35/37
Director Fed Alvarez of Alien 2 (1986) sought out a special effects team to work on the creatures
Tale
Liberating the depths of an abandoned space station, a group of young space colonists come face to face with the most terrifying life form in the universe. Director Fed Alvarez explains the rule he established for the aliens: Romulus, that “if you can be practical, be practical” so that the participants always acted against the physical representation of the xenomorph. Whenever possible, physical sets, practical creatures, and miniatures were used to help ground the later visual effects. When Rain turns off the ship’s gravity and shoots all the aliens, all of their blood is suspended in the air in long, blob-like patterns. Zero gravity in real life causes liquids to form spheres instead of breaking into long, flat pieces like in the movie.
Alien theme written by Jerry Goldsmith
Andy: The solution for an astronaut suffering from claustrophobia is to give him more space. The 20th Century Studios fanfare freezes and becomes ominous, like in Alien 3 (1992), preceding the opening scene of the film. The logo itself suffers from static and turns green. Appeared in Nerdrotic: The Acolyte: Force is Female CONFIRMED? Death of Theatres – The Real BBC @MauLer @HeelvsBabyface (2024).
Because the rest is so good
I had high hopes for this, and what can I say, after the first performance I went back to the theater because I couldn’t wait to see it a second time. Remember how we always wondered if Alien and Blade Runner took place in the same universe? The worldbuilding was so well done and involved that I almost regretfully remembered after 30 minutes that I was supposed to watch an alien movie. Almost. The way the characters are built in relation to each other and to what is happening is masterful.
There’s no downtime, there’s always something happening
I also like how the film thematically and cleverly ties ALL 6 films that came before (each has its own knot and I don’t want good candy if it’s done on purpose) together while doing its own thing. Because it IS a Fed Alvarez film, as fresh and vibrant as the rest of his films. In the end, you just have to see what you discover: as soon as the computer turns on, you know where you are and you know it will be as respectful and familiar as possible. It’s true that the plot takes liberties and some will rightly argue about it, but personally I can forgive these shortcuts because they serve the pacing (and every film has its own specific xenomorphs anyway). It ticks all the boxes, but it’s also unique and special.
It was worth the wait
Whether they’re exploring the stars, escaping dystopia, or making the world a better place, these women are science fiction.