Alien: Covenant trailer

The night of Christmas Eve (twelve o'clock, technically Christmas day) the trailer for Alien: Covenant debuted.  Here it is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0VW6sg50Pk#action=share .  As far as I can tell, everything looks great.  I particularly like the back burster and the shower scene.  I'm a little unclear about some of the things that are going on (how many Davids are there, three?. . .  is that Elizabeth Shaw in the hoodie?. . .  how many types of Aliens are there? etc.) and I'm hoping this will be clarified once I see the actual film.  But so far, everything looks terrific and I can't wait to see it.  I hope everyone, in the meantime, has a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

I was so ready to see this film tonight!  It was a great experience to see it on opening night, with such a great crowd.  It was very well cast, particularly the lead actress.  Well-paced, too, with a great, operatic plot.  I admit I wasn't always able to follow it, but the visual spectacle of it itself made it well worth seeing.  Leaving the theater, I was about to say that The Force Awakens was better, but with some reflection, I'm going to say that they're about equal.  Both are great films.

Sadly, the trailer to Alien: Covenant was not attached to this film as I hoped it would be.  But I eagerly await it coming out soon.

That's all for tonight.  Have a great weekend!

Paper Outlines and Thesis Statements

Before you write a paper, it is very important to outline your paper beforehand and also to have an effective thesis statement for your paper.  Both are key to a good paper, and both are interrelated.  Outlining generally comes first, and is a process where the writer carefully reads and then rereads (reading each source twice is generally recommended) each source for his or her paper.  In reading each source, the writer should look for strong commonalities between the primary and secondary sources (that is, ways to link them together).  One should also look for key quotes from both types of sources to use in the paper, as the effective use of quotes is a very strong way to make an argument.  In finding these quotes and looking for these commonalities, the writer will be able to identify the thesis (or unifying, subjective argument) for his or her paper.

Please follow this link for a list of the types of outlines: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/544/03/ .

A thesis statement is a subjective and unifying argument that ties the body of the paper together.  Although a thesis statement cannot be definitively proven, the purpose of a research paper is to convince the reader of the merit of the thesis statement.  The point of each paragraph (discussed in my post on how to write an effective paragraph) should reflect, resemble, and reinforce the point made in the opening paragraph's thesis statement.  The thesis statement should be in the opening paragraph of the paper, and is generally at the end of that paragraph.

Please follow this link for a description of the different types of thesis statements and for examples of thesis statements: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/545/01/ .

Elizabeth Shaw: Security Officer: Episode Two

Elizabeth Shaw: Security Officer

Episode Two

By

Ted Gentle

Scene: a padded, gray exercise room.  People in workout attire move back and forth inside of the enormous room, throwing balls, lifting weights, and doing other exercises.  Metallic noises and other noises of physical exertion fill the air.  Suddenly, from the left hand corner of the screen, we see MATT OLSON walk into frame, grunting with each step.  He is bandaged on his arms and on his legs, but he looks better since his last encounter with the alien.  He walks all the way to the right side of the frame, touches the wall, stops, and sighs.  Just as suddenly, the camera focuses in on the back wall of the room, where ELIZABETH SHAW and JAMES BRADLEY sit and watch him.  SHAW is holding a stopwatch, and pushes a button on it.

SHAW

            Good job!  Much better than last time!  You’re definitely getting better, Matt!

BRADLEY

            You think you can make it over to the other wall?

OLSON

            I can try.  Man, that thing really did a number on me.

SHAW

            Why don’t we say five more minutes of this.  Then you need to go back to cryosleep, so you can get healed up.

OLSON

            Sure thing.  And thank you both for all of this.  Really.

Suddenly, from off camera, a robotic voice is audible.  It is the voice of the robot CHIP.

CHIP

            Dr. Shaw?  May I interrupt you for a moment?

SHAW

            Yes.  Hello, Chip.  What do you need?

CHIP

            Meredith Vickers wanted me to notify you that the trial of Thomas Stephens is in three days.  She wanted the three of you to be there, provided that you’re rested.

SHAW

            Well, I’m feeling fine.  I think my left arm’s completely healed.  How about you, Matt?  How are you feeling?

OLSON

            I can make it.  Yeah, I’ll be there.

CHIP

            Very well.  I’ll let her know.  Thank you, doctor.

CUT to a shot of CHIP flying away from SHAW, BRADLEY, and OLSON and exiting through the automatic doors of the gym.

CUT to a shot of OLSON, still standing against the wall, SHAW, and BRADLEY.

BRADLEY

            Come on, Matt, I’ll help you back to cryosleep.

OLSON

            That’s really okay, James.  I can get it myself.  Shaw, are you really okay?

SHAW

            Why, yes.  Yes, I’m fine!

OLSON

            Where do they have you living?

SHAW

            Well, we haven’t exactly worked that part out yet.

CUT to a shot of a futuristic apartment.  Through a very high-tech looking kitchen, we see SHAW, BRADLEY, and a middle-aged woman with glasses and a gray dress (the realtor) enter through the entrance.  The realtor is carrying a clipboard with some paperwork.  She begins to speak.

REALTOR

            Yes, Dr. Shaw, this apartment has all of the latest amenities.  The kitchen, in particular, is top of the line with some very nice gadgetry.  And there’s also a walk in patio out front.

CUT to a close-up of SHAW and BRADLEY.

BRADLEY

            Us security officers make pretty good money.  Not as much as we should be making granted, but you could afford this.  What do you think?

SHAW slowly walks forward, out of frame.

CUT to a shot of the apartment’s central hallway.  SHAW moves down it and into a room on her right.

CUT to a shot of SHAW inside of the empty room, looking around.

SHAW

            It’s beautiful.  I could put my office in here.  I’ll take it.

The realtor and BRADLEY follow SHAW into the empty room.  The realtor presents SHAW with her clipboard.

REALTOR

            Great!  Just sign here!

SHAW takes a pen from the top of the clipboard and signs the document.

REALTOR

            Great!  I hope you enjoy it, and if there are any issues with it, please let me know!

The realtor leaves out the doorway.  BRADLEY and SHAW look at each other.

SHAW

            This is great!  Thank you so much for your help!

BRADLEY

            No problem!  Say, do you want to go grab something to eat?  There are some great places to eat around here.

SHAW

            Sure!  You lead the way!

CUT to an exterior shot of a futuristic, Mexican restaurant.  It’s decorated with colorful, Mexican decorations.  Through a window, BRADLEY and SHAW are visible, eating tacos and nachos.  A robot with a sombrero attends to their needs.

SHAW

            This is great!  What great food.  Thanks again!

BRADLEY

            No problem.  So how are you holding up since the attack?  I know that was hard on everybody.

SHAW

            Pretty good, I guess.  I don’t know.  This is a very different world for me.  And there’s so much conflict.  It’s really war torn.  I just hope I can try to find a place to fit in here.

BRADLEY

            Well, don’t worry, you will.  We at the security officers know each other very well.  You will definitely find a way to fit in here.  I’m just glad we’ve been able to help you as much as we have so far.  And Matt, he’s definitely getting better.  Yeah, things will work out.

CUT to a shot of a watch on BRADLEY’s hand.  It starts to buzz.  BRADLEY then puts the watch up to his mouth.

BRADLEY

            Yeah?

WILSON

            Yeah, it’s Wilson.  Looks like we’ve got another Xenomorph attack, this time at Clive’s Grocery on Central.  I would bring lots of heavy artillery.

CUT to a shot of BRADLEY looking at his watch.  The xenomorph is visible on the face of the watch, attacking random people and causing destruction inside of the grocery store.

BRADLEY

            Gotcha!  Come on, Shaw!  We’ve gotta high-tail it!

CUT to a shot of BRADLEY and SHAW emerging from the Mexican restaurant and walking out to the green tank vehicle from the first episode.  BRADLEY hits a button on his watch and the doors open.  He reaches inside the tank, pulls out two large rifle weapons, and hands one to SHAW.

BRADLEY

            We’ll be needing these.  Come on!

SHAW

            Gotcha!

BRADLEY and SHAW, each holding a weapon, both enter the tank vehicle.  Then the vehicle speeds off.

CUT to an exterior shot of the Tyrell Corporation building.

CUT to a shot inside the building of TYRELL, standing before a group of his security officers, each in a light blue uniform.

TYRELL

            We’ve had some reports of an Accelerant processing operation being run by a rogue element of this company.  Do any of you know anything about this?

CUT to a shot of the security officers.  They look at each other, whispering and mumbling.

TYRELL

            Speak up!

One security officer raises his hand.  His name is Security Officer Frank Jonson, and he is a stocky African-American man.

JONSON

            Security Officer Jonson, sir.  My guess is it would probably be somewhere inside this building.  We would need time to investigate, but I could definitely put together an operation for you. 

TYRELL

            Make it so.  The trial is in three days, so we definitely need answers.  I want to know who’s responsible, and I want to know as soon as possible.  Dismissed.

As the security officers file out of the room, one raises his watch to his mouth.

SECURITY OFFICER

            I think they’re on to us.

CUT to a shot of BRADLEY, SHAW, and other Weyland-Yutani Security Officers in an all out firefight with Xenomorphs as they enter Clive’s Grocery store.  People scream, scurry around, and try to escape the grocery store.  James Horner’s soundtrack to Aliens plays in the background.

SHAW

            They’re everywhere!  Everyone stay together!  Keep shooting!

BRADLEY

            Good advice, Shaw!  Everyone keep running!  Aim high!

CUT to a shot of BRADLEY, SHAW, and the security officers entering the grocery store, with the Xenomorphs swarming inside.  From the right side of the screen, a Xenomorph leaps and falls on top of a security officer.

SECURITY OFFICER

            Aaaaahhhhhh!

The security officer is quickly torn asunder by the Xenomorph.  BRADLEY aims at the creature and fires on him, killing him.  SHAW then knocks over a shelf of groceries revealing a massive swarm of Xenomorphs.

SHAW

            Fire on them!  Quickly!

The security officers line up in a row and fire on the xenomorphs, killing many of them.  The others run away in different directions inside of the grocery store.  Past where the swarm was, an enormous hole in the floor of the grocery store is visible.

CUT to a shot from within the grocery store of the glass entrance of the grocery store and its doors.  VICKERS appears with another large group of security officers.  They are all pushing forward a large, twenty-foot long screen that is able to project a lazer.

VICKERS

            Everybody back away!

CUT to a close-up of BRADLEY.

BRADLEY

            Come on!  Move it!

CUT to a shot of the security officers pouring out of the front, glass entrance of the grocery store.

CUT back to a shot of the lazer screen.  With a loud “vroom!” it fires a large blue beam into the inside of the grocery store. 

CUT to a shot of the glass front of the store being immediately liquefied, and rows of Xenomorphs, along with rows of groceries, being immediately disintegrated.  The remaining Xenomorphs who managed to avoid the beam scurry back down the hole in the floor.

CUT to a shot of VICKERS.  She suddenly notices falling rain.

CUT to a shot of BRADLEY, SHAW, and the other security officers.  They look up and feel the rain too.

BRADLEY

            Great.  Nuclear rain.

CUT to a shot of VICKERS.

VICKERS

            Everybody back inside of the grocery store, before we melt!

CUT to a shot of BRADLEY, VICKERS, SHAW, and the other security officers sitting in a circle in the middle of the grocery store.  Their surroundings are in complete shambles, with only a few standing grocery displays remaining.  Outside, it is clearly nighttime, and the nuclear rain continues.

CUT to a shot of the hole in the floor.  Three security officers with rifles stand watch over it.

CUT back to the shot of BRADLEY, VICKERS, SHAW, and the security officers in the circle.

VICKERS

            We’re in for a long night.  Shaw, how are you holding up?

SHAW

            I’m fine.  It’s just that. . .

VICKERS

            Just what?

CUT to a close-up of SHAW.  The image of the XENOMORPH MONSTER hovers above her then disappears.

SHAW

            We can’t just keep fighting them like this, over and over like this.  It’s so dangerous.  There has to be a better way.

SHAW pauses.

SHAW

            What do you think they are?  What do you think it comes from?

CUT back to the shot of BRADLEY, VICKERS, SHAW, and the other security officers in a circle.

BRADLEY

            I don’t know.  They’re evil, that’s for sure.  Where does evil come from?

CUT to an extreme close-up of SHAW’s face.

SHAW

            Maybe from someplace. . .  deep inside.

CUT to a close-up of VICKERS.

VICKERS

            When I told you that the Vickers you first knew was a robot, I lied.  I’m a robot, but she. . .  she wasn’t.  She was real.  And sometimes, her emotions. . .  they feel so real to me.

VICKERS pauses.

VICKERS

            There are times when I want my dad back so bad, I can barely even take it.

CUT back to the group in the circle.  The rain continues to pour down outside, making a continuous noise on the ground and on the roof.  Otherwise, there is silence.

CUT to a close-up of BRADLEY.  He shifts a bit, nervously, then starts to speak.

BRADLEY

            So, uh. . .  what now?  I mean, we’re in a pretty bad spot here.  We can’t stay here forever.  We shouldn’t.  So, do we try to go out?  I mean, who knows what is waiting for us out there.  That Accelerant can make some pretty freaky stuff.  And down there. . .

CUT to a close-up of the hole in the floor.

CUT back to BRADLEY.

BRADLEY

            . . .it may be even worse.

CUT to a shot of VICKERS.  She gets up and begins to look around at the shelves and displays of groceries that are still standing.

VICKERS

            Well, there’s plenty to eat.  Why don’t we stay here for now, and just sort everything out in the morning.

CUT back to the shot of the group in the circle, then fade out.

END