Alien Resurrection) on DVD

Alien Quadrilogy
Alien/ Aliens /Alien 3 /Alien Resurrection
Actors: Sigourney Weaver, Winona Ryder, Michael Biehn, Tom Skerritt, John Hurt
Directors: David Fincher, James Cameron, Jean-Pierre Jeunet, Ridley Scott
Genres: Action & Adventure, Horror, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Mystery & Suspense

R 2003 2hr 25min

The Alien Quadrilogy is a nine-disc boxed set devoted to the four Alien films. Although previously available on DVD as the Alien Legacy, here they have been repackaged with vastly more extras and with upgraded sound and pi... more »cture. For anyone who hasn't been in hypersleep for the last 25 years, this series needs no introduction, though for the first time each film now comes in both original and "special edition" form. Alien (1979) was so perfect it didn't need fixing, and Ridley Scott's 2003 director's cut is fiddling for the sake of fiddling. Watch it once, then return to the majestic, perfectly paced original. Conversely, the special edition of James Cameron's Aliens (1986) is the definitive version, though it's nice to finally have the theatrical cut on DVD for comparison. Most interesting is the alternative Alien 3 (1992). This isn't a "director's cut"--David Fincher refused to have any involvement with this release--but a 1991 work-print that runs 29 minutes longer than the theatrical version, and has now been restored, remastered, and finished off with (unfortunately) cheap new CGI. Still, it's truly fascinating, offering a different insight into a flawed masterpiece. The expanded opening is visually breathtaking, the central firestorm is much longer, and a subplot involving Paul McGann's character adds considerable depth to story. The ending is also subtly but significantly different. Alien: Resurrection (1997) always was a mess with a handful of brilliant scenes, and the special edition just makes it eight minutes longer. The Alien Quadrilogy offers the first and fourth films with DTS soundtracks, the others having still fine Dolby Digital 5.1 presentation. All four films sound fantastic, with much low-level detail revealed for the first time. Each is anamorphically enhanced at the correct original aspect ratio, and the prints and transfers are superlative. Every film offers a commentary track that lends insight into the creative process--though the Scott-only commentary and isolated music score from the first Alien DVD release are missing here. Each movie is complemented by a separate disc packed with hours of seriously detailed documentaries (all presented in full-screen with clips letterboxed), thousands of photos, production stills, and storyboards, giving a level of inside information for the dedicated buff only surpassed by the Lord of the Rings extended DVD sets. A ninth DVD compiles miscellaneous material, including an hourlong documentary and even all the extras from the old Alien laserdisc. "Exhaustive" hardly beings to describe the Alien Quadrilogy, a set that establishes the new DVD benchmark for retrospective releases and looks unlikely to be surpassed for some time. --Gary S. Dalkin

Larger Image

Movie Details

Actors: Sigourney Weaver, Winona Ryder, Michael Biehn, Tom Skerritt, John Hurt
Directors: David Fincher, James Cameron, Jean-Pierre Jeunet, Ridley Scott
Creators: Dan O'Bannon, David Giler, Joss Whedon
Genres: Action & Adventure, Horror, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Mystery & Suspense
Sub-Genres: James Cameron, Ridley Scott, Horror, Alien Saga, Mystery & Suspense
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Format: DVD - Color,Full Screen,Widescreen - Closed-captioned
DVD Release Date: 12/02/2003
Theatrical Release Date: 07/18/1986
Release Year: 2003
Run Time: 2hr 25min
Screens: Color,Full Screen,Widescreen
Number of Discs: 9
SwapaDVD Credits: 9
Total Copies: 0
Members Wishing: 0
Edition: Box set
MPAA Rating: R (Restricted)
Subtitles: English, Spanish

Similar Movies

Predator Triple Feature
Predator/ Predator 2/ AVP: Alien vs. Predator

UR 2008 5hr 15min

Predator 2
Two-Disc Special Edition
Director: Stephen Hopkins

R 2005 1hr 48min

Aliens vs. Predator - Requiem (Extreme Unrated Set + Digital Copy) [Blu-ray]

Aliens vs Predator - Requiem
Extreme Unrated Set + Digital Copy
Directors: Colin Strause, Greg Strause

127

UR 2008 1hr 34min

Predator
Full Screen Collector's Edition
Director: John McTiernan

202

R 2004 1hr 47min

Similarly Requested DVDs

Forrest Gump
Two-Disc Special Collector's Edition

349

PG-13 2001 2hr 21min

Riddick Trilogy
Pitch Black/ The Chronicles of Riddick: Dark Fury/ The Chronicles of Riddick
Directors: David Twohy, Peter Chung

112

UR 2006 4hr 41min

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Single Disc
Director: Steven Spielberg

352

PG-13 2008 2hr 2min

Finding Nemo
Two-Disc Collector's Edition
Directors: Andrew Stanton, Lee Unkrich

551

G 2003 1hr 40min

Blade Runner
The Director's Cut
Director: Ridley Scott

349

R 1997 1hr 57min

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Two-Disc Special Edition) (Harry Potter 3)

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Two-Disc Special Edition
Director: Alfonso Cuarón

480

PG 2004 2hr 21min

Ghostbusters Double Feature Gift Set
Ghostbusters/ Ghostbusters 2 and Commemorative Book

114

PG 2005 3hr 33min

Monsters Inc
Two-Disc Collector's Edition
Directors: Ralph Eggleston, David Silverman, Lee Unkrich, Pete Docter, Roger Gould

509

G 2002 1hr 33min

The Shawshank Redemption
Director: Frank Darabont

584

R 1999 2hr 22min

The Dark Crystal
Directors: Jim Henson, Frank Oz

191

PG 1999 1hr 33min

Member Movie Reviews

K. K. (GAMER)
Reviewed on 8/13/2023...

Classic sci-fi that is Sigourney Weaver's brand! Many other great star such as Winona Ryder, Michael Biehn, Tom Skerritt, John Hurt, Lance Henriksen and others; and Directors James Cameron, Ridley Scott and others made this well executed plotline and series! A must watch!

Reece A. from MENTONE, IN
Reviewed on 4/23/2012...

Not all the films are great, but they are all worth checking out.
Alien: 5/5 Stars. A great Sci-fi Horror Film, not alot to be said about it besides the fact that it's awesome and it needs to be scene.
Aliens: 4/5 Stars. It's really a different kind of film than the first so they can't really be compared, but it's a great sci-fi action film.
Alien 3: 2/5 Stars. Easily the worst of the series. Ruined some parts of the 2 film and didn't add anything of value to the series. (excpet for showing that the aliens take on attributes of the speciecs they impregnate.)
Alien Resurrection: 3/5 Stars. An okay action film. The high points are great cinematography, good action, some fun characters, and of course getting to see the aliens more. The low points are WAY over the top acting, the fact that the film shouldn't exist with what happens at the end of Alien 3, and the stupid government stereotype.
Hope that helps someone! If you have the chance, watch all of them If you just want good movies, watch Alien and Aliens. Enjoy.

1 of 1 member(s) found this review helpful.

Jarrod C. (jrod1018) from ORLANDO, FL
Reviewed on 1/1/2012...

an impressive if not exhaustive look at the Alien Series... great watching in anticipation for Ridley Scott's "pseudo-return" with "Prometheus"

1 of 1 member(s) found this review helpful.