# Two Alien quotes-- what do they mean? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 28, 2011, 10:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-alien-quotes-what-do-they-mean/576237 "2011-03-28T10:26:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2011, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-alien-quotes-what-do-they-mean/576237/41 "2011-03-29T13:37:47Z")
Unless responders here are familiar with “in the pipe” as pre-existing pilot slang for being exactly on prescribed course, I’d suggest that perhaps “in the pipe” means simply that they’ve departed and are enroute, as if they are goods that have been inserted into a pipeline from point A to point B. ---
**Author:** ![Enigma42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/87869e/32.png) [@Enigma42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enigma42)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2011, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-alien-quotes-what-do-they-mean/576237/42 "2011-03-29T16:26:00Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > Well, have it y’all’s way, I guess. The movie exists, and that’s that. Obviously, you aren’t obligated to watch the movie if you feel so strongly. But there’s no reason not to give it a shot, it’s really a \*very \*good movie. This isn’t some exploitative explosion-fest like many of the more recent ‘action’ movies. It’s about 2.5 hours of intense, gritty but character-driven action. There \*are \*explosions (some big ones!), gun battles and foot chases, but there is also lots of suspense and drama. \*Aliens \*is full of great and memorable characters and all are well acted (esp. Ripley, Burke, Bishop, Vasquez, Hicks and Newt). Sigourney Weaver usually turns in a good performance, and especially so in this movie. \*\*Balance \*\*explained her character well, and I also think she wanted to act out of concern for the colonists; to help them in any way possible so they wouldn’t endure the same fate as her crew mates. In fact, I think all the character’s actions make sense in this movie. Not that they make good choices necessarily, but they have reasons to make those decisions that stem from their character’s experience, motivation, etc. There’s a reason people are still quoting this movie after 25 years after all. . . If you enjoyed _Alien_, you are quite likely to enjoy \*Aliens \*as well. Many people even prefer the second film. Seriously, give it a chance and I doubt you’ll be disappointed. ---
**Author:** ![DWMarch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwmarch/32/1010_2.png) [@DWMarch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DWMarch)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2011, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-alien-quotes-what-do-they-mean/576237/43 "2011-03-30T04:02:22Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > Me, I’m finding the deepest hole I can, and gibbering away in the darkest corner. I guess you haven’t watched Alien 3 then… that’s exactly where the alien can be found! > [@](#): > > Unless responders here are familiar with “in the pipe” as pre-existing pilot slang for being exactly on prescribed course, I’d suggest that perhaps “in the pipe” means simply that they’ve departed and are enroute, as if they are goods that have been inserted into a pipeline from point A to point B. There’s a graphic of the pipe as they’re descending. > [@](#): > > And the Nostromo wasn’t insured? I call shenanigans on that one. Insurance doesn’t cover intentional destruction of the ship by the crew. ---
**Author:** ![Erdosain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/erdosain/32/7284_2.png) [@Erdosain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Erdosain)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2011, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-alien-quotes-what-do-they-mean/576237/44 "2011-03-30T04:21:55Z")
> [@DWMarch](#): > > Insurance doesn’t cover intentional destruction of the ship by the crew. Greedy insurance companies, always looking for any excuse not to pay out. They refused to pay for that guy’s stomach surgery, too. They said his facehugger was a pre-existing condition. ---
**Author:** ![CanvasShoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@CanvasShoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanvasShoes)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2011, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-alien-quotes-what-do-they-mean/576237/45 "2011-03-30T04:59:29Z")
> [@Erdosain](#): > > Greedy insurance companies, always looking for any excuse not to pay out. They refused to pay for that guy’s stomach surgery, too. They said his facehugger was a pre-existing condition. snerk! good one. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2011, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-alien-quotes-what-do-they-mean/576237/46 "2011-03-30T05:31:27Z")
Even if the Nostromo had been insured, the company’s still likely eating a big loss on the overall mission, including destroyed cargo, plus whatever the total loss of a ship with all hands did to their insurance rates. Even insured out the ass, the company probably was still looking at a hundreds of millions in losses. ---
**Author:** ![GreedySmurf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a698b9/32.png) [@GreedySmurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreedySmurf)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2011, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-alien-quotes-what-do-they-mean/576237/47 "2011-03-30T06:19:54Z")
> [@Enigma42](#): > > Obviously, you aren’t obligated to watch the movie if you feel so strongly. But there’s no reason not to give it a shot, it’s really a \*very \*good movie. This isn’t some exploitative explosion-fest like many of the more recent ‘action’ movies. It’s about 2.5 hours of intense, gritty but character-driven action. There \*are \*explosions (some big ones!), gun battles and foot chases, but there is also lots of suspense and drama. > > \*Aliens \*is full of great and memorable characters and all are well acted (esp. Ripley, Burke, Bishop, Vasquez, Hicks and Newt). Sigourney Weaver usually turns in a good performance, and especially so in this movie. \*\*Balance \*\*explained her character well, and I also think she wanted to act out of concern for the colonists; to help them in any way possible so they wouldn’t endure the same fate as her crew mates. In fact, I think all the character’s actions make sense in this movie. Not that they make good choices necessarily, but they have reasons to make those decisions that stem from their character’s experience, motivation, etc. > > There’s a reason people are still quoting this movie after 25 years after all. . . If you enjoyed _Alien_, you are quite likely to enjoy \*Aliens \*as well. Many people even prefer the second film. Seriously, give it a chance and I doubt you’ll be disappointed. Can I just add that if in any way we have convinced you to give the movie a try, please find the Aliens:Special Edition version. It is IMO superior to the theatrical release. ---
**Author:** ![EvilTOJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee59a6/32.png) [@EvilTOJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EvilTOJ)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2011, 7:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-alien-quotes-what-do-they-mean/576237/48 "2011-03-30T07:55:02Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > Even if the Nostromo had been insured, the company’s still likely eating a big loss on the overall mission, including destroyed cargo, plus whatever the total loss of a ship with all hands did to their insurance rates. Even insured out the ass, the company probably was still looking at a hundreds of millions in losses. Forty-two million in adjusted dollars, minus cargo. Yes, I just watched that movie today thanks to you guys. ---
**Author:** ![Critical1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@Critical1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Critical1)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2011, 8:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-alien-quotes-what-do-they-mean/576237/49 "2011-03-30T08:06:38Z")
> [@GreedySmurf](#): > > Can I just add that if in any way we have convinced you to give the movie a try, please find the Aliens:Special Edition version. It is IMO superior to the theatrical release. QFT!! totally snag the directors cut if at all possible. ---
**Author:** ![Icerigger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icerigger/32/432_2.png) [@Icerigger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icerigger)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2011, 10:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-alien-quotes-what-do-they-mean/576237/50 "2011-03-30T10:17:15Z")
[QUOTE=Enigma42] Sigourney Weaver usually turns in a good performance, and especially so in this movie. [/QUOTE] Indeed, such a good performance she was nominated for an academy award for “Best Actress” almost unheard of for a Sci-Fi action film. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2011, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-alien-quotes-what-do-they-mean/576237/51 "2011-03-30T20:54:20Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > And the _Nostromo_ wasn’t insured? I call shenanigans on that one. So what if it was insured? Do you think they’re going to hand over another several million dollar starship to the trust of some crazy lady that shitcanned the first one? Say you’ve got a shiny new car. You lend it to your shithead nephew, who goes out streetracing behind your back and runs it into a bridge. The airbag deploys, and nephew is unhurt, but car is trashed. Sure, you insured the car, but are you going to lend your shithead nephew another car? Ever? Either the situation wasn’t as bad as she said, although everyone else died, in which case she’s some crazy lady who killed the rest of her crew and self-destructed the ship because of some fantasy, or else things really were as bad as she said, in which case she still unnecessarily self-destructed the ship\* and, by the way, we put a colony on that planet. Time to cover up. \*Unnecessarily, because it didn’t work. The damn thing got on the escape pod with her, so the ship was destroyed for no reason. > [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > The _third_ movie, though… that was useless. But the explanation for that one is that on the way back from the second movie, their ship crashes. The _ **fourth** _ movie was the completely useless one. (But yeah, the third kinda ruins the second.) ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2011, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-alien-quotes-what-do-they-mean/576237/52 "2011-03-30T21:09:23Z")
[QUOTE=DWMarch] There’s a graphic of the pipe as they’re descending. [/QUOTE] This grasphic was also present in the first movie, too, if I recall. (I can’t find a screen shot on the web.) The navigational computer but up a line of boxes as visual aids during manual piloting. In the first movie, the entire _Nostromo_ doesn’t land on the planet. It seems like a part of it detaches (the bridge/command module, I guess. It wasn’t the shuttle later used as an escape boat…), and there is a shot of the navigational display. I could see how that might be called a “pipe”. ---
**Author:** ![Saltire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saltire/32/553_2.png) [@Saltire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saltire)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2011, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-alien-quotes-what-do-they-mean/576237/53 "2011-03-30T22:24:05Z")
> [@Nunavut\_Boy](#): > > I tell anyone who will listen that Aliens is the greatest action movie ever made. One of the reasons Alien and Aliens are both so good is they’re different types of movie. Alien is a suspense monster flick, one of a rare breed of scary movie–the kind that actually scares people. Aliens, on the other hand, is an action movie, and a damn good one, at that. Very possibly the best example of the genre. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Crazyquilt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b77776/32.png) [@Jack\_Crazyquilt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Crazyquilt)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2011, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-alien-quotes-what-do-they-mean/576237/54 "2011-03-30T23:24:26Z")
I think I have a good explanation for the “Look into my eye.” quote, and it doesn’t involve middle fingers (although that’s a nice grace note to add to the gesture). The thing is, “Look into my eye…” shouldn’t end with a period. It’s meant to be concluded by the implied “…do you see anyone in there who gives a shit?” It’s the same as saying “A fool and his money.” about someone making an unwise purchase. It won’t make sense unless the person you’re talking to knows how to fill in the missing content. ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2011, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-alien-quotes-what-do-they-mean/576237/55 "2011-03-30T23:43:12Z")
> [@mlees](#): > > In the first movie, the entire _Nostromo_ doesn’t land on the planet. It seems like a part of it detaches (the bridge/command module, I guess. It wasn’t the shuttle later used as an escape boat…), and there is a shot of the navigational display. I could see how that might be called a “pipe”. The bulk of the _Nostromo_ was actually devoted to cargo and an automated processing facility, as I recall. It didn’t just haul the cargo, it was a mobile refinery. Obviously, they wouldn’t want to land the whole thing, even assuming that it _could_ land. > [@Jack\_Crazyquilt](#): > > I think I have a good explanation for the “Look into my eye.” quote, and it doesn’t involve middle fingers (although that’s a nice grace note to add to the gesture). > > The thing is, “Look into my eye…” shouldn’t end with a period. It’s meant to be concluded by the implied “…do you see anyone in there who gives a shit?” It’s the same as saying “A fool and his money.” about someone making an unwise purchase. It won’t make sense unless the person you’re talking to knows how to fill in the missing content. I always took it as a mix of giving him the finger, “…and see if I give a shit”, and a touch of the evil eye. Apone was a layered individual–he could tell you to fuck off in several ways at once. ---
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2011, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-alien-quotes-what-do-they-mean/576237/56 "2011-03-31T14:34:18Z")
An edit that has always bugged me about the second film was the deletion of the event that provided Ripley’s motivation for going all gooey-hormonal-mommy over Newt. It seems out of character for her tough broad unless you know that her daughter has died (as an adult, I believe) during the 57 years she was drifting in hypersleep. It compounds her horror at having been gone so long that she missed her daughter’s whole life, and she bonds strongly & immediately with Newt as the little girl she CAN save. ---
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2011, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-alien-quotes-what-do-they-mean/576237/57 "2011-03-31T14:36:00Z")
> [@Balance](#): > > Apone was a layered individual–he could tell you to fuck off in several ways at once. I see that the Corps and it’s sergeants have not changed in the future. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2011, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-alien-quotes-what-do-they-mean/576237/58 "2011-03-31T14:42:32Z")
> [@Jack\_Crazyquilt](#): > > I think I have a good explanation for the “Look into my eye.” quote, and it doesn’t involve middle fingers (although that’s a nice grace note to add to the gesture). > > The thing is, “Look into my eye…” shouldn’t end with a period. It’s meant to be concluded by the implied “…do you see anyone in there who gives a shit?” It’s the same as saying “A fool and his money.” about someone making an unwise purchase. It won’t make sense unless the person you’re talking to knows how to fill in the missing content. I don’t agree. Here is the context, according to IMDB: > [@](#): > > Hudson: Man, this floor is freezing. > Apone: What do you want me to do, fetch your slippers for you? > Hudson: Gee, would you sir? I’d like that. > [Apone pulls down the skin under his left eye with middle finger] > Apone: Look into my eye. Which do you think best fits as an answer to Hudson’s request to fetch him slippers: “Do you think I give a shit?”, or “Fuck you.” ---
**Author:** ![Uosdwis\_R.Dewoh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Uosdwis\_R.Dewoh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uosdwis_R.Dewoh)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2011, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-alien-quotes-what-do-they-mean/576237/59 "2011-03-31T15:06:52Z")
> [@Moirai](#): > > An edit that has always bugged me about the second film was the deletion of the event that provided Ripley’s motivation for going all gooey-hormonal-mommy over Newt. It seems out of character for her tough broad unless you know that her daughter has died (as an adult, I believe) during the 57 years she was drifting in hypersleep. > > It compounds her horror at having been gone so long that she missed her daughter’s whole life, and she bonds strongly & immediately with Newt as the little girl she CAN save. I disagree. That scene was best left on the cutting room floor. It really didn’t add anything to the character and it would have messed with the film’s excellent pace. That Ripley was the only civilian (not counting Burk: asshole extraordinaire) on the mission, and a fellow alien survivor, was all the motivation needed for her to bond with Newt. Same thing with the cut scene where the colonists find the alien ship. Totally unnecessary. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2011, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-alien-quotes-what-do-they-mean/576237/60 "2011-03-31T16:31:26Z")
You all realize that this movie cannot possibly live up to **kaysdad’s** expectations. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-alien-quotes-what-do-they-mean/576237.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-alien-quotes-what-do-they-mean/576237.md?page=4)