Spoilers-Alien Covenant contradictions.

[Allyn Gibson]

The story synopsis of Alien Covenant - Origins was just revealed. It is not only absolutely NOT AT ALL going to be the story we were led to believe it was, but a totally unnecessary one at that. One that's not going to have a single goddamn Xenomorph, Neomorph, Deacon, Engineer, or even a drop of black goo anywhere in sight.

I think I'm okay with this.

Recently I'd begun to wonder if Alan Dean Foster were really the right author to tell the story of David and Elizabeth and what happened after Prometheus. And a voice in the back of my head kept saying, "No, he's not depraved enough."

I've been entertaining the thought that the Covenant's encounter with the neutrino surge wasn't an accident, though. What if Weyland-Yutani knew what David had found and was doing? What if they wanted to get their hands on it, and so they staged an incident that would force Covenant to go get David (even though that's not what the crew thought they were doing)? Probably too conspiratorial and complicated, on second thought.

 

[The Nth Doctor]

I've been entertaining the thought that the Covenant's encounter with the neutrino surge wasn't an accident, though. What if Weyland-Yutani knew what David had found and was doing? What if they wanted to get their hands on it, and so they staged an incident that would force Covenant to go get David (even though that's not what the crew thought they were doing)? Probably too conspiratorial and complicated, on second thought.

...which means it's probably true.

 

[Pauln6]

I recently watched a fan edit of Prometheus that was way less annoying than the cinema release. It trimmed down the dialogue that made the scientists seem like such dicks, removed the initial scenes and exploding head, and replaced them with a Guy Pearce flashback, reduced Shaw's acrobatics after getting her staples, and changed the scene order slightly so the guy with the map is still exploring rather than looking for a way out. It was now tolerable, although the lack of scientific method still annoys me.

I agree that Covenant was more by the numbers but it was enjoyable enough. It at least had the highest number of women that I have seen for a long time.

Once again I was frustrated at the lack of scientific method. The Pilgrims wiped out the native Americans by bringing disease - nobody seems to worry about contaminating the biosphere, or even checking that the water is safe.

I also agree that the gestation period of the xenomorph is far too short - a trend started in AvP.

David is great though. He just lacks the moral compass to treat humans as anything more than fodder for his experiments.

 

[Nightowl1701]

The DVD/Blu-Ray release is next month. Here are the details. Reports say 20-25 minutes were chopped out of the film; 18 of those will be on the Blu-Ray (no director's cut).

It's becoming pretty clear that this movie (like Prometheus before it) was heavily screwed with by Fox in the editing room. Apparently Scott was ordered to deliver a movie at exactly two hours (plus or minus a few minutes for credits). An interview with the editor of both movies, Pietro Scalia, reveals they almost cut the Weyland/David beginning out of the film (it would have become another viral video). He also discusses the tug of war between the Prometheus and Alien strands of the film, and how much hell putting the second act together was.

 

[Jedi Marso]

Any studio wanting to work with Ridley Scott ought to know by now that he doesn't really do 2 hour movies. The Directors Cut versions of his movies like Robin Hood and Kingdom of Heaven were far superior to the theatrical releases where the studios demanded he cut content.

 

[Beagleman]

Any studio wanting to work with Ridley Scott ought to know by now that he doesn't really do 2 hour movies. The Directors Cut versions of his movies like Robin Hood and Kingdom of Heaven were far superior to the theatrical releases where the studios demanded he cut content.

I didn't like the theatrical cut of KoH but love the DC and I didn't like the theatrical cut of Robin Hood but haven't seen the DC, so I should probably check that out...?

 

[Ovation]

I didn't like the theatrical cut of KoH but love the DC and I didn't like the theatrical cut of Robin Hood but haven't seen the DC, so I should probably check that out...?

Not all the different cuts of Scott's films that he's approved carry the "director's cut" label (he's on record as saying his preferred cut for Alien and Gladiator were the theatrical releases, though he enjoys exploring alternate cuts of his work). For Kingdom of Heaven, the longer home release is DEFINITELY the "director's cut" (explicitly stated in the voluminous extras). It is the most necessary of the director's cut I've seen of any film--a dramatic improvement (still not perfect but certainly a much stronger film).

 

[Gaith]

Apparently Scott was ordered to deliver a movie at exactly two hours (plus or minus a few minutes for credits).

If so, good. I loved both Prometheus and Covenant, but making Alien prequels is an inherently schlocky and artistically unnecessary enterprise, and there's no reason either flick should have exceed two hours.

 

[Starbreaker]

I just finished watching this. There's no doubt in my mind Prometheus is the much better film. I didn't really care for Prometheus when it first came out, but I've probably seen it five more times and really love it now. I'll reserve judgment for this film when I see the longer cut in a dark room at night.

 

[Tosk]

I'll reserve judgment for this film when I see the longer cut in a dark room at night.

There is no longer cut.

 

[Nightowl1701]

Fox is... 'reassessing'... whether to let Ridley finish his Alien Prequel story or not.

Scott apparently had two more movies in mind:the David/Elizabeth story in between Prometheus and Covenant, and the wrap-up of the David/Covenant story that ends with the Derelict on LV-426 (time travel may be involved here). Otherwise Blomkamp may yet be called in to do his 'Old Woman Ripley vs. the Alien Homeworld' movie after all, or we may get Round 3 of Alien vs. Predator.

 

[Allyn Gibson]

I'd like to see Scott finish the David story. As curious as I am about what happened specifically to Elizabeth, I'm also fine with leaving that an open question.

 

[The Nth Doctor]

I'd like to see Scott finish the David story. As curious as I am about what happened specifically to Elizabeth, I'm also fine with leaving that an open question.

Yeah, I was a bit disappointed that we didn't see Elizabeth in Covenant, but I'm content with what we got and I would prefer to see the conclusion of David's story first.

 

[Gaith]

Scott apparently had two more movies in mind:the David/Elizabeth story in between Prometheus and Covenant, and the wrap-up of the David/Covenant story that ends with the Derelict on LV-426 (time travel may be involved here). Otherwise Blomkamp may yet be called in to do his 'Old Woman Ripley vs. the Alien Homeworld' movie after all, or we may get Round 3 of Alien vs. Predator.

Hardly anything you wrote in that quote is in any way substantiated by legitimate news sources, let alone the fan site article you linked.

 

[Nightowl1701]

Call it speculation then. I did say 'apparently' and 'may.' A lot of it was pieced together from several articles from that fan site going back a few months, and I don't feel like going back and digging through them all. So you win.

For future reference, by 'legitimate news sources' - I'm assuming Variety, Hollywood Reporter, that kind?