Book Review: “The Book of Alien” and “Aliens – Colonial Marines Technical Manual” Dan Koelsch, May 28, 2012May 27, 2012 In preparation for the June 8th opening of Sir Ridley Scott’s Prometheus, Titan Books is releasing the paperback versions of The Book of Alien and Aliens – Colonial Marines Technical Manual tomorrow. If you’re jonesing for more Alien stuff before the unofficial prequel is released in theaters, read my review of both books after the jump. Ridley Scott’s Alien opened in theaters in 1979. It was a rare mix of space sci-fi and horror with a female protagonist (Sigourney Weaver as Ellen Ripley). It was also Scott’s directorial debut, and it wasn’t an easy movie to make. The Book of Alien, originally released in 1993, acts as more of an art book, as the text is relatively minimal compared to the great concept art, sketches, and photos plastered throughout. The text focuses more on the look and design of the film, especially the spaceships, other worlds, and various forms of the Alien. There’s plenty of information in here that is not easily accessible online, and the early artwork really gives you an idea of the development of the world of Alien.The script went through several changes, but before the final version was filmed, concept art was made to depict the unused scenes. Much of this revolves around a pyramid found on the planetoid. In the film, the crew finds the Alien eggs in the derelict ship, but originally they were in this pyramid. The book goes into this a bit, along with the history of the space jockey, thus giving us some insight into what Prometheus might be about. James Cameron took his turn with the franchise in 1986 with the sequel Aliens. This time around, Ripley is accompanied by “Colonial Marines”. While the film doesn’t go into too much detail about the history or structure of this space military force, Aliens – Colonial Marines Technical Manual picks up the slack and then some. Originally published in 1995, this in-world encyclopedia tells you anything you could possibly want to know about the Colonial Marines, including their history, structure, weapons, transportation, and more. The last section is about the Aliens themselves. A good chunk of it is a playback occurring during the events of the film, but there’s also some background on the Nostromo spaceship from the first film and the planetoid (now called Acheron).While I found the Technical Manual to be a little too detailed for my taste, I know there are some aficionados out there who will eat it up. If you are a fan of the Alien series, both of these books are definitely worth picking up. Reviews AlienAliensAliens - Colonial Marines Technical Manualbook reviewPrometheusThe Book of Alien
The Crazies Review: Insanely Fun February 25, 2010October 18, 2011Last night I went to my first preview/screening of a finished film, The Crazies. While the experience itself was a trip (check out our forum for details on the very “viral” structure of it all), what really matters is the quality of the film itself. So, does The Crazies pack… Read More
Newport Beach Film Festival: Drones Review and Q&A April 25, 2010June 6, 2010Drones is not your typical office comedy. Sure, it has that quirkiness made mainstream by the likes of The Office, along with witty banter and jokes involving office supplies and politics that can sometimes be the funniest. What makes it different is one little twist. Some of the employees are… Read More
“Thor: The Dark World” Movie Review November 6, 2013November 6, 2013Marvel’s Cinematic Universe continues this Friday with the theatrical release of Thor: The Dark World. The sequel to the 2011 superhero blockbuster is the second film in Marvel’s “Phase II” movie slate as we move our way closer to The Avengers: Age of Ultron. Read my spoiler-free review after the… Read More