This feature-length documentary, made especially for the 2003 Aliens (1986) DVD release, is incredibly informative with all its interviews with both the cast and crew, as well as behind the scenes footage filmed during the making of the film. Every possible element towards what went into making the movie is included here and gives fans an overload of information to fill their brains with.
12-02-2003
3h 5m
THIS
HELLA
Doesn't have an image right now... sorry!has no image... sorry!
Main Cast
Movie Details
Production Info
Director:
Charles de Lauzirika
Writer:
Charles de Lauzirika
Production:
20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, Lauzirika Motion Picture Company
Key Crew
Associate Producer:
Jon Mefford
Cinematography:
Mac Kenny
Post Production Supervisor:
David Crowther
Camera Operator:
Mac Kenny
Music:
James Horner
Locations and Languages
Country:
US
Filming:
US
Languages:
en
Main Cast
James Cameron
James Cameron was born in Kapuskasing, Ontario, Canada, on August 16, 1954. He moved to the USA in 1971. The son of an engineer, he majored in physics at California State University but, after graduating, drove a truck to support his screen-writing ambition. He landed his first professional film job as art director, miniature-set builder, and process-projection supervisor on Roger Corman's Battle Beyond the Stars (1980) and debuted as a director with Piranha Part Two: The Spawning (1981) the following year. In 1984, he wrote and directed The Terminator (1984), a futuristic action-thriller starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Michael Biehn, and Linda Hamilton. It was a huge success. After this came a string of successful science-fiction action films such as Aliens (1986) and Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991). Cameron is now one of the most sought-after directors in Hollywood. He was formerly married to producer Gale Anne Hurd, who produced several of his films. He married Kathryn Bigelow in 1989.
David Giler (July 23, 1943 – December 19, 2020) was an American filmmaker who has been active in the motion picture industry since the early 1960s.
He started his career as a writer, providing scripts for television programs such as Kraft Suspense Theatre and The Man from U.N.C.L.E.. He then moved to screenplays in the 70's, helping to write films such as The Parallax View and the original version of Fun With Dick and Jane. He produced his first film in 1970, the critically reviled Myra Breckinridge, an adaptation of Gore Vidal's controversial novel (he also co-wrote the film with director Michael Sarne). He helped Walter Hill produce the legendary horror thriller Alien in 1979, and it is for this film that he is probably best remembered. He and Hill became embroiled in a much-publicized behind-the-scenes fight with Alien's original writer, Dan O'Bannon, over who was to receive screenplay credit. Giler and Hill claim that they completely rewrote the script from top to bottom, and therefore they wanted to relegate O'Bannon to a "story by" credit only. O'Bannon claims that they did little more than change the names of the characters and dialogue, and felt that the two were trying to bully him out of the more prestigious screenplay credit. As evidenced by the interviews on the supplemental DVD features, the two parties were extremely antagonistic when it comes to this topic (O'Bannon has since died), though O'Bannon was the only one to receive credit for the screenplay in the final film. The various drafts can be found online, allowing audiences to decide for themselves.
Giler worked with Hill on several more projects, including the continuation of the Alien franchise. The two were responsible for the final and very controversial rewrite of the Alien 3 story which killed off the Bishop, Hicks and Newt characters from Aliens. Some of the films that he wrote during this period include The Money Pit, Southern Comfort, and an uncredited rewrite for Beverly Hills Cop II.
He also directed one film, The Black Bird (1975).
Description above from the Wikipedia article David Giler, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Gale Anne Hurd (born October 25, 1955) is an American film and television producer, the founder of Valhalla Entertainment (formerly Pacific Western Productions), and a former recording secretary for the Producers Guild of America. Her notable works include The Terminator (1984), Aliens (1986), The Abyss(1989), Armageddon (1998), Mankiller (2017) (a documentary about Wilma Mankiller) and The Walking Dead (2010–2022).
Description above from the Wikipedia article Gale Anne Hurd, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Susan Alexandra "Sigourney" Weaver (born October 8, 1949) is an American actress. Weaver is considered to be a pioneer of action heroines in science fiction films. She is known for her role as Ellen Ripley in the Alien franchise, which earned her an Academy Award nomination in 1986 and is often regarded as one of the most significant female protagonists in cinema history.
A seven-time Golden Globe Award nominee, Weaver won both Best Actress in Drama and Best Supporting Actress in 1988 for her work in the films Gorillas in the Mist and Working Girl, becoming the first person to win two acting Golden Globes in the same year. She also received Academy Award nominations for both films. For her role in the film The Ice Storm (1997), she won the BAFTA Award for Best Actress ina Supporting Role. She also received a Tony Award nomination for her work in the 1984 Broadway play Hurlyburly.
Weaver's other film roles include Ghostbusters (1984), Ghostbusters II (1989), Dave (1993), Galaxy Quest (1999), Holes (2003), WALL-E (2008), Avatar (2009), Prayers for Bobby (2009), Paul (2011), The Cabin in the Woods (2012), and A Monster Calls (2016); and the television miniseries Political Animals (2012) and The Defenders (2017).
Description above from the Wikipedia article Sigourney Weaver, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Ron Cobb was an American-Australian cartoonist, artist, and film designer, who worked on numerous major films including Dark Star, Star Wars, Alien, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Conan the Barbarian, Back to the Future, The Abyss, and Total Recall. He had one credit as director, for the 1992 film Garbo.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Jenette Elise Goldstein (born February 4, 1960) is an American actress.
Description above from the Wikipedia article Jenette Goldstein, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Mark Rolston (born December 7, 1956) is an American actor.
Description above from the Wikipedia article Mark Rolston, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Carrie Henn is an American actress best known for her role as Rebecca "Newt" Jorden in the movie "Aliens." Her performance as Newt, a resilient and resourceful child survivor, earned praise and left a lasting impact in the science fiction genre. Following her role in "Aliens," Henn pursued interests beyond acting, ultimately transitioning away from the film industry.
An American actor and artist best known to film and television audiences for his roles in science fiction, action, and horror films such as The Terminator, the Alien film franchise, and on television shows such as Millennium. Henriksen is also a voice actor; he is noted for his deep, commanding voice.
Bill Paxton (May 17, 1955 - February 25, 2017) was an American actor. He appeared in films including Aliens and Titanic and starred as practising polygamist Bill Henrickson in the HBO series Big Love. On February 25, 2017 he died from complications following heart surgery.
Al Matthews (6' | 1.83 m) born on November 21, 1942 (Scorpio) in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA is a Folk singer and musical performer who worked professionally while living in England. He later turned to acting, but continues to write and sing. Matthews is noted for having made two significant historical firsts. While on combat duty during the Vietnam War, Matthews became the first black Marine to be meritoriously promoted to the rank of Sergeant (E-5). Williams was also the first "black voice" on England's national station, 'Radio 1.' Al Matthews passed away on September 22, 2018 in Alicante, Spain, two months away from what would have been his 76th birthday on November 21. He never married and left no survivors.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. William "Bill" Hope is a Canadian stage, film, television and voice actor.
Description above from the Wikipedia article William Hope , licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Paul Reiser (born March 30, 1956) is an American actor, comedian, television writer, and musician. He is known for his roles as Michael Taylor in the 1980s sitcom My Two Dads, Paul Buchman in the NBC sitcom Mad About You, Modell in the 1982 film Diner, Carter Burke in the 1986 film Aliens, as Detective Jeffrey Friedman in Beverly Hills Cop (1984) and Beverly Hills Cop II (1987). More recently, Reiser is recognized as Jim Neiman in the 2014 film Whiplash and Doug Getty in the Amazon Video series Red Oaks.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Stanley Winston (April 7, 1946 – June 15, 2008) was an American visual effects supervisor, makeup artist, and film director. He was best known for his work in the Terminator series, the Jurassic Park series, Aliens, the Predator series, Iron Man, Edward Scissorhands, Avatar and Enthiran. He won four Academy Awards for his work.
Winston, a frequent collaborator with director James Cameron, owned several effects studios, including Stan Winston Digital. The established areas of expertise for Winston were in makeup, puppets and practical effects, but he had recently expanded his studio to encompass digital effects as well.
Description above from the Wikipedia article Stan Winston, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Michael Biehn is an American actor. He is best known for his roles in James Cameron's science fiction action films The Terminator as Kyle Reese, Aliens as Cpl. Dwayne Hicks, and The Abyss as Lt. Coffey. In television, Biehn appeared in the cast of the Emmy award-winning 1980s television series Hill Street Blues.
Description above from the Wikipedia article Michael Biehn, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Shane Patrick Mahan (born September 22, 1964) is an American special effects creator, creature designer, puppeteer, and producer known for his work at Stan Winston Studio and its successor, Legacy Effects. His film credits include The Terminator and Terminator 2: Judgement Day; Aliens; Predator and Predator 2; The Lost World: Jurassic Park; Iron Man, Iron Man 2 and Iron Man 3; Pacific Rim and The Shape of Water.
Mahan was born and raised in Greenville, Michigan. After graduating from Greenville High School in 1981, he left for Hollywood. His first job was with Stan Winston Studios as a crew member working on The Terminator in 1983. There he worked as a creature effects supervisor. After Stan Winston's passing, he formed Legacy Effects with three partners who were also his former colleagues at Stan Winston Studios, and this has now become the leading VFX company in Hollywood.
Mahan and his design team made the special suits worn by Robert Downey Jr. in the film Iron Man. They also designed the suit for Iron Man, which was ten feet tall, weighed 800 lbs, and required five operators to puppeteer. Besides several other nominations, Mahan and his team were nominated for the 2008 Oscar for 'Best Achievement in Visual Effects' for Iron Man. The team was hired as concept artists by James Cameron for his film Avatar. This was special for Mahan, as his first special effects credits were for the film The Terminator.
Mahan worked for Stan Winston Studios until the death of Stan Winston in 2008, when he and three other veterans of the company, Lindsay MacGowan, J. Alan Scott, and John Rosengrant, incorporated Legacy Effects, a character design, make-up, and animatronic studio so named in honour of the late Winston's legacy and lifelong achievements. He lives in Los Angeles.
Jay Benedict (April 11, 1951 – April 4, 2020) was an American actor who spent most of his life and career in the United Kingdom. He was frequently cast as American characters in British films and television programmes. He was best known for his television roles as Doug Hamilton in the soap opera Emmerdale, and as Captain/Major John Kieffer in the detective drama Foyle's War, in the episodes "Invasion" and "All Clear". He also played Russ Jorden, Newt's father, in the special "Extended Edition" of the film Aliens.
Benedict was born in Burbank, California. He moved to Europe with his family in the 1960s, and spent most of his working life in England. He was of half German descent. His theatrical credits include The Rocky Horror Show in the Kings Road in the early 1970s, Harold Pinter's production of Sweet Bird of Youth, The Reverend Lee in The Foreigner and Riccardo in Franco Zeffirelli's production of Filumena in which he played opposite Pierce Brosnan in the latter's first stage role, and Bill Wilson, co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous, in a touring production of "One Day at a Time". In 2013, he appeared opposite Steven Berkoff and Andree Bernard in the world premiere of the former's one act play An Actor's Lament at The Berkoff Performing Arts Centre at Alton College, followed by a second performance at The Sinden Theatre, Homewood School, Tenterden in Kent, two nights at The Maltings Theatre & Cinema in Berwick-upon-Tweed and then a three-week run at the Assembly Hall in Edinburgh as part of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. In May 2014, it was revived with a short run at the Theatre Royal, Margate with a further one-week run scheduled at The Gaiety Theatre, Dublin, in September 2014.
In August 2014, he returned to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in the world premiere of Terry Jastrow's The Trial of Jane Fonda, playing World War II veteran Archie Bellows.
He also appeared widely on television, most notably as Frank Crowe in an episode of the BBC's award-winning 2003 television miniseries Seven Wonders of the Industrial World, John E. Jones III in Nova's Judgment Day: Intelligent Design on Trial, Alan Kalanak in the 2001 Christmas Special edition of Jonathan Creek and Yves Houdet in Thames Television's mini-series of Angus Wilson's Anglo-Saxon Attitudes. Other television appearances include Lilyhammer as Agent Becker, Queen Victoria's Men (Lord Melbourne), Sharpe's Honour (General Verigny), Bergerac (Martin Colley), Death Train (Halloran), Harnessing Peacocks (Eli Drew) and Only Love (Roger). He provided the voice for Shiro Hagen in Star Fleet, the English adaptation of the Japanese X-Bomber.
His first film role, at the age of 11, was in the 1963 Tony Saytor film La Bande à Bobo. In 1977, he played Deak in the Tosche Station scenes in Star Wars, which were deleted from the film before release. Subsequent film appearances include The Dirty Dozen: Next Mission (Didier le Clair), Icon (Carey Jordan), The White Knight (Turkish Ambassador), The Russia House (Spikey), Saving Grace (the MC), Rewind and The Dark Knight Rises (Rich Twit). In 2003 he was third lead in Vicente Aranda's version of Carmen, playing Don Prospero. ...
Source: Article "Jay Benedict" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.
Tom Woodruff Jr. (born January 21, 1959) is an American actor, director, producer and special effects supervisor. He won an Academy Award for Best Special Effects for his work on the 1992 dark fantasy film Death Becomes Her; that same year he was also nominated for the same award for Alien 3.
Some of his most notable works include: The Santa Clause, Starship Troopers, Cast Away, It and Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom.
Description above from the Wikipedia article Tom Woodruff Jr., licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
James Roy Horner (August 14, 1953–June 22, 2015) was an American film composer and conductor. He worked on more than 160 film and television productions between 1978 and 2015. He was known for the integration of choral and electronic elements alongside traditional orchestrations and for his use of motifs associated with Celtic music.
Horner won two Academy Awards for his musical composition to James Cameron's Titanic (1997), which became the best-selling orchestral film soundtrack of all time. He also wrote the score for the highest-grossing film of all time, Cameron's Avatar (2009). Horner's other Oscar-nominated scores were for Aliens (1986), An American Tail (1986), Field of Dreams (1989), Apollo 13 (1995), Braveheart (1995), A Beautiful Mind (2001), and House of Sand and Fog (2003). Horner's other notable scores include Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982), Willow (1988), The Land Before Time (1988), Glory (1989), The Rocketeer (1991), Legends of the Fall (1994), Jumanji (1995), Casper (1995), Balto (1995), The Mask of Zorro (1998), Deep Impact (1998), The Perfect Storm (2000), How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000), Troy (2004), The New World (2005), The Legend of Zorro (2005), Apocalypto (2006), The Karate Kid (2010), and The Amazing Spider-Man (2012).
Horner collaborated on multiple projects with directors including James Cameron, Don Bluth, Ron Howard, Joe Johnston, Edward Zwick, Walter Hill, Mel Gibson, Vadim Perelman, Jean-Jacques Annaud, Nicholas Meyer, Wolfgang Petersen, Martin Campbell, Phil Nibbelink, and Simon Wells; producers including Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, David Kirschner, Brian Grazer, Jon Landau, and Lawrence Gordon; and songwriters including Will Jennings, Barry Mann, and Cynthia Weil. Adding to his two Academy Awards wins, Horner also won six Grammy Awards, two Golden Globes, and was nominated for three BAFTA Awards.
Horner, who was an avid pilot, was killed in a single-fatality crash while flying his Short Tucano turboprop aircraft. He was 61 years old. The scores for his final three films, Southpaw (2015), The 33 (2015), and The Magnificent Seven (2016), were all completed and released posthumously.
Description above from the Wikipedia article James Horner, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.