Cinematic Toys

ALIENS revisted, originally uploaded by Thorsten Becker.

This is an alternate take on ALIENS’ story progression. I like to analyze movies and toss ideas around how to change certain scenes if I had a say (while I certainly hold no claims of any improvements whatsoever, they simply are ideas along the lines of "what if")

By the time Ripley entered the egg chamber Hicks was already incapacitated. Aside from the dramatic choice of having Ripley go in by herself to retrieve Newt (the power of a mother) I think that logically she should have been severely outnumbered as I doubt that only a handful of Aliens would have still been alive to defend their queen. At 158 colonists (see sign in special edition), all incubators for the Aliens, and assuming close to 100 creatures killed (optimistic calculation) I think it would be plausible to have a good dozen of them around the Queen, in which case Ripley would have desperately needed Hicks assistance. So rewind a bit, let Hicks not get sprayed with acid and have both of them enter the egg chamber. Now he is covering Ripley as multiple Aliens approach from all sides. To keep the drama and intensity of the final battle I’d have him stay behind to enable Ripley and Newt to escape via the elevator. I think this would have been more in line with their developing relationship rather then taking him out of the picture (quite literally) prior to these events.

Everything in this picture was shot live. No alterations other then saturation adjustment. I use LED flashlights for the lighting effects as they offer good control over the illuminated area and the amount of reflection.