Elliot Goldenthals score for A3 is fantastic. 

It sits at the midway point for me. It represents a marked decrease in quality, but not to the same degree of the films that followed. I think the film's troubled production had a lot to do with it, but that's neither here nor there. Also, CGI just wasn't mature enough to pull off what they were trying to do and, frankly, it still isn't. 

that rod puppet was awesome, though.

heh. rod puppet. 

I watched it quite young, as I did with a lot of these types of films, and it definitely left an impression on me. The acting in the film is on par with Alien although the story itself is disjointed and cobbled together.
I can forgive a poor film if the acting is good as the human interaction is what film-making is mostly about. But a terribly acted film can never be redeemed by action or effects (see the prequel star wars films). 

Since I saw it, most of my thoughts haven't been about the film, they've been about Ridley Scott. The man directed the near-perfect Alien. He even directed a very decent sci-fi film, The Martian recently.

He's clearly only as good as his script... and this is a bad one. He didn't write Covenant, but from all accounts he seems to have had a strong hand in the development. He seems to want to say something about creation, about artificial intelligence, about life itself. This started with Prometheus and the problem was that he didn't know what he actually wanted to say.

When you create life, what responsibility do you have? The Engineers created humans, we created the android David. Personally we create children. There's a world of really interesting, tough questions to explore. Questions without plain answers. That fantastic grey area where movies let you see things in a new way.

Even the Alien lifecycle is built on this grotesque parody of childbirth, on motherhood, on the most horrific rape, this violation by this unsettlingly sexualised, penis headed lifeform.

This is all obvious, but it's just such an incredibly powerful palette of themes and motifs to play with if you're serious about making an interesting movie. It's pretentious to talk about this if you just want to make a popcorn action flick, but Ridley doesn't. He wants to make something profound and that's why this movie is so frustrating.

It feels like 5 movies in one. It feels like a greatest hits montage of the previous films. It's not a horror film or an action film. It's not character driven, it doesn't have much of a story arc. It dabbles in everything and doesn't commit. He quotes Shelley and plays Wagner to make the film seem more intellectual. It isn't.

The end result is something that seems extremely unconfident. Knowing he didn't have the answers (or even good questions) on topics like AI and creation that he was trying to engage with, he flirts with them agonisingly briefly (we get some semi-successful scenes with the 2 androids). Then he abandons them and tries to fill the gap with anything that might make the audience happy. I almost feel sorry for him in a way.

Then again, he gets to go home and sleep on his bed made of money, and I have to watch his stupid film. He's certainly done his best to ruin the legacy of the originals, and remove all mystery from them whatsoever. I just hope when I go back to watch Alien, I can forget this ever happened.

Score: 5 stars out of a possible 5
★★★★★ 

ruined my nice star characters 

there were a few good things.... some Beksinski-inspired visuals. Fassbender does so well, considering the script. Danny McBride I'd never seen in a serious role before, but he was solid. At least James Franco doesn't get too much screentime..... 

They did a good job changing the focus to something more claustrophobic and bleaker, and not trying to top Aliens. 

Maybe I'll have to watch the third Aliens again. To be honest, I got it in some kind of Alien trilogy 3 pack and all I really wanted was the first two. I can remember I watched it and that's about it. I never bothered to view it again. That tape is now long gone and I know not where it went. Aliens on the other hand, I've bought at least four copies over the years and there's no telling how many times I've watched that movie, dozens at least. 

Alien 3 is, in my opinion, very videogame-y both in its environments and in things like the chase sequence. It's got an iconic look to it, too. A very 90s one. I dig it. 

A3 was the prison one right? I wasn't a fan of that idea. Alien 4 was underrated though, that was probably better than the credit it got. I think we end up wearing rose tinted glasses with some movies where no matter what they do, it'll never be as good as the original. Even if it is actually better.

When you compare that last Predator movie to the original I sort of thought, if this was released in 1987 it would probably be an action classic, as it actually shares a lot of similarities with the original Predator. It's just missing the strong cast. But of course, nothing will touch the original Predator.

Hey I see there's a new Predator film coming next year! Now called The Predator instead of Predator 4 which is what it is, so they've already fucked up the name.

I'm putting money on a future Star Wars film (because this franchise seems to be going on and on) just named Jedi. 

Alien 4 had a bad cast? Not sure I agree with you there. 

Alien 4 had a classy cast, i mean Brad Dourif, Hellboy and Winona Ryder? And 8 Ripleys..
Ermm, that is nearly too good.
Which it was in the end i think, the movie is real bubblegum. Not in a bad way, this "comicesque" attitude isn't really my kind of horror..
But i was pretty fueled by the "genetic replication with all its consequences scene" at the time. But meh.
I've seen Covenant now, idk what to make of it all anymore. Sorry for that spoiler but, No Helmets on an unkown planet? Let's go! this is so stupid.
It had its moments though.. 

I was talking about Predator (1987) has a better cast than Predators (2010). Adrien Brody is no replacement for Arnie.

I'll reserve judgement till I see Convenant. Didn't everyone hate on the last one, but it actually was a decent watch. I think I watched half of it a second time, even! Is Convenant that much worse? 

Everyone hated on Prometheus because it was godawful. Covenant is no exception. It's even worse. 

Visually and ONLY visually was one of the most gorgeous movies ever shot. Shot in native 3d on RED the fidelity in the IMAX Experience auditorium I saw it in was breathtaking. VFX and design were just insane.

But then the actors opened their mouths.

Trope on top on trope cascading into a incoherent sill fucking mess. One of the most disappointing movies I've ever watched. But god it was gorgeous visually.

Covenant is a no go for me. I won't reward them with my money and I won't waste precious mapping time on that garbage. My ex-screenwriter friend said it best: The studios absolutely do not care if a movie is good or not. They don;t care about art. People will watch garbage over and over again, the lure of a cool looking trailer is just too great. And they get away with it time after time. 

Alien 3 in the director's cut form (or whatever the extended cut is called) is a decent watch, certainly better than the mess that is Covenant.

Prometheus has problems but I still really like it. 

I prefer the theatrical release to the directors cut 

Neruda

Formally daring and tonally playful 'biopic' by Pablo Lorrain of the Chilean poet/communist party member. Actually less a biopic and more some sort of fever dream version of Neruda's time when he was hunted by the government for his communist beliefs, as imagined by Neruda himself. Has possibly the funniest voiceover ever done. Also lacks the emotional power of something like Jackie.

7/10 

Moon

Not sure why I didn't see this at the time, perhaps because it was meant to be pretty slow, and there were too many "intelligent sci-fi" rival films?? Anyway, it was rather good, slow, but kinda nervy at first and kinda interesting how it played out later on. Not one for a big hype cinema viewing but good for a quiet evening getting drawn into it.

arbitrarynumberwithlotsofdecimalplaces / 10 

Naked Lunch: wtf/10 

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4263482/

Just remembered to post about this one. It is the simple horror witchcraft / corruption movie I have always wanted to see and it did not disappoint. 

I found it visually dismal but in an interesting way. I also liked the old world language and speech.

I think the film was a little too simple in a way, it very much reminded me of an old 70's b-movie type of horror. 

It is simple, very, and that is the beauty, it lets the grim situation seethe...

I think many lower budget/production movies try to throw way too much and then the kitchen sink in there, its not necessary.