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When you're hanging out with Joe or Andy, you can always expect a good time. Maybe not what the masses like, but an experience none the less.

If Joe and Andy are your friends, you know the difference between Alien and Aliens. At first you might think James Cameron's Aliens is a much better take on the tale. Lots of guns, lots of cool toys, tons of aliens, and non-stop action. Well, that's what it is, an action movie. But as with every other Cameron film, we've seen it somewhere else before. He takes the art of "homage" to new levels, or borderline theft. If you want to check out where he got the coolest touch in Aliens, those beeping suspense-generating range finders, take a look at 1951's The Thing. The real deal, not John Carpenter's '82 remake. A beautifully crafted piece of cold war paranoia from producer Howard Hawks. But The Thing also shares something in common with Alien as well. The foremost is what points us to the difference between the Alien flicks. It's also the difference between Jaws and Lost World. One is a thriller and another is an action movie.

James Cameron makes action movies. At least he did before Titanic. He thrives on explosions, guns, chases, more guns, and more explosions. He is an adrenaline junkie. Alien is crafted much differently. It is a thriller. It slowly builds its plot and tension with its pacing and visual style. On repeat viewings, it holds up. Aliens tends to start getting a bit cheesy. You're looking more for Bill Paxton's "Game over, man!" and the Ripley/Sarah Connor comparisons. Both are still great fun rides, don't get me wrong. But when you're hanging with Joe and Andy, sometimes that slow tension is a lot more fascinating.

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