More Good News

This is how to make a viral video. The music and Fassbender's performance are exemplary. Anybody who has ever watched a corporate video aimed at executives will immediately recognise the soft lighting, the high production values and the even, but ever so slightly passive-aggressive tone. The moment when David tells us what what makes him sad - “War, poverty, cruelty, unnecessary violence” - then, as the tears roll down his cheeks, explains, “I understand human emotions, although I do not feel them myself”, is wonderfully unsettling.

For the first time I am excited by the prospect of watching Prometheus in the cinema. None of the teaser tailors or theatrical trailers were particularly engaging, and the Guy Pierce TED Talk was badly misjudged. I would have been willing to give Guy Pearce a pass on his English accent if he hadn't been directed to give his speech in full on evil-rich-bastard mode to an amphitheatre of what looks like roughly 40,000 people. TED Talks today tend to be given by very fluent, very personable professionals in relatively small venues that hold no more than 2,000 people – usually less.

So, well done, the marketing guys got it right this time. I just hope Ridley Scott is up to the very difficult task of finding something new to say and telling an enertaining and surprising story with the Alien franchise.