Aliens
Scary bugs, ass-kickin' chicks, and sexy Marines... What are 11th Hour dreams are made of, Alex?

The plot you should have memorized, but just in case...

After having survived her first encounter with them, the psychologically traumatized Ellen Ripley is called upon to act as a consultant to a group of Colonial Marines (hence the film's inclusion in this month's theme) sent to investigate when it is suspected that a band of colonists has been lost to the same, nearly indestructible aliens.

Let me just start by saying that I love this movie. Love. Love. L-O-V-E. Love. I want to marry it. Okay, so maybe just Michael Biehn. Nevertheless, if you want to discuss the failings of this movie, I am not the chick to talk to.

Yeah, yeah, the original Alien kept more to the traditional tenets of horror-filmdom, but even with its sci fi and action movie trappings, Aliens is a horror film at heart. Of course I'm a sci fi nerd rather than a horror freak, so obviously I'm going to be a bit biased. but what I feel distinguishes Aliens from many of its -- I hesitate to call them peers -- is that not only do the women not run around, screaming like chickens with their heads cut off, and clad in skimpy lingerie only to die at the hands of the villain/monster, they kick butt. The women and men, of Aliens -- minus Burke (the very effectively sleazy Paul Reiser) -- might be frightened out of their minds, but after a few moments of freaking out -- completely justifiable if you ask me -- they get their act together and fight.

Okay, so normally in a horror movie the smartest thing to do is to get the hell out of Dodge, but the characters in this movie don't have that luxury. Which is what makes Aliens so interesting. You totally buy into the idea that these poor people are stuck on this alien-infested planet and must fight with every ounce of their strength and call upon their last bit of courage in order to survive. The Colonial Marines you would expect this from, but the professional soldiers are matched nerve for nerve, gut for gut, by Ripley and Newt, two civilians best described as the walking wounded.

I suppose that is why I love Aliens so much. The scares and the icks and the tough chicks and the great lines and the really hot lookin' guys in battle gear are all icing on the cake. What lies at the root of my undying affection for this film is the idea it promotes; the indomitable strength of the human spirit. We may be frightened. We may be outnumbered. We may even be certain that we will lose and die, but we will not go gently into that good night.

And how cool is that?

DROOL FACTOR: Michael Biehn in Colonial Marine gear. 'Nough said. Although Bill Paxton's Hudson is kinda cute when he's all scared and stuff.

GROSS-OUT FACTOR: Covered in what looks like gallons of snot, Geiger's nightmarish aliens never fail to make me squeal like a little girl. There are only two words to describe them: bad and ass.

STRONG CHICK FACTOR: This movie is chock full of 'em. Ripley (Sigourney Weaver), Vasquez (Jenette Goldstein), Ferro (Colette Hiller), Dietrich (Cynthia Scott) and hell, even Newt (Carrie Henn) are brave and smart and tough. In this movie, they have to be.

-- Linda M. Najera

Aliens is currently available on video and DVD.

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