'Alien Quadrilogy' due out ~12-08-03

[vhsiv]

I don't know if anyone else is watching out for this, but a big box-set (9 disks!) of 'Alien' films is due out the first part of December. It's set to include extended footage for the first and third film (15 mins of added footage in 'Alien', and additional footage added to 'Alien3', making it clock in @ it's original, intended 2h 50min length), and many other extras.

The really odd thing is, I see it listed on many UK retail sites (Amazon.co.uk (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0000C24F3/), Blackstar.co.uk (http://www.blackstar.co.uk/video/item/7000000084126)) and a few Canadian sites (http://www.dvdsoon.com/show-title-details.xml?uid=47036), but no US retailers.

Anybody else here interested, or know anything about it?

FYI - The current taille on the box set seems to be in the neighborhood of USD$71.00. Seeing as US retailers aren't even advertising it, it's G-d's own bones when we'll be getting a 'street price' from BestBuy and Amazon, etc.

[vhsiv]

'Alien' is being rescreened this month (mid-month, pre-Halloween) in theaters, to commemorate the 25th Anniversary of it's original release. As I mentioned in my previous post, they are adding an additional 15 minutes to the film, from footage that was cut from the original release, to create a definitive 'Director's Cut'.

So expect to see Dallas, gooed to a wall, pleading for Ripley to kill him.

(Am I the only one excited by this?)

[AgentSun]

ooooohh! no you're not the only one. my dad and i will SURELY go and see this. oooh i can imagine us standing in line, waiting...while my mom shakes her head and wonders.

[frellyou]

I don't like the idea of being forced to buy nine discs when I'm just interested in one film. Alien is ok but I have it. Alien 3 sucks and I despise A4. The only one I want is Aliens.

[Zantar]

Originally posted by frellyou
I don't like the idea of being forced to buy nine discs when I'm just interested in one film. Alien is ok but I have it. Alien 3 sucks and I despise A4. The only one I want is Aliens.

IM totally with you there. Sell them seperate i say. Id get alien and aliens but not the rest.

[vhsiv]

Originally posted by frellyou
I don't like the idea of being forced to buy nine discs when I'm just interested in one film. Alien is ok but I have it. Alien 3 sucks and I despise A4. The only one I want is Aliens. Well then, don't buy the set...

But my pimp contract :smokin: requires me mention that there will be added footage on most of the disks on offer. They will be adding 15 min. of footage to the original film, and almost an hour to 'Alien3' and include a variety of documentaries that have been produced about the franchise.

No word whether they're going to add any addidtional material to the already-bloated 2.5 hour version of Cameron's sex-change action flick, though...

It may be up to a year before they issue stand-alones for each of the new, extended versions of ewach of the films, but they're all likely to be re-broadcast on cable.

[vhsiv]

'Alien' Quadrilogy (Box Set, 9 disks)'Alien': will include 14 deleted scenes for a total of 15 more minutes of the movie.

'Aliens': will allow viewers to choose between the Theatrical version, which has never been available on DVD before, and the Cameron, Director's cut

'Alien 3': will include David Fincher's 2 hr. 50 min. original version of the movie, which has never been released.

'Alien Resurrection': will feature an alternate opening and ending (crash on Earth).
(That's two disks per film, so I guess one could split the whole thing with a less obsessive sibling...)And for the 9th bonus disc, which will include over 3 hours of material: 'Alien Legacy' - AMC-produced documentary on the 'Alien' franchise
'Alien Evolution' - BBC Documentary
Darkhorse Alien Comics
Darkhorse Alien vs. Predator
Complete Laser Disc features (http://www.planetavp.com/amr/html/dvds/dvdsss.html) - so folks can toss the large-format laser discs since all of that material has been reproduced in this DVD-ROM set. Still, I don't see any American distributors listing it (Amazon.co.uk and Blackstar.co.uk already have their R2 iterations liisted), much less giving out a price. BUT there is one Canadian on-line retailer (http://www.dv-depot.com/catalog/product_info.php?manufacturers_id=1&products_id=134108&currency=USD&x=13&y=11) that is taking pre-orders, though they don't have a price (they had a price on their site last week or so, but now that's gone...)

Oh, and this just in: Production of this box-set may be limited to 150,000 copies. I don't know if this is a worldwide production ceiling on if it just applies to the UK... It may be worth snagging two copies for speculation...

Source: http://dvd.ign.com/articles/392/392389p1.html

[Zantar]

camerons sex change action flick...wtf does that mean????

[vhsiv]

Originally posted by Zantar
camerons sex change action flick...wtf does that mean???? Sorry about that, Zantar. I guess I was being a little too tongue in cheek, in cheek, in mandible there.

The original meme there is that Ripley effectively becomes 'The Terminator' when she straps into that waldo-suit. The only thing that film was missing was a Schwarznegger or Linda Hamilton cameo, since even the women in that film were sweating testosterone.

[vhsiv]

from PlanetAvP.com:
One Buyer's Alien Quadrilogy Specifications (http://www.planetavp.com/)
Official News | 11/3/2003 | 23:00 PST - David Shipley

The Alien Quadrilogy DVD set - all the Aliens films packed into nine DVDs - has sparked reader interest for a while now. Set for release in the US and UK in December, it's been eagerly awaited by fans, some even considering it a good stopgap measure until the eventual release of the AvP movie.

But fans would still like to know more about the set, which supposedly holds forty hours of extra footage.

One of those fans, calling himself Xander, has relayed to us new information about the Quadrilogy set. Using both old and new information, he's sent us his own "most complete (unofficial) list of specs to date."

We've decided to just post the new:

Neither David Fincher, nor Jean Pierre Jeunet involved in the new cut of their films

Alien Legacy documentary will NOT be in the set due to space limitations

There will be over 40 hours of extra footage

New effects were created for Alien3 and Resurrection including: Alien3: The new opening credits of Clemen's walking about outside, seeing the EEV crash, and rescuing Ripley. He carries her into the facility

Alien3: A couple of subplots have been added, including the one with prisoner Golic. He worships the Alien and calls it the Dragon;. The new cut involves the Alien being led into the toxic waste disposal dump, and trapped there. But Golic escapes from his restraints, kills a few prisoners, opens the doors to free the Alien, and gets killed.

Alien3 - There is also some footage of Clements and Ripley's relationship, and extended action sequence that was heavily abridged in the Theatrical cut, in which Ripley comes up with a plan to scare the Alien into the toxic waste dump. In the final version, they try this and fail, blowing the place up.

Alien3 - CGI (Oh-No!) was used to create Bambi-Burster for the new cut. This means that it will include an alternate version of the facehugger/chestbusrster. It will be a super facehugger, impregnating and OX, not a dog

Alien Resurrection: The new opening involves a very complicated shot combined of CGI and real-video. It starts with a close-up of vicious teeth, like an Alien. The camera zooms out and we see that it is a tiny insect, crawling on a joystick. A man's finger reaches out and squishes it. It is someone sitting in a cockpit, drinking a Big Gulp. He pulls out the straw, suck up the insect and spits it towards the camera, which is behind a glass window. The camera slowly zooms out and we see that it is a giant node, hanging below the USM Auriga.

Alien: Resurrection: The alternate ending shows Ripley and Call back on Earth, against and amalgam of various landscapes - a spaceship graveyard, post-apocalyptic Paris, etc."The much talked about deleted scene from Aliens in which Ripley finds Burke cocooned, then gives him a grenade, will NOT be on the set. Here is a quote from Charles de Lauzrika, the executive producer of the Alien Quadrilogy:

"'Jim Cameron never wants that scene to see the light of day. Having now seen it myself, I can sort of understand why. But I tried to get it on the DVD, I swear! [laughs]'"

We don't know how Xander's come by this information. He has been a reliable source, before -- you may remember the Alien: The Director's Cut advertisement cut-outs he sent us, straight from The Sun newspaper.

[Darth Buddha]

Deep Discount DVD claims it will be available 12/3/03.

When I've pre-ordered from them I've actually gotten things BEFORE release date (that's twice, including the Season 2 Farscape Box Set).

http://www.deepdiscountdvd.com/dvd.cfm?itemID=FXD009847

Don't think I'll pre-order this.. I'll give it a while to show up used.

[vhsiv]

Originally posted by Darth Buddha
Don't think I'll pre-order this.. I'll give it a while to show up used. That's probably wise. A week or two after the release, or after Christmas, even, you're likely to find a good price on it at either Half.com or Ebay.

Now if I'm stuck on asking my brother or some other relative what I want for Christmas, that's another thing - no Hermes ties, thank you!

[who45]

Out of all I liked Aliens the best. Alien was good, Alien 3 I didn't really care for. Alien Resurrection was better than the third in my opinion. I probably will end get the set because I would like to see the extras.

[Sunderflame]

I don't understand why I would want to see the re release of the first Alein just to watch an additional 9 minutes of the first release. It was a great show then and still is.. It's all about the MONEY....3rd Alein sucked big timehttp://www.emotipad.com/newemoticons/Furious.gif...:whip: Just my opinion and I'm sticking to it.

[vhsiv]

Originally posted by Sunderflame
I don't understand why I would want to see the re release of the first Alien just to watch an additional 9 minutes of the first release. Actually, it's slightly more complicated than that - Ridley Scott both added-to and took away some things from the original film - he added 15 minutes of film that was left out some years ago, but he also cut some material around the edges of several scenes to adjust the pacing.

So, ironically the new cut of the film is actually shorter than the original. (117mins. vs. 115mins.)

[Darth Buddha]

I'm more interested in the alternate material from Alien 3 than the first film...

Alien 3 felt... well... chopped fromt he get go.

[Sunderflame]

AMC did a special and they showed most of the added scenes and also talked and showed new cut scenes...likd I said. Nothing that really jumps out at you...The director goes over the alien with more detail so that you can really see the alein up close and personall. It amost looks like a skin that a snake has shed. It was huge.
They also showed some of the other characters coccooned. These were cut out of the first one. When Ripley was up close and personal with the alien, it just slobbered and drooled on her more.. They must of used a lot of slimy ky jelly for that shot.
It's all about money, promotion and probably think the boxed set would be a better deal.
Especiall with the direction feature films are going these day's.
All the CGI are going way over the top. I think they ruined Matrix Reloaded. Too much fighting and to many smiths. I'll still go to se Matrix Revolutin, but I already am prepared to be disapointed.

http://www.emotipad.com/newemoticons/Lies.gif

[Wolli World]

I was so pumped up about seeing Alien on the big screen last week and it's not playing anywhere in whole frelling state of Alabama! :grr: I was too young to see it when it first came out, and I was really looking forward to it. Something weird has to be going on. I don't know why it wouldn't be released here. :confused: We even get some limited release films here in Birmingham. Does anyone know who to contact to see if they plan on releasing it here sometime? I asked one of the main theaters here and he just said that they didn't send the print. Does that mean they didn't make enough of them or something?

Oh, BTW, Alien and Aliens are the only ones I'll watch again. The others were so bad, I just pretend they never happened, and that Ripley and Newt (and maybe Hicks?) are all living happily back on earth. :D

[the_cadpig]

Originally posted by Wolli World

Oh, BTW, Alien and Aliens are the only ones I'll watch again. The others were so bad, I just pretend they never happened, and that Ripley and Newt (and maybe Hicks?) are all living happily back on earth.

Word!

That's my take on it in a nutshell :aok:

[the_cadpig]

Oh, and BTW, The Digital Bits (http://www.thedigitalbits.com/#mytwocents) is conducting an extensive review of the entire quadrilogy this week. A very thorough look at all nine discs in the set.

However I found this little tidbit most welcome, cause I don't want the whole set:

We should also let you know that separate 2-disc versions of each of the films in this box set will be released on DVD on January 6th (for $26.98 each - the 9th bonus disc will only be available in this set).

Sucks about disc 9 but I'm glad that the SE's of all the films will be available separately.

Just FYI.


~cp

[Darth Buddha]

Very cool,. the-cadpig. Thanks for the extra info!

[vhsiv]

There is something to be said, however for Box Sets - Amazon.com finally has the set listed on their site - for $69.99 (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0000VCZK2/qid%3D1068123615/sr%3D11-1/ref%3Dsr%5F11%5F1/002-2820663-4367258) vs. the $78.00 that you'd pay to get any three disks in the set, individually. So if you're thinking about getting more than one disk in the set, you might as well pick up the Box Set - $10 isn't too much of a beating to take, if you're essentially getting 5 extra disks...

$26+$26=$52 for 2 disks
vs.
$69 for 9 disks

[brokendj23]

It's funny that it seems no one really knows about, or at least brought up the fact that this dvd set also builds up the hype for the upcoming theatrical feature of (yes, that's right) Alien vs. predator... And if anyone thought that would never happen, well, no one thought the freddy vs jason thing wouldve either. I guess they've been trying to keep it pretty hush hush, but i saw about a 2 second clip from it at the end of access hollywood about a month ago.

[vhsiv]

The Quadrilogy Boxed Set is being released here in the U.S. tomorrow - December 2, 2003. Not so strangely enough, the best price that I've seen for it is at Costco, where it is selling for $64.99, flat, if you live in Delaware, subjuct to local taxes elswhere.

Oh, and you don't have to be a member to place an internet order through Costco.com (http://www.costco.com/frameset.asp?trg=product%2Easp&catid=631&subid=4193&hierid=4201&prdid=10036657&log=).

And btw - the promise of the A vs. P film has retroactively sold me on many of the DarkHorse graphic novels which I, as a lifetime comic book collector, had entirely written off. (Many of them are very good.)

[brokendj23]

Actually, I think I saw the coolest thing for A vs. P thus far...This weekend, my girlfriend and I went to see matrix 3 and while we were waiting in line there were 2 posters side by side, one with a close up of the alien one with a close up of the predator and all it said was (i thought this was so cool) WHOEVER WINS...WE LOSE

[witchdoctor]

What really fries my mivonks about the release of the Alien Quadrilogy is that I already bought the four DVD Alien Legacy 20th anniversary edition. Now there is another version for the 25th anniversary, with stuff not on the original box set. Arrrgggggghhhhhh. I may have to take Darth Buddha's advice and look for it used on E-bay or something.

[Darth Buddha]

Originally posted by witchdoctor
What really fries my mivonks about the release of the Alien Quadrilogy is that I already bought the four DVD Alien Legacy 20th anniversary edition. Now there is another version for the 25th anniversary, with stuff not on the original box set. Arrrgggggghhhhhh. I may have to take Darth Buddha's advice and look for it used on E-bay or something.
Sometimes you can get it on DeepDiscountDVD.com or (even better) Overstock.com for less than you can find them at Half.com or eBay.com.

[vhsiv]

Originally posted by Darth Buddha
Sometimes you can get it on DeepDiscountDVD.com or (even better) Overstock.com for less than you can find them at Half.com or eBay.com I priced the set at both DeepDiscountDVD and Overstock.com, and DeepDiscount's price was $73.00 and Overstock's was $69.00.

If you've got a Costco near you, try to get the set there ($64.99) - I had a similar encounter over an Indiana Jones set I bought recently - $37.00 vs. the $60.00 I see everywhere else.

Costco is also good for Farscape Boxed sets ($89.00) , but you'll have to order over the web, as I have yet to see any Farscape anything for sale in a Costco Bricks-and-Mortar location.

[witchdoctor]

Thanks DB and vhsiv. I may have to start checking out deepdiscount and costco online more often, from what you and others have said. I like the Alien movies, but the remarketing of prior releases with just added extras is starting to bug me. I don't mind when there is something new and another release with that, but now it seems every movie and show is getting multiple releases. Obviously it is a strategy and not the fortuitous discovery of new material. I wish they would just release the new material (interviews etc) on a separate DVD. What I really wish is it were possible to release a less expensive update or patch with the deleted scenes, like can be done for computer games. Theoretically this would be possible because DVDs are a digital format, but it is completely anathetical to the current marketing and sales systems.

[vhsiv]

witchdoctor - I might add that Costco's DVD prices *aren't* always the best - it's best to keep an eye out. Generally, the savings are on the box sets - Farscape, Star Trek, Outer Limits, Indiana Jones, etc. and not on indiviual items, and especially new releases.

Often their new releases are trumped by BestBuy's prices.

[vhsiv]

I just returned from Costco this afternoon, and the in-store shelf price there was even lower than the online listed price.

The sticker price for the 9-disk set at the Bricks-and-Mortar store was all of $61.99.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to settle into some newly restored 'Alien3'.

Thank you very much...

[frellyou]

Originally posted by brokendj23
Actually, I think I saw the coolest thing for A vs. P thus far...This weekend, my girlfriend and I went to see matrix 3 and while we were waiting in line there were 2 posters side by side, one with a close up of the alien one with a close up of the predator and all it said was (i thought this was so cool) WHOEVER WINS...WE LOSE

That's probably truer than we know seeing as this flick will suck and likely bomb at the box office digger a deeper hole for the franchise. We lose alright.