Wednesday 17 March 2010

The Incredible Suit's 30-Minute Freeze-Frame Challenge #9: Aliens

The 30-Minute Freeze-Frame Challenge is a futile, inane experiment which judges a film's merits entirely on how good it looks at 30-minute intervals according to arbitrary and indistinct criteria applied by The Incredible Suit. For previous challenges, click the links on the right.

This week's 30MFFC was suggested by The Incredible Suit viewers J Mac and Edward G Murrow, who mentioned it so long ago that they've probably long since stopped reading the blog and have grown old and hairy and maybe even died of old age. So in their memory, this is for them. It's Aliens, directed in 1986 by James Cameron when he knew how to mix a clever story with tension, terror, awe and various other emotions entirely absent from the smurf movie.

To be clear, these shots are taken from the 154-minute Special Edition, which is really the only version worth watching unless you've only got 137 minutes to live, in which case watch the original cut. But don't pause it because you'll die before the end.

0:30:00 This shot, as you should damn well know, is from the scene where Bishop does 'the thing with the knife'. I don't know if it's good enough to pass the Challenge, because despite being from an iconic scene, in and of itself it's not all that, is it?

1:00:00 I could stare at this picture for hours.

1:30:00 This one, not so much. I do like the lighting though. It's Ripley in literal and metaphorical Hell, innit.

2:00:00 I don't know about this one either. Again, in the context of the movie it's a great scene, but the image is a bit gloomy and I can't see Ripley's perfectly sculpted face clearly enough. What's an Incredible Suit to do?

Result:

I'm just not sure. The pressure's too much. I'm leaving it to you lot to decide if Aliens passes or fails the 30-Minute Freeze-Frame Challenge. The frustratingly vague rules are buried somewhere in this post if you need them, or you could just make it up based on your own guts. That's what I do.

Aliens: Pass or Fail? Vote here!

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15 comments :

  1. Nic17 March 2010 at 09:17

    Having never actually watched the film (I know, I know); it is a fail. Surely the point of the freeze frame challenge is that each picture be judged on its own merit and not in the context of how great it might be as part of the whole. I'm rambling, but you get my drift. Fail.

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  2. Chris Gilbert17 March 2010 at 09:52

    I'm afraid it's a fail.

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  3. cleggy17 March 2010 at 10:02

    It's in my top ten films of all time and I have to agree with previous posts - FAIL. Nic - I am jelous. I wish I could experience Aliens again for the first time, especially the extended version.

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  4. Nic17 March 2010 at 10:04

    I'm a complete scaredy cat and have avoided it since it came out because I thought I might get nightmares. Seeing as I'm now in my early 30s I could probably be brave and give it a go.

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  5. TheUnwashedMass17 March 2010 at 10:15

    Top film but still a fail, I reckon. No matter how ethereally beautiful Sigourney looks in that second picture.

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  6. edward g murrow17 March 2010 at 10:27

    Now first of all, let me express my delight at not only being named, but also listened to, on the world's greatest film blog of this name.

    As for the result - i think it's a pretty clear fail. first one alright, second one good but the last two are naff.

    good night, and good luck.

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  7. James Cameron17 March 2010 at 12:14

    Fail. Now try the original version!

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  8. The Incredible Suit17 March 2010 at 14:22

    Hmm. Barring a massive fightback from the Pass camp (although I think everyone who reads the blog has already commented) I think it's going to have to be a Fail. Unlucky Cameron, you MASSIVE TW*T!!!

    Although I do love Aliens. And The Terminator. And Terminator 2.

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  9. Adam17 March 2010 at 15:29

    Fail, I'm Afraid...

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  10. Anonymous18 March 2010 at 13:18

    Can I just check a point of order which I haven't seen previously mentioned? Where exactly do you start counting from because I think this can influence the outcome of your trials significantly? When the opening credits start, including the whole Columbia Annette Bening statue or the Fox searchlights? Or after them?

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  11. The Incredible Suit18 March 2010 at 14:19

    Excellent question. I just stick the DVD in and spin on till the counter reads 30 mins, then I shift backwards or forwards frame by frame until I'm on exactly 30 minutes, 0 seconds and 0 frames. So to answer your query, it's from before all the studio logos and what have you.

    I don't know if I'd get a different result on other players but it's kind of irrelevant because I'm in charge and what I say goes.

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  12. Anonymous18 March 2010 at 20:26

    So even including the anti-pirate staments and trailers and stuff? Surely that's not right Mr Suit!

    Ms So So Jeans

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  13. The Incredible Suit19 March 2010 at 09:11

    No you great wazzock, have you played a DVD lately? The counter starts when you hit "Play Film", not when you put the disc in. Deary me this is a complicated process.

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  14. Anonymous20 March 2010 at 11:44

    That's a tad harsh Mr Suit. Not all DVD players are the same. I was only checking on your own poorly drawn up rules so it could try it with TV films as well, really no need for wazzock.

    Ms So So Jeans

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  15. The Incredible Suit20 March 2010 at 22:05

    My apologies SSJ. Where I come from wazzock is a term of friendly joshing and I meant no offence. Friends?

    Hang on, what do you mean "poorly drawn up rules"? Oh no actually you're right there.

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