I think the groundbreaking part was Dan O’Bannon’s note in the Alien script that gave us more amazing characters in Aliens.
“At the start of Dan O’Bannon’s script for Alien, there’s a note that few other screenplays contain: “The crew is unisex and all parts are interchangeable for men or women.” It’s a line that fundamentally altered the nature of the film, affecting everything from the presentation of its characters to the way Ridley Scott and his team approached casting, and it was certainly for the best.”
Alien is a real horror-movie, while Aliens leans more towards the action-movie genre, of course retaining horror elements, but it doesn’t quite play on the body-horror and fear of the unknown as much as the first part does.
I’ve watched Alien in the background dozens of times, had forgotten how it really went. My wife had never seen it, no clue.
She sat like this, edge of the couch, glued to the screen the whole time. And I came away with my view of the movie totally refreshed. A work of art indeed!
Yes. As a child Alien was too scarey for me but I was able to watch Aliens. As an adult I don’t usually wade into horror, except on a Super Eyepatch Wolf tangent, but still love action sci-fi.
I find it interesting how a trilogy (then… However many there are now…) can wander from one genre to the other. It’s risky because you make a sequel partly because the the financial security you get from your fan base. Not sticking to that fanbases tastes is risky but also introduces people to new things in a more comfortable way.
I think it’s kind of a natural evolution. The fear of the unknown effect of Alien wears off for the viewer, once the creature has been revealed and defeated in the first part. So a sequel in the same vein woulndn’t really work, but recycling the creature as a fearsome enemy in an action flick surely does.
I also don’t really gravitate towards horror movies as I find most of them to be pretty cheesy or tryhard edgy. Alien is the exception. This one is a work of art.
I think the groundbreaking part was Dan O’Bannon’s note in the Alien script that gave us more amazing characters in Aliens.
“At the start of Dan O’Bannon’s script for Alien, there’s a note that few other screenplays contain: “The crew is unisex and all parts are interchangeable for men or women.” It’s a line that fundamentally altered the nature of the film, affecting everything from the presentation of its characters to the way Ridley Scott and his team approached casting, and it was certainly for the best.”
source here
Haha I read that originally as “they be robots and have removable arms and legs that fit erybody else.”
That’s fascinating though. I must say I like Aliens much better. I rarely revisit Alien but I might do in the near future.
Imho, they are different genres altogether.
Alien is a real horror-movie, while Aliens leans more towards the action-movie genre, of course retaining horror elements, but it doesn’t quite play on the body-horror and fear of the unknown as much as the first part does.
So you’re saying that one’s a bug-hunt, and the other’s a stand-up fight?
Alien is art. Aliens is a schlocky action movie (nothing wrong with schlocky action movies, but it’s just a completely different thing)
I’ve watched Alien in the background dozens of times, had forgotten how it really went. My wife had never seen it, no clue.
She sat like this, edge of the couch, glued to the screen the whole time. And I came away with my view of the movie totally refreshed. A work of art indeed!
Cheers to your wife.
Looks like she enjoyed herself. 😆
I feel the same way about the first and second Terminators, and the first Rambo and its sequels.
Yes. As a child Alien was too scarey for me but I was able to watch Aliens. As an adult I don’t usually wade into horror, except on a Super Eyepatch Wolf tangent, but still love action sci-fi.
I find it interesting how a trilogy (then… However many there are now…) can wander from one genre to the other. It’s risky because you make a sequel partly because the the financial security you get from your fan base. Not sticking to that fanbases tastes is risky but also introduces people to new things in a more comfortable way.
I think it’s kind of a natural evolution. The fear of the unknown effect of Alien wears off for the viewer, once the creature has been revealed and defeated in the first part. So a sequel in the same vein woulndn’t really work, but recycling the creature as a fearsome enemy in an action flick surely does.
I also don’t really gravitate towards horror movies as I find most of them to be pretty cheesy or tryhard edgy. Alien is the exception. This one is a work of art.