The Zone

by **The Vicar** on Mon Jun 18, 2012 4:21 pm

What was that part in the middle?

by **Ribbons** on Mon Jun 18, 2012 10:22 pm

caruso_stalker217 wrote:Fuck me in the ass. And the entire ending is just crap. So some dude wakes up after 2,000 years and the first thing he does is going on a kill-crazy rampage for no reason, only to be raped in the mouth by something out of a Lovecraft story. And that pathetic stinger right at the end brings this mess right into horror schlock territory.

I guess I have to admire anybody who cares enough about anything to feel that strongly when it's ruined, but I would humbly suggest that your rage may be coloring your opinion just a tad. This is why I medicate myself into a happy stupor (and kick puppies on the reg).

by **Spandau Belly** on Tue Jun 19, 2012 7:17 am

As for the Engineer going on a kill rampage, that's what he was planning to do before his 2000 year nap anyway. When he went to sleep, mankind was still a primitive species that had not even developed motorized vehicles yet; when he woke up, man had developed the space travel technology to arrive at his doorstep and the arrogance to demand eternal life. So the engineer's reaction of starring at them with confusion for a moment and then just stomping Weyland like he's an arrogant cockroach isn't really that illogical.

But I agree with Caruso, this movie has way too many schlock-horror moments bringing it down for it to be at home with the highbrow sci-fi movies with which it tries to allign itselt during its openning moments. I'm surprised Ridley didn't throw in a Predator skull in the Engineer's trophy room too.

by **tapehead** on Tue Jun 19, 2012 8:14 am

Spandau Belly wrote:But I agree with Caruso, this movie has way too many schlock-horror moments bringing it down for it to be at home with the highbrow sci-fi movies with which it tries to allign itselt during its openning moments. I'm surprised Ridley didn't throw in a Predator skull in the Engineer's trophy room too.

There are two reasons I can't buy into this rationale. One, there's no way that Scott would go back to the universe he created with Alien to make a high-brow sci fi movie. BladeRunner maybe, as that is a film that seems to have a few intellectual notions on it's mind. Alien, on the other hand, is a brilliant blend of Sci Fi and horror; it's visceral, claustrophobic, violent and terrifyingly awesome.
While I agree Ridley has bolted on a lot of ideas to the old formula he created this time around, those ideas are pretty uniformly mad-cap, hare-brained fringe science irreverence and riffing on mythology.
It was talked about way back in this thread or one of the many Alien threads here, but I think there's little doubt at this point that those interesting but slightly unhinged theories of ancient astronauts visitors guiding early human development were a major influence on Prometheus' story.
I think if you mistook this movie for Scott's stab at Artur C Clarke level profundity, then his tongue in cheek homage to Kubrick had you fooled... and catching on to his recent quotes saying that Prometheus is '2001 on steroids' won't help, as when you see the quote in context it's clearly not a literal comparison. Probably every space-based Sci Movie mades after 2001 owes a debt to it, but I don't think Ridley is laying out a serious theory on the nature of Man here.
Secondly, and much more briefly, I think Prometheus relegates that AVP nonsense to the realm of overblown fan fic it belongs to. It's not serious, it's crazed, but it's still too smart be as dumb as the 'Versus' dreck.

by **Spandau Belly** on Tue Jun 19, 2012 9:05 am

I agree with you that ALIEN is a purely visceral minimalist film and not about big ideas or deep themes.

As for what Ridley Scott hoped to achieve with PROMETHEUS, your guess is as good as mine and possibly as good as Ridley Scott's guess. I've followed this project and heard it described several different ways during its path to the screen. Sometimes Scott has called it an ALIEN prequel, and other times he really pushed the idea that it's an original sci-fi film set in the same universe but not explicitly connected to ALIEN. I'm pretty used to Ridley Scott's revisionist tendacies and evolving prespective on his own films, and so whatever he thinks his film is about this week doesn't really have a big impact on what I think it's about. I'll judge what I saw based on how I saw it.

I do think that PROMETHEUS picked up these big ideas and homaged highbrow films a few too many times for those parts to simply be gags in what is meant to just be a goofy monster movie. But maybe you're right, and if all that stuff is just a joke at my expense, then I hope Ridley had a good laugh.

by **tapehead** on Tue Jun 19, 2012 5:12 pm

Spandau Belly wrote:I do think that PROMETHEUS picked up these big ideas and homaged highbrow films a few too many times for those parts to simply be gags in what is meant to just be a goofy monster movie.

So, what are the other highbrow films? these big ideas? I would be great to know because I think I must have missed these homages you speak of, other than 2001. I mean you could definitely the the Mountains of Madness in there as a source, but what films?

by **Ribbons** on Wed Jun 20, 2012 1:59 am

Well they quoted Lawrence of Arabia a couple times, although I think the only thing that movie had to do with Prometheus was David's obsession with it.

Other than that the only thing that comes to mind for me is Chariots of the Gods, but that's a book.

by **Spandau Belly** on Wed Jun 20, 2012 7:19 am

Yes, there are explicit references to LAWRENCE OF ARABIA, homages to 2001: A SPACE ODESSEY, and I would say ZARDOZ has a fair bit of influence in there too (giant head surrounded by weapons, the sense of weapon worship, quest for immortality etc) and Scott homaging his own BLADE RUNNER (the scene where Weyland demands more life from the Engineer echoes so much of the scene where Rutger demands more life from Tyrell).

As for big meaningful ideas that are addressed in PROMETHEUS, I would say:
disillusionment with God
resentment for our creators
religion versus science
faith versus religion
man's quest for his purpose in searching for the nature of his origins
the motivation for creation

by **tapehead** on Wed Jun 20, 2012 4:10 pm

Lol, Zardoz, Sean Connery in a mankini isn't quite what I'd call 'highbrow'. Anyone who missed the references to Lawrence of Arabia must have arrived at their screening late. It's just not that compelling an argument without any evidence to substantiate it.

by **King Of Nowhere** on Wed Jun 20, 2012 6:39 pm

How dare you, Tapes.

Zardoz is full of mystery and intrigue - rich in irony, and most satirical.

Zardoz is a fake god by occupation - and a magician by inclination. Merlin is his hero! He is the puppet master. He manipulates many of the characters and events you will see. But he was invented too, for your entertainment and amusement. And you, poor creatures, who conjured you out of the clay? Is God in show business too?

by **tapehead** on Thu Jun 21, 2012 5:09 am

It's Fantasy dressed up as Science Fiction, like Star Wars. Not that there's necessarily anything wrong with that, although it's probably not Boorman's best movie.

The gun is good. The penis is evil.

by **Spandau Belly** on Thu Jun 21, 2012 7:09 am

ZARDOZ is definitely an highminded idea-driven movie, and not an attempt lowbrow amusement inspite of the lead actor and wardrobe.

If the people making PROMETHEUS want to tell me that no thought of ZARDOZ crossed their minds when designing the Engineers as a society of men who walk around in their knickers worthshipping weapons with a giant head as their main altar/God; then, well, I don't think I would believe them.

by **tapehead** on Thu Jun 21, 2012 5:00 pm

Spandau Belly wrote:ZARDOZ is definitely an highminded idea-driven movie

It's also pretty boob-driven.

by **Ribbons** on Thu Jun 21, 2012 6:56 pm

King Of Nowhere wrote:Zardoz is a fake god by occupation - and a magician by inclination. Merlin is his hero! He is the puppet master. He manipulates many of the characters and events you will see. But he was invented too, for your entertainment and amusement. And you, poor creatures, who conjured you out of the clay? Is God in show business too?

I have not seen Zardoz, so I have no idea how to respond to this except with a hearty IPAMPILASH!

by **BuckyO'harre** on Thu Jun 21, 2012 8:00 pm

Ribbons wrote:I have not seen Zardoz

You will never master second level meditation and achieve total consciousness until you do.

by **The Vicar** on Fri Jun 22, 2012 1:47 am

Ribbons wrote:
King Of Nowhere wrote:Zardoz is a fake god by occupation - and a magician by inclination. Merlin is his hero! He is the puppet master. He manipulates many of the characters and events you will see. But he was invented too, for your entertainment and amusement. And you, poor creatures, who conjured you out of the clay? Is God in show business too?

I have not seen Zardoz, so I have no idea how to respond to this except with a hearty IPAMPILASH!

Zardoz.
Can't wait to see what you think of Zardoz, for now you surely must see it, nu? It's a strange little film, no doubt...makes the case for John Boorman being the Terry Gilliam of the late 60-70s cinema. I think Zardoz sent that same cold shiver of WTF anticipation down the spines of otherwise spineless studio suits that Brazil did.
Yeah, you gotta tap Zardoz, just for the WTF factor writ large.

by **The Vicar** on Fri Jun 22, 2012 1:48 am

BuckyO'harre wrote:
Ribbons wrote:I have not seen Zardoz

You will never master second level meditation and achieve total consciousness until you do.

Word.

by **TonyWilson** on Fri Jun 22, 2012 4:27 am

Zardoz is a pretty great comparison tbf as both films that think they are smarter than they actually are.

by **Ribbons** on Fri Jun 22, 2012 12:06 pm

The Vicar wrote:
Ribbons wrote:
King Of Nowhere wrote:Zardoz is a fake god by occupation - and a magician by inclination. Merlin is his hero! He is the puppet master. He manipulates many of the characters and events you will see. But he was invented too, for your entertainment and amusement. And you, poor creatures, who conjured you out of the clay? Is God in show business too?

I have not seen Zardoz, so I have no idea how to respond to this except with a hearty IPAMPILASH!

Zardoz.
Can't wait to see what you think of Zardoz, for now you surely must see it, nu?

I don't know... that image of a hairy, ponytailed, be-thonged Sean Connery is kind of a giving me second thoughts

by **The Vicar** on Fri Jun 22, 2012 12:53 pm

And it should.....it's a little unsettling, to be certain. Even in cultural context. Its interesting to note the responses people have to this film. Polarizing then and now, it seems. Didn't think she had those kinds of legs.
Zardoz. How the hell did you shoehorn your way into this conversation......? Remarkable.

by **fitz-hume** on Fri Jul 06, 2012 12:49 pm

Unconfirmed Rumor: Prometheus Sequel In Development
19 June 2012

The Nexus News is reporting that Prometheus 2 is in the works. The desired date for release is around 2014/2015 but in the worst case scenario, it might take as long as 2017. If everything goes well, filming might even begin later this year. Apparently, director Ridley Scott is in the planning stages right now and is trying to figure out how to achieve certain special effects and how to go about filming the whole thing.

The plan is to have the Prometheus sequel answer many questions asked in the first film and follow the two main storylines that were left dangling. According to rumours, we would see where David and Dr. Elizabeth Shaw venture when they flew off at the end of the film and discover what they find, as well as a storyline which concerns the Elder Engineers, that were cut from Prometheus.

While a sequel may answer a few questions that Prometheus posed, even more will be asked in order to set up Prometheus 3, which would round out a trilogy that Damon Lindelof and Ridley Scott have had discussions about. The plan they have in place is to diverge further away from Alien in a Prometheus sequel, but then bring it back into the franchise for the third film.

The journey for this material is definitely not yet over and if both Scott and Lindelof can find the balance between entertainment and ideas that they found in Prometheus, then there is much to be excited about. Of course, Scott has a lot to clear off his slate before he gets to this, The Counselor, a re-team with Michael Fassbender with a script by Cormac McCarthy, being chief among them and then there’s other projects he has in development too.

http://wegotthiscovered.com/movies/unco ... velopment/

by **so sorry** on Wed Aug 01, 2012 3:42 pm

very confirmed reports that Prometheus sequel in the works

..probably minus Lidelof, which is probably a good thing.

2METHEUS

by **Spandau Belly** on Wed Sep 26, 2012 8:36 pm

So all that's left for the sequel is to find out what happens when an engineer, human, or xenomorph humps Michael Fassbender's robot head.

by **caruso_stalker217** on Thu Sep 27, 2012 1:10 am

Spandau Belly wrote:

This is an excellent way to sum up why this film sucks my salty nuts.

How are those nuts, PROMETHEUS? Salty enough for you?

by **Fievel** on Mon Oct 08, 2012 11:28 pm

Weyland-Tyrell...

WHAT....... THE....... FUCK.....???????? :shock:

Cue every gif in the Zone with heads a-'sploding. I think I'm going to take up smoking as a hobby, swear off movie, books, entertainment as a whole, and just stare at walls for the next 4 years.
I know this was mentioned before. I know this was hinted before. But this is just fucking ridiculous. OR is it? Is it genius? Or is it Lucasian? I JUST DON'T KNOW!!!!!

by **caruso_stalker217** on Mon Oct 08, 2012 11:35 pm

Fievel wrote:Weyland-Tyrell...

WHAT....... THE....... FUCK.....????????
Cue every gif in the Zone with heads a-'sploding. I think I'm going to take up smoking as a hobby, swear off movie, books, entertainment as a whole, and just stare at walls for the next 4 years.
I know this was mentioned before. I know this was hinted before. But this is just fucking ridiculous. OR is it? Is it genius? Or is it Lucasian? I JUST DON'T KNOW!!!!!

I think it's absolute garbage, to tell the truth.

by **so sorry** on Tue Oct 09, 2012 10:26 am

Ugh X4. So fucking unnecessary.

Going out today to pick up the Prometheus Blu-Ray. I was reading a review on blu-ray.com and the guy was gushing over the quality of the transfer. I had a billion problems with this movie but God help me I still enjoyed it and look forward to buying the Blu-Ray.

by **Spandau Belly** on Tue Oct 09, 2012 10:49 am

I'm going to wait for Ridley to recut this film a few more times before I revisit it. You all know there will be like 15 different editions of this film to come. But I doubt it will ever be a good movie.

by **Fievel** on Tue Oct 09, 2012 10:54 am

Every other scene for me was amazing, followed by something that disappointed me fiercely. I wish this had nothing to do with the Alien series and simply focused on some left-field notion of the creation of man on Earth. The xenomorph ending bit, which was not at all unexpected was just a groan-inducing cherry on top.

I'm still on board for whatever comes next.

by **so sorry** on Tue Oct 09, 2012 12:32 pm

Fievel wrote:I'm still on board for whatever comes next.

Except for the Tyrell connection 8-)

by **Spandau Belly** on Tue Oct 09, 2012 2:26 pm

Oh come on man, the Tyrell-Weyland prequel could be awesome. They just need to do it like a WEIRD SCIENCE type of thing. Tyrell and Weyland could be high school losers who can't get dates to the prom so they make replicant hotties to be their dates, but then things go awry and hilarity ensues when their date does a cartwheel and chokes their school teacher with her thighs.

by **Fievel** on Tue Oct 09, 2012 10:35 pm

Spandau Belly wrote:Oh come on man, the Tyrell-Weyland prequel could be awesome. They just need to do it like a WEIRD SCIENCE type of thing. Tyrell and Weyland could be high school losers who can't get dates to the prom so they make replicant hotties to be their dates, but then things go awry and hilarity ensues when their date does a cartwheel and chokes their school teacher with her thighs.

The most entertaining part about that? Sean Young will audition for the part of the date and outdo every bit of batshit behavior she has exhibited in the past. Bring it.

by **minstrel** on Wed Oct 10, 2012 2:15 am

I just watched this wretch-vomit for the first time. It's beautiful to look at, but there were WAAAY too many Inadvertent Laugh Lines and Situations to permit me to take it seriously. It was, apparently, scripted by megadunces.

My roomie says it's the worst movie he's seen since League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. I'm sort of in agreement.

by **so sorry** on Wed Oct 10, 2012 11:49 am

minstrel wrote:My roomie says it's the worst movie he's seen since League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. I'm sort of in agreement.

Well that's just ridiculous.

by **minstrel** on Wed Oct 10, 2012 1:09 pm

so sorry wrote:
minstrel wrote:My roomie says it's the worst movie he's seen since League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. I'm sort of in agreement.

Well that's just ridiculous.

It looks good, but it isn't. There are hardly any reasonable character motivations. And too many scenes looked like ripoffs (sorry: "homages") to other movies, from woman-pregnant-with-monster from Cronenberg's The Fly to monster-saves-human-from-other-monster from Jurassic Park. Plus the obvious 2001 stuff and other stuff I don't recall right now because it hurts to make that much of a mental effort for this movie.

And why are Ridley's spaceships so ridiculously enormous? They're like a Corvette towing fifty Winnebagos, some of which are equipped with full-size gymnasiums and other features more proper to the Olympic Games than realistic space travel.

by **so sorry** on Wed Oct 10, 2012 1:13 pm

minstrel wrote:
so sorry wrote:
minstrel wrote:My roomie says it's the worst movie he's seen since League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. I'm sort of in agreement.

Well that's just ridiculous.

It looks good, but it isn't. There are hardly any reasonable character motivations. And too many scenes looked like ripoffs (sorry: "homages") to other movies, from woman-pregnant-with-monster from Cronenberg's The Fly to monster-saves-human-from-other-monster from Jurassic Park. Plus the obvious 2001 stuff and other stuff I don't recall right now because it hurts to make that much of a mental effort for this movie.

And why are Ridley's spaceships so ridiculously enormous? They're like a Corvette towing fifty Winnebagos, some of which are equipped with full-size gymnasiums and other features more proper to the Olympic Games than realistic space travel.

I'm not arguing with your reasons for not liking the movie. Shit, I probably agree with a bunch of your complaints. What I can't abide by is the statement that this is the worst movie watched since The League of Extrodinary Gentlemen. Good day sir! :wink:

by **Spandau Belly** on Wed Oct 10, 2012 1:24 pm

minstrel wrote:There are hardly any reasonable character motivations.

I disagree. I'd say the problem was that the characters had motivations, but those motivations never went anywhere that was meaningful for the characters or rewarding for the audience. The main characters all wanted something from this expedition, but none of that really played into the third act other than Weyland's motivation, which was to ask his creator for more life (request denied).

Also, several characters were morons.

by **minstrel** on Wed Oct 10, 2012 2:42 pm

Spandau Belly wrote:Also, several characters were morons.

Always a good choice to bring morons on a trillion-dollar interstellar space mission ...

by **so sorry** on Wed Oct 10, 2012 2:49 pm

minstrel wrote:
Spandau Belly wrote:Also, several characters were morons.

Always a good choice to bring morons on a trillion-dollar interstellar space mission ...

We put morons in the White House with regularity. Are we any better than Weyland? :wink:

by **minstrel** on Wed Oct 10, 2012 3:38 pm

so sorry wrote:
minstrel wrote:
Spandau Belly wrote:Also, several characters were morons.

Always a good choice to bring morons on a trillion-dollar interstellar space mission ...

We put morons in the White House with regularity. Are we any better than Weyland?

Apparently not. But I thought astronauts had to be qualified in some way for their jobs. Presidents don't have to be. That's democracy for you.

/threadjack

by **Spandau Belly** on Wed Oct 10, 2012 3:55 pm

Well, their job was to walk into a cave and die so that a rich guy would know what dangerous shit to avoid. I'd actually say that stupidity is the main qualification when applyng to be a human canary in a coal mine.

by **caruso_stalker217** on Thu Oct 11, 2012 12:32 am

No one told them to touch the vagina snakes.

But no one told them NOT to.

by **so sorry** on Thu Oct 11, 2012 8:44 am

caruso_stalker217 wrote:No one told them to touch the vagina snakes.

But no one told them NOT to.

After a few years in hypersleep I'd probably touch anything vagina-looking too.

by **Fievel** on Thu Oct 11, 2012 8:49 am

Oh I wish Havoc where here.

by **tapehead** on Sat Oct 13, 2012 1:38 am

I find it funny that people nitpick upon the plot of Prometheus and then sit through the inconsistencies of something like The Avengers without raising the same complaints - different expectations, I suppose.

by **so sorry** on Sat Oct 13, 2012 7:52 am

tapehead wrote:I find it funny that people nitpick upon the plot of Prometheus and then sit through the inconsistencies of something like The Avengers without raising the same complaints - different expectations, I suppose.

TOTALLY different expectations.

by **caruso_stalker217** on Sat Oct 13, 2012 2:08 pm

Wait, what were the inconsistencies in THE AVENGERS?

Also, nitpicking implies that the problems of the film are small and you have to be actively searching for them. I would need a dump truck to haul around PROMETHEUS's shit.

by **tapehead** on Sun Oct 14, 2012 4:45 am

Cool your jets there, hot shot, we know you don't like this movie. A few of the inconsistencies in The Avengers are highlighted with wit and humor here -

It's honestly not a story I could be bother poring over again to itemize it's faults for somebody who it seems apparently didn't think there were any, whereas I find Prometheus, faults included (sure, there's plenty, especially if you're a person who really likes classic narrative and traditional story structure), is still pretty fascinating on the second viewing. The 3D Blu Ray extras are well worth the price of purchase too. Plus, it's just so beautiful.

by **caruso_stalker217** on Sun Oct 14, 2012 7:22 am

tapehead wrote:Cool your jets there, hot shot, we know you don't like this movie. A few of the inconsistencies in The Avengers are highlighted with wit and humor here -

It's honestly not a story I could be bother poring over again to itemize it's faults for somebody who it seems apparently didn't think there were any, whereas I find Prometheus, faults included (sure, there's plenty, especially if you're a person who really likes classic narrative and traditional story structure), is still pretty fascinating on the second viewing. The 3D Blu Ray extras are well worth the price of purchase too. Plus, it's just so beautiful.

Hold up a sec, Charles in Charge. Two can play that game!

by **so sorry** on Sun Oct 14, 2012 8:42 am

I found both of those hi-Larious!!!

The Zone

Do you want to see a sequel to Prometheus?