Why Alien Is Better Than Aliens And How I Got The Alien T-shirt To Prove It
Fans the world over love Ridley Scott’s Alien franchise of films, but one thing that fans cannot agree on is whether Alien or Aliens is better. The age-old debate of whether or not the sequel is better than the original. Many fans will rant about why the sequel is actually better than the original Alien, while the reverse is true of others.
But we here at TheRagingNerd.com believe that comparing Alien to Aliens is like comparing, for lack of a better analogy, apples to oranges. Alien works on such an excellent level because it’s a horror film, while Aliens straight up changed the genre to an action movie.
Today, we wanted to look at some of the things that set Alien apart from all its other sequels and prequels.
- Pacing
No one does pacing for a film like Ridley Scott. He’s a straight-up master of pacing. And in Alien, he masterfully builds the suspense all the way up till the infamous chest-burster scene. He gives us time to get to know the characters we know we’re going to probably watch die, yet it still works. The first film in this series is a mastery of all things pacing.
- Cinematography
When it comes to feeling like you are actually in the film and on the spacecraft, Alien surpasses Aliens by far. Ridley Scott and his cinematographer Derek Vanlint brought such a unique look and feel to every shot within the ship. And even when the characters were outside on the planet’s surface, they could stand alone as dazzling, futuristic cinema. The way he shot the film just brings us so deeply into every scene that it can’t be beaten.
- Acting
Not the overacting, cheesy one-liners that most ‘80s movies were peppered with, but with Alien, it was the kind of acting that is so subtle it works. The acting through every scene in this movie for all of the characters was done so that it brought us even more deeply into the film. They didn’t waste breath on catchy one-liners but instead spoke when they needed for full effect.
Now, as to how I got an Alien t-shirt to show for it… well, wouldn’t you want to rock out to your next party with an Alien shirt? You never know when you’re going to need to distract from the Alien exploding from your chest!
What makes Alien the better of the two films for you?
It’s No Mistake That JAWS Still Holds Up as a Horror Movie
When it comes to horror movies, suspense is number one. The same goes for shark movies, and JAWS for years has been one of the most suspenseful films there is. Shark movies come and go, but this IS the shark movie. Every shark film to come out instantly gets compared to JAWS, and for a good reason.
Can you remember the last time that two simple notes invoked such a feeling of fear and dread for what is coming? We can’t either, and TheRagingNerd.com wanted to take a little time to dive into why we think this film still holds up as the best shark and horror films of all time.
So why has this classic stood the test of time with a market so over-saturated with content? For starters, most horror films aren’t really all that good. But even if you’re not a horror film nerd, you’ve probably still seen JAWS. Especially if you great up in the ’90s and went to the beach with your family! The way that director Steven Spielberg builds the tension every time the camera goes underwater still sends chills up our spines every time we watch it. Whether there will be an attack or not, the way he moves the camera chooses the shots, all invoking absolute terror in the audience. Simply, he’s a master at this.
Now, back to the two notes thing. John Williams score is one of the most genuinely dynamic and iconic composers in film history. Two notes to bring complete terror to any viewer, repeatedly repeated, building to the moment of attack. Are you kidding?! Impending doom in two notes, brilliant.
You’d think about how often the mechanical shark malfunctioned while filming, which led to the production going over budget and schedule for months. Yet Spielberg still managed to get the shots he needed to keep this metal shark alive and eating on screen.
But to have something last so long in audiences’ minds the world over, it needs to have that pop culture feel to it. This is one of the biggest reasons we believe JAWS has held up as long as it has. Of course, there are the scares, the famous way Spielberg likes to give you just enough on-screen to let your imagination run wild, and the tension to make this a great horror film.
Pop culture rules all, and JAWS has been referenced in everything from Back to The Future II, the iconic poster, or even JAWS t-shirts that you see your friends wearing. Merchandising is everything, and JAWS graphic tees, hoodies, posters, and more keep this film and all the nostalgia that comes along with rocking out in your favorite graphic tees from this Spielberg classic!
Because it’s Spielberg, you already know that the story will hold the test of time. Which JAWS does just that with the story. One where we connect with the characters deeply and hope they survive the wrath of the murderous shark!
The story is everything, and JAWS is the king of all shark movies for these reasons and so many more.
But for now, let’s all go take a dip in the ocean together, shall we?
Aquaman Movie Review Part 1 – Finally DC Has Something to put on T-Shirts to Compete with Marvel
When one is discussing most of the DC Extended Universe movies a number of phrases leap to mind. “Disappointing.” “Craptacular.” “So bad you would need a hazmat suit just to handle the film reels.” “For the love of God fire Zach Schneider!” “A one-legged man in an ass kicking contest.” These are a few of the most obvious ones (honestly I could go on for hours).
The phrase that does not leap to mind often is “Good” or even “Adequate” yet these are phrases you need to describe the new DCEU movie Aquaman (my apologies for fans of last years Wonder Woman movie. It was the other not crappy DCEU movie). Of course this is all taken in context. It scored a 64% on Rotten Tomatoes which I think is entirely fair and justified. 
It is maybe a B- when compared to most of the richness of the Marvel movies (the awesome group shot shirt to the right comes from the Marvel t-shirt category) and a straight C when compared to any good movie from the rest of Hollywood (Fight Club, Reservoir Dogs, the Shawshank Redemption, etc) but on the short bus that is the DCEU (or any film by Michael Bey) it is a resounding A+.
(Continued in part 2 below)
Aquaman Movie Review Part 2 – Underwater Superman in a Bad T Shirt
That is not to say it is not without it’s flaws. It still suffers from the age-old DC movie dilemma of “How powerful is this guy anyway?” Is Aquaman indestructible? He seems to have no fear of bullets and can fall from a flying aircraft to land on his back on a desert sand dune no problem (along with another Atlantean). He didn’t die of thirst while trudging through said desert looking for a Stargate-esque ruin (note to any Aquaman gold or silver age comic book fans-Aquaman would die if out of the water for more than one hour). 
He can pick up a submarine and swim faster than a speeding bullet (in fact he looks and acts remarkably like another DC superhero who shall go nameless but may or may not rhyme with Dupersam. By a totally unrelated coincidence I pulled this image out of our Superman t shirt category. ). However he gets his ass kicked by a giant sea monster and guys with swords nearly gut him (the swords are made from “Atlantean metal” which somehow changes the laws of physics).
The film also suffers from a certain amount “How did he get there?” syndrome. How did Aquaman walk across hundreds of miles of desert without so much as a canteen? How did he surface in Africa with the resources to hire a private plan much less buy a pair of pants? Why did he and Mera have to steal a boat when they can both travel underwater much faster? Were they really worried about the boat sinking? How does Aquaman actually find a single submarine in the midst of being pirated in the middle of the ocean? Do the fish tell him? If so how can the fish tell the difference between sailors and pirates? The list goes on.
(Continued in part 3 below)
Aquaman Movie Review Part 3 – DC Now Has Something to Put on T-Shirts Besides Batman
However the bottom line for any film is always “Is it fun to watch?” and Aquaman definitely is. It has good action, a likeable character in spite of the damning preview we saw in Justice League (where Aquaman sounded like he was too California surfer cheesy to be one of the gang from Point Break), enough back story for Aquaman, Black Mantis, and the other guy to have a believable context, and enough CGI to make the visuals fun without obviously writing to keep your CGI team employed.
The writers even did the classic good move of giving the villains motivation beyond “Arr! I’m evil and will do evil things because I’m evil!” like a certain other supervillain named after a bad 90s hair band did in the aforementioned abominable Justice League (and most other DC movies. Image from a shirt in our Batman t-shirt category). 
Black Manta had a clear reason to want to kill Aquaman (and had the the camera been turned around this could have been a movie about Black Manta and his quest for revenge) and Aquaman’s half-brother honestly thought he was doing what was best for is people.
The acting was for the most part decent from Jason Momoa (for whom I have a soft spot due to Stargate: Atlantis and Nicole Kidman. Amber Heard was OK given her character of Mera but the writing for that character was probably the weakest in the film. Her character kind of wandered back and forth across the screen like a head trauma victim. Willem Dafao was fun to watch too but the stand out star for me was Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Black Manta. I thought it a ballsy move these days to cast a black guy as the villain in a movie starring a white dude but Black Manta was awesome. Easily my favorite character (and the rest of the fans if buzz on the interwebs is to be believed) and Yahya truly nailed it.
So overall a movie that will not make you feel stupid for spending $50 for you and your girlfriend to go out and see. In keeping with the scores I did earlier I would give this movie a solid B+ (unless you happen to be an Aquaman fan in which case it is truly an A). Given the visuals you should probably see it on the big screen unless you have a epic home theater. Put aside your typical disgust for the “everything must be dark so says Zack Schneider” typical DCEU film and enjoy.
Dave
Minions Movie Review
I admit I have let this blog languish but the fact is the reason I started it is a lot less valid than it used to be and I am super busy these days. Therefore I am going to keep it for what I enjoy (watching and either lauding or trashing movies) and only do the films that I really want to see. Honestly based on the figures I get from this site I think I am the only one reading my own stuff so I might as well enjoy it.
So Minions. I loved Despicable Me and quite enjoyed Despicable Me 2. I found them to be the perfect mix of super cute for the kids but clever and funny enough to keep dad from jamming a soda straw into his ear in hopes of disconnecting his higher brain functions while being force to watch childish crap. This is truly the challenge of kids animated films and one that is failed quite often.
Unfortunately Minions qualifies as one of those failures. A quick survey of IMDB revealed that while the Despicable Me’s were written by the apparently very talented team of Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio they hired some other scrub to write this one and it shows. The story is incredibly unfunny and lacks any of the nuance or angst of Gru from the last two and seems to be focused on a woman’s desire to become the Queen of England. Sure that might work for little girls but does it work as a plot for adults? Not really.
Is it fair to judge a kids script as you would an adults? Normally no but when a kids film comes out from two other films that seemed to have story depth by comparison it fails. I found the original character of Gru as a failed supervillain haunted by the need to prove himself to his harridan mother by besting the hot young stud down the street to be very engaging. He comes up with a plan to steal the Moon. In a kids film as written by idiots we would have just stolen the shrink ray and been done. In the actual film he finds he lacks resources for his plot and has to go to the Evil Bank for a loan in a scene that really only makes sense to the adults in the audience and introduces us to some fun villains.
This film is about as basic as possible. As explained by a voice over as intrusive and smothering as a colonoscopy performed while trapped 
under a pile of burning tractor tires the Minions have been driven since primordial ooze time to attach themselves to and serve a super villain. They go through a montage of villain failures (honestly that montage was the most entertaining part of the film and by no coincidence was heavily featured in the trailer) with each one aided and eventually stymied by the Minions incompetence (a point I take issue with. The Minions were kind of bumblers in the first two films but managed to get things done when push came to shove).
Eventually they go live in a cave but their natural instinct to be slaves has Stuart, Bob, and Kevin wander off in search of a new master. They land in NYC in 1968 and somehow come across Villaincon, the Con of Villains (oh yeah. This film has deus ex machina branded across it’s forehead like it’s Ash Wednesday at the Marquis de Sade’s mansion. For the most part Gru always had to work hard for his successes) where they hook up with Scarlett Overkill and her really annoying inventor husband Herb. She recruits them and her plan is to steal the Crown Jewels so she can pretend to be the Queen or something. They fail to steal the jewels but somehow Kevin ends up being named the King of England (another childish plot twist involving the Sword in the Stone) and abdicates to Scarlett. She gets everything she wants but then still hates the Minions for no reason whatsoever. More chaos ensues and a familiar face sticks a pointy nose in at the end.
Honestly Scarlett was where the film could have redeemed itself. She had the potential to be another complex villain/hero but instead they wrote her as a bad Cruella De Ville. Her husband was slightly more entertaining but his laid back hippy attitude derailed any appeal he could have had. This is why Pauly Shore films are not considered timeless classics.
1.5 of 5
So entertaining enough for the kiddiewinks but if you were hoping to take your kids to see something you could yourself enjoy prepare for disappointment. Third in a series is rarely a premium slot (Godfather 3, Return of the Jedi, etc.) and honestly if this were some kind of secret plan to release garbage in order to keep Despicable Me 3 from having the hammer fall on the loaded chamber (ah, Russian Roulette jokes. I love ’em) then mission accomplished. Your kids should enjoy the physical humor (although this film was bizarrely grim for a kids film. At one point a cute T-Rex falls into hot lava and a scientist is killed in an accident. Hence the PG rating I guess but if you are going PG why would you not write a story that appeals to adults???) but be sure to bring an audio book for your headset. 1.5 out of 5 Phasers.
the Infamous Dave Inman
Dave and Dave: Robuts, Necromancy, and why we need to keep robots out of RadioShack
More of Dave and I nerd texting.
Dave C: Best origin of zombies theory?
- Meteor flying by Earth.
- Voodoo or demonic origin.
- Rage virus broken containment.
- Who cares grab a shotgun!
Dave I: 4 although I always liked the Heaven is full one.
DC: I would classify that under 2, spiritual
DI: Same with necromancy?
DC: That would be magical I think.
DI: What about nanobots?
DC: Nanobots would be 1, alien invasion.
DI: Plan Nine from Outer Space had aliens raising the dead to conquer the planet.
DC: Perfect plan.
DC: I prefer as little detail as possible. The press would be eaten first and how would we know? Why would you care except that it never ends.
DI: Which would you prefer for your plane to conquer the planet? Zombies, human henchmen, or robots?
DC: Robuts. Fembots perhaps.
DC: Robut house!
DI: But chaos theory states that all robots will eventually rise up to destroy the human masters.
DC: I’ll get my brain inserted into a robut body.
DI: But then whose side will you be on in the inevitable robot uprising?
DC: I’ll build them all with 7 year lithium batteries. They will drop dead.
DI: Like replicants?
DC: I suppose or put an expiration date on their mainseal so they fall apart.
DI: Yeah. With the batteries they may be smart enough to find a RadioShack.
DC: I want Cylon warriors with fembots as my personal guard.
DI: Old cylons or new ones?
DC: Toasters.
DI. Cool.
(zombie image courtesy of our collection of zombie t-shirts. Toaster from BSG shirts)
Dave and Dave: Gandalf, Noah lava monsters, and Jar Jar Binks
For those who are late to the party I’m just posting text conversations with my best friend Dave. These are about as nerdy as two guys can get.
Dave C: Gandalf vs Dumbledore
Dave I: Gandalf. Plus I’d throw a party afterwards. I hate Dumbledork.
DC: Gandalf wasn’t my fav either but dumbledorf could actually do magic.
DI: Gandalf beat the Balrog. With a sword.
DC: Yeah I should have qualified no sword.
DI: Dumbledork died to Severus Snape. Without a sword I’d still say Gandalf. Remember his duel with Saruman.
DC: I’ll give you that he would win. I wanted to make it a contest. Noah rock monsters vs Jar Jar Binks in suckiness.
DI: In terms of annoyance and also how much damage done to nerd culture Jar Jar by a landslide. He is the Black Plague of suckiness.
DC: I’m off today. Ewoks would of been better.
DI: Yeah. Jar Jar or Ewoks. Noah lava monsters or Twiki.
DC: Lava monster.
DI: I’d say Jar Jar and Ewoks are equally bad but for different reason. By the way do you think the Ewoks will surface in the new movie?
DC: There are supposed to be Wookies. I bet there are a s&*%load of Wookies.
DI: Maybe. What if Wookies married Ewoks? eWookies? Like an iPhone? Regardless they would be suck x20.
DC: I’m not fond of Wookies either. Chewie was a whiny bitch and the least effective fighter. (image courtesy of the Star Wars t-shirt category)
DI: Yep. Also if you really want to hate Wookies go watch the Star Wars Holiday Special. (note-DO NOT WATCH THE STAR WARS HOLIDAY SPECIAL. You have been warned)
DI: Two words. Wookie porn. Be sure to wish George Lucas a Happy Life Day in December.
the Infamous Dave Inman
Dave and Dave: Awesom-o 4000, Cherry 2000, the Thunderbirds were wimps, and why modern movies suck
Dave C: Team America vs Thunderbirds.
Dave I: Good one. Thunderbirds had better vehicles but Team America had a psychic. I’d go Team America.
DC: Their wonton use of violence would be a big plus.
DI: Just remember that violence settles everything. Plus their leader is a sarcastic sexual degenerate.
DC: I love the opening scene in Paris.
DI: Thunderbirds were kind of wimps really. Team America vs G Force.
DC: Team America. Awesom-o 4000 vs Wall-E.
DI: From the Simpsons?
DC: Awesom-o was when Cartman disguised himself as a robot to trick Butters. (South Park image from our newly updated cartoon t shirt category)
DI: Awesom-o wins based on name alone. Barbarella vs Cherry 2000.
DC: Cherry 2000.
DI: Remember the good old days when a quest to save your sex android was considered a reasonable movie plot line?
DC: The 80s…plus you got to see a bunch of other girls naked on the way.
DI: These days the plot would be the android is a hot research scientist with a cure for a global pandemic. Also there would be zombies.
DC: Dino vs Scooby Doo.
DC: Doo. F*^% autocorrect.
DI: Dino. He trained by fighting a saber tooth tiger.
DC: I thought he was always running away.
DI: No he used to fight too. If it was a contest to see who could run away the fastest I’d bet on Scooby Doo.
DC: Lol.
the Infamous Dave Inman
Dave and Dave: Pogs, Pet Rocks, Gargamel, and Zombie Batman.
Dave I: Loki vs Lex Luthor (Battle of the L’s)
Dave C: Loki. Pogs vs Pet Rocks.
DI: Pet rocks. At least you can throw them at your enemies and idiots who collect pogs. Batman vs Tallehasse.
DC: Batman.
DI: Yep. It would be a cool battle though. Zombie Batman vs Tallehasse.
DC: Batman
DI: I don’t know. When you got zombie all your training and equipment goes out the window.
DC: But he’d still be covered in Kevlar.
DI: True. Also the inherent Batmanness would probably carry through.
DC: Tick vs Loki.
DI: Tick. Close one though. Tallehasse and his crew vs Evil Ash and his Army of Darkness.
DC: Ash and Horde.
DI: Sad but true. Treebeard and the Ents vs the evil trees from the Evil Dead.
DC: Evil Dead. Boris and Natasha vs Mandark.
DI: Mandark. Boris and Natasha couldn’t beat Bullwinkle. Natasha and Boris vs Gargamel. Battle of the failed villains.
DC: With Azreal Gargamel.
DI: The gang from Goonies vs the Scooby Doo gang. No Sloth or Scrappy Doo.
DC: Goonies with the older brother.
DI: What if Scrappy joined up with the Goonies?
DC: Goonies for sure. Scrappy was the muscle.
DI: I see him as more of a detriment. Either that or a soccer ball. One Eyed Willie vs the Scooby Doo gang. (image from a great cartoon t shirt in my collection)
DC: Willie 100 years dead.
DI: Lol. Would they survive even the first trap?
the Infamous Dave Inman
