News

5 Reasons Why Ellen Ripley Was a Boss-Ass Bitch

Published

7 years ago

April 26, 2017

Alien is a cultural landmark for horror and sci-fi. It showed us a version of space travel that was gritty, grimy, and blue-collar. For once, a spaceship wasn’t all shiny, white and chrome. We followed a group who were horribly under-prepared for the threat they encountered. There was no big bad security or military officer there to lead the charge. And we were introduced to the character of Ripley, one of the most badass bitches to grace the silver screen.

To celebrate Ellen Ripley and National Alien Day, let’s review some of the reasons why she was such a boss-ass bitch.

Ripley Won’t Take Your Bullshit

She’s got pride, she’s got power, she’s a badass mother who won’t take no crap off of nobody. Ripley calls everyone on their bullshit and their ego and it’s just the best. She calls out Ash when he overrules her order to keep Kane in quarantine and confronted him about Special Order 937. She calls out Lieutenant Gorman on his bullshit decisions. She doesn’t hesitate to point the finger at Burke when he locked Ripley and Newt in a room with two live facehuggers. She halts Hudson mid-breakdown to remind him that cooler heads must prevail if they hope to survive. The list goes on, because really, Ripley ain’t got time for your shit.

Image result for ellen ripley pinterest

It’s a great example of how the character isn’t some shrinking violet. She’s not afraid of confrontation and she’ll do whatever it takes – and sass the hell out of whoever it takes – to make sure her voice is heard.

Zero shit taken, and zero fucks given.

She’s Not Some Sexualized Murder Gymnast

Before Ripley was a superpowered Xeno-clone in Alien: Resurrection, she was just a warrant officer, stuck on the wrong mission at the wrong time. She’s not a back-flipping, high-kicking hyper-female killing machine with perfect makeup. She’s brash, strong-willed, and deeply human.

Related image

Ripley was originally written as a male character. Brilliantly, they didn’t try to make the character more feminine once Sigourney Weaver was cast. Ripley is not a damsel in distress, defined by the men around her or her relationship to them. She’s defined by her strategic intelligence, level head, and survival instincts. Ripley defies gender roles and is inarguably one of the most significant female protagonists of film history.

She’s Maternal As Fuck

After learning of the death of her unintentionally estranged daughter, Ripley is devastated. All she wanted was to return home safely for her daughter’s eleventh birthday. When she finds Newt, her first instinct is to care for her. She has a small idea of what Newt has gone through and understands how much that trauma would affect a child. Ripley is committed to protecting her – no matter what.

Image result for ellen ripley maternal

Enter one of the best lines of all time; “Get away from her you bitch!”.

Ripley is driven by her desire to protect. I mean, she’s even protective of Jonesy the cat in a time where most (cold-hearted) civilians would say “you’re on your own” and leave the furry friend behind. She shows that you can be a strong female character and still have a softer touch.

She’s Thorough as Hell

Ripley does not fuck about when it comes to killing a damn Xenomorph. In Alien, she shoves it out the airlock, shoots it with a harpoon gun, and blasts it in the engine. A totally necessary triple-tap overkill.

Image result for ellen ripley maternal In Alien 3, Ripley requests a full autopsy – which she oversees – and burns the bodies of Hicks and Newt just to be certain that they would have no unfortunate surprises. She’s also the only one who insists on following quarantine protocol when Kane comes back to the Nostromo with an unknown alien entity firmly attached to his damn face. Sometimes you need to make the hard, unpopular decisions, and our girl will not hesitate.

She Was Thrust Into the Hero Role and Totally Owns it

Ripley is only third in command of the Nostromo but she attempts to take charge of the situation, trying to calm the other crew members when things start to go to shit. When Lieutenant Gorman ignores her pleas for action, she takes over and rushes in to save the surviving members of the platoon. And even though she has no military background, Corporal Hicks turns to her for advice, appreciating her input and often giving her final say when decisions are made. She may not be a dominant force, but she’s tough, ready, and capable. From Warrant Officer to Our Lady of Survival, Ripley defies expectations and comes out of her PTSD-inducing experience with a fresh attitude and a license to kill.

Related image

Ultimately, in her humanity, Ripley performs one final heroic act. When she learns that there’s a Xenomorph Queen growing inside her, she sacrifices herself for the sake of mankind, killing the Queen and stopping the Weyland-Yutani Corporation’s surely sinister plans.

There are many reasons to love Ripley. What are yours? Share with us in the comments!

'Civil War' Review: Is It Worth Watching?

Click to comment

You must be logged in to post a comment Login

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Related Topics:alien aliens Ellen Ripley Ripley

News

Jake Gyllenhaal’s Thriller ‘Presumed Innocent’ Series Gets Early Release Date

Published

46 mins ago

April 26, 2024

Timothy Rawles

Jake Gyllenhaal’s limited series Presumed Innocent is dropping on AppleTV+ on June 12 instead of June 14 as originally planned. The star, whose Road House reboot has brought mixed reviews on Amazon Prime, is embracing the small screen for the first time since his appearance on Homicide: Life on the Street in 1994.

Jake Gyllenhaal’s in ‘Presumed Innocent’

Presumed Innocent is being produced by David E. Kelley, J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot, and Warner Bros. It is an adaptation of Scott Turow’s 1990 film in which Harrison Ford plays a lawyer doing double duty as an investigator looking for the murderer of his colleague.

These types of sexy thrillers were popular in the ’90s and usually contained twist endings. Here’s the trailer for the original:

According to Deadline, Presumed Innocent doesn’t stray far from the source material: “…the Presumed Innocent series will explore obsession, sex, politics and the power and limits of love as the accused fights to hold his family and marriage together.”

Up next for Gyllenhaal is the Guy Ritchie action movie titled In the Grey scheduled for release in January 2025.

Presumed Innocent is an eight-episode limited series set to stream on AppleTV+ starting June 12.

'Civil War' Review: Is It Worth Watching?

Movies

Trailer for ‘The Exorcism’ Has Russell Crowe Possessed

Published

20 hours ago

April 25, 2024

Timothy Rawles

The latest exorcism movie is about to drop this summer. It’s aptly titled The Exorcism and it stars Academy Award winner turned B-movie savant Russell Crowe. The trailer dropped today and by the looks of it, we are getting a possession movie that takes place on a movie set.

Just like this year’s recent demon-in-media-space film Late Night With the Devil, The Exorcism happens during a production. Although the former takes place on a live network talk show, the latter is on an active sound stage. Hopefully, it won’t be entirely serious and we’ll get some meta chuckles out of it.

The film will open in theaters on June 7, but since Shudder also acquired it, it probably won’t be long after that until it finds a home on the streaming service.

Crowe plays, “Anthony Miller, a troubled actor who begins to unravel while shooting a supernatural horror film. His estranged daughter, Lee (Ryan Simpkins), wonders if he’s slipping back into his past addictions or if there’s something more sinister at play. The film also stars Sam Worthington, Chloe Bailey, Adam Goldberg and David Hyde Pierce.”

Crowe did see some success in last year’s The Pope’s Exorcist mostly because his character was so over-the-top and infused with such comical hubris it bordered on parody. We will see if that is the route actor-turned-director Joshua John Miller takes with The Exorcism.

'Civil War' Review: Is It Worth Watching?

News

Win a Stay at The Lizzie Borden House From Spirit Halloween

Published

21 hours ago

April 25, 2024

Timothy Rawles

Spirit Halloween has declared that this week marks the start of spooky season and to celebrate they are offering fans a chance to stay at the Lizzie Borden House with so many perks Lizzie herself would approve.

The Lizzie Borden House in Fall River, MA is claimed to be one of the most haunted houses in America. Of course one lucky winner and up to 12 of their friends will find out if the rumors are true if they win the grand prize: A private stay in the notorious house.

“We are delighted to work with Spirit Halloween to roll out the red carpet and offer the public a chance to win a one-of-a-kind experience at the infamous Lizzie Borden House, which also includes additional haunted experiences and merchandise,” said Lance Zaal, President & Founder of US Ghost Adventures.

Fans can enter to win by following Spirit Halloween‘s Instagram and leaving a comment on the contest post from now through April 28.

The prize also includes:

An exclusive guided house tour, including insider insight around the murder, the trial, and commonly reported hauntings

A late-night ghost tour, complete with professional ghost-hunting gear

A private breakfast in the Borden family dining room

A ghost hunting starter kit with two pieces of Ghost Daddy Ghost Hunting Gear and a lesson for two at US Ghost Adventures Ghost Hunting Course

The ultimate Lizzie Borden gift package, featuring an official hatchet, the Lizzie Borden board game, Lily the Haunted Doll, and America’s Most Haunted Volume II

Winner’s choice of a Ghost Tour experience in Salem or a True Crime experience in Boston for two

“Our Halfway to Halloween celebration provides fans an exhilarating taste of what’s to come this fall and empowers them to start planning for their favorite season as early as they please,” said Steven Silverstein, CEO of Spirit Halloween. “We have cultivated an incredible following of enthusiasts who embody the Halloween lifestyle, and we’re thrilled to bring the fun back to life.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Spirit Halloween (@spirithalloween)

Spirit Halloween is also preparing for their retail haunted houses. On Thursday, August 1 their flagship store in Egg Harbor Township, NJ. will officially open to start off the season. That event usually draws in hordes of people eager to see what new merch, animatronics, and exclusive IP goods will be trending this year.