...you can't say Fox was stingy about offering fans everything they could ever have wanted in an Alien set.
By the way, about this ship. I mean, two hundred years of technological advancement have passed, and the spacecraft looks basically the same to me, inside and out, as the ones in the first two movies. Well, a dark, old haunted house is a dark, old haunted house.
The main change in "Resurrection" is a weird mother-daughter relationship between Ripley and the alien, plus the usual assortment of supposedly colorful characters we have come to depend on. Another spaceship, you see, docks with Ripley's and it contains an assortment of grizzled occupants. There are also a few interesting set design variations to keep one entertained and some bizarre humor, but I'm not sure any of it is worth the trouble.
Co-starring with Ms. Weaver this time out are Ron Perlman, Dominique Pinon, Gary Dourdan, Michael Wincott, Dan Hedaya, Kim Flowers, J.E. Freeman, Brad Dourif, and, of all people, Winona Ryder. None of them are particularly noteworthy, but they all give it their best shot.
Again, the viewer has the choice of watching the regular theatrical release or a new Special Edition, which director Jean-Pierre Jeunet calls an "alternative expanded cut." It is about seven minutes longer than the original version and includes new opening and closing sequences. In the case of either version, the result is more of the same, with only a few differences in the cheeky wisecrack department.
Neither of the last two movies has the suspense or thrills of the first two entries in the series. Film value: 5/10.
Video:
All four films are remastered to THX-certified standards in their original theatrical dimensions, all but "Aliens" presented in an anamorphic widescreen ratio measuring approximately 2.13:1. "Aliens," the odd man out, is presented in a 1.74:1 anamorphic ratio.
I found the video quality of the first, older film, "Alien," the best of all, crisper and sharper than on any previous tape or disc incarnation I'd seen of it and better defined than the other three, newer "Alien" films. The other films seemed a little less well delineated, a tad softer, than "Alien." I wondered why this might be the case, the older film looking better, and could only hypothesize that the older film being shorter might have needed less compression to fit two versions of it on one side of a disc. A check of the bit rates of the four films, however, revealed that they were all transferred with about the same amount of compression. Maybe the differences I saw were just in my mind's eye. In any event, all the films come off well, with only minor moiré effects noticeable here and there and occasional darker areas of the screen very slightly obscuring inner detail. Nothing to worry about. Certainly, the two newer films looked the cleanest. I'd give "Alien" a 9/10 and the others an 8/10 or 9/10.
Audio:
The THX-certified audio is presented in both Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS 5.1. In DD 5.1 it ranged from good to brilliant. As expected, the sound quality gets better as the movies get newer. "Aliens," originally recorded in Dolby Stereo, has fewer discrete surround effects, while "Alien Resurrection" has the most. All four films display ample frequency range and dynamic response, however, with the later movies sometimes shaking the rafters. Still, for me it was the small, delicate sounds that created the best atmosphere and suspense rather than the loud booms and crashes. For this reason, "Alien" still wins the day, regardless of its somewhat limited surround. I'd give the sound for "Alien" and "Aliens" an 8/10 and the other two 9/10.
Extras:
The extras are found on four alternate discs (one disc of bonus items devoted to each movie), plus a fifth disc of sundry other supplemental materials. They make a formidable array of things to click on and seem designed to keep a viewer from buying anything else on DVD for at least a month, because that's how long you'll need to get through it all (providing you devote most of your life to it).
Two things before we begin, though, one pleasant, the other annoying: (1) the number of individual bonus items is so large you're sure to wear your fingers ragged with punching buttons unless you choose the easy navigation system, whereby you can play all the featurettes or artwork or photos in one continuous sequence; and (2) the packaging has to be the most awkward ever devised for a DVD set. All nine discs are housed in a single, foldout box, which, when completely open, measures over five feet from end to end. Now, here's the problem: The whole thing starts fanning out in the middle, so in order to get to disc one, you have to unfold two-and-a-half feet of box. Worse, in order to reach the booklet insert, located in a pocket at the other end, you have to unfold another two-and-a-half feet! That's a nuisance, to say the least. Individual, slim-line double keep cases for each movie and one regular keep case, housed in much the same slipcase they use now, would have been more practical for the user. But perhaps Fox felt it would be too expensive.
Anyway, here are a few of the items in the multitude of extras department: All four movie discs include THX Optimizer sets of audiovisual tests, English and Spanish spoken languages, English and Spanish subtitles, and from thirty-two to forty-four scene selections. I won't even attempt to cover all the rest of the things on the bonus discs--the reader can check out the "Disc Details" for that--but I'll highlight some major components I found interesting.
Disc one contains the 1992 theatrical version of "Alien" (117 minutes) and the 2003 Director's Cut (116 minutes). In addition, it contains a short introduction by director Ridley Scott; an audio commentary with director Ridley Scott, writer Dan O'Bannon, executive producer Ronald Shusett, editor Terry Rawlings, actors Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, Veronica Cartwright, Harry Dean Stanton, and John Hurt; plus optional deleted-footage markers to indicate where changes were made in the Director's Cut.
Disc two contains the "Alien" supplemental materials. As with all four film-specific bonus discs, it is divided into three categories: Pre-Production, Production, and Post-Production. Within each category of each bonus disc, there is a plethora of documentaries, featurettes, multi-angle sequences, poster galleries, and still galleries. Among the things I liked best here were a thirty-one minute segment on "Creature Design"; an eighteen-minute segment on "Developing the Story"; a series of seven deleted or extended scenes; and a fourteen-minute bit on casting, "Truckers in Space." Various cast members contribute their input via recent interviews. In all, there are about two dozen different bonus items on disc two.
Disc three contains the 1986 theatrical version of "Aliens" (137 minutes) and the 1991 Special Edition (154 minutes). In addition, it contains a brief introduction by director James Cameron, in which he admits to liking the Special Edition better than the original because he thinks it's "more intense"; an audio commentary with Cameron, producer Gale Anne Hurd, "Alien" effects creator Stan Winston, visual effects supervisors Dennis and Robert Skotak, miniature effects supervisor Pat McChung, actors Michael Biehn, Bill Paxton, Lance Henriksen, Jenette Goldstein, Carrie Henn, and Christopher Henn; plus optional deleted-footage markers for the Special Edition.
Disc four contains the "Aliens" supplemental materials. Among the many features here, I enjoyed "Preparing for Battle: Casting and Characterization," seventeen minutes; "Beauty and the Bitch," a twenty-two minute featurette; and "The Power of Real Tech" on visual effects, twenty-six minutes. Altogether, there are about twenty-three bonus items on disc four.
Disc five contains the 1992 theatrical version of "Alien 3" (114 minutes) and the 2003 Special Edition (144 minutes). In addition, it contains an audio commentary with cinematographer Alex Thomson, editor Terry Rawlings, "Alien" effects designers Alec Gillis and Tom Woodruff, Jr., visual effects producer Richard Edlund, and actor Paul McGann; plus optional deleted-footage markers for the Special Edition. No participation from director David Fincher, though. It's the only major ingredient the set lacks.
Disc six contains the "Alien 3" supplemental materials. Among the best segments here are "Xeno-Erotic: H.R. Giger's Redesign," ten minutes; "Adaptive Organism: Creature Design," twenty minutes; and "Optical Fury: Visual Effects," twenty-three minutes. In all, there are about twenty-four separate items on disc six.
Disc seven contains the 1997 theatrical version of "Alien Resurrection" (109 minutes) and the 2003 Special Edition (116 minutes). In addition, it contains a brief introduction by director Jean-Pierre Jeunet; an audio commentary with director Jean-Pierre Jeunet, editor Herve Schneid, "Alien" effects creators Alec Gillis and Tom Woodruff, Jr., visual effects supervisor Pitof, conceptual artist Sylvain Despretz, and actors Ron Perlman, Dominique Pinon, and Leland Orser; plus optional deleted-footage markers for the Special Edition.
Disc eight contains the "Alien Resurrection" supplemental materials. Here I enjoyed "French Twist: Direction and Design," twenty-six minutes; "Death from Below: Underwater Photography," thirty-one minutes; and "A Matter of Scale: Miniature Photography," twenty-two minutes. In all, disc eight holds about eighteen different bonus items.
Disc nine contains the miscellaneous supplemental materials on all four movies, the best of which is the 2001 "Alien Evolution" documentary, which in a little over an hour covers just about everything you'd ever want to know about the making of "Alien." For instance, director Scott admits his movie was inspired in part by "2001" and in part by "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre." According to creature designer Carlo Rambaldi, "Ridley Scott firmly believed that the more you see of the monster, the less frightening it becomes." Exactly, which is why the first movie is scarier than the rest. The disc also contains shorter bits on the other movies, plus a whole lot of trailers, teasers, and TV spots; and, for the benefit of laser-disc lovers, all the bonuses found on the laser discs of "Alien" and "Aliens." Finally, disc nine contains a gallery of "Alien" covers from the "Dark Horse" comic book series and a feature on Bob Burns's collection of "Alien" props and figures.
Parting Thoughts:
Assigning an overall "Film Value" rating to this set is a delicate task. If one takes into account the last two films, the rating would be much lower, so I'm ignoring them. My final 9/10 rating is based on the first two movies only and on the comprehensive nature of the extras.
Incidentally, I could not find the word "quadrilogy" in either my "Random House Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language" or my "Merriam-Webster's Third International Unabridged," but no matter. Taking our cue from "trilogy," we can easily see that the term refers to a closely related series of four books or movies. It's too bad in this case that Fox didn't see fit to offer an alternative set of just the first two movies at a reduced price; now, that would have been a bargain.
The main change in "Resurrection" is a weird mother-daughter relationship between Ripley and the alien, plus the usual assortment of supposedly colorful characters we have come to depend on. Another spaceship, you see, docks with Ripley's and it contains an assortment of grizzled occupants. There are also a few interesting set design variations to keep one entertained and some bizarre humor, but I'm not sure any of it is worth the trouble.
Co-starring with Ms. Weaver this time out are Ron Perlman, Dominique Pinon, Gary Dourdan, Michael Wincott, Dan Hedaya, Kim Flowers, J.E. Freeman, Brad Dourif, and, of all people, Winona Ryder. None of them are particularly noteworthy, but they all give it their best shot.
Again, the viewer has the choice of watching the regular theatrical release or a new Special Edition, which director Jean-Pierre Jeunet calls an "alternative expanded cut." It is about seven minutes longer than the original version and includes new opening and closing sequences. In the case of either version, the result is more of the same, with only a few differences in the cheeky wisecrack department.
Neither of the last two movies has the suspense or thrills of the first two entries in the series. Film value: 5/10.
Video:
All four films are remastered to THX-certified standards in their original theatrical dimensions, all but "Aliens" presented in an anamorphic widescreen ratio measuring approximately 2.13:1. "Aliens," the odd man out, is presented in a 1.74:1 anamorphic ratio.
I found the video quality of the first, older film, "Alien," the best of all, crisper and sharper than on any previous tape or disc incarnation I'd seen of it and better defined than the other three, newer "Alien" films. The other films seemed a little less well delineated, a tad softer, than "Alien." I wondered why this might be the case, the older film looking better, and could only hypothesize that the older film being shorter might have needed less compression to fit two versions of it on one side of a disc. A check of the bit rates of the four films, however, revealed that they were all transferred with about the same amount of compression. Maybe the differences I saw were just in my mind's eye. In any event, all the films come off well, with only minor moiré effects noticeable here and there and occasional darker areas of the screen very slightly obscuring inner detail. Nothing to worry about. Certainly, the two newer films looked the cleanest. I'd give "Alien" a 9/10 and the others an 8/10 or 9/10.
Audio:
The THX-certified audio is presented in both Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS 5.1. In DD 5.1 it ranged from good to brilliant. As expected, the sound quality gets better as the movies get newer. "Aliens," originally recorded in Dolby Stereo, has fewer discrete surround effects, while "Alien Resurrection" has the most. All four films display ample frequency range and dynamic response, however, with the later movies sometimes shaking the rafters. Still, for me it was the small, delicate sounds that created the best atmosphere and suspense rather than the loud booms and crashes. For this reason, "Alien" still wins the day, regardless of its somewhat limited surround. I'd give the sound for "Alien" and "Aliens" an 8/10 and the other two 9/10.
Extras:
The extras are found on four alternate discs (one disc of bonus items devoted to each movie), plus a fifth disc of sundry other supplemental materials. They make a formidable array of things to click on and seem designed to keep a viewer from buying anything else on DVD for at least a month, because that's how long you'll need to get through it all (providing you devote most of your life to it).
Two things before we begin, though, one pleasant, the other annoying: (1) the number of individual bonus items is so large you're sure to wear your fingers ragged with punching buttons unless you choose the easy navigation system, whereby you can play all the featurettes or artwork or photos in one continuous sequence; and (2) the packaging has to be the most awkward ever devised for a DVD set. All nine discs are housed in a single, foldout box, which, when completely open, measures over five feet from end to end. Now, here's the problem: The whole thing starts fanning out in the middle, so in order to get to disc one, you have to unfold two-and-a-half feet of box. Worse, in order to reach the booklet insert, located in a pocket at the other end, you have to unfold another two-and-a-half feet! That's a nuisance, to say the least. Individual, slim-line double keep cases for each movie and one regular keep case, housed in much the same slipcase they use now, would have been more practical for the user. But perhaps Fox felt it would be too expensive.
Anyway, here are a few of the items in the multitude of extras department: All four movie discs include THX Optimizer sets of audiovisual tests, English and Spanish spoken languages, English and Spanish subtitles, and from thirty-two to forty-four scene selections. I won't even attempt to cover all the rest of the things on the bonus discs--the reader can check out the "Disc Details" for that--but I'll highlight some major components I found interesting.
Disc one contains the 1992 theatrical version of "Alien" (117 minutes) and the 2003 Director's Cut (116 minutes). In addition, it contains a short introduction by director Ridley Scott; an audio commentary with director Ridley Scott, writer Dan O'Bannon, executive producer Ronald Shusett, editor Terry Rawlings, actors Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, Veronica Cartwright, Harry Dean Stanton, and John Hurt; plus optional deleted-footage markers to indicate where changes were made in the Director's Cut.
Disc two contains the "Alien" supplemental materials. As with all four film-specific bonus discs, it is divided into three categories: Pre-Production, Production, and Post-Production. Within each category of each bonus disc, there is a plethora of documentaries, featurettes, multi-angle sequences, poster galleries, and still galleries. Among the things I liked best here were a thirty-one minute segment on "Creature Design"; an eighteen-minute segment on "Developing the Story"; a series of seven deleted or extended scenes; and a fourteen-minute bit on casting, "Truckers in Space." Various cast members contribute their input via recent interviews. In all, there are about two dozen different bonus items on disc two.
Disc three contains the 1986 theatrical version of "Aliens" (137 minutes) and the 1991 Special Edition (154 minutes). In addition, it contains a brief introduction by director James Cameron, in which he admits to liking the Special Edition better than the original because he thinks it's "more intense"; an audio commentary with Cameron, producer Gale Anne Hurd, "Alien" effects creator Stan Winston, visual effects supervisors Dennis and Robert Skotak, miniature effects supervisor Pat McChung, actors Michael Biehn, Bill Paxton, Lance Henriksen, Jenette Goldstein, Carrie Henn, and Christopher Henn; plus optional deleted-footage markers for the Special Edition.
Disc four contains the "Aliens" supplemental materials. Among the many features here, I enjoyed "Preparing for Battle: Casting and Characterization," seventeen minutes; "Beauty and the Bitch," a twenty-two minute featurette; and "The Power of Real Tech" on visual effects, twenty-six minutes. Altogether, there are about twenty-three bonus items on disc four.
Disc five contains the 1992 theatrical version of "Alien 3" (114 minutes) and the 2003 Special Edition (144 minutes). In addition, it contains an audio commentary with cinematographer Alex Thomson, editor Terry Rawlings, "Alien" effects designers Alec Gillis and Tom Woodruff, Jr., visual effects producer Richard Edlund, and actor Paul McGann; plus optional deleted-footage markers for the Special Edition. No participation from director David Fincher, though. It's the only major ingredient the set lacks.
Disc six contains the "Alien 3" supplemental materials. Among the best segments here are "Xeno-Erotic: H.R. Giger's Redesign," ten minutes; "Adaptive Organism: Creature Design," twenty minutes; and "Optical Fury: Visual Effects," twenty-three minutes. In all, there are about twenty-four separate items on disc six.
Disc seven contains the 1997 theatrical version of "Alien Resurrection" (109 minutes) and the 2003 Special Edition (116 minutes). In addition, it contains a brief introduction by director Jean-Pierre Jeunet; an audio commentary with director Jean-Pierre Jeunet, editor Herve Schneid, "Alien" effects creators Alec Gillis and Tom Woodruff, Jr., visual effects supervisor Pitof, conceptual artist Sylvain Despretz, and actors Ron Perlman, Dominique Pinon, and Leland Orser; plus optional deleted-footage markers for the Special Edition.
Disc eight contains the "Alien Resurrection" supplemental materials. Here I enjoyed "French Twist: Direction and Design," twenty-six minutes; "Death from Below: Underwater Photography," thirty-one minutes; and "A Matter of Scale: Miniature Photography," twenty-two minutes. In all, disc eight holds about eighteen different bonus items.
Disc nine contains the miscellaneous supplemental materials on all four movies, the best of which is the 2001 "Alien Evolution" documentary, which in a little over an hour covers just about everything you'd ever want to know about the making of "Alien." For instance, director Scott admits his movie was inspired in part by "2001" and in part by "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre." According to creature designer Carlo Rambaldi, "Ridley Scott firmly believed that the more you see of the monster, the less frightening it becomes." Exactly, which is why the first movie is scarier than the rest. The disc also contains shorter bits on the other movies, plus a whole lot of trailers, teasers, and TV spots; and, for the benefit of laser-disc lovers, all the bonuses found on the laser discs of "Alien" and "Aliens." Finally, disc nine contains a gallery of "Alien" covers from the "Dark Horse" comic book series and a feature on Bob Burns's collection of "Alien" props and figures.
Parting Thoughts:
Assigning an overall "Film Value" rating to this set is a delicate task. If one takes into account the last two films, the rating would be much lower, so I'm ignoring them. My final 9/10 rating is based on the first two movies only and on the comprehensive nature of the extras.
Incidentally, I could not find the word "quadrilogy" in either my "Random House Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language" or my "Merriam-Webster's Third International Unabridged," but no matter. Taking our cue from "trilogy," we can easily see that the term refers to a closely related series of four books or movies. It's too bad in this case that Fox didn't see fit to offer an alternative set of just the first two movies at a reduced price; now, that would have been a bargain.
Average user rating (1-5):
[release]11180[/release]