When I backed this documentary during the crowdfunding campaign, I worried that it might end up being a prettier update of the different "making of" or "ten things you didn't know about" videos that we've all seen bits and pieces of all over the internet since time immemorial. (Well - perhaps for the past 20 years). I was pleasantly surprised, though, to discover that this behemoth of a production - clocking in just shy of five hours - feels as though it was deliberately created to avoid covering the same old ground. Aliens: Expanded is fresh, interesting, and engaging. It's a must-see for anyone who even remotely enjoyed the outstanding film and the talented cast that it so lovingly pays tribute to; make no mistake: this *is* a labour of love!
So how did they manage to make something that felt entirely new when the digital world is already replete with books, fan clubs, websites, myriad YouTube videos, documentaries - the whole kit and kaboodle - all dutifully wrung dry by any '426-er worth his cornbread aeons ago? A gigantic chunk of this is down to the fact that the creators have somehow managed to secure virtually every important cast and production member and gather literally hours' worth of interview footage. Yes, we've all heard about James Cameron's fractious relationship with the crew at Pinewood Studios, but now we get a fresh anecdote from Cameron himself about kicking the tea cart over. Every time I thought an old chestnut would be pulled off the open fire like so many granddad stories that you get to hear every time you visit, it's deftly whisked away with due deference to its significance but an understanding of the audience and what we've all seen before. As much as I love them, Cameron, Hurd, and Weaver don't utterly dominate the piece, with oft-unsung participants such as Ricco Ross, Daniel Kash and - everyone, really, regaling us with a bevy of interesting new takes and tales.
They've also managed to augment their talent from the original film with a cadre of megafans and experts who don't just know the film - they have really thought about it, considered its implications, and unpacked its representations and themes. As a high-school English teacher, I use Aliens as a text for essay analysis with my advanced 10th graders (The film is rated M here in Australia, meaning it's OK to use with anyone over 15 years of age), and it was really gratifying to see the documentary delve into the representation of female heroes, corporate self-interest, and the military-industrial complex, family and belonging, leadership, and trauma-all issues we've explored in class, perfectly illustrating how speculative fiction comments on issues relevant to the present day and to our own lives and world. The only shame for me is that the documentary is just too long for me to use with my students, because it would really solidify some of the points that we discuss! Still, I wouldn't cut a minute from the finished product. Quite how something can be so exhaustive yet so succinct might be a mystery for the ages.
Speaking of the running time, it really speaks to the quality of this production that I watched this under less-than-ideal conditions. I was (and still am) enduring a terrible chest cold and, in fact, when I asked my wife to cue it up to watch, we had only planned on watching a few minutes to gauge the quality. Five hours (and a few dozen coughing fits) later, the credits rolled, the evening was gone, and it was time for bed.
On a final note, I have to compliment the team on the heartbreaking yet heartwarming tribute to the late Bill Paxton. It was never maudlin or cloying - it was a simple statement from the heart from people who loved and appreciated the man. Let's face it, anyone who ever saw him act is surely a part of this aforementioned group on some level. A wonderful homage to the man, a brief yet touching moment in a larger homage to the film that I still believe is the high-water mark of James Cameron's cinematic career - bravo.
