The QUEEN??? ALIENS (1986) - Stressful Movie Reaction - FIRST TIME WATCHING!

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Now that is how you do a sequel
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0:00 - Intro
1:57 - Reaction
36:30- Review
Starring:
Sigourney Weaver, Michael Biehn, Lance Henriksen, Bill Paxton, Jenette Goldstein, Carrie Henn, Paul Riser, and Mark Rolston
Written by:
David Giler, Walter Hill and James Cameron
Directed by:
James Cameron

[@RolyPolyOllieReactions]

This movie SLAPPED! Probably one of the best sequels ever made!!A lot more action oriented but the quiet stressfulness of the first remained as well. Just an amazing movie over all! Onto Alien 3!!! Thanks for watching! Have a great day! :)

[@Daniel-Strain]

3:55 "It's not over, there are like five more Alien movies". Correction - there are no more alien movies. There are just Alien and Aliens. Rest well. You've seen them all!

[@GeoffTrowbridge]

Yyyyeeeeaaaahhhh... So about Alien3... If you liked the ending of this film, it might be best to just stop. David Fincher wasted no time in utterly destroying everything that Cameron had set up. It's dark. Like, s**t all over your soul dark. The fourth film, written by Joss Whedon, is just rather silly. Think "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" but in space. Granted, it is possible to enjoy those films on their own merits, as long as you can compartmentalize them as fanfiction and accept that the franchise officially ended after the first two.

[@MrLorenzovanmatterho]

No, don't, just stop there, don't watch any more of the series, no need to go on, the Alien saga ends here.

[@jjjones8609]

If you watch alien 3 or alien ressurection(alien 4) you should watch the director’s cuts. They explain the narrative far better.

[@TeeJayDesastron]

Should you decide to watch the third movie as well..... contrary to many other people I actually think it is fine, but the directors' cut is way, waaaaaayyyyy better than the theatrical version. For once it shows another creature that is not in the theatrical cut, even though you need to look a bit closely to see it. Also the dc is better paced, fills some plot holes and really makes the whole thing a better experience.

[@torontomame]

"Something bad happened because there's no way a sane person would leave their donut." There's no way I can argue with your logic. 👏👏👏🍩

[@itzakpoelzig330]

Ollie has a profound understanding of human nature.

[@torontomame]

@@itzakpoelzig330 True! So much wisdom for one so young. 👏🙂

[@BigGator5]

"Get away from her, you bitch!" One of the best sci-fi duopolies ever made. The other being the two movie Terminator franchise. I'm so glad that Hollywood exercised a measure of control and never made any more sequels. Yep, no more Alien movies whatsoever. 👍 😎 Fun Fact: Al Matthews, who plays a Marine sergeant in this film, was in real life the first black Marine to be promoted to the rank of sergeant in the field during service in Vietnam. Simple Trick Fact: The full-size queen puppet was actually too big to fit into the elevator. For the shot where she is seen there, her tail was removed, and yet the back of the elevator still had to be opened to accommodate the prop; smoke effects, dark lighting, and a black curtain at the back obscure this. Cute Kid Fact: When filming the scene with Newt in the duct, Carrie Henn kept deliberately blowing her scene so she could slide down the vent, which she later called a slide three stories tall. James Cameron finally dissuaded her by saying that if she completed the shot, she could play on it as much as she wanted. She did and he kept his promise.

[@irina1296]

All Alien movies add something new and fresh to the lore, specially the first three ones!

[@Dylan_Platt]

Glad you liked this one, easily one of the all time best. If you haven't heard it before, the story of James Cameron pitching his idea for an Alien sequel to Fox executives is classic: he came in the room and wrote "Alien" on a chalkboard. Gave it a second, then wrote a big S at the end, making it Aliens. He looked at the execs for a second, then turned back around and drew two lines through the S, turning it into a dollar sign. They hired him.

[@inarar5334]

This story and Talladega Nights pitch (story goes it was just "Will Ferrell is a NASCAR driver") are some of my favorites.

[@Dreamfox-df6bg]

Cameron had a little training for 'Aliens' in Roger Corman's movie 'Galaxy of Terror' (1981). So he knew what he was doing.

[@crownprincesebastianjohano7069]

Horner did a great score. One can definitely hear cues from his work in Star Trek II and III in it as well.

[@Purple_Buffalo]

Promised 7 weeks to score but only had 2 because Cameron couldn't lock the cut. Then James took it and chopped it all to pieces in the edit. Unless you listen for it, you don't notice the hard and clunky transitions.

[@narkybark]

There's one scene in the director's cut that really should've been in the theatrical. At the hospital, Ripley learns that her daughter, who was 11 when she left, died in her mid-60s just a few years prior. We get a short mourning scene with Ripley, and it adds to why she's so defensive of Newt.

[@PungiFungi]

Yes, but the theatrical cut already showed us enough. I always thought that they cut this out because there was nothing in the first movie to suggest Ripley was a mother and perhaps they felt this scene felt like a tack on revisionism.

[@LukeLovesRose]

If it wasnt for the Special Edition, we wouldnt have Alien Isolation

[@garyglaser4998]

Personally, I thought the whole "Ripley had a daughter who's now dead thing" was laying it on a little thick. I prefer in this version, we think Ripley is childless, probably because of her chosen career, and finally finds feelings of motherhood for the first time with Newt.

[@LukeLovesRose]

@@garyglaser4998 Thick?? Trust me when I tell you that the whole daughter subplot is completely necessary for this movie to be as great as it is. If you don't understand why then you don't understand this movie. You do not understand James Cameron as an artist.

[@garyglaser4998]

@@LukeLovesRose LOL. Settle down, Beavis. I'm entitled to my opinion. And I honestly didn't know your lips were so attached to Cameron's pucker. My mistake.

[@DoctorWhoBookClub]

Fun facts: Gene Roddenberry based the character of Star Trek: The Next Generation's security chief "Tasha Yar" on Jenette Goldstein's space marine character "Vasquez" from this movie. Tasha's character was originally a Latina named "Lt. Macha Hernandez." Marina Sirtis (Counselor Troi) originally auditioned for the security chief role and Denise Crosby (Tasha Yar) auditioned for the part of ship's counselor, but the roles were later swapped during the casting process. Jenette Goldstein would later go on to play John Connor's adoptive mother (and briefly the T-1000) in James Cameron's Terminator 2. Cameron would cast her again for a cameo in Titanic. Cameron recycles the mech-suit fight for the end battle in the first Avatar movie.

[@MsAlexisPiazza]

Jenette Goldstein also has a cameo in Star Trek Generations... if you look hard enough 🙂

[@nathanfitzgearl650]

No wonder Tasha Yar had a butch haircut like Vasquez!

[@69coolchris]

Jeanette Goldstein (Vasquez) also played John Connors foster mother in Terminator 2. Bill Paxton (Hudson) and Lance Henriksen (Bishop) co-starred with her in the excellent horror film Near Dark (1987).

[@ivanw2080]

Michael Biehn was amazing as Hicks in this movie as Corporal Hicks! He owes a huge majority of his fame to James Cameron, as Michael Biehn seems to primarily be known for his military associated roles, and to list a few; - Sergeant Kyle Reese from The Terminator (1984), - Corporal Dwayne Hicks from ALIENS (1986), - Lieutenant Hiram Coffey from The Abyss (1989), - USN SEAL Commander Charles Anderson from The Rock (1996) [Yes, I know James Cameron wasn't involved in this one, but it's still a military role so I decided to count it anyway] - Maybe you can also kinda of count AVATAR (2009) because he was almost cast as Colonel Miles Quaritch, but wasn't because Cameron didn't want audiences to associate the movie with ALIENS too because Sigourney Weaver was cast in AVATAR too. Also have you ever noticed that it seems like James Cameron has this twisted joke going on between him and Michael Biehn in that the characters he portrays always have to be bitten in some shape or form? I ask this because it's happened for all three of his roles in all three of Cameron's movies he's starred in. The instances of this are listed below: - THE TERMINATOR: When Kyle Reese saves Sarah Connor, she tries to escape and he stops her from doing so, but she retaliates by biting his hand to get him to let go of her. - ALIENS: When they first find Newt and Corporal Hicks reaches out to her to get her out of the hole in the ground, she bites his reaching hand like an animal. - THE ABYSS: When Lieutenant Coffey is fighting Bud and has him in a chokehold getting ready to kill him, Bud bites his arm to break free Kyle Reese has cited James Cameron as of his very good friends in the film industry, but apparently James Cameron likes to push the envelope to see how much he can abuse his "friends" on set. James Cameron even said one time in a Lifetime Achievement interview "It's not enough to succeed, your friends must also suffer", which definitely seems to be a quote he lives by when it comes to his film work LOL

[@inarar5334]

I also love how "xenomorph" was meant to indicate "we don't know what the hell it is" (especially with Hicks response of "it's a bug hunt") but now is what people refer to the alien race as.

[@paratus04]

Exactly. Xeno means “foreign or alien” morph means “to undergo a change or transformation.” It’s a generic word that perfectly describes an alien that starts as a facehugger, morphs into a chestburster, & finally transforms into an adult Alien.

[@itzakpoelzig330]

Morph comes from the Greek word morphe, which means shape or form. (Morphosis means a change of form, as in metamorphosis). So xenomorph just means "alien shaped", which these creatures definitely are!

[@boristurovskiy351]

"The queen looks sexy" HR Giger has entered the chat:)

[@diggerdog9205]

I was like whaaaaaat

[@MrTbk1701]

If you haven’t watched the abyss i’d recommend that one too. It is another good James Cameron film.

[@diggerdog9205]

Yes!

[@miller-joel]

Wait a couple of months until it comes out remastered in 4K.

[@MrTbk1701]

@@miller-joel I will watch that for sure.

[@ivanholguin164]

Much like the previous movie ALIEN, this movie actually takes alot of cliches from the 50's and molds it into something new that seems fresh and original. This movie in a sense is primarily a remake of the 1954 sci-fi monster movie "THEM!", which actually takes a lot of scenes directly from the movie (from the opening scenes and beginning investigations, from the silent and traumatized little girl they found who survived the ordeal, from the final battle of using flamethrowers on the eggs and its nest, etc.). One of the primary differences is this movie obviously involves Aliens while the original movie involved Giant Killer Ants. This is a wonderful entertaining sequel that adds to the previous ALIEN movie, but also pays tribute to the forgotten monster movies of the 50's!

[@irina1296]

Alien and Aliens don't seem fresh and original. They ARE fresh & original. THEM was a great movie indeed but having similar "external" things like openings, crews doesn't mean it inspired the Alien series. Did THEM had a black guy who didn't die first? Or a SINGLE female heroine who survived? Call me at least one pre-Alien monster movie that had similar life cycle?

[@itzakpoelzig330]

Inspiration doesn't mean exactly the same, beat-for-beat. Unless there are more differences than similarities, it would be called a remake. Or plagiarism.

[@ivanholguin164]

@@itzakpoelzig330 That's true, though I think it's kind of tough to consider a movie as plagiarism IMO, because all ideas in general come from somewhere. But your earlier statement about "Unless there are more differences than similarities, it would be called a remake." is a pretty good rule of thumb IMO. Peter Weller who played Robocop (1987) said this in an interview about film, especially modern movies which I think is 100% true, which was along the lines of: “Movies are all connective tissue, there's no film made in a vacuum. They're all ripping off somebody else, and even the first earlier films are ripping off narrative art, and that narrative art is ripping off some mosaics at a wall, and those mosaics on a wall are ripping off the caves of Lascaux, which are about 2,000 years ago, and that's ripping off Egypt and so on and so forth. It's all one connective tissue; which is why I study Art History. Art History is Film History. All of it is just visual connective entertainment, that which leverages the intelligence and it gives you an aesthetic delight.” Which I think is spot on, so I personally don’t mind if a movie is ripping off another one (whether if it’s by a lot or a little) so long it’s done well or if it’s done in a way that make it feel like it’s fresh and original.

[@itzakpoelzig330]

@@ivanholguin164 Yes, it would have to be a pretty exact copy and pretty disrespectfully done before I would consider something copied from one movie to another as plagiarism. I'm not sure what the laws are about remakes, but I would guess that you have to buy the rights to a story, unless the story is old enough to be in the public domain. But there's probably a lot of wiggle-room because I can't imagine that spoof directors buy the rights to every single thing they're going to spoof in their movie? I mean, Mel Brooks would be broke. I was just a little taken aback by irina1296's insistence that Alien is NOT inspired by Them, because some things are different between the movies. I haven't seen Them, so I can't speak to the influence it may have had on Alien. I was just trying to make the point that things can be inspired by something without necessarily having everything in common with that something.

[@marthachlipala4538]

"Yeah something bad happened, because there is no way a sane person would leave a donut"...AGREE.

[@Cest_Moi]

Went to Alien3 with a group of friends and we were major Aliens fans. We were so excited, singing aloud with the music before the movie, having a great amazing time. Walked out of the theater at the end, PISSED OFF, so depressed and angry. I am not kidding...if you have any love for these characters at all, you don't want the next one or any of the following ones. I know you are going to watch them anyway, but it hurts to see others get emotionally damaged as well.

[@DoctorWhoBookClub]

In the same vein, Terminator 1 & 2 form a perfect duo-logy and there are no other Terminator films. The TV show "The Sarah Connor Chronicles" is the only other Terminator-related media thing worth mentioning.

[@jeffthompson9622]

I was offended by 3, also. I enjoyed 4, in spite of its comic book quality, but Alien and Aliens are far superior.

[@martinstallard2742]

8:16 the APC or "Batmobile" as you called it was an old aircraft tug that was repurposed for this film 33:47 queen takes bishop checkmate

[@williamjones6031]

1. Private Hudson: "Hey Vasquez, have you ever been mistaken for a man?" Private Vasquez: "No. Have you?" BEST dialog in the film🤣 2. Carrie Henn/Newt now has the nickname: Scream 3. The late Bill Paxton(RIP) is the only actor to have his character die in the Alien, Predictor and Terminator series. He plays Hudson in this one. 4. MIchael Biehn/Hicks also played Reese in Terminator. 5. Lance Henriksen/Bishop also had a minor role in Terminator as well. 6. Bishop ends up the hero after all. 7. At a special screening Paul Rudd's/Burke mother actually stood and clapped when he got his😎

[@AlphaLuna]

People forget MOST of the scifi elements of this Movie inspired Halo. So yeah the ship, marines and weapons have a Halo feeling for a reason:p

[@KeysundKreisPlaylists_Colt]

Hicks is Kyle Reese in Terminator 1 :)

[@jc296x]

The feeling of claustrophobia in this from the camerawork is incredible. Reminds me of the same feeling Cameron gave us in The Abyss. Makes you want to spend the rest of the day outside lol

[@hyzenthlay7151]

Al Matthews (Serg. Apone) used to live not far from me before he passed away. Very private man, but also very friendly... AND HE HAD ONE OF THE PULSE RIFLES!! his house was full of music awards for his composing too!!

[@ZeroOskul]

So the main sequences of the movie were shot in England, and "Berk" is a british slang insult that means "stupid fool" so Burke is very aptly named.

[@johnmoreland6089]

Great reaction. Shame it wasn’t the Director’s Cut though, as it’s even better. Better fleshed out story and characters.

[@inarar5334]

Horner was so constantly behind because of all the difficulties he ended up pulling musical passages right from Wrath of Khan.

[@JoeCensored]

Fun fact, the actress for Vasquez played the step mom in Terminator 2.

[@sitebstudios]

This is a masterpiece. They don't make movies like this anymore. My mom took me to see this in theaters when I was 6. Unforgettable experience. Great reaction!

[@bryanobrien2726]

Awesome .

[@jotham777]

At 6? My mother wouldn’t let me see Jaws when I was 10.

[@GrumpyOldGuyPlaysGames]

Science fiction writer Brian D. Anderson once figured out that, given we are literally told that the Acheron colony (on planet LV-428) housed 158 people, we can figure out how many of the monsters are left when the air processing planet detonates.. Now, we subtract one for Newt, and you get a maximum number of 157 xenomorphs, including the queen. He then made a visual tally of how many xenomorphs are killed onscreen, and came to the conclusion that, by the time Ripley is making her one-woman invasion of the nest, the reason she has such a comparatively easy time of it is that there cannot be more than between around 10 and 15 xenomorphs left alive (plus or minute two or three xenomorphs), including the queen.

[@crownprincesebastianjohano7069]

Interestingly enough, Ollie, the budget for this film was low for its genre. Despite his success with Terminator, studios still thought Cameron was green. So they kept the spending very tight. Cameron was initially VFX artist and knew how to stretch a budget. But, on some shots it is apparent that the model-work was not ILM level.

[@SBaby]

This is definitely a sequel done right. Unfortunately, this is also where the Alien series by in large, peaks. Temper your expectations from here on.

[@nailbiter976]

Its funny u should mention the Batmobile because the chemical plant scenes in Batman (1989) and the colony/xeno hive scenes in Aliens were both filmed at the same location which was in the disused Acton Lane Power Station in West London.

[@mjducharme]

I'm a composer and sometimes work on short films. The percussion instrument you describe is called an "Anvil".

[@mjducharme]

The same instrument is used in Titanic I believe, in the sequence where it hits the iceberg.

[@gallendugall8913]

The xenomorphs are actually very easy to defeat. They won't attack anyone who has liked, subscribed and set notifications to all.

[@AmberSmith-zx2rp]

Uh, you're kind of mistaken, there were no Alien movies made after this one.

[@auntvesuvi3872]

Thanks, Oliver! 👾 The director's cut better explains why 'Ripley' became so attached to 'Newt' so quickly. #RolyPolyOllie #JamesCameron #Aliens

[@PungiFungi]

Who thought Ripley became so attached to Newt so quickly? Only those who need to find a reason to see the extended cut. There’s nothing the extended cut could accomplish in terms of characterization the theatrical cut didn’t already.

[@miller-joel]

@@PungiFungi Wrong. The so-called "special edition" is the original cut the director intended people to see. The theatrical mutilation creates a couple of plot holes. For example, the fact that a child is the only survivor of a colony of 158 people is ridiculous, unless you learn she played in the air ducts all the time, and she was the only one small enough to fit in some of them.

[@PungiFungi]

@@miller-joel wrong to you who never saw the theatrical cut first and if you did , it is because you did not pay attention to the clues that hinted on how Newt survived. In the end, why should we know how she survived? I’ve been in this debate with you before. If you need to label your point of view right and other peoples as wrong goes to show how shakey your position is.

[@miller-joel]

@@PungiFungi I did see the theatrical cut first, and I did pay attention. There were no "clues." Cameron was forced to cut those scenes, and didn't rewrite or film extra "clues" to make up for it. Those "clues" were not necessary in the first place, because he had already set that up in the colony scene. So you're just making **** up. Yes, it is necessary to know why she's the only survivor, so the story makes sense. If you don't understand why plot holes are bad, you don't even have an argument.

[@PungiFungi]

@@miller-joel the problem with your argument is that there are plot holes where there aren’t any in regards to Newt’s survival. I saw enough clues , and there were several in the film, to know how Newt survived, it is not your place to tell me what I was thinking. You obviously needed the extended version so you obviously missed the clues and hence thought there weren’t any. Your argument rests on putting words in my mouth and dictated to me what I saw or didn’t saw. Hence it is no argument at all. In the end, this was Ripley’s story, whoever was the colony’s sole survivor ( and at least one other person survived long enough to be found before she died… how SHE survived that long?) and how the survivor lived is something that is not needed to be known. Sorry if I am more observant than you.

[@daannzzz7415]

Go into Alien 3 understanding that it is way different from the first two. As you said sequels need to go in a different direction but retain some of what made the previous films great. Alien 3 has some incredible sets an cinematography as well as acting. Yes there are some poor choice but also issues that were out of the directors control.

[@Joe-hh8gd]

Another reason why the director's cut of #3 is the one to see. Fincher's preferred version, though he's negative on both.

[@Osprey850]

I kind of wish that others wouldn't tell him (even jokingly) to not bother with Alien 3, since he's obviously going to watch it, anyways. I think that it's more constructive to warn him to expect something different, as you did, so that he's not too disappointed and can appreciate its strengths instead of focusing too much on its weaknesses.

[@ZeroOskul]

Alien3? Go look at the title, again, it's a lowercase cursive "z" not a 3.

[@SBaby]

@@Osprey850 We're not telling him NOT to watch it. We're just saying he should watch it with tempered expectations.

[@Osprey850]

@@SBaby A few people in replies to his top comment suggested that he stop now.

[@staceytuhey9372]

Honestly I think the Xenomorph is the scariest, best designed movie monster!

[@olatron]

This is perhaps the pinnacle of traditional film making. Apparently after first airing, several companies made desperate enquiries as to where they could buy a mech loader, it's so convincing and realistic.

[@AlanCanon2222]

Since you're a 2001: a Space Odyssey expert now, you'll appreciate that the opening music cues by James Horner are reminiscent of the Gayane Ballet Suite by Khachaturian in the establishing shots of the Discovery One in the "JUPITER MISSION: 18 MONTHS LATER" section of 2001. I also note that the suits worn by the company executives show an influence from the costume design of 2001, particularly Floyd and Smyslov's suits. In both cases, you get a recognizable 20th century design gently extrapolated into the future. Lapels and collars have different configurations than they do in the time the films were made, but they're still more or less lapels and collars. This kind of mundane, everyday detail grounds the films as being "of our world", a future that we ourselves might look forward to -- or fear. The set decoration in Day the Earth Stood Still does this in another way: Klaatu is constantly fiddling with the "alien" human objects around him (a wind-up music box, the professor's delicate pipe).

[@darrenc2721]

There is a deleted scene, Ripley finds Burke strung up later for implantation. Ripley gives him a hand grenade. The explosion I think, is still in the film just before she stumbles into the alien queen. There is a similar scene in Alien, where they cut Ripley finding Dallas in the same predicament. There is also a fun directv commercial where Weaver reprises her role for a cable tv advert. She wears the power loader gear and confronts the Queen yet again! You should see it!

[@Sgt_Glory]

"well I am your brother!" I spat my tea out on my chin 🤣

[@bradbarter8314]

It's great that you recognized the late Bill Paxton RIP as James Cameron just like John Carpenter likes to reuse his actors in different movies. But for some reason people never seem to recognize or make the Terminator connection. Bill Paxton as well as Michael Biehn (pronounced bean) who played Kyle Reese in Terminator and Bill Paxton played a punk at the beginning who took out a switchblade knife and Lance Henriksen who played Bishop was a cop at the police station where Reese was interrogated. Also Vasquez was in Termintor 2 as young John Connor's Foster Mom.

[@vendelayindustries]

"-The queen is sexy!"

[@WilAdams]

I notice that whenever people 'react' to a James Cameron film they always notice Bill Paxton, and some times they notice Michael Bean, as having been in most James Cameron films, but they never seem to notice Janette Goldstein who is also usually in James Cameron films. That's right. The woman who plays John Connor's foster mother, in T2 also plays the mother of the two poor kids who she puts to bed as the Titanic sinks near the end of the film is Janette Goldstein. In this film, Janette plays the Hispanic marine, Vasquez. When you look across her resume--which includes a role in the Star Trek movie franchise--you can see how talented an actress she is.

[@KeysundKreisPlaylists_Colt]

They needed 12 people to control the Queen and the Kid is a teacher today :)

[@atti97]

See the Special Edition (Director's Cut). 17 minute longer than the Theatrical Cut version.

[@jasoncaldwell5627]

One thing- there's no computer effects in the movie. The nuclear explosion is traditional animation. All the Xenomorphs are practical, the ships are all models as is Hadley's Hope (the town) itself. This has a Director's Cut that adds a bit of really cool insight- like Ripley had a daughter that lived and died in the decades she was away. There's also a killer scene with two automatic cannons that are set up to shoot at anything that moved. That scene showed the Xenomorphs learn from their mistakes. They won't just endlessly walk into incoming fire.

[@mikemuir0178]

If you ever get the chance, watch the programs that tell how Aliens was made. The way James Cameron did special effect was nothing short of genius.

[@claya7580]

Like the tips of her fingers actually sweating in the first movie, she had so much adrenaline in her system when she climbed the ladder from the open outer door with just her arms, not even using her feet, coolest shot ever!

[@ZeroOskul]

2:04 Michael Biehn was Kyle Reese in "The Terminator"

[@Wilss]

The ship crashing was done with rear projection on a huge screen, then as it pans right to follow the character, they use light in the foreground to replicate the explosion that happens behind us.

[@Daniel-Strain]

Some of the best practical effects ever. The scene with the clouds at the end and the nuke explosion was all cotton balls and lights.

[@robertjewell9727]

Not sure why it's necessary to like Alien or Aliens more than the other. The two movies together are a perfect story arc which Cameron as a writer keyed into perfectly. Aliens is Cameron's best film in my opinion. I particularly like the themes of motherhood that are visually evoked throughout the whole movie.

[@PungiFungi]

Alien defined the sci fi horror genre and no other film came close. Aliens however do not quite define the sci fi action genre.

[@JonMarkDeane]

The VFX in this had no digital work at all, still a few years off that being commonplace. There is a lot of 'process' work however. The backgrounds were shot and then rear-projected on set with the actors performing in front of it, which creates a more primitive version of the 'Volume' LED walls in modern films (and famously in The Mandalorian), allowing for handheld camera and avoids any sort of photo-chemical compositing artifacts. This is also how the Future War sequences were done in the first two Terminator films- Cameron loved this stuff before he went full digital.

[@ryanclark6402]

The “metallic screaming” sound you hate is a bowed cymbal. You can take a standard crash, ride, etc and bow the edge like bowing a violin string, making the whole cymbal resonate. Horner uses them all the time, and it’s one of those sounds like Tuvan throat singing that, once you know what to listen for, you’ll catch all the time.

[@themotleycollector]

Very nice that you watched the theatrical version of this (the first time). The director's cut gives away some of the plot points right away and while it does have some cool added scenes, it's nice to experience them as "extras" rather than altering the flow of the original.

[@miller-joel]

What exactly does it "give away"?

[@bensweiss]

Thanks for your review and comments. It's so interesting to hear people refer to special effects as practical effects. Alien and Aliens are different movies so I do not compare them.

[@dancingwheels8494]

Fun fact you may not realize but Vazquez in this movie is the same woman who played John Connor‘s foster mom in terminator two!

[@DailyDamage]

Alien/Aliens, T1/T2, Godfather 1 & 2, probably the only movies where the second film probably eclipsed the first epic movie. I saw Aliens in Londons Empire Leicester Sq movie theatre. A Huuuge cinema, seating around 2000 people, which had a massive second tier balcony which had me and my friends sitting front and center. To say the the athmosphere for this much anticipated sequel was electric is a gross understatement and you felt it build and build with the incredibly sound design and dramatic score. The scene when Burke was looking at the face huggers and the resulting jump scare made me jump so violently, that my full popcorn went flying over the edge of the balcony to the patrons below which resulted in more screams as the popcorn “crawled” over the heads below 😂. You could cut the tension with a knife during the final showdown, which resulted in an actual collective roar of relief when the massive hanger door opened to reveal ripply in her loader battle suit shouting:” get away from her you bitch”. Absolut f’ing classic moment. Alien scared the dang beeejeeesus out of me with it’s mystery and suspense and had me awake many a night in terror after being chased by what has to be the most nightmarish beast of cinema creation. Aliens on the other hand was a white knuckle ride of action tension which left us all on a high after it’s dramatic conclusion. Thank you to the great story telling abilities of all and sundry. Your skills followed me deep into the night and proved your excellence in your craft.

[@robertcornhole5197]

Bizarre parallel: Alien was scored by Jerry Goldsmith. Aliens by James Horner. Just like Star Trek TMP and Wrath of Khan.

[@PungiFungi]

Interesting. Goldsmith composed two distinctive and iconic scores. Horner’s Aliens score was ST II 2.0… it is just too similar.

[@PungiFungi]

BRAVO in watching the theatrical cut first. Most of the scenes that were trimmed were trimmed for good reason. There's a restored colony scene that happened right after the company meeting that spoiled the entire suspense and anticipation building up to the aliens' reappearance.

[@LMoftheCoast]

I do think that the removal of the Amanda Ripley scene, and the extended debriefing scene right after were slightly detrimental to the theatrical cut, but yes, the colony scenes, along with the set up of the auto-turrets weren’t really needed, even if they are IMO fun.

[@miller-joel]

There's plenty of suspense when the Marines arrive at the colony. NONE of it is "spoiled."

[@PungiFungi]

@@miller-joel plenty , but still a lot more in the theatrical cut. The theatrical cut catered to sophisticated audiences who do not need to have everything shown or reveal to them. They like to have their minds engaged.

[@miller-joel]

@@PungiFungi Wrong again. The theatrical cut catered to movie theaters who wanted a shorter movie to have more showings per day to make more money.

[@PungiFungi]

@@miller-joel and enough was in the film to clue the audience on what was going on. I certainly did not need the extra scenes, it appears you do.

[@davidr1050]

10:22 -- The other thing that really earmarks a good movie is the use of not only sound, but silence.. When the background music quits and you're left with JUST the ambient sound really puts you in the scene with the characters.

[@shainewhite2781]

ONE OF THE BEST SCI-FI ACTION MOVIES EVER MADE! Nominated for 7 Oscars: Best Actress Sigourney Weaver Best Sound Editing Best Sound Mixing Best Film Editing, Ray Lovejoy Best Original Score, James Horner Best Visual Effects, Stan Winston, Robert Skotak and John Richardson Best Production Design, Peter Lamont. It won Best Visual Effects and Sound Editing. It was a box office and critical success making $190 million dollars ($600 million dollars today) against an $18 million dollar budget.

[@LMoftheCoast]

Definitely my fav of the franchise. Such a good film, and honestly, the Special Edition is mostly an enhancement of the theatrical version (mostly). This film absolutely cements Ripley as one of the most badass women in cinema. Modern day “strong female characters” have a lot to learn from characters like Ripley, and Sarah Connor from the Terminator franchise.

[@jamesmorant1406]

My favorite movie in the franchise the cast the story the action all perfect Bill Paxton stole the show RIP 🙏 💙

[@GoAwayBrandon]

Some of the all time best sci-fi movies are the sequels; Star Wars The Empire Strikes Back, Star Trek 2 The Wrath of Kahn, Terminator 2 Judgement Day, and Aliens!

[@jenr5426]

Mecha-Ripley vs Queen Xenomorph is one of the most epic battles in cinema history :)

[@TheCaptainSlappy]

Don't forget, there are only a handful of people to do the Alien, Predator, Terminator and Star Wars franchises. Bill Paxton did Aliens, Predator 2 and Terminator, but not Star Wars. Carl Weathers did Predator and Star Wars. Lance Henriksen did Aliens, Predator sequel & Terminator (I am still lobbying him for Star Wars too as he did voice-over for, but didn't appear in show or movie), and Michael Biehn (The Biehn Machine) is so far the only one to do Alien, Terminator and Star Wars franchises (lobbying for him to quad it out like Lance with a Predator appearance somehow, even if it is a trailer only). So...we got Lance technically quadding it out with Alien, Predator, Terminator and Star Wars (though not on-screen), leaving out only Star Trek to quints him out as The Greatest Galactic Actor. Then we got The Biehn Machine right behind, needing only a Predator & Star Trek appearance to finish him out for The Quints Actor.

[@MTHDCS]

I've always believed that when Ripley is fighting the Queen that she (Queen) says like "Let go of her you bitch" mocking Ripley...

[@Ofbricks]

This movie...was singly responsible for about three-dozen different pop culture references in science fiction video games and parody. Especially Starcraft. Starcraft took a lot of unit responses from dialogue in this movie and I'm all here for it.

[@Frothenbath1]

Lol, when you mourned Hudson's fate, and called him Hicks, I laughed because Goreman got their names confused too, lol.

[@Osprey850]

You nailed it. Cameron is such a good director because the story and characters are as important to him as the spectacle. Since you like him, make sure that you check out The Abyss from 1989.

[@lazarus5609]

And you have to realise the reason why she's so protective over newt is because she lost her daughter...31:02sec the reason Ripley used the flame thrower is because the Queen didn't hold up her end of the bargain of letting them go with the eggs opening up..

[@PungiFungi]

Was he questioning Ripley’s motivation to protect Newt?

[@lazarus5609]

@@PungiFungi what..

[@bryanobrien2726]

When this movie came out I had my mother take me down to the library so that I could get the book to read . It was amazing and held me over until I could go see the film . I used to love reading sci-fi books , but the hundreds of sci-fi paperbacks that my dad had at any given time were old and musty from second hand book stores . I still love that old book smell and the incredible artwork of those 60's and 70's sci-fi paperbacks . Our second hand book store also sold guns , odd combination but so American . I spent countless hours in there with my dad riffling through the trade-ins , good times . I don't have time to read much anymore , luckily audiobooks help fill that void .

[@bmatt2626]

The marines could have IFF transponders, so the "radar" operator would selectively filter blips that respond friendly.

[@Otokichi786]

"Aliens": Third Officer Ripley has been found an returned to near-Earth with a Xenomorph-sized case of PTSD. What will the Weyland-Yutani Suits make of her blowing up the "Nostromo"? This looks like the theatrical version I saw in 1986. 7:11 The Colonial Marines are on a Bug Hunt, but THEY are The Bugs! 7:34 Another Props department work of ART. It was so convincing that construction companies called to ask where they could buy one. 12:38 Ripley is able to "get close, quickly" to Rebecca. That puzzled me, and a reviewer of the time said: "Sisterhood!" Later, I bought the Special Edition Laserdisc(!) and it was crystal clear how Ripley connected while the female Marines did not. 14:11 Disarming the troops moving into an iffy space always bothered me. 16:31 Ripley is all about The Team. 18:20 The nose art on the drop ship says "Colonial Marines: We Endanger Species!" 20:50 How can you tell that Carter Burke isn't "an OK guy?" He starts talking... 21:57 The Manual of Arms. 22:40 Trouble. 27:20 They went out like Klingon warriors. 28:33 The right tools for the job with Duck tape. 29:52 Egg chamber. 30:45 Negotiation. 33:43 It's not over yet. 35:04 Hold on there, Burford. Do you remember "Acid Blood"? 35:55 Eat vacuum, your majesty. If you listened closely after the credit crawl, you would know that Ripley's journey isn't over, yet...

[@Dreamfox-df6bg]

Once upon a time you could buy a life-sized alien queen replica made out of latex. Back then it cost US$ 7,000. For a time I thought it an urban legend until I saw one in the office of a wholesale retailer of merchandise. Nothing to add about the movie. Except that you are right, it depends if you enjoy suspense more or action. It's really not a question which one is better, just what you like more. For me? I like them both equally for what they are. If you are wise you accept that there are no more alien movies. Just a fair warning you can ignore at your own peril.

[@andymccurdy5029]

More fun facts the opening with the laser the studio didnt like an refused to pay for so cameron rented a club laser an paid for it all him self. Dont mess with a james cammeron vision

[@slowerthinker]

There is a much longer cut of the film that is very much worth a watch. There are a few cool lines from Hudson that are cut, one nice little action scene that is cut, discussion of Ripley's daughter (who because of the 57 year hypersleep is portrayed by Sigourney Weaver's grandmother), and also a "moment" shared by Hicks and Ripley that vanishes. There is also a look at the successful colony and its initial encounter with the alien that was shot, although the theatrical release is definately much better without this as you arrive on LV426 with the same knowledge as the crew of the Sulaco.

[@ztomas1]

What the beans and chicken?? 🤣😭

[@nathanfitzgearl650]

Ripley’s most iconic scene: approaching the queen in that walking bulldozer device and yelling, “Get away from her you BITCH!”

[@radwolf76]

Even the mother of Burke's actor cheered when he died.

[@nickmitsialis]

Of course "Queenie" used the elevator==she was right there when Ripley and Newt escaped in the other one. That little tilt of the head she gave showed she totally understood how it worked.

[@Fernando-dt8je]

Burke doesn't die on that scene. He is taken just like newt. There's a deleted scene where Ripley finds him and actually decides to leave him to die.

[@manduheavyvazquez5268]

Masterpiece ever. The best sequel ever. Greatness

[@isobelswan]

48:25 in Alien they would have been unable to use big weapons due to the acid for blood; killing it would have destroyed the ship killing them all.

[@mrcorkles1]

You’re so sweet and kind. Love your reactions man!

[@ZeroOskul]

33:44 Queen takes Bishop. Knight takes queen Checkmate. Yes! The whole movie built toward THAT punchline.

[@cathyvickers9063]

Now that you've seen the theatrical release, you might want to watch the extended version on your own. There's a scene that gives context to Ripley's attachment to Newt. I watched this movie after having taken a summer course in college about archetypes. When we got to the finale showdown, here's I interpreted it: Ripley was a warrior-protector. She put on her suit of armor to face her demon! This was reinforced by the final shot, superimposing Ripley's face with Earth. This movie set a record number of return visits to watch it. Something like 6, I think. This record remained unbroken until Titanic came out. I can't remember how many times I finally saw it; then I reserved the letterbox edition when it came out in videocassette. Watching intense, engrossing action is therapeutic to me. Another James Cameron scifi is The Abyss. Worth watching!

[@fabianenriquez2814]

Great reaction. However, I really wish you had watched the Special Edition. This is one of my fave movies of all time.

[@jdogjohnson382]

One of my favorites

[@Iymarra]

Yeah the queen awoke certain feelings in me when I was a young woman. So... Deadly. God.

[@piloto88ed]

Maybe this movie is the most realistic ''monsters movie'' i see in my life. The special effects are absolutely crazy, so much better tan modern CGI.

[@THEvagabond29]

The actress Newt was cast b/c she didnt smile during the casting... she was very reserved and afraid (like an adopted cat you just brought home)... and thats exactly what they wanted.

[@windrunner6145]

Though you do not see it in the films, the Sulaco and other ships in the class are armed with railguns and other weapons along with numerous automated defenses

[@ScarlettM]

35:00 - if she squishes the Queen, acid will eat through the hull and they are in space.

[@tyranusfan]

While you're on 80s sci-fi movies, you should watch "2010." Not a horror movie, but a favorite of mine.

[@jorgezarco9269]

Poor James Horner. He was low on time and he struggled to deliver 80% of what Cameron wanted. Horner was almost fired. They used stock music from Alien(1979). Horner and Cameron buried the hatchet with Titanic(1997). James Horner died in a plane crash in 2015.

[@inarar5334]

He also was so behind the 8 ball schedule because of Cameron that he lifted passages from Wrath of Khan, especially near the end.

[@weepingscorpion8739]

I went back and forth about whether Alien or Aliens were the better movie. I've now settled on Alien, it has more world building than Aliens and that appeals to me. Interesting that you mention Titanic: it was the 2nd collaboration between Cameron and Horner. Musicwise, after this movie the vibe between the two wasn't the best, but Titanic made it possible for the two to make up. I won't go into much detail since there are documentaries out there talking about both soundtracks. But I think it's pretty safe to say that this soundtrack is very important in the development of the military sci-fi soundtrack. Or maybe even the film itself to that entire subgenre of sci-fi. Great reaction as always, man.

[@DogwafflDan]

If you enjoyed Aliens, check out the Starship Troopers Roughneck Chronicles. They say Halo was highly inspired by it, but it was highly inspired by Aliens.