Tonight I'm watching a movie double-header of
Alien and
Aliens with my friend Kameron. I have to say that perhaps the scariest scene in movie history is the "Here Kitty, Kitty" scene involving the character of
Brett played by actor
Harry Dean Stanton undertaking a painfully prolonged search for the cat
Jonesy and finding not only the cat but quite fatally a soldier
alien. Below is the final minute of this multiple minute scene of excruciating inevitability.
You know, I happen to agree, except that Ridley Scott filled "Alien" with the scariest scenes ever in the realm of sci-fi. The impending doom of Kane... the sabotage and betrayal of Ash... Lambert's constant state of horror... Parker's tough guy stance slowly eroding. Oh yeah. This is a movie I watch often, just to catch nuances that might have slipped by me in the past 100 screenings.
ReplyDeleteAliens, however, has the burden of working with a known outcome and James Cameron works it to his advantage. He relies heavily on character interpretation of horrific situations. Newt lends a child's innocent perspective to balance the weight of the adults' constant fear. Pvt. Hicks has those memorable lines that relay his inner fear, while Hudson's anxiety condenses in his desire to kill that "rat fuck son of a bitch" Burke, the saboteur.
"Aliens" offers some very emotive scenes: Ripley's instinctual protection of Newt and Bishop's gentle restoration of Ripley's faith in 'droids. Did you know that Lance Henriksen cannot read or write and that he relied totally on memory for recitation of his lines?
One of the most ironic moments in film history occurs when the all clear is given in "Aliens:" "Uh, there's nothing going on here..." And then there is the assault on the senses as we see the queen for the first time; she is the antithetical enemy of new mother Ripley and it is their bid to preserve their offspring that makes the movie the classic it is.
Okay, enough from the peanut gallery, but I am a diehard Alien(s) fan with the full collection of movies (theater releases and director's cuts)along with several actual models of aliens peppered throughout my home (including that queen bitch).
Now, whenever you wish to discuss the real horror movie genre, I'm here for that as well. After all, my forte in my education was the grotesque and I made sure I saw ALL horror movies--even the ones that made me leave the theater with a sick in my gut.
Lin, thanks for your authoritative input. Do you own the Alien Quadrilogy? What do you think of the extended versions of all four movies? What do you think of the Alien vs. Predator movie franchise hybridization? What are your thoughts on Prometheus?
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