Based on the avalanche of reviews, insightful theories, barely disguised apologias, and raging message board debates that have flooded the web since Prometheus finally opened in the U.S. this weekend, there's not much that the film's admirers and detractors can agree upon -- except perhaps this: the film is gorgeous to behold. So much so that even the most underwhelmed Alien fan may enjoy poring over the lushly illustrated Prometheus: The Art of the Film from Titan Books. Here's why it's a worthy addition to any geek's overburdened bookshelf. [Major Movie Spoilers Below]

Tags: alien, prometheus

After months of tantalizing teasers and trailers (and teasers for teasers and trailers for trailers) for Ridley Scott's new science-fiction film Prometheus, the unofficial (or, rather, officially unofficial) precursor to his iconic 1979 Alien is finally just over a week away from its U.S. opening. And aside from rewatching the other movies (except the dreadful, embarrassing Aliens vs. Predators and its follow-up), we can think of no better way to both pass the time and get even more pumped than by perusing The Book of Alien, released today by Titan Books. Originally published in '79 as an official tie-in to the first movie, this slim but oversized tome written by Michael Gross and Paul Scanlon eschews hyperbole for a journalistic (albeit authorized by the studio) narrative about the conception and creation of a future classic -- a status that nobody interviewed within its pages could've anticipated at the time. If you care at all about Alien, or are simply curious about Prometheus, here's why it's worth a look:

Tags: alien, aliens, prometheus, ridley scott

Before Prometheus arrives in theaters tomorrow, let's celebrate the anniversaries of the last two films in the original Alien cycle.

Tags: Alien, Alien 3, Alien: Resurrection, Prometheus

Director Ridley Scott recently announced that he was about to begin work on a prequel to one of his most popular films, the sci-fi/horror/genre-defining movie Alien. While we can't deny that we'd love to see a good Alien movie, a prequel seems like the wrong way to go, since Sigourney Weaver's Ripley, the fan-favorite character from the series, couldn't be in it, and to show where exactly the xenomorphs come from would take all of the mystery out of them. We came up with a list of genre films that need prequels -- good ones -- more than Alien does, starting with another Ridley Scott film...

Tags: Alien, Blade, Blade Runner, Conan, Dirty Harry, Harry Potter, Kill Bill, Lethal Weapon, prequel, Ridley Scott, The Matrix, Tomb Raider

After Rob Zombie's Halloween 2 was defeated in its opening weekend by The Final Destination in 3-D, the producers of the Halloween franchise revealed that the just-announced Halloween 3 will actually be Halloween 3-D. While unsurprising, given the resurgence in 3-D's popularity, this particular 3-D-ification is a sly homage to the early 1980s, when it seemed like the third installment of a horror franchise -- Jaws 3-D, Amityville 3-D, Friday the 13th Part III -- was legally required to be watched through cardboard glasses. (The original Halloween 3, ironically, passed on the gimmick.) And that got us thinking -- what if all third installments of movies had to be released in 3-D? Some would be awesome, and some just plain ridiculous. Here's some quick takes.

Tags: 3-D, 3D, Alien, Back to the Future, Halloween 3-D, Karate Kid, Rocky, Star Wars, Superman, Transporter

It's surprising how few Easter movies there are. Yes, there are religious movies like The Passion of the Christ and The Greatest Story Ever Told, and a slew of direct-to-DVD cartoons, most of which not even a toddler at the peak of a sugar rush would find entertaining. But for a holiday so closely associated with inherently marketable rabbits and candy, you'd think there'd be more to choose from. Never fear: If you dig a bit deeper into your basket of treats, you can find some surprisingly Easter-relevant themes and scenes in some seriously non-Easter movies. Let's look beyond the half-melted chocolate shell to the surprising nuggets of goodness at the center, shall we?

Tags: Alien, Aliens, Donnie Darko, Easter, Indiana Jones, Night of the Lepus, Temple of Doom, Watership Down

Director Ridley Scott's not waiting to see how his most recent film, Body of Lies, does to announce his next project. Well, technically, his next project, Nottingham, has been announced and in the works for awhile now. But now he's announced what he'll be working on after that: The Forever War, based on the novel of the same name.

Tags: Alien, Blade Runner, Nottingham, Ridley Scott, sci-fi, science fiction, The Forever War