Why doesn't Fincher like "Alien 3"?

[MacGuffin]

Wow, watching this new "editor's cut" makes the film a whole lot better. I believe this is the version Fincher intended for it to be seen. Editor Terry Rawlings praises Fincher in the commentary track and the documentary, and backs up his vision when the execs stepped in. The addition of scenes and subplots fill in the many missing holes and gaps. It's no longer a straight action/thriller anymore. There's more humanity now. Characters are defined a bit better. Is it better than the first two now? No, I still would like to have seen Newt and Hicks, and have them carry out their family unit. And it's such a shame the character Ripley connects with the most, the doctor, is taken away from her and so abruptly, that she doesn't mourn him and it's handled like he was just a minor player. But this version really made me appreciate "Alien 3" a whole lot better. Too bad the special effects still look bad though. But, even still, this is the version I would watch from now on, warts and all (some sound is missing on a couple of the 'new' scenes, so subtitles will pop up).

'Ripley's final fall into the lead bath and the emergence of the chestburster was the subject of more serious contention. Originally, the beast was to break out of Ripley's body, only for her to hold onto it and dive into the molten metal, but Fincher found the shot 'inelegant all round' and instead filmed a 'stigmata effect' version, with blood blooming on her chest as she fell. 'Everybody felt it was too religious, and to be honest, I thought it was vulgar. If she gets ripped apart before she falls into the fire, that's not sacrifice, that's janitorial service. To knowingly step into the void carrying this thing inside her seemed to me to be more regal.'

and on the third, theatrical ending, he says: 'if we left the movie with her choking on her tongue, [the audience] would feel worse going out of the film than they do now. I said, "Whatever happens, she has to be in peace at the end".'

As for Golic, what happened was that during the whole fire scene they DO capture the Alien in the holding cell. Then Golic escapes the infirmary and because he's convinced the Alien is a God, he unlocks the cell. The Alien immediately kills him, then goes on the rampage that begins the 3rd act.

These scenes, along with the original ending, mentioned above are placed back into the movie, as well as switching to an ox giving birth to the Alien instead of the dog.

[Stefen]

I remember seeing a teaser trailer for Alien3 where it hinted that it would take place on earth. I think it was on one of the Alien special edition dvd's. Am I just making things up or was this trailer for real? The trailer had no footage from alien3 though.

[MacGuffin]

I remember seeing a teaser trailer for Alien3 where it hinted that it would take place on earth. I think it was on one of the Alien special edition dvd's. Am I just making things up or was this trailer for real? The trailer had no footage from alien3 though.

It was a teaser trailer nodding to the first "Alien" by saying something along the lines of 'On Earth, everyone can hear you scream.'

[Ghostboy]

I've been in a Fincher mood all week, and so I just watched the extended cut of Alien 3 and the documentary about it. All I can say is: holy shit! I can't believe they actually released what they released into theaters when there was such wonderful material in the original cut! I loved it. It suddenly becomes a great film and, for my money, it's a fine conclusion to the trilogy (the killing of the family unit doesn't bother me). Seeing the two cuts back to back, I completely understand why Fincher hates it so. It's actually infuriating when I think about it.

I wish they'd managed to include the original workprint footage of Newt's autopsy that made test audiences sick...not in the film itself, but just as an extra feature. It sounds horrible, and so of course I want to see it.