The science fiction thriller Alien arrived in 1979 as the dark flip side to Star Wars, a vision of outer space as a dark and scary place and alien contact as a threat to human existence. This documentary by filmmaker Alexandre O. Philippe is less a "making of" than a feature-length video essay that explores the inspirations that influenced the creators and the creative synergy of the filmmakers who brought it to the screen.
Philippe specializes in deep dives into culturally defining films in horror and science fiction genres (such as 78/52, which uses the shower scene in Psycho as a starting point to explore the film's themes) and this one begins with the influences of the weird horror fiction of H.P. Lovecraft, science fiction stories published in E.C. Comics, and movies such as the original The Thing, It! Terror from Beyond Space, Planet of the Vampires, and Queen of Blood on screenwriter Dan O'Bannon in his youth. "People often talk of Hollywood as the dream factory," remarks one interview subject. "But I think the dreams that Hollywood puts on the screen are not just the dreams of one person. They're collective dreams."
Memory: The Origins of Alien becomes an anatomy of a creative partnership centered on writer O'Bannon, director Ridley Scott, who was a veteran of TV commercials with a single feature film to his credit when he signed on to direct, and conceptual artist H.R. Giger, whose images visualize a synthesis of flesh and metal into a biomechanical vision. As the documentary moves into areas of production, Philippe uses the details of how the film got made to inform his exploration of the meaning and impact of the film.
The outcome is a film that delves deep into how Alien draws from a deep well of mythic, cultural, and artistic influences, one that reverberates with both intellectual ideas and primal imagery. That synthesis results in a film that still affects audiences and inspires filmmakers, and Philippe's focus on the collaborative process in both conceptualizing the project and physical production makes it an interesting contribution to the genre of documentaries on iconic movies.
Includes clips from over 30 new and archival interviews, from members of the production team to actors to critics and historians, and a rich collection of art and cultural artifacts that inspired elements of the film, from Egyptian art and architecture to the work of British painter Francis Bacon. The documentary is not rated but features scenes of violence from the movie Alien and weird sexual artwork from artist H.R. Giger. Recommended. Aud: C, P.