Alien Quadrilogy (Alien/ Aliens /Alien 3 /Alien Resurrection)

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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

Description

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

Customer Reviews:

Worth it just for the first 2.......2007-08-27

Alien and Aliens is science fiction at it's pure best. Actually, I like Aliens even better than the first. Best sequel to a film, ever. As for the other 2...well, Alien 3 was OK I guess. It had it's moments. Resurrection, I'm just gonna pretend it doesn't exist. Though I admit, I have seen it more than once. Its just too poorly written. However, I love the character of Ripley, she is one of my fave characters in film anywhere. For die-hard fans, this set is for you.

Flaw in Resurrection Disc.......2007-07-27

I just wanted to reiterate what another recent reveiwer had said about the "Alien Resurrection" (film #4 in the series, disc #7 in this set) being a defective disc. This has also been the case in my collection. The disc stalls after selecting play on either the special edition or theatrical release editions and shuts down after spinning hopelessly in your disc player for several minutes. This incident was not isolated to one player, but all of them I tried (DVD Theater system, PC DVD-rom drive, PS3, etc). You can access the film via the "scenes" menu, but the film indeed will not play all the way through. When you get to the scene where Ripley tears out the aliens "tongue" and hands it to Call, the disc will fast forward to the end of the movie. This is the location in the disc where it "transitions" (that slight pause you get in all dvd's). If you already have a copy of this film from a previous Legacy DVD release, be sure to hang onto it. Naturally, this voids out the whole idea of having a special edition of Resurrection, but alas, you will not be able to watch it. HUGE flaw on Fox's part, should have been a recall on this one. This is not the first title manufactured by FOX that has had issues. Two Simpsons box sets I had ordered in the past also arrived damaged or with missing discs. I will not purchase any more box sets from FOX unless it is at physical store where I can return it immediately if the need arises.

Chest Bursting Goodness .......2007-06-27

Quality...If you are a fan of the Alien movies look no further... This is a really cool collection of these movies and I am glad waited to buy this collection... Lots of cool extras and tons of new scenes to watch if you select the directors cuts of each film.

Nice!

It's all here!.......2007-06-27

For die-hard fans of Alien, like me, this set is a godsend. The bonus minutes on each disk really add to the story. I was never a huge fan of Alien Resurrection but even the bonus features for this installment of the Alien legacy were awesome.
The minutes added to the first movie, Alien, shows what actually happened to Dallas and Brett. The additional footage on Aliens shows Newt and her parents prior to the Alien invasion. Alien 3 bonus footage adds more to the plot and suspense. As for Alien Resurrection, like I said, wasn't one of the better Alien movies but any set wouldn't be complete without it.

A Must Have For Any Alien Fan.......2007-05-23

I have been a fan of the Alien movies since I was a kid. I never got to see any in theaters except for Alien Resurection. This is a great set and each movie has extended or deleted scenes added to the films. The first two, Alien and Aliens are great classic movies and the extended scenes make the classics that much better. The final two, Alien 3 and Alien Resurection are the mos underated in my opinion. Alien 3 was a great movie but has alot more cursing than the other three but it fits considering it is set in a prison. There was a bunch deleted from this film and it really adds alot to it as several key scenes are completly different and make more sense IMO. The only issue is that the added scenes have degraded over time and some of the dialouge was unusable so at times the audio is hard to hear, but it is still very interesting to watch. Alien Resurection was the most underated of the four and while it's not the best it is still a good movie. The added scenes really make it that much better. The special features on all of these movies are imense and this is one set that is a must buy for Alien fans and science fiction lovers.

Average customer rating:

Fairly Awful
Part 2 was better, heck should've really ended with 3.
Alien Resurrection - Review
Scary adventure, almost touching at the end
My favorite movie

Alien Resurrection
Starring: Sigourney Weaver , Winona Ryder , Dominique Pinon , Ron Perlman , and Gary Dourdan
Director: Jean-Pierre Jeunet
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00000ILDG
Release Date: 2007-01-02

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Perhaps these films are like the Star Trek movies: The even-numbered episodes are the best ones. Certainly this film (directed by French stylist Jean-Pierre Jeunet) is an improvement over Alien 3, with a script that breathes exciting new life into the franchise. This chapter is set even further in the future, where scientists on a space colony have cloned both the alien and Ripley (Sigourney Weaver), who died in Alien 3; in doing so, however, they've mixed alien DNA with Ripley's human chromosomes, which gives Ripley surprising power (and a bad attitude). A band of smugglers comes aboard only to discover the new race of aliens--and when the multi-mouthed melonheads get loose, no place is safe. But, on the plus side, they have Ripley as a guide to help them get out. Winona Ryder is on hand as the smugglers' most unlikely crew member (with a secret of her own), but this one is Sigourney's all the way. --Marshall Fine

Description

A group of scientists has cloned Lt. Ellen Ripley, along with the alien queen inside her, hoping to breed the ultimate weapon. But the resurrected Ripley is full of surprises for her "creators," as are the aliens they've imprisoned. And soon, a lot more than "all hell" breaks loose. To combat the creatures, Ripley must team up with a band of smugglers, including a mechanic named Call (Ryder), who holds more than a few surprises of her own.

Customer Reviews:

Fairly Awful.......2007-07-03

Just because you have the computer technology doesn't mean you should go cuckoo-for-cocoa-puffs with it.

I must say that this movie is full of tension; it hardly ever lets up (much like the second film). But it's clearly the creepiest, weirdest, goriest, and nastiest of the franchise. It's overkill. There's no solid story, and it's all becoming too familiar in its endless variations of the tired 'escape the monsters' formula. I am surprised at how many people give this movie four or five stars. It's not worthy.

Ripley's manicure manages to stay nice all through the harrowing ordeals. Not a crack or a chip. I nearly laugh when they show closeup shots of her hands. Didn't the director or any of the cast or crew notice this during the rushes?

But how about that disturbing, gruesome, gutwrenching scene before the end? Too much. (Shudder.) I'd rather watch "Sophie's Choice".

Of all the Alien films, I always gravitate back to the first, the original suspense-filled monster movie that created the whole egg/facehugger/birth/acid blood/alien concepts. I do enjoy the second movie for its action and thrills, but I've watched the first one the most. It is fairly brilliant, frightening, and purposely slow in building its tension to a wonderful climax.

Alien Resurrection is the kind of film you'll watch once, most likely...unless you enjoy cheesy, gore-laced action flicks with stereotypical characters and dialogue. It won't beg repeat viewing like number one does.

Part 2 was better, heck should've really ended with 3........2007-05-15

While this movie is nice for just a popcorn flick, this series really should have just ended with 3. While I could enjoy the movie for what it was, which is why I'm giving this a 4 star rating.

Alien Resurrection - Review.......2007-05-07

I generally liked this movie, but the story reminds me more of keystone cops type of comedy rather than the movie I had hoped it would be. Slapstick this movie should not have been.

Scary adventure, almost touching at the end.......2007-05-06

I'm somewhat new to the Alien series. Since I wasn't even born before the first movie made its appearance in the 1970s I was too young even after Alien Resurrection hit theaters in 1997. I did see bits of the movies since they represent an epitome of science fiction filming, but still a child until the late 1990s (I was born in 1985) I didn't care to see something so graphic and horror-based. I had recently purchased the second film Aliens and was impressed by how convincingly Weaver portrayed Ripley, and how interesting the plot line was (I happen to find the first film eerie, but a little boring at first). The third feature, Alien 3, was definitely scary, but was my least favorite. Alien Resurrection is one of the best in the movies. The film has great effects (for its time), and once again Weaver portrays a believable character--in an interesting sense, the mutant alien (part original Alien and part Ripley) almost comes off a little sympathetic in the final look between Ripley's character and said beast, with its sad eyes looking at its mother. Definitely one of the better Alien movies, although I doubt it completely takes the top spot from Aliens.

My favorite movie.......2007-03-29

This is my favorite of the series. I got it quick and I didn't get charged a small fortune

Alien - Resurrection (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)

Average customer rating:

Best "Alien" movie by far
truly atrocious
"Kill me ... kill me ..."
Witness the Resurrection of Fear...
Excellent end to a great scifi series.

Alien - Resurrection (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)
Starring: Sigourney Weaver , Winona Ryder , Dominique Pinon , Ron Perlman , and Gary Dourdan
Director: Jean-Pierre Jeunet
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00012FXBI
Release Date: 2004-01-06

Description

Customer Reviews:

Best "Alien" movie by far.......2007-08-21

I personally think this movie is the best of the "Alien" series. Most people won't agree with that statement and I think it's because they have this unattainable image portrayed by the second movie, "Aliens", which was directed by James Cameron. You might have to remind yourself that James Cameron also created the movie Titanic (which I think breaks any cred he had as a director).

Where the 2nd "Aliens" movie is slow moving and puts more focus on suspense, this movie is action packed. It's very visually pleasing and looks great on an DVD with HDMI upscaling. "Resurrection" features a screen play by Joss Whedon (of Firefly fame) and includes Winona Ryder as a very hot looking robot. Sigourney Weaver is very entertaining to watch and her character, Ellen Ripley, is intriguing and has a different "alien-like" quality to her. Before where she was a pretty weak pilot she is now a rough neck.

I really liked the characters in the movie, the relationship between Sigourney Weaver and Winona Ryder, and I really loved the morbid feel to the movie. The scene with all the failed cloning experiments was great to see, even if it was a bit disgusting.

Many people dislike this movie, so if you're a sheep and usually only like what is popular, this movie is NOT for you. If you like a good movie even if it strays from the original idea of "Alien", try it out.

truly atrocious.......2007-07-09

Wow. If you ask me, this was by far the worst film in the Alien series. I cannot understand why so many people seem to find this movie enjoyable. It was really silly. It had bad acting. It had aweful, unlikeble characters. Events occured without any sort of sense. It was just a bunch of space cowboys walking through corridor after corridor in a dark gloomy spaceship. That is until the human/alien is introduced. Brad Douraf introduces us to the creature by calling it a "little butterfly." It then sucks his brains out. The hilarous looking creature runs around, chasing Riply, before getting sucked out of a spaceship in a goopy unconvincing manner. I am sorry folks, it was just bad. As in, I've seen sci-fi movies more enjoyable.

"Kill me ... kill me ...".......2007-06-15

"Alien: Resurrection," released five years after the failure of David Fincher's "Alien3," sounds delightful. It's written by the utterly brilliant Joss Whedon, creator of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" among others, and directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet, the man behind "Amelie." Mixing Whedon's trademark creativity with Jeunet's vibrant style seems like the perfect remedy for those who disliked "Alien3." Unfortunately, it's not. Written shortly before he created "Buffy," Whedon's script reads like a comic book, sorely lacking the structure of the series' previous entries. It's in Jeunet's directing where the film really plummets, though. The actors seem to have had little guidance (Jeunet didn't speak a word of English at the time the film was made), the performances are over-the-top to the point of being cartoonish, and Jeunet's style is all about in-your-face grotesque imagery.

Here's the story: 200 years after "Alien3," a group of military scientists have successfully cloned Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) and extracted the baby alien queen from within her. Also, they've experimented by combining her human blood with alien blood. The result is a far more out-there, carefree, bizarre Ripley, devoid of the humanity that made the character so appealing in the other films. That's not to say that this new Ripley isn't appealing. On the contrary, she's quite fun, thanks to an enthusiastic and oddball performance by Weaver. The supporting cast includes Winona Ryder, who shines as a determined young space pirate with a secret, Ron Perlman, future "C.S.I." star Gary Dourdan, Dan Hedaya, and Brad Dourif, who is creepy as usual.

Comparing these films, Ridley Scott's "Alien" and Fincher's "Alien3" are the suspense-based, claustrophobic, "nowhere to run" entries in the series, while James Cameron's "Aliens" and this movie are the action-packed, shoot 'em up entries. Jeunet knows how to direct a sci-fi film, and it would appear he knows how to direct an action film as well (his style is actually similar to scribe Joss Whedon's in "Serenity"). Unfortunately, he has no idea how to direct an "Alien" film. It's this disregard for the previous films that makes "Alien: Resurrection" seem like your everyday sci-fi thriller.

As this is the most recent of the solo "Alien" films (excluding Paul W.S. Anderson's foolish "AVP: Alien vs. Predator"), it has some more bombastic visual effects than its predecessors. However, they aren't always better - in fact, these are the weakest effects of the series. Granted, there are some highlights, such as the utterly horrifying, foul alien hybrid (and his stomach-churning demise), or any scene featuring the alien queen. But there's frequent use of CGI, and part of what made the titular beasts so frightening in the earlier movies was the realism that came with using a guy in a suit. That realism is lost through this film's CGI effects, and with it dies much of the terror contained in the previous films.

So who's to blame for this movie's many problems? Many a finger points to Joss Whedon. Whedon has defended himself by saying that though not much from his original screenplay was changed, the finished film follows it very loosely: actors speak the lines wrong, scenes are filmed wrong, everything looks wrong. Even a glance through Whedon's script proves that, in the hands of the right director, it could've been a decent film. Regardless, it's too much like an action comic and not enough like an "Alien" movie.

However, most of the blame should go to the director. In the introduction to his "special edition" cut of the film presented in the "Alien Quadrilogy" boxset, Jean-Pierre Jeunet says that he is extremely proud of the movie in any form. Sadly, there's nothing to be proud of here; truthfully, this film is a disgrace. How odd that the director who brought us "Amelie," one of the best and most refreshing films ever made, should be responsible for such a turgid movie as this. And turgid it is: "Alien: Resurrection" is unquestionably the worst of the "Alien" movies. It's a cartoon version of the "Alien" saga, filled with drifting actors and a shoestring plot. It's gross, frequently confusing, and just plain weird (take, for example, a scene in which Ripley apparently has sex with an alien).

At its end, "Alien: Resurrection" is a perfect example of what happens when foolish studios keep series going after they've run their course. "Alien3" would have been a fitting close for what may be the greatest science fiction series of all time, but instead we're left with this stupid, dull mess of a film. It's ironic that through "Alien: Resurrection," the title a reference to what execs planned to do the saga after its near-death through "Alien3," the powers that be unwittingly killed off the series. Ten years after the film's release, there's been no "Alien 5," and with the overwhelmingly-negative response to Paul W.S. Anderson's "Alien vs. Predator," it seems likely that the "Alien" saga, at least on its own, has reached its end.

Witness the Resurrection of Fear..........2007-06-10

When "Alien 3" was released to theaters with lackluster results, it left both the studio and fans wondering if there was any need for further installments in the franchise or had it simply run its course. After 5 years of wondering whether we had seen the last of those nasty creatures known simply as `aliens', 20th Century Fox released what they hoped would be their redemption for the failure of their previous effort with the appropriately titled "Alien: Resurrection".

"Alien: Resurrection" picks up approximately 200 years after the events of "Alien 3" a group of scientists have found a way to clone Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) and successfully remove the Queen that had been inside of her. But this clone Ripley isn't exactly the Ripley we remember, during the cloning process her DNA became spliced with that of the alien's, leaving Ripley with the ability to sense their presence and also giving her enhanced strength and stamina. When a team of smugglers come aboard carrying human cargo to be used to breed new aliens, they quickly discover that the creatures are far more dangerous than they expected, and much smarter too (thanks to Ripley's DNA). In no time at all, the aliens have found a way to get loose aboard the space ship, and not surprisingly, they make quick work of most of the crew, save for a few who managed to survive along with the smugglers and Ripley. Now Ripley must decide whether to save herself or fall back into her old habits and destroy the aliens that have plagued her for years and years.

After "Alien 3" brought the franchise to its knees, this fourth installment allowed the `Alien' saga to once again stand tall and become a film series that 20th Century Fox could once again be proud of. "Alien: Resurrection" brought back the horror and ominous atmosphere that Ridley Scott had used so successfully in "Alien", and packed exhilarating action sequences that reminds you of the glory days of James Cameron's "Aliens", all wrapped up together with a very strong, well-written script that tied up the series nicely and left fans with a satisfying movie experience that allowed them to forget about the less-than-stellar "Alien 3". I was happy that the creative team behind "Alien: Resurrection" decided to incorporate story elements that occurred in "Alien 3" rather than ignoring the film altogether like some franchises do with lackluster installments. Of course that may have been a decision heavily backed by the studio in an attempt to save face for their tampering with the previous movie, but that's just my assumption.

The cast was comprised of great actors who all turned in excellent performances, Michael Wincott, Winona Ryder, and Ron Perlman were by far the biggest standouts as far as the new members to the franchise are concerned. Of course, the biggest star of the movie was Sigourney Weaver, who was having much more fun here than she did in "Alien 3", and her performance was evidence of that, as she appeared to breathe new life into her character Ripley. I believe she truly enjoyed getting to play the much darker side of the character, a side that had not been seen in any of the previous installments, and made the movie even more enjoyable, since you never knew for sure what Ripley was going to do from one moment to the next.

The special effects were the best in the franchise, and the decision to use CGI at times to create the aliens was nice, giving them much more fluidity and freedom to their actions. But even with all the great CGI work, the practical effects employed in this movie, and throughout this entire franchise for that matter, is by far some of the best in all of Hollywood, and should be held as the standard for what all other monster movies should aspire to.

If you were one of the many fans that was disappointed, and perhaps disillusioned with the franchise by "Alien 3", then you should definitely give "Alien: Resurrection" a look, as it will quickly redeem the series in anyone's eyes, and it serves as an excellent ending (at least so far) to a terrific science-fiction/horror franchise that spanned almost 20 years.

"Alien: Resurrection" is rated R for violence and language.

Excellent end to a great scifi series........2007-05-24

This is the final chapter of the Alien saga unless you count AVP which I kinda count as both a prequal to the Alien saga and a sequal to the Predator saga. I remember being very excited when this came out for two reasons. I love the Alien movies and this is the first one I got to see in the theaters. It was very well done all around IMO. The acting was great as usual and the special efects were outstanding for the day. Even in 10 years it amaing how much CG has improved. This was a great movie then and even better now with this release. While not a directors cut it adds more depth to the film and the ending gives a much better finale than the orriginal ending. My only gripe with the special edition is the cheesey opening but all in all it's a great movie and great release.

Average customer rating:

Fairly Awful
Part 2 was better, heck should've really ended with 3.
Alien Resurrection - Review
Scary adventure, almost touching at the end
My favorite movie

Alien: Resurrection [Region 2]
Starring: Sigourney Weaver , Winona Ryder , Dominique Pinon , Ron Perlman , and Gary Dourdan
Director: Jean-Pierre Jeunet
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00004S5PU

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Customer Reviews:

Fairly Awful.......2007-07-03

Part 2 was better, heck should've really ended with 3........2007-05-15

While this movie is nice for just a popcorn flick, this series really should have just ended with 3. While I could enjoy the movie for what it was, which is why I'm giving this a 4 star rating.

Alien Resurrection - Review.......2007-05-07

I generally liked this movie, but the story reminds me more of keystone cops type of comedy rather than the movie I had hoped it would be. Slapstick this movie should not have been.

Scary adventure, almost touching at the end.......2007-05-06

My favorite movie.......2007-03-29

This is my favorite of the series. I got it quick and I didn't get charged a small fortune

Average customer rating:

Alien: Resurrection [Region 2]
Starring: Sigourney Weaver , Winona Ryder , Dominique Pinon , Ron Perlman , and Gary Dourdan
Director: Jean-Pierre Jeunet
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00004VXRY

Average customer rating:

Alien: Resurrection [Region 2]
Starring: Sigourney Weaver , Winona Ryder , Dominique Pinon , Ron Perlman , and Gary Dourdan
Director: Jean-Pierre Jeunet
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

( A ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
ASIN: B0001B3YTC

Average customer rating:

Alien: Resurrection [Region 2]
Starring: Sigourney Weaver , Winona Ryder , Dominique Pinon , Ron Perlman , and Gary Dourdan
Director: Jean-Pierre Jeunet
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00004S8GR

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