Over the years I have purchased many a movie. At one time I had a lot more than I do now. Some where borrowed and never returned while other may have been sold at a garage sale. Doing a count I have 201 which includes dvd movies, blu rays, TV shows and concert dvds.
The problem is many of these I've bought and never watched. I may have seen them in the theater or rented them and watch it but after purchasing it, it just went on the shelf. I tend to want to see something new and forget about the ones sitting on the shelf. So it's time to fix that. I've been meaning to undertake this for a while now but Saturday I made myself do it. I started with the blu rays and will work through to the DVDs. Then maybe I'll get to the TV shows. We'll see.
What you have before you will be my thoughts on a particular movie in my collection. I will watch in alphabetical order. There may be times I go out of order for a trilogy. Or if I purchase a new movie, I will work it into the thread so there may be some alphabetical inaccuracies at times. There will be interruptions because I will rent new movies or go see one at the theater but when I have nothing else to do I will watch one of my own movies. Then I'll write about it here!
Feel free to post thoughts. I will start a separate thread for DVDs.
So here we go....
Replies
Alien
1979
Directed by Ridley Scott
Starring Sigourny Weaver, Tom Skerritt
This is a movie I have tried to watch numerous times on TV but always fell asleep. However last Summer myself, my brother and his wife watched the entire Alien series in preparation for Prometheus. I bought this blu ray last November on Black Friday because it was ridiculously cheap for a bluray.
After watching it through for a second time, this is my favorite of the series. The film is so well shot and directed. There are only a few instances where it feels like it could be from the 70s. It holds up well today. The characters while not focused on individually are still well developed. Better in fact than the other characters from the rest of the Alien movies.
And it's intense. That Alien just won't give up. I do laugh when the Alien bursts out of John Hurts chest. That's because the first time I saw it was actually in Space Balls!
Aliens
1986
Directed by James Cameron
Starring Sigourney Weaver, Michael Biehn
I've actually seen this one three times now. I also tried to watch it a few times before that and like the first one I fell asleep. IT may be that I started them late at night. Both films don't particularly start out with a bang and build slowly. If you are already sleepy, it might not be a good idea to start these movies.
This will be that last Alien film I talk about. I didn't care for Alien3 and Alien Resserection was alright but I wouldn't want to own it.
Aliens is pretty decent action flick. The action and suspense maintain and again this holds up pretty well for its age.
A lot of people I know like this one the best. Some folks say it's for the marines. The others because of Newt. Those are both of the reasons why I don't like it more than the first.
The marines look cool but in the end are just the same soldiers we've seen before. It would have been nice to see why they were so cool before they were killed off. However, Michael Biehn brings some depth to Hicks and Bill Paxton is so over-the-top as Hudson that he's fun to watch. Other than that, eh. Lance Henricksen is great as Bishop though. It was a nice to see a good synthetic after Ian Holm's Ash in Alien.
Newt brings some emotion and humanity to Ripley. However, she's kind of annoying.
Sigourney Weaver really shines out in this film though. She was great in the first as the breakout heroine. However, here she really makes this role her own and give Ripley more depth.
While I was familiar with this film and the other when I watched both all the way through last Summer, my sister-in-law and her sister were not. So you can imagine the added enjoyment seeing their reactions to the chest burst seen in the first and the Queen laying eggs in this one.
They NEVER should have made the 3rd film. It's a piece of S*** that insults the previous movie and its audience in the process.
If they absolutely felt the "had" to do another film, at least the 4th film is watchable. Its main flaw is it's a sequel to the GOD-AWFUL 3rd one.
Incidentally, the 4th film reminds me of SON OF FRANKENSTEIN. That one, when you think about it, appears to be a sequel to a 3rd film that Universal never made, because at the time they were under "new management" that didn't last long. FLASH GORDON CONQUERS THE UNIVERSE does the same thing, oddly enough. Only in that case, the short-lived "new management" did make a FG film-- TRIP TO MARS. It's just that it sucked real bad, so the next one tries to pretend it never happened.
The 2nd film-- ALIENS-- is a lot like BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN. It's a sequel, 10 times bigger than the 1st one, and it "finishes" the story. No need for there to ever be another sequel. Damn Hollywood...! I used to refer to ALIENS as "THE TEN COMMANDMENTS of space monster movies".
Also I should not that Alien and Aliens works very well for a back to back double feature.
I actually liked the third Alien movie. They didn't have the technology, but had to use their brains on that one. I never bothered with the fourth, because I was done with the series at that point. I didn't really care.
I did catch the first one on the big screen 2 months or so ago? Still really good.
I was thinking while watching the first two that they'd be cool to see on the big screen.
Don't worry I only own these two in the franchise. I'll be going to the next one on my list of blu rays which I believe is Argo.