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By
WAYNE KLEIN
Film production is like
gambling; no matter how well you've done, you
always think you can do better. That's the premise
behind this re-release of the four "Alien" films
in both the original theatrical versions and
expanded editions. So, did putting it all on the
line pay off? Sometimes.
Ridley Scott's original film was a masterpiece of
suspense and terror. The snail's pace pacing, like
Hitchcock's best films, created an underlying
tension that found release in a few key scenes.
Unlike "Blade Runner," Scott's vision of "Alien"
hasn't changed significantly. The extended
branching scenes do add a number of fine character
moments but they don't make the film any scarier
or more effective. In the boxing match between
"Alien" vs. "Alien Revised Directors Cut," it's
nearly a draw, where both films have their merits.
Ultimately, though, the leaner, meaner original
cut wins. It's hard to improve on perfection.
James Cameron's "Aliens" is an altogether
different matter. Cameron was contractually
obligated to provide a film to Fox that didn't go
over a certain time limit. As a result, Cameron
had to work with a number of restrictions and
knew, despite the power of many sequences, that he
was going to have to slice and dice the film. The
original theatrical version was pretty powerful
(and has been only available on video and
laserdisc -- this is its DVD premiere) but the
extended version (which saw life on DVD and
laserdisc previously) wins the match. Cameron's
ability to craft strong characters and create
complex, intelligent storylines only enriches this
film. The extended version has visuals that were
completed long after the film wrapped but the
quality is comparable to the original. These
sequences seamlessly fit in with the older
effects. I still like the idea of having both
versions because each is unique. The theatrical
version is a much more direct experience. The
extended version is like watching a flower unfold;
you appreciate each individual petal and its
unique form. (OK, that was a lousy simile.)
David Fincher's "Alien 3" was crippled from the
start. Vincent Ward's original premise was
fascinating and the rewritten screenplay kept some
of the basic elements but dispensed with some of
the best plot points and themes. Still, the work
print offers a fascinating glimpse into what might
have been if Fincher had been allowed to release a
longer version of the film. I have to agree that
the newly added CGI effects don't measure up to
the original (unlike the care that went into
Cameron's revised version) but the added sequences
do improve the film and make it much more
distinctive and less derivative.
Fincher had nothing to do with this reissue. Most
likely, there's still bitterness about having the
film yanked out of his hands and reedited.
Disliked by many fans of the first two films,
"Alien 3" stands revealed as a minor classic.
Fincher allowed two of the most popular characters
from the second film to die. This alienated
(pardon the pun) the core audience. The darker,
bleaker look and general tone also made it
difficult to like after Cameron's approach to the
film. Fincher, unfortunately, came to a project in
complete disarray; the script was a disaster and
the studio had already parted ways with one
director (Vincent Ward). Fincher approached the
challenge with gusto but quickly was betrayed by a
lack of time, support and money.
The work print of the film suggests that if
Fincher had had his way, it would have been a much
stronger and consistent film. There's no
commentary from Fincher so we won't know what his
thoughts are on the work print of the film.
However, editor Terry Rawling's comments no doubt
echo some of Fincher's thoughts. Original director
Vincent Ward came up with the concept of Ripley
landing on a planet occupied by monks. Ultimately
this vision was altered to the prison planet. The
project was compromised from the very beginning.
I have to disagree with the assessment of most
critics regarding "Alien Resurrection." It's an
underrated gem that manages to be both satirical
and full of over-the-top dramatic moments. It
lacked the power of the original, the character
development (and action) of Cameron's second film,
but played with the conventions and expectations
of the audience. Disliked by "Alien" co-creator
David Giler (he produced and did a number of
rewrites on the screenplay) and many of the fans,
Joss Whelan's original screenplay is witty, toying
with the conventions of the first three films. In
some respects, it's like Sergio Leone's Italian
westerns:. it's a film that's self-reflective
about science fiction films. The final theatrical
version is the superior version, although it's
interesting to get a glimpse at the "alternate"
version as well.
All the films look exceptional. "Alien" shows the
most immediate improvement as the Director's Cut
and 1979 theatrical release were both re-struck
from the original negative and cleaned up. The
colors are richer and the picture sharper than the
1999 release. The difference between "Aliens" here
and the 1999 release aren't as striking but it
appears that greater care was taken during the
transfer phase from high definition video to DVD.
The original soundtrack is in Dolby Digital 5.1
and sounds beautiful. Both films, when compared to
the 1999 DVD release, have improved audio imaging
and clarity. Cameron's original film was shot on a
high-grain stock that Kodak had put out at the
time. He comments in his audio commentary that he
was surprised at how grainy it looked -- and it
still looks that way on DVD. On the other hand, it
gives it a sense of "reality" (intentional or not)
that one sees in old footage from the Vietnam War
(the touch point for Cameron's marines in this
film). Fincher's work print looks really good even
when compared to the theatrical version. "Alien 4"
looks about the same as the original DVD release,
with less edge enhancement than on the original
release.
The big question would be, is this worth the
additional money of buying the collection again?
It all depends on how much you appreciate the
first two films. The bulk of the extras are
included on the second companion disc for each
feature film. "Alien" and "Aliens" includes much
of the original laserdisc extras archived on the
final disc. You also get a glimpse into screen
tests and other cool rarities. For "Alien" you
also get to peak into the film process in a unique
way: we get a glimpse into everything from the
casting (including Weaver's original screen test
and footage shot of actor Jon Finch who had to
withdraw from playing Kane at the last minute due
to a medical emergency) to scoring (a very unhappy
Jerry Goldsmith commenting on how editor Terry
Rawlings and director Scott used bits and pieces
of other Goldsmith scores for sequences, had him
rewrite the opening theme, and used Howard
Hanson's "Romantic Symphony" for the closing the
film) which gives us an insider's view of the film
production. Dan O'Bannon's original "Alien"
screenplay (prior to rewrites by producers David
Giler and Walter Hill) is included as are his
comments on the creation of "Star Beast" (the
working title of the original). There are also
quite a few interviews with various cast members
and production crew for all four films. Not
surprisingly, Fincher isn't represented by a
contemporary interview since he didn't want
anything to do with the project. There are a
number of interesting comments most notably from
David Giler who disdains the fourth film in the
series. One can see why as he had little or next
to nothing to do with it and it took the franchise
in a direction that he didn't care for. There's an
extensive audio commentary from directors Ridley
Scott and James Cameron intercut with comments
from the core cast and production crew for each
film.
Cameron's film also was available on a terrific
DVD previously. It had lots of extras but, again,
the extras are more in-depth here. Cameron's audio
commentary is spliced and diced with commentary
from much of the core cast, producer Gale Anne
Hurd, special effects and make-up techs like Stan
Winston and others, which make the audio
commentary almost like a personal lunch with the
cast and crew. Since Cameron's film was
extensively documented we see shots of the sets
being constructed and a discussion with both the
audience and critic reactions to the original
film. While much of this was available on the
laserdisc and glimpses of it on the previous DVD
boxed set, an entire disc is devoted to everything
from pre through post production of the film.
The third and fourth films are a toss up;
Fincher's film wasn't well liked by most fans or
critics. It had its merits but was compromised
from the beginning by the revised screenplay.
Still, there are marvelous performances given by
Charles Dutton and Weaver among many others. The
work print version gives a glimpse into what might
have been and makes for interesting viewing even
if you dislike it. Interestingly, "Alien 3" second
director/writer Vincent Ward ("The Navigator") is
interviewed extensively. His comments provide an
interesting insight into the difficulties that
Fincher probably faced from day one, including an
unfinished script, a smaller budget than he needed
(since some of the money had already been spent on
pre-production for Renny Harlin's unproduced
version and Ward's version and a release date
established prior to one foot of film being shot).
The fourth film showed the franchise on its last
legs; the satire and tongue-in-cheek approach to
the material revitalized much of the film. On the
other hand, much of the plot and the character of
Ripley had been played out by the time of the last
sequel. It's still a noble effort that doesn't
quite capture the raw power of the original or
vitality of the second but does improve on the
third film. If you need to have the extras and the
digitally improved picture quality for the first
two films (I didn't see a huge difference but
"Alien" did look a bit sharper and cleaner) and
all the extras, this collection is well worth
picking up.
Why have these been reissued so soon after the
1999 collection? It smells of Christmas stocking
stuffing on the part of Fox. That's not a bad
thing if fans get what they want. There will
certainly be a market for this exhaustive
collection. While the bulk of this material will
make this a worthwhile addition to any DVD
collection for most fans, I'd suggest waiting
until all four films are re-released individually
in January 2004 if only one or two of the films
appeal to you. These individual releases will have
everything but the extras included on disc 9.
Also a comment on the packaging for this set.
Considering the amount of money that fans are
plunking down, I'd have expected a better, more
user friendly package for these films. The
accordion style fold out packaging will not stand
up well to wear and tear and is quite awkward
particularly if you want to get to say disc 9.
While it may look pleasing to the eye and take up
a bit less space on the shelf, it looks cheap
compared to some of the other boxed sets released
this year. |
