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Aliens
Directed By: James Cameron
The Story
The story picks straight back up after the events of Alien. It wastes no time in messing around with things or changing anything..... which was a very smart movie from Cameron. And although Aliens heads down the action route rather than the horror route that Ridley Scott took. I still feel as tho both movies are very similar and they don’t feel all that different, which is pretty damn cool.
Lance Henriksen had privately pledged to quit acting if this part didn't work out for him after years of journeyman roles. It proved to be one of his most successful films.
In both the standard and special edition versions, the fifteen minute countdown at the end of the film is indeed fifteen minutes.
The knife trick scene was originally going to be done by Bishop alone. According to Lance Henriksen, he suggested to James Cameron to have Hudson's hand put on top of his, to which Cameron agreed as Henriksen felt the scene needed something extra. This change was discussed with almost everyone, except Bill Paxton. Henriksen also remembers a long night of drinking after shooting this scene followed by a reshoot of the scene, as it looked too fake when they sped the footage up. He accidentally caught Paxton's pinky with the knife on this reshoot.
Sigourney Weaver had several notes for James Cameron after having read the script. Although he could not grant all her requests, Cameron praised her for never taking issue with the direction he wanted to take with the story. Her notes were all about how she felt Ripley should respond to her situations, which he was happy to accommodate.
The Cast
The cast are absolutely brilliant. And the Marine Corps are my favourite thing about Aliens. Hicks, Hudson, Vasquez and the rest of them are just badass, and they bring so much energy and fun to the movie. I also loved Ripley and Bishop too. To be honest their isn’t a bad character in this movie, the whole cast is just perfect.
Movie Highlight
My movie highlight has to be the action. Watching the Marine Corps kick ass with all their toys was excellent viewing. And the end sequence with Ripley fighting the queen Alien was pretty damn cool. James Cameron is a master at delivering action sequences and Aliens is a prime example of his work.
My Verdict
Aliens is and always will be in my top ten favourite movies. It’s one of the greatest action movies ever made, and is the greatest sequel in movie history. I even rate it higher than the Original Alien. Honestly, it’s going to have to take something damn special to ever budge this out my top 10. It’s a flawless movie.
Directed By: James Cameron
The Story
The story picks straight back up after the events of Alien. It wastes no time in messing around with things or changing anything..... which was a very smart movie from Cameron. And although Aliens heads down the action route rather than the horror route that Ridley Scott took. I still feel as tho both movies are very similar and they don’t feel all that different, which is pretty damn cool.
Movie Trivia;
Like most films, the movie wasn't shot in sequence. But for added realism, James Cameron filmed the scene where we first meet the Colonial Marines (one of the earliest scenes) last. This was so that the camaraderie of the Marines was realistic because the actors had spent months filming together.Lance Henriksen had privately pledged to quit acting if this part didn't work out for him after years of journeyman roles. It proved to be one of his most successful films.
In both the standard and special edition versions, the fifteen minute countdown at the end of the film is indeed fifteen minutes.
The knife trick scene was originally going to be done by Bishop alone. According to Lance Henriksen, he suggested to James Cameron to have Hudson's hand put on top of his, to which Cameron agreed as Henriksen felt the scene needed something extra. This change was discussed with almost everyone, except Bill Paxton. Henriksen also remembers a long night of drinking after shooting this scene followed by a reshoot of the scene, as it looked too fake when they sped the footage up. He accidentally caught Paxton's pinky with the knife on this reshoot.
Sigourney Weaver had several notes for James Cameron after having read the script. Although he could not grant all her requests, Cameron praised her for never taking issue with the direction he wanted to take with the story. Her notes were all about how she felt Ripley should respond to her situations, which he was happy to accommodate.
The Cast
The cast are absolutely brilliant. And the Marine Corps are my favourite thing about Aliens. Hicks, Hudson, Vasquez and the rest of them are just badass, and they bring so much energy and fun to the movie. I also loved Ripley and Bishop too. To be honest their isn’t a bad character in this movie, the whole cast is just perfect.
Movie Highlight
My movie highlight has to be the action. Watching the Marine Corps kick ass with all their toys was excellent viewing. And the end sequence with Ripley fighting the queen Alien was pretty damn cool. James Cameron is a master at delivering action sequences and Aliens is a prime example of his work.
My Verdict
Aliens is and always will be in my top ten favourite movies. It’s one of the greatest action movies ever made, and is the greatest sequel in movie history. I even rate it higher than the Original Alien. Honestly, it’s going to have to take something damn special to ever budge this out my top 10. It’s a flawless movie.