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If there's one thing we learned from Highlander it's that there can be only one. No, we actually learned the origin of Paladin's ship's name! More on that in the after action report. But next week's movie is even more of a crowd pleaser: Aliens (1986). So get ready to join the space marines and learn what Wing Commander took away from James Cameron's all time classic. You can join us this Friday via Discord to watch along.
We were first inspired to look at Aliens because of another quote from Chris Roberts' original treatment for the Wing Commander movie. Here he compares his goal to Aliens in a way that frankly makes a lot of sense: they're both movies where the characters are stuck on their own in a terrible situation and drama arises out of how they respond differently to that situation.
"The idea behind this project is to create a film that has the feeling of a tight character-driven rollercoaster ride--e.g., James Cameron's Aliens. The protagonists are placed in a situation in which there is no easy way out, no cavalry to rescue them. They have to rely on each other and their ability to rise above what they think is possible in order to fight their way out.There's little doubt that Aliens was inspiring the series much earlier, though! Here's a 1991 list of Chris Roberts' favorite action films from an issue of Point of Origin which includes both Highlander and Aliens!
With this in mind, it's pretty clear that the entire character of Dekker the space marine from Wing Commander IV and Prophecy is based on the Colonial Marines from Aliens. We even get a callback to one of Aliens' beloved quotes, "Marines, we are leaving!" in the first mission of Prophecy.
Similarly, Privateer 2 quotes Aliens' famous "game over, man" as the death comm for some of the hireable wingmen. These comms are used for Delphinius, Alopecia Cook, Welpped Iuvenil and Pinet El-Susse.
There's a nod to Aliens in the Secret Ops passwords, too: the losing version of the first set of passwords is ACHERON, after the moon on which Aliens is set.
Where can I find a copy of the movie for the watch party?
Aliens is currently streaming on Disney+ and Hulu. It is also available for rent or purchase on all the standard services. If you would like a physical copy, the movie was released on UHD in 2024 and remains in print around the world. If you are not able to locate a copy please stop by the Discord and ping a CIC staff member before Friday's showing.
How do we watch the movie together?
It's pretty low tech! Simply join the Wing Commander CIC Discord on Friday and we will be chatting (in text) along with the film in the main channel. Everyone who wants to join in should bring their own copy and we will count down to play them together at 10 PM EST. Everyone is welcome and we encourage you to join in the conversation; sharing your thoughts helps make the experience better for everyone!
