GhostRider5289
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Post by GhostRider5289 on Apr 27, 2017 19:22:35 GMT -5
So that's not just a crouching pose? That's how it's going to walk around? Yeah that's kind of lame if you ask me. I think they just put it in that pose to match the shot from the trailer. Other shots from the trailer suggest it walks around on two legs like a normal xeno. And I really dig the figure. I love how the tube/pipe things on the back (is there a name for those?) are longer than we're used to. That's what I figured. Walking like Spider-Man is fine but not all the time.
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okcomputer
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Post by okcomputer on Apr 28, 2017 8:30:45 GMT -5
Raz, if you're into the Aliens comics you should check out the current "Defiance" series. It's pretty good, and it doesn't cram Predators and Engineers into the story for the sake of a crossover. It's about an injured Marine and one of those androids from the Isolation game intercepting a Weyland-Yutani message about all the known xenomorph locations and wiping them all out. Timeline-wise it takes place around the same time as Isolation, since Amanda Ripley makes an appearance early on. It's pretty good.
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razkazz
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Post by razkazz on Apr 29, 2017 0:14:10 GMT -5
While I was in the festive spirit I subscribed to Eaglemoss' new Alien/Predator mini-statue series. The deal is tempting. It's ten bucks for the first 5.5" Alien "Big Chap" xeno statue and if you use the BOGO code you get the Jungle Hunter Predator statue free. Then, comes the not so great deal. Every month afterward they'll send you 2 more mini-statues for $30 each. You can cancel *Predator voice* "anytime", but whenever that's the case, it's a given that you most likely won't cancel at least until you've already paid a couple hundred dollars for tiny statues you never really needed. With NECA making great, taller, articulated Alien and Predator figures these don't really seem necessary and looking at the close-up pics on ToyArk, the paint jobs vary from mediocre to just plain bad. But, the fact that they're making characters that NECA can't/won't make like Johner from Resurrection and Noland from Predators does increase the appeal for me. Considering there's never been a figure of Johner, that also opens the door for other obscure characters who have never been deemed worthy of the figure treatment. Ofcourse, if you want to be smart you can just buy the ones you like most individually from sites like Entertainment Earth or comic book shops. Each statue also includes a character-specific magazine like every Eaglemoss figure I've ever seen, which slightly sweetens the deal. aliencollection.herocollector.com/en-us&sourcecode=AP001WOGG&AB=0 ^ Also, is that orange looking xeno between the Deacon and Big Chap a Genocide xeno? Because they didn't mention anything about comic figures. Raz, if you're into the Aliens comics you should check out the current "Defiance" series. It's pretty good, and it doesn't cram Predators and Engineers into the story for the sake of a crossover. It's about an injured Marine and one of those androids from the Isolation game intercepting a Weyland-Yutani message about all the known xenomorph locations and wiping them all out. Timeline-wise it takes place around the same time as Isolation, since Amanda Ripley makes an appearance early on. It's pretty good. Good call, I got the first trade a couple months ago and loved it. Tristan Jones' gritty art is so perfect for Aliens. I know humanoid characters are low priority but NECA should really make figures of the main heroine and the android who's not evil; their dynamic is awesome. I like how it ties into Isolation too. It makes me want to finish the game but it's so difficult. I'm eagerly awaiting the next trade.
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okcomputer
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Post by okcomputer on May 8, 2017 9:53:11 GMT -5
Covenant is hovering around 80% on RT, much better than the 72% for Prometheus (which I loved, everyone else can suck it). One negative review I read basically had the gripe that "it's just people talking for the first hour or so before the blood starts flowing", and to that reviewer I'd just like to ask "Have you ever seen Alien?" Because from what non-spoiler details I've glanced at, Covenant seems to follow a similar structure to Alien while also fleshing out the story of what happened to David and Shaw after Prometheus. If that's true, then I'm still stoked for this one.
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GhostRider5289
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Post by GhostRider5289 on May 8, 2017 10:01:55 GMT -5
I just hope the characters aren't a bunch of unlikable dumbasses this time around.
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frinspar
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Post by frinspar on May 8, 2017 10:51:32 GMT -5
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razkazz
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Post by razkazz on May 11, 2017 2:13:38 GMT -5
OMFG that's awesome. Where can this be obtained?
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frinspar
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Post by frinspar on May 11, 2017 17:43:47 GMT -5
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okcomputer
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Post by okcomputer on May 18, 2017 13:57:55 GMT -5
I re-watched Prometheus last night (for the first time in several years) to refresh my memory before seeing Covenant this weekend, and dammit, I still dig the hell out of that movie. But watching it again made me realize something that I'm not sure I did before, and that might explain why so many people hate this movie. The movie presents Shaw as the main character, but she's not. The main character is David. It was Shaw's discovery that led to the mission, but once they get to the planet it's David's actions that drive the entire story. It's a movie about the relationship between creators and their creations, and the unpredictability of that dynamic. A group of humans heads out into deep space to try and find their creators, but it's the thing created by humans that leads to their doom, just like whatever wiped out the Engineers at that installation was one of their own creations.
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GhostRider5289
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Post by GhostRider5289 on May 18, 2017 15:32:53 GMT -5
My main gripe is that about 98% of the characters are just flat out unlikable and I didn't give two shits that they get killed or are in danger. Like the guy that David gives the spiked drink to. That guy was a total asshole and when he took said drink in the flattest monotone voice I can come with all I had to say was "Oh no, don't drink that...eh whatever." Seriously I'm supposed to care these assholes? Why?
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okcomputer
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Post by okcomputer on May 18, 2017 15:51:03 GMT -5
True, that guy was an asshole. But I liked the two guys who get lost in the ship, I liked the captain, I liked Shaw, and David is a really fascinating character.
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GhostRider5289
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Post by GhostRider5289 on May 18, 2017 17:21:22 GMT -5
Idris Elba as Captain I-forget-his-name and the two co-pilots that crashed the ship with him (one of whom was Wong in Doctor Strange which is awesome) are the only likable people in the whole movie but they were barely in it. And even though David was pretty shady he was damn entertaining. Fassbender absolutely killed it in that movie. Looking forward to seeing him again in Covenant.
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Post by Deleted on May 19, 2017 21:55:20 GMT -5
Razzy, I'd maybe get the Eaglemoss figs in person. Their paint apps can have super spotty quality control.
Think I may do an Alien marathon since here in BC we have a ling weekend, then go seen Convenant either Monday or Tuesday.
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okcomputer
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Post by okcomputer on May 20, 2017 1:02:29 GMT -5
Covenant is really good. I still wish it were more of a direct sequel to Prometheus, but there's enough of a throughline between them thematically that it doesn't feel like too much of a sudden departure.
Oh, and the movie is fucking bleak as hell. Maybe even more so than Alien 3. Sir Ridley does not pull his punches when it comes to the characters in this movie. Not just the messy gory death scenes (there are lots of those), but emotionally these people are dragged through the shit.
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GhostRider5289
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Post by GhostRider5289 on May 20, 2017 21:56:55 GMT -5
Just got back from Covenant and I've said before that I've never been much of an Alien fan but me and my buddy enjoyed it a lot. And those fucking Proto-Alien things that burst out of the two guys genuinely creeped me out. Good times.
And Fassbender man. He killed it again. Definitely getting the Blu-ray and maybe the NECA figures if I can.
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NecroDragon
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Post by NecroDragon on May 22, 2017 12:25:09 GMT -5
I thought Alien: Covenant was full of even more flat and unlikable character than Prometheus was. It's almost like Ridley Scott and the writers focused so much of their attention on David and Walter (who were both awesome) that they completely forgot to develop any other characters.
I loved that it continued the theme of creations and their creators and took it even further. It's a clever way Ridley Scott found to keep the franchise interesting after, as he said, the xenomorph became so ubiquitous and as a result less scary. Now the franchise has a clear villain with an agenda. Not sure how I feel about that. My initial thought is that I like it?
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okcomputer
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Post by okcomputer on May 22, 2017 12:37:44 GMT -5
Yeah, I'm curious to hear what other people thought of Covenant but I don't want to spoil anything for anyone just yet. I've heard other people say that the things that get revealed in Covenant COMPLETELY RUIN EVERYTHING and make it so the stuff we see in the original Alien is now impossible timeline-wise. I don't agree, but explaining why I think the timeline still makes sense involves major spoilers for Covenant.
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GhostRider5289
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Post by GhostRider5289 on May 22, 2017 12:56:54 GMT -5
I didn't really give a shit about any of the people is Covenant either other than Danny McBride but like Idris Elba it's probably just because it's Danny McBride. And of course Fassbender was absolutely fantastic. David and Walter could've been the only people...robots...non-morphs-whatever and it still would've been an entertaining movie but I guess you need canon fodder so yeah there's gotta be a few dumbasses along for the ride.
But I do have one question does everybody in charge of these expeditions have to be the dumbest of fucks to ever live? The acting-captain guy in Covenant man. I want to say it but I guess it could be a pretty spoilery gripe so I'll hold off. OK I'm sure you know what I'm talking about.
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Post by okcomputer on May 22, 2017 13:24:36 GMT -5
I didn't think the people in Covenant were all that stupid, honestly. Their situation turned to shit pretty quickly and they were all acting out of desperation and panic.
But the thing with Billy Crudup's character... are you talking about the scene that's in the trailer? Because I guess that was a pretty stupid thing to do, but it's not like he knew what was gonna happen.
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GhostRider5289
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Post by GhostRider5289 on May 22, 2017 14:42:48 GMT -5
They weren't the brightest bunch but they didn't seem like the incompetent dipshits that were in Prometheus. HOWEVER the idea to go to this planet that just seemed to appear out of nowhere with no prep whatsoever was so idiotic. Yeah it seems damn near perfect (which should've been a red flag from the start) but you have no idea what could be there or if you'd survive long term which 98% of them didn't. Meanwhile the planet you know is good to go and you seem to have completely mapped out to make a settlement or whatever is just a little further away. What are you fucking retarded? YOU DON'T SETTLE FOR THE GODDAMN MYSTERY BOX!!!
The thing with Dr. Manhattan (knew I recognized him from something) wasn't what was shown in the trailer but what led up to it and his decision to go down to the planet in the first place. Wish we had a spoiler tag on here.
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razkazz
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Post by razkazz on May 22, 2017 23:05:23 GMT -5
Covenant was different than I expected. Better than I expected. For me, it righted some of Prometheus' wrongs. I liked the characters. They didn't seem too stupid, except for the female pilot who made the Prometheus morons seem competent by comparison. But ultimately, I still cannot consider these attempts at undermining my favorite movie of all time canon, and as standalone movies they serve no more purpose than the AvP films. Covenant didn't tell much of a story, the gore was nice, but the xeno was still too CG to feel truly imposing. I feel the same way about the other kinds of alien creatures they've been introducing as I do when they introduce "spitter xenos" or "rhino xenos" in Aliens video games because they're desperate for more gameplay variety. They're dumb and unwanted additions that detract from the experience. I get the sense that Ridley Scott wants to outdo what Cameron did with Aliens before he dies, but Aliens is the best movie ever made and his attempts to outdo it so far have been pathetic by comparison. After seeing Ripley take on a Queen Alien in a Power Loader, seeing Daniels take on a single Xeno with a crane lacks any kind of impact and I left feeling that the movie was anticlimactic and missing the rollercoaster-ride, "it's not over when you think it's over" feel that has been a staple of the series. Everyone saw the twist coming a mile away. I think it would've been a far stronger film had the final scene been left ambiguous so we would be left wondering at least; second-guessing because it would seem too obvious. David's storyline is interesting, but you know what's more interesting? A Queen Alien, space marines, and no convoluted bullshit. To Covenant's credit, it made things somewhat less convoluted but I still can't accept this origin for the xenomorph. Like every movie in the Alien franchise after the first two, I thought it was an alright and kind of fun time for a movie that shouldn't exist and that I would prefer to not exist. I wasn't thrilled when I first heard that Neill Blomkamp was working on an Alien 5 that would bring back Ripley and possibly Hicks. But now, having seen all 3 of Blomkamp's movies and loving them, I believe he's the only visionary who may be able to contribute something worthy of the first two and should really be given a chance rather than continuing this unnecessary and confused prologue. Also, I love how this new Steelbook cover art perfectly captures the stages of grief when watching every Alien movie past the first 2:
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GhostRider5289
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Post by GhostRider5289 on May 23, 2017 2:09:20 GMT -5
Well shit. If I'd have known that was coming I wouldn't have gotten all of those Blu-rays on my birthday.
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Post by okcomputer on May 23, 2017 7:57:54 GMT -5
Damn, that's some awesome artwork on that Steelbook. But if it's meant to show the evolution cycle, they got the order all wrong.
And raz, that's a damn good write-up about Covenant. I really liked the movie and thought it was a worthy addition to the series, but I still agree with most of what you're saying. My main gripe though was that the appearance of the classic Alien felt a bit forced, almost like the movie was going out of its way to appease the people who thought Prometheus was to much of a departure from the rest of the series (even though that was the point of that movie, to be something different). But I did like the way they introduced the Alien in the movie, as a result of David's tinkering in his cave lab for 10 years. I've read other people saying how David creating the eggs and facehuggers totally ruins the timeline established in the earlier movies, but I don't think that's the case at all. Yeah, he made those eggs through his genetic tinkering, but that doesn't mean he was the first one to make them. We know he figured out how to use the tech in the Engineer ship, so my guess is all of his work in that cave was based on notes/blueprints he discovered in that ship. But still, when the good old Big Chap showed up, it was maybe the least scary it's ever been (except for the scene in the shower, that was all sorts of fucked up).
But my favorite part of the whole movie was the uber-bleak ending. David puts Daniels to sleep in her cryotube, and her terror is a mixture of realizing that who she thought was Walter is in fact Davis, coupled with the memory of watching her husband burn to death in his tube. Then she goes to sleep, and David is left alone on a ship with over a thousand comatose colonists and a few Alien embryos (maybe a Queen embryo?), plenty of bodies for his experiments. Then David asks the ship computer to play some Wagner (a favorite composer of genocidal maniacs), specifically "The Entry of the Gods Into Valhalla". That pretty much says it all right there. Any complaints I had about the final act of the movie were totally forgiven with that final scene. A great ending goes a long way towards coloring my overall opinion of a movie, and Covenant has a seriously great ending.
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GhostRider5289
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Post by GhostRider5289 on May 23, 2017 10:23:47 GMT -5
I loved that even by the end after all the shit he's done he still pulls out a cheesy joke just before he puts the lady to sleep. David's such an asshole and I love it. If anything's come out of these last two movies its a great villain that entertains from start to finish.
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NecroDragon
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Post by NecroDragon on May 23, 2017 11:55:38 GMT -5
Yeah, I'm curious to hear what other people thought of Covenant but I don't want to spoil anything for anyone just yet. I've heard other people say that the things that get revealed in Covenant COMPLETELY RUIN EVERYTHING and make it so the stuff we see in the original Alien is now impossible timeline-wise. I don't agree, but explaining why I think the timeline still makes sense involves major spoilers for Covenant. I don't think it ruins the timeline at all. I mean, there's supposedly still two more movies coming and I'm sure they'll eventually connect to Alien in a more concrete way. Who knows, maybe it'll be as concrete as Rogue One was. Ghost Rider, yeah the people in Covenant were pretty stupid. I was flabbergasted when they set foot on the new planet without space suits or helmets. I don't remember if they explained that they could tell if the air was breathable or not from the ship before they set out, but I don't think they did. And then the exact reason you need to wear space helmets on a new planet happened to them. I think that was dumber than the scientist petting the dick snake in Prometheus. At least that guy was a scientist. Scientists are supposed to be curious more than careful sometimes. Walking without protection from airborne dangers on an alien planet is pretty fucking stupid for a crew trained to colonize an alien world.
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okcomputer
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Post by okcomputer on May 23, 2017 13:03:31 GMT -5
I don't think it ruins the timeline at all. I mean, there's supposedly still two more movies coming and I'm sure they'll eventually connect to Alien in a more concrete way. Who knows, maybe it'll be as concrete as Rogue One was. Ghost Rider, yeah the people in Covenant were pretty stupid. I was flabbergasted when they set foot on the new planet without space suits or helmets. I don't remember if they explained that they could tell if the air was breathable or not from the ship before they set out, but I don't think they did. And then the exact reason you need to wear space helmets on a new planet happened to them. I think that was dumber than the scientist petting the dick snake in Prometheus. At least that guy was a scientist. Scientists are supposed to be curious more than careful sometimes. Walking without protection from airborne dangers on an alien planet is pretty fucking stupid for a crew trained to colonize an alien world. I don't think it ruins the timeline either. Just because David was tinkering in his cave lab, that doesn't mean he wasn't working off of notes he found in the Engineer ship, creating things they'd already had for thousands of years. I don't even think David has to be directly responsible for the eggs in the crashed ship on LV-426, but maybe he finds the ship at some point and activates the distress beacon? And about the colonists in Covenant not wearing enough protective gear on a planet they know nothing about, that's a good point and a dumb move. But I know in Alien and Prometheus, as they're entering the atmosphere of the planets they discover someone on the bridge analyzes the air to see if it's breathable. I can't remember if the same thing happened in Covenant, but maybe they knew the air wouldn't kill them so they just hopped right out and went on their little hike. But it's not like they were TOTALLY unprepared, they did have guns after all.
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GhostRider5289
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Post by GhostRider5289 on May 23, 2017 13:28:17 GMT -5
The thing that kills me is that even though the planet they're originally going to is further away they have it completely mapped out to establish a colony so why bother with this new planet you've never heard of that could turn out to be potentially dangerous? You know nothing about it.
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okcomputer
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Post by okcomputer on May 23, 2017 14:36:56 GMT -5
They knew the planet was the source of a weird transmission of a woman singing John Denver. I don't blame them for being curious.
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NecroDragon
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Post by NecroDragon on May 24, 2017 13:10:30 GMT -5
And the argument between Daniels and the captain played out logically, as I imagine it would have in reality. Yes, the captain was kinda dumb to decide to go down there, but really, someone would have made that decision in real life, too.
Speaking of having guns, I kinda didn't like that the "neomorph" was so unstoppable right after being born. I thought it was supposed to be an earlier, less advanced version of the xenomorph that we're used to, but it seemed way more formidable. On the other hand, that was my favorite scene in the movie. When it comes out and starts wrecking their shit.
By the way, I thought of something cool that this movie does for the fans of Alien who dislike Aliens because "James Cameron ruined the mystique of the aliens by making them typical bug-like monsters". The fact that the black goo basically makes a hybrid of whatever the host is and produces a new breed of xenomorph with the host's traits, I figure the queen and the hive nature of the xenomorphs in Aliens were the product of them splicing with some sort of insect life on LV-426. In one of the deleted scenes, there was even indigenous insects that were shown. I've heard people complain that they became very predictable, familiar creatures when James Cameron based them on ants or bees or whatever, so now fans of both movies can be satisfied. The xenomorphs are still unfathomable, creepy, Lovecraftian body horrors and also hive mentality bugs. I know that in the comics, video games and even some movies, like Alien 3 and AVP, the xenomorphs took on the traits of the impregnated hosts, but the insectoid "warrior", "queen", and "drone" classes were always implied to be the base versions, but now we know the base version is an airborne particle.
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razkazz
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Post by razkazz on May 25, 2017 15:56:19 GMT -5
I'm satisfied believing that the xenos just existed in space. Because at its rawest, simplest core, the fear behind the idea of alien life is that it's just a thing that's out there in the darkness of space. I don't need a backstory where some other things created it and then an AI that we created perfected it. It's simply the most dark, evil, unstoppable thing from the most dark mysterious place we've discovered and barely understand; but were bold enough to explore. And the Queen's its momma and it's even more badass and the fact that Ripley beat that bitch is still the coolest thing of all time lol.
The only way I could see this David storyline working for me is if he somehow loses his creations and then takes over Weyland-Yutani so the events in the later films are his attempts to retrieve his babies; and they also tie up a whole bunch of other loose ends along the way leading up to the events of Alien. But yeah, it's still going to take a whole lot for me to accept as canon.
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