"Doesn't Everyone Want Their Parents Dead?" Prometheus 10th Anniversary Retrospective - AvP Galaxy Podcast #147

Started by Corporal Hicks, Jul 15, 2022, 04:44:41 PM

Author
"Doesn't Everyone Want Their Parents Dead?" Prometheus 10th Anniversary Retrospective - AvP Galaxy Podcast #147 (Read 18,631 times)

Corporal Hicks

We have just uploaded the 147th episode of the Alien vs. Predator Galaxy Podcast (right-click and save as to download)! Corporal Hicks, RidgeTop and Xenomorphine are joined once against by Omegamorph to revisit Sir Ridley Scott’s immensely divisive return to the world of science-fiction and Alien, Prometheus, for its 10th anniversary.

 "Doesn't Everyone Want Their Parents Dead?" Prometheus 10th Anniversary Retrospective - AvP Galaxy Podcast #147

We discuss if our opinions have changed since we first saw the film, how the film compares to the Heavy Metal magazine, practical creature effects, Space Jockeys, and plenty more!

What did you think of our latest episode? Be sure to let us know down below! You can also listen to any of our previous episodes in the Podcast section under the News tab on the main menu. The Alien vs. Predator Galaxy Podcast is also available via iTunes, PodBean, GooglePlay Stitcher, and Spotify! Please be sure to leave a rating and review on whichever platform you're using!

And if you'd rather see our beautiful faces, as always, the video version of the podcast is also available on the Alien vs. Predator Galaxy YouTube channel!

Make sure your browsers are locked into Alien vs. Predator Galaxy for the latest Alien and Predator news! You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube to get the latest on your social media walls. Be sure to join in with fellow Alien and Predator fans on our forums as well!

Link To Post


Kradan

Yay ! You're spoiling us this year, Corporal !

Immortan Jonesy


Immortan Jonesy

Immortan Jonesy

#3
Everyone hit the nail on the head with Prometheus, as it's so many things except a proper Alien prequel.  ;D  But I did like @Xenomorphine 's sandbox analogy, and it's kind of been fun to read speculation about what the story was trying to say and where that was going to go.

The similarities between Promeheus and Lovecraft's ATMOM are like the ones between the Engineers' Dome and Giger's Harkonnen Castle. Superficially similar but ultimately different, and as biomechanical aesthetics are lacking in the dome, the Prometheus story lacks cosmic horror. The entities responsible for the origin of life on Earth in Lovecraft's work are not human and they are completely indifferent toward mankind.

But the movie seems like a somewhat pretentious setup for a lot of ideas, ready to be explored in the future...or at very least that's what one might assume...especially after that 'Who made Them' from Shaw. Although I must admit that I didn't necessarily fantasize about the Space Jockeys as the creators of the Engineers, but rather some extradimensional intelligence like the one in the movie Annihilation.


Even the marketing seemed to present some sort of specific philosophical subtext, because Weyland recites Nietche's writings during the TED talk..


So yeah, Weyland is a narcissistic asshole, and as such he must feel himself to be the authentic Übermensch (a philosophical idealism created by Nietzsche), and some fans of the prequels have seen in the Alien itself the David's very own Übermensch, once Covenant was released.

On the other hand, the Engineer's sacrifice at the start certainly feels too ritualistic, but I liked that. The idea of a creator ceasing to exist as an entity to become the creation is like the God of Pandeism. "Sometimes to create, one must first destroy"...also perhaps an analog to the religious archetype of Dying-and-rising deity.


Speaking of which, we also have the religious subtext. I liked that @Omegamorph brought it up, cos I don't know, it's so bizarre. I mean, apart from the fact that they considered that Jesus was an emissary of the Engineers (if not one of them), and the crucifixion of that religious figure as the reason why they wanted to kill us, pale in comparison to the Deacon / Trilobite as an analog of Jesus himself:

- 2000 years in the past, Mary becomes pregnant by otherwordly means since she was a virgin.

- 2000 years in the future, Elizabeth Shaw becomes pregnant by otherworldly means as she was sterile.


Years later, they continued with the religious allegories in Covenant, specifically the birth of Jesus in the painting of The Nativity by Piero della Francesca.


Not to mention that the character played by Michael Fassbender (not Walter) chose to call himself Michelangelo's David, which at the same time is an artistic representation of the biblical David who slew the giant.


...which it is kinda what the robot did in the sequel.


I also agree with @Corporal Hicks about the Engineers. They're likeable, it's just not necessarily like the Space Jockeys.


I mean, look at these humanoids and tell me if the Engineers don't fit into the world of Alien. I laughed about turning Chutulhu into Vin Diesel (I think he was Omega :laugh: )... but the biomechanical pressure suits, the lifeless black eyes, the aesthetics of ancient greek art, etc. They are like androids of non-human origin. There is a kind of uncanny valley there for sure. I also like the idea of the Derelict corridors ergonomically designed to be circulated by pilot's assistants.

But back to how the movie was executed, yeah; Shaw and holloway were more like this...

Spoiler
[close]

...the interaction between the characters is somewhat awkward (the "How are your lessons going, David?" among others  :laugh: ), the Prometheus ship is beautiful (agree there @RidgeTop), black goo has grown on me thanks to Alex White, but in general I feel a mixture of love and frustration. Love because it's a sandbox that seemed to offer interesting potential, and frustration because once you read articles or watch the superb making-off by Charles de Lauzirika, one can get an idea of what the movie could have been, and while the lack of Giger stuff might be sad, at the same time one ends up fascinated by the work that other artists did in these prequels. Take for example the flashback in Covenant.  8)





Plus,I like to interpret the idea of the David's Alien as the materialization of psychosexuality, unconscious and dreams as an analog to Giger himself. It is totally subjective of course, and not supported by the movie. Also, I know I'm getting off topic, so I am sorry.  :-X




Finally I want to say that I strongly disagree with Jon Spaihts about removing the Space Jockey abstraction. They definitely went too far with it. I like Engineers, but they didn't necessarily have to be THAT JOCKEY. Oh and I hope no one posts pictures of the elephant man from the comics ever again. Please.

I've enjoyed the podcast guys, good job. I look forward to the next one.  8)

Edit - Fifield is the most consistent character, since as a Geologist he loves rocks, unlike the mass effect-like archaeologist who don't want to contribute to the giant dead body arena. He turned Shaw at that point. :P

...oh and Weyland cannot create replicants, actually he is already an Engineer replicant. :P

XENOMORPHOSIS

@ UltraRegularShow

In the scheme of things Alien has it hard for ages, disappointment in Alien 3, the feeling Alien Resurrection was regarded as a franchise killer in which an Alien5 would seem impossible, the reception of Alien vs Predator n especially Requiem and how low the franchise had been, for all its faults Prometheus was a marginally better Alien entry.

Immortan Jonesy

Immortan Jonesy

#5
So we can blame Roland Emmerich for Ridley reimagining the SJ as a suit lol I remember the movie Stargate pioneered that. Although they were mechanical suits.


I like them. But I like the ID4 biosuit more. It really does seem like a symbiotic life form, and I wish the Engineer suits were more like that.


But this guy here will forever remain in my heart as the closest thing to a Space Jockey.  ;D



OmegaZilla

OmegaZilla

#6
this was my brain during the podcast


Kradan

Omega mentioning whole "300 years of darvinism" thing made me remember a problem I always had watching that scene: Milburn says it as if 300 years makes it have more weight. Well, there's that little thing called Christianity, you stupid ass, which tells us that we were all created by the will of God and that shit existed for over 2000 years, you f**k !

BlueMarsalis79

The very nature of scientific minds, of intelligence, means reconsidering preconceived notions of fact. The way not only our central character in Prometheus still clings to an invalid truth, but nearly everyone in the film does in spite of new evidence presented... I not only find immensely frustrating, but almost outright immoral in the manner the film acts like this might actually be a good thing, this perverse selective perception.

Alien Covenant does this particular thing so much better it's almost ridiculous, not only do the people who put faith over fact suffer immensely, but that's the entire reason for their perdition in the first place.

SiL

Quote from: Kradan on Jul 16, 2022, 03:04:58 PMOmega mentioning whole "300 years of darvinism" thing made me remember a problem I always had watching that scene: Milburn says it as if 300 years makes it have more weight. Well, there's that little thing called Christianity, you stupid ass, which tells us that we were all created by the will of God and that shit existed for over 2000 years, you f**k !
Yeah and when Darwinism started becoming popular people were talking about 1700 years of creationism to give it more weight - what's your point?

Kradan

Well, I guess, my point is that something being centuries old doesn't necessarily make it true

SiL

True, but it does mean you need a good deal of evidence to prove that. Looking at a cave painting ain't it.

BlueMarsalis79


ModMonkey

C'mon, guys, like Adam said, you're marking the tenth anniversary of this film. Does every review have to be a literal dogpile? If I can make a suggestion, in future, maybe have at least one person on the panel that might have a differing opinion on the subject? There are those of us in the fandom who don't think the movie is as shit as you do, and don't think it's too intellectual for anyone, and it just feels like every episode I listen to is everyone hating so very hard on this franchise. Lately, AVPG has become my least looked forward to podcast to listen to and it used to be in my top three. Where's the joy, guys?

Kradan

Yeah, for an anniversary podcast there was surprisingly little talk about positives

AvPGalaxy: About | Contact | Cookie Policy | Manage Cookie Settings | Privacy Policy | Legal Info
Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube Patreon RSS Feed
Contact: General Queries | Submit News