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5 Things We Want to See in ‘Alien: Covenant’

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Alien: Covenant | via Fox

Now that Twentieth Century Fox has officially announced the Prometheus sequel/Alien prequel Alien: Paradise Lost Alien: Covenant as a real project that is in development, fans around the world can rejoice over the fact that we are finally getting another Alien movie. That being said, many people were disappointed in Prometheus, especially those who were expecting more of an actual Alien film. Personally, I enjoyed the film on its own terms but can’t help but wish for a film with more Xenomorphs (and not this kind of Xenomorph). Here is a list of five things we really want to see in Alien: Covenant. Please listen to us!

1. Horror

With the exception of Elizabeth’s grotesque C-section sequencePrometheus didn’t offer much in the way of horror. It was more a straight science-fiction film that posed many questions and failed to provide any answers. If Ridley Scott is going to title his movie Alien: Covenant, then he better damn well make it an Alien film. Give us some horror! This doesn’t necessarily mean gore, but make the central villain intimidating and scary. The Engineers were interesting villains, but they were hardly scary.

Alien: Covenant

2. Tone Down the Religion

This could be a controversial request, but the overemphasis on religion turned a lot of people off from Prometheus. That film stood apart from the Alien films because it opted to take a different, more religious approach to the mythology. This is all well and good, and had the film not been billed as a prequel to Alien, those aspects may have been better received by the general public. Now that the sequel actually has the work “alien” in the title, the film will most likely tone down the religious aspects and focus more on what so many people love about the original franchise: aliens.

Alien: Covenant

3. Xenomorphs

Speaking of aliens, let’s get more of them in the film! Real xenomorphs though, not whatever that thing was in the closing moments of Prometheus.

Alien Covenant

4. Winking Tributes to the Original Alien

Part of the problem with prequels is that they feel too compelled to connect the dots between them and the original films. The closing tag of Prometheus, with its non-xenomorph felt tacked on an unnecessary. For the most part, the film did a good job separating itself from the original franchise, which made its epilogue feel even more out of place. Alien: Covenant should feature subtle connections to Alien, but not glaringly obvious ones that take you out of the film.

Alien: Covenant

5. Elizabeth Shaw

The official synopsis for Alien: Covenant mentions Michael Fassbender’s David, but fails to mention Noomi Rapace’s Elizabeth Show. It’s possible the studio is saving her reveal for a later date, but it’s posible they’re going to go the Alien 3 route and kill her of in the opening credits like Newt at Hicks. PLEASE DON’T DO THAT. It wasn’t cool in 1992 and it won’t be cool in 2017. Like it or not, Shaw is the Ripley of this franchise. After what she experienced in Prometheus, it would be fun to see a hardened Shaw kick some ass. Bring her back Mr. Scott!

Alien: Covenant

What are some things you would like to see in Alien: Covenant? Let us know in the comments below or shoot me a Tweet!

A journalist for Bloody Disgusting since 2015, Trace writes film reviews and editorials, as well as co-hosts Bloody Disgusting's Horror Queers podcast, which looks at horror films through a queer lens. He has since become dedicated to amplifying queer voices in the horror community, while also injecting his own personal flair into film discourse. Trace lives in Austin, TX with his husband and their two dogs. Find him on Twitter @TracedThurman

Editorials

‘Leprechaun Returns’ – The Charm of the Franchise’s Legacy Sequel

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leprechaun returns

The erratic Leprechaun franchise is not known for sticking with a single concept for too long. The namesake (originally played by Warwick Davis) has gone to L.A., Las Vegas, space, and the ‘hood (not once but twice). And after an eleven-year holiday since the Davis era ended, the character received a drastic makeover in a now-unmentionable reboot. The critical failure of said film would have implied it was time to pack away the green top hat and shillelagh, and say goodbye to the nefarious imp. Instead, the Leprechaun series tried its luck again.

The general consensus for the Leprechaun films was never positive, and the darker yet blander Leprechaun: Origins certainly did not sway opinions. Just because the 2014 installment took itself seriously did not mean viewers would. After all, creator Mark Jones conceived a gruesome horror-comedy back in the early nineties, and that format is what was expected of any future ventures. So as horror legacy sequels (“legacyquels”) became more common in the 2010s, Leprechaun Returns followed suit while also going back to what made the ‘93 film work. This eighth entry echoed Halloween (2018) by ignoring all the previous sequels as well as being a direct continuation of the original. Even ardent fans can surely understand the decision to wipe the slate clean, so to speak.

Leprechaun Returns “continued the [franchise’s] trend of not being consistent by deciding to be consistent.” The retconning of Steven Kostanski and Suzanne Keilly’s film was met with little to no pushback from the fandom, who had already become accustomed to seeing something new and different with every chapter. Only now the “new and different” was familiar. With the severe route of Origins a mere speck in the rearview mirror, director Kotanski implemented a “back to basics” approach that garnered better reception than Zach Lipovsky’s own undertaking. The one-two punch of preposterous humor and grisly horror was in full force again.

LEPRECHAUN

Pictured: Linden Porco as The Leprechaun in Leprechaun Returns.

With Warwick Davis sitting this film out — his own choice — there was the foremost challenge of finding his replacement. Returns found Davis’ successor in Linden Porco, who admirably filled those blood-stained, buckled shoes. And what would a legacy sequel be without a returning character? Jennifer Aniston obviously did not reprise her final girl role of Tory Redding. So, the film did the next best thing and fetched another of Lubdan’s past victims: Ozzie, the likable oaf played by Mark Holton. Returns also created an extension of Tory’s character by giving her a teenage daughter, Lila (Taylor Spreitler).

It has been twenty-five years since the events of the ‘93 film. The incident is unknown to all but its survivors. Interested in her late mother’s history there in Devil’s Lake, North Dakota, Lila transferred to the local university and pledged a sorority — really the only one on campus — whose few members now reside in Tory Redding’s old home. The farmhouse-turned-sorority-house is still a work in progress; Lila’s fellow Alpha Epsilon sisters were in the midst of renovating the place when a ghost of the past found its way into the present.

The Psycho Goreman and The Void director’s penchant for visceral special effects is noted early on as the Leprechaun tears not only into the modern age, but also through poor Ozzie’s abdomen. The portal from 1993 to 2018 is soaked with blood and guts as the Leprechaun forces his way into the story. Davis’ iconic depiction of the wee antagonist is missed, however, Linden Porco is not simply keeping the seat warm in case his predecessor ever resumes the part. His enthusiastic performance is accentuated by a rotten-looking mug that adds to his innate menace.

LEPRECHAUN RETURNS sequel

Pictured: Taylor Spreitler, Pepi Sonuga, and Sai Bennett as Lila, Katie and Rose in Leprechaun Returns.

The obligatory fodder is mostly young this time around. Apart from one luckless postman and Ozzie — the premature passing of the latter character removed the chance of caring about anyone in the film — the Leprechaun’s potential prey are all college aged. Lila is this story’s token trauma kid with caregiver baggage; her mother thought “monsters were always trying to get her.” Lila’s habit of mentioning Tory’s mental health problem does not make a good first impression with the resident mean girl and apparent alcoholic of the sorority, Meredith (Emily Reid). Then there are the nicer but no less cursorily written of the Alpha Epsilon gals: eco-conscious and ex-obsessive Katie (Pepi Sonuga), and uptight overachiever Rose (Sai Bennett). Rounding out the main cast are a pair of destined-to-die bros (Oliver Llewellyn Jenkins, Ben McGregor). Lila and her peers range from disposable to plain irritating, so rooting for any one of them is next to impossible. Even so, their overstated personalities make their inevitable fates more satisfying.

Where Returns excels is its death sequences. Unlike Jones’ film, this one is not afraid of killing off members of the main cast. Lila, admittedly, wears too much plot armor, yet with her mother’s spirit looming over her and the whole story — comedian Heather McDonald put her bang-on Aniston impersonation to good use as well as provided a surprisingly emotional moment in the film — her immunity can be overlooked. Still, the other characters’ brutal demises make up for Lila’s imperviousness. The Leprechaun’s killer set-pieces also happen to demonstrate the time period, seeing as he uses solar panels and a drone in several supporting characters’ executions. A premortem selfie and the antagonist’s snarky mention of global warming additionally add to this film’s particular timestamp.

Critics were quick to say Leprechaun Returns did not break new ground. Sure, there is no one jetting off to space, or the wacky notion of Lubdan becoming a record producer. This reset, however, is still quite charming and entertaining despite its lack of risk-taking. And with yet another reboot in the works, who knows where the most wicked Leprechaun ever to exist will end up next.


Horror contemplates in great detail how young people handle inordinate situations and all of life’s unexpected challenges. While the genre forces characters of every age to face their fears, it is especially interested in how youths might fare in life-or-death scenarios.

The column Young Blood is dedicated to horror stories for and about teenagers, as well as other young folks on the brink of terror.

Leprechaun Returns movie

Pictured: Linden Porco as The Leprechaun in Leprechaun Returns.

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