Alien Anthology Blu Ray 2010 Update : Ripley to record audio commentaries for all 4 films (1 Viewer)

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/herocomplex/2009/12/avatar-star-sigourney-weaver-as-queen-of-scifi-outer-space-has-been-good-to-me.html

In the meantime, Weaver has been living in the future by promoting “Avatar” and getting ready to revisit her past – she will be sitting down in the weeks to come to watch all of “Alien” films as part of the process of recording commentary for the upcoming Blu-ray release of the four-film franchise. “I’ve never done that, watched all of them in a row,” Weaver said. “I just recently made my [19-year-old] daughter watch them. She had never seen them before, believe it or not. I think she just prefers to think of me as good ol’ mom, you know, not some person running around a spaceship with a flamethrower.”

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http://www.thedigitalbits.com/rumormill.html#121409

This is just a quick update on a title we've talked about several times before, but as it's still a few months away from being officially announced, the news belongs here. In an interview with the L.A. Times over the weekend, actress Sigourney Weaver revealed that she's going to be recording brand new audio commentary tracks for each of the four Alien films - tracks that will be added to Fox's nearly complete Alien Anthology Blu-ray box set. We've confirmed this news with our industry sources, who have also informed us that the box set is going to blow away fans of the previous DVD Quadrilogy. Not only have all of those previous extras have been included, but TONS of new material has been added as well exclusively for the Blu-ray release - extras that should make the BD WELL worth upgrading to. The set will be released in mid-to-late 2010, and rest assured we'll keep you up to date on it. As always, the above information is to be considered unofficial and subject to change until the studios in question make official announcements. Stay tuned...

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Sounds cool! I'd love to hear her thoughts on the other three films more in depth. If I recall, Charlie and Co. only had a narrow window in which to interview her for the Quadrilogy set and her interviews from Resurrection came from 1997. I doubt she'll get commentary tracks all to herself which begs the question: what's the plan?

Will they be splitting up the (crowded) commentaries into two sessions: cast and crew? Are they bringing in more of the actors to do commentaries who weren't interviewed the first time around? Besides, she and Ridley already did a commentary for the first set so who knows?

As I've mentioned here before, I wonder what else they can add to this set. Other than the complete Ridleygrams gallery, Ridley's original 1999 DVD commentary, and the Alien Legacy documentary... maybe we'll get a commentary with film/music historians Nick Redman, Jon Burlingame, and Jeff Bond, along with an isolated score in DTS 5.1 (at least for Alien). Maybe we'll get reprints of the original Cinefex and American Cinematographer articles. Maybe trivia tracks.

After watching the Blade Runner features, it would be cool if they did a "Fans and Filmmakers" tribute piece putting the films in their proper historical context with reflections from other writers, directors, and critics. Or a featurette about the merchandising (similar to the piece on the Planet of the Apes disc). Or tributes to crewmembers who have since passed away (Jerry Goldsmith, Adrian Biddle, Stan Winston, Alex Thomson).

And of course, I would flip if: a.) we got the unedited Alien 3 documentary, and/or b.) they got some of the Alien 3 actors to come back and loop their dialogue for the extended version, and/or c.) Fincher joined the party.

I know I'm just setting myself up for a disappointment, but I, too, would really like to see something more done with Alien 3. I understand how miraculous it was that we got the assembly cut in the previous set, and I do appreciate the work that went into it. Nevertheless, how cool would it be to have the original actors, or even some decent soundalikes, brought into the studio to loop the additional dialogue, or to have Fincher put together a proper director's cut?

I'll probably buy this when it goes on the cheap, the extras would have to be amazing (uncut doc being one of them) for me to buy this on release.

Originally Posted by Scott D S

Sounds cool! I'd love to hear her thoughts on the other three films more in depth. If I recall, Charlie and Co. only had a narrow window in which to interview her for the Quadrilogy set and her interviews from Resurrection came from 1997. I doubt she'll get commentary tracks all to herself

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Why is it doubtful she'd have a commentary to herself? I could understand Sigourney not wanting to do it solo, but if any of the actors were to do one solo, it would be her.

I look forward to having Alien & Aliens on blu. I've done a communist thing and made Alien 3 a non-existent film. Not because it's a bad film, but I think it totally betrayed the fans of Aliens in the first 10-15 minutes. When I want to go slumming I'll watch Resurrection.

Did I read that right, all the extras from Quadrilogy plus more.

Quote:Originally Posted by Johnny Angell And according to the Bits, ALL of the extras will be carried over. I assume that applies to disc 9 as well (the Bob Burns featurette, the Alien Evolution documentary, trailers, TV spots, comic book gallery, and LD archives).

Alien Anthology Blu Ray 2010 Update : Ripley to record audio commentaries for all 4 films

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Is Weaver going to do them in character?! Who does she think she is, Robert Downey Jr.?

I know it will never happen but I'd like the option on Alien 3 to watch the extended version but with the dog burster sequence instead of the ox and the theatrical ending. Those are the only sequences I dislike in the extended cut and while I can live with the ox I really hate the chestburster-less ending and its annoying to have go to the menu and switch to the theatrical cut when once Ripley does her swan dive.

Originally Posted by Johnny Angell



I've done a communist thing and made Alien 3 a non-existent film. Not because it's a bad film, but I think it totally betrayed the fans of Aliens in the first 10-15 minutes.

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That's pretty much how I feel. For me, the series starts with Alien and ends with Aliens... and that's it.

Could they release a First-1/2 Quadrilogy?

I would personally love to see cast commentaries for the first two films. Can you imagine getting John Hurt, Ian Holm, Tom Skeritt, Veronica Cartwright, Yaphet Kotto, Harry Dean Stanton and Weaver on the first and Weaver, Michael Biehn, Lance Henriksen, Bill Paxton, Carrie Henn, Jenette Goldstein and Paul Reiser on the second? Amazing, if they could swing it.

Originally Posted by Stephen_J_H /forum/thread/295894/alien-antholog...dio-commentaries-for-all-4-films#post_3638998

Originally Posted by Stephen_J_H

I would personally love to see cast commentaries for the first two films. Can you imagine getting John Hurt, Ian Holm, Tom Skeritt, Veronica Cartwright, Yaphet Kotto, Harry Dean Stanton and Weaver on the first and Weaver, Michael Biehn, Lance Henriksen, Bill Paxton, Carrie Henn, Jenette Goldstein and Paul Reiser on the second? Amazing, if they could swing it.

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Most or all of those actors impress me as people with something to say, except for Stanton. I've listened to him before and he doesn't seem to articulate to me. There's also an issue of having too many. If they were to assemble a cast commentary by splicing them together, I've never found that to be very successful. But that's just MHO.

I am very much looking forward to this release.

Well that would certainly be novel. If they had the actual Ripley record commentary tracks I might listen to them, otherwise I'm not interested. Just give me the movies.

I thought this was relevant:

"Dan O'Bannon - Screenwriter behind Dark Star, Alien, Total Recall, passes away... In Space, Nobody Can Hear You Cry..."
http://www.aintitcool.com/node/43415

Originally Posted by Scott D S

I thought this was relevant:

"Dan O'Bannon - Screenwriter behind Dark Star, Alien, Total Recall, passes away... In Space, Nobody Can Hear You Cry..."
http://www.aintitcool.com/node/43415

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Yes, very relevant to Alien fans. I did not know this. The article speculates that the disease might have been an inspiration for the Chestburster. Tough way to get inspiration. RIP Dan.

It's been a rather bleak weak in this regard. Dan O'Bannon, Jennifer Jones and Roy E. Disney. May all rest in peace.

It may seem silly, but I hope they carry over the extra from the original ALIEN DVD release that got nixed in the later releases. That would be the production audio track. It was really interesting to hear the on set audio.

I wonder if Alien will include the original effects and starfields.

I think it's looking more and more likely that we will see the Alien series on Blu sometime before the Avatar Blu-ray release. My guess is April or early May right before a mid-Mayish Avatar home video release.
Same studio releases both.
Actor/director connection (Weaver/Cameron in Aliens)
So you kind of have a tie-in even though they have nothing to do with each other.

Just my thoughts....

I probably posted this in the wrong thread before. For those interested, Sigourney never recorded the new commentaries due to conflicting schedule.


I'm very saddened by this. I would have loved to hear her thoughts about the four films. I still have the Alien Anthology pre-ordered, and If if I haven't heard such great things about the quality of the films I would have canceled on first word of this. Oh well...in a perfect world I guess.