logo Sign In

Official Release Thread - Alien Appendix - Updated with #2 info (Released) — Page 6

Author
Time
Post link
We're back!

It's really nice we got the ball rolling now that meedermow and Jonno are back in the game. I know exactly what you're talking about meedermow - it's so frustrating waiting for new footage to arrive, expecting better quality and waiting for footage to fill up the disc. Once my HD got corrupted and I lost some rarities I never found again so I've learned to finish discs faster.

Well, I suggest we finish appendix 3 and 4 containing "making of" materials chronologically. I guess Alien and Aliens could fit on one disc and Alien 3 and Alien resurrection on another. Or maybe Alien appendix as vol. 3, Aliens appendix with CBS cut of Aliens as vol. 4 and the rest as vol. 5. Jonno's list still looks great. Meedermow, can you please list the additional materials that you might have. That goes for anyone else too. Like jonno says - now is the time to speak! I also have Pepsi ad for Aliens in case you don't already and Alien in 30 seconds re-enacted by bunnies (one for Titanic was added on the official release of the movie). Triffid mentioned a few other sources worth getting (not sure if anything is released officially), so the additional footage added to current Jonno's list is as follows:

- promo VHS tape for Alien DC (trailer, a featurette and few short interviews)
- promo VHS tape forAlien 3 (trailer, a featurette and few short interviews plus behind the scenes). Both contain a trailer, a featurette and few short interviews.
- U-matic tape Making of Aliens
- Alien War documentary
- Pepsi ad for Aliens
- Alien in 30 seconds re-enacted by bunnies (http://zaint.no-ip.com/flash/alienbuns.swf)

If triffid needs financial help with obtaining beforementioned I suggest we help him out. US Dollar is all-time low at the moment so it's worth the bucks. If anyone needs help, let me know...

PS Does anyone know what's going on with Alien War Story documentary that should have been out a few months ago (www.alienwarstory.com)? This might be the doc triffid mentions.
Author
Time
Post link
If Triffid opens up a PayPal account, maybe we can all send him some $$$ to invest in this project!
Author
Time
Post link
tb1971 - will try and collate any differing items to Jonno's list - but it's all very similar.

Still have the Pepsi ad and the Bunnies features as an Easter Egg on Appendix 2
Author
Time
Post link
A few queries regarding TB971's list - sorry if I'm going over old ground but we have a lot of balls in the air and it's tough to keep track!


Does the Alien DC promo tape (Triffid's?) contain anything that we don't already have listed? I can't imagine more than one featurette was produced, but it would be useful to know the running time for comparison. I expect some of the interviews might be new to us, so more details would be great.

Likewise the Alien 3 stuff - we already have the UK featurette (and US featurettes are included elsewhere on official releases), so it would be good to know what's new here.

A good copy of the Making of Aliens and a decent-length Alien War piece are possibly worth handing some money over for - TB1971 makes a good point about the exchange rate, and dividing 50 USD between 5 or 10 people shouldn't break anyone's bank!

I think the new, 'proper' Alien War documentary is outside the remit of our project - it isn't vintage and I imagine the folks behind it have their own plans for its distribution (if it is even completed).

Pepsi ad for Aliens? Is this different from the notorious Alien 3 Pepsi ad?


Regarding Triffid's earlier contribution, the VCD Making of AR was a little less impressive than TB1971's DVD version, so we'll stick with that. The Sci-Fi channel Making of AR is also slightly inferior, though it does have some nice 1997 vintage commercial breaks!

The Sharpline piece is very interesting, though - it runs for about 20 minutes, with a good chunk devoted to the Alien and Aliens laserdiscs. Even good ol' Bob Burns pops up at one point. Certainly a good addition to our 'misc' section...

The other disc is mixed bag indeed - lots of vintage TV pieces about AR. I admit to having got a little EPK fatigue midway through this, since the same goddamn clips and trailers come up again and again in each news report! I'll definitely sift out the unique interviews though, and Barry Norman's review has to be included for posterity…


Ok, let's aim to re-list after the weekend. Keep the updates coming!
Author
Time
Post link
count on me for the cover of appendix #3
Author
Time
Post link
Does anyone still have a 1992/1993 widescreen VHS of Alien (or, for that matter, Die Hard?)

It has the wonderful "Widescreen - the way it was MEANT to be seen!" trailer (for the whole range, that is). Might make a cute addition.
Author
Time
Post link
Jonno, Is that version in the facehugger VHS box?
Author
Time
Post link
8t88 - no, this version is from a year or two earlier (possibly as early as '91) - it was one of the first batch of widescreen videos on the market (hence the explanatory trailer!) Here's the cover (from a recent Ebay listing):

http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l108/jonnof/cc_1.jpg

Incidentally that copy didn't sell, so I've contacted the seller to see if they'd be prepared to do a direct sale to me. For £2 it would be worth it...
Author
Time
Post link
I HAVE IT !

Transferred it a while back (considering the age - it's come up pretty well).

Preview:

http://img444.imageshack.us/img444/5900/vlcsnap1444833xo0.png
Author
Time
Post link
Good man!

That trailer's obviously stuck with me - I can't watch certain shots in Die Hard without hearing that 'widening' sound effect in my head. Very scary.
Author
Time
Post link

When i was a lot younger, i saw that trailer and thought it was a actual film!

Join the dark side… and get a free cookie!

Author
Time
Post link
I think it was quite a watershed moment - since it was only trailered on Die Hard and Alien (Star Wars had it's own one) and so the ad kept the infamous "yippie-kay-ay" line uncut !

Quite an eye-opener when you first see it, you're sure that it will cut before the line finishes
Author
Time
Post link
Quick relist, taking into account more known quantities.


(Items and source - all PAL unless otherwise noted)

ALIEN:

Giger's Alien (Ebay DVD - NTSC)
Shock & Awe - The Return of Alien (TB1971 – a huge improvement on the archives version)
Excerpt from Ridley Scott documentary - Eye of the Storm (Jonno)
Alien DC featurette (ASH595 - NTSC)
Alien DC trailer x2 (ASH595 - NTSC - and TB1971)
Alien DC TV spots x6 (TB1971)
Alien DC Yaphet Kotto interview (TB1971)
Alien Widescreen VHS trailer (Meedermow)

ALIENS:

Aliens: James Cameron - A Director and His Work (Alien Archives)
Aliens TV spots x2 (from TB1971) and x6 (en route from fezza2000)
Saturday Night Live: Alienses (TB1971)

ALIEN 3:

Making of Alien 3 UK (Alien Archives)
Entertainment Tonight - Alien 3 visual effects (TB1971)
Entertainment Tonight - Alien 3 Charles S Dutton interview (TB1971)
MTV Alien 3 preview (TB1971)
MTV Alien 3 visual effects (TB1971)
Alien 3 Pepsi commercial (Meedermow - someone else originally?)

ALIEN RESURRECTION:

Alien Resurrection - Behind the Scenes (Ron Perlman) (TB1971)
Making of Alien Resurrection (Brad Dourif) (TB1971)
Alien Resurrection TV spots x3 (TB1971)
Entertainment Tonight - Alien Resurrection LA Premiere (TB1971)
Entertainment Tonight - Alien Resurrection Weaver/Ryder interview (TB1971)
Alien Resurrection TV interviews and reviews (Triffid)

GENERAL:

Alien War - 2 short pieces (TB1971)
Aliens - Ride at the Speed of Fright (TB1971)
Quadrilogy Trailer (Jonno)
Sharpline Arts laserdisc interview


I was thinking we should start work on the Alien/Aliens disc(s) at the end of this month, which will hopefully allow Meedermow to put the CBS Aliens disc to bed in the meantime. So if there's more to add please act fast! (Particularly keen to hear word from Triffid on his recent finds).


Author
Time
Post link
Jonno,

That's great - coincidentally I've just sent you an email with an answer to a few of the questions.

The work on CBS Aliens is done, but since we're staying with an Alien flavour I think it would be better to collate some of the more Alien-centric items and put out our first true compilation disc.

The Pepsi ad was from Ash595 originally.

Triffid - let me know how you get on with your contact - I'm sure we'll be able to beat him down a bit or offer something to sweeten the deal.
Author
Time
Post link
What about the Alien 3 trailer from 1990 or 1991 (can't remember which, sorry) that says 'On Earth, everyone can hear you scream'?
Author
Time
Post link
All trailers are already included in AQ and AL. See Alien Evolution Doco thread, there it is mentioned somewhere.
Author
Time
Post link
I have some stuff to add to the next Appendix if interested. I found a CDROM with MPEG2 files I saved from VHS tapes.

Siskel and Ebert At the Movies - Aliens
Entertainment Tonight - Aliens preview
Entertainment Tonight - Masters of Terror (Alien) hosted by Vincent Price
Author
Time
Post link
Hi. It brings a genuine joy that our Alien Appendix project is in full throttle and even new more materials surfaced. Don't forget that theis parallel thread discusses the Alien Appendix project (in case someone isn't following the posts there): http://www.originaltrilogy.com/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=11&threadid=2931&highlight_key=y&keyword1=alien

RIJIR, you have quite interesting clips that I'm sure all of us would just LOVE to see (we barely have any Aliens TV stuff). They'd be a great addition to the Appendix! Thanks for your contribution, I guess meedermow will contact you shortly.

Jonno, Aliens pepsi ad I mentioned is actually Alien 3 Pepsi ad. Regarding Alien war documentary, I think any AW footage is well worth preserving. If/when the official release is out then we should simply delete it from the Appendix and buy the original. Considering how much problems AW encountered during it's short run, who knows what might happen to the documenatry that should have been out 6 months ago (according to the official site).



Author
Time
Post link
tb1971 - indeed I've contacted RIJIR already

Indeed - it's great to have things back on track - Jonno and myself are at work on the next disc... watch this space !
Author
Time
Post link
Originally posted by: tb1971
Hi. It brings a genuine joy that our Alien Appendix project is in full throttle and even new more materials surfaced. Don't forget that theis parallel thread discusses the Alien Appendix project (in case someone isn't following the posts there): http://www.originaltrilogy.com/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=11&threadid=2931&highlight_key=y&keyword1=alien


You make a good point there, TB - there's a lot of important info spread between these two threads, we wouldn't want to miss anything! Maybe we should start a new thread for AA3 / AA4 (Alien and Aliens supplements respectively) to focus the discussion?
Author
Time
Post link
I think it's wiser to get all related threads into this one to avoid confusion, lack of information and gather all interested/contributing fans under one hat. This thread is the most relevantly titled - "Official Release Thread - Alien Appendix" and we should treat it as the official thread and eventually re-route the members from the others. Speaking of members, has anyone been in contact with owner of this site - www.alienscollection.com ? I've sent him a few emails but never got a reply. Going through his list I guess he's got quite mouthwatering collection whose video footage would greatly enhance our Appendixes (and maybe ours might enrich his as well)...
Author
Time
Post link
Indeed - I was thinking that Jonno - or at least one of them be locked (otherwise we might have 3 threads on the go at once !).

I'd hate that people missed anything jumping between the two.
Author
Time
Post link
This is kind-of off-topic, but I figured this is a good place to ask.

I was watching Alien the other day - what exactly is going on in that deleted hive scene in the air vents with Dallas and Brett? Can someone explain what is happening (particularly to Brett) and how it fits (if at all) into the alien's life-cycle? Thanks!
http://img143.imageshack.us/img143/1113/userbar381851ln2.gif
http://img137.imageshack.us/img137/8653/userbar381853dp6.gif
Super Mario Bros. - The Wicked Star Story
"Ah, the proverbial sad sack with a wasted wish."
Author
Time
Post link
This is the life cycle as originally conceived by Dan O'Bannon and Ron Shusett - in addition to simply eating its prey, the lone adult alien will cocoon some of its victims. These unfortunates (Dallas and Brett in this case) then provide the raw biological material to create new eggs, thus completing the cycle.

That was still 'canon' until 1986 - even though the scene was cut from the film (simply for pacing reasons), it is still in the novelisation, the 'Book of Alien' making-of, 'Giger's Alien' and various magazine articles from the time.
Then James Cameron came along, and came up with the alien queen, thus re-writing the life cycle (something he was fully aware of - when interviewed in 1986, he was asked about this and he replied that he felt justified, since comparatively few people would have been aware of the original cocoon scene).

Of course, that scene was officially released to the general viewing public in the 1992 special edition laserdisc, and the subsequent 'facehugger' VHS set (boy, was that an exciting day!)

Quite a few people (myself included) prefer the original concept, since it is a truly 'alien' method of procreation as opposed to the slightly more familiar egg-laying queen. Ridley Scott obviously likes it too, since he elected to reinstate the scene in his 2003 director's cut. Which kind of opens up a new can of worms, because rather than being a simple footnote or curiosity, the scene is now part of the official story!

To be honest, I don't see why both can't be equally valid - different situations demand different approaches, a lone alien will need to make eggs on its own, and once the hive is established and a queen appears they go into mass production. It's still caused a fair bit of confusion, though...

Hope that answers your question