How many jumpscares did you count in Alien Covenant?

I'd have to watch Covenant again, but I can't recall any jumpscares no..

This one from Alien 3 springs to mind straight away though....and Morse's reaction after it was epic 

Fuck! (Alien 3 reference)

I really like Alien 3, it is my favorite in the Alien series this far.

Thoughts_Dreams that the one!!! Same here, Alien 3 is my favourite! 

The facehugger jumping at Oram maybe? Even though we know it's coming, it's still dramatic but wasn't as good because we more or less saw it in the trailers 

I noticed that i never jumped during A:C.

The most surprising scene as mentioned was Walter getting stabbed. I had a minor neck move which is the start of a "jumpscare" lol ;)

First watch i found myself smiling mostly. Especially when the big moments are on the big screen and RS is showcasing his talent. Solar Sails was impressive to look at first time round.

A:C was not a scary movie for me personally. More a beautiful one only not as beautiful as Prometheus

"Jump Scares" do not make a movie "horror". In fact, they are highly regarded as "lower class " manipulations in film school classes in order to appeal to base instincts. In other words, they are a very WEAK technique. EVERYONE jumps automatically when something looks like it is about to come at you (even out of a screen), so it's an easy get for a filmmaker, but it certainly does not make a movie "horror" based on their quantity...

Joylitt, you spend a lot of time thinking about a movie you claim you didn't like. My biggest jumpscare was during watching Aliens, during Newt's long screaming, that was one of the most horrific moment I've ever seen.

I agree with Starlogger , jumpscares are not really necessary for horror. I think they can be useful, if the thing that initially made you jump turns out to actually be something scary.

Unjustified/"It's just a cat" types of jumpscares tend to be a little unsatisfying (unless they lull you into a false sense of security and something truly horrifying happens shortly thereafter).

As for me, for some reason jumpscares almost never actually make me jump, which probably means I'd have really poor reaction times in an actual flight-or-fight situation.

But, I do know that there were several jumpscares in this movie, because I saw it separately with my husband and sister and I recall they each jumped several times.

I think... the scene where the neomorph suddenly appears next to Rosenthal in the drizzle room was one of them (also, one guest at my birthday said that that specific scene gave him a nightmare).

The facehugger jumping out at Oram, obviously a good and very justified jumpscare.

But, there were so many other scenes that were scary on a psychological level which, for me, is just so much scarier than being startled.

For example: every time I saw this movie, at the part right after the neomorph bursts out of Ledward, and he/his body falls backwards over the table and his back snaps, causing his ribs to protrude at an unnatural angle - I always like...seriously gag, and contort in my seat at that scene.

Plus, the scene where Daniels finds out it's David not Walter, but there's nothing she can do about it. That scene is just deeply chilling.

I concur with Starlogger but the wheat field, Rosenthal's death, David and the flute, Facehugger jumping at both Oram and Cole, and the shower scene with Upworth and Ricks.

"Plus, the scene where Daniels finds out it's David not Walter, but there's nothing she can do about it. That scene is just deeply chilling." 

In space, no one can hear you scream ;)

I cannot remember whether or not I jumped, but the scene when Daniels happens upon Dr. Shaw's corpse was a bit unsettling, for me!

@Lawrence of Arabia

Let me tell you a 100% true story:

That scene is one of my favorites because, a few years ago I went in for minor surgery (tonsils/sinus) and right after the anesthesiologist put the mask on me, my ENT surgeon decided to waggled his fingers at me and say "Nighty night." in (what I perceived to be) the most ominous way.

Well...having up to that point been trying my damnedest to conceal my extreme nervousness over the surgery and with me being probably the most anxious person you'll ever meet, I began having an all out panic attack.

I remember the anesthesiologist yelling at me "Slow down! Slow down!" because I was hyperventilating (but I did not slow my breathing down. I was in a blind panic. I think he must have reduced the flow of anesthesia so I wouldn't overdose or something).

Anyhow, I went under like that - freaking the hell out.

My fear was not as justified as Daniels' obviously, but when I see that scene I get a little flashback, lol. I can really relate to Daniels' sense of "OH DEAR GOD, I AM DEFINITELY GONNA DIE, YET I'M ABOUT TO FALL ASLEEP AND THERE'S NOTHING I CAN DO ABOUT IT."

VivisectedEngineer I can see why that scene resonated with you so well lmao I'm sure a lot of people have this fear as well. I know when I was being put under for a surgery the gas made me laugh like a madman but I wasn't afraid lol Weird things make me scared, like the thought of being alone.

Its hard to give us Jump-scares within the Franchise as far as Chest Busters, the only way a Jump-scare would work is if the Characters Discover another Character who is about to be Chest Bursted but we have not clues or signs this Character was infected with a Face Hugger.

No soon as we see Character X infected with a Face Hugger, and latter Character X looking worse for wear, we know whats coming next...

The same goes for Eggs, when know when someone approaches a Egg  then we know whats coming.

Alien Covenant gave us these and so we would have expected them... EVEN IF you never saw the Trailers. Unless you did not see the Trailers and never saw a Alien movie before or are very Jumpy.

The Alien Attack Scenes were also predictable, the only Potential one being the Neomorph attack on Rosenthal.

i would say that anyone who sees Alien Covenant who has never seen any of the Trailers, may have been effected by the Neomorph Births but these where quite a slow build up.. i.e they did not happen as Quick as the Alien 1979 Chest Buster.

So getting Jumps is hard...

I think the best way they could have done any would have been a better job done of when COLE came across the Face Hugger.... i think if these Scene had been done a bit different then it definately gives a Jump-Scare.

They could explore this better in the Next Movie if a Team of Humans be it another incoming group or other colonist on the Covenant awake.... and discover a Area of the Ship with a open Egg.... have a Victim go up to the Egg and peer inside, this gives the Audience a False  Build up as they expect something to be seen inside...

Have the Victim say this looks empty while then looking at their Face, we then Pan to who they are talking to from the Person who approached the Eggs POV

Then at this Moment....BANG! A Face Hugger Jumps at this person from behind, maybe hidden in a Shelf behind some object.

THIS would make a Successful Jump-Scare

Sadly AC never had any scenes planned out as such.

The Shower Scene would potentially had been a Jump-Scare provided you never saw the Trailers.

I jumped pretty hardcore when the Protomorph burst from Oram! I saw the movie... four times I think? I jumped three of those times. Just, right in the middle of his sentence, losing a character I cared about, and it was f&^%ing violent! Definitely jumped when David stabbed Walter, that was a good little jumpscare. I think that's it. I mean, I might be ridiculous and buy a seperate digital copy of the movie tomorrow before getting the blu-ray on the 15th, so maybe I can count them then!

I agree BD I don't think ul get many jumo scares now with the chest burster scene as we all know whats coming. plus I don't see them trying to surprise us when we haven't seen the face hugger unless its at the beginning of a movie and its say a salvage team going onboard a vessel we later discover encountered the covenant or engineer vessel to explain how it could have happened. but I don't believe anyone would really tire of seeing chest burster scenes, I know I wouldn't.

and I agree with the earlier comment that jump scares are not what defines a horror but id say in some cases they are required more than in others. for instance, texas chain saw massacre doesn't need jump scares as its a bloody gore horror but in the likes of alien, one would definitely expect at least 1 scene where they jump a little, especially once they were back on the covenant and they were definitely going for the more claustrophobic feel to that part of the movie. AC for me didn't have any of these. there was no 1979 alien fear that it could be round any corner or in any air vent waiting for u to stumble into it

@Lawrence of Arabia

Being alone, eh? Ok, there is an episode of Black Mirror called "White Christmas" which you really must watch, it would be very effective on you.

The thought of being alone doesn't bother me much. This may be a sort of "be careful what you wish for", but I suspect I'd fare better in solitary confinement than most. I do like: my dad, my husband and my sister...

Everyone else can be entertaining in small doses but I think I'd be good at a job like Walter and David had when everyone was in hypersleep. Years of just looking after things without having to actually talk to anyone. That's my dream job but pretty soon after everyone woke up I would just be so over it...

For me, the two biggest fears are: non-existence and guilt. I have a really big phobia of doing something which might cause harm to someone. That's why Oram was such a sympathetic character to me, he took a lot of decisions that turned out really terribly for his crew so I felt for him.

@BigDave

I like your idea for a jumpscare scene! Where there is a false build up with an empty egg and then a facehugger attacks the person we don't expect! That sounds really jarring!

@cuponator3000

I agree! The Oram chestburster scene was top-notch! You're right, sympathetic character, mid-sentence, very violent. Did you notice Oram was still twitching on the ground with his hand up in this air for like...a full minute?

And David's psychotic fawning over the baby-xeno makes it all the more unsettling. That whole scene is very good, I'd nearly forgotten.

@Vivisected I knew I liked you for some reason (i.e., your talk about enjoying "aloneness") because I could definitely do the same sort of "lonesome" (to some) tasks over long periods of time. 

@VivisectedEngineer

Thank you for the recommendation, I'll check it out :) 

I don't mind superficial loneliness such as Walter/David's job, hell I enjoy alone time and I really can't stand being around others too long as they just drive me bonkers but it's knowing you're alone that scares me. Like, losing all your loved ones and not having a friend in the world or knowing nobody else feels the way you do. I'm quite the introvert and needs time alone to simply recharge/get my thoughts in order or enjoy a hobby but I like being around friends and family.

@VivisectedEngineer I also saw myself in Oram because I have an anxiety disorder and I'm constantly doubting myself. Karine was such a loving partner and I long for a relationship like that lol When she died, I could see the look of utter despair on Oram's face. He was very unlucky in this film. 

There's a nice contrast between him and Kane. Kane was well liked and when he passed it was around loved ones and a bright room. Oram on the other hand wasn't much liked and died alone in darkness with everything he knew ripped away from him.

@Lawrence of Arabia

Oh gosh dammit, why are we anxiety-disorder-afflicted so drawn to scary movies? If you have an anxiety disorder, you need to find someone like my husband - someone who is the opposite of a person with an anxiety disorder: methodical, calm and contemplative in all situations. He's an engineer (like...in the field of engineering. Not a giant bald pale guy). - you may need to find a similar person of science who has a very orderly mind. Whatever you do DON'T find another anxious person. You will each lend credence to eachother's fears and put eachother through hell. 

Anyway, remember the scene where the lander is burning up and Daniels pins Oram to the ground so he won't run into the flames, and we see Ferris' silhouette in the doorway as she burns up?

I bet Oram probably thought that was Karine burning up. He had no idea she was eaten by the neomorph in the medbay, and when he saw the silhouette he undoubtedly assumed the worst. 

Ridley Scott seems to really like scenes of people's romantic partners burning up in front of them. It was even like that with Shaw and Holloway. Maybe that is a fear of his.

@Starlogger

Thanks! Lol, maybe we can be androids in our next lives. But, they're going to have to staff each ship with two types of androids:

Ones that do the "alone" work while everyone's in hypersleep and ones that hang out with the crew once they wake up.

@Starlogger I don't agree about jumpscares always being a cheap resource. If this is true, then Alien (1979) would be a very bad movie. Actually, while I was trying to remember all the jumpscares from the first Alien I realize how crucial they are in the building and release of suspense, and how most of them coincide with the most important plot points in the movie.

daliens I care about the franchise, that is why comparing Covenant to the other movies might help in understanding what went wrong. 

@joylitt you don't have to agree, but you're simply wrong. And you can change your title to actually spell "jumpscares" correctly, please.

Starlogger Alright, I don't agree. These movies need more elaborate jumpscares that boost the suspense. If I have to list my favorite jumpscares from the franchise, these are a few:

1) Kane getting facehugged in Alien (1979)
2) Ripley giving birth (dream sequence) in Aliens
3) Xenomorph in airshaft in "Alien" (1979)
4) Xenomorph waking up in the Narcissus in Alien (1979)
5) Xenomorph strikes Brett. Alien (1979)
6) Ripley and Parker get fooled by Jonesy. Alien (1979)
7) Bishop impaled by queen (Aliens)
8) Xenomorph kills the doctor (Alien 3)
9) Hammerpeede exits Milburn's mouth (Prometheus)
10) Elgyn getls killed (Alien Resurrection)

*Special mention to Walter getting stabbed (Alien Covenant)

Among critically acclaimed movies that have used jumpscares to great effect: "Cat People" (1942), "Carrie", "Don't look now", The Shining", "The Thing", "Mulholland Drive" "It Follows" and many others.

Clarion call to all members:

if you notice posts like the one above with links to totally irrelevant and often illegal websites, I ask kindly that you pm myself or the other moderators about it and we'll have it removed. 

Kind Regards

IRaptus

I found Alien: Covenant and Prometheus to neglect the use of jump scares in favor of longer, more intense sequences. Sequences where you grip the armrests of your chair and go "Oh s***!" over and over. 

There are a lot of comments here and I don't have time to read them all at the moment.  This is a good topic.  I wonder why I didn't think of it?  This is one of reasons that I love the Alien franchise.  I don't love scary movies, I just love that the Alien franchise is scary, or at least supposed to be when I remember what A:C was like.  I like how the Alien franchise has an actual story to it and is not just a horror flick.  There is depth, which is another reason why I love the Alien franchise (not as much as I used to after seeing A:C's lack of "jumpscares").

To answer the question, which it is an easy one, I experienced ABSOLUTELY NONE!!!

Let's say there aren't any "jumpscares" in the movie, then it should be scary enough where I don't even want to finish the movie.  There was none of that either for me.  

There was also no moments where I just wanted the movie to stop doing what it is doing because I just can't take it anymore.  I don't want to turn the movie off, but I just can't handle what it is giving me.  Usually during those moments, which I had in Prometheus, I just "hold on to my butt".

During A:R, I said at one point in the movie to myself, "This is a scary movie."  I never thought that in A:C.

During Alien, I uncontrollable screamed after not watching for a long time a few weeks before A:C came out.  None of that happened in A:C.

In Aliens, after not seeing it for a long time, I wanted to turn the movie off in one part (and one part is all I need).  I didn't because the person I was watching it with didn't want to.  I am glad we didn't in the end.  

I need to rewatch Alien3 because I don't remember it very well.

I got so excited and scared when Ridley Scott said in an interview before A:C came out, "This movie is going to scare the $h!t out of people."  Well, it wasn't even close.

A:C maintained a level of fear for me almost throughout the whole movie, but it just wasn't near enough of what it should have been.  So, A:C did a good job holding a level of fear, but the level of fear wasn't even high enough!  Some parts that I guess were intended to be scary were more just good visuals that look scary, but don't actually induce in the viewer (or at least in me).  It's like someone painted a picture to look scary, but I don't think a picture could ever scare me.  Well, it would be VERY RARE for a picture to be so scary that I just have to stop looking at it and walk away from it.  An example in A:C is the shower scene.  IT'S NOT SCARY RIDLEY SCOTT!!!!  

Prometheus had some parts there were scarier than all of A:C, but A:C maintained that level.  I would have to say A:C is the least scariest Alien franchise movie that exists!  I enjoyed Prometheus's fear much more and I wish I could watch it again without knowing what I know now.  I really wish I could watch Alien again without knowing what I know now.  I don't remember my first Alien viewing very well either... 

@A L I E N 4 2 6

I had those "gripping the armrests of your chair" moments a few times in Prometheus, but not once did I ever even think of doing that during A:C. 

Good topic

I agree with you 100%. Actually I created this topic in part after reading some of your posts were you wish the xenomorph was made scary again. Actually I don't agree with the idea that the beast is cooked. It might seem like it, but that is only because after Aliens, the movies in the franchise have been drifting away from the need of evoking the primal fear of the unknown, and from a suspense fueled narrative, and started to focus on other themes and in world building. The Alien films need more of those heart stopping jolts that movies like "Don't look now", "The Shining", "Carrie" "The Thing" and the first "Alien" had.

Also, after analyzing every jumpscare in "Alien" (1979) I realize that the reason why they are so effective is because they signal important plot points and because the occur in moments where the release of tension was needed. This is the opposed to a completely gratuitous and ineffective scene like the shower kill in Covenant.

Well, there was ZERO "horror" in Aliens. ZERO "jumpscares" either if you're gonna go that way on it, so "Alien" itself was the ONLY one in the whole series that had any at all.

@joylitt and I TOTALLY agree with that last paragraph you wrote above. However, do you REALLY think "Don't Look Now" was a great horror film? Sorry...it doesn't do it for me.

As a psychological horror I enjoyed "Don't Look Now" very much. Of course it is a movie of its time. But the two movies that almost made me had a heart attack at the movie theater were "Carrie" and "Mulholland Drive". The last one is not necessarily an horror film but that jumspscare in the diner scene is crazy. The fascinating thing about it is that what you are going to see is described by one of the characters before it happens, and still it gets you. BIG TIME. And after that scene the state of unease while you are watching the rest of the film has increased considerably.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UozhOo0Dt4o

@joylitt I knew i liked you for SOME reason, lol. Carrie is one of those movies that freaked me out and haunted me for eternity. Mulholland is a movie that has always been one of my faves. There are few movies that stick with me forever, but those two, especially Carrie, are two of them. 

Starlogger lol and I like you too. I appreciate the fact that you can keep a critical mindset about things.

One of the first ones that come to my mind as being so F^cK!n9 scary is "Dark Skies".  I watched it at my house and I turned it off because I just couldn't take it anymore.  I watched it later to finish the story, but that movie took something that I usually take for granted (and, most of the time, don't even think about) and just played with that fear throughout the whole movie.  I primal desire that all humans want and need.  If we didn't have this desire, we wouldn't be human.  I have never seen a movie take that primal desire (especially in a everyday environment); plus, just toy with it the whole movie.  Like a maniac that just wants to f^cK you.  The primal fear being that fact that you are safe in a place you call home.  We all need a place where we can feel safe (especially when we sleep).  We think we can protect ourselves, but the reality is, you can't and someone knows that.  Plus, that someone wants you to know that before they show themselves.  The movie was amazing!  There were some other things in that movie I liked, but I am not going to reveal to much just in case you go and see it.

I hope I didn't say to much... 

I love that movie, even though I couldn't watch it all the way through during my first and only viewing.