Alien Quadrilogy

The Alien Quadrilogy is a four-movie, nine-DVD box set of "Alien", "Aliens", "Alien 3" and "Alien Resurrection". Released by 20th Century Fox on December 2, 2003 following the re-release of "Alien" in theaters on Halloween 2003. This nine-disc set replaced the five-disc set of the series, "The Alien Legacy" .

Created by DVD producer Charles de Lauzirika, the "Alien Quadrilogy" features each of the four movies with two discs; one contains the theatrical and director's cut/special edition of the movie, and the second includes bonus features such as "making of" documentaries. The ninth disc includes bonus features for the entire franchise, such as an edited version of "Alien Evolution", a documentary made by the UK's Channel 4. Each film has been remastered and restored, presented in its original aspect ratio, and remixed with Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS 5.1 audio ("Alien" and "Alien: Resurrection" only).

The "Alien Quadrilogy" was well received by DVD critics and went on to win several awards, including the DVD Exclusive Award for Best Classic Movie (including all extras) and Best Audio Commentary for "Alien", as well as landing on several top ten DVD lists. In 2005, for the 25th anniversary, the Alien Quadrilogy was re-released in Alien-head packaging, with the DVDs stored inside the head.

Origins and production

In 1999, 20th Century Fox released all four Alien films on DVD with limited features as "The Alien Legacy". The transfer was based on an interpositive, which was thought not to be "in the best shape", with the Sony High Definition center cleaning up the films frame-by-frame. In 2002, "The Alien Saga", a making-of documentary was released. Although these packages contained some deleted footage and behind-the-scenes material, discussions about an "Alien Five Star Collection" release occurred with DVD producer Charles de Lauzirika. As Lauzirika was particularly enthusiastic about producing a special edition of "Alien 3", Fox hired him to produce an all-new collection containing the four films for a December 2003 release.cite web
title=An Interview with Charles de Lauzirika - Page 1
author=Patrizio, Andy
publisher=IGN
date=2003-11-14
url=http://au.dvd.ign.com/articles/440/440576p1.html
accessdate=2008-01-25]

Lauzirika supervised the restoration process, overseeing a crew which included supervising editor David Crowther, Fox Home Entertainment's Karen Fromel and several visual effects companies. The restoration team searched through Fox archives to find scenes that were thought to be lost from all four films. When they compiled the footage of "Alien" and showed it to director Ridley Scott, he thought "it was too-long and the pacing was off", which is why the scenes were cut from the film originally. From this footage and Scott's comments, "Alien: The Director's Cut" was created. The team was unable to restore all the footage as some scenes were only partially filmed. "Aliens" director James Cameron was happy with the previous cleanup of the film on the DVD transfer, and only a small amount of work was done cleaning up grain issues.

Lauzirika was enthusiastic about creating a special edition of "Alien 3" as he thought it was an "amazing visual film", which was underrated at its time of release. The extensive behind-the-scenes footage of how the production of the movie was difficult for director David Fincher, was of particular interest to Lauzirika, who wanted to make audiences aware of the production of the film that was "hamstrung from the very beginning in the writing stage," Commenting on the restoration and addition of footage to "Alien 3", Lauzirika said, "you get to see the troubled writing process and the troubled editorial process. It's more just an artifact of the problematic shoot. To me, as a film it still has the same problems because they are deep rooted conceptual problems, but there's plenty of really interesting new subplots."cite web
title=An Interview with Charles de Lauzirika - Page 2
author=Patrizio, Andy
publisher=IGN
date=2003-11-14
url=http://au.dvd.ign.com/articles/440/440576p2.html
accessdate=2008-01-20] Fincher was asked to participate in the project although chose not to. He is the only director to not contribute to the "Alien Quadrilogy". Lauzirika and his staff found "Alien 3" the most difficult film in the audio restoration process. There were missing elements, and the production sound "wasn't particularly good" according to Lauzirika, "they had a lot of fans blowing and a lot of on-set noise". The films were restored with Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS 5.1 audio for "Alien" and "Alien: Resurrection".

Actress Sigourney Weaver who plays the heroine Ellen Ripley almost did not participate in the project. It was by chance she was in Los Angeles promoting the movie "Holes" and was able to contribute to the audio commentary of "Alien". Cameron's contribution also came late, and he was only able to contribute to the "Aliens" commentary. Over 80 people involved in the series were interviewed over the course of several months.cite web
title=An Interview with Alien Quadrilogy Producer - Charles de Lauzirika
author=Gourlay, Ben
publisher=DVD bits
date=2003-12-04
url=http://www.dvdbits.com/articles/alien/page2.asp
accessdate=2008-01-25]

Reception

Released on December 2, 2003, the "Alien Quadrilogy" received positive reviews from professional and amateur DVD critics. Almar Haflidason of the BBC called it "a stunning resource with features-rammed discs to explore and the films presented like never before. It's a five-star set."cite web
title="Alien Quadrilogy" BBC
author=Haflidason, Almar
publisher=BBC
url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/films/2003/12/08/alien_quadrilogy_2003_dvd_review.shtml
accessdate=2008-01-25] Andy Patrizio of IGN gave an overall score of 9,cite web
title=The Complete "Alien Quadrilogy"
author=Patrizio, Andy
publisher=IGN
date=2003-11-14
url=http://au.dvd.ign.com/articles/440/440570p1.html
accessdate=2008-01-25] while Dan Mancini of DVD verdict thought the "Alien Quadrilogy" "represents a new benchmark in DVD releases. It has to be experienced to be believed."cite web
title=The "Alien Quadrilogy" - DVD verdict
author=Mancini, Dan
publisher=DVD verdict
date=2003-12-02
url=http://www.dvdverdict.com/reviews/alienquadrilogy.php
accessdate=2008-01-20]

The "Alien Quadrilogy" won three awards at the DVD Exclusive Awards— Best Overall DVD, Classic Movie, and Best audio commentary for "Alien". The box set matched the number of awards won by "".cite news|author = Hettrick, Scott|title = Quadrilogy, Two Towers, Dictionary among winners on star-studded night|publisher = Video Business|date =2003-12-03|url = http://www.videobusiness.com/article/CA615312.html?industryid=47211&q=Alien+Quadrilogy|accessdate = 2008-02-24]

DVD Features

Disc 1 – "Alien"

*1979 Theatrical version (117 min.)
*2003 Special Edition (118 min.)
*Audio commentary by director Ridley Scott, actors Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, Veronica Cartwright, Harry Dean Stanton and John Hurt, writer/producer Ronald Shusett, co-writer Dan O'Bannon and editor Terry Rawlings
*Deleted/extended scene index
*Introduction by director Ridley Scott

Disc 2 – Special Features: "The Beast Within: The Making of Alien"

*"Pre-production:" Star Beast (developing the story), First Draft of Screenplay by Dan O'Bannon, The Visualists (direction and design), Ridleygrams (original thumbnails and notes), storyboard archive, Art of Alien (Cobb, Foss, Giger, Moebius), Truckers in Space (casting), Sigourney Weaver's screen test with optional commentary by Ridley Scott, cast portrait gallery
*"Production:" Fear of the Unknown (Shepperton Studios, 1978), production gallery, The Darkest Reaches (Nostromo and alien planet), The Sets of Alien, The Eighth Passenger (creature design), The Chestburster (creature design)
*"Post-production:" Future Tense (music and editing), eight deleted scenes, visual effects gallery (photo archive), A Nightmare Fulfilled (reaction to the film), poster explorations, special shoot, premiere footage

Disc 3 – "Aliens"

*1986 Theatrical version (137 min)
*1991 Special edition (154 min)
*Audio commentary by director James Cameron, actors Michael Biehn, Bill Paxton, Lance Henriksen, Jenette Goldstein, Carrie Henn and Christopher Henn, alien effects creator Stan Winston, visual effects supervisors Robert Skotak and Dennis Skotak, miniature effects supervisor Pat McClung and producer Gale Anne Hurd
*Deleted/extended scene index
*Introduction by director James Cameron

Disc 4 – Special Features: "Superior Firepower: The Making of Aliens"

*"Pre-production:" 57 Years Later (continuing the story), Original Treatment: by James Cameron, Building Better Worlds (from concept to construction), The Art of Aliens (conceptual art portfolio), Pre-Vis Anamatics, Preparing for Battle (casting & characterization), Cast Portrait (still gallery)
*"Production:" This Time It's War (Pinewood Studios, 1985), Production Gallery (photo archive), Continuity Polaroids, The Risk Always Lives (weapons and action), Weapons and Vehicles (photo archive), Bug Hunt (creature design), Beauty and the Bitch (Power Loader vs. Queen Alien), Stan Winston's Workshop (photo archive), Two Orphans (Sigourney Weaver and Carrie Henn)
*"Post-production:" The Final Countdown (music, editing and sound), The Power of Real Tech (visual effects), Visual Effects Gallery (photo archive), Aliens Unleashed (reaction to the film), Film Finish and Release, Easter egg (A Boy and His Power Loader)

Disc 5 – "Alien 3"

*1992 Theatrical version (114 min.)
*2003 Special edition (restored work print version) (155 min.)
*Audio commentary by cinematographer Alex Thomson B.S.C., editor Terry Rawlings, alien effects designers Alec Gillis and Tom Woodruff, Jr., visual effects producer Richard Edlund, A.S.C., and actor Paul McGann
* Deleted/extended scene index

Disc 6 – Special Features: "The Making of Alien 3"

*"Pre-production:" Development (concluding the story), Tales of the Wooden Planet (Vincent Ward's vision), The Art of Acheron (conceptual art portfolio), pre-production part III featurette, storyboards, Art of Fiorina, Xeno-Erotic (H.R. Giger's redesign featurette)
*"Production:" Production part I featurette, Production Gallery (photo archive), Furnace Construction (time-lapse sequence), Adaptive Organism (creature design), ADI Workshop, E.E.V. Scan Multi-Angle Vignette, Production part II
*"Post-production:" Post-Production part I, Optical Fury (visual effects), Music, Editing and Sound, Visual Effects (photo archive), Post-Mortem (reaction to the film), Special Shoot

Disc 7 – "Alien: Resurrection"

*1997 Theatrical version (109 min.)
*2003 Special edition (119 min.)
*Audio commentary by director Jean-Pierre Jeunet, actors Dominique Pinon, Ron Perlman and Leland Orser, editor Herve Schneid, A.C.E., alien effects designers Alec Gillis and Tom Woodruff, Jr., visual effects supervisor Pitof, and conceptual artist Sylvain Despretz
*Deleted/extended scene index
*Director Jean-Pierre Jeunet introduction

Disc 8 – Special Features: "One Step Beyond: The Making of Alien Resurrection"

*"Pre-production:" From the Ashes (reviving the story), First Draft Screenplay by Joss Whedon, French Twist (direction and design), Under the Skin (casting and characterization), Test Footage #1 (hair/makeup), ADI Effects, Mark Caro Image Gallery, The Art of Alien Resurrection (conceptual art gallery), storyboards, Pre-Visualizations (multi-angle rehearsals)
*"Production:" Death from Below (underwater photography), In the Zone (the basketball scene), production gallery (photo archive), Unnatural Mutation (creature design), ADI Workshop, ADI Test Footage
*"Post-production:" Genetic Composition (music), Virtual Aliens (computer generated imagery), A Matter of Scale (miniature photography), Visual Effects Gallery (photo archive), Critical Juncture (reaction to the film), Special Shoot (promotional photo archive), Easter egg (Alien extra)

Disc 9 – Bonus disc

*"Alien:" Alien Legacy, Alien Evolution, Experience in Terror (promotional featurette '79), Ridley Scott Q&A, Alien Laser Disc Archive: Part I (pre-production), Part II (production), Part III (post-production), theatrical trailer A, theatrical trailer B, TV spot (Egg), TV spot (Now Playing)
*"Aliens:" Aliens Laser Disc Archive: Part I (pre-production), Part II (production), Part III (post-production), theatrical trailer A, teaser trailer, domestic trailer, international trailer, TV spot (Now Playing)
*"Alien 3:" six trailers, seven TV spots
*"Alien: Resurrection:" Theatrical teaser, two theatrical trailers, four TV spots, Bob Burns Alien Collection, Dark Horse Still gallery, DVD-ROM (script to screen comparison)

References