Alien: Theatrical Cut vs Director's Cut

Is the director's cut of Alien the superior version? I look at the differences and key additions to the 2003 cut of the film.
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[@knate44]

Jonesy was warning Brett! As a Jonesy owner myself, I can confirm that all Jones cats are good cats. But are also little shits.

[@antonboludo8886]

There you go. I had one as well.

[@BigBadJerryRogers]

Cats aren't capable of that. It was only concerned about itself and it could see there was something menacing behind him that it wanted no part of

[@thereisnosanctuary6184]

Yep

[@maralinekozial9131]

😂😂😂😂

[@MidoriNatsume]

"I'm fine with directors editing their movies, as long as the original is avatable." ISN'T THAT RIGHT GEORGE LUCAS?

[@Hartzilla2007]

Well Disney might be working on that, they did just buy Fox who is likely to have those.

[@DeanH92]

Avatable? What’s that?

[@shelfenthusiast]

Literally thought the same thing

[@echozgus]

I agree I don´t like changing films you like for along time.

[@AtheistAnarchoCommie]

Look at the watch swinging left to right and repeat after me: Episode 4 is the only version of Star Wars!

[@CaptainFellowship]

I always interpreted Jonesy and The Xenomorph’s interactions as meaning that Alien found the cat to be neither a threat nor large enough to be viable host so it regarded the cat as a curiosity and eventually disregarded. Same thing with the hamsters in the cage in Aliens.

[@mattschwindt253]

Unless Newt was feeding those hamsters somehow they would have been dead after two weeks. They would have resorted to cannibalism like most hamsters so. Then the surviving one would have died... 🤔

[@CSC52698]

If you are a die hard fan of this franchise, then look no further this is the channel for you. Thank you brother.

[@bogdananicescu6051]

Absolutely

[@thecat5872]

Amen, Amen

[@DrMackFoxx]

Another scene removed from the director's cut: Dallas consulting with MOTHER before his fateful encounter with the Xenomorph in the Nostromo air shafts. "What are my chances?" "Does not compute."

[@frankcastle9480]

I noticed that too. Maybe Scott felt it was unnecessary or redundant, or another case of dated computer technology that was decided to be eliminated? Also, the scene reuses music heard earlier at Kane's funeral. My guess is Scott simply thought it slowed the movie down unnecessarily. And we already know the computer or "Mother" isn't much use anyway. One scene I do miss is where Parker goes through the corridors alone searching for more fuel cells, flamethrower in hand. He looks really scared, almost in panic, like we never see him in any other scene. I always liked that scene, feeling it enhances the atmosphere of fear, isolation and claustrophobia. Here we have the crew's "tough guy", but never so scared, in addition to being separated from the others, alone for probably the only time in the movie. I found it a nice touch.

[@bradphippsnz]

@@frankcastle9480 It's a shame they never finished the Airlock sequence after that. Would've explained the small continuity error about Ripley's nosebleed in the following scene.

[@campbellmaclure7386]

Jeezo was that not in the original... Lol i get mixed up. Yes thats a great scene

[@2600BC.]

Does not compute scene is also shown in the theatrical cut.

[@VideoHeadMan]

WHAAAT?!? That’s one of my favorite scenes. It makes things so intense. Ridley Scott is a fool.

[@johnmorey720]

If you didn't know what the Alien looked like beforehand, and if this were the 197s and you hadn't seen Gigeresque designs before, then it was more than likely you wouldn't recognize that it was the Alien swinging up there among the chains in the extended version, thus turning its reveal a few seconds later into "It was there the whole time and I missed it!"

[@Der_Zeus]

I agree and I do prefer it, it's a great shot. It's worth being included.

[@zactron1997]

I actually got to see the directors cut before theatrical release, and the death scene for Dallas is a great shot. The view of the alien in the chains didn't actually reveal it to me, as I couldn't differentiate it from the machinery of the ship. It feels very bold of Ridley to hide pure terror in plain sight.

[@ThatsMildlyAdequate]

Just watched the directors cut the other day, I like the extended scenes but I miss some of the old ones cut out. Like Dallas asking mother what his chances were against the Alien in the original

[@roylangeveld3436]

I miss that scene too. Narratively not a very important scene, but it just gave a glimpse into Dallas' insecurities and humanized him some more. Too bad it had to go.

[@jarekwestermark7160]

THANK you! Biggest difference for me, it actually detracts from the narrative flow.

[@nicholasdickens2801]

QK 4302 That works great. Also seeing the Alien hanging with the chains ruins the suspense. Once you realise what it is that is.

[@roylangeveld3436]

I concur. The whole scene is centered around Brett. We mostly see what he sees, and it works towards that final moment where the Alien is revealed to both him and the audience (effective, even after 10 viewings). There is one shot looking at Brett from above, which works because it could be simply an overhead shot, or the perspective of something watching Brett from above. Giving us a glimpse of the Alien actually flat-out reveals that there is something there, and it kind of breaks the perspective and the suspense to a degree. Especially since you can clearly see that it is a creature and not somethnig resembling part of the ship, like the brilliant scene at the end where Ripley is startled by the Alien in the escape boat; the Alien is so carefully hidden in the shot that we don't realize we were looking right at it for about 30 seconds.

[@PungiFungi]

The Dallas and Mother scene also set up the possibility that the computer maybe in cahoots with Ash.

[@MistahBryan]

I've always wanted to see the UNCUT version of the Film, every scene that was shot, and maybe an image of the original script for and scenes that weren't shot.

[@stejent]

On the beast within documentary, they said the full uncut version was 4 hours. Not sure how true that is, but it would include that crab walk scene with Lambert and that really looked stupid.

[@juggerbecca]

God. Yes. Your videos are the best way to decompress after a stressful day. Your narration is like fine wine, my dude.

[@Cybermat47]

burstingwithfruitflavor nothing helps me relieve stress more than people being raped by spiders with fingernails.

[@-yourandyoureare2different612]

@@Cybermat47 ikr

[@arlobrubaker]

I'd love to hear him have a polite conversation with "HaphazardStuff" about a movie they both enjoy.

[@acey6991]

@@TruDis01 you the typa dude to misprounce water as wadur

[@Alachas1985]

The first time I watched the DC, I found the added shot of the alien in the chains haunting. Not because it, in itself, was scary, but because of he idea that maybe the shot had been there all along and I just hadn't noticed it.

[@carlosgarza31]

Agreed. After I saw the dc in the theater I went home and kept trying to spot the creature on my home copy or at least try to figure out where th ed alien was in th ed landing GB gear.

[@campbellmaclure7386]

Yes i agree with that 100% especially watching it in 4k.... I remember thinking SHIT HAS THAT ALWAYS BEEN THERE!!!

[@willy565]

In "Aliens", they should have kept the sentry gun scene.

[@BirdsElopeWithTheSun09]

Agreed, that scene adds a lot of suspense.

[@Duke_Fleed5]

One of the best scenes. It explains why the xenomorphes are going to attack from the upper.

[@SpenserRoger]

What? That's insane that scene is removed from Aliens! Isn't there more than one scene? Either way it's a terrific scene.

[@SignOfTheTimes008]

Great scene. I felt like I had seen this scene in the 80's but I must have seen it years after its release.

[@carlosgarza31]

@@SignOfTheTimes008 it was missing from the theaters but when it was broadcast on tv it was added back in to give the broadcast a 3 hour timeslot that allowed for more commercials. Your probably remembering that.

[@lerondawkins227]

I had no idea there was a previous take on Brett's death scene where the xenomorph began to crush his skull before ultimately killing him. That looked extemely brutal.

[@BigBadJerryRogers]

It's twice as good because it's twice as brutal and they shouldn't have shortened it

[@maralinekozial9131]

​@@BigBadJerryRogers agreed & this guy didn't even mention it in this video 😂 I don't think he knows about it

[@Gingawhitus]

@@maralinekozial9131 its literally in this video tho what are you on about? 10:46

[@irina1296]

I adore Theatrical version but I still think that the Cocoon, Lambert confronts Ripley, Kane's weapon scenes should have been included in the first place. They also deleted many Lambert scenes

[@SugaryCoyote]

I always thought the shot of the xenomorph looking at the cat in the original version just represented that the alien knew enough to use it as bait.

[@mikereger1186]

SugaryCoyote - heh, nah it was just the petty malice of a predator toying with something smaller; but this time the cat was getting its own treatment. It’s meant to be ironic?

[@BenSlashes]

9:25 i disagree. When i saw this moment i wasnt sure "is it the Alien hanging there or is it something else?" This made the scene even more scary.

[@pilsgames5922]

I personally really liked the DC version of this scene better too. You dont always have to introduce the creature with a scary scene. This was really unexpected and made it scary in a whole unique way

[@Odyssey99k]

I just watched it today and somehow didn't even notice the alien taking up half the screen

[@hak4890]

And the gentle “tingling” sound of the chains…😳

[@residentalien9598]

With Brett's death scene, the removed footage shows a much more gruesome death for the engineer; as before he is struck in the head, he is being violated by the creature's tail, (which is why in the removed clips, you can see him convulsing). It's generally not known or noticed, but for those who look carefully enough at the scene where Lambert is about to die, you will have noticed that when the creature's tail is creeping underneath "Lambert", Lambert is wearing Sneakers... not the Cowgirl Boots she was sporting in the previous shots. That's because the Sneakers are Brett's, (which he is wearing consistently throughout his scenes), and the clip of the tail is taken from his death scene. Pretty horrific in both instances, but... that's Alien for you.

[@thereisnosanctuary6184]

Kind of cheap of Scott to reuse that footage when she was obviously wearing boots

[@sanderflop]

@@thereisnosanctuary6184movie magic. I never noticed the inconsistency until I heard about all the extended rapey death scenes that were originally shot and then reshuffled for the final edit

[@Youcannotfalter]

The cat box smack is one of my fave additions somehow.

[@Savazhe]

I think the scene with Dallas and Ripley re: Ash was cut because it causes us to suspect Ash and his intentions sooner than Scott wants us to. As opposed to the scene with Lambert slapping Ripley, which I think was removed because it doesn't REALLY tell us anything new. We already knew Lambert was emotional, and that Ripley was following protocol, which should have been expected of all the crew, regardless of the emotional quotient.

[@verikan4241]

So recently I convinced a very close friend of mine to watch Alien, she saw the theatrical cut and was disappointed in one aspect of because she found the character reactions lacking . I was like completely puzzled to what she meant, and turns out I had completely forgotten that Kane having a gun, Lambert hitting Ripley, Ripley and Parker going after Brett were all missing from the theatrical cut that I haven't watch since like 14 years ago. Needless to say, my friend saw the Director's cut the other day and now she's satisfied.

[@auh2o148]

I like all the director's cuts better. However i wish they would have put the long version of Brett's kill scene back in because it showed a sadistic side of the alien; in that instant, it became more of a demon than an animal. It didn't just kill, it tortured.

[@daveruda]

Imagine if that scene was restored post processed and edited property when he crushed Brett's scull. It would have been very disturbing. It's a shame they didn't go full out with the director's cut and restored more stuff.

[@yorbasfett]

They should've kept the gruesome parts, but not the parts in which the alien's full body is shown

[@auh2o148]

@@yorbasfett for the original - yes, buy after you've seen it, I don't mind seeing the alien's whole body.

[@Nihilanth1982]

they should make an extended version - original plus ALL deleted scenes, including the caccoon scene. the last scene may be hard to work out but maybe put it in before ripley goes on her run after setting the self destruct. a short run, the encounter, then the rest of the run to the shuttle.

[@grigorescupetru563]

right? instead of releasing mediocre movies, Scott would have made a shit ton of money from a version like this

[@nepntzerZer]

That could easily be done now with some editing software and both copies of the film

[@daveruda]

I found that it was impossible to choose one cut of the movie over the other because you dont want to miss anything from both versions. For example the little scene were Dallas consulting mother before going into the air shafts is missing in the directors cut. It sets up the inevitability and bad feeling perfectly. So I made my own cut that puts all the directors cut footage into the theatrical. And replacing some tings like the Lambert confrontation with Ripley to the directors cut version. I want the whole package because it makes for the best experience.

[@Kresbok]

You gotta do a video about the workprint of Alien 3!!! Looking forward to THAT video, cheers from Argentina.

[@Kresbok]

@@ReforixGaming eso!! Lo mismo digo! Aguante Alien y sus pelis.

[@Skywalker8562]

P Oak: I've got to go with the director's cut. It contains things that were on the director's mind and had more detail in them than the theatre release. A good example for me was the director's cut of Blade Runner. In the theatre scene at the end when Roy Batty dies in the theatre version, the sky is blue. But in the director's cut the same rain storm is coming down, plus there was additional dialogue between Harrison Ford and his partner who survived the gunshot and was in a medical pod in a hospital, whacked out on painkillers that weren't really strong enough and he is able to give Ford more detail into how these replicants are usurping the system. Plus the street scenes with all the street people in the director's cut contained a lot more. The ending was a little bit more dramatic as well with Ford and Rachael driving off through the rainy forests. JMO.

[@jamiebraswell5520]

There are lots of good additions to ALIEN with the Director's Cut and you do a fine job detailing them. Regardless, the Theatrical Cut will remain my go to version, unlike ALIENS and ALIEN 3 where I much prefer the extended versions. Why? Well, it isn't because the scene is bad. It is actually a great scene that is simply misplaced. The countdown to the Nostromo ' s self-destruct was nearly perfect, but it is ruined by having Ripley suddenly decide to go off into another room and check out the fates of Dallas and Brett. She doesn't have time for this and it makes no sense, completely throwing off the pacing and the build up to destruction. Had the scene been placed earlier, maybe right after she initiates the self-destruct, it would work better. Sadly, the spot that Ridley chose to insert the scene really kills the urgency. That really bugs me and will always prevent this cut from being my preferred version. It is nice to see the extra scenes, though, so I certainly don't discount the Director's Cut. Yes, it is only one scene, but I feel that it throws the entire countdown off kilter.

[@dbabbitt25]

"Alien: Unleashed" with all the scenes would be amazing

[@liv4combat]

Theatrical Cut, but Directors Cut of Aliens, and Assembly Cut of Alien 3.

[@SolusBatty]

Assembly cut (at least the first half) is my most favorite Alien movie.

[@ammosophobia]

Aliens DC is the best. Ripley learning about Amanda makes the whole Newt thing more powerful. without it it makes sense only in Ripley trying to rescue an innocent but with that scene, it shows her maternal angle and enhances the faceoff with the Alien Queen. Becomes way more personal and makes it a mom vs mom, survival vs survival, thing.

[@qcdoomqc]

@@ammosophobia exactly

[@KyleMcintoshMAC316]

Definitely Aliens

[@nicholasdickens2801]

Pvt. Snowball I agree. The theatrical cut of Alien: Resurrection. The silly little bug from the beginning is just awful.

[@lizloa8350]

I agree that the cocoon scene is incredibly creepy but I think for pacing's sake that it made more sense cutting because she is racing against the clock to avoid being either killed by a space beast or a space ship take your pick. Also it's interesting to see the alien stalking Brett by silently hanging onto the swinging chains but again what made this monster so frightening and believable is very little was shown. It shocks us as much as Brett otherwise we the audience know too much and are too prepared anticipating further events. The crew listening to the beacon haunts me but leaving it out did not diminish the horror. I am a huge fan of this film and loved seeing all these cut scenes but I still think they edited best for the 1979 release.

[@drago939393]

I disagree RE: the cocoon scene, it didn't really pull me out of the moment and, you know, 10 minutes is plenty of time; what was gained by the scene is, IMO, far too valuable to leave out. The Xenomorph stalking Brett is plenty lame, however; far too much is shown and it isn't even a short glimpse, it lasts for a good few seconds.

[@jamiebraswell5520]

@@drago939393 , sure ten minutes is plenty of time, but sadly the placement of the scenes gives her a lot less time than that. It does ruin the pacing and the build up as Ripley suddenly has time to go explore some adjacent room when there is only a few minutes to get in the shuttle and clear the area before the massive explosion happens. Had it been placed earlier, such as right after she sets the self-destruct, it would have been alright. As it stands, it is a great scene that hinders the film due to being placed at the wrong moment.

[@drago939393]

That is a fair assessment, to be honest. It would have benefited from being used differently.

[@monsmartyrium]

Maybe, but the cocoon scene is interesting because it shows that the xenomorph has its own life cycle and on its own it'll try to reproduce, it's not just a killing machine and that scene adds this new dimension.

[@lizloa8350]

I'm asserting that the scene itself with Brett and Dallas cocooned up is awesome. However Ripley only has 10 minutes to get the hell out of that ship and indeed loses time regardless because her way to the shuttle is initially blocked by the alien forcing her to try to stall mother for time but fails. I think regarding the alien the less we see the better. We cannot underestimate the value of good editing and so much of the full grown xenomorph looks nothing more than a man in a rubber suit. I agree with some others that perhaps the cocoon scene could have been placed somewhere else maybe right before she sets the ship to detonate? It's interesting always as a viewer to see these cut scenes and think why didn't they use them however it's remarkable how much should be cut to make run time and tell the best story. I firmly stand that the original edit remains the best.

[@foodank_atr817]

I was always curious as to how the Xenomorph knew to hide in the lifeboat... Maybe the extra second with the cat indicates the Alien understanding that Ripley gathered the cat to prepare to evacuate..

[@TMxtt]

Same principle as rats fleeing a sinking ship imo, it just instinctively sensed danger and sought escape,. Tho not that their weren't lots of signs something was awry: mostly notably MUTHER doing the countdown and the ship heating up as the cooling system for the nuclear reactors switched off. The xeno likely knew all it had to do was follow the humans and hitch a ride to safety.

[@foodank_atr817]

@@TMxtt but does a Xenomorph understand what a self destruct countdown is? Do they understand English or numbers to know what's happening?

[@TMxtt]

Unlikely, but that sound suddenly blaring throughout the ship and the tone it conveyed certainly could have pricked its awareness. A rat can't know that there's a hole somewhere on the ship they're hiding in, yet somehow they're able to sense the changed mood of the human passengers and the sense of imminent danger and act to flee the ship, I'm assuming its something of the same principle. Also, the changing ambient temperature as the cooling system progressively switched off is also likely something that alerted the xeno to danger. It all adds up. Plus we know it is never far from the humans, so was aware what they were doing.

[@chuckhoyle1211]

I always assumed the Alien was just trying to find a quiet place to hunker down and wait for more prey. Outside the lifeboat was a madhouse but the lifeboat was nice and calm. Also, the light patterns were designed to herd people to the lifeboat so it may have just been following the pretty lights.

[@catandthesixxness]

Or it could have been the entire ship overheating could have been a clue.

[@Firecloud500]

You missed the small scene included in the theatrical release that wasn't in the directors cut of Dallas sitting back into the AI room to speak with mother before venturing into the ventilation shafts asking her "What are my chances?" only for a short cold "Does not compute." I felt that it adds to his character that despite being a leader he doesn't have the full cavalier confidence to confront the alien and knows his fate is already dealt.

[@brokeneyes6615]

I think the cocoon scene underlines to ripely what’ll happen to here if she fails in her goal of destroying the ship, that there’s a date indeed worse than death waiting for her, that she’ll be forced to help thr alien begin the cycle anew. It adds a layer of subtle terror that the alien is sexual violation incarnate to the point it forces its victims to join in. Edit: are there fan cuts?

[@daveruda]

The only gripe with the cocoon scene is that its slightly misplaced. In the novel and earlier scripts it happens just before she blows up the ship. Its like the final straw that makes her do it. And yes there are fan edits. I even made one were the I put the extra directors cut scenes into the theatrical cut. It too difficult to choose one version over the other :p

[@brokeneyes6615]

SirChristian100 LOL, trust me, I’m not an SJW, you don’t need to be went to see these sexual symbolism of the xenomorph. Frankly given the xenomorph is actually female, I doubt the soyboys know what to do with this one. It’s in extra terrestrial female rapist, but it kills men, the NPC’s probably blue screen.

[@LostSoulNo301281]

@@brokeneyes6615 RE: the whole sexual violation theme. That's the point of the alien. From the facehugger forcing the embryo down a victims throat to the full grown xenomorph taking live victims and binding them to walls in egg chambers(more so in Aliens) to start the cycle again. Giger's concept art for the film as well as his Necronomican art, which influenced the movie, makes this obvious.

[@alphawlff]

@@brokeneyes6615 Lambert was female and she got killed too. It doesn't care who it kills.

[@suolasfilms]

​@@alphawlff The male crew were being transformed into male drones, a female host would be necessary for a queen to be birthed because biology.

[@michal13121996ify]

8:52 honestly I took me several rewatches, before I noticed that Alien is hanging there, so I don't think they've taken away the suprise. It's as difficult to notice for as as is for Brett.

[@Mr.Jarbles]

Based on its inception in Prometheus and Covenant I've wondered, when Kane touches it, is that black goo running up the side of the egg?

[@AzazelZaphorOmega]

That's an interesting observation...I always just thought it was condensation, but that's a far more compelling observation.

[@adamgallyot9063]

I always thought that's what the egg will do on its own when it sensed the presence of Kane which triggered it to open and release the facehugger

[@28_ranggaclio]

No. Just egg's fluid reaction after deactivated after thousand years.

[@kroon275]

I think it was just filmed upside to add a little freakiness to the scene. Dont think we were meant to think it was black goo related

[@TeamGreen503]

Honestly I prefer the Director's Cut, although who can say no to the original?! I'm personally a huge fan of deleted scenes so that explains a lot. Love your channel, keep up the good work! Best ALIEN channel on KZbin!

[@JOSH-lw2jv]

I prefer the "deleted scene" version of the Distress Signal where you actually hear an alien-like voice in the message, plus it makes Lambert's line "Maybe, it's a voice." much more sense than the new version used in the Director's Cut.

[@ZiggyDoom]

Fun Fact she really slapped Sigourney Weaver in that scene.

[@matiasmoreno3562]

I think that the alien hanging scene, if you are watching it for the first time, you can look at it but doesnt realize is the alien .

[@redpandarampage2191]

I think the shot with the motionless Alien hanging before it kills Brett is fine, mostly because it's such a dark, barely lit shot of the Alien that audience might not know what they are looking at, especially since they wouldn't know what it looks like yet. The shot is dark and unclear if it's Alien or part of the ship.

[@billmecca8059]

Another great video by Alien Theory, always looking forward to watching these videos right when they release

[@filakyle3663]

After discovering your channel, before sleep i always watch some. And voice and sounds and overal quality is so great, its like watching actual movie itself, getting me into it even deeper, its like playing a game and watching, discovering some hidden secrets. Your work is great. Cool editing. And you know so much, or great imagination, also explenation and so much details.

[@greyone40]

And another great thing about this film in any version: It's a film with Yaphet Kotto! Really appreciate your comparison and opinions. I agree the line from Dallas about Ash being a late substitute should have been left in.

[@roylangeveld3436]

I usually watch the DC because of the awesome cocoon scene. Scott unfortunately clipped it because it supposedly ruined the pacing of Ripley's escape. Too bad about the missing Dallas scene ("what are my chances?") and the early reveal of the Alien before Brett's death. That last one took away much of the joy of the full reveal. Also, those familiar with the first dvd release of Alien may remember that the alien transmission scene was originally a deleted scene with a much scarier signal. Almost like a very slowed down human voice. It made the reaction of the crew ("my God! Could it be a voice?") much more fitting. They should have kept that sound instead of the watered down version in the DC. My ideal version of Alien would thus be the DC with the old sound effect and the Dallas scene restored, minus the Alien hanging in chains.

[@MidnightatMidian]

Yeah exactly, I actually wished there was a version with all the deleted scenes restaured and included, just for the fun.

[@PungiFungi]

I do noticed the signal in the director cut sounds a lot like the opening theme of the movie....which in retrospect added another layer of horror as it means the film opens with the planet that the planetoid orbits with the signal echoing through space.

[@markbarrett4440]

It was Star Wars legend Ben Burtt that created that sound effect uncredited. To it sounds like the Space Jockey 'giving birth' to the chest burster. Horrible

[@hergedurrr]

To be fair to Brett's extended death, the first couple of times I watched the DC, I missed the xenomorph hanging from the chains, I'm not quite sure how but if you don't what to look for it does kind of blend in. I think if you miss it, like I did, it becomes a cool little detail. If you don't, however I think it gives off a vibe of eerieness and it is easily disturbing to see it so still

[@daveruda]

I believe the editor wanted to keep that scene in the original cut. Bc he argued the audience didnt know what they were looking at so it wouldnt spoil the alien reveal.

[@boussolefire]

I love the hockey goalie gloves used for the space suits in Alien. I wish I could get a replica space suit for Halloween🎃

[@TheTriumfAnt]

I've always gone for the Directors Cut, but I never realised that version had scenes removed that were in the Theatrical Cut. Next time, i'm watching the original version for a change. Cheers for the info.

[@MidnightatMidian]

The original is very nice for the sounds, soundtrack, it add a little bit to the claustrophobic atmosphere of the film, director's cut sounds is a bit less effective but very nice if you want to hear everything.

[@davideric8250]

Let us know. I just saw the DC and loved it.

[@TeKnoVKNG23]

Even the Xenomorphs know you don't mess with cats...

[@MonkeyBoyDrinksVat69]

Interesting video, I'm just working my way through the extended boxed set, again; so finding your channel was great timing...

[@dumbleduke4225]

I love your videos please don’t ever stop!!!

[@drdeadbeat1604]

Think it's fitting that the cocoon scene is out of the theatrical cut, it adds to the horror and taboo

[@ps5stuffguy]

The 4k bluray is amazing quality

[@Obiwan1994Kenobi-iv4jf]

9:16 I for one love this addition. Even if this is the first version you saw, you wouldn't really know that was the xenomorph. I thought it was there to disguise itself with all that machinery hanging off of the chains.

[@blaze556922]

Love your channel! One thing you might not have considered about seeing the Xeno hanging before it attacks Brett is that we had no idea what it looked like at that time. If someone were viewing for the first time, they wouldn't even recognize that creature after seeing what burst from Cain.

[@lemming9984]

Did anyone notice the error with scale on Prometheus? The Engineer at the controls of the discovered ship in Alien is monstrous, but in Prometheus it is only 7 feet tall!

[@jothishprabu8]

They couldn't get a 9 foot actor I guess

[@shanksmare8]

Prometheus is an error of a movie

[@SpenserRoger]

@@shanksmare8 what else do you dislike about promethazine?

[@yvesdoesnotexist]

I mostly watch the director's cut too, but I love the fact that there are two versions to chose from. I love them both! This video is doing a great job highlighting the changes, really shows the subtle changes of pacing and structure in the movie. Thanks! What is the background music you used for this? Really enjoying it!

[@Cylon963]

Just want to say that I love to hear videos while driving and at work. It usually gives me something to think about.

[@brandonhayes2363]

I usually watch the theatrical cut. I enjoy it’s pacing more, as it creates more tention and mystery. Plus, it’s the version I grew up watching.

[@anthonyangelico2119]

I own all the alien movies as well as the 2 predator films. My goal was to find the first alien movies on blu-ray and dvd combo or 4k-ultra HD as well as the predator films. In my opinion Im not really a fan of Alien 3 or Alien Resurrection. Alien 3 Ive heard on youtube channels that it went through hell with going through so many directors and writers and script changes. Alien Resurrection in my opinion i didn't like the overall plot to the film.

[@plisskenetic]

You forgot to mention that the cocoon scene answers a scary question about the alien derelict ship which is when Lambert wonders to Dallas what happened to all its crew members. Adds another level of creepiness when we see all those eggs down there again. With the cocoon scene restored it also answers the question of what happened to Dallas (no blood, no Dallas, nothing) -- what's also cool is that it reveals the alien is a being that can die or expire quick, which is why it grows up very fast

[@tjjordan4207]

I've always theorized that these creatures are weapons made by an alien race, meant to take out enemies on certain worlds without risking their own soldiers. The creatures would eliminate their enemies, or at least enough of them, before dying, allowing them to come in and take it over.

[@KyleMcintoshMAC316]

I remember back in the 90s I was watching a special on HBO. It was called Alien 3: Bringing the Screams to the Screen. It was the first time I found out about the deleted scene of Ripley finding the small nest in Alien. I was pissed because I wanted to see that scene restored back into the film and I got my wish yrs later when the Directors Cut was available on DVD for the first time

[@chadthompson7399]

I think adding the cocoon scene also gives us a tie-in to Alien:Resurrection when Ripley8 puts her previous versions to the flame as well. We get a bit of history repeating itself.

[@nutyyyy]

With Brett's death I think having it play out as in the original with the addition of Parker and Ripley would have worked best. Though my main problem with that is whether the Alien would have simply killed both of them as well. Its possible they removed it for that reason. Either way I think its fine for Parker to say its big. It was able to carry a grown man up into the ventilation.

[@USNVET]

I prefer the theatrical cut, Ridley Scott always said that was his preferred cut.

[@jaywunder13242]

If there's a perfect horror movie, in my mind it's Alien.

[@jamiebraswell5520]

You know, I don't think it matters what version the Director prefers. I mean, sure, it is their movie and it is nice to hear their thoughts and opinions, but it is my viewing experience and I will decide for myself what version I prefer. I don't need to be told what I can like.

[@jamiebraswell5520]

@Matthew , that is a silly comment in regards to ALIENS. Ridley was never dissatisfied with ALIEN nor was he forced to cut the film down to meet studio demands on running time. James Cameron was forced to cut the story that he really wanted to tell, so he was afforded the opportunity to let it see the light of day as he originally would have liked. Also, it wasn't made to sell more copies. It premiered on laserdisc format and was a very expensive release. Laserdisc was a niche market for film fans that gave people like me who are huge fans a special opportunity to see these very rare releases along with a ton of special features found nowhere else. Sure, it is all readily available now, but that was not the case back in 1991. The release was not about just selling more copies. It was about giving serious collectors something special. That is what the Criterion Collection laserdisc releases were all about. It was many years before the Director's Cut was made readily available to everyone.

[@Filthy_Larry]

It would have worked for the cocoon scene if only Tilley found it before putting self destruct. Would’ve made more sense as to why you would destroy and entire vessel. One xenomorph on earth = the end of the world.

[@KevinStriker]

@@jamiebraswell5520 I read it to mean just as Aliens - Special Edition, in that big Quadrilogy boxset. Fox did want all four films to have two cuts like Aliens and the assembly cut of Alien 3, after all.

[@lukeskywalkerthe2nd773]

This was one amazing video! If I must be honest: I always prefer the original cut of the film more, but I kinda always look at the Directors Cut with much respect as well (and I honestly think that particular cut for Alien is what the DVD and Blu-ray versions of the SWs Original Trilogy versions of the films should have been but that's just me). But anyway though, that's just my take on it, and since it is indeed the month of Horrors and Ghouls, I am definitely gonna watch Alien (and maybe even Aliens as well) over the weekend! :)

[@glamorking74]

Great essay on the two versions. Thank you.

[@Realist00]

So glad you addressed 5:26. Its removal baffled me. Great video

[@Mind_of_MATT]

Scott probably thought it was implied enough in the movie & didn't need the characters stating it outright. I think I actually prefer the removal but that's just me.

[@xeno1782]

Original will forever and always be the cure for so very many of us die hard Alien Franchise Fans, but for myself I love all the extended cuts of the franchise and by the way who are the 3 dislikes always on all the posts? If you ain t.f got nothing good to say about our Theorizing Brother then stay off the channel. Thanks for all your hard work and passion for the fans and followers, we all thank you

[@amazingamanda9701]

The director’s cut I think is better, I should read the book too, the cocoon scene is my absolute favorite scene

[@curtislitchfield1378]

The Alan Dead Foster book is so good. For a movie novelisation I think it's superb. My favorite part about that is actually how Dallas' scene in the ducts plays out. It's quite different than what was filmed. I would loved to have seen Fosters version. Also the airlock scene. That one was originally in the script and changed multiple times. Fosters version makes it all work and it would have been awesome.

[@amazingamanda9701]

Curtis Litchfield, I’ve been listening to the audiobook and it seems like it’s really good

[@TeamGreen503]

The novelization of this film is amazing. Alan Dean Foster has done some other Alien novels as well, but I'd have to research which ones. I've read them all. I'd recommend ALIEN 3 novelization as well, but honestly just go through them in order, they're all good in their own way

[@amazingamanda9701]

Barry Whittlesey, does he have Prometheus and Alien Covenant?

[@curtislitchfield1378]

Prometheus was written by Damon Lindeloff (I think, same guy that did the screenplay) There was never an english language release. You can probably get a second hand copy from the web, but it will be in Japanese. Foster wrote Covenant, and it was good. If you look at Covenant the movie and compare it to the book you can basically think of a lot of scenes being cut short because of production that would have made a lot more sense if they were done the way Foster writes them. (ie. David didn't actually create the Xeno for one) There is also a Covenant prequel written by Foster called Origins. It doesn't include the xeno, but it's a sci fi story within the alien universe that heavily features Lope, Covenant's security chief, and it's worth reading. A.C. Crispin wrote the A:Resurrection novelisation, and it is superb. It really gives you an idea of how the aliens inherited human traits from Ripley in as many ways as she got xeno traits. Crispin is dead now from what I've heard, which is too bad. Her Star Wars novels were my favorite of the bunch. Foster: Alien, Aliens, Alien3, Covenant: Origins, and Covenant Crispin: Alien Resurrection Lindeloff: Prometheus (not released in English)

[@moeomoton520]

Huge fan, thank you so much for your time and effort.

[@leerhode1021]

I love the original version when Brett is being taken by the Alien, and the light falls on the face of the cat looking up as Brett is taken away. That was a brilliant shot. In the Director's Cut, we don't get the full effect of the cat gazing upwards, it is kind of rushed and it loses its impact.

[@DavidJasonLegon]

Watched the original many times growing up now I always go for the directors cut.

[@mikekelley2877]

Hope you do videos focusing on the two versions of the other films in the franchise.

[@joshpeterson2147]

5:57 Just got to see this movie (theatrical cut) in a theater for the first time. Knowing Ash is an android going into it and realizing Scott’s choice to remove the line of Ripley’s mistrust in him makes a lot of sense, as much as I loved it! The director would want to push the reveal to be a more dramatic twist and the studio would want to plant those seeds earlier so audiences wouldn’t be too confused.

[@hunterc8943]

This video made me fall in love with my favorite movie a second time. Thank you

[@MrUndersolo]

When I saw this as a kid, I really thought Jones and the alien had some sort of bond. Just a theory...

[@michael7v6]

I use to think the same thing.

[@icepelt1001]

Mutual respect. They're both predators

[@VeritechGirl]

4:31 high school hallway fight

[@hocicotat2]

Great video as always, dude! Aside from the obvious inclusive scenes such as the cocoon sequence and the alien transmission, I'd never noticed those omitted scenes of dialogue between Ripley and Dallas before! I think I prefer the Director's cut for all of the inclusions since in my mind, "Hey, more Alien I haven't seen before!!" but overall, both versions are wonderful in their own right. I look forward to your comparisons of Aliens and Alien 3 ;)

[@One_Bar]

I remember the first time I saw Alien on tv it had the Jones/Xeno scene and I didn’t see it again until I got the DC dvd and I always thought I’d imagined it.

[@ps5stuffguy]

I got the 4k today. Has Theatrical Cut and Directors Cut

[@LuizBarros99]

I am still waiting for the "finally released cut" of the next episode of Acounts of Earth War

[@skinneysister1491]

Cats are Random Uncontrolled CHAOS, and we love those little Flerkens!!!

[@paulj5336]

Excellent video again. I mostly go with the Directors Cut on blu ray for the more modern sound mix and laserdisc for the theatrical for the lossless stereo track. Love both versions.

[@crustypaladin]

Man, I love Alien

[@davideric8250]

I just saw it last night ( the directors cut for the first time). I do like it a tad better. Both versions are great. I think I may watch Aliens tonight but it does not compare to Alien. Aliens is by far the second best

[@thecat5872]

Who doesn’t ? Right?

[@PhantomLAM]

I really prefer the Director's Cut. I like the few alternate takes it uses, and I love the new pace. Also, I think the Egg-Morphing is supremely cool, intelligent, and makes the Big Chap more threatening as a foreign parasite.

[@trevorfrenk4137]

yes, egg-morphing is much scarier to me than a xeno queen

[@jamiescott6342]

What is egg morphing?

[@PhantomLAM]

@@jamiescott6342 When an Alien is without a Queen it can secrete a substance that turns it’s victims into an Egg that houses a Facehugger. So that way even without a Queen in an extreme situation the Xenomorph can still propagate.

[@coreydonaldson3303]

Awesome and interesting video as always Alien Theory !

[@spiderleenie]

I have been a fan of the first two Alien movies for a long time. I've seen both movies about 100 times each by now. That said, I finally saw the 2003 Director's Cut of Alien for the first time this week! I saw it in impeccable 4K as well (seeing the movie in this high quality really makes me believe that Alien may be the most gorgeously shot movie ever). I think the Director's Cut was awesome to see, and there are some additonal scenes that I think really add to the movie ... But while I thought that the "egg/cocoon morphing" scene was effectively creepy and unsettling to watch (Tom Skerrit's performance in that scene is haunting), I think it does mess with the Alien lore quite a bit. It really begs the question as to why the Xenomorphs need a Queen. I'd say that at the end of the day, the 2003 cut of Alien is for Alien fans who exclusively love the first movie and didn't care for the "sci-fi action" tone that Aliens did over sci-fi horror. Regardless, I'm so happy I finally saw it.

[@brandbird]

I never thought Jonesy was working with the Alien, and I don't like the Director's Cut version where the Alien slams the cat. I always thought the Alien just looked at the cat and deemed it unimportant, but now the stealthy stalking mega-predator is slamming cat cages just for the F of it? I don't buy it. The Director's Cut is interesting, but 19 times out of 20, I watch the theatrical release when rewatching. Thanks for the videos, and happy Halloween!

[@drago939393]

I don't quite understand your argument. Now, from a pure cinematic POV, I think that the Xenomorph slamming Jonesy's cage is inferior to the version where we see it observe it but are left to question what will come next; will it kill Jonesy, out of spite? Eat it? Take it somewhere? Use it as bait? Implant it with some type of spore (since we, as the original theatrical viewers, have no idea what Xenomorph can and cannot do)? Or, indeed - are they somehow in cahoots?!? As such, I agree; the theatrical cut depiction of the scene is better. However, I don't think the Xenomorph slamming the cat cage is dumb in on itself; it saw a biological entity in the cage, but decided that it wasn't worth the effort to get it.

[@jeffphillips1832]

I vote for the one with more Harry Dean Stanton.

[@sandrahall1867]

Good to hear from you mate, Great post

[@matteorapetti3222]

The Cocoon scene is important also for the second movie: Ripley recognise the nest architecture and, after, knows that the marines still alive have been cocooned but as far as we knew at the time she wasn't supposed to know, as her only direct experience of the process was the facehugger in the lab

[@imbetterthanyou6927]

Good point. I’d never considered that.

[@matteorapetti3222]

@@imbetterthanyou6927 and I say more, the fact that she knows that Aliens have acid blood is more comprehensible with the scene - that was never filmed - where the Alien lose an harm in a pressure door. For all that she knew only the facehugger had acid for blood which could be a defence tool that the adult form could or could not have

[@slavdef]

But Ripley didn't recognize the structure. She was asked by Gorman what it was and replied that she didn't know.

[@matteorapetti3222]

@@slavdef you're right, I was remembering wrong

[@NYYRobThomson]

I always was dubious about calling the 03 edition the director's cut. Am a Feature Film assistant editor and when we assemble the first cut of a movie (usually 4 hours long, never making the light of day outside an editors bay and studio screening room) the one you know as the assembly cut is also often referred to the directors cut because thats everything the director wants in, without studio, writer, editor (on the most part) interference. It's only then we go and cut, add, trim, mix for the next few months to get what is technically the "2nd directors cut", what you guys see in theaters. Though of course we know (cough cough Alien 3) thats not necessarily true if a director is fired during post. Alien: DC rode on the DVD wave of the early 2000's of extended, alternate cuts made for discs that were very popular. I remember at the time everyone making reels of deleted scenes for DVD releases that was a brand new experience for all of us (Laserdisc material were pulled straight from the archive rather then us.) Anyway Ridley's 03 co-operation as I understand it was more forced on him by FOX rather then him approaching them ala BR: FC. Would rather it was called the Alternate Cut or SE. But hey thats my annoying side coming through. Thanks again AT for another amazing video!

[@figureheaduk]

Aliens: DC was released on VHS in the early 90's, long before DVD. I bought a VHS copy of Aliens c.1995 and there was a trailer for the Directors Cut edition. Talk about rubbing it in

[@NYYRobThomson]

Ah the Laserdisc boom. Aliens Director's Cut is not a DC. It's Cameron's Special Edition and it was made in a period where he went back to his 3 big blockbusters, Abyss, T2 and Aliens and made changes for the Laserdisc market. Of those 3 only the Abyss SE is his preferred cut, the other 2 he enjoys the scenes but believes the theatrical cuts run tighter are more akin to his Directors Cuts (though I prefer the SEs of all 3 to their theatrical release counterparts.) The idea of releasing alternate versions of the same movie dates back to the earliest days of Hollywood but home video, especially Laserdisc, was where studios really found a way to make even more $ off this trend. Good examples of this are the aforementioned Blade Runner but also Welle's Touch of Evil, Apocalypse Now, The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, The Wild Bunch, the original Star Wars trilogy, Once Upon a Time in America and many others. And I for one at the time lapped it up. Personally I tend to treat 03 Alien as akin to a fan cut. To see the final restored and mixed cocoon scene was a blessing but I felt it came at a cost of a film that was tinkered with for no reason (and not really a big fan of the new color correction they added)

[@lurkerrekrul]

I prefer the original version, however I wish that Scott had left in the cocoon scene. Personally, I think it makes the alien scarier if even even a single one of them can create new eggs to infect new hosts. By creating the idea of a queen, a single alien alone can't really do much. It can kill a bunch of people, but it can't do anything else. Also, I never really liked the queen alien. Aliens was a good action movie, but I didn't think it was really a good continuation of the Alien story. As for Scott, I think he's lost whatever talent he once had. Prometheus was stupid and completely ruined the mystery of the derelict ship for me and I hated Covenant.

[@batsai]

What a great comparison. Thank you!

[@eagleitalia]

- Great stuff. It seems the definitive cut is still to be put together! Somewhere between the two. Brett's death - the deleted footage of the Alien in Christ-like crucification pose hanging there before slowly and purposefully descending, which kind of links to the sculpture of the Deacon in Prometheus in the pathogen chamber, is something I'd see restored in a complete cut. Yep, for the newcomer to Alien, it shows too much, but for fans like me, it adds to the sheer strangeness, the sheer alien-ness of the Xenomorph. I much prefer the way the alien acts and moves in Alien, just weird and creepy, as opposed to the more creature-like aliens in Aliens. Don't get me wrong, Aliens is terrific, but the utter otherness in the xenomorphs isn't quite there in the sequel.

[@Realm-of-Horror]

I prefer the theatrical cut to ALIEN. With regards to the cocoon scene, that needs to stay out, otherwise the scene in ALIENS, where Ripley and the Marines encounter the cocooned colonists for the first time just doesn't work.

[@drago939393]

Ah, but you see, you say this only due to hindsight. What if there was (somehow) no sequel? What if the sequel was radically different? In on itself, as a single movie which wasn't made with a sequel in mind, I feel like it is much better with the cocoon scene; after all, without that, you'd never get an answer as to what the hell happened Dallas and Brett.

[@JustSomeDinosaurPerson]

I disagree. The entire point of the xenomorph is that it's the perfect organism with unbound adaptability. The hive hierarchy in the sequel vs the cocoon in the original are just different possibilities of what the organism is capable of.

[@pure8591]

Great video as always. Will you be doing one for Aliens and Alien 3?

[@AlienTheory]

For sure, down the line! I have a feeling the Alien 3 video will be very fun to do.

[@pure8591]

@@AlienTheory Plenty to talk about in Alien 3! Dog is still my fav though 😁

[@kingtastytv]

I think including the brief shot of the alien hanging among the chains above Brett was a smart one. It’s the first time we are seeing the alien fully grown, but it blends in so well with the surrounding smooth and dark machinery you only really know it’s there if you’re looking for it. Once it’s tail moves then you realize it’s been there hibernating the whole time, as opposed to the theatrical cut when it’s played like more of a slasher film and edited as if Brett was being stalked by the alien.

[@Anthony-tc9ro]

Greetings from Australia. I would like to say Thank you. Thank you for your amazing content. Thank you for keeping my favourite movie alive with information I had no idea about. I still remember going to see this movie in the cinema, with my Dad and cousin in 1979. I was 8yrs old, Boy was I terrified. I loved it since then having watched it so many times. Thanks again for all your informative and entertaining content. (My first crush was Sigourney Weaver cos of this movie lol)

[@talesfromthe0614]

IT WAS JONSEY WHO PUT THE EGG ON THE SOLOCO!!!

[@Deutschritter.]

he became the egg - fun

[@danbrown5736]

😒🐈

[@mikereger1186]

Bad pussy.

[@CC.DeVille]

🤦‍♂️ I know, right? Those kind of fan interpretations are always so effing stupid.

[@robertoneill1979]

The Theatrical Cut. And in HD it's incredible!

[@hinault851st]

Really great video. I enjoyed your analysis very much. Thanks

[@JohnnyFromVirginia]

Never saw this other cut before so this was a great breakdown for me!