MovieChat Forums > Alien³ (1992) Discussion > Don't blame Fincher for this!

Don't blame Fincher for this!

posted 7 years ago by wildj7
26 replies | jump to latest

Poor David Fincher.

Everyone seems to blame him for this mess but it wasn't his fault.

The movie went through several production changes, several scripts rewrites, other directors and producers signing on the project and then quitting or getting fired plus a Writers Guild of America strike, all in the years between 1987 and 1990, before Fincher was brought on.

Some of the directors and writers previously attached to this project during this period of production hell and who also did some work on the early drafts were Renny Harlin, David Twoty and Vincent Ward.

There was even discussion at one time of having James Cameron do this film and if not Cameron, Ridley Scott.

Then during the production and filming of the movie, the 20th Century Fox studio executives kept making changes to the script or showing up on the set unannounced and changing the budget.

Furthermore, when Fincher was signed on and production began, he had to make do with an unfinished script and many unfinished and abandoned sets that were built for the previous script drafts of the movie, hence why some of the sets in the final movie looked out of place.

Fincher had good intention and by the time he finished shooting the film with the big mess he had to work with, 20th Century Fox took his material and cut it to pieces which resulted in the theatrical cut.

I just watched the Director's Cut aka the Assembly Cut which added 37 minutes of footage that was left out of the theatrical cut.

It does makes the movie a bit better than the theatrical cut but it's still a mess and I reiterate once more, don't blame Fincher for this hot mess of a movie, the weakest entry in the Alien Franchise.

By the way the first original script had the movie set on Earth with both Michael Biehn returning as Hicks and Carrie Henn returning as Newt and having it end with an open ending leaving room for a 4th film again with Hicks returning for the 4th film, and both movies were supposed to be filmed back to back to save money on the budget; but some morons at 20th Century Fox decided to change it.

Here's the original teaser trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bk_x9W1xKng

This final version of Alien³ is still better than one of the scripts that were proposed and tossed out: an Alien in a monastery in space with monks.

[–] LetThemEatCake01 7 years ago

actually, this film is great despiTE Fincher.

[–] gbean2397 7 years ago

I wholeheartedly agree, Fincher musn't be blamed for this movie, it's just one of many studio-mandated "products" that had a release date looming on the horizon. It's the Fox executives that should take the blame, Fincher was essentially a victim of their disastrous endeavors. They really treated him, undeservingly, like *beep* throughout the shoot. But I believe the bright side of all this, is that after this film, Fincher went on to make many amazing films, especially Se7en (I even love, LOVE his film Zodiac, such an underrated gem).

[–] Enigma805 7 years ago

Where did you get this information? I have heard Fincher made it a mess. He wasted ridiculous amounts of money and was so overbudget Fox had to get involved and enforce cutbacks to stop him wasting money.

Plus he was constantly fighting with the actors making them do re-run after re-run which in turn put them over time and further overbudget.

Fincher has later become a respectable director but this project was to bif for him at that time of his career and he simply wasn't up to it.

Fox did make a massive error on this movie and that was letting an inexperienced director in charge.

[–] InTheHub 7 years ago

Fincher wanted one alien.
He Got It.

Fincher wanted to shave all the actors heads.
He Got It.

Fincher wanted to change the ox to a dog.
He Got It.

Fincher wanted Ripley to die at the end.
He Got It.

Fincher wanted to remove the Golic/Alien storyline.
He Got It.

I have yet, in 16 years of hearing about how "Fincher didn't get" what he wanted to hear one single god damn example of something he didn't get to do.

His "vision" wasn't compromised, because he didn't have a "vision". He was hired at the last minute to direct a film that didn't even have a finished script and was subject to change based on the studio wants.

I don't give a damn if he had a rough experience shooting the movie, egos can clash, but nothing in any of the behind the scenes suggests he didn't have control. He did have control. Alien 3 is not the kind of film the studio would have wanted...It was the kind of film Fincher and Sigourney wanted.

They keep defending Fincher and then actually listing the bad decisions as his, it's actually pretty funny.

"It was so unfair for David to lose this whole middle section of the film"
"It was Fincher's decision to remove this"

Okay.

"See it with someone you love...Go by yourself"

[–] Enigma805 7 years ago

You make a good point about Alien 3 being The movie the studio wanted.

You are spot on. There is no way the studio would want this style. They would have wanted something like Aliens that would appeal to the masses.

[–] LetThemEatCake (2717) 5 years ago

exactly, Fincher fanboys are beyond pathetic.

[–] crc32 (2584) 6 years ago

Where did you get this information? I have heard Fincher made it a mess. He wasted ridiculous amounts of money and was so overbudget Fox had to get involved and enforce cutbacks to stop him wasting money.

The bonus features on the quadrilogy set shows that the production was in hell before fincher even was brought in.

"Fox did make a massive error on this movie and that was letting an inexperienced director in charge."

He was second pick and inherited a disaster. It was definitly a learning curve for him but he did pretty good with what he got. I mean I hated the film cause newt and hicks got killed off but sarted loving it when Alien resurrection came out. For a while I used to consider Alien 3 to be the proper canonical end of the franchise as Ressurection out right sucked.

[–] K-B-M 7 years ago

The director's cut was pretty decent.

[–] TMC-4 (19392) 7 years ago

Alien 3 - When Studios Interfere

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_r6AWJRV38

Enjoy this in-depth discussion on the extensive pre-production of Alien 3, failed drafts, recycled ideas and the eventual theatrical cut. We also discuss the differences between the theatrical cut and the assembly cut, and which is better.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2MzHnKlhZA

[–] actionkamen (23176) 7 years ago

He took the money, he took the blame.

[–] crc32 (2584) 7 years ago

And the writers are magically innocent for some reason.

[–] actionkamen (23176) 7 years ago

The director can change stuffs on the spot. The writers can't touch the direction.

Of course the writers are not completely innocent, but the director takes a bigger responsibility.

[–] crc32 (2584) 7 years ago

I actually liked the Assembly cut. the only real beef people had with the film was
1) They magically put eggs on the sulaco?
2) They killed off newt and hicks.

[–] Renovatio (2990) 6 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Renovatio (2990) 7 years ago

Alien 3 is superior to Aliens... it's one of the better films in the series and restored darkness, dread and helplessness to the series... A welcome antidote to the family-friendly disney action movie that is Aliens...

Even from the opening credits as the silly ad-hoc family from Aliens is killed off, the kid and the guy soldier, you know Alien 3 is going to be a grim and haunting experience.... Solid move.. a return to form...

The supporting characters are as much a threat initially as the alien... adds to the tension, rather than the GI joe lets-all-together-kill-hordes-of-spacebugs action movie template of Aliens... the Alien 3 inmates are all shaved, grime looking and odd adding to thw creepiness they are also actual characters rather than the oiled-up, prancing, cardboard-cut-out cartoon soldiers of Aliens...

Killing Ripley at the end was also a masterful choice, not only is her sacrifice immoralised thus elevating her character from mere survivor/victim/mother-figure to something far more heroic, but it also emphasized that anyone can die in an Alien movie... no one i safe... well played

[–] LetThemEatCake (2717) 6 years ago

I agree, I love this film, but what we have is no thanks to Fincher, he sucks.

[–] crc32 (2584) 6 years ago

oh what ever you bunch of haters.

[–] LetThemEatCake (2717) 6 years ago

fincher will not fuck you no matter how much you defend him.

[–] crc32 (2584) 6 years ago

Fuck you. I was around back in 1992 I know the history of Alien3 and fincher had nothing to do with it. It was sigourney weaver that wanted to kill off her character and star alone in the movie ande opt for a lone alien with no gun. Her creative controlled crashed the franchise and I was glad they were making a 4th films till I found out she was still in it.

[–] LetThemEatCake (2717) 6 years ago

if that's the case then she didn't ruin it because it is a good film.

[–] crc32 (2584) 6 years ago

and yet you hate on fincher.

[–] LetThemEatCake (2717) 6 years ago

yes because he's terrible.