The movie Prometheus, the thing itself, is as viral as its actual, still-growing viral marketing campaign. I paid $11 last night not to watch a so-so Alien prequel; I paid $11 for something to talk and argue about constantly, and generally keep at the front of my brain just long enough for another Alien franchise (owned by 20th Century Fox) product to be announced. I don’t want to spoil anything, so you’ll have to just take my word that this thing is a ridiculous open-text. It is also an often stupid open-text, but one irresistible for me and just about everyone I know to argue about/discuss in-person and on-line.There’s just so many apparent holes — or are they? — and tenuous connections and “why?”‘s that there’s no way someone at some point in the creation of Ridley Scott’s return-to-creature-hell didn’t have the same thought as me. This is intentional; it’s not a bafflingly tattered story full of characters that seem to mean nothing and then die and that didn’t even make sense incidents and other assorted questions (complaints), it’s a viral marketing campaign for itself. Which is an amazing way to sell a movie. It’d be nice if it was also a good movie, but why bother? We’ll talk about it anyway.The film’s also a viral marketing campaign for a rebooted Alien franchise. No one thought this was just a Ridley Scott Alien swan song. There’s gold in them there giant black skulls, and it’s going to be mined some way and by anyone, really, the studio wants. A friend and I argued a bit about whether that’d be something Prometheus-related or back to the original Alien drawing board with a remake or reimagining. Given the post-movie release viral video out now with Guy Pearce looking young again and that (spoiler) in the movie he has a whole two scenes wearing only old-person make-up, expect it to be leaning toward either a prequel or follow-up to Prometheus with a heavy Guy Pearce presence. It probably won’t be very good either, but I’ll go along with everyone else that saw Prometheus to calm my imagination.This is of course just like Lost, whose writer, Damon Lindelof, also wrote Prometheus: a not-very-good serial that you will continue to watch because you want to know what happened to that fucking Dharma crew or what’s in the goddamn hatch. Even though you know the answer is going to be trifling.Reach this writer at michaelb@motherboard.tv.
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