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The terror begins when the crew of a spaceship investigates a transmission from a desolate planet, and discovers a life form that is perfectly evolved to annihilate mankind. One by one, each crew member is slain until only Ripley is left, leading to an explosive conclusion that sets the stage for its stunning sequel, "Aliens."
A landmark of science fiction and horror, Alien arrived in 1979 between Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back as a stylishly malevolent alternative to George Lucas's space fantasy. Partially inspired by 1958's It! The Terror from Beyond Space, this instant classic set a tone of its own, offering richly detailed sets, ominous atmosphere, relentless suspense, and a flawless ensemble cast as the crew of the space freighter Nostromo, who fall prey to a vicious creature (designed by Swiss artist H.R. Giger) that had gestated inside one of the ill-fated crew members. In a star-making role, Sigourney Weaver excels as sole survivor Ripley, becoming the screen's most popular heroine in a lucrative movie franchise. To measure the film's success, one need only recall the many images that have been burned into our collective psyche, including the "facehugger," the "chestburster," and Ripley's climactic encounter with the full-grown monster. Impeccably directed by Ridley Scott, Alien is one of the cinema's most unforgettable nightmares. --Jeff Shannon
Publisher: 20th Century Fox
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Designed by Dutch surrealist H.R. Giger, the titular entity from Ridley Scott's 1979 sci-fi/horror masterpiece, Alien, is captured in all its glory as this 18" collectible! This highly detailed piece is sure to become a fan-favorite, and includes a hinged jaw, and articulation at the knees, elbows, tail, and more! Window box packaging.
Publisher: NECA
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Dark Horse Comics took the industry by storm with its release of Aliens, a comics series that for the first time captured the power of film source material and expanded its universe in a way that fans applauded worldwide. Now, the first three Dark Horse Aliens series - Outbreak, Nightmare Asylum and Female War - are collected in a value-priced, quality-format omnibus, featuring nearly 400 story pages in full color. Written by screen and television scribe Mark Verheiden (The Mask, Battlsestar Gallactica) and illustrated with consummate skill by Mark A. Nelson, Den Beauvais and Sam Kieth, Aliens Omnibus Volume 1 is an essential piece of the Aliens mythos and a great entry point into the storied Dark Horse Aliens library.
Author: Mark Verheiden
Author: Mark A. Nelson
Author: Den Beauvais
Author: Sam Keith
Publisher: Dark Horse
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One of the most requested soundtrack restorations released at last. Earlier this year, Intrada issued the premiere release of Alex North's original recording of 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY, a score legendary for being replaced entirely from the film with preexisting music. The treatment of Jerry Goldsmith's score to Ridley Scott's ALIEN is legendary in its own right, and for very similar reasons. For this monster film set in deep space, Goldsmith composed one of his most complex scores, relying on acoustic instruments to deliver the chilling, otherworldly atmosphere of the alien ship and its monstrous occupants. It was akin to his approach to PLANET OF THE APES, where Goldsmith eschewed electronics in favor of unique acoustic instruments to illustrate the foreboding landscape and upside down society. To achieve this effect in ALIEN, Goldsmith augmented the National Philharmonic Orchestra with didjeridu, serpent, and conch shell, with additional eerie effects courtesy of the echoplex, a process Goldsmith deployed previously to great effect in his score to PATTON. The result -- a masterful sci-fi/horror score that would influence genre movie scores for years to come. Despite Goldsmith's artistic genius in creating a striking sci-fi score, the filmmakers severely tampered with his music. Much of the music was removed from the film or employed in scenes for which it was not intended. Several cues from Goldsmith's early score to FREUD were tracked in. Worse yet, his sublime main title, emphasizing the mystery and vastness of space, went unused. Under duress, Goldsmith, rescored the main title for a starker, more minimalist piece which is heard in the film. While Goldsmith wrote an end title featuring the same main theme in all its glory, it too was removed from the film in favor of a selection from Howard Hanson's Symphony Number 2. What is heard in the film is not Goldsmith's musical vision for ALIEN. A soundtrack LP released at the time of the film featured 35-minutes of highlights from Goldsmith's score, presenting it more as he intended, with the original main and end titles in tact. Sound quality of this release was dry and compressed, and there was still much music both used and unused that did not make it to the album. Now, nearly thirty years after the film's release in 1979, with the generous cooperation of Universal Music Group and 20th Century Fox, Intrada presents the complete original score as Goldsmith intended, rounded out with all the alternates and rewrites, providing everything Goldsmith recorded for ALIEN. The album was remixed from the recently discovered 1" multi-track masters, bringing a new depth, detail, and crispness not heard in previous releases. Michael Matessino spent many painstaking weeks to deliver the striking results here, and also penning some of the most comprehensive liner notes written for a soundtrack, chronicling the saga of the genesis of the ALIEN score and its final results. This release is the final word on the complete ALIEN score, giving it the exposure and attention it has always deserved and giving admirers the album they have been craving for years.
Publisher: Intrada
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Packed with adrenaline-pumping action and heart-stopping suspense, this spectacular sequel escalates the war between sci-fi's scariest movie icons!
On Earth everyone can hear you scream, especially when a horrifying PredAlien crash-lands near a small Colorado town, killing everyone it encounters-and producing countless Alien offspring-with terrifying efficiency. When a lone Predator arrives to "clean up" the infestation, it's an all-out battle to the death with no rules, no mercy, and hundreds of innocent people caught in the crossfire. As the creature carnage continues, a handful of human survivors attempt a daring escape, but the U.S. government may be hatching a deadly plan of its own... For those who found 2004's Aliens vs. Predator too lightweight in the gore-and-guns department, Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem offers a marked improvement in both categories, as well as a respectable amount of rumbles between the title extraterrestrials. Set in the 21st century (which predates the story to all of the Alien features), Requiem sends a crippled Predator ship crashing to Earth in a small Colorado town; unbeknownst to the locals, the craft is loaded with H.R. Giger's insectoid monsters, which make quick work of most of the population. As the human cast is slowly whittled to a few hardy (if unmemorable) souls, a Predator warrior also arrives to complicate matters and do battle with the Aliens, as well as a ferocious alien-Predator hybrid (dubbed a Predalien by the sci-fi and horror press). Visual-effects designers and music-video helmers The Strause Brothers (who make their feature directorial debut here) keep the action on frantic throughout, which is wise, since the dialogue and characters are threadbare at best; that should matter little to teenage male viewers, who are inarguably the film's key audience. Fans of the Alien franchise, however, may find the offhanded nod to the series' mythology given during the finale its sole saving grace. --Paul Gaita
Stills from Alien vs. Predator: Requiem
Publisher: 20th Century Fox
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Disc 1: Alien Collector?s Edition Disc 2: Aliens Collector?s Edition Disc 3: Alien 3 Collector?s Edition Disc 4: Alien Resurrection Collector?s Edition Disc 5: Bonus Disc
The Alien Quadrilogy is a nine-disc boxed set devoted to the four Alien films. Although previously available on DVD as the Alien Legacy, here they have been repackaged with vastly more extras and with upgraded sound and picture. For anyone who hasn't been in hypersleep for the last 25 years, this series needs no introduction, though for the first time each film now comes in both original and "special edition" form.
Alien (1979) was so perfect it didn't need fixing, and Ridley Scott's 2003 director's cut is fiddling for the sake of fiddling. Watch it once, then return to the majestic, perfectly paced original. Conversely, the special edition of James Cameron's Aliens (1986) is the definitive version, though it's nice to finally have the theatrical cut on DVD for comparison. Most interesting is the alternative Alien 3 (1992). This isn't a "director's cut"--David Fincher refused to have any involvement with this release--but a 1991 work-print that runs 29 minutes longer than the theatrical version, and has now been restored, remastered, and finished off with (unfortunately) cheap new CGI. Still, it's truly fascinating, offering a different insight into a flawed masterpiece. The expanded opening is visually breathtaking, the central firestorm is much longer, and a subplot involving Paul McGann's character adds considerable depth to story. The ending is also subtly but significantly different. Alien: Resurrection (1997) always was a mess with a handful of brilliant scenes, and the special edition just makes it eight minutes longer. The Alien Quadrilogy offers the first and fourth films with DTS soundtracks, the others having still fine Dolby Digital 5.1 presentation. All four films sound fantastic, with much low-level detail revealed for the first time. Each is anamorphically enhanced at the correct original aspect ratio, and the prints and transfers are superlative. Every film offers a commentary track that lends insight into the creative process--though the Scott-only commentary and isolated music score from the first Alien DVD release are missing here. Each movie is complemented by a separate disc packed with hours of seriously detailed documentaries (all presented in full-screen with clips letterboxed), thousands of photos, production stills, and storyboards, giving a level of inside information for the dedicated buff only surpassed by the Lord of the Rings extended DVD sets. A ninth DVD compiles miscellaneous material, including an hourlong documentary and even all the extras from the old Alien laserdisc. "Exhaustive" hardly beings to describe the Alien Quadrilogy, a set that establishes the new DVD benchmark for retrospective releases and looks unlikely to be surpassed for some time. --Gary S. Dalkin Publisher: 20th Century Fox
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Finally, the classic Alien that spawned the popular series comes in a highly-detailed 7" scale figure. This detailed and movie-accurate piece is certain to become a fan favorite for this classic 1979 science fiction film. Articulation includes a hinged jaw, bendable elbows, knees, tail, and more!
Publisher: Mezco
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The terror begins when the crew of a spaceship investigates a transmission from a desolate planet, and discovers a life form that is perfectly evolved to annihilate mankind. One by one, each crew member is slain until only Ripley is left, leading to an explosive conclusion that sets the stage for its stunning sequel, "Aliens."
A landmark of science fiction and horror, Alien arrived in 1979 between Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back as a stylishly malevolent alternative to George Lucas's space fantasy. Partially inspired by 1958's It! The Terror from Beyond Space, this instant classic set a tone of its own, offering richly detailed sets, ominous atmosphere, relentless suspense, and a flawless ensemble cast as the crew of the space freighter Nostromo, who fall prey to a vicious creature (designed by Swiss artist H.R. Giger) that had gestated inside one of the ill-fated crew members. In a star-making role, Sigourney Weaver excels as sole survivor Ripley, becoming the screen's most popular heroine in a lucrative movie franchise. To measure the film's success, one need only recall the many images that have been burned into our collective psyche, including the "facehugger," the "chestburster," and Ripley's climactic encounter with the full-grown monster. Impeccably directed by Ridley Scott, Alien is one of the cinema's most unforgettable nightmares. --Jeff Shannon
Publisher: 20th Century Fox
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In 1979, a movie was released that was to capture the imagination of the world, and become a science fiction classic — Alien. 25 years later, the Alien franchise is stronger than ever!
The Book of Alien is the definitive companion to the movie, which celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2004. Taking you right behind the scenes of the production, there are interviews with the key people involved, including legendary designer HR Giger and director Ridley Scott. Lavishly illustrated with scores of stunning design paintings, production art and film stills unpublished elsewhere, the book covers every creative stage, and graphically demonstrates just why the Author: Paul Scanlon
Publisher: Titan Books
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