Memory: The Origins of Alien

It was quite a moment when the feminist explicitly implied that the aliens are payback for patriarchy, almost like a chest-bursting moment, except in this instance a massive Andrea Dworkin exploding out of her own rectum. I'm sure Francis Bacon would have been able to render that, and Giger too now that I think about it. How this is possible when the lead is played by a female, and one of the victims is female...? Oh well, it was nonesense, like most post-structural argumentation and pontification. But having said that there was a lot to enjoy if you are an admirer of the work. Lots of out-takes and interviews with actual people who were involved with the making of the film. You just need to be able to ignore the "teachers", you know, those who can't do, whom tower over all the poor toilers who created this masterpiece, and dispense their putrid self satisfied BS from their ivory towers - film studies professors and the like. It was easy enough to imagine the smell that the crew needed to tolerate during the chest burster scene, it being strewn about with offal under filming lights for a day, thanks to the presence in the documentary of these harpies.

I always liked Alien, especially the first film, and now I know why. There are so many mythical, psychological and sociological references, that so far passed unnoticed by me, which I can now clearly recognize in the film.

So this doc spends quite a bit of time discussing the origins and possible inspiration for Alien and the infamous chest buster scene, but not a lot else.

Only tiny amount of archive Ridley interviews and next to zero mention of Ripley/Sigourney.

Frankly I would get the deluxe DVDs released some time back and watch the docs that are part of the extras. Far superior.

So. This is a documentary about the origins and making of the first Alien movie. I am a fan of the the movie and the movies that followed not counting the last two stupid ones that Sigourny Weaver was in. Overall it was a good little documentary BUT... It starts getting in the weeds when they start getting into a gender studies class and a whole lot of other nonsense. At that point it reminds me of some of the art history classes I have taken . I once had an Art History Professor that was kind enough to impart some actual knowledge upon us. I was reminded of this knowledge while watching this documentary. This professor basically told us that in the art world an artist can sit down and tell people all day what their piece art is, what it means, what inspired it, etc etc, but the truth in the art world is whatever art critics think it is, represents, and what inspired it. Those two things can be widely different. I feel that is the case with this documentary. They take a really good horror/sci fi movie, after it is 40 years old, and describe it as some giant philosophical humanities project. I don't buy it all, but whatever!

Focusing more on the myths, sources & events that ultimately led Dan O'Bannon to script one of the greatest & scariest films of all time than the filmmaking craft & magic that played as pivotal a role as any in its success, Memory: The Origins of Alien ably explores the ideas & inspirations behind the quintessential sci-fi horror classic but it isn't as compelling as I hoped it would be.

Although it finely details O'Bannon's own fascination with Lovecraftian elements, H.R. Giger's extraordinary works that provided a tangible shape to his vision, the iconic chestburster scene, and also contemplates on the symbiotic collaboration between O'Bannon, Giger & Ridley Scott, you are certain to find a more gripping, informative & entertaining material in the supplements section of home releases of Alien than what this documentary has to offer.