(aka "Alien 2" )

 

directed by James Cameron
USA 1986
Fifty-seven years on, Ripley is discovered - Sleeping Beauty in space. Plagued by nightmares and surrounded by sceptics, she's forced to return to the resting place of the original alien's mother ship with a bunch of seen-it-all-before Marines. Confidently directed by James Cameron (heretofore known only for The Terminator and Piranha II), this sequel dares to build slowly, allowing Weaver to develop a multi-dimensional character even as it ups the ante by fetishising the Marines' hi-tech hardware and spawning legions of aliens (the suspense involves guessing which group will be cannon fodder). There is always an interesting tension in Cameron's work between masculine and feminine qualities. When it finally hits the fan here, we're in for the mother of all battles.

Excerpt from TimeOut Film Guide located HERE

Theatrical Release: July 18, 1986

Reviews    More Reviews  DVD Reviews

DVD Comparison:

Fox (Old Dir. Cut) - Region 1 - NTSC vs. Fox (New Dir. Cut) - Region 1 - NTSC vs. Fox (New Theatrical Cut) - Region 1 - NTSC

Big thanks to Enrique B Chamorro for all the Screen Caps!

(Fox (Old Dir. Cut) - Region 1 - NTSC - LEFT vs. Fox (New Dir. Cut) - Region 1 - NTSC - MIDDLE vs. Fox (New Theatrical Cut) - Region 1 - NTSC - RIGHT)

DVD Box Covers

Distribution

Fox

Region 1 - NTSC

 Fox
Region 1 - NTSC		 Fox
Region 1 - NTSC
Runtime 2:34:15 2:34:15 2:17:00
Video

1.85:1 Original Aspect Ratio

16X9 enhanced
Average Bitrate: 5.62 mb/s
NTSC 704x480 29.97 f/s

1.85:1 Original Aspect Ratio

16X9 enhanced
Average Bitrate: 6.39 mb/s
NTSC 704x480 29.97 f/s

1.85:1 Original Aspect Ratio

16X9 enhanced
Average Bitrate: 7.19 mb/s
NTSC 704x480 29.97 f/s

NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate:

Fox (Old Dir. Cut)

 

Bitrate:

 

Fox (New Dir. Cut)

 

Bitrate:

 

Fox (New Theatrical Cut)

 

Audio English DD 5.1 & 2.0

English 5.1, Spanish 2.0

English 5.1, Spanish 2.0
Subtitles English, Spanish, none English, Spanish, none English, Spanish, none
Features Release Information:
Studio: Fox

Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen anamorphic - 1.85:1

Edition Details:
• VOB file dates: 05/04/99
• Film-themed animated menus
• 1996 interview with director James Cameron 12 min.
• 4 theatrical trailers (1 for each film in the series)
• 8 behind the-scenes video clips
• Art & photo gallery
• THX certified
• 8 page booklet

DVD Release Date: 06/01/99
Platic Keepcase

Chapters 34
 

 Release Information:
Studio: Fox

Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen anamorphic - 1.85:1

Edition Details:
• VOB file dates: 09/10/03
• Animated menus
• Comm. by director, cast and crew
• Optional deleted footage marker for SE
• THX Optimizer
• Audio intro to SE by director Cameron 35 sec.
• Extras on disc 2 organized into 3 areas
• Pre-Production - 4 featurettes
• Production - 5 featurettes
• Post-Production - 4 featurettes
• Extensive Photos and artwork galleries
• 4 page booklet

DVD Release Date: 01/06/04
2 disc digipac

Chapters 44

Release Information:
Studio: Fox

Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen anamorphic - 1.85:1

Edition Details:
• VOB file dates: 09/10/03
• Animated menus
• Comm. by director, cast and crew
• Separate deleted and extended scene access
• THX Optimizer
• All 4 films and extra bonus disc sold as Alien Quadrilogy
• Extras on disc 2 organized into 3 areas
• Pre-Production - 4 featurettes
• Production - 5 featurettes
• Post-Production - 4 featurettes
• Extensive Photos and artwork galleries
• 20 page booklet covering all 4 films

DVD Release Date: 12/02/03
9 disc digipac

Chapters 32

 
Comments Not an overwhelming difference in the image quality of these releases. The newer Director's Cut and the Theatrical Cut appears the same, and both slightly superior to the older Fox Director's edition. The bitrate program seems to freak out with branching movies so the values for the new Director's Cut and the Theatrical Cut values are suspect.
The 2 disc set of Aliens (movie and bonus disc) can be had in the complete 9 disc Quadrilogy or on its own.
The same transfers and extras were used for both. Only difference is the longer time in the directors cut.
If you don't want to get the Quadrilogy, a nice documentary on the Alien franchise exists called Alien Saga narrated by John Hurt, 109 min. You can find a review of the documentary HERE.

 




DVD Menus

(Fox (Old Dir. Cut) - Region 1 - NTSC - LEFT vs. Fox (New Dir. Cut) - Region 1 - NTSC - MIDDLE vs. Fox (New Theatrical Cut) - Region 1 - NTSC - RIGHT)


 

 

 

 

Screen Captures

(Fox (Old Dir. Cut) - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP vs. Fox (New Dir. Cut) - Region 1 - NTSC - MIDDLE vs. Fox (New Theatrical Cut) - Region 1 - NTSC - BOTTOM)


 

 

 

(Fox (Old Dir. Cut) - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP vs. Fox (New Dir. Cut) - Region 1 - NTSC - MIDDLE vs. Fox (New Theatrical Cut) - Region 1 - NTSC - BOTTOM)

 

 

Notice the disparity in the theatrical cut, where this scene appears to have been framed differently from the Directors' Cut Release. (ex. point of reference below)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Fox (Old Dir. Cut) - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP vs. Fox (New Dir. Cut) - Region 1 - NTSC - MIDDLE vs. Fox (New Theatrical Cut) - Region 1 - NTSC - BOTTOM)

 

 

 

(Fox (Old Dir. Cut) - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP vs. Fox (New Dir. Cut) - Region 1 - NTSC - MIDDLE vs. Fox (New Theatrical Cut) - Region 1 - NTSC - BOTTOM)

 

 

 

 

(Fox (Old Dir. Cut) - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP vs. Fox (New Dir. Cut) - Region 1 - NTSC - MIDDLE vs. Fox (New Theatrical Cut) - Region 1 - NTSC - BOTTOM)

 

 

 

(Fox (Old Dir. Cut) - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP vs. Fox (New Dir. Cut) - Region 1 - NTSC - MIDDLE vs. Fox (New Theatrical Cut) - Region 1 - NTSC - BOTTOM)

 

 

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Report Card:

 

Image:

tie - new DC and new TC

Sound:

Same 5.1 used
Extras: New DC
Menu: Old DC
DVD Box Covers

Distribution

Fox

Region 1 - NTSC

 Fox
Region 1 - NTSC		 Fox
Region 1 - NTSC



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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