4. Fury-161
The setting of Fiorina-161, nicknamed Fury-161, is very interesting in itself. Throughout the pre-production of Alien 3, numerous settings were discussed as the different scripts were bandied about. When they had finally settled on Vincent Ward, his idea was a satellite of sorts, a wooden planet populated by monks. But the studio wanted something more industrial and so when Ward left the project and Fincher came in, his pre-production phase was incredibly short and there was no real script to speak of, so they had to constantly rewrite to accommodate sets that had already been built. Surprisingly though, and this is really a testament to Finchers skill, the setting works very well. This mining prison-turned-monastery is a fascinating setting, and something new to the alien franchise. No starships, no colony, just a harsh, cold industrial world that helps add to the atmosphere. The idea that these prisoners all found religion and became apocalyptic fundamentalists is an interesting idea (and Ill get to that), and its the little touches that really help sell the place. We know that Aaron and Andrews are little more than temporary minders of the facility, given that Aaron says he goes home on the next rotation, so they dont have the attachment to the place that Dillon, Clemens, and the other convicts possess. For Dillon and them, this has become their home, even though its this desolate heap that Weyland-Yutani has all but forgotten about. All the prisoners having the barcode tattoos and everyone needing to shave their heads because of the lice problem are great ways to sell it, as well as the lack of technology. In the Assembly Cuts alternate opening, we see that they were able to get the EEV from the ocean by dragging it out with oxen, showing just how little they have in this place. Theres no escape shuttle like in Alien, there are no advanced infantry weaponry like in Aliens. No self-destruct sequence, nothing. Once more, it helps enhance the idea of desperation and hopelessness. And the style is unique, with Fincher frequently shooting from low angles.