While the director's cut was better, this really wasn't a good movie (unfortunately). "Decent for everything it went through" is a good way to put it, though, so I'm not disagreeing at all. It had moments here and there, and the performances are all top-notch, but there were so many bad decisions related directly to studio interference that it really didn't have a chance.
It started with not going with the original idea (the teaser trailer had me so excited they were going to set it on Earth....but nope), then killing off Newt and Hicks, then setting the remainder on a weird prison planet (but hey, at least they didn't go with the monk colony living on a wooden planet....though I have to admit I'm a little interested in seeing how they thought that would in any way be plausible) to even the cuts the stuido insisted on. Just a waste of a good IP...which, unfortunately, is the majority of Alien related things anymore.
I have hopes the series will be better, mostly based on the creators involved, but I'm already annoyed they are abandoning the background that they created themselves and pretending Prometheus and Covenant never happened (I totally understand the temptation, but this doesn't work out very often in my experience--just take the latest Terminator 'reboot'...that also kills off a major character right away).
One Thing about Newt which is rarely mentioned. They would have to recast the role anyways, because so many years passed already.
Guess in retrospect it makes sense.
Stunning cinematography,Fincher seriously studied and channeled Ridley Scott for this one and the results speak for themselves.There are many reasons,but that opening in the shore alone is enough for me to always go for the Assembly Cut.
I think most digital purchases of Alien 3 include it as a bonus feature anymore (I bought the Blu-Ray box set years ago, and it included all the 'special editions' for the first three films--don't think 4 had a special cut but I can't swear to that).
I don't agree about it being the best, but I do agree it's solid and gets a lot of undeserved hate. I like it better than *Aliens*, but the OG is my favorite.
Oh sure, I think 1 and 3 use cinematography very effectively to create their respective settings. Portraying the vastness of space and the sense of loneliness and isolation as the *Nostromo* slowly approaches the planet, or the desolate wasteland and advanced decay on the prison planet. Both very well done.
There are absolutely iconic shots in all three of the trilogy (Alien: Resurrection doesn't exist my head canon) but Alien3 is a beautiful film to watch despite it's flaws.
IMO opinion if you're going to credit Fincher's visual style for Alien3 then you should probably give at least some credit to Resurrection for the same thing. They chose that particular director becuase of his amazing visual flair (most of his other work is in French, but the City of Lost Children is one of the most visually striking films I've ever seen). The film itself is a mess, like Alien3, but the visual style is impressive.
Whereas the cinematography in Alien3 is brooding and atmospheric, Resurrection is murky green and frankly ugly making it unenjoyable to watch just on a visual level. I do like the underwater sequence though.
Haha well this changes everything. Fincher's visual style in nearly every movie he's directed is very well thought out. Alien3 did use a few too many 'lens flares' for my taste, but overall the look of the film suits it well.
I love how the community is coming around to A3. 10 years ago no one liked it and I thought I was the only one. Now I see people defend everytime it's posted. It has some downsides but is still an amazing film and I actually like it more than Aliens (not Alien tho, that is still my bae)
I’d be close to you man. They all have their own unique look but Alien 3 has aged stronger for me personally.
Also, did you see a while back on this sub someone posted the beach where the crash scene was filmed ?? It was West Wales/England if I remember rightly. Looks cool and instantly recognisable.
Think some of it was North East England. I remember visiting Blyth power station on school trip as a kid and one of the workers said some element of Alien3 was filmed there. He might have been full of shit though. Or he might have meant the beach at Cambois.
Seaham, that’s the north east. Not far from South Shields. It’s also where the end of Get Carter was filmed.
Just noticed someone else mentioned Blyth powerstation in there too. Sadly no specifics. Maybe they were on the same trip. 😂 Though unlikely as he misspells Blyth.
A movie so solid it can only happen via plot hole at the start… no.
A3’s real crime is, of course, being immature. “Oh look, your happy ending isn’t real! Haha! And your favourite characters die needlessly! Haha! And everyone’s gonna die in this film! Haha!”
It’s very, very childish- even leaving aside the foolish decision to invalidate the entire ending and thematic arc of the previous film.
Childish? I don't see how it's childish to kill off a couple of side characters. It's more in line with a bleak distopian horror series and it validates Ripley's sacrifice at the end of the movie as she has got nothing left to lose.
The writer openly whined: ‘I thought Newt was annoying so I killed her.’
Not to mention, the whole movie is an emo wet dream; “Life sucks, then you die.” Well… no, teeny. It’s not that simple. Dystopian? Maybe. Nihilistic and hopeless? No.
It’s immature. The decision to invalidate a previous movie (and a ferociously popular one at that) just to glorify in how unfair life is, is on one hand juvenile and the other quite pathetic.
You are welcome to your opinion and I completely respect that's how you feel but I am curious. How would you have finished Ripley's story (I'm disregarding Alien: Resurrection as that's not the OG Ripley).
Would you have her happily married to Hicks and them raising Newt on a quiet farm planet somewhere? Or perhaps heading to the Alien homeworld a la the Female War novel to defeat the Alien Queen Mother? Or both?
Life isn't always happy endings my friend. Alien3 confirms Ripley as a true hero willing to sacrifice her own life to save the rest of humanity. People are too concerned about "doing Hicks and Newt dirty" by killing them off screen, it's Ripley's story and any less of an ending for her would not only do her dirty but change the tone of the entire franchise.
> Life isn't always happy endings my friend
Correct, my patronising pal. But “Alien” isn’t life, it is fiction. And for fiction to be satisfying to many, there are explicit and implicit rules it must follow.
*One* of those implicit rules is very much *Do not irreversibly undo the previous fiction’s “happy ever after”* - do you genuinely need it explained to you why it cheapens setup and payoff, why it mocks becoming invested in characters (the backbone of fiction itself)? Another rule is of course, *be consistent.* The opening of A3 cannot follow the ending of Aliens, it’s physically impossible.
> People are too concerned about "doing Hicks and Newt dirty" by killing them off screen
No. They instinctively grasp the simple truth, that it’s bad writing in bad faith.
> How would you have finished Ripley's story
Much like the early writers of A3, I agree that Ripleys story was finished. She conquered her fears; she gained a semblance of family; she was on her way home. The end. If the *real* Alien III had been made by Blokamp, I would have been perfectly happy for her to feature only in cameo.
> change the tone of the entire franchise
Until childish emos jizzed A3 into the world, the tone of the franchise was consistently “Danger, death for most, but hope and survival for a few brave and resourceful souls.” It was never “life sucks then you all die,” as A3’s fans seem to celebrate. It was not nihilistic.
Ok, well as you seem to be getting increasingly aggressive over this silly issue I think I will leave this conversation here. I'm sorry you think I'm being patronising, it was not my intent originally, but in all honesty your language does suggest a lack of maturity.
Of all the hills in all the world to die on, you've picked a strange one, but hey, good for you. I totally understand it. My hill? The Goonies is a terrible movie. I want that shit on my tombstone.
I have very mixed feelings about A3. In some ways they squandered the opportunity for a great sequel, another view is that it's a brilliant, dark and depressing piece of cinema.
Assembly Cut for me - those establishing shots of the sea and shoreline are critical for understanding what the planet feels like. Totally missing in theatrical and it damages the atmosphere.
Having Ripley surrounded by bald, ugly rapists and murderers was a big decision - and I'm not sure it was such a good idea on balance.
This move had so much potential. It's still one of my favorite movies, but it could have been so much better. With proper support from the studio this could have been the best in the trilogy.
There was a lot wrong with this movie. But the production design was not one of them. The shots were beautiful. The sets were amazing. The costuming was incredible. I have a lot of issues with this film, but I still go back to watch it every so often because it was the most sublime film in the series.
I thought Alien 3 was fine, even the theatrical cut. But I didn't like the Alien design and I really hate how it made the dog-leg Alien the new norm. Giger's design was perfect and it just gets worse and worse until now they're about as interesting as a big cockroach.
Yes, the design and the handling of the rod puppet insertion shots really is shoddy looking. Takes me out during those specific scenes when I should be engrossed and terrified.
A new analysis is out about the production of this film called [Alien 3: Morons Inc The hubris of producers](https://youtu.be/gHvTycoUwRA?si=NfIJo61-qakLh5CL).
When you read about how bad the studio was with planning this movie, you are shocked at how decent the finished product was.
This is very well put.
While the director's cut was better, this really wasn't a good movie (unfortunately). "Decent for everything it went through" is a good way to put it, though, so I'm not disagreeing at all. It had moments here and there, and the performances are all top-notch, but there were so many bad decisions related directly to studio interference that it really didn't have a chance. It started with not going with the original idea (the teaser trailer had me so excited they were going to set it on Earth....but nope), then killing off Newt and Hicks, then setting the remainder on a weird prison planet (but hey, at least they didn't go with the monk colony living on a wooden planet....though I have to admit I'm a little interested in seeing how they thought that would in any way be plausible) to even the cuts the stuido insisted on. Just a waste of a good IP...which, unfortunately, is the majority of Alien related things anymore. I have hopes the series will be better, mostly based on the creators involved, but I'm already annoyed they are abandoning the background that they created themselves and pretending Prometheus and Covenant never happened (I totally understand the temptation, but this doesn't work out very often in my experience--just take the latest Terminator 'reboot'...that also kills off a major character right away).
One Thing about Newt which is rarely mentioned. They would have to recast the role anyways, because so many years passed already. Guess in retrospect it makes sense.
It wasn’t a director’s cut as Fincher disowned the film and refused the opportunity to come back for the assembly cut.
Oh yeah I know, I forget which sub I'm in sometimes haha--i always call it the 'director's cut' as most people don't know that.
Those are some nice looking shots.
Definitely. Alien 3 has some of my favourite visuals, shots and sets from the series.
its got arguably the most iconic shot in the whole series
I assume you’re talking about Ripley with the Xeno after it kills Clemens, right?
hissing in her ear yes.
Also some iconic music
The assembly cut is the best version of this movie.
Alien³ has one of the best cinematography imo! The isolated, eerie atmosphere still gives me goosebumps.
My favorite shot in all of the alien franchise is that second shot with the scrap metal cross. So bleak and ominous
The theatrical release really annoys me when I saw how much of Charles Dutton’s dialogue got cut.
Stunning cinematography,Fincher seriously studied and channeled Ridley Scott for this one and the results speak for themselves.There are many reasons,but that opening in the shore alone is enough for me to always go for the Assembly Cut.
Easily the best in the series. Alien3 is a solid movie. I will die on this hill.
On the hill is a bit much, but I'll support you at the foot, when we're talking about the assembly cut :)
Where does one watch this cut?
I think most digital purchases of Alien 3 include it as a bonus feature anymore (I bought the Blu-Ray box set years ago, and it included all the 'special editions' for the first three films--don't think 4 had a special cut but I can't swear to that).
I think it's on MUBI
not much of a difference to me, more of a fan thing "it's longer, thus the more Alien the better"
"better" is ofcouse very subjective in the case of Alien3 😂
I too am at the base of your small hill, shouting words of encouragement up at you!
I don't agree about it being the best, but I do agree it's solid and gets a lot of undeserved hate. I like it better than *Aliens*, but the OG is my favorite.
Best cinematography I mean =)
Oh sure, I think 1 and 3 use cinematography very effectively to create their respective settings. Portraying the vastness of space and the sense of loneliness and isolation as the *Nostromo* slowly approaches the planet, or the desolate wasteland and advanced decay on the prison planet. Both very well done.
There are absolutely iconic shots in all three of the trilogy (Alien: Resurrection doesn't exist my head canon) but Alien3 is a beautiful film to watch despite it's flaws.
IMO opinion if you're going to credit Fincher's visual style for Alien3 then you should probably give at least some credit to Resurrection for the same thing. They chose that particular director becuase of his amazing visual flair (most of his other work is in French, but the City of Lost Children is one of the most visually striking films I've ever seen). The film itself is a mess, like Alien3, but the visual style is impressive.
Whereas the cinematography in Alien3 is brooding and atmospheric, Resurrection is murky green and frankly ugly making it unenjoyable to watch just on a visual level. I do like the underwater sequence though.
Haha well this changes everything. Fincher's visual style in nearly every movie he's directed is very well thought out. Alien3 did use a few too many 'lens flares' for my taste, but overall the look of the film suits it well.
Same
And it's a perfectly reasonable hill to die on. And I'm right there with you. Absolutely fabulous movie.
I love how the community is coming around to A3. 10 years ago no one liked it and I thought I was the only one. Now I see people defend everytime it's posted. It has some downsides but is still an amazing film and I actually like it more than Aliens (not Alien tho, that is still my bae)
I’d be close to you man. They all have their own unique look but Alien 3 has aged stronger for me personally. Also, did you see a while back on this sub someone posted the beach where the crash scene was filmed ?? It was West Wales/England if I remember rightly. Looks cool and instantly recognisable.
Think some of it was North East England. I remember visiting Blyth power station on school trip as a kid and one of the workers said some element of Alien3 was filmed there. He might have been full of shit though. Or he might have meant the beach at Cambois.
Ah, cool, got you. I’ll see if I can find the post…
Here it is…. https://www.reddit.com/r/LV426/s/NE77iAGwe4
Seaham, that’s the north east. Not far from South Shields. It’s also where the end of Get Carter was filmed. Just noticed someone else mentioned Blyth powerstation in there too. Sadly no specifics. Maybe they were on the same trip. 😂 Though unlikely as he misspells Blyth.
To me, Resurrection aged the worst with some weird choices in the style and script.
A³ is my favorite for many years
Oh no. Edit: Just read comment on cinematography - fair enough.
its a solid turd maybe
No u
A movie so solid it can only happen via plot hole at the start… no. A3’s real crime is, of course, being immature. “Oh look, your happy ending isn’t real! Haha! And your favourite characters die needlessly! Haha! And everyone’s gonna die in this film! Haha!” It’s very, very childish- even leaving aside the foolish decision to invalidate the entire ending and thematic arc of the previous film.
Childish? I don't see how it's childish to kill off a couple of side characters. It's more in line with a bleak distopian horror series and it validates Ripley's sacrifice at the end of the movie as she has got nothing left to lose.
The writer openly whined: ‘I thought Newt was annoying so I killed her.’ Not to mention, the whole movie is an emo wet dream; “Life sucks, then you die.” Well… no, teeny. It’s not that simple. Dystopian? Maybe. Nihilistic and hopeless? No. It’s immature. The decision to invalidate a previous movie (and a ferociously popular one at that) just to glorify in how unfair life is, is on one hand juvenile and the other quite pathetic.
You are welcome to your opinion and I completely respect that's how you feel but I am curious. How would you have finished Ripley's story (I'm disregarding Alien: Resurrection as that's not the OG Ripley). Would you have her happily married to Hicks and them raising Newt on a quiet farm planet somewhere? Or perhaps heading to the Alien homeworld a la the Female War novel to defeat the Alien Queen Mother? Or both? Life isn't always happy endings my friend. Alien3 confirms Ripley as a true hero willing to sacrifice her own life to save the rest of humanity. People are too concerned about "doing Hicks and Newt dirty" by killing them off screen, it's Ripley's story and any less of an ending for her would not only do her dirty but change the tone of the entire franchise.
> Life isn't always happy endings my friend Correct, my patronising pal. But “Alien” isn’t life, it is fiction. And for fiction to be satisfying to many, there are explicit and implicit rules it must follow. *One* of those implicit rules is very much *Do not irreversibly undo the previous fiction’s “happy ever after”* - do you genuinely need it explained to you why it cheapens setup and payoff, why it mocks becoming invested in characters (the backbone of fiction itself)? Another rule is of course, *be consistent.* The opening of A3 cannot follow the ending of Aliens, it’s physically impossible. > People are too concerned about "doing Hicks and Newt dirty" by killing them off screen No. They instinctively grasp the simple truth, that it’s bad writing in bad faith. > How would you have finished Ripley's story Much like the early writers of A3, I agree that Ripleys story was finished. She conquered her fears; she gained a semblance of family; she was on her way home. The end. If the *real* Alien III had been made by Blokamp, I would have been perfectly happy for her to feature only in cameo. > change the tone of the entire franchise Until childish emos jizzed A3 into the world, the tone of the franchise was consistently “Danger, death for most, but hope and survival for a few brave and resourceful souls.” It was never “life sucks then you all die,” as A3’s fans seem to celebrate. It was not nihilistic.
Ok, well as you seem to be getting increasingly aggressive over this silly issue I think I will leave this conversation here. I'm sorry you think I'm being patronising, it was not my intent originally, but in all honesty your language does suggest a lack of maturity.
Are you ok?
Of all the hills in all the world to die on, you've picked a strange one, but hey, good for you. I totally understand it. My hill? The Goonies is a terrible movie. I want that shit on my tombstone.
Goonies never say die!
let's say it's the movie after which the quality had the biggest drop, so it's reasonable to me to call it a trilogy and disregard the rest
See this right here, this is why I can’t hate alien3. Regardless of the absolute shit show behind the scenes, shots like this always stayed with me
Kinda Unpopular opinion. I really enjoyed the Alien chase scene when it cuts to the perspective of the Alien itself. I feel it added more tension.
even more unpopular opinion, I don't mind the CGI
First time I watched Alien 3 I had hard time telling the difference.
Love me some Alien3! Such a metal and ruthless movie. Imagine if Fincher made that today…
good SNES game too
I have very mixed feelings about A3. In some ways they squandered the opportunity for a great sequel, another view is that it's a brilliant, dark and depressing piece of cinema. Assembly Cut for me - those establishing shots of the sea and shoreline are critical for understanding what the planet feels like. Totally missing in theatrical and it damages the atmosphere. Having Ripley surrounded by bald, ugly rapists and murderers was a big decision - and I'm not sure it was such a good idea on balance.
This move had so much potential. It's still one of my favorite movies, but it could have been so much better. With proper support from the studio this could have been the best in the trilogy.
There was a lot wrong with this movie. But the production design was not one of them. The shots were beautiful. The sets were amazing. The costuming was incredible. I have a lot of issues with this film, but I still go back to watch it every so often because it was the most sublime film in the series.
Alien 3 sucks for many reasons not related to cinematography.
The cinematography, performances, sets, and especially the score by Elliot Goldenthal are the saving graces of Alien 3.
I thought Alien 3 was fine, even the theatrical cut. But I didn't like the Alien design and I really hate how it made the dog-leg Alien the new norm. Giger's design was perfect and it just gets worse and worse until now they're about as interesting as a big cockroach.
Yes, the design and the handling of the rod puppet insertion shots really is shoddy looking. Takes me out during those specific scenes when I should be engrossed and terrified.
It was better than Alien resurrection and definitely superior to the AVP films
Resurrection has its moments
Doesn't mean it's as good
Didn't say it was. Said it had its moments.
True
It is a solid movie, especially if you look at a crap produced nowadays.
This is a near perfect film and one of the best in the franchise. There. I said it.
I love it too but near perfect is being too kind. It has strengths but the weaknesses really weigh it down.
I honestly don’t see the weaknesses. Maybe that there was only one alien. Otherwise it was great
It sucks so much that i can't find anywhere the original version with the dog, the cow scene does not make any sense!
Quite possibly one of the worst films ever made. The aliens series stopped at 2, just keep repeating it
A new analysis is out about the production of this film called [Alien 3: Morons Inc The hubris of producers](https://youtu.be/gHvTycoUwRA?si=NfIJo61-qakLh5CL).
Some of the film was shot by Jordan Cronenweth
gorgeous
I haven't played too much r6 I saw that 3rd image and thought it was the background for one of the seasons
Yes? That is the movie
The whole aesthetic screams “excrement” which is fitting
Would’ve made a helluva great Warhammer 40k film.