tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post5529504163711699364..comments2024-03-28T06:14:54.076-04:00Comments on And So It Begins...: Alien: Franchise BreakdownAlex Withrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comBlogger48125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-25829379326830746702017-08-16T14:46:43.186-04:002017-08-16T14:46:43.186-04:00Man, I didn't even know the Covenant prologue ...Man, I didn't even know the Covenant prologue was a thing until after I saw Covenant. Like... what was that? Why not include it in the movie? Must have been for legal reasons (ie, have to pay the actors more). I agree that the prologue was used as bait, and that is very lame.Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-60230489847841589382017-08-10T11:32:47.067-04:002017-08-10T11:32:47.067-04:00I'd like to think that the reason why Noomi di...I'd like to think that the reason why Noomi didn't come back was a combination between a lackluster first script draft and money. There were early development issues for the film surrounding casting, rewrites and budget. I don't think these were fully resolved and the consequence is what we saw on the screen. <br />Did you watch the prologue to Covenant? I watched it on Alien day before a screen of the original film. It was the only bit that Noomi agreed to and she had no more than a handful of lines. Even so, I remember the prologue fondly, picking up exactly where Prometheus left off and teasing a fan like me with answers about the Engineers. <br />Lets just say that, in the big picture, I was a little bit insulted that this prologue was used as bait for those of us who wished for more continuityAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-65053024866691194092017-08-08T09:50:54.779-04:002017-08-08T09:50:54.779-04:00I love this comment. So happy to hear you're s...I love this comment. So happy to hear you're such a fan of the first two. Your passion for those films lends itself to great insight on the most recent two films. I agree with everything you said about Covenant. Really, continuity in franchises is all I want. To brush the previous film off is to completely invalidate it, which is kind of what I took away from Covenant. I always wondered why Rapace didn't come back. I didn't know if they killed her off, or if it was a money thing. <br /><br />Either way, thanks so much for this comment. I really appreciate your thoughts!Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-13546211975108709702017-08-05T15:35:21.234-04:002017-08-05T15:35:21.234-04:00I can talk about the Alien franchise for hours on ...I can talk about the Alien franchise for hours on end. After all, I own an action figure, a small welded metal sculpture, a comic book and a small lego figurine of the Xenomorph (the best monster in the history of film in my opinion). <br />I also own the Alien Quadrilogy set, I have a collectible ticket from when I saw Alien in the theater for Alien Day, a blu-ray of Prometheus and a facehugger bottle opener. I'm sure you get the point, Im a huge fan. Rather, I'm a big fan of the first two. Both downright phenomenal in their own right, one for being groundbreaking, influential and scary; the other for being a truly bad-ass action flick. <br />After that, the franchise has never been quite the same. Prometheus was an encouraging sign towards a complete revival and overhaul of the brand, but it only opened the door to Covenant. The latest is a film that holds up well on its own merits, but not when compared to the original two. You're right to point out the messy ending as one of its faults, but more importantly for me, Alien: Covenant did away with most of the premise, erasing the course charted by Prometheus in one broad sweep. It felt like the break in the franchise from Aliens to Alien 3, where characters we had invested our time and emotions were simply cast away, without much of a thought given to the lack of respect to audiences around the world who wished for some kind of continuity. If you can't get Noomi Rapace to sign up for a meaty role in Covenant, then you scrap the script and present it to her once again, and you offer her more money. This is wishful thinking I know, but I wish the movie business worked this way. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-31539006539879435242017-07-11T14:21:03.474-04:002017-07-11T14:21:03.474-04:00Thanks for this comment. Cool to hear that you lik...Thanks for this comment. Cool to hear that you liked Covenant a lot. I think it's important to stick up for the films we like. Thanks again for the comment, and yes, skip Requiem hahaAlex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-45503144746388978652017-07-10T16:00:06.408-04:002017-07-10T16:00:06.408-04:00I love this franchise as well. Enjoyed reading th...I love this franchise as well. Enjoyed reading this one. I agree with most of the grades for the Alien flicks, especially Requiem, man that thing was so dark! I was entertained by Covenant throughout, and impressed by McBride's work, and thought Fassbender killed it as usual, guy's extremely talented.<br /><br />I would rate them this way as my favorites 1-8.<br /><br />1-Alien (Groundbreaking film making)<br />2-Aliens (Terrific sequel, up there with Terminator 2 type quality sequel)<br />3-Alien Covenant (Liked more than most)<br />4-Prometheus (Underrated to me)<br />5-Alien Resurrection (Always remember the Basketball scene)<br />6-Alien 3 (Felt this one was pretty average, did not like the setting)<br />7-Alien vs Predator (Not too bad, beats the hell out of Requiem)<br />8-Alien vs Predator Requiem (Ugh, too dark)<br /><br />Keep up the good work my dude.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02336407932225304077noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-68433656505392165662017-07-03T14:14:51.680-04:002017-07-03T14:14:51.680-04:00Covenant definitely wasn't essential in hindsi...Covenant definitely wasn't essential in hindsight. Kind of a shame, but I'll be interested to see where the story goes. The spinoffs are so, so bad. Yuck hahaAlex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-43739057609537379492017-07-01T16:30:27.279-04:002017-07-01T16:30:27.279-04:00I agree 1 & 2 are the best. Alien 3 I hardly r...I agree 1 & 2 are the best. Alien 3 I hardly remember except the memorable ending. I enjoyed the humor of Resurrection though as you allude to Ripley having Alien DNA is far-fetched.<br />I was there on opening day for Prometheus which I mainly liked because I hadn't watched an Alien film in a long time! <br />Covenant doesn't sound essential, but will see eventually. Those Alien Vs. spinoffs I’ll avoid :) <br />Chrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09395044055566348346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-67936939961546477512017-06-23T09:50:55.394-04:002017-06-23T09:50:55.394-04:00It definitely looks like the visuals will be amazi...It definitely looks like the visuals will be amazing, at the very least. To be honest, I was never a fan of the original Blade Runner. I only truly like Scott's Final Cut. <br /><br />It's funny, there is no way a director could get away with releasing <i>seven</i> drastically different versions of a film and still have the film be discussed today. But Blade Runner lives on, and I'm excited to see what Villeneuve does with it.Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-88765293697635781572017-06-22T14:50:38.097-04:002017-06-22T14:50:38.097-04:00Yeah I can't wait to see the Blade Runner sequ...Yeah I can't wait to see the Blade Runner sequel. I'm a bit afraid about it too, won't deny it... Is this kind of fear you have when you like something very much and you don't want anyone to spoil it. But I had that fear with the Twin Peaks return and I'm liking it so far. It would be nice if they would use some things from the novel that were really cool. I see the novel and the film (Ridley's version without Harrison narrating it, I didn't like the first version as much as the other one which I love) as two completely different things, but still, I think Philip K. Dick had some very interesting ideas that were not used on the film and it would be a shame they won't use them. But probably Villeneuve would use some of his recurrent themes/ideas, I'm hoping they've done something interesting with it, and I'm sure at least it would be visually appealing having Roger Deakins there too. María Val. https://www.blogger.com/profile/17702353414253463871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-23214065842892476692017-06-22T10:58:50.339-04:002017-06-22T10:58:50.339-04:00It's a very strange franchise, isn't it? A...It's a very strange franchise, isn't it? Alien is just so damn good, but I'm not sure Scott will be able to recreate that magic. I like Covenant when I wrote this, but I honestly haven't thought about it since. Such a shame.<br /><br />Arrival... that's one I actually liked <i>a lot</i> more when I rewatched it. Villeneuve is one of my favorites too. Very curious to see what he does with Blade Runner.Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-45028525221096504252017-06-21T19:23:07.241-04:002017-06-21T19:23:07.241-04:00Couldn't agree more with your ratings. My pare...Couldn't agree more with your ratings. My parents were big fans of Alien (what a masterpiece, my dad had a huge crush on Ripley) so I watch it with them a few times when I was a kid, and right now I love more the first one but when I was that age I liked more the sequel because I think I empathized with the arch of the little girl, and the first one scared me to hell the first time I saw some scenes as they were rewatching it at home. Later, it became one of my favorite films. I remember we went together to the cinema to watch Resurrection and it was a big disappointment. The last one we watched at the cinema together was Prometheus and I loved those first scenes shot in Iceland, and we left the cinema with a good feeling. Something like: Ok, it's not "Alien" but it's been fun. And of course I was on a Fassbender big fan moment back then and I really liked watching him playing such a different character. But I haven't feel like watching Covenant, at least not on the cinema. I felt the trailer gave too much away (haven't read your whole review in case I watch it sooner or later). Some say maybe Ridley shouldn't have done another one, but I guess the man loves doing those things haha. <br /><br />Talking about "aliens" reminds me that I read your Arrival review when it was out on cinemas and I finally got my hands on the Blu-Ray and I liked it a lot. Some scenes were really poignant, it made me really emotional during some moments. Villeneuve is definitely up there on my favorite directors list, he does something quite special with his films. María Val. https://www.blogger.com/profile/17702353414253463871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-59639730429090472212017-06-12T10:57:05.049-04:002017-06-12T10:57:05.049-04:00Hmm, that's interesting about Covenant. If it ...Hmm, that's interesting about Covenant. If it <i>wasn't</i> meant to be a twist, I suppose I still feel that the tension of the David/Walter fight was very absent. But hey, I enjoyed the film all the same. Can't go wrong with double Fass.Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-29211262476266047092017-06-09T19:06:01.504-04:002017-06-09T19:06:01.504-04:00Great write-up; I agree with most of your assessme...Great write-up; I agree with most of your assessments, give or take a + or -! I don't quite agree on your final <em>Covenant</em> point, however. I don't think Scott ever intended the ending to play as a 'twist' - as an audience, you're expected to know (or strongly suspect) what's really up which amps up the tension considerably. My take is we're encouraged to regard the events dispassionately - I don't think it's an accident that the opening shot of the film is an XCU of David's eye.ccpopculturehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13102334356479902739noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-90926847626880254972017-06-08T11:06:52.221-04:002017-06-08T11:06:52.221-04:00Thanks both for your responses.
Nickolas: I hear ...Thanks both for your responses. <br />Nickolas: I hear what you said, and I actually agree with a lot of your thoughts on the films you mentioned. <br />Mark: I had no idea anyone else wasn't jazzed about The Thing. That one has never really done it for me either.Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-37363427057256176832017-06-08T10:26:12.198-04:002017-06-08T10:26:12.198-04:00Slower pace doesn't factor in at all, its the ...Slower pace doesn't factor in at all, its the tedious writing I have a problem with: The same point-by-point progression that ruins Carpenter's The Thing. As I said, its directorial patience can be a positive- just one that doesn't hold out for very long. Mark Woollonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05072777957640381767noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-88436212272880907692017-06-07T23:12:13.519-04:002017-06-07T23:12:13.519-04:00…Continued
Sadly, this would be forgivable if it ...…Continued<br /><br />Sadly, this would be forgivable if it weren’t for the shortcomings in nearly every other field. The acting is stilted and unconvincing, despite such talented people as John Hurt, Harry Dean Stanton and Sigourney Weaver. There isn’t much for an actor to do when the characters are given no personalities of their own, aside from faces to be eaten by the Alien. The mise-en-scene is comprised of the aforementioned dim lighting and obscure angles, making the images hard to see, a bad idea for a visual medium. This is especially a shame since there are some very good set designs and visual effects; the only problem is you can’t see it! So, Bad Movie.<br /><br />This film may have been “new” for 1979, but there were plenty of prototypes, from Forbidden Planet to 2001 to Dark Star (which Dan O’Bannon wrote first, and then he took out the comedic elements and that’s where Alien came from). Also, I’ve often found that “new at the time” argument to be rather flimsy. I admire a film for doing something new for its time, it figures very little into my overall view of it. Harsh as this may sound, I’m watching it now, not in 1979, and the fact is the film doesn’t hold up. Other films, like The Shining, like The Haunting, like Halloween, and so on and so forth, are often parodied and homage and ripped off, but they still hold up because of the emotional core beneath the ideas. A bad film is a bad film, no matter how new the ideas presented are.<br /><br />Alien is very typical for Ridley Scott, who has many fascinating ideas (although that applies more to his other works, like Blade Runner, than Alien) and clearly a strong devotion to bringing them on screen, but somehow lacks the passion or the heart to give the images life. It’s hard for me to watch his films, because I see those ideas and devotion and wish he could have made a more emotionally investing film to put them in.<br />Nick9000https://www.blogger.com/profile/04850668284839130387noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-72977801366850455732017-06-07T23:11:44.304-04:002017-06-07T23:11:44.304-04:00Of course I don't you're invalidating anyt...Of course I don't you're invalidating anything, Alex. I'm all too happy to discuss. It is something I've wondered myself. Do I dislike the film or am I just used to the flashier and faster Hollywood stuff? In terms of tone, I'd say that Alien's going for the sci fi version of something like 1963's The Haunting, or to use a more recent example, last year's The Witch, and with that in mind, The Haunting is one of the very best horror movies I've seen, and I was probably the only person in the packed theater clapping amidst everyone else's groans when I saw The Witch. Hell, I think 2001: A Space Odyssey (my #1 of all time) has several moments that are absolutely terrifying, such as the scenes with the Monolith as well as HAL's breakdown and eventual "death". I could go on, but the point is clear: slowness is not an issue when handled properly.<br /><br />When analyzing a horror movie, I tend to see how it holds up in two fields: Good Horror, and Good Movie. I admire films like The Conjuring and Sinister, because while they are okay at best movies, I can't deny I left the theater shaking, placing them firmly into Good Horror. Others, like The Witch, I find surely unnerving, but not quite to a degree I would like it to be, but I do find plenty to admire about the aesthetic, acting, story details, etc., which makes them Good Movies. Of course the goal is to achieve something like The Babadook or The Shining, which are both Great Horror and Great Movies. Alien, however, didn't have Good Horror, and was not a Good Movie.<br /><br />I’m not sure if I’d say the Unknown is an overused or just misunderstood gimmick in horror, but I think Alien is a very good example of what not to do. Scenes where the Xenomorph attack are often presented in very dimly lit locations, shot from very obscure camera angles, to the point where I had difficulty telling just what I was supposed to be looking. The effect this had on me is comparable to going to a magic show and the performer tells me to picture a rabbit coming out of his hat while he just stands on the middle of the stage, holding an obviously empty hat and doing absolutely nothing with it. In fact, until I saw Alien: Covenant, which contained a scene where the second mouth shoots into someone’s head spraying brains all over the place, I had absolutely no clue how the Alien killed anybody, and therefore the creature did not pose much of a threat to me. A good example of how to do the Unknown well would be The Shining. We see the spirits and the corruption they can be capable of, and nothing more. The Overlook Hotel remains a mystery, and the few explicit details we do receive inform us that the untold secrets can be truly terrifying. In order for The Unknown to truly scare, we need something substantial enough to build off of. Alien fails in that respect, thus placing it as Bad Horror.<br /><br />To Be Continued…<br /><br />Nick9000https://www.blogger.com/profile/04850668284839130387noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-71654697495489818462017-06-07T11:11:21.680-04:002017-06-07T11:11:21.680-04:00Yep, totally agree. The Godfather Part III suffers...Yep, totally agree. The Godfather Part III suffers from this a bit too. Both that film and Aliens 3 are following impossible acts. Thanks for the comment!Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-27684751333877096042017-06-07T11:09:42.674-04:002017-06-07T11:09:42.674-04:00Very interesting. Please don’t take this as me inv...Very interesting. Please don’t take this as me invalidating your opinions on Alien, but do you guys find Alien slow because you’re used to seeing faster, gorier, flashier horror? When that thing came out in 1979, no one had seen anything like it. I suppose that factors into my analysis of the film. Just wondering if it did in yours too.Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-27119323069887979142017-06-07T02:06:07.714-04:002017-06-07T02:06:07.714-04:00Good to know someone's on my side with this, M...Good to know someone's on my side with this, Mark, although I will admit three minor disagreements. 1) I loved Aliens, a rare sequel far better than the first film. 2) I really don't think the first film had very good atmosphere. I get it's trying to build tension and suspense, "fear of the unknown" stuff, but far too often it just came off as lazy to me. 3) At least dishwater bubbles and has dirt floating around in it, which gives it a slight edge over Alien, in my opinion. But yeah, if it weren't for my admiration for Aliens, I'd definitely say the first film was more than enough. Unless they're gonna actually try to do something interesting and ditch the tired haunted-house-in-space schtick, I'd say it's high time to kill the franchise and leave it for the crows.Nick9000https://www.blogger.com/profile/04850668284839130387noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-25423624836233861842017-06-06T08:10:35.831-04:002017-06-06T08:10:35.831-04:00Yeah I figured, but hell I'm always excited to...Yeah I figured, but hell I'm always excited to try them again and hope that opinion changes. Might go to see Alien in cinema again soon.Mark Woollonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05072777957640381767noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-45283262894364492382017-06-05T13:15:38.456-04:002017-06-05T13:15:38.456-04:00I don't know how I missed this post. I won'...I don't know how I missed this post. I won't comment on the whole series of Alien films (I haven't seen them all), but I do want to mention something about Alien3.<br /><br />I agree with you completely.<br /><br />The problems of this movie mostly happen (mostly) in the opening few minutes when the characters who so much of the second movie depend on are calmly and perfunctorily tossed aside. The biggest problem beyond that is that this movie is the third in one of the most highly acclaimed series ever made. Alien and Aliens are both so damn good that anything mediocre (which this is) is going to be seen as a travesty.<br /><br />If it weren't a part of the Alien series, the third movie would be remembered as a decent-if-not-great B-movie with a cool monster. However, since it follows two movies as beloved as the first two in the series, it's remembered as a complete waste. SJHoneywellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13550007053995112090noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-27686500414285060682017-06-05T09:48:30.054-04:002017-06-05T09:48:30.054-04:00Hmmm. Mark, dude, I love ya, but yeah, we're p...Hmmm. Mark, dude, I love ya, but yeah, we're polar opposite on Alien. But hey, we like what we like. As always, I appreciate your comments.Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-44467568948623084202017-06-05T09:45:05.913-04:002017-06-05T09:45:05.913-04:00Thanks Dan! It does seem like we're pretty in ...Thanks Dan! It does seem like we're pretty in line here. Yeah, killing Newt and Hicks off right away is just so damn lazy. I completely understand why Cameron was so upset about it.Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.com