ALIENS

JUNE 22

Sci-Fi On Sreen: Robot Spring/Alien Summer

"They mostly come out at night, mostly" Aliens plays on the JPT screen for the first time since its 1986 release. What energy made the 80's basically the Renaissance of Sci-Fi movies is left for film historians or future aliens to discern, but it has a lot to do with director James Cameron. Production was notoriously troubled at England's Pinewood studios as Cameron replaced original Alien director Ridley Scott. It yielded a superb sequel, top decade film that massively influenced both Sci-Fi and action genres to this day. Sigourney Weaver became a feminist icon for her kick-ass portrayal of Ellen Ripley- a performance which was nominated for a Best Actress Oscar (almost never given for genre fare). Ripley became pop-culture legend and despite all the exquisitely rendered action, Aliens endures for its creation of characters the audience loves.

After floating in space for 57 years, Lt. Ripley's (Sigourney Weaver) shuttle is found by a deep space salvage team. Upon arriving at LV-426, the marines find only one survivor, a nine year old girl named Newt (Carrie Henn). But even these battle-hardened marines with all the latest weaponry are no match for the hundreds of aliens that have invaded the colony.