Memory: The Origins of Alien

I actually think this is a really good documentary, a great insight into how the story was developed, how Giger was fired and rehired, great background and insight relevant to any Aliens geek need for info, like myself, I'm not sure I agree with all the opinions around the hour point, but rather than dismissing it out of hand it's an interesting talking point.

Another reviewer mentions " most of it comes through the lens of mentality and the myths of patriarchy, female oppression and such nonsense" however it's worth baring in mind that to have a female lead in a big budget horror movie that didn't just bare her breasts was unheard of at the time, so not so much a "myth" of patriarchy but "fact" of patriarchy and female oppression.

Yes the movie is viewed through the eyes on the #metoo movement and how far we have come since this movie was created, as a social conversation, which despite not appealing to all, doesn't mean it should be ignored.

Loved the movie. And was loving this. Until ... the ridiculous white tower crowd over interpret the film into "fantasies of male pregnancy, rape", rage against the patriarchy, blah, blah, blah. God, people, STOP INTERPRETING the film to suit your agenda/platform. What dreck. You might want to verify your interpretations with Ridley Scott. My bet - he was just trying to make a good movie and perhaps a new genre. Completely ruined the middle of this reasonably good documentary.

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.

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.

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.