Quote from: Gemini on Apr 18, 2020, 11:34:05 AM
I totally understand what you are saying, and I can empathise. the idea of the Alien as something just utterly other, utterly outside our comprehension, or perhaps something horrific that just happened to evolve elsewhere.. so chilling in a deep way.
the first movie was a very enigmatic one. you had no idea how the space jockey race fitted in with the xenomorph. it's like you were just seeing the tip of the iceberg and your imagination filled in all the gaps. you didn't even have an idea of how that xeno fitted in with it's own race. how intelligent was it?
And just the idea, since it was found on a fossilized ship on a distant cold planet, that means it could have been there even million upon millions of years. The emphasis was on an idea that it was an ancient species from who knows, whatever anyone can imagine when, and that those poor bastards from Nostromo awoke it giving it a new host. That was very appealing to me. It wasn't even so much the unknown origins since I just assumed it's a species, but the very idea of it being there way before maybe even Earth was formed and it being sort of suspended in animation on this rock and awaken by a small crew of unsuspecting truck drivers. I liked that idea. And not seeing their home world, which would be worse than hell, or knowing how long ago those things existed and how many worlds they infected. The very idea of it just being a recent (in relation to the saga) experiment made in a cave by an android who could star in some over the top flamboyant California show is the worst thing those things could be turned into, in my opinion of course. To me. I don't condemn anyone who isn't bothered by it, but I am. I mean, I'm not losing any sleep over it because the mythology was damaged heavily beginning with Resurrection for me, but this just made the whole thing completely unappealing to me. When I saw Resurection in 97, it took out almost everything I really loved about the films, all the common elements that tied an otherwise very different 3 films together (as to what they are, its in a Resurection related thread somewhere). The pool was pooped in and it ruined it all for me. The Directors Cut of Alien back in theaters in 2001 made me rewatch the original and be in awe again, reigniting my passion for the mythology, learning to ignore A:R as separate story. And now Covenant ruined it even more than i could ever imagine anything ruining aliens that much. Its hard to stay away tho, and for the past few days Im rereading books and gearing up to watch the trilogy for the first time in over 3 years. Used to watch them at least once a year every year since 2001
Quoteso yeah, I can understand how all we've learnt since then kinda scuppers that. but I think overall we've gained more than we've lost. in terms of keeping the franchise alive and expanding the universe.
Well the mythology might have been dead and forgotten and stopped at AVPR I know.
QuoteI mean, you could even apply what you are saying to everything from Aliens onwards to some degree. as soon as we learnt about the Queen they just become more like animals or bugs.
Well I always assumed it was a species and also assumed eggs get laid so that didnt change anything for me. Well, to be fair tho, I started with Alien 3 but still.
Quoteluckily Alien Ressurection we can kind of ignore or separate out, because it's set so much longer after the other movies.
AND it doesn't feature the main character who still remains dead. Its main protagonist is an 8th genetic crossover of Ripley and alien genes that most resembles Ripley in the outside physical appearance
QuoteI do sometimes wonder how Alien would be remembered if it was just that first movie.. it wouldn't be the big franchise it is today.. still a big movie I am sure, but more of a standalone cult horror thing.
Probably like The Fly, high up there in the pantheon of horror classics. Maybe even as high or respected as Blade Runner. It's still gets the respect and recognition it deserves, but in those days classics tend to get forgotten and lost in a by gone pop culture unless made relevant today, either by video games, remakes spinoffs or sequels. I think if it stopped at 3 as 3 intended it to, the whole triogy would have been very highly regarded.
QuoteI do think that Prometheus, for all the info it gave us, still tried to maintain a lot of mystery. that was what actually infuriated a lot of people! so they are kind of damned if they do, damned if they don't. Covenant was more explicit. I am sure you have all been through the David creating the Aliens debate- for me I am happy that he may have just recreated them but I know others disagree. and I know that's kind of having my cake and eating it..
Prometheus I didn't dislike, just expected more from Ridley Scott, at least visually, and it was ok but an average come and go scifi film. In my opinion of course. Covenant...eh, its cheap looking production and feel as if its a TV movie..I mean Alien was by design simple story but made great by terrific feel, designs and visuals. Covenant is also a simple monster story but without any striking visuals, designs or feel. Thats outside the origins given to alien which ruin everything for me. the whole theory that David just recreated an aien would be less painfull, but I do realize its just a fan theory not the intention of the film