Comments on: Freeze Frame: The David Fincher Close-Up That Rewrote the Alien Franchise

By: spookiewriter

spookiewriter — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 00:01:47 +0000

I thought it was pretty gutsy to kill off the 2 characters from Aliens right off the bat. Everybody loved Hicks and Newt and to kill them was pretty grim.

I’m interested in seeing the DC. I always thought the pacing was off in the theatrical cut.

By: bignumone

bignumone — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 22:37:23 +0000

I thought the director’s cut of “the abyss” was pretty good. There was a lot added, and though some of it did not add to the story, the parts that did were significant. But the director’s cut seems a little preachy, I still liked it better than the theatrical version. (Which I really enjoyed).
The D’s cut of Aliens (2) really explained a lot, adding an extra dimension that I enjoyed. Some may not care, but I like it when all the character’s relationships are fleshed out. They could have even gone further as far as I was concerned.
The D’s cut of “The Wrath of Kahn” did this for me as well. Although I still think the new Star Trek is the best I have seen…ever…and I have seen all of it.
Director’s cut of Dune didn’t make it any better (but the SciFi mini series was great.)
There are others, but I can’t think of them now.
OK, Mr. Snyder, I will admit I watched the D’s cut of A3, but I didn’t really see it. At least when I read your feelings on it. Now you have me curious to see if I missed something. I have to find it again and watch it. I just hated the film so much in the theater, when my brother brought it to the cottage I really just drank beer and had chips. Dang it, I hate it when I have to go back on a film like this.

By: crispy

crispy — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 17:04:58 +0000

Oh, I definitely agree… even with a script that’s been raped by studio committee, Fincher is still a master at creating tension and developing a strong tone. I think I’m going to have to watch Alien 3 again. It’s been years since I’ve seen it.

I’m a little bit obsessed with director’s cuts, so I look forward to your forthcoming column about that. Blade Runner, Brazil, The Abyss, and Aliens are the top ones that come to mind IMHO.

By: Steven James Snyder

Steven James Snyder — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 16:57:33 +0000

well, i’ve seen The Abyss – just not the directors cut that is like 30 minutes longer. I think i’m going to watch that this weekend.

And I can definitely see the AIDS angle, where it’s more about how these people choose to die – the dignity with which they confront something horrific – and also about Ripley realizing she’s “infected.”

Maybe I went into this film last weekend with such low expectations that it was easy to surprise, but I was still quite surprised by the atmosphere he created in his full cut. And that close-up early on, where he pretty much undermines all the tension of the Ripley-vs-Alien dynamic, is still pretty brave. That’s why I chose it for this feature…I didn’t want to say this is the best movie ever made, just that that shot was unbelievably bold.

By: crispy

crispy — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 16:52:14 +0000

What a completely unexpected lede for a sci-fi loving website! Director’s Cut may be a bad thing for broad comedies and sex romps, but in the science fiction realm Director’s Cut is almost universally considered a good thing. The fact that you haven’t seen The Abyss may explain a lot (I’m not sure I would have admitted that). Get thee to a video store pronto!

As for Aliens 3, I read somewhere ages ago that the original concept was supposed to be an allegory for AIDS. Before the studio got hold of it. There are still moments of brilliance, but yeh, overall not so good.

By: Steven James Snyder

Steven James Snyder — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 16:48:27 +0000

bignumone, did you see the director’s cut of A3? I have to be honest here, and just call it as I see it: The directors cut made me think a whole lot differently about this. If the first Alien was all about the isolation of space, and Aliens was all about turning the tables and having an army of soldiers go up against an army of aliens, then the extended directors cut really immersed me in Fincher’s tone, and I started to realize this is a totally different sort of Alien movie. It’s about what happens when you have a group of humans who fully realize they are in a no-win situation. Alien 1, a crew is picked off by what they don’t understand. Alien 2, humans go up against the beast they think they can control with all the firepower in the world. Alien 3, there is not a gun to be found. What happens when you have a gang of humans – prisoners, no less – who are forced to confront the idea that death is certain? It’s more of a cerebral thing, with fewer aliens and more horrific notions of self-sacrifice. Particularly when the company starts arriving, and they realize that they need to kill this alien, or it will wind up back on Earth. This is basically Sigourney the preacher, converting a whole prison of monsters into realizing that the value of their lives pale in comparison to containing this contagion. Going back to it last weekend, I saw a different movie than I saw so many years ago….

By: Steven James Snyder

Steven James Snyder — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 16:39:37 +0000

Nice Lev, yes, quite fun; loonyboi, at least we can agree on the quality of the cinematography. The thing just looks damn good (except some moments of the alien cg)

By: bignumone

bignumone — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 15:59:39 +0000

“In place of all that is a brooding, minimalist, cerebral prison drama about convicts abandoned at the edge of the universe, left to their own devices to find god and fight the great alien that Ripley has brought with from her escape pod.”

I mean come on, REALLY? Did we see the same film? It was just an over-thought and over reaching sci-fi horror flick.

Are you the same guy that LOVES Craprica?

By: bignumone

bignumone — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 15:54:39 +0000

Boy, you and I have REALLY different taste in movies. I thought A3 was an awful movie…not the worst I have seen…but awful, director’s cut or not. There was no saving that pig!
Which reminds me, I have some sow’s ears around the house, would you mind making ME a few silk purses?

By: loonyboi

loonyboi — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 15:31:29 +0000

It’s stylish and well-shot, but Alien 3 (even the marginally more entertaining director’s cut) is still not a good movie, and a terrible follow-up to the first two.

Now if they had made THIS version, that would have been amazing:

I’m still waiting for that movie. It’ll never come.