Disclosure:
I received a copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. They give me no money, nor do they in any way influence my thoughts – those are 100% my own for better or worse.
Edition:
PDF (Net Galley)
Synopsis:
Alien Vault gives the reader an in-depth look at the making of Alien – inarguably (as in I’m not hearing otherwise) one of the single greatest cinematic masterpieces to ever grace the Silver Screen (happy 40th, boo!). Apparently this book was previously published in 2011, but this updated edition contains chapters on Prometheus and Covenant that the previous version necessarily lacked.
This book is fully authorized and fully loaded with the anecdotes, set photos, and behind the scenes information.
Alien Vault is a carefully crafted love letter to the most powerful and influential work of space-horror to ever appear on screen. Alien is an incredibly important part of film history, and Alien Vault wants to make damned sure you know why.
My Thoughts:
As far as I can tell, there is no new information here outside of the addition of the Prometheus and Covenant chapters that I mentioned earlier, and that’s okay. I don’t own the 2011 version – but I damn sure plan to own this one.
The photos are beautiful – among my favorites were the candid shots of cast and crew, the amazing design sketches by Giger, and the Ridleygrams. It was all fascinating, to be honest. There’s a lot of information packed inside these pages. And while there’s plenty of glossy photos, it is also quite wordy – information-heavy is my jam, though!
I’m in love with Giger’s art, and with the entire universe that was realized by Scott and Giger – although this book also serves up the important reminder that one should never forget about the importance of Dan O’Bannon.
Rating:
I will be purchasing this book the moment it hits shelves. I need a good, gory, acid-blood-filled coffee table book to keep my home feeling appropriately…alien.
Alien Vault: The Complete Story and Legacy Ian Nathan Quarto Publishing Group - Becker & Meyer & Epic Ink Entertainment, Sci Fi & Fantasy ISBN: 9780760366363 Expected Publication: November 19, 2019
Wish the franchise would get a major revamp since the merger. Get away from the Covenant sequel no one wants to see
Honestly, I’d rather they just left it alone. Like, no more ever – no shared universes, no reboots/prequels/sequels. Just let it be.