MovieChat Forums > Aliens (1986) Discussion > LV 426

LV 426

posted 2 years ago by blindfolded (1621)
5 replies | jump to latest

A nitpick that I always think about in space travel movies is how they portray going to different planets and the ease of proximity. LV426 is an entire planet.... how coincidental is it the colony set up shop so close to the original nest? And Ripley says "why don't you just go check LV426" I mean, earth is kind of small, planet wise, but if you're trying to find a specific thing on earth what are the chances you'll find it if your general info is "earth?" Another example is luke goes to Dagobah, an entire planet, and happens to land in Yodas back yard?

[–] TrentnQuarantino (9187) 2 years ago

> Another example is luke goes to Dagobah, an entire planet, and happens to land in Yodas back yard?

that was due to the force, of course.

> how coincidental is it the colony set up shop so close to the original nest?

I just look at this as practical story-telling technique. It just makes it unnecessary to explain and go through all the bother of traveling across the planet when it has no bearing on making the story any better or more believable. Same thing as why all those folks never have to go to the bathroom ... it doesn't drive the story along.

Someone ought to make a documentary or movie about story-telling and movies, and why books and movies are so different, and different art forms.

[–] sati_84 (467) 2 years ago

LV426 is not a planet, but a moon, which is much smaller. From Xenopedia:

Acheron, formerly known as LV-426, is one of three known moons orbiting the gas giant Calpamos in the Zeta2 Reticuli system, 39 light years away from Earth.

Also:

Acheron has an equatorial diameter of just 1,200 km.[1][2] Despite its small size, the moon maintains a surface gravity equivalent to 0.86 of that on Earth,[5] indicating it is largely composed of incredibly dense materials. Its rotational period is about two hours.

OF course in the movie, we don't get the exact details and data, but ithe small size is implied. It's a bit convenient, I'll give you that, but I did not take much of an issue with this.

Luke and Dagobah is somewhat similar. We don't know the exact size of Dagobah either, but the Force could have guided Luke. When Obi-Wan appeared to him on Hoth, maybe he did not only provide a verbal message "go to Dagobah, find Yoda", but a non-verbal "beacon" of some sort which Luke subconsciously recognized as the perfect landing site? It is entirely possible, if in the same way you accept that Leia "heard" Luke's calling towards the end of the movie when they are escaping from Bespin...

The explanation would be "it was the Force" both times.

[–] moviechatterer (15697) 2 years ago

"Xenopedia" ?

Theres a whole wiki database thing named after one made up word in the script ?
I've always dislike this "xenomorph" thing , purely because its mentioned once in that briefing and never elaborated on.
The one thing that is clear is that its a generic term and doesent represent that exact alien species.

[–] sati_84 (467) 2 years ago

You know how the Star Wars Wiki is called Wookiepedia? - https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Main_Page

Well, Xenopedia is exactly like that, but for the Alien and Predator movies / media - https://avp.fandom.com/wiki/Main_Page

I also find it generally weird that "xenomorph" was the name that stuck, but I have a theory about it. For one, I think it sounds like a scientific term - which it is, kind of... although the exact meaning just points to the fact that the alien is well... alien to us and we don't recognize the species or its form.

The other thing about this term is the context. Gorman uses the term, and trying to make it seem like an offhand thing, but then Hudson asks what the word was and he is repeating it - without an explanation. All in all, it's a somewhat funny moment, especially in hindsight, knowing Gorman and his battle experience (or rather lack thereof) a bit better, it comes off even funnier on repeat viewings.

So I believe these are the two factors that went into the popularity of this term.
Besides, the word "alien" also doesn't represent any specific alien species - and it's not even scienfitic sounding. So the fans took their pick, I guess.

[–] aavfreak (3329) 2 years ago

how coincidental is it the colony set up shop so close to the original nest?

Maybe it wasn't coincidental. Maybe it was a specific location selected by the company or someone within the company.