Column Chronicles: The Alien versus Predator argument

The Alien versus Predator argument

Frank Cotolo
August 27, 2015

If you have seen the movie "Alien" and/or the movie "Predator" and/or any of the sequels, you must be aware that neither of the space creatures in those movies has a name. The alien and the predator are extraterrestrials.

The big headed lizard-like creature with the acid blood in the Alien movies is never addressed by the characters in its movies, which all include in the title some variation of the word 'alien.'

The upright-walking creature that sees by identifying heat patterns and wears a wristwatch that can ignite a nuclear device is never addressed by the characters in its movies, which all include in the title some variation of the word 'predator.'

Studious members of the audiences of these movies should be quick to recognize that by definition - and certainly by the action taken by these creatures in their movies - an alien is a predator and a predator is an alien. The two monsters that are known by generic titles are of the same ilk. Here's what they have in common:

The alien and the predator are extraterrestrials.

The alien and the predator are of unknown origin.

The alien and the predator are marauders.

Think about any description of each and you will have a description of both.

When the alien and predator movies had run their courses, someone came up with the idea of putting them both into the same movie. That movie, of course, was called "Alien vs. Predator" and known to fans as "AVP." In the description of that movie, Alien and Predator, respectfully, were called "the two legends," based on the fact that people knew Alien as a specific alien and Predator as a specific predator - the ones in the movies where the alien and the predator had no names.

It would have been perfectly correct at any time in either of their movies to have had characters say, "The alien is after us. He's a predator." They also could have said, "The predator that wants us all dead is an alien."

But no character said anything like those things. Nor did characters in the two legends' movies ever call either of them aliens or predators. Even when Alien fought Predator in the same movie, none of the characters acknowledged that an alien and predator were battling to the death. All they said was that only one could survive. Which one, though? Was it the alien or the predator or the alien predator or the predator that was an alien?

None of this bothered any viewers but me. I asked just about everyone that I knew saw any of the movies and each of them correctly identified the alien as the creature in the Alien movies and the predator as the creature in the Predator movies.

I know one thing: the main character in the original Predator movie was the only character to ask any questions about the creature he was fighting. Dutch, played by Arnold Schwarzenegger, looked at Predator when that alien was near death and Dutch said, "What the hell are you?"

He never asked who - predator or alien - but he would have been correct had he said either.

Frank Cotolo can be found hosting the talk and interview programme Cotolo Chronicles. You can send him an e-mail at this address: frank@148.ca.