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Alien or Aliens?

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Alien – a slow and quiet (until it´s not) low-budget horror movie.

Aliens – a big action-filled thingy with lots of everything.

They´re both great at what they´re doing, both masterpieces in their respective genres, but completely different in all but franchise (and Sigourney Weaver).

So which one do you prefer and why?

(Yes, I´ve been listening to Smershpod again. The recent episode on Aliens is highly recommended)

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Comments

  1. Overall Alien but it depends on what I want – a tense thriller that ratchets up the tension or as you say a big action picture.
    I totally disagree that Alien was anywhere near low-budget. Those sets were not in the least bit cheap and flimsy and they still look good today.
    The only SFX scene that doesn’t stand up today is when the new-born alien escapes across the table. Otherwise it’s fab. Apparently Ridlet Scott spent a small fortune on the astronauts awakening scene. He wanted the perfect symmetry of the pod covers rising together. It’s a tiny part of the overall picture, but indicative of the care that went into it.
    There is the difficulty, discussed some years back with another Afterworder, following the release of Prometheus of the technology on display being far more advanced than that in Alien, though Prometheus is supposed to predate Alien.

  2. Two superb movies, both of which I love wholeheartedly. Alien is probably more effective when viewing them as works of art. There’s all kinds of subtext and metaphor in there which is largely lacking in the sequel. But that sequel is one of the greatest action movies ever made, and what is sacrificed in subtlety is more than made up for in camaraderie, quotability and sheer excitement. It was also narratively satisfying, building on the original in unexpected but logical ways. I could watch it a thousand times and never be bored.

  4. I go for Aliens, but that’s because of I am more of a space opera buff than a horror fan (yes, I know that is absurdly reductive). I am slowly rewatching the Alien movies ahead of watching Covenant (yes I know that was 2017 – I’ve been busy).

    III was a big disappointment at the time, and still doesn’t work for me. I’ve read the comic of William Gibson’s version and that is interesting but also flawed (he is probably my favourite living author, but adaptations just don’t pack the same impact). Resurrection is as they say a hot mess, probably best viewed as Joss Wheedon’s testing ground for Firefly (rag tag bunch of space pirates have an adventure…). Prometheus is better than I remembered, or maybe I just had more respect for the beautiful images and was less bothered by the gaping plot holes, waste of Idris Elba, people not realising that you can step a foot to the right…. hang on I’m getting annoyed again.

  6. Doffing my hat to a recentish thread, Alien/Aliens are the Unknown Pleasures/Closer of cinema – despite employing so many of the same ingredients, the latter work is a completely different confection, but each is great and, depending on one’s mood on a given night, either can feel supreme.
    I will always be grateful for the success of Star Wars because it made it possible for these films to be green lit and, as said, with the budgets necessary to make them as great as they could be.
    (Wrt Prometheus: it’s been taken down now, but for a while there was a movie up on YouTube where some dude spliced together Alien and Prometheus – cleverly in black and white to hide the stitching – in a way that made the latter much more palatable. If it ever pops up again, it’s worth a look. Soz – can’t remember the title he used. )

  7. Aliens

    It is my wife’s favorite film of all time, so I admit this tips me.

    But here is the reason. Ripley spends all of the films telling the truth and being ignored, until the point in Aliens when Hicks (played by Michael Biehn) finds himself in charge. Here is the moment.

    Ripley: Well, I believe Corporal Hicks has authority here.
    Burke: Corporal Hicks is…?
    Ripley: This operation is under military jurisdiction, and Hicks is next in chain of command. Am I right, Corporal?
    Hicks: Yeah… yeah, that’s right.
    Burke: Yeah… look, Ripley, this is a multi-million dollar installation, OK? He can’t make that kind of decision. He’s just a grunt! Uh, no offense.
    Hicks: None taken. Ferro, do you copy?
    Ferro: [via radio] Standing by.
    Hicks: Prep for dust-off. We’re going to need immediate evac.
    Ferro: Roger. We’re on our way.
    Hicks: All right. We take off. Nuke the site from orbit. [glances at Ripley in agreement] It’s the only way to be sure.

    I think this is the most single feminist moment in a film I have ever seen. MAN ACTUALLY LISTENS TO WOMAN!

    And it’s the guy from Terminator who is John Connor’s father. Michael Biehn is the greatest male feminist in all cinema. So Aliens man.

  8. It has to be Aliens without a doubt – I can still recall the cathartic buzz of watching it with a mate in Leeds on release & I make a point of watching it about once a year. It’s now become one of those ‘knowing every line of dialogue’ like Withnail & I or Casablanca.
    The ‘expanded’ cut – longer than the theatrical version I originally saw is definitely superior, as it underlines the intensity of the relationship betweeb Ripley & Newt.
    The movie pulls off a great trick, managing to be a feminist classic, non macho mega shoot ’em up. A woman & a girl achieve precisely what a squad of of trained tough guys ( & Vasquez & the pilot) fail to do.
    Alien is a terrific film & does a great job of holding back the monster ‘ reveal’ as long as possible & without it Aliens wouldn’t resonate – seeing what one Xenomorph does to a ship & its crew to facing a whole colony of them – but for me doesn’t stand repeated viewing like Aliens does.
    I prefer not to even think about all the subsequent movies & the Prometheus & Covenant stuff is beyond awful despite *looking* fantastic & having good casts – but the attempt to retro fit some kind of logical origin myth & all the anomalies – such as the tech are emabaressing. Aliens stands ( almost) alone & remains magnificent.

  9. Aliens is pretty good. Not one of my favourite action movies (Die Hard and Raiders of the Lost Ark are just two films that top it for thrills and spills).

    But I’d choose it over Alien any day. I was just never taken with that. The slow build-up is magnificent (and some glorious, never-matched set design and production)… but… as soon as the creature is revealed (and that little puppet that bursts out of the stomach is woeful, really cheap looking) it just loses all tension for me. I’ve never been one to be impressed/scared by slasher movies, which is effectively what this is (with sci-fi bells on). It’s just yawnsome waiting for the cast to be picked off one by one.

    I need a good climax and a good ending to make a movie. And Alien doesn’t have it. Nice looking film with no substance.

  10. Alien for me. Absolutely top-notch cast, doesn’t let up on the suspense, unfolds at an ever-increasing pace.

    FWIW, I think I’m the only person I know who rates Alien 3. Again, it’s the great, mostly British cast (Brian Glover: ‘Rumour control. Here are the facts…’) And it caps everything off. They should have stopped it there. I don’t mind the prequels, but I see them more like a different (ugh, sorry) franchise.

  13. Aliens for me. I saw it in the Ambassador cinema in Dublin when it came out and the whole audience was standing up cheering Ripley on in the climactic fight like it was a boxing match. I’ve never experienced anything like it in a cinema… and that wasn’t even the Director’s Cut.

    My nephew has tried to watch it but switches off or leaves the room when the beeps on the motion detectors start to go crazy…

  14. I wish I’d seen Aliens when it first came out, because having seen subsequent James Cameron films since, have come to the conclusion that I’m generally not a fan of his work. Suspect this would colour any watching Aliens now, so I figure meh, don’t bother.

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