Given that this year sees the 40th anniversary of director James Cameron’s iconic sci-fi sequel film, Aliens (1986), the Fanbase Press crew (and some of the creators from our published projects) wanted to take the time to reflect on the fate of the colonists on LV-426, the Colonial Marines’ ill-fated rescue mission, and how this cinematic masterpiece changed the face of science-fiction forever and continues to endure four decades after its release.
We hope you’ll enjoy our thoughts, memories, and feelings regarding the 1986 film. We also invite you on this Alien Day to revisit or contemplate the cinematic action juggernaut – considered one of the best sequels every made – and its long-reaching influence on the look and feel of science-fiction in the decades that followed.
“My first memories of the movie, Aliens, are of Newt and Jonesy, probably because I was way too young to watch the movie, but something about the little girl and ginger cat made the movie feel safe enough to watch, Xenomorphs and all. Watching as an adult, I appreciate the groundbreaking gender roles in characters like Ripley and Vasquez, as well as the theme of motherhood that permeates what is at first glance a tropey, ’80s action film. There’s a character entry point for every viewer, which is one of the many reason Aliens is a cinematic classic.”
– Desirée Proctor, writer/creator of Nuclear Power
“What I value most about Aliens is that it not only recognized and appreciated the value of Ripley as a three-dimensional character, but, more importantly, that it added its own verse to her life story. I don’t know that I can point to a female character in filmic historic who – while through a sci-fi lens throughout the course of the franchise – was depicted so beautifully in the various roles that women possess in their lives. What a treat to see Ripley maintain her womanhood and strength while also shouldering the mantle of motherhood in this film.”
– Barbra Dillon, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief
“There’s so much that can be said (and has been said) about James Cameron’s Aliens. It’s still mind-boggling that Cameron managed to follow up both 1979’s Alien and 1984’s Terminator with sequels that are now considered some of the best of all time, that expanded and enhanced the original story, and (for some) exceeded the power and excitement of the original films.
If I can add anything to what’s already been said, it would be that I consider both Ridley Scott and James Cameron the directorial parents of the Alien franchise. Scott’s 1979 film does so much to establish the harshness, nihilism, and Lovecraftian horror, but it seems that Cameron is the one who recognized the true importance of Ellen Ripley to the story and the character’s true potential within the franchise. Without Aliens, Ripley does not fully become the iconic and heroic feminist figure she’s now seen as in the genre and beyond. People often forget Sigourney Weaver was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress for her role as Ripley in Aliens, and her layered and nuanced performance is key to the franchise’s continued influence and success.”
– Bryant Dillon, Fanbase Press President, author of Identity Thief and Something Animal
What are your thoughts when reflecting on the 40th anniversary of the iconic film, Aliens? Let us know in the comments below what you like about the film and why it still remains popular four decades after its release.
