CinemaNerdz

CinemaLinks: A Prometheus Primer

Mike Tyrkus

Sigourney Weaver in "Alien." © 2003 Twentieth Century Fox. All Rights Reserved.

So, you’re planning to see Ridley Scott’s return to science fiction, Prometheus this weekend? You say you’re wondering if you’ll be able to enjoy it without having a deep profound knowledge of the other Alien films? Well, we here at CinemaNerdz are here to help and this week we’ve found a couple exquisite primers on the Alien saga to aid you in deciding whether Prometheusis right for you. Enjoy.

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First up, from the Film School Rejects, we’ve got a dissection of the commentary from the 2003 DVD edition of the seminal sci-fi horror film Alien. The piece, titled 32 Things We Learned From the “Alien” Commentary, is a breezy and informative synopsis of the commentary director Ridley Scott, executive producer Ronald Shusett, writer Dan O’Bannon, editor Terry Rawlings, as well as actors Sigourney Weaver, John Hurt, Veronica Cartwright, Tom Skerritt, and Harry Dean Stanton recorded for the director’s cut edition of the film. You’ll find discussion of the “chestburster” scene, various effects from the film, Scott’s direction, and the director himself even brings up his other sci-fi classic Blade Runner.

Of course, you may not have the time to go back and re-watch Alien (or see it for the first time) or any of the other films before seeing Prometheus, so CinemaBlend has provided a nifty little primer before taking on the new film. What to Know About The Alien Universe Before Seeing Prometheus gets you up to speed on every bit of arcane knowledge you’ll need from the Alien saga before going to see Scott’s prequel. But, be warned, there are some clearly marked spoilers here so avoid those if you don’t want any bit of the movie given away.

Mike Tyrkus

Editor in Chief at CinemaNerdz.com
An independent filmmaker, co-writer and director of over a dozen short films, the Editor in Chief of CinemaNerdz.com has spent much of the last three decades as a writer and editor specializing in biographical and critical reference sources in literature and the cinema, beginning in February 1991 reviewing films for his college newspaper. He was a member of the Detroit Film Critics Society, as well as the group's webmaster and one-time President for over a decade until the group ceased to exist. His contributions to film criticism can be found in Magill's Cinema Annual, VideoHound's Golden Movie Retriever (of which he was the editor for nearly a decade until it too ceased to exist), the International Dictionary of Films and Filmmakers, and the St. James Film Directors Encyclopedia (on which he collaborated with editor Andrew Sarris). He has also appeared on the television program Critic LEE Speaking alongside Lee Thomas of FOX2 and Adam Graham, of The Detroit News. He currently lives in the Detroit area with his wife and their dogs.

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