One of my favorite science fiction franchises is the Alien series. The original film was released in 1979, when the success of Star Wars spawned a sea of kid-friendly space opera fare, like Disney’s The Black Hole or Paramount reviving the Star Trek series. But Alien was different, with its unique blend of horror and sci-fi, and embracing a gory, R-rating thanks to its creepy creature design. While Hollywood was awash in Flash Gordon-style adventures, Alien was a gothic haunted house set in space.
And in space, no one can hear you scream.
Yes, the Alien series is a wildly uneven franchise with a loose continuity between entries. The first four movies are a reflection of their stylish directors, a list that includes Ridley Scott, James Cameron, David Fincher, and Jean-Pierre Jeunet. The franchise producers had an uncanny eye for picking visionary filmmakers early in their careers. Until Ridley Scott unwisely returned to the world he helped spawn with the deeply flawed Prometheus and Alien: Covenant films.
But Alien’s biggest contribution to pop culture was action heroine Ellen Ripley. As played by the magnetic Sigourney Weaver, Ripley is complex and vulnerable but strong and tough. And showed that audiences would embrace a female action hero in a sea of male-dominated blockbusters. The first four films are essentially the same story of Ripley battling the gooey baddies told through the visual prisms of their respective directors. But Weaver keeps Ripley consistent and grounds the franchise with a relatable hero.
So, in April, “The Projection Booth” will celebrate the Alien franchise. I’ll review the first four entries each week, even looking at director cuts and other interesting factoids. In addition, Christian will revisit Ridley Scott’s divisive return to the series with Prometheus and Alien: Covenant. We might even look at the kinda dumb but kinda cool Aliens vs. Predator films. All this gooey goodness will culminate on April 26th.
And why 4/26? Remember, in the original classic, the crew of the Nostromo first encounters the alien menace on the moon LV-426. Of course, Disney-Fox designated April 26th as “Alien” day. Marketing gimmick or fun fan service, you decide.
I gotta think this franchise is one of the all-time, wildly-uneven ones to be sure, Chad. This series will be an interesting one to explore here.
Thanks, Bruce! I posted the “Alien” review yesterday, but my WordPress reader seemed down. If you didn’t get an alert, it’s now up, and I’m working on the sequel “Aliens” for next week. It’s been a lot of fun to revisit the franchise, and I’m curious to see how “Alien 3” and Resurrection hold up.