#newt and ripley from alien 2

[alliebirb]

my trope of ALL time

[jakey-beefed-it]

I watched Alien: Romulus tonight, after having wanted to see it since it came out. Spoiler-free review: It's a B that could've been an A. Probably the best Alien movie since Aliens, definitely the best since Alien 3. It's at its best when it's doing it's own thing, and at its weakest when too directly trying to be "just like Alien/Aliens!". If I have one chief complaint, it's that it would benefit from a stronger 'less is more' approach than it takes. Spoilers below the cut.

So one problem I have is the timing. The alien's lifecycle, as established in other films, takes time. It's fast as hell compared to normal things, but on the order of hours and days rather than months and years, rather than minutes. They could've tossed in a single comment to the effect of "the scientists extracted the black goo compound and refined it, testing it on the facehuggers and whoops their lifecycle got sped WAY the fuck up" but they didn't so that's the realm of headcanon rather than text.

EDIT: rewatched it today and there is some commentary over how the xenomorph has a measure of control over its metabolism; the reason it's able to mature so rapidly and yet also shut down for long-term vacuum survival. It's not quite as apparent as I'd like but it definitely qualifies as offering at least some textual explanation so my above complaint is less 'this makes no internal sense' and more 'this strains my suspension of disbelief even more than the things' ability to grow to prodigious size without seemingly feeding on anything already did.'

Speaking of the black goo, yeah, it ties back into Prometheus (which I saw, and personally didn't much like) and Covenant (which I didn't see owing to not having much liked Prometheus). On the whole I don't know that this was the right move for the franchise, but the film mostly makes it work. The final monster being essentially a xenomorph/engineer hybrid was not a premise I was excited about and the stills I'd seen made it look kinda stupid, but in the actual execution, it is suitably unsettling/uncanny and imo it actually works.

There were a couple of nostalgia lines that made me roll my eyes pretty hard- when Andy rescues Rain toward the end by zero-g divebombing an oncoming xenomorph, shooting it and saying "get away from her" i was like "yeah great, good callback, good moment". When he then adds "...you bitch" I rolled my eyes. Didn't fit the moment or the character, was strictly there to reference a better moment in a better movie.

Which isn't to fault David Jonsson, who plays Andy extremely well. Due to synthetic fuckery he has basically 2, 2 and a half personalities throughout the film, and he does them all very very well. Stand-out performance IMO, would love to see him in more stuff.

Cailee Spaeny does a good job as Rain, there were a couple moments early on where I wasn't 100% convinced of her authenticity, but as the film wore on, I saw that it was an acting choice to make Rain a bit socially stunted, coming across as awkward.

None of the actors were bad at all, and while I have some ethical concerns with digitally resurrecting a cgi Ian Holm circa 1979, the effects were cromulent and whoever they got to do most of his voice work was quite good, and Rook made for a decent antagonist.

On the topic of 'less is more' I mentioned above, I really wish they'd used fewer aliens in a couple of the big set pieces. You don't need a dozen scrambling facehuggers to be terrifying, you honestly don't need more than one, but the pair of them from the scene with Ripley and Newt proves that 'one per endangered character' is a fine guideline. Likewise when they get to the hive section of the station, they could've kept it every bit as terrifying (and indeed probably more so) with fewer, stealthier aliens than they used.

EDIT: the things a lot of horror fans care most about that I didn't mention on my first pass. The SFX are great, very effective. I'm not sure to what degree they relied on practical effects but there's a much more tangible feel to a lot of things that are very hard to get with cgi. There are a couple of cgi moments that are less effective imo- the zero-g acid blood wasn't 100% convincing though it was by no means bad -but for the most part, it was all very convincing and suitably visceral for a franchise so thoroughly rooted in body horror. The deaths were gruesome in a franchise-appropriate way, for the most part, and people who watch horror movies with that as their priority should be reasonably satisfied. The lighting was dark in a good way- not so dark you couldn't see what the fuck was happening, but dark enough that the shadows were ominous and potentially hiding threats. Set design was flawless, no notes.

From a scientific standpoint, i didn't like how solid the rings were. Planetary rings are absolutely a feasible astronomical hazard one would want to avoid crashing into, but that's less to do with their status as what looked like a frozen sea of bumper-to-bumper icebergs, and more to do with their being composed of eighty fucktillion objects moving at orbital velocities which will absolutely shred any object moving perpindicularly (more or less) through them. This is admittedly a pretty nerdy quibble that most viewers won't give a shit about and I'm willing to mostly overlook it for the sake of the film but it did make me pull a scrunchy Kermit face.

My most minor complaint was the (in my opinion) overuse of the Weyland-Yutani name and logo. A single use of the logo would've been sufficient. Since the film's mission statement was basically a return to the whole cassette-futurism of the first two films, calling it simply 'the Company' would've gone a long way toward that.

Probably my most significant complaint pertains to misogyny. Like, okay, this is an Alien film, it's going to be chock-full of reproductive body horror, big creepy bio-mechanical genital-lookin stuff, etc. But of the four characters who die, both men die of 'being attacked by a full-grown alien'. One dies by being impaled by a phallic tail, so that's something, I guess. The other dies by getting whomped upside the head and falling into the stream of some acid pouring from a distinctly vaginal alien coccoon. He'd just rammed a phallic tazer thing into it though, so maybe it's some weird sort of payback if you want to psychoanalyze it. Both women, however, die due to alien pregnancy- one from a normal chestburster, the other killed by the weird uncanny human-alien-engineer monster her fetus turned into after she tried to save her own life by injecting the black goo. Not by its birth, despite the size of the coccoon thing she passes and the accompanying blood loss, but when it comes back and chomps on her a bit with its more eel-like pharyngial jaw. Which is also rather phallic now that i write it out like that. Meh.

EDIT: there's also a bit of unfortunate implications wrt race. Two points, outlined below.

The most obvious is that the artificial person owned by the company is a black man, but given that previous synths in the franchise have all been white actors (Ian Holm, Lance Henriksen, Winona Ryder, Michael Fassbender) it probably gets a bit of a pass. Only a bit of one, in that Andy is outright stated to be a more menial model than, say, Ash or Bishop given the designed role of 'mining colony asset' rather than 'science officer' or 'colonial marines assset' which has some unfortunate implications. I might have more to say on the matter if I myself was black, but I'll leave that to other reviewers.

The other thing is that the survivors are the white woman and her synthetic brother (played by a black man, as mentioned above). Which could be worse, for sure, but it doesn't sit entirely right with me that the brown guys (I couldn't speak to their specific ethnicity though I'd take a stab at 'mixed' with some white ancestry in there too) and the brown woman (definitely a latina) get killed off. As a mixed white/latino guy, I just wanna see a brown person survive the whole horror movie sometimes. I'm often disappointed. At least the director is a latino guy? It's something.

On the whole though, it's a pretty effective, decent Alien film that could've been a very effective, great Alien film if it had a bit more restraint. Your mileage may vary, of course, but in my opinion, the weaker elements don't wholly overwhelm the stronger ones, only dragging it down a peg or so.

[paranormaljones]

4, 6, 8, 9, and 14. 🍾🥂

4. Movie of the year?

You know, I feel like I watched a surprisingly small amount of movies this year. And I'm struggling to remember them all. Going off of personal impact to me, I have to say Bonhoeffer. I was a wreck for days after seeing that. But like in a good way? In second place is Aliens. Ripley and Hicks and Newt my beloveds WHO ALL SURVIVED AND LIVED HAPPILY EVER AFTER.

(Also it's really rare for me to enjoy a sequel more than the original but dude Aliens was so good 😭)

6. Episode of TV or webisode that defined the year for you?

'Fishes', season 2 episode 6 of The Bear. Every second felt like taking a ballpeen hammer to the ribs. I loved it. But also that one super whimsical episode of Fringe?? Brown Betty. That one was so good. I wanna go rewatch it now XD

8. Game of the year?

I have played. so much game this year. and I can't decide. Hilariously, I think it's a tie between Fields of Mistria and The Witcher 3, just going by what new games I loved the most. This year has been a year of discovering many new (and old) games.

9. Best month for you this year?

ANY OF THEM AFTER AUGUST. No but seriously XD I have experienced many stresses since moving to TN, but not being stuck in my old life and finding new life has made me into a new person. Every month here has had its struggles but I've also experienced more tangible blessings and found more genuine connections with the people around me than I think I ever have. And of course, I think October takes the cake because I got to hang out with you in person!! 💙

But an honorable mention from before moving out would be April. That was when my mom took me to my doctor's appointment where I was diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, and as well as finally being given the knowledge of why everything was so difficult and painful for me, it also marked a major olive branch moment between me and my mom.

14. Favorite book you read this year?

MAN I DON'T KNOW. I think it was earlier this year that you got me to read The Queen's Thief series and if that's right, that whole series is up there. And the first book of The Witcher series is RIGHT up there too. I read a lot of good books this year, it's very hard to pick XD

Happy New Year, Cake!! 💙

[phantombandit-films]

Ranking the Alien and Predator movies as I watch them for the first time.

Okay, before I start I just want to explain again that for years I've tried to get into the Alien movies, I've seen the first bit of Alien a few times when I've tried to watch them and I have seen all of Aliens but don't really remember it. I also watched Alien vs Predator a while ago and absolutely loved it. I'm also pretty sure I've seen the first bit of Predator maybe two times but never finished it, I've also seen Prey when It came out and really enjoyed that. So with the new Alien film coming out, and it looks SO GOOD! I thought I would actually sit down and properly watch the movies, and of course the Predator movies too. So enjoy!

Alien (1979) - The OG! Im sure if I saw this when it first came out it would have been an experience, unfortunately I wasn't alive then so, but I can very much appreciate the impact it had on audiences. A very good introduction to Ripley, and it was so nice to see John Hurt!! (Merlin OG here) Also Jonesy, I love you.

Aliens (1986) - Fav! I don't even have to finish the others, this is my favorite one. HICKS I LOVE YOU SO MUCH. It was just incredible and I can't even tell you why, wait yes I can! HICKS FLIRTING WITH RIPLEY. Justice for this little family! we should of had Ripley, Newt and Hicks as a little family unit going around a killing Aliens. We were ROBBED. Also the start of Bill Paxton cameos.

Predator (1987) - Amazing, very suspenseful and just a very good introduction to the Yautja. I also think the scenery and them being in a jungle was a very good choice, especially with the whole camouflage. Got very attached to Billy though which was a mistake, I mean I knew he was going to die but still was very upset when he actually died.

Predator 2 (1990) - Okay, let's get the good things out of the way first, Bill Paxton cameo part 2, he was so good! I wonder how he felt knowing he was one of only two actors to be killed by a Xenomorph, a Yautja and Terminator. Other than that this was terrible, I found it so hard to finish, I don;t know why but the atmosphere that was in the first one just wasn't here.

Alien 3 (1992) - What the actual hell was this?? First Killing Hicks and Newt, like??? HOW DARE YOU. But this movie just wasn't it. I will now refuse to acknowledge this movie exists. I was however surprised and felt quite sad about finding out about Ripley gaining an Alien in her chest during hypersleep and then killing herself so that the company couldn't have it.

Alien: Resurrection: (1997) - Just going to say this now, I don't know how I feel about the whole thing of Ripley being cloned, I felt it really took away from her sacrifice in Alien 3, But on the other hand Creepy Clone Ripley did grow on me. WINONA RYDER?! I love Call so much, I did not see that coming! I was so upset when she got shot. Also! (Robin Hood Prince of Thieves here!) Hi Michael Wincott! nice to see you again. Not going to lie, however I feel about the Cloning I did really enjoy this one, and was please to see it brought back some hope for me after Alien 3. Also the new Alien that came out of the queen, giving everyone puppy dog eyes and then just attacking them pahahha! Amazing.

Alien vs Predator (2004) - Now this is the movie that I remember seeing and loving and rewatching it just proved that I still loved it, The whole hidden pyramid was so interesting, and I'm really glad they did it like that. Not really much to say, I just really like this one.

AVPR: Alien vs Predator - Requiem: (2007) - I honestly don't remember most of this, not going to lie. Safe to say I didn't like it.

Predators: (2010) - Started to watch this but turned it off, I think i'm just going to stick with Predator, Alien vs Predator and prey.

Prometheus: (2012) - I did like this one! it was very different from the other Alien movies, wouldn't say it was one of my favs though.

Alien: Covenant: (2017) - This one unfortunately is going to the bottom of the list, did not like it at all.

Alien: Romulus: (2024) - ABSOLUTELY LOVED THIS FILM. I really need to rewatch it but my god it was good! it very much felt like aliens did and i love that!

All in all I think the ones I will rewatch many times are Aliens, Alien; resurrection (I'll overlook the Ripley clone thing) and Alien; Romulus. Most definitely Aliens because Hicks I love you and I haven't stopped thinking about you! Also Joansey was the best character.

[ordinarymaine]

🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 for whatever you want <3

HEHEH

1. resident evil 8 was such a missed opportunity to do like. idk. anything. im not sure if i necessarily agree with people saying that it was nothing more than a tech demo for re4make, but i definitely see where they're coming from. the factory is a slog, moreau's swamp sucks. house beneviento is by far the scariest part of the entire game and the atmosphere is incredible, but it is CRIMINALLY short. castle d is gorgeous, but lady d herself falls flat as a nemesis / mr x type of enemy. i also just? dont like the writing in re8 at all. the characters are written strangely. i dont know how to put it into words. ethan feels weird. chris feels weird. mia feels weird and was tossed to the side and went from who she was in re7 to like an anime mom. this one is very petty but the fanbase for re8 is annoying as SHIT also. most re fans are irritating but re8 fans are something ELSE. the best thing about re8 is how it looks

2. this very quickly turned from unpopular opinions to Lilith's Hater Hour and im not sure how to word this either but a part of me hates how popular aw2 got. like a big part of me LOVES that, i feel like alan wake has always been underrated and ive loved it for years, its one of my favorite games ever, and im so happy to see it get recognition!! but predictably most of the fanbase has latched onto casey and zane/darling while completely ignoring saga as a character. its a bit annoying </3

3. i do not understand the hype around star wars, or why it got so popular. sorry to my mutuals for saying this on twitter like 3 times in the last 2 weeks and then again here FJFGHJH but i dont get it! i like the prequels, i like the sequels, i like rogue one, i like kotor (havent played either of them but i enjoy them nonetheless), i liked kenobi (pointing obi wan fan) i havent watched andor yet but i know i'll enjoy it. but most of star wars as a whole i just dont think its that. good? like. dont get me wrong when its done well its enjoyable!! but there are better sci fi serieses out there by far. star wars feels like lucasfilms throwing shit at the wall because it looks cool but has little sustenance. i will NOT start on my star trek vs star wars bullshit again because its INCREDIBLY biased LOL

4. i hate fallout 3. i hate traversing it. i hate playing it. i hate how it looks. i dont like the characters. i dont like the story. i dont like the writing. i like fallout 4 more than i like fallout 3, because 4 is at least enjoyable to play and lose myself in, even if the writing is arguably worse. when i first played fallout 3 i kept thinking to myself like. this is it? because for years all i heard was how good it was. and it just isnt LOL

5. i hate alien 3 also. i have not seen it and i do not plan on watching it because i KNOW it will make me angry. i am a BIG hater of shit thats just needlessly pessimistic / depressing / nihilistic simply for the sake of it, and from everything i've read of alien 3, thats exactly how it comes across to me. im sure if i WATCHED it i could more coherently explain why i dislike it, but im so attached to the dynamic that ripley, hicks and newt have that seeing it get thrown away immediately in the start of alien 3 would make me pass away badly

HELP. i didn't mean to ramble this much omg JJFDGJKFDGH i dont think most of this is very well written im sorry it's all very word vomit. i have had a little bit to drink and im feeling very haterish tonight. something in the air. thank you for indulging me <333

[emeraldspiral]

Thinking about the abundance of queer themes in horror and horror being a major influence on Invader Zim.

Like, there's a lot of essays and thinkpieces discussing how the horror genre and queerness go hand-in-hand. Whether we're talking about the abundance of queer-coded villains representing a fear of queer people or the fear of discovering ones own queerness, or if we're talking about how in general, queer people have a lot to be anxious about with many very real dangers existing as part of the background noise of their lives, so it's hard to find a horror movie that doesn't draw upon a fear that resonates in some way to the queer experience.

And like, I've already made a whole post about how the core premise of Zim is inherently queer. Zim being an actual alien already makes him an other in the human world, but he's also canonically aroace and considered "defective" even on his home planet. The show is about him trying to hide his otherness and present as normal while living with the constant dread of being exposed. Meanwhile, the show's deuteragonist is driven by a quest for acceptance from a society he doesn't conform to. A society which considers his non-conformity a mental illness, and essentially gaslights him about how they all know better than him about his own experiences when they won't even hear him out or look at his evidence because it conflicts with their predetermined biases.

But I think horror being part of the DNA of the show also contributes heavily to its inherent queerness.

Body horror and gross out horror are show staples, which often resonate especially with queer people's anxieties surrounding their autonomy, unwanted physical changes and desires, or disassociation between the body and self-identity.

Then there's the fact that horror films often utilize a formula featuring male killers or masculine monsters chasing around a female protagonist because of the perception that women are more vulnerable than men and men are more threatening than women. But because the two main characters are both male, a lot of storylines end up with one or the other of them in a traditionally feminine role. In Dark Harvest, Zim plays the part of the monster, while Dib ends up being the "final girl". Episodes like Plague of Babies, GIR Goes Crazy, and FBI Warning on the other hand, have Zim being the one stalked and menaced and frequently ending up in bondage. Then there's the Halloween episode where the climax is a direct homage to a scene from Aliens where Zim and Dib are both mimicking the roles of female characters, Ellen Ripley and Newt respectively, with Nightmare Bitters as the Xenomorph Queen.

The show's only main female character however, never plays the distressed victim role. She's generally portrayed as untouchable; too scary for anyone to mess with, smart enough to avoid trouble, and resourceful enough to get out of any situation unscathed. In Game Slave 2, she is the monster stalking a boy while in Bloaty's she's the hero rescuing her brother from Zim's clutches.

Then you've got stuff like Bestest Friend where Zim recruits a beard to try to appease people who've begun to scrutinize his private life, which then becomes the set-up for jokes about Keef being a terrifying stalker, attempting to force an intimate relationship that Zim doesn't want and which he fears will lead to his exposure.

In the Halloween episode, Dib's father turns his back on him and allows him to be institutionalized for once again making true statements about his own experiences that no one wants to listen to. In his nightmare world, the three most terrifying apparitions are his father, his sister, and his teacher, whose main goal is to strap him to a table and open up his head. Meanwhile, the nightmare version of himself is in a straight jacket with a lobotomy scar across his forehead.

Hospitals and mental institutions are horror staples, and within the show's context it makes sense for Dib to be afraid of them since he's always being called crazy for believing in the paranormal. But until relatively recently, queerness has in many places been medicalized as a mental illness and queer people have been subjected to involuntary commitment in medical institutions where "treatment" included things like shock therapy and lobotomy. Even today, conversion therapy still exists as an ever-present threat to LGBT people with non-accepting families and community members, such as school teachers, who are willing to out them out of disdain or a misguided belief that it's for their own good.

The show's horror elements may not have been intended to amplify the already inherently queer themes baked into the show's premise, but it certainly doesn't detract from it.

[bornforastorm]

WIP Game Rules: Post the names of all the files in your WIP folder, regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous. Let people send you an ask with the title that most intrigues them, and then post a little snippet or tell them something about it! And then tag as many people as you have WIPs.

--

Thanks for the tag beloved friend @majorbaby!!  you make me feel better about the insane number of WIPs I have.

list below, with a little what's-what because I name things really minimally:

tagging: @boasamishipper @ireallyamabear @ anybody else who would like to!!

1. 1917 (to love and be loved is to be changed) 2. aliens (hudson makes it, alien 3 doesn’t happen, ripley/hicks/hudson and their daughter newt) 3. andor 4 (everybody lives au, love as rebellion, nemik/skeen) 4. goldfinch (boris comes to ny with theo at the end) 5. JB (james bond/felix leiter, oh no my friend is too important to me) 6. JB 2 (bond/leiter, my friend has low self esteem over his disability and i love him so much) 7. llewyn (inside llewyn davis, my bf was great but then he jumped off a bridge) 8. mash 3 (hawktrap trapper goes to maine/hawkeye loves his hometown) 9. mfu (man from uncle tv napoleon/illya duh) 10. MI1a (making ethan’s sad apartment less sad thru friendship) 11. mum (the mummy 2017 nick is sick af and it’s getting worse) 12. mum 2 (nick gets totally subsumed by the monster) 13. mummer 3 (the mummy 2017 nick-vail back story) 14. nice guys (there are no second acts in american lives) 15. perry 3 (strickson new years 1930) 16. perry 4 (ham and perry hook up and perry immediately regrets it) 17. perry 4.5 (ham clocks pete as in love with perry, post s2) 18. perry 7 (post swim back to shore, perry brings pete back to his place) 19. perry 8 (perry finds pete in the blackmail pictures) 20. perry 9 (that fuckin bridge) 21. pm 3 (terry + fireworks = a bad new years) 22. pm 4B (sequel to my retirement fic) 23. pm 5 (marlowe gets the shit kicked out of him) 24. pm 6 (marlowe runs after terry after the end of TLG) 25. pm 7 (marlowe and terry are dating but neither of them know it) 26. pm 8 (marlowe goes to find terry in acapulco) 27. pm 9 (terry goes to marlowe right away after finding sylvia) 28. pm 10 (marlowe bumps into terry in NYC) 29. pm 11 howard (terry lacks an inherent self) 30. pm 12 (terry calls marlowe after being shot) 31. pm 14 (modern au) 32. pm 15 (marlowe gets the shit kicked out of him 2) 33. pm 16 sylvia (marlowe attends a dinner party at the lennox’s) 34. pm BEB (the Black-Eyed Blonde but with a more acceptable ending to me) 35. pMsG (a marlowe-steve grayce encounter + terry of course) 36. PRU (pacrim uprising, nate and hermann are the same type of guy) 37. R-A (reanimator) 38. SH (doyle holmes, watson and moran become weird friends during the hiatus) 39. stare wares (kylo does force crimes against poe post-TFA) 40. stare wares 2 (poe’s x-wing crashes very bad) 41. terror (miracles on the ice) 42. TL (some terry lennox perspective) 43. TLB 2 (david survives and is a feral weirdo for a while) 44. TLB 3 (the lost boys, david/michael + david and his dad, sortof a sequel my david-as-ace merrill fic) 45. WSS 2 (riff and tony go to coney island)

[lowkeynando]

Private First Class William L. Hudson is a fictional character in the 1986 science fiction film Aliens, played by actor Bill Paxton. Hudson is a member of the United States Colonial Marines deployed to the planet LV-426 to investigate the loss of communication with a terraforming colony, only to discover that the colony has been overcome with Xenomorphs.

The character has become a fan favourite in the Alien franchise, and has been noted as one of Bill Paxton's most iconic and notable roles. The character's quote "Game over man!" has been referenced numerous times in popular culture, and the character has been paid tribute to following Paxton's death in 2017. [1][2] Corporal Dwayne Hicks is a fictional character in the Alien franchise. First appearing in the film Aliens, he was portrayed by actor Michael Biehn. The character is a Senior Corporal of the United States Colonial Marine Corps aboard the USS Sulaco and is one of only four survivors of the Sulaco crew's expedition to LV-426, along with Ellen Ripley, Rebecca "Newt" Jorden and the android Bishop. Hicks was initially killed during the introduction of the film's sequel Alien 3, a decision that garnered negative backlash from fans of the franchise. Hicks was later rewritten to have survived, as he returns as the main protagonist of the "Stasis Interrupted" DLC in the videogame Aliens: Colonial Marines [1] ands CLONES

[imflyinoveryou]

where alien is superior in atmosphere and sincere horror alien 2 compensates far more with how fun it is. And it has newt. And ripley is a raging bitch and that fucking rocks , it’s my favorite.

Gonna watch alien 3 and probably hate it , I think David fincher is super hit or miss and from what I’ve read bout it it’ll bring back the despair which is vital for a horror film related to aliens and drifting endlessly in space ..

But fincher said “nobody hates it more than me” and that’s not very promising.

[dracophile]

I was honestly torn a little between Shrek 2 and Aliens. But then I remembered they cut one of the best scenes from the Aliens theatrical release, where it talks about Ellen Ripley's daughter having grown old and died while she was stuck cryoed in space for like 60 or 70 years, so she has nothing to go back to. This makes her finding Newt more significant, as they both lost their family, AND makes the stand off with the Alien queen more thematic as it's mother vs. mother, and the "Get away from her, you bitch!" more punchy. So going by theatrical release, Shrek 2 is more satisfying.

[trash-gobby]

Aliens Characters - How They Would Play Sims 2 & 4

A/N: Here are some Headcanons inspired by the wonderful jammesbarnnes Avengers Preferences HC's. I would HIGHLY recommend checking out their original work because it is the most adorable thing ever!!! If you want me to make more Alien character sims HC's please let me know!!

Pairings: None

Characters: Lance Bishop, Dwayne Hicks, William Hudson, Newt Jorden, Ellen Ripley, Jenette Vasquez

Inspiration: AVENGERS PREFERENCE: HOW THEY PLAY ANIMAL CROSSING by @jammesbarnnes

PLEASE check out their original work!!! It's so good.

RATING: PG

⚠️Warnings!: Hudson being Hudson again 🙄

______________________________________________________________

Lance Bishop

✨Enjoys just using the game to build houses and lots.

✨Has way to many build and buy mods to kit out the houses in the best decour.

✨Creates his own build and buy CC which he posts online for people to download (actually has a pretty sizable following for his work).

✨Likes to create replica houses of places he's either read about in books, seen in movies or visited in person.

✨Also likes the collectibles you can find in the Sims 4 world, and has a sizable collection of stuff in the one household he actually plays from time to time when he's not building.

✨Doesn't really play much with the actual sims, but has been known to love the seasons expansion in both Sims 2 and 4 most because of how beautiful the snowfall looks on his lots.

Dwayne Hicks

✨Very much invested in building the perfect household.

✨He likes the idea of having all his main family accomplish their lifetime wishes and basically fulfilling all their needs.

✨Gets genuinely sad whenever a sim dies by accident and will restart the game without saving if they die by accident in a fire or due to other circumstances.

✨Likes adding mods which increase the realism of his gameplay.

✨Really enjoys taking his time to do the legacy challenge and has proudly bragged about one playthrough where he's done ten generations (Ripley def makes fun of him for it).

✨Favourite expansion for Sims 2 is University for its additional features which add majors and jobs to the game, and Sims 4 is Get Together because of the clubs system, using it to make homework groups for his kids.

William Hudson

✨Likes to make his sim super jacked and the town hoe

✨His sim sleeps with literally every townie and has more than one child.

✨Uses money cheats super liberally and has his sim live in a giant McMansion.

✨Can't build a house to save his life. They all look like ugly coloured boxes with way to many windows.

✨Favourite expansion is definitely nightlife for Sims 2 because of the addition of clubs and public woohoo (because of course he would be excited about that 🙄). Fav in Sims 4 is City Living because of its urban setting.

✨Definitely has the wickedwhims mod installed on his computer for Sims 4

Newt Jorden

✨Immediately creates herself, Ripley, Hicks, and Bishop in the sims along with other people from her real life.

✨Loves this household and makes them a little cottage house with the help and guidance of Bishop.

✨Ripley finds her little virtual version of them a little creepy, but mostly adorable.

✨Likes to spend hours playing and messing with the universe.

✨Don Lothario has definitely met a horrible fiery death at the hands of Newt more than once.

✨Also will create real people who she is angry with in the sims and stick them in a pool removing the ladder.

✨Has a murder house in her game where there are like over 100 graves of people who've pissed her off or who she killed in the game for no other reason but for her own enjoyment.

Ellen Ripley

✨Would find Sims a bit to slow of a game for her, but likes on occasion to do a little playthrough.

✨Spends more time in create a sim then playing the actual game because she's a perfectionist.

✨Loves all the downloadable clothing CC and has a lot of mods for hair and other create a sim CC as well.

✨Has had Bishop show her how to create CC so she can start making her own custom content, and they've bonded over their mutual interest in creating stuff together.

✨Favourite Sims 2 expansion is Apartment Life because she grew up around apartments, and finds their addition closer to what she's used to. Fav Sims 4 pack is Cats and Dogs because of the addition of animals and the amount of customization that gives her.

Jenette Vasquez

✨Vasquez likes a challenge and progression, so she'll most likely find typical Sims gameplay pretty boring.

✨She likes action and things to be more fast-paced.

✨Her favourite thing about sims are the challenges you can do with the game. Vasquez's favorites being the Breed Out The Ugly, 100 Baby, Apocalypse, and Starving Artist challenges.

✨Has roped Hudson into a competition to see who can complete the 100 Baby Challenge first.

✨Doesn't really have a favourite expansion, because she only really cares about what challenges she can do in the game.

[lupinedreaming]

I have discovered something amazingly stupid — Conservapedia, a right wing Christian fundamentalist version of Wikipedia, and its page “Worst Liberal Movies.�� I looked through what they have to say about some horror films, and here are my favorite brain dead Conservapedia horror takes from that page:

Alien franchise in general: “This pro-feminist, anti-capitalist film franchise was originated by atheist Ridley Scott. The first film was proven to be alarmingly similar to the 1965 film Planet of the Vampires,[1] but since it fitted the left's agenda, they didn't care and gave it biased reviews anyway. The second film, Aliens, is an anti-Vietnam statement[2]and, just like its predecessor, copies another previous feature (in this case, the 1954 film Them![3]).”

Aliens: “The second film, Aliens, is an anti-Vietnam statement[94] and, just like its predecessor, copies another previous feature (in this case, the 1954 film Them![95]). However, liberal pundits currently denounce it as a pro-war film, and it is to be noted that despite technically pushing anti-Vietnam messaging, it unintentionally ends up being a pro-Vietnam statement at the same time, as the Vietcong stand-in for the film was the titular antagonists, the Xenomorphs, hinting at the Vietcong being depicted negatively. Motherhood is also given a neutral depiction. Although the Xenomorph Queen, who is depicted as embracing her maternal instincts, is depicted in a negative light, the film's protagonist Ellen Ripley was also shown to embrace motherly instincts as well and treated positively for it, acting as a surrogate mother to the orphan Newt and going out of her way to protect and rescue her in the film (most feminists even back then, much less today, tend to demonize the concept of motherhood).”

Night of the Living Dead: “This independent horror abomination by George A. Romero vilifies nuclear energy, as nuclear fallout from an exploding space probe in Earth's atmosphere is said to be the cause of the recently deceased becoming reanimated. In addition, it negatively portrays police officers as racist: a group of officers kills Ben, the African American protagonist, when they mistake him for one of the dead, which Romero intentionally chose to have happen to accuse the police of being behind racial lynchings. Had two sequels , Dawn of the Dead (1978 Italian) and Day of the Dead (1985).”

They Live: “Capitalists are portrayed as evil aliens planning to rule the world. The director John Carpenter also claimed in interviews that the film was anti-Ronald Reagan[31]”

Get Out: “This racist horror comedy-drama follows an African American man who discovers to his shock that his white American girlfriend's parents transplant the brains of white Americans into the bodies of African Americans as if to strip their victims of African American cultural identity. It presents a false dichotomy between black and white culture and discourages American ideals such as interracial and intercultural integration, all while accusing white Americans of wanting to eliminate instead of integrate all racial subcultures in the nation.”

Jennifer’s Body: “This film starring Megan Fox and Amanda Seyfried promotes feminism and glorifies Satanism, and contains a lesbian kiss and them making out. It was a victim of Liberal false advertising that promised audiences it would be anti feminist. Even Chris Pratt, who had a minor role as a police officer couldn’t save the film. It gained a cult following among Liberals and those who believe in the homosexual agenda.”

[giveamadeuschohisownmovie]

My hot take for tonight: “Aliens” (1986) is the greatest feminist action movie. Better than “Wonder Woman”, “Captain Marvel”, and all other modern feminist action movies.

My argument

1) Ellen Ripley. They let her be a badass while also making her a 3-dimensional character. Also, just because there was emphasis on her role as a mother doesn’t detract from her character. I noticed that a lot of movies, in order to make a case for their “strong female character”, they just have them reject feminine qualities (like romance and motherhood) and embrace masculine qualities (kicking ass, acting tough). Ripley is allowed to grieve for her daughter and protect Newt while also gunning down Xenomorphs and spouting off kickass one-liners.

2) The soldiers. The “big bad badass” stock character of the group is Vasquez, one of the female members of the group. And this is not emphasized in the movie, they just let her be the badass without calling attention to her gender (well, Bill Paxton makes a quick joke but that’s it). They even gave Vazquez the big fight moments, like the scene where she used her grenade launcher to blow up the Xenomorphs. There’s also several other female members in the Colonial Marines and not once does the movie point this out. They’re just as equal to their male counterparts.

3) The Xenomorph Queen. Not only does this movie have a female protagonist, it also has a female main antagonist. Also, she makes for a great parallel to Ripley since she’s also a mother trying to protect her children. You could make the argument that “Aliens” is a movie about the perils of motherhood and, honestly, it works. 

4) Newt saves everyone’s asses. 

5) Cpl. Hicks, the main male protagonist, treats Ripley with respect and never talks down to her. Also, the weapons demonstration scene deserves a lot of praise. James Cameron could’ve easily written the scene in a condescending way where Hicks views Ripley as a helpless woman who needs helps in using guns. But instead, Hicks is written as kind and understanding of Ripley’s lack of experience with firearms. 

6) The douchebag male characters in the movie have several opportunities to talk down to Ripley. Gorman and Burke could’ve just been sexist pricks who hate it when women try to tell them what to do. Instead, they talk to Ripley like everyone else. Yeah, they’re still douchebags, but James Cameron avoided the easy trap of making them sexist. They’re already detestable, no need to add anymore layers. 

[introvertguide]

15 Badass Movies for a Fun Time at Home or with Friends

There is a buzz in the air as COVID-19 vaccines are rolling out and the hope of having a movie night with friends is again becoming a reality. Watching alone isn’t as fun because I want to talk to somebody about what I have just seen. A full theater does not agree with my introvert nature because somebody screaming or laughing or talking on their phone will ruin it for me. Watching with a fellow cinephile or two is perfect. But what to watch first? People have been stuck inside, so fantasy and alternative worlds have been overly popular. All I do is talk over zoom for a living. I think what I need most right now is a movie about realistic people with realistic skills that go into a situation and just wreck house. I need a badass movie. What is this “badass” movie you might say? Well, here are some basic criteria: 1) There must be a tough lead character who kicks butt while spouting one liners and doesn’t need superhuman powers (high levels of peak skill with speed, aim, or strength is OK if they are plausible in the real world), 2) most of the characters (good and bad) must be likable, admirable or at least memorable, 3) the lead must face and defeat overwhelming odds against them, and 4) extra points for memorable one liners. Also, I am only dealing with human protagonists (sorry Terminator), but slightly superhuman opposition is acceptable. This list is by no means exhaustive, it is just an example of some badass movies. So in no particular order:

1) Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

To start off the list, I want to mention the most well known American badass. Indiana Jones is a smart guy with a gun and a whip. He is rugged and punches guys in the face. He has weaknesses but works through them to get the job done. Harrison Ford was in his early 40s for this role and had this tough-as-nails and seen the world kind of feel while still being young enough to fight hand to hand. Any of the first three films featuring Indiana Jones would work here, but this is the original and it started the fun. Easy to watch. Easy to cheer for. Great movie. You can’t really go wrong with any age or group with this one. 

2) 13 Assassins (2010)

This movie is extremely badass but not for everyone. This is one of the goriest films I have ever seen as 13 warriors kill off a couple of hundred soldiers and the evil leader that they guard. The movie was directed by Japanese extreme horror icon Takashi Miike if that means anything to you (hey made Audition and Ichi the Killer). The movie has gallons of blood, but also an amazing story of redemption and honor. There are tons of scenes of a single warrior taking on dozens of soldiers and managing to overcome. Not for everyone, but still very much a badass movie.

3) The Raid (2011)

This is an Indonesian action thriller with the word action in bold. The film is directed by Gareth Evans and stars Iko Uwais as part of a small police force that tries to take down an old building that houses a drug lord and his violent gang. It has a lot of what I like in badass movies: one-on-one fights between the lead and almost superhuman villains, long well-choreographed scenes, a banging soundtrack, ridiculous weapons, and ridiculous gore. The fight scenes in tight places and the use of the environment for weaponry is amazing and the sound design makes sure you can feel every punch. The lead character should have no chance, but he makes up for it with skill and being a pure badass. This movie is one of the few that I would describe as having non-stop action.

4) Jon Wick (2014)

When did Keanu Reeves become so cool? I grew up with him being part of the Bill and Ted duo. He decides to learn martial arts and play a god-like being in the Matrix movies and then becomes a one man wrecking crew? I guess he is a badass because he does it so well. Keanu plays a retired hitman who is wronged and decides to go back to work for vengeance. He just won’t stop coming and seems to constantly survive out of pure hatred alone. There are 3 films in the series and any one of them will impress. Pure fun too watch.

5) Casino Royale (2006)

When I was asking around, there were many people who thought that James Bond was the ultimate badass. I disagree in that many of the older films show Bond as overconfident with the assistance of many people. In fact, Q is more of a badass in many ways than James Bond. However, when the series was taken back to its roots with the last book that had not been made into a serious film and made darker, it reached badass levels. From the parkour chase to a poisoning to an extreme torture scene, this was not like any James Bond movie before it. Roger Craig plays a much colder lead who gives no quarter, much more like what the greatest secret agent would have to be. Heavy on violence but light on gore, this film is more for all audiences than other films on this list.

6) Desperado (1995)

What makes this movie is not all about Antonio Banderas and Selma Hayek. It is that every other character is memorable and badass as well. The street standoff with Bucho’s men versus El Mariachi, Quino, and Campo is iconic. El Mariachi murders everyone in a bar with precise skill. The rogue assassin Navajas with all the knives played by Danny Trejo. Nothing but extreme shoot outs and fight scenes with a ridiculous variety of guns and explosives. I think what makes this movie so amazing is that all these amazing assassins are incognito and, when they suddenly produce an arsenal out of nowhere, it is always a pleasant surprise. Quino and Campo are amazing when they bring their guitars. 

7) Pulp Fiction (1994)

Truly the role that made Samuel L. Jackson into the ultimate badass. He and his partner Vincent are hitman that keep running into the worst situations. The thing about the film is that everybody is so cool. The characters are cool, the music is cool, the dialogue is cool, hell even the diner featured in the movie is cool. The movie only spans a couple of days (in completely separate segments shown out of order) but packs in 7 distinct situations that are all berserk. From the mind of Quentin Tarantino, this movie is dripping with the best characters traveling through the best story. Highly recommend.

8) Leon: The Professional (1994)

Also known simply as The Professional in the U.S., this film features the debut of Natalie Portman. It is directed by Luc Besson at his best period, right between La Femme Nakita and The Fifth Element. The lead is actually a quiet hitman who reluctantly takes a little 12-year-old girl on as an apprentice to become a paid assassin. Her parents were killed by a corrupt cop and she wants Leon to help her exact revenge. He is an absolute badass and somewhat of a caring surrogate father to the girl. Unlike a lot of the films on this list, the premise is not simply kicking butt in a bad situation. There is serious character growth. Apparently you can be a caring parent and a cold-blooded murderer...and that is badass.

9) Kill Bill (2003)

Being a badass is not exclusive to men and The Bride is a prime example of this. She survives a shot to the head, kills deadly assassins, slaughters a gang, and takes on a crazy school girl bodyguard. She is tougher then any lead I can think of and she has the bad attitude and sense of vengeance that makes for a badass. Combine this with the soundtrack and beautiful cinematography associated with director Quentin Tarantino and you have a beautifully violent movie in which the hits keep coming. Even on this list, the fight scene between the bride and Gogo Yubari is insane. Also note the nod to Bruce Lee with the bright yellow motorcycle suit. Beautifully badass film.

10) Aliens (1986)

In nature, there are few things more dangerous than a mother protecting their young. A mother will fight you to the death and make sure that, at the very least, you won’t be able to go after her kids. Now imagine an alien planet covered with hostile beings created in the mind of James Cameron and Stan Winston and you have a setting made to create a real badass. In the beginning, Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) is just desperate to survive and barely knows how to use a weapon. She meets a little survivor named Newt and then has a real reason to become aggressive. She and a group of marines fight through a station filled with super destructive xenomorph aliens made straight from nightmares to save this kid. The transformation is truly amazing and culminates in a mech suit versus a giant queen alien and it is extremely badass.

11) Army of Darkness (1992)

Far and away the funniest movie on this list, this is the third film stemming from Evil Dead and again stars Bruce Campbell taking on the deadites that were raised by reading from the Necronomicon. The opposition is the undead evil that faces the world which makes the violence very unrealistic. This was early work from Sam Raimi and features a variety of different shots done to the extreme. What really makes this film stand out is how Bruce Campbell is amazing at delivering a one liner. His classic quips have been used as fun Easter eggs in video games like Duke Nukem and World of Warcraft for decades. The quintessential horror comedy and a perfect example of a badass.

12) Die Hard (1988)

Apparently, I am a big fan of single characters that need to work their way through a building of villains using mostly intelligence and the element of surprise. Throw in some one liners and I am all for it. That is exactly what this is with Bruce Willis crawling barefoot around a 40 story building and fighting off a gang of villains. The movie also has Alan Rickman as the main bad guy and he is chewing the scenery. This is a great example of being a badass, but it is too bad that the follow up sequels were so poor. Definitely stick to the original and let the rest pass by.

13) The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly (1966)

An OG of the badass movie genre, this is some of the best of Sergio Leone and the spaghetti western. Instead of one badass, this movie has three different leads that are all amazing. You have the good, Clint Eastwood, who is an amazing shot and a heart of gold under a rough exterior. You have the bad, Lee Van Cleef, playing an conniving assassin that will kill anyone that he doesn’t have a use for. Finally, you have the ugly, Eli Wallach, as a desert rat that will do anything to survive. They all gain information about a gold stash and need to work together to get it, but this creates a vortex of cheating, undercutting, and straight up murder. Clint Eastwood is more of the classic badass with his cigar, hat, and poncho, It is an iconic look on an iconic character in an iconic movie. That is what I call badass.

14) Ong-Bak (2003)

This less of a badass movie and more houses some of the most amazingly badass fight scenes that can only be described as badass. This movie introduced the great Tony Jaa to the western world and showed the high flying nature of Thai boxing and Muay Thai in general. The main character is entered into a street fighting tournament and the moves include a flying double knee drop and a full splits kick. If the whole movie was the tournament, it would be the best movie that ever existed. The variety of opponents makes the fighting even better and the cinematography is top notch. Tony Jaa is truly badass in this film.

15) Dredd (2012)

Not the crappy version with Stallone, this movie is seriously badass. It features Karl Urban who is helmeted for the entire film (as Dredd would be) taking on a 200 story mega slum filled with residents that want to shoot him dead. There is a drug dealer high up in the building and she locks down the entire compound with instructions to kill Dredd, who only has his rookie partner to help. He takes on random resident mobs, groups of gang members, and even a trio of mini guns that have bullets that can rip through walls. He has a smart gun with a bunch of ammo that he uses judiciously to kill everybody. This movie was seriously underrated since it had not been that long since the garbage Judge Dredd came out in 1995. The 2012 is a far superior movie, being much more violent and dark instead of having Rob Schneider as the comedy relief (not badass).

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I know there will be a lot of opinions about what makes a badass film and what movies i didn’t add. Feel free to add your own movies or critique my choices. I will stand by my choices, however, and recommend any of these films for a night of cheers and badass action.

[somethingusefulfromflorida]

We need more sequels like Terminator: Dark Fate which just ignore the crappier installments of a franchise and directly follow up the good original.  Dark Fate is effectively a new Terminator 3 (and not a particularly good one, though far from the worst), and I think more franchises could learn from this.

Give us an Alien 3 where Ripley and Hicks and Newt and Bishop live happily ever after!  Give us a Tremors 2 with Kevin Bacon and Fred Ward, but no shriekers or ass-blasters, just good old fashioned graboids.  Give us a Star Wars Episode VIII that doesn’t immediately poop the bed to sUbVeRt yOuR eXpEcTaTiOnS.  Give us an Indiana Jones 4 with an adult Short Round instead of Shiney the Beef.  Give us a Predator 2 that- well, actually Predator 2 was pretty badass.  And Predators.  Not so much The Predator, or the Alien vs Predator films though, so maybe give us a Predator 4 where Arnold and Danny Glover and Adrien Brody team up and kick some ass.

Give us what we need, not what the focus groups say we should want.

[swan2swan]

Okay, that’s the end of Part 2.

The guns beat the aliens back. Ripley’s calling it a night. Newt’s asleep.

I’m going to sleep.

We’ll wake up in the morning and figure out what to do from there! ^_^