"Yeah, but secreted from what?"

[Funky]

So I'm sitting here watching Aliens for, oh, the 100th time and though I'm sure these questions have been answered somewhere over the interwebs, I have two questions that I'd like some insight.

First, secred resin.
It looks like the bugs used this "resin" to change their envirnment inside of structures where most of it just seems to be mostly ornamental and would almost take an engineering degree for such complicated set dressing.

Why? And HOW? Where does this resin come from and how are they able to form and build it into such complicated designs?

The other issue I have...isn't the Queen Alien the real victim here? They are not intentionally trying to hurt the humans they art simply trying to survive.
But what does Ripley do? She could have simply come in, grabbed Newt and left. Did she really have to fry the baby aliens in front of the momma? It's as if Ripley was doing this for HER own benefit and self satisfaction. Am I looking at this wrong?

 

[mbmcfarland]

Yes, the evil humans of Weylan Yutani Corp. are the true villains of the Alien movies and the Xenomorphs are the real victims...

just like in Avatar.

 

[Solo4114]

1.) I always thought that alien saliva eventually turned into the harder black stuff. So, you get enough of them, they all start drooling, and the hive gets built. Instinctually.

2.) It's a species war. Their survival means our extinction wherever they're encountered by humans (or, really, any species). And because they operate on survival instinct, there's no reasoning with them, no compromises, no "Hey, why don't we provide you cloned bodies with no heads or anything, and you can harvest those rather than killing us?" You can't work a deal with the xenomorphs (as Burke finds out).


Honestly, though, I think that the fact that the films show so little understanding of them is what makes them scary. We DON'T know what makes them tick. We DON'T know how they work. That's partially why they're such a threat. For example, if you could figure out how they secrete the resin compound, maybe you could figure out a way to destroy their hives. If you could figure out why they build the hives in the first place, it could act as a way to fight them.

None of which would really work in a horror film (but would work quite well for, say, a longer-form weekly action/drama).

 

[Wes R]

I always figured that the Aliens were a bit like bees and made their surroundings like the bees make their hives and honeycombs. I think part of it for Ripley was revenge and dread having seen how they operate in the first movie. Another part is once she realizes the company wants a sample she knows that humanity nor the aliens are safe.

 

[E Q]

I always figured that the Aliens were a bit like bees and made their surroundings like the bees make their hives and honeycombs. I think part of it for Ripley was revenge and dread having seen how they operate in the first movie. Another part is once she realizes the company wants a sample she knows that humanity nor the aliens are safe.

I think this makes the most sense. I've always been curious as to what they used and how they made the resin (the prop/set makers, not the Aliens).

 

[Green Fish]

There really wasn't a need to kill all the aliens, because they would've died in the explosion anyway. (Probably)

 

[Solo4114]

Although, if you remember, the queen sort of "induces" an egg to open near Riply, which, I think, is why she torches some of the closer ones. But there's undoubtedly a sense of revenge involved.

The aliens killed her friends, in a sense, stole her daughter's life from her, and generally ruined her life. They were about to do the same to her new adoptive daughter, too. So, yeah, she took revenge.

 

[SSgt Burton]

About the resin, I too believe it is secreted from their mouths as that dripping saliva.

The other issue I have...isn't the Queen Alien the real victim here? They are not intentionally trying to hurt the humans they art simply trying to survive.

It really depends on whether or not the Xenos are truly a species, or a bio-mechanical weapon.

This has been a long unanswered debate among ALIEN enthusiasts. Was the Derelict a bomber? Were the eggs cargo? If they are a weapon, who cares what we do to them. We're not committing genocide as they are not a race.

But what does Ripley do? She could have simply come in, grabbed Newt and left. Did she really have to fry the baby aliens in front of the momma? It's as if Ripley was doing this for HER own benefit and self satisfaction. Am I looking at this wrong?

Really that was her intention all along. However through a wrong turn (because of an explosion on her level**) she ends up in the Queen's lair.

So the Queen "wakes up" and summons her warriors. Ripley lets the Queen know not to screw with her by demonstrating the flame-thrower and pointing it at one of her eggs. The Queen instructs the warriors to back off.

So Ripley is backing out of the hive and what happens- an egg just happens to hatch.

This can just be a coincidence, however if the Queen is in control of not only the warriors but the facehuggers as well this could be interpreted as "going back on the deal of letting Ripley and Newt go." The facehuggers are much faster and a harder target to hit than the warriors, so it could have been an attempt at a sneak attack.

Ripley gives a look of "So that's how you want to play it huh?!" and torches the place.



EDIT-Darn you Solo! :lol Curse my slow typing fingers; I wasn't fast enough! :lol

I always figured that the Aliens were a bit like bees

Unfortunately I hate when the Xenos are compared to any insect species (even though Cameron himself is the biggest culprit of this).

I liked it much better when the Aliens were much more mechanical in nature (as seen in ALIEN), could perhaps have been a weapon, and were not reduced to oversized insects. Through each subsequent film they became more and more organic looking and less of Giger's original Alien.

There really wasn't a need to kill all the aliens, because they would've died in the explosion anyway. (Probably)

Exactly, however see my point above about the egg hatching.


** The explosion before Ripley ends up in the egg lair was actually supposed to be caused by the M40 grenade she gives to a cocooned Burke in a deleted scene.


Kevin

 

[CB2001]

I think this makes the most sense. I've always been curious as to what they used and how they made the resin (the prop/set makers, not the Aliens).

For the part where Newt is rescued by Ripley, the hard bits that Ripley pulls out were actually made of fiberglass (the actress who played Newt talked about the scene and how Sigourney Weaver cut her hands during the ripping out the pieces). For the slime, I don't know. As for the rest of the scenes, such as the set that the Marines walk through prior to their attack, I'm guessing that it was constructed from plaster that was sculpted, painted and then slimed up. For the shot where we see the marine approaching the hive's mouth (where it shows a panning down from the ceiling to the show the marines approaching it), was done with a miniature set piece in the foreground (which the miniature was probably made from foam, plaster or even resin).

 

[Vermithrax 4]

I don't know the whole anatomy and physiology of the Alien because it's, well, y'know...alien...but it could be assumed that some sort of proboscus type of thing emerges from the Alien's body and secretes the resin stuff then retracts back when done. Sorta pornographic, of course, but y'know...it's alien. :lol

 

[CB2001]

Sorta pornographic, of course, but y'know...it's alien. :lol

Sounds typical of the H.R. Giger design.

 

[0neiros]

Aliens have 4 tubes coming out of their backs, I've always figured that's where the resin comes from.

 

[crabra comander]

I thought those where breathing tubes or exhaust pipes. Warrior aliens use more energy, bigger pipes. Alien 3 alien, little guy, less and smaller pipes

 

[SSgt Burton]

The alien in A3 had no pipes.


Kevin

 

[crabra comander]

He had those shoulder tubes, I don't know if those count since they seem to go right back into his body.

 

[Scapey]

"Spooge Tubes", as they're commonly known aming friends of Abe

 

[JediG60racer]

Although, if you remember, the queen sort of "induces" an egg to open near Riply, which, I think, is why she torches some of the closer ones. But there's undoubtedly a sense of revenge involved.

The aliens killed her friends, in a sense, stole her daughter's life from her, and generally ruined her life. They were about to do the same to her new adoptive daughter, too. So, yeah, she took revenge.

You're over-analyzing. Both Ripley and the Queen are female. Females are crazy. It's a long established fact. There is no need to "reason" to need to rear its head here.

"How do you write women so well?"
"I think of a man, and I take away reason and accountability."
-Jack Nicholson in As Good As It Gets

 

[E Q]

Aliens have 4 tubes coming out of their backs, I've always figured that's where the resin comes from.

Backwards application? Nah, doesn't sound correct.

 

[Nwerke]

He had those shoulder tubes, I don't know if those count since they seem to go right back into his body.

Yep. They are clearly not respiratory organs, as the back tubes on the Big Chap were maybe supposed to be.

Vaguely recall reading of someone - Fincher? - freaking out when he found out the A3 design had no back tubes and wanting them added. He had the AD guys tie a set on with string or something - do I have that right? And it looked terrible and was abandoned, of course.

 

[Jeyl]

The alien in A3 had no pipes.

Which explains why there wasn't any nest like structure in that movie. Either way, I still don't count A3. Curse you for bringing that up!