How This could have been a Classic in 10 simple fixes
KrazedMadMan
MemberOvomorphSeptember 03, 20122854 Views43 RepliesOK so nobody will probably even read this but as a fan of Aliens and Ridley Scott I have to post my HOW YOU COULD HAVE MADE THIS A CLASSIC IN 10 SIMPLE FIXES! I hate editing movies in my head to make them enjoyable but it seems that nowadays you really have too, OK I'll try to go in order of the film as best as I can remember.
1. Cave paintings, make it uncertain why they are there, invitaion maybe? but debate the other reasons they may be there, like to let us know of other life, or maybe even as a warning, just leave it open to debate until later in the movie when motivations become more clear.
2. Scan from ship sets up a reason for landing where they did, power/life signature, unnatural formations, just something to set a sense of discovery not blind luck. EDIT: They had a good reason for this flight path, memory was a bit foggy on this one.
3. Readings from ship and scientific equipment clearly indicate that it's safe to remove protective gear, or set up a reason why he takes it off, suit malfuntion, could even be latter tied into if David tampered with it.
4. Two guys who want to leave, not because of some 2000yr old alien, but because Davids pushing unknown buttons and crazy things are starting to happen, have whole group more concerned with Davids motivations at this point.
5. Guys get lost, Have some signal disruption going on, make it unlear why, could it be whatever Davids doing, have ship lose signal with crew at this point, sets up not only our lost scientist but the approching storm that they have little warning for.
6. Back in Main chamber have Alien Worm suprise attack them (did you see something moving in there) and the resulting struggle causes the acid spray, this would make more sense and could be a much needed tense moment at this part of the film and it sets up how dangerous the goo will become later.
7. Surgery scene, two things here, one cosmetic and one fix, make the squid monster a little more classic alien looking at this point, make the surgery process make more sense, show tissue reconstruction not staples.EDIT: Creature design here really has no bearing and may be explained later. EDIT 2: what I mean is that she would not be able to function after this operation with way the surgery ended, use sci fi to make her future actions more believable.
8. When the alien ship crashes, set up a reason why the Engineer hunts her down instead of finishing his mission, like what looks like a piece of the debris that lands close to her turn out to be a ejection capsule that opens to reveal the Engineer.
9. in the final fight again have a more classic looking alien squid looking creature that attaches to the Engineers face with a resulting more classic looking chest buster alien come out of his dead body. EDIT: see above edit.
10. When David contacts her about another ship set it up that he can get it to work but that like the first ship it has a pre destined flight path but it's to an unknown star and it's there only option for leaving, I find it wierd that she doesn't want to warn mankind of this impending doom, this would also set up many more theories as too what was really happening on this planet and leave it more open ended for the sequel.
Well I hope you like my ideas/thoughts on this and if you have the imagination I do it may help make your memories of this film more enjoyable, lets just hope that Scott ditches that hack Lideldork or whatever his name was and makes a proper end to this beloved franchise tie in.
September 03, 2012
Patient if that is the reason for them taking there helmets off they are even dumber than I thought and so is the film - I really dont think its that stupid tbh!
The real reason was to engage the audience and make it seem more scarey whilst acheiving what ridley thought would be better scenes later on (them having the helmets off they can talk more clearly etc..) . But all it did was make anyone with half a brain think oh my f***ing god this film just took a dive into awfulness - only a really really dumb person would do that and even then they would be very unlikely. Scientists doing this - no chance well not real ones anyway!!! That scene will go down in the hall of fame as worst clangers ever!
In real life IF they took them off I reckon one of them would be dead in 5 minutes - some kind of security device would be activated (it being a bio weapons facility!) or maybe all the air gets flushed out every few hours or some black goo or green goo or microbe etc. etc. would of got on / in one of them and the fun would start. Anyone with an ounce of intelligence would of kept it on.
So yer that scene: maybe holloway takes his off cos he is king of the retards in this and then the others say f**k no I am keeping mine on and he dies a few seconds later - everyone in the cinema goes YES! The film instantly jumps 2 notches up in the score board! Wooohoo! :P
"It's almost as if they are making it up as they go along" :D
September 03, 2012
@patient because I think only shaw was religious - all the others had no clear indication of being religious (as far as I can remember) so why would ridley want to portray them as so stupid...and the fact that the other reason I said above feels much more likely. In fact only shaw and david came out not looking like a complete idiot! Kind of contradicts that point!
@Fan Yes and the scanners apparently cant detect green goo or black goo or little worms either - not much good eh? :D
Anyway nuff said...there is lots more that could of been so easy to patch this up - I was hoping for a Directors cut but its not looking likely now :S ...
"It's almost as if they are making it up as they go along" :D
September 04, 2012
@patient erm 2 quotes from you above: "It's kind of the entire point of the film. Ridley is openly critical of religious dogma."
"Being religious had nothing to do with it."
Do you see the way you just contradicted yourself :O ! Tell me what you really mean maybe?
And yes I reckon they knew the air was breathable (but this wasnt very clear - they said 'it was cleaner than earths') but they still were surprised when they found the green goo and black goo and never saw the worms till they were 9 ft long penises with teeth :D so they obviously did not know what was round the corner (and very large bio or otherwise stuff) thus making this all very retarded!
Also: "why would it be a harmful or hostile environment?" Who the hell but retarded people would think hey they are massive sized human type aliens with mega advanced powerful technology. We know almost nothing about them - and nothing about this place - hey it must be safe! LOL! Seriously reality check! They didnt even know if it was an invitation - all they had was pictures of them pointing to the stars / planet - pretty stupid thing to risk your life on!
Let me point out that this building turned out to have probably the most dangerous black goo in the history of mankind in it with apparently no security measures in place. In real life don't you think that maybe they would have just one or two safety measures - I mean even Mcdonnalds puts a slippage sign up when they mop the floor :D .
Alien logic: black goo capable of wiping out every life form known - leave the doors open and unlocked - its fine :D ! LOL
I am not arguing that this was all intended stuff by the makers of the film I am saying its there logic that failed at step one. Even lindelof stated before the film came out that basically ridley fed him all the info and he just wrote it down - as if he was distancing himself already from the film - kind of saying these were not his ideas - rather strange for a writer of the thing itself!
Let me ask you a question how many people who are around 74 have you spoken to lately? The ones I have seem to forget stuff all the time can't remember what they did a few days ago. Lose things misplace things etc. etc. . Now imagine they are in charge of a film like this with all its complexities - what do you think might happen? :D Sorry to be harsh there but its life - you kind of need someone to work along side almost as an equal checking the logic when you get directors of this age but there egos are too big by this stage - of course they are perfect at there job :O !
@Subsumeyou "Far, are you thick?" you were typing a 3 letter name and got it wrong - I think we know who's thick :D ! No - I hate spelling myself - only joking. And david was surprised when he saw the green goo so he did not detect it - erm DOH !
Anyway nice thread and there are more bits that could be added but I dont have time - laters...and anyway allot of this will depend on part 2 in the end :D
"It's almost as if they are making it up as they go along" :D
