Michael Biehn’s characters in Aliens and Terminator for me represented the best a man could be. Strong, competent, sensitive, dependable, reliable, insightful, honest, modest, protective and still as dangerous as hell.
Right after the ending scene of Alien Resurrection, Ripley woke up from hypersleep still alive, still on the Sulaco, and got out of her cryotube to see Newt waking up. And she just walked over and tearfully scooped her into the tightest, most loving bear-hug she had ever given.
I agree with Hicks. Surviving all the way too the end to die in a crash. Such a waste. It's more fun for me to imagine he survived that crash and they kept it secret for nefarious purposes.
Spoiler territory here but from what I recall, in Colonial Marines, they believed the burnt body was Hicks but it was actually another fella named Turk. Hicks makes it back to Ripley by the end of 3 just as she is terminator'n herself into the vat with the chestburster popping out. Newt's fate was the same though.
Let me tell you one thing: getting rid of Hicks was a MASSIVE creative mistake. Massive. Mr. Biehn's approach to the character and the story is correct. And the character is so beloved that here we are, 30+ years later and we, fans, still want another sequel to Aliens where he's alive.
I suspect he asked for more money than Brandywine Productions and Fox were prepared to pay. I'm surprised they didn't get rid of Sigourney Weaver in Aliens, because that was on the cards for quite a period of time.
Fortunately we did get a radioplay and comic based on William Gibson's version of Alien 3. Admittedly it sidelined Ripley but it definitely has a satisfying ending and had a really good sequel hook for Newt and Ripley
@@orion3253 William Gibson's version of Alien 3 was just a dull copy of Aliens. There's nothing interesting in it, nothing new. It's boring, repetitive and cliched. Ok, all the goodies survive and the rest die... again, ending just for another one sequel that probably would tell the same story. ***That*** would have been a huge mistake in the Alien saga and I'm pretty sure Sigourney Weaver wouldn't have agreed to star in it. You may not like the fate of the main protagonists (just like I didn't when I saw the movie), but at least there's something to tell here and it won't leave you indifferent.
@@nostalgiatrip1 SPOILER WARNING FOR TERMINATOR: DARK FATE YOU'VE BEEN WARNED James Cameron whom directed and co-wrote Aliens, can't bitch about Alien 3 doing that (written by Dan O'Bannon, whom also wrote Alien) when he pulled same exact BS in Dark Fate (and in the first 5 minutes too!)
I disagree. It was the most unpredictable, original, impressive and crucial part of Alien franchise because it made the film not copying or remaking the idea, but expanded the universe with a complete different movie. The one which may not be epic, like James Cameron Aliens is but most distinctive of all Alien movies.
the script was all over the place but the characters were deep and interesting, mood was grungy, soundtrack was haunting, story was unpredictable and the lack of guns made movie even more terrifying. Killing Newt and Hicks in the begining was baldy :D Fincher hated the movie because of the people involving all the time. But Fincher made a masterpiece. Controversial, compromising, chaotic, emotional, intelligent masterpiece ^^
20 century fox control freaks had no buisness making alien 3.. same with david fincher.. it stunk !! .. james cameron is a genius, he created so many memorable characters in aliens, and they kill off hicks and newt! wtf !!
Sounds like he could have helped write the script for Aliens 3, the proper way. I like his idea and I'm sure most fans would agree. He doesn't get the credit he deserves.
Agree! Biehn makes a lot of sense here. Even if Hicks was killed off in the 3rd dont just throw him away like a piece of garbage. It's a lazy way to force the story in a certain direction. Maybe they felt like "the shock" of killing everybody in 5 minutes is art so its good because...reasons.
I would like to see an Alien 5 where 3 and 4 were just a nightmare in hypersleep, even if Hicks still has to die-for goodness sake give him an honorable end, perhaps with a gun in each hand covering Ripley's escape as she leads other survivors to safety.
Chippathingy yeah if it isn't spelled out for them, their ideas suck. That's why movies are remakes nowadays, and sequels always suck. Leftist have no creative juices. Unless someone lays it out in a book. I was very disappointed with how they threw those characters away.
the script was all over the place but the characters were deep and interesting, mood was grungy, soundtrack was haunting, story was unpredictable and the lack of guns made movie even more terrifying. Killing Newt and Hicks in the begining was baldy :D Fincher hated the movie because of the people involving all the time. But Fincher made a masterpiece. Controversial, compromising, chaotic, emotional, intelligent masterpiece ^^
The third movie is quite flawed, but at least it took chances. Alien Cubed has a weird gnostic plot with Ripley being a Christ/Mary amalgam, whereas Aliens is just a popcorn retelling of the first film spliced with Starship Troopers. Killing off the others adds to the gnostic "burden of the material realm" theme expressed throughout the film. Ripley being lowered onto the stretcher is a visual allegory for the lamentation of Christ, and taken in context the scene becomes "lamentation of the survivor". The implication, backed by the narrative of the cremation, is that the dead are blessed to be gone from the material realm. The arrival of the EEV is symbolized multiple times as an eclipse of the sun's by the world/craft: the heavenly light obscured by matter. Mechanistic determinism leading to rape, pregnancy and sex being tied to violence leads into the desire for death as a solvent. Also note the binary star system, a yin/yang symbol, paired with the alien yin/yang, paired with matter/spirit dualism, paired with the pole/hole visuals of Giger. Totally gnosty. Where they lost me was the corridor chases. Imo, those scenes could have benefitted from either better characters so I cared when they died or less screentime. Running around tubes isn't very suspenseful, original or interesting. I'd rather have a mixture of the two cuts: keep the EEV being discovered by the group, leading to the stretcher scene. Keep the dog instead of the ox/bull for the dog/God joke. Add in the Boggs & Rains being afraid of Gaulic part. Switch to the cut of the special edition for Clemens' death scene. Add in the capture and release of the Alien. I think that version would be pretty decent: worse than Alien on a filmmaking level, but slightly better narratively.
I feel for Michael here, Hicks did not deserve this. The chemistry between Hicks and Ripley was great. It’s just a shame that studio executives didn’t see it that way.
Studio execs were looking at "not paying" the big salaries to M. Biehn to which he would have deserved. Sigourney rightfully so earned her $5 million. But FOX were notorious for not seeing the bigger picture. Imagine Hicks spin-offs and Newt growing upi to be the next "Ripley" Two characters the Fan base absolutely adored.
Alien 3 is a horrible fever dreams that one of our surviving heroes has in stasis. Ripley and Hicks making a name for themselves as THE legendary ass-busting duo of the galaxy is my proper headcanon.
He is correct that the characters had so much potential. Whoever made the decision to remove Hicks, and even Newt after all of the development that went into them and the arch that they were helping the Ripley character take, that person is responsible for an unmistakable failure no matter which way you cut.
He hit every nail on the head. How he brought a much needed softness out of Ripley. I remember watching an Alien 3 trailer that was clearly made long before any filming was done. Had green, white and black colors of the egg in space and hinted at the next fight being on Earth. I sooooooo looked forward to something with Ripley, Hicks & Newt. I literally couldn't have hated Alien 3 more the first time I seen it. Not only our heros being killed right off but just the colors and the vibe of everything. I have come to appreciate the VERY CLEAR EFFORT put into the film so I can live with it all now. But the "what if's" will forever haunt me.
Totally agree! Aliens 3 does not exist in my world. No one else could have played that character like Michael! What an amazing bit of acting. All these years later and I’m still so angry and disappointed at how he and Hicks were treated.
Chris Peplinski: I don't think they were gonna be some white picket fence pair but I could see them lasting through the years on the fringe of civilization with Newt. Possibly with a life on the run. Inevitably, they're gonna have to escape the "company" (Weyland-Yutani) and Hicks would no doubt be thrown to the wolves by corrupt forces in the Marines but I like to think that if they rely on each other and each other's strengths (and with a little help from Bishop once he pulls himself together) they'll take Newt and find a new life that may or may not include a bug hunt or two ;) and then maybe the four of them will eke out an existence that will draw like minded hearts to their side.
The way Ripley looks back at hicks when he tells her his name is “Dwayne” and she replies back as “Ellen” gives me chills. The “Don’t be late Ellen” had so much chemistry for being such a subtle scene. And what’s heartbreaking is that’s the late time she speaks to hicks.
Hicks was my favorite character in Aliens. I even bought his action figure when I was a kid. I dreamed to see the Kenner toys comics to rise as a movie. With Bishop reconstructed with bionics , Ripley and Hicks teaming up to fight the xenomorphs. Is a shame they did this.
Alien 3 is bar far the biggest hard left turn I’ve seen in a film franchise. The 3rd film is so depressing, that it very hard to want to revisit. It’s like watching the aftermath of a car crash
After all the relationship building between Ripley & Newt, mother/daughter type thing, Hicks/Ripley, they became like a family battling against the odds, they could have developed that so much but instead killing off Hicks & Newt in the opening minutes of Alien 3 & dumping Ripley on her own in a facility filled with rapists & murderers was an absolute obscenity. And the franchise has never truly recovered from it. Fuck Alien 3.
Michael Biehn was truly an incredible actor who had pretty much the total package and full range as an actor. He could play the badass yet bring vulnerability in a way that was soo believable. It a shame that he struggled with Alcoholism for a long time which Biehn admitted, played a major factor in his struggles there after. He had the potential to be established as one of the greats for sure. Happy to see him doing better these days tho.
You will never see such a gentlemen describe an adverse situation so perfectly as Michael did in this video -Michael and Corporal Hicks -you will forever be loved by fans and quite frankly by Marines and sailors that have worked together “ ironically enjoying your role in the movies more than real life” … This was an absolute tragedy and perhaps that’s the way it should be …so we can all watch aliens forever knowing that you were the right man for the job
He is so right. This is what happens when a corporation, much like Weyland-Yutani, takes over the production of a film. Someone was just not thinking here. At least he got his revenge on them. And now we may get to see those two back together in Blomkemp's Alien 5! I so pray that they make that film.
Right! They blew it big time. A sequel to something beloved should build and develop on what came before. Not completely squash it like Alien 3 did. Let's hope Alien covenant delivers and Blomkamp gets green light.
Alienmojo : I'm , sort of , in between enjoying "Alien3" (special edition) and hating the way they brushed of Hicks. Just like mr Biehn says , they could've done it in a much more believable way. Also , looking forward to and hoping for "Alien5" by Blomkampf. All i've seen and read so far looks awesome.
Alienmojo 100%. Even with the prison scenario, the film makers could have kept him alive and/or at least make him a paraplegic during the crash or whatever. Create a sense of "this guy helped you live and he's now vulnerable, minus weapons." Builds a much more engaging emotional bond and more fear/vulnerability.
it's guys like you folk that are the reason we get bad sequel after sequel and reboot after reboot, because all you want is to see the same thing over and over.
Indeed, this is a very insightful look at how much more worthy of a film it could've been. It's interesting, because I actually like the concept of Alien 3, but it wasn't executed in the best way (script re-writes, and changing directors, executive interference), so what could've been unquestionably epic, stark terror ends up falling a bit flat. It's not a bad movie. It's not, it's well-acted, with great sets, decent cinematography (though I admit the editing was somewhat crap at times), and the addition of a quadruped alien was just terrifying. I like the dystopian feel of it all. But within the context of the story, following characters from two established movies, a well-loved, popular franchise, it is a huge slap in the face. Because in order to do what it's trying to do, Hicks and Newt must die. This is its single greatest flaw as a member of the same franchise as the first two films. Killing them off, in the way they did, as if they were meaningless, it just doesn't work. It's like if Return of the Jedi opens telling us Leia, Han, Chewie, Lando, and the droids all died in a horrible explosion, and the movie just follows Luke from the beginning. These weren't throwaway characters, they've been through a lot together, they matter, and they mean something to us as fans. That's the reason Alien 3 will always inhabit this sort-of limbo dimension of its own. Not because it's a bad movie, but because it violates the very mythology it's attempting to enrich.
All this sounds reminiscent of Ghostbusters 2. And it makes me wonder if killing off Hicks, Bishop and Newt was Weavers idea. Believe me, those 3 characters had become far more popular characters than Ripley. - Going back to Ghostbusters 2, I recall hearing that Weaver didn't want to be in it, originally. So, they drafted a great script without her character in it and then Weaver changed her mind and decided that she did want to be in Ghisbusters 2, and then demanded a massive a load of changes to the script and her characters dominance in the story. Remember, after Aliens Sigourney Weaver became a mega star, several oscar nominations followed the one from Aliens. I don't know, but rumour has it she became a bit of a diva.
After all they went thru in Aliens, Bishop, Hicks, and Newt deserved better fates and continuations. Alien 3 was a nightmare, and Alien Ressurrection was a dream. They're all still in a cryosleep.
I met him last night at the Monster Mania convention. He was so sweet and I told him of some of the films I have seen he did. I told him my favorite was "The Fan" which he was surprised to hear and another favorite he did that I liked was a film he did in '77 called "Coach" and he told me that was his first starring role.
Definitely the actor who deserved more recognition and fame because of his talents and potential, but still his roles in the Terminator and Aliens are legendary.
The relationship between the 'Hicks' character and the 'Kyle Reese' character from 'The Terminators are strikingly similar. Ripley had Hicks in Alien;for awhile,before the Hicks character died. Same with Sarah Conner and Kyle Reese..Michael Biegn is an under-rated actor and 1 of the best 'supporting actors' of all time in the 'Sci-fi, horror' genre of filmaking....In my opinion.
What I hate is that ever since terminator and Aliens, Michael Biehn has been technically type casted in roles where he ALWAYS dies. He hardly ever has a role that lasts. And I agree with him in some areas. It should have been he and Ripley as a duo and send Newt off to safety of course. Because killing Hicks and her off was just disgraceful, and cruel. Ripley has gone through way too much and all of that in Aliens was for nothing.
He should have wrote Aliens 3. Imagine Aliens 3 with Hicks, Newt and Ripley on that prison station? Imagine Hicks having to stand up for Ripley? They could have went in a great direction.
I would not mind if they scrapped the prison planet alltogether. The people making Alien 3 was more interested in being different than making an awesome story following Aliens it seems.
the script was all over the place but the characters were deep and interesting, mood was grungy, soundtrack was haunting, story was unpredictable and the lack of guns made movie even more terrifying. Killing Newt and Hicks in the begining was baldy :D Fincher hated the movie because of the people involving all the time. But Fincher made a masterpiece. Controversial, compromising, chaotic, emotional, intelligent masterpiece ^^
I met him, he came to my home state and where I wouldn't have to drive hours to meet. He was so nice, I told him how I sad that they killed him off, which I was sad, but I was more sad about Newt's death, because I felt Ripley's whole goal of Aliens was to save her, and killing her off made that pointless. And like I said, I didn't like they killed him off too, but I cared more about Newt's death more. Anywho, I didn't tell him that, I told him I was hurt by his character's death, which I was, and then he out of nowhere said that he felt that Newt's death was worse and that was awesome, he feels the same way I do. But yeah, I would've loved to have him live a little bit longer and then die later, which is what I did in my animated fan films that are a direct sequel to Alien & Aliens, killing him off was the hardest thing I ever had to do in my fan films, I had to kill off someone, it was either him, Newt or Ripley, as you can see I made the right choice, but at least Biehn would've been okay with it.
This is canon to me. Hicks really is the perfect love interest for Ripley. He is the one that brings softness to Ripley. And Newt is their perfect adopted child. They lived together forever happily ever after. Alien 3 and Resurrection are just nightmares Ripley had in cryosleep, which explains why their plots are nonsensical and unlike the first two films.
I loved Hicks and Newt they were my favorite characters I wish they were in the movie for at least an hour cause I hated the Fact that they killed them both off in the 3rd one...💔💔💔
the script was all over the place but the characters were deep and interesting, mood was grungy, soundtrack was haunting, story was unpredictable and the lack of guns made movie even more terrifying. Killing Newt and Hicks in the begining was baldy :D Fincher hated the movie because of the people involving all the time. But Fincher made a masterpiece. Controversial, compromising, chaotic, emotional, intelligent masterpiece ^^
"I will always appreciate Alien 3 more because it is so damn bleak. Because they take the happy ending that James Cameron handed audiences on a silver platter and take a good piss all over it. All the audience pleasing, mainstream moves Cameron made to turn the franchise into a roller coaster like theme park ride is crushed. Newt drowns in her cryo-pod. Hicks is impaled by a safety beam. Bishop opts to be shut down rather than stick around to witness the gruesome events that are about to unfold. And our hero, Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) is left on a prison planet full of rapists, thieves, murderers, AND an alien. This is the kind of dark, cold, and unforgiving scenario that seems fitting for an Alien film. There’s a certain degree of parity with the original.
I actually didn’t mind the way he was killed off as it came as such a shock which made the film very brutal which put ripley in a real situation where she had to take the control as the one that was gonna get herself out of this mess with no one to help , along with no weapons and no idea what kind of alien she’s actually up against. This made it very dark and scary I think you can really feel the atmosphere in this one. Beautifully done if you ask me
Michael Biehn has always been an underrated actor. That guy is gorgeous, intelligent and made Hicks one of the best things about Aliens. And then they just "poof ur dead" him like that in Aliens 3. Its just soOo frustrating, insulting and infuriating. Now hes lost his gorgeous youth, like even if they did a rehash movie where he DID survive, only Michael Biehn could play that character. No other Alien movie captures the the Alien universe like Aliens did. Best movie ever. I always watch it at least a few times a year. With love from UK ❤
We need a Michael Biehn comeback. He was awesome then, and due to a recent performance of his I saw not too long ago, I think he still has it! There are PLENTY of older actors out there that are doing great films. Even as "typecast" as Liam Neeson is, even the "cheap" movies he's been doing are very entertaining, and while they're not necessarily Oscar Masterpieces, they're better than most "AAA" slop these days.
It’s always like this. The fans want it done this way, but along comes some so-called artistic writer who jacks the whole thing up. Well it’s 2024 and things have not changed for the better when it comes to Hollywood. they are still practicing this today.
He makes a good point. As he says even if he was ultimately killed off maybe he could've sacrificed himself at some point to save Ripley adding more to the characters
Alien 3 could have been a great film if it had been about Ripley, Hicks, and Newt making it back to Earth, Aliens somehow coming along and them fighting to keep a complete outbreak from happening there.
As much as I was disappointed in the death of Hicks, Newt, then Ripley... This movie turned out to be beautiful and terrible, especially its end, we hear Ripley's message from the first film, emotions rage in the heart, bitterness, joy, nostalgia, you begin to remember the last minutes of the first and second films. I believe this movie is underrated by fans.
I just rewatched Aliens for the first time in years and it was the first time I've 1) been really effected by the relationship between Ripley and Newt and 2) been angered by the thought of what followed with 3. James Cameron said it best that it was like a slap in the face and undermined everything that Aliens had built up between the audience and the characters. It's best not to treat anything after Aliens as true canon
Everyone here that is saying 'oh it's such a waste.' Yeah. That's the point. Death is like that. It just comes, and takes people before they should go and before you want them too. Alien 3 has a lot of problems, but killing of Newt and Hicks in such a brutal, unforgiving way right at the start was not one of them.
Michael Bean’s character and portrayal of a likable “heroic” soldier was excellent for Sigorney and Ripley’s heroine protagonist. They really bombed by killing his character off before it developed to an altruistic level.
Truly awesome character played by such a cool guy. Couldn't have said it better. I don't think we'll ever get that Neil Blomkamp Alien film where it is Ripley, Hicks and Newt... Sadly.
Ripley, an injured Hicks and Newt on a prison planet. Trying to survive the prisoners while taking care of Hicks and Newt would’ve been a dynamic that brought some interesting challenges. And then one of the prisoners, or guards, boards the shuttle and stumbles upon the egg…
Alien 3 is a massively underrated film, but there's little doubt that it would have been a _better_ film with either Hicks, or Newt (or both) surviving. Those characters bring a whole new dynamic to the story, which Michael Biehn clearly understood.
I always imagined Ripley, Newt and Hicks as a family unit stuck on the prison planet in Alien 3, Hicks as the protector against the criminals until the Alien comes along.
I remember something like "on earth everybody can hear you scream". The possibilities of Alien 3 were endless...and they just revert to a depressing version of the previous settings.
Michael Biehn’s characters in Aliens and Terminator for me represented the best a man could be. Strong, competent, sensitive, dependable, reliable, insightful, honest, modest, protective and still as dangerous as hell.
Alien 3 was just Ripley’s stasis pod nightmare and nobody is going to convince me otherwise.
Right after the ending scene of Alien Resurrection, Ripley woke up from hypersleep still alive, still on the Sulaco, and got out of her cryotube to see Newt waking up.
And she just walked over and tearfully scooped her into the tightest, most loving bear-hug she had ever given.
There are two scenes in Aliens where Ripley is waking up from nightmares which help prove this theory to be true.
Alien Romulus sequel where the new girl/android meet Ripley after her nightmare
I agree with Hicks. Surviving all the way too the end to die in a crash. Such a waste. It's more fun for me to imagine he survived that crash and they kept it secret for nefarious purposes.
or even better alien 3 and resurrection was just a nightmare of ripley during in hypersleep
In aliens colonial marines his body was switched in hypersleep I believe.
Spoiler territory here but from what I recall, in Colonial Marines, they believed the burnt body was Hicks but it was actually another fella named Turk. Hicks makes it back to Ripley by the end of 3 just as she is terminator'n herself into the vat with the chestburster popping out. Newt's fate was the same though.
His corpse would suggest otherwise.
Let me tell you one thing: getting rid of Hicks was a MASSIVE creative mistake. Massive. Mr. Biehn's approach to the character and the story is correct. And the character is so beloved that here we are, 30+ years later and we, fans, still want another sequel to Aliens where he's alive.
I suspect he asked for more money than Brandywine Productions and Fox were prepared to pay. I'm surprised they didn't get rid of Sigourney Weaver in Aliens, because that was on the cards for quite a period of time.
Absolutely. What were they thinking?
Fortunately we did get a radioplay and comic based on William Gibson's version of Alien 3. Admittedly it sidelined Ripley but it definitely has a satisfying ending and had a really good sequel hook for Newt and Ripley
We did get a sequel in the form of Aliens: Colonial Marines video game. Sure it wasn't well-liked but it rectified the mistakes the movies made.
@@orion3253 William Gibson's version of Alien 3 was just a dull copy of Aliens. There's nothing interesting in it, nothing new. It's boring, repetitive and cliched. Ok, all the goodies survive and the rest die... again, ending just for another one sequel that probably would tell the same story. ***That*** would have been a huge mistake in the Alien saga and I'm pretty sure Sigourney Weaver wouldn't have agreed to star in it. You may not like the fate of the main protagonists (just like I didn't when I saw the movie), but at least there's something to tell here and it won't leave you indifferent.
Killing Hicks and Newt in the first 5 minutes of Alien 3 will always be one of the biggest mistakes in film history.
Yeah, we have a new contender now. Terminator Dark Fate just pulled this same stunt.
@@nostalgiatrip1
SPOILER WARNING
FOR TERMINATOR: DARK FATE
YOU'VE BEEN WARNED
James Cameron whom directed and co-wrote Aliens, can't bitch about Alien 3 doing that (written by Dan O'Bannon, whom also wrote Alien) when he pulled same exact BS in Dark Fate (and in the first 5 minutes too!)
I disagree. It was the most unpredictable, original, impressive and crucial part of Alien franchise because it made the film not copying or remaking the idea, but expanded the universe with a complete different movie. The one which may not be epic, like James Cameron Aliens is but most distinctive of all Alien movies.
Don't be so narrow minded :D
the script was all over the place but the characters were deep and interesting, mood was grungy, soundtrack was haunting, story was unpredictable and the lack of guns made movie even more terrifying. Killing Newt and Hicks in the begining was baldy :D Fincher hated the movie because of the people involving all the time. But Fincher made a masterpiece. Controversial, compromising, chaotic, emotional, intelligent masterpiece ^^
I was super pissed they killed off Newt and Hicks. It made no fuckin sense for them to survive Aliens and endure all that.
Blame Vincent Ward
What do you mean "makes no sense"? People die randomly for no reason EVERY day in real life.
@@HOTD108_ "makes no sense" as in poor, lackluster writing. The script to Alien 3 was pure trash.
20 century fox control freaks had no buisness making alien 3.. same with david fincher.. it stunk !! .. james cameron is a genius, he created so many memorable characters in aliens, and they kill off hicks and newt! wtf !!
Life is tough.
Agree with Michael 100%. Terrific actor that deserved a much bigger role in Alien 3.
he had to die, alien 3 is horror not accion soldiers movie
Somebody wake up Hicks
From the way he is talking, sounds like he is already woke.
Hudson, sir. He's Hicks.
Kelly McDonald
yeah - 1:34 Somebody wake up Hicks ... he seems mostly asleep. Mostly.
Don't EVER sleep on Hicks
I like to keep this handy for close encounters.
Sounds like he could have helped write the script for Aliens 3, the proper way. I like his idea and I'm sure most fans would agree. He doesn't get the credit he deserves.
Agree! Biehn makes a lot of sense here. Even if Hicks was killed off in the 3rd dont just throw him away like a piece of garbage. It's a lazy way to force the story in a certain direction. Maybe they felt like "the shock" of killing everybody in 5 minutes is art so its good because...reasons.
I would like to see an Alien 5 where 3 and 4 were just a nightmare in hypersleep, even if Hicks still has to die-for goodness sake give him an honorable end, perhaps with a gun in each hand covering Ripley's escape as she leads other survivors to safety.
Chippathingy yeah if it isn't spelled out for them, their ideas suck. That's why movies are remakes nowadays, and sequels always suck. Leftist have no creative juices. Unless someone lays it out in a book. I was very disappointed with how they threw those characters away.
the script was all over the place but the characters were deep and interesting, mood was grungy, soundtrack was haunting, story was unpredictable and the lack of guns made movie even more terrifying. Killing Newt and Hicks in the begining was baldy :D Fincher hated the movie because of the people involving all the time. But Fincher made a masterpiece. Controversial, compromising, chaotic, emotional, intelligent masterpiece ^^
The third movie is quite flawed, but at least it took chances. Alien Cubed has a weird gnostic plot with Ripley being a Christ/Mary amalgam, whereas Aliens is just a popcorn retelling of the first film spliced with Starship Troopers.
Killing off the others adds to the gnostic "burden of the material realm" theme expressed throughout the film. Ripley being lowered onto the stretcher is a visual allegory for the lamentation of Christ, and taken in context the scene becomes "lamentation of the survivor". The implication, backed by the narrative of the cremation, is that the dead are blessed to be gone from the material realm. The arrival of the EEV is symbolized multiple times as an eclipse of the sun's by the world/craft: the heavenly light obscured by matter.
Mechanistic determinism leading to rape, pregnancy and sex being tied to violence leads into the desire for death as a solvent.
Also note the binary star system, a yin/yang symbol, paired with the alien yin/yang, paired with matter/spirit dualism, paired with the pole/hole visuals of Giger. Totally gnosty.
Where they lost me was the corridor chases. Imo, those scenes could have benefitted from either better characters so I cared when they died or less screentime. Running around tubes isn't very suspenseful, original or interesting.
I'd rather have a mixture of the two cuts: keep the EEV being discovered by the group, leading to the stretcher scene. Keep the dog instead of the ox/bull for the dog/God joke. Add in the Boggs & Rains being afraid of Gaulic part. Switch to the cut of the special edition for Clemens' death scene. Add in the capture and release of the Alien. I think that version would be pretty decent: worse than Alien on a filmmaking level, but slightly better narratively.
I remember seeing Hick's dead, crushed up body and thinking "You look just like I feel"
Best joke in the entire line of comments
I feel for Michael here, Hicks did not deserve this. The chemistry between Hicks and Ripley was great. It’s just a shame that studio executives didn’t see it that way.
Studio execs were looking at "not paying" the big salaries to M. Biehn to which he would have deserved. Sigourney rightfully so earned her $5 million. But FOX were notorious for not seeing the bigger picture. Imagine Hicks spin-offs and Newt growing upi to be the next "Ripley" Two characters the Fan base absolutely adored.
Alien 3 is a horrible fever dreams that one of our surviving heroes has in stasis. Ripley and Hicks making a name for themselves as THE legendary ass-busting duo of the galaxy is my proper headcanon.
"No one hated it more than me; to this day, no one hates it more than me." - David Fincher
"(David Fincher) got handed a big mess on a plate (by 20th Century Fox)." James Cameron
Ну тогда отказался бы от того чтобы его режиссёром в титрах поставили. Взял бы деньги и ушёл.
He is correct that the characters had so much potential. Whoever made the decision to remove Hicks, and even Newt after all of the development that went into them and the arch that they were helping the Ripley character take, that person is responsible for an unmistakable failure no matter which way you cut.
He hit every nail on the head. How he brought a much needed softness out of Ripley. I remember watching an Alien 3 trailer that was clearly made long before any filming was done. Had green, white and black colors of the egg in space and hinted at the next fight being on Earth. I sooooooo looked forward to something with Ripley, Hicks & Newt. I literally couldn't have hated Alien 3 more the first time I seen it. Not only our heros being killed right off but just the colors and the vibe of everything. I have come to appreciate the VERY CLEAR EFFORT put into the film so I can live with it all now. But the "what if's" will forever haunt me.
Michael Biehn always play Badass roles then get killed off. (Dwayne Hick, Kyle Reese.. Give this man some respect let him live through out the films
He's a badass in planet terror and dies in that too
And the rock as a navy seal
Smell that, Bill? Smells like someone dyin'.
"Burn 'em Ike. Burn 'em all."
"Hell Jonny he ain't even gonna show."
"He'll show."
Even when playing a villain like John Coffey in The Abyss. The guy is an amazing actor any way you look at it.
Totally agree! Aliens 3 does not exist in my world. No one else could have played that character like Michael! What an amazing bit of acting. All these years later and I’m still so angry and disappointed at how he and Hicks were treated.
It's time to grow up.
i would have loved to have seen hicks and ripley as a couple in alien 3.
I agree, it would have been something we have never seen before in either of the two Alien films.
Chris Peplinski: I don't think they were gonna be some white picket fence pair but I could see them lasting through the years on the fringe of civilization with Newt. Possibly with a life on the run.
Inevitably, they're gonna have to escape the "company" (Weyland-Yutani) and Hicks would no doubt be thrown to the wolves by corrupt forces in the Marines but I like to think that if they rely on each other and each other's strengths (and with a little help from Bishop once he pulls himself together) they'll take Newt and find a new life that may or may not include a bug hunt or two ;) and then maybe the four of them will eke out an existence that will draw like minded hearts to their side.
Me 2
The way Ripley looks back at hicks when he tells her his name is “Dwayne” and she replies back as “Ellen” gives me chills. The “Don’t be late Ellen” had so much chemistry for being such a subtle scene. And what’s heartbreaking is that’s the late time she speaks to hicks.
Hicks was my favorite character in Aliens. I even bought his action figure when I was a kid. I dreamed to see the Kenner toys comics to rise as a movie. With Bishop reconstructed with bionics , Ripley and Hicks teaming up to fight the xenomorphs. Is a shame they did this.
Love you bro you are still along with her fighting for humanity out there I’m not alone saying this.
Alien 3 is bar far the biggest hard left turn I’ve seen in a film franchise. The 3rd film is so depressing, that it very hard to want to revisit. It’s like watching the aftermath of a car crash
Yeah I saw it once when it came out. No desire to see it again.
After all the relationship building between Ripley & Newt, mother/daughter type thing, Hicks/Ripley, they became like a family battling against the odds, they could have developed that so much but instead killing off Hicks & Newt in the opening minutes of Alien 3 & dumping Ripley on her own in a facility filled with rapists & murderers was an absolute obscenity. And the franchise has never truly recovered from it. Fuck Alien 3.
Hicks did bring out a certain tenderness from Ripley. He was the underdog/grunt of the colonial space marines who rose to the occasion with Ripley.
Michael Biehn was truly an incredible actor who had pretty much the total package and full range as an actor. He could play the badass yet bring vulnerability in a way that was soo believable. It a shame that he struggled with Alcoholism for a long time which Biehn admitted, played a major factor in his struggles there after. He had the potential to be established as one of the greats for sure. Happy to see him doing better these days tho.
You will never see such a gentlemen describe an adverse situation so perfectly as Michael did in this video -Michael and Corporal Hicks -you will forever be loved by fans and quite frankly by Marines and sailors that have worked together “ ironically enjoying your role in the movies more than real life” … This was an absolute tragedy and perhaps that’s the way it should be …so we can all watch aliens forever knowing that you were the right man for the job
Agree with you 100% dude. And I think a helluva a lot of other fans would think the same.
Hicks was a GREAT Character. He was a MAN! Killing him & Newt off-camera was weak and making Bishop evil destroyed Aliens.
He is so right. This is what happens when a corporation, much like Weyland-Yutani, takes over the production of a film. Someone was just not thinking here. At least he got his revenge on them. And now we may get to see those two back together in Blomkemp's Alien 5! I so pray that they make that film.
Right! They blew it big time. A sequel to something beloved should build and develop on what came before. Not completely squash it like Alien 3 did. Let's hope Alien covenant delivers and Blomkamp gets green light.
Alienmojo :
I'm , sort of , in between enjoying "Alien3" (special edition) and hating the way they brushed of Hicks. Just like mr Biehn says , they could've done it in a much more believable way. Also , looking forward to and hoping for "Alien5" by Blomkampf. All i've seen and read so far looks awesome.
Alienmojo 100%. Even with the prison scenario, the film makers could have kept him alive and/or at least make him a paraplegic during the crash or whatever. Create a sense of "this guy helped you live and he's now vulnerable, minus weapons." Builds a much more engaging emotional bond and more fear/vulnerability.
it's guys like you folk that are the reason we get bad sequel after sequel and reboot after reboot, because all you want is to see the same thing over and over.
alien three shouldn't have been a dirrect sequal, take sergorne weaver out the picture and you had a awesome alien film
Indeed, this is a very insightful look at how much more worthy of a film it could've been.
It's interesting, because I actually like the concept of Alien 3, but it wasn't executed in the best way (script re-writes, and changing directors, executive interference), so what could've been unquestionably epic, stark terror ends up falling a bit flat.
It's not a bad movie. It's not, it's well-acted, with great sets, decent cinematography (though I admit the editing was somewhat crap at times), and the addition of a quadruped alien was just terrifying. I like the dystopian feel of it all.
But within the context of the story, following characters from two established movies, a well-loved, popular franchise, it is a huge slap in the face. Because in order to do what it's trying to do, Hicks and Newt must die.
This is its single greatest flaw as a member of the same franchise as the first two films.
Killing them off, in the way they did, as if they were meaningless, it just doesn't work.
It's like if Return of the Jedi opens telling us Leia, Han, Chewie, Lando, and the droids all died in a horrible explosion, and the movie just follows Luke from the beginning.
These weren't throwaway characters, they've been through a lot together, they matter, and they mean something to us as fans.
That's the reason Alien 3 will always inhabit this sort-of limbo dimension of its own. Not because it's a bad movie, but because it violates the very mythology it's attempting to enrich.
Well said!
The comparison is unfair: Leia, Chewie, Han and the droids were introduced in the first chapter, and nobody ever cared about Lando.
All this sounds reminiscent of Ghostbusters 2. And it makes me wonder if killing off Hicks, Bishop and Newt was Weavers idea. Believe me, those 3 characters had become far more popular characters than Ripley. - Going back to Ghostbusters 2, I recall hearing that Weaver didn't want to be in it, originally. So, they drafted a great script without her character in it and then Weaver changed her mind and decided that she did want to be in Ghisbusters 2, and then demanded a massive a load of changes to the script and her characters dominance in the story. Remember, after Aliens Sigourney Weaver became a mega star, several oscar nominations followed the one from Aliens. I don't know, but rumour has it she became a bit of a diva.
Hicks and Newt deserved so much better.
The first movie I ever saw him in was The Fan and then Deadly Intentions. I had an instant crush on him ❣️
Agree with him 100%. A3 was my first biggest heartbreak as a kid. I'll never forget the denial I had after watching A3 in theaters.
After all they went thru in Aliens, Bishop, Hicks, and Newt deserved better fates and continuations. Alien 3 was a nightmare, and Alien Ressurrection was a dream. They're all still in a cryosleep.
I loved the part when hicks gave ripley the watch and was like "this dosen't mean we are engaged or anything" ( i miss hicks :(
I like the one from the deleted scenes where he says his name is Dwayne, and she replies, Ellen.
ruclips.net/video/UfTv_tgU0Ac/видео.html
agreed
They also should not have left the Sulaco unattended.
I met him last night at the Monster Mania convention. He was so sweet and I told him of some of the films I have seen he did. I told him my favorite was "The Fan" which he was surprised to hear and another favorite he did that I liked was a film he did in '77 called "Coach" and he told me that was his first starring role.
It’s what all the fans wanted For Hicks to return. Fox ruined it.
Litrally everything he suggested was better than what we got in alien 3
Definitely the actor who deserved more recognition and fame because of his talents and potential, but still his roles in the Terminator and Aliens are legendary.
And Tombstone. Or The Abyss. Or The Rock. Or anything else I've seen him in. At this point, I think he is hands-down my all-time favorite actor.
Completely agree with Michael!
The relationship between the 'Hicks' character and the 'Kyle Reese' character from 'The Terminators are strikingly similar. Ripley had Hicks in Alien;for awhile,before the Hicks character died. Same with Sarah Conner and Kyle Reese..Michael Biegn is an under-rated actor and 1 of the best 'supporting actors' of all time in the 'Sci-fi, horror' genre of filmaking....In my opinion.
He was gorgeous I loved hicks and kyle
What I hate is that ever since terminator and Aliens, Michael Biehn has been technically type casted in roles where he ALWAYS dies. He hardly ever has a role that lasts.
And I agree with him in some areas. It should have been he and Ripley as a duo and send Newt off to safety of course. Because killing Hicks and her off was just disgraceful, and cruel. Ripley has gone through way too much and all of that in Aliens was for nothing.
There was so much potential for Hicks and Ripley to become a duo in the alien series
He should have wrote Aliens 3. Imagine Aliens 3 with Hicks, Newt and Ripley on that prison station? Imagine Hicks having to stand up for Ripley? They could have went in a great direction.
I would not mind if they scrapped the prison planet alltogether. The people making Alien 3 was more interested in being different than making an awesome story following Aliens it seems.
Or Hicks would have kicked their asses. He is a trained killer right!?
Chris Kouyoumjan imagine hicks beating up the shit out of the rapist with the tear drop tattoo and the prison warden would be an asshole to newt
@@NinjaStudent-yo5ws I would love to see hicks and Dillon in alien 3 he's also a badass
the script was all over the place but the characters were deep and interesting, mood was grungy, soundtrack was haunting, story was unpredictable and the lack of guns made movie even more terrifying. Killing Newt and Hicks in the begining was baldy :D Fincher hated the movie because of the people involving all the time. But Fincher made a masterpiece. Controversial, compromising, chaotic, emotional, intelligent masterpiece ^^
yes sounds good to me... he's leading man material and they always kill him off... did that in terminator as well...
AGREE WITH MICHAEL TOTALLY ❤❤❤
Hicks and Newt survive in Dark Horse Comics adaptation of story.There's always that fallback.
I met him, he came to my home state and where I wouldn't have to drive hours to meet. He was so nice, I told him how I sad that they killed him off, which I was sad, but I was more sad about Newt's death, because I felt Ripley's whole goal of Aliens was to save her, and killing her off made that pointless. And like I said, I didn't like they killed him off too, but I cared more about Newt's death more. Anywho, I didn't tell him that, I told him I was hurt by his character's death, which I was, and then he out of nowhere said that he felt that Newt's death was worse and that was awesome, he feels the same way I do. But yeah, I would've loved to have him live a little bit longer and then die later, which is what I did in my animated fan films that are a direct sequel to Alien & Aliens, killing him off was the hardest thing I ever had to do in my fan films, I had to kill off someone, it was either him, Newt or Ripley, as you can see I made the right choice, but at least Biehn would've been okay with it.
We lived in a golden age when actors had passion, talent, creativity and intelligence.
Your right Mike it left us lost...that's Hollywood!
HICKS SHOULD HAVE BEEN IN THE 3RD, HOW DARE THEY KILLED HIM OFF!!!
He's not dead. It's a guy named Turk. You're welcome.
Willow The Firestarter he’s dead
@@hyperfire1134 He's not.
Hicks was irrelevant.
@@eventhorizon4816 I DON'T THINK SO!!!!!!
Always LOVED micheal biehn
The visuals of Alien 3 are amazing... now, imagine if Newt and Hicks were alive?
Alien 3: an excellent execution of a terrible idea...
Well said!
exactamente.
Indeed Fincher was so screwed over by FOX
right?! exactly how I felt. good movie but just off by missing some beloved characters.
+Canal Desocupado Spot-on
This is canon to me. Hicks really is the perfect love interest for Ripley. He is the one that brings softness to Ripley. And Newt is their perfect adopted child. They lived together forever happily ever after. Alien 3 and Resurrection are just nightmares Ripley had in cryosleep, which explains why their plots are nonsensical and unlike the first two films.
Meanwhile Bishop dreamt about the AVP movies.
And Newt was unlucky enough to dream about Shane Black’s The Predator.
I just can’t bring myself to rewatch any of the films after aliens because what they did in the first five minutes of 3.
I loved Hicks and Newt they were my favorite characters I wish they were in the movie for at least an hour cause I hated the Fact that they killed them both off in the 3rd one...💔💔💔
we all loved him
it pissed me off that they killed off hicks he was one of the best parts of Aliens
the script was all over the place but the characters were deep and interesting, mood was grungy, soundtrack was haunting, story was unpredictable and the lack of guns made movie even more terrifying. Killing Newt and Hicks in the begining was baldy :D Fincher hated the movie because of the people involving all the time. But Fincher made a masterpiece. Controversial, compromising, chaotic, emotional, intelligent masterpiece ^^
"I will always appreciate Alien 3 more because it is so damn bleak. Because they take the happy ending that James Cameron handed audiences on a silver platter and take a good piss all over it. All the audience pleasing, mainstream moves Cameron made to turn the franchise into a roller coaster like theme park ride is crushed. Newt drowns in her cryo-pod. Hicks is impaled by a safety beam. Bishop opts to be shut down rather than stick around to witness the gruesome events that are about to unfold. And our hero, Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) is left on a prison planet full of rapists, thieves, murderers, AND an alien. This is the kind of dark, cold, and unforgiving scenario that seems fitting for an Alien film. There’s a certain degree of parity with the original.
Agree with him 💯
I actually didn’t mind the way he was killed off as it came as such a shock which made the film very brutal which put ripley in a real situation where she had to take the control as the one that was gonna get herself out of this mess with no one to help , along with no weapons and no idea what kind of alien she’s actually up against. This made it very dark and scary I think you can really feel the atmosphere in this one. Beautifully done if you ask me
Ripley and Hicks were great together
perfectly stated. i couldn't agree more. always felt that way..
Michael Biehn has always been an underrated actor. That guy is gorgeous, intelligent and made Hicks one of the best things about Aliens. And then they just "poof ur dead" him like that in Aliens 3. Its just soOo frustrating, insulting and infuriating. Now hes lost his gorgeous youth, like even if they did a rehash movie where he DID survive, only Michael Biehn could play that character. No other Alien movie captures the the Alien universe like Aliens did. Best movie ever. I always watch it at least a few times a year. With love from UK ❤
Your the man Mike. One of the greatest sequels of all time then...Alien 3... it all went down hill after Aliens. Hicks was a great character!
We need a Michael Biehn comeback. He was awesome then, and due to a recent performance of his I saw not too long ago, I think he still has it! There are PLENTY of older actors out there that are doing great films. Even as "typecast" as Liam Neeson is, even the "cheap" movies he's been doing are very entertaining, and while they're not necessarily Oscar Masterpieces, they're better than most "AAA" slop these days.
He's not wrong. I actually agree with him and think it would have made the film better.
Alien 3 is nothing but ripleys nightmare, period
Yep. Same here, and same for millions of other fans.
It’s always like this. The fans want it done this way, but along comes some so-called artistic writer who jacks the whole thing up. Well it’s
2024 and things have not changed for the better when it comes to Hollywood. they are still practicing this today.
Dude, really should've been like how Mike said it should've been.
I agree. It angered and surprised me to see Hicks just disappear VIA being killed off. That was a huge mistake.
He makes a good point. As he says even if he was ultimately killed off maybe he could've sacrificed himself at some point to save Ripley adding more to the characters
I love Biehn
Underrated actor and he deserved much better, even though there's things I enjoy about alien 3, I wish they didn't kill off hicks and newt!
He is right they really messed up on alien 3
Alien 3 could have been a great film if it had been about Ripley, Hicks, and Newt making it back to Earth, Aliens somehow coming along and them fighting to keep a complete outbreak from happening there.
As much as I was disappointed in the death of Hicks, Newt, then Ripley... This movie turned out to be beautiful and terrible, especially its end, we hear Ripley's message from the first film, emotions rage in the heart, bitterness, joy, nostalgia, you begin to remember the last minutes of the first and second films. I believe this movie is underrated by fans.
He's absolutely right, but I would've been even more annoyed if he lived and was then killed off at the end of Alien 3
Hicks deserved so much better.
hes totally right. they blew a real chance to make alien3 really good.
I just rewatched Aliens for the first time in years and it was the first time I've 1) been really effected by the relationship between Ripley and Newt and 2) been angered by the thought of what followed with 3. James Cameron said it best that it was like a slap in the face and undermined everything that Aliens had built up between the audience and the characters. It's best not to treat anything after Aliens as true canon
Well he did voice his character in Aliens colonial marines where his body was switched.
Neill Blomkamp's Aliens Sequel would have fixed this.
Everyone here that is saying 'oh it's such a waste.'
Yeah. That's the point. Death is like that. It just comes, and takes people before they should go and before you want them too.
Alien 3 has a lot of problems, but killing of Newt and Hicks in such a brutal, unforgiving way right at the start was not one of them.
Michael Bean’s character and portrayal of a likable “heroic” soldier was excellent for Sigorney and Ripley’s heroine protagonist. They really bombed by killing his character off before it developed to an altruistic level.
Truly awesome character played by such a cool guy. Couldn't have said it better. I don't think we'll ever get that Neil Blomkamp Alien film where it is Ripley, Hicks and Newt... Sadly.
Ripley and Hicks. That sounds so good. Please retcon Disney
Ripley, an injured Hicks and Newt on a prison planet. Trying to survive the prisoners while taking care of Hicks and Newt would’ve been a dynamic that brought some interesting challenges. And then one of the prisoners, or guards, boards the shuttle and stumbles upon the egg…
Alien 3 is a massively underrated film, but there's little doubt that it would have been a _better_ film with either Hicks, or Newt (or both) surviving. Those characters bring a whole new dynamic to the story, which Michael Biehn clearly understood.
Michael is the voice of the people here.
Great reasons, great actor and man. That' s It!
I always imagined Ripley, Newt and Hicks as a family unit stuck on the prison planet in Alien 3, Hicks as the protector against the criminals until the Alien comes along.
Ssoooo correct Mike.....what could have been....
"Eat These!!"
Best line ever in Aliens
He's right. I his role continued the story would've had much more interesting tones.
Totally agree with the Caporal
I totally agree with what Biehn says.
It's funny actually. The original teaser for Alien 3 implies that ultimately a Xenomorph egg would make it onto Earth and pretty much be armageddon.
I remember something like "on earth everybody can hear you scream". The possibilities of Alien 3 were endless...and they just revert to a depressing version of the previous settings.
YEAH imagine a World War X(Xenomorph)