Alien Anthology (1979 – 1997/Fox Blu-ray Set)
Picture:
B (Alien: B+) Sound: B+ (Resurrection: B) Extras:
A Films:
Each link
covering the film from the Alien
Quadrilogy is after the title, followed by my updated coverage in how the
Blu-ray versions performed. Refer to the
older reviews for basic information on all the films and their technical
aspects, including DVD performance.
Alien (1979) A
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/670/Alien+(DTS+DVD+set)
When the
film was restored for DVD on the Quadrilogy,
I felt it was one of the best commercial wide-release DVD transfers I had ever
seen and to some extent, I still feel that way. The image held up as compared
to the best Criterion and import DVDs in the PAL format we have covered since,
but there are some aspects that have aged after seeing so much High Definition
quality images on Blu-ray and the now-defunct HD-DVD format. The two 1080p 2.35 X 1 AVC @ 25 MBPS digital
high definition transfers for the two cuts here are an improvement over the
previous DVD editions, but with a few unexpected limits, yet also some great
demo shots throughout. They include some
motion blur, some new grain and minor detail issues a DVD would gloss over and
some points where the whites are not as ivory and blacks as jet as they should
be. There also seems to be slivers of
the image missing from the scope frame on the sides, but the plusses outdo the
minuses for the most part.
The DTS-HD
MA (Master Audio) 5.1 lossless mixes on both are slightly different, but are
still very impressive for their age. The
standard DTS on the Quadrilogy DVD
still sound great, but this mix has a little more range, warmth and detail, yet
also shows flaws and limits from the older audio. However, they are great sound mixes that have
aged very well and will impress and shock those less familiar with the film
than big fans like yours truly.
Aliens (1986) A-
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/671/Aliens+(remastered+DVD-Video+set)
The big
news here is that Director James Cameron decided to go back and clean up every
frame of this film because he was unhappy with the grain content of the film
stocks used at the time. It was a stock
about to be discontinued and they used this stock due to their low budget. The result is cleaner, clearer scenes with
more detail, nuance and contrast, but this comes with a price and a few
problems. The two 1080p 1.85 X 1 AVC @
26 MBPS digital high definition transfers suddenly increase the color blue more
than expected and changes the whole color spectrum of the film, making it a
whole new film. By removing the grain
and some of the character (especially the muddy look that added suspense), the
Horror genre aspect of the film has been lost too much (I hope Cameron was not
trying to compete with Verhoeven’s Starship
Troopers (1997) by doing this) and it becomes more like watching The Abyss, more of a Science Fiction
film and almost puts the film in an alternate universe of some sort. The good news is that is a refreshing
alternative for fans who have seen the film over and over again. The bad news is that the older, muddier
edition will have to get the Quadrilogy
DVD to enjoy the film as it has been seen (give or take good 35mm and 16mm
prints) for 24 years, though they all only had Dolby Digital 5.1 mixes.
The
DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 5.1 lossless mixes on both cuts is a big improvement from
the previous editions and though there are sonic limits, these mixes are the
best the film has likely sounded since the 70mm Dolby magnetic 4.1 blow-ups
were issued back in 1986, though the age of some audio elements are apparent. Diehard fans know DTS DVDs were issued
overseas of the film, but they were reportedly not too impressive. I still would have liked to experience these
mixes with the muddier, older transfers, but then you could try syncing the
Blu-ray DTS with the respective Quadrilogy
DVD cut if you want to see how that works.
Alien 3 (1992) B
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/672/Alien+3+(Expanded+Work+Cut+DVD-Vi
It is
amazing how well this film has not only aged, but appreciated in value
(especially in its longer version) and importance in both the franchise and the
genre overall, even though David Fincher took it over at the last minute. The two 1080p 2.35 X 1 AVC @ 20 MBPS digital
high definition transfers may hold the same rating as their DVD counterparts,
but they are noticeably better narrowly, but enough to note as such, even if it
is not enough to give it a higher letter grade.
Some of the footage added to the longer version is only so good to begin
with, so you can understand why it would be the same HD master as the older
DVD. The final footage could look better
at times, but there are some good demo shots and this was shot to look big,
great and to last. The DTS-HD MA (Master
Audio) 5.1 lossless mixes on both cuts sound good (save the damaged, limited
audio in the longer version which they did try to fix and re-loop, but that can
only do so much) offering detail and depth the Dolby Digital 5.1 mixes on the
DVD missed, but some problems and limits from the soundmaster used for that DVD
are here on the Blu-ray. The biggest
issue remains the flourish of music in the opening when the when the EEV unit
flies by the Fiorina 161 prison colony planet heading for a hard landing
there. There is a peak of the music early on by Elliott Goldenthal before
the planet is identified and that is again lost to other sounds and music when
it originally was not. Otherwise, it is
the best sounding of the four films here.
Alien Resurrection (1997) B
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/673/Alien+Resurrection+(DTS+DVD-Video+s
The film
that many feel killed the franchise on some level, Sigourney Weaver recently noted
that on one wanted to see the title creature(s) on earth and the Predator cross-over films (see below)
have played that out all the way. The
two 1080p 2.35 X 1 AVC @ 30 MBPS digital high definition transfers are unusual
in that it had prints issued in a silver retention format (Deluxe Labs’
CCE/Color Contrast Enhancement) to make it look extra dark and odd, so the
print is going to look somewhat desaturated and dark, so there was no need to
upgrade the HD master since it is supposed to look unusual, as the silver
darkens the edges and overall image. The
Video Black handles this better on the Blu-ray than the DVD, but a slight
naturalness is not here, yet this is much better than the tired, played out,
digital equivalent where the color is simply gutted mindlessly and
digitally. I can’t imagine a brand new
pricey transfer looking much better, but since we first posted this review
before this set streeted, Director Jean-Pierre Jeunet disowned these transfers. Now I am curious to see what he would have
done to make them better and what changes he would have made. Hopefully, it would extend to fixing the
sound. The DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 5.1
lossless mixes on both cuts of the film disappoint, with the sound too much
towards the front channels and dialogue sounding lower than it should. The Quadrilogy
DVD had DTS and it sounds like they took the older DTS and just tried to trade
it up to lossless. The result is messing
up the soundfield and introducing compression and audio imbalance not on the
DTS DVD, though the old DTS DVD mix had its problems (though it was impressive
for its time otherwise) and it might just be problems Jeunet may have allowed
to slip by him, so some of this might be beyond fixing. The lossless DTS-MA simply shows more flaws,
even when it is itself problematic. The
sound is a draw versus the DTS DVD, but image is slightly better than that DVD,
so this barely surpasses its lower-definition predecessor.
Extras
include repeating the previous extras from all the individual films in their
home video form, plus all the extras from the bonus DVD from the Alien Quadrilogy, which you can read
more about at this link:
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/674/Alien+Quadrilogy+(DVD-Video+Bonus+D
The
extras brand new to this set include everything from the Quadrilogy (you can refer to each link above for the respective
film to see what extras from that set are repeated in this one).older DVD editions,
the old 12” LaserDisc editions and new items in one of the most elaborate
releases in home video history. Here is
the extensive listing derived from the press release, which has to be one of
the most extensive in home video history…
Blu-ray
One: ALIEN
* 1979 Theatrical Version
* 2003 Director’s Cut with Ridley Scott
Introduction
* Audio Commentary by Director Ridley Scott,
Writer Dan O’Bannon, Executive Producer Ronald Shusett, Editor Terry Rawlings,
Actors Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, Veronica Cartwright, Harry Dean Stanton
and John Hurt
* Audio Commentary (for Theatrical Cut only)
by Ridley Scott
* Final Theatrical Isolated Score by Jerry
Goldsmith (Dolby Digital 5.1 only)
* Composer’s Original Isolated Score by
Jerry Goldsmith (Dolby Digital 5.1 only)
* Deleted and Extended Scenes
* MU-TH-UR Mode Interactive Experience with
Weyland-Yutani Datastream
Blu-ray
Two: ALIENS
* 1986 Theatrical Version
* 1991 Special Edition with James Cameron
Introduction
* Audio Commentary by Director James
Cameron, Producer Gale Anne Hurd, Alien Effects Creator Stan Winston, Visual
Effects Supervisors Robert Skotak and Dennis Skotak, Miniature Effects
Supervisor Pat McClung, Actors Michael Biehn, Bill Paxton, Lance Henriksen,
Jenette Goldstein, Carrie Henn and Christopher Henn
* Final Theatrical Isolated Score by James
Horner
* Composer’s Original Isolated Score by
James Horner
* Deleted and Extended Scenes
* MU-TH-UR Mode Interactive Experience with
Weyland-Yutani Datastream
Blu-ray
Three: ALIEN 3
* 1992 Theatrical Version
* 2003 Special Edition (Restored Workprint
Version)
* Audio Commentary by Cinematographer Alex
Thomson, B.S.C., Editor Terry Rawlings, Alien Effects Designers Alec Gillis and
Tom Woodruff, Jr., Visual Effects Producer Richard Edlund, A.S.C., Actors Paul McGann
and Lance Henriksen
* Final Theatrical Isolated Score by Elliot
Goldenthal
* Deleted and Extended Scenes
* MU-TH-UR Mode Interactive Experience with
Weyland-Yutani Datastream
Blu-ray
Four: ALIEN RESURRECTION
* 1997 Theatrical Version
* 2003 Special Edition with Jean-Pierre
Jeunet Introduction
* Audio Commentary by Director Jean-Pierre
Jeunet, Editor Hervé Schneid, A.C.E., Alien Effects Creators Alec Gillis and
Tom Woodruff, Jr., Visual Effects Supervisor Pitof, Conceptual Artist Sylvain Despretz,
Actors Ron Perlman, Dominique Pinon and Leland Orser
* Final Theatrical Isolated Score by John
Frizzell
* Deleted and Extended Scenes
* MU-TH-UR Mode Interactive Experience with
Weyland-Yutani Datastream
Blu-ray
Five: MAKING THE ANTHOLOGY - the 12+ hours of content include…
The Beast
Within: Making ALIEN
o Star Beast: Developing the Story
o The Visualists: Direction and Design
o Truckers in Space: Casting
o Fear of the Unknown: Shepperton
Studios, 1978
o The Darkest Reaches: Nostromo and
Alien Planet
o The Eighth Passenger: Creature
Design
o Future Tense: Editing and Music
o Outward Bound: Visual Effects
o A Nightmare Fulfilled: Reaction to
the Film
* Enhancement Pods
Superior
Firepower: Making ALIENS
o 57 Years Later: Continuing the Story
o Building Better Worlds: From Concept
to Construction
o Preparing for Battle: Casting and Characterization
o This Time It’s War: Pinewood
Studios, 1985
o The Risk Always Lives: Weapons and
Action
o Bug Hunt: Creature Design
o Beauty and the Bitch: Power Loader
vs. Queen Alien
o Two Orphans: Sigourney Weaver and
Carrie Henn
o The Final Countdown: Music, Editing
and Sound
o The Power of Real Tech: Visual
Effects
o Aliens Unleashed: Reaction to the
Film
* Enhancement Pods
Wreckage
and Rage: Making ALIEN 3
o Development Hell: Concluding the
Story
o Tales of the Wooden Planet: Vincent
Ward’s Vision
o Stasis Interrupted: David Fincher’s
Vision
o Xeno-Erotic: H.R. Giger’s Redesign
o The Color of Blood: Pinewood
Studios, 1991
o Adaptive Organism: Creature Design
o The Downward Spiral: Creative
Differences
o Where the Sun Burns Cold: Fox
Studios, L.A.
1992
o Optical Fury: Visual Effects
o Requiem for a Scream: Music, Editing
and Sound
o Post-Mortem: Reaction to the Film
* Enhancement Pods
One Step
Beyond: Making ALIEN RESURRECTION
o From the Ashes: Reviving the Story
o French Twist: Direction and Design
o Under the Skin: Casting and
Characterization
o Death from Below: Fox Studios, Los Angeles, 1996
o In the Zone: The Basketball Scene
o Unnatural Mutation: Creature Design
o Genetic Composition: Music
o Virtual Aliens: Computer Generated
Imagery
o A Matter of Scale: Miniature
Photography
o Critical Juncture: Reaction to the
Film
* Enhancement Pods
* MU-TH-UR Mode Interactive Experience to
Access and Control Enhancement Pods
Blu-ray
Six: THE
ANTHOLOGY ARCHIVES
ALIEN
* Pre-Production
o First Draft Screenplay by Dan
O’Bannon
o Ridleygrams: Original Thumbnails and
Notes
o Storyboard Archive
o The Art of Alien: Conceptual Art
Portfolio
o Sigourney Weaver Screen Tests with
Select Director Commentary
o Cast Portrait Gallery
* Production
o The Chestbuster: Multi-Angle
Sequence with Commentary
o Video Graphics Gallery
o Production Image Galleries
o Continuity Polaroids
o The Sets of Alien
o H.R. Giger’s Workshop Gallery
* Post-Production and Aftermath
o Additional Deleted Scenes
o Image & Poster Galleries
* Experience in Terror
* Special Collector’s Edition LaserDisc
Archive
* The Alien Legacy
* American Cinematheque: Ridley Scott
Q&A
* Trailers & TV Spots
ALIENS
* Pre-Production
o Original Treatment by James Cameron
o Pre-Visualizations: Multi-Angle
Videomatics with Commentary
o Storyboard Archive
o The Art of Aliens: Image Galleries
o Cast Portrait Gallery
* Production
o Production Image Galleries
o Continuity Polaroids
o Weapons and Vehicles
o Stan Winston’s Workshop
o Colonial Marine Helmet Cameras
o Video Graphics Gallery
o Weyland-Yutani Inquest: Nostromo
Dossiers
* Post-Production and Aftermath
o Deleted Scene: Burke Cocooned
o Deleted Scene Montage
o Image Galleries
o Special Collector’s Edition
LaserDisc Archive
o Main Title Exploration
o Aliens: Ride at the Speed of Fright
o Trailers & TV Spots
ALIEN 3
* Pre-Production
o Storyboard Archive
o The Art of Arceon
o The Art of Fiorina
* Production
o Furnace Construction: Time-Lapse
Sequence
o EEV Bioscan: Multi-Angle Vignette
with Commentary
o Production Image Galleries
o A.D.I.’s Workshop
* Post-Production and Aftermath
o Visual Effects Gallery
o Special Shoot: Promotional Photo
Archive
* Alien
3 Advance Featurette
* The Making of Alien 3 Promotional Featurette
* Trailers & TV Spots
ALIEN RESURRECTION
* Pre-Production
o First Draft Screenplay by Joss
Whedon
o Test Footage: A.D.I. Creature Shop
with Commentary
o Test Footage: Costumes, Hair and
Makeup
o Pre-Visualizations: Multi-Angle
Rehearsals
o Storyboard Archive
o The Marc Caro Portfolio: Character
Designs
o The Art of Resurrection: Image
Galleries
* Production
o Production Image Galleries
o A.D.I.’s Workshop
* Post-Production and Aftermath
o Visual Effects Gallery
o Special Shoot: Promotional Photo
Archive
* HBO First Look: The Making of Alien
Resurrection
* Alien Resurrection Promotional Featurette
* Trailers & TV Spots
ANTHOLOGY
* Two Versions of Alien Evolution
* The Alien Saga
* Patches and Logos Gallery
* Aliens 3D Attraction Scripts and Gallery
* Aliens in the Basement: The Bob Burns
Collection
* Parodies
* Dark Horse Cover Gallery
* Patches and Logos Gallery
* MU-TH-UR Mode Interactive Experience
For more
from the franchise, try the two Alien Vs.
Predator films on Blu-ray at the following links:
Alien Vs. Predator
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/4964/Alien+Vs.+Predator+(Blu-ray/Unrated
Alien Vs. Predator: Requiem
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/6876/Aliens+Vs.+Predator:+Requiem+%E2
Now we
wait for the next installment of the Alien
franchise. Until then, the Alien Anthology will keep us busy and
thoroughly entertained for a very long time.
- Nicholas Sheffo
