Scott cemented his mark as Hollywood’s creme de la creme

VETERAN British director Ridley Scott ( right) became the 304th star to sink his handprints and footprints into cement at the TCL Chinese Theatre on May 17, a tradition for Hollywood’s creme de la creme.

Prior to that, the 79-year-old creator of the groudbreaking Alien movie offered his thoughts on his latest project and filmmaking in general.

He said he hoped to make moviegoers ponder life’s bigger questions through his latest contribution to the Alien sci-fi blockbuster franchise – but also to scare them senseless.

Scott, who made the original movie in the long-running action horror series in 1979, released the sixth film, Alien: Covenant, in the United States on May 12.

“It’s (about the) origin of the species, and have we failed or have we not failed? And are we going to correct ourselves? Sounds highbrow, doesn’t it?

“But this thing will still scare the shit out of them,” he told AFP, summing up the movie.

Alien: Covenant, the second of the prequel films, is set in 2104 on board a spaceship carrying 2,000 cryogenically-frozen colonists to a distant planet when they chance upon an uncharted paradise.

But their voyage soon turns into a gory nightmare that makes Alien’s original ‘chestbuster’ scene seem tame in comparison.

Scott’s directing credits over a genre-straddling career spanning more than 50 years have included acclaimed works such as Thelma and Louise (1991), Gladiator (2000) and the Golden Globe-winning The Martian (2015).

The filmmaker said he considered the handprint honour “a Holy Grail”, recalling his first visit to the Chinese Theatre, which turned 90 last Thursday.

“I used to walk up and down here. Hollywood Boulevard was perfumed, very clean and very pretty in those days,” he said. “It’s getting better now but it did take a downturn. It’s climbing out of that right now, and it should.

“I would look at the names every morning. I used to eat breakfast just around the corner – two little old ladies with blue hair, great food – and I’d walk past and look at the names.”

Scott also chose the occasion to rail against the California tax system, which he said was not encouraging filmmakers who have left over the years to return to Hollywood.

The director was also the brains behind Blade Runner in 1982 and is executive-producing the sequel Blade Runner 2049, due for release on Oct 6.

Harrison Ford – who starred in the original Blade Runner and is in the sequel – introduced Scott in front of hundreds of wellwishers as Alien: Covenant stars Katherine Waterson, Danny McBride and Nathaniel Dean looked on.

“I come to praise Ridley, not to bury him,” Ford joked.

Scott poked fun at Ford, calling the actor “a flipping nightmare” to work with, before telling the crowd he was “still learning and still curious”.

“I don’t feel I’ve ever worked a day in my life. I think to me it’s one big holiday. I just adore it,” he said. – AFP