What editions are available?
- Theatrical (137 min.)
- Special Edition (154 min.)
In 1992 director James Cameron re-released the sci-fi classic Aliens as a Special Edition on VHS and VideoDisc. Both the theatrical and the Special Edition are on the Blu-ray release of Aliens. While it was dubbed as a Special Edition it is actually a director’s cut as we know them today, as Cameron states on the 2003 Alien Quadrilogy DVD set:
“This is Jim Cameron. What you’re about to watch is the special edition of Aliens. I actually prefer this version to the released version, because, as it’s been best described by one of my friends, it’s 40 miles of bad road. I think it’s a longer, more intense and more suspenseful version of the film. The conventional wisdom then was: don’t make the film too long. But at two hours and 37 minutes, this is the ride that we intended you to take. So, enjoy it.”
Source: Aliens Special Edition into on the Alien Quadrilogy DVD set
The director’s preferred edition: Special Edition
Comparison of the editions with courtesy of Movie-Censorship.com