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[‘Alien 3’ Revisited] Why It’s Not So Bad and Why Killing Newt and Hicks is a Good Thing

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With the June 8th release of Ridley Scott’s Prometheus fast approaching, we thought we’d take a look back at the original Alien franchise with which it “shares strands of DNA.” Whether or not there are xenomorphs as we know them in Prometheus, it’s abundantly clear that it takes place in the same universe.

In the weeks leading up to the release of that film I’m going to revisit the four films in the Alien franchise (sorry, not going to subject myself to AVP) in order to gather my thoughts in anticipation of the new outing. First up is Alien 3. Considered a disappointment upon its release in 1992, the film underperformed at the box office and left many fans with a bad taste in their mouth. Stories about its troubled production have become the stuff of legend and many people fail to even regard it as part of the filmography of director David Fincher (Zodiac, The Social Network, Se7en, Fight Club). Even I hated the movie, and I was pretty easy to please back then.

I recently took another look at the theatrical cut of the film and discovered, to my great surprise, that it’s not that bad after all. For a film without a finalized script, it gets more right than it does wrong – which is pretty surprising. Head inside for more.

It goes without saying that the great divide in quality in the Alien universe occurs between Aliens and Alien 3. This sentiment is about as close as a subjective opinion can get to being a fact. When I first saw the film in the summer of 1992 I was so disappointed I couldn’t even admit to myself how much I disliked it. It was too painful a letdown. I went into denial mode and told myself how great it was for weeks. At some point – probably months later – I just accepted the notion that I thought it was pretty bad and moved on. And, while I can’t be completely sure, I don’t think I watched it again in its entirety for almost two decades.

So I was surprised when a recent revisit revealed that Alien 3 isn’t all that bad. There are some great moments and the tone is actually astoundingly consistent. That’s fairly surprising considering that the “final” script was pretty much written on the fly during the historically rocky shoot using elements from god-knows-how-many screenplays from god-knows-how-many writers (the script is credited to David Giler, Walter Hill and Larry Ferguson but also contains elements from drafts by David Twohy, Eric Red and Vincent Ward). Is it as good as Alien or Aliens? No. But it is a decent movie in the unfortunate shadow of those two titans.

In fact, it’s almost something of a triumph when you consider how troubled the production was. David Fincher, hamstrung by an incomplete script, reportedly clashed almost nonstop with Fox brass. Coming from the world of commercials and music videos he was generally used to getting his way and he wasn’t getting it here, primarily due to budget issues. Still, bits of the genius we’ve now come to know him as shine through. Aside from a few rough shots (the chest burster coming out of the dog is sloppy and the CG throughout is mostly horrible), the film is consistently gorgeous (another miracle considering they had to switch DP’s a week or two in). Fincher’s attention to detail may have tacked days upon days to the shooting schedule, but it provides the film with its strongest and most consistent attributes – its look and its tone.

Alien 3 is a film about loss, hopelessness, exhaustion, sacrifice and coming to grips with death. Those concepts may be muddied by the barely functional script, and they certainly dart in and out of the picture depending on which set of pages Fincher was working with on any given day. But they’re present. When you watch the movie you feel them. Fincher’s not a writer, but he can sustain a mood like a motherf*cker Those themes hit way harder than you’d expect from a film that was basically taken away from its director.

Many fans, along with James Cameron himself, were taken aback by the decision to kill off Michael Biehn’s Hicks and Carrie Henn’s Newt at the beginning of the film. But I think it’s one of Alien 3‘s smartest decisions. I can’t imagine what a mess this movie would have been if Ripley had entered it with a thriving support system. Aliens remains a superior film but its also concerned with something completely different – motherhood. The loss of Ripley’s daughter (in the director’s cut), the Alien Queen’s anguish over the loss of her eggs and the inclusion of Newt into the budding makeshift family portrayed at the end of the film all tie into that. But that’s not at all what Alien 3 is about. It has to negate those positive developments in Ripley’s life because it’s about dropping her (and the audience) back in the fray.

And the fray in this film is desolate and hopeless. One of the themes I talked about earlier is exhaustion and you can feel that in every frame of Alien 3 (perhaps helped along by the real-world exhaustion on set). Ripley is tired. She’s been f*cked with by the Alien and f*cked over by humanity one too many times. You get the feeling that she never expects her dalliance with Charles Dance’s Clemens to end in anything but tears, and the universe proves her exactly right. Even if Hicks and Newt had survived beyond the film’s opening moments, they surely would have had to go at some point. Can you imagine an entire film set on that prison planet with that family unit? I can, and it doesn’t work. And I can’t really see it working in any other context either. Many people (myself included) long to see early director Vincent Ward’s “wooden planet” take on the script, which was also smart enough to omit them.

Also, the death of Newt provides the film with one of its most powerful moments – the autopsy scene. Reports have it that the scene is vastly truncated in regard to the specificity of the procedure (and the resulting gore) – but that doesn’t matter. What matters is Ripley’s reaction. It’s one of Sigourney Weaver’s most powerful moments in these films and it’s a compelling series of shots that earns the catharsis of the film’s controversial ending.

One of the more distinct memories from my first viewing of the film was my dislike for the prison planet setting. But upon revisiting I felt it more or less worked. Surrounding Ripley with rapists and murderers not only ups the sense of isolation and danger, but it enables the film to carve out a redemptive arc for its supporting cast. Even though the proselytizing of Charles S. Dutton’s Dillon grows tiresome and heavy handed, you really feel some of these guys struggling to make make the most out of their final moments.

Sigourney Weaver’s performance is another element that helps carry the film past the shortcomings of its script. I’m not sure what the communication was like on set, but she seems perfectly in sync with Fincher’s ambition to convey the exhaustion and hopelessness of her journey. You feel the miles on her, you feel her loss and grief and you feel how much the character has changed since the events of the first film. Ripley’s been through the wringer, something a film with lesser ambition would have shaken off in favor of dropping her into kick-ass warrior mode once again. Not only has she lost everything she had before she got on the Nostromo, she’s also lost everything she earned back in those final moments on the Sulaco. She doesn’t have it in her to even try for a normal life anymore. While Alien 3 is far from the best film in series, her performance here is at least on par with her work in Aliens (if not surpassing it outright).

Also, the ending of the film is actually pretty effective. Ripley’s demise (aided by Elliot Goldenthal’s powerful final cue) along with the reprise of her Nostromo sign-off from the first film give the conclusion of Alien 3 a sense of finality. It acknowledges the journey of the first two films and attempts to compliment and comment on it (which is more than I can say for the awful Alien: Resurrection). When the credits roll, it’s hard not to feel like this is the end of something. It almost feels like the end of a trilogy.

Alien 3 is still a significant step down from the first two films, but time has been kind to it. During my revisit I considered the possibility that, as a Fincher fan, I may be biased. Perhaps I’m looking at it through the lens of someone who loves the majority of his subsequent work? It’s possible. But still, I can feel this film trying to be something different while also trying to be a worthy entry of the story it’s continuing. The ambition is commendable even if its reach often exceeds its grasp. Alien 3 is a muddled, sloppy story that somehow manages to hit most of its emotional and thematic notes with a fair amount of strength. If you haven’t seen it in a while, give it another go. You might be surprised.

Editorials

The 10 Scariest Moments in the ‘Ghostbusters’ Movie Franchise

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WARNING: The following contains mild spoilers for the Ghostbusters franchise. 

Yes, Ghostbusters is a horror movie – gateway horror to be exact. Setting aside the fact that the title literally contains the word “ghost,” a foundational element of the scariest genre, the franchise follows a group of paranormal researchers who battle entities attacking from beyond the grave. After countless rewatches, the classic films and newer sequels may not scare us much anymore, but how many times have we as genre fans asserted that a film does not have to be “scary” to be considered horror?

Genre classification is nebulous and any film that centers on ghosts has a place in the sprawling house of horror. Yes, it’s true that most viewers over the age of thirteen will find more to laugh about than scream while watching a Ghostbusters film, but each entry contains a handful of terrifying moments. With Gil Kenan’s Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire uniting three generations of the parascientific warriors, perhaps it’s time to highlight the most frightening moments from each phase of this legendary franchise. 


Ghostbusters (1984)

A Haunted Library

scariest Ghostbusters movie

Ivan Reitman’s original film begins with a campfire tale come to life. We follow an unsuspecting librarian as she ventures deep into the stacks to reshelve a book. With her hair blowing from a spectral breeze, we watch a hardcover float across the aisle to the opposite shelf. A second book follows, but the librarian remains unaware. She finally notices the disturbance when card catalog drawers open on their own spewing cards into the air like literary geysers. She flees through the maze of narrow stacks only to come face to face with a mysterious force who blows her back with a powerful roar. We won’t see the Library Ghost (Ruth Oliver) until a later scene, but this introduction firmly positions the film that follows in the world of horror. On first watch, we can only speculate as to the ghost’s malevolence and whether or not the librarian has survived the encounter. It’s the perfect introduction to a world in which ghosts are not only real, they will pounce on unsuspecting humans at the drop of a … book. 

Shaky Ground

The original finale may not be the film’s most terrifying moment, but it has become the franchise’s most iconic image. When faced with choosing a form for Gozer (Slavitza Jovan), Ray Stantz (Dan Aykroyd) inadvertently conjures up an image from his childhood. Moments later, a set of once-cheery eyes peer through the skyscrapers. The Stay Puft Marshmallow Man towers over the city, stomping and destroying everything in its path. While there’s definitely something terrifying about a jovial mascot turned deadly killer, what happens moments before is arguably scarier. 

The Ghostbusters arrive at the luxury apartment building to throngs of adoring fans. Peter Venkman (Bill Murray) plays into this hero-worship and promises an easy solution to a supernatural problem. But before they can enter the building, lightning strikes the upper floors sending massive chunks of brick and cement raining down on the barricaded street. The ground begins to shake and a giant fissure swallows the entire team. It’s a destabilizing moment made all the more terrifying by its shocking reality. Speculation about the existence of ghosts may vary from person to person, but there’s no doubt that sinkholes are very real. It’s entirely possible that the ground we’re standing on right now could spontaneously begin to crumble, sucking us down into a seemingly bottomless void beneath the earth. 


Ghostbusters II (1989)

Runaway Baby

Ivan Reitman’s sequel begins with a sly update on the life of a beloved character as Dana Barrett (Sigourney Weaver) pushes a baby carriage containing her infant son Oscar (Henry and William Deutschendorf). When last we saw the attractive cellist, she was kissing Venkman in the wreckage of Gozer’s demise and the thought of this loveable lady’s man becoming a father may be more nerve-wracking than anything contained in the first film. We never learn much about Oscar’s real father, but we do discover that fate has a sinister plan for the adorable child. While Dana chats with her landlord, Oscar’s carriage rolls a few feet away. Dana reaches for the handle, but the buggy begins speeding down the sidewalk careening through the busy crowds. As if guided by unseen hands, the carriage twists and turns, then abruptly swerves into oncoming traffic. Cars honk and veer out of the way, but the racing carriage marks a collision course with an approaching bus. The wheels screech to a halt moments before what would surely be a deadly crash and Dana rushes to embrace her vulnerable child. This harrowing scene is likely to terrorize any parent who’s experienced the fear of trying to protect a baby in an unpredictable world.  

Sewer Screams

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While investigating the second film’s primary villain, Vigo the Carpathian (Wilhelm von Homburg), three of the Ghostbusters venture into the sewers hoping to find a growing river of slime. Ray, Winston (Ernie Hudson), and Egon (Harold Ramis) trek down an abandoned subway line while speculating about the hordes of cockroaches and rats they hear scurrying behind the walls. These vermin may be scary, but there are more malevolent monsters lurking in the dark. Ray and Egon both amuse themselves with the tunnel’s echo but Winston’s “hello” goes unanswered. Moments later, a demonic voice bellows his name from the dark end of the corridor. Waiting behind him is a severed head floating in the empty tunnel. As he tries to retreat, the team finds themselves surrounded by dozens of ghoulish heads that disappear faster than they materialized. Moments later, a ghostly train hurtles towards them, swallowing Winston in its spectral glow. Egon theorizes that something is trying to keep them from reaching their destination with effective scares designed to frighten the Ghostbusters and audience alike.  


Ghostbusters (2016)

Haunted Basement

Like its predecessor, Paul Feig’s remake opens with a spooky vignette. Garrett (Zach Woods) gives a tour of the Aldridge Mansion, a 19th century manor preserved in the middle of the busy city, and walks visitors through a troubling history of excess and cruelty. Hoping to inject a bit of excitement, he pauses near the basement door and tells the horrifying story of Gertrude Aldridge (Bess Rous), a wealthy heiress who murdered the house’s many servants. Hoping to avoid a public scandal, her family locked her in the basement and her restless spirit can still be heard trying to escape. Garrett triggers a trick candlestick to fly off the shelf, hinting at the spirit’s presence, but a late night incident shows that the deceased murderess may actually be lurking in her ancestral home. While closing up for the night, Garrett hears ominous noises from behind the barricaded door and watches the knob rattle against the heavy locks. An unseen attacker hurls him through the house and eventually drives him down the basement stairs to a sea of green slime pooling on the floor. The stairs crumble leaving the tour guide hanging on to the door frame for dear life as a spectral figure glides toward him with menacing hands outstretched. Once again, we won’t see the fully revealed ghost of Gertrude Aldridge until later in the film, but this terrifying opening sets the stage for a dangerous showdown with an army of the dead.

Mannequin On the Move

The scariest moment of the 2016 remake is arguably the vicious online hatred sparked well before the film’s release. In response to brutal comments posted to the first official trailer, the cast returned to film an additional scene in which they react to dehumanizing negativity. But another sequence may cut closer to the heart of this upsetting experience. The Ghostbusters respond to a call at a concert venue and split up to cover more ground. Patty (Leslie Jones) enters what she calls a “room full of nightmares” and immediately reverses course to avoid a multitude of mannequins stacked haphazardly in the dark. As she walks out the door, one of the faceless creatures turns its head her way. Walking on its own, this sentient prop follows her down the hall, pausing the moment she turns around. Eventually breaking cover, the mannequin chases Patty down the hall to the rest of the team. They unleash their proton packs and make quick work of the gargoyle-like ghost. Though this connection is surely unintentional, it’s a terrifying parallel to a faceless monster sneaking up to attack a woman simply trying to do her job. 


Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021)

Smoke and Monsters

While Ghostbusters: Afterlife is nowhere near as scary as the horror films playing in the local summer school science class, Jason Reitman’s legacyquel does contain its share of frights. The film opens with a harrowing scene as we join Egon (Oliver Cooper) in the last moments of his life. Racing away from a sinister mountain, Egon’s truck collides with an unseen force and flips upside down in a field of corn. The elderly scientist races back to his crumbling farmhouse with a trap in hand, intent on ensnaring this invisible being. Unfortunately, the power fails and Egon has no choice but to hide the trap under the floorboards and wait. He sits in a comfortable old chair as a horrifying cloud of smoke drifts in behind him, momentarily forming the shape of a fanged beast. Demonic hands grab him from within the chair, likely causing the heart attack that will be listed on his death certificate. But his abandoned PKE meter below the chair activates, reminding us that Egon may be deceased, but he is far from gone.  

The Terror Returns

scariest Ghostbusters moments

Ghostbusters: Afterlife turns out to be a touching tribute to Harold Ramis as his friends and family unite to complete the beloved scientist’s heroic mission. In addition to a tearjerker ending, Reitman also includes a bevy of callbacks to the original film. Not only do the Spenglers square off against the team’s first enemy, Gozer (Emma Portner), the nonbinary entity brings back the Terror Dogs that once possessed Dana Barret and Louis Tully (Rick Moranis). These demonic beasts first rear their ugly heads while Gary Grooberson (Paul Rudd) stops by Walmart to buy a midnight snack. While the horde of mini marshmallow men are eerie in their gleeful self-destruction, the ghostly canine that chases him through the store is the stuff of nightmares. Early iterations of this fearsome creature are hindered by ’80s-era special effects, but Reitman’s version feels frighteningly real. While Gary frantically tries to find his keys, this Terror Dog snarls at him from atop his car dashboard, leaving the endearing science teacher with no way to escape. 


Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024)

Frozen Dinner 

After a film set in a small mountain town, the opening of Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire takes us back to New York circa 1904. We see the fire station in its early years as a horse-drawn carriage responds to a call. Arriving at the scene, a fireman tests the door for heat and watches in horror as his hand instantly freezes. Inside, they find jagged shards of ice surrounding and piercing a frozen dinner party. Guests are posed in various states of ice-covered surprise while an eerie record skips in the corner. A figure covered in brass armor we will come to know as a Fire Master is crouched in the corner clutching a mysterious orb. When the fireman touches this rippling sphere, the frozen diners’ heads begin to explode, an ominous precursor to the chilling threat awaiting the newest Ghostbusting team. 

Lights Out

If Ghostbusters: Afterlife featured the lo-fi gear of the 80s, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire hurls us into the future. Wealthy financier Winston Zeddemore has been surreptitiously building a new containment unit to relieve pressure on the original model along with a secret lab designed to study ghosts and haunted objects. In addition to fancy new gadgets and gear, this facility contains several captured spirits like a fanged Wraith and a speedy Possessor. Lab techs assure the astonished Spengler team that they are perfectly safe, but it seems they’ve overestimated the facility’s security. Lucky (Celeste O’Connor) and Lars (James Acaster) are studying the aforementioned orb when the power goes out, leaving them stranded in the dark with a cache of haunted objects. Not only does the ancient sphere hold a deadly spirit, the proton fields containing the captured ghosts have just been disabled. These terrifying creatures begin to drift through the walls toward the defenseless lab techs, perhaps at the bidding of an evil commander. Thankfully the generator kicks on in the nick of time, drawing the ghosts back into their cells. It’s a tense moment reminding us that no matter how charming the Ghostbusters may be, they still spend their days with evil spirits just waiting for an opportunity to wreak havoc.  


The Ghostbusters franchise excels at mixing humor and fear, practically setting the blueprint for the modern horror comedy. Moments from the original two films terrified a generation of gen-xers and elder millennials and newer iterations are currently scaring their kids. The fifth franchise installment effectively passes the proton pack torch to a new generation of Ghostbusters and we can only hope additional films will continue to induct future generations of Ghostbusters fans into the horror family as well. 

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is now playing in theaters. Read our review.

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