Comments (Page 139)

Certainly by a Negative i mean it would be a Shame that in Future a Higher % of Music, Books and Art etc came from A.I and so Humans just become a Race that rely on what A.I Creates and so we loose our Creativity or Input.

Imagine a Synthetic K-Pop Band that becomes the RAGE and Bigger than the Beatles and this becomes all the RAGE with more Synthetic Musicians

Or if you had Dance Acts, and Magicians as Synthetics that can Perform Moves, Stunts and Tricks that then make Human Acts seem very BASIC...

It could become the END of such kinds of ACT/ART by Humans.  (well a Reduction)

Imagine Synthetic Replicas of the MOST Famous Musicians and Actors...     so that ELVIS is Reborn as he was in his Prime... Multiples of them doing Tours around the World... in TWO/FOUR places at the same Time... look and sound Identical to the real Elvis.

Arnold Schwarzenegger replicas at his Age of his PRIME.. or like Miss Weaver as she was in the 80's

Such a thing could IMPACT the Opportunity given to other aspiring Actors and Artist etc.

But i think we are a LONG WAY of such Concerns becoming a Reality ;)

PS thats NOT to say anything BAD about Arnie and Siggy ;)

Just it give a Excuse for Terminator 7,8,9,10 11 and Alien 6,7,8,9 etc etc

*Special Order 937? How did this come about?

Certainly as i listed that as one MYSTERY from ALIEN, as this Indicates that someone knew something about what to Expect... Quite to what LEVEL of Knowledge is Unknown.

But i always suspected it could not be a Case of from the WARNING BEACON they could have Gathered their was a Specimen/Organism.   With the Prequels it gave more LIGHT to HOW they could know more... especially with the SET-UP from Alien Covenant and so at VERY LEAST the Special Oder 937 would come about as a Response by the Company to the Advent Message that David had sent.

I Certainly dont mind the ANDROIDS... i think its FITS in with ALIEN if we indeed get that A.I is playing a LARGER role than we Expected.

I think the Emphasis on David and more so the Creator of the Xenomorph Arc.... was a Mistake because the Direction of Alien Covenant seemed to REDUCE the likelihood of Exploring the Engineers beyond just seeing more LV-223 types Rock Up at Origae-6  in a BAD MOOD.  But more so that i know the Creator Plot and Emphasis about David would likely PUT OFF a lot of Fans from being interesting in a Continuation of the Prequels... which could see Disney go back to Xenomorphs etc and AVOID the Prequels... and as a Consequence the Potential that the Engineers as Creators and HOW MANY worlds they are involved with... could be something that we MAY NEVER see explored.

BigDave could this have a NEGATIVE effect?

If it has a negative effect, it would probably be our fault. The AI would need a frame of reference to write stories, music or scripts from humans. If people are receptive to what the AI produces, it's tough to say, except that maybe down the road, humans may become less creative if they default to what AI creates for entertainment or literature. It may sound far fetched, but back in the 1960s, watching videos and communicating on small devices ala Star Trek seemed pure fantasy to most people as was shopping from home.

'WE ARE THE GODS NOW!" It seems pretty clear RS is exploring a concept that didn't quite work in the Alien universe- but viewers will likely draw comparisons. 

The idea of being some sort of gods seems different in this series from what I see thus far. The "We are the Gods now" from PW sounded rather arrogant although arguably true. It seems that these androids may very well seem godlike but actually are trying to raise a better world with no power plays, ego, etc. at least initially. Depending how the series goes, maybe the first generation or two may see the androids as godlike, but later generations might twist philosophy and basically rebel or create factions, proving that humans will self destruct without some sort of higher (intelligent) power to save them. Maybe the humans will have to be destroyed.

Call it divine intervention or religion if you want. At any rate, the potential for a great thought provoking sci fi show is looking pretty good. Maybe RS has finally found a great medium to tell his story without taking decades to do it. Bring it on!

Another teaser:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1K3yBV32CY

"Raised by Wolves will take place on a mysterious planet – virgin territory to humans – that’s in the early stages of colonization. However, the series will center on a pair of androids who are raising human children on the the burgeoning human home, living amongst colonists who clearly haven’t left their ideological baggage back on Earth, since they are being torn apart by religious differences. Consequently, the androids find themselves existing tenuously in the middle."

https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/ridley-scott-hbo-max-raised-by-wolves/

Remembering A.I. in 'Prometheus' and 'Covenant':

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Z-QCDyL2q4

'WE ARE THE GODS NOW!"

*Special Order 937? How did this come about?

After Ripley finds out about special order 937, Ash starts to tell her: "There is an explanation for this, you know..." Unfortunately Ripley is so distressed about special order 937 that she doesn't wanna hear the goddamn explanation...

But Ash knew about it, so to answer your question, BigDave, I find it normal to give more screen time to the androids.

I like androids, I wouldn't mind to have one myself, but not the flute fingering model :).

And it should have a remote on/off switch, just in case it proves to be too idiosyncratic.

Right on BigDave! You're famous~~~~~~~~!

In the previous post I wanted to acknowledge how difficult it is for people who have speculated for years to simply accept my very clear unofficial vision particularly as the story is told without a genre anchor.

It's worth saying that from the moment I shared my working titles for Chapters in 2018 my mind set changed. It was no longer what does that mean? It was it means that and the only time I was nervous about how far from the intended path I might have strayed was when I sat down to watch "The Making of Prometheus" documentary and found all my key assumptions were correct which I shared from my blog.

But as a final point I did not write the book to second guess the Lindelof/Scott outcome I simply find it fascinating that each time I or friends uncover some potential clue its fascinating to note that I am operating in the same area.

One thing I have never mentioned and neither have any readers their is a relationship between the Michael Green written BR2049 and Furious Gods. The sense of unfolding mystery and the way it resolves is not dissimiliar. I believe the development of Alien Covenant was as much affected by Neil Blomkamp as the decision to hand off the sequel to BR and there was a splitting of ideas at that point. Pure supposition but I can feel the "What is life" journey narrative when I watch BR2049.           

@BigDave

One of the most difficult elements of a conversation about where Prometheus was going is we all look at this in very different ways. We do not start in the same place let alone end up in the same place but there are two broadly different start points:-

1) The literal approach.

2) The philosophical thematic approach. 

The two elements have to find a common language which is not easy. If I can show why I will give three examples of each. 

Literal

i) What is the meaning of the Alien Shape fused into the alter?

ii) Why did the Urns in the Sanctuary leak but the Urns in the downed craft do not? 

iii) What is the weird creature in the Fresco pouring over the Engineer? 

Philosophical

i) You made us why did you want to destroy us?

ii) What is the soul?

iii) If they made us who made them and why?

For me, the first three questions are simply a matter of choice and ensuring the answers support the narrative. So In Part 1

i) I remove the shape and put back the Bowl and place Charlie's "This is just a tomb" where Damon had it in the Paradise script.

ii) The urns leak in the sanctuary as part of a broader warning.

iii) I build on the Fresco and turn it into one of many Buddist Story Boards which fits with Steve Messing's remarks about the Creature in the Mural.

Now some people will quite correctly go no no no that's not how I see it and that takes them away from the story. I understand that but I am interested in writing a coherent story where all those decisions support the much broader narrative which I am interested in.

Philosophical 

Oddly enough some of these questions are answered in the film and supporting materials but people from the literal group want "Evidence" and evidence that fits there view of what evidence is.

i) You made us why did you want to destroy us. Charlie and David both answer this at different points in the movie because we could and why does it matter. It is the question of Milton's Adam and the Creature created by Frankenstein. The underlying point is we assume our creator likes us even loves us clearly that is not the case. We are just something in a Petri Dish that can be upgraded, just like Dave the robot.

ii) What is the soul? That's one of the fun questions which we get no sense of in the film. David is offended by Sir Peter's remark in the Hollo Speech, wishes Sir Peter a safe journey and is fascinated by Elizabeth. He thinks there is some kind of answer. I provide one which makes perfect sense to a Robot.

iii) We do not get any clear idea of who the big chap is in the movie and that's a fun question. What I can say is 'it' made them. I also take as gospel Ridley's comment that he left the Engineers out of the Prologue because he did not want to meet God until the second movie. I also take the fact he called the material in the imbibing cup Genesis as being important. 

Now a certain segment of the audience would have loved those questions answered provided in a thought-provoking way. Damon and Ridley had some "Cool Ideas." I answered those questions and I stuck to Logan Marshalls remarks its neither Darwin or Faith-Based and it is also consistent with Ridley's view that we may simply be a footnote. 

However I hope my remarks have communicated that if you are from a literal background with your own preconceptions you would find my story understandably difficult. 

Then there is the issue that for some A L I E N fans Prometheus is an intrusion. I use that thought cheekily as a metaphor in my story and reverse the process I make the creature an unintended consequence. I take the view Kane was not meant to linger over the Ovoid they had much bigger fish to fry. 

So to sum up:-

1) If you have preconceived views of your own.

2) You want evidence that my view is "right."

3) Anyway, Prometheus is an intrusion. 

Then the book doesn't help. You talk about interpretations, having delved deeply into this you can imagine I would find it supremely hard to suspend and look at an alternative view. For a very simple reason, I wrote the book so I could get Elizabeths answers not for her but for me. So I have them and I am profoundly moved when people feel they got there's too not because they are accurate within the imagined world of Ridley and Damon but because it means we are together on a journey unlike Elizabeth who is alone.    

Imagine! If I had an extra $50k lying around I would definitely be placing bids on a few of these pieces hahahaha

"The monsters are not what the franchise is about, to me it is more about humans that get into situations that they are not prepared to handle"

I think the ALIEN Franchise had became Synonymous with the Xenomorph you just dont have the ALIEN Franchise without it.....

But while the Anchor of the Story is about this Monster, you always NEED to have Characters to give the Story its Legs and well our Prospective to the THREAT.... for us Ripley became that Protagonists

A Plot Idea/Story that revolves around a THREAT/HORROR does require Good Characters and Writing for it to become any Good.... this is WHAT can make or BREAK a Movie.... sadly indeed i feel that only the First 3 Movies pulled this off.

The Prequels decided to EXPLORE the Space Jockey Race more than to Connect to ALIEN at first.... it had Potential as it showed you can have more Monsters/Threats than just Xenomorphs.

But when we get to Alien Covenant then the Emphasis does become too much on DAVID at the Sacrifice of everything else.

I think most of us could AGREE... that if we went back to 2010 and had NEWS that we would be having a Prequel that would cover the Space Jockey and eventually indicate the WHO/WHEN/HOW and WHY as far as the Xenomorph.

I dont think we could ever envisage this Prequel Series to have the EMPHASIS on a Synthetic Android.

I think while the Prequels could ELEVATE the Role and Importance of A.I in the Franchise... its a FAR CRY from something more ALIEN, Lovecraftian and HR Giger that we would have all Imagined.

The UNKNOWN is what made ALIEN Great.... by the Time we got to Alien Resurrections there was NOT much Unknown... apart from some Questions Regarding ALIEN

*Special Order 937? How did this come about?

*What was the Cargo For, WHY did the Space Jockey have it?

*What are the Origins of the Xenomorph?

*Who are the Space Jockey and their Purpose/Agenda?

Looking at WHAT we know so FAR about those and HOW they could continue in the Prequels as of the After-Math of Alien Covenant compared to WHAT we would have expected or thought about BEFORE we had any Prequels are.... WORLDS APART!

And to be Centered around the ARC of a Wayward Synthetic David.... which i know is NOT really what the Emphasis should be on...

When looking at the OT.... its a Question of can we MAKE the Franchise Great again... YET go and Ignore the Prequels...

I think you CAN go and make another ALIEN Movie that does-not Connect to the Prequels but also you dont want to TRY and Contradict what is shown... but also NOT to Solidify what was shown.

I think that SHIP (Derelict) has sailed off into the Sunset or SANK!  But you can still introduce other SHIPS.... and maybe these DONT have to have the same Monster as we saw in the Alien Franchise?

Or at least offer a Slightly Different Variant ;)

"To raise children without full grown adults, not teaching them the ways of Man, the human history, or the origin of the species"

This was in Part what i had felt that Alien Covenant sequel would have been like..... i had given some Interpretations on here Months before Raised by Wolves News broke, and the News we had then about RBW did seem to be similar to the Interpretations i had of RS comments about AC2.

Certainly the whole Aspect about Knowledge and Free-will and what we are Informed can MOLD a Civilization... which inc Mythos and Religion.

Religion has caused Conflicts over the Centuries, and also Every Child is born Innocent and its the Knowledge they are Passed On and how they are Treated that SHAPES what kind of a Human they become.

You can bet those Androids would have tried to RAISE those Children to a Certain way to AVOID the Conflicts and Flaws of Mankind...

So you can Certainly see the Androids would be Concerned with the Arrival of other Parties that can have a Influence on the kind of Paradise they are trying to Build.

It would be like the story of NOAH and say 2 Generations after his Children we have a Established Village where Noah has passed on the Ways of God.... 

Then for a Group of Ships to arrive at Shore... other Survivors who made it from the Deluge who were NOT chosen by GOD.... in this Made Up Scenario you could see that Noah would be Extremely Worried about the Influence and Corruption these Uninvited Guests/Intruders could bring.

But to go back to Raised by Wolves.... some of these NEW Shots do seem to indicate maybe the Plot is NOT Quite what i had Interpreted from AC2 well maybe a little.

In regards to Wondering what the Relevance of that BEING we see Flying/Floating has... is that Egg like Object something the other Human Ship was following? or was the Egg stored on that Human Ship has it Crashed?

I remember the FIRST set of Prometheus Prop Auctions way back in 2013......

Would have been ACE to had OWNED one of the Prometheus Cryo-Pods that was on Auction....  a Engineer One would have been Better ;)

I have not seen the Extras yet.... i only have the DVD version.

But indeed maybe we cant overlook the Valhalla connection.

It is after all Connected to the song David chose to play and then also had asked MUTHUR to play for him "Entry of the Gods Into Valhalla"

But then maybe if we look at that Song it depends on which Context we look at it as far as Davids Arc or to Planet 4

I think maybe we also cant be Looking at things maybe too Literally.  By that i Certainly mean as far as Paradise/Valhalla in regards to a Literal Place in the Franchise the Spirit/Souls of certain individuals END UP.

Maybe Planet 4 could be a Warriors Paradise many Thousands of Years ago but had NOW changed somewhat as those beings on Planet 4 did-not look like Warriors.

I think if we are looking at the Engineers we maybe have to Consider exactly WHAT would they deem as a Warrior Death but also the Worthy Souls.

If we indeed TRY to connect Valhalla to Planet 4 we have to remember that this is a PLACE that is Located in the Realm of the Gods (Asgard) so maybe in that Context then the Cathedral/Citadel Building that Contains the HALL OF HEADS could be loosely connected to what Valhalla is but would this mean those Hall of Heads are Warriors?  Chris Seagers refers to them as the Hierarchy and Ridley Scott as the Apostles, Wise Men and Superior Beings.

We also have the Plaza outside the City, with the Hanger at its Center... this has Numerous Statues of Engineers, and could these be Representations of Fallen Warriors?  or those Deemed Worthy?

To me i wonder if they are Statues to Commemorate a Important Significance to some Engineers... those Chosen as Worthy of something... maybe in Honor to Chosen Sacrifices?

It could be the Engineers Seed Life or they Experiment with it some place/places and then they take those Deemed Worthy to Planet 4 to then Interbreed to Create maybe a Gene-Pool that they then USE to select for the Sacrificial Rituals (Sacrificial Goo).

I thought the Starmaps was the Engineers showing Mankind as to WHERE we came from... so i thought that LV-223 was at one time where they would Experiment with Creation and then Seed the Desired Results to Earth.

These Crude Maps had lead Dr Shaw and Holloway to LV-223 but who is to say that they Misinterpreted the Charts.

So when we look at Alien Covenant then from the Advent Vial Video it seems that Planet 4 is located near the Zeta 2 System also.... so MAYBE the Maps was pointing to Planet 4 but Dr Shaw and Holloway took the Prometheus Mission to the WRONG PLACE.

Who knows the Extent and Depths to the Engineers Origins... as Each of the Hall of Heads could represent a slightly different Engineer Species.

Imagine owning a miniature model worth half a million dollars... unbelievable!

This should become a trend on these boards, whenever a member acquires a rep count of 426, we celebrate!

I've tipped my hat many times to Big Dave, he brings an unrivaled depth to his discussions and I always enjoy reading through his latest replies over my morning coffee. I can't count the number of times he's inspired my own theories and built on things I never even considered. That's what makes these forums so addicting at times and so enjoyable. 

Keep on keeping on Big Dave, you're an integral part of this community!

Also, kudos to the OP this was a thoughtful gesture! Upvoting ;)

Curiously, when I watched additional content on AC Blu-Ray - Planet 4 in the comments has been designated Valhalla, not Paradise. Paradise is a place where righteous souls go. Valhalla is a warrior's paradise. What can this information give us?

Could the inhabitants of Planet 4 be "retired" warriors from LV-223 or similar places? And if they are warriors - what did they do? Did they destroy, conquer and plunder other worlds? Did they fight with other clans (factions) of Engineers? Could Earth be created by faction A, and Engineers from LV-223, Planet 4 - faction B? And are the Engineers who created people on Earth different?

Shaw believed the cave painting was an invitation. She was wrong and admitted it. But what was this painting really? It is logical to assume that this was a warning - "don't go there." This coincides with some of the comments for Prometheus, such as: "they learned Spanish, but sailed to the Portuguese." And if the Engineers who created people were the same warriors, then the rock painting takes on a new, third meaning - conquer this place!

To raise children without full grown adults, not teaching them the ways of Man, the human history, or the origin of the species, but, at the same time, to make a new format of human individuals with creations of Man (two androids, female and male, mother and father), i think the past mistakes of mankind are like the facehugger in the Sulako, they have made all the journey hidden, waiting for the best moment to "impregnate" the infants.

The attempt to save mankind from mankind, will it succeed? 

Or, is mankind doomed to extinction? 

New photos in the topic

Thanks for the Share and Time put into this.

I really really must take a look at your Interpretation i think while we all have Varied Interpretations i feel its a SHAME that we never got a Sequel that seemed to take on what seemed to be a Different Direction to what we eventually got with Alien Covenant.

Sorry to hear about such Hard Times.

Hopefully there is Plenty of Light at the End of that Tunnel.

Such a Shame to have LOST so much of what you Created, hopefully you can Remember most of it and i LOOK FORWARDS to see your Work ;)

I think  as A.I goes on to Advance i Certainly cant rule out this being a Possibility who knows to what LEVEL a A.I could become in 50 Years, 100 Years etc.

Would such a THING be Bad though?

As Robots become more Abundant in the Industrial Revolution, we had seen so many JOBS that are replaced by Machines because they can Perform the Tasks more Quicker and Efficient.

Once we get A.I that is so Advanced it can Create ART in Various Forms... which include Writing, Music, TV/Film then could this have a NEGATIVE effect?

"Incredible Art has always been as much about conveying beauty, tragedy, love, war, and all the things of the human condition that compels us hopefully to a more complex understanding about the relationships we have with everything around us through consuming these works."

I agree with this..... i do think its a LITTLE to early to Write-Off this TV Series at this point.  I  assume that RS will be trying to give us something THOUGHT PROVOKING but only TIME will tell.

I think its HARD to come up with something TRULY Original within the Sci-Fi Genre.

Looking at the FEW Teasers we have it appears that the Androids are on a Earth like World (bit Baron though) it appears that the Mother with some Children go to Investigate a Crashed Ship but they also appear to have come Across something ELSE.

We do see some other Humans seem to be from some kind of CULT...

But then we do seem to see some kind of Super Powerful being.

This kind of Concerns me a Little.

I would assume this being is NOT the Mother, i would Speculate it comes from a Crashed Egg Shaped Object we can just make out in some of the Screen Captures.

I think its a little too Early to make any Judgements at Present maybe we could be Pleasantly Surprised or maybe it is a Pile of Horse Crap... only Time will tell.

I am being drawn to this being about Sub-Creation though and would NOT be surprised if the Powerful being is a Engineered Experiment with God-like Powers.. (oh dear).

That the other Human Cultist are in Pursuit of.

@Leto

I think as we have NO real Confirmation on Screen, they indeed Planet 4 could be Explained as merely a Colony...

The Story is open to Change on Screen because NOT MUCH has been Spoon Fed Explained.

You have got to look at the Engineers as a Advanced Race who have been Traversing the Galaxy for Millions of Years.. IF for example we manage to gain FTL Travel so say its 2150 and we are as Advanced as Humans in ALIEN/ALIENS then in 500 Years after that i would assume WHILE it may be that Earth is where we Originate from... it would be LIKELY that we would in 600-700 Years (if we had W-Y 22nd Century Technology) we would have Inhabited Multiple Worlds and the Earth may NO-LONGER be our main BASE/HUB if you would.

So what i am saying is even IF it was that Planet 4 was where our Engineers First came from, its UNLIKELY its the only World that is used as a BASE/HUB for their Species.

We dont have a LOT to go on Theatrically, even with the Extras.... what we was informed about was that Dr Shaw (in the Extended Scene) said she does not want to go HOME she wants David to take her to where the Engineer told him he came from... take me to Paradise.

So when we loosely look at the Biblical Connection, we have to ASK to who are the Engineers?  They are NOT our God, and so if they are more like the ANGELS then this Fits with Paradise because some Angels are Tasked with watching over Paradise (Cherubim) and so Planet 4 could have been what we could call Paradise in that Context.

Which would merely indicate its a Place that our Origins came from.  This could be the Place that Humanoids are taken from to then be Seeded on Various Worlds.... Planet 4 could thus be where the Sacrificial Scene took place.

And so INDEED in this Context the Engineers Hierarchy would NOT come from Planet 4

As i have said before THEY could Explore and change our Planet 4 Engineers to NOT be the Engineers but a Sub-Creation, i dont think that RS would have done this though.... but at the Moment his Vision may NEVER be Finished and so its Open to Change.

I know some see the Prometheus Engineers as the Original and there is NO-WAY those on Planet 4 are Engineers, various people who worked on AC had confirmed they ARE our Engineers....   But RS had said also that they are NOT a Race... but a Civilization and so that means we have a Mixture of Humanoids that become essentially a Engineer Culture/Civilizations.

It seems to me the Changes they made from Prometheus would appear to maybe go and show us the LV-223 Engineers are Genetically Advanced Super Engineers....  they could be the Engineer Equivalents of Replicants

I think having Origae-6 be a Engineer World would be a bit too much of a Coincidence.  Having it be a World with some signs of Ancient Civilization that is LONG GONE could work though... to indicate this was a Place the Engineers had RESET some Thousands of Years ago.

@Thoughts_Dreams

Well the LITTLE Plot i mentioned Last would be a OPTION that could be taken to BY-PASS our David completely.

By that the Engineers who return would surely be able to detect DEAD HUMANS... it becomes a Case of WHERE could these Humans come from and this would depend on HOW MANY different Worlds the Engineers had SEEDED our Species.

They would be able to Determine the Juggernaught that DEALT the Death to Planet 4 had came from LV-223 and IF we can Assume those Engineers are aware of LV-223 and its Purpose and that they had Planned to Destroy Earth in the Past.  Then they would know  they had became Concerned with Mankind from Earth in the past, and i would ASSUME the Earth is the Closest World to Planet 4 that has Humans... they SURELY would Plan a Mission to CHECK OUT our System.

They would also Discover the Workshop of Davids and know that someone had been Experimenting to Create the Ovomorph, so a Option could be that they would look at this and TAKE it to LV-223 to then MASS PRODUCE and Evolve.

Applying a PLOT like this would By-Pass the Need to go after David in order to get the Xenomorph and the Need to go to Origae-6, with Xenomorph Samples from Planet 4 and a Purpose Built Biological Weapons Facility on LV-223 which we can ASSUME is on the Door Step to LV-426 is all the SET-UP we Need to lead to the Derelict on LV-426

The other purpose for this Topic is also to Consider would the Engineers merely decide they have to ONLY go and Destroy Earth?   Would they Start to have 2nd Thoughts about other Humans they had Seeded in the Galaxy?

 I think Riddley Scott wants to build a perspective about a future colonization of exoplanets by humans. He wants to put humans as the gardeners of the universe. The humans inherit the role of their creators, the engineers. Maybe that is his main goal.

The difference from above is 'food for thoughts'.

As nouns the difference between android and replicant

 is that android is a robot that is designed to look and act like a human (usually male) while replicant is (science fiction) an android that is an exact copy of a specific human, or is indistinguishable from a human.

As adjectives the difference between android and replicant

 is that android is possessing human qualities while replicant is replicative.

Maybe, but you might need to clean up any weird grammar and what not. Other than that it probably could

dk

No. That project was called Alien Identity. And it could be a real gem of fanfiction. Perhaps because the project was so solid, FOX got scared. This is a shame to them and causes tons of unabridged rage. Maybe FOX deserves to be bought by Disney.

Leto

Not to steal thunder from this thread, but maybe it is buried here as an early version?

http://www.alien-covenant.com/topic/47453

Yeah, thanks. This is really solid fan-story.

I remember another fan-fiction vid that was supposed to be done around 2015. But FOX (yea, don't think they are better than Disney) shutdown the project, because it could take the bread away from Blomkamp's film. Well... we didn't get either one or the other. Good job FOX!

Yes, this a great short. This is also on the Alien Short Film Festival thread. Indeed, some of these shorts are better than full length movies.

Here is the link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aliscTnlsvg

BlackAnt

Sure, we have been here before but with different approaches on the same subject. I am OK with that. As far as green screens and such, I really don’t care. I was raised on B/W Twilight Zone and Outer Limits with laughable effects by today’s standards, but the stories and characters remain among the best today imo- and I suspect plenty of movies have lifted those ideas and learned how to improve effects from those early shows. As for effects in general, I am not too picky. If the story and characters are good, I tend to ignore visual short comings.

I don’t take offense. It’s just a discussion. But here’s the rub: what exactly is that “something new?” I offered an idea although not a great one. There are tons of shorts on sites like Dust, Omeleto etc that have great ideas but are limited with budgets and resources. Still, there are lots of great ideas where sci fi can go. From watching these shorts, I see the best ones imo are the ones that focus on the human condition and might have as few as two actors during the whole show. They are short, potent and to the point. As far as the next big thing, I don’t know.

It is subjective and maybe a loaded question, but what would be the next big new thing?

dk

"The very idea of watching androids raising humans itself is fascinating. There was a good little movie on Netflix called I am Mother that did just that."

Ok so we have not been here before with both Blade Runner movies? We have not already seen this theme play out in all the dynamics of the Alien movies as whole...RS has done a great job in these mediums conveying many interesting and powerful themes. Some how I doubt we are seeing anything new here except the scenes on the green screen change in the background.

I really do not see the point of any of this when so many other great directors have done this exact thing in a lot of other movies for decades...this is not against you dk or anyone else; but, there better be some ground breaking novel new stuff here...I looked at the commercial and I am skeptical of it right now. Saying this is good or not is complete conjecture....or in the movie business maybe this has already jumped the shark....sure sure people can act real good we think they are these super advanced AI's. Well not exactly...maybe it is just me. I am with Thoughts_Dreams on this I feel I want to see something new and powerful or not at all in these productions. This all seems derivative. You want the entire cake not just the raw ingredients.

I agree with Thoughts_Dreams regarding androids to the extent that the prequels focused too much on that aspect. I do think they were well balanced in the Quadrilogy though.

Raised by Wolves seems different though. It's up front on exploring androids raising humans and the philosophical questions that come up. That is the basic premise and I could enjoy it for what it is. That is just where RS wants to go and that is fine- I just don't want to see it as the major theme in the Alien universe. 

The very idea of watching androids raising humans itself is fascinating. There was a good little movie on Netflix called I am Mother that did just that. It's worth a watch. If some call it derivative, well, a lot of movies are that way- it doesn't mean they can't be good.

A little OT- what would be original, and as far as I know it has not ever been done, would have the most advanced AI available right now to write a sci fi story. Even then, it would technically be derivative since the AI would need examples of sci fi and literature from which to draw and some of those stories' elements would surely pop up in the AI's story.

Androids exist in this missions to solve a real problem of Space travel. You need someone to fly the ship, make repairs, etc., someone that doesn´t gets tired, doesn't sleep and stays always sharp.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrIXM50lzaI

Many many thanks for those who diverted to the link. It is always exciting to see people from all over the world connect. China and the United States always come up but Malaysia and Mexico are new. 

One of the consequences of writing the book has been to look at material associated with the broader Promethean Tradition and see how close the movie was to that tradition. 

Since 2018 I have read the 1818 Text of Dr Frankenstein, considered various thesis written and looked hard at the Documentary. Two scenes come back to me time and again as being key.

1) The Holographic speech of Peter Weyland.

2) The four-way interaction between Elizabeth, the Dark Angel and then Weyland and David's intervention.

Why are we here, what is soul, the attempt to deny death, why did you make me and then want to destroy me. What have I done wrong? 

The difference between The Modern Prometheus and Movie Prometheus is David and he enables us to enlarge the question and consider comparatively what is existence and its subtext (do androids dream). 

This is the point at which to formally identify another concept of my work. Bardo or Intermediation. In Tibetan philosophy it is the state beyond life and before the next life.

From the very beginning, even when the story was quite different, two characters were in the Bardo, in the intermediation. But there is a broader way to look at it.

My work is split into two at the point that the Prometheus slams into the Juggernaut destined for the earth we leave Elizabeth considering the meaning of the two craft and their occupants. We begin Part 2 when she realises she has survived or has she? Different readers have suggested at different points she has 'died'. All are valid viewpoints. But they depend on your view of life, death and the soul. My work is proposing that those are not the gatekeepers to the truth and once you consider the distinctions of the imagined world then the answers to those questions are irrelevant.   

An even broader interpretation is if you take the matter of the Waterfall Incident and then consider the final visual in Ridley's Scott's short Hennessay advert (The Gathering In) you could consider everything is in the Bardo. The Lone Figure dies and all that he is passes with death into Intermediation until the story ends, until the soul comes back to us.

We live in a world where people live and they die. This is a world where people live as a consequence of someone 'dying.' 

The smaller question is would Bardo be relevant to a Movie which would have ended with David and Elizabeth reaching Paradise. Given that the subject was raised recently by Damon Lindelof to explain one of his other works it might have been.

I do believe though once Damon Lindelof saw how his attempt to fashion a separate story away from ALIEN was becoming anchored in a purely Alien conversation (Badass robots, nastier monsters, make Shaw vigilante) that such matters were to excuse the pun 'dead' from the moment he moved on. 

Thanks again for everyone's interest and in particular those who have fed me related matters. During Lockdown in New Zealand, I wrote a second book connected to the Star Trek Enterprise Series.

https://wordpress.com/view/theromulangambit.com

My next work will be entirely my own but I have enjoyed the apprenticeship and found myself going back to the text of Furious Gods this last month and once again finding more of the story.   

My initial reaction to this production overall is very apprehensive. I enjoy great art and film; however, this is just more derivative time wasting chicken head BS!

This appears to be just another cheap entertainment fast food meal that leaves you feeling ultimately unsatisfied. 

With the dysfunctional populations that will watch this I am certain it will have all the fast paced attention deficit jump cut nonsense with just enough special effects to delight the intellectually inept.

Incredible Art has always been as much about conveying beauty, tragedy, love, war, and all the things of the human condition that compels us hopefully to a more complex understanding about the relationships we have with everything around us through viewing these works.
We all understand Ridley Scott’s various other works where he has introduced many different relationships between humans and androids over the last few decades.

I enjoy a lot of his art work with respect to these themes. Just by looking at the few clips that I saw of this new AI and human subject matter I think it does not look so good at all.
The costumes look cheap. There are large plastic set pieces with blinking lights, high tech monitors, with some green screen of the mysterious planet in the background….SO WHAT….after you have seen a few of these I no longer care how he dresses it up and makes it a little bit slicker for the tv people that need to do something with their time.

Like I said I want real things not this derivative attention deficit jump cut shiny nonsense. I could take the time and cite other more interesting works that are worthy of everyone’s time; but, I won’t cause I do not care for the snapper fish head replies.

So I baited the hook obviously, and I see the fish jumping out of the water around the boat LOL! Let’s see what happens.

Generally I hold all reservations, even when watching a trailer….people when they put out a real shot trailer it usually means click bait….to get those snapper heads clicking that remote to watch nothing but some fast nonsense…..we shall see though.

I think I can save you all some valuable time and effort. Just watch these two clips instead....enjoy!

Thanks for the answer. For me - Alien Universe's robots/androids is the same people, but with synthetics instead of meat inside.

>>>When they start to focus on robots or when the characters are lame that is when I'm losing interest.

I would put "and" instead "or". Indeed, sometimes the writing of human characters is lame. But this is not the fault of the androids as such. I am more than sure that if there were no androids in Prometheus and Covenant - human characters would still be written as they were. It looks like it was a plot angle...

>>>What I meant was that the focus, what the story should be about should be humans that get into situations that they are not well equipped neither materially or mentally to handle.

It seems that all 6 films work so. It doesn't look like this could change.

>>>They had it on the screen as much as it was needed to show us the human adventure, that's how I look at it.

That's right. That's why I'm surprised. I want to say that we did not have a single anti-example.

P.S. I'm only talking about xeno, excluding androids.

P.P.S. OK, we have already seen people as protagonists. We already seen androids as protagonists. Maybe it's time to make Xeno the protagonist?