The 5 best moments in the ‘Alien’ franchise
Welcome to Screen Gab, the newsletter for everyone who’s had a nightmare about working for the Weyland-Yutani Corporation.
Hollywood’s most rapacious fictional conglomerate returns in “Alien: Romulus,†now in theaters, and those of us who’ve been scaring ourselves silly for years with the franchise’s facehuggers, xenomorphs and ruthless androids are likely tempted to look back on the spine-chilling horrors of Weyland-Yutani history. Our David Viramontes rounds up five of the most memorable in this week’s Catch Up.
Plus, “Bel-Air’s†Adrian Holmes explains what his Uncle Phil has in common with James Avery’s and two streaming recommendations for your weekend.
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Recommendations from the film and TV experts at The Times
“Frank’s Place†(YouTube)
I have been waiting a very long time to rewatch this great, long (and still officially) unavailable 1987 CBS Black (not black) situation comedy, which some enterprising soul has finally dropped whole onto the internet. Tim Reid plays Frank Parrish, a Boston history professor who inherits a New Orleans Creole soul food restaurant and bar (modeled on the actual Chez Helene) from a father he never knew; he will be our naive entree to the strata of New Orleans Black society, class and culture. One of the first sitcoms to air without a laugh track, shot single-camera style in a time when multi-camera comedies were the rule, it’s smart, funny, lovely and casually informative. A cast of many ages features the fantastically interesting actor-activist Frances E. Williams as the restaurant’s “waitress emeritus†and Tony Burton as a cook (not, he insists, a chef) based on Chez Helene’s Austin Leslie; familiar Southern types include a slick preacher without a congregation (Lincoln Kilpatrick) and a perspiring lawyer (Robert Harper), though less conventionally Jewish and gay. The series lasted only a single season, but in 1987-88 that meant 22 episodes. Dig in and savor. —Robert Lloyd
“Love Off the Grid†(Discovery+, Max)
It’s 5 p.m. on a Thursday, your inbox has dozens of unread emails and rush hour traffic on your commute home looks brutal. “Maybe,†you sigh wistfully, “I should quit life, move to the middle of nowhere, eat food I grow in a garden and raise farm animals.†We’ve all had some version of this fantasy, right? Well, if you’d like a cold, hard dose of reality about what such a life would actually entail, I implore you watch “Love Off the Grid.†The reality show, whose second season just dropped, follows five couples who have decamped from the city in search of simpler lives in the wilderness. Their day-to-day tasks are not for the faint of heart: picking at a chicken’s behind to cure some fowl condition called “pasty butt,†searching for leeches on their skin after “showers†in a muddy pond, retrieving dead mice from traps. My favorite couple is Jen and Charlie, former high school sweethearts who rekindled their relationship in their late 40s. Jen — who appears to have a penchant for lip filler and blond highlights — uproots her life in Florida to move to Charlie’s hunting shack on a North Carolina mountain where the toilet is about a foot from the bed. If that isn’t true love, I don’t know what is. —Amy Kaufman
Catch up
Everything you need to know about the film or TV series everyone’s talking about
What makes an “Alien†movie? Is it “inner strength and utter determination to survive� Is it a reliance on slimy black goo and practical effects? Audiences will soon learn director Fede Alvarez’s answer as “Alien: Romulus†arrives on the big screen this weekend. But “everything starts with Ridley,†Alvarez told The Times, referring to original director Ridley Scott. So don’t bet on the xenomorph becoming cuddly all of a sudden.
To prepare for “Romulus,†we’ve assembled a list of the best moments from the “Alien†franchise, all five of which come from films currently streaming on Hulu. Yes, there are even some parts of “Prometheus†on this list. Without further ado, here’s what separates the xenomorph IP from other extraterrestrial films:
1. The chest burster in “Alien.†The shocking scene that launched a franchise. John Hurt’s bloody death scene pushed the first movie’s horrific delights to new heights, instilling the characters with a sense of existential dread. Not only can these creatures kill you, but they can change you from the inside out. It set the bar for the psychosexual horror to follow.
2. The airlock ejection in “Alien.†Just how frayed can your nerves get? By the end of Ridley Scott’s 1979 film, viewers are pushed to the very edge of their seats after witnessing Sigourney Weaver’s Ellen Ripley finally make her way off the Nostromo, only to find the alien stowed away on her escape pod! The sequels follow up on this coda and take viewers out on a high note, like the even bigger airlock scene in “Aliens,†Ripley’s sacrifice in “Alien 3†and David’s reveal at the end of “Covenant.â€
3. The unforgettable action of “Aliens.†James Cameron picked up everything (and then some) that Ridley Scott was putting down when he took the reins for the 1986 sequel. But rather than marinate in the dread-inducing vibes of the original, he brought the movies some of the best sci-fi action ever put to film, starring tough marines like Bill Paxton and untrustworthy corporate suits like Paul Reiser. Add to that a sprinkling of unforgettable lines like “Game over, man!†and “Get away from her, you bitch!†and you’ve got a franchise standout.
4. The arrogant humans of “Prometheus.†Scott’s return to the franchise he spawned was a critical misfire, but the film has benefited from reconsideration in the time since its 2012 release. That the characters in the film act in ways that betray the scientific nature of their mission — a common critique of the film upon its release — is part and parcel of the franchise’s overall themes. It takes quite a bit of hubris to believe you are capable of taming an unknown species. It’s simply poetic justice when the aliens proceed to tear through the crew.
5. David meets Walter in “Alien: Covenant.†One may define a film franchise by the moments that make it “feel†like part of a greater universe, but the best moments in each movie are those most distinct from the others. And Scott’s decision to explore cyberpunk ideas and themes of post-human civilizations in “Alien: Covenant†is one of them. The interactions between David and Walter, both roles played by Michael Fassbender, allow the audience to see a side of the franchise’s other non-human characters. What happens when the mission-oriented androids aren’t stopped? “Covenant†gives us a terrifying peek at what that looks like.
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A weekly chat with actors, writers, directors and more about what they’re working on — and what they’re watching
To fans of a certain age, it came as a pleasant surprise when “Bel-Air,†Peacock’s dramatic reinterpretation of classic 1990s sitcom “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,†received such warm reviews upon its 2022 premiere. After all, the series and its cast had big shoes to fill. Perhaps none were as big as those Adrian Holmes had to step into, however: As Phillip Banks, the Welsh actor was taking on a role originated by the late James Avery, whose commanding, decent and very funny Uncle Phil was beloved by a generation of viewers. And despite the tonal differences between the two series, Holmes is clear that the same forces make both Phils tick — which may explain the reboot’s success. Before Season 3 of “Bel-Air,†which premiered Thursday, Holmes stopped by Screen Gab to talk about what drives Phil, his own nostalgic faves and more. —Matt Brennan
What have you watched recently that you’re recommending to everyone you know?
Well, “House of the Dragon†[HBO, Max] is fire of course, but I also watched and recommend a great limited series murder mystery on Apple TV+ called “Presumed Innocent.â€
What’s your go-to “comfort watch,†the film or TV show you return to again and again?
There are two films that are my go-to comfort watches, “Back to the Future†[Netflix] and “Coming to America†[Fubo, Paramount+]. They are both so nostalgic; they spark joy for me and are a must-watch anytime they’re on.
For many Millennials, myself included, James Avery’s Uncle Phil is one of the era’s defining sitcom characters. What do you feel like your version of the character and his share in common, even across the two series’ contrasting tones?
They are both men of principle and integrity. They’re both strong leaders who will stop at nothing to ensure the success of their businesses and, most importantly, their families. For them, a thriving and happy family defines success.
“Bel-Air†streams on Peacock, where many of us spent a lot of time in recent weeks watching the Paris Olympics. What was your Olympic viewing highlight?
My Olympic viewing highlight would have to have been Simone Biles returning to win her gold medals in gymnastics after all she went through in Tokyo. I love watching gymnastics, though I would have to say that track and field, specifically the 100- and 200-meter races, are the Olympic event I usually look forward to watching the most.
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