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Alien Hunter Reviews

• 2 hr 0 mins
• Suspense, Action & Adventure, Science Fiction
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A team of government scientists conducting botanical experiments at the South Pole stumbles across an extraterrestrial black box. James Spader, Janine Eser. Dr. Bachman: Roy Dotrice. Bayer: Keir Dullea. Michael Straub: John Lynch.

Is there anything duller than benign science-fiction tales about misunderstood extra-terrestrials? In 1947, Axxon Resources’ engineer Osler (Bert Emmett) overheard an alien communication in the desert and disappeared near Roswell, New Mexico. The government hushed up the possibility that Osler was taken aboard a spacecraft. In 2003, an ice-covered object is detected emitting a radio signal in close proximity to a US government experimental facility in Antarctica. Resident scientist Dr. Gierach (Nikolai Binev) contacts Dr. John Bachman (Roy Dotrice), who supervises cryptographer Julian Rome (James Spader); Rome has a reputation for investigating similar phenomena. Julian leaps at the opportunity to to vindicate his X-Files theories about aliens, and hopes to rekindle his relationship with Dr. Kate Brecher (Janine Esser), the former student whom he once loved and who now works with Dr. Gierach. Gierach's researchers, who are working on 3.2 acres of hydroponic crops, are generally hostile and Dr. Michael Straub (John Lynch) has a particularly negative attitude. Julian discovers an harmonic sound similar to the one reported by Osler, but deciphers its message too late: It's a warning not to melt the ice and thaw out "the host." Once the scientists have been infected by this alien being, they become expendable to their government employers, who decide to "clear the area" rather than risk spreading the infection. Ironically, the alien isn't hostile and doesn't mean to harm its human hosts, killing only in self-defense. Straub, who had his eyes on the Nobel Prize, is an altogether nastier piece of work who isn't interested in sacrificing himself for the greater good of humanity and couldn't care less whether he spreads disease throughout the world. Although screenwriter J. S. Cardone handles this science fiction premise with intelligence, his script ultimately does little more than polish up old debates with some new technological lingo.

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Alien Hunter Reviews

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Nov 9, 2005

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Alien hunter.

Directed by Ron Krauss

Earth just got its final warning!

Government agents find evidence of extraterrestrial life at the South Pole.

James Spader Janine Eser John Lynch Nikolai Binev Leslie Stefanson Aimee Graham Stuart Charno Carl Lewis Svetla Vasileva Anthony Crivello Kaloian Vodenicharov George Stanchev Rufus Dorsey Roy Dotrice Woody Schultz Ron Krauss William Ladd Skinner Franklin A. Vallette Hristo Aleksandrov Ross W. Clarkson Willie Botha Tyrone Pinkham Atanas Srebrev Joel Polis Keir Dullea Bert Emmett Mariana Stansheva Dobrin Dosev Atanas Atanasov Show All… Hristo Shopov Harry Anichkin Velimir Velev

Director Director

Producers producers.

Boaz Davidson Carol Kottenbrook Danny Lerner Scott Einbinder Bobby Ranghelov

Writers Writers

J.S. Cardone Boaz Davidson

Casting Casting

Mary Jo Slater Laura Sotirova

Editor Editor

Amanda I. Kirpaul

Cinematography Cinematography

Darko Šuvak

Assistant Directors Asst. Directors

Franklin A. Vallette Antony Tanev

Lighting Lighting

Frits De Jong

Camera Operators Camera Operators

Emil Topuzov Goran Mecava Hristo Aleksandrov Lazar Lazarov

Additional Photography Add. Photography

Nikolai Kerezov Mihail Kotev

Production Design Production Design

William Ladd Skinner

Art Direction Art Direction

Valentina Mladenova

Set Decoration Set Decoration

Rossitsa Bakeva Rozalina Atanasova Stefan Manchev Petko Angelov Alexander Ivanov Vladimir Petkov Lyubo Samardjiev Kalin Stefanov Rosen Stefanov Yuri Stoyanov Konstantin Vladimirov Keith Van Der Vent

Special Effects Special Effects

Ludmil Ivanov Lyudmil Nikolov Michael Georgiev

Visual Effects Visual Effects

Scott Coulter Iva Petkova Simeon Asenov Iasen Pisarov Nikolay Gerjikov Victor Radulov

Stunts Stunts

Todor Lazarov

Composer Composer

Sound sound.

Charles Deenen Paul Menichini John Brasher Mark Ettel Peggy McAffee Eric Hoeschen Roberto Dominguez Alegria Rick MacLane

Costume Design Costume Design

Janie Bryant

Makeup Makeup

Sofi Hvarleva Ivon Ivanova

Hairstyling Hairstyling

Rositsa Tsanovska

Sandstorm Films Millennium Media Nu Image

Bulgaria USA

Primary Language

Spoken languages.

Russian English

Releases by Date

19 jul 2003, 05 nov 2003, 24 nov 2003, releases by country.

• Theatrical 12
• Theatrical T
• Theatrical 15
• Theatrical R

100 mins   More at IMDb TMDb Report this page

Popular reviews

Review by maya ★½ 1

james spader is the best actor with the worst filmography

Review by Lola ★★

the student sending james spader an email saying 'I WANT YOU' with the subject line reading 'sex' is maybe the most relatable thing i've seen put to film

Review by olivia 🌷 ★½

hilariously bad except the I WANT U email… to professor james spader… goes crazy

Review by mattstechel ★★★

This was good?!?!? I mean the terrible title and cover art would 1000% indicate complete and total schlock, so imagine my surprise to find it far more engaging than i was prepared for. That first hour is literally "Arrival" or "Contact" but with a low key James Spader playing this pretty seriously. He gets a couple monents of good low key banter with an ex girlfriend pf his who is of course also aboard the Arctic base that he's been sent to to try and make contact with a frozen alien life form. He's a former SETI employee who is now teaching about language and communication at a college thanks to some sex scandal that got him drummed out but…

Review by Em ★★ 2

This was like if Raiders of the Lost Ark and Arrival had a baby that sucked so they gave it away to The Thing who raised it poorly. If I made a movie I would simply not reduce the saturation to 25% in every scene

But James Spader as a snarky pathetic professor in a big winter coat: SMASH!!!!

Review by Lucien

i laughed so hard at the email that hot professor james spader's student sent him in the middle of his lecture that just said "subject: SEX, body text: I WANT YOU RIGHT NOW" that i had an asthma attack and had to rummage through various drawers and cabinets in my house for my long lost inhaler so that i wouldn't asphyxiate

i also understand her completely

Review by loveometer ½

this is hands down the worst movie I have ever seen but I would do anything for James Spader

Review by optiMSTie ★½

"Mom, buy me The Thing (1982) !"

"But you have The Thing (1982) at home!"

The Thing (1982) at home? [gestures to this movie]

Review by ZaraGwen ★½

I'd rather rewatch The Thing (2011) than this

Review by Wendy Mays ★★

What just happened. Extra points for having a corn maze chase scene in a film set in the artic.

Review by Film_Sammlung ★

Warum zum Geier kommt der hier so positiv weg? Der Film wird mit voranschreitender Laufzeit die reinste Qual, welche selbst gekonnte Trashgucker wie mich auf die Barrikaden steigen lässt.

In einem NASA-Genlabor in der Antarktis hat man eine Rettungskapsel eines fremden Raumschiffes geborgen. Dieses stößt dasselbe Radiosignal aus, welches bereits beim Roswell-Absturzes 1947 aufgegangen wurde. Der ehemalige Alienjäger Julien Rome wird daraufhin abberufen, um vor Ort das Signal zu entschlüsseln.

James Spader aka Robert California war ja Anfang der 2000er auf einem schwierigen Grad seiner Karriere, was sich hier nur erneut widerspiegelt. Sonst kennt man hier Darstellerisch nur noch John Lynch und für viele der mitspielenden hat der Film hier echt die Karriere beendet.

Obwohl man sich hier ordentlich bei…

Review by ericlisausky ★★

Spader yet again give 110% on screen, his tripping balls scenes are a fucking delight. The movie’s plot is literally The Thing x Contact x Alien

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Alien Hunter (2003)

Directed by ron krauss.

• AllMovie Rating 5
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Description by Wikipedia

Alien Hunter is a 2003 television science-fiction-thriller film, directed by Ronald Krauss and stars James Spader, Carl Lewis and Leslie Stefanson.

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Alien Hunter

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In 1947 New Mexico, a radio operator receives a bizarre signal, coming from Roswell. He decides to investigate the signal's origin and goes out to follow it, never to be seen again.

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Alien Hunter (2003)

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Earth just got its final warning!

Government agents find evidence of extraterrestrial life at the South Pole.

J.S. Cardone

Screenplay, Writer

Boaz Davidson

Top Billed Cast

James Spader

Julian Rome

Janine Eser

Dr. Kate Brecher

Dr. Michael Straub

Nikolai Binev

Dr. Alexi Gierach

Leslie Stefanson

Aimee Graham

Shelly Klein

Stuart Charno

Svetla Vasileva

Full Cast & Crew

• Discussions 0

We don't have any reviews for Alien Hunter.

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Status Released

Original Language English

Budget $7,000,000.00

• agriculture
• nuclear explosion
• alien invasion
• circular saw
• ex-boyfriend ex-girlfriend relationship
• government cover-up
• elevator shaft

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Alien Hunter (2003) Stream and Watch Online

Watch 'alien hunter' online.

Want to behold the glory that is ' Alien Hunter ' on your TV, phone, or tablet? Hunting down a streaming service to buy, rent, download, or view the Ron Krauss-directed movie via subscription can be a challenge, so we here at Moviefone want to do the work for you. Below, you'll find a number of top-tier streaming and cable services - including rental, purchase, and subscription options - along with the availability of 'Alien Hunter' on each platform when they are available. Now, before we get into all the details of how you can watch 'Alien Hunter' right now, here are some finer points about the Sandstorm Films, Millennium Media, Nu Image science fiction flick. Released July 19th, 2003, 'Alien Hunter' stars James Spader , Janine Eser , John Lynch , Nikolai Binev The R movie has a runtime of about 1 hr 40 min, and received a user score of 51 (out of 100) on TMDb, which put together reviews from 124 experienced users. You probably already know what the movie's about, but just in case... Here's the plot: "Government agents find evidence of extraterrestrial life at the South Pole." 'Alien Hunter' is currently available to rent, purchase, or stream via subscription on Amazon Video, The Roku Channel, Tubi TV, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, and Amazon Prime Video .

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For the NASA-funded research team stationed at the most desolate reaches of Antarctica, it's another routine day - until the communications satellite picks up a mysterious signal coming from a strange object lodged several meters beneath the ice. Suspecting it may not be from Earth, the lead scientist immediately places a call to Julian Rome (James Spader), an old friend formerly employed as a cryptologist for the U.S. government's SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) program. Catching the next flight to the South Pole, this former "alien hunter" is soon led to the unidentified object which is still encased in a large block of ice. After constructing a makeshift decoder, Rome quickly cracks the complex mathematical code, only to discover the message is an alien warning. Now it's a terrifying race against time to prevent the total annihilation of the planet in this pulse-pounding sci-fi thriller.

© 2003 Hunter Productions A.V.V. All Rights Reserved.

© 2024 Sony Pictures Digital Productions Inc.   All rights reserved

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Alien Hunter

• An alien black box is found in the South Pole, where a government agency is conducting botanical experiments.
• In 1947, in New Mexico, a radio operator receives a signal following regular patterns. While investigating the occurrence, he vanishes. In the present day, the same signal is transmitted from a base in the Falkland Islands to United States of America and a satellite captures images of a unknown object in Antartic. The cryptologist Julien Rome (James Spader) is invited to investigate the mystery in the South Pole and he flies to a research base. While a team tries to open a weird shell probably from the outer space, Julien solves the message, which proves to be a distress signal ordering not to open the case. — Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
• In the North Pole, a strange huge white egg-like thing is found. Some scientists take the thing to the laboratory. At first, the sceptical people are the ones who are listened to by the politicians. Dr. Kate Brecher (Janine Eser) is worried about the thing. She thinks it's not only spacial rubbish, but a kind of alien container which may become dangerous. Julian Rome (James Spader) is an expert in computer language. There are a kind of strange transmission he's getting, but he seems not to be able to crack it. A Russian submarine is in the watchout. They are approaching the polar base fast. The crew don't look happy at all. At the beginning, they think that the alien object is a kind of rock, but first results show that there is a kind of carbon alloy, which has never been seen before on planet Earth. The scientists decide to open the box with a laser beam and special machinery, like a stronger welder. At that very same moment, Julian has the idea to treat the mysterious message as a kind of labyrinth. He re-programs the computer and a new message seems to appear, repeated over and over again: the sentence DO NOT OPEN appears over and over again. Julian and Shelly Klein (Aimee Graham) run to tell the rest of the crew to leave the alien box alone, but it's too late. Something seems to be moving inside the white cocoon. As soon as he enters the huge warehouse, there is an explosion. Everything seems to blow up. When the explosion is over, they start looking around for casualties. One of the scientists says that she doesn't feel very well, and at that moment she falls to the floor, - as though she were a ragged doll - and the body gets kinda deflated. She is not the only one: two other people suffer the same almost immediate death. Dr. John Bachman (Roy Dotrice) starts wondering what the alien will do when they capture it. The lights have gone off, so they have to find the fuse in the dark, lit by weak torches. Julian's light falls to the floor. At that moment, he realises that the alien is close by. The alien moves slowly towards him. It feels attracted to the torch until it goes off. Then, the bigger-than-a-human creature faces Julian attentively. It is a wet alien, who hugs Julian's head. Julian has visions of a foreign planet. Julian and the rest of the survivors - 7 all in all - finally communicate with their base; they finally get to talk with Bachman and his advisors. They are informed that an alien contact has happened before - in Roswell, New Mexico, USA. The aliens have a virus inside of them which they are immune to, but which can kill any human almost instantly. Infection seems to spread through the air. The alien race which is inside the white cocoon is friendly, but when they tried to talk to the Martians, they killed all the civilization in that planet almost instantly. Bachman tells that the Russian submarine is approaching fast, but that the crew's orders are to contain the infection at all costs, not to rescue the remaining scientists. Bachman also admits - to Julian's question - that the aliens usually communicate through telepathy. Dr. Michael Straub (John Lynch) wants to leave the base immediately, but Julian tells him that nobody can leave the polar station until Shelly has discovered a way to detect the pathogen, fight the infection and cure it. Straub insists, so Julian ends up punching him. T. Dr. Alexi Gierach (Nikolai Binev), the pilot (Anthony Crivello) and the co-pilot (Kaloyan Vodenicharov) have just got their order. They are in shooting range of the base at the same time that some of the scientists try to run away, as Shelly has not been able to identify the pathogen in the blood of the survivors. She has the notion that the pathogen may get hidden inside the proteins and cells of the human body, but at that moment she has no clue. While they are leaving, they have to go through the underground garden in which the scientists used to grow their own vegetables. Michael touches one of the of the corn cobs, and it immediately rottens up. At that moment, he realises that all the humans inside the scientifical compound have sufferd contamination. Julian runs after Michael, who succeeds in reaching the white frozen land surrounding the building. However, there is a kind of twister of energy. It is possible - but difficult - to breathe. Michael keeps on trying to run away, so there are like two bolts of lightning which kill him off. Julian enters again in the building and he tells everybody to leave the building, walk slowly, breath calmly, and as he has just had a telepathic vision of thousands of aliens in their world, he tells everybody to join the two shadows - two aliens - who want to take them to their planet. That way, they will live in a place where there is not risk of them contaminating everything and everybody. Julian finally convinces everybody, but it looks as though Shelly is left behind. However, on the nick of time, Julian convinces her. The transparent starship leaves with all the remaining survivors. Exactly at that moment, the Russian rocket arrives to its destination, blowing everything up. There is a newscast talking about the deaths of Julian, Shelly, Kate... The president is going to make an annoucement about it. At exactly that moment, we see the alien spaceship flying away - with the surviving humans inside.

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Every Alien Movie Ranked

Facehugging foes. All-time-great action heroes. A sense of sheer unknowable terror. Over four decades since the Alien saga first hatched from a mysterious pulsing egg – and burst out of John Hurt’s chest – the sci-fi horror franchise remains one of the all-time greats. Spanning an incredible 45 years and nine instalments (counting the Alien Vs Predator crossovers), the franchise continues to reinvent itself with each entry – from haunted house movie, to war actioner, to prison drama, to existential sci-fi exploration.

With director Fede Alvarez’s Alien: Romulus in cinemas – and Noah Hawley’s upcoming TV series Alien: Earth soon to scare us on the small screen – Empire hopped on a ship to LV-426 to argue the toss over which Alien movie is the best. Read the official ranking below.

9) Aliens Vs Predator: Requiem

The Brothers Strause’s disastrous 2007 sequel AVP: Requiem continued the multi-franchise crossover between the cinema’s two most beloved extraterrestrial horror creatures. The events of the schlocky B-movie pick up directly after AVP , with the newly born Predator/Xenomorph hybrid – known as, you guessed it, a Predalien – running rampant in smalltown America. Cue an experienced alien hunter being dispatched to quickly neutralise the hybrid spawn, getting by with a little help from his friends. Despite a standout sequence with Predators hunting Xenomorphs in the sewers, there’s little to no redeeming qualities here – with incredibly annoying, unlikable humans, and cheap, nasty thrills. It’s also astonishingly difficult to make out what the hell is going on – the lighting is so dark and murky it’ll genuinely leave you squinting. Game Of Thrones ’ ‘The Long Night’, eat your heart out!

Read the Empire review

8) Alien Vs Predator

As Ian Malcolm so eloquently put it: “Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn’t stop to think if they should”. The same could be said of Paul W.S. Anderson’s 2004 non-canonical franchise mashup, pitting the calculated Predators against the animalistic Aliens in a gonzo, testosterone-fuelled smackdown. Following the discovery of an ancient pyramid buried deep beneath the ice in Antarctica, the Weyland Corporation finances an archeological expedition to investigate, uncovering a deadly battle between the two warring races. Despite some entertaining action sequences and a fun concept, the whole thing is rushed – and unlike the Alien franchise, there’s no real human characters likeable enough to root for. Perhaps it was best left to the pages of Dark Horse’s comic book series…

7) Alien: Resurrection

Bienvenue to Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s outing – the fourth in the franchise, and among the most controversial. What sounds like a potentially intriguing premise – set 200 years after the end of Alien 3 , and placing a powerful human-alien hybrid clone of Ripley front and centre – quickly descends into an incoherent mess and tonal mismatch, thanks in part to Joss Whedon’s clunky script. Jeunet’s trademark talent for the grotesque is certainly put to good use, especially in a sequence featuring seven previous Ripley clones, but there are few redeeming qualities to save Resurrection – and its ragtag crew of space pirates – from a grisly fate. Despite Weaver’s impressive transformation and Brad Dourif’s dedication to creepiness (“You are a beautiful, beautiful, butterfly”), the climactic reveal of the xenomorph/human hybrid really was the nail in the space-coffin for the original ‘quadrilogy’.

6) Prometheus

Currently undergoing something of a cultural reappraisal, Ridley Scott’s prequel – aka the tale of the black goo – is undoubtedly an ambitious, Blade Runner -esque philosophical swing for the fences, the original Alien director delving into the mysticism of humanity’s makers: the fabled ‘Engineers’. It largely baffled on arrival; now, it remains a mixed bag with major highs and lows. Boasting an absolutely stacked cast (including Noomi Rapace, Charlize Theron, Michael Fassbender, Idris Elba and Guy Pearce), the Prometheus’ doomed crew – with a frustrating propensity for removing their helmets and, erm, taunting alien snakes – follow a fabled starchart to LV-223, in the hopes of discovering… well, god . Visually it’s a feast, with hauntingly epic landscapes, and there are decent thrills too (namely Shaw’s ridiculously squirmy birthing scene). But with grand mythical ideas and somewhat pretentious themes, Prometheus disappointingly deviates from the beloved monster movie template. Its attempt to lift the lid on one of the franchises’ biggest mysteries is admirable – but just like the black gloop, sometimes it’s best to leave certain things un-poked.

5) Alien: Covenant

The second of Ridley Scott’s ambitious prequels further delves into the Alien’s mysterious origin, while once again exploring themes of creation and immortality. Set in 2104, the crew of the Covenant – a colony ship transporting thousands of human embryos and colonists on the way to planet Origae-6 – investigates a mysterious message from a nearby planet, discovering Michael Fassbender’s synthetic David, the sole-survivor of the Prometheus mission (justice for Shaw!) Scott goes seriously gnarly here – the twisted horror of the ‘neomorph’ sequence (also known as a Bloodburster, emerging not from the chest but from the back) is a return to form, and the overall outlook is brutally nihilistic. Fassbender is also outstanding as both David and identical android Walter, with the former amusingly teaching the latter to play the flute and, weirdly, kiss. Covenant is deeply unusual, and a better Prometheus sequel than an Alien movie. Frustratingly, its wrenching final twist promised a dark-as-hell David threequel that will likely never materialise.

One  of the most divisive entries in the franchise, David Fincher’s 1992 instalment sees the escape pod containing Ellen Ripley, Newt, Hicks and synthetic Bishop crash land on Fiorina "Fury" 161, an all-male prison colony. But they’re not the only inhabitants aboard the spacecraft – a brand new strain of Xenomorph has escaped in the facility. Despite a couple of early niggles (justice for Newt!) Alien 3 shapes up as a bleak, bold instalment – particularly in its Assembly Cut form – which almost perfectly rounds off Ellen Ripley’s legendary arc in a powerful Terminator 2 -esque act of self sacrifice. Along with an unexpectedly brutal medical bay sequence (complete with an excellent Charles Dance speech), Fincher directs one of the most iconic and tense sequences from the franchise: a snarling, drooling alien sniffing a shaven headed Ripley. (And to think the Xeno-dog was nearly a cute whippet in a latex suit! Release that cut next, please.)

3) Alien: Romulus

Don’t Breathe director Fede Alvarez’s ‘interquel’ cleverly splices together the best elements from Alien and Aliens , whilst sprinkling a drop of Prometheus goo for good measure. Set decades after Ripley survived the Nostromo, a group of twentysomethings go in search of cryopods on a seemingly derelict ship, looking for their ticket out of Weyland-Yutani’s oppressive mining colony. Cue deadly space shenanigans – including one of the most creative action sequences utilising zero gravity and acid – as they encounter a shit-ton of facehuggers and a brutal horde of Xenomorphs along the way. Cailee Spaeny shines as the resourceful Rain, but it’s Rye Lane ’s David Jonsson who steals the show with his impressively controlled take on synthetic Andy, effortlessly switching between personas. Plus, Alvarez manages to draw a connecting line between Resurrection and Prometheus in a wild and horrific third act.

In 1979, Ridley Scott’s ‘haunted house in space' movie masterpiece burst – literally and physically – on to the scene, changing sci-fi horror forever. Despite an initially mixed reception, the hugely iconic flick, which follows the doomed crew of the commercial spaceship Nostromo as they investigate a distress signal on nearby moon LV-426, is now regarded as one of the greatest and most influential sci-fi horrors of all time. Audiences never forgot the shock of witnessing the terrifying "chestburster" scene for the first time (along with certain actors for that matter; legend has it they weren’t informed of how exactly the scene would unfold), while the slow-burn build up to revealing the adult Xenomorph in the engine room is a masterclass in suspense. With a perfect combination of otherworldly practical effects, iconic H.R Giger creature designs, and authentic performances – particularly Ian Holm’s Ash and Sigourney Weaver’s Ripley – a brand new franchise was born.

Just like Terminator 2 , The Empire Strikes Back , The Dark Knight and Paddington 2 , Aliens is a rare sequel which surpasses the iconic original, albeit by a hair's breadth – and is therefore the franchise’s perfect organism. James Cameron’s beloved 1986 sci-fi action film perfectly expands upon the world, themes and horror of Ridley Scott’s goopy baby, injecting tense action, immersive storytelling, and a whole host of fan favourite characters into the mix. Set 57 years after Alien , Weyland-Yutani sends Nostromo sole survivor Ripley and a team of gung ho marines to investigate LV-426 following a communications breakdown with the human colonists. Weaver’s Oscar-nominated performance as the trailblazing action hero is undoubtedly her best, particularly her emotional dynamic with Carrie Henn’s Newt, while Jenette Goldstein’s incredibly badass Private Vasquez and Bill Paxton’s Private ‘Hudson’ (“Game over, man! Game over!”) prove excellent new additions. The climactic showdown with Ripley and the Queen (and her horde of deadly offspring) culminates in arguably the best moment from the franchise – “Get away from her, you bitch!” – delivering a mech-suit vs monster showdown for the ages. Pure ‘80s movie magic.

Screen Rant

"very idiotic": sigourney weaver candidly reflects on alien 3's studio interference.

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Alien Movies In Order (Release & Chronological)

"does what no other trilogy has ever been able to do": quentin tarantino reveals his pick for the best movie trilogy, i know which classic legends villain i want sigourney weaver to play in star wars' next movie.

Alien 3 star Sigourney Weaver candidly reflects on making the 1992 film and the studio interference throughout production. Directed by David Fincher, the third installment in the hit Alien franchise features Weaver's Ripley crash-landing on a dangerous prison colony having unknowingly brought a Xenomorph along with her. Alien 3 earned mixed reviews and had an infamously challenging production for Fincher, and he has since disowned the film.

In a recent interview with Deadline , Weaver looks back on her experience with Alien 3 , lamenting that Fincher didn't have a strong degree of creative control over the film. According to the actor, she sees the experience as part of a larger shift in Hollywood toward more extreme commercialism, but she still thinks that, overall, the third installment is a " good film ." Check out Weaver's comment below:

Well, I could feel that David had to get on the phone and fight every day for us to shoot what he wanted to the next day . And I’m sorry that he didn’t get a chance to make the script his own before we started. That makes filmmaking very difficult. I recall that Vincent Ward’s original script had been about monks in a monastery and Ripley was in a coma for half of it. So, I keenly felt the lack of studio support. That was a transition moment when studios stopped being about “let’s make great films” and started being about “let’s not lose money.” They had the great idea to put David Fincher aboard for his first film, but then not to support the guy was very idiotic. It helped shooting in England so we could get on with things to an extent. I heard recently that David has disowned the project and I’m sorry about that because I loved working with him, and I think we made a good film. I’m glad he got a chance to do his version. It was a great ensemble.

From Ridley Scott's Alien to the sci-fi franchise's prequel series beginning with Prometheus, here's how to watch the Alien movies in order.

Alien 3's Reception & Divisiveness Explained

What david fincher has said about his experience in the alien franchise.

After making a name for himself directing music videos, Fincher made his feature film debut with Alien 3 . Before he joined the project, the film had gone through numerous directors and screenwriters, and Ripley, as Weaver states, wasn't originally going to be a big part of the story. Eventually, however, Fincher was brought on board, and the script reportedly changed constantly during production, including the Alien 3 ending . Speaking at the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival (via The Wrap ), Fincher said the following about his experience on the movie:

I came out of a truly f–ked-up situation and kind of swore that I would never make the same mistake. I made a lot of brand new ones, but I’d never start something that didn’t have a script that I didn’t believe in or that I didn’t understand or that I couldn’t articulate to people. And I’d also very much learned that I wanted to make all my own mistakes instead of inheriting them from other people.

Fincher's original vision for the film isn't what ultimately ended up on the screen, though many cut scenes were eventually restored for an Alien 3 Assembly Cut . Though the Assembly Cut is more positively received, the theatrical cut earned lackluster reviews from critics and a muted response from audiences . On Rotten Tomatoes , Alien 3 currently holds a disappointing 44% critics' score and a 46% audience score, a major step down from the glowing responses to the previous two entries.

1979's Alien holds a 93% Rotten Tomatoes critics' score, while 1986's Aliens holds a 94%.

Made on an estimated budget of $50 million, Alien 3 was a commercial success, however, grossing close to $160 million worldwide. Despite this, it's generally regarded as one of the lesser entries in the franchise, along with 1997's Alien: Resurrection . Weaver, for her part, does ultimately think that Alien 3 works, though, and there are certainly elements of the film worth celebrating.

Source: Deadline

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Alien 3 is the 1992 sequel to Aliens. Directed by David Fincher and starring Sigourney Weaver in her iconic role as Ellen Ripley, the third installment in the Alien franchise follows Ripley as she leads a group of inmates in the fight against a Xenomorph after her ship crash-lands on a prison planet.

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Movie Review: ‘Alien: Romulus’

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“Alien: Romulus” started out at a disadvantage with me because I haven’t liked any of the “Alien” films that came before it. I’m not just talking about the heavily-maligned third and fourth installments from the 90’s, the “Predator” crossovers from the 2000’s, or the uneven Michael Fassbender arc of the 2010’s. I mean that even the “classic” original from 1979 and beloved first sequel from 1986 have never done it for me.

I find them to be little more than glorified haunted house movies with one cool creature design and some extra squishy special effects. That isn’t to say that I think they’re terrible, exactly, just not worthy of their pedestals in popular culture. Now “Alien: Romulus” is a movie that I do think is terrible, exactly.

The movie follows new heroine Rain (Cailee Spaeny) and her glitchy android “brother” Andy (David Jonsson) as they try to escape a miserable mining planet owned by the Weyland-Yutani Corporation. They get an invite from her friend Tyler (Archie Renaux) to join him on an unsanctioned mission to a floating research station that contains stasis chambers and is set to arrive at a desirable planet in nine years. Also along are Tyler’s pregnant sister Kara (Isabela Merced), his cousin Bjorn (Spike Fearn), and Bjorn’s girlfriend Navarro (Aileen Wu).

Of course, things don’t quite go to plan. There isn’t enough fuel to run the stasis chambers, so the team has to look all over the ship for more. Another little snag, as you can probably imagine, is that the ship took an alien known as a Xenomorph onboard and now the ship is infested with everything from big, cumbersome, deadly aliens to smaller, more nimble, but still very deadly aliens. Also, the aliens have acidic bodily fluids that are capable of tearing through the ship itself, not to mention any unfortunate humans.

Also, the station is owned by Weyland-Yutani, a company that never misses a chance to endanger humans for its own bottom line – and it wants that precious alien DNA. All of this is explained by the ship’s android science officer, and let’s just say that one of Weyland-Yutani’s cost-cutting measures is recycling android designs.

Since the characters aren’t interesting and the action isn’t exciting, I whiled away the time waiting for cast members to get killed off. There’s a big billboard in Times Square depicting Navarro getting attacked by a face-hugging Xenomorph, she’s a goner for sure. Bjorn is rude to everybody, he’s no doubt toast. Tyler is bland even for this movie, he has “killed off somewhere in the middle” written all over him. Advertisement

Kara exists solely so her pregnancy can be exploited for body horror. This franchise’s affinity for heroines takes away a lot of the suspense from Rain, though Cailee Spaeny is no Sigourney Weaver. The only character whose life or death I couldn’t predict with 99% certainty was Andy, and he arguably doesn’t even have a “life” in the first place.

Walt Disney World used to have an attraction called “Alien Encounter,” unrelated to the “Alien” franchise, but certainly reminiscent of it. Guests would sit strapped in a seat and be “terrorized” by an alien animatronic in the form of wind, water, and sound effects in a darkened room. Disney got complaints that the attraction wasn’t child-friendly, so they made the lighting dim instead of dark, scaled down the intensity, and generally made the whole thing less appealing to thrill-seekers.

“Alien: Romulus” reminds me of a later version of that ride. While not devoid of violence by any means, the film can’t properly pull off a thrilling or scary atmosphere to save its life. Nor does it have the dramatic or comedic chops to be an interesting movie on any other level. That was what saved the first two “Alien” movies from being terrible, the human characters were likable, even if I didn’t like their chances of survival. I think I liked this film’s five human characters less than Paul Reiser’s intentionally-detestable corporate sellout in “Aliens.”

Grade: D “Alien: Romulus” is rated R for bloody violent content and language. Its running time is 119 minutes.

Contact Bob Garver at [email protected].

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It Ends With Us – Review

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** Warning: Mentions domestic abuse.

Navigating the delicate balance between engaging cinema and the respectful portrayal of sensitive topics is no small feat. When a film tackles such subjects, it often faces the challenge of preserving the narrative’s gravity without succumbing to the sombre aesthetics that typically accompany grave themes. Yet, the allure of cinema should not compel a departure from the depth and nuance these issues demand.

Translating such a sensitive issue such as domestic violence to the screen proves to be a formidable task for It Ends With Us , a Blake Lively-led (and produced) adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s best-selling novel. The novel, which rose to prominence through the enthusiastic endorsements of TikTok’s voracious reading community, also known as BookTok , weaves a tale fraught with domestic violence and intergenerational trauma – a page-to-screen narrative that demands a deft touch. 

The result is a two-hour-long movie that, despite its serious themes, feels superficial, almost as if it’s unwilling to fully engage with the gravity of its own narrative. This superficiality is mirrored in a controversial decision made by Hoover earlier in 2023: the release of an ill-conceived colouring book based on the novel, which was quickly shelved due to public backlash. Sadly, the film adaptation feels like an extension of this misstep, rendering a story of abuse and resilience with the depth of a colouring page.

This lack of sensitivity is particularly jarring in light of Hoover’s own response to allegations of sexual harassment against her son in 2022. Choosing to defend him in a private Facebook group rather than acknowledge the gravity of the situation, Hoover’s actions seem to mirror the film’s own reluctance to confront the uncomfortable realities of abuse. It’s a troubling disconnect that casts a shadow over the adaptation, raising questions about the film’s sincerity in addressing its central themes in its story.

One wonders then, where the story’s resonance truly lies. Certainly not in Christy Hall’s ( I Am Not Okay with This) screenplay, which, despite contributions from Lively’s own husband Ryan Reynolds of Deadpool & Wolverine fame, feels stiff and stilted. Lively credits Reynolds with scripting what was meant to be a pivotal rooftop meet-cute opening scene, yet this and other segments come off as contrived and awkward, lacking the authentic touch that might have grounded its more dramatic aspirations. In fact, the behind-the-scenes drama surrounding the film’s production (with cast and crew reportedly vying for control over the script and editing) seems to be the most human element in this otherwise emotionally distant project. 

Unfortunately, this lack of a cohesive vision is seemingly evident in the film’s narrative, which revolves around Lily Blossom Bloom (Lively, Gossip Girl , The Age of Adaline ), a name so saccharine it borders on parody. We meet Lily as she returns to her hometown for her father’s funeral, only to encounter an impossibly handsome neurosurgeon, director Justin Baldoni’s ( Jane the Virgin , Five Feet Apart ) Ryle Kincaid. Their flirtation is interrupted, but fate, it seems, has other plans. Ryle conveniently turns out to be the brother of Lily’s best friend and florist employee, Allysa (Jenny Slate, Gifted , Zootopia ). And yes, in case the floral motif in her name wasn’t enough, Lily Blossom Bloom also happens to own a flower shop!

As Lily and Ryle’s romance unfolds, the film interlaces their story with flashbacks of Lily’s youth, portrayed by Isabela Ferrer ( Evil , Fire Burning ), who bears an uncanny resemblance to Lively. These flashbacks introduce us to Atlas Corrigan, a troubled youth played by Alex Neustaedter ( Colony , A.X.L. ), whom Lily befriends and supports. The adult Atlas, now a successful restaurateur played by Brandon Sklenar ( 1923 , Midway ), reenters Lily’s life, reigniting old flames and stoking the fires of jealousy in Ryle.

Up to this juncture, It Ends With Us masquerades as a somewhat standard romantic melodrama, peppered with scenes of passionate intimacy and romantic confusion. But the narrative takes a darker turn, aligning with the plot of Hoover’s original novel. Lily becomes a victim of domestic violence, a transition in the film that is unsettlingly subtle. The initial incident, presented almost as an innocuous accident, belies the severity of what follows. Subsequent altercations escalate, each more alarming than the last, painting a distressing portrait of a relationship descending into abuse.

Director Baldoni attempts to convey these moments of abuse through Lily’s disoriented perspective, capturing the confusion and denial often experienced by survivors. Yet, the adaptation stumbles in its execution, neglecting crucial scenes that address the abuse directly. In the book, Lily confronts Ryle immediately after the first incident, setting clear boundaries and acknowledging the abuse. The film, however, softens this encounter, with Lily acquiescing to Ryle’s minimisation of the event as just a “lovely mess”, a shift that significantly alters the narrative’s impact.

Ironically, It Ends With Us shines brightest when it indulges in the familiar tropes of a romantic comedy. Baldoni, drawing from his experience on romcom telenovela Jane the Virgin , skillfully captures the initial spark between Lily and Ryle, allowing their flirtation to unfold through lingering close-ups and palpable chemistry. His attempts to capture the nuances of abuse are commendable, but they are ultimately undermined by Lively’s underwhelming performance.

Lively, despite her proven talent in films like The Shallows (2016) and A Simple Favor (2018), struggles to breathe life into the thinly written Lily. Lively’s Lily feels like a blank slate, a passive reflection of the men around her rather than a fully realised individual. Even her poorly chosen wardrobe feels more like a brand placement for clothing company Carhartt than a genuine extension of her character. By the film’s end, Lily remains a muted stranger, overshadowed by a certain man who, for better or worse, commands the screen with his flawed energy that feels unnervingly real.

No, it is not Sklenar’s Atlas. Despite being intended as Lily’s safe haven, Atlas suffers from similar underdevelopment. Although sympathetic, he lacks the charisma necessary to fully captivate the audience, resulting in a lukewarm relationship with Lily at best. 

It is Baldoni who inhabits the more complex role of Ryle with greater success, particularly in the film’s earlier stages. He’s undeniably more engaging as the charming love interest than the monstrous abuser, but the film’s attempts to humanise Ryle with a late-revealed traumatic backstory feel misguided and unnecessary. It’s as if we did not just watch Ryle physically and emotionally abuse Lily in the latter half but is there really a need to find reasons to sympathise with him? This misguided attempt at redemption underscores the film’s fundamental flaw: its inability to reconcile its conflicting desires. 

It Ends with Us straddles a fine line, attempting to tackle the grave issue of domestic violence while wrapping it in the trappings of a glossy romance. It aims to showcase the complexities of love that blinds us to the glaring warning signs of abuse, but it also indulges in a romanticised narrative about a small-town girl caught between two potential lovers. The film sets ambitious goals but fails to achieve them, resulting in a portrayal that borders on being offensive in its treatment of its central theme.

What could have been a poignant exploration of breaking free from the cycles of abuse turns into a squandered opportunity, more focused on capitalising on tone-deaf social media trends ( “Grab your friends! Wear your florals!” ) than faithfully conveying the story’s essential truths. While the film might attract viewers through its connections to a best-selling novel, a high-profile cast, or surrounding controversies, it ultimately fails to deliver the profound impact that so many had hoped for.

In the end, the film does more than end with us; it disappoints us completely.

GEEK REVIEW SCORE

In its endeavour to tackle a subject as delicate and severe as domestic abuse, It Ends With Us unfortunately skims the surface, lacking the authenticity and depth necessary to make the impact it ostensibly aims for.

• Story - 4/10 4/10
• Direction - 5/10 5/10
• Characterisation - 4/10 4/10
• Geek Satisfaction - 3/10 3/10

Natalie is a big fan of anything related to movies, TV shows, games, and comics — you name it. When she’s not reading or geeking out about the latest shows on Netflix, she’s probably playing gacha and tabletop games, or daydreaming of meeting her idols.

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China Has Been Ignoring Hollywood Movies. Why ‘Alien: Romulus’ Is an Exception

For the past four years, Chinese audiences haven’t shown much interest in Hollywood movies.

So, the breakout success of Disney and 20th Century’s “ Alien: Romulus ,” a gory sci-fi thriller that earns its R rating, has been a welcome surprise. The newest chapter in the long-running horror saga has been the rare bright spot among American imports with $82 million and counting in mainland China. It’s expected to reach $114 million (RMB819) by the end of its theatrical run, according to forecast from Chinese ticketing agency Maoyan.

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In the case of “Alien: Romulus,” box office analysts are impressed the movie was permitted to play in China at all. It’s only the third (of seven) films in the “Alien” franchise to score a release in China. 2012’s “Prometheus” generated a decent $35.2 million and 2017’s “Alien: Covenant” earned a healthy $45 million. But those ticket sales weren’t all much at a time when Hollywood blockbusters — Pixar’s “Coco” ($189 million), “War for the Planet of the Apes” ($112 million), “Thor: Ragnarok” ($112 million) and the mammoth “The Fate of the Furious” ($392 million) — were regularly crushing the $100 million mark in Chinese cinemas.

“It’s surprising an R-rated horror film got into China, but ironically that’s one of the major reasons for its success,” says Stanley Rosen, a professor of political science and international relations at USC. “It’s very different than anything else playing in China at this time.”

And although “Romulus” extends a franchise that began 45 years ago with Ridley Scott’s 1979 monster adventure “Alien,” Rosen believes the newest entry benefitted from the fact that audiences don’t need to have seen every prior installment to make sense of the latest action with xenomorphs. Fede Alvarez directed the film, which centers on young intergalactic colonists (Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson, Archie Renaux and Isabela Merced) who come face to face with a terrifying life form while scavenging a rundown space station.

“Even though ‘Romulus’ references prior ‘Alien’ films, you can see this one as a standalone story unlike, say, ‘Star Wars,’ where each one builds on the other,” Rosen says.

China’s government has absolute control over which movies play in theaters, and often avoids ones with salty language, gratuitous violence or blasphemy. However, censors have been more lenient in recent months in efforts to aid in the Chinese box office recovery, according to Erich Schwartzel, author of “Red Carpet: Hollywood, China, and the Global Battle for Cultural Supremacy.” Revenues are down more than 21% in China compared to the same point in 2023. So, the box office could use a robust release calendar.

“Though Hollywood imports aren’t making as much as they used to, they’re still making some money in China,” he says. “The financial precariousness of the market has forced them to be more open with what they’re letting in.”

China was particularly strict about Hollywood fare between 2020 and 2022. Some of the decisions were political (“Top Gun: Maverick” was seen as unwelcome U.S. propaganda and not given an import permit) while others were due to grievances with Marvel (Disney’s “Eternals” and “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” and Sony’s “Spider-Man: No Way Home” didn’t get in either). COVID’s impact on Hollywood production timelines and release schedules also contributed to the slowdown. And during this time, China was l i m i t i n g the number of approvals for movies that were made elsewhere.

These days, there’s little talk of quota restrictions. And even the Chinese regulators’ past practice of granting short marketing windows and unfavorable release dates to imported titles has been partly relaxed. “Alien: Romulus” enjoyed an old-fashioned day-and-date outing, opening on Aug. 16 in both China and North America.

Hollywood product used to dominate ticket sales in China. But that’s changed as Chinese audiences developed a stronger preference for local content. At the same time, China’s commercial filmmaking has improved in terms of budget, craft skills and emotional relevance. Box office grosses for feel-good boxing film “YOLO” ($639 million), sports comedy “Pegasus 2” ($474 million), social-climbing dramedy “Successor” ($454 million) and crime satire “Article 20” ($343 million) loom so large, “Alien” doesn’t pose much of a threat.

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'Slingshot' Review: Casey Affleck and Laurence Fishburne Sci-Fi Is Best When Bleak

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A few months back, I saw the unrelentingly bleak yet still oddly beautiful 2018 science fiction film Aniara for the first time. An adaptation of an epic poem, it journeys through space with a large group of passengers fleeing an Earth decimated by climate change to find a new home that will be more habitable, only to encounter an almost banal yet still all-consuming catastrophe that threatens the ship as well as their very future. The reason it has stuck with me, beyond the strong performances and thoughtful way it was all constructed, was the unrelentingly grim core of the experience. While cinema has often had a romantic idea of space as the final frontier that can provide our salvation, here was a work that took things down a darker path more than any other I had ever seen. It’s a film that I was frequently thinking about while watching Mikael Håfström ’s psychological thriller Slingshot . Though it plays out on a much smaller scale, the moments of bleakness at all being potentially lost provides glimmers of a more substantive and sinister work of genre fare. Alas, where Aniara became rather quietly astounding and expansive, this film just gets largely lost in space.

To engage with the potential Slingshot had to succeed at what it’s going for without tipping things off too much requires a great degree of subtlety. More, in fact, than the film itself has as an exploration of a trio of characters losing their minds . Though co-written by Nathan Parker , who previously penned scripts for the similarly confined sci-fi film Moon and the haunting horror vision that is His House , it’s not nearly as flooring as those past works. Even as there is a core bleakness to it that is intriguing and made all the more effective in an ending that doesn’t blink in the face of it, it never quite makes the most of this on the way to get there. As written by Parker and R. Scott Adams , it’s a film whose greatest aspirations never completely achieve the liftoff it’s grasping for . It almost grabs you, but still loses hold.

What Is 'Slingshot' About?

This is all seen through the rather unreliable eyes of John ( Casey Affleck ) who is waking up with the galaxy’s worst hangover and is more than a little groggy. He has been essentially drugged in order to hibernate as he, along with two other crew, Captain Franks ( Laurence Fishburne ) and Nash ( Tomer Capone ), are traveling on a small spacecraft to Saturn’s moon, Titan. They’ll periodically get up to make sure everything is running smoothly before going back under, but this process starts to take a toll on them. Their mission is an ostensibly simple one, gathering natural resources for use back on Earth, but nothing is simple when it comes to space travel. As John struggles to get his bearings and reflect back on hazy memories of a relationship he once had back home with the underwritten Zoe ( Emily Beecham ), there are brief shades of something like Steven Soderbergh ’s somber take on Solaris , but it never reaches the same heights as that did. Instead, it’s a more standard thriller where there is an urgent threat to the ship, a whole heaping of paranoia, and too little else.

Where Parker’s aforementioned Moon was as much about the internal struggles with isolation and the realization of how expendable you are, Slingshot is more of a murky mystery where the big revelations don't hold up under scrutiny . Namely, there becomes a question about how much what’s happening can be trusted. The film invites such skepticism right out of the gate as we learn that the drugs can have an extreme effect on one’s mind. While it certainly seems like John is one of the few keeping his head, especially as he begins to get caught in the middle of a brewing conflict between Franks and Nash, he’s also hallucinating things that aren’t there (namely Zoe) with increasing frequency. Even more than that, the design of the interiors of the spaceship seem almost purposely cheap so as to maybe feel like a sign something else is afoot. Though whether this was actually an intentional choice or more just a product of a genuinely low budget having to make do with what they could is anyone’s guess.

Even as all the performers are often throwing themselves into flimsy writing, the hints of a twist hang over the entire affair. Further, certain key choices only serve to lessen what could have been a more boldly bleak narrative core that it nearly kept consistent until the end. Where Aniara was about realizing that all may indeed be lost, Slingshot dangles questions in front of us that end up feeling incidental . Even the title of the film is a reference to a maneuver that, while an interesting way to generate conflict between the men on the ship about whether it’s worth it, doesn’t feel particularly important in the grand scheme of where things go.

Though It Doesn’t Make Complete Sense, 'Slingshot' Almost Ends on a Grim High Note

With all this being said, there is something to appreciate in how the film follows through on embracing the dark oblivion that it had previously only been glimpsing into. Even as the film would often blink in the face of the full bleak potential it was persistently dancing around, the finale still almost helps it cross the finish line with something resembling more shattering fear. Tragically, you then think about it for half a second and realize that the door the story ultimately goes down doesn’t really make any sense. To say why would be a spoiler, though let’s just say if you start looking back on the way this mission was constructed, things start to look awfully shaky. That the final sequence and even the closing shot serves as one last gut punch can’t salvage how the overall more haphazard swing means it doesn’t connect as well as it could have. No matter how much it committed to the maneuvers it was throwing at us, Slingshot can’t quite hit the mark in the way it needs to and itself just drifts away .

Slingshot (2024)

Slingshot is a science fiction film with plenty of grim potential that drifts away with too little to show for it.

• The cast all throws themselves into what remains rather flimsy writing.
• A finale that follows through on embracing the dark oblivion almost salvages the experience.
• The film is more of a murky mystery where the revelations don't hold up under scrutiny.
• When you think back on how everything comes together, much of it doesn't really make sense.
• No matter how committed it is to the maneuvers it was throwing at us, experience never hits the mark the way it needs to.

Slingshot is in theaters in the U.S. starting August 30. Click below for showtimes near you.

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Review: ‘Greedy People’ Really Wants to be a Coen Brothers Film When it Grows Up

By Melanie Fischer | Film | August 29, 2024 |

You know that perennial joke about how they should include a normal person as a point of comparison in various Olympic events? The new film Greedy People is basically that gag, but for filmmaking instead of athleticism. Directed by Potsy Ponciroli ( Old Henry ) from a script by Michael Vukadinovich ( Kidding , Runaways ), Greedy People centers a pair of stunningly incompetent cops, Terry (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and Will (Himesh Patel), who pratfall into a criminal conspiracy while trying to cover up their involvement in an accidental death.

The film also really, really, really wants to be a Coen brothers crime comedy. And to be clear, it’s an understandable goal. Movies like Fargo and The Big Lebowski have well earned their place in the cinematic canon. Also, it does feel like there’s an opening; there hasn’t been a great pitch-dark crime comedy in a minute, even from the OGs themselves. Since creatively parting ways with his brother, Ethan Coen has made further efforts in the genre, but last year’s Drive-Away Dolls —which he directed and co-wrote with his wife, Tricia Cooke—is, at best, a faint echo of former glory. So, the goal is obvious, and it also makes sense. This sounds like a very low bar to clear, and indeed, it should be. However, consider the number of films that have come out in recent years that beg the question, who is this even supposed to be for? Yeah. So, unfortunately, this does rank as an achievement worth acknowledging: kudos for not being entirely off-base. Moving on.

The terrible condition that Greedy People suffers is a far less baffling one: it simply is not good. The story, when considered in the broadest strokes, has the potential to work. It’s a classic ensemble crime comedy of errors. Odd-couple cop duo Terry and Will, who are equally inept just in very different ways, blunder their way into an accident that causes the death of a civilian, unknowingly interfering with a premeditated murder, and their cover-up efforts quickly snowball into a mess that embroils the whole small island community of Providence, South Carolina. The rest of the ensemble cast includes seafood magnate and richest man in town Wallace Chetlo (Tim Blake Nelson, deserves better); his, shall we say, exacting wife Virginia (Traci Lords); and two rival hitmen known just as “The Colombian” (José María Yazpik) and “The Irishman” (Jim Gaffigan, did you really have nothing better to do?), among others.

Ironically, the most intriguing aspect of Greedy People is what makes it such dull viewing—there aren’t actually any major mechanical failures here, just creative ones. Yes, the plot is highly derivative, but that’s not inherently a dealbreaker. The problem is that the film lacks the kind of wit and verve that can make pastiche entertaining and memorable, when done correctly.

For archetypes and tropes to work, you have to play with them. In Fargo , Marge Gunderson is such an iconic protagonist because she’s a pregnant lady brimming with Midwestern politeness and also a badass, no nonsense police chief. It’s the combination of disparate elements, the juxtaposition, that makes her dynamic. There are no such innovations to be found here. Greedy People knows what it wants to be; its inspirations are glaringly obvious. But it lacks the understanding and artistry to properly realize any of these goals. The dialogue is lackluster, the characters are too archetypal to feel realistic yet too restrained to be entertainingly bonkers, the jokes are, to put it kindly, crusty. It’s also a major miss on tone, for which the writing and direction feel equally responsible. The look and feel of this film is so generic it’s hard to comment on Ponciroli’s direction. It gives nothing, like a sensory deprivation chamber.

This kind of dark comedy can work if you have at least some characters who are still likable, even if deeply flawed, or, if you have characters that are so outlandishly awful that watching them wreck each other and themselves becomes a joyous experience. As the title somewhat suggests, everyone in Greedy People sucks, but not enough to where it becomes actually enjoyable to watch most of them suffer. The second half in particular descends into miserable drudgery as everyone gets their just deserts and the viewer quietly waits for it to finally be over.

Greedy People is now available on PVOD.

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Pat mcafee praises 'covid king' aaron rodgers, her majesty gwyneth paltrow shall grace us with her acting again, feel bad for armie hammer right now, sigourney weaver tears up over kamala harris's connection to ellen ripley.

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‘evil’ is over, spoilers: 'the umbrella academy' pulled off a great ending (even if nobody likes it), review: 'alien: romulus' falls into a black hole of fan service.

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‘Out Come the Wolves’ Is a Ferociously Intense Reminder That Nature Bites

Another great PSA from Adam MacDonald about staying out of the woods.

Published August 29, 2024 Movies , Reviews By Rob Hunter Disclaimer When you purchase through affiliate links on our site, we may earn a commission.

While the stories they’re telling typically vary from film to film, some directors’ filmographies reveal a throughline of personal interests, themes, and/or places. Steven Spielberg frequently makes his films about families in distress, Quentin Tarantino often explores past truths with a skewed eye from the present, and Adam MacDonald ? Well, he wants you to know that nature, and the woods in particular, absolutely wants you dead. From a marauding bear in Backcountry (2014) to demonic forces in Pyewacket (2017), it’s clear that forests have somehow wronged MacDonald, and his films are his warning to others. That beef continues with his latest film, Out Come the Wolves , and in addition to continuing the idea that nature is no place for the unafraid, it has something else in common with his two previous movies too — it’s really fucking good.

Sophie ( Missy Peregrym ) and her fiancé Nolan ( Damon Runyan ) are enjoying a peaceful visit to a remote cabin in the woods. Fools. Kyle ( Joris Jarsky ), her longtime friend since childhood, is joining to catch up on old times and to teach Nolan the ways of the land for an upcoming piece he’s writing about hunting and survival. Sophie’s an expert in those matters too, but as Kyle discovers, she’s left most of it behind for the comforts of a new life that doesn’t involve killing wild animals. Tensions simmer as Kyle’s feelings for her clearly go beyond mere friendship, Nolan’s masculinity is feeling threatened, and the two men head out the next morning — only for one of them to return a few hours later, bloodied and unsure if the other is even alive. Turns out Sophie’s hunting days aren’t quite over yet.

The forest setting aside, Out Come the Wolves shares additional DNA with MacDonald’s vicious debut, Backcountry . While some of us (ie me) are choosing to see this as a direct sequel — Peregrym once again battles wild animals and her poor choice in men! — it’s instead a continuation of themes and ideas regarding our very place in nature. We may be (arguably) civilized, bipedal, and capable of inventing things like the Snuggie and the Cornballer, but we’re still animals as quick to turn on prey as we are each other. And while we have our days, we’re far from the scariest thing out there among the trees. Case in point? A pack of hungry and fearless wolves.

MacDonald doesn’t waste a second of Out Come the Wolves ‘ sparse running time (87 minutes!) and ensures every frame is working to set the tone, explore his characters, and tell a story. There’s a immediate feel of isolation in overhead shots of the landscape, and as the interruption of an ATV echoes through the forest the engine’s roar takes on the eerie snarl of a beast in waiting. We know to expect the wolves, but it’s a telling bit of sound design that suggests they sometimes come in human clothing.

“Nature has a way of showing you who you really are,” says Sophie, and it’s a lesson all three of them are about to learn. Kyle recalls a promise made when they were kids, that they would eventually get together if they both wound up alone at forty, but as Sophie has to remind him, she’s not alone. For his part, Nolan is disconnected from the land and trying to do better, but his caveman jealousies and insecurities are in full force. It’s a combustible triangle made taut by Enuka Okuma ‘s script, and while the fuse is lit the night before during a tense conversation between the two men, it doesn’t explode until their outing sees them cross paths with their inner fears and some four-footed alphas.

Animal attack films have been somewhat watered down in recent decades as filmmakers struggle to create an experience without putting animal performers at risk, typically by using CG and/or puppets — and this is a good thing. Some fare better than others, but MacDonald remains undefeated. Backcountry features the most intense, blood-curdling animal attack the screen has ever seen, and Out Come the Wolves sees the filmmaker reutilizing that skillset to great effect using every tool at his disposal.

It’s unnerving when the very real wolves come calling and pacing around their human prey, and the nightmare dials up to eleven as they move in for the kill. Live wolves and effects, intercut with sharp editing and guttural growls, elevated further by screams of terror and the gnashing of canines — we feel the fear and tighten our own fists as flesh is torn and blood is splashed across the dirt. The initial attack scene is an extremely harrowing ordeal, and the wolves remain a constant threat as Sophie heads out to rescue (or retrieve) the missing man.

All three performers do strong work in Out Come the Wolves balancing affection and personality alongside varying degrees of inner human ugliness, something that not all actors are capable of or interested in doing. Peregrym is playful and loving until the shit hits the fan, at which point she becomes a force to be reckoned with and the exact person you’d want at your back when a hairy, toothy beast wants to eat you for dinner. Runyan has the unenviable role of uncool city boy, and he’s believable in his battle between insecurity and sincerity. It’s Jarsky who nearly steals the human show, though, as a man whose gruff exterior is merely a costume hiding the scared and lonely boy within. All three lay their truths bare without becoming wholly unlikable, and that’s no small feat.

Out Come the Wolves is a tight, thrilling, and viciously intense tale of survival that knows our own inner weaknesses can be every bit as dangerous as exterior threats. Both are on full display here as human actions (and inactions) share the screen with wolf attacks, bloody carnage, and a palpable sense of hopelessness and terror. If Spielberg’s Jaws (1975) left your family vacationing inland, MacDonald’s latest will have you canceling your upcoming camping trip in favor of a nice stroll downtown. Now seriously, someone tell me what happened to MacDonald in the woods…

Tagged with: Adam MacDonald

Sigourney Weaver Comments on Ripley's Possible Return in a New Alien Sequel

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Sigourney Weaver played the role of Ellen Ripley in four different Alien films before laying the character to rest. However, there's always a way of bringing characters back in the world of science fiction, and Weaver hasn't shut the door just yet on giving Ripley one last ride.

Per Deadline , Weaver commented on her potential future with the Alien franchise at the Venice Film Festival. While the franchise has seemingly moved on without her, Weaver hinted that the Ripley character is still very close, and she admitted she remains open to revisiting the role. With that said, she clarified that none of the pitches she's heard so far have left her very impressed, nor does she spend much time thinking about the potential role reprisal.

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"I feel like she’s never far away from me, but on the other hand I have yet to read a script that said 'you have got to do this,' " Weaver explained. "So for me, she is in this other dimension, safe from the Alien for the time being. I don’t really think about it, but you know, it’s not completely impossible , and certainly a lot of good filmmakers are inspired by the material."

I feel like she’s never far away from me, but on the other hand I have yet to read a script that said 'you have got to do this.'

She added, "How much does the public really need or want another Ripley movie? I don’t really sit around and think about it, but if it came up, I would consider it. It has come up a bunch of times, but I’m also busy doing other things. Ripley has earned her rest."

'I Was So Relieved': Sigourney Weaver on Why Ghostbusters Casting Came at the Right Time

Weaver was relieved to move away from her series Alien character to a movie with more levity.

Weaver debuted as Ripley in the original Alien film released in 1979. She reprised the role for 1986's Aliens , 1992's Alien 3 , and 1997's Alien Resurrection . Weaver hasn't since appeared as Ripley in an Alien film, though she did have a voiceover role as the character in the 2014 video game Alien: Isolation . In 2017, Weaver played Ripley in a sketch for Stephen Colbert's The Late Show , which marks the last time she was physically seen in the role, albeit for a parody.

Sigourney Weaver Wasn't Contacted for an Alien: Romulus Cameo

There was no Ripley appearance in the newest film of the franchise, Alien: Romulus , which serves as a prequel to the original film. Given the timeline, a Ripley cameo may not have made much sense creatively, so it was not a surprise that she wasn't the one Alien character who had an appearance of sorts in the film. Weaver confirmed she was never approached about a possible cameo, sharing that she has yet to watch the movie.

"There wasn’t a discussion about Ripley being in it," she said. "I haven’t seen the new film. I might end up seeing it … I wish them all the best for it."

Alien: Romulus is playing in movie theaters.

Source: Deadline

Alien: Romulus

Alien: Romulus follows a group of space explorers who discover an uncharted planet with a dark secret. As they investigate, they are hunted by deadly xenomorphs and uncover ancient ruins revealing the planet's terrifying history. The crew must use their skills and technology to survive the relentless attacks and find a way to escape the hostile environment.