Aliens: question about Frost

[Flagg]

So I'm watching Aliens the other night and for some reason I notice what is written on Frost's armor. (For some reason I never checked out the armor on the ones who die off quick so this is probably an old question.) He has "Heath" in a heart on his chest.

I then think back to the scene in the mess hall where they mention the Arcturian he was with was male and he makes an offhand comment about "It doesn't matter when it's Arcturian."

Was Frost's character supposed to be gay? Or does anyone know the story behind the "Heath" graffiti?

Silly things that you question after seeing a movie a hundred times.

 

[Nexus6]

I actually noticed that for the first time this past weekend as well.

I assumed it was his son (or some other family member OR fallen comrade). *shrugs*

 

[Flagg]

I actually noticed that for the first time this past weekend as well.

I assumed it was his son (or some other family member OR fallen comrade). *shrugs*

I had not thought of that angle but that makes good sense as well.

 

[Jeyl]

Aww dang. So not only does the black guy die first, but he's also the gay one. Poor Frost. He's the expendable "politically correct value pack" character.

 

[Flagg]

Aww dang. So not only does the black guy die first, but he's also the gay one. Poor Frost. He's the expendable "politically correct value pack" character.

I always wanted a "What if" movie where Frost and Drake lived past the first run in. Drake was a badass on screen. Frost was crispy too early to tell but he had the vibe of such a cool character I would of liked to see more of him.

 

[SSgt Burton]

Ricco Ross' girlfriend's name (his real life girlfriend in 1986) was "Heather", so Ross asked to have it on his armour. Bill Paxton did the same thing with his fiancee at the time "Louise".

For whatever reason it was shortened to "Heath" on the armour. I think there might be a story behind why it was shortened (perhaps a miscommunication between Ross and Terry English?), but I'll have to get back to you on this.

As for being gay- I don't think so.

I think the Aucturian gag is supposed to be like when you are with your buddies drinking and talking about that great weekend in Vegas you had with that really hot chick... and one guy tries to ruin your memory by saying "Hate to break it to you pal, but she was a he." So instead of getting embarrassed and totally freaking out in front of your friends (which is what the other guy wants), you just say something like "Well he gave great (censored... you know)" knowing all along that "she" truly was a "she."

The word Frost uses to describe the Aucturian's "organ" seemed pretty heterosexual to me. I think he's just brushing off Spunkmeyer's jab comment by saying it doesn't matter.

Storywise it's simply a joke meant to display how long these guys have known each other.


Kevin

 

[Mola Rob]

I've always wondered how the hell Ricco Ross got his name in the opening credits considering he has about five lines. Good agent.

 

[Mole]

For whatever reason it was shortened to "Heath" on the armour. I think there might be a story behind why it was shortened (perhaps a miscommunication between Ross and Terry English?), but I'll have to get back to you on this.

Even though Terry painted the camo pattern on the armour, as far as I'm aware he wasn't responsible for the graffiti. They way I understood it was that each actor was given their armour, a paint brush and told to go to work.

To answer the question, I've always thought it was just a shortening of 'Heather', a pet name if you will.

 

[Flagg]

Even though Terry painted the camo pattern on the armour, as far as I'm aware he wasn't responsible for the graffiti. They way I understood it was that each actor was given their armour, a paint brush and told to go to work.

To answer the question, I've always thought it was just a shortening of 'Heather', a pet name if you will.

I had read that the heart and lock on Michael Biehns armor was not his idea and he didn't like it because it looked too much like a target.

I like the idea of Heath being short for Heather even more. This was just something I had never seen brought up and figured I'd give us something to talk about for a bit.

 

[Scareb]

I had read that the heart and lock on Michael Biehns armor was not his idea and he didn't like it because it looked too much like a target.

I like the idea of Heath being short for Heather even more. This was just something I had never seen brought up and figured I'd give us something to talk about for a bit.

That's because Michael Beihn wasn't the original hicks. James Remar was actually casted as Hicks before him but left due to creative differences. A lot of the personalization on the armor was Remars.

 

[Bryancd]

Yeah, Cameron allowed all the actors to decorate their own armor. Michael Bein wasn't originally cast as Hicks and was brought in to replace the actor who left citing creative differences with Cameron. So Hicks armor was already decorated by the other actor who did the heart. As far as Frost, perhaps that name has some meaning to the actor but it wasn't part of the story.

 

[Treadwell]

The actors decorated sample pieces of armor only as a guide for Terry English. The final sets (multiples for each character) were made by him, including the decorations. The loss of the "-er" would likely be on him, accidental or no. Maybe it had rubbed off the sample.

 

[SSgt Burton]

Okay Heather was truly Ricco Ross' girlfriend's name- that is where you get Heath from.

In the UK "Heath" (pronounced as if it rhymed with "Beth") is a common short version of the name Heather (just as Mole mentioned). So perhaps Ross went with the pet name for Heather and it stuck.

The problem is that here in North America we assume it is pronounced the same way as the man's name "Heath" as in Heath Ledger.

So it IS a girl's name on his armour.

EDIT- just got a litlle clairification of the pronunciation of "Heath"- it is as if you didn't say the "er" of Heather. So "He-the" with the "He" sounding like "bed" and "the" pronounced as the word "the."


Kevin

 

[SSgt Burton]

Yeah, Cameron allowed all the actors to decorate their own armor.

As I understand, Cameron had a table laid out with a bunch of trinkets on it and told the cast "Have at it guys" to personalize their armour. I'm assuming this is where you get Drake's bone necklace, Hudson's Eagle bolo tie etc from.

Remar was still in the production and he added a plastic "Daisy" pin to his helmet:

Which Michael Biehn removed.


Kevin

 

[Bryancd]

Anybody know what Remars beef was with Cameron?

 

[Mole]

Anybody know what Remars beef was with Cameron?

It wasn't a beef with Cameron so much as a problem with some illegal substances. He had to leave the UK pretty quickly.

 

[Solo4114]

I've always wondered how the hell Ricco Ross got his name in the opening credits considering he has about five lines. Good agent.

they had him confused with Rick Rossovich. He was big in the 80s.

 

[Chevyh0tr0d]

Quoted from a member on the AL

RICO drew the heart on first and then realised that the "Heather" name was to big to fit inside it after he started painting it on so it ended up being "Heath"

How do I know this ?????.....

I asked him at the NSC aliens weekend ;-)

 

[Mola Rob]

they had him confused with Rick Rossovich. He was big in the 80s.

Well they do look alike.

:lol

 

[Cpl Potter]

if i remember correctly ricco ross had a role in another film ,so james offered him a bigger role in aliens , which could be why his name is in the credits .