James Cameron's Aliens turns 40

moviesJul 18, 202634812

James Cameron's Aliens, released July 18, 1986, turns 40 this week. Cameron's more-is-more approach transformed the 1979 horror of Alien into seat-edge action and delivered an indelible, rule-breaking performance from Sigourney Weaver as Ellen Ripley. In the film Ripley returns after decades in cryosleep and is pressed by the Weyland-Yutani corporation to revisit the colony where the Nostromo first encountered the xenomorphs. Ripley must protect an orphaned girl nicknamed Newt, played by Carrie Henn, while fighting alongside a squad of tough-talking space marines. Reviewers and retrospectives note that Cameron made an urtext of a sequel, buffing Ripley into a guardian figure and echoing motifs he later used in Terminator 2 and Avatar, with Bill Paxton among the cast. The anniversary has prompted fresh essays and deep dives reassessing whether Cameron's brawnier sequel improves on the original's eerie elegance.

The Spaceshipper 🚀

@thespaceshipper.com

James Cameron's Aliens was released 40 years ago today. 40 years of Burke.

4932h ago

The Spaceshipper 🚀91

All the people in the news you don't like had a poster of Burke in their room.

Nathan M Hurst2

Still my favourite movie… ever. Nothing has come close since. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ #FiveStar #SciFi

Domenic Goodrick1

At least Burke got what was coming to him 😁

Quoting this

Miles Klee 🦉43

and we still haven’t been nuked from orbit. disappointing…

jOSEPHINE rIESMAN38

In 2017, I wrote an essay about how Paul Reiser's performance on s2 of Stranger Things was an exoneration of Burke (and his character in DINER, too) Reiser had his agent send me an email saying it had moved him deeply Wasn't my goal, but quite the message to receive Anyway: archive.is/C6zdO

☀️ Starshine31

love that his parents cheered at his death when they saw it

Heatherface Wixson

@thehorrorchick.bsky.social

Hey everyone - having a ridiculously busy week but just wanted to share the first part of my celebration of ALIENS which turns 40 tomorrow. from-the-desk-of-the-horror-chick.ghost.io/40-years-lat... I focus a lot of the evolution of Ripley here - and it’s open to free & paid subscribers. Cheers!🖤

6820h ago

Trish Byrne

@trishyb.bsky.social

I don't understand how so many things can have been forty years ago, when I remember them clearly and I am, at most, thirty-five. www.theguardian.com/film/2026/ju...

1083h ago

Last Exit to Nowhere

@lastexittonowhere.bsky.social

Released 40 years ago today, Aliens remains one of the rare sequels that equals, and for many surpasses, the original. It's been a huge influence on us over the years » tinyurl.com/4kudpr3v

453h ago

Stagger McTipsy, AKA Captain Awesome Motherfucker3

Alien was a horror film, Aliens was an action film, and they're both great. I give the nod to Alien though, because Newt bugs the shit outta me.

Quoting this

lastpositivist.bsky.social18

The fact that I prefer the experience of watching Aliens to Alien is one of the facts about me that will keep me out of filmbro Valhalla. I stand by it though!

Daily Dead

@dailydead.bsky.social

Celebrating 40 Years of ALIENS with “Alien Warrior” Carl Toop dailydead.com?p=315473

4016h ago

Every Film Now

@everyfilmnow.bsky.social

On this day 40 years ago, James Cameron’s ‘ALIENS’ premiered in Westwood, California. #Aliens #JamesCameron

112h ago

Quoting this

Just Simon 🎮4

Ооо! Я знаю, що буду дивитися соьгодні 🤗

Amelia Clark - Lover of Flagons

@gingertotty.bsky.social

At last… THE DAY… Face hugs all round, Xenomorph lovers #aliens #aliens40 (Cards available here: dippyfishcards.etsy.com) #bsnm #alien

At 40 no one can hear you scream Aliens card (get away from the cake you bitch)

41h ago

Sarah Welch-Larson

@dodgyboffin.com

Had a nice conversation about ALIENS for the movie's anniversary

913h ago

Isaac's Haunted Beard

@isaacshauntedbeard.bsky.social

ALIENS was released in US theaters on this day, 40 years ago.

71h ago

Travis Johnson

@travisjj.bsky.social

James Cameron single-handedly keeping the power ballad alive now. Hell, we got a Lady Gaga tune for Top Gun: Maverick that was instantly memory-holed.

610h ago

bemaven.bsky.social

@bemaven.bsky.social

#Bmoviemaniacs If you suggested to James Cameron was inspired by this film to make 'Terminator 2', he'd punch your lights out.

58h ago

Will McAlpine

@willmcalpine.bsky.social

My favourite film was released 40 years ago today. My response when I first saw it?

44h ago

Climate, Ecology, War & More - Dr Glen Barry BigEarthData.ai

@bigearthdata.ai

'Aliens' at 40: Here are 26 reasons why James Cameron's sequel is still the greatest sci-fi action movie of all time ->Space | More on "Aliens 40th anniversary sci-fi" at BigEarthData.ai

218h ago

Ignacio PG (Neil Parsons PB48K) 👾🎹🎬🏳️‍🌈

@ignacioprigar.bsky.social

Y la película de James Cameron dio lugar a una adaptación en forma de videojuego para ordenadores domésticos de concepto sencillo pero dotado de una atmósfera opresiva. Aliens (Electric Dreams, 1987) spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/161/ZX... #ZXSpectrum #Aliens #videojuegos

11h ago

👨‍🚀 Rick Hunter 🚀 ❤️ 🇺🇦 ❤️

@rickhunter.bsky.social

‘Maybe the best pumped-up sequel ever made’: James Cameron’s Aliens hits 40 www.theguardian.com/film/2026/ju...

22h ago

3 sources

theguardian.com‘Maybe the best pumped-up sequel ever made’: James Cameron’s Aliens hits 40 inbella.com‘Maybe the best pumped-up sequel ever made’: James Cameron’s Aliens hits 40 | James Cameron - INBELLA cinephiliabeyond.orgThe Risk Always Lives: Words to Live by On the Set of James Cameron’s ‘Aliens’ • Cinephilia & Beyond

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James Cameron's Aliens turns 40

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