Comments (Page 362)

I saw Avatar in 3D and I think it really added to the movie.  

I saw Star Wars: The Force Awakens in 3D and I honestly wish I wouldn't have wasted my money.

Those are the only two movies that I can think of that I saw IN THEATRES in 3D.  I don't watch that stuff at the house.

So, I really don't care if a movie is 3D or not.  I think it can be a good idea if there is a lot of CGI and high development of environments because then all of the environments can try and remove the border between the screen and the wall.  Avatar is a good example of this in my opinion.  The CGI in that movie was not to distract or take control of the movie, but was there just to make the screen bigger than what it was.

So, I don't think I'll ever pay for a 3D movie again.  I only saw Avatar in 3D because of a person that I know said you GOT to see it in 3D.

I don't go see 3D movies just for the 3D experience, like Piranha 3D in 2010.  I want to say that I think that movie was the first of the first to start the whole craze on things being in 3D.

What I think would be interesting is if a 3D movie was in an IMAX theater.  I've never seen an IMAX movie either, but I would just think IMAX by itself or with 3D is more appropriate for expanded environment movies.  I think 3D IMAX exists too, but I never tried to see one.  I'm sure there expensive.  IMAX movies are cool.  Still, the ones I've seen were not Hollywood movies.  

I did not see Prometheus in 3D but do not feel deprived for not doing so. That may have been worth seeing in 3D from what members have said. As for other movies, they seem to emphasize things coming at the viewer- charging creatures, rapidly approaching objects etc... I get it but also don't get it. It should be a good movie first. 3D should be the cherry on top. To paraphrase IRaptus, a polished turd is still a turd.

I don’t really go out of my way to watch 3D. I think it is just repackaging with a novelty effect, like sticking tits on a bull.

@ Ingeniero and Dark Nebula, and anyone with concerns/ interests about the future of VR/AR.

Try checking this out, let it sink in for a while and just realise the possible implications of something like this.

Strange Beasts AR ad

I kind of like 3D movies but 3D doesn’t really add to or take away from how good it is. 

That is wild. You would have to keep a cabinet full of spare pants and underwear for house guests if they were to meet that in the dark.

You could also use the life-size statue of the xenomorph to discipline children. Just open the door a little and let them see that monster....they'll follow orders like soldiers afterward.

Great topic Lawrence of Arabia.

"I didn't care about their personal psychological quirks except in so much that it has an immediate barring on the situation at hand. I didn't want to stop and tell the life stories of these characters because I didn't care. I cared about the monster" 

Great quote from Dan O'Bannon above and I certainly agree with what you wrote below.

"the characters weren't developed because they serve no overall purpose aside from dying in whatever horrible way and introducing us to these unknown concepts and moving the narrative further."

That is why the Origins novel seemed to fit so well with the Alien: Covenant film and I hope a lot of what we read in Alien: Covenant Origins makes it to film. I believe that would make Alien: Covenant much better with it's missing half (character development).

I feel the same way now Dark Nebula. The 3D glasses over my own glasses give me motion sickness at the movies sometimes. I'm a little worried about that in regards to the upcoming wave of VR adoption.

Did anyone else get the paper 3D glasses from the store in the early 80's to watch the Kung Fu movies in 3D marathon?

I agree Tiwaz....with haste.

I'm afraid I fall into the not happy with David as creator camp. It's just so underwhelming, so unsatisfactory. That he re-engineered the Morb, I can accept.

Then again, Ridley's whole idea was that We Are The Gods Now. Those beings, those Engineers, are not Gods, not even a superior race? 

Yet, David being the sole creator doesn't ring true. The Deacon, as shown in Prometheus, was an early variant of the Morb. We witnessed it's birth, albeit through David's meddling. But the LV-223 Engineers were already aware of it, and appeared to have a shrine for the purpose of it's worship around 2,000 years before David darkened LV-223's surface. It was hinted that the Hologram Engineers were running from something which sounded very Deacon-like.

So yes, David created the Neomorphs and an early non biomechanical Morb. At the very least, the Engineers had prior knowledge of the Deacon, even if they were not it's creators.

I would tie-in the Derelict and it's pilot, with the LV-223 outbreak. Perhaps there were other ships containing eggs, or the urns disintegrated over time and the contents became eggs? We've discussed that before.

Of course, what was set up in Prometheus was largely ignored in ALIEN: Covenant, so I guess what I am talking about is now irrelevant! :) 

ignorantGuy

Haha, I'm not going to tell you how many times I have watched ALIEN or Blade Runner or The Thing etc, etc! :D

IRaptus, I dont personally mind the weapons or science division approach, but you gave me an idea! Wouldn't it be nice if a book or movie (movie please!) one day reveals that Weyland-Yutani was trying to collect Xenomorphs and related organisms/pathogen so they could be ready for othere threats, namely The Engineers and David?

I mean, as far as we know now, they don't actually know David exists and is an evil sob. I think Advent is supposed to be canon (even though it is framed as an interactive setup for the special features in the blu-ray package). Either way, it seems plasuible that the company would be one of the players in Ridley Scott's War of the Worlds scenario for the sequel. 

SO, if the company people/military find a way to Origae-6 in a few years (would technology advance enough?) or they receive that transmission, then it would be an organic way to setup the pursuit of the Xenomorph throughout the original movies and beyond. Whether David dies or his whereabouts are left unknown to the company by the end of the movie, they would have a lot to fear. Not everyone here enjoys the David angle, but this would certianly cement his place in the franchise as a whole and connect it. 

Guys, I think we better see some Engineers in the next installment, and I mean some Xeno-Suited Engineers!!

It's no problem at all IRaptus...I've read the trilogy in reverse. I didn't include too much context next to the quotes from the novels because I saw that I Moon Girl was working through the series too.

Could someone put Cpt. Bracket on the silverscreen, PWEEEZE?

Lone

You are truly admirable (and I'm not being sarcastic here). I've never seen a movie more then 10 times.

As IRaptus said there's no disguising a turd! ;)

Like Dave, it would have to be a movie I would see anyway. The 3D makes it more of a novelty really, but is by no means necessary. In recent years I've been to 3D presentations of Prometheus, Pacific Rim, Godzilla, Jurassic World, and more recently Blade Runner 2049.

Those were all pretty much visually orientated movies anyway. I really enjoyed the experience. Both Prometheus and Pacific Rim blew me away, though I have to say, there were things about Prometheus that I missed first time around, because I was so wrapped up in the 3D presentation. The planet flyovers, engineer and orrery holograms, were truly magnificent to behold!

Since then I've watched it in 2D only (a further 5 times at the cinema and probably around 70+ times on Blu-ray/digital download.) I think it's possibly the most visually stunning movie I've ever seen, even in 2D. For me, it even eclipses Blade Runner!!

Thank you Batchpool. I must have missed the extended coverage of Oats Studios when I stepped away for a while, a couple of times. Oats Studios certainly deserves the coverage. And I think you're on to something with Dust, above and below. I will watch all of the DUST films on my TV screen opposed to computer when I'm able.

"I feel Blomkamp is going though a bit of a transition and developmental period, which is why I had made critical remarks about him pursuing the Alien franchise."

That is a great way to put it. You also make a great point with the talent in the pipeline in regards to the content. 

"A story that incorporates Blomkamps ideas and Ridley Scotts, HOWEVER.....  i dont think we need to have a movie that replaces Alien 3 on-wards..."

Amen brother BigDave.

Yes dk. It looks like AI sci-fi is here to stay. This really is a great planet.

To be fair i think Blomkamp could do a decent job, however he would need someone to come in and take his ideas, throw in Ridley Scott to change them a little then get SOMEONE else in to do a Good Draft.

A story that incorporates Blomkamps ideas and Ridley Scotts, HOWEVER.....  i dont think we need to have a movie that replaces Alien 3 on-wards...

I had a idea for a Alien Resurrection Sequel, that could use a Miss Weaver, and get away with the Age Difference, especially in a Humanoid like Ripley 8 who you would not expect to AGE

Now if i could throw them my Ideas, allow Blomkamp and Ridley Scott to add/change some parts and then have Blomkamp Direct and Ridley Scott Produce... then maybe we could have some Alien Movie that allows for some of his ideas and also a way for Miss Weaver to be cast.

"All of this is speculation, as no film in the series has (yet) given exclusive evidence, but it's possible and even likely that it will be explained in the next sequel."

I have to agree ATI  while clues seem to hint to David the Creator there is nothing 100% concrete that dismisses the possibility of this NOT being the case.  Even though this appears to be Ridley Scotts chosen direction.

At the moment they could indeed CHANGE it so that David merely Re-Engineered his own version of the Xenomorph, taking this route would not really contradict Alien Covenant at all.

By keeping it as David, then i guess some work has to be done to try and explain some of the differences, but these could just have to be accepted as Oversights...

It appeared that Ridley Scott had intended at least TWO movies before we get any clear clue or answers to the Space Jockey/Derelict Involvement, so all things considered it would appear the sequel would not really cover the Space Jockey Event but the next movie after that likely would have.

I will Speculate that IF/WHEN Disney pick up the Franchise and attempt to do a continuation from Alien Covenant, i feel they may rather have a SINGLE movie that will give us the LINK/ANSWERS to Alien, thus its likely to be a movie that By-Passes Ridley Scotts planned Alien Covenant Sequel... Especially if David is still kept as the Architect of the Xenomorph

Totally Agree about the Space Jockey Scene.

When looking at all the clues up to Prometheus, i was left pondering if the Space Jockey event is teased as being another Engineer ship on LV-223 after the Outbreak thats gone into Shut Down like the Juggernaught and Last Engineer's ship... his 3 other crew mates were not so lucky, they clearly appeared to suffer a Chest Buster.

So i felt Prometheus could be teasing that another ship had suffered the same fate as those Engineers in those Cry-Pods only the Space Jockey awoken a few hundred years after and not thousands of years latter (like the Engineer in Prometheus) so the Space Jockey also set off too but he was infected and Chest Busted as he barely got off LV-223.

I felt the Hammerpedes could be the Prime Candidate for what ever lead to the Xenomorph in Alien at this time too.

There are however a few inconsistencies... as far as direct LV-223 Engineer connection, but these could be now just oversights.

1) Engineer/Space Jockey Size difference

2) Derelict/Juggernaught Aesthetic differences including the Lay-Out of the Pilot Chamber.

3) The Fossilized Look of the Space Jockey.

Now the last one we know cant be a Fossil, but the color of it and appearance it looks degraded, yet the Engineer Bodys in Prometheus had been there for thousands of years and yet looked similar color and texture to the GOOD AS NEW Space Jockey Suits.

So a Logical way to explain these differences, has to be a slightly different Engineer Race/Suit and Ship and maybe revealing it to had been there for many thousands of years.

Even if David created it, as i mentioned in my previous posts there are ways around this, so that David has some input but plays either the Middle Man, or he merely Evolves/Re-Engineers the Ancient Xenomorph.

Both leaving the Final Impression on the Xenomorph as being at the hands of the Engineers or preferably another related but taller Race.

I think it depends on the Movie and how the 3D is used for some movies the 3D is there to make certain scenes more effective, be its 3D Blood Splatter Effect, be it 3D Explosions, or 3D Body Parts or other objects flying towards the screen.

These are all just visual Eye Candy for the most part, its a bit like watching a movie with Great CGI or Ropey/Poor CGI, a Great CGI cant save a poor movie and Ropey/Poor CGI does not completely ruin a good movie.

For me with 3D especially if it comes down to Cinema/Theater release or just out on Blu-Ray its a case more to going to watch a Movie i am really interested in 3D over non-3D for the extra effect... rather than seeing a move purely for 3D

So if there is a movie i think i would not be interested in, i would certainly not be more interested if it was 3D

But if there was  movie i was really interested in, then i would pay out the extra to see it in 3D  (depending if the 3D really would add anything) so yeah Star Wars in 3D works due to battle scenes etc.

I felt Prometheus looked very nice in 3D even though it really was just for sense of depth and perception to the scenes, it made already wonderful scenes/shots really stand out more.

yea I remember that in the book. it added quite a fresh element to the story. love that novel trilogy

eh?was in the middle of typing n it posted all those.

never liked 3D mainly because u shouldn't have to wear glasses for the film to be even better. the film should be amazing on its own. only film iv ever watched in 3

I don't like watching movies in 3D. One of the reasons is because I hate wearing 3D glasses on top of my real glasses, gives me a headache.
The last movie I saw in 3D was the black panther (all theatres were showing it in 3D so I had no other choice). For the first 10 minutes, I was immersed in 3D, but for the rest of the movie, I literally forgot that I was watching a 3D movie because I was focusing on the plot. The same thing was with the Avatar (2009).

3D doesn't make a movie better like IRaptus said: "you can disguise a turd in glitter, but it's still a turd."

Far out, Jaws 3D! Terrible, on all accounts. 

If you're going to use 3D you need to go all out with it. It can be a very immersive experience. But it has to be an integral part of the filming process all the way through, and not a tack on for blockbuster purposes.

I know everyone hates on it, but Avatar was an example of a good 3D film.... please don't mistake that for me saying it was a good film though. So was DREDD, and so was Alice in Wonderland (2010). There was artistic purpose to their 3D to help immerse the viewer.

BUT 3D never covers for a bad film. Whats the saying??....you can disguise a turd in glitter, but it's still a turd.

However, that is what 3D seems to be used for these days, to cover up a crap plot. And that is what worries me with The Predator's announcement of a 'conversion to 3D'. I hope Im wrong because there could be some great artistic purpose with a 3D predator film....but it feels tacked on. 

this topic has been talked about n talked about n seems to be the most divisive aspect of the prequel series and no wonder. the derelict IS the beginning of the franchise. its where alien beings come into contact with humanity and starts its well known chain reaction of events. its such an important if not THE most important scene in the franchise. I can only speak for myself but imagining it to be thousands of years old gives the whole scene and thus the franchise its true mystery and wonder of the possibilities beyond our own little corner of the universe. having the derelict be thousands of years old, which I believe even during the filming of Prometheus, was the initial idea, gives so many paths and possibilities to show onscreen. I for one like the idea that the derelict was part of a fleet that attacked the facility on lv223 but something went wrong maybe due to sabotage. the signal is a warning to keep other engineer vessels away which they do but the attack on the facility goes ahead as we see the aftermath in Prometheus. now for David to be responsible restricts what can be done. we don't get flashbacks of a possible engineer civil war or a possible uprising against a higher power. iv said it before n iv made up my mind. if they do go down the route I think theyr going and David is responsible, then ill stick with alien through to prometheus and the others don't exist. I just believe the original deserves more and so do us fans. we sat through AVP and AVPR so they owe us something

DUST is new to me and this short/trailer looks great too Batchpool. It seems to give a lot of away though. Looks like another interesting take on what it is to be human.

Well, Ingeniero, I had never seen this and thank you for sharing. This is good stuff and it would be great to see a full length. Glad to see Siggy still has it!

Sorry Ingeniero, you are still reading River of Pain, I wont ruin it for you by revealing any more. 
There is a lot that could be fleshed out with it, make a slow-burn situational drama series.

Let you really connect with the characters and their purposes for them being there, and then the inevitable decline of their outpost as the Xeno shit-sandwich takes control. Every death and loss of ground would then be felt so much more. There are avenues for further seasons too.... 

I’ve cited OATS studios in the past and (without going through all previous posts) I think Chris produced a major post on OATS studios, but I think interest in it was obscured by other major news posts here at the time. It’s good to see someone has drawn attention to it again. I’ve seen all the Volume one shorts and there are some good shorts in there. On the other hand, and it is something which I have mentioned in the past, is that I feel Blomkamp is going though a bit of a transition and developmental period, which is why I had made critical remarks about him pursuing the Alien franchise. I’d like to see where he is once he has spent a little more time perfecting whatever he is trying to achieve, but I reckon that stuff like Rakka gives a good indication of where he is trying to go.

Although OATS is something of a creative platform for Blomkamp, I would seriously take a look at the DUST  Sci-fi shorts platform as it serves as a good comparison against OATS to see what creative talent is in the pipeline.

If you like Rakka and get through binge watching the rest of Volume 1, I would highly recommend Blomkamps short series ADAM.

DUST. Rise

We agree ali81.

Alan Decker in Alien: Sea of Sorrows, a descendant of Ellen Ripley centuries after the events of Alien Resurrection has dreams where he sees and feels things from the xenomorph perspective. Pretty wild.

Yes they were IRaptus...very good.

I was impressed with Alien: Out of the Shadows and Alien: Sea of Sorrows. I'm reading Alien: River of Pain now and it is great too. And Alien: The Cold Forge comes out next month! 

That is a great idea regarding NETFLIX. The novels have the legs to support a streaming series with the characters, environments, and the documentation of additional habits seen from the xenomorph. I know I would watch it. 

I figured it was old news to some ignorantGuy but I searched to see if anyone had cited here and didn't see any discussion on it. I thought the graphics were amazing and I chose to take a chance and spent time updating those who had yet to see Rakka.

I just saw this in the past few days and was intrigued by the black goo that surrounded the creature.

To those who haven't seen it, enjoy.

To those that have seen it, enjoy.

Great topic OhioDude25. I've spent time in Shadyside, OH on the river and the state overall is beautiful. Welcome and yes, the Prometheus set design was amazing and arguably the best of the franchise. I'm with Lone and I Moon Girl regarding the need for a longer cut of Prometheus.

Biblical Inheritance of the Engineers

"It also seemed to show a interest between the Engineer and Dr Shaw, did these Engineers never have Females, did they loose Females? Was we created so they could eventually regain Females to Breed with (Genesis 6)

"The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of man and they bore children to them. These were the mighty men who were of old, the men of renown"

Which added to the whole story of the Engineers as Fallen Angels as Ridley Scott referred them as."

That is an excellent point BigDave. The Engineer most certainly hadn't seen a woman in thousands of years and maybe never. I hadn't considered that at all.

This biblical inheritance (Fallen Angels/Watchers) of the Engineers is also cited in David's notes above. 

What kind of set design would be required to film an act against the Engineers carried out by their superior?

Sir Ridley Scott@Sir_RidleyScott·Aug 6, 2016OH. Done. I shot thirty seven hours of film somehow. Edits for bloody ages now. Shots all basically loud screaming and rubbing cello strings

Below, Dane Hallett's facebook page references string instruments.

Could one scene we have yet to see include David performing a string piece while others are screaming?

We'll this is not new.. but I feel i'd rather see a full movie version of that instead of a new Alien with Ripley (either 5 or prequel).

I think when looking at the Creatures in Alien Covenant, what we have (and not including the Engineer Scene) is that it appears the Bombardment MAY have affected the Planet's Life, it certainly killed a number out-right and its hinted some had become Mutated/Hybrids instead.

We have the Spores/Motes which are a reaction to the Black Goo the ambiguity is if these are from the Bombardment, or potentially leaked Cargo that Spilled into the Stream on the Mountains after the Juggernaught Crashed.

It appears David discovered the Neomorph Spores and saw what they had done, and he likely had infected various Life-forms with the Motes to see what happens.

It would appear he began to use the Black Goo to Mix DNA/Traits of Organisms infected with the Neomorph Spores with Organic Material infected with the Black Goo and by using various combinations of Neomorph Spores and DNA and the Black Goo he attempted to create various Organisms in a quest to then Cross-Hybrid their Traits in the Pursuit of creating his Xenomorphs.

Its highly indicated that Female Engineer Reproductive Organs and Eggs/Fetus were used for various Experiments,  and that he also LIKELY experimented on Weak but Alive Engineers and also he had Re-animated (but i am no fan of this) Engineer Corpses, unless by Re-animating he was able to take Dead Organisms that had not decomposed to far and as they still have Organic Material the Black Goo could manipulate the Organic Material/DNA

It appears he had finally been getting close with a Organism that combined all the traits he wanted, but found this FINAL process was not yielding results using Engineer Fetus/Egg Cells... But Dr Shaw's Human Reproductive Organs provided much more success.

I think for a lot of these Experiments the Black Goo from inside some of the Urns he had collected from the Juggernaught (we can safely assume) was used in a way similar to actually what Prometheus had shown and how the Nano-Scarabs worked in Alien Engineers.

The more TRICKY part is tackling how the Bombardment had effected those Engineers' i can only assume the Urns can be Programed before deployment to allow the results to effect Organic Material in a different way than we saw in Prometheus.

Instead of attacking a Targets Cells/Building Blocks and either causing these Genetic Building Blocks to break down and then each Molecule carries Traits from the Black Goo, or have the Organisms Molecules/Building Blocks become Mutated into a Hybrid.

It could be likely the Bombardment was programed to replicate the Pathogen Virus inside a Host but then also instead of re-writing the hosts DNA/Molecular Building Blocks it just turned every Molecule/Atom into a Crystallized/Ossified material. 

Maybe the Black Goo was programed by David or default (when activated by the Deployment Mechanism) to only have this Crystallized/Ossified affect on Human/Engineer DNA Organisms.

I think its possible and likely we have had alternative and longer scenes that we have not maybe seen in the Extras too..

Prometheus had a number of scenes we never saw even in the Extras.

These for certain included.

*Even Longer Sacrificial Engineers Scene with TWO way Dialog.

*Scenes of the Engineer getting up from the Crashed Juggernaught and making his way to the Lifeboat.

*Scene of him taking a look at some books in the Lifeboat.

*Potentially longer still Engineer Speaks Scene

*Potentially alternative Trilobite Attack (the now you see it, now you dont and now you do Face Burn).

*Potential Longer Engineer Pilot Room Hologram Scene

Never mind maybe other stuff that got cut/never even made the extras