Alien Quadrilogy (Alien / Aliens / Alien 3 / Alien Resurrection)

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The Alien Quadrilogy is a nine-disc boxed set devoted to the four Alien films. Although previously available on DVD as the Alien Legacy, here they have been repackaged with vastly more extras and with upgraded sound and picture. For anyone who hasn't been in hypersleep for the last 25 years, this series needs no introduction, though for the first time each film now comes in both original and "special edition" form.

Alien (1979) was so perfect it didn't need fixing, and Ridley Scott's 2003 director's cut is fiddling for the sake of fiddling. Watch it once, then return to the majestic, perfectly paced original. Conversely, the special edition of James Cameron's Aliens (1986) is the definitive version, though it's nice to finally have the theatrical cut on DVD for comparison. Most interesting is the alternative Alien 3 (1992). This isn't a "director's cut"--David Fincher refused to have any involvement with this release--but a 1991 work-print that runs 29 minutes longer than the theatrical version, and has now been restored, remastered, and finished off with (unfortunately) cheap new CGI. Still, it's truly fascinating, offering a different insight into a flawed masterpiece. The expanded opening is visually breathtaking, the central firestorm is much longer, and a subplot involving Paul McGann's character adds considerable depth to story. The ending is also subtly but significantly different. Alien: Resurrection (1997) always was a mess with a handful of brilliant scenes, and the special edition just makes it eight minutes longer.

The Alien Quadrilogy offers the first and fourth films with DTS soundtracks, the others having still fine Dolby Digital 5.1 presentation. All four films sound fantastic, with much low-level detail revealed for the first time. Each is anamorphically enhanced at the correct original aspect ratio, and the prints and transfers are superlative. Every film offers a commentary track that lends insight into the creative process--though the Scott-only commentary and isolated music score from the first Alien DVD release are missing here. Each movie is complemented by a separate disc packed with hours of seriously detailed documentaries (all presented in full-screen with clips letterboxed), thousands of photos, production stills, and storyboards, giving a level of inside information for the dedicated buff only surpassed by the Lord of the Rings extended DVD sets. A ninth DVD compiles miscellaneous material, including an hourlong documentary and even all the extras from the old Alien laserdisc. "Exhaustive" hardly beings to describe the Alien Quadrilogy, a set that establishes the new DVD benchmark for retrospective releases and looks unlikely to be surpassed for some time. --Gary S. Dalkin

Product Details
  • Binding: DVD
  • EAN: 0024543098232
  • Format: NTSC
  • Label: Fox
  • Manufacturer: Fox
  • ProductGroup: DVD
  • ProductTypeName: ABIS_DVD
  • Publisher: Fox
  • ReleaseDate: 2003-12-02
  • Studio: Fox
  • TheatricalReleaseDate: 1986-07-18
  • UPC: 024543098232

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Customer Reviews

amazon is overpricing this film2008-01-07
This is a great set, but if you are going to purchase it look to futureshop.ca as they sell it for $39.99. Amazon.ca is ripping everyone off here. Please lower your prices amazon, I was going to purchase it from you but the rip off price for it has changed my mind.
mind-blowing sci-fi flicks2006-06-27
Why not buy this set? It comes with the terrifying horror masterpiece of alien, the epic adventure of aliens, the cult classic alien 3 and the Hollywood spin off, alien resurrection. These are all fun movies and I made the mistake of buying them singley without any more then 2 discs (More bonus then the single disc but not compared to these). They get worse as the series increases, but do not let that scare you away. These are all magnificent movies worthy of hours upon hours of watching. With the simple 2 disc set I went through my bonus features very fast, but with over 44 hours of features here you should be set.
Exellent Movies2004-09-29
The alien saga is perhaps the best sci-fi horror saga ever made i love all 4 movies and the alternate cuts of the movies are good the extended version of Aliens is specifically brilliant. This box set is well worth the price as it is packed full of excellent bonus material apart from 2 different cuts of each movie.
good movies but a little pricy and kind of blatent2004-05-22
well first of Amazon rules shopping worldwide for prices and quality but this set could be alot cheeper than even 85.99, it's only 4 movies with alternate versions which i dought are much different if at all so i don't see the point here in this set, makin a dollar i guess...
Why Buy This Online?2004-02-01
I dont quite understand why the price of this box set is over 100 dollars .. you could go buy this at your neighbourhood Zellers, Wallmart, any store that sells DVD's for anywhere from $84.99 to $89.99 before tax. so amazon please explain why you have your units so overpriced?????