Ok, so you're going to have to forgive me on this, I've been trying to get a detailed story outline done, but the only thing I've really got completed are a beginning and ending with all the middle bits still a muddle. So, I'm going to lay out my title, my cast, the beginning, all the pertinent information and events of the middle, and then the ending followed by my thoughts on the film. Ok, here goes.
LULLABY
tagline #1
"For the disease to be treated, there must always be martyr's to the infection. . ."
tagline #2
Even in the Abyss, there are Angels. . .
The Beginning. . .
The screen is black and there are voices.
"Are we going to sleep all the way home?"
"All the way home."
"Can I dream?"
"Yes, honey. . ."
In space, there is only the silence of the dark; a silence that is broken by the creeping shape of harsh blades and plasma engines dust-blue flames. The Sulaco. A comet of flames jets out from its side, once, then again, then again, and from its belly small piece dislodges and begins to fall towards the brown haze of an uninviting planet.
What begins to follow are scenes that are very familiar to us, that we have seen before. Experienced with Ellen Ripley. Being stranded on a prison world. The nightmare in new form and the hell of feeling it growing inside you. The fire that takes you to a glaring white before a sticky rebirth in a different form. But something is not right. These scenes are familiar to us, but they are not the same. Because the subject is not Ellen Ripley. It is a blond child with frightened eyes. Rebecca Jordan. NEWT.
The scenes occur. They end. They repeat. The child grows. The scenes stay the same. Sound begins to fade into static as the false melts away and we are slowly pulled to the real, a nightmare no better. A lab, bright and sterile in which three people lay on tables, eyes taped shut, electrodes and needles and wires and tubes protruding from all parts of their body. Around them people in white lab coats or jumpsuits move about, taking notes, monitoring equipment and the static forms into the sound of their bustle. On screens above the tables, the same scenes we have seen before are repeating over and over, each person the subject of their own nightmare. NEWT, HICKS, and RIPLEY.
It is Ripley who begins to convulse first. Above her, the screen begins to fluctuate and flicker and the scenes begin to change. She no longer plays by the scenarios, she simply screams. People panic. Emergency procedures are implemented.
"--going into cardiac arrest! Thirty CC's of--"
"--alpha patterns are spiking drastically, synaptivity is going haywire! Feedba--"
"--lining! She's flat-lining! damn--"
Next comes Hicks. Other scramble to help him, while on the screen above his head he is spraying everything madly with a pulse rifle. There are screams and commands and, above it all, the steady whine of a cardiac monitor hitting zero as the camera slowly zooms in on Rebecca, lying still and calm, and the whine of the cardiac monitor once more becomes static as the screen dissolves to dark and a single word appears--
LULLABY
--and from the static, the song "Lullaby" by The Cure begins to play.
We are taken on a tour; a tour of hell. Earth glows pristine and almost translucent in space, but in mixed into its blues and greens there are spots, a black tarnish that speaks of cancer soon revealing themselves to be cities. Not thriving cities vibrant with people and light, but desolation. Ruins. In the twilit streets a cold breeze blows rubbish and there is the sense of a fall from grace as the song continues to play. Gradually, the reason begins to present itself, first in littered skeletons with burst chest bones then in strange organic shapes and structures that are not native to this world until, finally, in the long dark halls of a library we see it. The luster of slime, the twitch of movement slowly resolving into a long, barbed tail, glinting fangs, and the jaws of a thing that should not be. . .
The song ends.
Ok, now on to the people.
The Cast
EVA GREEN as REBECCA JORDAN - Newt from Aliens, now fully grown and completely lost in the world. But wait, didn't she die in the third film? Things aren't always what they seem. We find her wandering the ruins of Boston clutching a stuffed rabbit where many things about her and her situation do not seem to add up. Eventually she meets Daniel Ripp and Michael Remar, becoming especially attached to Daniel, calling him "Ripley" and traveling with his group. Strangely, the aliens will not harm her, in fact they almost seem to defer to her, a fact she cannot account for. . .
CHARLIE DAY as DANIEL RIPP - A member of the Abbadon Righteous in Iceland, Daniel is a fervent believer in the tenets of his religion and has a hatred for the Xenomorph that is practically unrivaled. It would seem that Daniel (along with Michael Remar) was orphaned when the Incident spread to Boston 12 years ago, and they were taken in and raised by Aleister Quist, leaving him only with vague and ethereal memories of his beautiful mother (who always sang him to sleep) being torn to shreds by an Alien horror. Together with Remar, he takes command of the Righteous and manages to solicit a radical new gene therapy from the Shirab labs in Reykjyavik that gives them abilities similar to the Aliens. They then set out to destroy the Northeastern Hive, located on Breed's Hill in Boston. Like all members of the Faithful, who believe they were spared intentionally, he bears a strange mark on his forehead. A light scar that resembles an asterisk with the vertical and horizontal lines elongated to form a cross, dotted at all eight points. The Mark of the Faith. . .
WILL ARNETT as MICHAEL REMAR - Another survivor and member of the Abbadon Righteous. He was taken in by Quist along with Daniel, and is the one person who's hatred of the Xenomorh's seems to be on the same level. He also has memories of his little sister, who he found cocooned (along with her stuffed rabbit) and was unable to free. He is the co-leader of the Faithful's assault, with the more quiet and reserved Daniel acting as the brains and coordinator, and the more charismatic Michael acting as the rallying general. He too bears the Mark of the Faith. . .
JEFFERY COMBS as DOCTOR VICTOR EASTON - the head scientist at the Shirab Reykjavik research station in Iceland. Easton was a former Weyland-Yutani scientist and now employed by Shirab in anti-xenomorph research. He is responsible for several developments including anti-acid coating for armor, and is in the process of developing a genetic alteration technique. The process would endow humans with several xenomorph characteristics, including enhanced strength, speed, senses, and acid resistance. Physical alterations include the development of metallic claws and teeth, deathly pale skin and black eyes (they'd look like kinda like 30 DAYS OF NIGHT vampires). Because the process is incomplete and Xenomorph biology is so different, it also causes extreme rage and eventual insanity, with the test subjects tearing out their eyes and going completely animalistic in the final stages. Easton might be lumped into your traditional mad scientist stereotype if not for the nagging feeling that underneath the cold, man of science exterior there actually WAS a conscious.
DANIEL DAY-LEWIS as ALEISTER QUIST - Aleister Quist is, to say the very least, a mystery. He is the leader of an Icelandic community of survivors and the founder of the Abbadon Righteous. He is charismatic and shows signs of both formidable intellect and cunning. He took in both Daniel and Michael, seeming to save them from the hellstorm of the Boston Evacuation, and Daniel's hazy memories seem to reflect Aleister in Catholic priest robes. Much beyond this though, nothing is known, with him preaching a religion that the time has come for the chosen of God to rise up and overthrow the demons that have taken the Earth. . .
THOMAS JANE as COLONEL CONNOR HAWKINGS - A private forces specialist and ex-special operator in the Colonial Marines. Hawkings leads an elite troop that is under Shirab contract and in charge of exterminating hives. Our main contact with him throughout the film is minimal, seeing him in training simulations with his men, and in meetings with Isham. He and his crew are stationed at the Reykjavik research base where they seem to make sorties from. Hawkings is a cold and hard man, maybe closer in temperament to the xenomorphs than he would like to be. . .
GAVIN ROSSDALE as MANDRAKE ISHAM - a native of Earth who wants his home back and has the power and resources to try and make that wish come true. He is the owner and head of Shirab Corporations, a mega-corporation that has taken over the former Weyland-Yutani and has its fingers in all manner of soups. Isham sees the xenomorphs as nothing more than and infection on his planet that must be treated. However, despite his vast resources, the full task of taking the planet back would require government and military backing which he attempts to win daily. . .
BILL PAXTON as REPRESENTATIVE HAL OLIVER - A Representative to the I.C.H.W. (Interstellar Community of Human Worlds) and one of Isham's main opponents. Oliver was not born on Earth. In fact, he is a third generation colonist representing the Jupiter Moons. He believes Man's time and place on Earth has past and that attempting to retake it is a futile waste of resources that should be funneled into new colonization and helping those without homes (such as Earth refugees) build new ones. He is not without a large body of support, with evidence that both the ecology of the planet has already made great adaptations to the xenomorph presence, and that there are signs the xenomorphs could be developing an intelligence of their own. . .
SARAH CHALKE as MS. KENDALL - a smaller role, Kendall is Isham's right hand, his personal assistant who handles all matters for him. There are indications she might be an android but, like Bishop, one that is more human than most real people. . .
LANCE HENRIKSEN as BISHOP - shown only briefly in a few flashbacks. However, Newt calls her rabbit Bishop, and there are signs that he might have found a different place to live. . .
SIGOURNEY WEAVER as ELLEN RIPLEY - a brief cameo that reveals what happened to Ripley after Aliens. She does play a role in the story, although indirectly. . .
MICHAEL BIEHN as CORPORAL DWAYNE HICKSlike Ripley, his role is only a cameo to show what happened to him. He also plays a role in the story that is indirect.
(no images for the last three, they're minor roles and you know what they look like)
THE ALIENS as THE ALIENS - For twelve years the Xenomorphs that we originally encountered on the Nostromo have made residence on Earth, becoming the dominant lifeform in absence of humanity. Because of this, we see that perhaps the Alien is not as destructive as once thought, having already began to intergrate into the ecosystem and find its niche at record pace. They are also showing some signs that they could be beyond simple animals and have the capability for intelligence.
Ok, there's the cast. Some of the general situation has probably sunk in. Earth has been infested for around twelve years at the start of our story. Weyland-Yutani is no more, Shirab has taken over all its assets. The Interstellar Community at large is rather indifferent to Earth, believing that a hands-off approach to the Alien presence is best, both because of the dangers of the creature, and the possibility that they could be a developing intelligence.
The main mode of the story will be told in several threads that follow the plotlines and are shot in different ways. Isham, Oliver, and Kendall's battles and the wider aspects of the Earth Infection take place mainly in the halls of the I.C.H.W., and so they are shot in a very documentary way, lots of faux-news footage and clips.
Newt's story as she wanders ther ruins and eventually meets up with the Righteous is told in a very surreal manner that evokes insanity, with warped perspectives, whispered voices, sudden flashbacks and hallucinations, and jumpy editing. Despite being in her thirties, Newt still seems very young and innocent. She talks regularly with her rabbit that she calls Bishop. Through her eyes, we see how the Alien is adapting to Earth and vice-versa, as well as possible signs of its intelligence.
The story of the Righteous is one that evokes Brechtian techniques and subversive cinema such as subliminal and manipulative imagery, music, drug use, sex, expressionistic scenery and lighting, wild camera movements and angles, and lots of shots of the character's eyes that progressively lose their sanity. The overall feeling is one that is incredibly disturbing. Through them, we see the human side to living on Earth, and the drastic changes the event has caused.
A few scenes show Hawkings and his men training. Shot in a very Paul Greengrass "Bourne" action style. They utilize a holographic training center, with their armor providing them with a full-body VR emulator.
Easton's scenes are shot fairly normal, though he seems to be constantly breaking the fourth wall and speaking directly to the audience. It is through him that we find out a lot of background information, such as the fact that Weyland-Yutani had a secret expedition following the Sulaco, that they boarded it and captured the hybernating crew and, most importantly, that they recovered the Queen Ripley jettisoned from orbit. Easton almost plays as a narrator, commenting on all of our other plotlines in some way or another.
NOTE: The styles are by no means inclusive, as various scenes in one story could be shot in a different manner. They simply function as a way to give each story a unique identity outside of the script, and to provide a better emotional context to them.
Ok, like I said, the middle is really hazy. These are the things we need to see happening. Isham and Oliver dueling in the senate on Titan with Isham once again coming up short and not attaining government support. It is revealed that the Queens are too far underground in the hive structure to allow for orbital bombardment to safely eliminate them without damaging the planet. However, Isham states that "strategic assaults" by Colonel Hawkings and his men have been effective and managed to eliminate several hives around the world already. He provides footage of one such assault.
With the Righteous, we need to see how they live in a millenialistic way, a society of hellfire and brimstone that has a very tenuous relationship with the Shirab research base. Something happens to Quist, he dies in a messianic manner, and it spurs on his adopted sons to do something. Ripp is eventually able to convince Easton to provide the Righteous with his gene therapy so they can retake the Earth, which he does, providing it to nearly 2200 people and allowing them the use of several transport ships. They land near Boston and begin an advance on the hive. Along the way, the therapy kicks in and we see that a treated human is actually a match or maybe even superior of a full-grown warrior, with an aggression that is nearly unmatched. Along the way, Ripp and Remar discover Newt and the three seem to form some kind of bond, the two men because she in some way reminds them of their past loved ones, and Newt because she feels a safety with them. In a frontal assault on the hive, the wave of the Righteous fight their way through swarms of Xenomorphs (and trust me, this footage would be BRUTAL. I have one image in my mind of a man grappling with an alien, both clawing and screaming at each other, the man being impaled on the aliens tale, but forcing himself forward to take the creatue to the ground and batter its head, the secondary jaw tearing off several of his fingers that he doesn't even notice are gone as he goes on to keep pulping the creatues skull with his hammering fists) with Ripp, Remar, and Newt managing to make it to the Queen's chamber. The two of them kill the Queen at the cost of their own lives.
This is where the ending begins, and everything comes together. First, while the Righteous are attacking the Hive, we see Hawkings and his men suiting up and boarding ships.
We cut to Isham and Kendall, who informs him that the assault is about to begin.
We cut to the Queen's death, and we see that the aliens begin acting incredibly erratic without her presence. The shadow of dropships and suddenly armored special forces are killing haywire drones and remaining Righteous left and right. We see Hawkings giving out orders, telling his men to fan out, begin nuclear placement and to recover the girl.
We again cut to Isham and Kendall, where Hawkings voice tells them that the test-tube wave was effective and hive will be killed within two hours. He also confirms that the girl has been recovered. Isham signs off and he and Kendall stand looking at Earth and having a very heavy conversation about the morality of what they are doing. Isham seems very torn up about it, but says that the planet is sick and for sickness to be treated, there must be martyr's to the infection. Kendall does not seem comfortable about this, but makes a call and tells whoever answers to begin the next batch.
In Easton's lab, the camera is panning about. Panning about to show rows upon rows of tanks in which naked humans float, cords leading into their foreheads and monitors above the tank showing various scenes of devastation and life in a survivors community. We keep panning and tracking until we come to two very specific tubes, tubes in which bodies that very much look like Daniel and Michael float, the screens above their heads playing back the memories of dying mothers and cocooned sisters. In front of the tank stands Quist, looking at the screens somewhat sadly and next to him stands Easton making notes. Quist asks where the next batch is going to be sent. Easton says he thinks Japan. Quist then asks why these two are always so special, gesturing to Michael and Daniel. Easton replies that they have a very special pedigree and then points to a separate screen that displays genetic information, revealing that Michael is genetically derived from Hicks and Daniel is derived from Ellen Ripley. Easton then tells Quist he had better go rest while he can.
The camera continues following him as he walks towards a station and addresses someone named Bishop. He asks who it was the completed the matricide. A pan over reveals Newt's stuffed rabbit plugged into a monitor that displays its answer in text, informing the doctor that Michael and Daniel completed objective. He then says that they always complete the objective. Easton agrees with him. A further pan over reveals Newt once again in a catatonic state and secured like she was at the beginning of the film, a monitor above her head displaying the Queen's death. Easton says that it always ends the same and suddenly we cut back to inside the hive.
In the damp darkness, we see the body of Michael lying still, impaled on the dead queens claws, as Daniel stumbles out from underneath the body and into Newt's arms. The fall to the ground. She holds his head in her lap. He is gasping for breath, practically hyperventilating, showing little control of himself and struggling not to laugh. She strokes his hair absent-mindedly still not sure what is dream and what is reality. He desperately looks at her and she to him and he speaks.
"Please, please, sing me to sleep, sing me to sleep, sing me to sleep, sing me t--"
The spasming and seizures becoming more intense, his head bouncing around fanged teeth straining and gnashing together, grunting, then growling and finally screaming. And screaming, and screaming, until any trace of humanity disappears and becomes it becomes the shriek of the Xenomorph and his clawed hands lung up towards his eyes. . .
With a twist of her hands and a sharp crack, he dies, hands going limp, and any light of sanity that once existed in her eyes goes out as well. Dreamily she gets up, stumbling away, leaving him lying there with arms splayed out and wanders away into the dark of the hive. We stay with his body, unmoving and martyred, until suddenly the screen flashes into a blinding white.
The credits roll without music.
Misc.
Ok, so that's all I got. Now, some other thoughts. With this, I was trying to go for a different type of horror than the first two films, mainly an apocalyptic horror. However, apocalypse means revelation, and THAT is the central theme, discovering things. Nothing is as it really seems in the movie, it's all a large and designed illusion. So, even though I'm sure there would be a number of BOO! type moments, the main horror is psychological.
I really want to play with the idea of humanity's reaction to monsters and how we are capable of becoming them ourselves.
I didn't want to discard the last two films (even though I do not like them) but I also didn't want to be constrained by them, which is how the whole matter of the manipulated reality came about. Originally it was just going to focus on the survivors on Earth who had been developing the gene therapy themselves. Adding in the other elements came later.
Another thing that I'd like to clear up in the ending is that the gene therapy is simply another illusion. The Righteous are grown as hybrids and the "therapy" simply awakens their dormant traits when they've reached the end of their education.
With the Abbadon Righteous, I was going for a very scary, cultish and milleniarian vibe. They take the view that the Rapture was humanity's exodus into space and that those left behind must suffer the Tribulation that is the Infestation. Lots of dark and disturbing imagery involved. A crucifix where a chest-burster is exploding from Christ, a last supper where everyone is cocooned with face-huggers attached to them, and scenes of angels that resemble vampires battling bloodily with xenomorphs.
Some of you might wonder a little bit of my casting of Charlie Day and Will Arnett in serious roles, but I believe it makes a lot of sense. They've both always come off to me as being able to do "unhinged" well, and I think it would be very interesting to see them in such a different role that I think they could channel well. As for my other choices, I think they are pretty self-explanatory.
While the main musical inspiration was "Lullaby" by The Cure, some others were the song "Baleen Sample" by Animal Collective, "The Supermen" and "Saviour Machine" by David Bowie, "World Full of Nothing" by Depeche Mode, "Where is My Mind" and "Havalina" by Pixies, and the albums
Heaven Up There by Echo and the Bunnymen,
Psychocandy by The Jesus and Mary Chain, and
Nebraska by Bruce Springsteen.
The movie deserves its title for several reasons. Sleep and forced dreams are a main concern, so that's one. Also, I imagine several characters making references to lullaby's at one point or another. Finally though, I think this movie would be dark and depressive enough to really put the franchise to bed for good.
Ok ladies and gentlemen, you've just been treated to the massive ramblings of a warped and demented mind. Please forgive me, I just wanted to get this out there.
. Anyways, if that's all, I should have my entry posted in a day or two.
