, modern movies and modern movies still just miss the mark, e.g. "Godzilla vs. Kong". Now, DON'T get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoy the movie, but! Let's be Real, the best parts were with Kong and Godzilla. And that is something that you can definitely say was a Duh! statement, but still!!!!! It could have been better and It has to do with something called...... CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT, Jeez Louise even Dino De Laurentiis production of "King Kong" (1976) regardless of its reputation, it has a certain amount of character development that I still enjoy to this day, in fact, I just recently purchased Shout! Factory edition of "King Kong". (I hope this makes sense as one film fanatic to another.)
I understand your fear of ailens. I have a fear of bees and any other flying insect that stings. Just being near one makes me want to jump out of my skin.
Do you have any Jane Eyre related reviews coming up? Maybe I'm wrong, but I thought I heard you mention a while back that you were going to review a Jane Eyre radio broadcast recording or something like that.
You're not wrong! I have a list of possible Jane Eyre "things" to discuss, and the 1994 radio broadcast is on the top of it. It's been difficult to find a block of time to listen to (and concentrate!) on it, but I'm hoping to cover it sometime next month. :)
Really enjoy your thoughtful, intelligent film reviews. Good stuff.
Thank you!!
Hmmm, this looks like might be an interesting film. ;-7
Well-rounded and insightful review. Thanks for being brave enough to watch it again, especially with uncovered eyes!! Now THAT'S dedication!!
Hahaha! :D Thank you very much!
Your description of hiding the video cover so it doesn’t scare you made me laugh because my wife does the exact same thing
She’s scared of scary books or films and if I have one out or is reading a book she feels has a cover she finds scary she will tape blank post it notes over the image do she can’t see it
I’ve just always found that very funny and have not known of anyone else doing that sort of thing
Aliens is an excellent film - one of my all time favourites
Love the relationship between Ridley, Hicks and Newt - just don’t watch the first 5 minutes of the next film - it’s horrific what happens to them
Excellent review - thanks!
I'm glad I'm not the only one! I once had to reshelve a picture book about snakes in the kids section at a library (with a closeup of one on the cover, of course), and I thought I was going to have a panic attack as I tried to juggle it onto the shelf. I didn't even want to touch the thing! She and I are definitely on the same page. :) Thanks!
Check those corners,check those corners!
Love the review. Never disappoints 😍
just about the greatest, most entertaining and thrilling action-adventure movie ever made. one of the few movies i always feel like watching.
Snakes.... I'm terrified of Snakes.
Indiana Jones: "First time?"
sinemada izlemiştim. sadece anlatarak bir arkadaşımı kusturmayı başarmıştım. hans ruedi giger'dan kabuslar.
Will you review Alien (the first movie)?
I read somewhere that H.R. Geiger got at least some of the inspiration for his art from nightmares he suffered.
If that is true, I pity him.
That our personal fears may make so sense to others is irrelevant. Fear is fear; we're all afraid of something.
Very glad you conquered your fear and watches and reveived "Aliens". As far at the banter and antics among the Marines; that is typical of military folks. Which brings another thing about the women other women in the movie. During the investigation the sharpest encounter was between Ripley and the woman on the board. The woman corporate person behaved like a corporate person. Private Vasquez behaved like any other marine private. Probably the popularity of ripley is she is someone everyone can identify with. As Alfred Hitchcock would say she's an ordinary person in extraordinary circumstances.
The first film is one of my favorites of all time.
I've seen a lot of this film a few times, but for some reason, I've never watched it once all the way through. Maybe I should give it another go. The xenomorphs are pretty creepy, so I can definitely understand why you're so scared of them! :)
I prefer Alien but they are both Iconic films. Also Alien 3 really angered me too. There are actually novels that continue Hicks and Newts story although they changed their names after Alien 3 released and edited it a bit so they are different characters.
I didn't know there were any novels. Are they good?
@@Weiselberry I have an omnibus with 3 novels in it. I've read 2 of them so far. If you're a fan of the franchise and go into them with the mindset of them being like junk food they can be fun. I wouldn't say they are extremely well written or anything.
I believe they may have been graphic novels first that were later novelized but I haven't check out the comic book versions.
awesome review, Miss! was always fascinated with ALIEN and the idea of biology flirting hard w/ philosophy concept, and it's ever-expanding mythology. ALIENS is one of cinema's finest sequels. pretty interesting how Cameron would eventually explore actual alien-like life in the ocean's floor - inspired! ^__^