Halloween Week, Day 2: TooooOOOOHHHOOooooos Day

I drove to our local library yesterday and was awestruck at the sight of these fiery trees who's branches reached out and covered the street in a canopy of red and orange. I was rather sad when I saw it actually, because I knew the leaves would eventually fade and fall off but also because I didn't have a camera on me that could capture the image. I know, I know...I sound almost over dramatic on this subject and you could even call me sappy, but I sincerely feel that fall is lovely. It just makes me feel...warm inside (I say for lack of a better word) despite the chill in the air. I understood then why certain people choose to live in small towns rather than in cities, where there aren't as many trees.

Last night I revisited a new version of an old favorite. The film was Alien, but it was the director's cut.  I haven't watched the director's cut of the film since it was released to theaters in 2003 because I remembered being disappointed with it based on the pacing changes that Ridley Scott made in the editing and the awkward inclusion of the 'Cocoon Scene' at the end.  I decided to watch it again because I wanted to see if I still felt that way.  Turns out, I did.  I mean, I want to like the alternate cut because it includes several scenes that I wish had been left in, like the crew actually listening to the alien transmission and Lambert 'bitch-slapping' Ripley for leaving them outside with Kane.  I enjoy all of these additions, but some of the other exchanges between the crew and shots I liked have been shortened and in some cases, entirely deleted.  That upset me a bit, but the real thing that put me over the edge of dislike is the Cocoon Scene, which is a true disappointment because it was the one scene I really wanted to see back in the film.  It happens in the middle of Ripley's journey back to the shuttlecraft after she has set the ship for self-destruct and completely disrupts the pacing of the scene. I think that this is a mistake, because I remember reading the script and the novelization and noticing that the scene takes place before Ripley begins the self-destruct but after she finds Lambert and Parker, giving her even greater motivation to destroy the ship. Also, the editing of it removes most of Ripley's lines to Dallas leaving her to just stare and burn the place up out of rage.  The film is still good, its just not as good as the original.  I've included the director's cut trailer and the original trailer below.  Happy viewing!



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