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It
doesn't matter whether or not fans prefer the raucous
party that is "Aliens" or the slow burn terror that is
"Alien," no matter what there will never be another film
like Ridley Scott's "Alien." Many have tried to
duplicate the subtle horrific tale of a group of
scavengers stuck on a ship with a creeping alien capable
of striking them down at any moment, but very few have
been able to capture that thrill and chill that Scott
embodied so well with his fixture. Though "Aliens" is a
welcome addition to any repertoire, not even James
Cameron could capture the dark essence of the alien
creeping in the corners of this creaky barge ready to
murder and harvest any human host it could seek out. Ian
Nicholas brings together an absolutely incredible
compilation book that makes up the essential
encyclopedia chronicling the development and making of
"Alien." Though this compendium of facts and anecdotes
does indeed spotlight the sequels, the real centerpiece
is "Alien," the horror science fiction film that forever
changed the genre of horror and science fiction as we
knew it. |
| In a time where
horror films had females strictly relegated to
screaming running objects and tools, Scott's horror
film forever decided that the woman could do much
more than run and hide. She could fight back. She
could outwit the monster, and as we know it Ellen
Ripley forever decided that the final girl could do
so much more and be much more proactive in the end.
There's an entire chapter devoted to the power and
strength of the character, and even highlights how
Ripley was originally intended to be a male
character. Ian Nicholas's book is a wonderful
companion for any movie lover's coffee table
providing so much material for the discerning
science fiction geek even offering up pockets within
the book featuring free prizes like plans to the
nostromo, original conceptual drawings of the alien
monster, snippets of various posters for the film, a
sticker for the crew of the Nostromo and so much
more. Beyond that, much of "Alien Vault" revolves
around the creation of this revolutionary genre
hybrid that explores the nuts and bolts of this
production down to the very last detail. There is
even interviews with some notable genre icons who
offer up their own thoughts on the film.
Strictly this is for
the movie lover who wants to comb over a landmark
picture such as this and Nicholas is never scant on
the details providing full color photos, rare behind
the scenes stills and incredible looks at some of
the earlier designs for the face hugger and alien
monster. I appreciated such small details added to
the book including a body count at the end of the
book that profiles every staff member on the ship
and their order of death. There's also a look at the
films "Alien" influenced and how it was originally
received overseas. It's an interesting contrast to
modern horror where we rarely see the alien in any
of the publicity photos and posters for the film,
where as a modern film director would have used the
beast to lure audiences in. In all of the posters
there isn't a single silhouette of the alien beast.
While it is in vogue to watch "Aliens" over "Alien"
it's worth knowing the facts about the predecessor
because without Ridley Scott's horror science
fiction masterpiece, we wouldn't have the James
Cameron actioner and many more exciting duplicates
that would litter the genres to this day. "Alien
Vault" is a collector's gem and one I intend to keep
forever. |
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