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

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

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.

I voted Action/Sci fi

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

Another vote for action/scifi.

"They mostly come at night... Mostly"

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

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

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






[LOL]

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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!

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...

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.

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!

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?

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

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

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

Here's a good write up on it;

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

Interesting read. Thanks.

Alien is horror.

Aliens is action.

Alien 3 is... a prison drama?

Alien Resurrection is a mess.

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