10 Iconic Sci-Fi Movie Moments That Were Totally Improvised

2. "Game Over, Man. Game Over!" - Aliens

Will Smith Independence Day
Fox

“Big whoop, any two-bit nerd with an X-box can say that.” But any two-bit nerd isn’t Bill Paxton in 1986’s sci-fi action masterpiece Aliens. Whether it’s Paxton’s voice cracking like a 12-year-old or the superbly melodramatic words themselves, "Game over, man" has earned a place as one of the best quotes in sci-fi history.

As one of the most iconic characters of James Cameron’s sci-fi outing, Private Hudson (Paxton) serves as a kind of comic relief for the film, though the term doesn’t quite do him justice.

Following a devastating ship crash, the film’s core group of characters find themselves dejected and downtrodden. Hudson responds accordingly by flipping out and alerting his comrades that they find themselves at “game over!” The panicked ramblings we hear from Hudson are purely the product of Paxton’s improv skills, who was apparently shocked nobody had “ever used that [phrase]… because it’s good.”

Cameron summarises this moment best by adding how it give the audience the “ability to laugh.” Paxton’s impromptu line was a great way to “release tension so that it can be built up again.” For something to serve the greater film so suitably having been made up on the stop, is impressive – no question about it.

Contributor
Contributor

Dan is a writer and actor originally from South Australia who now lives in a constant state of anxiety... and Los Angeles. Whether writing about movies, watching movies, or binging the Great British Bake-off, Dan approaches any endeavour with a steely resolve which is rivalled only by his ability to lie about his strengths. For professional inquiries, call Melissa Cropley - Dan's mum; she wishes he would call more often and you'd really be doing him a favour.