Home Video Exclusives

[JohnIan101]

Past Tense


[An earlier version of this PT was originally posted on February 16th, 2012 on JoBlo's "DVD, Blu-Ray & Home Theater Discussion" forum.]

Time to pull out a can of Raid, this week we battle "Aliens Vs. Predator: Requiem"...



The motion picture opened on December 25th, 2007. It was made with a budget of $40,000,000 (estimated) and grossed over 41 million during its U.S. theatrical run. It made its money back with profits when including foreign receipts (over two times domestic gross). The film opened number six at the box office, the following week it dropped to number eight.

The feature opened against "I Am Legend", "Juno", "Enchanted" and "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street".

This release originally came with an embossed cardboard slipcover which was different from the case's wraparound.



The first image is the slipcover (above left). One of the few titles in my collection which has this. It also came with a Digital Copy instruction insert.

DC expired on April 14th, 2009.

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There was a single exclusive from Best Buy, a thirty page mini comic - this was for DVD only. This set streeted on April 15th, 2008 and sold for $22.99. A minimum of ten copies per store. Anyhow, I say mini since it's smaller than a regular comic book. Unlike most minis, this won't fit inside the DVD case nor under the slipcover. Superficial grievance? Sure, but this isn't...

The gummy glue used to secure the comic to the slipcase and the comic to the data sheet (DVD bonus features list) - stains. Did image correction because there's a huge blot going across the cover.

I don't understand; the exclusive was under the plastic wrapping.

Not like the comic was gonna fall off.



Anyhow, the comic is a bit remarkable since it's a fully self-contained tale, "Aliens Vs. Predator: Deadspace". That usually doesn't happen and was bleak.

Told the tale of a pair of doomed stellar salvagers, Dennis and Carl; both men in space suits drifting to their deaths. The men came upon a derelict, ship wide power gone. As they explore the vessel with dead crew in zero gravity, they theorize what might have occurred; a pressurization failure.

Their thoughts are overlaid by reality.

Not a simple breach, alien infestation - making matters worse a pair of Predators are hunting the xenomorphs resulting in unintentional human deaths; a spear meant for an alien hits a woman, acid blood splatter hits people and such. There is a subplot of Dennis trying to tell his friend that he slept with his wife. Inside the cargo hold they find a dead, chained alien queen, disemboweled - the source of the breach. Its blood had eaten a hole in the hull.

Impression given is that we had caught a queen and were transporting her, somehow some Predators got wind of it and pursued. As they examine the scene, both are nearly killed by an alien, unaffected by the vacuum. They are saved if you want to call it that, by the Predators who are still stalking their prey. As it turns out the ship is crawling with aliens; dumb luck that the men didn't run into them earlier.

In the resulting melee Dennis is pushed out of the hole by his partner. Carl follows hoping to save his friend. He reaches him and shoots off a tether to reel them back inside. But one of the Predators kills an alien with its bladed gauntlet, its blood hits the rope, melting it.

Out numbered, a Predator detonates a bomb, the resulting blast separate the men.

Dennis in a free fall towards a planet below - on the edge of burning in the atmosphere. Carl is pushed toward ship debris. During this time the adulterer confesses; a moment of weakness, it meant nothing. Dennis hears his friend die as he burns up. No time to grieve, Dennis finds himself surrounded by three aliens who were not killed by the explosion, ready to pounce from the debris. The end.

The rear includes an "AvP" pin-up gallery; various artwork of Predators fighting aliens. The comic was released by Dark Horse Comics; written by Mike Kennedy with art by Francisco Ruiz Velasco.

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Footnotes.



What you see above is the Alien/Predator hybrid; nicknamed Predalien. Can't say I like the construction. I much prefer the design created for another exclusive.

Action figure exclusive from the former chain store, Kay Bee Toys (also known as K•B Toys). Remember them?

Man, that was a big part of my childhood, vanished into the ether. Granted, we still have Toys R Us, but it's not the same, especially since they're over priced there.



Released in 1998 from Kenner was "Night Recon Predator". I didn't take these photos, I found them online from fellow enthusiast, Nite-Lik.

I have two of these, sway.

One is on the shelf, next to my printer (with knife). The other is mint on card, boxed away.

Yes, I'm a collector.



Night Recon Predator was part of Kenner's then toy line, "Aliens: Hive Wars" (1998). That's what the hybrid should've looked like (or similar)! Just add the sharp whipping tail and you're done. Above is an image from the back of the blister card.

From left to right: "Night Recon Predator" with stalking knife; "Integer 3" with spring loaded gun, face guard and Cyborg bug; "Acid Alien" (isn't that a bit redundant?); "Warrior Predator" with battle staff and face mask; "Hive Warrior Alien" and "Corporal Hicks" with Cyber dog and blaster gun (when did he get an eye patch? And he died in "Alien3" [1992], maybe he walked it off).

The Aliens' Hive Planet - A new Predator hunting ground for deadly alien xenopods! The heroic Marines, a team of Cyborg-tech warriors, have volunteered to destroy the Alien menace before the entire universe is demolished. It's the galaxy's last chance for survival, as the vicious Aliens, ferocious Predators and fearless Marines clash in the ultimate battle of domination!

- blister card



Here's a close-up of the figure in question. It has five points of articulation; head (but not jaw), arms and legs. Notice something?

He's missing his 'stalking knife', someone's not getting pudding.

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Rant.



There are a lot of negative comments for this movie, but I enjoyed it - nothing beyond a popcorn flick. I like it way more than the film before it (which had canon issues and rather big plot holes). "Requiem" has good action and pace. Granted, I know I'm in the minority.

What I rather liked is how dark it was, it went places where other Alien films didn't dare go. Like the Predalien coming across the hospital's maternity ward and just impregnating all the women there. Frak! That's harsh. Even in the beginning, no one is spared not even a little kid.

I recall filmmakers making such a big deal showing the Predator home world, it was okay - it's there for a minute. Nice yes, but over hyped.



I like the fact that it picks up right from the last film. The gore scenes were good, what I had hoped. Glad this was rated R, they had balls to do what they did. I was kinda bummed that the hot girl, Jesse (Kristen Hager) got killed. Her death was kinda a surprise - it just happens (just as in real life).

Too bad she didn't make it to the end. But it would've had a better value if it wasn't SHOWN in the trailer. WTF?

By the way, Reiko Aylesworth (Kelly) is adorable. I liked her as Michelle Dessler on Fox's "Twenty-Four", too bad her character got killed too (season five - first episode). Sure, that's a spoiler.

Just so you know, this unrated DVD has eight minutes of restored footage. What I don't like is that I can't toggle the audio for the commentaries. You have to go the main menu and select 'Special Features' to change each and every time. Stupid logic.

I do agree with all the folks who moan about it. This is far too dark - as in illumination, a lot of what you see is just perceivable. I did not see the movie in the theaters, so I am unable to confirm...

But looking about, there are claims that the home video release (DVD and BD) is darker than what was shown during it's theatrical run. If true, why? Why would 20th Century Fox do such a thing?

One of rumors is that the studio was not happy with all the bitching about the effects and decided to make it less light so you couldn't see the visual effects weak points, the CGI.

The bits shown in the trailer is easy to see (even with the color grading), before the darkening. *shrugs* Don't know, could be true.

That it for now; come back here on February 25th, 2016 for another encounter with the undead. It's bloody so bring your umbrella.