ALIEN / PROMETHEUS / COVENANT / ROMULUS - SPOILERS INBOUND!!

[YO303]

You won't believe the things "The wives of IDM" are into. I heard from a very reliable source that Aphex's ex wife is into Nascar racing and miming.

[gunnar]

Babyhead - The production nickname for what Fifield turns into after being infected by the black slime. The original designs had him transforming into something remarkably more alien, as partially seen below.

 

 

they've should've used one of these designs. that upper one in the left particularly.

[Atop]

yeah, I agree. The scene would have been more shocking.

 

Rubber Johnny has already scared and scarred me, so this time he wasn't as scary.

 

Still a scary scene though, dumb ass geologist all folded up creepy crab style.

 

Great torching scene.

 

Gotta love them flame throwers!

[syd syside]

I'm seeing this again tomorrow, can't get over how good the 3D was. Best 3D yet besides Hubble Imax 3D.

[YEK]

i just watched alien director's cut. fucking good

[Squee]

[syd syside]

Watching that video and hearing more about how the crew/scientists were not being very bright, isn't really a valid critique on the film imo. Weyland didn't necessarily want the best and brightest, he wanted the people who wouldn't ask too many questions about the mission. People who were willing to go on a mission they knew little about. I'd say he was successful. I dare say he saw the rest of the crew, other than David and maybe Vickers, as expendable.

 

David is the world's best and brightest for the humans. Without David, the humans would have found the Alien structure but perhaps very little else... at least not the star map room nor the room with the black goo.

Edited June 12, 2012 by compson

[Guest Z_B_Z]

people have some valid points re plot and character development, but they were minor to me in comparison to the grand spectacle of it all. the abortion scene was so over the top and intense, i loved it. set design was off the fucking hook. fassbender was amazing. the swedish woman whos name i cant remember put in a solid performance. might see it again before it leaves the theater.. really hope theres a sequel.

[Guest Z_B_Z]

[Silent Member]

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Hah! this is basically everything that was going through my head as I was watching the film.

[Guest Z_B_Z]

[media=]

[/media]

 

some of these things are answerable, some are decent points, and some are just plain ol nitpicking. i suppose i could expand on that, but this ocd fest is tedious as fuck, so i probably wont.

[soundwave]

How many other decent films other than Alien and Blade Runner has Ridley Scott made?

 

Gladiator and Black Rain are ok but I cant think of anything else off hand?

[Guest Z_B_Z]

i only like his sci fi stuff.. most of his films are knida shitty imho.. i dont think gladiator deserved all that priase..

[lumpenprol]

depends on how you define decent

- thelma and louis?

- body of lies?

- kingdom of heaven (dir cut)?

[Atop]

you are correct zeebeezee.

 

Ridley makes his first good film in many years and everyone is split over it.

 

The bigger picture viewers versus the ocd, they chose wrong ways to write human interaction and why were there flutes arguments.

 

The bigger idea the whole film is so much more fun to think about and discuss than the plot details within this film. The details get completely masked imo.

 

The details that do work are all amazing, David, the creature design, the ship design, the way outer space is presented in the film, fx in general etc. I have already stated my case in this thread. Glad you enjoyed it as well zeeberz.

Edited June 12, 2012 by Atop

[baph]

I don't have time to backtrack in this thread, so a couple of thoughts, and probably spoilers:

 

Yeah, plot holes abound, and characterization is a weak point. I figured as much as soon as I knew Lost Boy wrote it.

 

David is glorious. Every shot with Fassbender is worth the price of admission.

 

Charlize and Fassbender can turn some ridiculous lines into gold. Charlize plays modern Ice Queen Charlize^tm but as usual adds nuance that I'm sure is absent from the script, especially towards the end.

 

The script has a number of genuinely good ideas that it fails to locate properly within a cohesive narrative, and some truly bizarre decisions. The exploding space jockey head added absolutely nothing. It kinda-sorta evoked the jockey disintegration in the opening sequence, but the phenomenon is not explored at all. It's easy to rationalize what's going on, but the intent seems to be to leave open a few plot points for an inevitable sequel.

 

The abortion sequence was pretty effective body horror, and exceeded my expectations. It's silly, but shit bursting out of chests is silly, too.

 

Clearly some careful editing to avoid too much gore in that sequence, though. A few obscured "Fucks," too. Would not be surprised if Ridley self-censored to grab a PG-13, and then the studio used that same cut to argue for non-interference and a hyped up "serious R".

 

The religious element was typically hamfisted. Can see remnants of the earlier "Paradise" script, but clearly Lost Boy didn't know how to explore this effectively, or how to contextualize it properly within an Alien Prequel (for what it's worth, Alien 3 went there, better).

 

Some genuinely darkly funny lines in the film, especially when delivered by David.

 

Some absolutely gorgeous and subtle 3D cinematography. Possibly the least gimmicky use of 3D I've seen. The depth of some of the establishing shots is extraordinary. The cinematography and set design is brilliant enough to allow for more suspension of disbelief than the script warrants. Unmasked space-jockey design aside, the movie is beautiful. A few definite echoes of the Jodorowsky Dune concepts (I noticed a "Dune Films" tag at the beginning, not sure if licensing related or just a coincidence?)

 

I'm surprised that everyone seems to want further explanation for why David infected Holloway. David was shown reading texts and not bothering to translate them for the rest of the crew about 7 times in the film, so it's not far-fetched that he would understand the bioweapon life cycle. As for why? Really? After everyone articulated it 10 times in the script? If Prometheus were any more obvious about its central theme, it would have been called Prometheus or something. Jesus Fucking Christ. Fucking hell.

 

Would not be surprised if an alternate edit of this film would help with a good portion of its flaws. Hoping this isn't a cynical studio move for a Special Director's Cut in a few years, especially as that seems to be modern Ridley Scott Brand Identity at this point, but on the other hand Scott seems to have stated that this is the "whole" product.

 

It's a deeply flawed movie, but it isn't terrible and it's worth watching if your expectations are properly situated. Not going to reduce it to a number--there are aspects I loved and aspects I did not, and I'm not sure if I can synthesize a score out of that-- but I do not regret watching this. Regardless, it's far better than Alien vs. Predator, and it's less fatally flawed/more effective than Alien Resurrection. Those are terrible movies, so this isn't saying much, but it's something.

 

I can accept a film as being seriously flawed and still enjoy the heck out of it. I enjoyed the heck out of Prometheus.

Edited June 12, 2012 by baph

[baph]

lol, so director's cut already confirmed?

 

Oh, Ridley.

[Guest Z_B_Z]

perhaps ive misunderstood something, but from what ive read, its kind of up in the air whether there will be 'deleted scenes' on the disc or actually integrated into the film.. apparently the original cut ran 30 min longer..

 

but he says the theatrical cut is really the 'directors cut' so its all pretty confusing..

Edited June 12, 2012 by Z_B_Z

[baph]

If there's a 30 minute longer cut it will come out eventually as a Ridley Approved Ultimate Cut. Actually, I'd be immensely surprised if they didn't do a standard blu-ray with just the theatrical cut first.

[Guest Z_B_Z]

im sure they will..

[joyeboy]

I'm almost certain there will be a longer cut on the home release. Ridley is not gonna verbally shoot down the version in theaters while it is still making money.

[Braintree]

I thought it was visually stunning and interesting to watch. There are a few things that didn't really need to be in there, but I enjoyed it anyway.

[Guest boo]

on kermode/mayo he basically said "no" when asked if he was happy with this cut and as good as said there would be a directors cut [media=]

http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/fivelive/kermode/kermode_20120601-1008a.mp3[/media]

 

edit: ok i listened again just now and he said "definitely"

Edited June 12, 2012 by tauboo

[syd syside]

and as good as said there.. wat?

 

fake edit: listens to audio

[Guest boo]

you'll have to search through to the interview