tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6496460488742488789.post6019438296824400658..comments2024-03-18T10:29:46.055+00:00Comments on Ken Armstrong Writing Stuff: Purposefully Praising PrometheusKen Armstronghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07775956557261111127noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6496460488742488789.post-7039748598811845382016-05-16T16:22:17.043+01:002016-05-16T16:22:17.043+01:00For many years I’ve been a faithful reader of SFX ...For many years I’ve been a faithful reader of <i>SFX</i> and I subscribe to a number of news feeds discussing science fiction in all its forms so I usually know what’s coming before the general public do. Even before <i>SFX</i> existed or the Internet had monopolised our lives I was still the same. I knew <i>years</i> in advance that Tim Burton was planning to have a crack at <i>Batman</i>, I read everything I could and was, predictably, disappointed because nothing can live up to the hype and part of the problem with all science fiction films these days—it really doesn’t happen with other genres—is that we allow <i>others</i> to decide what we should expect even before the first reviews come out. Apparently <i>Superman v Batman: Dawn of Justice</i> is not a very good film and yet its broken box office records because people want to see for themselves. It’s a bit perverse really and let’s hope it’s not a start of a new trend although if it is the blame probably lies at the feet of Donald Trump whose success—I use the word loosely—lies simply down to his ability to be (journalistically-speaking) omnipresent: hell, let’s just vote for him and see what kind of mess he makes.<br /><br />By the time I got round to watching <i>Prometheus</i> I’d stopped reading about stuff in depth. I knew the film was being made, I’d seen a few stills and had an idea what the storyline was and I was happy with that. I’d’ve gone to see it no matter what just as I plan to see the sequel, <i>Alien: Covenant</i> whenever it appears irrespective of what anyone says. I went to see <i>Prometheus</i> early on so I was only vaguely aware it wasn’t being critically acclaimed but that wouldn’t’ve worried me because <i>Alien3</i> wasn’t a hit right away and it’s only now people are starting to appreciate it if only because it wasn’t as bad as <i>Alien: Resurrection</i> and is a masterpiece compared to the two <i>AVP</i> films, all of which I’ve seen and even own.<br /><br />I was disappointed with <i>Prometheus</i>. Worse, I came away confused. Visually it was flawless and the acting was fine but something didn’t add up; there were too many unanswered questions. One or two are fine—hell, the alien has always been shrouded in mystery and that’s a part of the attraction—but <i>Prometheus</i> had promised us answers and failed to deliver big time although we did come away knowing more about the alien than when we went in so in that respect it did not lie but then it presented us with a whole pile of questions we’d never thought to ask. Now, IF it’d been made clear to us that this wasn’t a standalone film and it was only raising questions to draw us back then fine but that’s not how I recall it being sold. It was marketed as a prequel to <i>Alien</i>. Its original title (one of many I suppose) was <i>Aliens: Engineers</i> which I think I would’ve preferred.<br /><br />I couldn’t tell you how many times I’ve seen <i>Blade Runner</i> in all its cuts but what I can tell you is that it improves with subsequent viewings. Yes, it loses something too, its edge, because we know what’s coming, but what comes to the fore is its subtlety and attention to detail once you can sit back in your seat. I suspect the same’ll be true of <i>Prometheus</i> and I’m rather regretting not taping it when it was on last but I think I’ll find a copy and watch it again the next time Carrie’s in the States; you’ve piqued my interest. It is a problem these days—and not just with films, I would say books even more so—no one thinks they’ve the time to waste watching something more than once because there’s so much new coming down the line. One of the questions I ask of myself when reviewing books is: Could it be reread? Well, yes, of course; everything can be reread. But would it be a worthwhile experience? “One cannot read a book: one can only reread it,” maintained Nabokov. I wonder what his thoughts on cinema were.Jim Murdochhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12786388638146471193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6496460488742488789.post-29567073735502467702016-05-16T09:49:39.839+01:002016-05-16T09:49:39.839+01:00I watched Prometheus recently and, even given that...I watched Prometheus recently and, even given that it had been written as a prequel to the first Alien film but was only released in 2012, I forgave Ridley Scott for what I perceived to be its rather dated visuals. I felt that the ending was weak too but SciFi isn't really my preferred genre. I really should try to remember that rather than thinking about it about 7 minutes before a film ends.<br /><br />I'm just thinking that it's a good job that I never bother to read reviews because I probably wouldn't ever watch any more films at all.Karen Redmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18368078023802765569noreply@blogger.com