I find this original movie perfect. Acting, sound, cinematography, music, and set designs were amazing.
This all the way through. I find personally that it revolutionized Western filmmaking beyond the 70s New Hollywood in more ways than Star Wars achieved a couple years earlier. Alien is a film that still presents itself as being made "yesterday." Star Wars seems like an antique in comparison.
My memory of first watching ALIEN back when it was released was traumatic, but for very different reasons. I was around 15 years of age and, as the film was X rated in the UK (no one under 18 years of age could see it) there was no way me and my other cherub faced school mates were gonna get into the Odeon to see it. BUT!!! There was a porno cinema across town (Studios 1-2-3) that would show horror double bills on one of its screens that wasn't showing a porno double bill. And the staff were far less vigilant in protecting our young, innocent minds from all that trashy sex n horror stuff. But if you got the wrong ticket woman (or maybe she was just having a bad day) you still might get stopped (and the deal with my mates was 'get in...or go home)* So, after getting through the Indiana Jones type trials just to see the damned thing, anything Ridley and Co threw at us was gonna pale by comparison. I was usually more spooked by supernatural stuff anyway. Invoke spirits and religion and that scared me way more than monsters from outer space. But it was still very thrilling.
*that happened to me once when all the others got in and I was denied admission
Might the prospect of hearing a Roque Baños score for Alien: The Next Generation merit further insult to my intelligence from this franchise when taking in this film?
By the way, Alvarez' new film has a working title, ALIEN: ROMULUS, which you can put into the headline if you want to (I do seem to remember a previous thread on the topic, though).
This kind of gives me a STAR TREK vibe - must be that Jerry Goldsmith cue from ST: NEMISSIS
I have all ALIEN scores on CD - still hope for a better sounding version of ALIEN one day (I'm not sure if they worked with first genrations masters mix on the INTRADA album - don't remember)
But, I have stated my opinon about ALIEN so i will not do it more as to not highjack this thread - but to sum up again: Have nothing against the movie - ALIEN is a Bad movie that is saved by it's editiing - but it's not as bad as some of the really bad movies out there) - And even if I think it's not the good movie and there are others that like it - I can still watch it - and I do like my BD (6 disc edition) of the ALIEN saga. And maybe my opinon of the movie is becaurse of my facination for the process behind making a movie that I notice these details. That said, I'll rest my case.
One thing I will give you (BTW I love ALIEN). The best part of ALIEN, is before we encounter the large sized alien. Like the best part of JAWS is before the shark is fully seen. Spielberg has told endlessly of the problems with that film and how with Verna Fields they saved the film through editing. But, as been mentioned again and again, that is what film is all about and in a sense ALL films are saved by the editing. Ask Hitchcock whose experimental ROPE remains, at best, a filmed play.
There is no cinema without the very concept and notion to splice together two or more frames of a still image. By this comparison, Star Wars is a bad movie saved by music!
Goldsmith's Alien score is the only one I enjoy outside of the film, and I seem to enjoy it more each year. Horner's I like in the movie, Goldenthal's I never warmed up to (it doesn't help that I hate the movie, regardless of what "edition" it is)--I like other, later works by Goldenthal much better. I wonder if we've been spoiled or ruined for the past few decades by having access to all these directors cuts and deleted scenes that give everyone maybe a bit too deep a glimpse into how the sausage is made. Back in my day during the Punic Wars you might see an alternate version of a film like King Kong that was basically a finished film cut down by censors, but that was about it. I still prefer just about any theatrical cut of a movie over its "directors cut," "special edition" or whatever because the theatrical cut was tailored to audiences confined to the theater experience. Longer versions of The Abyss and Aliens might add context to some of the characters and situations that are enjoyable to watch on your couch at home when you're free to stop and start it whenever you want, but I'm not sure they would have played as well in a theater and they were cut for that very reason. As for this controversial opinion about Alien, well, everyone's entitled to their opinion. But if you truly watched the movie for the first time on home video (let alone videoTAPE) your experience was severely compromised, doubly so if you're watching this (like so many) well after more technically polished visual and prosthetic effects became common. The shark in Jaws now looks artificial in many shots and the monster in Alien, if you're pausing the movie or otherwise deconstructing it in ways it was never intended to be, is, yes, a guy in a suit. But this suit was so fantastically designed that I still got the willies looking at it when it was just standing against a pure white background like it was in The Book of Alien that came out when the movie was originally released. For me and a LOT of other people who saw Alien in a theater, that creature activated deep, primal fears, and I can even look at the ridiculous footage of the alien crab-walking toward Veronica Cartwright and be creeped out because I can imagine my reaction if that were real. I do have to applaud this opinion for being such an outlier but it's also depressing knowing so many people are simply incapable of viewing movies in context--not only that they were made to be seen in a theater, but that their innovations are specific to the era in which they are made. Audiences are no longer required, and in fact may be actively discouraged, from bringing their imaginations to a movie now because visual and sound effects are now so overly detailed and graphic. Jaws and Alien are still classic movies, masterpieces, BECAUSE of how their directors and editors worked around the technical limitations they were dealt.
Also don't forget to check out Austin Wintory's recent release of his Aliens: Fireteam Elite video game score too! When is Wintory gonna get some big budget assignments?
LOVE this score. Austin Wintory always puts a lot of craft and consideration into his music, and this one is bursting through the seams with creative, intense and faithful Alien music. He has a lot of behind-the-scenes videos on his Youtube channel talking and analyzing the cues, and with how much the guy loves Goldsmith its no surprise that the music turned out so well. GREAT score. You can listen to it here (with text commentary!):
Also highly recommend anyone who is interested listen to Christian Henson, Joe Hensen and Alexis Smith's score to the game Alien: Isolation. Another GREAT score, written mostly to emulate the style of Goldsmith's music from the first film in a straight up atmospheric horror context. The name Christian Henson might be familiar to some of you here, as a lot of his music was released by Movie Score Media back when they were publishing their releases on CD as well as digital (I'm a big fan of Black Death, Triangle and Grabbers -- Malice in Wonderland is a lot of fun too!). The game itself was a big hit when it came out a few years ago (truly scary -- if you've played it you KNOW), but sadly the the music hasn't had any sort of official release. The music files HAVE however been uploaded to Youtube! You can listen to them here:
There is no cinema without the very concept and notion to splice together two or more frames of a still image. By this comparison, Star Wars is a bad movie saved by music!
Well yes it was -
Another goof edit is the one from THUNDERBALL where Bond walks towards the stairs away from receptions but if you watch BD commentary hunt says he was looking for a flow in the movie - and it actually works - i dit not not notice him walking to the stairs - then the key at reception - and then back to the stairs becaurse my eyes were on Bond and not the surroundings - It is also showen later were BOND AND FELIX talks at the party even though they have not met in the film yes
So Editing and Flow (and music) helps the film a lot - along with a good actor presentation and believeable sets
Films are indeed made up of all of the collaborative efforts of every single facet of the filmmaking process working together in harmony (or sometimes, in disarray!) to create one singular work of art meant to envelope you in their puzzle or their dream.
There is no cinema without the very concept and notion to splice together two or more frames of a still image. By this comparison, Star Wars is a bad movie saved by music!
Well yes it was.
Another goof edit is the one from THUNDERBALL where Bond walks towards the stairs away from receptions but if you watch BD commentary hunt says he was looking for a flow in the movie - and it actually works - i dit not not notice him walking to the stairs - then the key at reception - and then back to the stairs becaurse my eyes were on Bond and not the surroundings - It is also showen later were BOND AND FELIX talks at the party even though they have not met in the film yes
So Editing and Flow (and music) helps the film a lot - along with a good actor presentation and believeable sets
You completely misunderstand the nature of filmmaking.
The assembly of filmed scenes always has to be shaped, it never just gets spliced together and is perfect. The same way a novel has to be rewritten, corrected, edited - it does not flow out of the author as a masterpiece.
I'm playing the ALIEN (Jerry Goldsmith) CD from Intrada right now. Classic score. And what a bang-up job Intrada did with the 2CD set. 5 star booklet/notes/track-by-track by Mike Matessino and Nick Redman. Every angle covered, score-wise (score/re-score/album/alts). Just perfection for us loony collectors.
I'm playing the ALIEN (Jerry Goldsmith) CD from Intrada right now. Classic score. And what a bang-up job Intrada did with the 2CD set. 5 star booklet/notes/track-by-track by Mike Matessino and Nick Redman. Every angle covered, score-wise (score/re-score/album/alts). Just perfection for us loony collectors.
The full study score by Chris Siddall is a wonderful companion to this amazing CD. There is so much happening under the surface that is not audible by just listening to the music alone.
I'm curious. How many people here enjoyed the James Horner ALIENS score?
Now, which of you prefer the original theatrical release version of the film or the Director's Cut?
I love James Horner's Aliens score. First became exposed to it as an album thanks to Varese Sarabande's CD release. I was probably 13 years old when I bought it. That was also around the age I became largely "aware" of exactly what a film score was. This was around the period of 1998 to 2000. I had seen the film already. My preference to watch the movie is the theatrical cut. It is a breezier watch being 17 minutes shorter and still offers a comprehensive and complete viewing experience. I'll always prefer the shorter version of a movie if the shorter version also works. I don't begrudge the director's cut of Aliens or those who like it more. I'm enthralled it exists for all of us to experience!
(I'm not sure if they worked with first genrations masters mix on the INTRADA album - don't remember)
