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IGN has the scoop on the release date and details for the Alien Anthology, which will come out in the US on October 26. This six-disc set contains about 60 hours of special features and over 12,000 images, including material from the legendary early 1990s LaserDisc release, the "Legacy" release and the Quadrilogy DVDs. 20th Century Fox claims that the four Alien films have been "reinvigorated for an intense Blu-ray high-definition viewing experience."

New, previously unreleased content includes original screen tests of Sigourney Weaver prior to filming the original Alien, unseen deleted scenes, and the previously unseen original cut of "Wreckage and Rage: The Making of Alien3" (previously only available in truncated form).

This edition will incorporate the "MU-TH-UR Mode," an interactive feature that lets you access the special features on all six discs and provides an index of all available content.

The Anthology offers nearly five hours of additional video Enhancement Pods created exclusively for this collection, presenting behind-the-scenes footage, raw dailies and interview outtakes from all four films. At relevant points in the documentaries, you may access these pods to enhance your experience – or watch them on their own from the separate Enhancement Pod index.

As previously reported (see blu-ray.com, April 6), the Anthology will initially be available in a limited edition with alien-egg packaging.

Disc contents and special features include:

Disc One: Alien
1979 Theatrical Version
2003 Director's Cut with Ridley Scott Introduction
Audio commentaries:
Director Ridley Scott, writer Dan O'Bannon, executive producer Ronald Shusett, editor Terry Rawlings, and actors Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, Veronica Cartwright, Harry Dean Stanton and John Hurt
Ridley Scott (on theatrical cut only)
Final theatrical isolated score by Jerry Goldsmith
Composer's original isolated score by Jerry Goldsmith
Deleted and extended scenes
MU-TH-UR Mode interactive experience with Weyland-Yutani Datastream
Disc Two: Aliens
1986 Theatrical Version
1991 Special Edition with James Cameron introduction
Audio commentary by director James Cameron, producer Gale Anne Hurd, alien effects creator Stan Winston, visual effects supervisors Robert Skotak and Dennis Skotak, miniature effects supervisor Pat McClung, and actors Michael Biehn, Bill Paxton, Lance Henriksen, Jenette Goldstein, Carrie Henn and Christopher Henn
Final theatrical isolated score by James Horner
Composer's original isolated score by James Horner
Deleted and extended scenes
MU-TH-UR Mode interactive experience with Weyland-Yutani Datastream
Disc Three: Alien3
1992 Theatrical Version
2003 Special Edition (Restored Workprint Version)
Audio commentary by cinematographer Alex Thomson, B.S.C., editor Terry Rawlings, alien effects designers Alec Gillis and Tom Woodruff, Jr., visual effects producer Richard Edlund, A.S.C., and actors Paul McGann and Lance Henriksen
Final theatrical isolated score by Elliot Goldenthal
Deleted and extended scenes
MU-TH-UR Mode interactive experience with Weyland-Yutani Datastream
Disc Four: Alien Resurrection
1997 Theatrical Version
2003 Special Edition with Jean-Pierre Jeunet introduction
Audio commentary by director Jean-Pierre Jeunet, editor Herve Schneid, A.C.E., alien effects creators Alec Gillis and Tom Woodruff, Jr., visual effects supervisor Pitof, conceptual artist Sylvain Despretz, and actors Ron Perlman, Dominique Pinon and Leland Orser
Final theatrical isolated score by John Frizzell
Deleted and extended scenes
MU-TH-UR Mode Interactive Experience with Weyland-Yutani Datastream
Disc Five: Making the Anthology
The Beast Within: Making Alien
Star Beast: Developing the Story
The Visualists: Direction and Design
Truckers in Space: Casting
Fear of the Unknown: Shepperton Studios, 1978
The Darkest Reaches: Nostromo and Alien Planet
The Eighth Passenger: Creature Design
Future Tense: Editing and Music
Outward Bound: Visual Effects
A Nightmare Fulfilled: Reaction to the Film
Enhancement Pods
Superior Firepower: Making Aliens
57 Years Later: Continuing the Story
Building Better Worlds: From Concept to Construction
Preparing for Battle: Casting and Characterization
This Time It's War: Pinewood Studios, 1985
The Risk Always Lives: Weapons and Action
Bug Hunt: Creature Design
Beauty and the Bitch: Power Loader vs. Queen Alien
Two Orphans: Sigourney Weaver and Carrie Henn
The Final Countdown: Music, Editing and Sound
The Power of Real Tech: Visual Effects
Aliens Unleashed: Reaction to the Film
Enhancement Pods
Wreckage and Rage: Making Alien3
Development Hell: Concluding the Story
Tales of the Wooden Planet: Vincent Ward's Vision
Stasis Interrupted: David Fincher's Vision
Xeno-Erotic: H.R. Giger's Redesign
The Color of Blood: Pinewood Studios, 1991
Adaptive Organism: Creature Design
The Downward Spiral: Creative Differences
Where the Sun Burns Cold: Fox Studios, L.A. 1992
Optical Fury: Visual Effects
Requiem for a Scream: Music, Editing and Sound
Post-Mortem: Reaction to the Film
Enhancement Pods
One Step Beyond: Making Alien Resurrection
From the Ashes: Reviving the Story
French Twist: Direction and Design
Under the Skin: Casting and Characterization
Death from Below: Fox Studios, Los Angeles, 1996
In the Zone: The Basketball Scene
Unnatural Mutation: Creature Design
Genetic Composition: Music
Virtual Aliens: Computer Generated Imagery
A Matter of Scale: Miniature Photography
Critical Juncture: Reaction to the Film
Enhancement Pods
MU-TH-UR Mode Interactive Experience to Access and Control Enhancement Pods
Disc Six: The Anthology Archives
Alien
Pre-Production
First Draft Screenplay by Dan O'Bannon
Ridleygrams: Original Thumbnails and Notes
Storyboard Archive
The Art of Alien: Conceptual Art Portfolio
Sigourney Weaver Screen Tests with Select Director Commentary
Cast Portrait Gallery
Production
The Chestbuster: Multi-Angle Sequence with Commentary
Video Graphics Gallery
Production Image Galleries
Continuity Polaroids
The Sets of Alien
H.R. Giger's Workshop Gallery
Post-Production and Aftermath
Additional Deleted Scenes
Image & Poster Galleries
Experience in Terror
Special Collector's Edition LaserDisc Archive
The Alien Legacy
American Cinematheque: Ridley Scott Q&A
Trailers & TV Spots
Aliens
Pre-Production
Original Treatment by James Cameron
Pre-Visualizations: Multi-Angle Videomatics with Commentary
Storyboard Archive
The Art of Aliens: Image Galleries
Cast Portrait Gallery
Production
Production Image Galleries
Continuity Polaroids
Weapons and Vehicles
Stan Winston's Workshop
Colonial Marine Helmet Cameras
Video Graphics Gallery
Weyland-Yutani Inquest: Nostromo Dossiers
Post-Production and Aftermath
Deleted Scene: Burke Cocooned
Deleted Scene Montage
Image Galleries
Special Collector's Edition LaserDisc Archive
Main Title Exploration
Aliens: Ride at the Speed of Fright
Trailers & TV Spots
Alien3
Pre-Production
Storyboard Archive
The Art of Arceon
The Art of Fiorina
Production
Furnace Construction: Time-Lapse Sequence
EEV Bioscan: Multi-Angle Vignette with Commentary
Production Image Galleries
A.D.I.'s Workshop
Post-Production and Aftermath
Visual Effects Gallery
Special Shoot: Promotional Photo Archive
Alien3 Advance Featurette
The Making of Alien3 Promotional Featurette
Trailers & TV Spots
Alien Resurrection
Pre-Production
First Draft Screenplay by Joss Whedon
Test Footage: A.D.I. Creature Shop with Commentary
Test Footage: Costumes, Hair and Makeup
Pre-Visualizations: Multi-Angle Rehearsals
Storyboard Archive
The Marc Caro Portfolio: Character Designs
The Art of Resurrection: Image Galleries
Production
Production Image Galleries
A.D.I.'s Workshop
Post-Production and Aftermath
Visual Effects Gallery
Special Shoot: Promotional Photo Archive
HBO First Look: The Making of Alien Resurrection
Alien Resurrection Promotional Featurette
Trailers & TV Spots
Anthology
Two Versions of Alien Evolution
The Alien Saga
Patches and Logos Gallery
Aliens 3D Attraction Scripts and Gallery
Aliens in the Basement: The Bob Burns Collection
Parodies
Dark Horse Cover Gallery
Patches and Logos Gallery
MU-TH-UR Mode Interactive Experience

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Limited Edition "EGG" Packaging

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The following article was posted on blu-ray.com. Neither I nor this website should be held accountable for any misrepresentation that the article my present: http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=5007

During an interview to promote the Avatar theatrical re-release, director James Cameron also mentioned that he had just done "a complete remaster of Aliens" (included in the Alien Anthology scheduled for Blu-ray release on October 26), working with the same colorist with whom he had worked on Avatar. In what is sure to ignite some controversy, Cameron said he had completely removed all noise and grain from the extended version of the film.

The filmmaker said: "It's spectacular. We went in and completely de-noised it, de-grained it, up-rezzed, color-corrected every frame, and it looks amazing. It looks better that it looked in the theaters originally. Because it was shot on a high-speed negative that was a new negative that didn't pan out too well and got replaced the following year. So it's pretty grainy. We got rid of all the grain. It's sharper and clearer and more beautiful than it's ever looked. And we did that to the long version, to the 'director's cut' or the extended play."

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"Up-rezzed, color corrected, de-grained, de-noised" doesn't necessarily translate to a "better" viewing experience. However, I trust Cameron more than anyone to get it right.

I do give him props for including the original theatrical cut (in what I would assume is all of it's "grainy" glory). He's also not making any major changes to the story or having the aliens shoot first or anything like that...

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