Podcast # 409 - "Prometheus"

[Coda]

Fifield and Millburn: They're the token Dallas and Brett characters, they're only there for the money, and want to do as little as possible and still get paid.

You mean Parker and Brett. Yeah, that's a good parallel. I agree with your other observations as well. It certainly is possible the Engineer at the beginning was part of an experiment but I agree since the ship was leaving, I think they knew very well the outcome and have done this kind of terra forming before.

Oh, right!  Parker and Brett.

There's also the possibility the ship could have been automated too, since it didn't look like the derelict spacecraft and it looked like it turned on it's end and headed straight up. It almost looked like the ships from Independence Day.

[Coda]

Another well done job guys.  Much of what you had to say I agreed with for the most part.  I still think the movie falls a little short in some key areas - like plot, character, etc.  Frankly one of my biggest issues with the film you didn't mention much and that was how easy they figured out where to go out in space.  Space is big and that little star pattern just wasn't enough for me.  But I still am happy I saw the film in the theaters - it is an amazing looking movie.  Looking forward to the sequel.

That's almost like when Dr. Daniel Jackson figured out the 7th symbol to activate the Stargate....  I think the fact that the ancient humans were able to see the star pattern, it meant the stars were viewable with the naked eye.  And if they extrapolated from the locations of all of the other civilizations that also see he from their geographical location, I'm sure they can figure out where the planet is.  They also had already known that there was a planet and moons there in the star system.  So they must have some type of technology (Charlie mentioned long range scans) to be able to see that far away and even get data as to the moon being able to sustain life without actually going there first.

[Coda]

I have to also mention that I was a bit disappointed with Noomi Rapace's acting in this one.  I saw her in all three of the Swedish versions of the Millenium series (Girl with the dragon tatoo, etc..), and she was really good in them.

And don't hate me for this, but all the characters were annoying and deserved their fate.  All but the flight crew and David....  There was a depth to David's character that keeps you wondering what was going on in that AI head of his. It made his character unpredictable because of his own agenda.

Just had another thought.  When Charlie asked David about him wearing a space suit, David's response was "I was designed like this...because YOU people are more comfortable interating with your own kind."  This is a clear delineation of what he is compared to a human.  It almost sounds like he resents the fact that he is clearly better than a human, but humans don't treat him as such.  Remember when Weyland said that David was the closest thing to a son he would ever have?  David's face lit up, until Weyland said that David didn't have a soul, so he can never be human.  It's almost like, they made him human, but he can never be human nor treated as such.  Deep stuff.

I agree with Rico, it was a beautiful movie, and I don't get tired of watching it over and over again.  And I really like the way the Prometheus looks.

[Coda]

Hey guys, that green crystal thing Charlie was looking at looks like a bigger version of the same thing David took the drop of ooze from.

[M-5]

Thank you Al and Bryan for another great podcast.  Listening the two of you has made me want to see the movie again.  Thank you.

[Bryancd]

Hey guys, that green crystal thing Charlie was looking at looks like a bigger version of the same thing David took the drop of ooze from.

Yeah, I still wonder if that had any significance. It had a very alter feel to it directly in front of the relief on the wall of the xenomorph, which itself was in a position like on a crucifix.

[davekill]

Thanks for a cool podcast Bryan and Al, now I want to see this movie!
I liked your insights to the characters and how they fit in to the franchise.

[moyer777]

That was such a great podcast you guys.  LOVED listening tonight as I moved equipment around my studio.  I need to watch the movie again.  Thanks for all your hard work Bryan and Al.  VERY GOOD!

[Bromptonboy]

Gents, really enjoying the cast.  The 'Real Trailer' at the start cracked me up.

[wraith1701]

Cool podcast, dudes; well done.  :)   As much as the movie frustrates me, I have to admit it has its redeeming qualities.

[QuadShot]

That was such a great podcast you guys.  LOVED listening tonight as I moved equipment around my studio.  I need to watch the movie again.  Thanks for all your hard work Bryan and Al.  VERY GOOD!

Ah, Bryan did all the heavy lifting on this...so hat tip to Bryan!

[Meds]

Fantastic episode guys, really enjoyed this one. I thought i put a comment in as soon as i listened, obviously not. Great discussions about the story and the flaws. Thumbs Up.

[Bryancd]

Thanks guys! And thank you Al, without you it's just me talking to myself like a mental patient!

[ChrisMC]

"Like" a mental patient???

[ChrisMC]

http://www.prometheus-movie.com/uploads/112142280-Alien-Engineers.pdf

The first draft of the script for Prometheus when it was called Alien:Engineers, by a guy named Jon Spaihts.

Some points:

* The bulk of the movie takes place on LV-426 -- the same planet the Nostromo from "Alien" visited.

* Spaihts' Engineers are described as 15 feet tall. It takes two humans to lift a massive Engineer head.

* Noomi Rapace's role is named Jocelyn Watts instead of Elizabeth Shaw. Charlie Holloway is named Martin Holloway in this draft.

* David the android introduces Noomi and Holloway to the living Peter Weyland on a space station in Earth's orbit. There is no holographic Weyland near the start of the movie.

* The name of the ship is Magellan, not Prometheus.

* The business with David shooting basketball on a bicycle is absent. Ditto David dying his hair and watching "Lawrence of Arabia."

* The scene where the crewmen greet the alien cobra like a lost puppy is absent.

* The big storm is in this draft, but no flamethrower.

* A chestburster kills Holloway in its escape from his torso.

* Halfway through the movie, we learn a Weyland security force has been hidden on the Magellen the whole time.

* Weyland himself is not inexplicably hidden aboard the Magellen.

* Noomi's crucifix is not in this draft.

* If the Charlize Theron character randomly bones the Idris Elba character, I didn't notice that either.

* There's a deadly, acid-filled giant centipede. And an "octopoid" facehugger different from the one with which we're familiar. It turns out these Engineers carried at least seven kinds of weaponized species.

* Noomi becomes impregnated with an alien when an angry David places a facehugger on her. There's still a big medical pod C-section scene.

* I didn't notice anything about Holloway inspecting a tiny alien lodged in his eyeball.

* The alien craft still rolls toward Noomi on its edge.

* There's less of an Engineer rampage near the end.

* The movie ends with David and Noomi playing chess as beacons signal their masters.  David and Noomi do not use an Engineer ship to escape the planet.