Where are the movie aliens?

December 30, 2003 5:36 PM

Every year we seem to get a few horror or sci-fi movies featuring aliens. What happened this year? I may be missing some, but the only 2003 major release movies that had some aliens in them were Dreamcatcher, Good Boy! and Scary Movie 3. One horror movie and two comedies. Just a coincidence or are aliens no longer cool?
posted by quirked (17 comments total)

Give Paul Anderson time, he'll have a couple ready soon.
posted by bobo123 at 5:59 PM on December 30, 2003

This would probably be better on Ask Me.
posted by Orange Goblin at 6:17 PM on December 30, 2003

Oobie Doobie Do, we got some deleting to do. (On preview, I agree with the Goblin.)

bobo, you got inside dope or just 'speculatin' on a hypothesis?
posted by dobbs at 6:20 PM on December 30, 2003

I was sorta talkin about the upcoming Aliens vs. Predator and Resident Evil: Apocalypse, not exactly secrets.
posted by bobo123 at 6:24 PM on December 30, 2003

I thought there were aliens in "Gigli"... at least there weren't any characters from this planet...
Top that, Ebert.
posted by wendell at 7:06 PM on December 30, 2003

Lots of effort went into fantasy and epic adventure films this year, that could be part of it. Also, me might be more into exploring alien nature found/created here on the planet... a la "The Matrix".

This would probably be better on Ask Me.

This discussion might be better held on MetaTalk.
posted by namespan at 7:10 PM on December 30, 2003

bobo, okay, thanks. thought you meant Paul Thomas Anderson.
posted by dobbs at 7:26 PM on December 30, 2003

After Adam Sandler, PTAnderson would probably love to work with aliens.

And who's assuming that Middle Earth is on the same planet as Hollywood?
posted by wendell at 7:36 PM on December 30, 2003

my apologies for indirectly mentioning Planet Hollywood
posted by wendell at 7:36 PM on December 30, 2003

This imdb site is cool and would make an excellent fpp on its own. The added context of discussion only makes it that much better. Aliens might not be cool, but that site sure is!
posted by The God Complex at 9:13 PM on December 30, 2003

*worships The God Complex*
posted by languagehat at 9:28 PM on December 30, 2003

The disappearance of film-aliens?

That's easy - we no longer required such manufactured nightmares now that the nightmares have come down to Earth and become mundane, grinding realities.
posted by troutfishing at 9:58 PM on December 30, 2003

some people think science fiction in general is suffering from the impending uncertainty. In 1900 they probably thought they knew what 1950 would be like, who the fuck knows what 2050 will be like, we don't even pretend to. strong AI, nanotech sludge, completely bioengineered brains... those things are more pressing than aliens.
posted by rhyax at 10:06 PM on December 30, 2003

Warren Ellis does.
posted by Hildago at 10:38 PM on December 30, 2003

now that the nightmares have come down to Earth and become mundane, grinding realities

Ah, what sheltered lives we few have led these past few years...and what small grasp of history, geography, and larger context we enjoy.
posted by rushmc at 6:51 AM on December 31, 2003

We are as gnats peering, through the glass of our petrie dish, darkly.
posted by troutfishing at 7:28 AM on December 31, 2003

Would Matrix 2 and Matrix 3 count?
posted by Daze at 8:16 AM on December 31, 2003