Who are your picks of the best ever (or your personal favorite ever) alien character/s in the film and tv sci-fi media so far and please give a reason why, for any choice/s.
Posted by Aban Rune (Member # 226) on :
I always thought Starman was pretty cool. I remember watching the series as a kid and really just digging the show. I still remember the theme song and everything.
I remember the episode where they finally found the kid's mom.
Plus... those little pinballs they carried around were just neato.
Posted by ZARDOZ (Member # 1064) on :
So many to choose! Some of my personal faves;
Movies, The Alien,fron the ALIEN movies. It's adaptible, very deadly, and hard to kill.
Books, the Moties, from The Mote in God's Eye and it's sequels, by Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle.
TV, a 3 way tie. Mr. Spock, the master of intergalactic deadpan.
Gordon Shumway, making a comeback!
Ayrn Sun, OK, she's a human looking alien, but a really hot one!
Posted by Reverend (Member # 335) on :
I'd say Zathras from B5. Because know one ever listens to poor Zathras!
I guess I just have a soft spot for characters that refer to themselves in the third person.
Actually, it's a tie between Zathras and the Cat off of Red Dwarf.
Kryten: They've taken Mr. Rimmer! Sir, they've taken Mr. Rimmer! Cat: Quick, lets get out of here before they bring him back!
Why do I like the Cat? He's vain, self centred and thick as two short planks. What's not to like?
Posted by Sol System (Member # 30) on :
Solaris.
Posted by Jason Abbadon (Member # 882) on :
Tough one.
I'd have to say The Shadows are in my top three (untill their final appearance when they became pussies whose motivation was "not to be left alone").
From Trek I liked the invisible (translucent) aliens shown on a Voyager episode. They were paranoid and monitoring the local humanoid population.
From literature I like the ecosystem of Hsia from Greg Bear's novel Legacy. ....and Well's martians from WAr of The Worlds.
What do all these aliens have in common? They aren't humaniods with skull deformaties (or idiotic overstimulated simpletons like Zathras. ). They are'nt creatures that can be easily identified with. They're really alien : with motivations and thought processes that are'nt predictable or understandable toi humans because they ARE'NT human.
.......and it's always nice to see non-humanoid creatures in sci-fi.
Posted by Balaam Xumucane (Member # 419) on :
Space Girl from Lifeforce. No, but barring Spock, probably Scorpius.
Posted by Balaam Xumucane (Member # 419) on :
From books: Kzin.
Posted by Ultra Magnus (Member # 239) on :
Johnny Five. He was from space, right? If he wasn't, well, I don't know. He would fuck you right up, though. He had eyelids. Fuck yeah.
Posted by Nim (Member # 205) on :
Nough said.
I can't think of any element of the movie where the Predator fell short.
Best head prosthesis ever, all the way down to the yellow-green crocodile pigment. They sure were brave to make it as ugly as mother nature could think of, yet organic and believable.
Good sound fx, the rasping purr combined with the alien heartbeat heard when we see his POV. The roar sounded like a crocodile mating call combined with a pissed off elephant bull.
The tech base available to it (functional wrist-knives, shoulder cannon, laser sight) was simply marvelous in its detail. And a complete First Aid Kit for fuck's sake!
And the helmet, don't get me started. Here's a designer who knows what "less is more" really means.
Also, its coldblooded yet honorable persona (Klingon/Breen child in retrospect?) gave it the dignity and character of a true adversary, not some damned 50's, arm-waving seamonster that walks in 1mph so the heroes have time to run and stumble.
I hope they don't ruin both the "Predator" and "Alien" legacy with their upcoming Versus-movie. Danny Glover did enough, reducing his Predator to some adolescent on his first hunt or something. Pleh.
Posted by AndrewR (Member # 44) on :
Kira. I'm glad Michelle Forbes didn't go ahead with Ro.
Kiff Kroeker - bloody hilarious
K-PAX - well *I* liked the movie.
Posted by Cartmaniac (Member # 256) on :
"One... UGLY motherfucker"
Posted by Sol System (Member # 30) on :
Oh, the pain.
Posted by Woodside Kid (Member # 699) on :
At least they did a better job with the final film version of the Predator than they did with their first go-around (the one that had Jean-Claude Van Damme in the suit). That one wasn't scary at all. The producers wised up and realized they basically needed something to out-Arnold Arnold.
Posted by Balaam Xumucane (Member # 419) on :
"Over here..." Posted by Jason Abbadon (Member # 882) on :
The alien from The Thing. It's really nothing seen before it, it's intelligent and does'nt try to communicate even once with the poor bastards it's wiping out. ...and the couch scene is fucking amazingly scary and funny at the same time.
Posted by AVON (Member # 1186) on :
From the Movies my favourite Alien creature(s) are the "ALIEN" from the original movie and, the "PREDATOR" likewise. AGREE I also hope the merging of the two dosen't ruin them.
As, to in tv:
1 - The "DOCTOR" from "DW". 2 - "Mr. SPOCK" from the original "ST". 3 - "KRYTEN/CAT" from "RED DWARF".
Posted by Harry (Member # 265) on :
The Martians from "Mars Attacks!". They seem to having so much fun in utterly destroying mankind.
Posted by WizArtist (Member # 1095) on :
Too many options! ARGGHHH!
Movies: "Alien" has to be one of the most clever creations and just down right bad.
TV: "Rev Bem" was a cool character. I also love the "Doctor"
Books: I love the bears from Gordon Dickson's "The Right to Arm Bears" hilarious!
Posted by Krenim (Member # 22) on :
Farscape's Scorpius.
Why? Because he's not your typical "I'm going to conquer the universe because it is my destiny so there BWAHAHAHA!" villain. Sure, he's done a lot of Evil ThingsTM, but he's doing them all to save the universe.
Posted by Harry (Member # 265) on :
Oh! The Daleks need to be mentioned. One of the most futile technical designs, but still unrelenting in their quest to EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE! the entire universe. I bet they're really nice guys once you get to know them, though.
Posted by Omega (Member # 91) on :
Sure, he's done a lot of Evil ThingsTM, but he's doing them all to save the universe.
So he claims. One never quite knows with him.
unrelenting in their quest to EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE! the entire universe.
Oh, tell me they're not out to "KILL EVERYONE!!!!!!!!" I hate aliens who have no other motivation.
Posted by Jason Abbadon (Member # 882) on :
Daleks only want to EXTERMINATE! everyone because they were designed to unclog toilets with that sill plunger arm....
Posted by AVON (Member # 1186) on :
Harry
quote:Oh! The Daleks need to be mentioned. One of the most futile technical designs, but still unrelenting in their quest to EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE! the entire universe. I bet they're really nice guys once you get to know them, though.
Guess, that you'd lose your bet then as, the "DALEKS" most certainly aren't nice guys, not one bit!!!
Posted by Aban Rune (Member # 226) on :
I wonder if he could've been joking...
Posted by Flying Minister (Member # 1177) on :
TV: I'd also have to go with Zathras. I mean, he's just like dirt. Used to "everyone" walking on him. And who doesn't like dirt.
The Reavers, from Firefly. You never saw them, but you got a good idea what they were about by people's reaction to them. And by the effects of their handiwork. I know they aren't really aliens, but not really human anymore either.
I also like K-9. The Doctor's dog. Every hero should have a dog.
Movie: It's so hard to pick just one. The Aliens and the Predator were both pretty cool. Kinda liked the big robot from "The Day The Earth Stood Still." I can't really pick.
Posted by Starship Salvage Ops (Member # 1212) on :
I thought Ro from TNG was hot. Not my favorite, but she gets a mention just because of her personality and looks.
Spock as someone else mentioned, Intergalactic Master of deadpan gets my vote as number one. McCoy would be a close second as Gracie.
Posted by Sol System (Member # 30) on :
"McCoy would be a close second as Gracie."
Huh?
Posted by Treknophyle (Member # 509) on :
Remember what Niven said about trying to understand an alien's motivation:
"He's not really violent - he just needs a bathroom... BAD."
Posted by Balaam Xumucane (Member # 419) on :
I hadn't heard that Niven thing before, but I really like it.
I'm not understanding the 'Gracie' thing either. Did I get really old all of a sudden, or is newbie just using newspeak? Maybe he's somehow drawing some protracted and convoluted martial arts parallel about the Gracie school of Jiu-Jitsu floor-grappling. That would be cool.
For some reason I just watched 'The Abyss' again with the special edition and the stuff. And while the NTIs aren't exactly heart-wrenchinginly conflicted well-developed enticing characters, they do LOOK incredible and alien and different from a lot of other stuff out there. With the transparency and the lightshow and the water and the stuff. I'm sticking to my votes above, but I do think these designs probably ought to merit at least an honorable mention.
Posted by TSN (Member # 31) on :
I may just be crazy here, but I assumed he was comparing Spock and McCoy to George Burns and Grace Allen.
Posted by Cartman (Member # 256) on :
Y'know, I've always thought there was more than a passing resemblance between those squishy aliens/natives from The Abyss and B5's Vorlons (in the rare instances when they weren't sitting on their encounter-suited butts), but I suppose my mind could be playing tricks on me...
Posted by PsyLiam (Member # 73) on :
quote:Originally posted by Harry: Oh! The Daleks need to be mentioned. One of the most futile technical designs, but still unrelenting in their quest to EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE!
Er, how was it futile? They were amorphous green blobs, so they could hardly get around by themselves. And a personal battle tank with scary weapons that kill people by turning them briefly NEGATIVELY COLOURED seems pretty useful.
Posted by WizArtist (Member # 1095) on :
You Davross lover you!
Posted by Starship Salvage Ops (Member # 1212) on :
quote:Originally posted by TSN: I may just be crazy here, but I assumed he was comparing Spock and McCoy to George Burns and Grace Allen.
You are correct.
Posted by PsyLiam (Member # 73) on :
Davros.
Posted by WizArtist (Member # 1095) on :
I type with a lissp
OR...I've simply read too many of Jason's posts.
Posted by Tom (Member # 1215) on :
Scary Spice!... aka Predator
Posted by AndrewR (Member # 44) on :
![[Razz]](tongue.gif)
). They are'nt creatures that can be easily identified with. 
![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)