John CW
Supporting Actor
- Joined
- Oct 7, 2000
- Messages
- 619
Quote Bill's Review:
I think I saw somebody asking a while back what was censored from the screen tests. I think anyone who has watched the one with Ripley and Dallas can tell where the terrible and unnatural dialogue is taking the situation... Yes, Sigourney taking her top off. Not sure why this would be necessary for a screen test, but far be it for me to judge (or complain about seeing more of Sigourney Weaver). An uncensored version of the screen test (from the Alien Saga DVD) can be seen here:
The reason why this test fades to black on the Anthology version is probably because these "new" screen tests are actually different takes, done from different angles, with different dialogue. I think the angle included on the Anthology would have been a lot more, ahem, revealing, and potentially embarrassing for Weaver, than the one on the Alien Saga DVD, so it was censored.
Anyways...
This set is utterly fantastic and the Alien 3 doc is amazing, and well worth the wait, but it still left me with some questions! Who made the decision to change the "first victim" from an ox to a dog? I *much* preferred the former, as seen in the wonderful new "Special Edition" version, and so it seems it would have been against Fincher's wishes to change it to a dog... But Jon Landau says it was Fincher's idea to change it to a dog in the doc. (Not sure I trust Landau's memory, to be honest.)
Another thing was the "Double Y Chromosome" bit of pseudo-science. I'd have liked the doc to question where this came from, but I had to look it up: Apparently it's complete bunk based on some very dodgy science and exaggerated media reports from the 60s. More conclusive research done since then has shown that there are no increased hostility in men with two Y chromosomes (yes, it's a real condition affecting 1 in 1000 males) and really the filmmakers should have known better than to try and demonise people with a real condition. Or as the thing I read put it: "They should be ashamed of themselves."
Still, the new cut of the film is wonderful! I would actually consider myself a fan of Alien 3 now, something I did not before!
If you have Image Entertainment's original Alien Saga DVD, you may wish to keep it. It includes a couple things not available on the Anthology or anywhere else, including 4 short Aliens production featurettes (Grunts in Space, Behind the Scenes and profile pieces on James Cameron and Sigourney Weaver) as well as a bit of uncut Sigourney Weaver screen test footage. Most of the same screen test footage is here on the Anthology, but it's been censored.
I think I saw somebody asking a while back what was censored from the screen tests. I think anyone who has watched the one with Ripley and Dallas can tell where the terrible and unnatural dialogue is taking the situation... Yes, Sigourney taking her top off. Not sure why this would be necessary for a screen test, but far be it for me to judge (or complain about seeing more of Sigourney Weaver). An uncensored version of the screen test (from the Alien Saga DVD) can be seen here:
The reason why this test fades to black on the Anthology version is probably because these "new" screen tests are actually different takes, done from different angles, with different dialogue. I think the angle included on the Anthology would have been a lot more, ahem, revealing, and potentially embarrassing for Weaver, than the one on the Alien Saga DVD, so it was censored.
Anyways...
This set is utterly fantastic and the Alien 3 doc is amazing, and well worth the wait, but it still left me with some questions! Who made the decision to change the "first victim" from an ox to a dog? I *much* preferred the former, as seen in the wonderful new "Special Edition" version, and so it seems it would have been against Fincher's wishes to change it to a dog... But Jon Landau says it was Fincher's idea to change it to a dog in the doc. (Not sure I trust Landau's memory, to be honest.)
Another thing was the "Double Y Chromosome" bit of pseudo-science. I'd have liked the doc to question where this came from, but I had to look it up: Apparently it's complete bunk based on some very dodgy science and exaggerated media reports from the 60s. More conclusive research done since then has shown that there are no increased hostility in men with two Y chromosomes (yes, it's a real condition affecting 1 in 1000 males) and really the filmmakers should have known better than to try and demonise people with a real condition. Or as the thing I read put it: "They should be ashamed of themselves."
Still, the new cut of the film is wonderful! I would actually consider myself a fan of Alien 3 now, something I did not before!