boyajian@akov68.DEC (JERRY BOYAJIAN) (10/10/85)
> From: zaphod!flory (Trevor K. Flory) > Who directed the original? Will s/he direct Alien II? I missed the original posting about ALIEN II that started this, but... ALIEN was directed by Ridley Scott; he won't be directing ALIEN II. The last word I heard on ALIEN II was that it would be (co-?) written and directed by James Cameron, who performed those chores on THE TERMINATOR. I don't know if anyone's been cast, or when production is supposed to begin. The only thing I've heard about the plot is that Ripley makes it back to Earth and explains what happened to the Nostromo. Despite her warnings, the Company dispatches another ship to the planet where the Nostromo picked up the alien. --- jayembee (Jerry Boyajian, DEC, Acton-Nagog, MA) UUCP: {decvax|ihnp4|allegra|ucbvax|...}!decwrl!dec-rhea!dec-akov68!boyajian ARPA: boyajian%akov68.DEC@DECWRL.ARPA
sas@leadsv.UUCP (Scott Stewart) (10/17/85)
In article <771@decwrl.UUCP>, boyajian@akov68.DEC (JERRY BOYAJIAN) writes: > > I missed the original posting about ALIEN II that started this, but... > > ALIEN was directed by Ridley Scott; he won't be directing ALIEN II. The last > word I heard on ALIEN II was that it would be (co-?) written and directed by > James Cameron, who performed those chores on THE TERMINATOR. I don't know if > anyone's been cast, or when production is supposed to begin. The only thing > I've heard about the plot is that Ripley makes it back to Earth and explains > what happened to the Nostromo. Despite her warnings, the Company dispatches > another ship to the planet where the Nostromo picked up the alien. > > --- jayembee (Jerry Boyajian, DEC, Acton-Nagog, MA) > Why are they making Alien II? Will the story really offer us anymore than the original. From all indications, it appears to be a sequel in the 'Friday the 13th' tradition. Same story, different characters who again get wasted by maniacal killer. I think I will avoid Alien II unless it has something to offer in the way of story development. I'm tired of cheap sequels whose sole purpose is to make money, and whose producers don't care to put any work into making something different or creative. These sequels are after the quick, easy bucks. I prefer to watch the original, which at least had some artisitic purpose, not pure commercial- ism. Where's the art in Movies? Scott A. Stewart LMSC - Sunnyvale
rjnoe@riccb.UUCP (Roger J. Noe) (10/31/85)
> There is a common notion that, in Alien, it was foreshadowed > that the cat was going to bring the Alien back to earth. As > it happens, several years ago (at Unicon 5 in Washington, > DC) I talked with Linda Shusette, wife of the producer of > Alien (Ron Shussette), and the topic of the cat came up. > She said that the cat was intended as a sympathetic > character, that they hoped the audience would identify with > the cat and want the cat to live. As it worked out, the > audience does not identify with the cat, but irrationally > fears it and wants the crew to space it. The result is that > the cat became a sort of red-herring, serving only as yet > one more thing for the audience to be afraid of. That's the first I've heard that! Jones was at least as sympathetic a character as were any of the human beings. It knew what it was doing and was probably the only living thing capable of killing the title character outright (although probably not in its full-grown state, if that WAS a full-grown state). I also think only the cat could easily have avoided getting eaten by the alien. Cats are extraordinarily evolved to be excellent hunters and killers while avoiding being killed themselves, the same kind of thing the alien was supposed to be. Jones' senses of smell, sight, and hearing as well as its agility and speed made it the only logical candidate for survival aboard the Nostromo except for the alien. (Ash doesn't count, of course.) All human strategies failed until one of them got lucky at the end. I identified with the cat. When it hissed at the alien I wanted to shout, "Kill it, Jones!" I sure didn't identify with the idiots aboard the Nostromo, and that includes all the fatalities. This is not to say that I didn't enjoy having the cat jump out at a very tense moment when we were expecting to see the alien pop up. An old artifice, but quite effective. > As to what the purported makers of Alien II might do, your > guess is as good as mine. They might well have the cat > transport the alien back to earth, but this was never > intended in the original movie. I agree. There's not a shred of evidence in "Alien" to support the notion that it was foreshadowed that Jones would bring the alien back to Earth. -- "In space no one can hear you meow." Roger Noe ihnp4!riccb!rjnoe
bch@mcnc.UUCP (Byron C. Howes) (11/03/85)
In article <572@riccb.UUCP> rjnoe@riccb.UUCP (Roger J. Noe) writes: >I agree. There's not a shred of evidence in "Alien" to support the notion >that it was foreshadowed that Jones would bring the alien back to Earth. Not so. I remember distinctly what made me think that Jones was harboring an alien egg. There is a brief shot over Jones' head from the rear from inside the cage showing the Alien looking in from the outside licking his metallic prehensile chops. Next thing we see is Sigourney Weaver retrieving Jones still inside his cage. My assumption was that it was a Hitchcockian red herring to keep you on edge as Jones' turns out not to be harboring an alien. There certainly is evidence, however. ---- The thing that bothered me about Alien I (and doubtless will bother me about Alien II) is that the Aliens physique and habits were those of a highly evolved prey, not a predator. Most of its activities revolved around breeding and its defenses (acid blood, prehensile throat, etc.) were passive. What the h*ll did it evolve to run *from.*!!! -- Byron C. Howes ...!{decvax,akgua}!mcnc!ecsvax!bch