User reviews

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!

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.

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.

Please be skeptical of reviewers who can't spell, or who appear to be "triggered" by any political discussion in film theory.

As a lifelong fan of Alien, who has seen every single documentary ever made, and read every single book about this film, "Memory: The Origins of Alien" is a truly excellent retrospective of this classic piece of history.

It is packed with fresh information about the film, it's creators, and it's underlying themes.

For context: 95% of the documentary focuses specifically on the journey of the films creation. So if that's your motivation, I think there's plenty here for you to enjoy. And to that end, a generous selection of the creative talent behind it's inception are interviewed here - from Ron Shusett, to Roger Christian to Veronica Cartwright and several more.

The remaining portion is devoted to speculation around the film's "window into the collective subconscious" of society in 1979 - why it both appealed to, and shocked, the audiences of the day. What it said about us as a society - and continues to say. Credit is given to it's use of a female heroine, in an era when the film industry greatly objectified women. While a similar portion looks at the potential meaning behind how shots are staged and framed. As well as the dynamics of how a group of blue collar working class "space truckers" are depicted, and how they deal with their "expendability".

This documentary therefore serves as both a fresh "making of" (even dispelling several myths about the production perpetuated by previous documentaries - and adding several facts even I had never heard about before!). And an intelligent speculative discussion about why Alien continues to resonate, over 40 years after its release.

I cannot imagine why a true fan of the film, who appreciates cinema and science fiction for more than mere gore and thrills, wouldn't find this essential viewing and a valuable addition to their Alien collection.

I went into it with low expectations based on some of the inasane rantings here on IMDB. And I was pleasantly surprised.

8/10.

I found this documentary quite well made and interesting. Different critical methods were used to examine the story - from psychological to historical. I found the connection made between the creature and Francis Bacon figures especially salient. If you can get over the 5 minutes or so of ridiculous toxic masculinity at the 1:06 mark, you will likely enjoy this film, and appreciate the insights into deeper motivations of the writer, director and the amazing H. R. Giger, without whom Alien wouldn't be the timeless nightmare that it has become.

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.

Documentary looking at how Alien came to be made, it's early influences the themes that drive it.

Interesting analysis that looks carefully at the origins of the film from early Dan O'Bannon stories to Ridley Scott powerful steering and frankly getting it made and HR Giger's crucial involvement. There are some enjoyable behind the scenes pieces and interviews with Veronica Cartwright and Tom Selleck, but most of it is involved in understanding the meaning of the film and the ideas it focusses on. Acres of meaning are found by those involved and various 'intellectuals' which is either astute and profound or self indulgent twaddle depending on your viewpoint.

A considerable effort and a must see for fans of the film.

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.

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.

Imagine the horror of a feminist dissection of the movie in which one of the speakers condescendingly infers that the creators of the movie were actually making a subconscious statement about oppressive patriarchal society without even knowing!

Imagine the audacity it takes to say that artist like Scott, O'Bannon and Giger were actually unaware of their own creative process and subconsciously succumbed to their male guilt.

The decision that this angle is relevant to this movie was wrong and it made the documentary naive, shallow and obtuse. No wonder Ridley Scott wanted nothing to do with it.

Shame really, I liked the bit about Francis Bacon.

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.

Honestly, there's not much to say about "Memory." Or rather, there isn't much to say about "Alien" that hasn't really been said before. Most of the information is stuff that's been talked about before. It was interesting to see some more information about the original idea for "Alien," that being the screenplay for "Memory." To be honest, not only would I like to see more about that, but I would actually like to see that movie. It's nice to have a single encapsulated version of all the background info and critical analyses of one of the most symbolic films produced in recent memory, but if you're a fan who's studied this film to death already, you're not going to find anything new or revelatory here. This is really only for fans of the original film. Others probably won't get much out of it.

A documentary about a classic science fiction movie, which I personally judge as one of the best ever. This documentary is rather interesting, because it depicts how Alien got created from the very beginning. Lots of fun facts, lots of interesting ideas, but unfortunately also a lot of talking heads, who didnt have anything to do with the actual creation of the film themselves. From the actual creators (Giger, Bannon, Scott) we only get to see a few archive footage scenes and short interviews, which is rather disappointing.

There is also too much emphasis on the special effects the last half hour. AS IF the classic movie Alien only got famous for the chest bursting scene. What is firstmost the attraction and thrill of Alien is that we DO NOT get to see the Alien very often at all. It's the continuous suspense (without seeing the alien) that makes Alien such a thrill to watch.

This documentary is NOT interesting for the casual viewer, who has never before seen the classic Alien (1979). Better watch the brilliant movie "Alien" instead of watching this unfulfilling documentary about it...

I think few people would argue that Ridley Scott's "Alien" (1979) is not a classic movie, a masterpiece of science fiction/horror. Memory is a feature length documentary that looks at the origins of Alien in addition to the making of it, and the movie's legacy. As a horror/sci-fi movie fan in general this is an enjoyable, interesting watch, Alien addicts will most likely find it essential viewing.

If you believe some of the reviews on IMDb, you'll think the second half of this documentary is some kind of feminist rant. It's not. Some of the documentary's interviewees merely mention misogyny and feminism, which isn't so unusual considering the themes of Alien include rape and pregnancy, and considering the movie gave us one of the most famous female action heroines in cinema history in the form of Ellen Ripley. Why do some reviewers believe the second half of this doc is a feminist rant? Because that's when they switched it off. That's how sad and pathetic those reviewers are. Clearly they have no females in their lives they feel inclined to stand up for.

If you love Ridley Scott's Alien as much as I do, you'll undoubtedly enjoy this documentary, though more casual fans might find it too in-depth. You might want to steer clear of it if you can't bear hearing mention of the word "misogyny" too.

Real men support feminism. They don't feel threatened by it and frightened of it like some of the snivelling incel reviewers on IMDb obviously do.

Memory was an intriguing peek behind the scenes and into the minds of Alien, arguably the preeminent science fiction horror film of our time, now 40+ years old. The documentary features lovely archival footage and many great interviews of folks who had hands in its inception, along with cinema scholars breathing new interpretations into this masterpiece. The early portion of the film, focusing on the creation of the spec script for Alien aka "Star Beast", née Memory, has many illuminating nuggets on O'Bannon's personal life, the influence of Lovecraft, and the state of science fiction (as well as the larger global social climate) in the 70's. To me, the most fascinating parts came from the middle of the film with the inquiries into Giger's inspiration points in mythology, primarily Egyptian, along with delving into the impact of Bacon's painting "Three Studies for Figures..." These two sections have the strongest correlation to the main thematic thrust of Memory. Of course, the lengthy dissection of the unparalleled chestburster scene is wonderful, too. Veronica Cartwright and Tom Skerritt's fun anecdotes help break up the tone from being overly technical or academic.

The last half hour seems to be where the bulk of criticism for the documentary comes from as it frustratingly indulges in extratextual interpretations and social critiques. I don't have a problem with that on its face, and there are certainly some rich anti-capitalist/feminist undercurrents in Alien, but the ones presented here feel especially thin and forced. This seems to be a common stumbling block when revisiting legendary films, such as in the similarly handwringing Room 237 or the widespread Monday morning quarterback calls that every horror movie in the 80s was actually about AIDS. For example: the Ash v. Ripley analysis falls apart as quickly as constructed following the realization that, though the portrayals are not, the roles of Ripley et al are gender neutral. (Not unlike how many transfemnist takes on Lambert collapse due to her gender reassignment being forced at birth, either as experimentation run amok or Weiland-Yutani ensuring drone efficiency.) Ash's cold blooded attempt to dispatch Ripley (them?) comes from his manufactured nature as a psychotic corporate nanny; he acts as the boot heel of capitalist imperialism, not so much violent misogyny. In my eyes, the lowest point is the analysis of the engineering team. Within the film itself, Parker and Brett are fun characters but their alliance reads as a negative, cynical depiction of blue collar worker solidarity; they mostly serve as a thorn in the sides of the action-oriented, well-meaning Ripley and Dallas. Brett gives assent to everything Parker says as a gag first, but also because they are a solely self-interested unit. Whether or not he is "right" is totally unsubstantiated, especially on the matter of bringing an incubating xenomorph back to earth into Weiland-Yutani hands, where the hypothetical consequences could be catastrophic.

My other small issue with Memory is how it asserts Alien to be the product of three genius creatives being thrust together by fate and synergy at their creative peaks. This is true in part, but leaves many other talented contributors and artists by the wayside, such as Moebius, Chris Foss, Ron Cobb, and others mentioned by fellow reviewers. Of course, that may have made the movie into a slog if everyone were to get their due, so I partially understand why it's kept on the trim side - c'est la vie. Overall, I do think this has many interesting viewpoints and would recommend for the Alien diehards out there, though maybe not for those who have difficulty stomaching a little bit of lefty lingo.

It isn't so much about the making of the movie itself, but rather about the many inspirations for the movie, as well as taking a closer look at the filmmaking and what makes it so great and unique. This documentary is short, it's only 90 minutes, and it doesn't really go too deep into anything, but it's an enjoyable watch if you're a fan of the movie. What this documentary definitely has over most other making-of documentaries is style. This is a very stylish and good-looking documentary! The interviews are framed and lit in such a cool and interesting way that you just don't see very often and the old footage they show is all very interesting to watch. Overall, this is worth a watch for any fan of Alien. It doesn't really say or show anything new, but sometimes you just want to revisit an old favourite from another point of view. This movie does that very well.

I'd already known Alien to be a cinematic sci-fi fencepost, but this documentary delves a little deeper into just what inspired it all to begin with.

Alien is a miracle moment, the mind-melding of three individual creative geniuses: Ridley Scott, Dan O'Bannon and H.R. Ginger. What's even more terrifying than Alien itself, is to consider the movie getting made without the input of just one of these men. Their collaboration was equal to capturing lightning in a bottle.

What if there had been rewrites by some other hack writer? What if the alien had been a man in some sloppily designed rubber suit? What if it had been directed by Walter Hill? It goes to show how one man can make a difference. It was the perfect assembly behind the scenes that were allowed to use their creative minds together to gift the universe with Alien, and all its spawn. We have the modern sci-fi and horror genre because of them, in so many ways.

Made me think any story could be made more epic with enough creativity behind it. Just think of all the inspiration this has put out there.

Well, the only GOOD news is, hopefully one day someone will take the helm and do a truly comprehensive documentary about "Alien". This is NOT it. "Alien" certainly deserves it. While this documentary may include some existential and interesting contributions not before stated it certainly lacks in giving credit where credit is due. Alien is an artistic endeavor and unfortunately leaves out a whole lot of artists involved. Where was Ron Cobb (set design) and Mobius (costume, and ship design). Oh, no. Those were all RIDLEY's ideas (according to the documentary). And what about POST PRODUCTION? Ben Burtt is mentioned ONCE and NO mention at all about music and this is what really amazed me, NO MENTION about editorial. If you are a true "Alien" fan then you will have heard MOST of what is in this already. Give it a pass and hope for somebody later to pick up and carry the torch.

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.

I loved Alien the first day I watched it when it came out on the French screens so many years ago. A week later I had to go back to the theater, I had to see it again. The first time was too jarring, I felt like I didn't know what happened, that this was just too perfect. Second viewing confirmed my first impression: Alien is a masterpiece.

I read a few of the user reviews here before going to watch Memory: the Origins of Alien. One thing that I really disapprove is the unfair accusations in users reviews of the second half of the movie being a feminist rant. This is simply not true. I can only recall about 3 instances of women making feminist statements. That's hardly enough to qualify a large portion of the film as feminist rant.

The essence of this movie is really what the title says: a description of the genesis of Alien. It offers numerous insights in the creative process which gave birth to this classic. One thing which most people do not know is how the plot was started and contains numerous creative ideas by one writer, Dan O'Bannon. It's was good to see the emphasis put on O'Bannon's essential contribution to Alien. We most often attribute the greatness of Alien to the amazing creature and decors created by H.R Giger and to the great direction by Scott Ridley. And yes, Giger created visuals literally out of this world, Ridley put it all together, adding his own touch here and there. But we might not have known Giger's wonderful works without O'Bannon's drive to create this movie. I felt like he was getting some well deserved recognition. And then, as others have observed, it's true that there were many other artists who contributed to this achievement. But this documentary would have to be 3 hours to give everybody his/her due.

Anyway, we get to see how many transformations Alien had to go through, many pitfalls it almost fell into but didn't (such as the original title "Star Beast"), to become as good as it gets. Watching this documentary will give you an insight into the slow, difficult process of creating a great movie. One thing that stands out in my mind is the attention given to the shooting of the critical scene of the Alien birth. This is just wonderful as you get to see how complicated this particular scene was to make, how many trials and errors they had to go through to get it right.

On the down side, I found the interviews scheme a bit choppy. It jumps too often from one person to another trying to get together the evidence of a logical evolution. I think it could have achieve that better by letting people talk a bit longer. Aside from that, I had a wonderful time watching this documentary and highly recommend it if you are a fan of Alien.

As far as #hottakes go, it's as highfalutin as they come. But Phillipe connects the dots in convincing fashion, drawing a line from the Furies of Greek mythology to the chestburster-influencing imagery of Francis Bacon, via the unspoken patriarchal guilt of the '70s. Rather than a straightforward making-of then, Memory is more concerned with the literature, art, ideas and dreams that fuelled Alien's filmmaking hydra: director Ridley Scott, xeno-designer H.R. Giger and screenwriter Dan O'Bannon, whom Philippe credits as the film's creative lynchpin. Multiple talking heads contribute, from commentators and critics to filmmakers and a handful of cast members. But while the absence of Giger and O'Bannon was unavoidable, the lack of new input from Scott and Sigourney Weaver leaves it feeling like a major piece of the puzzle is missing. Philippe's previous film, 78/52, was an impressively forensic dissection of Psycho's iconic shower scene. Here, a significant chunk of the punchy runtime is dedicated to the peerless chestburster sequence. But by slipping into more conventional behind-thescenes territory it temporarily forgets what makes Memory so, well, memorable.