"Aliens"...horror or not horror film?

[scott1598]

Well, after so much back and forth in this thread .... Horror Movies (http://www.dvdtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=462424)
i want to see the general public's (we DVD Talkers) consensus of what genre to label the movie "Aliens"(1986), the 2nd in a fine quadrilogy.

bear in mind that the horror film category carries a broad spectrum of other genres as clearly defined at reputable sights...

1. "Some horror films owe a substantial amount to other genres, particularly science fiction, fantasy and the thriller." --- Wikipedia

2. "A horror film is a film dominated by elements of horror...Some horror films exhibit a substantial amount of cross-over with other genres, particularly science fiction." --- explanation-guide.info

3. "Horror films are often combined with science fiction when the menace or monster is related to a corruption of technology, or when Earth is threatened by aliens." --- filmsite.org

I highlight science fiction because that is where this debate heats up with some labeling it as an action/science fiction film only . I disagree and say it is all that and a very frightful horror film.

So forget formal and informal definitions, use your first instinct, gut, or simply where you placed in your DVD collection... basically YOUR opinion to answer the question of what genre you think the film "Aliens" should be placed in.

[Mr. Cinema]

I've always thought of Alien as a horror film and Aliens as an action film.

[SmackDaddy]

I voted action/sci-fi. I associate horror with something scary. Alien I associate more closely with horror than I ever would Aliens.

Aliens to me is an action movie that happend to be sci-fi. I don't really recall a horror/scary moment. Lot's of "that's cool" and "wow" moments, but nothing scary for me.

[wendersfan]

I've always thought of Alien as a horror film and Aliens as an action film.With the addition that <b>Alien</b> is a sci fi/horror film and <b>Aliens</b> is a sci-fi/action film, absolutely.

[Bandoman]

With the addition that <b>Alien</b> is a sci fi/horror film and <b>Aliens</b> is a sci-fi/action film, absolutely.

My thoughts as well.

[Tscott]

With the addition that <b>Alien</b> is a sci fi/horror film and <b>Aliens</b> is a sci-fi/action film, absolutely.
:thumbsup:

[Filmmaker]

ALIENS has:

a) butt-kicking marines blowing away everything under the sun with some of the most wicked harware ever filmed = ACTION

b) intergalactic spacecraft, cyrogenic chambers, terraforming colonies = SCIENCE FICTION

c) hordes of blood-curdling, relentlessly pursuing insectoid aliens that devour their human prey or use them as living incubators for their offspring, which then hatch out of their human hosts' chests in a spray of blood and organs while said hosts still live: HORROR

It's all three or its none of them.

[GeoffreyL]

ALIENS has:

a) butt-kicking marines blowing away everything under the sun with some of the most wicked harware ever filmed = ACTION

b) intergalactic spacecraft, cyrogenic chambers, terraforming colonies = SCIENCE FICTION

c) hordes of blood-curdling, relentlessly pursuing insectoid aliens that devour their human prey or use them as living incubators for their offspring, which then hatch out of their human hosts' chests in a spray of blood and organs while said hosts still live: HORROR

It's all three or its none of them.

I agree with what Filmaker said. It has to be all three.

[scott1598]

ALIENS has:

a) butt-kicking marines blowing away everything under the sun with some of the most wicked harware ever filmed = ACTION

b) intergalactic spacecraft, cyrogenic chambers, terraforming colonies = SCIENCE FICTION

c) hordes of blood-curdling, relentlessly pursuing insectoid aliens that devour their human prey or use them as living incubators for their offspring, which then hatch out of their human hosts' chests in a spray of blood and organs while said hosts still live: HORROR

It's all three or its none of them.
very well put! :thumbsup:

[T1000]

Well, after so much back and forth in this thread .... Horror Movies (http://www.dvdtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=462424)
i want to see the general public's (we DVD Talkers) consensus of what genre to label the movie "Aliens"(1986), the 2nd in a fine quadrilogy.

bear in mind that the horror film category carries a broad spectrum of other genres as clearly defined at reputable sights...

1. "Some horror films owe a substantial amount to other genres, particularly science fiction, fantasy and the thriller." --- Wikipedia

2. "A horror film is a film dominated by elements of horror...Some horror films exhibit a substantial amount of cross-over with other genres, particularly science fiction." --- explanation-guide.info

3. "Horror films are often combined with science fiction when the menace or monster is related to a corruption of technology, or when Earth is threatened by aliens." --- filmsite.org

I highlight science fiction because that is where this debate heats up with some labeling it as an action/science fiction film only . I disagree and say it is all that and a very frightful horror film.

So forget formal and informal definitions, use your first instinct, gut, or simply where you placed in your DVD collection... basically YOUR opinion to answer the question of what genre you think the film "Aliens" should be placed in.

I class it as sci-fi.

[Cygnet74]

c) hordes of blood-curdling, relentlessly pursuing insectoid aliens that devour their human prey or use them as living incubators for their offspring, which then hatch out of their human hosts' chests in a spray of blood and organs while said hosts still live: HORROR

It's all three or its none of them.
i don't remember seeing the Aliens "devouring" anyone in the sequel. Nor do I remember anyone's chest bursting open. ripley's dream gets close, i suppose. and bishop was pierced thru the back and torn in two, but there was only white artificial "blood". i guess what i'm saying is that your reference points were "softened" in Aliens when compared to its predecessor. and personally, i don't think the aliens were significantly more frightening than the alien ships in war of the worlds or the raptors in jurassic park.

i say, "sci-fi action".

[paradicelost]

I always saw it as horror even before I saw it thanks to Fangoria. They mention it in the editorial in their 150th issue as one of the good horror films to come out in the last 15 years. I think if you look at definition of horror as black and white, then no it isn't horror. If you see there is a lot of grey in the definition, then i can see how someone would put it in that catagory.
To me, horror has probably 100 subcatagories, and Aliens fits in there somewhere.

[Groucho]

I voted "Horror only" until I realized this was about Aliens with an "S". My bad.

My action vote: Action with a touch of sci-fi.

[Nick Martin]

i don't remember seeing the Aliens "devouring" anyone in the sequel. Nor do I remember anyone's chest bursting open. ripley's dream gets close, i suppose. and bishop was pierced thru the back and torn in two, but there was only white artificial "blood".

So what was with the scene that showed the Marines using flame-throwers to fry a cocooned woman colonist who died after the chest burster killed her?

[JJ. Micelli]

Sci Fi Action Horror is what I call it.

[William Fuld]

I haven't seen it, but since scott1598 thinks it's "horror/action/science fiction" I voted
"action/science fiction".

[gryffinmaster]

Action/Science Fiction. :up:

[chess]

Action/Sci-fi...and one of the best ever at that.

Horror...mmmmm....not so much.

[UAIOE]

I love the movie and its one of my favorite movies of all time....

but i know that its action/sci-fi.

"Alien" would be horror/sci-fi, "Aliens" is flat out action/sci-fi.

[Joe Molotov]

Sci-Fi/Action/Horror

[lisadoris]

With the addition that <b>Alien</b> is a sci fi/horror film and <b>Aliens</b> is a sci-fi/action film, absolutely.
That's how I classify them.

[fumanstan]

I voted all 3, although i can see why its far less horror then the other two.

[Hospitaller]

just because a movie has laser guns or spaceships in it dosent automatically mean its a sci-fi movie.

in my opinion, something is only truly "sci-fi" when it explores the changes technology or progress has on the human experience.

thats why Alien is a horror movie, and Aliens an action movie. You can take a movie with a very similar plot to Aliens ("Deep Rising" with treat williams comes to mind) and that is not a sci-fi movie by any stretch.


in my opinion most movies have a "genre" and a "setting"

Romeo and Juliet (with DiCaprio and Danes) is a Shakespeare adaptation set in modern times. Shanghai Noon is a comedic action/buddy movie that happens to be set in the old west, its not a Western.

[riley_dude]

All of the above: Action/Sci Fi/Horror.

[uberjoe]

I voted "Horror only" until I realized this was about Aliens with an "S". My bad.

My action vote: Action with a touch of sci-fi.

I also missed that "s," so I voted for the first poll option. I see Alien as sci-fi/horror and Aliens as sci-fi/action.

[uberjoe]

just because a movie has laser guns or spaceships in it dosent automatically mean its a sci-fi movie.

in my opinion, something is only truly "sci-fi" when it explores the changes technology or progress has on the human experience.

Well, then you're getting into a "sci-fi" vs. "science fiction" debate, which is a whole other conversation.

[Myster X]

I also missed that "s," so I voted for the first poll option. I see Alien as sci-fi/horror and Aliens as sci-fi/action.

Agreed! Alien involved suspense and creepy at some point. Aliens, shoot to kill.

[maxfisher]

just because a movie has laser guns or spaceships in it dosent automatically mean its a sci-fi movie.

in my opinion, something is only truly "sci-fi" when it explores the changes technology or progress has on the human experience.

thats why Alien is a horror movie, and Aliens an action movie. You can take a movie with a very similar plot to Aliens ("Deep Rising" with treat williams comes to mind) and that is not a sci-fi movie by any stretch.


So under your definition, I'd assume you don't consider Star Wars to be sci-fi?

As for the poll, I voted sci-fi only. There are hordes of well-written movies that could be argued into multiple genres. To keep things simple, I tend to look at what aspects are the most important or unique and use those to guide how I mentally classify a film.

[GoldenJCJ]

I voted Action/Sci fi

What is this now, three threads discussiong this issue...it's like a fistfight that spills into the streets.

[Josh H]

Another vote for action/scifi.

[LurkerDan]

"They mostly come at night... Mostly"

If that isn't a line from a horror film I don't know what it is...

[zombiezilla]

Scott1598, we agree on the "Aliens" question. But why you started a new thread, I'll NEVER understand.

Closing in 3...2....1....






[LOL]

[FRwL]

I picked action/scifi/horror; it has elements of all of them, even if horror is the smallest of the three, it's there, but substantially less than the scifi/horror Alien of course. Because the protagonists are trapped in a planet complex with the "monsters" all around, for example, The Thing From Another World (1951) has more horror than say Forbidden Planet (1956) yet they're both scifi films right? This is the same.

[Ranger]

Just saw Aliens the other night. Love the series.

I agree that the first Alien movie might have been more horror. But I think both are sci-fi movies first.

edit: still voted horror/action/science fiction only.

[uberjoe]

Agreed! Alien involved suspense and creepy at some point. Aliens, shoot to kill.

Everyone can keep posting if they want, but the debate is effectively over because MysterX and I agreed on something. So either what we think MUST be true, or the world has ended and no one's gotten around to telling us yet.

[DRG]

I've always thought of Alien as a horror film and Aliens as an action film.

:up: My thoughts exactly.

Edited to add, I've never understood the need to have sci-fi as a genre along the lines of comedy, drama, horror, action, etc. All those genre types of based on tone and emotional responses. Then you have sci-fi, fantasy, and western... genres that are based on setting. But they still have to fit one of the original categories.

Just examples in sci-fi alone...

Comedy - Hitchhiker's Guideto the Galaxy, Spaceballs
Action - Starship Troopers, Aliens, Terminator 2
Horror - Alien, The Terminator, Event Horizon
Drama - Solaris, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Basically, every sci-fi film is actually going to be 'scifi/action', 'sci-fi/horror', etc.

[rennervision]

I'll bet anyone who saw it in the theater back in 1986 would feel it belongs at least partially in the horror genre. When I first saw it, people were practically jumping out of their seats spilling popcorn on each other. It was a very exhausting, wild ride and everyone breathed a sigh of relief when the final credits started to roll. Somehow the horror aspect of it gets diminished on the smaller screen, or perhaps after a hundred repeat viewings.

[Ranger]

If you were unarmed and locked in a room with face huggers, you wouldn't experience any horror?

[Joe Molotov]

I'm suprised so many people are saying it's all action. Aliens has alot more of what I would consider to be horror elements than action elements. As far as action goes, there's the initial attack (which is also scary because the aliens coming out of nowhere and killing the marines), and then there's there's the escape and the final battle with the Alien Queen but that's about all the action I can think of. In the Director's Cut, you're almost an hour and half into the movie before the first shots are fired.

But on the other hand there's the scene where the colonists get attacked by the facehuggers, the scene where Ripley and Newt get locked in the sick bay with a facehugger, the multiple scenes where they can detect the aliens closing in on them but they can't tell where, and just the general dark gloominess and clostrophobia of the colony and the grotesqueness of the aliens. I mean, come on, it's scarier than half the movies that try to pass themselves off as straight horror movies.

[scott1598]

I'll bet anyone who saw it in the theater back in 1986 would feel it belongs at least partially in the horror genre. When I first saw it, people were practically jumping out of their seats spilling popcorn on each other. It was a very exhausting, wild ride and everyone breathed a sigh of relief when the final credits started to roll.
not to mention the nightmares that come thereafter which cause you to have to sleep in your grandpa's room because you think they are in the closet!

Somehow the horror aspect of it gets diminished on the smaller screen, or perhaps after a hundred repeat viewings.
i think that can be said with a lot of horror films. after repeat viewings you know what to expect and sometimes not the least bit jolted or horrified as you were on the virgin run, but i still think you classify it horror no matter what.

i think we should remember "Aliens" as most first saw it way back in 1986 and not with the diluted, repeat viewings. might be something to consider when voting...

[scott1598]

I'm suprised so many people are saying it's all action. Aliens has alot more of what I would consider to be horror elements than action elements. As far as action goes, there's the initial attack (which is also scary because the aliens coming out of nowhere and killing the marines), and then there's there's the escape and the final battle with the Alien Queen but that's about all the action I can think of. In the Director's Cut, you're almost an hour and half into the movie before the first shots are fired.

But on the other hand there's the scene where the colonists get attacked by the facehuggers, the scene where Ripley and Newt get locked in the sick bay with a facehugger, the multiple scenes where they can detect the aliens closing in on them but they can't tell where, and just the general dark gloominess and clostrophobia of the colony and the grotesqueness of the aliens. I mean, come on, it's scarier than half the movies that try to pass themselves off as straight horror movies.
well said. plus, a lot of that initial fight scene is off camera and we are hearing most and just looking at the faces of Ripley, Carter, and Gorman...i mean the anguish and really stupidity on Gorman's face said a lot to the horror since we don't see that much and that was Cameron's intent most likely.

[rennervision]

If you were unarmed and locked in a room with face huggers, you wouldn't experience any horror?

The audience I saw it with was sure screaming. I think some were actually putting their feet up on their seats as if the freakin' thing was going to crawl right up the aisle!

Like Joe Molotov said, it really was scarier then a lot of films trying to pass themselves off as straight horror films. Those who don't consider this horror are just too desensitized!

[Bareit]

How about the scene where Hicks lifts up the ceiling panel? That still makes the hair stand up on the back of my neck.

Would it be any different if the aliens were zombies or werewolves and they were in present day on a deserted island instead of in space?

[MSD]

It's science fiction first, action and horror second.

[Baron Of Hell]

So what was with the scene that showed the Marines using flame-throwers to fry a cocooned woman colonist who died after the chest burster killed her?

I'm pretty sure that was baby. The marine didn't like babies so fried it and the lady.

[MartinBlank]

If it were to be all of the above, I'd say 85% action, 10% sci-fi, and 5% horror/suspense.

[Bareit]

Here's a good write up on it;

http://www.stevewlb.zen.co.uk/College/Genre/aliens.htm

[Ranger]

Interesting read. Thanks.

[Legolas]

Alien is horror.

Aliens is action.

Alien 3 is... a prison drama? :)

Alien Resurrection is a mess.

[BellsOfWar]

science fiction/action movie with a tad horror. if i had to be specific and choose only one, sci fi without question.

[UAIOE]

I'll bet anyone who saw it in the theater back in 1986 would feel it belongs at least partially in the horror genre.

That would have been nice, to see it back in 1986. I don't even remember what i was doing when the movie came out. Probably playing with Legos and G.I.Joes.

"Aliens" and "Back to the Future".....two movies i love to see for the first time all over again.


Alien is horror.

Aliens is action.

Alien 3 is a mess.

Alien Resurrection is unnecessary.
FIXED

[Nick Martin]

^^ Fuckin A!

[Ranger]

That remind me, it's been a while since I've seen Alien 3 and Aien: Resurrection since I only have the first two movies. So I have a couple spoiler questions:

In Aien: Resurrection how exactly did they explain the cloning of Ripley if she killed herself in Alien 3 by throwing herself in the fire?

[Legolas]

That remind me, it's been a while since I've seen Alien 3 and Aien: Resurrection since I only have the first two movies. So I have a couple spoiler questions:

In Aien: Resurrection how exactly did they explain the cloning of Ripley if she killed herself in Alien 3 by throwing herself in the fire?

They don't.

[Filmmaker]

That remind me, it's been a while since I've seen Alien 3 and Aien: Resurrection since I only have the first two movies. So I have a couple spoiler questions:

In Aien: Resurrection how exactly did they explain the cloning of Ripley if she killed herself in Alien 3 by throwing herself in the fire?

My theory is that it was from the bloodwork taken by the doctor on Fury 161 (which is almost exactly stated as such in RESURRECTION, though they give the wrong designation to the planet as Fury 16).

[Joe Molotov]

The explanation goes something like:

Exec 1: "Hey, I bet we could make a lot of money off an Alien 4."

Exec 2: "Good idea, but if we don't get Sigourney Weaver back, people will know this is just a quick cash-in. Her character died in the last movie, how do we get around that?"

Exec 1: "Uh...clone?"

Exec 2: "Greenlight it!"

[Nick Martin]

Funny that this little plot hole escaped Joss Whedon...him being a script doctor and all - it's his job pave over those plot holes, even for movies he didn't write.

[scott1598]

if this isn't horror, i dunno what is...
http://wzus.ask.com/r?t=a&d=us&s=a&c=p&ti=1&ai=30751&l=dir&o=0&sv=0a300529&ip=435556fa&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.scifi.sk%2FAlien%2Farchiv%2Fthemes%2Falienstm.jpg

[dhmac]

How about the scene where Hicks lifts up the ceiling panel? That still makes the hair stand up on the back of my neck.


I remember waaay back when Aliens was shown at my college. A few guys working for the college's film group had earlier climbed into the rafters above the theater's seating area with some balloon mock-ups of aliens and then patiently waited. When that scene in the movie happened, the guys dropped the fake aliens into the theater, and people were screaming and jumping out of their seats. It was hilarious!

[kms_md]

With the addition that <b>Alien</b> is a sci fi/horror film and <b>Aliens</b> is a sci-fi/action film, absolutely.

i agree with this breakdown as well.

[chanster]

"Horror" elements in Aliens:

1.) First Dream sequence
2.) Woman chestburster
3.) Various impalements of Marines
4.) Suspense moments are grounded in walking through a haunted house waiting for the monsters to strike

[dhmac]

"Horror" elements in Aliens:

1.) First Dream sequence
2.) Woman chestburster
3.) Various impalements of Marines
4.) Suspense moments are grounded in walking through a haunted house waiting for the monsters to strike

5.) The entire sequence in which Ripley and Newt are locked in a room with facehuggers crawling around (as released by Burke)

[Filmmaker]

5.) The entire sequence in which Ripley and Newt are locked in a room with facehuggers crawling around (as released by Burke)

Which should TOP the list of reasons why this is a horror film...

[scott1598]

funny how 'DonnachaOne' and 'Matthew Chmiel' are nowhere to be found here, considering how close the poll is. funny...

[Ranger]

Good to see that two top are almost head-to-head.

One other question about Aliens.

Do people remember Bishop's knife stabbing game at the dinner table? Was that an original scene? If not, which movie was that ripped from?

- I'm asking since I remember this being a scene from the Alias tv show too.

[The Cow]

funny how 'DonnachaOne' and 'Matthew Chmiel' are nowhere to be found here, considering how close the poll is. funny...
Why make unnecessary posts? They already stated their opinion in the other thread.

[ShagMan]

I voted all three. Probably the best movie in my 400+ DVD collection, I re-watch it about 2-3 times a year easy.

[Trout]

To me Aliens is all horror (the whole spaceship thing is irrelevant).
Aliens would be horror/sci-fi (I wouldn't consider it action).
The whole idea behind the series was to scare.

[The Reaper]

As my all time favorite film, I can easily say that it's sci-fi horror. There's no denying that horror is at it's theme.

[scott1598]

almost neck and neck. very nice!

[rennervision]

Do people remember Bishop's knife stabbing game at the dinner table? Was that an original scene? If not, which movie was that ripped from?

I'm pretty sure any scene with that knife trick is either ripped off from Aliens or playing a homage to Aliens.

[ckw4b]

Aliens was a great film.

Too bad Anderson destroyed the franchise with the horrible AvP movie.

[yecul]

Does picking out particular scenes really count? Is Pee Wee's Big Adventure a horror film? That scene with the truck driver where she tells the story and then has her face turn into a monster scared a bunch of kids.

Aliens is an action movie with sci-fi and horror elements. This isn't a black and white question, unfortunately.

[chanster]

I forgot to add the "facehugger in the glass tube scene comes alive" Thats a horror genre staple. And the Alien popping up in the "sewer" and grabbing Newt.

Individual scenes set the tone for the movie. So Pee Wee has one horror scene, its not enough to say the movie is in the horror genre. Aliens has a good amount of time devoted to deriving tension/scares through use of horror genre techniques, so i say it is a horror film, albeit one loaded with action and science fiction, so I voted for all 3. Thats what makes it a fantastic movie.

[rennervision]

I wonder if Pvt. Hudson would classify this as horror? :)

[killershark]

I'm surprised no one said that its a war movie.

Hell... even the tagline was, "This time it's war".

[Bareit]

I wonder if Pvt. Hudson would classify this as horror? :)

He'd ask how he could get outta this chicken-shit outfit.

[SINGLE104]

I've always had classified Alien and Aliens and the remainding two sequels as Sci-Fi / Horror.

[Suprmallet]

All the Alien films are obviously sci-fi, and the only one that isn't horror is Resurrection. The first one is obviously the most horror-based, but the second one is, as many posters have already pointed out, scarier than 99% of straight horror films. Alien 3 is clearly trying to ape the original film, and Resurrection is too silly to be scary.

No matter what you call it, though, Aliens is one of the best film of the 80's, and one of the best sequels of all time.