When Alfred Hitchcock made Psycho in 1960, he scared a whole generation of moviegoers away from the showers. When Steven Spielberg made Jaws in 1975, he frightened another generation of moviegoers away from the beach. But when Ridley Scott made Alien in 1979, he took our fears of the unknown into deep, dark space where no one could hear us scream.
[Image of director Ridley Scott, and the Xenomorph that scared the entire world]
Not to put down the two classic horror films, but Psycho at least featured a human antagonist, albeit one who would have given Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde a run for his money. Similarly, Jaws featured a man-eating shark, something we knew and feared for a long time. In other words, Psycho and Jaws tapped on our existing fears.
But Alien was another thing altogether.
No one knew what it was, and thus no one ever came prepared when they first saw Alien in theatres. Not even someone with a whole body of existing knowledge of aliens obtained from popular culture or some kind of secret extra-terrestrial research that they conducted at home.
And boy, how they cowered and screamed in terror and horror. There was no place to hide, except in the recesses of one's mind. But then again, the human mind is pervious to fear...
[Image of Sigourney Weaver as the unforgettable heroine Ellen Ripley in Alien, the film that launched her Hollywood career into the stratosphere]
Alien remains to be the most accomplished and psychologically haunting science-fiction horror film of all-time. It is also one of the most scariest films in any genre ever made. Director Ridley Scott, who has made another science-fiction masterpiece in Blade Runner (1982), and memorable films like Thelma & Louise (1991), Gladiator (2000), Black Hawk Down (2001), and American Gangster (2007), returns to the genre he has helped define in its formative years with PROMETHEUS.
Set in the universe of Alien, PROMETHEUS is not a sequel, prequel, side-quel, reboot, remake, or whatever that Hollywood studios churn out every year from existing money-spinning material. PROMETHEUS' genesis lies in Scott's vision in creating an entirely original story with a modern visual style that is reverent to Alien while not being burdened by the need to recapture filmic elements that have made the sci-fi classic so great.
[Posters of Alien and Prometheus, capturing the mood of the unknown effectively]
While PROMETHEUS is distributed by a major Hollywood studio (20th Century Fox), it does not get the 'blockbuster treatment' (read: the film is not watered down for a PG or PG-13 friendly audience just so that it could set more cash registers ringing).
Few directors in the world have the power to control the decision-making of an entire Hollywood studio, but Scott has successfully navigated this treacherous path, and joins luminaries such as Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight, 2008; Inception, 2010), Spielberg (Jurassic Park, 1993; Saving Private Ryan, 1998), and James Cameron (Titanic, 1997; Avatar, 2009), who could make a blockbuster solely according to their creative vision without any studio pressure.
[The fate of the mysterious Space Jockey - the 'link' between Alien and Prometheus? A mouthwatering and intriguing prospect for die-hard fans]
PROMETHEUS has received a box-office unfriendly R-rating from the MPAA in the US, with the R-rating publicly supported by Tom Rothman, the CEO of 20th Century Fox. The film has been passed clean without any cuts, getting an NC16 rating for Violence and Some Gore here in Singapore. Ironically, Alien is rated PG here, despite one of the most disturbing and shocking moments ever captured on film - the iconic Chestburster scene.
With Scott's vision and the film's artistic integrity upheld, PROMETHEUS will be an acid test on whether an R-rated blockbuster can enjoy a respectable run at the box-office. Don't expect it to shatter records like Marvel's The Avengers (2012), but can it score at least twice its production budget (which is still not made public at this stage, but we suspect it is around the US$150 - 200 million region)? A worldwide gross of at least US$400 million would be very encouraging.
[Film still from Prometheus]
The last R-rated blockbuster that made it big was Zack Snyder's 300 (2007), making a worldwide gross of slightly over US$450, 000 on a US$65 million budget. (Nope, we are not considering the raunchy comedies The Hangover (2009) or The Hangover 2 (2011) in the context of this blog, even though they have made more money than 300).
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So yes, after three decades, Ridley Scott is back with arguably the most anticipated science-fiction film of the year. Could this be his finest hour? Could it score well at the box-office and open the gates for R-rated summer blockbusters in the future? Most importantly, could it give a new generation of moviegoers their Alien, while providing die-hard fans with the satisfaction that they so deserve after patiently waiting for its release for years?
[Trailer for Prometheus]
We shall cross our fingers and wait with bated breath for 7 June. PROMETHEUS is rated NC16 (Violence and Some Gore) and opens InCinemas 7 June 2012.