Should there be another Alien film?

Alien-perhaps the greatest ever sci-fi horror, only rivalled by the remake of The Fly or The Thing

Aliens-greatest ever sci-fi action film, perfect in every way and for a long time my favourite ever film

Alien3-worst sequal/film of all time. Unique amongst lousy sequals in that not only is it a terrible film in itself but it ruins your enjoyment of the first 2 films

Alien 4-ok, not brilliant but it gives Ripley her happy ending, love the Cal relationship and Kim Flowers (the other female space pirate) has the most exquisite backside in the history of cinema. Written by Joss Whedon and you can see the beginnings of Firefly here

Alien vs Predator-ok, very dumb fun movie, Lance Henriksen raises it up to a level it doesn't really deserve

Alien vs Predator; Requiem-shows how far the series has really fallen since the first 2 amazing installments. Everyone always talks about the infamous maternity ward scene but I can never take it seriously (reputedly the actresses were told to act as though they were having a 'fatal orgasm' as though the characters were at some level actually enjoying the experience). Always find the scene where the Pizza boy gets beaten up more shocking because it's real.

So should we have another? Sigourney still looks great to judge by Avatar although they'd have to throw a great deal of money her way. Personally I'd say yes but only if they go back to the derelict with the spacejockey and solve the original mystery surrounding the ship. Otherwise no, just leave things be.

 

Only if James Camerron is in charge of the entire project.

 

How about the prequel in development?

 

Only if they try to make another movie(like Alien and `s), instead of "just another Alien" movie(phoning it in to get some cheap cash).

 

Couldn't disagree more. Alien 3 is probably my favorite of the series at this point. Alien is the most coherent exercise in emphasizing something unknowable and terrifying, and for that reason it's hard for me not to recognize the first film as the masterpiece of the series. But moving away from a more technical reading of the films and into territory defined by the emotion brought forth by the Ripley character, and Alien 3 is the film when I'm most engaged with her battle against inner and outer demons. Her sacrifice is one of the most operatic sequences in SF film that I can think of.

As for a new film, sure, providing it could match the level of the first three.

 

All that Alien3 gave Ripley was despair and heartbreak. The triumph, courage and affection of Aliens, the great dialogue, characterisation, plot and storytelling is just ruined by 3, it ruins your enjoyment of the first 2 wonderful films knowing they were all for nothing.

I know Alien 3 has a small minority of defenders but really all it needed was one throwaway line about Hicks, Newt and Bishop being safely on their way to earth and they couldn't even give us that

 

I too will defend Alien 3.

Everything you said Saturn5 is very true...Alien 3 goes in a COMPLETELY different direction...PRIMARILY because they "couldn't" get a proper "Aliens" sequel.

Cameron had moved on...the budget wasn't there...and an issue with all movies with children...you have to move time along to match their age, or recast...and with enough other "no shows" (Cameron, Biehn), they just went another way.

And...lots of people consider "Aliens" to be a bad reflexion of "Alien" much in the same way you consider Alien 3 to Aliens.

Personally, I see each film independently...it's the only way to appreciate them...ESPECIALLY if "Resurrection" is to be included in any way in the discussion (a film which tried desperately to re-bottle "Aliens" stylistically, while not abandoning bizarre horror elements.

Alien 3, on it's own merits...provides the most authentically "alive" alien to that point...and while the early CG has begun to show it's age...it is still a testament to the crafting at the time. The film also, while heartbreaking, brings Ripley completely into her own...where in the first film she was acting on survival instinct, and the second was the ferocity of love and perhaps maternal instinct, Alien 3 gives us Ripley as consciously determined, and finding her courage in reason and not in "fight or flight" responses. Alien 3 is finally where Ripley becomes the "hero" in more then just a plot byline.

And then, of course, "Resurrection" ruins that...notice a trend here? The series is built on redefining things.

Resurrection, not surprisingly, did "not" resurrect the series...and it passed into the hands of lesser hands with the Predator crossovers...supposed "fans" of the movies who turned out to be more interested in forwarding their careers through absurd and infamous moments of film lore then doing credence to the source material of either series, or some of the well crafted literature out there.

And of course...yet another attempt to make a video game...we'll see.

"should" there be another Alien film is rather a moot point...this franchise is not some protected artifact...time and again it's vision has been shifted, redirected, possibly tarnished...and yet always makes money. Also, it's fanbase will gladly see more films as there is no where to go but up. No sacred cows in this franchise...so bring it on.

The real question is what the film will be like...should they split the franchises again...would a remake be doable?...Is this "modern times" path one that can be kept or is a future setting a better draw for the price? Try a single alien again? Is it time to create a human hero character that could link a couple of future projects? Another girl? A new Ripley with a reboot? etc.

This franchise is not Star Wars...think more "planet of the Apes"...they will make more until people stop going.

 

Nice to hear some kind words for Alien 3. It's one of those genre films, like Temple of Doom and The Phantom Menace, that are unpopular, but I can't quite understand why.

 

Now Now...I'd say the estimation of Temple of Doom has Skyrocketed since Crystal Skull came out.

 

A lot of people complain about Temple of Doom because they hate Screaming Willie. Willie was a spoiled brat singer with no experience or understanding of the world of adventure. Essentially, whe was an 30-year old teenager. Of course she's going to scream a lot and not want to stick her hand into a bunch of slimy bugs. I'm a 37yo guy, and I don't want to do that either.

As to the original question: Should there be another Alien film? Probablly not. Will there be? If the money people think that it will generate more money than it costs to make it, then yes, there will be more and more sequels.
Personally, I thought Alien vs Predator should have been based on the comic book.

Oh well.

 

Well personally I hate it because it killed off all the beloved characters from Alien/Aliens, made the excitment and triumph of the first 2 wonderful films pointless and was basically one long miserable boring torturefest with no redeeming features whatsoever!

I like Temple of Doom. I liked Willy. I think the baddies just weren't up to speed which they realised and brought back the Nazis for the 3rd film (see the Amphitheatre for our discussion on that. Thing is that whilst Star Wars and Raiders had some lousy sequals/prequals they didn't ruin your enjoyment of the originals

 

Except for the first film I haven't liked a single one of the Alien films.

So no.

 

Everyone knows & hates Nazis.
Not everyone knows The Cult of Kali Thuggee.

Personally, I always thought the Thuggee were misunderstood. Like the gypsies and tinkers, they served 2 vital functions: redistribution of wealth, population control, and prevention of genetic stagnation.
OK, the Thuggee were more about the first 2. If they hadn't included europeans in their efforts, the Empire would have probablly left them alone. But since the Empire was absorbing all the wealth without bothering to learn all the local customs, they rather made themselves targets... Ah well. Enough of this sidetrack.

 

Even if Scott were to direct, a prequel would be ill-advised.

The original Alien, for me, almost plays like a spiritual fable, wherein a group of traveling peasants stumble onto the road to Hell and find themselves beset by the Devil. In this context, would there be anything more banal than being told the Devil's backstory?

Fox Studios: Preserve the mystery, and you'll preserve the modicum of dignity that remains in your franchise.

 

If they make a prequel they'll undoubtedly stick humans in it and utterly ruin the what little good there is left in the franchise.

 

Aren't the AVP movies essentially prequels?

I mean, we got the Weyland nod.

If nothing else, that gives whoever is writing this new "prequel" an opportunity to stick humans in.

The company has been trying for centuries to capture this species...perhaps Ripley is just the closest they ever got.

It's a stretch...but I think the "mythos" of origin is lost...Aliens have been around for a good long while.

 

Really? I think Aliens sets the standard for all sci-fi action films before and since!

Personally I think the suppression of the Thugees was one of the best things the British Empire ever did, right up there with abolishing slavery and defeating the Axis

Good point about the prequals, one thing about AVPR is that it makes the companies' actions in Alien a lot more understandable.

 

I found Aliens to be average at best.

Of course I watched the movie only once a long time ago. Perhaps if I were to see it again I might change my mind about it.

 

First 18 rated film I ever saw and mega wonderful! How could anyone not cheer at 'Get away from her you BITCH!'

 

I was 17 when it came out. First movie to give me a nightmare in 10+ years

 

The actual aliens have never bothered me.

Only thing that bothers me is face huggers...*shivers*

When Nute and Ripley are locked in with the face huggers...only truly heartbeat raising moment of any of the films for me.

Alien, the face hugger is such a small part of film outside being wrapped around the dude's head.

Alien 3, except for on video screen flashes and the dog, you don't really see them.

Resurrection, they are essentially contained.

by the AVP movies, it was either too "artsy" (the bullet time grab) or too over the top (AVPR's infamy).

I always jump when Ripley is trying to pin the thing back with the cart.

 

Yeah, lot of people are scared by things that scuttle

 

If there is a living Space Jockey in it, and if there is a good worthwhile story in it, then maybe.

The alien vs predator films could have been much better as well. If the movie was set in the flashback time with the predators and the aztec pyramid, or in the future like in comic/novel/videogame storylines it would have been much better. I still like Predator and Predator 2, no matter how much people claim to hate it. I will hold judgment on this new Predator film until I see it.