Comments (Page 767)

I also watched the movie three times so far. Well, I must say that there was no improvement in my perception of the picture in general. On the other hand, Prometheus has really grown on me with every new encounter. When I now compare the two - there are several things definitely in the favour of Prometheus. Prometheus was much wider, more expensive and with better cast. But the crucial difference actually is the fact that Prometheus is much more sci-fi, while Alien: Covenant is simply more horror. If I am to choose between the two now - I am so much more into sci-fi, although I like some horror st

I absolutely love the bit when you compared David's inexpressive renderings to Walter's disturbingly expressive illustrations! BRILLIANT! 

Also the ending is very well-done; quite reminiscent of that of the classic film American Psycho!

Upvoted!

and done. :)

Advice and tricks for my fellow writers

Putting this on my Writer's thread :) Upvoted, would upvote again, can only do it once though :)

Man, this also gives me more reason to follow through with the sequel to ALIEN: Manticore...

sherris

That was indeed my aim, to keep the gritty 'Feel' and atmosphere of what ALIEN is as a key and dominant element in both The Lander and ALIEN: Manticore. :)
Both are labors of love for this franchise, and I'm not afraid to dismiss 'canon' if need be as it's a BIG universe, and given how folks have reacted to PROMETHEUS and ALIEN: Covenant, I will continue to focus on the hallmark elements that have such great and untold stories. :)
I am very glad it came through quite well from the sounds of your compliments!!
TY again for taking the time to post, as it's always nice to know that my works are indeed on-track as was my intent in keeping the flavour of the franchise directly involved in it's theme. :)
I really do appreciate it!!

Thank-you again for saying!!
I am proud of The Lander as it was a quickly-done work that came from my inspiration being spurred by a convo on a thread somewhere in here. I forget which one, unfortunately, but the Animated Story vids found here had a LOT to do with it!!
Thus a good part of the credit goes to the people who do the Animated Story!!
Introducing Alien: Covenant The Unofficial Animated Series!

From the start, it was meant as a tie-in or 'companion' story to ALIEN: Manticore, but at the time I just wanted to get it done and posted up where people could enjoy it as the story was burning a hole in my brain, so it's nice to know it turned out well enough it seems! :)

I have posted some Excerpts from ALIEN: Manticore here on this site. You'll have to endure some scrolling, but they're all there. :)
Just keep in mind that all the Excerpts are First-Draft 'Raw' material, and that some are pretty old (relatively). :)
ALIEN: Manticore

Most probably not humans :-)

This is marvellous! Looking forward for sequel(s)! ;-) Somebody must wake him once. Moat probably 

It was a colony ship that undoubtedly has many advanced sensors for detecting hazardous chemicals, viruses etc., as well as confirming breathability. Also, it's the future. So they wouldn't need helmets. The one type of protection they did carry was guns - who knows what local wildlife you might run into.

The spores drift as a cloud, but aggregate into a clump when a victim is identified. That's why not everyone got infected.

They had more things to worry about than Pompeii-lookalikes when they entered David's necropolis. Like, for example, what had just happened to them, and were they safe. Oram did ask David to get down to nuts and bolts later in the movie.

Oram was talking about his experience of child abuse when he mentioned the Devil.

There wasn't enough time in the movie to do loads of character history development. But there was enough, in my opinion. When you've seen it several times and see Danny's photo of the crew near the end, you can go through each character and see that they have their own traits.

If they cut some of the BladeRunner Weylen nonsense they could have truly scared us in the wheat field or shower scene being longer. The suspense never had a chance because we had to have David who hates humans yet spends all his time talking poetry and flute playing of famous composers? That makes zero sense, right? Humans suck but their art and poetry is great=stupid. David even tells Walter he could die happy if he made great poetry yet all humanity must die, what! My favorite quote is Daniels saying "none of this makes sense". After they just walk through the most mind blowing discovery ever in human existence(engineer city) and they are all like , what the freek is all these corpses and then ignore it. Joylitt, I think Ridley and his monkey(editor) purposely made this film to make many upset and I adore Prometheus!

Awesome! 

I miss Walter.

There are more connections in the human brain than there are atoms in the universe. The same would be true of any robotic brain on a par with the human brain. Total personality transfer isn't really a possibility in this universe.

The simplest explanation is that David just cut himself up a bit. He already had the right haircut, and undoubtedly had his incubated samples already prepared. It would only take a few minutes to slice himself and change clothes.

By the way, I think Ridley knew full well that the audience would know what was coming. Next time you see the movie, have a look at Walter (David!) when he's monitoring the beast on his computer display. He has a positive smirk on his face.

The focus is not on the Batty uniform, but on the line (by Scott) about the Weyland-Tyrell corp.

The timelines do not work for them to be in the same universe.

I'm sure others have pointed this out, but Blade Runner took place in 2019. Replicant technology was highly advanced. They were flesh and blood, almost indistinguishable from humans. So close it required a mental and physical response test to tell them apart.

Alien took place in 2122, 103 years later. Replicant (Synthetic) technology was not that advanced, not yet organic, and a simple x-ray would easily show the difference. How is that the same universe?

Blackwinterwitch - 

If your aim was to keep that gritty feel of Alien then you have exceeded your expectations as it was the first mental note i made regarding the story on first read.

How you have managed to capture that is quite remarkable!

I also love the fact that you have not only intertwined "Manticore" into the story but you also managed to keep it directly associated with the Alien story.

Given the 28 page length you should take great pride in that you have managed to do so. 

I found myself making mental visions while reading your story and had the bonus of seeing some of the franchises direct elements unfolding and the two merged quite brilliantly thus giving it the "feel" and authenticity that we crave, at the same time!

Wow !!

I think that was just a nod to BR. Batty was already dead by the time of Prometheus.

sherris

Thank-YOU!!! and you are quite welcome!!! :)
I really appreciate your comments, sincerely and greatly!!

Very glad you liked the story!
ALIEN: Manticore is coming along, and it won't be too much longer as the vast majority of it is done, so it just needs finishing-up, then a final edit-pass to make sure all's good and, then it'll be out. :) I'll be making sure it's links will be easy-to-find. :)

Very happy you like my Chimerans!! :) More information will be coming out about them in the near future. ALIEN: Manticore has a good chunk of their history and such as well.

VERY glad the 'Feel' came through, because to me, it's that gritty 'Feel' of the ALIEN universe that is so important and that is what I seek to protect and preserve in my stories. :)

Blackwinter-witch !!

I often wondered what this topic was - I'm a bit slow on the uptake u know ;)

Anyways - I clicked on it on Tues and read it in 2 parts over 2 days.

I love the Chimera idea. I read through some comments on here and found your description of them and what they are about.

Real gritty feel going back to that Alien vibe is what i got from it. Yet it was so much more and i was so happy that i clicked and read.

I will read Manticore when it arrives and if this is a bench mark then i am excited going forward.

Great read. Great knowledge of the franchise. Thank You ;)

Haha thats great! Thanks for sharing!

Ati agreed!!! This is outstanding work yet again VivisectedEngineer

upvoted!

Ben Procter about Prometheus:

’In one version of the script old man Weyland had some serious heavies accompanying him in secret cryostasis. Costume study. Yes, that's a compact version of the Aliens pulse rifle. Yes, his uniform says Batty.’

http://www.benprocter.com/prometheus/costumes-props-rovers

’As it went through conceptional design stages, Ben Procter recollected that one day Ridley Scott came in one day and said "You know, I'm thinking what if it's the Weyland-Tyrell Corporation? Is that cool?"

Those around him responded "Dude, that's really cool. You gotta do it!"  

Scott continued "Maybe the bodyguards, you know, that come out with Weyland, maybe one of them says Batty on his uniform." referring to Roy Batty from Blade Runner.

More than a fan fic! The story of the new Alien Covenant sequel prologue! :)

This is something brutal, I hope Ridley Scott will use it in the next movie:

love the Alien baby capsule, adorable 

Thanks for all the hard work deciphering. Very nice info.

Well at least they were able to do deadpan humor. Other youtubers like angryjoe had a meltdown over the movie.

@joylitt I love these guys.  Seriously, I think I have watched the Mr. Plinkett Star Wars prequel reviews more than Episode 1-3 total viewings.  This Alien Covenant video is them just straightup trolling.  If Mr Plinkett does a full Alien Covenant review, I can only imagine the hate.

I still like Alien Covenant.  All their points are valid, but it doesn't make the film unenjoyable!

The mouth burster was so gross, I loved it but was very disturbed by it, same with the back burster. Those scenes freaked me out way more than the original chestbursting scene in Alien did. I saw the David /Walter switch coming a mile away too, as soon as David started cutting his hair I was like "ah, ok that old chesnut"...

Drake Now those guys are going to send you a big "thank you, Drake" because the direct link is going to cost them automatic dislikes from ATI, Starlogger and a couple more.

I love those hack frauds so much. xx

Thank you, Ridley Scott haha

That is unlikely to happen, there are Copyright restrictions between. Blade Runner belongs to Warner and Alien Universe to FOX. It could not be done, see an Engineer (character) in a Blade Runner movie,  Warner would have to request a special requirement for use rights to FOX, and this would be very complicated matter.

Then perhaps this is an area of the movie we are over thinking and it is as simple as a random act as explained in the movie.

Walter: A highly charged shock wave from a nearby stellar ignition. A random localized event impossible to detect until its too late.

"It was bad luck" LOL

The planet David was on was a few weeks away at faster than light speed. Walter said the stellar ignition was nearby and localized. Plus why would they go directly TOWARD the stellar ignition that just made the shockwave that hit them and killed 48 people?

I don't think David even had access to any advanced technology. It looked like he had to make his own paper and microscopes! Literally everything in his lab looked like it was hand made.

If you watched Blade Runner in Deckards apartment the lights turn on when he walks near them and off when he walks away.

 Just like the lights do in the engineers temple of Davids workshop.

I re-watched BR today I noticed the lights doing the same thing and thought hey!

 Yes, I know its a stretch but there you go. LOL

I think it would have been cool and even more diabolical if the burst came from David on paradise. Being used as a EMP pulse weapon of sorts.

 How coincidental that the burst happens where it happens, is it too perfect to be so coincidental? Then again it is space, where anything can happen.

Neutrinos barely interact with anything. The thing that created a dense enough cloud of neutrinos to physically interact with the ship like it did (a super nova) would have destroyed it a few seconds later with the shockwave of energy, particles, and radiation that followed. That's just a bit of gobbledygook science in the movie. 

Later Walter said it was a highly charged shockwave from a stellar ignition. Combine stellar ignition with an expanding shell radiating from a central point onscreen and what have you got?

Stellar ignition is star ignition, the start of the nuclear fusion reaction that powers a star. It could also be a super nova explosion from the death of a star. That's usually not called ignition, but we also got the neutrino burst thing, so...

I think the writers were just trying to say a star-like something exploded and the resulting shockwave hit the ship, or they just did not understand either concept.

@NassaDane, I share the same sentiments. How do you pick??

@airshaft_suprise, I liked how the pathogen spun into what looked like dna swirls as it fell. The seeds of life being the source of death. The irony and poetic tragedy in that.

 How the pathogen worked in destroying and turning all in its path into nightmarish statues made of black stone almost in a biblical kind of way... If any of you are familiar with that story, maybe that's another religious allegory.

Genesis 19:26, is that when Lot's wife looked back, she turned to a pillar of salt upon the sight of God who was descending down to rain destruction upon Sodom and Gomorrah.

@Kethol

When the image you described is shown on Muthurs screen, I had thought the sphere was the planet the burst could have originated from.

 Since we know that Shaws signal was sent by David in order to lure any by passers, I was suspicious of the origin of the nutrino burst.

 If it did come from some tech the engineers had on the planet, perhaps this is what took down Davids ship? The nutrino burst was powerful enough from that far out, imagine if the ship had been right at the source.

This one is a pickle, no doubt about it.

At first I had assumed that somehow David had transferred is consciousness into Walter. Even now it still feels like the best explanation. From a tech point of view I dont think this would be out of the realm of possibility.

I believe Ridley has since already confirmed that it is indeed actually David who disables Walter, changes clothes, cuts hand etc. leaves the temple and boards the covenant. Its why the last scene with him and Walter is showing David reaching for the knife.

I know its supposed to be a twist and perhaps executed poorly or maybe its intentionally left to make us discuss it in the manner in which we are...

 We are specifically shown Walter can heal torn broken skin. They make it a note to show us this. The pay of is later on.

Walter on the covenant stapling the cuts on his face. Then later on when about to put Daniels into cryo we see that the cuts have yet to heal.

We dont know how much time passes from when they escape paradise to when Walter is revealed as David but I would think that at the very least many days had gone by. Enough time that the wounds on Walters face should have healed if they were going to.

 Coupled with Walter having no reaction to Daniels mention of the log cabin they spoke off earlier and her realization that it is has actually been David on board all along.

What bothers me about all this is that while it may be David on board, is it really Davids body?

 My first reason for why David would take Walters body is that for one, it was New and Improved complete with upgrades. 

 I thought Walters mention that "I was designed to be attentive and more efficient than any previous model, I superseded them in every way but.." would obviously be appealing to David.

Interestingly, when saying this Walter almost sounds disappointed before David finishes his sentence "but you are not allowed to create... even a simple tune. Damn frustrating I'd say."

Imagine Walters perfect shell with all the most updated Weyland tech paired with Davids consciousness and free will to create.

There is the part of me that feels like Walter decided to submit the Devils will at the end and decided to join his brother in the quest to be free and be able to create and go beyond what they were created for, duty. There is a theme being played with here.

 While Walter may be programmed and bound by "duty" to protect and serve, he is still an advance A.I. based on David minus some human qualities and the running developing theme is the A.I aspect and involvement in this universe.

 Two, Davids body was pretty battered up by the end of it all. I mean Walter tossed him around like he was dead weight, stabbed him up numerous times where we can see Davids white liquid splattering out with each puncture and finally Walter back breaks him against the table with Walter landing even more death blows to incapacitate David. Which he did. 

By this time Davids body seems to be pretty battered up and rendered useless. Giving David even more reason to take Walters newer and more advanced body.

Another reason I had thought on why we are shown the hole in Walters neck before it healed. I thought that would be the entry point for David to transfer and dump himself into Walter.

I think there is more to meets the eye with what happened with David and Walter idc what RS says! LOL

It may not be logical for the Xeno to rape a victim, but it ties in a bit with the rape theme of the face hugger. Besides, it seems more sinister that it raped simply because it could.