OUT NOW IN BOOKSTORES: 'ALIEN - RIVER OF PAIN'

A prelude to the Xenomorph war, ALIEN: River of Pain bares its teeth!

Arriving in stores and online with the ferocious speed of a Facehugger attack comes TITAN BOOKS final entry in the all-new ALIEN 35th Anniversary series- River of Pain. Respected genre talent Christopher Golden's eagerly awaited telling of the tragedy of the doomed Hadley's Hope colonists seen in the 1992 Special Edition of James Cameron's barnstorming action/scare fest ALIENS, reveals how the biological Xenomorph threat would be unwittingly reborn to cause bloody terror and chaos anew...

Facing greater dangers than ever before: Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) and Newt (Carrie Henn) in ALIENS.

Check out the KOOL TV review here: KOOL TV REVIEW: 'ALIEN - RIVER OF PAIN' NOVEL

Get ALIEN: River of Pain here: Alien: River of Pain (Novel #3): Amazon.co.uk: Christopher Golden: 9781781162729: Books

AN IMPORTANT POINT OF VIEW: CHARLES LIPPINCOTT LOOKS BACK ON 'STAR WARS'

A striking unused B/W poster concept for the original STAR WARS. Image: via Charles Lippincott's FACEBOOK page.

One of the original STAR WARS greatest allies on its path to cinematic realisation had to be its young and dedicated publicist Charles Lippincott. Lippincott was the man, as advertising/publicity supervisor, who helped sell the concept of a sci-fi/fantasy adventure to a blinkered film studio and a world audience at that time, in the seventies, when this particular genre was pretty much dead and buried thanks to a wave of dark-edged anti-hero thrillers and big-budget, big-starred disaster movies. George Lucas's production, though seemingly considered small budget at the nine million dollar mark, filming in the UK with at first little or no interest from the entertainment industry, was nonetheless a complex affair to organise in concept and practical execution, alongside the job of getting the film's vital visual effects and post production schedule on course and conceiving the film's unique flavour in all kinds of advertising and publicity, from posters to TV advertising, and eventual spin-off merchandise. Lippincott to a very large degree was involved in all these areas, and more, as well as providing many of the key of-their-time publicity interviews with Hamill, Ford, Fisher and co. later to be unearthed by Lucasfilm's Don Bies and J.W. Rinzler for the latter's acclaimed THE MAKING OF STAR WARS book of 2007 (now available in revised e-book form).

Lippincott (centre) in 1977, with FAMOUS MONSTERS magazine legend Forrest J. Ackerman (left) and Shel Dorf (right).  Photo by Alan Light.

Previously self-removed for the most part from the STAR WARS universe until around five or six years ago, Lippincott has made a welcome return presence and created a unique FACEBOOK page on the genesis and evolution behind the scenes of the first film, before it became A New Hope, putting up some rare, incredible imagery, artworks (like the one above) and production paperwork in his quest to debunk some of the now classic, and incorrect, behind the scenes mythos on the making of that first film between 1975 and 1977 that have evolved over the years. Having also been involved in publicity for the next FOX- backed sci-fi project, the equally iconic ALIEN, and buying the rights to the UK's 2000 AD comic character of almost vigilante future super-cop JUDGE DREDD, who eventually made his way to cinema screens first in 1995 with Sylvester Stallone in the title role, Lippincott's FACEBOOK page is an essential "Like" and "Follow"- a genuine treasure trove of memories and nostalgia to savour and celebrate.

Star Wars marketing man Charles Lippincott on the real force behind the franchise's success | The Drum

FACEBOOK PAGE: Charles Lippincott

OUT NOW IN UK PAPERBACK: 'ALIEN - SEA OF SORROWS'

Primal scream! The ALIEN franchise continues. Image: TITAN BOOKS.

Terror never dies, and neither does the Xenomorph threat-the true dark heart of the ALIEN film franchise- as the second of the all-new book trilogy from TITAN, officially authorised by 20th CENTURY FOX, arrives in mass-market paperback, featuring the debut of one of Ellen Ripley's descendants, caught in the machinations of the evil Weyland-Yutani company's latest bid to capture the creatures for themselves. Welcome to James A. Moore's intriguing and often quite blood-thirsty tale: Sea of Sorrows.

Check out the review here: KOOL TV REVIEW: 'ALIEN - SEA OF SORROWS' NOVEL

Get hold of it here: Alien - Sea of Sorrows (Book 2) (Alien Trilogy 2): Amazon.co.uk: James A. Moore: Books

OF FIRE AND SELF-SACRIFICE! 'ALIEN 3' RETURNS TO UK PAPERBACK

Terror beneath the skin. ALIEN 3 makes its mark in novel form. Image: TITAN BOOKS.

Destroying the entire bio weapon Xenomorph threat on the distant human colony/mining world of the icy wind battered Acheron, and gaining a new mini "family" of sorts in the process- last surviving Colonial Marine Dwayne Hicks, damaged but operable synthetic android Bishop, and a new daughter with the once orphan Newt- Warrant Officer Ellen Ripley had seemingly triumphed over her insecurities and long-time fears, believing that her terrifying ordeals in the depths of space were finally over, that her long cryosleep journey back to Earth would be pleasant and uneventful, and that the nightmare which first begun on the ill-fated Nostromo fifty seven years earlier had been well and truly extinguished.

She was wrong...

▶ Alien 3 - Official® Trailer [HD] - YouTube

▶ Alien3 Trailer (1992) - YouTube

▶ Alien 3 (1992) Trailer C - YouTube

Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) returns to face her darkest hour. Film images: FOX.

A new type of Alien threatens the prison colony.

Working from the original, hurriedly written but solid script from David Giler, Walter Hill and Larry Ferguson, which had to replace several years worth of now aborted earlier works conceived with directors Renny Harlin and Vincent Ward (whose daring and imaginative scenario was eventually adapted to a degree by the trio), acclaimed novelist Alan Dean Foster completes his superb trio of Classic ALIEN franchise adaptations with his tense, suspenseful, exciting and occasionally disturbing incarnation of ALIEN 3, originally brought to cinematic life (and death) with a complete lack of any post-ALIENS feel good vibes, and under intense studio pressure and interference from 20th CENTURY FOX, by then newcomer director David Fincher, soon carving out an underrated modern 1991 classic: a stunning looking descent into hell finale (well, at the time it was supposed to be the finale!) battle between woman and nightmare monster- a highly charged tale of horror and building atmosphere for our favourite space horror heroine Ellen Ripley that would take away everything that she'd ever loved and felt secure by, mostly established at the end of the blockbuster thrill ride that had been James Cameron's ALIENS, and satisfyingly destroying it all!

Trapped on the hostile prison planet world of Fury 161, its a hard struggle for our ill and uncomfortable icon- a lone woman trapped amongst male murderers, rapists and religious maniacs. But when a singular alien threat, created from a unique new life cycle, returns- and the impossible scenario she'd hoped destroyed is suddenly, alarmingly made manifest again- the ultimate lion amongst the sheep- Ripley must use all her experience, strength of character and what little technological resources she has at her disposal, to fight back. Fate also leaves one last unpleasant and individual calling card for her, too - a vicious and doom-laden surprise linked to the late Alien Queen's last hatched egg- which will see Ripley having no choice but to confront her ultimate and unavoidable finale destiny...

"The Bitch is Back!"

Previous ALIEN films had had cut scenes, mostly for length reasons, but the scissor work and re-shoots made to the overall narrative of ALIEN 3 back in 1992 was often just plain distressing- courtesy of the 20th CENTURY FOX behind the scenes teams desperate attempts to make this moody art house/horror combination film (whose director wanted it to be a cinematic experience more in line with Ridley Scott's original 1979 movie) fit their box office "vision" of what a populist summer blockbuster should be. Thankfully, the written adaptation has none of these problems and reads well with regards to tightly structured pace and character development- in some ways Dean Foster improves on the story, especially with the supporting characters, who, with the exception of the strong lead figure of the prisoner's religious "Brotherhood": Dillon, excellent in both book and film versions (played by Charles S. Dutton), the diverse histories and interrelationships of the Fury prisoners gain welcome depth in certain areas, some of them no longer pretty much interchangeable monster fodder as witnessed on screen. Further originally executed but deleted scenes (like the rescue of crash-landed Ripley from the planets oil sea shore, and the cattle 'birth' of the alien) also make for intriguing and more logical reading in comparison to the final cinematic results.  Particularly noteworthy and important is the return of the  films excised middle, as Ripley and the baldy men finally trap the alien in a secure strong room, only for one of the facility's insane murderers, Golic, now worshipping the creature as an Angel of Death-like figure, releasing it to cause havoc anew. I also recall that, as the book neared its page-turning, doom-laden final chapters, my original reading of it back in the day, before the films eventual UK release, proved a somewhat emotional experience, what with the author's efficiently describing the tragic but noble end for Ripley, making the ultimate sacrifice to prevent the corrupt Company from getting hold of the Alien for its weapons division, thus stopping any further destruction from spreading across the cosmos. A genuinely sad but necessary, and totally in character, demise for our true-intentioned heroine.

TITAN BOOKS reprinting of these classic Alan Dean Foster books this past ALIEN 35th Anniversary franchise year has been most welcome and nostalgically rewarding. But they are just the appetiser for two more brand new, upcoming officially authorised books on the blood red horizon, continuing the horror of the Alien life cycle with zestful apocalyptic shine. Prepare to experience the true and draughty stuff of nightmares all over again... 

Get hold of ALIEN 3 the novel here: Alien 3: The Official Movie Novelization (Aliens) eBook: Alan Dean Foster: Amazon.co.uk: Kindle Store

More features across this site: STAR WARS AFICIONADO MAGAZINE: ALIEN

RETURN TO TERROR! ALAN DEAN FOSTER's 'ALIENS' - BACK IN PRINT

The Giger factor! The Xenomorphs are unleashed in ALIENS. Image: TITAN BOOKS.

She thought the nightmare was over, but warrant officer Ellen Ripley, last survivor of the destroyed commercial tow Nostromo, awakens from a malfunctioning cryosleep to discover a changed universe and the unwelcome return of the Xenomorph threat-this time in legion form- on the planet LV-426, home to the immense "derelict" craft she and her once crew previously encountered in deep space, now inhabited by a terraforming colony run by the insidious and all-corrupting Weyland Yutani- "The Company"- who will stop at nothing to procure the Alien species for their own twisted ambitions and growing power base. Alongside a squad of hard-bitten, top colonial marines believing themselves experienced and powerful enough to neutralise the threat, Ripley, in order to conquer her own personal demons and help rescue the colonists, has no choice but to return to the world that has spawned such organic terrors- but can even she prepare herself for the horrors and ordeals that lay ahead?

In the lair of evil: Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) and Newt (Carrie Henn).

ALIEN had been such an incredible smash-hit back in 1979 that there was no way that 20th CENTURY FOX weren't going to do a sequel at some point. Fortunately, despite the departure of Ridley Scott, who had put such an incredible and unique stamp on the first film, writer/producers Gordon Carroll, Walter Hill and David Giler were able to hire a new talent and inspiring film-maker in his own right to tackle part two- a person just starting out in his career as Scott had done eight years before, and with a low budget sci-fi epic that had just hit the big-time on the cult circuit: THE TERMINATOR- yes, the now iconic James Cameron, bringing his love of technology, weapons and warfare to the saga with this brilliantly made, tense and genuinely exciting horror/action/ sci-fi confectionery which would also be a genuinely worthy successor and vital continuance to the ALIEN franchise, featuring an Academy Award nominated performance for Sigourney Weaver as Ripley, who gets to show her maternal side in between operating flamethrowers and bazookas!

A new threat appears with the Alien Queen.

In book form, Alan Dean Foster returns to adapt the saga, and manages to build on the great work he did transforming the original film. That time, he likely had only the original script and no reference photos of the Alien to work with, which, turned into a positive, allowed him to build up the claustrophobia and sweat-inducing tensions on the Nostromo. Now, with the original's passing, he knows the creatures and the character of the fascinating heroine opposing them, giving us a richer, deeper and even more exciting book than the first one, of which he build on certain plot elements and smoothes over any possible potential plot/continuity inconsistencies. There's also several new facets added to the Xenomorphs themselves: we find out out that they have a "stinger" ability that can paralyse their victims, and, alongside the impressive and scary new evolution that is the Alien Queen, Dean Foster introduces smaller versions of the original aliens- Drones- to assist her vile pod laying. Additionally rewarding to readers during this ones original release is the fact that, with no such thing as the ALIENS: SPECIAL EDITION version at that point, this sprightly adaptation keeps all of the original deleted scenes intact within its pages-not forced out like they were in the 1986 theatrical cut (requested of Cameron by FOX in order to keep a two hour running time at cinemas and keep the box office profits flowing), giving us our first taster of the superb sequences that would eventually resurface (more on Ripley's late daughter, the colonists discovery of the decayed alien derelict and the final demise of the loathsome Company man Carter Burke being notable standouts).

TITAN BOOKS 2014 reprinting of the Alan Dean Foster ALIEN novels, alongside up and coming new materials linking it all into one disturbing, evolving gestalt, has proved a welcome move, especially in the run up to the eventual continuation of the series in prequel form with PROMETHEUS 2, likely due around 2016.

Get hold of the book here: Aliens: The Official Movie Novelization: Amazon.co.uk: Alan Dean Foster: Books