and
and
a) Alien
a.i) Alien is really a horror film in Science Fiction drag
George RR Martin decided that some purists would have a point when arguing that Alien is really a horror film in Science Fiction drag, but his own view was that it was a great version of such a thing.
a.ii) Nostromo running on steam?
He found that the look of the film was unique, there had never seen a spaceship lik the Nostromo before, and he felt that one had to wonder about all of the dripping pipes.
Did this starship run on steam?
a.iii) The alien designs and appearances
The aliens designs by HR Giger made Giger-esque and adjective.
He thought that the chest-burster scene is strong stuff even today, and those who saw it in
the theaters without knowing what was coming, like him, would never forget
it.
a.iv) The crew and the actors playing them
He decided that the
blue-collar down-and-dirty crew seemed like real people
He found that Tom Skerritt’s death packed almost as much punch (and as far as he imagined, a chorus of “Wait
a minute, I thought Dallas was the hero” was heard across the land).
After that, he knew that no one was safe.
a.v) The last scene
And then there was the
life-pod scene, Ripley in her underwear and the Alien in the pipes, sex
and horror mashed together.
a.vi) Sigourney Weaver in her defining role
From George's perspective, Ripley was the defining
role of Sigourney Weaver’s career.
He noted the fact that she never won an Oscar
for Ripley just underlines the sad truth that the Academy does not honor
actors for roles in science-fiction or fantasy films, no matter how
good they are.
(The single conspicuous exception will be dealt with when George was due to get to his Honorable Mentions.)
b) Aliens
b.i) Comparison to Heinlein's Starship Troopers
George was aware that decades earlier, Robert A Heinlein had wrien a classic and controversial science fiction novel called Starship Troopers, which was sill being read and argued about decades later.
Following that, many years after the book was publushed, the director Paul Verhoeven and writer Edward Neumeier made a film called Starship troopers which George didn't like at all.
It was however a decade years earlier that James Cameron made Aliens, and according to Hollywood Legend, when he heard that they were going to make Starship Troopers, he said "Why bother? I’ve done it."
Although his film wasn't really based upon he book, George thought that he had come closer to the spirit of the book and the feel of Heinlein's Mobile Infantry than anything in the Verhoeven movie, while still remaining true to the franchise.
b.ii) Appreciation of Aliens as a sequel
He was one of the people who found that Aliens was one of the rare cases of a sequel that was actually better than the original, while indeed he thought that the original was very good.
He found this was probably Sigourney's best turn as Ripley, although all of them were good.
He appreciated her supporting cast as well, wih Hicks played by Michael Biehn, Vazquez played by Jenette Goldstein, the heroic android Bishop played by Lance Henriksen and especially the little girl Newt played by Carrie Henn.
c) Avoiding Alien 3 and whatever came after
c.i) Dissuaded from seing the film because it killed of Newt
As it happened, George never bothered to see Alien 3. While he loved the first two movies, he read the early reviews of Alien 3 and learned hat the new movie was going to open by killing off Newt and Hicks
He was outraged because he didn't want this awful thing in his head
c.ii) Loving the idea of Newt
He came to love Newt in he preceding movie, with the whole thing being about Ripley rescuing her, and so its ending was deeply satisfying
Then it seemed as if someone was going to mess that up to just be shocking.
c.iii) Avoid all films after Aliens
He avoided he following alien films since they were all part of a fictional reality that he refused to embrace, which meant he hadn't seen Alien Resurrection which starred his friend and actor that he admired, Ron Pearlman
c.iv) Revisiting the end of Aliens after Alien 3's release
Avoiding it hadn't worked that well, because the reviews he read had
sill poisoned his point of view about it because he knew too much about
he plot.
He noted how at the last scene just before they settled down into their capsules for a long cold sleep, Newt asked Ripley "Will I dream?"
However now he knew that Newt died, and that would seriously crimp his ability to enjoy Jim Cameron's Aliens film all over again
Instead of the frisson of emotional satisfacion that he used to get, the little teardrop at the corner of his eyes, he remembered "F*ck, Newt has an alien inside her, she's going to
die," and so he would become highly irritated and sour all over again.
c.v) Finding his own answer to Newt's question
But his own answer to Newt's question would have been "Yes"
He thought about
how, if
they were to ever put him in charge of the fanchise, the next Alien film would open with Newt waking up safe on Earth,
having dreamed all those later, awful Alien movies
- George RR Martin: Alien (1979) Some purists will argue that Alien is really a horror film in science-fiction drag, and maybe they have a point. But it’s a great
horror film in science-fiction drag. The look of the film was unique;
we had never seen a spaceship like the Nostromo before, though you have
to wonder about all those dripping pipes—did this starship run on steam?
H.R. Giger’s alien designs made “Gigeresque” an adjective. The
blue-collar down-and-dirty crew seemed like real people. The
chest-burster scene is strong stuff even today, and those who saw it in
the theaters without knowing what was coming, like me, will never forget
it. Tom Skerritt’s death packed almost as much punch (a chorus of “Wait
a minute, I thought Dallas was the hero” was heard across the land).
After that, you knew that no one was safe. And then there was the
life-pod scene, Ripley in her underwear and the Alien in the pipes, sex
and horror mashed together. From where I sit, Ripley is the defining
role of Sigourney Weaver’s career. The fact that she never won an Oscar
for Ripley just underlines the sad truth that the Academy does not honor
actors for roles in science-fiction or fantasy films, no matter how
good they are. (The single conspicuous exception will be dealt with when
I get to my Honorable Mentions.)https://www.thedailybeast.com/game-of-thrones-writer-george-rr-martins-favorite-science-fiction-films
- George RR Martin Once upon a time, Robert A. Heinlein wrote a classic (and controversial) science-fiction novel called Starship Troopers, which is still being read and argued about today. Many years later, director Paul Verhoeven and writer Edward Neumeier made a very bad film called Starship Troopers. Fortunately RAH was dead by then and never had to see it. In between, James Cameron made Aliens. According to Hollywood legend, when Cameron heard that they were going to film Starship Troopers, he said, “Why bother? I’ve done it.” And, you know, he had. His film was not based on the novel Starship Troopers, of course, but his Colonial Marines come a lot closer to the spirit and feel of Heinlein’s Mobile Infantry than anything in the Verhoeven movie, while still remaining true to the Alien franchise. Aliens is one of the rare cases of a sequel that was actually better than the original (no mean trick here, since the original was pretty damned good). This is probably Sigourney Weaver’s best turn as Ripley, though all of them were good. Her supporting cast was great as well: Hicks (Michael Biehn), Vasquez (Jenette Goldstein), the heroic android Bishop (Lance Henriksen), and especially Newt, as played by Carrie Henn. “Will I dream?” Newt asks Ripley in the last scene of the film, just before they settle down into their capsules for a long, cold sleep. “Yes” would be my answer. If they ever put me in charge of the franchise, the next Alien film will open with Newt waking up safe on Earth, having dreamed all those later, awful Alien movies. https://www.thedailybeast.com/game-of-thrones-writer-george-rr-martins-favorite-science-fiction-films
- George RR Martin : F'rinstance, I have never seen the third ALIENS movie. I loved ALIEN
and ALIENS, but when I read the early reviews of ALIENS 3, and learned
that the new movie was going to open by killing Newt and... what was his
name, the Michael Biehn character?... well, I was f*cking outraged. I
never went to the film because I did not want that sh*t in my head. I
had come to love Newt in the preceding movie, the whole damn film was
about Ripley rescuing her, the end was deeply satisfying... and now some
asshole was going to come along and piss all over that just to be
shocking. I have never seen the subsequent Aliens films either, since
they are all part of a fictional "reality" that I refuse to embrace.
Not even the film with Ron Perlman in it, and Ron is a both a friend and
an actor I greatly admire.
Thing is, it hasn't worked. Though I've avoided seeing the films, the reviews I read still poisoned the well. I know too much about what happens in ALIENS 3. I know Newt dies. And just that little bit of knowledge has seriously crimped my ability to enjoy ALIENS itself. It's still a fine, exciting film, but now when I get to the end, when Newt is climbing into the tube and asking Ripley if she'll dream, instead of the frisson of emotional satisfaction that I used to get, the little teardrop at the corner of my eye, I remember, "F*ck, Newt has an alien inside her, she's going to die," and I get pissed off and sour all over again. e.
All over a character who does not exist, has never existed. I know that. It does not make the feelings any less strong.
And if I can feel that strongly about characters created by other people, can you possibly imagine how strongly I feel about my own characters?
(https://grrm.livejournal.com/152340.html?page=4)
"The Alien saga: George R.R. Martin saw Alien and Aliens but didn't watch Alien 3" was posted on 7th April 2023
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