Aliens (Part 6)

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Aliens is part 6 of my Top Ten Greatest Films of all Time. Alien (1979) was so perfect it didn't need fixing, and Ridley Scott's 2003 director's cut is fiddling for the sake of fiddling. Watch it once, then return to the majestic, perfectly paced original. Conversely, the special edition of James Cameron's Aliens (1986) is the definitive version, though it's nice to finally have the theatrical cut on DVD for comparison. Most interesting is the alternative Alien 3 (1992). This isn't a "director's cut"--David Fincher refused to have any involvement with this release--but a 1991 work-print that runs 29 minutes longer than the theatrical version, and has now been restored, remastered, and finished off with (unfortunately) cheap new CGI. Still, it's truly fascinating, offering a different insight into a flawed masterpiece. The expanded opening is visually breathtaking, the central firestorm is much longer, and a subplot involving Paul McGann's character adds considerable depth to story. The ending is also subtly but significantly different. Alien: Resurrection (1997) always was a mess with a handful of brilliant scenes, and the special edition just makes it eight minutes longer.
The Alien Quadrilogy offers the first and fourth films with DTS soundtracks, the others having still fine Dolby Digital 5.1 presentation. All four films sound fantastic, with much low-level detail revealed for the first time. Each is anamorphically enhanced at the correct original aspect ratio, and the prints and transfers are superlative. Every film offers a commentary track that lends insight into the creative process--though the Scott-only commentary and isolated music score from the first Alien DVD release are missing here.
Each movie is complemented by a separate disc packed with hours of seriously detailed documentaries (all presented in full-screen with clips letterboxed), thousands of photos, production stills, and storyboards, giving a level of inside information for the dedicated buff only surpassed by the Lord of the Rings extended DVD sets. A ninth DVD compiles miscellaneous material, including an hourlong documentary and even all the extras from the old Alien laserdisc. "Exhaustive" hardly beings to describe the Alien Quadrilogy, a set that establishes the new DVD benchmark for retrospective releases and looks unlikely to be surpassed for some time. --Gary S. Dalkin

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[S67Snail]

WHAT!!! Alien and Aliens are both AWESOME! cant say the same for the rest.

[Firecloud500]

Epic!! The first two movies are frigin awesome!!

[Cuntfinger]

@4illegalalien haha

[msinclair1991]

@gasdfw5 You're a fucking joke.

[pinkinacan]

(Alien1979) Ridley Scott + John Hurt + and a score by Jerry Goldsmith performed by the National Philharmonic Orchestra = the most horrific film made. The best film made. I still have Nightmares about being on the Nostromo. You can not copy this movie or chop it up (but they try). It's art. I'm a fan of the age where real movies were made. (the 26 thumbs down belong to Shia LaBeouf fans...may you live forever) P.S. you still have to see James Cameron's Aliens AND John Carpenter's the Thing.

[EasterGhost]

@gasdfw5 alien 3 sucked I heard.

[falconwolve1978]

@alfredo2145A english dude, english

[CassDaMan1138]

Uh....lets see Special Edition had that cool Hudson scene, explain how the colonists got attacked, showed why the aliens didn't just attack the marines holed up in the operations center, and gave us a more info on the Alien life cycle what's not to like?

[Rogueprince3]

@sheperddog This time it's- BITCH! XD

[darkninjamandelta]

they mostly come at night mostly

[jordan3727]

@alfredo2145A ye! whatever he said

[UnexplainedDirge]

@sheperddog Not at all.