The Loaders in Aliens

[Ash]

I was watching "Aliens" this morning and was wondering how they created the loaders like the one Ripley used to bash the alien queen with.

I've seen the uncut edition on VHS but not on DVD so I haven't had the chance to view any "behind the scenes" stuff.

Those loaders look totally real!

Were they actually using working constructed machines or was it special effects?

I'm inclined to believe it was special effects although it's damn hard to tell especially when the loader is fully shown being used with an operator in the seat!

How were these impressive machines created?

Anyone have any details??

[raj]

Considering the state of the art in special effects back in the 1980s (was it that long ago?) I'm inclined to think they were real, to an extent.  Perhaps there were wires or something, to hold the arms up.  Such things would probably be put to good use in industry, I just haven't heard about them.

That fight scene at the end *was* amazing.

[Brother Ragnarok]

The loaders were constructed by Cat specifically for the movie.  If you look close I believe there are a few scenes where you can see the Cat logo on them.
I'd have to assume the reason they're not widely used in actual industry is they move so damn slow and look very top-heavy.  If the feet were replaced by caterpillar tracks or a six- or eight-wheel base they'd be a helluva lot more practical.

Brother R

[Flangepart]

Our Center of Science and Industry had a "Special effects tour" some years ago. They had the full size loader rig, and a smaller "Long shot" model as part of it, as well as the alien queen suit. If they ever make a gyro system that works better then the one in the Asimov robot, the loader could become a reality.
 Patlabor the live action show! Humm...who would you cast as Capt. Goto?
But, man...it would be so cool!

[Squishy]

SPOILER WARNING




Sometimes--the loader working in the background when they're introduced, for example--they're "go-motion" miniatures. The real giveaway shot--IF you're prepared for it and are actively looking for it--is the one in which the Queen latches onto Ripley's loader as it falls into the airlock. Most of the time, it's all damn near flawless, aided by the quick editing cuts and hyperintense atmosphere.

(For those who never heard of go-motion, it was briefly THE special effect; it used computer-controlled rods to move a stop-motion puppet AS it was being filmed, eliminating the chief limitation of regular stop-motion--the "strobe" effect. The Rancor and background figures of Luke and Leia on Landspeeders in "Return of the Jedi" were go-motion; the dragon in "Dragonslayer" was as well. It's still used today, but the spotlight was quickly stolen from it by CGI.)

[yaddo42]

In a Patlabor live action show, I'm wondering who to cast as Ota!

[JohnL]

>Were they actually using working constructed machines or was it special
>effects?

I wondered the same thing. From the Alien/Aliens/Alien3 FAQ at;

Alien FAQ

Q: Are those power-loaders real?
A: Based on the Collectors Version of Aliens on Laserdisc, which comes
   with a disk that shows some of the secrets of the making of the movie,
   the loader is part real, part fake.  The actual loader is real, but
   has an external power supply.  Since the loader is extremely heavy, it
   is supported by cables which are masked out for the final print.
   A power loader was on display at the Boston Museum of Science as
   part of a special effects exhibit.  This power loader was worked by a
   person inside, behind and below the actor, that is with their legs down
   in the power-loader's legs and their torso in the power-loader's back.
   Different constructs of the power loader were used depending on the
   action it had to perform in front of the camera.