Author Interviews

This post is a list of back-links to the author interviews I posted on my old blog.  All of that content is still "live" and available for readers.  This list includes wonderful and award-winning authors.  Please get to know them and their work.

Elias Anderson
Ashley Barron
Wayne Basta
J.C. Cassels
Connie M. Huddleston
Shelli Johnson
Walter E. Wilson

Review: Prometheus

I went to see Prometheus knowing that it was Ridley Scott’s creation and had an “Alien” tie-in.  Beyond that, I’d stayed away from critical reviews and accompanying spoilers.

THIS REVIEW WILL CONTAIN SPOILERS.  YOU’VE BEEN WARNED.

The cinematography was fabulous.  From the opening sequence until the final, startling, minute of the movie, there was a sense of scope and majesty.  I should note that although this is a “space movie”, the setting is primarily an alien planet and the inside of a human ship.  That’s important, because this wasn’t an “alien centric” movie.

That’s right: despite the fact that the passengers of the Prometheus are on a mission to find and question an alien life form, this movie is ultimately a human drama with aliens thrown in for dramatic juxtapositions.  Prometheus is a creation myth—or all creation myths, jumbled together in Wikipedia form and thrown onto the big screen—any way you look at it.

The characterizations were a little weak—but that actually makes the movie work.  Again, this is a story about humanity’s past, present and future.  Stereotypical characters are easier for an audience to relate to.  Thoughts of “I know how she feels” and “Yeah I’ve had a witchy boss just like Vickers” draw the viewer in and make him/her emotionally invested in the storyline.

That’s not to say I didn’t have issues with several character story points.  Fifield was well played by Sean Harris, but can we have a redheaded character who isn’t bat-crap insane? Also, the writers made a point of telling us that Dr. Elisabeth Shaw was infertile, only to have her conceive almost immediately.  Granted it was no ordinary pregnancy, but come on—a scientist who says she’s infertile isn’t basing that off a hunch.  She was obviously able to ovulate, her tubes were open enough to have the egg be fertilized and then move to her uterus to implant.  Exactly which part of her reproductive system WASN’T working?

That leads me to the most gut-wrenching (pun most definitely intended) part of the movie.  In a film filled with visceral (heh) imagery, the scene of Shaw’s self-induced, barely-medicated, caesarean section made every single woman in the audience writhe in pain.  Just...damn.

I really enjoyed Prometheus.  It didn’t offer anything particularly new, (The concept that life here began out there is not exactly original.) but the action keeps the audience engaged (or writhing).  A sci-fi fan will see the ending coming, as the foreshadowing is a bit heavy handed, but the finale still comes as a kick in the head.

Game over, man, game over.