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0|0|0|||1||Alien Re-Release|JeanneHedge||20:02:09|11/01/2003|I just got back from seeing the re-release of 1979%27s %5Bi%5D%5Bb%5DAlien%5B%2Fb%5D%5B%2Fi%5D.  It%27s nice to see this old friend%2C rightly seen as a classic of the science fiction and horror film genres%2C back on the big screen after 24 years.  I still remember seeing this movie for the first time%2C in my local theater back in 1979%2C spending half the movie with my feet up in my seat and my hands over my eyes%2C watching while peeking through my fingers.%0D%0A%0D%0AThis is a Director%27s Cut version.  Ridley Scott reportedly trimmed some scenes%3A a couple seconds here%2C a couple seconds there%2C mainly from things like those long establishing shots of abandoned corridors and the like. Three minutes of material not in the original release were supposedly added. Of course%2C this material was available as extras in some of the LD and DVD versions of %5Bi%5DAlien%5B%2Fi%5D so it%27s not entirely new%2C but I thought it was mostly nice to see it in its proper place in the film %28more on this below%29.%0D%0A%0D%0AThere%27s obviously been film restoration done on the movie%2C because I don%27t think it%27s possible for a 24 year old film to look this good without someone doing some clean-up work on it. It sounds great too%21 IIRC%2C the music track was re-recorded. %0D%0A%0D%0AWhatever was done%2C I think it holds up quite well. I wonder what people who are used to movies that are at a fast pace from the beginning think of one that takes its time building to a climax. Not to mention people used to loads of CGI instead of no CGI and lots of model work.%0D%0A%0D%0AI found two things in this movie experience kind of funny - people in my theater still thought Ripley was nuts to go after the cat%2C and all these well known actors look so %5Bi%5Dyoung%21%5B%2Fi%5D %28well%2C relatively speaking... I think the men were all in their 40s and 50s at the time the movie was made%3B Veronica Cartwright and Signourney Weaver %28her first major role%29 were both around 30%29%0D%0A%0D%0A%0D%0A%0D%0A%0D%0A%5Bb%5DNEW FOOTAGE SPOILERS%5B%2Fb%5D%0D%0A.%0D%0A.%0D%0A.%0D%0A.%0D%0A.%0D%0A.%0D%0A%0D%0AThe bulk of the new material was in 2 scenes. The first was a short scene after Kane is returned to the ship%3A Lambert physically attacks Ripley in the corridor outside sickbay because Ripley wanted to enforce quaranteen regulations. The guys had to drag them apart.  I thought this scene fit quite well with the rest of the movie and didn%27t detract at all.%0D%0A%0D%0AThe other scene was the infamous one where Ripley finds out what happened to Dallas and Brett. In the original version of the movie%2C Ripley starts the self-destruct then makes a mad dash back to the shuttle. In this version%2C Ripley starts the self-destruct%2C makes a detour to some unknown and dark location in the ship%2C finds Dallas and Brett and deals with their situation%2C then resumes her dash to the shuttle. I thought the inclusion of this scene was a bad choice. Yes%2C it was a famous scene in the outtakes%2C but having it actually in the movie destroyed the constantly increasing tension. It felt like the brakes had been put on the roller coaster and added nothing much to the movie%2C IMO.%0D%0A%0D%0AThese two scenes didn%27t nearly add up to 3 minutes worth of screen time. If there really was 3 minutes added%2C I didn%27t notice the rest of it.%0D%0A.%0D%0A.%0D%0A.%0D%0A.%0D%0A.%0D%0A%0D%0A%5Bb%5DEND OF NEW FOOTAGE SPOILERS%5B%2Fb%5D%0D%0A%0D%0A%0D%0A%0D%0A%0D%0A%0D%0AStill%2C with that one quibble%2C I highly recommend this movie. It%27s great to see it again in a dark theater on the big screen. No feet in my chair this time%2C but I did close my eyes a couple times %5E_%5E%0D%0A%0D%0A%0D%0A%0D%0A%0D%0ARegards%2C%0D%0AJeanne%0D%0A%0D%0A%5Blink%3Awww.jhedge.com%7Chttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.jhedge.com%5D%0D%0AComics%2FAnime Forum%3A %5Blink%3Ago.compuserve.com%2FComic%7Chttp%3A%2F%2Fgo.compuserve.com%2FComic%5D