In 1987 Twentieth Century Fox made sweet sweet love to my eyeballs with a film called Predator. The movie was so good that they were able to get away with using Apollo Creed and Jesse "The Body" Ventura. I watch that film just about every time I see it on TV, much to the chagrin of my wife... so I enjoy it on many levels.
In November 1989 Dark Horse comics released a series called Aliens Vs. Predator. It's a good thing I was a comic geek, because the poly bags kept my comics from getting drooled on (or sticky).
The comicbook was about a colony of humans who raised cow-like creatures. The planet they chose was (unfortunatly for them) a traditional hunting ground for Predators. They drop off face-suckers (who went after cattle at first), then come back a short time later to kill the aliens that emerge. The Predators didn't plan on humans being there. The human protagonist was a woman, and I think she was the only one that lived.
In 1990, the movie studio dropped a steamer titled Predator II: The Quickening. (Note: I tag every bad sequal "The Quickening" in homage to the ultimate in bad sequals). I guess they figured that a movie with Apollo Creed and Jesse Ventura could work, a movie with the rusty old copy from Lethan Weapon and that psychotard Gary Busey (also in Lethan Weapon apparantly) could work.
That movie was a ride on the polarbear express!
The one promising thing about Predator II was that there was an alien skull (from the Alien movie series) in the Predator's trophy case. It was teh aw3som3!!!!11
Movie factoid: There was also a t-rex skull in the trophy case, but there was no polar bear skull. That's because the polar bear was alive and bf'ing you during the movie. Every time Glover grunted about being too old for this shit the bear pounded away a little harder.
Geeks were abuzz with rumors of an Aliens Vs. Predator movie. In fact, scripts were floating around Hollywood. But every time someone bit a script, the companies would bicker about things like distribution rights and the movie would fall apart.
Predator and Aliens have fought other comic book heros, though they always lost to the men in spandex. I remember using a picture of a Predator kicking Batman's ass for a screenprinting project I did on glass. It turned out awesome, but unfortunatley was one of two items we lost to the Northridge earthquake (the other was a bottle of soy sauce).
Aliens Vs Predator has finally broken past the planning stages. It has been produced, and will hit theatres in August, 2004. I'm excited, but pessimistic. One company has millions invested in their Aliens mythos, another company has millions invested in their Predator mythos. I see both companies having representatives on the set to try to force their cause/vision, and too many chefs spoiling the soup.
The plot as I see it, based solely on the movie trailor. (not quite a spoiler, but quit now if you want to know less than Schultz)
The trailor had people going to the arctic because a pyramid was found via satellite, thousands of feet below the surface of the ice. Despite the place looking like a set for the video game Quake, they go in. They get trapped in the pyramid, some face huggers appear and convert people into meat pinatas. Then the Predators show up, and do what they do best. Whoever wins, we lose.
This seems like an loose adaptation of the first comicbook.
It seems that the human lead is female, that the Predators are only there to hunt Aliens (not humans), and that the Predators are the ones who planted the face huggers.
This definately seems like a film I have to see in the theatre and I'll probably end up buying a copy of the movie on DVD, even if it's as bad as Predator II (which I do not own).
Aliens Vs Predator - Thoughts
Personally, I think this film will suck. Sure the franchises are great, but the premise was created because they don't have the budget to make the movie we really want to see. That would be Aliens invading Earth, only to have Predators become an unlikely ally to the human race.
Of course, the last Sci-Fi sequel I saw was Starship Troopers 2 and that didn't exactly open to mind to the possibility of a low budget sequel being even remotely good.
There's always hope though...I guess.
Of course, the last Sci-Fi sequel I saw was Starship Troopers 2 and that didn't exactly open to mind to the possibility of a low budget sequel being even remotely good.
There's always hope though...I guess.
“Every record been destroyed or falsified, books rewritten, pictures repainted, statues, street building renamed, every date altered. The process is continuing day by day. History stops. Nothing exists except endless present in which the Party is right.”
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I see that Lance Henrickson is going to be in AVP. Think he'll be play Bishop, or at least an android similiar to Bishop? I'm not sure when AVP is supposed to take place.
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I read about a year ago that in this movie, he is the guy who founds the android company. So some androids end up looking like him.Paul wrote:I see that Lance Henrickson is going to be in AVP. Think he'll be play Bishop, or at least an android similiar to Bishop? I'm not sure when AVP is supposed to take place.
After the "Bilbo Baggins" line of flaky androids, of course.
Well yeah he actually shows up at the very end of alien3 (terrible movie) and says he is the owner of the company and made the bishop anodroids to look like him. Remember it was right before ripleys swan dive into lava, can't blame you for blocking it out I want to forget that movie ever existed.GORDON wrote:Paul wrote:I see that Lance Henrickson is going to be in AVP. Think he'll be play Bishop, or at least an android similiar to Bishop? I'm not sure when AVP is supposed to take place.
I read about a year ago that in this movie, he is the guy who founds the android company. So some androids end up looking like him.
After the "Bilbo Baggins" line of flaky androids, of course.
Saw the trailor to AvP when I saw spiderman2 (great, great flick) and it looked entertaining at least. Spent all the movie on the effects and got some no name actors to be the bait... hope they don't suck too bad.
Zetleft wrote:Remember it was right before ripleys swan dive into lava, can't blame you for blocking it out I want to forget that movie ever existed.
That movie sucked. They kill off Newt and Hicks (two great characters) before the movie even begins. Then it ends with some wanna-be Therma & Louise fizzle.
I'm not mad that Ripley died, but the Ripley of the first two movies would have taken the aliens, the owner of the corporation, and all his men down with her in final blaze of glory.
Fark is doing thier own crossover photoshop.
I like the Ripley Vs Conner idea, but it could have been put together better.
I like the Ripley Vs Conner idea, but it could have been put together better.
I don't go to the SomethingAwful forums. I just visit the PhotoShop Phriday images, which are a collection of the best submissions. The bad ones are (mostly) edited out. So of course, those are going to be better than Fark's response forum thingy, which allow anybody to post anything.
I saw Drew Curtis at an art gallery a month or so ago. He had an embroidered dragon shirt on. I should have gone up to him and said, "I wore that shirt earlier, with a funnier neckline."
I saw Drew Curtis at an art gallery a month or so ago. He had an embroidered dragon shirt on. I should have gone up to him and said, "I wore that shirt earlier, with a funnier neckline."
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Ok, just watched the HBO "behind the scenes." Here's a few thoughts:
1. The visual effects supervisor hates cgi, so we won't have cgi actors superimposed over bluescreen, ala Lucas. They made actual sets, with actual people as actual aliens and predators. It looked kick-ass. Reminded me more of Episode IV than Episode II, since I mentioned Lucas. You know... it didn't look like a cartoon.
2. They said it was set in "present day." Wacky.
2.5. The director seemed like a real fanboi... a good omen. He never once said the words, "my interpretation..."
3. If the story doesn't suck, this'll be well received by the fans. It looked so cool, with some Matrix-style slow-mo... a first for either aliens or predators... the only thing that'll really hurt it is a Jar Jar or a teen angst Annikin. (Even a teen angst Annikin wouldn't hurt this movie too much, since there's nobody in it that we expect to become a badass Darth Vader.)
I got really jaded by anticipating Ep I... I'm going to let myself get excited about an unknown movie, again.
But a Jar Jar will cripple any franchise.
Edited By GORDON on 1092595926
1. The visual effects supervisor hates cgi, so we won't have cgi actors superimposed over bluescreen, ala Lucas. They made actual sets, with actual people as actual aliens and predators. It looked kick-ass. Reminded me more of Episode IV than Episode II, since I mentioned Lucas. You know... it didn't look like a cartoon.
2. They said it was set in "present day." Wacky.
2.5. The director seemed like a real fanboi... a good omen. He never once said the words, "my interpretation..."
3. If the story doesn't suck, this'll be well received by the fans. It looked so cool, with some Matrix-style slow-mo... a first for either aliens or predators... the only thing that'll really hurt it is a Jar Jar or a teen angst Annikin. (Even a teen angst Annikin wouldn't hurt this movie too much, since there's nobody in it that we expect to become a badass Darth Vader.)
I got really jaded by anticipating Ep I... I'm going to let myself get excited about an unknown movie, again.
But a Jar Jar will cripple any franchise.
Edited By GORDON on 1092595926
It did seem like the director was familiar with the source material. Their were many elements of the original AvP comic in the plot and there was a nice reference to "Aliens" near the beginning involving Weyland.
Speaking of Weyland, I was pleases with the way the character was portrayed. Given the cutthroat nature of The Company in the earlier films and Hollywood's current political climate, I was expecting a sterotypical snarling CEO who would gladly through his people into the meatgrinder for a quick buck. Instead, Weyland turned out to be a rather sympathetic character.
Overall, it was a decent popcorn movie, but nothing I'm likely to pay to see twice.
Speaking of Weyland, I was pleases with the way the character was portrayed. Given the cutthroat nature of The Company in the earlier films and Hollywood's current political climate, I was expecting a sterotypical snarling CEO who would gladly through his people into the meatgrinder for a quick buck. Instead, Weyland turned out to be a rather sympathetic character.
Overall, it was a decent popcorn movie, but nothing I'm likely to pay to see twice.
#1 at the box office
It also opens up the possibilities of more crossovers. Maybe DC and Marvel could do a crossover on the big screen instead of just in comics?
I'd have to think that people would love to see Batman, Wolverine, Spiderman, and maybe Superman all on the same screen.
It also opens up the possibilities of more crossovers. Maybe DC and Marvel could do a crossover on the big screen instead of just in comics?
I'd have to think that people would love to see Batman, Wolverine, Spiderman, and maybe Superman all on the same screen.
“Every record been destroyed or falsified, books rewritten, pictures repainted, statues, street building renamed, every date altered. The process is continuing day by day. History stops. Nothing exists except endless present in which the Party is right.”
Wolverine: Hey, Batman. There's Spiderman and Superman.
Batman: Ya. We should go have sex with them.
Wolverine: Ok.
You scare me.
“Every record been destroyed or falsified, books rewritten, pictures repainted, statues, street building renamed, every date altered. The process is continuing day by day. History stops. Nothing exists except endless present in which the Party is right.”
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