***Official ALIEN Director's Cut Discussion and Review Thread*** (1 Viewer)

[Robert Anthony]

You guys should check the Home Theater Software thread on the 9 disc set--there's a lot of details as to what's cut, what's staying and who's in charge (hint--it's Ridley Scott)

 

[Kachi Khatri]

This is the actual stuff...regarding the director's cut..

Ref: Toronto Star Sep-08

....The director's cut edition of Alien is a strange creature, too — it's actually 26 seconds shorter than the original movie, which clocked in at just under two hours. Scott said he recut his film with an eye to improving the pacing — he's grown "impatient with all the preambles" over the years — and to make it more relevant to today's hurry-up audiences. He cut out just over five minutes, but he put back in 4:47 minutes of other footage, including the controversial "nesting" scene that has been seen on DVD, but never before in a theatrical version.

 

[MichaelBryant]

Just as I was afraid of. There is nothing wrong with the pacing of the original film. In fact, the slow pacing is part of what makes Alien so great. I hope the upcoming box set will also have the UNCUT original version. We won't know this for sure until the official Fox press release.

 

[BrettB]

P.S. - They have created a HELL OF a trailer for this reissue.

Hmmm, I don't care for the trailer. I think they over did the silence.

Edit: After posting I went back to apple where I had seen the trailer last night and it wasn't there anymore. Dl'd the trailer from the IGN link above. Apparently, I got hold of a funky trailer last night at apple.com. The only audio in it was three lines of dialouge, the rest was total silence. I thought they were trying to be creative or something.

Yes, it is a good trailer, but I realized something when I watched it just now; they ruined one of the best scares (at the end) for anyone who hasn't seen this film.

 

[Kristoffer]

The new trailer is ok...But the original trailer is still one of the best ever! Its is so creepy. Hopefully we will get it in widesreen on the new dvd!

 

[JeremySt]

Agreed. The original trailer is an all time classic. The new trailer is cool, but the original rocks.

 

[Bryan Tuck]

Yes, it is a good trailer, but I realized something when I watched it just now; they ruined one of the best scares (at the end) for anyone who hasn't seen this film.

I agree; I liked the trailer, but I was disappointed that that was on there.

 

[Jefferson Morris]

He cut out just over five minutes, but he put back in 4:47 minutes of other footage

Ugh. This is awful, awful news as far as I'm concerned. If a director has to add a scene or two to help sell a re-release, I can understand. But excising footage from a classic (there's not a wasted frame in the original, as far as I'm concerned) to accommodate the inclusion of dramatically superfluous new material...grrrr.

I suppose I shouldn't talk before I see the new cut, but still... On most other films, even other classics, I wouldn't care so much about a few lost seconds here and there. But this is Alien, fer chrissakes - the closest Scott (or just about anyone else) has ever gotten to cinematic perfection.

--Jefferson Morris

P.S. For those who caught the Alien series documentary on AMC a few weeks ago - was that a new docu, or was that the docu that appeared on the Alien Legacy box set?

 

[Gary->dee]

Woohoo! I just got a RSVP pass to see the Alien director's cut next Wednesday at 20th Century Fox!

 

[Kachi Khatri]

Saw the first trailer on Superstation last night.

I never saw this on the big screen, so here's my chance.

 

[Micah Cohen]

Maybe I'm grumpy (most likely) but I've about had it with directors messing with their movies.

First, I sat thru the additional hour of APOCALYPSE NOW. Say what you will about the "new" scenes that moved the plot along, like the additional Brando dialogue and some of the Plantation Dinner scene, the bottom line was that the other 55 added minutes made this great film a snooze-fest.

Then, I raced out to see AMADEUS on the huge screen at The Senator Theater; 22 added minutes, right? Say what you will about seeing Elizabeth Berridge's ta-tas, but instead of the meticuliously paced, perfectly edited film I remember (the one that won all those Oscars), I got all sorts of story-eddies and slow additions and useless dialogue and that gratutious nudity that jumbled up the story and the pacing. The movie would not have won Oscars if it was originally presented this way.

And now, here's ALIEN. One of my favorite films of all time. Back on the big screen; I've never seen it there! And it INCLUDES the scenes Ridley deleted, the ones he said (on the DVD!) disrupted the pacing of the film. He didn't need them. Why put them back in?

WHY WHY WHY?

Now, I have no desire to see ALIEN "The Director's Cut."

Why not just leave well enough alone? Just leave it alone!

Look, I avoided any mention of Spielucas and I'm still steamed about this. Anyone else feel this way?

Or, am I alone. Again.

MC

 

[Scott_MacD]

I'll get back to you in a few days..

 

[Michael Reuben]

Or, am I alone. Again.

No, and to prove it, I've merged your thread into the three pages of existing discussion on this topic.

BTW, you may find my Sept. 8 post of interest.

M.

 

[Micah Cohen]

Sorry Michael, I was so despondent that I wasn't paying attention. As I scrolled thru this expanded ("Director's Cut"?) thread, I was thinking, "HEY! I posted THAT first!"

But I'm just sad and alone and wanted to vent.

I'm glad there are other people who feel as I do. I won't be buying any DVD with this "Director's Cut" version of ALIEN.

Ridley, why oh why?

MC

 

[Gary->dee]

I kinda liked the director's cut. Don't know if this is spoiler stuff or not but...

Ripley gets bitchslapped by the other chick pilot(forgot her name) in a new scene. Of course Dallas shows up in the nest area next to other rotting bodies. I thought this additional scene was really sad. Not the addition of it but the scene itself.

I think there are more f-bombs in the director's cut as well, not sure but it sounded like it. It's still no where near as a f-bomb laden as Scarface but they're there.

I'm glad I saw this director's cut in a theater because I saw the Blade Runner director's cut at the theater when that first came out in the early 90's. Now I think it's tradition that I see Ridley Scott's director's cuts at the theater.

 

[JoshGroetsema]

I'm sorry if someone has already asked this, but does anyone know what theaters are actually showing this??

The movie is supposed to open tomorrow and I cannot find a single theater listing. Many theater chains are saying that they will have it, but for whatever reason they haven't listed it into their showtimes.

Any help would be appreciated!

 

[Michael Reuben]

As noted here, Fox has drastically cut back the number of prints being released. I haven't seen a master list of theatrical bookings, but your best bet is to go to the Moviefone site and plug in your zip code.

M.

 

[david stark]

Or, am I alone. Again.

As you can see you are not. I'm not too sure what to think, slightly off topic for this thread, but I quite liked Apocalypse Now Redux. I didn't know the film very well (seen it once before seeing redux) so it will not have hit me as much as people who know the film better.

Back to Alien, I'm not sure what to think. I'm going to go and see it tonight or tomorrow. It does annoy me that I have already paid to buy the film and then this happens, do I have to go and buy another one.

At least with the Lord of the Rings trilogy we are told in advance that there will be an extended edition available so you have the choice of which to buy.

I just wish Directors would have more integrity and make a film and be done with it. If they decide later it is unfinished and needs altering they should provide a refund/swap it for the new version to everyone that has already bought it if they want it.

 

[Malcolm R]

Figures. The one flick I was looking forward to recently. Way to go, Fox. :rolleyes

 

[Nicholas Vargo]

According to the front page of Box Office Mojo, only 324 theatres are showing it this weekend. This is bad since I've seen Fox splash the previews all over television. I've always wanted to see the movie on the big screen, which is probably the reason I never bought the movie on DVD in the first place, and that most likely won't happen now. This could've been the big hit this weekend, but their new plans with it seemed to screw it over.