Thursday, 10 October 2024

Alien anniversary



Alien vs. Predator (AVP) was released twenty years ago. It marked the first time the fan-favourite franchises clashed on the big screen, which was teased in Predator 2 and explored in the pages of Dark Horse Comics.

Nick Smith, our resident US-based xenomorph expert, goes on a bug hunt in the spooky season.

Guest post by Nick Smith

It’s not just bullied school kids who spend their time hiding in lockers.

If you’ve played Alien: Isolation and survived, you’re doubtless adept at cowering from savage xenomorph beasties. If you haven’t played the Sega survival game, I highly recommend it; with its creepy atmosphere, sympathetic heroine, terrifying jump scares and highly detailed space-bound setting, it’s truer to Ridley Scott’s original movie than any of the movie sequels.

Since it landed in 2014, Alien: Isolation has left its acid mark on several games, including last year’s Jurassic World Aftermath. Some of the locations in Alien: Romulus were eerily reminiscent of Alien: Isolation’s Sevastopol space station, adding an extra layer of fascination for gamers.

Alien: Isolation has been hailed as one of the best Alien video games, but I would go one better – it’s one of the best survival games! No wonder UK-based development studio Creative Assembly is working on a sequel, announced on the tenth anniversary of the original game. It will be years before we see this as-yet-unnamed follow-up, but in the meantime, there are several excellent Alien: Isolation DLCs and another anniversary to celebrate.

October 10th, 2004 is the day that aliens fought predators in the Antarctic, according to director Paul W. S. Anderson’s celluloid fightfest, Alien vs. Predator (AVP). Inspired by a comic book, this ambitious film does not measure up to its classic predecessors.

However, the cast alone makes AVP worthy of a watch (or rewatch) this Halloween. Sanaa Lathan is a worthy, charismatic heroine. Lance Henriksen – Bishop in Aliens – gets a well-deserved major role as bazillionaire Charles Bishop Weyland, the template for some future artificial persons. Brits Colin Salmon, Ewen Bremner (Spud from Trainspotting) and Tommy Flanagan (Cicero from Gladiator) all give memorable performances, and Raoul Bova (Emily in Paris) makes great amuse-bouche for the leading lady. There’s plenty of action, some Ancient Aliens-level myth-building, and the predators get more screen time than ever.

So watch the movie, watch the skies, and don’t spend all your time in isolation. There’s safety in numbers, right?

What are your memories of watching Alien vs. Predator and playing Alien: Isolation? Let me know in the comments below.

Nick Smith's new audiobook, Undead on Arrival, is available from Amazon (affiliate link).

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