Ruined #3: Alien & Predator (tie)
Alien is a film which was released in 1979. Directed by Ridley Scott, the film is grotesque and beautiful, featuring some of the most tense moments in cinema history. The art direction and cinematography - as would be expected on a Ridley Scott film - are flawless. The creature designs by H.R. Giger are horrifying and watching Sigourney Weaver terrorised by them is as much an experience as it is entertainment. Predator, on the other hand, is a film starring Carl Weathers and Jesse Ventura. It was directed by John McTiernan, the man who would go on to direct Die Hard, Die Hard With A Vengeance, Last Action Hero, The 13th Warrior and... The Thomas Crown affair. Maybe I'd better stop. Although both are horror-themed in nature, they do not rely on tropes. They feature scenes of extreme violence in a terrifying setting, but to call either a horror film seems a disservice. While Predator is heavier on the action, Alien plays up its subtlety. Both go to great lengths to set up tension in their respective environments and ultimately, both are largely about subverting expectations. The title of Predator is itself a play on Schwarzenegger tropes. From 1981 to 1986, Arnold Schwarzenegger had starred in 6 films: Conan the Barbarian, Conan the Destroyer, The Terminator, Red Sonja, Commando & Raw Deal. Between those 6, Schwarzenegger had established himself as a godless killing machine. However, 1987 would see the release of 2 films which sought to disempower Schwarzenegger: The Running Man and Predator. The 15 million dollar film would see a box office of 98 million dollars, and was considered successful enough to warrant a sequel, Predator 2, starring Danny Glover as a cop who is only two days away from retirement. The series has seen a steep decline in quality ever since. The Alien franchise has fared better, if only slightly. Alien's sequel, Aliens, ditched the horror and ambiance for pulse rifles and power loaders. Much more action oriented than its precursor, it would serve to launch the career of Paul Reiser who would go on to star in such classics as One Night at McCool's. And though it only grossed 131 million dollars at the box office, its influence would continue to be felt to this day any time the discussion of space marines is brought up. Post-Aliens would see the release of the Alien 3 and Alien Resurrection, both of which were considered financially successful. While they flopped domestically, worldwide totals would ensure each a place in the ever-growing "Alien Quadrilogy." The Predator franchise would lie dormant until 2010's Predators, appearing only in comic books, video games, action figures, fan films, etcetera. Though Usenet message boards raged with discussion about which disgusting space creature was sexier, the first time we would see them together would be in the pages of Dark Horse's 1989 Aliens Versus Predator. The comics would open the door for a slew of idiotic mash-ups and crossovers. Superman versus Aliens. Batman versus Aliens. Predator versus Batman. Superman and Batman versus Aliens and Predator. Aliens versus Judge Dredd. Aliens vs. Predator vs. Terminator. Soon, the two franchises had become inexorably linked with each other despite neither one having anything to do with the other. The epitome of nerd fantasy, the two seemed destined to collide on the big screen which they did in 2004's Alien vs. Predator. A film so abysmal, it managed to ruin two beloved franchises in a single film. It would be followed up with Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem in 2007 which the Strause Brothers promised big returns but offered big whoop. I did manage to catch Predators when it came out on DVD but could only muster a "well, that was certainly better than Alien vs. Predator, wasn't it?" upon viewing.