Star Beast: Alien Grindhoused

This is certainly a unique and enjoyable way to revisit this classic movie. I was genuinely surprised how well the cheesy disco tracks, elevator music, and timeless pop classics worked to set an entirely different mood and keep my foot tapping. The grindhouse dust and scratches, degradation, etc, all felt very well done, I'm not sure how to judge such a thing but it was all good.

The only negative points I have are the fun changes to the narrative.
I really liked the new plot twist, and it was well executed. However, I was disappointed that this little chuckle was at the tradeoff for one of my favorite scenes of the movie. I was really enjoying the new mood set throughout the movie, so it makes me wonder how the omitted scenes would have been with same treatment.
The silly ending was well done as well, probably as good as this idea could be executed. However, the CGI alien was a heavy detraction from the grindhouse feel, since the entire movie till then was practical effects. Had it been present in the original movie that would have been a revolutionary and stupidly expensive bit of CGI, so definitely took a hit on the grindhouse low budget feel.
This is a really great edit though, that I would recommend to anyone who enjoyed the original.

I've been on a grindhouse fanedit binge as of late, and I decided to watch two of Gieferg's edits: This one and Three ----ing Bears. I personally thought this was the weaker of the two, and sadly, not one of the better grindhouse edits I've come across. But it is what it is, and if you're a die-hard Alien fan, you'll probably enjoy this take on the film.

I'll start with the good. It wasn't boring. The first half of the film is basically Alien, but with a funky '70's soundtrack. For me, the grindhousing of the film begins at around the second half (starting with the infamous chestburster scene). And that second half pretty much saved this edit. I enjoyed seeing the added violence and sexual content/nudity that's been thrown in here. Seeing just how messed up Alien could've been is enough fun to justify seeing this, especially for the fans. I also enjoyed seeing a bunch of outtakes to reduce the acting talents of everyone involved. The alternate ending was an unexpected surprise, but for what it is, it worked.

But with that said, somebody has to talk about the weak spots. My biggest problem with this edit is immersion. While the film gets it right most of the time, when it gets it wrong, it gets it so wrong that it turns you into an angry nerd, complete with the phrase, "What were they thinking?" And I think it comes down to the song choices. I've actually talked with Gieferg over my review of Three ----ing Bears, and his main inspiration for his grindhouse edits comes from TMBTM's Jaws - Sharksploitation Edit, which also featured music that wasn't just limited to x decade. I understand the logic behind this, but at the same time, it's a double-edged sword. When done right, the music ends up being mostly invisible, as in the case of Three ----ing Bears. But when done wrong, the songs stick out like a sore thumb.

The biggest sore thumb I came across was the inclusion of Lenny Kravitz's "Fly Away" in the final 15 minutes. Regardless of what your thoughts are on the artist, why is that in here? I'm guessing that Gieferg was running low on song picks (There are a lot of songs in this edit, so it's a fair assumption), but I think this edit could've been improved if he'd stretched out a little more and searched for a more retro alternative. To me, putting Lenny Kravitz in a grindhoused version of Alien is like putting a Britney Spears song in The Wizard of Oz. It feels so out-of-place and it leaves you wondering why it was chosen. I've also been told that the inclusion of Thriller has divided some too, although I didn't mind that song choice. Still, I feel it's worth bringing up as it applies to what I'm saying here.

If you're somebody who wants a pure, unadulterated and immersive grindhouse experience, where every single detail has been thought out to look like a badly made 16mm funfest from the '60s and '70s, you might be better off looking elsewhere. However, if you're willing to keep an open mind and let go of any judgments you have, you'll probably enjoy it. For all of its faults, I can't honestly say I hated this. I still recommend it. Maybe not as strongly as other reviewers have, but I do recommend it. Just don't expect too much and I think you'll have a good time.

No denying that Alien is a classic in style and substance so a clever editor could only tighten the film up and move the pacing along...or a clever editor could just "screw" with it. Here you go, Alien if it was going to be a low budget slasher/horror film. This is as close as you will get to a drive-in at home and it is one fun party. Hard to rate edits when they are intentionally silly or sloppy. So give this a 10 for fun and being able to watch a classic film in a new light. I would recommend this inventive carnival ride for any fan of the original just to see how ingenious this editor is. Get some Ju Ju Bees, burn some popcorn and get a flat soda and have the drive-in experience in the safety of your own home. Great work!

This is the first Grindhouse style fanedit I have watched. Alien feels like such a great fit for this kind of thing. I was not disapointed. This is great fun. Loved the soundtrack, it gives it a great vibe and would like to have it on my spotify player. The oversaturated visual style really works well for the grindhouse mood as well. The rough deleted scene footage did not feel out of place thanks too the editing style. Some hilarious and unexpected twists especialy towards the end will make this stick in my memory for years.

The only problem with this edit is that the original is superior in narrative, visuals and audio. But I dont think this was meant of a fix 0r replacement for the original. More a fun alternative.

This was Great Fun! Alien gets a Grindhouse treatment! The mix of grain/dirt/damage is very well made and it's fun to see this well shot film can be so dirty looking. 100% Grindhouse. The music was fun as well and I enjoyed this ride a lot.
It will never replace the original but this edit is not meant to do that.
This will take you on a completely different journey.
I loved the missing reel part and maybe there could be more reels missing so the edit could be trimmed down more and have a higher action packed pacing.

I highly recommend this edit!
Keep up the great work!