Friday, March 1, 2013

Aliens Review









Aliens


Release Date: 6th November 1986 - Australia


Production Companies
Brandywine Productions

Distribution
20th Century Fox Australia


Genre: Sci-Fi/Action

Rating: M

Runtime: 132 minutes
                 154 minutes
                 (special edition)


Budget: $18,000,000

Box Office Gross: $183,291,893 (Worldwide)


Plot Summary
After drifting into space for 57 years, Ripley awakens from
her escape pod and gets
rescued by a salvage crew.
However, the company's
officers refuse to believe her
description of the lifeform.
Then, as if things couldn't be
worse for her, there's the loss
of all contact with the
colonists where her crew
first encountered the alien.

It compels Ripley to go with a group of colonial marines with hi-tech weaponry and is on a mission where she must learn to confront her fears.


Cast
Sigourney Weaver - Ellen Ripley
Michael Biehn - Cpl. Dwayne
Hicks
Carrie Henn - Rebecca 'Newt' Jordan
Paul Reiser - Carter Burke
Lance Henriksen - Bishop
Jenette Goldstein - Private Vasquez
William Hope - Lt. William Gorman
Al Matthews - Sgt. Al Apone
Bill Paxton - Private William
Hudson
Mark Rolston - Private Drake
Ricco Ross - Private Frost
Colette Hiller - Corporal Ferro
Daniel Kash - Private Spunkmeyer
Cynthia Dale Scott - Corporal Dietrich
Tip Tipping - Private Crowe
Trevor Steedman - Private Wierzbowski
Paul Maxwell - Van Leuwen
Barbara Coles - Cocooned Woman
Carl Toop - Alien Warrior
Jay Benedict - Newt's Father
(Uncredited) (Special Edition Only)
Holly De Long - Newt's Mother (Uncredited)
(Special Edition Only)
Christoper Henn - Newt's Brother (Uncredited)
(Special Edition Only)
Elizabeth Inglis - Amanda Ripley-McLaren
(Uncredited) (Special Edition Only)
Mac McDonald - Simpson (Uncredited)
(Special Edition Only)

Crew
Story/Screenplay/Queen Alien Designer
(Uncredited)/Director - James Cameron
Based on Characters - Dan O'Bannon
and Ronald Shusett
Story/Executive Producers - David Giler
and Walter Hill
Producer - Gale Anne Hurd
Casting Directors: USA - Jane Feinberg,
Mike Fenton and Judy Taylor
Casting Director: UK - Mary Selway
Production Designer - Peter Lamont
Supervising Art Director - Terry-Ackland Snow
Art Directors - Ken Court, Bert Davey,
Fred Hole and Michael Lamont
Conceptual Designer - Ron Cobb
Conceptual Artist - Syd Mead
Original Alien Designer - H.R. Giger
Set Decorator - Crispian Sallis
Property Master - Bert Hearn
Costume Designer - Emma Porteous
Makeup Supervisor - Peter Robb-King
Director of Photography - Adrian Biddle
Camera Operators - Shaun O'Dell and
David Worley
Production Supervisor - Hugh Harlow
First Assistant Director - Derek Cracknell
Second Unit Director/Alien Effects Creator -
Stan Winston
Stunt Coordinator - Paul Weston
Special Effects Supervisor - John Richardson
Creature Effects Coordinators - Alec Gillis,
Richard J. Landon, Shane Mahan,
John Rosengrant and Tom Woodruff Jr.
Visual Effects Supervisors - Dennis &
Robert Skotak
Visual Effects Supervisor: Post-Production -
Brian Johnson
Art Director: Visual Effects - Peter Russell
Mechanical Armature Design: Visual Effects
Unit - Doug Beswick and Phil Notaro
Miniatures Technical Supervisor: Visual
Effects Unit - Pat McClung
Miniatures Floor Supervisor: Visual Effects
Unit - Brian Smithies
Film Editor - Ray Lovejoy
Associate Editor - Peter Boita
Supervising Sound Editor - Don Sharpe
Chief Dubbing Mixer - Graham V. Hartstone
Music - James Horner


Awards

1987 Academy Awards
Best Sound Editing - Don Sharpe (Won)
Best Visual Effects - John Richardson,
Dennis Skotak, Stan Winston and
Suzanne M. Benson (Won)
---------------------
Best Actress - Sigourney Weaver (Nominated)
Best Art Direction - Peter Lamont
and Crispian Sallis (Nominated)
Best Sound Effects - Graham V. Hartstone,
Nicolas Le Messuirer, Michael Carter
and Roy Charman (Nominated)
Best Film Editing - Ray Lovejoy (Nominated)
Best Original Score - James Horner (Nominated)


Review
It's hard to think that ALIENS might not be the best possible sequel to Ridley Scott's Alien because it's very different. It matches up to the predecessor, mainly because of the direction by James Cameron. He added the action and took a few inspirations from Starship Troopers. It has the intensity and the edge-of-the-seat suspense that is part of the series formula. ALIENS has maintained the details and aspects like Sigourney Weaver's continuation of her acting as Ripley, and great moments include when Ripley is fighting against the Alien Queen. There are fantastic performances by Lance Henriksen, Michael Biehn and Bill Paxton.

As far as sequels come and go, ALIENS lived up to the first movie, unlike several sequels that failed to do so. ALIENS is a tremendous classic with a loyal following from fans, and it's a must-see if you're into the sci-fi/horror genre.

Star rating: (4/5) Good Movie

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