Steve Newall: Flicks.co.nz editor on whether Alien: Romulus is worth a watch

Viewers can experience the return of facehuggers, xenomorphs and the Weyland-Yutani Corporation in this new addition to the Alien universe.

Alien: Romulus has entered theatres - the seventh instalment in the popular Alien franchise.

Flicks.co.nz editor Steve Newall explains whether or not this gross and gruesome sci-fi horror piece is worth checking out.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Sunday Session podcast with Francesca Rudkin
from News Talk SEDB.

Speaker 2 (00:13):
Time to talk entertainment now and I'm joined by Steve,
your editor at flex dot com. Z.

Speaker 3 (00:17):
Good morning, Good morning. I've just about unwound after a
pretty fun, tense experience at the movies this week.

Speaker 2 (00:25):
Yes, you went to see the space horror Aliens Romulus.

Speaker 3 (00:29):
Yeah. Alien Romulus is the seventh film in the Alien series,
which kicked off back in nineteen seventy nine. Now, so
it's got a bit OF's got a bit of mileage
on it. This is a really fun new entry in
the series. Unlike the last couple of films Prometheus and
Alien Covenant, sort of not quite so interested in sort
of telling backstories. We've had sequels, we know what those are,

(00:53):
we know what prequels are. Yes, the Scream reboot helped
explain what a requeller is, which is a remake sequel,
and Alien Romulus might be an interquil Okay, it just
becomes somewhere between the events of the first Alien film,
okay and Aliens.

Speaker 2 (01:12):
So then the big question is, if you haven't seen
an Alien film, can you walk along to this and
go in and enjoy it for you, does it stand upon?

Speaker 3 (01:22):
It's going to be pretty fun in some ways. It's
a little bit like Star Wars The Force Awakens of
the Aliens franchise. Director Fede Alvarez has nods like films
throughout the series, and I'm not a fan of kind
of too much winking at the audience like, I here's
something you recognize. But I kind of felt it accommodated
of that stuff pretty well. It was a pretty well

(01:43):
balanced sci fi horror, and it's just nice to be
back in that world of like clicking keyboards and dusty
monitors and that, you know, that that tech that looked
futuristic back in nineteen seventy nine. And it's gross and
it's violent and I was twisted up like a pretzel
on my seat for a a whole bunch of this film.

Speaker 2 (02:00):
I love it. We've had a lot of remakes or sequels,
this Blockbuster season already, New Dead Pull, We've had the
remaker Twisters this film, and various others. How's this one?
Sort of because you know, we tend to kind of
raise a little bit of an eyebrow when Hollywood goes

(02:20):
back and it struggles to find a new idea. How
was it worth making this film?

Speaker 3 (02:27):
Also, I had a really good time going back to
the universe of these of this films. And while you know,
it's got a younger cast, it's got a slightly different feel.
And I think those those nods to the other films
in the series definitely kind of give it a bit
of a winking attitude at times. But yeah, it's just
nice for someone to be making an effort. Lots of
practical effects and like I said, kind of nice and

(02:49):
glory and pretty to the seat, really really effective. I
had a super fun time, all right. Yeah, whether whether
it over time kind of stands up to be where
it sits in the kind of quality rankings of the
series remains to be seen. Recommend singing it in the
theater because it's a heck of a lot of film
or an audience brilliant.

Speaker 2 (03:06):
Also, you've got a few phaves that you just want
to remind us about from the New Zealand International Film
Festival that might still be on in your area, or
you might just want to write these names down for
when they come back.

Speaker 1 (03:16):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (03:16):
Absolutely, the festival is still running in Zoneeda, Nelson, christ
Church and Totonga and it's coming soon to Napier, Hamilton,
New Plymouth and Masterton quickly run through a few titles Cuckoo,
weird stuff going on in the German Alps and Downton
Abbey's Dan Stevens chewing scenery was a really weird German accent.
As her Kernig. It's kind of an oddball genre film.

(03:41):
Kneecap a story of Irish hip hop trio who rap
in their native language. It's kind of you go into
it going I want to see this movie about partying
hip hop guys who do too much drugs, and you
come out of it going I just watched a language
revitalization comedy. Really, really a neat film, no other land.
This was filmed in the West Bank and Palestine of

(04:04):
the last few years, right up until October of last year.
As it happens like filming on this finish just days
before the Hamas attack on Israel. But this documents land
confiscations by Israeli settlers and army in the West Bank.
It's it's pretty grim viewing. It's not a fun time movies.
And I'll also mention a New Zealand film, We were Dangerous.

(04:26):
This opened the festival and all centers except christ Church.
This is a really lovely emotion and humor tinged drama.
Really strong debut film.

Speaker 2 (04:38):
Great list there. Thank you so much, Steve.

Speaker 1 (04:41):
For more from the Sunday session with Francesca Rudkin, listen
live to news Talks it'd be from nine am Sunday,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio