Prometheus’ origin story repeats the same mistake as the forgotten prequel to a 1974 horror classic

Prometheus Set out to explain some of the biggest ongoing mysteries surrounding the 1979 horror movie AlienBut ends up both undermining the original and repeating a mistake made by an even less successful horror prequel. Upon release in 2012, Prometheus Received generally favorable reviews for its impressive visuals, strong performances and weighty philosophical themes. However, the subsequent years have been less favorable to Ridley Scott’s movie, with many citing its exposition and nonsensical story as major drawbacks. At least one of the greetings, the failure of the film was predicted by a 2006 movie that made many similar blunders.

Prometheus‘ Connection to Alien was from the beginning a matter of intense debate. Before the film was released, Ridley Scott had variously teased a direct Alien Prequel incorporating many of the original movie’s main elements, to a Adjacent spinoff that shared “The alien DNA“ (via MTV). The result was a movie that clearly connected to the events of AlienBut ultimately left audiences with more questions than answers — creating impossible plot holes that even a sequel, Alien: Covenant Could not fix. Answer AlienIts many mysteries are understandably tempting. However, producers should have recognized from an earlier horror prequel that this approach is always problematic.

Prometheus repeats the Texas Chainsaw Massacre origin story error

Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning used a similar story structure

As well as expanding the Alien universe, Prometheus Set up to answer some key Alien Questions. The movie not only talked about who the original is mysterious”Space jockey” Creature wasBut also revealed that the alien xenomorph itself is not an ancient parasite created by millions of years of evolution, but has something to do with a bioweapon crafted by the space jockeys. In one stroke, this reroutes much of the first movie’s setup, turning it from a terrifying twist of fate to something with a disappointingly prosaic explanation. This is exactly the mistake made in 2006 The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning.

like Prometheus, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning has as its source a deliberately ambiguous horror story with no rational setup. Unlike the first movie (and the more poorly received Platinum Dunes horror remake), an unfortunate group happens upon Leatherface and his cannibalistic cabal, with no explanation provided for how or why they behave the way they do. This was the source of the terror. unfortunately, Just like Prometheus‘ Unnecessarily unravels Alienthe secrets TCM: TB Gives the franchise’s murderous family a ridiculous backstory – Explain their actions in such a way that the horror begins to fall flat.

in many ways, Prometheus And TCM: TB are very different films. One is a cerebral sci-fi with extremely high opinions of its own importance, and the other is a low-budget slasher that relies on buckets of blood. But both movies make the same fundamental mistake of seeking to explain and rationalize something that derives its power from being inexplicable. The consequence is that Both movies hurt rather than enhance their respective franchises. Given the long connection between Alien And The Texas chain saw massacreThis is something Prometheus‘ Producers should have been able to predict.

Foreign and Texas chain saw massacre rely on unexplained terror

Both movies are terrifying because they are inexplicable

Despite occupying different ends of the horror spectrum, Tobe Hooper’s original The Texas chain saw massacre And Alien Share an almost identical setup. In both stories, An unsuspecting group is traveling when they suddenly encounter a terrifying force that completely changes the trajectory of their story. In the case of the seminal slasher movie, the Catalysts are a cannibalistic family who—without rhyme or reason—set upon the protagonists after they investigate a strange house. in AlienIt is a deadly parasitic organism that stalks the crew of a spaceship one by one after their curiosity forces them to visit a strange signal.

In each story, the key to the tension is that both the characters – and the audience – are never given an explanation for why the horror is unfolding. in AlienThe space jockey ship is a grave mystery – a vast and gothic indication that there are terrifying forces in the universe about which we have no understanding. in The Texas chain saw massacreThe family – who are never named – are an embodiment of primal chaos, shattering all expectations of social civility and reason. In both cases, the unknown”WhyBehind the story only makes the trauma of what unfolds more compelling.

In destroying the ambiguity behind why both original films unfold as they do, Prometheus And TCM: TB Make the same big mistake. The truth is that, as tempting as it is to find an answer, the solution is rarely as satisfying as the conjecture. When space jockeys are simply a ghostly skeletal presence in a strange alien chair, they are enigmatic and beguiling. Now we know they are humanoid scientists who helped create the Xenomorph by accident, their magic gone. Just as Leatherface’s family received an explanation weak The Texas chain saw massacreSo did Prometheus‘ Exhibition undermined Alien.

Alien’s original inspiration makes Prometheus’ greatness even worse

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre was a huge inspiration for Foreigner

of course, TCM: TB is hardly the first horror movie prequel to over-explain a once-thrilling premise. However, what makes this film especially important for Prometheus And Alien is how closely Tobe Hooper and Ridley Scott’s original films are intertwined. when it came out, The Texas chain saw massacre Was a truly shocking experience. Despite its limited run, the movie was banned in several countries – purely for its raw intensity. It became a very influential reference for other filmmakers – not just in the slasher genre, but across horror more broadly.

One of the filmmakers who fell under his spell is Ridley Scott. While The Texas chain saw massacres fingerprints are evident from the shared fateful setup, Scott himself immediately cites the movie as an inspiration. In the documentary The Beast Within: The Making of Alien, Scott explained how he felt it was important to emphasize the horror within Aliens history – describing it as “The Texas chain saw massacre of science fiction”.

The fact that the two franchises have an intertwined history goes back to their original films Prometheus‘ Mistakes feel even more rude. Instead of seeing how to explain leatherface made Texas Chain Saw Massacres monster much less scary, the movie ignores the previous precedent. Where once The Texas chain saw massacre has provided positive inspiration for AlienThis had the opposite. What should have been a warning was instead ignored, giving a disappointing result for both franchises.

Both Alien and Texas Chainsaw Massacre ignore their problematic prequels

The same director moved the story

The fact that both TCM: TB And Prometheus‘ Stories are ultimately failures is demonstrated by the current state of both franchises. Following Alien: Covenant (Another Scott-directed prequel that provided more Alien exhibit and proved even more corrosive to the first film’s legacy), the Alien Series has experienced a soft reset. Fede Alvarez Alien: Romulus Moved the story further BondExplore a new chapter set between Alien And Aliens. Things look set to leave Prometheus Even further behind with Alien: Earth – a series that creator Noah Hawley promised would bring back Major Prometheus Developments.

It is a similar story with The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. In 2022, a Netflix-produced sequel to 1995’s The Return of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre Completely ignores the events of the 2006 prequel, setting the franchise on a totally new footing. Interestingly, the movie is based on a story written by none other than Fede Álvarez, highlighting the Uruguayan’s ability for revitalizing flagging horror. The fact that both franchises were reinvigorated after two similar exposition-heavy prequels is a damning indictment of the approach pursued by both TCM: TB And Prometheus.