We have to start this one.

I loved Alien -- everything about it

Sigourney weaver-- yeah sexy and bad-ass -- one of the first to pull that off

The tag:  In space no one can hear you scream

The creature itself -- one of the best, most original, terrifying creations to hit the screen

the suspense -- need I say more

the fact that it uses us to incubate it's young

it has acid for blood -- how cool is that

but

I actually liked Aliens better

Just the whole bad-ass space marines vs a bunch of these aliens had us all drooling before it came out and then it delivered.

Alot of action, but also plenty of suspense such as Newt is missing and "They're all around us man" by Paxton

Sigourney weaver again -- even more pissed off than before

A Queen Alien

A Queen alien battling a robot forklift

vasquez -- almost as badass as weaver

bunches and bunches of aliens

oh and we get to hate on Paul Reiser.

I pretty much agree with everything you said. Alien was more of a claustrophobic horror movie, while Aliens was more of a kickass action movie. Alien 3, while underrated, isn't nearly as good as the first two. Resurrection is a mess, but it's still worthwhile.

While I wholeheartedly agree with most of the above, I have to chime in here because the Alien "trilogy" is very close to my heart. You'll be able to tell where Im going by the fact I called it a trilogy :)

Alien, Aliens and Alien3 are 3 of the best horror films, (scratch that, just films in general) of all time. I think they all stand alone with their merits and have given up trying to rank them, they are very different from each other, and so I just love all 3 for different reasons.

Please tell me you've seen the "definitive cut" of Alien3, coz if you havent, you havent really seen the movie. The studio butchered David Fincher's vision and the theatrical cut was atrocious, that's why it tanked at the box office and wasnt critically or universally acclaimed, IMO. Alien3 returns to that dark, claustrophobic, "one horrible beast hunting people one by one" atmosphere that made Alien so scary.

IMO Resurrection was forgettable fare to say the least and I dont consider it a part of the Alien canon.

This is a very interesting topic that I have debated folks on numerous time... including our own Zombie Master...

I agree that this is a trilogy and represents the very best in horror and action film making. I love them and watch them over and over and over. Alien started it all with originality, Sigourney and face-plants. Just awesome... but...

I think that, to further the series, Aliens HAD to have more action, more tough personalities and more aliens to work. I have heard from some that Aliens strayed from the roots too much, became too much action/adventure etc... and while it is true that there was much more in these areas, again I think that that is what had to happen and the fact that it did really progressed the whole thing in the perfect way. It was genious, really... because if it had been more of the same we may not be talking in terms of trilogy right now.

About Resurection... I actually enjoy that flick but I don't consider it part of "the trilogy" at all... just another story with aliens in it. Fact is, as long is Sigourney is in a movie it's gonna get at least 3 stars from me... just how it is.

Oh, and Bill Paxton... man, he was just so absolutely perfect in that role it's scary. I could go on and on...

Aliens was my favourite movie for years, I seriously watched it a couple of times a week for ages. I was amazed watching it back just last year after purchasing the swanky be-all-and-end-all special edition just how effective it still was despite having seen it probably 80 or 100 times when I was younger. I was on the edge of my seat, especially in the "aliens swarming through the roof cavity" bit, and in awe of James Cameron's movie making expertise, that movie is practically faultless. And Bill Paxton is at his manic best in it "Why don't you put her in charge!"

Although I wasnt offended like a lot of fans that Hicks was killed off in part 3 (I completely understood the writer's reasons for doing so, elaborated on in the Alien3 DVD commentary) Hicks remains, to this day, one of my favourite characters in any movie, ever. When I first saw Aliens as a kid, I wanted to BE Hicks. Michael Biehn is an underrated, woefully under-used, and massively talented actor.

Cool, another Michael Biehn fan! I'm one of those guys that didn't like the fact that he was killed off. Before production of Alien3 began, Sigourney said that she didn't want to do it, so they were going to kill her off and make Hicks and Bishop the main characters. I'm sure it would have been interesting. Anyways, back to Michael Biehn. It's a shame that he didn't become a superstar. I thought he was great in Terminator, Aliens, The Abyss, The Rock, etc. It was cool to see him in Grindhouse after dropping off the map for so long. Hopefully he will get some more notable work in the future. Here's a bit of trivia: James Cameron was planning on making the first Spiderman film in the early 90's and Biehn was going to play the title character! That would have been cool.....

And now I have to ask:

What about Alien Vs Predator?

I didn't like the first one -- I felt let down because there was so much more that could have been done with the premise of Aliens Vs Predator.

I saw Requiem not long ago and enjoyed it much more.  But I still can't help but feel that the Aliens have been turned into something less powerful and frightening by this whole Alien Vs Predator thing.  I feel like the whole Alien brand has been diluted and nuetered by it. 

What do you guys/gals think?

Yeah that speech in Terminator "he can't be bargained with....he cant be reasoned with...he doesnt feel pity, or remorse, or fear...and he absolutely will not stop...ever, until you are DEAD!" still gives me chills. From what I can tell he was very picky with his roles to avoid being typecast, and his career suffered a little because of that, also a very devoted family man apparently (these are not criticisms at all, mind you) and would rather be happy with his roles than take whatever was thrown his way. I agree it's nice to see him back in Grindhouse. He's also good in a William Friedkin horror, "Rampage", from the 80's. And I even liked him in Navy SEALS...lol

Back on the subject, Alien is by far the better movie, imo. Aliens is great up to a point, that point being the silly Godzilla vs. Mechadon fight between Ripley and the Queen Bitch. But even without that fight, Alien is a better movie. I hate to pull out the "A" word, but I consider Alien to be art, whereas Aliens is just a great (and I mean it, great) popcorn muncher.

.

Aliens had Paul Reiser, though, in a performance that becomes greater each time I watch it. I've always hated Paul Reiser, and the reason is because I can't see him without seeing Burke, Carter J. I just can't accept him as a comedian. I don't believe him. In my mind, he's always hiding a knife behind his back, that two-faced, slimy sack of biological filth..."It was a bad call, Ripley. A bad call..."

Cameron is the master of the sequel. Aliens (apart from the Exorcist II *joke*) is my favourite sequel ever. I have always tried to like Alien more, I put a lot of emphasis on the original idea, but unfortunately I can't. Having watched them all too many times, I can't go past the fact that Aliens has everything I love in a movie. Great Horror, Awesome SFX, Heaps of Blood and gooey bits, scary as hell monsters, big guns, foul language and indescriminate violent deaths, not to mention a cut in half android, face suckers on the loose, awesome dialogue and more aliens than you could nuke from orbit. I also have a soft spot for Alien 3. To me it's one of the most heartbreaking stories ever. Ripley's daughter dies, so she bonds with newt, taking over that motherly role. At the end of Aliens we assume she will raise newt and she has filled the hole that her daughter's death left. Fast forward to Alien 3, newt is dead and Ripley discovers she is gonna be a mother again. TO A FREAKIN ALIEN QUEEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. Oh the humanity. And rather than deal with all the shit she is about to unleash into the world, she plummets to a firey death. It's the feelgood hit of the summer.

Anyway I'm rambling. In short. Aliens is the best, followed by the original, but don't knock Fincher's work, it too has some merit.

 Yeah me too, I never got over Burke. I freaked out an ex once when she flicked on Mad About You and I go "holy shit, it's Burke...i say we grease this rat-fuck son of a bitch RIGHT NOW!" and she just stared blankly at me....needless to say that relationship didnt last all that long :)

Confession: I've never seen any of the Alien movies.

I'm going to be shunned now, aren't I?

Why would you be shunned?  I only saw Alien this or last year.  haven't seen any of the others.

Molly--please--before you watch anything else--watch alien and aliens--better than great horror movies.  In my opinion, the best sci-fi horror ever made (the thing and Invasion of body snatchers are great but not quite there).  You said you wanted to see great horror that you hadn't--if you have not seen these, they are probably the best you have not seen.

Cryp--watch aliens. now. please.

Not seeing these movies is leaving a hole in your horror watching library almost as big as not having seen The Shining or the Exorcist or Halloween or NOTLD.  They are that caliber of film.  Especially watch the first one in the dark.

They don't quite crack my top 5 horror movies but both are in my top ten--what other movie and sequel can do that.  Aliens may be the best sequel ever filmed in any genre.  Easily up there with Empire strikes back and Godfather II.

I haven't seen that version of 3 yet-- i will have to check it out.  I've never thought that 3 was bad at all-- I actually like it--some very intense moments and the whole convict culture was pretty cool and how a woman in the mix can stir it up almost as much as an alien.

Definitely check out that version. I think it's called something besides "director's cut" because it was actually not re-cut by Fincher (he was so pissed at the studio for wrestling final edit away from him in the first place he disowned it altogether) but apparently this final version has "his blessing". In any case it's a damn sight better than the theatrical cut (which i loved anyway) it has a totally different "feel" to it, and the characters are fleshed out a lot more. Suffice it to say if you enjoyed the theatrical cut, you'll enjoy this newer cut more.

the first aliens was prity good but AVP was much better i thought i was disapointed in AVPR thay could have done somuch better on the second one

Definitely gonna have to see this then. A3 was one of those movies I could just feel the potential in, yet it ultimately fell short of where I thought it should be. Maybe the "definitive version" finally gets it there.

I don't know if I can ever forgive A3 for Ripley's long, cinematic dive into the molten whatever-it-was, though. Just too overdone. Ripley's not a Christ-like figure. She's just a chick--sort of an honorary space Marine--and she should have died a space Marine's death: fast, violent and ugly.

Ripley's dive into the molten lead is changed a bit in this final version. Not much, but I think it's better. I always thought that was a little hokey too, but the other additions to the film more than make up for that shortcoming.