Robin
Posts: 1431
Joined: Sep. 2009
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| Quote (Schroedinger's Dog @ Nov. 09 2011,17:52) | | Quote | | "programmed" to destroy all potential competitors/predators in the immediate area (including in many cases other acherons) |
That seems a bit weird. Except for Jeunet's Alien 4, where we witness Xenomorphs attacking each other (and for a definite purpose, coolest part of the movie, IMO), they seem to be rather social beings, as with ants. Yet again, some interesting aspects of their reproductive cycle seems to be the integration of the host's DNA. In Alien 3, the Acheronis Nympha takes a very doglike shape after being hosted by a dog. There is never any hint of a male reproducer throughout the series. Could it be that the genetic material is basically "stollen" from the host?
What would Ken Ham do? |
Well, the thing to remember is that Cameron went in a very different direction (social insect structure) from what O'bannon originally envisioned. The two movies after Cameron's Aliens thus followed his organism lifecycle and structure, not O'bannon's. Hence the reliance on cooperative aliens as opposed to O'bannon's concept of a solo organism that ensures it's dominance by wiping out any potential competition.
The DNA swapping concept was (as far as my investigation goes) pretty much David Fincher's idea. I kind of liked the idea to some extent - the idea that the organism somehow gains some of it's host's genes - but I really thought they went too far in the reverse with the Ripley clone in the fourth movie. But eh...that's just opinion.
Keep in mind that the original concept of the alien morphology came from O'bannon, Giger, and Scott and their concept from the beginning was a partially "built" biomechanical organism. This is a creature that while organic, has characteristics of being a cyborg/machine. Hence the reason that in the first movie, the alien moved very slowly and deliberately - very mechanically though fluid. Scott was very particular about portraying that aspect of the creature, so much so in fact that he and the producers sent Bolaji Badejo - the Nigerian design student who played the creature - to Tai Chi and mime classes so he could learn to slow his movements way down. Watch some of the cut scenes to get a real sense of this, particularly the longer Brett death scene and the longer Lambert death scene. I find it amazing actually because the actor's movement is really - at least to me - completely unearthly, but I understand why it was cut for pacing purposes.
In any event, the point is that the original concept of the alien was ditched in favor of James Cameron's concept. I personally find it a pity.
For fun I actually worked on a script wherein I play with the concept of there being at least two species of aliens. The "hive" creatures were the ones originally designed by the Space Jockeys, but the Jockey designers intentionally included a rapid selective pressure component to their creatures' design so that the organisms could more rapidly adapt to conditions and environments and become more effective weapons over several generations. However, what they didn't anticipate was a rapid development of self-preservation and a rudimentary sense of "self". Of course, the moment one of those aliens found a host, it's self-preservation/self-awareness mutation would spread since it would wipe out all others and only its offspring with its mutation would survive. In my script, Ripley encounters both groups, discovers the difference and then has to survive while the solo alien hunts down everything on this space station.
As for Ken Ham would just chalk this up as work of the devil I suppose...
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we IDists rule in design for the flagellum and cilium largely because they do look designed. Bilbo
The only reason you reject Thor is because, like a cushion, you bear the imprint of the biggest arse that sat on you. Louis
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