Just got hold of a copy of the above book and have to say it's a damn good read, with a lot of dead projects I'ld have loved to see cruelly revealed to the world. How ridley Scotts "I am legend" was abandoned but Tim Burtions "Planet of the Apes" was made is a mystery. Hollywood Thrillsucker infestation?
On the subk=ject of movies apart from "Hard Ware" can anyone think of any films that baltantly rip off 2000 Ad stories? I always thought the reason a Judge Dredd film would always be pony was that RoboCop ripped off the strips sensibility to brilliant effect before a Dredd movie could be made. anything
I saw a film last year called 'Soldier' starring Kurt Russel which was about a genetically modified trooper being dumped and
(almost murdered) in favour of a superior model.
To me it seemed like an outrageous ripoff of 'Rogue' although the way they portrayed him as an innocent emotional spastic/killing machine was clever IMO.
>>>I saw a film last year called 'Soldier' starring Kurt Russel which was about a genetically modified trooper being dumped and
(almost murdered) in favour of a superior model<<<
I saw that a few months back. Quite enjoyable as a no-brainer action flick, though the parallels with Rogue had me naming RT episodes all the way through :-)
I enjoyed soldier too. I liked the bit where they realised they were being replaced. Has a leading man ever spoken fewer words in a (talking) picture - I think Kurt only had half a dozen lines and five of them were "Yes, Sir".
Kurt speaks 57 words in the entire movie. You can count 'em if you can be arsed...
Soldier wasn't so much of a rip-off as Space Trukkers was.
I don't see how it got into a discussion on the 'Greatest' Sci-Fi movies ever, anyway! ;p
Blade Runner (Director's Cut)
2010 (Far better than the original)
Aliens
Terminator
Robocop
Predator
Hmmm.... I thought I was a bit more cerebral until I wrote out that list of my favourites! :)
57! Wow.
Thanks for sharing your list, Rambo. Have you filled them in on your profile.
It was "movies NEVER made" by the way.
Everyone being sidetracked is how SOLDIER got in. I can't see SOLDIER making it into anyone's Top 10 list.
"The Greatest Sci-Fi Movies Never Made", by David Hughes, is published by Titan. You can buy it here:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1840234288/ref=sr_aps_books_1_1/026-4307019-1040439
*J*
By design, Arnie spoke very few words in the Conan films.
But I haven't counted them.
MikeD
Can we just get one thing straight:-
ALIENS IS SHIT - How anyone favoures this trash over ALIEN, or any other half decent film, is beyone me.
Just look at it:- crap story, crap acting (apart from Lance Henrickson, he was fantastic), crap effects and to topit all - AN ANNOYING AS FUCK KID!!!
Discuss...
I liked Aliens, and Alien.
They were different types of film; both strong within themselves.
But you're right about the kid, who of course was always going to escape.
Has anyone seen Panic Room?
Minor spoiler
S
P
O
I
L
E
R
There's a truly shocking bit where the kid, who before now would have been left completely alone as the obvious volunerable character, actually gets a smack in the face.
It shocked the hell out of me, I can tell you.
Great film, too.
MikeD
Yeah.
I felt most sorry for the Dad - who just turned up, got the blood & crap beaten out of him & then had his ex-wife tie him up & force him to become a killer.
"ALIENS IS SHIT - How anyone favoures this trash over ALIEN, or any other half decent film, is beyone me."
Try watching it when pissed. All those muscle bound marines screaming at the aliens while spraying the place with ammo is quite amusing. In fact, the whole film was more farce than horror.
RL
Aliens is also dating vey badly in my view. See SWs very eighties hairdoo. Theres just some James Cameron sheen thing that he does that makes it look pish nowadays.
I spout bollocks. Sorry.
Ok. Alien is excellent. But once you've seen it the first time, it's a little pointless watching it again. You can put Aliens on, crack open a beer and have a laugh, and think, "shit, I wish I had one of those pulse rifles!"
I'd missed the "never made" bit - teach me to skim.
Rendezvous with Rama would be a challenge, but with CGI today, I don't see why it wouldn't be possible. Since I mentioned it earlier, what about Arthur C. Clarke's sequel to 2001 and 2010? Complete the trilogy?
And obviously, the one I always wanted to see that we were told again and again would happen was Aliens Versus Predator. Alien 3 ignored continuity (I've ranted about it before, but probably not on this forum) and Alien 4 was just... moving swiftly on, we got the game AvP instead which was far better because you got to be in the film, not just watch it. Superb.
Explaine
Alien 3 IMO was excellent - the most original of the sequils ie. It's the only one where the alien sneeks on board the ecsaping spaceship.
It just seemed to be one of those films that became hip to put down.
Alien 4 had its moments, and the fantastic, should be Dredd Ron Perlman. The scene with the other failed clones was really good. The rest of the movie played more like a version of the comic book than a continuation of the films.
The chapter on Alien 3 in the above mentioned book shows how it was gutted from what sounds like a couple of excellent initial ideas to the good in places film it ended up as. The studio systemm leads to some really odd results.
And Alien 4 was shite.
I've never read so much crap in one place - who on earth had the cheek to say that ALien 3 is good (i could check but now i've started writing can't be arsed) - it's complete shite - the script and shooting seemingly went into rewrite / reshoot hell and boy does it show. Kill off newt and matey boy - in the opening credits!!!
Spend hours running round and round and then end like terminator 2.
Alien 4 is far superior with a nice abortion sub plot. Ok so having "father" was a bit obvious - but training aliens was an excellent idea - the abondon ship bit was good to. "cage 4 breached, cage 7 breached" etc
Alien is good as a once / twice see film - but why did a guy in a suit scare me so much first time i saw it?
Aliens two is ace - great idea for a sequel - i can remember watching it with me mum and cringing at all the "die motherf**ker" and "eat this motherf**ker" ad naseum. How much has this film influenced other sci-fi films - more than Blade Runner that's for sure.
Whoever likes Alien 3 - would you like to buy my Alien graphic novels - the story in those is arse - "alined with film continuity" they boast - bollocks i say.
plastikchestbuster.
ah Uncle umpty is the guilty party :)
plastikfacehugger
Sorry my previous post should have read:
Alien 3 IMO was excellent - the most original of the sequils ie. It's the only one where the alien doesn't sneek on board the ecsaping spaceship.
I think that makes more sense.
I am at a loss as to any film influenced by Aliens.
Can you name any Plastikman?
reckon i can....
Alien 3 & 4 :)
Seriously, don't you think the atmosphere / style of Aliens has been echoed in loads of sci-fi films since...
Species.
Predator (motion sensors anyone?)
That one Vin Diesel was in - pitch black or something.
Blade 2 - not the whole film but bug hunt anyone?
That one where an empty ship is found in space and it's been to hell - quite literally mate!
I'm sure there's loads more - i'll keep thinking...
plastikspunkmeyer.
The other film your talking about is Event Horizon and again I don't see the link.
Your list of movies have just tenious links to Aliens but I'm sure you could link any film with just about any other If you had enough spare time.
You could have had Sphere - The Abyss - Any film withs guns - any film with people/aliens/spaceships/chases/Jenny Augter etc...
Fuck me it's late... I'm still at work and it's 11.15pm - I'm off home. (OOOOOooo Jenny)
>I've never read so much crap in one place
obviously you've missed the threads attacking pussyfoot 5, plastikman!
can't personally add my voice to the aliens debate, as the only one of the films i've seen was aliens 4 ('cos i'm a jean paul jeneut fan).
don't watch very many sf films because, to be perfectly frank, i've been bored by too special effects extravaganzas whose plots make the space operas of doc e.e. smith look cutting edge (books & comics have better special effects anyway), but the ones i give big ups to are:
2001 -- a space odyssey
solaris (the full three hour version)
blade runner (director's cut)
a clockwork orange
pi
the city of lost children
props also to the cars that ate paris & existenz. i have soft spots for both dark star & forbidden planet (particularly the soundtrack), both of which i saw on telly as a kid.
still haven't made my mind up on crash, as i've only seen it once & adore the book so much.
i've wet my knickers!
steven l'enfant terrible
oh, the ignominy! how could i forget barbarella?
i've wet my knickers!
steven l'enfant terrible
I liked Barbarella...
... until I read about Fonda and her comments on Vietnam. Turned me right off the stupid bitch.
Event Horizon was better than Sphere, but I enjoyed them both. I know a lot of people didn't though. The ending on Sphere was a bit too sickly sweet for me.
I disliked the Abyss special edition. Yuck! Um... Oh, anyone else ever see the Rutger Hauer "Split Second"? 'Bigger guns! Bigger Fucking Guns!' Brill!
Solaris? It was a great idea: a truly alien sentient planet/haunting kind of thing but it was so bloody long and slow. It's one of the few foriegn "classics " which would benefit from a dumber down American version. And Jane Fonda on Vietnam her opinions made Tom Paulins thopughts on Israel seem well thought out.
>It's one of the few foriegn "classics " which would benefit from a dumber down American version.
couldn't disagree with you more, jimbob. oh well, horses for courses; no doubt you'll be pleased to hear about steven soderbergh's upcoming version (please see link below if the whim takes you. or don't if it's not your wish).
i've wet my knickers!
steven l'enfant terrible
Is that ture about Sodergergh? That could be interesting, thank god they didn't give it to Barry Sonnefield(?) or Roland Emmerich.
that's what it say here, jimbob, & it's on the internet so it must be true!
i've wet my knickers!
steven l'enfant terrible
who seems to remember reading in uncut early last year about darren aronofsky working on a verion, going back to the original stanislaw lem novel.
Link: here's the link this time!
What did she say about vietnam? Whatever it was, STILL, EH? You don't talk politics when youre poking the mantelpiece, eh? EH? EH? No, wait, I got that wrong
Apparently, she advocated that the US was evil and that the North Vietnamese were saints. When "inspecting" North Vietnamese POW camps containing US servicemen , she apparently grassed up some US servicemen's attempt to smuggle out a message.
RL
Which may slightly have pissed off yanks with relatives fighting in Vietnam.
>Whatever it was, STILL, EH? You don't talk politics when youre poking the mantelpiece, eh? EH? EH
damn! am i the only poster on this board who hasn't fallen under the spell of this vek woman?
i've wet my knickers!
steven l'enfant terrible