It’s lost some of its magic. There is too much green screen and visual effects, and almost no practical work when it comes to the dinosaurs, and it’s glaringly obvious. There’s no majesty when we see the dinosaurs now, because they don’t look real anymore. You can tell they are all done by VFX artists….
Tag: xenomorph
Alien: Out of the Shadows (2014) – Tim Lebbon
It’s been a long time since I picked up an Alien novel. I dug the Alien 3 novel based on the original script by William Gibson, and before that I read Alan Dean Foster’s adaptation of Aliens bach when it first came out. But I was eager to dig into the universe again, I was…
Alien: Romulus (2024) – Fede Alvarez
The Alien franchise has had its ups and downs, but the original two films, 1979’s Alien, and 1986’s Aliens, are undeniable classics that have held up and continue to entertain. The universe the films have been set in is seemingly ruled over by the tyrannical Weyland-Yutani corporation that seems to own everything or is in…
TAD 2021: Alien On Stage dir. Lucy Harvey & Danielle Kummer
The right idea, at the right time, can be magic. It happened in 1979 when Ridley Scott delivered the first true science fiction horror film. It also happened again in 2013, in Dorset, when a group of amatuer actors, and professional bus drivers decided to bring the film to the stage instead of their usual…
Alien 3: The Unproduced First-Draft Screenplay by William Gibson (2021) – Pat Cadigan
Author Pat Cadigan takes William Gibson’s original script for Alien 3 and transforms it into a white knuckle thriller ride of a novel that gives us a glimpse at what could have been in the Alien film series. Fans know the convoluted story of how Alien 3 came to the screen, and that were countless…
Alien: Covenant (2017) – Ridley Scott
Ridley Scott returns to the science fiction genre again and retreads things that have gone before in Alien: Covenant. The latest film in the seemingly indefatigable series connects the previous film, the divisive Prometheus with the first film in the series, 1979 Alien, both directed by Scott. And while I didn’t hate it, the film…
Predator 2 (1990) – Stephen Hopkins
Danny Glover, Gary Busey, Bill Paxton, Robert Davi, Maria Conchita Alonso and Ruben Blades are in the sights of an alien in Predator 2, the next stop as I close in on the end of the Sci-Fi Chronicles book. Following on the trail of the original 1987 film, Predator 2 is a bit of a…
Alien 3 (1992) – David Fincher
Sure the special edition taken from Fincher’s workprint wasn’t unveiled until 2003, but it’s the only way I’ll watch the movie now, and makes the film a little stronger than its original theatrical cut. This corner of the Alien universe is my next stop on my journey with the Sci-Fi Chronicles, as it seems I’ve…
Doctor Who (Colin Baker) – Mindwarp
The Trial of a Time Lord continues with Mindwarp. This four-parter was penned by Philip Martin and ran from 4 to 25 October, 1986. As the Doctor’s (Baker) trial continues, as well as his clash with the prosecutor, the Valeyard (Michael Jayston) who presents his evidence. The story, and the case unfold, as the Doctor…
Alien: Resurrection(1997) – Jean-Pierre Jeunet
Next up in the Sci-Fi Chronicles book is Joss Whedon’s take on the Alien series, with the very divisive Alien: Resurrection. And while I, personally, despised the final act of the film, the xenomorph hybrid and all the hoopla that came with it, there are some redeeming things throughout. The stories of how Fox…
The Mind Reels 