A Survivor… Unclouded By Conscience, Remorse, or Delusions of Morality: Alien (1979)

A survivor… unclouded by conscience, remorse, or delusions of morality.

So you know what I always say about sequels & remakes:

But this is one series that I actually prefer the sequel over the original. I think Aliens surpasses Alien.

I know, I know. What is wrong with me?

I really think it is only because I watched the films in reverse. If I had seen Alien before Aliens, I’m sure I would think differently.

Hmm…

Anyways, so the film begins with a crew of people of the Nostromo being awakened early and far from home.

Apparently the ship heard a distress signal and policy says they have to follow it, even though almost all want to ignore it and head on home.

Ugh.

The signal comes from an alien spacecraft, and a group-Captain Dallas (Tom Skerrit), Lambert (Veronica Cartwright), and Kane (John Hurt)-are sent out to investigate it.

Hmm…

Meanwhile, Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) the second-in-command discovered that something was not right about the message that brought them there.

Ripley: Ash, that transmission… Mother’s deciphered part of it. It doesn’t look like an S.O.S.

Ash: What is it, then?

Ripley: Well, I… it looks like a warning. I’m gonna go out after them.

Ash: What’s the point? I mean by the-the time it takes to get there, you’ll… they’ll know if it’s a warning or not, yes?

Back on the planet, Kane gets separated from the rest of the group and finds a room full of something, he doesn’t know what. A hot room full of these pod like things.

One of them breaks open and Kane is attacked by what we later refer to as a facehugger.

Dallas and Lambert rush him quickly back to the ship, but Ripley does not want to let them in. Policy is that when a group is exposed to something, they are not allowed in for 24 hours in case they might infect the rest of the crew or damage the ship.

Everyone is angry with her and demanding her to open the ship, but she refuses. She refuses even though her boyfriend, Captain Dallas, is one of those outside and she was good friends with Kane. She is taking no chances, no matter what the pressure.

But the doors end up sliding open, and the three rush inside.

Help me! I’m confused!

Yes, it turns out that the new addition to their team- Science Officer Ash (Ian Holm [Bilbo Baggins to you LOtR fans]) has overridden her.

Ripley is furious, and instead of defending her-Dallas sides with Ash.

Ripley: Did you ever ship out with Ash before?

Dallas: I went out five times with another science officer. They replaced him two days before we left Thedus with Ash. Hm?

Ripley: I don’t trust him.

Dallas: Well, I don’t trust anybody.

Dallas and Ash them start investigating what the thing is and how they can help Kane.

Later the creature detaches itself and is found dead.

Strange…

Kane also wakes up and is perfectly fine!

I know, right?

Some strange alien creature stuck to his face, but no big deal he wakes up with just a little memory loss?

[Kane wakes up from his comatose state]

Parker: How ya doin’?

Kane: Terrific. Next silly question? [they laugh, Ash hands him a cup of water]Oh, thank you.

Dallas: You remember anything about the planet?

[Kane shakes his head]

Ripley: What’s the last thing you do remember? Huh?

Kane: I remember some… horrible dream about… smothering? I don’t know… Anyway, where are we?

Dallas: We’re right here.

Ripley: We’re on our way home!

Brett: Yeah, back to the ole freezerinos. Ahaha.

I always thought it was weird how this creature like attached itself on him like a leech but everyone was like no big deal.

I feel like I would think lets do some tests and make sure he doesn’t have something in his bloodstream or you know.

Hmm…

Anyways, business as normal. Everyone tries to get ready to return home-stopping for dinner.

Yes, one of the best scenes in the film. So terrifyingly great. And all the expressions were real. Ridley Scott told the crew barely anything because he wanted to be sure that when they saw what happened they were really surprised. And boy were they and everyone else.

And of course a scene like that is parodied and referenced so many times. Everything from Spaceballs to Shrek 2.

Wow

Anyways, now the crew has a giant problem. Here is a creature they know nothing about running around their ship, who has acid blood, and wants to kill them all. Quickly this turns to a vein of And Then There Were None/Ten Little Indians. Something is hunting them-picking them off one by one. But who will it strike next and when?

And to make things even worse-The alien-Xenomorph XX121-has grown to be bigger than any crew member.

And to make them even more worse-someone on the crew has betrays the others by wanting this to happen. Yes-one of the crew members purposely strove to find this creature and knew this destruction would occur.

This is a great film-and horror/mystery. And something else I love is the lighting, angles, set design and pacing of the film. They all work fantastically well to build suspense and tell the story.

To start Horrorfest VI from the beginning, go to One of Our Guests is a Werewolf, I Know It.: The Beast Must Die (1974)

For the previous post, go to Is She Mrs. X?: So I Married an Axe Murderer (1993)

For more on the Alien series, go to The Enemy of My Enemy is My Friend: Alien Vs. Predator (2004)

For more alien films, go to They’re Here Already! You’re Next!: Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)

For more films that spanned tons of sequels, go to You’re Gonna Need a Bigger Boat: Jaws (1975) 

I Want Friend Like Me: The Bride of Frankenstein (1935)

“You, make man… like me? No. Woman… friend for you.  Woman… Friend… Wife.”

So this is the sequel to Frankenstein  and I think a much better film.

Yes Mickey you were right

I know I say I don’t like sequels as much as the original, but there are always a few that I think are better.

So this movie almost wasn’t created as director James Whale originally did not want to do a sequel to Frankenstein. Universal considered producing a sequel without Whale’s involvement, but after 4 years of constant badgering, Whale agreed to do the film. And I’m so happy he did, or else we would be without this wonderful masterpiece.

To be honest, this isn’t a true “sequel.” It actually is the second half of the the book Frankenstein, instead of an individual and separate story.

The reason I like this better than the first one is that Frankenstein is creepier, as he is demanding and using his strength and stature to frighten others.

You also have a creepier Henry, as he is fighting with himself on whether or not to create more monsters. We see that he doesn’t wish to populate the world with these creatures-but at the same time he is lured by the thrill of creating more, and showing off his genius.

Henry Frankenstein: Crazy, am I? We’ll see whether I’m crazy or not.

But I’m getting ahead of myself.

So the film starts off  a little different from the other one. Here we have Elsa Lanchester portraying Mary Shelley and telling the next chapter of the story at a party.

Let me tell you a story

The next chapter picks up exactly where the other film ended.

Grab your torches and sharpen your pitchforks!

The villagers had driven the monster to the windmill and believed they killed him. They take Henry back home where he is nursed to health by his fiancé Elizabeth.

However, we see that the creature has not been killed. He escaped the fire by getting into the water under the mill. He kills some people as he escapes into the wilderness.

Meanwhile, Henry’s old mentor,  Doctor Septimus Pretorius, comes to visit him. He brings along his creations to show Henry. Dr. Pretorius had created miniature people: a miniature queen, king, archbishop, devil, ballerina and mermaid. While Henry had vowed to never create another monster again, seeing these creatures spikes his interest.

Meanwhile, the monster has run off into the woods and has tried to find a place to belong. He attempts to befriend a shepherdess and a group of gypsies, but both reject him.

He finally runs into a hermit and has a tender scene with the two becoming “fast friends”.

I love this scene and sometimes say things like “Friend good, such and such bad”, etc in my daily life! 😀 It’s a pretty touching scene. After all:

But even this does not last forever as searchers looking for the monster, come upon the two and chase the creature away. He eventually comes upon Dr. Pretorius who promises him “friendship” and that he will create a mate for him.

“The Monster: You, make man… like me?
Dr. Pretorius: No. Woman… friend for you
The Monster: Woman… Friend… Wife…”

Dr. Pretorius approaches the newly married Frankensteins and tries to get Henry to help him create a mate for the monster. Henry, having once again realized the horror of his past creation, in no way will ever create another creature. That’s all fine and good, but Dr. Pretorius doesn’t agree. He wants a mate and is determined to force Henry to create one. He gets the creature to kidnap Elizabeth, her being the exact leverage to force Henry to create another monster.

The Monster: I *love* dead… hate living.

Henry seeing that he has no alternative, prepares to create a women from the dead. We see as Henry struggles with his morals, creating a better tension than in the first film. As I stated earlier, he doesn’t want to create another creature as he knows the horrors the other committed along with the fact that the two might mate and reproduce, populating the world with living dead.

But Henry is excited at the same time. Once again he can use his theories and science to create. He will be able to say he “created” life, not once but twice! This is hard for him to turn away from.

Of course nothing goes perfectly according to plan. Henry creates the woman, but can he control it?

Elsa Lanchaster is amazing! I love the way she turns about, almost birdlike. She actually based her performance on swans; saying that, “they’re really very nasty creatures”. She was only 5’4″ but for the role they placed her on stilts so she was  7′ tall. The bandages were placed so tightly on her that she was unable to move and had to be carried about the studio, much like Olivia Newton-John in Grease. Her hair and outfit are amazing, and now such a classic figure in horror film history, just like her predecessor the Monster. Her amazing ‘do was held in place by a wired horsehair cage.

They introduce her to her “mate”, but when has any woman liked it when people pick out their mates?

The monster is furious at this rejection and destroys the lab killing all who are in it. The only people who escape are Elizabeth and Henry. Frankenstein realized what they had and allowed them to leave unharmed.

“The Monster: [Speaking to Frankenstein and Elizabeth] Go you live… [turning to Dr.Pretorius] You stay we belong dead.”

It’s a great movie. I highly recommend it to anyone into the classic horror films.

That’s todays fearsome post! More to come! Only 7 days left ’till Halloween! Who’s excited?

Here’s poster I made for my cover page on facebook in honor of Halloween. Hope ya love it.

To start Horrorfest from the beginning, go to I Don’t Belong in the World

For the previous post, go to Someone Very Special

For more on the Bride of Frankenstein, go to A Monster Race

For more on Frankenstein, go to It’s Alive, It’s ALIVE!

For more classic horror films, go to I Bid You Welcome

For more monster movies, go to Grimwood Ghouls’ Gym Teacher

For more films based on books, go to Quite a Horror Story

For more sequels, go to Just Follow the Screams

For more on Frank Peretti, go to Part IX: Adventures in Movie Lines

For more of my fav quotes, go to I’m No Warrior, I’m an Assistant Pig-Keeper

Someone Very Special: The Addam’s Family Values (1993)

You’ll meet someone. Someone very special. Someone who won’t press charges.

I love this movie soooooo, soooo, soooooo, sooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much!!!!

I have to watch it every October (and really any other time of the year). I  have loved this movie since I was a kid as it is so hilarious and the dialogue is truly amazing.

I really don’t know where to start with this post as I love every part of this film. To be honest, you just need to watch it! It is that good. This is one of the few times where the sequel far surpasses the original.

Yes you heard me. The sequel was better.

Yes Mickey you were right (For once)

I just love Morticia and Gomez, they are an amazing couple.

So yeah…

The story is that Morticia and Gomez have had a new baby; which Wednesday and Pugsly hate and are trying to destroy. Morticia and Gomez attempt to hire a nanny because Morticia would like some time to herself; and as said before the other children cannot be trusted with the new addition.

“Morticia: [to Gomez] I’m just like any modern woman trying to have it all. Loving husband, a family. It’s just, I wish I had more time to seek out the dark forces and join their hellish crusade.”

After going through a slew of prospects, they finally hire Debbie Jellinsky, played by the amazing Joan Cusack. Debbie seems really nice at first, but we find out that she is trying to get close to Uncle Fester, marry him, kill him, and steal all his money. In fact we find out that Debbie is no ordinary gold-digger, but a full on serial killer.

And Murder?

Wednesday and Pugsly discover her true intentions, so Debbie has them sent off to a summer camp which is hilarious. This has some of the best scenes in the film as the kids wreak true Addams’ family havoc.

Debbie tries to complete her plot, but it takes a lot to kill an Addamses! Just watch the film! You’ll love it!

**** Contains Spoilers ****

So one of my favorite parts, is the play that they put on at the summer camp. In the film the camp counselors have broken Wednesday and Pugsly’s spirits, forcing them to watch happy films which causes them to become perky. They and the other “losers” of the camp

are playing the Native Americans in a Thanksgiving play that one of the counselors wrote. But nothing ever goes as planned when an Addams is involved!

Wednesday is AWESOME! I love her. Christina Ricci did an amazing job at being her. I couldn’t imagine a better person.

My other most absolute favorite part is when we get to hear Debbie’s backstory, and why she turned to a life of murder and thievery.

I LOVE this part so much! I have the whole thing memorized and love to recite it!

That’s today’s terrifying post! More to come! 8 Days ‘Till Halloween!

Here’s a cover page/poster I made for my facebook page as part of my countdown to Halloween last year.

To start Horrorfest from the beginning, go to I Don’t Belong in the World

To go to the previous post, go to I Can Be Your Best Friend Or Your Worst Enemy

For more sequels, go to I Want Friend Like Me

For more on serial killers, go to Halloween

For more on summer camp, go to Camp Blood