Enough whining (for now)
Yeah, I've complained enough in recent posts. Time to do something else. So, I think I'll just throw out some comments that came to mind watching a couple movies on TV recently.
Aliens (Special Edition)
Easily one of my favorite sci-fi movies of all time, perhaps the top one. I first saw the movie on video tape, so I can't comment on how much they showed in the theater, but I remember seeing it on TV and thinking 'wow, that scene wasn't in the movie.' I'm not sure what version I was watching there either, but for a while the version TV stations would air included a few extra scenes at least, including the aliens being mowed down by sentry guns. That's certainly my favorite of the elusive scenes.
Recently I saw it again and realized, while I like to see additional footage, several of the scenes served a purpose in being removed. The bit about Ripley's daughter is an added detail, but not really necessary to augment her attachment to Newt later. The scenes of the colonists discovering the ship, while interesting background, spoil any suspense of wondering if the aliens are actually there - it's predictable anyway, but you don't *know* until you see them. When Carter talks to Ripley to convince her to go along, there's even a tiny clip where she asks why he's going that hints just a little too much he has a personal interest in the matter. There's also a bit where Hudson goes off on how the marines are a group of "ultimate badasses" that's amusing, but just shows off some pretty juvenile behavior. And I'm sure there's more, but I didn't stay up for the whole movie this last time around, and it's been a while since I've watched it all the way through.
But I still like the sentry guns. Neat technological idea (especially at the time), and it served to show the aliens adapting their strategy.
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Escape from New York
Wow. A classic. The famous anti-hero, Snake Pliskin, even limps pretty well after taking a crossbow bolt to the leg. I've seen many movies where the hero takes an injury and is in great pain only to be unhindered a scene or two later. The beginning, however, brought to mind Metal Gear Solid. It was enough to make me wonder if the parallels were intentional on the part of the game designers.
Hero: "Snake" Pliskin vs. "Solid Snake"
The similarity is, at the very least, recognized. In MGS 2, Solid Snake takes the alias Lieutenant JG Pliskin.
Pre-launch: Both are injected with 'medicinal concoctions' to help them out. Pliskin's contains tiny bombs set to kill him after a period of time. Solid's contains a bioweapon designed to kill practically everyone of importance around him and (so the theory goes) him too.
Method of insertion: Snake Pliskin gets into New York by small, stealthy glider. He lands on a skyscraper and descends most of the way by elevator. Solid Snake takes a small, stealthy submersible. He surfaces in a sub dock and ascends to the main level via elevator.
Mission: Snake Pliskin is sent to rescue the President and recover a tape with important information. Solid Snake is sent to rescue the DARPA chief and a corporate official and quickly learns he needs to keep a data disk out of enemy hands.
Deadline - in '24 hours': The president misses a conference and Snake Pliskin will die due to aforementioned bombs if he doesn't succeed. The terrorists launch a nuclear strike unless they get what they want, or Solid Snake succeeds.
Maybe I'm reading too much into this one, but I wouldn't put it past them to have designed MGS with every bit of this in mind.
Aliens (Special Edition)
Easily one of my favorite sci-fi movies of all time, perhaps the top one. I first saw the movie on video tape, so I can't comment on how much they showed in the theater, but I remember seeing it on TV and thinking 'wow, that scene wasn't in the movie.' I'm not sure what version I was watching there either, but for a while the version TV stations would air included a few extra scenes at least, including the aliens being mowed down by sentry guns. That's certainly my favorite of the elusive scenes.
Recently I saw it again and realized, while I like to see additional footage, several of the scenes served a purpose in being removed. The bit about Ripley's daughter is an added detail, but not really necessary to augment her attachment to Newt later. The scenes of the colonists discovering the ship, while interesting background, spoil any suspense of wondering if the aliens are actually there - it's predictable anyway, but you don't *know* until you see them. When Carter talks to Ripley to convince her to go along, there's even a tiny clip where she asks why he's going that hints just a little too much he has a personal interest in the matter. There's also a bit where Hudson goes off on how the marines are a group of "ultimate badasses" that's amusing, but just shows off some pretty juvenile behavior. And I'm sure there's more, but I didn't stay up for the whole movie this last time around, and it's been a while since I've watched it all the way through.
But I still like the sentry guns. Neat technological idea (especially at the time), and it served to show the aliens adapting their strategy.
---
Escape from New York
Wow. A classic. The famous anti-hero, Snake Pliskin, even limps pretty well after taking a crossbow bolt to the leg. I've seen many movies where the hero takes an injury and is in great pain only to be unhindered a scene or two later. The beginning, however, brought to mind Metal Gear Solid. It was enough to make me wonder if the parallels were intentional on the part of the game designers.
Hero: "Snake" Pliskin vs. "Solid Snake"
The similarity is, at the very least, recognized. In MGS 2, Solid Snake takes the alias Lieutenant JG Pliskin.
Pre-launch: Both are injected with 'medicinal concoctions' to help them out. Pliskin's contains tiny bombs set to kill him after a period of time. Solid's contains a bioweapon designed to kill practically everyone of importance around him and (so the theory goes) him too.
Method of insertion: Snake Pliskin gets into New York by small, stealthy glider. He lands on a skyscraper and descends most of the way by elevator. Solid Snake takes a small, stealthy submersible. He surfaces in a sub dock and ascends to the main level via elevator.
Mission: Snake Pliskin is sent to rescue the President and recover a tape with important information. Solid Snake is sent to rescue the DARPA chief and a corporate official and quickly learns he needs to keep a data disk out of enemy hands.
Deadline - in '24 hours': The president misses a conference and Snake Pliskin will die due to aforementioned bombs if he doesn't succeed. The terrorists launch a nuclear strike unless they get what they want, or Solid Snake succeeds.
Maybe I'm reading too much into this one, but I wouldn't put it past them to have designed MGS with every bit of this in mind.
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