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Why the prejudice against xenomorphs?

Lemonade

MemberOvomorphMarch 27, 20144198 Views35 Replies

Get ready for a SUPER, SUPER long post.

Are these the same fans that have always been around? Am I the only fan that wants to see the xenomorphs in a good movie for a change(or since 1986, at least)? They are a cool shape and their full potential hasn't been utilized. Just because Prometheus 2 is going to be MORE alien-y doesn't mean it's going to be a full on xenomorph movie. Ridley Scott is obviously not going to direct something he doesn't believe in or doesn't want to. Prometheus was 90% new, 10% Alien stuff, and I feel by "more alien-y" they mean it will be 70% new and 30% alien stuff. They HAVE to have the alien stuff. Where is the conflict going to come from? No one is going to watch a movie where Shaw is talking to the engineers while David translates for two hours. This is a TENTPOLE movie with a big budget, there's just no way. And I personally don't want to see two "factions"(cute) of engineers brawling with each other, or shooting lasers, or any other lame Star Trek-esque shit. I don't want my Ridley Scott sci-fi to be Star Trekky, and optimistic, and sleak. I want it MAJESTIC and DARK and BEAUTIFUL, with a real sense of DANGER and DEEP THEMATIC elements.

I always wanted my beloved xenomorphs to be in a good-looking, modern, good movie. Alien and Aliens are the only good ones, but they're old. Forget the cartoons that were A3 and A4, and the crossover abominations. This creature isn't PLAYED OUT, it is simply MISHANDLED AND ABUSED. The alien should never be the focus of a good alien movie, it should instead be INCIDENTAL. 

Yes, we’ve had “seven” movies with xenomorphs in them, but how many of them have been good? Most people would say the first two. I think the xenomorphs are deserving of a good movie. They are my favorite movie monster, and it has always been my fantasy that the Alien franchise would get the “Blade Runner”, or “Batman Begins”, treatment. Something deep and serious with A-list talent in front of and behind the camera. Prometheus was kind of that. Kind of. I just know I wanted to see the Giger beast in that beautiful lighting. Because let’s be honest, Prometheus was gorgeous. My fandom covers Alien, Aliens, and Prometheus, by the way.

And nobody tells Ridley Scott what to do. Nobody’s going to force him to do an aliens-on-the-attack movie. Please do remember, it was 20th CENTURY FOX that rejected Alien: Engineers. Yes, the studio said remove the aliens. More specifically, I’m guessing it was Tom Rothman.

Hell, who knows what they even mean by more “Alien-y”. Maybe they just mean more heavy on the scares but without the traditional xenomorph. The point is, I’m beyond frustrated people assume we either have to take one or the other. That we either HAVE to have: A) A deep movie with just the engineers or B) A straight up monster movie without the engineers.

Are we forgetting who the writers are? Jack Paglen of Transcendence and Michael Green of uh, oh I don’t know, BLADE RUNNER 2? These guys write think-piece sci-fi. I don’t think they have it in them to write simple stories. I wager a guess that Paglen’s draft was pure sci-fi, but Michael Green talked some sense into Ridley and Fox. Like, if you’re going to make a big budget sci-fi movie, you’re going to HAVE to have action set pieces. It is a tentpole after all. People are not going to just watch Shaw ask the Engineers questions while David translates for two hours(Okay, I would). Has anyone ever thought that the filmmakers figured out a way to incorporate the aliens and the engineers in an organic way that makes sense to the story? Strange concept, I know…

Anyway, again, I’ve always wanted a big, deep Alien prequel where the movie wasn’t about the aliens, but the aliens were in it. Prometheus was ALMOST that, and it is ALMOST a perfect movie to me, but I just wanted around 10 minutes of facehuggers and xenomorphs. Then my score would go from 9.5/10 to 10/10.

Anyway, I hope Prometheus 2 intellectually engages me like Prometheus(and Inception, I’m still wrestling with both of those movies) but on that same token, I am a horror fan and would like to see my favorite designs(the Oscar-winning xenomorph design, and the facehuggers) do some damage. There is nothing wrong with that. Those designs deserve better than some low grade B movie. I haven’t seen a gorgeous shot of an Alien since ’86. Alien 3 is tainted by those damn mo-cap shots! A4 looks like a cartoon. Don’t have to explain the rest. Haha.

So in essence, intellectually engage me AND scare/gross me out. The engineers by themselves are gross and boring

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Something Real
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Hello there, LEMONADE. Your post was quite well-written, a fact which I appreciate immensely. I understand what you're driving at here, and I understand. As a woman, I absolutley love the femenine beauty of the Xenomorph design; it's chilling and gorgeous all at once. I would without a single bit of doubt or hesitation love to see the creature showcased in a film that does it complete justice. You've a fine thought here.
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123Engineer
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If Ridley Scott says 'Alien-y', he could just mean more strange and more mysterious.
Prometheus gave us answers on the questions of the Space Jockey but it also gave us a lot of unanswered questions what I think is a good thing.
Prometheus is really similar to Alien in a lot aspects. When they made Prometheus, Ridley Scott said he feels like he would make Alien again.
But I don't want to count all aspects now but the differences. In the film Alien there were narrow or you could say claustrophobic camera rides.
The USCSS Nostromo supported also the suspense. In comparison, the USCSS Prometheus
was completely clean and not narrow because Ridley wanted to do something different.
Another Alien-y aspect is the thing that we saw just a little bit of LV-426 because there were storms and it was so cloudy.
In contrast, in Prometheus we got a nice overview of how the planet LV-226 looked like. Ridley gave us epic, beautiful and natural landscape shots. 


So in the end, I think the Alien-y aspects are the mysterious, narrow, cloudy, agressive and dark atmosphere.
In 2009 or 2010, Ridley Scott said that he will renew the alien design because it was sucked out. It is possible that we don't see xenomorphs.

 

"I think, therefore, I have to design — or redesign — earlier versions of what these elements are that led to the thing you finally see in Alien, which is the thing that catapults out of the egg, the face-hugger. I don't want to repeat it. The alien in a sense, as a shape, is worn out."
Read more at 

Source: 

http://www.nme.com/filmandtv/news/ridley-scott-two-alien-prequels-on-the-way/171884#V7TTeQZJ5zaRKjsK.99

 

I have no problems with that. It makes sense that there are no xenomorphs on the home planet of the engineers if the xenomorphs are bio-weapons.


Check here some other discussions out:

Who built it?
http://www.prometheus2-movie.com/community/forums/topic/25893

Journey to Paradise
http://www.prometheus2-movie.com/community/forums/topic/25600


I have already said that I have no worries if Ridley will direct it.

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Necronom 4
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Hello Lemonade and welcome to the forum. While i agree with most of what you wrote, there are a few minor problems with bringing back the Giger monsters for part 2 and one major problem in particular, Which is:

We are already VERY familiar with the Giger monsters, we know what they look like, we know what they do, WE ARE PREPARED for them.

Ridley is an old school film-maker who knows that to make a good "Space Horror," or "Space Thriller" that grabs the audience's attention and anticipation for what will happen in the following scene's and leaves you wondering what that face-less menice looks like and what it will do next, is essential!

Their are many great concept designers in the world who could create a completely new look/asthetic/ design for a Giger type alien that has a different method of attack and propagation, which would suit Ridley's style of film-making i.e. keeping the creature in the dark, not revealing it fully till the end of the film. He got that spot-on with ALIEN, but he couldn't do that again with THAT creature because we are already VERY familiar with it.

I'm hoping that what they mean by "More Alien-y," refers to the feel and atmosphere of Alien, Aliens and Alien 3.

I also agree with you regarding the whole film being about nothing more than Shaw spending the whole time asking the engineers questions using David as a translater, that would be pure cheese!

I want a sequel with LOTS of tension. I want it to be dark and foreboding, a feeling that we really shouldn't be there and something really bad is about to happen, a completely alien world of which Giger himself would feel at home in. I want it to be repulsive in the extreme!

The poster was good though!

 

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BigDave
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Good Post!

I agree the Alien is Awsome, its like the Perfect Alien Monster...

But you see we have seen them over and over and over, and while seeing them again could be great if its done right, it has all the potential to fail to live up to the hype and level that the Xeno captured in Alien and Aliens.

We also have Xeno comics, and games etc so its a Creation that has been explored and done over and over....

But we dont know how it was created, this i feel we would have to see at some point and Ridley would be better off doing so sooner rather than latter.  Its as i have said Ridley can not Garuntee he would be around in 10 years, or 20...

If we are not shown enough of how the Xeno came to be, then that leaves the door open for someone else to explore and answer it and it is a money maker doe Fox down the line and we could end up with our Xenos Origins being something that Ridley would turn in his grave over.

its for this reason that i feel he would cover the subject and i do think we would at very least find out what made the Eggs we saw in Alien and onwards.  And i think we could see also a Face Huger.

But i think the Prometheus Franchise has a lot more bases to cover, than just the Xeno and we see that in Prometheus well we dont have one such creature as the Xeno. What we have is a connection to a whole manner or related Organisms.  And i hope that at the very least we get to find out what Ancestor and Process leads to the Xeno. That we find out what the missing link would be.  It would be nice to see this lead to us seeing a Xeno or the Eggs but then they dont have to Necessarily show us them.... not as in a actual event that happens within the Timeline.

But they could show us at very least more clear clues than say the Mural and Frescos did.

The Xeno is not Dead........

Fox could do a movie that brings back our Xeno, in connection with the Engineers/Space Jockey at some point down the line a movie set thousands of years ago or more.

Likewise there is every potential we could see the Rise of the Xeno again in a Alien 5 set after the events of Alien Resurection.

And maybe they could reboot the AVP franchise so that it fits in with the Alien timeline just like the Video Games do as oppossed to the AVP Movies.

R.I.P Sox  01/01/2006 - 11/10/2017

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123Engineer
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Ridley has started with Alien a franchise and I'm sure that there will be another franchise after Prometheus 2. Prometheus has two kids. One will grow up and becomes the Alien as we know. We don't know what happens to the other child/creature. I'm sure it will get his own film series...

Here is my prediction:

 

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Lemonade
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Lol your timeline amuses me 123Engineer. Still holding out for that xenomorph-less movie? Remember now, it is in fact PROMETHEUS that has two children. Alien, and this "other thing". Not Paradise. 

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123Engineer
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I know but it is just the title of the film. This timeline is in chronological order. The sequel to prometheus could open a door for another franchise. 

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Lemonade
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It's too late for "another franchise". We are two movies in deep. Enjoy your xenomorph qualities. 

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Cremildo
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There is no prejudice against xenomorphs, not from the fans, not from Scott.

Scott himself made it clear that he felt all those sequels to his 1979 film totally destroyed the mystery and the fright-factor of the creature. It's been done to death. It's been ridiculed in that ill-advised franchise called Alien x Predator. The xenos were tamed in Alien Resurrection. They were destroyed like bugs in James Cameron's film.

Long story short, the novelty has worn off long ago. Why build another movie on such a tired foundation?

Scott and co. have put an effort in creating a new universe, a new mythology that remains irrevocably linked to that beloved creature. Prometheus is an original thing. And good Lord, the Deacon is obviously a proto-xeno. But nostalgic fans refuse to acknowledge it.

Alien³ and Resurrection were box-office disappointments. Audiences have moved on. I'm afraid the number of die-hard fans that want a xeno-based movie are not enought to encourage Fox.

Let them explore the Engineers and the liquid mutagen. It's their turn now.

[url=http://mulhollandcinelog.wordpress.com/]http://mulhollandcinelog.wordpress.com/[/url]
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Lemonade
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Thoughtful response Cremildo. But did the caesarean scene not garner a reaction out of you? They just need to put them in never before seen situations.

What do you think they mean by making the sequel more terrifying and Alieny?

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Major Noob
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My interpretation of Alieny is more life form threats and suspense. This could mean more Morbs ( my word for Xenomorphs) but then do we call all the new life forms Xenos as well? 

I too love the Morb but agree that it's been done. But in the context of a new Ridley Scott film it could still be thrilling. I'd say if we do see one it will be short and sweet, and presented for maximum shock factor, not as a constant threat. The possibilities are endless, I'm loving the new Morb creatures and if you look closely at the art of Giger you'll see that even bio tech can be frightening. There's a lot to look forward to!

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Fleshvessel
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I'm with you! I'd love to see at least a dash of Xeno in the sequel!! Especially with today's effects, Jesus it could be amazing!

i would be happy with a matured Deacon ripping people to shreds :)

 

THETRICKISNOTMINDINGITHURTS
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Something Real
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Oooh! Yes; I could definately watch a mature Deacon do a little hide-and-seek with a few frightened men and women. :)
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Major Noob
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Something Real- give this a look.

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Something Real
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MAJOR NOOB - That was quite compelling! You gave this girl a few chills along the way. Very nicely-written.
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craigamore
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**

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craigamore
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**

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craigamore
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Personally, I disagree with the notion that the xenomorph as a malevolent cinematic presence is tired, over used or beaten into the ground, so to speak. I would contend that following its debut in 'Alien,' it has been grossly misunderstood, mis-used, misrepresented and improperly charactertized in every instance. Indeed,I would argue that we as an audience have not been given a proper representation with the exception of its appearance in the first film. The fault lies in what has been so widely noted in the failed plethora of Alien franchise video games: it is the notion that rather than the first film's slow burn Horror Science Fiction depiction of a haunted house, everywhere but nowhere, presence that hinges on suspence, tension and a total lack of predictability as to this creature's behavior; starting with Cameron's film, the xenomorph became little more than a rabid pack animal/bullet sponge with an insect-like hive or colony mentality. It became familiar, predictable and little more than a fantastically designed monster no more frightening than your average object of a bargain basement creature feature.

**Note that before I continue, I need to address 'Aliens' negatively to make my point. Some here will know where I'm coming from with this as I've discussed it here before. Others will undoubtedly lash out at me, but that can't be helped. To begin, I can and must say that as a stand alone film, 'Aliens' is unquestionably one of the best examples of the golden age of action films in the 1980's. The film is fun, entertaining and a fantastic example of practical special effects at the height of their use in cinematic history. However, and here drops the bombshell, 'Aliens' as Action Adventure Science Fiction was entirely the WRONG direction to take the franchise. It's as though Cameron completely misunderstood the aesthetic of 'Alien'. It seems more likely and especially if you read into his comments from interviews sampled in numerous documentaries on the franchise, he simply chose this direction because action was his forte. That is a complete disservice to the soul of the material; not to mention that his third act is essentially a skeletal rip-off of the first film's. That's beside the point. 'Aliens' was a paradigm shift in genres within a franchise and that is at the heart of the issue at hand.

The rabid pack animal/bullet sponge I spoke of earlier is what stripped away the fear. The xeno's behavior was now predictable, understandable or relatable to elements of insect biology within our own world and when your audience can apply that real world context to an alien creature's behavior, you cannot expect it to frighten them. In 'Alien', the xeno's behavior was, in nearly every instance, counter intuitive to what audience's are likely to expect from a silver screen monster: the stereotypical attack or kill on sight mentality. The xeno, instead, moved slowly, approached characters as though examining them, toying with them, killing in some instances and bloodlessly taking them in others and leaving nothing behind. It's intent was never quite clear and yet it exhibited a discernable level of curious intelligence that was undefinably creepy.

Audiences conditioned to a hyper aggressive threat know what to expect. We've only seen something to this effect in our lifetimes lived viewing countless films and hours of television. The monster in question always becomes one dimensional and that is precisely what happened to the xenomorph over the corse of three sequels and two Crossovers Who Shall Not Be Named. I would also contend that the under appreciated 'Alien 3' is the only other instance in which an attempt was made to correct this issue. The film succeeds in at least returning to a depiction of a tense haunted house, everywhere but nowhere, presence with its sole xenomorph, but it fails in that the creature's behavior is largely the same dumbed down, hyper aggressive, kill on sight, rabid beast with the sole exception being its decision to leave Ripley alive when it detects the queen inside her.

After all that, I just want to make the point that we've only ever seen a single example of a xenomorph that is frightening in how its displays a creepily curious and discerning intelligence, that stands tall and imposing over its prey, giving us the terrifying sense that there is nothing you could do in the presence of such a thing but run and hide.

Which is exactly why I am positively giddy over the prospects presented in 'Alien Isolation'. The developer seems to get all of what I stated here. Thet get and fully respect the aesthetic of 'Alien' and they've planely stated they want to bring it back to a time a place where it is a terrifying and unpredictable thing to behold. I believe they can, but one can only really hope....

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oduodu
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CraigamoreNice post . 
That's why feelP1 and alien should really 
Only be canon as they areSimilarly spirited- dark and
Beautiful - they deserve toBe ridleys children. That'sWhu ridleys I fell should haveBeen full artistic freedom to 
Finish it the way he wanted too.Any way great post alien neverGot the sequel  it deserved ........

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Something Real
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CRAIGAMORE - You make an incredibly interesting and insightful point here. I, too, agree that the Xenomorph has not been used in a fashion that takes full advantage of its nightmarish potential. Cameron's "Aliens" was a fantastic film. That being said, it didn't provide the same claustrophobic sense of something stalking the protagonists in the dark while simultaneously attempting to understand them in some inhuman manner. That, for me, is the essence of the Xenomorph organism: something that tickles the boundary of familiarity, but remains distinctly foreign and, by extension, utterly terrifying. :)

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