Alien (1979) vs. Aliens (1986)

[the_real_linda]

dont shoot me but i like alien resurrection

[Roderick Usher]

Originally Posted by swiss tony

that sounds like a fellow event horizon lover talking. i think E.H. is my all time top horror. i remember it being described as the exorcist in space but i honestly prefer it. it has bags of atmosphere, like a lot of these j-horror ghost stories

ugh - HATE Event Horizon

But LOVE Alien. Not to take anything away from Cameron's blistering sequel, but it is far more difficult to craft a truly scary horror movie that it is to make an action flick.

[the_real_linda]

they just throw money at action flicks......i dont think theres much skill in making them......with horror you got to know how to play with your audience to make a good film

[Posher778]

Originally Posted by Roderick Usher

ugh - HATE Event Horizon

But LOVE Alien. Not to take anything away from Cameron's blistering sequel, but it is far more difficult to craft a truly scary horror movie that it is to make an action flick.

I agree 100%, even though you aren't reading this... Alien is flawless! It is a truly scary film, which is hard to come by, ESPECIALLY a monster movie. Alien has atmosphere, especially near the end with the lights, hallways, and beeping sounds. Plus the shaky camera. It has a few of the most sudden jump outs of all time, and it has lots of backstory if you look into it. Get the special edition dvd to know what I mean, a lot of added stuff in there. Plus, it isn't just the alien. The facehugger is almost as scary, and totally disgusting! That first scene is so infamous for the screaming in the audience when it attacked. Aliens is a great film, but it isn't scary. Hardly at all. There are a few scenes with some scariness, like the facehugger at night in the room with sigourney, but nothing that really stands out. Although, I will always jump at the part where they barricade the door, only to look up and see the aliens rushing toward them in the ventilation! Ooohhh. Plus, aliens takes too long to get into it. It's good from start to finish, but I watch the special edition, and 2 and a half hours is a while to fill with aliens! However, it gets perfect when it gets down to the final strip of alien stuff. Alien wins by far.

The ONLY thing that I would change in Alien, is that the alien's tail needed to be more sideways to the camera (the scene where it attacks the man when it is first full grown), the tail is too in line with the camera's view, so you can't see the spiky, creepy tail as well.

[Posher778]

Originally Posted by Unaboner3000

Yea....the third film I thought was a fine end to the original trilogy. I think it gets alot of crap simply because is not up to par with the previous two films. But it still is a better than most horror films, and certainly better than most 3rd in a series horror films.

It actually has story and decently crafted characters, which is nice. It has a unique setting, yet still related to the first two films, only all tunnels. It is also unique because there are no weapons, which is really cool. My biggest problem with this film, other than the random bad language from.... weirdly religious people, is the Alien itself. It moves like a friggin coyote, and it looks stupid. Alien needs to stay a barely moving thing, and I think that's why Alien was so scary, is that it doesn't show it moving, (walking being my main point) it usually just turns around, or opens his hands and makes everyone faint :rolleyes:

[Necromancer]

aliens .......

[DP McCoy]

I enjoyed all four of the movies on some level,however Alien is imho far superior to most movies of the genre let alone its sequels.Alien is a masterful lesson in tension and suspense with genuinely disturbing imagery that was far beyond its time.

[Unaboner3000]

Originally Posted by DP McCoy

Alien is a masterful lesson in tension and suspense with genuinely disturbing imagery that was far beyond its time.

Yea...Alien was all about atmosphere, almost a 2001 kinda feel to it. It was beautifully done.

By the way, I love both movies but voted for Aliens. Was a tough choice though.

[missmacabre]

First time I saw Alien I was alone in my basement at night. The silence was so terrifying and it was probably the first movie to reaalllly freak me out. Now sure I was young(er than now) and jumpy but there's somethingn to be said about a truly scary movie.

[Disease]

Aliens, I saw that one first, I think that's why it's my faveorite.