What was the xeno doing in Alien at the end???

Yes. The human side of the creature was "checking her out"...animalistic instinct...she was bare for the first time that the big creature could see...

But seriously what was it doing? The creature knew Ripley was there, so why not go and slaughter her. . .

It was explained, you got the correct explanation and yet you still think you need some sort of answer. Ridley made it 100% clear, they had/have a 4 day life cycle maximum and that particular Xeno had entered the Narcissus for the sole purpose Of quietly Dying, & Ripley did not comply with it's wishes.

Didn't Ridley Scott say it had crawled in there to die... Since it has such a short life span?

Yeah that's the only explaination that I've ever heard! Ever wonder why this xenomorph was so intelligent compared to other ones?? (Apart from Queens?. . .

What otto said. :D

Before reading Scott's take on the alien's lifecycle, I always thought that is was basically taking a nap, and when it notices Ripley it really doesn't feel the need to kill her for whatever purpose, because it is not hungry or doesn't perceive her as an immediate threat.

It always seemed to me that it was at once curious about her and simultaneously considering her, what it should do with her.....the way some animals seem to tactically observe the kill before they pounce....

@Sparty I've heard the rumors, but did Ridley specifically say it went there to die because it had a life span of exactly 4 days? I know I heard him mention this before, i just don't remember him saying it was 4 days.

It is In the Alien Vault and numerous other places I will try to dig up the exact quote for you but he makes it perfectly clear it went in there to Die, nothing more and nothing less. Not rumours, now confirmed "canon" as they say {g-d I hate the freaking word though}

From an earlier thread I made here... According to "The Alien Vault" which I have been finishing up this past weekend, the Original Xeno was preparing to die in the Narcissus and thus the location of the spot it chose to hide in. It did not PLAN on confronting Ripley apparently, it just worked out that way. And as we all know now had Ridley Scott been allowed to continue down that path as he wanted to, it would have then done the most amazingly spontaneous and horrifying things of any creature in Film history. But 4 Days, it has 4 days of life once it turns

Thanks. You don't have to dig it up, I believe you. I remember hearing it, i just don't recall where or the part about the exact time of the life span.

Fox would not let him so the final act, although completely story boarded was never shot...and like I said you all know that story... right?

In hindsight, what an idiotic alien it was. It went to die right on the Narcissus. There were three full decks available and the ship was about to exlode. If it stayed on the Nostromo it would have had its wish fulfilled without any hassles.

@Xenophobe Quote: "Ever wonder why this xenomorph was so intelligent compared to other ones?? " You touch on the heart of the matter - this thing was never meant to be some idiotic roach. The question isn't really how come the Alien was so intelligent, but how could those who took the idea over have made all the little xenomorphic wannabe's that followed the Alien so stupid.

I always viewed it as shifting into some sort of hibernation or simple resting mode, as someone said, taking a nap or just holing up for a while

if you refer to the film makers themselves at FOX responsible for it's development and Rape as far as I am concerned after that first film, I agree completely !!!

If it is officially 'canon' that it was crawling in to die, I can believe that. Before, I always thought it was just 'yawning' at the end; getting ready for a good nap.

It Is Newtella I wouldn't lie to ya you know that, come on now!

@Spartacus: I _believe_ you, honest. I'm just giving you the explanation my logical child-mind gave when I first saw the film @ 7 years old. I wuz purty darn smart in dem days.

lmao awesome post.

Allinamberclad Agreed! The original concept was incredible! I was sooo much more afraid of/impressed by the first creature! So much more mysterious/creepy than in Aliens. They're really very different movies. A thriller/horror vs action/shoot-em-up. The Aliens in Aliens could be easily killed and were present in far greater numbers. They were clearly inferior to human soldiers. In Alien though, the table was turned and things were far different. That beast was masterful and unstopable!

I always thought it was curled up because it was using the ship to camouflage itself. But maybe it was enjoying a nice book and some cocoa?

@nuthugger: that's what I pretty much thought, until [i]Spartacus[/i] bursted my little kid bubble of sweet innocence.

Perhaps it was hanging in the only place it could find. Or he hitched a ride.

[quote]And as we all know now had Ridley Scott been allowed to continue down that path as he wanted to, it would have then done the most amazingly spontaneous and horrifying things of any creature in Film history.[/quote] [quote]Fox would not let him so the final act, although completely story boarded was never shot...and like I said you all know that story... right?[/quote] I only saw the story boards for the opening scene, that's all that seems to be on the DVD extras. Is there a link online for the finale, or could you enlighten us?

Dammitimadoctor: The original idea had the (pissed-off from being disturbed) Alien decapitating Ripley, sitting down at the console and broadcasting a message to Earth in her voice! I don't think I could have handled that!

slightly related...In the Alien illustrated story I seem to remember a scene near the end, outside the Narcisus where the Alien was folded like a box and Ripley stumbles upon it and runs and then it unfolds to look at Jones....was this ever intended to be a part of the film to anyone's knowledge or just artistic licence of the illustrated story?

In response to the people saying the aliens seemed weaker in Aliens than Alien, you have to think about it in perspective. In Alien, the crew of Nostomo had, (as far as we know) almost no military experience and where basically just regular people. So when the alien came along, none of them could really fight it off and were easily killed by it. In Aliens however, the marines where heavily armed, heavily trained warriors with high tech weaponry so taking down an Alien was much easier for them than it was for the Nostomo crew so in perspective, the Aliens seemed weaker than in the first movie. I'ts like a dog vs a cat, in perspective the dog is going to seem really strong compared to this little cat. Now compare a dog vs a bear, now the dog seems really week compared to this big giant bear. So don't blame Aliens for ruining the franchise, they just shifted perspective a bit.

Before I read about the 4 day life cycle, I always thought the alien as a very intelligent creature and knew that Ripley was going to destroy the ship and escape in the Narcissus. The alien went there to ambush her. It had some of Kane's DNA and, thus, his knowledge and intelligence of the ship and what Ripley was going to do.

@bigmike "had some of Kane's DNA and, thus, his knowledge" Really?

If you believe the xenos have a 4 day lifespan, then Aliens does not make sense. The marines arrive after contact had been lost with the colony for a fairly long time, and the marines even have to go into hypersleep to travel to the colony. only two colonists remain alive, yet there are hundreds of zenos ready for action. the xeno in Alien was there because it was intelligent enough to know the ship was on self destruct and that was an escape vehicle, and was taking a nap cuz of a very full day of work previously.

@beyondthebloodplain I'm pretty sure I read something that stated that because the alien was incubated in Kane that it took on some of his memories or knowledge. The alien takes on some traits of the host, such as being bipedal or a quadraped like in Alien 3. Or...it could have gone there to die peacefully like Ridley has said.

@bbbici Yeah, I guess it did need a good nap after a hard days work. LOL James Cameron pretty much blew the 4 day life cycle theory out the window because it was much longet than four days for the marines to get there. That is true.

I agree with bbbici - the four day life cycle doesn't compute considering the travel time of the Sulaco to LV-426.

I don't doubt the 4 day life cycle given it comes from RS mouth...however the math doesn't add up...in Aliens Ripley claims that the Alien killed her crew in 24 hours...but yet the original creature was nestled up to die on the Suloco after only a day to day and a half?? just sayin'...

@Xeneophobe: In the words of Dan O'B: "The Alien is Omnisexual" LOL