Topic: The Movie Thread

@RogerRoger @KALofKRYPTON Frank is a great movie but Michael Fassbenders plot line in Covenant is just nonsensical.

@RogerRoger just look for the scene on YouTube - the dialogue alone is amazing. Search 'David Alien Covenant Flute' or something

In Frank he wears a Frank Sidebottom mask throughout the film - though it's not about him, sadly. Good film though.

@themcnoisy
Aliens Director's Cut on top then chuck the rest in however for me. That said - the extended cut of Alien 3 is pretty good. And the game was pretty ace too, so...

@RogerRoger Okay - if you're totally sure you don't want to 'enjoy' 'Two Fassbenders and One Flute' like the rest of us had to

Eh. Prometheus and Alien: Covenant are interesting science-fiction films in their own right, but they were setting audiences up for disappointment by connecting them to the Alien film franchise. They just don't scratch that particular itch.

Props to Covenant for giving us the most unsubtle homoeroticism in movie history, though.

@Ralizah you're spoiling @RogerRoger 's surprise! 😂

@KALofKRYPTON Fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiine.

Did you see it in theaters? The best part of the film was watching the men around me shift uncomfortably in their seats as the film gradually transformed into Homoeroticism: The Movie whenever the Fassbender twins were on-screen.

@Ralizah I did! It was worth the price of admission just for that.

@RogerRoger Yeah IIRC it was something to do with his travel arrangements. Originally he was only suppose to be a guest so he had it in his contract to only make a few appearently due to traveling between New York (where he lived) and LA where the show was filmed. However because of his popularity as Lex Luthor they decided to bring him on full time regardless of his contract which caused the rift and him leaving after the first season.

I can't comprehend how anyone can find Alien Resurrection a better movie than Alien. @RogerRoger I appreciate you have different tastes and all that but WOW.

@Ralizah @KALofKRYPTON I have some really good questions for Alien Covenant. Why did the ship stop near to that planet? Im sure it was on purpose.

Which then feeds into Alien and the prequels. Does mother know that David will create the Alien? Or has he been built to create new life?

Its like Mother is leading us as we follow her tune (played by a flute) to our deaths.

Crazily right now on E4 is Alien v Predator. Its absolutely terrible.

@themcnoisy I won't wade into an open Alien film debate (I do bloody love the franchise though, even the bad films)

But I will say AvP is actually okay in my opinion haha. I know it's bad but it's not BAD bad.

I first saw it with at the cinema with a girl I was really trying to get with so maybe I just have fond memories of that, though 😂

Anyone interested in Mandy by the way?

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rI054ow6KJk

@themcnoisy AvP isn't a 'bad' movie in my opinion - its more the wasted opportunity from such great source material that makes this bad. If this was the first time we had seen the Alien/Predators, it wouldn't be considered that bad but the fact that Alien and Predator are such great, iconic movies is what 'disappoints' with this. If you can watch it at face value, its OK - if you want a 'bad' movie, try AvP2!

As for covenant, The colonists opted to land on that planet after taking damage and it was the nearest habitable planet rather than risk travelling to the original destination. It was 'accidental' and/or circumstantial but there was of course that radio transmission of a human voice that alerts them to the planets existence.

Prometheus and Covenant disappoint for 'similar' reasons to AvP in that they try and reinvent the 'history' we have known for a long time and they don't fit with our 'expectations'. We were hoping that they would either be a tense 'horror' like Alien or an Action rollercoaster like Aliens but keep the things we 'know' and love too. Prometheus and Covenant are supposedly prequels to Alien yet the tech is clearly much more advanced. There is supposed to be another film that leads directly into Alien in the timeline and then a 'soft reboot' is expected that takes place in a different setting with a whole new cast.

Predator is coming back too so maybe this will deliver on what we expect from that franchise at least...

@RogerRoger Ah yes it always irks me when someone can't tell the difference between a bad film or just something they didnt enjoy. Like I didn't like Bladerunner on recent viewings, but can see that it is a well made film with some fine performances and all that. Just didn't tick the right boxes for me, but i would never describe it as a terrible movie or anything like that. And of course it is all very subjective anyway.

Good to see there are fellow Alien fans here. It is my all time fave film. I think it still holds up well today. When I first saw it in HD i was blown away by it all over again. I think the only part that doesn't hold up well is when the alien is sucked into space at the end.

@RogerRoger "I do actually think that Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines is the best offering from that franchise, too."

This is the Movie thread. The thread for controversial opinions is under a different headline.

Im flabbergasted how you can even think that. T2 is almost the perfect action film and T1 is a fantastic chase movie. T3 is a lame comedy. Obvs we have our own tastes etc and you have admitted to having bad taste but come on bro!

@BAMozzy I dont think it was accidental. Im struggling to think back but the scene with the solar sail thingy didnt sit right with me. Also when David enters Mother he knows all the codes and stuff. Its also the perfect breeding ground for Aliens!

@johnnyshoulder agreed, that bit looks rubbish.

What is quite heart warming is that the Alien likes cats, it left the 🐱 alone twice in the film.

Aliens is my favourite of the series, closely followed by Alien. Alien is a great horror film - I like how for most of it, the alien isn't seen, building up a lot of tension. Nostromo is dark and claustrophobic, making for an excellent setting. Aliens goes the other way, and is one of the best action films ever made. It's just awesome. The cast have real chemistry, and Sigourney Weaver is on top form. The action is over the top. It also has one of the best lines.

I actually did really enjoy Alien Resurrection when I watched it for the first time back when it was released on VHS (I was too young to watch it in the cinema). On repeat viewings its flaws have really become apparent and I dislike what it does to Ripley's character even if she is a clone.

The problem with the new ones is that they vastly overcomplicate the story for no real reason. I don't think it adds anything of value to the series, especially when taking such a convoluted route to connect to the original Alien. Prometheus, I liked a lot, despite a slightly confusing plot. Alien Covenant was less enjoyable. I didn't like that they killed off Noomi Rapace and turned Michael Fassbender's character into a villain.

AvP. So, so bad. AvP Requiem, I knew it was going to be bad so wasn't too fussed.
What grinds my gears about those films is that there is so very much good comic content from the Dark Horse series that they could've used but didn't bother. Shameless cash grabs and nothing more.

Prometheus is the 'big money' coupled with 'no one to say no' effect (Star Wars prequels, anyone?). The studio gave Scott carte blanche to do whatever he wanted; unfortunately what he wanted was to inject an intellectual undercurrent to a franchise that didn't require one via the means of almost obtuse posturing. Assigning unnecessary import to the Space Jockeys and Weyland in a crude attempt at building connections to the xenos. As said before, it looks and sounds great, but it really isn't.

So not great, it is rendered almost entirely moot by Covenant as Scott tries to come to terms with the fact that Prometheus was little short of poorly received self-indulgence. And frankly, Covenant is little short of effing stupid; from the very start of the film, nothing makes the slightest bit of sense beyond extremely lazy plot contrivances.

The main thing that bothers me about Prometheus and Covenant is that in being produced, Scott and his hubris essentially blocked Neill Blomkamp from making his Aliens sequel; which would very likely have been along the lines of the Hell on Earth comics with Sigourney Weaver on board to boot.
Sadly, it's very likely that Blomkamp will never get his shot at making an Aliens picture. Which really is a massive shame, since even his 'Hollywood' movie was better put together than most of what was released around the same time.

If any of you haven't gone through the recent releases from his OATS studio project, I highly recommend them. Especially Zygote!

@RogerRoger T2 on top. T1 really is fantastic though. Salvation is pretty dire and Genysysysys is just, awful.
While T3 really does suffer without Cameron at the helm, even Mostow couldn't fudge the entire thing with in jokes and lazy humour. Terminator 3 does one thing really, really well - and that is the ending. It is actually a highlight of the whole franchise.

I highly recommend The Outlaws (Korean movie). It's based on true events, and the story is about a turf war between local gangs in Seoul and a gang (illegal immigrants) from China. A small crime unit lead by a fearless officer is tasked to stop the gang war and bring peace to the small town.

Amazing performance by Ma Dong-seok. If you've watched Train to Busan, he was the big tough guy.