Which is better, Alien or Aliens? Well, I can answer that one for you - it’s Alien. But Aliens is rather special too. Just not, you know, most-important-film-of-the-70s special.

There is now a new chapter in the give and take between Ridley Scott and James Cameron, however. The BFI here in good ol’ Blighty (that’s what the B stands for) had a Blade Runner day at the weekend and while I didn’t go along myself - shame on me - a good handful of reporters were handy. One of them managed to get down Scott’s key quote on his upcoming sci-fi actioner, and how Avatar has inspired him to shoot it in 3D.

I’m filming a book by Joe Haldeman called Forever War. I’ve got a good writer doing it. I’ve seen some of James Cameron’s work, and I’ve got to go 3D. It’s going to be phenomenal.

London’s Wharf got that dish, giving some of my London chums something sexy to read on the light railway this morning.

I don’t know much about Haldeman or this Forever War, but Ridley Scott doing 3D? He could be adapting the Dick and Jane elementary learner books or Monopoly or something silly like that and I’d still be at the front of the line.

Speculate now, if you would, on who this ‘good writer’ that Scott mentioned might be. I immediately assumed William Monahan, but I think he has other things on. Whoever has the job, I hope they keep the first line of the novel because it’s a doozy:

Tonight we’re going to show you eight silent ways to kill a man.

Eight silent ways to kill a man! In 3D! Box office gold! Even in an anti-war film!

Apparently, the 1974 novel was deeply inspired by the Vietnam scenario. Things being what they are, however, it can’t fail to be relevant now. Forever War indeed.

Note: the image at the head of the post comes from the 80s, when Forever War was almost adapted as a mini-series for PBS. Really.