Documentary

Memory: The Origins of Alien

- Before Alien, there was Starbeast. Before Starbeast, there was… Memory.

The untold origin story behind Ridley Scott's Alien - rooted in Greek and Egyptian mythologies, underground comics, the art of Francis Bacon, and the dark visions of Dan O'Bannon and H.R. Giger. A contemplation on the symbiotic collaborative process of movie-making, the power of myth, and our collective unconscious.

Release Date : 2019-01-24

Language :English

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Screen Media FilmsLegion MDogwoof

Production Country : United States of America

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Character Name : Self

Original Name : Ronald Shusett

Gender : Male

Character Name : Self

Original Name : Roger Christian

Gender : Male

Character Name : Self

Original Name : Ivor Powell

Gender : Male

Character Name : Self

Original Name : Terry Rawlings

Gender : Male

Character Name : Self

Original Name : Tom Skerritt

Gender : Male

Character Name : Self

Original Name : Veronica Cartwright

Gender : Female

Character Name : Self

Original Name : Roger Corman

Gender : Male

Character Name : Self

Original Name : Gary Sherman

Gender : Male

Character Name : Self

Original Name : Carmen Scheifele-Giger

Gender : Male

Character Name : Self

Original Name : Clarke Wolfe

Gender : Female

Character Name : Self

Original Name : Diane O'Bannon

Gender : Male

Character Name : Self

Original Name : Adam Egypt Mortimer

Gender : Male

Character Name : Self

Original Name : Ben Mankiewicz

Gender : Male

Character Name : Self

Original Name : William Linn

Gender : Male

Character Name : Self

Original Name : Henry Jenkins

Gender : Male

Character Name : Self

Original Name : Axelle Carolyn

Gender : Female

Character Name : Self

Original Name : Tim Boxell

Gender : Male

Character Name : Self

Original Name : Bijan Aalam

Gender : Male

Character Name : Furies

Original Name : Linda Rich

Gender : Male

Character Name : Furies

Original Name : Rhoda Pell

Gender : Female

Character Name : Greek-speaking Furie

Original Name : Mickey Faerch

Gender : Female

Character Name : (voice)

Original Name : Shannon Muchow

Gender : Male

Character Name : Self (archival footage)

Original Name : Ridley Scott

Gender : Male

Character Name : Self (archival footage)

Original Name : Dan O'Bannon

Gender : Male

Character Name : Self (archival footage)

Original Name : H. R. Giger

Gender : Male

Character Name : Self - Artist (archive footage)

Original Name : Francis Bacon

Gender : Male

Reviews

SWITCH.

@maketheSWITCH

2021-06-23

What makes ‘Memory: The Origins of Alien’ interesting is the way, as one critic puts it, “it was a synthesis that wasn’t done consciously“ of Giger’s biomechanical designs, Scott’s eye for striking compositions and O’Bannon’s fear of insects and the unknown. The Xenomorph, a symbiotic monster and classic cinema nasty, was created through a vast melting pot of the different influences brought to the film by three preternaturally creative people. In regards to outlining the complexities of this origin story, O. Phillippe’s documentary is an unqualified success. - Jake Watt Read Jake's full article... https://www.maketheswitch.com.au/article/review-memory-the-origins-of-alien-three-men-and-a-xenomorph

Sheldon Nylander

@dalboz

2021-06-23

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.