Blu-ray Review HTF BLU-RAY REVIEW: Alien Anthology (1 Viewer)

[cafink]

Originally Posted by joshEH


Issues with the seamless branching might have been the factor -- having a digital alteration in one version, but not the other, could have raised complications during the authoring process.

I don't understand what you mean. Having two different versions is the whole point of branching, and it worked fine for all of the other changes in the movie. What's special about this scene that would have made branching difficult?

 

[SamT]

Yes, it's not a very good explanation/excuse.

 

[Ted Van Duyn]

Originally Posted by cafink


I don't understand what you mean. Having two different versions is the whole point of branching, and it worked fine for all of the other changes in the movie. What's special about this scene that would have made branching difficult?

Just watch the original Quadrilogy set for the first ALIEN movie. There are about six obvious branching issues where the Director's Cut modifications leak into the theatrical cut.

 

[Jason Charlton]

Originally Posted by SamT
The problem is not that they did it. The problem is that it's in the original version.

But that just begs the age-old question of what, exactly IS the original version? Does "original" mean the way it was in theaters? What about all the color timing variations we've seen in every video version from LD to DVD #1 to DVD #2 to Blu-Ray? Do we have any ACTUAL means of knowing just exactly how the film looked in theaters? Did it look the same in every theater? What about framing variations? What about all the grain removal that was done for the BR release - should that have been done to the SE only?


I suppose we should all agree that everyone has their own limits as to what changes can be made for the movie to still be considered "original". It's pointless to dwell on the semantics that are going to vary from person to person...

 

[cafink]

Originally Posted by Ted Van Duyn

Just watch the original Quadrilogy set for the first ALIEN movie. There are about six obvious branching issues where the Director's Cut modifications leak into the theatrical cut.

But that didn't stop them from using branching to present two versions of ALIENS on Blu-ray. So it doesn't answer the question--what is special or different about this particular change that would have made it somehow more difficult to branch than any of the many other changes in the movie?

 

[Kevin EK]

A couple of things:


1. Does anyone know how to access the Easter Eggs on the 6th disc (Anthology Archives)? I spent 30 minutes last night trying to find them with no luck.


2. The "Rule of Beihn" may not always apply, given that he is scruffy in The Terminator. Just saying...

 

[joshEH]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kevin EK

2. The "Rule of Beihn" may not always apply, given that he is scruffy in The Terminator. Just saying...

Here's something funny, though -- Biehn does K2; Paxton goes up the same mountain in Vertical Limit. They know they belong together.

 

[WillG]

Just watch the original Quadrilogy set for the first ALIEN movie. There are about six obvious branching issues where the Director's Cut modifications leak into the theatrical cut.

I wouldn't call that a branching "issue" That's just how the disc was authored. Seems that the first time around, it was just thought of a redundant to do separate branching for things like the studio logo, color timing, enhanced starfields etc. (however I am greatful that the BD version corrects this)

 

[Brett_M]

Originally Posted by Simon Massey

Ok Just to throw this out there - how exactly does the Special Edition scenes in Aliens undercut the tension from when the marines land to the scene where they meet the aliens for the first time ? For those who have never seen Alien, it still doesn't tell them what happened after they found the facehugger and for those that have - does anyone watching this really have any doubts as to what has happened at the colony ?? What mystery is in the original that isn't there in the SE ??


I think it adds to the tension personally, given we are introduced to Newt and we are left wondering what happened to her. It puts a human face on the colony before they arrive making their loss seem worse and emphasises that these were "families" out there (the children playing in the corridors).

I totally agree. I watch the SE every time I give the disc a spin.

 

[Ted Van Duyn]

Originally Posted by WillG

I wouldn't call that a branching "issue" That's just how the disc was authored. Seems that the first time around, it was just thought of a redundant to do separate branching for things like the studio logo, color timing, enhanced starfields etc. (however I am greatful that the BD version corrects this)

If it's not supposed to be there, I call that an issue with the branching, authoring or not (which no doubt was on the authoring side). And I don't think the editors/encoders thought that retaining elements of the theatrical edition was redundant because only ONE of the enhanced star fields escaped into the theatrical cut while the rest did not.


I think what happened with ALIENS is the simple case of Cameron remastering his preferred cut of the film which cemented over into the theatrical cut. Maybe they missed it, maybe Cameron doesn't want that element to be distracting on any version, I don't know. I'll have to watch the Theatrical Cut (haven't yet) to see if the other changes on the Special Edition made it over that weren't on previous VHS/DVD releases. One of them being the correct order in which Ripley grabs the Pulse Rifle and Flame Thrower before going after Newt.

 

[Brett_M]

Originally Posted by Simon Massey

I disagree about the sentry guns. I think it adds even more tension because the aliens have to find a new way in. The reveal in the ceiling is double-good.

 

[AlexS2]

Sentry Gun scenes are fantastic additions to the film.


The first version of Aliens I watched was the theatrical, back when I was a kid. But I far prefer the Special Edition, it just feels like a much more complete film.

 

[robbbb1138]

I finally watched the Burke Cocooned deleted scene. I can't tell if it was cut because of Reiser's acting, because Ripley apparently trusts him to not detonate that explosive until she's walked a safe distance away, or because of what it does to the pacing of her search for Newt, but I can tell why that and the snippets in the deleted scenes montage were all never restored to the movie (especially that bit where Newt tries to run off again after the Marines find her).

 

[WillG]

I finally watched the Burke Cocooned deleted scene. I can't tell if it was cut because of Reiser's acting, because Ripley apparently trusts him to not detonate that explosive until she's walked a safe distance away, or because of what it does to the pacing of her search for Newt,

Probably both. Buy yeah definately noticed Reiser was horrible in that scene as opposed to the rest of the film

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

With all the debate about branching and slightly different versions of Aliens (and other films as well, including the soundtrack issues mentioned for TSoM), makes me wonder if video (and audio) transfers/encodes/authoring/etc don't require something akin to SVN (in the software dev world) for source/build repository management,


_Man_

 

[joshEH]

Quote:

Originally Posted by SamT


Kind of agree. They are of course not considered Director's Cut but the Special Editon. James Cameron always got the cut he wanted. He wasn't forced into anything.


My feelings with James Cameron's Special Editons are simpler. It's just a hate/hate affair. You will be shocked but I believe Cameron has never improved any of his movies with his Special Editions, they are actually inferior.

Actually, the 1991 "Special Edition" cut of Aliens is, in fact, Cameron's director's cut, since he was forced by Fox to trim close to 20 minutes out of the film right before release, in order to hit the theatrical version's final, 2h17m running length.


He talks about it at length in the commentary track (as well as in the BD/DVD video introduction), about how Fox basically had serious issues with any film running longer than two-and-a-quarter hours back then...and funnily, it's even worse today, with Rothman and his "105-minute rule."

 

[AlexS2]

A 105 minute rule is such nonsense.


Look at the top 20 films of all time, and every single movie on that list that isnt a kids cartoon, is over 2 hours, many over 2 hours and a half.

 

[TravisR]

Quote:

Originally Posted by joshEH

...and funnily, it's even worse today, with Rothman and his "105-minute rule."

Not that every movie should have to come in at 1:45 but I've seen so many bloated 2 and a half hour piece of crap action movies in the last 5 or 10 years that I wish more people would try to stay near 105 minutes rather than a dime store James Cameron making a 2 and a half hour wanna-be action epic. If you've got a good movie like Aliens or Terminator 2, go for 135 or 150 minutes but if you've got Transformers, go for 85 minutes because the movie might be watchable if it was shorter.

 

[David Wilkins]

I just received the single disc edition of 'Alien', and I assume the disc is the same one included in the boxed set...but correct me if I'm wrong.

I'd like to know if anybody else has received a defective disc. I've had no problem choosing between the two versions or getting to the main menu afterward, but choosing the director's cut displays what I can best describe as a "zoomed" mode that displays approximately 10% of the screen area comprising the top middle portion. That approximate section looks "zoomed" in to fill the entire viewing area, with the black matted section filling about the top half of the screen. I've never encountered a similar problem with this player or any other (or disc, for that matter). No adjustment setting has any effect on the issue. Tried several reboots, restarts, etc., with no change.


The theatrical cut plays perfectly.


If it matters, I have an Oppo BDP-80 player and an Epson 8350 projector.


Your input would be appreciated.

 

[Christian Preischl]

This issue has been popping up with the box set as well. I thought Oppo had already released a firmware update that fixes it. Do you have the latest firmware for your player installed?