Memory: The Origins Of Alien
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Screen Media | 2019
NR | 1hrs 35 mins | Documentary
HD | 1080P | 5.1 DTS HD
2.39:1 Aspect Ratio
Staring: Bijan Aalam | Tim Boxel | Axelle Carolyn
Directed by: Alexandre O. Philippe
Ratings & Reviews
Please see here for my comments on reviewing movies.
Entertainment: 4+
Video: 4+
Audio: 4+
Overview
Memory: The Origins of Alien, premiered in the Midnight Category at Sundance 2019, it follows the making of the science fiction classic: Alien. The film is a look into the design, cinematography, imagery, script and the ONE AND ONLY scene where the creature erupts like a freight train from Kane’s (John Hurt) chest cavity. Below is an image from one of the pages from the 29 page original script that aims to reveal what made Alien the sci-fi masterpiece that it is. Taken together with a ship that magically drips water like rain from nowhere and bellows steam from everywhere created a movie to rival the very best of all suspenseful thrillers.
© Sundance Institute pro
Memory: The Origins of Alien reveals the mostly untold story behind what has to be Ridley Scotts cinematic masterpiece Alien. It reveals a whole treasure trove of materials from the O’Bannon and Giger archives that have never been seen before. This included; original story notes, rejected designs and storyboards, exclusive behind-the-scenes footage, and Dan’s original 29 page script from 1971, titled Memory.
This untold story is a look at the symbiotic collaborative process of movie-making, the power of myth, and the collective unconscious all rooted in Greek and Egyptian mythologies, underground comics, the art of Francis Bacon, and the unearthly visions of H.R. Giger and Dan O’Bannon.
The Story
Ridley Scott’s Alien is one of my all-time favorite Sci-Fi movies and one that I rewatch on a regular basis, especially as it is now in glorious 4K. The rest of the franchise also gets a regular airing in a mix of HD and 4K, having bought virtually every version from VHS to DVD to HD to 4K.
I was intrigued when I discovered Alexandre O. Philippe, the director of 78/52 (the iconic Psycho shower scene) and Doc of the Dead (a look at the Zombie genre) documentaries, was working on a new documentary about Alien. This latest documentary explores the artists, films and literature that provided the inspiration for the movie and delves into its impact on society upon its release in 1979.
Through the interview of several select cast crew and film scholars, and the interleaving of archival footage, some never seen before, Philippe creates an immersive and well researched video and aural dialogue, that while never getting too detailed, evokes a detailed insight into the aesthetics of Alien. There are no new revelations here but a solid rehash of the facts. Many of which most Alien aficionados will be fully aware of.
Ridley, unfortunately doesn’t make a modern-day appearance in “Memory”, which is a pity given that the featured filmmakers attribute much of the original movies dark and foreboding look to him.
The mastermind behind the script for Alien was Dan O’Bannon and the movie devotes a significant amount of time to reviewing the events that led him to writing what has probably become the most iconic and influential Sci-Fi movie ever made. Despite O’Bannon’s death in 2009, the interview with his widow, Dianne, helps the viewer understand his creative thoughts and process.
One of the more memorable sequences in the documentary was the detailed breakdown of the iconic chest-bursting scene, (once seen never forgotten), that was presented in quiet remarkable detail.
Technical Review
Video
Memory: The Origins Of Alien is not about video quality even though it is very good throughout, its all about content and introspective views on the movies creation. Despite that the colors, contrast, black level, etc. are all excellent and never distract from the task in hand, while skin tones and textures were all well detailed and looked very natural. Alien clips are crisp and clear and never distract from the ongoing commentary.
There were no significant or distracting compression artifacts even though a small amount of posterization is seen on several fades to black.
Audio – DTS HD 5.1
Memory: The Origins Of Alien features a basic DTS HD 5.1 audio track. The audio from the associated movie clips are clear and concise with good level. Dialogue was always clear and detailed with solid front-center imaging and prioritization, during both interviews and film excerpts.
My 2 cents
Memory: The Origins of Alien is a very good looking and enjoyable documentary that provides an interesting look at one of the greatest Sci-Fi films ever made, but it’s not something that long-time fans will find adds too much to their current insights, it is more of a surface-level exploration than an in depth deep dive. It is also a pity that neither Ridley Scott nor Sigourney Weaver participated in its making. Never the less, it was still an informative and entertaining 93 minutes.
Pity there is no mention of the extras here. Even a mentiom if there are any.
Honestly, I do not remember any, but I will fire the disc up again this week and report back. I rarely if ever watch extras, sorry.
I checked the disc and there are no extras. Just one basic menu for Play, Chapters and Setup.