1929 replies to this topic

[Quint]

The difference being that this latest dumbing down is being helmed by someone who can be awesome sometimes. Sometimes.

[Wojo]

In fourteen hundred and ninety-two, Ridley sailed the ocean blue.

[Alexcremers]

In nineteen hundred and seventy-nine, his star started to shine.

[Richard]

In nineteen hundred and seventy-nine, his star started to shine.

Sorry Alex, his "lucky star" shone 2 years earlier, with "The Duelists".

[Koray Savas]

The PG-13 trend is becoming a little too popular. Easy A and The Social Network both got that treatment. It was obvious Easy A was supposed to be R, there was still a lot of stuff that surprised me for PG-13.

It's just surprising when studios are censoring David Fincher and Ridley Scott and other great directors. Would WB censor Chris Nolan?

[Wycket]

After The Dark Knight and Inception, I think its pretty clear that WB will let Nolan do whatever he wants. They've been making all their big movies 3D since Avatar, yet Nolan didn't want to and sure enough The Dark Knight Rises will not be in 3D. A pretty good indicator that WB trusts Nolan. Fox, on the other hand, is run by that idiot Rothman so there's no hope Alien 0 won't be PG-13 most likely.

[Alexcremers]

In nineteen hundred and seventy-nine, his star started to shine.

Sorry Alex, his "lucky star" shone 2 years earlier, with "The Duelists".

But that went by unnoticed because the world was blinded by Lucas who turned into a supernova.

[Delorean90]

The PG-13 trend is becoming a little too popular. Easy A and The Social Network both got that treatment. It was obvious Easy A was supposed to be R, there was still a lot of stuff that surprised me for PG-13.

It's just surprising when studios are censoring David Fincher and Ridley Scott and other great directors. Would WB censor Chris Nolan?

Taking it a step further, when I saw The Ghost Writer, I actually missed some lines in the first part of the movie because I was so distracted by the blatant dubbing over of several F-bombs.

[Richard]

In nineteen hundred and seventy-nine, his star started to shine.

Sorry Alex, his "lucky star" shone 2 years earlier, with "The Duelists".

But that went by unnoticed because the world was blinded by Lucas who turned into a supernova.

Sadly, I agree with you, Alex, but that doesn't make "The Duelists" any less brilliant.

[Alexcremers]

Oh, I agree. The Duellists is like a dance, a modern ballet with swords and other weapons, but with meaning behind it. The visuals have a narrative of their own. It's like Ridley Scott wasn't yet sucking up to a broad audience.

[BloodBoal]

The visuals have a narrative of their own.

As always with Scott. That's what I like most about his films.

[Quint]

Ridley's movies aren't as beautiful as they once were, and they do suffer somewhat for it. It's a double edged sword though; telling stories through images can only get you so far - visual panache must be complimented with a good script and great performances.

[Richard]

Thankfully, Scott's first 3 films had all three.

[Alexcremers]

Then came that movie where a young man had risky business with unicorns and a red demon from hell. The star of Ridley suddenly started to flicker. Yes, the forest was beautiful ... but that was it.

[Quint]

Did you think so? It's a cliché to say but it really did look like a Timotei ad. Tim Curry's makeup was the best looking thing about that movie.

[Alexcremers]

True, I forgot Tim and Bottin did a good job as well. It's just that the movie is pretty weak. I still have to see the SE though. I hope the R2 Blu-ray will include it. I wouldn't mind buying it for 10 Euro. The forest looks beautiful!

[David Coscina]

I would love to score this film! I totally would bring in the Goldsmith tone. I love the sparse stark quality of his original score. Still the best of the bunch, although Goldenthal's is my second fave. I think he did bridge some of that quality to Alien3 IMO but just made it more savage at the same time. Wreckage and Rape (the opening) is still one of my all time fave renditions of the Fiorina 1 theme. It's as apocalyptic as anything I've ever heard.

[Michael]

I would love to score this film! I totally would bring in the Goldsmith tone. I love the sparse stark quality of his original score. Still the best of the bunch, although Goldenthal's is my second fave. I think he did bridge some of that quality to Alien3 IMO but just made it more savage at the same time. Wreckage and Rape (the opening) is still one of my all time fave renditions of the Fiorina 1 theme. It's as apocalyptic as anything I've ever heard.

Then start pulling your contacts!

[Melange]

Oh I can't wait to cream my boxers again seeing Sigourney in her panties again ;-)

Maybe this time you wear the Panties and she wears the Boxers?

Or to push the boundarys, perhaps the Alien can wear the Panties?

[Jacob]

[BTR1701]

The PG-13 trend is becoming a little too popular. Easy A and The Social Network both got that treatment. It was obvious Easy A was supposed to be R, there was still a lot of stuff that surprised me for PG-13.

It's just surprising when studios are censoring David Fincher and Ridley Scott and other great directors. Would WB censor Chris Nolan?

It's all about putting the tween butts in the seats. There's lots more money to be made with a PG-13 than an R. You cut off a huge segment of the customer base that way. Kids are the only demographic that actually goes to the movies regularly anymore. Most adults have invested in a decent home setup and much prefer to wait a few months for the DVD and forego all the hassles at the theater.

The best example I can think of this phenomenon was when they made that first Alien vs Predator movie. They took two fantastic R-rated franchises and dumbed them down to PG-13 so they could maximize the tween box office. The result was an insipid mess.

[Alexcremers]

I would love to score this film! I totally would bring in the Goldsmith tone. I love the sparse stark quality of his original score. Still the best of the bunch, although Goldenthal's is my second fave. I think he did bridge some of that quality to Alien3 IMO but just made it more savage at the same time. Wreckage and Rape (the opening) is still one of my all time fave renditions of the Fiorina 1 theme. It's as apocalyptic as anything I've ever heard.

Goldenthal's score was musically impressive but I felt it was also a bit obstrusive, as if it had to compensate for something. When I watch Alien, I hardly realize there is a score.



Alex

[Melange]

There's lots more money to be made with a PG-13 than an R.

Yep. Even then, it seems that far younger children are getting in to see movies that sttrreettcch PG-13. For example,I learned yesterday that my 8 year old Nephew and 11 year old Niece saw Avatar in the cinema. Nothing new I guess. Money talks. VHS Rental shops sneekily handed out 18+ Vids when I was about 11 or so. Still though, I bet it was a case of my nephew going berserk about any suggestion that his sister could watch it but he couldn't. My brother's wife simply can't say no to them and keeps trying to treat them equally all the time in the interest of 'peace'.

[David Coscina]

I would love to score this film! I totally would bring in the Goldsmith tone. I love the sparse stark quality of his original score. Still the best of the bunch, although Goldenthal's is my second fave. I think he did bridge some of that quality to Alien3 IMO but just made it more savage at the same time. Wreckage and Rape (the opening) is still one of my all time fave renditions of the Fiorina 1 theme. It's as apocalyptic as anything I've ever heard.

Then start pulling your contacts!

I solute your optimism!

[Drax]

I would love to score this film! I totally would bring in the Goldsmith tone.

No! Make it original! I'm sick of nods and homages.

[Richard]

There's lots more money to be made with a PG-13 than an R.

Yep. Even then, it seems that far younger children are getting in to see movies that sttrreettcch PG-13. For example,I learned yesterday that my 8 year old Nephew and 11 year old Niece saw Avatar in the cinema. Nothing new I guess. Money talks. VHS Rental shops sneekily handed out 18+ Vids when I was about 11 or so. Still though, I bet it was a case of my nephew going berserk about any suggestion that his sister could watch it but he couldn't. My brother's wife simply can't say no to them and keeps trying to treat them equally all the time in the interest of 'peace'.

Does anyone remember a time when a grown-up film industry made grown-up films for grown-up people?

[Stefancos]

[Alexcremers]

Does anyone remember a time when a grown-up film industry made grown-up films for grown-up people?

We are living it right now.

[Thor]

I can't wait to see this, Ridley being my second favourite director (after Spielberg, obviously) and ALIEN being one my very, very favourite movies (if not THE favourite movie). It's surely taken long enough to have it materialize! And it ain't finished yet.

[Mark Olivarez]

The PG-13 trend is becoming a little too popular. Easy A and The Social Network both got that treatment. It was obvious Easy A was supposed to be R, there was still a lot of stuff that surprised me for PG-13.

It's just surprising when studios are censoring David Fincher and Ridley Scott and other great directors. Would WB censor Chris Nolan?

You can get away with certain things in a PG-13 film. You can drop a few "F" bombs and some female above the waste nudity.

I would love to score this film! I totally would bring in the Goldsmith tone. I love the sparse stark quality of his original score. Still the best of the bunch, although Goldenthal's is my second fave. I think he did bridge some of that quality to Alien3 IMO but just made it more savage at the same time. Wreckage and Rape (the opening) is still one of my all time fave renditions of the Fiorina 1 theme. It's as apocalyptic as anything I've ever heard.

Then start pulling your contacts!

I solute your optimism!

You can do it!

[Uni]

Hmm . . . I'm divided on this one. Growing up as a major fan of the original, I remember thinking Aliens was gonna suck. Of course, it didn't (you hit it on the head with that "perfect Sunday afternoon combo" bit, Joey). Alien3, on the other hand . . . did. As did the one that followed. The first AVP wasn't too bad--it, at least, had the virtue of being fun. AVP: Requiem was a gigantic turd, the stench of which lingers in a mind eager to forget it ever happened.

I was having a discussion about these movies not too long ago with another fan whose opinion largely reflected mine. We agreed that the series went wrong at exactly the point when they started trying to make them horror films. They're not (at least, they're not supposed to be). Horror films attempt to be scary by bending toward gratuitous, graphic violence. When you think about it, the original Alien and its first sequel weren't really all that violent. Sure, there were the chestburster scenes, but those were more disturbing than gratuitously violent. Aside from those, there was a minimum of on-screen blood in both films (though there was certainly plenty of opportunity for it). These were intelligent and well-executed science fiction thrillers, not horror films.

The further sequels blew all of that. They were exploitative gross-fests designed to see how many weird and wild images they could stuff into a movie, using large casts elected solely to be thrown into a meat grinder. Nothing interesting, intelligent or entertaining about that at all.

So, what about a prequel, then? It has potential, I suppose. If it could be geared once again as a good sci-fi thriller--or even just a good ol' science fiction film--then it might turn out all right. I'd certainly trust Ridley Scott more than many other to pull it off.

- Uni

[Mr. Breathmask]

Hmm, Aliens certainly kicked up the gore. Exploding, splattering aliens, anyone?

[crocodile]

Disgusting things happening to disgusting creatures? These two things simply cancel each other out.

Karol

[Koray Savas]

Hmm . . . I'm divided on this one. Growing up as a major fan of the original, I remember thinking Aliens was gonna suck. Of course, it didn't (you hit it on the head with that "perfect Sunday afternoon combo" bit, Joey). Alien3, on the other hand . . . did. As did the one that followed. The first AVP wasn't too bad--it, at least, had the virtue of being fun. AVP: Requiem was a gigantic turd, the stench of which lingers in a mind eager to forget it ever happened.

I was having a discussion about these movies not too long ago with another fan whose opinion largely reflected mine. We agreed that the series went wrong at exactly the point when they started trying to make them horror films. They're not (at least, they're not supposed to be). Horror films attempt to be scary by bending toward gratuitous, graphic violence. When you think about it, the original Alien and its first sequel weren't really all that violent. Sure, there were the chestburster scenes, but those were more disturbing than gratuitously violent. Aside from those, there was a minimum of on-screen blood in both films (though there was certainly plenty of opportunity for it). These were intelligent and well-executed science fiction thrillers, not horror films.

The further sequels blew all of that. They were exploitative gross-fests designed to see how many weird and wild images they could stuff into a movie, using large casts elected solely to be thrown into a meat grinder. Nothing interesting, intelligent or entertaining about that at all.

So, what about a prequel, then? It has potential, I suppose. If it could be geared once again as a good sci-fi thriller--or even just a good ol' science fiction film--then it might turn out all right. I'd certainly trust Ridley Scott more than many other to pull it off.

- Uni

Please post more!

[Charlie Brigden]

Hmm . . . I'm divided on this one. Growing up as a major fan of the original, I remember thinking Aliens was gonna suck. Of course, it didn't (you hit it on the head with that "perfect Sunday afternoon combo" bit, Joey). Alien3, on the other hand . . . did. As did the one that followed. The first AVP wasn't too bad--it, at least, had the virtue of being fun. AVP: Requiem was a gigantic turd, the stench of which lingers in a mind eager to forget it ever happened.

I was having a discussion about these movies not too long ago with another fan whose opinion largely reflected mine. We agreed that the series went wrong at exactly the point when they started trying to make them horror films. They're not (at least, they're not supposed to be). Horror films attempt to be scary by bending toward gratuitous, graphic violence. When you think about it, the original Alien and its first sequel weren't really all that violent. Sure, there were the chestburster scenes, but those were more disturbing than gratuitously violent. Aside from those, there was a minimum of on-screen blood in both films (though there was certainly plenty of opportunity for it). These were intelligent and well-executed science fiction thrillers, not horror films.

The further sequels blew all of that. They were exploitative gross-fests designed to see how many weird and wild images they could stuff into a movie, using large casts elected solely to be thrown into a meat grinder. Nothing interesting, intelligent or entertaining about that at all.

So, what about a prequel, then? It has potential, I suppose. If it could be geared once again as a good sci-fi thriller--or even just a good ol' science fiction film--then it might turn out all right. I'd certainly trust Ridley Scott more than many other to pull it off.

- Uni

Please post more!

I disagree (not about posting more, you should), Alien is a horror film. You can wrap it in SF trappings all you like, it's still a haunted house movie.

Horror films attempt to be scary by bending toward gratuitous, graphic violence.

That's usually a generalisation normally used by people who are derogatory towards the genre of horror as a whole. But it's a broad statement. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (which was a HUGE influence on Ridley Scott and Alien) has no graphic violence. The Exorcist has very little. The Shining. The Omen. Halloween. None of these movies have any more graphic violence than Alien. Yet you'd be hard pressed to call them anything but horror movies.

I think probably what you're thinking more of are things like Saw, which I agree are generally a waste of time. But you infer a lack of intelligence in horror films, which again is an oversimplification, like saying all fantasy films are for adolescents and people who refuse to grow up. For example, Dawn of the Dead contains much graphic horror and wears its horror film tag on its sleeve, but it's known as much for its intelligence and satirical and social qualities as it is for its gore. David Cronenberg's films are fiercely intelligent.

Besides, Aliens is an action film

[Alexcremers]

"Haunted House" movies aren't horror movies, they are thrillers. It's about what you don't see, the dark corners, the noises on the attic. But yes, Alien adds a few 'horror' elements to the whole as well.



Alex

[Charlie Brigden]

Do you like horror films, Alex?

[Alexcremers]

I like all movies if they are good . Example: 28 Days Later and 28 Weeks Later are both horror movies but I only like the first one.

[Charlie Brigden]

I like all movies if they are good . Example: 28 Days Later and 28 Weeks Later are both horror movies but I only like the first one.

I see. I always find it useful to find out people's opinion on the genre before entering into any discussion on what exactly constitutes "horror" and "thriller". Interestingly, I remember reading Danny Boyle was very adamant that 28 Days Later was not a horror and expressed a distaste for the genre, which was somewhat ironic given the influence on it by Romero's pictures.

[Alexcremers]

Are you sure Boyle said "horror" and not "zombie"? The latter would make more sense since 28 Days Later is a horror movie. Weather it's a zombie movie is more debatable.