When is an Alien not an Alien?

Now, apparently.

Alien prequel now called Prometheus and will be an unrelated story.

This sounds like a good idea to me. The Alien films really had no "continuity," it was more that they had the common elements Ripley, the Alien and its variants, and an evil corporation looking to harness the Alien as a weapon. There is no real Alien "universe", given that decades elapse between the films. Notice that I'm not counting the Alien vs. Predators films. I'm barely counting Alien: Resurrection, which which was a terrible film, chock-a-block with dodgy effects, cardboard characters, and an incredibly unengaging story.

So Ridley and gang get to make something new. Huzzah!

A couple of requests

(1) If you read something that inspires you to reply, positive or negative, please do so. Nice to know there are people reading.

(2) I'm posting about Fringe as I watch it and I'm still on Season 1. So please, don't tell me there are 17 dimensions, all of which contain a Walter Bishop, or that Oliva and Peter are siblings, or whatever. Thanks muchly.

Fringe theories...

In Fringe season 1, episode 20, when Robert Jones threatens to open a portal between this and another dimension, the Observer, who claims he cannot interfere in the affairs of man, leads Walter Bishop to a device which is used to close the dimensional rift.

In Fantastic Four #48, when Galactus threatens to consume Earth, the Watcher, who claims he cannot intervene in the affairs of man, leads Johnny Storm to a device, the Ultimate Nullifier, which is used to banish Galactus from our world.

Coincidence? Homage?

Fringe

Well, it isn't quite as good as I'd hoped, but still compelling, and miles better than The X-Files. It's just a bit too convenient that all the cases involve extrapolation on the decades-old work of Doctor Walter Bishop. Has no one done any new research into horrible ways to kill people since?

Also, how does Dunham shake off the effects of LSD so quickly? She's been dosed and put in that tank twice so far, and both times, within seconds of emerging, she's completely lucid. Dramatic expediency, anyone?

I've heard the series becomes far more interesting once Leonard Nimoy shows up.

Best episode (of the ones I've seen so far): "Safe" in which subplots start to come together and the mysterious Mr Jones is sprung from his cell in Germany using a device built decades ago by (wait for it!) Walter Bishop.

Aw, Dammit...!

Just when I think I'm immune to the lure of TV sci-fi because, you know, most of it is complete crap, I watched the first two episodes of Fringe. Now I fear I'm hooked. This just might be the show X-Files never was, but had pretensions of being.

Gah!

Gotta go. Three seasons to catch up on...