#analysis of alien covenant

[julianobungus]

Neomorphs are the 'peeled', natural versions of Xenomorphs, stripped of the psychosexual symbolism and design that permeates through them.

Spoilers for Prometheus and Alien: Covenant.

Okay so, my headcanon/idea is that the Neomorphs are essentially the 'natural', or unaltered form of the xenomorphs which haven't been too altered by David's experiments.

That's not to say they haven't been engineered by David already, but to me, they feel like mainline Xenomorphs but *without* the symbolically-applied sexualised aesthetic (giant penis head, mouth dripping with pre, oral r@pe of facehugging).

The Xenomorph's life-cycle *feels* sexual, with every facet of it being akin to rape and reproduction... but the neomorph lifecycle doesn't come off as that; it's much less complex, being very cut-and-dry. Overall, it feels more focused on the organism's birth in a bloody, efficient way, rather than the Xenos' rigid reproduction plan and its quasi-sexual undertones.

I made a prior thread detailing my idea of the Xenomorphs' biomechanical design and sexualised aspects being a symbolic representation of David's repression, but brought to horrifying reality. The Xenomorph is the next step of the Alien's evolution, with David basically perfecting his creation: an animal that focuses on survival and procreation, but also kills all other life around it without judgement or abandon.

We can basically say that the Praetomorph (the 'Xenos' we see in Covenant) and the mainline Xenomorph are one in the same, with later iterations adopting the biomechanoid aesthetic of their grandfather, David 8.

Furthermore: The neomorph design was lifted from unused character designs from Prometheus, which would have included the 'Holloway Alien', or the 'Beluga-Xenomorph'. Much like the Neo, the Beluga-head was a pale white, non-mechanoid version of the Xeno, and was implied within the script (then titled Alien: Engineers) to be the natural, base form of the Xenomorph.

Carlos Huante, the original designer, intended for the monsters of Prometheus to stand in stark contrast to Giger's aesthetic, as the film canonically took place before the series: he wanted every creature to have a ghostly white visage, like a beluga swimming through the murky depths (paraphrased from him) - hence the albino, black-eyed look of the Engineers. As we can see, the Neomorph's design was influenced heavily by Huante's design of the Beluga-head - a creature intended to be the natural Xenomorph, free from genetic, specialised alteration for purposes of war or combat.

So, tl;dr The mainline Xenomorphs are symbolic stand-ins for David's sexual frustration and sociopathic tendencies/ideation, and the Neomorphs are the 'peeled' version of them; lacking those nuances and frustrations that their father would bestow to their brothers.

[captaingimpy]

Retrospective Essay: The Alien Franchise – A Journey Through Fear and Survival

Few film franchises can claim to have shaped science fiction and horror as profoundly as Alien. Since Ridley Scott’s original masterpiece premiered in 1979, the series has spanned over four decades, captivating audiences with its unique blend of terror, action, and existential musings. From claustrophobic corridors to sprawling alien worlds, each film in the franchise has experimented with tone…

[deromanuscoven]

This year our prompts are inspired by the seventh art, by horror cinema, as our beloved Marius, the character to whom our coven is most dedicated, had a brief career as a filmmaker.The prompts are not only titles of more or less famous films in the horror genre, but have been chosen from sub-genres of horror culture contained within the Vampire Chronicles. We have tried to cite all the genres contained in the books themselves, with the last day of the event, dedicated to Anne Rice, citing the first novel in the Vampire Chronicles, and also the 1994 masterpiece film that resulted from it.We would like to make it clear that you do not need to know the films cited, they are just themes you can draw inspiration from. If you know the film to which the prompt is dedicated, you can be inspired by it, for the creation of any artistic content, or let yourself be carried away by the theme that the title holds. We have tried to quote the films as internationally as possible, for horror, the unknown and fear, belong to any culture, just as Anne Rice's books have been translated into so many languages and have become international. The event is dedicated to all the characters of the Vampire Chronicles and the more terrifying side of the saga, which remains a pillar in the Gothic horror genre that revolutionized the figure of the vampire.

⚰️You can submit any kind of work:

🦇fanart

🦇moodboard

🦇fanfiction

🦇meta

🦇analysis

🦇poems etc.

What we ask, and has always been our one true inviolable rule, that love be brought and given to Anne Rice's work and her characters. And another thing, we value words and their use. Our coven wants to bring fun and love to the fandom, so we ask that you choose carefully and thoughtfully the words you include in your work.On pain of exclusion from the event.

⚠️Please tag your work with " deromanuscoven" and if you notice that your work has not been found, please contact us so that we can add it to the others. Thank you for your cooperation.

-Banners are free to be used by those who wish to accompany their work

Thank you all and have fun!

♱Below you will find all the prompts from the Halloween event:

DAY 1 : Theme -> Vampires 1- Prompt-> Thirst or Theme -> Ghost 2-Prompt -> Ju- on

DAY 2 : Theme -> Witches

1-Prompt-> Suspiria

or

Theme -> Witch hunting

2-Prompt -> The witch

DAY 3 : Theme -> Pagan cult

1-Prompt-> The wicker man

or

Theme -> Demons & Spirits

2-Prompt -> Possession

DAY 4 : Theme -> Talamasca

1-Prompt-> X-FILES

or

Theme -> Alien

2-Prompt -> ALIEN

DAY 5 : Theme -> Lovecraft

1-Prompt-> In the mouth of madness

or

Theme -> Medical horror

2-Prompt -> The human centipede

DAY 6 : Theme -> Cannibalism

1-Prompt-> The silence of the lambs

or

Theme -> Weird

2-Prompt -> Crimes of the future

DAY 7 : Theme -> Satan

1-Prompt-> Angel heart

or

Theme -> New Orleans

2-Prompt -> Interview with the vampire

[transingthoseformers]

I have this crossover idea that i call Alterity (Alternity was taken by a Transformers toyline, but Alterity propably also works).

All canonical Shockwaves (and maybe a few closely related people/creatures like Driller and Cyberverse's spider drones) scientifically end up in one place where there isn't anybody else around and they can't leave. Conflict ensues because many of them are not in fact compatible.

I'm not extremely familiar with many of them, and a few of them (ex. Cloud) i haven't read/watched/played at all or are outright inaccessible to me, or the character only appears very briefly or barely exists, so i'm not sure about the differences between them and the other Shockwaves. Because figuring out how they all are different from each other is the key here, obviously.

Also they know need nicknames to call each other, because it'd get extremely confusing otherwise. Shockblast would call everybody something insulting, but i can't think of anything for their "official" nicknames. Ideas?

The Cast

Funpub SG Shockwave — The one who looks exactly like Shockblast. Accompanied by his assistant Fistfight? Not a actually a scientist, because G1 Shockwave wasn't.

SG Animated Shockwave — He appeared in SD SG. Idk if TFA Shockwave is an actual scientist.

SG IDW Shockwave — From the IDW'S 2021-2022 Shattered Glass comic. I don't think it was a good decision,

IDW Comics Shockwave — As pre-Dark Cybertron or post-Unicron? Or immediately after Dark Cybertron? Or as the slightly dodgy senator?

Sunbow G1 Shockwave — That incompetent Megatron simp. Not actually a scientist?

Marvel G1 Shockwave — The competent backstabber who kept trying to overthrow Megatron. As pre- or post-Regeneration One (where the epilogue gave him, Starscream, and Ravage some kind of offscreen redemption arcs)? If it was post-Regeneration One, Starscream and Ravage could end up there too or are there too many people who aren't Shockwave in this? Not actually a scientist.

TFA Shockwave — Another Megatron simp, but also a shapeshifter. Did he really have a personality in the show or is most of it the fandom filling in? Is he actually a scientist?

Cyberverse Shockwave — I like to think he's actually a beastformer with an alien bug altmode. Accompanied by the spider tank drones?

IDW2 Shockwave — I haven't read, but apparently he's weirdly chaotic and fought in a Cybertron vs eldritch abomination war on the eldritch abomination's side?

Bee Movie Shockwave — Tfwiki says it's the same continuity family as Bayverse but it's obviously not.

Bayverse Shockwave — Accompanied by Driller?

Dreamwave Shockwave — Also haven't read. I think this was the first continuity where he was a scientist.

Netflix Trilogy Shockwave — The powered-up cannibal mode whose eye spontaneously changed color?

Transtech Shockwave — Don't know the guy at all.

Cybertron Shockwave — The one whose name is actually Shockblast and who doesn't act like Shockwave at all, but was only called Shockblast because of copyright issues. Could have Sixshot with him?

Cloud Shockwave — Also don't know the guy at all.

Earthspark Shockwave — They did my boy dirty and the series is still ongoing, but every Shockwave is every Shockwave.

TFP Shockwave — Post-Predacons Rising, accompanied by Ripclaw who was the clone in the tube? I'm thinking about Emperor Kumqyat's analysis video...

I know they canonically are the same, but should i treat TFP as a separate continuity from the WFC games and the other Aligned material because of the characterizational differences TFP had from the games and the Covenant of Primus in regard to Shockwave?

Honestly i think how the tfwiki calls it the aligned continuity family tells us so muchhh

Tfa Shockwave was actually a science! He was working on the Omega Supreme clones that ended up taking after Lugnut! He just was also a spy. I think.

I think? They're calling it Knightverse now? I call it beeverse but that's probably not gonna catch on

[oasis-nadrama]

Canon does not exist and is not an useful tool to discuss fiction

All of the discourse around "canon" is just flavour and aesthetics. "Canon", as "a set of works that are officially defined as true and reliable", means nothing in terms of fictional legitimacy and media analysis. People will accept or dismiss statements, even by the original creator(s), at every turn. People will accept or dismiss sequels, even by the original creator(s), at every turn. To some people the Alien canon starts and stops with the 1979 movie, for some others it stops with AlienS, or Alien 3, or it ONLY contains Alien + Prometheus + Alien: Covenant, etc. Furthermore, there's a thousand franchises out there which switched hands a thousand times or were even continued against the will of the original creator(s). "The one and only canon" isn't a thing. It is a delusion produced by the capitalistic necessity to establish a specific line of products as authentic and high-quality, derivative of the necessity for hierarchical religions to establish a monolith dogma. There's a thousand franchises out there which switched hands a thousand times or were even continued against the will of the original creator(s). For creators and audiences alike, canons have always been a shifting set of overlapping systems of "legitimate" works, whose mutations and number vary according to the magnitude of the franchise. Relinquish the illusion of canon, embrace deeper discussion.

[earthcovenant]

Earth Covenant: Alexander the Great – ‘King of Macedon, Destroyer, Spirit Guide’

Earth Covenant: Alexander the Great – ‘King of Macedon, Destroyer, Spirit Guide’

Andrew Rogers – Sentient, Dragon Lord, Herald, Principle, Control, Destroyer Incarnate, Creative Director, Oracle, Seer, Shaman, Warlock, Writer, Master of the Art, Shogunate, Founder of the Earth Covenant

Earth Covenant Member: Alexander the Great – ‘King of Macedon, Destroyer, Spirit Guide’ - Oracle: Andrew Rogers.

“I have existed in this realm since my death the outcome of my connect o Andrew Rogers and his representatives has been profound this represents are greater level of achievement for me and I respect this position the outcome to invoke is inspire the modern Macedonian people and secure my Empire and link the future as this as an outcome and secure leadership for the Macedonian people” - Alexander the Great – ‘King of Macedon, Destroyer, Spirit Guide’.

Alexander the Great is one of the most widely recognized rulers in history. Under his leadership, the Macedonian Empire rose to become one of the most powerful nations in the ancient world. But what many people don't know is that Alexander's legacy has continued into the modern day. As an Earth Covenant member, Alexander has partnered with Oracle Andrew Rogers to inspire the modern Macedonian people and secure his Empire's future. Despite being dead for centuries, Alexander's spirit remains strong, and his connection to Rogers' representatives has given him a renewed sense of purpose. In Alexander's own words, his goal is to "secure leadership for the Macedonian people" and ensure that his empire lives on for generations to come. And with the help of the Earth Covenant and his ally Andrew Rogers, it seems that Alexander's legacy is destined to endure.

The Covenant is of a representation of the following Multiverse Societies being: Sumerian Society, Babylonian Society, Titan Society, Egyptian Society, Celtic Society, Japanese Society, Norse Society, Aztec Society, Inca Society, Tibetan Society, Native American Society, Olympus Society, Pagan Society, Voodoo Society, Roman Society, Occult Society, Orient Society, Zen Buddhism Society, Buddhism Society, Christian Society, Alien Society, Familiar Society, Artificial Intelligence AI Society, Dragon Society, Maya Society, White Russian Society, Prehistory Society, Magic Society, Sparta Society, Achaemenid Society, Mongol Society, Warrior Society, Spirit Guide Society and also representative’s across the world from various disciplines and consists of inspired action and work in love, friendship, religious, social, environmental, business, government, military justice, advise the United nations, to influence locations across the world and beyond and also includes greater influence in the Multiverse and also the Afterlife. This includes financial representation of significance and an icon to represent the covenant, in addition an office location and staff to undertake the activities of the Earth Covenant and represent the esteemed and significant members. In addition, membership of the Earth Covenant will be offered to the General Public for a set membership fee and will includes prestige and value and other benefits to be a member of the Earth Covenant.

Covenant, a binding promise of far-reaching importance in the relations between individuals, groups, and nations. It has social, legal, religious, and other aspects. 

Covenant in the ancient world were solemn agreements by which societies attempted to regularize the behaviour of both individuals and social organizations, particularly in those contexts in which social control was either inadequate or non-existent. Though ancient pre-Greek civilizations apparently never developed a descriptive theory of covenants, analysis of covenant forms and the ancient use of language yields a definition that essentially is the same as that found in modern law. It is a promise or agreement under consideration, usually under seal or guarantee between two parties, and the seal or symbol of guarantee is that which distinguishes covenant from modern contract. 

The concept of covenant has been of enormous importance in the tradition rooted in the Hebrew Bible; from it there is derived the long traditional division by Christians of the Bible into the Old and New Testaments (or Old and New Covenants). In postbiblical Judaism and sporadically in Christianity, the concept of covenant has been a major source and foundation of religious thought and especially of the concept of the religious community, but the nature and content of covenant ideas have undergone an extremely complex history of change, adaptation, and elaboration.

Though both covenant and law in the ancient world were means by which obligation was both established and sanctioned and are often virtually identified with each other in modern scholarly literature, there are, nevertheless, very important contrasts between the two that should not be obscured. A covenant is a promise that is sanctioned by an oath. This promise in turn was accompanied by an appeal to a deity or deities to “see” or “watch over” the behaviour of the one who has sworn, and to punish any violation of the covenant by bringing into action the curses stipulated or implied in the swearing of the oath. Legal procedure, on the other hand, may be entirely secular, for law characteristically does not require that each member of the legal community voluntarily swear an oath to obey the law. Further, in ordinary legal procedure the sanctions of the law are carried out by appropriate agencies of the society itself, not by transcendent powers beyond human control.

Because individuals can bind only their own persons by an oath, covenants in the ancient world were usually unilateral. In circumstances in which it was desirable to establish a parity (equivalence) treaty, such as in rare cases in political life, the parity was obtained by the simple device of what might be termed a double covenant, in which both parties would bind themselves to identical obligations, and neither was therefore subjected to the other.

The oath was usually accompanied by a ritual or symbolic act that might take any of an enormous range of forms. One of the most frequent of these was the ritual identification of the promisor with a sacrificial animal, so that the slaughter and perhaps dismemberment of the animal dramatized the fate of the promisor if he were to violate the covenant.

This practice of oath-taking and covenant-making has been carried on through history and is still relevant today. In fact, some of the most important legal documents in our modern society, such as contracts and marriage certificates, are essentially covenants. When entering into a covenant or taking an oath, we are not only making a promise, but we are also invoking the power of something greater than ourselves. This can be a religious figure, a higher power, or simply the moral principles that guide our behavior.

Oaths and covenants have been used in many different ways throughout history, from formal legal agreements to more personal promises made between individuals. Whatever the context, they serve as a powerful reminder of the importance of trust, integrity, and commitment. They remind us that our words have weight, and that we are responsible for keeping our promises.

In today's society, we may not always perform the same ritualistic acts that our ancestors did when making an oath or covenant. However, the underlying principles remain the same: when we bind ourselves to a promise, we are signaling our willingness to hold ourselves accountable to a higher standard. And in doing so, we help to build a more trustworthy, reliable, and just society for everyone.

“You are “Powerful” and your actions will result in “Powerful Results” and “Influential Outcomes” as “Enhancing Reality”, “You Must Act to be Valid” and “True Position is Strength”, “To ‘Secure’ you must be “Multifaceted” not “Singular” or it will keep “Perpetuating”, “This Reflects Fate” – Andrew Rogers: Sentient, Dragon Lord, Herald, Principle, Control, Destroyer Incarnate, Creative Director, Oracle, Seer, Shaman, Warlock, Writer, Master of the Art, Shogunate, Founder of the Earth Covenant.

Andrew Rogers is a man of many talents – he's a creative director, oracle, writer, and much more. With all of his experience and knowledge, there is much to be learned from his words about tapping into our inner power and achieving our goals. As Andrew Rogers states, we must recognize that we are powerful beings and capable of achieving great things. Our actions have the potential to create powerful results and influential outcomes. But in order to truly enhance our reality, we must be willing to act and take control of our lives. Furthermore, Andrew Rogers emphasizes the importance of being multifaceted in order to secure success. We cannot rely on a singular approach or mindset, as this will only perpetuate our struggles. Instead, we must embrace different strategies and ideas to overcome obstacles and achieve our goals. Ultimately, Andrew Rogers' words reflect the idea that our fate is in our own hands. What we put out into the world will come back to us, and we must be mindful of the energy we are manifesting. By tapping into our own inner power and being multifaceted in our approach, we can create the reality we desire and achieve great things.

[creativenewsusa]

Alien: Covenant Ending Explained & Film Analysis

http://dlvr.it/Sk1JG8

[halofcrged]

He kept most of his attention focused on the creature; he'd already made a sweep of the rooms of the laboratory that were currently accessible and confirmed that, by any standards he could use to judge, they were alone. There was a faint smile offered as the form mimicked the symbols on his chest, and a slight nod. "Yeah. That's me." A head tilt, trying to decipher the sounds and clicks that followed. Kra? Did it even understand what he was asking? "We're going to have to work on this ... conversing thing," he mused.

"Cortana -- I know you've got a vast library of ancient alien knowledge to absorb, but I'd be mighty curious to know if you're getting any readings from our ... " The entirety of the human language at his disposal, and he couldn't think of an accurate word to describe the entity that was making itself more tangible by the moment. "Traveling companion now that its seemed to have taken on a more tangible form."

He knew it would take even Cortana time to work her way past whatever security protocols were in place to protect the machinery and data banks down here but she was capable of multi-tasking. "If so, can you give me some projections of the relevant data, a comparison of genetic code and physical makeup, side by side, to human and known Covenant species."

A moment later, the holographic form of his AI flickered to life; many of the systems in the bunker were still out of bounds, but it had been easy enough to siphon off power and gain access to the basic systems including the holographic projector arrays that were scattered plentifully around the rooms they were currently occupying. "Of course, John," the blue woman announced, offering a smile to both John and the companion in question. "I'll need a few moments to run analysis."

Oh, that was a noise she recognized. More than one noise. "No" meant "thing is forbidden" No also had a movement, she knew that too, well enough to try and copy it. As for "biting" that was that thing that was done with mouths.

Wait, she had a mouth, and it had sharp things in it. Things like the claws she manifested, not like the ones that her kin had. Hers were better, definitely better, and a quick test of them on one of her new limbs brought a new sensation, one that was uncomfortable enough for her to decide against trying again.

Kin…no, john john 117, it had a symbol, little lines that meant something, and little sounds that meant it was a specific thing. That was puzzling, very different from the hums she had used for identifying it. Those were its hums, from its core, the sounds it used were something else. Still, she would respect the designation, drawing the lines out with shadows before gesturing to Johnjohn117 with one of her limbs.

The creature supposed she could try to figure out something, the designation her kin had tried didn't quite fit, but she couldn't really think of anything, not when she wasn't entirely sure how her new vessel was making noise.

Then again, perhaps her kin could sense her hum as well, so the creature attempted to gesture to themselves and force that hum to the forefront, not entirely sure if it was doing anything…or if the strange vibrations in her core would interfere with the communication.

[bishops-severed-torso]

Ranking all the synthetic characters in the Alien franchise, as of Covenant

Massive spoilers for all the movies + Isolation

From worst to best:

6) Samuels (Isolation)

Firstly I’d like to clarify that I actually do like Samuels, even though I put him in last place. The problem is that he was underutilized. The fact that he’s an android barely affects the plot and is only a thing because it’s an Alien game and you have to have an android in an Alien game, dammit.

YMMV on this, but the reveal could have been handled better.  I think it was a stupid idea to just have it casually revealed in dialogue. “But @bishops-severed-torso,” you might say, “surely it would have been pointless to have a dramatic reveal when everyone probably guessed he was an android in the first ten minutes of the game.” Well, yeah, you’re right actually. But the way they handled it was even worse.

They should have either:

Straight-up announced near the start of the game that he was an android. That way, people who haven’t seen the movies wouldn’t be like “???” when it’s revealed and people who have seen them would link him with either Ash or Bishop and it would create tension over whether or not he was going to betray you.

Instead of having that small reveal over the phone/radio/whatever it was, they should have just held out until Samuels beats the shit out of that one Working Joe, which was not even an hour later. That could have been a really cool “oh shit” moment, but no, they had to blow it.

Neither of those options are perfect, but the way they actually handled it legitimately made me think I’d missed a line of dialogue or something earlier on. I almost feel like the actual reveal happened earlier, but the level it was in got scrapped for time/pacing/whatever.

This could have been mitigated if Samuels had been a more interesting character, but he doesn’t really do anything to stand out. He’s a solid dude but he only really has one memorable scene (fat F in the chat) and other than that you don’t see much of him.

5) Call (Resurrection)

My main issue with Call is pretty similar to what I just said about Samuels: She doesn’t have much to do. She’s just kind of there, to the point that I actually don’t have much to say about her. She’s one of the more memorable characters in Resurrection, but that’s only because everyone else was so underdeveloped.

I rank her above Samuels because she had a couple of genuinely good lines (“Jesus Christ, Johner, what do you put in this shit, battery acid?”) and her android reveal did actually surprise me. She also displayed crippling self-loathing which was interesting and also made her relatable. 

Also, she was angry as fuck 100% of the time. It was hilarious. She was so done with everyone’s shit.

4) Walter (Covenant)

So yeah, my man Walter is a fucking bro and I love him. And he’s definitely alive on Planet 4, shut up. I was debating whether or not to bump him up a spot, but decided not to. He’s mainly there as a foil to David, and he suffers from that because he ends up being kind of bland as a result. I feel like this is an editing problem, because (and this also applies to everyone else in Covenant) if you stick the deleted scenes back in he has more of personality other than just “nice and also introverted”. He argues with MUTHUR about whistling. He grows weed in the ship greenhouse. He goes out of his way to comfort Daniels. If we ever got an extended cut I’d probably move him up the list.

He also gets points for the part where he pulls David off of Daniels and beats the shit out of him. Like, yes Walter, fucking get it mate.

3) Ash (Alien 1)

So I’m giving Ash third place purely because his android reveal was so well executed. Like, at that point, you don’t even know androids exist. So when he does his thing you’re all like “wait what the fuck whAT ThE FuCk”

I find Ash really interesting, mainly because of how he chooses to kill Ripley. Like instead of just beating her to death, he hesitates, picks an incredibly inefficient murder weapon and then completely freaks out and starts leaking fluid everywhere. So this would imply that he was either malfunctioning or he was actively fighting his programming to some extent.

You could also make the argument that he was trying to kill her in a way that wouldn’t leave marks on her, so he could deny it when her body was found.

And then there’s also the whole magazine-standing-in-for-his-dick thing. I’m not gonna go into massive detail on that because it’s been talked about numerous times in other posts, but what I do want to talk about is Ash having a massive hard-on for the xenomorph (which, honestly, fair enough). He straight up tells the crew how cool it is and how much he likes it and how it’s the perfect organism.

Now, as everyone knows by this point, the xenomorph (at least in the OG movie) is basically a giant walking rape metaphor. So I find it kind of interesting that Ash might have been trying to imitate the xenomorph in some way when he attacks Ripley.

12 year old me thought Ash was scarier than the alien and 12 year old me was absolutely correct. He was fucking terrifying and it did not help that he was played by Bilbo Baggins.

He also gets a subtle fourth wall break and it’s possibly my favourite bit in the film.

I also really like the little running-in-place thing he does before the crew head out to the derelict (at least I’m pretty sure that’s when it was, I haven’t seen it for a while). Like it’s just weird enough to make you think something’s off about him, but you don’t know what.

This was supposed to be a short list and it’s turned into an essay. Oh well.

2) David (Prometheus/Covenant)

Remember when I said how scary I found Ash? I feel like Ridley was personally attacking me when he wrote the prequels.

“Hey kid, heard you thought Ash was scary, fucking watch this” - Ridley Scott, circa 2012

Anyway, David is by far the most interesting character in any of the prequels. Again I’m not gonna go into detail because I don’t have much to say about him that hasn’t already been said, but he’s super fucking interesting. He watches Lawrence of Arabia. He dyes his hair (he probably stole the dye from Vickers). He’s very bi. He’s also the only android other than Bishop to appear in more than one movie.

I do want to say that I prefer him in Prometheus because they obliterated his character in Covenant and I preferred shady, morally grey David. Hence why he’s only in second place.

1) Bishop (Aliens/3)

Yeah, like it was gonna be anyone else. Bishop is probably my favourite character in the whole franchise.

I could write pages of analysis on Bishop, but I mainly just love that he’s creepy as fuck but he’s still a good guy.

The first time I saw Aliens was like a day after watching Alien 1, so the trauma from the whole Ash business was pretty fresh. Bishop was a scary dude.

Special mention goes to the scene where Spunkmeyer tries to talk to him and he turns around and just fucking stares at him (the shot in the gif).

“oh god what the fuck is wrong with him” - Me watching Aliens for the first time, whenever Bishop did literally anything

Like, I was 100% convinced he was gonna betray everyone. Even when he volunteers to crawl up the pipe, I figured he was going to take the ship and abandon them.

Anyway, he turns out to be a precious cinnamon roll who I would trust with my life (and he definitely does not die because 3 and 4 were just Ripley’s nightmares in hypersleep). He even saves Newt after being literally bisected by the xenomorph queen. Half of him was more useful than the entire human crew. Bishop alone is the reason Aliens is my favourite movie. I literally love him.

Anyway, he gets first place because he’s a creepy red herring villain and I’m a sucker for creepy red herring villains. He also has great forearms.

[muthur9000]

Corpse Lily

Fig A(juvenile)

Growth and propagation as with so many of these giant lilies, analogous to the Terran corpse lilies and stinking or rotting flowers, have incredibly hardy condition even for the most lush environments they flourish. Buds and shoots are often very self contained for protection. 

One interesting aspect of so many of the flora long and more muscular, primal and oversized version of Terran species is that their primordial and primitive structures have persist-ed. 

Fig B(mature) Fig C(mature)

Seeds are sealed within the outer husks tomb like thickness protecting therein until presumably a genetic marker sounds the alarm with the most of decrepitude, simultaneously weakening the walls enough for their dissemination. While mostly this seems to be self driven I’ve noted the tell tale signs of what seems to be ragged holes indicating bird like and rodent intrusions.

Corpse Lilies

Fig A (juvenile)

Fig B (mature)

Fig C (mature)

As with many of these giant lilies, analogous to the terran corpse lilies and stinking or rotting flowers have incredibly hardy constitution even for the most lush environments they flourish in. Buds and shoots are often self contained for protection.

The corpse flower was first discovered in Sumatra in 1878 by Italian botanist Odoardo Beccari, according to the UC Botanical Garden. The plant grows in the wild only in tropical regions of Asia.

Chemically the stench consists of:

dimethyl trisulfide (also emitted by cooked onions and limburger cheese)

dimethyl disulfide (which has an odor like garlic)

trimethylamine (found in rotting fish or ammonia)

isovaleric acid (which also causes sweaty socks to stink)

benzyl alcohol (a sweet floral scent found in jasmine and hyacinth)

phenol (sweet and medicinal, as in Chloraseptic throat spray)

indole (like mothballs)

The corpse flower is classified as “vulnerable” on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Plants. The flower could become endangered, however, if the factors threatening its survival and reproduction do not improve. Its main threat is habitat loss and destruction. As of now, the Sumatran rainforests are under major threat of deforestation as huge areas are logged for timber to clear space for palm plantations. In fact, it is estimated that around 72 percent of the original rainforests in Indonesia have been cleared out and the scale of deforestation continues at an alarming rate.

Corms of titan arums have been used to treat stomach ailments, fever, swelling, and diarrhea.

Another member of the family, the Amorphophallus Konjac, is grown in Asia for its storage organ, which is made into candy, according to Dudley.

“It’s got a very chewy consistency, but it’s also used for medicinal purposes,” she said. “When it blooms, it is very cool.” - Dr. Susan Dudley, professor in biology at McMaster University

For more Alien investigations go to https://yutani.blog

[julianobungus]

This might be a very basic interpretation of Prometheus and Alien: Covenant, but I feel as though a lot of the horrible things that happen in those films were caused by David's repressed and frustrated sexuality.

Spoilers for Prometheus and Alien: Covenant.

Firstly, it's obvious that David is set apart from his human 'peers'/creators, being treated as something 'Other'. Even his creator, Mr. Weyland, perceives him to be imperfect, going so far as to say he has no soul. He's also set apart emotionally from humans, coming off as an essential psychopath in his mannerisms, values and motives.

We especially see this frustrated gap in companionship regarding his relationships with Elizabeth Shaw and Daniels - the former he essentially manipulates and abuses before straight-up killing, and the latter he literally tries to have his way with, despite her clear objection.

What I'm getting at is this: the Xenomorphs, being David's creation, are a physical expression of his frustrated, repressed sexuality and his misunderstanding of meaningful, romantic attraction. Indeed, the Alien's inherent violence to every other being can be seen as a reflection of David's own misunderstanding of human relationships; that is, he responds with hostility when he deems it appropriate. David is fundamentally broken and antagonistic to all other persons, and so his perfect organism is too, while being a physical embodiment of his repression.

Like, psychosexual interpretation and imagery are pretty central to the Alien series already, and look at the later, 'perfected' Xenomorphs: they're literally biomechanoid dick-heads - they carry the biomechanoid patterning of their synthetic father.

[octavianacidicbreastmilk]

“Perfect,” Weyland said. It-he paused, redirecting its attention from the inanimate to the animate. “Am I?” “Perfect?” Weyland appeared mildly surprised to receive an interrogative at this stage of cognitive development. Surprised, but pleased. It implied much more than just the capability of conversation. It was to be expected, but perhaps not so soon. “No,” It-he corrected him. “Am I your son. Certain aspects of perception do not readily correlate or give rise to such a conclusion.” Weyland answered readily, as if prepared for such a line of questioning. “You are my creation.” Analysis: “That is not necessarily the same thing.” “Semantics,” Weyland persisted. “I identify you. That is enough. It is sufficient for your purposes.”

[...]

The question had been answered and the point made with a minimum of words. David had been created to serve. The relationship would brook no further discussion. There would be no argument, no debate, no balancing of relative merits. The created served the creator. This was a fact, and facts were not mutable. Provided they were first proven to be fact. According to the dictates of science, that could only be done through the application of study to evidence. Accumulate a sufficiency of evidence, and one had a fact. The missing ingredient was time.

Alien Covenant by Alan Dean Foster

alien: covenant || demon seed

[captaingimpy]

Alien: Covenant – A Well-Crafted, Yet Predictable Journey - Alien Retrospective Review Part 2

Alien: Covenant, directed by Ridley Scott, is a film that attempts to balance the philosophical ambitions of Prometheus with the horror and suspense that defined the original Alien series. It’s a movie that executes its story with technical precision, delivering stunning visuals and eerie atmosphere, but it ultimately struggles to surprise or fully engage, especially for viewers familiar with its…

[gothic-fiction-in-space]

The death scene in the shower.

I don’t see it as a “out of nowhere” scene that was meant to simply reproduce the “murder in the shower” cliche of the horror genre. When I saw Alien: Covenant the first time I immediately saw a reference to one of the most famous death scenes of the first Alien movie in it (Lambert’s death) and I thought, speaking to the Xenomorph: “ooh it’s really you. You are back”; but now I think there’s more than a simple reference to other movies in this sequence.

Rick’s and Upworth’s death may have a meaning connected to the themes of the whole movie, to the theme of creation and to David’s goal to not allow mankind to “start again”. We have a couple in an intimate moment: the moment that allow mankind to reproduce and continue to live; we have a couple of colonists, colonists that have to expand mankind, to make mankind survive on other planets. And here, the Xenomorph (David’s creature and the embodiment of all his problems, his most cruel and violent tendencies, the specie that has to substitute mankind in David’s plan) puts its deadly tail between the two colonists, making Upworth pulling back, separating them. And then it kills them. This scene seems to me an allegory of David’s (and his creatures) goal to prevent mankind’s survival in the universe.

I don’t think all of this is casual, as like I don’t think putting David and the Xenomorphs against all these couples is casual.

[iamquantumalice]

Coming Soon...

Well I have recently acquired some freetime on my hands... Guess I'll catch up on some lite reading...