You are the director!

It is very VERY simple....I'd hand the reigns back to Ridley and...oh wait, they did that......yeeeaaah 'Prometheus'

And what if you are Ridley?

lol @craigmore Cheers to 69 more days!

I couldn't do a sequel to Alien because for better or worse, its already been done...that's reality and another aspect of reality is we're all getting more crazy by the day because Ridley is back with Prometheus.

Ill drink to that Dutch lol. I reckon by the day that i pays me money at the cinema ill just be a quivering reck of jelly spread all over the foyer floor lol and ill completely miss the movie due to exaustion lol.

Mark....All I can say about your statement is.... I admire its purity.

Agreed Mark Cawley....I'm a quivering mess about it now....I've taken all I can stand and I can't STANDS IT NO MORE............

You can doooo it!

Yes...yes I can....

IF there were no Cameron and I was handed the reigns to do a sequel, I would probably come up with something very similar to Cameron. Truly. It is just the next logical step. One alien worked, now let's have thousands. But I would have just made it grimmer, no "Get away from her, you bitch!" fist waving stuff. Maybe make the marines a bit more realistic. Maybe, yes shock!, kill Ripley off battling the aliens. I tend to go dark. No Queen, keep body melts into egg thing. Make the colony a lot bigger with a lot of animals so we have all kinds of Aliens running/flying around doing things that we had no idea these beasts could do. Some queen size, some small but just as nasty. Imagine seeing the first half with the traditional xeno and then suddenly all these other nightmares appear. No survivors. I do like the Ripley-daughter story so if I decide to have her find a new daughter on Acheron, and they survive, I would end Ripley's story somehow. She has conquered her inner and outer demons and lives happily ever after. And then I would get into a nasty fight with producers who want to bring Ripley back AGAIN?!?! for a third go round. No, no, no I would say. If it is established that Ripley will save the day in every movie, it ruins any horror. I am more scared for the Aliens cause I know Ripley is going to kick their butts. But being producers they would win. And people would say Alien and Aliens were awesome, but the other ones sucked. Kind of like what happened.

dallas!dallas!...."IF there were no Cameron and I was handed the reigns to do a sequel, I would probably come up with something very similar to Cameron. Truly. It is just the next logical step." I would strongly have to disagree with you here....Rdiley making 'Prometheus' essentially proves that it isn't the next logical step...you can see that in his words: Filmophobia: "Yeah, so there you have that. I was always amazed that, I mean, I’ve only done two science-fictions, but I was always amazed that no one asked who the hell the Space Jockey was. He wasn’t even called the Space Jockey. During the film they started to call it the Space Jockey. I don’t know who started that one off. I always thought it was amazing that no one ever asked who he was, and why was he there? What was all that about? I sat thinking about this for a while and thought, well, there’s a story! And the other four [films] missed it! So, here it is....I think one of the reasons why I’ve never gone back to science-fiction, even though I’ve often noodled around, thought about it, looked for story, looked for material, is that there’s a nice purity to the original Alien. It’s fairly pure. And this one does actually raise all kinds of other questions, because if someone could, a being, could be as monstrously clever to create something like we experienced in the very first one – I always figured it’s a weapon, and I always figured that [the ship in the first Alien] was a carrier of weapons. Therefore, who is that, inside that suit? That wasn’t a skeleton, that was a suit. And if you open up the suit, what do you get inside it? And why were they going, where were they going?" EMPIRE: "[I've wanted to revisit it for] years! Years, years, years," he stresses, of Alien's space traveller subplot. "I always wondered when they did [Aliens] 2,3 and 4 why they hadn't touched upon that, instead of evolving into some other fantastic story. They missed the biggest question of them all: who's the big guy? And where were they going? And with what? Why that cargo? There's all kinds of questions." Although I do have to agree with you that there should be "No Queen, keep body melts into egg thing."

I would not go with Ripley again. She wasn't what was interesting about the first film. James Cameron was the one who took her to the next level and made her the center of this universe. In Alien she's just a survivor, nothing more. Personally, I think focusing on Ripley and/or the xenomorph has been limiting. All those comics and games which just add more space marines and aliens on Earth, and fighting Predators and Batman, none of that is interesting to me I would look at doing something in the same universe, like Prometheus is doing, something that brushes up against the "culture" of the xenomorph, but not centered around it. Who knows what other bio-mechanical nightmares are out there in the universe. That's really what it's all abou: that Giger universe, butting up against other civilizations. Not bug hunts and Ripley's life story.

@craigamore But I am not Ridley Scott and neither are you. Or are you? Sometimes I wonder. If I had made the first one, ie I was Scott, I would have maybe felt the same. But If I did not, well, the success of Aliens backs me up here. I think the most immediate question that does arise by the end of the first one is not "What was that thing sitting in the ship?" but "what if a bunch of those slimy things got to me? What else can they do?" The space jockey mystery is interesting when we first see it, but fades as the movie progresses; it only returns again after some reflection and grows with further reflection. But even Scott liked Aliens. The space jockey film would have made an excellent third entry in the series, but the xeno still had gas in the tank for another flick, I just think Cameron should have made them more Gigeresque obscene and varied. @Biehn-Bandit If a second film came out with Ripley nowhere to be seen, I think it wouldn't have been as interesting. And fans such as myself would have been asking WTF happened to her? There is a nice arc from first to second with her. But that would be it! Then get to the SJs.

@Biehn-Bandit And by arc I mean the establishment of her as heroine-- we can't forget just how cool that was in 79, Ripley was a big part of what makes Alien great--to the second where we see her as alone, lost her daughter, and afraid, some of which got cut, namely the daughter. She was more than just lucky survivor. But female Rambo on the other hand is going a bit far. The Queen Mother vs Ripley Mother is a bit heavy handed.

@Biehn_Bandit [i] Who knows what other bio-mechanical nightmares are out there in the universe.[/i] Exactly, that's what made the original so cool. You never knew what was coming in the next frame. First they have shown us the space jockey and we were like... eh, what a hell was that and where did it come from ... and then they delivered another 3 creatures one after another in a perfectly logical manner. The movie keeps you surprised almost all the time. I would imagine the sequel to explore the nature and history of those creatures in more depth. None of the actual sequels were successful in that.

Well, I think Ripley is interesting in hindsight, in a world where Aliens exists, and it was brilliant storytelling by Cameron (that part you mentioned was definitely a great character development scene). I'm just saying based on just the first film, she's not really some I saw as being that important beyond being "horror movie survivor." But that's just me. The Giger aesthetic and Ridley's direction were always the defining elements of the property. But I think increasing the scope of the franchise, as in Prometheus, is definitely the way to continue. I just hope we see some diabolical creations worthy of Giger.

I mean, imagine seeing this thing in an Alien movie: [img]http://i434.photobucket.com/albums/qq67/SkwirlForum/Topic%20Art/Topic%20Art%202/giger-Alien-Monster-IV.jpg[/img]

First thing i would do would be to make the xeno identical to the Giger's original Necronomicon 4 painting by making it a mushroom /bone colour and give it those huge eyes and almost human hands . I would go for a story that really shows the xeno as creature with far superior intelligence then humans, a creature capable of space ravel but in a completely unique way, a creature with a defence mechanism we haven't seen such as the ability to blend into any environment, like an octopus that communicates with patterns in its skin or a chameleon that adapts perfectly to its environment and place it in a social context, not in a nest environment, but a biomechanoid civilization . i would make the sj slaves to the xeno and make the xeno the organism the sj worship like gods and they are the beings controlled by the xeno to serve their purpose . I would like to see a film where they do have their own world and its highly developed but in unusual ways and i would like a scfi film that doesn't have anything whatsoever to do with the military, but a film that threatens man's existence not by war with aliens but by manipulation and conversion. I want to see how it changes the identity of man as we know its through desire, and erotic appeal, almost as if these creatures have an unexpected affect on human biology, like an aids virus or flu. These aliens can change the dna of humans at micro organic molecular levels almost as easily as the spread of a flu virus but with much nastier consequences. The real kicker is its highly appealing to humans and craved almost like an addiction unlike any other stronger than the desire for sex or heroin and totally Uncontrollable and and at the end completely successful . At the end of the day you dont even need to be in contact with this alien race to be infected just close to someone that has been is enough to spread the virus . The xeno would still kill and hunt humans for purposes of regeneration but only for that purpose not indiscriminately and their affect on humans are as much a mystery to them as it is to us the film ends with earth resembling a species that that looks nothing like the xeno and nothing like human as we know it but something entirely new this is called xenolution .

I would go in a different direction i wouldn't go anywhere near the ripley character. For me i would create the xeno as identical to Gigers necronomicon 4 as possible with those huge eyes and mushroom coloured skin. The premise i would go for is to establish the xeno as intelligent as possible capable of space travel by control of other species ie the sj would be seen as a slave a servant of the xeno and sole purpose to fulfil that creatures needs . The xeno communicates like a octopus through patterns in its skin and can blend into its environment through Chameleon like abilities. A space exploration team discover the home world and its organised and civilized in a fashion but unlike anything that resembles human or animal existence and highly evolved. On exposure to this discovery the aliens become aware of this creature and learn of their home world they communicate this to the sj who intern set about finding this creatures planet. The team that discovered the xeno have discovered they have become infected by a flu like virus that manipulates them at a genetic molecular level but instead of being afraid of this they become ecstatic like an addiction and craving more powerful than heroin or anything they have seen on earth its erotic and comforting and highly desirable . This affect on the biology of humans is as strange to the xeno as it is to the human and the bond is shared reciprocated and drives the xeno to seek out more human life like a symbiotic craving . When they and the team reach earth this virus begins spreading at alarming rates and no can do anything to defend against it the world becomes addicted to the xeno biology and craves to be at one with the species resulting in a complete metamorphosis of the entire human race that becomes a species unlike humans that existed before and unlike the xeno this is not breeding its xenolution the next step of man's development unintended but completely ingrained and irreversible and desired the question still remains is it fate or design.

For me i would go back and design the creature in an identical way to Gigers necronomicon 4 picture with the huge eyes and mushroom colour skin and bones. I would give the xeno additional features like the ability to blend into any environment. Also i would add the ability to communicate through patterns in its membrane skin with its own species and include the sj as a a slave to the xeno a creature that worships the xeno and exists to serve it in whatever way it can. The premise of my film would be for a crew to stumble on this highly organised creatures home world where they witness a social environment that resembles a bizarre world and structure unlike anything on earth. Through exploration of this creatures environment we discover that something on the home world has created a bizarre reaction on the human crew a craving to be close to the xeno an Unintentional reaction in the human biology and xeno physiology an almost symbiotic craving that drives the human species crazy like the worst case of heroin addiction but stronger . These Pheromones secreted by the xeno have adverse affects on both species and soon it becomes apparent that this effect is altering the genetic structure of the human species but also created desire in the xeno and as the crew leave to find a cure to reverse the effects a panic ensues on the xeno home world and the the sj are instructed to find the home world of the humans. Meanwhile back on earth the virus like genetic altering virus has begun to spread at an alarming rate amongst the human civilization and its apparent that there is no known cure or way of stopping this metamorphosis. eventually the invading aliens land and begin to infiltrate human civilization yet this is not met with hostility but is embraced by a ecstatic human civilization that craves these creatures like a drug of unknown proportions never ever recorded in human history . Eventually the effects have been exhausted and the entire human civilisation has undergone metamorphosis into a complete new life form unrecognisable as human beings or even xenomorph dna but a completely new radical species this is the result of molecular manipulation unintentional but a by product of contact with an alien species this is not sex or evolution its now known by the species on earth as xenolution and the question of this new enlightened bizarre life form is is this situation a result of fate or design whatever the reasons for this event it has resulted in a species that is more evolved and lives with contented exploration and without the desire for war famine and disease yet resembles a creature of unimaginable Possibility .

Well if i was the director after the first film i would first go back to the drawing board and try to design the alien that was Gigers original necronomicon 4, with the huge eyes, and almost human hands, with a sickly mushroom colour texture. I would add additional features such as the ability to Camouflage its self like a chameleon, or a octopus, that can communicate through pheromone's and patterns on it skin. The premise would be to have a team of explores on a expedition to search for valuable resources (nothing new here ) but feasible enough and by accident come across the alien sj home world. Here they discover that this species is highly organised and structured unlike anything they have encountered before a bizarre mix of social, yet sophisticated intellect, where they have used the sj to serve as their guardians, and protectors, almost like worshipping, and catering to their needs from space travel, to environmental manipulation, and social structure. On learning that there world has been discovered by Extra-terrestrial beings the xenos, and sj, track down this species and make attempts to communicate. It becomes clear to the crew that the alien xeno is not malevolent and uses a host body as a way of replication nothing more yet on the home world this process is done by selecting various species native to that world. After sometime of learning about the two dominate species the xeno, and sj it becomes apparent that the crew have started to become infected with a virus of some sort simply by being on a biological alien world and the virus is working at a molecular level, altering the human dna and causing it to begin a metamorphosis process. On learning this they decide to leave and head home to earth where this virus is becoming more and more aggressive, to find a cure or something that will reverse the process.The virus takes the form of an erotic unbearable craving to be in the presence of the xeno and it appears it has effects similar to heroin addiction but stronger still . All the while the effects of this are rapidly altering the human biology Unbeknown to the humans this has been having a similar effect on the xeno's but in a totally different way and this is the catalyst for the xeno to instruct the sj to hunt for the human home world and try to find a cure for this increasing virus on both worlds. Eventually the sj find earth and fleets of ships are infiltrating the corners of the globe where instead of being met with violence, and defence, the species of sj and xenos are met with ecstatic relief, and exuberant joy, this feeling is reciprocated by all sides and eventually a symbiotic harmony is reached between the worlds and eventually the whole planet had metamorphosized into a completely new species, not through sex, or manipulation, but through some Pheromonal bizarre side effect of contact between two alien species. Eventually the planet earth is inhabited by a species that has no resembalence to the lifeform previously known as human beings. This life form is of a higher order and has no need for war, or famine, or suffering, but has taken to the prospect of colognising the universe ., The new order does not call this process evolution but refers to it as xenolution. scholars of the new world wonder if the process is by fate, or design, and this is the beginning of the new age. Complete bollocks i know but hey you asked lol.

I think that Alien and Aliens are indeed untouchable to the whole Story i dont think many would have wanted to had changed them. Maybe in Alien 3 or 4 we could have then found out about the Space Jockey? But i am guessing that the idea in Alien behind him was he was the last one of his kind and thus nothing really would have been found out, especially as LV 426 was nuked at the end of Aliens. So a Prequel would have been the only logical way to answer the question who was the Space Jockey.