Synopsis:

A sympathetic visual upgrade to correct goofs and update any effects which are showing their age a bit.

Intentions:

Aliens had already had a few VFX and editing changes made when it was released on Blu ray. Inspired by the likes of Adywan and Krausfader I wanted to take this process further and fix as many of the goofs that have become apparent with repeat viewings and update any VFX showing their age. My aim was to do this in a sympathetic manner, faithful to the original intent of the film makers. Ideally, someone watching the film for the first time wont even notice any of me edits but thise familiar with the film will appreciate a more immersive viewing experience. I have also made some narrative changes, using the special edition as my starting point, I've removed some of the additional scenes I feel didnt add significantly to the experience

Change List:

Narrative edits: I've left the scene on Hadley's Hope where Simpson and Lyedecker discuss the order to check the grid reference but have removed the scene where the Jordans encounter the derelict. I've removed the scene where Hudson brags about the marines firepower on the dropship. Removed the scene where Hudson and Vasquez pick up a signal while exploring the complex and discover a hamster. Removed the scene where Hudson compares the aliens to an ant hive and the possible presence of a queen. Trimmed the scene where Ripley and Hicks exchange names as she prepares to rescue Newt. As she turns he simply tells her to not be long. He calls her Ellen but I think it's reasonable to assume that he was given her full name as part of the mission debrief and choosing to call her by her first name implies a degree of intimacy. I have also made available versions of the edit which are the same as the Theatrical and Special Editions which incorporate all of the visual upgrades. Colour correction throughout to reduce the teal overkill introduced for the Blu ray release. This is not a recreation of the original theatrical release colour timing but somewhere between the two. Added fan edit disclaimer at the start Visual changes: Reduced Ripley's eye flicker when she's in the hypersleep pod at the start Added flashing lights to the Gateway Station matte painting Adjusted the close up of Parkers photo during the inquest to better match subsequent views of it Added Hudsons name to the digital roll call on the Sulaco Adjusted the background of the scene as the hypersleep pods open to disguise the damaged mirror used to extent the set Added an extra hypereep pod as Apone walks up the chamber tk disguise the short set During Bishops knife trick scene, edited to reduce flickering caused by the sped up footage and calmed down Apone's wild head movements. Edited the fade between the matte painting and live action element during the pan in the Sulaco hanger to better integrate them. In the same shot edited the matte paiting on the left of the screen which shows Drake frozen in place and removed Hicks who appears from nowhere. Colour corrected blue screen shots of Ripley in the power loader, tidied up some of the matte lines and removed some of the cables trailing from the power loader Colour corrected nearly all blue screen shots of the dropship to improve their integration with the background footage. Removed any visible wires during the live action model dropship shots Special edition only: slightly rejigged scene order during Hudsons speech to disguise as much as possible Hicks switching between being asleep and awake. As the APC drives towards the south lock removed the crew member visible peering over the building model Added some bullet damage when Drake fires into the ceiling when Newt first emerges When Frost is set ser on fire and tumbles down the stairwell removed the crew member foot which is briefly visible. Removed any visible wires on the Alien stunt performers. Removed any times the ammo belts on the smart guns are visible (only present when the guns are required to fire blanks) and any visible ejecting cartridges. Closed Gormans eyes when he is knocked out by the falling cases in the APC Added fire element to the side of the APC as it runs over the alien Added hole to the window of the APC as it drives along the corridor after it was smashed by the alien. Colour corrected the projection screen during the dropship crash scene to better match the foreground element. Changed the smartgun ammo count from 500 to 490 to take into account the test shots fired when the guns were set up. During the second smart gun scene replaced the recycled footage of Aliens being shot in the hive with footage repurposed from later in the film and the back ground replaced with shots of the corridor. Adjusted the shot of the favehugger jumping onto Ripley to hide the jump cut (this had already been improved significantly for the Blu ray but I've tweaked it further to completely hide it) Altered shots or Hudson shooting wildly into the ceiling and then from the hip immediately after in the next shot During the shootout in operations and the ducts, removed any visible ejecting cases (the pulse rifles are supposed to fire futuristic caseles ammunition) Removed any visible wires/harnesses on the aliens Removed the wires lifting the alien's tail as it rises up behind Newt Added burns and smoke to Hicks' face in the elevator to match injuries visible in later scenes. Added barrel holes to any shots where stunt pulse rifle used and blocked end is visible. Changed pulse rifle ammo counter from 42 to 95 as Ripley goes down in the elevator Added flamethower pilot light to any scenes in the hive where it is not present until Ripley leaves the queen's chamber. Disguised the exposed armature in the neck of the aline queen and the 'hollow' parts of her head just after Ripley first fires her flamethower. Removed any visible explosive charges in the egg sac Slightly tweaked the alien queen puppet which stays very still as Ripleh and Newt prepare to leave the hive (would have liked to do more to this one if I'm honest but couldn't get it quite right) Colour corrected the rear projection shots of Ripley and Newt as the atmospheric processor burns Tweaked the dropship as it rises up behind Ripley and Newt to make it look less like a background element Added a second engine light and tweaked the matte artifacts on the drop ship as it flies up to the sulaco Removed wire visible as the queen's tail pierces Bishop Removed any visible wires during the queen power loader fight. Restored the power loader light so it no longer shatters as it tumbles into the airlock. Replaced the missing tip of the queen's tail as it lies at the bottom of the airlock Replaced airlock visible under the sulaco as the queen falls into space. Calmed down the animation of the queens arms as she falls into space Added film grain to disguise the use of a still image of Ripley and newt in their hypersleep chamber as yhe film fades to black.

Special Thanks:

AriochRN for his feedback and suggestions. Bored at 3:00AM for his feedback and providing a subtitle file. The Scribbling Man for his help with AI frame interporlation.