I just got back from the "Alien Day" screening of the original Alien. Not bad! That Weaver broad, I think she's going places. (Seriously though there's something magic about seeing a classic on the biggest screen possible.)
Afterwards they showed the Prometheus bridging bit (which was pretty cool! I'd watch a movie of just that) plus a couple of scenes from Covenant which were surprisingly great. I was kinda taken aback at how intense the scenes were. I think someone upthread mentioned that this looks like Ridley Scott doing his version of Aliens and that's more or less the vibe I got. It looks to be a good ol' gory gooey time.
― Fiddle Catstro (latebloomer), Thursday, 27 April 2017 02:16 (six years ago) link
New movie getting brutal advance reviews.
― Josh in Chicago, Sunday, 7 May 2017 16:45 (six years ago) link
Rotten Tomatoes looks like 'tepidly positive' for the most part.
― circa1916, Sunday, 7 May 2017 16:58 (six years ago) link
yeah the five top critics essentially gave it B+-level ratings.
― Charles "Butt" Stanton (Neanderthal), Sunday, 7 May 2017 17:09 (six years ago) link
a shame that "We Live Entertainment" shat all over it, oh noes
Reviews for Prometheus were almost universally positive iirc
― Number None, Sunday, 7 May 2017 17:15 (six years ago) link
they were positive with massive caveats like "it looked cool BUT..."
fwiw all I need this thing to be is fun Alien people-eating eye candy. if it's Promethean in scope, I will piss in my seat and leave the theater
― Charles "Butt" Stanton (Neanderthal), Sunday, 7 May 2017 17:16 (six years ago) link
The io9 review in particular didn't hold back. And Lussier always feels like a bit of an uncritical fanboy so for him to completely go off on this is probably a sign.
http://io9.gizmodo.com/alien-covenant-may-be-the-biggest-disappointment-of-th-1794898330
― Ned Raggett, Sunday, 7 May 2017 17:29 (six years ago) link
The other standout is Tennessee, a pilot played by Danny McBride, who thrives on the actor’s charisma.
I am already starting to drift away from this review...
You even start to think you’re going to get answers to the big “Why are we here?” questions from Prometheus too, which were by far the best part of that film.
I am now starting to run away from this review.
― Andrew Farrell, Sunday, 7 May 2017 17:38 (six years ago) link
Farrell beat me to it by a fraction of a sentence
― mark s, Sunday, 7 May 2017 17:39 (six years ago) link
even in the tracer hand sense of "best part of this film" these elements were not the best part of this film
― mark s, Sunday, 7 May 2017 18:01 (six years ago) link
"The film includes such a brutal, clean dismissal of Prometheus’ potential it almost feels like Scott is apologizing to fans for that film."
oh good i feel like i deserved an apology
― ToddBonzalez (BradNelson), Sunday, 7 May 2017 18:05 (six years ago) link
he could have just sent a card though
― ✓ (Doctor Casino), Sunday, 7 May 2017 18:12 (six years ago) link
I will be inquiring on Mr. Chung's board for his analysis after this gets released
― a landlocked exclave (mh), Sunday, 7 May 2017 19:03 (six years ago) link
Reviews are all over the place. Feels like people are seeing wildly different things in it, which is interesting.
― Fiddle Catstro (latebloomer), Sunday, 7 May 2017 20:00 (six years ago) link
imo we need to find someone who has never seen any related movies to show this to
― a landlocked exclave (mh), Sunday, 7 May 2017 21:06 (six years ago) link
Danny McBride has all the charisma of an overflowing toilet.
― Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, Jr, and Violent J (誤訳侮辱), Sunday, 7 May 2017 22:07 (six years ago) link
U must have sum toilet
― Charles "Butt" Stanton (Neanderthal), Sunday, 7 May 2017 22:12 (six years ago) link
http://i.imgur.com/gFKsunQ.gif
― mark s, Sunday, 7 May 2017 22:27 (six years ago) link
scarier than anything since the OG facehugger imo
― illegal economic migration (Tracer Hand), Monday, 8 May 2017 12:57 (six years ago) link
We need to post as much as possible until the gif goes away.
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 8 May 2017 13:57 (six years ago) link
it will never really go away
― mark s, Monday, 8 May 2017 13:57 (six years ago) link
I'm not sure what to make of that review. As described it makes the movie sound like another bait and switch like Prometheus, less a new "Alien"/space horror film and more some weird naval-gazing that also has an alien in it. But how that would "betray" (or whatever) the shitty ideas in Prometheus is anyone's guess. I'd think a pretentious, incoherent movie about What It All Means sounds very much like its predecessor.
Scott should make a movie that features only aliens and no other lifeforms. Like, what are they up to when there is nothing to kill, eat or impregnate? Do they just nap a lot? Do they have friends, play games? Are they bored?
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 8 May 2017 14:01 (six years ago) link
I had a dream about this movie for some reason. I don't even want to see it. My brain just really wanted to tease out "what do you do for the first two thirds of a three hour movie that everyone knows is about all the people getting killed by aliens, before the aliens show up?" IIRC we hadn't even gotten off the spaceship to see the wheat with no birds. Just hanging out in a giant spaceship with bad lighting, talking and rummaging through weird equipment.
― your cognitive privilege (El Tomboto), Monday, 8 May 2017 14:31 (six years ago) link
xxpost sorry josh I can't let it go by with out a lol
"naval gazing"http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/07/22/article-2701502-1FE0E0B400000578-714_964x641.jpg
― Yoni Loves Chocha (VegemiteGrrl), Monday, 8 May 2017 16:31 (six years ago) link
Ha ha, I'm like Trump Twitter. You can totally tell when I'm rushing something out first thing in the morning when I'm full of other distractions.
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 8 May 2017 16:45 (six years ago) link
This was stupid and perfunctory. Sporadically good-looking, with characters as dumb as the scientists in Prometheus. more dumb Von daniken bullshit, plus dumb mad scientist bullshit on top.
Every second word of dialogue is either WIFE, HUSBAND, TENNESSEE or 'T'
One good point: James Franco dies before uttering a word or even really appearing in screen
― Mince Pramthwart (James Morrison), Thursday, 11 May 2017 11:32 (six years ago) link
Ridley Scott does not understand why Alien and Blade Runner were good, yet he's planning 6 more of these fucking things?
― Mince Pramthwart (James Morrison), Thursday, 11 May 2017 11:33 (six years ago) link
look on the bright side, he's 79 - how much longer can he keep cranking them out?
― PROFESSOR JIGGLY is loose in the Cat Room (bizarro gazzara), Thursday, 11 May 2017 11:40 (six years ago) link
james, the only question i really care about in regards to this movie is how exciting/frightening/hilarious the deaths of the crew are - have i got anything to look forward to?
― PROFESSOR JIGGLY is loose in the Cat Room (bizarro gazzara), Thursday, 11 May 2017 11:47 (six years ago) link
kinda sad that the best i can expect from a new alien is basically the same thing i'd look for in a straight-to-netflix splatter movie :(
― PROFESSOR JIGGLY is loose in the Cat Room (bizarro gazzara), Thursday, 11 May 2017 11:49 (six years ago) link
fraid we're not getting away from von daniken as long as ppl stan for kubrick as a deep thinker
― mark s, Thursday, 11 May 2017 11:52 (six years ago) link
The deaths are unpleasant to start with, becoming summer camp slasher film level by the end
― Mince Pramthwart (James Morrison), Thursday, 11 May 2017 11:57 (six years ago) link
Franco burns to death in a box, that's something
― Mince Pramthwart (James Morrison), Thursday, 11 May 2017 11:58 (six years ago) link
er, spoilers??
― illegal economic migration (Tracer Hand), Thursday, 11 May 2017 11:59 (six years ago) link
fuck's sake
removing bookmark
that's a bit more specific info than i was hoping for from james, tbf, but i kinda feel like if you're looking at a thread for a movie that's on general release you've only got yourself to blame if and when spoilers show up
― PROFESSOR JIGGLY is loose in the Cat Room (bizarro gazzara), Thursday, 11 May 2017 12:04 (six years ago) link
if you're looking at a thread for Ridley Scott's new Alien movie you've only got yourself to blame
― The Remoans of the May (Noodle Vague), Thursday, 11 May 2017 12:07 (six years ago) link
fair
― PROFESSOR JIGGLY is loose in the Cat Room (bizarro gazzara), Thursday, 11 May 2017 12:09 (six years ago) link
Was it ever explained why they cast Guy Pierce in bad makeup as an old man the first movie, vs. just an older actor?
― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 11 May 2017 13:23 (six years ago) link
Or Guy Pearce, for that matter?
He appears in a web exclusive (IE cut scene) as young himself (and also does so in Covenant, I think I heard?)
― Andrew Farrell, Thursday, 11 May 2017 13:24 (six years ago) link
is there any other big-budget franchise which has gone on as long as the alien series without actually making a decent film in (charitably) 25 years? even the bond series accidentally makes a reasonable one every couple of decades
every step they take to world-build this universe past aliens has just made it more boring and boxed it further into the corner of 'hapless chumps get chomped in space (occasionally a predator shows up)'
― PROFESSOR JIGGLY is loose in the Cat Room (bizarro gazzara), Thursday, 11 May 2017 13:45 (six years ago) link
i had no idea it was out. i just looked at imdb and it came out what, yesterday? there is a natural etiquette to these things. however point taken
― illegal economic migration (Tracer Hand), Thursday, 11 May 2017 13:50 (six years ago) link
ugh the "bond is sometimes good" bat signal has been activated on a day when i am very busy
― mark s, Thursday, 11 May 2017 13:59 (six years ago) link
20 years! Still, Jesus, 20 years.
― Andrew Farrell, Thursday, 11 May 2017 14:02 (six years ago) link
tbf i said 'reasonable'
― PROFESSOR JIGGLY is loose in the Cat Room (bizarro gazzara), Thursday, 11 May 2017 14:04 (six years ago) link
http://wallpapercave.com/wp/2kDZlWN.jpghttp://wallpapercave.com/wp/2kDZlWN.jpghttp://wallpapercave.com/wp/2kDZlWN.jpg
― mark s, Thursday, 11 May 2017 14:12 (six years ago) link
mark s just desperate to wade in with an impassioned defence of the bond series, i can tell
― PROFESSOR JIGGLY is loose in the Cat Room (bizarro gazzara), Thursday, 11 May 2017 14:29 (six years ago) link