Alien Movie Universe

Alien franchise misconceptions

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oduodu

MemberXenomorphApr-10-2016 5:51 PM

After reading extensively
over at Avpgalaxy and Valaquen's Strangeshapes Blog I have realized that there may be a few misconceptions.

1

Ridley Scott is not the reason HR Giger was brought into Alien. It was Dan O'bannon that insisted he was used and due to that Ridley took a look at his work which prompted him to agree. If I am not mistaken Ridley threatened to walk if Giger wasn't used so Impressed was he. But the initial idea came from O' bannon.

2

Ridley had a very big part in why Alien was a good movie but he was not the sole reason why the movie was so great. Ridley Scott is a great director no doubt and a highly intelligent man who knows more about movie making that most people will ever know. But people forget that the people who made Alien were all very talented Individuals. O'bannon was a writer an actor a director and was a very good artist as well. Ronn Cobb was also a highly skilled person. Alien was as has been stated a collaborative effort. I am not under cutting Ridley. Also Giler and Hil was responsible for including Ash as the android.

Remarks.

So if these people were so talented why didn't they stay on for a second movie?

Well I have read that O'bannon said that there was a lot of ill feelings between the crew the not sure exactly what about.

Its a pity.

So they wouldn't rejoin for a sequel even if asked. Iam guessing that's why They never asked Ridley to direct.

Could be wrong.

Also the management had changed over at fox. And they probably wanted to make their own mark.

Are there any things that you feel people are not getting correctly about the Alien franchise? Please share it.

24 Replies

Lone

MemberPraetorianApr-10-2016 11:56 PM

Ridley Scott did indeed tell the Brandywine producers he would not direct the film if Giger's concept wasn't used. The producers thought it was too much, but finally relented.

The many artistic talents from Alejandro Jodorowsky's Dune, were later involved with ALIEN, after the French backers pulled the plug on Jodorowsky's film. O'Bannon had been hired to work on the special effects and met Giger, who was working on the design aspects.

He famously pulled out a copy of Giger's Necronomicon and showed some of the plates, namely Necronomicon IV and V to Ridley.

David Giler and Walter Hill, two of the Brandywine producers are the ones who caused much ill feeling and lawsuits, because they basically made Ridley's life hell, on set. They caused a huge rift with Dan O'Bannon and Ron Shusset.

They wanted to claim screenplay credits over O'Bannon and Shusset, because they changed a few things and claimed in numerous interviews over the years to have rewritten the entire story!

Here's what Dan O'Bannon had to say about it in a Den Of Geek interview.......

Did you have any more input into AvP2: Requiem than just your credit as having created the alien character?

No, no. You’ve got to understand that Walter Hill and David Giler, who have been attached to the project from the beginning, they hate my guts. Because they’re scoundrels. They thought that by pulling a couple of fast ones that they could steal my screenplay credit from the original Alien.

This is where they rewrote the names of the characters in your original script?

Yeah. They should have had enough experience themselves to know that that wouldn’t work, because they both had a couple of studio pictures already in their background, and they were both Writer’s Guild members, and they had been through arbitrations. The arbitrations standards are pretty clear, and they should have realised that no minor changes were gonna get them – certainly not the sole screenplay credit, which they expected, and in fact they ended up getting no screenplay credit. I don’t know – villains think as villains think; y’know – they’re stupid. When they failed to get that credit they both just flipped their lids.

They’d already targeted me as a victim, meaning that I was ‘not a friend’. And then when the victim ended up not being victimised, they were just furious, just beside themselves. Walter Hill spent several years telling everybody who would listen, any journalist that he’d really written Alien and I stole his credit, until I finally got fed up and had my lawyer shut him up for good.

So no, they were not about to have me involved in any of those sequels. They’re only interested in the money with those sequels, anyway. These are not artistic fellows.

Read more: http://www.denofgeek.com/movies/alien/13160/the-den-of-geek-interview-dan-obannon#ixzz45UuZwBgC

 

THE LONE GUNWOMAN

"Let The Cosmic Incubation Begin" ~ H.R. Giger

Lone

MemberPraetorianApr-11-2016 12:33 AM

This is a little off topic, but may be interesting, nevertheless...I think Ridley Scott may have gotten into storyboarding his films via Dan O'Bannon. Here's why...

When O'Bannon was working on Jodorowsky's Dune, he met the great comic book artist, Jean Giraud, better known as Moebius. O'Bannon suggested to Jodorowsky that it might be a good idea to storyboard the film.

Jodorowsky thought it was an excellent idea, and had Moebius sketch out the entire film in a series of around 3,000 storyboards, which became a massive volume nicknamed Jodorowsky's Dune Bible.

Also, Ridley is a fan of Moebius and was greatly influenced by him as can be seen in his storyboards for both ALIEN and BladeRunner. 

 

THE LONE GUNWOMAN

"Let The Cosmic Incubation Begin" ~ H.R. Giger

Lone

MemberPraetorianApr-11-2016 2:38 AM

Of course Ridley was probably used to the concept of storyboarding from his advertising days.

Being a very astute ad man, he knew how influential and useful boards can be. They certainly helped in the case of ALIEN, because as we know after showing them to FOX, the budget for Alien more or less doubled!

THE LONE GUNWOMAN

"Let The Cosmic Incubation Begin" ~ H.R. Giger

oduodu

MemberXenomorphApr-11-2016 5:05 AM

Lone

Wow

That's mind blowing stuff! Thanks

It really is such a shame. If they as a group decided to make alien 2 just imagine how wonderful that might have been,

Lone

So.....

You are an alien universe expert. I never knew!

I m goin to ask you a few questions if you don't mind; (in terms of misconceptions)

1 So what do you think?

Would having them all together have made for a great sequel?

2 I have heard that Brandywine as a company stopped existing many years ago but why are they credited in Prometheus? I think so .

3 Are you aware that James Cameron also had a falling out with one of Giler or Hill after he submitted his first draft for Aliens. Apparently he nothing to do after he finished the script for Rambo and decided to have a go after the brandywines ask him to share a few ideas? Am I correct?.

4 Cameron wrote a letter to Giger to apologize for how he changed or used Giger's work without his permission. Are you aware of this? That's interesting and does show that Cameron is actually aery humble .

5 Why did terry rawlings write a script for aliens ?

Lone

MemberPraetorianApr-11-2016 6:46 AM

I know very little Odu, especially when compared with the knowledge many of our members have! I will try my best to answer your questions though. The text of your questions is running off the end of the page, but I think I caught the gist of what you are asking.

1. Well, I’d like to think that a sequel involving the same artistic talents would have been great. Ridley certainly was interested, but he was never offered the job. He told OMNI magazine “It certainly should explain what the Alien is and where it comes from. That will be tough because it will require dealing with other planets, worlds, civilisations. Because obviously the Alien did come from some sort of civilisation. The Alien was presented, really, as one of the last survivors of Mars – a planet named after the god of war. The Alien may be one of the last descendants of some long-lost self-destructed group of beings.”

2. Brandywine still had production/distribution status from ALIEN right through to both AVP’s and Prometheus, so not sure about that.

3. I don’t know anything at all about this, sorry!

4. Giger’s agent, Leslie Barany wrote to Cameron because Giger was never contacted about possible involvement. Three months later Cameron replied. He explained that he wanted to put his own stamp on the production, as he felt that Giger’s visual stamp was so powerful and persuasive that he felt the risk of being overwhelmed by Giger and his world. Make of it what you will!

5. Terry Rawlings was editor on both ALIEN and ALIENS, but I have no knowledge of him writing a script for ALIENS.

The May 1988 issue of CINEMAFANTASTIQUE contains a lengthy article and interview with Giger. The article exposed how many films have ripped off Giger’s work! The magazine also encouraged people to write to Fox if they wanted to see Giger contribute to more sequels.

Cinefantastique.pdf

THE LONE GUNWOMAN

"Let The Cosmic Incubation Begin" ~ H.R. Giger

Lone

MemberPraetorianApr-11-2016 6:55 AM

The 2 page letter of apology from James Cameron to Leslie Barany is available to view at hrgiger.com

THE LONE GUNWOMAN

"Let The Cosmic Incubation Begin" ~ H.R. Giger

Lone

MemberPraetorianApr-11-2016 7:00 AM
Giger has been treated very badly by Fox over the years. Ignoring his contribution after ALIEN is very shabby indeed and an insult to that great artist and humble human being.

Also see this letter Credit Where Credit Is Due

THE LONE GUNWOMAN

"Let The Cosmic Incubation Begin" ~ H.R. Giger

Lone

MemberPraetorianApr-11-2016 7:12 AM

Sorry that link doesn't take you to the actual page

It Also Happened With Alien 3

J'ACCUSE

Accuser: H.R. Giger
Accused: 20th Century Fox, PR Alien III, Fincher, Gillis, Woodruff, Giler, Hill
Background

Based on a decision made by the producer, namely Gordon Carroll, Giger was asked telephonically on July 25, 1990, to work as designer on ALIEN III. This was confirmed in writing by Giger. Soon after that, the newly hired director, David Fincher, accompanied by Fred Zinneman and Gordon Carroll, visited Giger in his house in Zurich. Also present were Mia Bonzanigo, Giger’s secretary and agent, and Conny de Fries, Giger’s long-time collaborator and a specialist in model construction. The meeting took place on July 28, 1990, which was also Giger’s and de Fries’ first day of work, a fact confirmed in writing by Fred Zinneman. Since work had to start immediately, it was decided to use Giger’s 1978 contract as a contract basis - with the appropriate financial adjustments, of course. For the time being, the agreement was to run one month, with the option of prolonging it if the work took longer.

Basically, Giger was supposed to re-think and improve upon the ALIEN life forms created for ALIEN (Ridley Scott) in 1977-79, on behalf of Twentieth Century Fox. Giger thought he was working closely with the director and hoped to improve his creatures, and rectify some qualitatively inferior details from ALIENS. He was very excited about the prospect, and felt predestined to ennoble visually and functionally the ALIEN prototypes already contained in the book Giger’s Necronomicon, of which Necronom IV and V were chosen by Ridley Scott for ALIEN. Since Giger had been rewarded with an Oscar for Best Visual Design in 1980 for creating these creatures, alien landscapes, spacecrafts and spacejockey, it was only logical that he went to work with the greatest enthusiasm. The book Necronomicon was used by Scott almost like a bible for various techniques during the filming of ALIEN. It even gave him some suggestions for details in the spacecraft NOSTROMO.

Because of his former, very close collaboration with R. Scott, Giger believed there would be that kind of intensive relationship on ALIEN III with David Fincher, which would have been an ideal starting situation for a precise execution of his designs. As a result, Giger faxed sketches, plans and photos of models to Pinewood, and Fincher faxed his comments in return. Since there was no script at that time, Fincher’s ideas were used to search for and also find solutions. What perplexed Giger, however, was that Gillis and Woodruff, who were responsible for the execution and mechanization of the creatures, said on the telephone that they had their own interpretation as far as the ALIEN design was concerned. Giger, who received an Oscar for his ALIEN creatures, believed the only concern was the interpretation approved by Fincher in Giger’s sense (For Giger, there was only one interpretation, which he assumed Fincher shared, namely: the most precise possible execution of Giger’s plans). For this reason, Giger, at his own cost and initiative, had an ALIEN on a one-to-one scale built in the basement of is Zurich house to better study the proportions and thus be able to draw more precise plans.

At first, Giger was committed to the following designs:
1. Aquatic facehugger
2. Baby chestburster
3. The grown alien
4. Alien skin

During this month, the newest developments were faxed to Pinewood daily, and confirmed and commented upon by Fincher and his crew. For optimal visualization, Giger had De Fries shoot photos of the model in the basement, and produced a short video about it. (Film by R. Appenzeller)

During this time, Twentieth Century Fox in L.A. was doing its best to foist off a very simple "Work For Hire" contract on Giger - contrary to all agreement made between Giger, Zinnemann and Carroll on July 28, 1990. This finally led to the involvement of Giger’s lawyer, because the second part of the fee for work already done would not have been paid until Twentieth Century Fox signed a valid contract. In the meantime, ALIEN III was finished with a delay of two years. Since Twentieth Century Fox finally signed a contract after half a year, they now had 1 1/2 years to deal with the matter of Giger’s screen credits. When, at Giger’s behest, Fox, Geneva, organized a screening for his friends and co-workers, Giger realized that the screen credit agreed upon in the contract was not the one in the film. A letter was written to Fox, Geneva immediately , but Fox, Geneva made no move to try to clear up the matter with Fox, L.A. Their comment was: "All press materials and posters have already been produced, so it would be too late for changes now." At that point, however, it still would have been possible to change the credits in copies [duplicates?], and in original laser discs and videos. It was only at the second screening for the press on September 3 that Giger realized his name was also missing from the credits at the end of the movie. Fox knows best WHEN this mistake was made. At any rate, it was their responsibility to study the contract for specific agreements about credits, and to correct existing credits in order to comply with he contract.

In addition, from the 20-30-minute American promotional films sent to him by his American agent Leslie Barany, it became obvious to Giger that the impression being made was that he had only worked on ALIEN. He was also never identified as an Oscar winner, while others who worked on that movie were so identified. It should be noted that the interview with Giger contained in the promotional film was only shot after Twentieth Century Fox signed the contract, because a legal contract signed by both parties was a prerequisite for Giger’s doing this interview.

IMAGI-MOVIES, Spring 1994
(Discontinued sister-publication of Cinefantastique)


Alienated
by Les Paul Robley
(an excerpt)
"You know, I think filmmakers are always afraid to collaborate with artists like me, because they think we will cause them trouble. Where as I just want to be creative."

- H.R. Giger


On July 28th, 1990, Swiss surrealist H.R. Giger was approached for the second time to redesign his creature for ALIEN 3. David Fincher, the third director assigned to the troubled production, visited Giger in Switzerland, accompanied by Fred Zinnemann. Because of his former close collaboration with Ridley Scott. Giger believed he would have the same kind of relationship with Fincher.

Giger was asked to rethink the life forms from ALIEN, providing an aquatic face-hugger, a chest-burster, the Alien skin, and a four-legged version of the adult Alien. Though given little time, Giger came up with interesting improvements. "I worked like crazy on it," he recalls. "I had special ideas to make it more interesting. I designed a new creature, which was much more elegant and beastly, compared to my original. It was a four-legged Alien, more like a lethal feline - a panther or something. It had a kind of skin that was built up from other creatures - much like a symbiosis.

The artist was perplexed, however, when Tom Woodruff and Alec Gillis of Amalgamated Dynamics, the company responsible for the execution of the creature, told Giger that they had their own design. "The Alien has been my baby," Said Giger. "So when I was asked to change the creature into a less humanoid beast, I hoped that my decisions would be done without other ideas. I thought, since I got an Oscar for my Alien, it would be me who gave advice on how it would look. When Woodruff and Gillis said they had their own ideas, I was very upset."

Once all of Giger's designs were submitted, the production severed contact, apparently under pressure to meet the film's rapidly approaching start date. Despite this, Giger continued to fax suggestions to Fincher because of his enthusiasm for the project. Giger also made full-scale drawings, a sculpt of the Alien and a short reference film, offering all of them to the production. They declined.

He had not been told that ADI had been contracted not only for the execution of the new Alien but for its design as well. "David Fincher neglected to inform me that Woodruff and Gillis were also contracted to take care of the redesign of the Alien - I found out much later," Giger recounts. "I thought I had the job and that Woodruff and Gillis would work from my plans. On their side, they were convinced that it was their job and accepted my 'suggestions' with pleasure. They believed that all my effort was based on a huge love for the matter, because I worked hard even after my contract was over."

Looking back, Giger believes that Fincher, a newcomer to the franchise, ultimately relied on advice from Woodruff and Gillis because of their experience with Stan Winston on ALIENS. "I can understand that they would not have wanted me as their 'boss' - I know it's probably not everybody's wish to work with me," he laughs. "Because they worked longer on it, they could do their own things, so it was not necessary after the first month to engage me any more."

In a letter to 20th Century-Fox, Giger's agent, Leslie Barany, stated, "That not all of Giger's ideas were implemented in the final film was their, perhaps mistaken, decision. Equally, [it was] their decision not to take advantage of Giger's availability to work on-set with the Visual Effects team, as it was specified by the contract. It was, perhaps, for these reasons that much of Messrs, Woodruff and Gillis's design 'improvements' and effects had to be trashed and that Mr. Woodruff himself had to slip into the Alien suit to bring it to life, in spite of all the early assertions that it would be an unacceptable solution."

After 18 months, the film finally neared its summer 1992 theatrical release date. When Fox in Geneva organized a screening for Giger's friends and co-workers, the artist was horrified by the credit he saw on the screen, which was not the one specified in his contract. "In the contract it states exactly how I should be credited, and this was a mistake," said Giger. "They break the contract because they're saying in the movie that it's only 'original design by Giger' and not ALIEN 3, so it looks like I didn't work on it."

Immediately a letter was written to Fox, Geneva, who made no attempt to clear up the matter with Fox, L.A. Their comment was: "All press materials and posters have already been produced, so it would be too late for changes now." Then, after a second screening for the press on September 3, 1992, Giger realized that his name was also missing from the movie's end credits.

As a way of correcting the mistake, Fox at first suggested purchasing trade ads, congratulating Giger's work on ALIEN 3 - a suggestion Giger rejected. Later, on the grounds that they valued their relationship with the artist, the studio relented, promising to go back and make expensive changes to the master negative of the film, even though the prints had already been shipped. Credits on the laserdisk and videocassette copies now read: "Original Alien Design by H.R. Giger," with the additional "ALIEN 3 Creature Design by H.R. Giger."

But it was too late to correct the impression left with those who had seen the film in theatres. "I got a lot of publicity on the first movie," Said Giger. "But when ALIEN 3 was here, I remarked that nobody made any interviews with me."

Meanwhile, the ADI personnel gave a series of interviews that minimized Giger's ALIEN 3 contribution by praising him only as the Alien creator while claiming that their version was "truer" to his original design paintings than the suit he himself had constructed on ALIEN. Giger considers this claim "bizarre." (It is rendered even more bizarre when one observes the similarity between Giger's ALIEN 3 designs and the four-legged rod puppet added in post-production by Boss Film.)

Giger's lawyers had all this time been fighting a costly legal battle with Fox, who were trying to foist off a very simple work-for-hire contract on the artist, contrary to the original agreement. "You proceed on the deal memo, and then once the work is done and in their hands, they send you the contract," said Barany. "From day one, Giger had said that basically he wanted the same contract he had on ALIEN. We fought for months on that, and it involved legal costs and merchandising royalties."

Giger finally won the merchandising royalties after accruing $9,000 in legal fees, which the studio refused to reimburse. Fox did eventually reimburse Giger, but only after he refused to be interviewed for their behind-the-scenes documentary of ALIEN 3.

But the final blow occurred when the Academy overlooked Giger's contribution to the film. In 1980 Giger received an Academy Award in the effects category, despite the fact that his screen credit for ALIEN had not included the word "effects." This was because director Ridley Scott had the good judgment to include Giger's name along with nominees Carlo Rambaldi and Richard Johnson. Giger and his lawyers contended that, because he was engaged under the same contract and for the same purposes on ALIEN 3, then it seemed only logical that he again be nominated.

Apparently David Fincher and Fox didn't see it that way. Less than two weeks before the Academy Awards, Fox's legal department responded with a letter pointing out that studios are precluded from submitting nominees in the effects category directly to the Academy. "We understand that David Fincher, the director of ALIEN 3, prepared the nomination," the letter stated. "It seems clear that Mr. Fincher was aware of both your client's contribution to the picture, along with the contributions of other design and special effects participant...this nomination occurred outside of Fox's control, and Fox does not even have a right under the circumstances to request Mr. Giger's inclusion."

Barany answered back with the following fax (briefly stated): "You are right. You cannot speak for Mr. Fincher. It is high time that Mr. Fincher spoke for himself... Mr. Fincher owes Giger, the Academy and the Visual Effects community an explanation for the bizarre omission of [Giger's name]... The denial of Giger's Academy Award nomination is just the last example of the effort to totally erase his relationship to ALIEN 3."

Giger was so upset that at one point he sent Academy president Karl Malden a fax with this closing comment: "I am under the strong impression that my contribution to the visual effects of the nominated movie has been intentionally suppressed," signing the letter with a large black pentagram.

But ALIEN 3 is not the first time Giger has had trouble with legalities. Many post-ALIEN films have "borrowed" his biomechanic look without giving him the credit or money he deserves. At first he was flattered, but now it upsets him. "Sometimes the [rip-offs] look even better than I design," he said. One Dutch forger even tried to make a fake of his famous Necronom IV painting, the one which inspired ALIEN. "But when people add their own ideas it looks more horrible than people who just copy my work."

After all the battles, what does the father of the Alien think of the direction the franchise has taken? "I like it," said Giger. "The critics said it's terrible, but I think it's okay. The Alien is better than in the second film. In the second, they changed the Alien, and finally, in [ALIEN 3], they brought it back to my original design."

Despite his disappointing cinematic experiences since ALIEN, Giger still holds some hope for the medium. "I have no illusions about Hollywood and the movie-making process anymore, but I'd still like to work in movies, preferably with a challenging concept and a quality director."


From : FAD Magazine, USA
Spring 1993
by Bob Sundry

"In Hollywood no one can hear you scream"

Millions of Alien 3 viewers were unaware that the creator of the Alien monster, H.R. Giger, had worked extensively on the big-budget sequel. The credits roll listed Giger only for "Original Alien Design," implying his movie work ended with the first Alien.

Hey, mistakes happen!
After lawyers stepped in, the "mistake" was corrected for laser disk and home video releases; although if a cat strolled in front of the big-screen monitors people were likely to miss it. No matter. They still would never see Giger's exquisitely redisigned Alien 3 creature and the terrifying yet cuddlesome "Bambi Alien." These were lost in the design "improvements" made by the studio's effects team.

Hey, "improvements" happen!
Cut to the oscars. Guess which film was nominated for Visual Effects? Giger was full of anticipation. The filming was perfect. His original Alien 3 designs were about to open at the Museum Baveria in Zurich. He knew the drill. His tuxedo went to the cleaners.

But... so did his credit! Somehow Giger's name was omitted from the list of four Oscar nominees for the film Alien 3 - the film for which Giger created the creature, reworked it, and designed a new one, all under contract....

Hey, shit happens!

 

 

THE LONE GUNWOMAN

"Let The Cosmic Incubation Begin" ~ H.R. Giger

Lone

MemberPraetorianApr-11-2016 7:15 AM

and also from Giger's website....

Credit Where Credit Is Due

TO: MIKE RICHARDSON
DARK HORSE COMICS
November 20, 1997

Giger had wanted me to personally thank you for the respect and courtesy you have shown him and his work over the years. Since the beginning, when I contacted you regarding Giger's missing credit in the Alien comics your Editors have almost always remembered to include his credit for his paternity of the Alien creature.

Giger would like to, especially, thank Dark Horse Comics for including his credit for Original Alien Design in the comics adaptation of the new film ALIEN RESURRECTION, even though 20th Century Fox Film did not consider it necessary to credit Giger, at all, in the film.

Each time one of these films has been released, it has been a difficult period for Giger. At the time of ALIENS, Giger had to reconcile himself to the fact that he was not asked to come back and work on that film.

With ALIEN 3, it was much worse. Giger did work on that film but his participation was kept hidden by the studio. He was denied screen credit for his new designs for ALIEN 3, with the only credit appearing, "Original Alien Design by H.R.Giger." This time even Dark Horse Comics left out his mention in the comic adaptation of that film, after having, naturally, included it in the rest of your Alien series. We could only assume that you were instructed to do so by 20th Century Fox. It was an embarrassment for Dark Horse, a devastation for Giger.

As a licensee of 20th Century Fox, the decision you took on ALIEN RESURRECTION could not have been an easy one. There was no mention of Giger in the film credit block you were provided with, but you chose to act as a gentleman: You did not deny credit where it was due!

With this very public "Thanks", we are trying to do the same, and tip our hat to Dark Horse Comics.

We will also appreciate if you advise your European licensees to follow your good example and add, from now on, the following credit, as revised by Giger:

ORIGINAL ALIEN LIFEFORMS AND ENVIRONMENTS

DESIGNED AND CREATED BY H.R.GIGER

Thank you,
Leslie Barany
Agent of H.R. Giger

 

 

THE LONE GUNWOMAN

"Let The Cosmic Incubation Begin" ~ H.R. Giger

Thoughts_Dreams

MemberNeomorphApr-11-2016 7:57 AM

Lone: Maybe a bit off-topic but the credit issue is also in music. It seems to me that it becomes a matter of prestige, that is so silly. People should be given credit for  what they do.

oduodu

MemberXenomorphApr-11-2016 9:29 AM

Lone



Pure gold



Thanks



Sorry I meant alien.



With regards to terry rawlings.



http://www.cinephiliabeyond.org/terry-rawlings-original-editing-script-for-alien/



Cameron's letter to Giger:



http://www.avpgalaxy.net/forum/index.php?topic=53786.0

Lone

MemberPraetorianApr-11-2016 11:03 AM

@Odu....I understand that to be Terry Rawlings copy of the ALIEN script, for him to work from. 

Sorry for the massive walls of text guys, but there are no links for those articles, you just get taken to the Giger.com main page, so I ended up copy and pasting them!

THE LONE GUNWOMAN

"Let The Cosmic Incubation Begin" ~ H.R. Giger

oduodu

MemberXenomorphApr-11-2016 11:23 AM

Oh sorry!

I guess he used it for
Editing purposes.

Yes fox certainly did
Ill treat giger. 

I wonder how fincher
Felt about the whole
Way giger was treated.

oduodu

MemberXenomorphApr-12-2016 11:13 AM

Thanks lone

Lone

MemberPraetorianApr-14-2016 2:19 PM

You're very welcome Odu! :)

I think poor David Fincher had enough problems of his own on ALIEN 3.

Besides Tom Woodruff and Alec Gillis were given the alien design gig. Those two think that they improved upon Gigers design. Well not in my book!

At least one thing is for certain, Ridley will never hire them!

THE LONE GUNWOMAN

"Let The Cosmic Incubation Begin" ~ H.R. Giger

xeno_alpha_07

MemberFacehuggerMay-08-2016 3:12 AM

"5. Terry Rawlings was editor on both ALIEN and ALIENS, but I have no knowledge of him writing a script for ALIENS"

Terry Rawlings didn't edit Aliens.  That was Ray Lovejoy :)  Terry Rawlings edited both Alien & Alien 3.

I'd love to go through my material, etc to add to this thread but sadly don't have the time and I'm very hazy due to my medication.  However, one misconception I can add is that the credit for the final design and creation for the Facehugger & Chestburster is given to H.R. Giger by fans.  Giger did indeed design and even built versions of both creatures but they were never used.  Dan O' Bannon made a rough sketch of the shape of the Facehugger we all know and it was Rodger Dicken who in the end built the final two Alien forms which we see on screen.

 

 

oduodu

MemberXenomorphMay-08-2016 12:46 PM

Xeno alpha 07

Nice to hear from you

Thanks for adding what 
You did 

This is the kind of stuff
That fascinates me.

Thanks for your
Contributions over the 
Years

Chris

AdminEngineerMay-08-2016 2:45 PM

It's unfortunate O'Bannon doesn't get as much credit as he deserves for his contributions to the Alien design. People and even I mainly refer to Giger as the mastermind behind the Alien, but in actuality there were many more just as deserving of recognition, O'Bannon being one of the big players.

Thanks for adding that clarification Xeno_Alpha!

Hyped for: Alien: Romulus | Badlands (Predator 6) | Cloverfield 4

BigDave

MemberDeaconMay-08-2016 3:52 PM

Very Nice Contributions ;)

i know one element for the Change of the Xenomorph was that Aliens was a movie about more than ONE Monster hiding in the dark and not having much screen time.

Cameron wanted to show the Monster up close and attacking and also being more mobile on screen and the style of the old XENOMORPH Monster Suit was to Fragile especially the Domed Head and so the few changes where because they was more durable for use in more active scenes and close ups.

R.I.P Sox  01/01/2006 - 11/10/2017

BigDave

MemberDeaconMay-08-2016 3:59 PM

O'Bannon was the one who had the Original Idea.... but it was Gigers Vision as far as designs that added the whole dimension to the Alien.

Hill and Giler added and changed the draft so that it was interesting, its shameful they tried to pass off it as their own ideas without Crediting O'Bannon.

It was unlike Spaights and Lindeloffs work,  with the Hill and Giler draft this was changed and some of O'Bannons added back to give us what we had in Alien.

Kind of a shame that no one took Spaights and Lindeloffs drafts and then re-wrote a new one that was best of both Worlds.... but to be fair Lindeloffs draft was not that bad, a lot of changed happened between that and shooting draft that we have not seen.

 

R.I.P Sox  01/01/2006 - 11/10/2017

BigDave

MemberDeaconMay-08-2016 4:03 PM

I hope O'Bannon and Giger get a nod in the Prequels to Alien ;)

Gigerish designs and some unused ideas of O'Bannons.

R.I.P Sox  01/01/2006 - 11/10/2017

Thoughts_Dreams

MemberNeomorphMay-09-2016 9:17 AM

It seems to me that a lot of times when something gets really big there is always the credit issue that is to say who did what. It is unfortunate that so many don't get credit for what they do no mater if it is music, movies, or what ever.

S.M

MemberXenomorphMay-30-2016 5:19 PM

Brandywine haven't been directly involved since Alien3 - and even at that point the film was nearly credited as a Phoenix Company/ Gordon Carroll production, rather than Brandywine. They must have had sequel rights/ credits written into their contracts on Alien, so they get credited on all the sequels whether they were involved or not.  Carroll passed away in 2005 so didn't get a credit on AvP:R or Prometheus.

 

Giler and Hill did credit O'Bannon & Shusett as the original writers.

 

oduodu

MemberXenomorphJun-05-2016 4:03 PM

http://www.avpgalaxy.net/forum/index.php?topic=54406.0

This article clears up many
of the misconceptions
regarding Prometheus ans
Its development.

One of the best I have read.

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