Memory: The Origins of Alien

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!

There is some nice observations from O'Bannon's wife and scene set-up, but the garbage talked by the critics who you have never heard of are laughable. Once again it's all about man repressing women WTF!!! It's about male rape, what are these people watching? Quite frankly you have to wonder if these people are sane or have serious issues of their own to see such things or simply have they watched the movie. The strongest female character that has ever been on screen is somehow repressed, good grief. The critics just want sound bites that will hopefully give them airtime and validity that they know what they are talking about. If you can get past people talking twaddle and looking for allegorical examples etc give it a go, if you are realistic in your thought process though you have been warned.

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.

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.

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.