THE SCI-FI PODCAST EP 10: The Alien Universe, Part 1

Alien P1 image

Welcome to The SciFi Podcasta wretched hive of scum and villainy a podcast focused on in-depth discussion of all things Science Fiction. The SciFi Podcast features three hosts—Mattroid, Solo, and Station!—and frequent guests. Each episode we look at a science fiction theme or franchise and take the discussion where no show has gone before.

On this episode of The SciFi Podcast, we welcome special guest Jalien (aka Jason Pyles of Movie Podcast Weekly and Jay of the Dead of Horror Movie Podcast) for a Considering the Sequels style show to discuss the first half of the Alien cinematic universe.

Theme music courtesy of I Hear Sirens, featuring Matt on bass and Liz on keyboard. Hear more of I Hear Sirens ethereal, instrumental, post-rock at BandCamp. Podcast production and art by Mattroid.

Show notes coming soon.

130 thoughts on “THE SCI-FI PODCAST EP 10: The Alien Universe, Part 1

  1. Fun fact, the first Alien vs Predator movie was the first and only movie theater experience I had where I was completely alone. Not a single other person there…

    • Wow, the only one?!

      That’s like a third of my theater experiences … but I watch a lot of indie films and horror flicks in a place that is not that artsy and super conservative … plus I prefer matinees.

      But, that is a fun fact, Sal. Keep us updated if it ever happens again. I seriously want to know what movie it is.

      • Wow, that’s a lot of solo experience for you.

        For me, I have a lot of theater experiences where it’s just me and maybe a dozen or less people. For example, Halloween Resurrection. It was just my uncle, myself, and two people that came in five minutes after the movie began and left immediately after the credits hit. That seems to be a common trend where it looks as if there’s only going to be a few people, but once the movie begins, a few strays will stumble in. It was Sinister 2 a few weeks ago that when the movie began, it was just me in the back row and an older couple in the front row.

  2. Hearing about the Alien contest, I’m severely disappointed that I don’t have any stories involving the Alien series beyond the fact I saw Alien vs Predator by myself in some crappy little theater and I made sure to stay through the entire credits.

        • Ah, the one time when receiving a participation ribbon is actually as good as winning the first place trophy.

          I came pretty late to the game for the Alien series. I was already a senior in high school before I watched any of the movies. It was actually the night before I went to see Alien vs Predator that I rented Alien and Predator for the first time to get a little official familiarity with the two popular sci-fi series. So I got myself all psyched to experience one of the most hotly anticipated showdowns in movie history by watching the original awesome movies and I show up at the theater without anyone else even being there. I purposely chose the worst theater in my area because as great as those large multiplexes are, you’re missing out on some of that grittiness that was more common in the 70’s and the 80’s. Based on my age (Born in ’86) I was never going to experience some of those old things, so I wanted to experience whatever I could while I still could. Alien vs Predator ended up being a disappointment, but I got to say I saw the Xenomorphs on the big screen. Shortly after that, I then went out and caught the other three Alien movies and Predator 2.

          In terms of quality, I’ve always dug Aliens more than Alien, despite the latter being closer to the horror genre rather than Aliens. I wanted to see a bunch of killer aliens so as great as Alien was, Aliens was a big step up. In hindsight, that was the biggest mistake Predator 2 made. Only having one Predator again didn’t make the movie feel any different (At least in a good way) from the first movie. If I’d have to rank the series, I’d rank it as:

          1. Aliens
          2. Alien
          3. Alien Resurrection
          4. AVP
          5. Alien^3
          6. AVP 2 AKA I think something is happening on the screen, but it’s too MEEP dark to tell

        • I’d say Predator 2’s biggest problem was casting Danny Glover as the lead. I mean, come on! Why couldn’t they have gotten Arnold back? Or at least have him replaced with another big action star from back then like Stallone, Van Damme, or dare I say, Steven Seagal? Actually, Kurt Russell vs Predator would have been so cool.

          #missedopportunities

      • The part where you list the AVP movies at all, where you list alien Resurrection and where you list alien3. The only reason it confounds me is because I have my list, and anyone’s list that is different than mine is wrong. Ha ha!

        • For me, I had problems sitting through Alien³. It felt like a bit of a chore to get through and I believe I watched it over the course of a few days. For Resurrection, it felt like we were back in the normal Alien universe and as a result, I didn’t have any problems sitting through it, despite any flaws the movie might have.

          Dear Matthew, just because you don’t like the AVP movies, it doesn’t mean they don’t exist. I can hate Brussels sprouts as much as I’d like, but it doesn’t make them suddenly invisible on my dinner plate. So suck it up and eat your AVP’s so that you can grow up to be big and strong.

  3. You want confounding, Mattroid? My rankings (including the Predator movies and Prometheus).

    1. Alien
    2. Aliens
    3. Prometheus
    4. Predators
    5. Alien vs Predator
    6. Predator 2
    7. Predator
    8. Alien 3 -tie- Alien Resurrection
    9. AVP2

    But, I’m not a huge fan of either franchise other than my Top 2.

  4. Sal, you’re crazy. Awesome, but crazy. Alien3 is a treasure, especially the assembly cut; Alien: Ressurection is what happens when someone who doesn’t know or respect the original material enough is given the chance to make a movie in the franchise.

    And I love AvP, for what it is. But it’s not an Alien movie. And AvP:R is sheer balls. Brussel sprout, on the other hand, are delicious.

    • Alien³ is about as much fun as crashing into a jail filled with dangerous men who all want to “Explore your neverland” while a far more dangerous creature is looking to kill everyone.

      Meanwhile, Resurrection has basketball in space. BASKETBALL~! It’s like the reverse Space Jam.

    • I just think Alien Resurrection has some really high highs and some really low lows, While Alien 3 is just solidly good the whole time. Thus, the tie on my list. If the Alien franchise was Michael Mann’s Heat, Alien Resurrection is Al Pacino and Alien 3 is Robert Deniro. And yes, AVP is Val Kilmer. I don’t know what I’m saying anymore.

    • If you don’t mind some constructive criticism, while the contest idea is pretty cool, it is a bit limiting. If you don’t have a personal story about Alien, you can’t just automatically generate one. In comparison, the most recent HMP contests over the Scream franchise (Advertise the podcast and give your top 5 for the 90’s horror) were a lot more open to anyone taking part.

      I don’t want to knock the contest idea though. If you can find people with Alien stories, those are going to be loads of fun to read.

  5. My Alien story:

    I remember reading an article about the making of ALIEN 3 just prior to the movie’s release. The one thing that stuck with me was that they used discarded burger grease from McDonald’s (or Burger King, can’t remember which chain) for the ooze that drips off the alien. When I went to see the movie, I made sure to stop at McDonald’s for a quick burger before the show.

  6. Excellent episode, lady and gents. I was looking forward to this franchise review, and part 1 did not disappoint.

    I was introduced to the Alien universe through ALIENS when I was 7 years old. Actually, I was introduced to it by the diner scene in SPACEBALLS. My father and I went to see SPACEBALLS when it came out in theaters the summer of 1987, and I asked him what that diner scene was all about. He told me it came from the movie ALIEN, but I wasn’t old enough to watch it yet. Bummer.

    About a month later, I was saying goodnight to my parents, who just finished up watching a movie on HBO. After the credits scroll, I noticed the “HBO Next” screen was showing that ALIENS was on next. I was pumped and had to watch it, so I did my best pretend sleeping routine and then quietly turned it on in my room once the coast was clear. Needless to say, my mind was blown. I had nightmares about aliens, people cocoons and androids being ripped in half for weeks.

    I also had a new mission in life: somehow someway, get a copy of ALIEN so I could see how it started. For that, I enlisted an older cousin, who lent me his VHS copy, stored in a PEE-WEE’S BIG ADVENTURE sleeve (something parents would never touch). And, then, that was it. My fate was sealed. I was hooked. I no longer sketched scenes of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles or Wolverine or Batman in my school notebooks. It was all aliens, all the time.

    Unfortunately, my teacher happened to see my drawings one day and was disturbed, so called my parents. Busted. The jig was up – I had to tell them that I watched the movies even though they told me I was too young, and they took away the VHS copies of ALIEN and ALIENS that I made and was hiding in my room.

    They couldn’t take away my love for the Alien universe, though, which endures to this day. It may just be my favorite cinematic universe (it’s top 3, at the very least).

    • In short, young Dino liked drawing phallic imagery. Sounds like a pretty normal childhood to me haha. But really, I also used to sketch alien heads in my notebook! Just the tip though, as I was not that advanced at that age 😉

    • Damnit, Dino! Both of your stories are great! I think you’re it, bro. Congratulations in advance and may you enjoy your shiny new quadrilogy you bastard!

  7. Here is how I rank the films in the Alien franchise:

    1. ALIEN – 10/10
    2. ALIENS – 10/10
    3. PROMETHEUS – 9/10
    4. ALIEN 3 – 8/10
    5. ALIEN RESURRECTION – 6/10
    6. AVP – 6/10
    7. AVP: REQUIEM – 5.5/10

    ALIEN is absolutely one of my favorite movies ever made. It’s #2 on both my horror and sci-fi top 10 lists, but could easily be #1 on both as well. As much as I like ALIENS, it can’t even touch ALIEN. I love how the stillness and quietness of the film accentuates the claustrophobia of the confined ship. It’s just pure dread and helplessness.

    With regard to the AVP movies, I actually like both of them quite a bit despite their ranking at the bottom of my list. They’re not great movies, but I find them entertaining in the best kind of fan service way. And, Sal is right about REQUIEM being ridiculously dark, but I do love the Colorado setting.

    Just a general note: this is one series where I feel the director’s cuts are better than the theatrical versions. Incidentally, I never realized HBO aired the director’s cut until you mentioned it on the show. For years, I wondered why I would sometimes see a version of the film that was missing some scenes from what I was used to. I never put that together, for some reason. Maybe I’m a dum dum.

    • Great comment, Dino. I’m so glad, SO GLAD that you’re on the ALIEN bandwagon like myself. ALIENS is great, guys. It’s a masterpiece in its own right, but is it better than ALIEN? Absolutely not. No matter how you look at it, it’s just not even in the same realm of awesomeness. As long as we’re all clear on that, then we’re good.

      • I haven’t posted my list yet, but your list, Solo, is exactly as mine (and almost like yours, Dino). All kinds of bronding happening right here, live!

      • I said it earlier, but I really need to re-watch RESURRECTION. It’s been at least 10 years since I last watched it, whereas the first three films are much more fresh in my mind.

        • Actually, Dino, your list and mine are exactly the same, most of the time. Occasionally I’ll put Aliens first or Alien3 first but that’s based on mood at the time. But if I had to put one list out there it would match yours.

        • “The correct list must always have ALIEN at the very top. That’s the only requisite.”

          Agreed. “Aliens” is a super fun and awesome action movie but “Alien” is an absolute work of art. As lean, atmospheric and note-perfect as a film can be.

          I don’t think that “Alien 3” and “Ressurection” are quite as bad as a lot of people make out but they are definitely marred by significant problems and neither hold a candle to the earlier films. “AVP” is just totally bland, pointless schlock to me.

          “Prometheus” is beautiful to look at and a very interesting film but I feel like it’s let down by choppy pacing, severe script issues and character problems.

          I think I’d rank them as follows:
          Alien (10/10)
          Aliens (9.5/10)
          Prometheus (7/10)
          Alien: Resurrection (6/10)
          Alien 3 (6/10)
          AVP (2.5/10)

  8. Alien is a very special movie for me. Not only is it one of my favorite horror AND sci-fi movies of all time, but it also happens to be one of the finest pieces of filmmaking that I’ve ever seen. In many respects, it’s still a very impressive film purely on a technical level. Add to it all the layers of context, strong and interesting characters, outstanding performances, a great understated story, amazing sound and music, gorgeous art direction, incredible special effects, and impeccable direction and you’ve got a timeless piece of art. The film hast it all, guys. I’ve seen it more times than any other movie and there is no doubt in my mind that just like the alien, this movie is the perfect organism. Alien is a masterpiece amongst masterpieces.

    Right from the start, Alien lets us know what kind of movie it is. The opening title sequence is not only expertly executed but it actually serves a purpose. It’s simple and elegant, yet completely meaningful and effective. Atmosphere is a crucial element to this movie and the title sequence helps introduce it in a big way. Within seconds we feel the isolation, the emptiness, and the stillness of space. We also very gradually start to see the name of the movie appear on-screen—exactly how the alien itself is presented during the movie. We see glimpses, we hear noises, we see shapes, but we don’t fully see it until much later in the movie. Brilliant!

    While many movies are concerned with keeping a pace that will keep us interested, Alien takes its time. It gives us room to breathe, to look around and soak in visual clues that allow us to put a story together, create our own conclusions, and theorize about the backstory of it all. The great thing about Alien is that it doesn’t necessarily hold back information. It gives us a lot to work with, it just doesn’t explain things for us. And therein lies the beauty of the film. It transports us to a world rich with atmosphere and lore but it lets our imaginations fill out the gaps and in so, creates a world much more complex than it could have had it given us all of the information.

    One of the aspects that make or break a movie for me is atmosphere and this film accomplishes that task in a seemingly effortless way. The lighting, the set design, the music, it all complements each other so well that the result is a level of atmosphere so dense that it’s palpable. No other movie, in my humble opinion, has surpassed Alien in terms of atmosphere. I love how silent everything is. There is a soundtrack, but it’s beautifully dark and menacing in the most quiet of ways. The film very deliberately starts off rather quiet and progressively gets louder and louder until the end is total chaos. I’m an adult capable of discerning truth from fiction but when Alien is on, my senses and my brain disagree constantly. My brain knows it’s not real, but my senses keep telling it “Just look at it, listen, feel it. How can that not be real?”

    The monster. The most iconic and scary monster that’s ever been portrayed on screen. It radiates fear, darkness, hopelessness, and in a weird way, even elegance. Almost like a black hole that swallows everything whole. This is a monster that has the potential of being real. Most monsters deal with rather large ‘what ifs’, but the alien is a much more plausible ‘what if’. The universe is infinite and we know there is life out there. I see the alien as a worst case scenario of what could be out there. It encompasses our biggest fears of a hostile encounter, of the unknown.

    I could go on for quite sometime, but I think you see my point. Alien is not just one of my favorite movies. It’s THE movie. It shaped my horror sensibilities as a kid, it sparked my curiosity (and fear) for the unknown, but most importantly, it gave my mind hours and hours of food for thought that I still continue to mull and digest. No other movie has stayed with me for as long as Alien has and that is a testament of its power.

    By the way, thank you for reading that line from the movie, Solo. It’s my favorite line from a movie. It’s so well written and it perfectly encapsulates everything I love and fear about the alien.

    My ranking of the Alien movies is as follows:

    1. Alien – 11
    2. Aliens – 10
    3. Prometheus – 9
    4. Alien Resurrection – 7
    5. Alien 3 – 6
    6. AVP – 6
    7. AVP: Requiem – 6

    • I don’t think “11” is a valid rating, bro. Just sayin…

      Love your comments on ALIEN. They’re not only spot on, but end with a beautiful love letter to the movie.

      I’m also glad to see PROMETHEUS getting so much respect. I still can’t understand why that movie is so maligned in critical discussion.

      • ‘Preciate it, bro. Yeah man, I’ve got mad love for this movie and everything surrounding it. The poster for Alien is also my favorite poster ever. Ridley Scott is also one of my favorite film directors ever and my favorite sci-fi director. It’s remarkable how good this movie is.

        • Another aspect that blows my mind is how much more sci-fi this looks compared to most modern sci-fi films. Even though the technology seen on-screen is technically ancient, it still manages to evoke science fiction like few movies can. At least in my opinion.

      • I agree with the Prometheus comments; a few slight moment of eye-rolling (hey there space cobra, wanna play? Magic flute. Don’t run left or right just straight.) shouldn’t take away from what is a beautiful, sound and very satisfying movie.

        And Alien truly is a masterpiece. It’s remarkable on every level, and it is foundational for hundreds of productions all across media that followed. Scott is a terrific director (with a few meh films) and sci-fi AND horror are best represented by the themes brought up in Alien. If it doesn’t land in the top ten of a person’s scifi, I’m not sure I can trust that person isn’t a homicidal android.

  9. Oh I’ve got a story! All this time I’ve been trying really hard to remember any Alien stories (as in Alien, the first movie). I was completely disregarding the others for some reason.

    Back in my pre-English days, I remember renting and playing Alien 3 for the Super Nintendo. The game was in English of course and I hadn’t even seen the movie, so jumping into this game was a very confusing experience for me. First of all, I remember there being a bunch of text. Text which I didn’t comprehend, so I would just skip it. And for those who didn’t grow up playing NES or SNES, games back then were not very intuitive. So, not only was I missing key elements of the story, but also of the gameplay. I had no idea what I was doing. I just remember walking around killing aliens left and right with no sense of accomplishment or goal in sight. I recall the graphics being mind-blowing for the time. I’m actually looking at a video on youtube and it does look pretty advanced for a Super Nintendo game. The fire in particular looks great! Anyway, here’s the kicker, I had no idea I was playing as Ripley haha. I thought I was playing as a man the whole time. I particularly remember thinking that his animations were rather strange… for a guy. Now it all makes total sense. It makes me want to play the game to see if it’s any good when you actually understand what’s happening.

    • Funny that you mention the Alien 3 SNES game. I’ve been thinking a lot about the new Alien: Isolation game that landed earlier this year (or last year, can’t remember). Have you played it? It looked pretty fantastic, and I read that it followed the mood of the original ALIEN film.

      • Opinions seem to be mixed, but everyone seems to praise the atmosphere and sound design, which are key elements for an Alien game. I haven’t had the chance to play anything in a good while but I definitely want to check it out. Stay away from Alien: Colonial Marines though. It came out in 2013 and it was a total critical failure.

  10. Dino- re: Top 10

    I can’t remember if it’s stated in the episode or if it got cut, but I spent some time discussing how I hate putting up a list like top 10 because mine changes so often. This one, for example, was based on the fact I’d just watched aliens and alien3, and since I love them very much the made the cut.

    I’d say 9/10 times, Alien is on it. But it does get swapped with aliens or alien3 from time to time.

    But I’m glad you’re paying attention! (You damn rascal)

    • You did preface your top 10 list with how much you hate putting up a top 10 list because of their fluid nature. If memory serves, you may have even specifically mentioned how ALIEN would normally be on your list when you discussed ALIENS and ALIEN 3.

      But, I just couldn’t resist.

    • I can’t believe Mattroid has Blade Runner at #10 while Alien3 and Star Trek II sit comfortably at numbers #4 and #5 respectively. Also, Station! having Alien3 above Bogus Journey is most heinous! Still love you all, but it does make me wonder about the universe…

      • Wrath of Khan is a brilliant, beautiful and ultimately a very classical sci-fi story. There are themes and motivations in the movie that make me think each time I watch it.

        Alien3 is a majestic mess, a dark and truly unique film that is tied to my emotions and psyche more than almost any other movie.

        I ranked largely on how these movies make me feel, particularly at the time. As much as I love Blade Runner–and I definitely do–I watch it less, I quote it less and I reflect on it less than the other two mentioned. It’s technically, from a creation and production standpoint, the best of the three. It’s just not the most watchable, for me.

        But really, when it comes to top ten, it’s almost all splitting hairs and any of them could more or less be my “favorite.”

        There are many others I could have included, probably. I am not very good at lists of committing to them. It’s like tears in the rain, I’m afraid.

  11. Pingback: Horror Movie Podcast Ep. 071: A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2: Freddy’s Revenge (1985) and A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987) – Franchise Review Part 2 of 5 |

  12. Listen to the cast , loved it but , alien 3 is some trash , it spat in the face from everything that repliy worked for in aliens , I hated when I seen it in the movies , and I hated the directors cut even more , both are long and boring . The editing of the whole movie was bad , that cgi alien looks like a bad ps2 game . If u want to see what part 3 should have been read the old dark horse aliens comics , aliens earth wars , which alien 3 was going to be , don’t want to think about the joke that is alien 4 🙁 , am shocked and sadden that y’all was so over this movie . Smdh 🙁 . But still great cast

  13. So from the beginning of the first movie to the end of the 3rd movie how long has Ripley been awake? Like a month? A few days in the first? A week or two in the second? Maybe a few days in the 3rd? So for like less than a month of “awake time” in over 50 something years she has been dealing with alien scum. That’s weird!! I would just want to go back to sleep.

    • We don’t get a very good sense of how much times passes, oddly enough. I’ve heard theories ranging from a few weeks to more than a year.

      But five minutes in her world after the events on the nostromo is too much for me.

  14. Pingback: Horror Movie Podcast Ep. 082: The Witch (2016) and Phantasm (1979) and Phantasm II (1988) |

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *