They keep teasing me with these little trailers that are all completely different in tone from one to the other…and you can’t even tell that they’re from the same movie.
So far, what I’m seeing is something about aliens, space travel, scientific hubris, the nature of self, fear and danger, some tenuous connection to the Aliens franchise, and stupid alien astronauts crapola. Whoever came up with their viral marketing campaign really knows how to tantalize.
All I can say tho this is, yes.
I have been wanting to see it since I first saw a trailer.
It’s kind of a prequel to the first ‘Alien’ film, but it veers off into its own timeline/universe.
So excited for it, actually.
Ridley Scott directed “Alien”.
I am also in the must see class for this film. So excited!
If it is as usual, if you’ve seen the trailors you’ve seen the best part of the movie and the rest will be garbage.
As I understand it a lot of the viral marketing videos around this are not actually part of the movie but exist as independent world-building exercises.
Not a bad solution to the problem of having all the best stuff in the trailers. Now the best stuff isn’t even in the movie! ;)
I’m pretty excited about this movie.
Regarding ‘stupid alien astronaut crapola’: if it’s just for a scifi story, I’m perfectly fine with the old ancient astronaut stuff (although it gets a bit overused sometimes). The problem only arises when filmmakers start babbling about the stuff as if there’s something credible behind it.
Hey, directed by Ridley Scott, not Michael Bay. I don’t think that’s an even vaguely safe assumption to make.
Also worth mentioning Guy Pierce’s TED 2023 talk as the founder of the Weyland corporation.
Viral video != trailer.
The viral videos are just world-building fluff.
Also, when did we start calling things viral before they actually go viral? That annoys me.
I enjoy
Ridley Scott films.
He had a hand in that Jesse James/Bob Ford film
in 2009?
Alien, Blade Runner, Thelma & Louise, 1492: Conquest of Paradise, Gladiator, Hannibal, Black Hawk Down
Blade Runner has to be one of the best sifi films ever.
Alex #2:
Ooooooooh… I was wondering about the movie’s title appearing on the screen about the same way it appeared in (at least) the first Alien movie.
And also about the last picture of a “man” lying on the “cannon-chair” which we discover at the beginning of Alien 1, once they enter the crashed alien ship.
I guess I have my answers!
yep, that’s definitely the wrecked ship from alien, too. Looks like an Alien/2001 hybrid. If Ridley Scott did it, it’s guaranteed to be top notch cinematography, worth a ticket.
Break out the schrooms!
I am definitely excited to see Scott’s re-engagement with his legendary ‘Alien’ storyline (not to leave out the original authors of the ‘Alien’–Dan O’Bannon and Ron Shussett), but to the extent that I’ve been following it, and been hopeful that it would fulfill Scott’s original desires that it would encompass some sort of back-round of the Alien’s origin and society, I’m not so sure.
Originally, as I followed the development, it was to be a prequel that delved into these origins. But in order to avoid being caught up in another rehash of the ‘Alien-sim’ of the three (less than satisfactory) sequels, they decided to go in a parallel direction rather than a linear one, keeping only elements of the original without any directional ‘point-to-point’ connections to ‘Alien’.
PZ’s post a while back about having reservations about the premise of this parallel story are shared by me. I’m sure the usual quality and integrity of Scott and company will be there– I’m just not sure that it will deeply satisfy those of us who were wanting so see deeper in that original ‘Alien’ universe
Hello. I’m David, and I’m running for President.
When asked what makes David ‘sad’ in the video above, he mentions war, poverty, cruelty, unnecessary violence;they should have asked him what is political affiliation is. Presumably, he’s a left-of-center android.
ramblindude@15:
Common thoughts on that one.
If the ‘David’ segment above is in the movie,.. it’s reminiscent of elements of ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ and the sub-plot of the question of HAL’s ‘consciousness’.
I think Scott and company are shooting for a sub-plot in this movie… or it’s something that will detract from focusing on the original. I sort of wish Scott had tried to go with the original writers. I don’t much about Jon Spaights, but Damon Lindelof may be too close to his previous venture–‘Lost’– to be effective in writing a story of this type.
Same plot with different actors and wardrobe/artwork?
pentatomid @ 7:
I somewhat agree with you,.. but I think that Scott should have been astute enough to steer clear of connecting it with highly dubious speculations on our origins. What I fear–and Scott and spokespersons have essentially said–is that it was going to be a REALLY BIG STORYLINE. When they start getting ideas of grandeur about big, society-shaking storylines, many times the stories suffer.
Disagreeable Me:
This tactic has been around for a while. I remember the first time I came across this type of marketing was for Donnie Darko— there were websites that filled in more of the plot, some of which were puzzles. They all came around after the fact, IIRC, but same idea: world building.
Anyway, I want to see Prometheus so freaking hard. It’s gonna be a good summer for movies.
Disagreeable Me @ 9:
I too found it kind of cool/hip/aware to include a ersatz TED talk in the movie. That’s Ridley Scott– the man has sharp instinct, creative and socially and media savvy.
I’m probably overly pessimistic because the guy who wrote it wrote Lost, but I predict God or some spiritual mumbo jumbo will play a roll in this film.
@ bricewgilbert, #23:
Agree with you on first part ( David Lindelof/’Lost’); hope you’re wrong about the second.
Cool ! I hadn’t heard of that one, thanks PZ.
@kreativekaos #22
Yup, cool idea, but unless I’m mistaken that bit won’t be in the actual movie (could be wrong).
@ Disagreeable Me, #26
Na,.. I think you’re right. After chatting with my son and re-reading some earlier posts, it may not be in the movie. ( Although Guy Pearce is credited as a cast member, unless the cast credits include doing teaser clips for the movie.)
Hello. I’m David, and I’m running for President.
meh, I’m voting for Kodos.
I’m excited about this film, but some of Ridley Scott’s quotes make me nervous. They might temper PZ’s enthusiasm as well:
and from the NY Times…
In interviews (I can’t locate the interview, sorry)Scott mentions scientists who, he says, share the view that life couldn’t have developed without “help”.
So yes, I have reservations.
Oh hey, I’m going to see it. I would prefer it with Sigourney Weaver in it, but I am going to see it.
Did anyone else find the second trailer reminds them of Look Around You?
Shit, Noomi Rapace will be in this !!! How cool.
Saw a trailer for Prometheus on Saturday with The Avengers.
“Prometheus” is the name of a ship. Apparently, humans discover a pattern of writings on different worlds/in different cultures (it’s a little unclear) that basically amounts to an invitation of “come say hello”. We send off Prometheus to the planet, and apparently it’s some kind of trap: a ship takes off to head to Earth to wipe it out/destroy it/enslave it/something (it’s unclear) and they have to stop the ship (it’s seems to be the big roundish one crashing down in the trailer, so apparently they stop it).
None of this can be spoilers, because it’s all in the damned trailer, so other than the shock of how some of it happens and some of the more gross/horror aspects (some kind of mutating chemicals or something that are killing people), I’m not sure what the suspense will be about. It looks interesting, certainly.