Valo487 Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 Oh I don't disagree that Alien was a huge hit, I just think that in the studio's mind, they probably figured there was not much more to do with this, but after Aliens was also successful they figured that they could keep milking it. That's what I meant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
battlecat Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 Ah, I see what you mean. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cdubya Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 I'll concede that because Aliens was a big hit, they decided that Alien was now a series to keep producing films for. I was surprised to see that the box office for Alien was pretty much the same as for Aliens. I assumed Cameron had "popularized" the franchise, but it looks like the original was just as big a hit. I definitely don't want any Event Horizon or Sphere Minimates. Dude, Alien was a freakin' phenomenon in it's day; right up there with Star Wars and Jaws as far as it's cultural impact. That's not just an opinion, that is an established fact. Not to sound elitist or snooty, but you just would have had to live in that time to understand. I admittedly have watched 'Aliens' far more than 'Alien' because it is more easily accessible and fun to watch (great, nonintellectual, popcorn movie) and would never enter into a debate over which is better. It's apples and oranges. Alien is a suspenseful and psychological thriller (horror) that just happens to take place in space, and Aliens is a high-octane action/scifi film. Both dominate and remain relevant on their own merits...and just so happen to be connected by the "franchise". I'm always tickled by the arguments that seem to stem from this despite it's futility. Aliens is the ticket for extended toy sales because it was designed do so (and why it remains more memorable), Alien is a high-art, seminal masterpiece (in the same caliber as 2001) celebrating a milestone and deserves recognition for laying the foundation (regardless of how it evolves/ devolves depending on your view-point) for what we enjoy today. Regardless of preference, respect is paramount. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MINI_MYTE Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 (edited) I came across a Youtube video on FB this morning where in somebody paid a visit to the DST booth at the NYTF 2014 and taped all sorts of goodness. Although he said he couldn't record any images of the Alien 4-pack, the first wave of Aliens mates were visible (although I did not see Newt). At the 2:51 minute mark you can clearly see Ripley and a bunch of the colonial marines. But at the left of the group, you can see a colonist (I'm guessing) minimate sporting a chest burster accessory. I could be wrong (as I watched the viseo on my smartphone and not a computer monitor). I will not post the link here, but if you wish to see it, send me a PM and I'll hook you up. Edited February 20, 2014 by MINI_MYTE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winkerbean Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 Is it the video called happy hour 1when they can't show us cool stuff they just cut to the red skull wrestling on the floor for the cosmic cube? Its definitely a chest buster! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MINI_MYTE Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 Yup. Guess it's okay to post if Zach let him film it and not other stuff. Enjoy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MisterPL Posted February 20, 2014 Author Share Posted February 20, 2014 Dude, Alien was a freakin' phenomenon in it's day; right up there with Star Wars and Jaws as far as it's cultural impact. That's not just an opinion, that is an established fact. Not to sound elitist or snooty, but you just would have had to live in that time to understand. Same here. In my experience, most younger fans who like Aliens more than Alien also saw the sequel first, which spoils the first movie by taking away the suspense of "What the hell are we up against?" My daughter's only seen Alien in a theatrical re-release last year and we're looking forward to seeing Cameron's follow-up (hopefully in a theater this year) but it was important to me for her to experience these movies in the proper sequence in order to fully appreciate them both. I was surprised to see that the box office for Alien was pretty much the same as for Aliens. I assumed Cameron had "popularized" the franchise, but it looks like the original was just as big a hit. And in adjusted dollars, Alien is still at the top of the franchise. Cameron's sequel managed to retain the majority of the audience but there is this misconception that the sequel was a much bigger hit when it really wasn't. That perception probably stems from the amount of merchandising done for the second film (and consequent ones, for that matter) versus the relative lack of product from the first. Because, hey; who wanted action figures of truck drivers in space in 1979? The demand exists today because, much like the 1966 Batman property, there wasn't much if any then. Hopefully DST will be pleasantly surprised by the success of any Alien product they offer, especially Minimates, and we'll see a fuller range of product than they expected to offer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valo487 Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 I've warmed to Aliens over the years, but it still irritates me that in the first Alien, the entire crew doesn't stand a chance against just one Xenomorph, and Ripley barely survives. In Aliens, the first time the Xenomorphs show up, they're immediately getting machine-gunned to death. I realize you can't keep doing the same thing over and over again, but Aliens had to bring in the Queen because the drones weren't nearly as intimidating anymore after we've watched them get blown away. Your mileage may vary. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
youbastards Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 To be fair, the space truckers had very little weapons and zero military training while the Colonial Marines were ready for a fight. But I do agree that the xeno itself was dumbed down in the sequel to account for the massive amount of military combat scenes. One of the things I always preferred about the original Alien was the intended life-cycle of the xeno didn't require a "queen". The queen aspect, while an iconic film visual, immediately made the xeno something that human's can associate with ants or bees. The original life-cycle was: Egg -> Facehugger -> Chestburster -> Full-size Xeno which kills organic beings and uses their genetic material to convert the victim into an egg. I'm happy to get any type of Alien/Aliens/Alien3/Alien Resurrection Minimates product I can get my hands on and will fully support the line, and again I don't think anyone is suggesting that DST is "sabotaging" their own plans, I think people just hoped to see the same level of commitment to the 1979 ALIEN line as some of the other properties shown at Toy Fair have gotten, that's all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MisterPL Posted February 20, 2014 Author Share Posted February 20, 2014 Agreed, YB. So how big will the Alien Queen Minimate be? I hope it's not as disappointingly wee as Kenner's first attempt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
youbastards Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 LOL, those Kenner toys make me shudder now, but at the time, that was all we really had unless you were into the high-end model kits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MisterPL Posted February 20, 2014 Author Share Posted February 20, 2014 Kenner's Queen Hive playset wasn't bad but that was their second stab at the Queen. I just want a Queen Minimate that doesn't look like it's a wonky variant of a drone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
youbastards Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 I had both of those, but I remember the eggs in the playset looking a lot different. For anyone who is a fan of the first ALIEN film, but hasn't seen Dark Star, I highly recommend checking it out. It's an extremely low-budget (student film) and more humorous sci-fi story, that is also the roots for the first ALIEN film, and was co-written by John Carpenter and Dan O'Bannon who wrote ALIEN. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karamazov80 Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 Nah, actually this was the inspiration for Alien: http://youtu.be/5LR2_t9dE0M Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onyx_6 Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 Yup. Guess it's okay to post if Zach let him film it and not other stuff. Enjoy! Thanks! Do we know who/what the Minimate with the crossbow is next to the Battle Beasts Minimates (to the left at the beginning/end of that sequence)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
youbastards Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 I'm guessing it is our first glimpse at a Pathfinder Minimate! Good eye! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cdubya Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 Now we have something constructive to talk about! This first asst. of 2-packs look awesome!!! Looks like eight total. I can make out: Colonist (chest-burster!!!), Apone, Ripley, Xeno (closed mouth), BD Xeno (extended jaw), and three Marines but it's hard to make out who exactly. I ran that clip over and froze frames and for a split second you can make out what appears to be female lips on the back, right 'mate. I'm 99% positive that this is Dietrich. The other two (based on skin-tone) are likely Hicks, Hudson, or possibly Crowe. Great asst., but I'm a bit surprised to not see one of the heavy gunners thrown in for variety (Vasquez or Drake). No Biggie, there's plenty of time for them. I think the biggest challenge for this line is going to be the Queen. I'm not sure how she can be represented (in reasonable scale) even with extension pieces without reintroducing the larger bodies of the past (2.5"- 4"). Just my opinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MisterPL Posted February 20, 2014 Author Share Posted February 20, 2014 Speaking of heavy gunners, any chance DST will give us an alternate set of arms so these soldiers can hold their weapons with both hands? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
youbastards Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 The marine on the far right appears to be Hicks, as it looks like his body armor might have a painted heart. Speaking of heavy gunners, any chance DST will give us an alternate set of arms so these soldiers can hold their weapons with both hands? Good call, and maybe why they aren't in Series 1? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cdubya Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 The marine on the far right appears to be Hicks, as it looks like his body armor might have a painted heart. Speaking of heavy gunners, any chance DST will give us an alternate set of arms so these soldiers can hold their weapons with both hands? Good call, and maybe why they aren't in Series 1? I'd seriously doubt that. I imagine they'll be able to hold them in a similar fashion as the Terminator gatling gun. It's the shorter pulse-rifles that I was more concerned about. Minimates have never really been "rifle-friendly" other than one-handed poses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DSTZach Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 (edited) Dietrich and Drake are in Series 1. Edited February 20, 2014 by DSTZach Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hellpop Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 Damn, I fell behind on this thread. I'm afraid I fall into the "likes Aliens better" camp, but I also did see it first. I should probably watch the original again, as I think my wife has never seen it. But they are both pretty great. Everything after that... not so much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zombie Shakespeare Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 I recently watched both films for the first time. I liked Alien better. 8-15 year-old me would have liked Aliens better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cdubya Posted February 21, 2014 Share Posted February 21, 2014 Dietrich and Drake are in Series 1. Awesome! You know, I thought I saw gloves, but I couldn't determine if it was just a shadow. Great asst.! Do we know yet whether these 2-packs are specialty and TRU (with possible exclusives) yet? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roccothegreat Posted February 21, 2014 Share Posted February 21, 2014 Yup. Guess it's okay to post if Zach let him film it and not other stuff. Enjoy! Hah nice that's my dude boogs video. Everyone should sub him . Plus I'm in the opening sequence so it makes it better Ha #yolo ACBAcrew son. *gun shots Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.