History Trivia / Alien

** ''Alien'' features an AllStarCast including [[{{Ghostbusters}} Dana Barrett]], [[LiveAndLetDie Kananga]], [[TheLordOfTheRings BilboBaggins]], TheElephantMan and [[RepoMan Bud]]. Along with Veronica Cartwright, Tom Skerritt and Bolaji Badejo in the xenomorph suit, these are ''the only people in the film''.

** In ''Aliens''; if you thought [[RedDwarf Captain Hollister's]] last job sucked, you ain't seen nothing yet.

* DyeingForYourArt: All the actors who played the Marines attended a two-week training session with S.A.S. officers, except Michael Biehn, who was a last-minute addition. The other main actors, SigourneyWeaver, Paul Reiser, and William Hope, were deliberately excluded from training, to generate a sense of detachment between their characters and the Marines.

** ''Alien 3'' went through several writers, including WilliamGibson, Eric Red, David Twohy and Vincent Ward, before the final shooting script was thrown together using parts of all the previous drafts (mainly the latter three). Summaries of each can be found at [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alien_3#Writing The Other Wiki]]. For interested parties, the full version of Gibson's draft can be found [[http://www.awesomefilm.com/script/Alien3.txt here]]. YourMileageMayVary as to which of these stories is the best, but most fans would probably agree that ''any'' of them would have been better than the eventual final product.

* BeamMeUpScotty: In ''Aliens'', Ripley doesn't say "Nuke it from orbit. It's the only way to be sure.", she says "I say we take off and ''nuke the site'' from orbit. It's the only way to be sure.". What's worse is that the line is often attributed only to Hicks instead, who was repeating it in concurrence with Ripley.

** Oh, and Japan tanked in the '90s too. But the Asian half of the equation is fine. In 2009, the shattered remnants of British Leyland went bankrupt one last time - and were [[ChinaTakesOverTheWorld bought out buy the Chinese]].

* CreatorBacklash: DavidFincher disowned ''Alien³''. JossWhedon was [[CreatorBacklash dissatisfied]] with ''Alien: Resurrection'', and director Jeunet swore off Hollywood after the experience.

* DevelopmentHell: The tale of ''Alien³'''s development is the stuff of industry legend, and a prime example of ExecutiveMeddling in full force. A rotating lineup of directors who all got shunted aside by FOX, delays, reshoots, disasterous test screenings, tensions between FOX and (then-newbie) director David Fincher, a "pay-or-play" deal between the studio and Sigourney Weaver, Fincher getting locked out of the editing room, executives and writers at odds as to how the story would play out, months spent building sets that had to be shoehorned into a completely different script...it all added to a giant mess in its development.

** In ''Alien 3'', the [[Series/DoctorWho Eighth Doctor]] is a TalkativeLoon serial killer. In the ReCut [[spoiler:he's the one who [[NiceJobBreakingItHero lets the alien]] out of its prison again.]]
** Also in ''Alien 3'', Pete Postlethwaite as a random prisoner!
** ''Also'' in ''Alien 3'' (how the hell did that movie end up so bad with so many talented actors involved?) we have CharlesDance as Dr. Clemens.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: ''Alien 3'' went through several writers, including WilliamGibson, Eric Red, David Twohy and Vincent Ward, before the final shooting script was thrown together using parts of all the previous drafts (mainly the latter three). Summaries of each can be found at [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alien_3#Writing The Other Wiki]]. For interested parties, the full version of Gibson's draft can be found [[http://www.awesomefilm.com/script/Alien3.txt here]]. YourMileageMayVary as to which of these stories is the best, but most fans would probably agree that ''any'' of them would have been better than the eventual final product.
** HarrisonFord turned down the role of Captain Dallas.

** HarrisonFord turned down the role of Captain Dallas.

** Oh, and Japan tanked in the '90s too. But the Asian half of the equation is fine. In 2009, the shattered remnants of British Leyland went bankrupt once last time - and were [[ChinaTakesOverTheWorld bought out buy the Chinese]].

* DuelingMovies: With ''DeepRising''.

* HeyItsThatGuy - In ''Aliens''; if you thought [[RedDwarf Captain Hollister's]] last job sucked, you ain't seen nothing yet.
** In ''Alien3'', the [[Series/DoctorWho Eighth Doctor]] is a TalkativeLoon serial killer. In the ReCut [[spoiler:he's the one who [[NiceJobBreakingItHero lets the alien]] out of its prison again.]]

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: ''Alien 3'' went through several writers, including WilliamGibson, Eric Red, David Twohy and Vincent Ward, before the final shooting script was thrown together using parts of all the previous drafts (mainly the latter three). Summaries of each can be found at [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alien_3#Writing The Other Wiki]]. For interested parties, the full version of Gibson's draft can be found [[http://www.awesomefilm.com/script/Alien3.txt here]]. YourMileageMayVary as to which of these stories is the best, but most fans would probably agree that ''any'' of them would have been better than the eventual final product.

* TheGreatPoliticsMessUp - As everybody knows, Weyland-Yutani is a combination of motoring conglomerate British Leyland and generic Japanese. Ah, British Leyland, that pride of the nation, a household name for decades and trailblazer for the world, such an unstoppable industrial force would surely spread its MegaCorp tentacles across the galaxy for sci-fi centuries to come. Thing is, this film was released in 1979 and British Leyland went bankrupt in 197''5''. For Britons, the fall of a once proud company was the ultimate symbol of the Britain's postwar decline - at least, if you're old enough to have heard of the company in the first place. For Americans, two words - General Motors.
** Oh, and Japan tanked in the '90s too. But the Asian half of the equation is fine. In 2009, the shattered remnants of British Leyland went bankrupt once last time - and were [[ChinaTakesOverTheWorld bought out buy the Chinese]].

** In ''Alien3'', the [[DoctorWho Eighth Doctor]] is a TalkativeLoon serial killer. In the ReCut [[spoiler:he's the one who [[NiceJobBreakingItHero lets the alien]] out of its prison again.]]

* Oh, and Japan tanked in the '90s too. But the Asian half of the equation is fine. In 2009, the shattered remnants of British Leyland went bankrupt once last time - and were [[ChinaTakesOverTheWorld bought out buy the Chinese]].

** In ''Alien3'', the [[DoctorWho Eighth Doctor]] is a TalkativeLoon serial killer. In the ReCut [[spoiler:he's the one who [[NiceJobBreakingItHero lets the alien]] out of its prison again.]]

** In ''Alien3'', the [[DoctorWho Eighth Doctor]] is a TalkativeLoon serial killer. In the ReCut [[spoiler:he's the one who [[NiceJobBreakingItHero lets the alien]] out of its prison again.]]
* As everybody knows, Weyland-Yutani is a combination of motoring conglomerate British Leyland and generic Japanese. Ah, British Leyland, that pride of the nation, a household name for decades and trailblazer for the world, such an unstoppable industrial force would surely spread its MegaCorp tentacles across the galaxy for sci-fi centuries to come. Thing is, this film was released in 1979 and British Leyland went bankrupt in 197''5''. For Britons, the fall of a once proud company was the ultimate symbol of the Britain's postwar decline - at least, if you're old enough to have heard of the company in the first place. For Americans, two words - General Motors.
* Oh, and Japan tanked in the '90s too. But the Asian half of the equation is fine. In 2009, the shattered remnants of British Leyland went bankrupt once last time - and were [[ChinaTakesOverTheWorld bought out buy the Chinese]].

** In ''Alien3'', the [[DoctorWho Eighth Doctor]] is a TalkativeLoon serial killer. In the ReCut [[spoiler:he's the one who [[NiceJobBreakingItHero lets the alien]] out of its prison again.]]

* HeyItsThatGuy - In ''Aliens''; if you thought [[RedDwarf Captain Hollister's]] last job sucked, you ain't seen nothing yet.