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2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
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| 2001 is a story of evolution. Sometime in the distant past someone or something nudged evolution by placing a monolith here on earth (presumably elsewhere throughout the universe as well) Evolution then enabled man to reach the moon's surface where he finds yet another monolith, one which signals the monolith-placers that we have evolved that far. Now a race begins between computers (HAL) and man (Bowman) to reach the monolith-placers, the winner will achieve the next step in evolution, whatever that may be.
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Alien (1979)
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A landmark of science fiction and horror. This instant classic set a tone of its own, offering richly detailed sets, ominous atmosphere, relentless suspense, and a flawless ensemble cast as the crew of the space freighter Nostromo fall prey to a vicious creature that had gestated inside one of the ill-fated crew members. One by one, each crew member is slain until only Ripley is left, leading to an explosive conclusion that sets the stage for its stunning sequel, "Aliens." In a star-making role, Sigourney Weaver excels as sole survivor Ripley, becoming the screen's most
popular heroine.
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Alien 3 (1992)
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| David Fincher's feature debut, ALIEN 3, picks up almost directly after the events in ALIENS, finding Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) frozen in suspended animation as her ship crashes on Fiorina 161, a prison planet. When awakened by the prison's staff, she discovers that she is the sole survivor of her crew. Trapped on a barren planet with convicts and no weapons of any kind, Ripley soon realizes that an alien was also on the ship and has survived. As the savage creature begins to massacre inmates, Ripley bands together with the remaining prisoners and attempts to destroy it by wits alone. Filmed at a time when big guns and high technology dominated the screen, ALIEN 3 deserves commendation for its unique premise battling a vicious alien creature with no weapons and almost no resources whatsoever. This scenario makes for an unusual and intriguing science fiction thriller that is also notable for Fincher's bleak industrial visuals; the film was nominated for an Oscar for Best Visual Effects.
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Alien: Resurrection (1997)
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It is 200 years since Ellen Ripley died on Fiorina 161. Ripley's former employers, The Weyland-Yutani Company has dissolved and now the United Systems Military has assumed the task of breeding and harnessing the deadly aliens. With blood samples taken from her previous life, scientists clone a new Ripley in order to extract the queen alien inside of her. The new Ripley, known as number 8, acquires physical and emotional traits from both humanity and the aliens, making her question where her allegiances lie. Shortly after, the aliens break free and commence killing those onboard. Ripley, along with a crew of smugglers that unknowingly helped in delivering hosts to breed the alien species, must now escape the perilous ship. Along the way, Ripley encounters a shocking revelation that truly sets herself against both humanity and the alien species. She must now decide what she truly is, in order to save humanity once more.
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Aliens (1986)
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Aliens is one of the few cases of a sequel that surpasses the original. Sigourney Weaver returns as Ripley, who awakens on Earth only to discover that she has been hibernating in space so long that everyone she knows is dead. Then she is talked into traveling (along with a squad of Marines) to a planet under assault by the same aliens that nearly killed her. Once she gets there, she finds a lost little girl who triggers her maternal instincts--and she discovers that the company has once again double-crossed her, in hopes of capturing one of the aliens to study as a military weapon.
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Chronicles of Riddick - Pitch Black (2000)
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| A transport ship containing 40 passengers heading to other worlds for, among other reasons, settling, New Mecca, and for one passenger, Riddick, another cell. The ship encounters a tiny meteor storm and crash lands on a barren planet with only 1/4 of its complement surviving. Survival is tough with Riddick on the loose and no water in sight. However, come nightfall, they have even more to fear...
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Chronicles of Riddick, The (2004)
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| Vin Diesel reprises his star-making role as Riddick in this thrilling, non-stop action adventure. On the run from a group of bounty hunters, Riddick now finds himself in the middle of a cataclysmic battle between good and evil-and the fate of the human race hangs in the balance.
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