Never one to cease being amazed by where filmmakers source parts for their creations (the fuel cap for the batmobile coming off a london bus for example), this actually surprised me.

I was watching Aliens for around the millionth time last night (no, that's not what surprised me, that part is coming) and as I've seen the film so often, the actual movie sometimes becomes peripheral and what is supposed to be peripheral, as with a lot of good folks on here I am sure, becomes what I am focusing on.

So when it came to the part right before the queen battle when Ripley is lifting the bar restraining an unconcious Hicks I diverted my eyes to up behind Hicks' left ear.

And behold, the seat Hicks is sitting in, and I have no boubt in my mind many other seats throughout the dropships and APC, are out of a smegging Volvo. The head rest is a clear indicator because no other vehicles have come out, to my knowledge, with that particular style of head rest.

I have no details on make/model/year, but I actually had to rewind to make sure I wasn't imagining things.

So, yeah, that's my little discovery. Possibly not quite as exciting to others as it is to me, but as I stated above, I am constantly amazed at where props people and various crew source everyday parts, mask them and use them in movies to create things of wonder.

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Another glorious day in the Corps! A day in the Marine Corps is like a day on the farm. Every meal's a banquet! Every paycheck a fortune! Every formation a parade! I LOVE the Corps! - Sgt. Apone

I'd love to know where to find the legendary junkpile of random stuff that gets cobbled together to make such ouiji props and set pieces. I doubt people go out specifically looking for bits of lamps, power tools, hose, fish tanks, aircraft and so on. There must be a collection of stuff somewhere... Greeblie-Town, nevada or something!!

A subject i have thought about many times. Some random piece of junk becomes a holy grail of collectors.
Can someone add a screen-cap?

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No, they are not going to see this coming...

Not the best pic:

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Ill get a blu ray screeny soon, and a lot of times it's just a trip to a tip/scrap yard, and the people that are prop makers tend to see things others dont, for example they could walk past an old radio and see that the knobs would make great additions to their latest computer for their film.

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In space, no one gets whipped cream

Screencap of that scene.



An 80s Volvo 240 front seat headrest looks pretty close.

SAS

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Alan T. Alien
1st Lt Smith, SA "Sidewinder"
A13/TQ1.4.19720EX CMA
Founder of UKCM 13th Regt. 1st Batt. Freebooters
Founder of Special Armaments Section (Heavy Weapons)
"People don't understand. people like me"

it is amazing to me what appears in these films, last night while watching Alien3 I noticed Ripley sitting right next to a Stokes mortar mount while she has tea with Clemens.

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"When you can balance a tack hammer on your head, you can head off your foes with a balanced attack"
Wes Studi, Mystery Men

Another tidbit I forgot in the initial post. Not sure if anybody else has picked this up or not, but when the Sulaco is waking up and the computer is scrolling through the names of those on board, if you pause the movie and scan the list you will see that Hicks is actually listed with the first initial of J. instead of D.

I know they changed the actor, but did they change the charcter's name?

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Another glorious day in the Corps! A day in the Marine Corps is like a day on the farm. Every meal's a banquet! Every paycheck a fortune! Every formation a parade! I LOVE the Corps! - Sgt. Apone

Could be a silent J?

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In space, no one gets whipped cream

Most characters/Marines shared the same first name initial as the actor portraying them.
Hicks was originally played by James Remar, so the J would be correct.

Dunno why they made his full name Dwayne instead of Michael though.

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Steve
Corporal in 69th Regt. 1st Batt. Homer’s Heroes.

"I'd like to die at the age of 80 in my own bed, with a belly full of wine and a girl's mouth around my c**k."

Djwayne Hicks.
It's an old Creole name

Creole? Hm...

I figured it may have been one of those "they changed the actor, had already shot the scene but forgot to edit it out" things.

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Another glorious day in the Corps! A day in the Marine Corps is like a day on the farm. Every meal's a banquet! Every paycheck a fortune! Every formation a parade! I LOVE the Corps! - Sgt. Apone

I've been wanting to post this for osme time aftering seeing it on the RPF, maybe this is a good "place"?

In the med-lad scenes, especially the part where Ripley and Newt are being attacked by facehuggers, you can see a Soundwave Transformer toy being used as set dressing. Doesn't look like they were modified very much.

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"Awww, someone tell me that's a boot!

It's a boot!"

III drops

Awesome, i need to check that out, I havent really seen anything interesting it the back grounds while watching the movie

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Hey, Hicks. Man, you look just like I feel.

Hmm, that's interesting!
Has anyone a screencap of these?

Cheers,
Stefan

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One minor bit I noticed as they walked through med lab was that a Tefal deep fat fryer on one table is the same make and model that I used to have many years ago.

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Steve
Corporal in 69th Regt. 1st Batt. Homer’s Heroes.

"I'd like to die at the age of 80 in my own bed, with a belly full of wine and a girl's mouth around my c**k."

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Cool stuff - let's see more of it!

In regard to the Kango box -that one came in black too! So they didn't even paint it up. They also used the Kango boxes on the ceiling of the APC set. These are the ones that knock Gorman out.




Another tidbit: the rescue crew that enters the Narcissus used the same (unmodified) diving torch as those used for the grip of the shoulder lights.

Cheers,
Stefan


PS: When Ripley "lights" the sprinkler system in the med bay there's a part next to the sprinkler that looks like a toy too - any ideas? (sorry - no picture at hand right now)

I think these may have been custom made by set construction, but I've got a nice little reward if anyone can help ID these light fixtures:

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Hey my screen caps
They look like they were fabricated solely for the set purpose and would use a standard industrial light.

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In space, no one gets whipped cream

Damn! I used to have one of these as a kid!


Kevin

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I told you I'd shoot, but you didn't believe me! WHY DIDN'T YOU BELIEVE ME!?!

These appear to be a simple 2x fluorescent light set up with a moulded perspex cover and aluminium end caps. More than likely would have been either made or custom ordered for the set.

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Another glorious day in the Corps! A day in the Marine Corps is like a day on the farm. Every meal's a banquet! Every paycheck a fortune! Every formation a parade! I LOVE the Corps! - Sgt. Apone

I would say there's a good chance the lights are a found part as the basic shape is too complex to build for a simple piece of set dressing.
If they had to make it they would probably have used flat (see ops lights in Willie's picture above) or tube shaped elements.

From the shape I'd guess the lights are from the same manufacturer as the hanging lights in the ops (see Willie's pictures left of the Kango box insert).

Cheers,
Stefan