‘Aliens Expanded’ is a brand new documentary about the sci-fi hit Aliens, featuring a new extended interview with director James Cameron (Terminator, Aliens, Titanic, Avatar). From by the creators of ‘In Search of Darkness’, the film brings fans on a journey into the extraordinary cinematic legacy of the ‘greatest sequel of all time’. Also featuring interviews with Michael Biehn , Lance Henriksen, Sigourney Weaver, Gale Ann Hurd and many more cast and crew, Aliens Expanded is a first-of-its kind scene-by-scene analysis of Aliens with Cameron himself leading the conversation.
Writer and director Ian Nathan (author of Alien Vault and James Cameron: A Retrospective) teams up with CREATORVC (In Search Of Darkness) to explore Cameron’s finest film to date. The ultimate celebration of a classic, the film is centered on an in-depth analysis as well as a wealth of memories, stories, facts, revelations, never-before-heard stories from set and discussion over the massive cultural impact the film had and still has today. The release of this documentary is timely with the latest instalment in the franchise Alien Romulus being released this year and the 40th anniversary of Aliens coming up in 2025.
The film is divided up into chapters themed around different scenes from the film with a very clever visual device which shows us every frame on the film in one shot; the visuals throughout are really fun including many ‘Alien’ style computer graphics to break-up the different sections and interviews. The film features a great selection of new retrospective interviews with cast and crew sharing their memories of making with the film which provides a wealth of knowledge for the casual viewer; die hard fans of the franchise will still enjoy seeing their favourite stars and may even pick up a few new facts and perspectives of the making of the film and it’s lasting legacy. The film is generally well paced with none of the different sections feeling like they overstayed their welcome but with a run-time of 4.5 hours this may be hard to get through in a single viewing and could be a little long for the more casual viewer.
It was especially great getting to hear Cameron’s perspective on the making of the film and stories that have become infamous in fan circles such as the ‘Tea Lady’ story. He is typically un-abashed and boisterous here, making his opinions clear about various aspects of the film and it’s legacy. There is also a rich collection of interviews with those involved in making the film behind the scenes including special effects, and even a psychologist with a lot reference to Ridley Scott’s ‘Alien’ as well as other films in the franchise as well as exploring and acknowledging the influence of ‘Alien’ artist H.R Giger.
4/5 – A must seen for fans of the franchise and movie fans alike but the runtime may be off-putting for some.
Order your copy of Aliens Expanded NOW! and find out more at Aliens-expanded.com
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