ALIEN / PROMETHEUS / COVENANT - SPOILERS INBOUND!!

[luke viia]

that's right, ty!

 

barlowe's guide to fantasy was great too

[lumpenprol]

I can't stand imagining Childhood's end in movie form because I don't trust anyone on designing those "certain characters" in that book.

After re-reading it, I was getting excited about the prospect for a film version, because I think it could actually benefit from an update. The book is filled with some outdated 50s thought and plenty of male chauvinism, but the core idea is still strong. If I was a screenwriter I would think it would be a lot of fun to re-envision the first 2/3 of the book into a more modern setting, while leaving the last part mostly untouched. Could be awesome, and actually improve on the novel (I know, heresy).

 

that's right, ty!

 

barlowe's guide to fantasy was great too

 

wtf? He did a guide to fantasy? Checking...

[auxien]

lol the condescension here is hilarious

 

what?

 

1. I can understand you saying that movies were meant for enjoyment, after all, you seem to spend a lot of time playing videogames, so suddenly everything involving characters and story is entertaining.

 

2. I feel sorry for you and everyone that isn't able to get the message of cinema beyond the enjoyment, even though it's not the case with watmm, as most people here are actually passionate about cinema.

 

3. I wish i could be like you guys tho, being so sure about your thoughts, your opinions, your life.

4. The only thing i know is that i am not sure of anything.

 

5. Of course not everyone is as demanding as i am, but i would like you to present concrete arguments instead of making lame jokes about opinions.

 

6. Next time if you please. Prometheus really isn't worth of my attention right now.

 

lol the condescension here is hilarious

 

1. just because someone plays video games they're easily amused seems to be what you're implying.....condescending.

2. anyone who appreciates a movie for its entertainment value is wrong, or somehow less passionate about films...condescending.

3. implying you're somehow better than or so very different that you cannot enjoy a movie that doesn't go 'beyond' entertainment value reeks of condescension. unless you're a film critic, in which case please do link me to your critiques.

4. you seem to be quite sure of a lot. even other people's thoughts at times. crazy! this one is more pretentious ego-leaking masquerading as humilty than condescending, i'll give you that.

5. i'm not going back to read his posts because i don't care that much, but you haven't presented any concrete argument with your previous post, that's certain.

6. if you don't see how that reeks of condescension than you need to study language and communication dude.

[Guest Mirezzi]

Joyrex's initial comments were every bit as condescending. Anybody dissatisfied with Prometheus was labeled a "pretentious asshole" and "drugs are bad" bla bla bla. Talk about stoking the flames!

 

It's interesting how frequently pretentious people like to level the accusation of pretentiousness. You know, like a Texan who once used British colloquialisms so often that very few people realized he was, in fact, a fucking Texan? I love you, JR, but really, "pretentious" should have been removed from your insult tool bag years ago.

 

See also: hipsters who hate hipsters.

Edited June 30, 2012 by The Overlook

[auxien]

I saw it (twice) this weekend, in IMAX 3D. Fantastic use of 3D, and one of the best movies I've seen in a long time. I personally think people hating on this film are way too critical or just do it so they don't seem too "eager" to instantly like something and be cool to join in with the pithy comment crowd.

 

Best Sci-Fi movie I've seen since Blade Runner. Period.

 

It'll be a day one Blu-Ray 3D purchase when it comes out so I can enjoy it all over again.

I personally think people hating on this film are way too critical or just do it so they don't seem too "eager" to instantly like something and be cool to join in with the pithy comment crowd.

 

whilst I think this is true to an extent the reason this film is getting so much hate is because its so easy to hate. it sets itself with so much dumb fail that you don't even need to try to think of a stupid moment to mock.

 

I'll say it again: I enjoyed my viewing of this film but it didnt hold up to any after thought. Therefore I would watch it again but I would not think about it afterwards again. As soon as leaving the cinema I would distract myself instantly with shiny objects and dream of perhaps buying the bluray (shiny object)

 

Please, enlighten me on at least a few stupid moments to mock - and let's see if you're not being overly critical like the rest of the lot.

 

 

#1 running away from falling spacecraft in a straight line

 

A: What would you do? Strategically zig-zag? FFS, they were terrified and ran for their lives. I kinda raised an eyebrow at the heroine rolling to avoid getting crushed (seriously? a few rolls and she gets out of this massive structure's path), but hardly something to break the movie on. ZZZZZ! Next...

 

#2 removing helmets instantly upon arrival

 

Did you hear what they said - the humidity inside the complex was creating a breathable atmosphere. The guy took a risky chance after hearing the air was CO2 free. ZZZZ! Next...

 

#3 "hands up"

 

What if it was an inside joke between the Captain and his crew, and as a last farewell gesture between him an his crew, he references something memorable to them just as they were about to die? ZZZZZ! Next...

 

#4 petting an alien snake moments after being afraid

 

He was a cocky biologist, who was trying to coax the animal into submission, which was a tragic mistake on his part. I'm sure it's happened to real-world biologists with wild animals too. ZZZZ! Next...

 

#5 getting lost minutes after mapping the entire structure

 

I'm assuming you're referring to the two guys (the geologist and biologist) who decided to go back to the ship - the geologist let out his 'pups' to map and scan the interior of the complex, but that data was being sent back to the ship, not the people on the ground. Add to the fact it was hardly complete, since one of the pups got stuck at the airlock door to the ship. ZZZZ! Next...

 

#6 opening the bay doors and wandering out to see whats going on

 

Again, assuming you're referring to when the geologist returned to the ship as a zombie-creature - yeah, bad move on their part, but to what they can tell, it was just his camera sitting in front of the bay doors - they had no idea what state he was in, and even when they saw his folded up body sitting there, they didn't know he was in such a state. Now, I will give you how they didn't know he was approaching the ship, but not a critical plot point by any means. ZZZZZ! Next...

 

#7 engineer smash

 

The last engineer went into a rage (my guess, since it's unclear) after whatever David said to him angered him (especially if it was something like "My master wants you to extend his life since you're our creators"), or when he touched David's head and realized he wasn't real, was angry at their creations making "false" creations of their own in their likeness - hence he ripped off David's head and smashed Weyland with it. Do we need an explanation as to the thought processes of the aliens before they act? ZZZZ! Next...

 

#8 "...father..."

 

You got me on that one - totally unneeded, and cheesy to boot. Does explain her motives for being on the trip, though.

 

#9 waaaaah but i wanted to talk to the aliens waaaaaah i'm a grown-up/scientist waaah *drink*

 

Agree with you a bit on this one too - I assumed he was drinking because he was so gutted that they had been all dead for thousands of years and couldn't communicate with them, and so he drowned his sorrows in booze.

 

#10 cave painting map to a weapons dump planet?

 

I don't think that planet was a "weapons dump" as the Captain implied - I think the planet was more of a laboratory for their life genesis projects, as evidenced in the same black liquid the sacrificial engineer drank to seed life on Earth. The mealworms in the soil (shown in the shot of the boot stepping into the chamber, and the worms wriggling in the soil) came into contact with the black liquid, and caused them to evolve into the penis snakes, and the bit of the black liquid David put in the guy's drink caused him to start evolving and also impregnate his girlfriend with the squid thing, which in turn impregnated the engineer and caused the birth of the Giger alien. I think the fact they had all these canisters of this stuff loaded into ships was their plan to seed the universe with their creations - riffing off the Greek myth of Prometheus and the spark of life, etc. ZZZZ! Next...

 

#11 to start the spacecraft play the flute

 

Why not? We stick a metal key in order to turn on our cars... was that really so silly to use a musical sequence to unlock a launch sequence on an alien device?

 

#12 hologram replays why?

 

I'm a bit mixed on this - it was neat to see what the engineers were doing in their last days, and it served the purpose of explaining to the audience (and our protagonists, natch) what they were up to and guide the heroes to the next part of the story. Was it needed? Hard to say. I'm sure if you edited those scenes out you'd be complaining how David knew to start up the ship, etc. ZZZZ! GAME OVER.

 

this list could go to 100

 

Let's see: Jimmy McMessageboard: 1 Joyrex: 11

 

YOU LOSE

haha, Joyrex's lack of understanding of why this movie was mediocre as hell is basically 'haters gonna hate?'

 

Best Sci-Fi movie I've seen since Blade Runner. Period.

 

did you decide to sneak away and smoke some pot? holy shit man

 

"Lack of understanding" Give me a fucking break - I'm just sick to death of pretentious assholes (I'll let you decided for yourself if you're in that camp or not) who complain about movies mostly, from my perspective, for the sake of doing so instead of doing what movies were meant for - enjoyment.

 

I enjoyed this movie - is it some great literary work? Fuck no. Is it enjoyable on a visual level? Quite so. Does it have decent pacing, and plot progression? I'd say so. Is the acting decent? Sure - no Academy Award-winning performances for sure, but were the characters believable and play their roles well? Sure.

 

Please, Oh Great Movie Expert™ - please educate a mongoloid like me on why I couldn't possibly have enjoyed this movie since it's so mediocre. Please explain to me why I felt satisfied and enthusiastically talked about this movie with my family.

 

And, for your final act, please tell me how you can say I'm wrong if I think it's the best Sci Fi movie I've seen since Blade Runner, which happens to be my favourite movie of all time - I'd love for you to tell me how my own individual likes and dislikes couldn't possibly be right in stating something like that.

 

And if the day ever comes that I would be retarded enough to smoke pot, rest assured I'll pretend to hate movies for the sake of it along with all the other half-baked morons on the internet.

Joyrex's initial comments were every bit as condescending. Anybody dissatisfied with Prometheus was labeled a "pretentious asshole" and "drugs are bad" bla bla bla. Talk about stoking the flames!

 

It's interesting how frequently pretentious people like to level the accusation of pretentiousness. You know, like a Texan who once used British colloquialisms so often that very few people realized he was, in fact, a fucking Texan? I love you, JR, but really, "pretentious" should have been removed from your insult tool bag years ago.

 

See also: hipsters who hate hipsters.

 

you made me go back and look. damn you.

 

that's joyrex's 'initial' comments. at least from the last 6 or so pages. his, ahem, 'takedown' could be seen as condescending in parts. overall i think it's more just a point by point review of the issues they were discussing....but yeah he definitely could've worded it better in parts and gone without the BZZZTs constantly. and the back-and-forth's afterwards got uglier than that it seemed.

 

"I'm just sick to death of pretentious assholes who complain about movies mostly for the sake of doing so instead of doing what movies were meant for - enjoyment."

 

that's where the phrase first appeared from what i can tell, and i happen to pretty much agree with the statement. it's been all over this thread, and that's why it's irking the hell out of me. not saying it was called for for him to say it, but that's his choice not mine. but i've probably said just as bad or worse to a few folks in this thread.

 

but most importantly, condescension is condescension. it's pretty much never called for no matter what, no matter who does it. ruiagnelo was still doing it blatantly. joyrex may or may not have been (and it may or may not have been triggered by someone else if and when he did it) and if so, there's no damned need for that from him either

 

i have no clue what that shit about Texans is about nor do i really care. and fuck all hipsters just for the sake of it!

[Guest ruiagnelo]

 

English is not my native language. If we were to talk the same language, you would understand i never assume things as certain. Doubt is what is always present in anything that i discuss.

 

Lets get this clear: i have nothing against gamers, because i have gamed a lot when i was a kid. I have nothing against people seeing movies for the entertainment, because i was once like that. I have nothing against people who enjoyed Prometheus, because it's not a bad movie. It simply didn't fulfill my needs. I really can't agree with The Overlook when he says that . Anybody dissatisfied with Prometheus was labeled a "pretentious asshole" and "drugs are bad" bla bla bla. Talk about stoking the flames!, because i haven't been following the thread, but the reactions to my words on the movie were quite sad and disrespectful indeed.

 

I just felt like saying something, because joyrex really sounded so certain about how movies were made for enjoyment and nothing else, and because he was talking about pretentiousness, which i thought was unfair. I was also pissed about the people who started with the jokes after i have written what i thought about the movie, because they did that instead of counter-argumenting.

 

I don't even know what i am doing in a messageboard anymore. Discussing with people on a screen in a language that is not even mine.

Go to hell with your condescendece already

[Blir]

Condescension

[cruising for burgers]

everyone knows joyrex is an hillbilly redneck, what's all the fuss???

Edited June 30, 2012 by THIS IS MICHAEL JACKSON

[Atop]

I can't stand imagining Childhood's end in movie form because I don't trust anyone on designing those "certain characters" in that book.

After re-reading it, I was getting excited about the prospect for a film version, because I think it could actually benefit from an update. The book is filled with some outdated 50s thought and plenty of male chauvinism, but the core idea is still strong. If I was a screenwriter I would think it would be a lot of fun to re-envision the first 2/3 of the book into a more modern setting, while leaving the last part mostly untouched. Could be awesome, and actually improve on the novel (I know, heresy).

 

that's right, ty!

 

barlowe's guide to fantasy was great too

 

wtf? He did a guide to fantasy? Checking...

 

I remember seeing one of his books early on in my childhood. I was completely amazed by it but never purchased it.

 

Went in to a Half Price books recently and looked through the fantasy one and a flood of memories came back to me, also I have since then read some of the books he is illustrating from.

 

Very cool stuff.

 

His envisioning of the Overlords is a bit different from mine, tis the beauty of the mind's eye.

 

I definitely think a great film can be made from the novel, they just need to not use market research before making this one. All adapted novels to film should be more faithful. Screenwriters are basically saying that they are better than the original authors. Case in point, The Shining. Stephen King hated the film. I am not a big King fan but Kubrick basically did no wrong in my mind. Adapting Childhood's End would be a whole different ball of wax. It is all there, just write it into a screenplay. Perhaps modernize it a bit. That would be all that needs changing.

 

Joyrex's initial comments were every bit as condescending. Anybody dissatisfied with Prometheus was labeled a "pretentious asshole" and "drugs are bad" bla bla bla. Talk about stoking the flames!

 

It's interesting how frequently pretentious people like to level the accusation of pretentiousness. You know, like a Texan who once used British colloquialisms so often that very few people realized he was, in fact, a fucking Texan? I love you, JR, but really, "pretentious" should have been removed from your insult tool bag years ago.

 

See also: hipsters who hate hipsters.

 

*can of worms opened*

[awepittance]

I can't stand imagining Childhood's end in movie form because I don't trust anyone on designing those "certain characters" in that book.

 

Wayne Barlowe did a pretty good job in my favorite childhood book:

 

 

everytime i pick up a wayne barlowe illustration book i cry a little bit inside for how many generically designed anime inspired homogeneous CGI creations exist in the biggest budget films. For how much manual labor these animation teams put into creature CGI these days, they don't seem to even contain the imagination that Barlowe held in a single fingernail

[auxien]

 

English is not my native language. If we were to talk the same language, you would understand i never assume things as certain. Doubt is what is always present in anything that i discuss.

 

Lets get this clear: i have nothing against gamers, because i have gamed a lot when i was a kid. I have nothing against people seeing movies for the entertainment, because i was once like that. I have nothing against people who enjoyed Prometheus, because it's not a bad movie. It simply didn't fulfill my needs. I really can't agree with The Overlook when he says that . Anybody dissatisfied with Prometheus was labeled a "pretentious asshole" and "drugs are bad" bla bla bla. Talk about stoking the flames!, because i haven't been following the thread, but the reactions to my words on the movie were quite sad and disrespectful indeed.

 

I just felt like saying something, because joyrex really sounded so certain about how movies were made for enjoyment and nothing else, and because he was talking about pretentiousness, which i thought was unfair. I was also pissed about the people who started with the jokes after i have written what i thought about the movie, because they did that instead of counter-argumenting.also

 

I don't even know what i am doing in a messageboard anymore. Discussing with people on a screen in a language that is not even mine.

Go to hell with your condescendece already

 

i thought English may have been a non-native language for you, but you seemed (and still seem) to have a rather good overall grasp on it (i wish i could speak French with the fluency you speak English!) so my apologies for not cutting you a little extra slack because of that. there's plenty of reasons to not like the movie, i've never said otherwise. lots of people in this thread have stated why and it made perfect sense to me. i don't have a problem with that, maybe joyrex did or it seemed like he did...to me it seemed like he had a problem with pretentious assholes hating on the movie just to do it, because that's what pretentious assholes do. that's expected though, this is like you said a messageboard.

 

i just went back and read your opinions on the movie from page 80. most are perfectly reasonable critiques that were already discussed (sucks you got to the party late! ha)

 

if people's reactions to you were disrespectful (i dunno, goDel made a joke that wasn't very funny to me, figured it came from another thread maybe, who knows) sorry, but this is a messageboard filled with people who come here to discuss listening to a genre of music that after 20 years still goes by Intelligent Dance Music....i mean, we're ridiculous! expect a lot of ridiculous shit to happen, that's why i still like coming here! i mean if you don't wanna visit anymore so be it, but it says you joined in 2009, you should expect a certain amount of shit here. i do too, but it's just been rampant in this thread it seems. that's why i've been irked about it and it seems it happened to you as well. just part of the place my friend.

[Guest ruiagnelo]

 

English is not my native language. If we were to talk the same language, you would understand i never assume things as certain. Doubt is what is always present in anything that i discuss.

 

Lets get this clear: i have nothing against gamers, because i have gamed a lot when i was a kid. I have nothing against people seeing movies for the entertainment, because i was once like that. I have nothing against people who enjoyed Prometheus, because it's not a bad movie. It simply didn't fulfill my needs. I really can't agree with The Overlook when he says that . Anybody dissatisfied with Prometheus was labeled a "pretentious asshole" and "drugs are bad" bla bla bla. Talk about stoking the flames!, because i haven't been following the thread, but the reactions to my words on the movie were quite sad and disrespectful indeed.

 

I just felt like saying something, because joyrex really sounded so certain about how movies were made for enjoyment and nothing else, and because he was talking about pretentiousness, which i thought was unfair. I was also pissed about the people who started with the jokes after i have written what i thought about the movie, because they did that instead of counter-argumenting.also

 

I don't even know what i am doing in a messageboard anymore. Discussing with people on a screen in a language that is not even mine.

Go to hell with your condescendece already

 

i thought English may have been a non-native language for you, but you seemed (and still seem) to have a rather good overall grasp on it (i wish i could speak French with the fluency you speak English!) so my apologies for not cutting you a little extra slack because of that. there's plenty of reasons to not like the movie, i've never said otherwise. lots of people in this thread have stated why and it made perfect sense to me. i don't have a problem with that, maybe joyrex did or it seemed like he did...to me it seemed like he had a problem with pretentious assholes hating on the movie just to do it, because that's what pretentious assholes do. that's expected though, this is like you said a messageboard.

 

i just went back and read your opinions on the movie from page 80. most are perfectly reasonable critiques that were already discussed (sucks you got to the party late! ha)

 

if people's reactions to you were disrespectful (i dunno, goDel made a joke that wasn't very funny to me, figured it came from another thread maybe, who knows) sorry, but this is a messageboard filled with people who come here to discuss listening to a genre of music that after 20 years still goes by Intelligent Dance Music....i mean, we're ridiculous! expect a lot of ridiculous shit to happen, that's why i still like coming here! i mean if you don't wanna visit anymore so be it, but it says you joined in 2009, you should expect a certain amount of shit here. i do too, but it's just been rampant in this thread it seems. that's why i've been irked about it and it seems it happened to you as well. just part of the place my friend.

 

it's cool!

but it's just that, like i was telling before, it's hard for me not to doubt my own thoughts. doubt is very valuable to me, because it is a sign of rationality and balance. i watched the movie yesterday, so when i was writing my opinions, i was still digesting the movie, and i will be for a long time. i doubt it in this case, but it's not the first time that a movie surprises us with the passing of time.

my words might have sounded hopeless, but i didn't find Prometheus to be a horrible movie, because there is a lot of work from a lot of people that i could never be indiferent to, and because there are wonderful concepts brought by it. my demands get higher the more i see and the more i know, which i think is what happens with any person having interest in something. but this doesn't mean i place things automatically in the shit hole when they don't meet my standards.

Ridley Scott has proven to be a visionary and made my favorite Sci Fi movies, so i don't think i need to praise him anymore than i already did, so i focused my attention on what i think he might have got wrong or what i might not have understood.

 

also, i like watmm and always like to come back here for the music and the funniest threads. i am very comfortable with english, but there are nuances that i won't ever understand, and sometimes i just won't step inside this or that thread, because i really don't understand what the guys are saying. i guess that every argument that i have had with people around here was caused by communication failure, and i probably sounded like an asshole!

[Candiru]

ruiagnelo, I agree with your review of the movie, your thoughts about it, and about today's audience and their lame complacency. You hit the nail on the head and I'm surprised people here are giving you shit for it. It's like people are giving up and settling for anything that resembles what remotely could be a great film in this genre. But I'm sure this is all part of a cycle in the film industry and where there's a will there's a way. People will break new ground.

 

edit: Children Of Men is one of the greats. That's what I'm talking about.

Edited July 1, 2012 by Candiru

[goffer]

Saw this the other night, quite enjoyed it for what is was. Although I came into it thinking if it's at least watchable, i'd be happy.

Edited July 1, 2012 by goffer

[Guest zaphod]

I can't stand imagining Childhood's end in movie form because I don't trust anyone on designing those "certain characters" in that book.

 

Wayne Barlowe did a pretty good job in my favorite childhood book:

 

 

oh my god i loved that book as a kid. the gay dad thing is back on.

[goDel]

I made a joke? What?

 

I just think you're in a negative mood because Portugal lost at Euro 2012.

Perhaps you should just lighten up if you think this was disrespectful? Never meant to be disrespectful in any way. If taken that way, sorry. And yes I do think things are taken way too seriously. And now I have fallen into it myself as well. Thank you very much.

 

On topic: Prometheus.

[gaarg]

Lumpenprol: Nice illustration, but still I don't trust anyone making a film out of it.

 

Ruiangelo: I also try to get my message across here and not being native english (or american) speaker it can be hard. Especially when people rather bother you on your grammar that what you're trying to say.

[Guest ruiagnelo]

I made a joke? What?

 

I just think you're in a negative mood because Portugal lost at Euro 2012.

Perhaps you should just lighten up if you think this was disrespectful? Never meant to be disrespectful in any way. If taken that way, sorry. And yes I do think things are taken way too seriously. And now I have fallen into it myself as well. Thank you very much.

 

On topic: Prometheus.

 

I don't think that is disrespectful at all. Your joke made sense and got it, so i shouldn't have used the word disrespectful.

I just wanted to hear some feedback on my words, as simple as that. sorry if seem to be taking things to serious, i believe you guys when you say it that way, but i guess that getting late to the party and missing 80 pages really made the difference. I shouldn't be complaining without reading the other pages with people's opinions anyway. I might just scroll them down to get a sumary and discover details i eventually missed.

[Guest ruiagnelo]

ruiagnelo, I agree with your review of the movie, your thoughts about it, and about today's audience and their lame complacency. You hit the nail on the head and I'm surprised people here are giving you shit for it. It's like people are giving up and settling for anything that resembles what remotely could be a great film in this genre. But I'm sure this is all part of a cycle in the film industry and where there's a will there's a way. People will break new ground.

 

I think it's all very related to our lifestyle anyway. We have worked to make our comfort zone safe, and now we are simply sit down enjoying it. We aren't demanding anymore. And new grounds won't be discovered by themselves. Maybe there is a need for a new disaster to happen. *knocks on wood*

We have created the most wonderful things while walking through the hardest paths.

 

But i think that most of the people here might have thought that i was being too serious, pessimist, to the point of getting ridiculous.

The last words i wrote on the review are actually more related to movies in general, and even our attitude nowadays, than specifically to Prometheus.

[Guest ruiagnelo]

Ruiangelo: I also try to get my message across here and not being native english (or american) speaker it can be hard. Especially when people rather bother you on your grammar that what you're trying to say.

 

True that. Sometimes people will deliberately concentrate their rant on your grammar than on the message you are actually trying to send, to mess with us. But most people are cool with that, because most of the regular posters aren't native english speakers anyway...

[goDel]

i guess that getting late to the party and missing 80 pages really made the difference. I shouldn't be complaining without reading the other pages with people's opinions anyway.

 

Words of wisdom.

[gaarg]

But can you blame anyone of not reading through 80 pages anyway? I mean it's quite a lot and some people have a life (not me of course I read almost all of it)

[YO303]

I can condense the 80 pages into 1 gif image ...

 

[Squee]

/thread

[goDel]

I can condense the 80 pages into 1 gif image ...

 

 

O wow. That's more than this thread alone.

 

LOL