Covenant Minute: Recent Episodes
Courtney Coulson
Part of the MxM (movies by minutes) network. This series analyses the Alien prequels Prometheus and Alien:Covenant, one minute at a time.
In which Greg Klein of the Airwolf Years and I discuss nostalgia, aesthetics and robot voices. Find Greg here: https://ciampaklein.com/ CitationsActivist Post. (2015, October 26). Why is wheat such a problem in the modern diet? https://www.activistpost.com/2015/10/why-is-wheat-such-a-problem-in-the-modern-diet.html Einkorn, nature’s first and oldest wheat » Einkorn.com. (2020, April 15). Einkorn.com | Restoring Ancient Whole Grain Einkorn Wheat… Continue reading Covenant Minute 35
In which I am joined again by Curtis of Time Bandits Minute to space suits, android actors and guns. Find Curtis here: https://www.facebook.com/TimeBanditsMinute
In which I am joined by Curtis Bloes of Time Bandits Minute to discuss novelisations, and just what exactly is a “sound”? Find Curtis here: https://www.facebook.com/TimeBanditsMinute Citations Spoiler study enjoyment. (2011, August 11). The Mary Sue. https://www.themarysue.com/spoilers-study/ Find my old podcast The Book Was Better here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrmJufJdpkvrHzQFZBU2NbFRkJyd7YkyM
Happy Alien Day 2022, and happy ten year anniversary to Prometheus. Enjoy my audio commentary for the film in which… Read more Alien Day Special 2022 (no soundtrack version)
Happy Alien Day 2022, and happy ten year anniversary to Prometheus. Enjoy my audio commentary for the film in which… Read more Alien Day Special 2022 (soundtrack version)
In which I am joined for the last time, for now, by Mike Jozic, and we discuss Oram as fandom… Read more Covenant Minute 31
In which Mike and I discuss the division of crew, the pitfalls of slavish devotion to canon, and take a… Read more Covenant Minute 30
In which I am joined by Mike Jozic who heroically carries me through some of Covenant’s most boring minutes and… Read more Covenant Minute 29
In which I am joined for the last time, for now, by James of Newsies Minute to discuss the difficulty… Read more Covenant Minute 28
In which James and I discuss divine providence, executive dysfunction, and Waiting for Space-Godot. Find James here: https://twitter.com/NewsiesMinute And: https://twitter.com/UnabashedJames/… Read more Covenant Minute 27
In which I am joined by James of the Newsies Minute and we get existential about how truly big space… Read more Covenant Minute 26
In which I am joined for the last time (for now) by Rob of the Great Escape Minute, and we… Read more Covenant Minute 25
In which I am joined again by Rob of the Great Escape Minute, and we discuss interstellar communication, alien languages,… Read more Covenant Minute 24
In which I am joined by Rob of the Great Escape Minute, and we discuss how futuristic technology in science… Read more Covenant Minute 23
In which I get biblical, and interrogate a few cultural biases in culture and fashion. Citations Bible gateway passage: 1… Read more Covenant Minute 22
In which I discuss religion, logical fallacies, and the ever changing cultural tastes in music. Citations Dunham, Duwayne (2002). “Northwest… Read more Covenant Minute 21
In which I discuss meteoric cadavers, ponder the place for religion in the future, and learn the term “cybernetic can”… Read more Covenant Minute 20
In which I discuss Jed Kurzel, the capabilities of AI in the role of emotional support, and the dangers of… Read more Covenant Minute 19
In which I am joined for the last time, for now, by Duncan Shields and we discuss Ridley Scott’s ego,… Read more Covenant Minute 18
In which Duncan (of Tronologically Speaking) and I discuss whaliens, good directors getting away with bad behaviour, and I deliver… Read more Covenant Minute 17
In which I am joined by Duncan Shields of Tronologically Speaking to explore our bottomless contempt for Ridley Scott, as… Read more Covenant Minute 16
In which I discuss the inspirations for Walter, the ELIZA effect, and anticipating dangers from space. Citations Hall, D. (2019, December… Read more Covenant Minute 15
In which I discuss Oram, Ridley Scott’s cinematography, and compare this scene between film, book and script.
Join Clara of Studio Yutani and I as we dissect every iteration of Alien 3 in an attempt to find… Read more Alien Day Special 2021
In which I discuss the ways we remember the dead across cultures, and how reflections, photographs and videos have changed… Read more Covenant Minute 13
In which I discuss the importance of supporting characters, the benefits of viewing nature, and just what the hell is… Read more Covenant Minute 12
In a special bonus episode Simon Haynes of 60 Seconds to Comply and I review Paul W S Anderson’s seminal… Read more Covenant Minute: Alien vs Predator Special
In which I do a deep dive into surnames. Citations Glaser, L. (2018, July 2). When last comes first: The gender… Read more Covenant Minute 11
In which I discuss Craig Green’s costumes, anti-gravity and read from the novelisation.
In which I talk about babies, generation starships, and neutrinos. Citations Crowl, A., Hunt, J., & Hein, A. M. (2012). Embryo Space Colonisation to… Read more Covenant Minute 09
In which I discuss fashion, queer coding, and gender. Citations Starscream’s high heels and the androgyny of the trickster. (2018,… Read more Covenant Minute 08
In which I discuss concept art, iconic ship designs, and we get the introduction of my boy, Walter. Citations https://www.mylondon.news/news/zone-1-news/heartbreaking-reason-mind-gap-voice-17427450
In which I discuss android mannerisms, Frankenstein and read the novelisation. No citations, but here’s an in-depth look at the… Read more Covenant Minute 06
In which I discuss purpose, accents, and gods as divine parents. Citations New Scientist. (2017). How to be human: The… Read more Covenant Minute 05
In which I accidentally ruin my favourite scene of Alien: Covenant, explain the plot of Das Rheingold, and tell you… Read more Covenant Minute 04
In which I discuss the kino-eye, the Nativity, and the canonicity of the film’s marketing materials. Citations Benson, P. (2017, May).… Read more Covenant Minute 2
In which I finally complete our long journey and say goodbye to Prometheus and hello to Alien:Covenant. Citations Ben-David, Z. (2010). Zig… Read more Prometheus-by-Minute 118
In which I discuss breathing, the number of days this narrative took place over, and imagine what life will be… Read more Prometheus-by-Minute 117
In which I discuss Shaw’s journey of faith, run through the list of the film’s flaws, and talk about my… Read more Prometheus-by-Minute 115
In which I discuss the limitations of the AI within synthetics, the narrative purpose behind violence against androids in fiction,… Read more Prometheus-by-Minute 114
In which I discuss plot-driven vs character-driven storytelling, high-concept vs low-concept, and the framing vs text. Citations Ellis, L. (2017, September… Read more Prometheus-by-Minute 113
In which I discuss body horror, how fears change throughout life, and how horror compares to other genres. Citations Monroe… Read more Prometheus-by-Minute 112
In which I discuss David’s feelings for Shaw, the nature of horror, and explore Alien as a franchise. Citations Arcudi, J.,… Read more Prometheus-by-Minute 111
In which I discuss the Wrestlemaniafication of the end of Prometheus, consider alternate ways to end the film, and the… Read more Prometheus-by-Minute 110
In which I am joined one last time by Simon Haynes of the Kung Pow Minute to discuss Hollywood atheists,… Read more Prometheus-by-Minute 109
In which I am joined once again by Simon Haynes of Fanboy Minute, discussing running in straight lines, why prequels… Read more Prometheus-by-Minute 108
In which I am joined by Simon Haynes of Fanboy Crossing to discuss RoboCop, the secret hidden in the Space… Read more Prometheus-by-Minute 107
In which I discuss those unnamed crew members some more, spaceship physics, and finish the scripts. Shoebill Storks. Too goofy… Read more Prometheus-by-Minute 106
In which I talk about the last song one hears before death, figure out what Ravel and Chance bet on,… Read more Prometheus-by-Minute 105
In which I discuss locations, lighting, and convenient movie deaths. *Note: This theme is also heard in the track Space… Read more Prometheus-by-Minute 104
In which I discuss con-langs, scriptwriting, and deleted scenes. Citations I Love Languages!. (2017, October 3). The Sound of the… Read more Prometheus-by-Minute 103
In which I discuss the pilot’s seat, anaesthesia, and language. Citations Adams, C. (2015, July 24). How do we know how… Read more Prometheus-by-Minute 102
In which I am joined for the last time by Eric Nash of Almost Famous Minute to discuss Weyland’s death,… Read more Prometheus-by-Minute 101
In which I am joined again by Eric Nash of Almost Famous Minute, still talking Engineers, as well as alternate… Read more Prometheus-by-Minute 100
I got 99 problems and a space jockey ain’t one. In which I am joined by Eric Nash of Almost… Read more Prometheus-by-Minute 99
In which I discuss tropes, cultural context, and villains. Citations Basics Explained, H3Vtux. (2019, December 17). Why can’t computers use… Read more Prometheus-by-Minute 98
In which I discuss deleted scenes, the current state of DVDs, and mismanaged minor characters.
In which I celebrate Alien Day by discussing the reproductive habits of the xenomorph. References Arnold, C. (2016, September 28). The viruses… Read more Alien day 2020
In which I discuss gender presentation, body posture, and the collective nature of culture. References Bergland, C. (2013, December 20).… Read more
In which I analyse some confusing dialogue, the changing trends in cinemas, and 2001: A Space Odyssey.
In which I discuss recurring tropes, cautionary tales, and Weyland’s beliefs. Citations Harris, B. (2016, April 19). Why was it wrong… Read more Prometheus-by-Minute 93
In which I discuss wordless acting, low-rise underwear, and the Theiss Titillation Theory.
In which I’m sorry, this is basically becoming a clone of the Sam Harris podcast. Citations Beck, J. (2015, November 9).… Read more Prometheus-by-Minute 90
In which I discuss Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, transcendence, and the morality of immortality. Footnotes Immortality Immorality. (n.d.). Retrieved February 26, 2020,… Read more Prometheus-by-Minute 89
In which I am joined for the final time by Phil and we discuss future medicine, Ron Cobb, and the… Read more Prometheus-by-Minute 88
In which Phil and I finally discuss Annihilation, the alternate CGI Fifield scene, and formulate our own alternate alternate scene.… Read more Prometheus-by-Minute 87
In which I am once again joined by Phil of the Matrix Minute and Twofold podcasts and we discuss the… Read more Prometheus-by-Minute 86
In which Luke and I reflect on how sadly horror films just aren’t as intense on repeat viewings, and the… Read more Prometheus-by-Minute 85
In which Luke and I discuss franchises doing whatever the hell they want, the butterfly effect of script writing, and… Read more Prometheus-by-Minute 84
In which Luke and I discuss the depiction of women in Prometheus, the director’s perspective, and the theme park-ification of… Read more Prometheus-by-Minute 83
In which I am joined by Luke Milton of the Dungeons and Drongos podcast, and we discuss performance, film making,… Read more Prometheus-by-Minute 82
In which I discuss gods and their relationship with creation and destruction. Footnotes What does Genesis 6:7 mean? (n.d.). Retrieved… Read more Prometheus-by-Minute 81
In which I discuss pregnancy anxiety, fandom shipping, and hyposprays. Footnotes https://www.geek.com/geek-cetera/mit-creates-a-star-trek-hypospray-to-replace-needles-1492135/
In which I discuss the symbolism of fire, Prometheus the titan, and go on a tangent about Predator. Footnotes The… Read more Prometheus-by-Minute 79
In which I discuss Shaw’s faith, deleted scenes, and fan theories. Footnotes Prometheus cutscene | Janek fills Vickers in |.… Read more Prometheus-by-Minute 78
In which it’s all action with stunts, fire and more fire! Footnotes Chapo Traphouse. (2019, June 10). 322 – Second… Read more Prometheus-by-Minute 77
In which I discuss astrovirology, cross-species transmission, and yet again return to the subject of helmet removal. Footnotes Astrovirology: Viruses… Read more Prometheus-by-Minute 76
In which I discuss David’s senses, android body language, and Engineer cryogenic technology.
In which I discuss digital effects, Ridley’s eye for movement, and minor changes that make a big difference. Footnotes Company… Read more Prometheus-by-Minute 73
In which I discuss Engineer architecture, art direction, wasted potential, and read the chestburster scene from the Spaight’s script. Footnotes… Read more Prometheus-by-Minute 72
In which I am joined for the last time by Niall McGowan and we discuss Prometheus the titan, horror makeup,… Read more Prometheus-by-Minute 71
In which we discuss alien-human hybrids, subverting tropes, and body horror both real and fictional. And yes, more Batman! *Apologies… Read more Prometheus-by-Minute 70
In which I am joined by Niall McGowan of BatMinute89, and we discuss Alien Isolation, Batman, and the Weyland family.
In which I say “David” like a hundred times, I realise sometimes less is more when it comes to movie… Read more Prometheus-by-Minute 68
In which I lose my goddamn mind analysing a tattoo, and discuss nudity in the Alien franchise, and our boy… Read more Prometheus-by-Minute 66
In which MUTHUR @yutani.studio and I keep talking about gorey eye stories despite ourselves. It’s gross, don’t listen. Footnotes Alien Hierogylphs.… Read more Prometheus-by-Minute 65
In which I celebrate the 40th anniversary of Alien and discuss sleeper agents, xenophobia and anthropomorphism through the lens of… Read more Prometheus-by-Minute Alien Day 2019
In which MUTHUR of Studio Yutani and I discuss the hammerpede scene in as much detail as humanly possible, and… Read more Prometheus-by-Minute 64
In which I am joined again by MUTHUR, AKA Clara of Studio Yutani to discuss the beginnings of the most… Read more Prometheus-by-Minute 63
In which I discuss Janek and Vickers, hair and rant about the most baffling moment in the entire film.
In which I discuss Janek and Vickers, and unnecessary scientific nitpicking. Footnotes Neil DeGrasse Tyson Calls Out Prometheus For Its… Read more Prometheus-by-Minute 61
Oh we’re halfway there, Living on a prayer, That we haven’t been abandoned by indifferent gods.
In which I discuss religion, science and philosophy. Footnotes Carl Sagan – “We are a way for the Cosmos to… Read more Prometheus-by-Minute 59
In which I go full science nerd. Never go full science nerd. Footnotes References Cole, B. (2016, March 25). There’s an… Read more Prometheus-by-Minute 58
In which I discuss all the women Shaw could have been, deleted scenes and read more from the script.
In which I discuss geographic coordinates, Engineer architecture, and decode the map. Footnotes Alex Whitaker. (n.d.). Great Pyramid Architecture. Retrieved… Read more Prometheus-by-Minute 56
In which MUTHUR joins me for the last time (or at least for now), we discuss the cycle of Eternal… Read more Prometheus-by-Minute 55
In which I am once again joined by MUTHUR of Studio Yutani to discuss underrated performances, manners, and more Team… Read more Prometheus-by-Minute 54
In which I am joined by my guest MUTHUR of Studio Yutani to discuss childhood fears, T.E Lawrence, colour symbolism,… Read more Prometheus-by-Minute 53
In which I discuss DNA, proverbs and Playstation. Footnotes Are We Really 99% Chimp?: https://youtu.be/IbY122CSC5w Origins of the quote “big… Read more Prometheus-by-Minute 52
In which I discuss android voices, speculate on what else the Engineers have been up to all this time, and… Read more Prometheus-by-Minute 51
The musical Lord of the Rings special, I guess? Footnotes Peter Jackson: A Film-maker’s Journey: https://www.harpercollins.com/9780007364312/peter-jackson-a-film-makers-journey/ Matrix Bed:
In which I am joined once again by Phil from the Matrix Minute to discuss visions of the Alien franchise,… Read more Prometheus-by-Minute 48
In which I am back from hiatus and joined by the most excellent Phillip from The Matrix Minute! Where to… Read more Prometheus-by-Minute 47
In which I swear up a storm, discuss decontamination technology, and Logan Marshall-Green. Footnotes List of swears in Prometheus: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1446714/parentalguide?ref_=tt_ql_stry_5#advisory-profanity… Read more Prometheus-by-Minute 46
In which I discuss deadly soil, deleted scenes and David’s stealth abilities. Footnotes ABC article: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-07-07/mars-toxic-soil-could-make-growing-vegies-harder/8687626 Martian soil study:… Read more Prometheus-by-Minute 45
In which I discuss Charlie’s failed rescue, David’s successful rescue, and go behind the scenes. Comparison of wide shots used… Read more Prometheus-by-Minute 44
If you were looking for the answer to life, the universe and everything, I’m afraid you won’t find it here.
In which I discuss the mysterious green stone, the mysterious leaky ampule, and search of clues in the script.
In which I discuss the space jockey, the mural, and theories pertaining to both. Mr. H Reviews: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmxfZa-sV27MUDqy-iJIsfA Mural:
In which I discuss carbon dating, David doing whatever he wants, and speculate the motivations behind the Engineer’s design preferences.… Read more Prometheus-by-Minute 39
In which I discuss the Bible, Engineers, Nephilim, angels and androids. Footnotes Information on Nephilim: https://www.biblegateway.com/resources/encyclopedia-of-the-bible/Nephilim What cherubim are supposed to… Read more Prometheus-by-Minute 38
In which I discuss Shaw and Holloway’s relationship, questionable cinematography, and questionable character choices.
In which I discuss what is arguably the most important moment in the film, spooky sounds, and I do a… Read more Prometheus-by-Minute 36
In which I discuss inappropriate behaviour in the workplace, the moisture in the caves, and synthetic sense of smell.
In which Dean and I discuss THE helmet situation, Fassbender’s body language, and the Internet hive mind.
In which I am joined by my guest and BFF Dean. We discuss real-world technology equivalent to the PUPs, the… Read more Prometheus-by-Minute 33
In which I discuss the PUPs, arcosanti architecture, and wonder why the Prometheus never used probes instead of sending humans… Read more Prometheus-by-Minute 32
In which I praise the sound design, speculate on the broken door in the temple, and reflect on the benefits… Read more Prometheus-by-Minute 31
In which I discuss cinematography, the artist Gutalin and set design. Footnotes The Art of Gutalin http://www.gutalin.org/concept_art.html Examples of symmetrical and… Read more Prometheus-by-Minute 30
In which I discuss cheesy dialogue, Engineer architecture, and its connection to Dune. Footnotes The evolution of the pyramid and… Read more Prometheus-by-Minute 29
In which I discuss Shaw’s naivete, David and Holloway’s conflict, and Weyland’s design choices.
In which I discuss David’s passive aggression, the EVA suits, and the importance of practical sets. Footnotes Possible vintage inspiration… Read more Prometheus-by-Minute 27
In which I discuss the art of acting and casting, and prove that straight lines in nature aren’t all that… Read more Prometheus-by-Minute 26
In which I discuss false protagonists, the metric system, and Millburn's inconsistent snarkiness.
In which I discuss Ford’s role on the ship, wonder why a human crew is necessary at all, and speculate… Read more Prometheus-by-Minute 24
Let’s face it, this is becoming an AI podcast. Footnotes Ann Druyan https://youtu.be/klbGjJDooJ8 Golden Records https://soundcloud.com/nasa/sets/golden-record-sounds-of Louisa Staples http://menuhincompetition.org/louisa-staples/ My essay… Read more Prometheus-by-Minute 23 Part 2
In which I discuss bar tending terminology, AI terminology and AI sass. Special thanks to Benjamin Gates and Beth Scholey,… Read more Prometheus-by-Minute 23
In which I discuss fandoms, box office performance, and get a bit distracted by my other love, Tron:Legacy. Footnotes Prometheus… Read more Prometheus-by-Minute 22
In which I discuss the value of a trillion dollars, interior decoration and read another scene from the Spaihts script.… Read more Prometheus-by-Minute 21
In which I discuss types of science fiction, character motivations, and Elizabeth's faith.
In which I delve deep into the historical accuracy of the ancient star-maps. Big thanks to Stephanie Cullingford for finding… Read more Prometheus-by-Minute 19
In which I discuss holographic technology, that Rubik’s cube device, and begin to analyse the star-map artifacts. Damon Albarn interview:… Read more Prometheus-by-Minute 18
In which I unashamedly fanboy over David, explore Weyland’s beliefs, and the concept of the soul. Footnotes On the question… Read more Prometheus-by-Minute 17
In which I talk about set decoration, stupidly expensive fabric, and find out what extras are saying in the background.
In which I discuss the Titan Prometheus, anachronistic technology, and the concept of faith. Footnotes A more complete look at… Read more Prometheus-by-Minute 10
In which I discuss colour palettes in film, undies in the Alien universe, and express my distaste for objectifying women in the Alien franchise.
In which I discuss what the Engineers meant by those "invitations", wonder what the hell a Zeta 2 Reticuli is and delve into an unused scene from the Spaight's script.
In which I discuss cave paintings and Zeta Reticuli, and my pop filter decides to let me down for some reason (sorry about that).
https://traviandesignsdotcom.files.wordpress.com/2018/01/pbm7.mp3
Footnotes:
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Big thank you to my good friend and amazing research assistant, Steph Cullingford for the information on cave paintings. She is also a talented costume designer, check out her website here: http://stephaniecullingfo.wixsite.com/egraphsen
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Creepy hands (Illuminati confirmed?)
In which I discuss locations, costumes and introduce Holloway and Shaw.
https://traviandesignsdotcom.files.wordpress.com/2018/01/pbm6.mp3
Footnotes:
Ridley Scott interview:
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/ridley-scott-prometheus-alien-blade-runner-324779
Lindelof script:
Click to access PARADISEfinal.pdf
In which I discuss animation, Engineer psychology, and drop some real science about DNA
https://traviandesignsdotcom.files.wordpress.com/2018/01/pbm5.mp3
Footnote:
https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2012/11/what-dna-actually-looks-like/265713/
In which I discuss the culture and costumes of the Engineers, as well as food on film.
https://traviandesignsdotcom.files.wordpress.com/2018/01/pbm4.mp3
In which I discuss editing, scripts and audio commentaries.
https://traviandesignsdotcom.files.wordpress.com/2018/01/pbm3.mp3
In which I discuss the soundtrack but also get distracted and talk about film music in general.
https://traviandesignsdotcom.files.wordpress.com/2018/01/pbm2.mp3
Footnotes
A great look at the film music industry as a whole: