Alien/Aliens/Alien Iii/Alien: Resurrection

Well what's there to say about this latest Alien box set that hasn't already been said. I got it shortly after I told myself I wasn't going to get it thanks to an Amazon one day sale that made it cheaper than what I had originally paid for Alien Quadrilogy (Alien/ Aliens /Alien 3 /Alien Resurrection) and it seemed quite worth it at that point.I was a bit disappointed after my viewing of the second film, not with the film it's self but with the quality of the transfer. Aliens was really buggy and had lots of flicker and grain, I don't really mind the grain and I can't figure out if the flickering is a problem with my display set up or with the actual transfer I'm guessing it's the former since I haven't seen any other complaints about it but honestly I was expecting a little bit better treatment for arguably the biggest film in the franchise. The DVD version on the Quadrilogy set didn't have any of this flickering in the darker scenes and holds up just about as well under scrutiny. Like I said, I don't mind grain in a film that's better than 20 years old but I've yet to find a reason for this weird flickering it does. Since I'm more fond of the theatrical version of Aliens as opposed to the extended version I was thinking maybe they were lazy and just used an old transfer for the theatrical and remastered the extended for Blu-Ray but upon viewing that version all the same problems are present. I've adjusted every possible setting and I can't get rid of this flicker, it's not a huge deal it's just kinda distracting. James Cameron mentions in the commentary some technical aspects of the film stock used for this film that was far to technical and involved for me to understand without a degree from film school but what little I could glean from the director mentioned something to the fact that the film used was very prone to grain and other problems, so I think that explains away some of the problems with this transfer. There's only so much the remastering process can do, I guess.The sound on this film has always been one of the standout parts of the movie and it gets a really nice treatment in the HD 5.1, there's lots of subtle sound effects that are mixed to perfection and simplified enough so that even if you don't have a big whopper of a sound system it still sounds great on your regular TV output. This is usually something I'm concerned with since I watch movies mostly late at night and don't wanna keep the neighbors up listening to Alien Queens screeching.This is one of the all time great sci-fi films and it's James Cameron at his best, in my humble opinion I just wish Fox would have spent a little money restoring it for this particular release. I'd also like to mention that it has one of the most entertaining commentary tracks I've ever heard and if I'm not mistaken it won some kind of DVD award back in '03Ok the evaluation of the Aliens disc is over so I'm sure 75% people stopped reading that's why I went ahead and started with the second movie instead of the first.Alien, is a fantastic looking transfer it looks totally new. If Sigourney Weaver weren't running around looking like a doe-eyed teenager through the whole film I'd think it came out this year. I mean someone put some serious work into this, although this transfer is not exclusive to this disc, it's the same one used from the Quadrilogy set. If you remember the film was released back into theaters shortly before or after the Quad set came out, I can't remember exactly but I know the film was restored from the ground up for this anniversary event this Blu-Ray just features the highest possible quality of that particular transfer/remaster. The sound is as good as I've ever heard for this particular film, I've noticed a lot of little sound effects and even been able to discern some words out of the muttering a lot of the characters did in the film without having to crank my sound system up to 40 (it only goes to 30) just to make out what they're saying. I guess that has something to do with the HD audio as opposed to the now standard 5.1 mix. I've watched both versions although I'm more fond of the theatrical version again.Alien 3, is a sharp looking film, seeing it in high def brings a new appreciation to the beautiful sets and art direction, at least it did for me and I've seen this movie a million times... Alien 3? You know the one with the Alien eating all the baddie baldies that no one cares about and holy cow Ripley has also become a baddie baldy and oh no there's a Alien in her too what should we too, how about we all commit suicide by alien just because we hate the company that much. I admit it's not the greatest film in the world but it does have some shining moments here and there. I like it, I still think it was a solid sci-fi flick if only for the mood it created and taking the established Alien series staple of a "used future" to the most extreme of extremes. David Fincher is one of my favorite directors because he seems to pay extra attention to the atmosphere subtle background noise can create and in the HD 5.1 mix it really comes out. Also concerning the sound, people who've already bought the Alien Quadrilogy will be happy to know that all the audio in the "Workprint" version has been fixed and it plays just like a normal movie instead of something Fox stole back from the internet and slapped on a DVD.The picture on this film is quite crisp and sharp looking I don't have any complaints about the visual or sound on this disc. It may in fact be the best looking film in the whole set if you can stand the unbelievable crap of the story of the film, it's a pleasure to look at though and exceptionally sound designed.The forth and final film, so far, Ridley Scott has a forward written onto this box set that mentions a prequel film, I've been hearing about one of those since Alien 3 so I'm not going to get my hopes up too high. This movie looks only slightly better on Blu-Ray then the DVD for a film this new I would have expected it to be a little more sharp in HD. Darius Khandji's photography comes out really nicely though. The sharp contrasts and deep dark blacks show up really nicely although mostly this film just seems brown, everything is brown in this movie, even the Aliens are brown! I can't tell if this version is any better than the DVD because honestly I don't know how many different ways there are to convey the color brown regardless of it's encoding. The space shots, the underwater scene all look pretty good though and like I said where there is a contrast between brown and another color it looks really nice. I won't even begin to get into how crap this movie is, but I will say this, it's probably got the most spins in my PS3 since I bought this set mainly because it's the easiest movie of the lot to pick up since there's not much of a story and it's not a very long film.This film is a shining example as to why your director should speak the same language as the cast. Jean-Pierre Jeunet has made some fantastic French films this is his only "bad" film and not really a bad film but directing actors through an interpreter had to be quite a hindrance. I can barely give directions to the nearest gas station when someone interprets into Spanish for me so I don't even want to imagine what getting a performance out of an actor was like for him. Not the greatest film ever but I think it's watchable and at it's lowest points nowhere near as bad as either AvP film.I was really wanting to type up a short review before I left for work tonight, but apparently I've gotten a bit verbose I apologize to anyone still reading I really am trying to be as concise as possible.This is basically a Blu-Ray version of the previous Quadrilogy set with a few added features, mainly short videos and images here and there, as far as the BRD exclusives are concerned. All of the commentaries and virtually everything is from 2003 so basically Fox just double-dipped the material into a more expensive package. The biggest bonus is that it's not such a hassle to open and get a disc out, everything is contained in a simple little book that holds each disc in it's own page. All the special features from the Quad are contained on one disc while every other stitch of Alien related media is on the final disc.A bit about the Blu-Ray exclusives; "Disc-Unbound" is a pretty cool idea, a six disc set that also features "Muther-Mode" where you can select a list of related features throughout the course of a film and then after the film pop in the related disc and play those selections. Kinda a cool idea it's just a shame this is all stuff I have seen a dozen times watching the Quad set. Also all the different audio tracks, subtitled commentaries so if you want to watch the movie with it's audio playing and just read the commentary, which is what I usually do is pretty neat. Isolated scores and on some films totally alternate isolated film scores are also neat in a fanboy way.I gave this set 5 stars for being the perfected version of the old Quadrilogy set which was a 4 star set at best. But in the long run you're not getting much more than the Quad in sleek new packaging with some neat new little gimmicks.I'd like to mention a bit about the packaging, I've never seen anything so sleek and well thought out with the fans in mind. Where with most box sets they just slap a bunch of discs in a generic box and ship it out and sell it to the public. This has got to be one of the most unique designs I've ever seen, it features a book like layout and each disc fits into it's own page with a double wide splash page between each disc. It's a dream compared to all the unfolding and dropping that came with the folding cardboard nine disc layout in the old Quad set.In closing I'd like to mention that if you're looking for the most bang for your buck the old Quad set costs about what this one does and has just about everything this set has to offer minus some minor bonuses, I recommend it if you've got the cash but at the same time the frugal person in me would have probably just bought the Quadrilogy instead. I'm sure they'll release the movies in individual form sooner or later so if you really don't want the third and fourth films I'd just wait for that.

This is for the UK version of Alien Anthology. First and foremost i would like to offer special thanks to the reviews by Eric E Padriag and especially the video review by LEBBER highly recommended before your purchasing. Excellent creation LEBBER. I like having the actual plastic case that houses the disks. I purchased this for getting Alien 3 in bluray as 4K is not available. I dot not purchase used items but i did for this one and happy I did. Seller recommended as well. I already have the Original Alien and Aliens in 4 K. Alien is superbly better in 4K. Aliens as well highly recommended if you are a fans as i am before you can no longer get one. Alien 3 special edition selection recommended on the disk it has way more content than the original release. Bluray acceptable quality as not in 4K yet ? , only way i could really get one. I viewed it on my LG Plasma screen i prefer Plasma Monitor from the past have another LG Screen release to replace Plasma same one but LG more sharper consistently but not as preferred by me as the plasma, As I have 2 movie rooms. My equipment is superb. Some 4K’s just do not cut the mustard so to speak. The original 1980 movie of Halloween in 4K fantastic. Hope this helps. Philip

The Alien series never broke out the way that Star Trek and Star Wars did--you don't see the presence of an Alien-worshipping subculture, the way you do with Roddenberry's and Lucas's franchises. However, the series has been far more inventive and varied than those two franchises. Explore the Alien movies (minus the abomination known as Alien vs. Predator) on this 9-disc set. Even though they are very different films which have little commonality, aside from the presence of those vicious monsters and the lovely Sigourney Weaver, they complement each other well, and collectors would be wise to pick up this boxed set instead of buying the movies piecemeal. Far from being simple horror films, the Alien movies are attempts to put into film the anxieties of the modern age, from the biological to the corporate, and the series is at its best when it exploits these anxieties.This is what the first entry in the series, Alien, does best. Directed by Ridley Scott, whose other work includes Blade Runner and Gladiator, this 1979 film pits a group of commercial astronauts against a foe which cannot be killed and will not be placated. With a cast that includes Weaver, Tom Skeritt, Yaphet Kotto, John Hurt, Harry Dean Stanton and Ian Holm, this is probably the most impressively-acted of the bunch, and Scott has style to spare. Unlike most terror films, this movie derives its thrills not from continual pop-ups at the screen, but from building a sustained mood of dread--the alien could pop up at any moment. When it does come, it doesn't stay around for long. Perhaps the movie's greatest attribute is its allegorical simplicity--one is bound to reflect on what the alien represents? Perhaps it's a Rorshach Ink Blot to some extent, however, this movie is the perfect counterpoint to such movies as Independence Day--instead of taking off and kicking ass, in Alien, nothing we can do can protect us from the Alien. In our post-Iraq, post-9/11 nation, perhaps this film will have gained some resonance in its treatment of the subject matter.Aliens might be decried by some as a pure action film, but it is a bit more than that. James Cameron logically extends the concepts in the first film, and while it lacks the atmosphere and creepy suspense of the first movie, it is an extremely exciting and emotionally satisfying film. In this film, Ellen Ripley returns to the beast's planet with a squad of marines, which includes such personalities as the humane Cpl. Hicks (Michael Biehn), the freaked-out Pvt. Hudson (Bill Paxton) and the macho Pvt. Vasquez (Janette Goldstein). Also in the mix are Paul Reiser as the personification of corporate malfeasance, and Lance Henriksen as a sinister-seeming android. Trivia note: Henriksen would be the only actor (aside from Weaver) to appear in more than one Alien film. Ultimately, this is a movie where the thrills come from stuff popping out at you, but if you are willing to suspend disbelief a little and come along for the ride, it is actually quite good for a genre picture, and became the benchmark against which the later pictures were compared.Alien3 is a film which never got a fair chance. Consider: a script which underwent more than a few major revisions, several changes in directors which actually produced the perfect man for the job (future Fight Club auteur David Fincher), a meddling studio and fan expectations which could not possibly have been sated. It was, in retrospect, a recipe for disaster, so one should not complain about how flawed it is, but rather realize just how good it is. Fincher manages to create a wholly convincing atmosphere of dread in a prison planet populated by monk-like inmates. It takes up the allegorical mantle again, but rather than the open-ended allegory of the first, this installment has overt religious parallels that anyone even remotely familiar with Western Civilization should be able to pick up on (even though some of the imagery is subtle). This set notably includes the Assembly Cut, billed euphamistically here as a "Special Edition", which is far closer to the movie Fincher intended to make. While there are any number of legitimate complaints against the film--the most sympathetic character dies halfway through, many of the inmates never really stick out, the final action sequence is too disorienting, high on gore but low on scares, etc.--it is actually a rather compelling film in its unedited form. Not perfect, but in terms of the plotting, main characters, and its insight into the mindset of the religious isolationist mindset, it is more than adequate. In terms of visuals and mood, no installment of the Alien series has been better. In my book, it's a good film with flaws rather than a flawed film with some good parts. The beginning and ending are contentious--watch the film and you will see why--but both serve the story, and the ending in Fincher's version is a surprisingly powerful one, as opposed to the theatrical version, which might have some Biblical undertones (the story of Jacob, specifically) but it feels more hollow. Overall, with this restored version, hopefully the movie will see an end to the backlash that has been pervasive since its release in 1992.Alien Resurrection is the final film in this group, and while it is less polarizing than Alien3 among fans, it is also less memorable. If the original film was about a post-Vietnam set of anxieties, then this film is about a post-Berlin Wall set of ironies, and it cannot be displaced from the culture from whence it came--a culture which prided itself on being so "over" everything. Yet another director, this time Jean-Pierre Jeaunet of Amelie, brings a different twist to the franchise. Armed with a screenplay by TV wunderkind Joss Whedon, and game performances from Weaver, Winona Ryder, Ron Perlman, et al. The fundamental problem is that the viewer never really connects with the characters, and thus isn't invested in their fates. This being the case, the movie then becomes a series of action setpieces which don't quite add up to anything. The visual style is surprisingly lacking here as well: I once heard Amelie described as a David Fincher take on a Meg Ryan film, so I expected memorable visuals. I instead discovered that Roger Ebert was right when he said there was not a single shot to inspire the imagination. While the production values are high, the grotesque violence, fast-paced editing, camerawork and lighting all come together to make one feel as though in a video game, and while that might work for fourteen year-old boys, it's a far cry from the film's heritage. On the other hand, the satirical aspects of the film are enjoyable, and it somehow was much more beloved in Europe--maybe I'm missing something. Ultimately, the film is either a standard-issue thriller or a savvy satirical deconstruction of a standard-issue thriller--I'm not entirely certain.The bonus features are interesting--commentaries on all the four films, featuring directors, cast members, and production staff. I guess that, given the amount of commentary tracks punctuated by uncomfortable silences, the folks over at Fox decided to cut to different conversations at different points during the films. There is a constant stream of information, some interesting and enlightening, other parts are funny (Bill Paxton's contributions especially), but the only one that is tough to sit through is Alien3's, which is unbalanced in favor of the technical side of the production and only has about 15 minutes of Henriksen and another actor. The documentaries go into great detail about all the films, essentially from the germination of the story all the way through to critical reception. Overall, it's a good collection of special features.Overall, as far as franchises go, the Alien films are one of the better bets out there. As a receptacle for millenial anxieties, a proving ground for new and talented directors, and just plain scares, this is a series which should appeal to most and I highly recommend this set.