Alien Resurrection (1997)

 

'Alien Resurrection' is the fourth film in the franchise and was directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet and written by Joss Whedon. The film is set 200 years after the events of 'Alien 3' and sees Ellen Ripley returning as a clone with the genes of the hostile alien species within her. With her new abilities, she soon finds herself in the midst of another outbreak of xenomorphs and must put her trust in a band of ruthless mercenaries and an android named Call (Winona Ryder) in order to escape. Whedon is likely more known for 'The Avengers' films and 'Buffy: The Vampire Slayer' however back in the early to mid 90's he had written several screenplays and directed the 'Buffy' movie with this film being one of his lesser works ('Waterworld' would top that list). While there's no doubt the man is a great writer, his work with 'Alien Resurrection' has either been lost in translation or it just didn't work out. His characters are all pretty generic and with each death, you care less and less about them and once you leave the theater you pretty much forget them all.

I think the major problem with the film is that it feels very sleazy and overly comedic. Everything is slimy, has a puke color scheme, and the film is excessively violent even for this series. A similar issue would come up with 'AVP: Requiem' where both films feel like grindhouse exploitation and not so much like an 'Alien' film. When elements of the film do have the spirit of the series, it's all just more of the same, primarily from 'Aliens' where you have a team of soldiers fighting the xenomorphs. It's all just bland and something we've all seen before and you just sit there hoping for something redeeming. 

The creature effects in the film are well done and are far better than 'Alien 3' with the xenomorphs and their biology are very realistic this time. The new creature in the film is not one I enjoy personally. It's too out there even for this film and it's just plain creepy and disturbing and not in a good 'horror flick' kind of way. Director Jean-Pierre Jeunet is a very talented artist, with 'Ameile' being one of my favorites and he does bring a unique visual style to the 'Alien' series however as I said before if you have nothing behind those visuals, you only have a pretty mask covering the scars beneath.

'Alien Resurrection' is not a film I tend to watch all that often and even for the review it was somewhat of a chore. I remember enjoying the film a lot more when I was younger, and would always catch it on television whenever I passed by it. With each viewing however, it gets less and less enjoyable and it's the weakest film of the four. It's vulgar, vile, and overall completely ridiculous. I don't think you should necessarily skip it, as many fans do enjoy some aspects and if you're an 'Alien' fan you should check it out. I just am not a big fan with 'Resurrection'.

Alien Resurrection: D-

Alien 3 (1992)

In May of 1992, 'Alien 3' was released into theaters to a less than warm reception here in the states, with many critics and audience goers disliking the film's dark and depressing tone and the overall downbeat feeling. It made enough domestically to be considered a success, however it was much less than 20th Century Fox was hoping for. The studio had put a lot of money and expectations for the film, which is strange considering it is an 'R' rated film and despite their significance, the 'Alien' franchise were never on the same level as 'Jurassic Park' or 'The Avengers'. The film was director David Fincher's first feature film and even to this day, he is not fond of it nor of the studio whom he felt mistreated him and ruined his final vision for the picture.

The film is most likely well known for its extremely troubling production history. The film had many screenwriters working on it, whose ideas ranged from having Hicks make his return to the more unusual situations such as a spaceship becoming a living xenomorph being. Eventually, a script seemed in place written by Vincent Ward. The screenplay set the film on a planet made of wood and populated by monks, who have rejected modern technology and see Ripley's crash landing on their world as a sign of impending evil as the xenomorph creature begins to kill them one by one. The script would eventually be re-written into a prison facility rather than the monastery and Fox immediately set a release date for 1992 before the script or pre-production had been finished.

On top of the issues with the rushed atmosphere the production was facing, convincing Sigourney Weaver back as Ellen Ripley would cost them another large paycheck, along with a co-producer credit for the film. It would be the best idea the studio would go with however, as she brings her best as always and we get to see an even deeper look into her personal feelings and personality when everyone she loved in the previous film is taken from her in an instant. On top of that, she is the only woman on a planet of convicted rapists and murderers and a killer alien creature that hatched from a Rottweiler dog, and on top of THAT she has a Queen Alien embryo inside her. Ripley suffers so much in 'Alien 3' that I can completely understand people's initial feelings with the film.

Killing off the characters of Newt and Hicks is still the most hated aspect of 'Alien 3' and I personally have mixed feelings about the subject. For the film that we are presented with, it was an appropriate plot point to further develop the character of Ripley. However, I also felt the anger of other viewers when watching the film for the first time because James Cameron had written these well written and likeable characters that you hoped would continue to be in the franchise in some capacity. Several drafts of the scripts did include the character of Hicks as the main hero of the piece however Fox was adamant that Weaver return despite the bigger paycheck.

The original cut of 'Alien 3' is a big mess, even as a fan of the film I will admit that. The film would get a special edition known as the 'Assembly Cut' in 2003. David Fincher was asked to supervise this new edit, however he turned them down both times and rarely speaks of the film itself to this day. The new cut replaces, deletes, or shuffles sequences around and for the most part it was for the better and it makes for a much more watchable experience. The cut adds to the character development and you get to know some characters better, however because there are so many in the film you still don't see the fates of many or they simply vanish from the film in both cuts which is one of the film's bigger issues. Overall, while the film is still not perfect the 'Assembly Cut' is by far the version you should see if you weren't a fan of the original.

The film's special effects are also much weaker than the previous films, though 'Alien 3' would surprisingly receive an Oscar nomination for Best Makeup. When in close up, the creature is a good as always, with a more vicious and aggressive xenomorph than seen previously and it adds to the overall darker tone. The performer Alec Gillis would go on to help design and play the main alien creature in the future films and he and his team did very good work on the creature itself. However, it's the optical work that feels and looks very outdated even at the time. The creature in many chase sequences was portrayed by a rod puppet against a blue screen effect. This is easily noticeable and for me it really bugs me every time I see it.

The last image in which Ripley sacrifices herself feels extremely rushed as the background has a flicker effect to it and you don't even see an impact into the fire itself. Thankfully, this was changed to a much better version in the 'Assembly Cut' but overall 'Alien 3' has the weakest effects of the franchise due to the rushed nature of the production. I'm sure Alec Gillis and Tom Woodruff could have made something truly special here had they more time but sadly that is not the case.

The film looks amazing as with all of David Fincher's work and it has his usual cinematic style. I would say this is the best aspect of 'Alien 3' and it's the thing I love about the series as a whole. Every film, even the 'AVP' franchise manages to look distinctly different with each film. The film uses a dark and dull color scheme with a bright rusty red smeared throughout which helps to give the film a hellish atmosphere. Almost purgatory in nature, I feel that Fincher wanted to go for this overly religious tone, with themes of prayer, God, hell, and redemption for one's sins. It's just disappointing that many of these strong themes are not shown through the characters or the overall script.

I don't think 'Alien 3' is a bad film and in fact it was the first in the series I saw so I will always have some kind of fondness for it I suppose. However, I will not let that nostalgia get in the way of my criticisms of which I have many towards it. 'Alien 3' suffers from a film studio more interested in their bottom line rather than making a competent film. I understand that movie studios are there to make money, however when you make a well made film you stand to succeed at making money much more than rushing it out quickly to make a fast buck. This is especially true when it comes to a film series with a large fanbase and it's just as important to make the audience happy if you wish for them to put their butts in the seats. The film overall received negative reviews in the US, however the film has fared much better in the U.K. and Japan where it has gained a rather large cult following.

I still recommend 'Alien 3' despite its many issues because it does add to the overall mythology of the series and has its own unique style and tone to it. I do recommend the 'Assembly Cut' on the blu-ray set instead of the Theatrical as it improves the story significantly but I don't want one to expect something on the level of the first two films. It's a serviceable addition and it's one of my biggest guilty pleasures, right beside 'Predator 2' and 'Alien Vs. Predator'. We can only hope that some film studios learned from 'Alien 3' and take their time with 'Alien: Covenant'.

ALIEN3: C

The Void (2016)

So many movies come to mind when watching 'The Void' a 2016 horror film released just last week on VOD. It's 'Call of Cthulhu', meets 'Prince of Darkness', meets 'The Thing' meets about fifty other 80's sci-fi and horror films. Yet despite it's obvious cherry picking from the best in horror, 'The Void' manages to stand out as a very entertaining horror flick that hopefully will get some more attention in the coming years. The movie instantly immerses you into the first of many horrific images and keeps a pretty quick pace until you sit there wondering what you just sat through.


H.P. Lovecraft is what most horror fans will think of first when viewing 'The Void'. 'From Beyond' came to me first, but all of Lovecraft's Great Ones work apply here and were clear inspirations. Which is why I love that they chose to go the practical effects route with this one. The multi-tentacled beasts that inhabit the film are some of the most grotesque I have seen in a horror film for a long time. I miss these types of creature effects that only the 'Alien' franchise seems to continue. We also are treated to some 'Hellraiser' type gore and effects, which are also well done.


The characters unfortunately suffer from a typical 80's trope rolodex of stereotypes and overall blandness. They build up a sort of backstory for the two protagonists and some of the secondary characters, but ultimately they don't resolve them or make them impact the audience in a way that would make them actually care. I get that I was supposed to care about a subplot involving the main couple, but I just really didn't feel what I think they wanted me to feel and overall I feel that they could have made the film last a little longer (it's barely an hour and a half perhaps less) in order to smooth these story issues out but it doesn't really hurt the overall film too much.


'The Void' is simply an entertaining horror film that I recommend. It's not high art and it's not really unique but it does everything right for the most part and for any fans of gore and Lovecraft you'll have a good time.

THE VOID: B+

Aliens (1986)

'Aliens' continues the story of Lt. Ellen Ripley as she awakens 57 years later after narrowly escaping the vicious Xenomorph creature that wiped out her crew. Returning to Earth after her escape pod was found by the Weyland-Yutani Corporation and completely discredited and deemed irresponsible in her decision to destroy the Nostromo, Ripley has now been called in to help guide a platoon of Colonial Marines through a recently deserted civilian outpost on the Xenomorph home planet. And if you know anything about movies, this obviously doesn't go as planned.

'Aliens' was one of the most anticipated films of 1986 and opened with a big bang rarely seen in those days. The film even went on to gain several Academy Award nominations including Best Actress for Sigourney Weaver and deservedly winning Best Special Effects. Everything about 'Aliens' is five times the scale of the original, from its set pieces to its heart pounding action scenes. The film is often if not always considered the best in the series, putting James Cameron on the map and bringing the 'Alien' franchise into the mass media marketing world. This film gave us a comic book series, novels, and even some amazing action figures back in the day. 'Aliens' was everywhere, and it helped tremendously that the film was also an amazing one to boot.

The film's strength is that it places its characters and story before the action and special effects, creating a perfect blend that is rarely matched today. The bonding relationship between Ripley and the young girl known as Newt is the film's heart and soul, and you truly end up loving and caring for the little girl yourself in the end. I would agree that 'Aliens' has the most likeable cast in the entire series as well, with Bill Paxton being my personal favorite. Michael Biehn and Jeanette Goldstein also provide some great moments. While I said the action comes second in Cameron's script, it's still the high quality you expect from him. These are some of the most memorable film moments since the creation of the medium.

What truly makes the film stand out during these sequences is just how cleverly they were pulled off. 'Aliens' believe it or not was not a high budget film, even back then and it also had a very tight production schedule leading Cameron and effects supervisor Stan Winston to be very creative when it came to the film's special effects and cinematography. The alien costume you see in the photo above was one of only twelve in the entire film, but Cameron could convince you that dozens and even hundreds of these creatures were filling the screen at once and its a testament to just how much of a talent he truly is (even if he takes his sweet time making movies nowadays). Winston on the other hand, enhanced the already amazing creature design and included the stunning Queen into the mythology, and it's all practical. No CGI whatsoever.

'Aliens' is a different animal than its predecessor, so I won't exactly say that it's a better film as that's comparing apples to tomatoes. What I will say is 'Aliens' is one of the best sci-fi action horror films of all time and definitely in my top 10 favorite films. This film gets everything right and doesn't reduce itself to a quick cash grab. They took their time and got some real talent to work on this, giving us an excellent final product. It's a shame studios don't attempt this as much anymore.

ALIENS: A+

April Fools Day (1986)

'April Fools Day' had a hard time building the following it now has. When first released, the typical slasher movie filmgoer were very unhappy with many aspects of the film, including its twist ending and the film silently left the theater with a low box office gross. Strangely enough, despite the fanbase disliking the film 'April Fools Day' actually managed to obtain some higher critic scores than other slasher films of the day. The movie stars Amy Steel of 'Friday the 13th Part 2' fame as one of several guests invited to their friend Muffy's for the weekend, unknowing of the horrors awaiting them.

Right away you can see that 'April Fool's Day' has a much better budget and production than many slasher films of the day and overall, it feels much more classy if that makes sense. The characters are very likeable, another rarity of the genre and over time you really feel bad when several of them go. In regards to the film's ending, while we won't spoil here just in case it's difficult to review the movie without discussing it at least a little bit. The film is actually more of a horror comedy overall than a straight slasher and many people likely disliked the change in tone back then, leading to its brief obscurity.

The film is really clever with its wicked humor however and it's what makes 'April Fool's Day' truly stand out. The film's horror moments are a little weaker, with some rather cheap looking special effects. While some of this may have been intentional, its strange to see some cheap props in a movie with a higher budget. This was a Paramount film after all, so you would expect some level of 'Friday the 13th' type gore effects but I guess we can't have it all.

The film can also drag at times, leading to a slow climax that may have been for building the tension up, however it just comes off as aggravating. The movie also suffers from not knowing how to end, with multiple 'gotcha' endings in quick succession that just irritates me after the first few. Do I recommend 'April Fool's Day'?  For the most part yes, but with caution. You may not be getting the slasher film you wanted when you first popped in the DVD. However, what is on the screen is for the most part a clever and at the time very original dark comedy that has stronger moments than your typical slasher at the time. Recommended, but mostly for hardcore fans only.

APRIL FOOL'S DAY: (B-)

Alien (1979)

 'ALIEN' was released in the summer of 1979 to an unsuspecting and ultimately shocked audience. No one had seen anything like this before. 'Star Wars' was the newest Sci-Fi epic and portrayed and epic adventure in space, but what 'ALIEN' brought us was a darker, grimier, and violent horror show in outer space, where there is NO escape. It will never be possible for someone my age to fully comprehend just how epic this film was to people back then and its something I will regret not being able to experience despite that futile mentality. All I can really talk about is my personal experience with the film and the 'ALIEN' franchise in general as we go through the series in anticipation of May 19th's 'Alien: Covenant'. The reviews will come as fast I can think of them before the release date of the newest film so stay tuned to Facebook for updates.

 I first stumbled upon 'ALIEN' when I was about 10 years old and my friend has gotten his hands on the VHS box set containing the first three films in the series. The box art and description fascinated me but ultimately, I was too cowardly to attempt to sneak them for fear of my parents catching me with them. My next experience would be during a trip to Walt Disney World in which we stepped on a ride called 'The Great Movie Ride' in which they took you through a visual history of films, with one area belonging to the Xenomorph himself as he attempted to attack the guests. I was scared beyond reason at this, but my interest once again peaked with this mysterious film.

Then I finally got my chance to see the movie in its entirety during its anniversary in which the 'Director's Cut' was released into select theaters. I watched it in that dark theater and forever loved this franchise. It was nothing like the more happy and brightly colored Science Fiction films I was used to. There were no laser guns, lightsabers, or cuddly creatures. This was a surprisingly grounded film with realistic technology and what you would imagine a spaceship would really be like when they finally got it all going. The film's style is definitely one of the aspects that helped it stand out and makes the film feel creepier. The dark hallways, the swinging chains and the dripping liquids and bright flashing alarm lights give this film an atmosphere like no other.

Being 10 years old at the time, you can probably guess that I wouldn't notice the highly sexual overtones that 'ALIEN' brought to the table, another aspect that must have been absolutely shocking back in 1979. Swiss artist H.R. Giger was a masterful artist and one that is sadly missed by his many loved ones and fans. He was truly like no other with his 'bio-mechanical' art that helped shaped the entire Xenomorph species and the worlds they inhabit. The behind the scenes work also are a story worth telling. This was only Ridley Scott's second movie and to think he could achieve so much with so little and more than seniors in his field that is some impressive work. This would also be Sigourney Weaver's first film and it would lead her to super stardom, landing roles in 'Ghostbusters', 'Working Girl', 'Avatar', and three 'Alien' sequels.

The rest of the cast does excellent work too and this is one of the best ensembles I've seen for any film, let alone a horror film most wanted to discard. John Hurt, Veronica Cartwright, Ian Holm, Tom Skerritt, Yaphet Kotto, and Harry Dean Stanton. How much better could that casting get? The cinematography is great too, with strong fog and steam mixed with a dark and moody atmosphere that sometimes places you in complete silence at times, ramping up the tension even in the non-horror movie moments. The film's opening is a perfect example with it taking its sweet time to introduce you to every aspect of the ship before you even see the crew. It sets up the film perfectly.

The score by Jerry Goldsmith is also noteworthy, although sadly you don't hear very much of it in the final product. This was due to studio interference and directorial differences, but what is there is still well worth mentioning. Also be sure to check out the full soundtrack, either as a special feature on the DVD and Blu-Ray or on CD by Intrada Records which is a nice 2 disc set. The film is likely better off with this entire score left out, as the more quiet moments are what helps make the film work, but I always hate to see music or deleted footage end up on the floor.

I would just like to mention the Director's Cut briefly, as it was the first edition of the film I saw. Re-watching it recently it holds up, but by far the original theatrical cut is the one to go with. While the additions do help with some character development and a infamous deleted scene was placed back in more likely for fans than for the director himself they are all rather uneccesary and add nothing overall. The deleted scene in question involves the creature turning a character into an Egg for further reproduction, however this theory has since become a dead one so you know what I mean. The other scenes are just dialogue or extra violence and I think overall they lower the film's tension and thrills. The original is still the best by far.

'ALIEN' is truly special. It's more than just a horror sci-fi film and it's more than a pop culture phenomenon. It was a revolution in filmmaking and had a huge impact more than 35 years ago that is still being felt today in multiple mediums. You've likely all seen 'ALIEN' many times before, but I'd thought I'd give you a reason to pop it back in and give it a fresh watch before the newest one graces our silver screen.

ALIEN: (A+)