Rule book Round 2

DK - I concur wholeheartedly. "found footge" films can be exceedingly interesting. However, they are best suited to films that have less visual weight. Films, such as Alien, must absolutely be focused and clear in order to build their tension. :)

Something Real Agree. I also think of it as a concept. Example- " We found this garbled transmission on the derelict, cleaned it up and translated it. What we found gave a deeper background to the events that led up to this point." Then it fades dream style back to the past. Like the time travel concept, I think it would be a lazy way/excuse to justify another movie.

DK - Once again, I concur with your stance on this matter to the fullest extent. Time-Travel would be an utterly humiliating addition to a fictional universe rooted in making us believe we are alone with something horrible in our very real and inescapable place and time. :)

I have read the rules and I believe there is a lot of room for the Engineers' story development to work within the boundaries. The mystery of Alien is as much a part of the story to me as the horror. So many things are not in focus, not clear what is happening, are we all going to die now, why is he bleeding white...this would all get smeared with any external elements related to Trek, Predator, or When Harry Met Sally.

I like the other movies above but each are equal in how much Alien needs them. Great consolidation dk and ninXeno426.

SM- I just find it strange for a site that indulges in endless speculation and 'free thinking', has such a narrow view of how things should be done.

That is a valid point. However, the original thread actually has a previously referenced thread attached for clarity as to how rules were formed, authors were added and EVERYONE was invited to participate. There were definitely rules and procedures but it was done in a fun way and there was a lot of spectacle and at least one bloody nose.

IDK nin, the found footage idea sounds like it has some teeth. What do you think?

My thoughts on found-footage are that:

1: If done as some footage found by other characters in the movie, okay, np...

2; if done a-la Blair Witch, the film-makers would have to be VERY careful and do it RIGHT, or the backlash would be excoriating. But, it might be worth an experiment in the hands of someone truly Competent.

Yeah possibly

I think it would be ok to have a few short well done guerrilla footage scenes ala BW in a movie, but not as a major part of or springboard to another movie.

I like the points DK made, and while I didn't think of it that way, yeah, using it in little, appropriate, well-crafted scenes could add to a movie.
But, I have to ask, would the lack of justification for such possibly be jarring to the audience and harm a movie?

I'd do it by finding perhaps by finding a Marine's shoulder cam

NINXENO426 - The idea of locating a Colonial Marine's helmet/shoulder camera is quite compelling! I can certainly imagine that scenario! An excellent notion! :)

Indeed!They even had helmet cams in Alien

ninXeno426

Shoulder cam, that'd work. :)

This turned out to be quite a sensitive thread, and while done in good spirit and fun I think it does contain an inherent probability to work in the opposite direction. Personally id give the rules a rock solid 50% lol. I found myself oddly having to agree with S.M. in that anything can be pulled off given the right context.

Personally in regards to the weaponized xeno, it seems that according to the first two films that played a major role in avoiding the campy horror flick cliché. The Nostromo was redirected to LV 426, and Burke set events into play for the sequel by sending newts family to the site, motivated by the value to the bio-weapons division of WY. 

That being said I hated the way resurrection tried to tackle it, and view that entire film and everything in it the same as I do AVP. Garbage.  In my mind I saw the xeno being used as a means to avoid legal disputes or challenges to planets WY had plans on terraforming. Nothing near the idea of an order following alien, more just an means to secure a planet for profits without a legal battle etc.

"Time Travel" as a plot device in the hands of some hack director who introduces a machine and timelines for future films starring Joseph Gordon Levitt or James Macavoy  would put me in the grave right next to Rudy Giger. Im a die hard Alien fan, However if Ridley has a method of showing how it played a role in the events of Prometheus, or the overall story im sure it could be great and provide answers to questions I personally would like to know. 

I suppose all in all it [the rules] could have achieved the desired effect had they been presented as top 10/20 things fans would or wouldn't want to see in upcoming films. That would allow for the ideas people have to be discussed to keep the forums active and positive. The implementation of a governing body to decide the validity of thoughts and ideas does seem a bit heavy even though most would agree with a majority id imagine. 

=] 

Quick bump.I'll be back later to look some of the new suggestions over 

"There shalt be no musical numbers sang in any Alien Universe movie."

"Neither Logan Michael Michel Michelob-Green (or Haydn Christenson) shall ever appear in any future "Alien Universe" movie, for any reason, including flashbacks.

"Old Person" Makeup (a la Weyland) shall never ever again be used...ever.

Yeh - I always thought the shoulder cams (Aliens) and the helmet cams (Alien) were a little 'found footage-y'

Starlogger

You make some good points, especially about Casting. I would also add Sandra Bullock to the Casting Ban suggestions.

Age-makeup, sometimes it works great, sometimes it falls apart, it's one of the trickiest elements in movie-making and not all the people in the industry can do it, or wear it, properly from various factors.

Starlogger 

I'm totally with You on the musical thing, there. I'd say that it goes without saying, but You can never be to precice when it comes to rules...

Looks like we got two for no musicals lol

Could be time for a new rule evaluation 

ok, allow me to state that if the ALIENverse is ever cursed with a 'musical' that is supposed to be Canon, I will start handing out the torches and pitchforks. :D

I think the only music should be the traditional score style of the original and possibly ambient/environmental. But no drums and guitar- and NO vocals.

dk

Agree with you, however, there are some choir based vocals that would fit appropriate to the ALIENverse and such, however, such vocals should even be used rarely and only when they truly 'fit' a scene.

There's some excellent use of choir's in Alien 3

ninXeno426

there's some choir pieces, and some could be Composed specific for the films, that really work nicely...if done Right, and yes, ALIEN3 did have some good choir music pieces! :)

Choir arrangements can work.

Honestly though, for the Alien series, I don't notice much score which to me, means it is doing its job of building the right mood without being intrusive. I shut off the music for Isolation all together to only hear what was going on in the environment.

dk

Isolation, yeah, very smart move!!

Agreed about how music should be a mood-builder but not intrusive.

Lol I was going to launch a new thread regarding the rule book but I'm too tired right now.Still looking through new suggestions and wondering where to go next