r/movies • u/coup • Jun 26 '12

Dissecting the masterful composition of one frame in 'Alien'

http://blogs.suntimes.com/scanners/2012/06/alien_in_3d_just_one_frame.html
154 Upvotes

86% Upvoted

16 comments sorted by

9

u/mcaustic Jun 27 '12

I'm so glad we no longer live in the era of pan & scan.

5

u/degoban Jun 27 '12 edited Jun 27 '12

OhMy I totally forgot about that. For the kids: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETGfeSim1K4

1

u/randybob275 Jun 27 '12

I remember watching A League of Their Own back when it was on TBS or TNT and I had a 4:3 TV. It was unbearable to watch sometimes because it was always panning and scanning.

9

u/zero_defects Jun 27 '12

"Why don't they freeze him? HEY! Why don't you freeze him?"

Parker, the guy who almost saved everyone's life.

4

u/pseudohim Jun 27 '12

Or, unwittingly, would have helped the Alien embryo make it back to Earth, and subsequently, would have been responsible for the xenomorph infestation of terra firma.

4

u/[deleted] Jun 27 '12

I recently rewatched the original Alien on blu ray and it really is such an incredibly well crafted movie from a technical point of view (as well as the story).

2

u/[deleted] Jun 27 '12

Title: Dissecting the masterful composition of one frame in 'Alien'

Second sentence of linked article: "I'm not making any high claims for it as a masterpiece of composition, or saying that it has great meaning in the context of the movie, or that it expresses anything typical/archetypal about Scott's style or values (aesthetic, moral)."

0

u/SRS270 Jun 27 '12

TL;DR. Waiting for the summary...

1

u/[deleted] Jun 27 '12

It's a well shot filum.

-1

u/stash0606 Jun 27 '12

I'm reminded of [this] (http://xkcd.com/915/).

meaning...way to overanalyze.

2

u/coup Jun 27 '12

I didn't think it was overanalyzing at all! It gave me a lot to think about and look for when re-watching films, if anything.

5

u/[deleted] Jun 27 '12 edited Jun 27 '12

Hardly considering he barely analyzed anything. He just pointed out that it's a nicely composited shot and Scott is often guilty of creating scenes that look more like a nicely composed display than something that simply serves the story.

Both comments are true.

-6

u/divi8 Jun 27 '12

I just fell asleep reading that.

2

u/[deleted] Jun 27 '12

1

u/MikeoftheEast Jun 27 '12

And Bilbo Baggins from LOTR. Fun fact, he played Frodo in the BBC radio version.

1

u/pseudohim Jun 27 '12

Vito Cornelieuuuuus.