Hacked By Ahmed 01 Nerd News & Needs
Another FANtastic Houston Comicpalooza has come and gone and like a certain type of “egg”, it left quite the impression! One of the biggest draws for this particular con is the fact that it has drawn some of the biggest names again and again these last several years. From Stan Lee to Jeremy Renner, Comicpalooza is definitely a pop culture convention to add to your radar.
On Saturday, we made sure NOT to miss an event celebrating one of the biggest and baddest sci-fi movie events of all time – the Aliens 30th Anniversary Reunion Panel! Not for some time has this cast gotten together but the stars aligned and brought Carrie Henn, Paul Reiser, Jenette Goldstein, William Hope, Mark Rolston, Ricco Ross, Bill Paxton, and of course….Sigourney Weaver! The huge Grand Assembly Room at the George R. Brown Convention Center was packed with fans of the highly successful franchise who pretty much shouted out the actor’s character names as the panel was called onto the stage! Ripley a.k.a. Sigourney got the standing ovation as she was introduced last. The actors discussed several topics during the panel such as favorite scene from the film, thoughts on reading the script for the first time, and getting nervous during shooting a scene.
The panel moderators wasted no time and jumped right into the questions. Paxton led off with his opener in classic Hudson-fashion when asked how their Houston trip had been, to which he responded: “HOT!”
Highlights of the panel:
“How do you reflect back on that film [Aliens]?”
Sigourney Weaver: It’s so wonderful to see everyone. It’s a really good group so thank you for giving us another reason to get together. I’d like to thank everyone for coming…you guys are so warm and polite and welcoming. Looking back, I’m so proud to be part of a movie that plays so well even today.
It’s great to be with these guys and this grown woman here [refers to Carrie Henn]….I keep trying to pick her up and run with her but she won’t let me!
“Paul, the experience of doing Aliens in your body of work, where does it fall for you?”
Paul Reiser: It’s a phenomenal body..let’s just take a moment ’cause you brushed right past it..
It’s very, very rare that you read a script that you know is going to be good. And I remember reading this script and not only was I thinking this was going to be a hit, but it was actually exhilarating to read. I remember like 12 pages in and was like “Woo!” this is getting a little intense and had to get up and walk around the apartment. So it’s rare to given something that you know is going to good and remember thinking….if I just don’t screw up my little part this is going to work.
“Michael can you watch the film and just enjoy it as a film or as you watch it do all the memories of making it stay with you?”
[Gestures to Bill Paxton] “Let me ask you real quick – why do the movie holds up so well?”Michael Biehn: Well I actually have not seen the film for…a long time.
The movie is so special, just so special….When I watched the movie and I kind of like was analyzing it, I get so many children 8..10 years old, 12 years old that parents let them watch the movie. They’re like “I love you Hicks!”
Bill Paxton: I think I ate too much BBQ….does anyone have a Tums? I just want to say one thing to Paul Reiser: “Maybe you haven’t been keeping up on current events BUT WE JUST GOT OUR ASSES KICKED PAL!”
I still can’t believe I’m even in the movie. I was scared the whole time I was making it. Thank God Sigourney kinda held my hand…….We’re shooting this scene where I had to say “seventeen days…” well you guys know the line. And Sigourney could see I was struggling and she reached out and just kinda put her hand on my hand said “it’s okay….it’s okay.”
A fan asks “What’s going on with Alien 5?!”
BP: We’re all f**king dead!
SW: I’m so glad you asked that. It’s such a brilliant script and Neill [Blomkamp] has every intention of doing it. We were asked to wait while Ridley Scott does his Prometheus movie because – understandably – they didn’t want both movies coming out at the same same time. So I think now Neill is directing Gone World and I have a little thing called Avatar to do. But then…THEN….we’re going to do it. Michael is NOT dead….he’s going to be in it with me!
Thank you so much for this article! I’m so jealous that you were in the same room with them! Love hearing Sigourney classy as always. Cannot wait for Ailen 5!!!