"Its structural perfection is matched only by its hostility." -Ash
I enjoyed my first night of 2011’s Snow Edict of Doom™ by viewing the blu-ray of “Alien.” This is very high on my all-time favorite movie list. There are many themes running throughout that are subtly interwoven into a sci-fi masterpiece: feminism, populism, classism, the intersection of technology with human psychology, and many more. There have been books written entirely on the character of Ripley. Hell, there’s even a Shelley/Ozymandias visual reference thrown in. In spite of all of these themes, none of them are too overbearing or exaggerated. In addition to its societal statements, it stands out on a variety of other levels.
It is both a science fiction and horror movie. Its pacing is nothing short of brilliant – when you think someone is going to catch it in the face they don’t. Eventually, they do, of course, but it does a great job of keeping you on your toes even after multiple viewings.
I’m not sure where to even begin with the parasitic face-huggers other than to say, well, gross! I’ve read some allusions to male rape and the androgynous images throughout but if you’re taking the time to read ol’ doug’s blurbs, I’m not going to elaborate, however I must further mention the art design and special effects. H.R. Giger’s design of the alien and sets is unmatched in its creepiness and melding of the organic and mechanical as well as the previously mentioned androgyny. This film was made in 1979! 1979! This was a mere two years after Star Wars and even though its only beginning to show its age in this regard, it was astounding for its time. The fight with Ash is not a special effects highlight certainly, but when they turn Ash back on, it makes up for it by being one of the tensest moments in the film - a fantastic performance by Ian Holm.
In addition to the problem with the special effects during the fight with Ash, it is not a perfect movie, although the flaws are minor in my opinion. There’s a scene of apparent rain in a cargo bay. Maybe it’s condensation, but you could argue that it didn’t make any sense. The self-destruct feature seems out of place on a commercial tow vehicle, but it could be argued that it was put in place for the very reason it was used for, except that the quarantine procedures, albeit their subversion, would seem an adequate measure. It’s a little overboard to design a self-destruct sequence in case the crew gets out of line. As we find out in “Aliens,” the company was most distressed by the destruction of the ship, so why have that “feature?” I’m grasping here to find negative points, so I’ll end on another positive one – the blu-ray makes me very happy. It includes the theatrical release and the director’s cut. I’ve read that Ridley Scott got the cut he wanted for the theatrical release and says the director’s cut is not necessarily preferred – it’s more of an alternate cut. I watched the theatrical release. The transfer is beautiful. I can’t wait to watch the others in the series.
More info:
"Alien" Wikipedia article
"Alien" IMDB entry
Even the trailer is great. Embedding is disabled for it, so hop on over to YouTube to check it out.
The self-destruct mechanism "could" be justified by the explanation of counter-corporate espionage. That's a stretch, of course - an anti-pirate measure to prevent competition from getting what you can't protect any longer.
ReplyDeleteThe condensation makes sense to me, though. When you consider that the living space in the vessel has to maintain temperature control, it's fair to assume that the HVAC system in the ship would generate a large amount of condensation. And collecting the distilled water runoff could be used for a variety of things onboard - potable water, showers, etc. And it wouldn't be a stretch to assume that the crew didn't do the best job of fixing leak in that system.
But - YES - this is one of the best horror/sci-fi thrillers ever made.
I am most especially impressed with the biology of the alien. It is so credible and thus so terrifying. Like a giant "space" spider wasp.
An alien gave birth to one of the best sequels in history - a true "next step" in a story line and not just some rehash of the original. The two are inseparable to me and on my all-time favorites list.
Good job, Dawgbyte!
Okay, good - I'm glad someone who would know more about these things (HVAC systems, specifically) could see the condensation argument holding water.
ReplyDeleteAhem.
I'm going to demand that everything I buy have a self-destruct mechanism going forward.
"Aliens" is getting watched tonight. Hoo-ray.
I hope you're watching the uncut extended edition of Aliens (sentry guns in action...the colonist go to their doom...ahsum).
ReplyDeleteGood call on the SDM. iPhones and iPods should have them! So should your blog, in case you get hacked. I'm installing one in the basement this weekend.
Doug - you've got me thinking about the SD feature on the Nostromo.
ReplyDeleteThree "justifications" come to mind (nothing in the film supports these notions, mind you, but it's fun to speculate).
1) Although a commerical towing vessel, the ship is converted military hardware and thus the SDM is a carryover.
2) The SDM is a deterrent to piracy. You might re-consider attempting to jack a boat, if the crew can pop its cork.
3) In the event your crew has violated a treaty/ban on bringing back illicit gains, you might have to scuttle your ship to prevent legal action.
Like I said, none of this is hinted in the diegesis, but they could be after the fact justifications for having a SDM on a commerical vessel.
It's a pretty solid maritime tradition (at least in storytelling) of scuttling ships for one reason or another, and certainly in the original Star Trek series, they were constantly threatening to SD the Enterprise...and then eventually did it in at least one of the movies, so there's a "space" opera/maritime tradition there, as well.
Excellent observation though. I don't know how many times since 1977 I've seen Alien and it never occurred to me that a SDM onboard the Nostromo actually seems a bit weird. Good topic of discussion.
You raise some fine points. I think the strongest, actually, is that it's just part of a maritime (space or not) storytelling tradition. Which also explains why you and I (until this last watching) and numerous other people just accepted it. What caught me was this time was that it is a commercial towing vehicle - a space tug boat, not some super secret military or scientific vehicle such as the Enterprise. This is all in the realm of discussion for discussion's sake, or course. As I mentioned, I was struggling to find flaws so I don't seem like such a fanboy.
ReplyDeleteEh, the real reason it's there is because it's an easy tension-building plot device, and it works. This meme, however, is getting worn in my opinion (see last episode of "The Walking Dead", Season 1).
I had to split "Aliens" into two nights, but I'll try and write my most recent feelings about that soon. Different, perhaps lesser movie (?), overall, I think, but not by much. It sure beats the hell out of "Dances With Wolves In Space," I mean "Avatar."
Yes, exactly. I doubt at the time the SDM was anything more than a 'given' for the type of story and an effective method to ramp up the action for the third act.
ReplyDeleteAnd you're exactly right about The Walking Dead. Most disappointing season end since the final episode of The Sopranos. I have a feeling (hope) that the final ep of WD was due to the general sensation that it would ever only be a single season show.
I rank Aliens (especially the extended cut) to on par with Alien, but not in the same genre, really. Aliens is a war movie to me, more than a horror movie. And an incredibly effective action flick and maybe the most impressive sequel ever made.
Can't wait to chat about it, Dawgbite!
Excellent!
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