The Poster Memorabilia blog

Thanking the Cast of Aliens in Person

260 viewings, one reunion in Calgary, and a thank-you they probably didn't understand.

By an anonymous Hollywood insider

Anyone who knows me knows that I am obsessed with the Alien movies. Alien, Aliens, Alien 3, Alien Resurrection—I love them all! They're a perfect mix of an action-thriller and classic horror that's just as scintillating as it is scary. It's cinematic entertainment at its finest, especially my favorite in the franchise, Aliens.

The 1979 Alien movie couldn't have asked for a better sequel than Aliens in 1986. It took me a long time to watch it after I saw the first film at 13, and for a time, I thought it was already great on its own. Without having watched the others, I thought Alien was perfect and didn't need a big franchise.

Boy, was I wrong! I was 16 when I finally watched Aliens for the first time, and I fell in love with it instantly! I didn't think the story and the horror could get any better, but it did. I ended up liking it even more than its predecessor, and eventually, it became one of my favorite films ever.

“I watched it at least 260 times — yes, I actually counted.”

When I say that I was obsessed with it, I'm not kidding. I watched it at least 260 times—yes, I actually counted—and bought as much memorabilia of it as I could. I bought movie posters, DVDs, and just about anything and everything related to the movie. And as if that wasn't enough, I eventually got one of my posters signed by the cast.

The Aliens cast reunited at the Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo on April 26, 2014, and I finally got to meet them in person. Almost all of them were there! I saw Sigourney Weaver, Bill Paxton, Michael Biehn, Paul Reiser, Lance Henriksen, Carrie Henn, Jenette Goldstein, and Mark Rolston.

I may be wrong, but I think that was the biggest Aliens reunion they had so far, and I felt so lucky to witness it firsthand. Not gonna lie, I think I even cried a lot that day, too. I teared up on the way to the venue, got choked up when I met them in person, and practically drained my tear ducts when I got back to my hotel room afterward.

✦ ✦ ✦

That's how much I love the movie and how much that day meant to me. Remember when I said I watched it over 200 times throughout my late teens and early 20s? That period of my life was particularly tough, and watching Aliens was one of the things that helped cheer me up when I was down.

That's why, when I met each cast member and asked them to sign my movie poster, I thanked them. They likely thought I thanked them for their autograph, and they're not totally wrong, but I also meant to express my gratitude for getting me through a low point in my life.

I'm glad I got to share that moment with them, especially now that we've lost Bill Paxton. I still watch Aliens from time to time, but when I do, my mind goes back to that awesome day when I met the cast, and they signed my movie poster.

Some things you watch. This one you keep.

Guaranteed authentic for life • 90-day returns, any reason