Extended Cuts of PROMETHEUS and A L I E N: COVENANT?
Lone
MemberPraetorianJune 12, 2017History is repeating itself. After PROMETHEUS we discovered script aspects, alternate and deleted scenes, unused concepts, practical versus CGI effects-that Fifield scene and a host of other information which had some of us scratching our heads and wondering why on earth many of those were left out of the finished film.
Now, I happen to love PROMETHEUS, yet I fully understand the shortcomings of the theatrical release and why many people dislike it. As far as I am concerned, the absolutely magnificent The Furious Gods is the proof of the epic masterpiece that should have been.
For anyone not familiar with that epic making of, [which was only made available on the 3D Blu-ray release] who would like to know more, please try and borrow a copy from friends, I promise, it will be time well invested.
Anyway, it is the best proof of the need for an extended cut of the film. The material is there. As an aside, therein, script writer John Spaights actually divulges that it was the Fox execs who decided to dial back on the Alien aspects and focus on the Engineers, not Ridley Scott.
I was pretty much underwhelmed by the concept of Gigers wondrous Space Jockey being explained away as an Engineer, but hey I got on board with it and allowed myself to become fully invested in this new and epic story. Now fast forward to A L I E N: COVENANT and we find ourselves in familiar territory as it appears that Ridley has literally pathogen bombed everything he set up in that previous interesting tributary. Why?
Details are beginning to emerge which show a different looking COVENANT was intended. Seems that many things were dumped or changed during production. Yet another u-turn!
The Art and Making of Alien Covenant includes incredible artwork and practical suit designs. The lack of budget, which is another thing I cannot understand, especially given how well PROMETHEUS did, appears to have taken its toll on the final screen look of some of the creature designs.
The Alien was once a beautiful, bizarre creature. Now just as portrayed in the other franchise chapters, even in COVENANT it has lost all of it’s ability to shock and scare. So why even include it if it can't be done well?
In the recent AVP Podcast, participant Xenomorphine told us that during a conversation he had with Creature Effects Supervisor Conor O’Sullivan the original intent was to bring to life Giger’s Necronomicon IV Alien, not the more human-like Alien we are familiar with. Pity, I was longing for that, because the clapperboards had teased it! That could have been different and awesome, another missed opportunity.
Another potential epic has lost its way. Perhaps an extended cut would please people more? Now we have had the Giger-verse and the Lovecraftian-influenced, O’Bannon mystery virtually wiped out. Both films have been derailed to an extent. I feel that Ridley is allowing his vision and reputation to be ruined. Something is very wrong!
"Let The Cosmic Incubation Begin" ~ H.R. Giger
