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Summary: "Alien" S.E. DVD REVIEW!
Review: Ridley Scott's 1978 film, "Alien" changed the face of horror/science-fiction thrillers and turned the relatively-unknown Sigourney Weaver into a major Hollywood superstar. For its 25th anniversary, Fox Entertainment released a new "director's cut" of the film into theatres. While it didn't do nearly as well as they had hoped, the new two-disc DVD features both the original classic and the new director-approved edition. While "Alien" may not quite be viewed by today's audiences as the landmark suspense film that it was in its day, it is still an exceptionally-done and exciting film. Such moments as John Hurt's "chest-burster" sequence, the Ash robot struggle, and the concluding confrontation between Ripley and the Alien are all so thoroughly well-done. Having the sole survivor of the film be a female is still very rarely seen in films today though most of the film's other major plot twists have been ripped off time and time again by other film-makers over the years. While the "director's cut" does feature some new added scenes, it actually runs a minute shorter than the original as Ridley Scott has also taken out scenes that he feels have not aged well. I actually prefer the older version though a new sequence featuring the infamous "cocoon" scene is worth checking out. Both versions feature a full-length commentary from the cast and crew including Ridley Scott and Sigourney Weaver. This double-disc edition has even more special features to offer than just both versions of the movie. The featurettes on the making of the film are very intriguing and insightful and offer a glimpse into the potential problems that the crew faced. It's also interesting to learn that this film was actually originally planned as a low-budget Roger Corman picture. There's also so more deleted footage from the film that didn't make the "director's cut" on disc two. If you are even a slight fan of the "Alien" series, this DVD has everything that you could possibly want. You can get this two-disc "special edition" either by itself or as part of the nine-disc "Alien Quadrilogy" boxed set.
Rating:
Summary: Top Ten Sci-Fi
Review: Wonderful sci-fi thriller that borrow its theme from the 1950s sci-fi B-movie "It." The Nostromo, a space-faring ore cargo vessel, sets down on planet LB426 to investigate an apparent automated distress signal. Upon investigation of an alien vessel crash site, the seven-person crew finds that the signal was, in fact, a warning to stay away from the alien ship. This truth comes too late for one the members of the crew, Kane, played by John Hurt, and he is attacked by an organism that attaches itself to his face like some sort of octopus. Disobeying orders, the ship's science officer, Ash, played by Ian Holm, breaks quaranteen and allows the infected crew member back aboard ship. That sets the stage for a kill or be killed showdown against a predatory alien that is both clever and evil to the core. By the way, the alien's "coming out" was (when I originally watched the movie) intense and gory. There are many wonderful scenes in this movie, but my favorite is when Captain Dallas, played by Tom Skerritt, hunts the alien in the air ducts with nothing more than a miniature flame thrower. I still vividly remember that beeping sound made by the electronic tracker during the scene. I also enjoyed the unexpected revelation by Ash. The crew is methodically picked off one-by-one by the alien, leaving a climactic showdown between Ripley, played by Sigorney Weaver, and the non-stop killing machine. I won't give away the ending, but I will say that it is very well done. The sets are extraordinary, as are the special effects, especially considering the limited budget the first movie was made on. The ship has a grungy feel to it, which is what you would actually expect in reality. The acting is excellent all-around from the actors I mention above, as well as from Yaphet Kotto, Harry Dean Stanton, and Veronica Cartwright. The tension builds slowly and never lets up. Definitely a must own!
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Summary: A very entertaining film
Review: This was one of the first scary movies i've seen and I thought it was great. This movie starts off when a SOS call wakes up a crew in hypersleep on their way home. The alien that boards the ship eventually kills almost the whole crew except for a very brave woman named Ripley. I had thought the ship captain would come back since I had seen The Thing shortly before. The Alien is a smart creature that resembles a human except it has a huge head and a tail. Some of the aliens are different than others but they are all very hard to kill. Ripley and two surviving crew members attempt to beat it by blowing up the ship and escaping in a small shuttle. On the way to the shuttle the other crew members die fighting the Alien. One thing I liked about it was the way it didn't always show you what was going on so you had to thing about it like when Ripley had just started the self destruction sequence and she realized the Alien had boarded the shuttle. She eventually kills it by ejecting it out of the shuttle and saving herself by wearing a spacesuit. This is a great movie and it is a must see for all Sci-fi fans.
Rating: 
Summary: Alert!! Don't abandon your original disk for this version!
Review: Here's the deal. We all know the movie. It's a classic and belongs in any library, so I will discuss whether you should spend your hard earned cash or r not.
This 2 disk set has a wealth of information. Many behind the scenes documentaries that give an exhaustive deal of insight into the making of the film. That's the positive.
But I must say, I really love the 20th Anniversary edition DVD of this film (The one that was sold as part of the Alien Legacy box set in '99). If you are looking to upgrade to this 2 disk version, I would think it through. This 2 disk version does not have the film trailers or isolated film score (two versions) that the Legacy release had. I also enjoyed Ridley Scott's commentary on the single disk Legacy version more. The 2 disk has the newer directors cut, but almost all of those additional scenes are found on the single disk in the special features. The original cut of the film is better in most peoples (mine included) opinion anyway, so I will never bother watching the directors cut again. In fact, the single disk has at least one out-take that isn't included here. Like I said, the theatrical trailers are not on the 2 disk version but are on the single disk Legacy versions (The trailers were saved for disk 9 of the Quadrilogy set which proves that this isn't a good stand-alone disk). Yes this version has more in the way of bonus features, but they are all very dry and technical and after seeing them once, you are done.
And this may seem knit-picky, but I like my DVDs to be immersive, where the features and menus pull you into the film. The single disk was much better in this respect. This 2 disk version doesn't have the Easter Eggs that the single did (crew files, and overview of Alien lifecycle). The menus on the single disk were just much cooler, like you are on the Nostromo ship. The menus here are just very dry. Each film is built around the theme of the Alien lifecycle with the first film being based on the Egg, the second film on the Face Hugger, and so on. This brings me to my conclusion.
This 2 disk version is made to be part of a 9 disk set. These editions are just 1 of 4 pieces of the Quadrilogy set. So here is my suggestion. If you like all of the films in the series, you should get the full Quadrilogy set (all 9 disk) with its abundance of material and get rid of any older versions because it will be worth it. However, if you are like me and only want the first 2 films, it doesn't pay to upgrade. The Legacy, single disk versions are much better stand-alone sets. Just keep your Legacy copy of Alien and Aliens and rent the Quadrilogy to watch the Bonus features and listen to the commentary tracks. Then go back to enjoying your other, musch more fun single disk when you feel like getting a dose of Alien.
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding!!
Review: Excellent two disk set. Disk one has theatrical version and a Director's cut, which has some great new footage. Disk 2 gives you the "how" in the making of this landmark scifi film. All true fans should go the route of buying these Collector 2 disk sets, and NOT that lame and cheaply made Quadrilogy set.
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Summary: Behind my PC no one can hear me scream...BUY THIS, BUY THIS!
Review: This set is just fabulous. The theatrical version is here, the director's cut with some great additional footage. The bonus disc will tell you everything you need to know about the making and development of this hallmark movie. I had originally bought the Quadrilogy...went through two scratches sets, loose digipack, defective disks, and a 5 foot long foldout case that drives you nuts to open. Cute at first, but this gets old real quick when all you want is one disk out of the 9. On the Director's cut, and also with the other 3 CE editions just released Jan '04, you have the digipack also, but it is manageable with only two disks in it. Also the DVDs themselves seem heavier to me, and DO NOT freeze in my dvd player (the Alien Quad set did). I suspect the Quad set is made differently (and more cheaply)...that's why the cheaper cost in buying the set. For those who want quality, I would recommend the purchase of each CE separately. The 2nd disks you get are more than enough tech info on the makings of these movies. The 9th disk in the Quad is nice, but this info gets redundant after awhile. If you do feel the need for more, but Alien SAGA. IMO, it is much more interesting and fun to watch than the 9th disk in the Quad set.
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Summary: It certainly is THE movie.. but is this THE disc?
Review: First of all, if you liked Alien 3 enough to purchase it on DVD, there is no reason to buy this product instead of the magnificant ALIEN QUADRILIOGY, regardless of what you think of RESURRECTION (I didn't like it). The amount of stuff on that collection for the first three movies outweighs the fourth film. ALIEN already has had a single disc DVD release that kicks a lot of arse. But let's talk about the movie first. You don't need to put the film in context of 1979 to understand its power. Ridley Scott's masterpiece of suspense slowly builds tension and horror. In this fashion, when we really do see the alien, we are much more horrified and engrossed than when we are allowed to see it all the time. In this respect, it is like JAWS in space. This movie reminds us of how clever production design and a guy in the suit can be much more convincing and satisfying than a CG. Especially for fans of the genre, CG work is obvious and lacks presence. This film shows us why. The beautiful and repulsive design needs actual presence to show us every piece of slime dripping of its jaws. Beyond horror, Ridley Scott has a real fascination with the Alien. In his commentary, he describes how he wanted the actors to react as if the alien was a massive toy.
All of this is supported by a great cast that we fear for and enjoy. The alien is not the only star. This cast is fun to watch and works brillinatly as a unit. . Jerry Goldsmith provides an avante garde score that is sometimes grating but somehow fascinating. Jerry himself wasn't too pleased overall with the score's presentation in the film, but for once I agree with the director in wanting a more wierd and creepy main title sequence rather than Jerry's original, which was majestic but out of place. The music in the shaft as it appears in the film is also more hard-edged and atmospheric than the original score. Now for this product. More or less, this is the same product in terms of bonus features as the quadrilogy set. What this disc doesn't have is the REAL DIRECTORS CUT. There are 3 versions of the film.
1. 117 min theatrical release (ON the disc)
2. 115 min directors cut that trims the fat and adds important deleted scenes (NOT on the disc)
3. 137 min. extended cut, with all the fat and all the deleted stuff (ON the disc) I would perfer a cut of the film that trims the fat WITHOUT the extra scenes, but thats just me. It simply works better, for instance, when Brett's solo scene ends with the close-up of the cat, NOT with Parker and Ripley running in. I miss the music-only tracks that appeared on the original DVD release. I much perfer Ridley's solo commentary over the crowded actor/tech-crew one that appeared on the quadrilogy set and this one. Still... its hard to nitpick when MOST people don't even watch the bonus features.. they just want the one with the shiniest cover. If you don't like ALIEN 3 or four, then this disc with ALIENS is the way to go. And don't forget.... whatever it is... it's still ALIEN..... and thats what really, really rocks.
Rating:
Summary: Scary as **** no matter how you re-edit it...
Review: The Director's Cut of ALIEN features a couple of scenes that were edited out of the original for various reasons. After watching this cut of the film, I decided some added depth to the experience, but some left me going "huh?" The first scene takes place before the crew descends to the planet. They listen to the signal that the ship is transmitting before deciding to proceed with their original plan. This scene was OK, nothing special about it, though. The other new scenes include Lambert's short punching match with Ripley after she has let Kane re-enter the ship, and most importantly, the show-stopping scene where Ripley discovers Dallas and Brett's fate. Some people have said this slows the film down, including Ridley Scott himself. I loved it, though. It adds another dimension of scariness to the film and lets us in on why there were so many eggs in the derelict ship. The DVD was worth it for that scene alone. The special features are extensive, and well worth the time. Definitely worth the price!
Rating: 
Summary: Reviewing original release
Review: I am reviewing the original because in the quadrilogy booklet, Ridley Scott says he thinks the first cut is the best one of the film, and Ridley is a visual genius and I trust his judgment. The film doesn't really hold up very well in the special effects department, and in one it really really shows. The very end with the Alien outside of the shuttle doesn't look very...good. But you don't watch a movie from the 70s expecting flawless special effects. What this movie does do is create an atmosphere that is so dark and so claustrophobic that you can't help but get sucked into the Nostromo and really feel like you're with the crew. Another thing is realism. This is the blue-collar side of the future, where people still get grimy and greasy and survive with their wits and their hands, not laser cannons and supernatural "forces." The fact is, "Alien" is a classic horror movie set in the future. I wouldn't really call it a sci-fi movie. Yes there is science in it but it's not really what the movie is about. The movie is about scaring the crap out of the audience, which makes it more of a horror movie. It doesn't matter, if you're a fan of both genres, you should buy this movie.
Rating:
Summary: Best Sci-fi movie ever!
Review: When I first saw this movie, I could not move. It was the most intense movie I have ever seen. So, the special effects are cheesy. Who cares?
Well basiclly, the story begins like this. This cargo ship is heading back to earth when it recieves an urgent SOS. Next thing you know, there is an alien on board the ship, picking them off one by one. And we can`t forget the shocking surprise ending. What a great movie!
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