The Great Movie Tournament - 1980s: Final

[mae]

ANyone know where the first two are streaming? AND please correct me if I am wrong... The first two are good but 3 is not?

All four Alien movies, including extended cuts, are streaming on HBO (GO, NOW, and Max). I think 3 is very good, especially the extended version. But 4 is really not great, but still fun.

[fernandito]

I could sworn I saw Aliens on Prime not too long ago.

The first 2 are elite films, the 3rd... not so much. It's an entertaining film but nowhere near the high water marks of the first two which are classics of their genre.

There's a debate that Fincher's cut actually improves the film to the point where it's almost a different film. I haven't seen it myself, but Matt will probably jump in here to praise the hell out of it.

[webstar1000]

All four Alien movies, including extended cuts, are streaming on HBO (GO, NOW, and Max).

Damm I do not have HBO... I do have Prime. Netflix and Disney. All I think I will get for now...

[Aremag]

found it; skip to 3:27

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IS2PtmM9mwU

ok, that was cool. I forgot that part... been a long time!! ANyone know where the first two are streaming? AND please correct me if I am wrong... The first two are good but 3 is not?

I like 3 and I like Fincher's assembly cut even more but producer/studio interference really keeps 3 from being what it should have been. There's some good documentary material out there that tells the Alien 3 story. My main annoyance with 3 is what they did to Hicks

[mae]

All four Alien movies, including extended cuts, are streaming on HBO (GO, NOW, and Max).

Damm I do not have HBO... I do have Prime. Netflix and Disney. All I think I will get for now...

I believe HBO Max, which just launched today, has a free seven-day trial.

[Mattrick]

.. The first two are good but 3 is not?

the Assembly Cut for Alien 3 is fantastic. The theatrical cut that Fox left out in the sun to rot is not near as good.

[webstar1000]

All four Alien movies, including extended cuts, are streaming on HBO (GO, NOW, and Max).

Damm I do not have HBO... I do have Prime. Netflix and Disney. All I think I will get for now...

I believe HBO Max, which just launched today, has a free seven-day trial.

Thanks Mae... THIS is the best part of this... getting to see movies that I missed somehow OR forgot. Or movies that when younger... would have scoffed at. SO, thanks to YOU and everyone else here. I love film and have really enjoyed seeing movies that were 'forgotten' to me. Cheers all, kris

[webstar1000]

.. The first two are good but 3 is not?

the Assembly Cut for Alien 3 is fantastic. The theatrical cut that Fox left out in the sun to rot is not near as good.

So, look for Assembly cut when I am ready for that one?

[Mattrick]

There's a debate that Fincher's cut actually improves the film to the point where it's almost a different film. I haven't seen it myself, but Matt will probably jump in here to praise the hell out of it.

I most definitely did because it most definitely does.


Funny thing about that sentry gun scene...I'd already seen the movie numerous times, but when the Space Channel launched in Canada in 1997, one of the big things they were advertising was the Alien Trilogy marathon. I remember watching Aliens on there and it had the sentry gun scene and I didn't remember it being in the movie before. A while later when I watched Aliens again I was like 'where's that sentry gun scene' and for years I thought I'd imagined the scene because it wasn't on the VHS or the DVD until I saw it when my brother got the Quadrilogy boxset.

[Mattrick]

.. The first two are good but 3 is not?

the Assembly Cut for Alien 3 is fantastic. The theatrical cut that Fox left out in the sun to rot is not near as good.

So, look for Assembly cut when I am ready for that one?

Yeah, it's 30 minutes longer and not only does it tell a more fleshed out story, but it's the closest we'll ever get to Fincher's vision. Fox made some stupid decisions, like changing the Xenomorph host from a cow to a dog, even though the Cow chestburst scene is horror greatness. They cut out whole plots. Some characters just vanish from the movie because they were killed off in cut content. Some fantastic imagery is cut out too. The theatrical cut is a mess.

https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/ali...heatrical-cut/

[fernandito]

Yeah I guess its like an extended cut scene and some TV channels include it, some don't. It's a shame because that is such a great scene. Don't know why it would be absent from any version.

[webstar1000]

There's a debate that Fincher's cut actually improves the film to the point where it's almost a different film. I haven't seen it myself, but Matt will probably jump in here to praise the hell out of it.

I most definitely did because it most definitely does.


Funny thing about that sentry gun scene...I'd already seen the movie numerous times, but when the Space Channel launched in Canada in 1997, one of the big things they were advertising was the Alien Trilogy marathon. I remember watching Aliens on there and it had the sentry gun scene and I didn't remember it being in the movie before. A while later when I watched Aliens again I was like 'where's that sentry gun scene' and for years I thought I'd imagined the scene because it wasn't on the VHS or the DVD until I saw it when my brother got the Quadrilogy boxset.

So would you watch directors cuts of the first three? My buddy has them all on disk... or should I get theatrical releases for the first two?

[mae]

Definitely go for the extended versions of all three, yes. And watch the fourth one to complete the original saga.

[webstar1000]

Definitely go for the extended versions of all three, yes.

Thanks Mae. I’ll start them this weekend!

[Mattrick]

The Directors cut of Aliens is largely fine. There are a few scenes early on LV-426 I'm not a fan of though. I don't know enough about the differences between Alien cuts though.

[fernandito]

Extended cuts or bust.

[fernandito]

also don't look now but Aliens is only 1 vote behind Empire atm.

[divemaster]

I have the Alien Quadrilogy box set. I bought it having only seen the first two. A couple of years ago I went through the entire set--watched all the movies, all the different cuts, deleted scenes, making of, commentaries, etc. Everything. Alien 3 makes it to "passable." I'd watch it again in a pinch. But there is no way to describe just how bad Alien 4 is. It is jaw-droppingly abysmal. Who green-lighted this? A lot of times the bonus features will at least help me appreciate a poor film a little bit. See what they tried; what they were thinking. But there was no help or hope for Alien 4. I literally took the Alien 4 DVD and tossed it in the trash, so it could not contaminate the rest of the set.

Oh, and I voted for Aliens in this poll.

[fernandito]

confession: I actually enjoyed Alien:Resurrection

[Mattrick]

It's fun as a bad movie and it has some cool scenes. But it's not an Alien movie. It's what happens when you let Joss Whedon write an Alien movie.

[DanHocker]

I'm honestly surprised this is so close. It's kinda interesting to me, because if Star Wars had flopped, it's possible Alien would have never been made, since Fox didn't really want anything to do with Science Fiction until after Star Wars was a hit.

[MikeDuke]

I like the directors cut also of Aliens. Two parts in particular make it work for me

Spoiler:

When Ripley learns her daughter is dead

. That brings a more emotional feel to the film and

Spoiler:

When the family finds the ship

. Because without that part you go from the meeting with the board to them saying they lost contact. That part always felt chopped to me. The guns were nice extra action.

[Jon]

I tied it up with a vote for Alien.

[DoctorZaius]

I'm honestly surprised this is so close. It's kinda interesting to me, because if Star Wars had flopped, it's possible Alien would have never been made, since Fox didn't really want anything to do with Science Fiction until after Star Wars was a hit.

I am surprised with the vote as well.

[Sai Sheb]

Both are great movies. I think fond childhood memories of TESB is why I voted it not sure if it is the better film but I could watch alien until later (age restrictions) . But alien is lucky to be here since its a 70s film...
All in all Mae great tournament, thank you...

It's not Alien (1979), it's Aliens (1986).

Haha, looks like I re-watched the wrong movie...