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IMDbPro

Memory: The Origins of Alien

  • 20192019
  • Not RatedNot Rated
  • 1h 35m
IMDb RATING
6.8/10
3.1K
YOUR RATING
Memory: The Origins of Alien (2019)
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.
Play trailer1:23
2 Videos
6 Photos
DocumentaryBiographyHistory
An in-depth voyage into the sci-fi film "Alien" with the visionary filmmakers who created it. See how one of the most terrifying movies of all time came to life 40 years ago, inspired by anc... Read allAn in-depth voyage into the sci-fi film "Alien" with the visionary filmmakers who created it. See how one of the most terrifying movies of all time came to life 40 years ago, inspired by ancient mythology and our universal fears.An in-depth voyage into the sci-fi film "Alien" with the visionary filmmakers who created it. See how one of the most terrifying movies of all time came to life 40 years ago, inspired by ancient mythology and our universal fears.
IMDb RATING
6.8/10
3.1K
YOUR RATING
    • Alexandre O. Philippe
    • Alexandre O. Philippe
  • Stars
    • Clarke Wolfe
    • Nicholas Cull
    • William Linn
    • Alexandre O. Philippe
    • Alexandre O. Philippe
  • Stars
    • Clarke Wolfe
    • Nicholas Cull
    • William Linn
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 68User reviews
    • 75Critic reviews
    • 70Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards

    Videos2

    Official Trailer
    Trailer 1:23
    Watch Official Trailer
    Memory: The Origins of Alien
    Trailer 1:23
    Watch Memory: The Origins of Alien

    Photos6

    Memory: The Origins of Alien (2019)
    Dan O'Bannon and Ronald Shusett in Memory: The Origins of Alien (2019)
    Memory: The Origins of Alien (2019)
    Memory: The Origins of Alien (2019)
    Memory: The Origins of Alien (2019)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Clarke Wolfe
    Clarke Wolfe
    • Self - Sending the Wolfe Podcast
    Nicholas Cull
    Nicholas Cull
    • Self - Professor, USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism
    • (as Nicholas J. Cull)
    William Linn
    William Linn
    • Self - Joseph Campbell Writers' Room @ Studio School
    Dan O'Bannon
    Dan O'Bannon
    • Self - Screenwriter, Alien
    • (archive footage)
    Diane O'Bannon
    Diane O'Bannon
    • Self - Wife of Dan O'Bannon
    Ben Mankiewicz
    Ben Mankiewicz
    • Self - Host, Turner Classic Movies
    Tim Boxell
    Tim Boxell
    • Self - Curator, Defiled
    H.P. Lovecraft
    H.P. Lovecraft
    • Self - Writer
    • (archive footage)
    S.T. Joshi
    S.T. Joshi
    • Self - Literary Critic, H.P. Lovecraft Expert
    • (voice)
    Ian Nathan
    Ian Nathan
    • Self - Author, Alien Vault
    John Carpenter
    John Carpenter
    • Self - Director, Dark Star
    • (archive footage)
    Alejandro Jodorowsky
    Alejandro Jodorowsky
    • Self - Director
    • (archive footage)
    Ronald Shusett
    • Self - Executive Producer & Writer, Alien
    Gary Sherman
    Gary Sherman
    • Self - Director, Death Line & Dead & Buried
    Carl Zimmer
    Carl Zimmer
    • Self - New York Times Columnist & Author, Parasite Rex
    • (voice)
    Roger Christian
    Roger Christian
    • Self - Art Director, Alien
    Henry Jenkins
    Henry Jenkins
    • Self - Provost Professor of Communication, Journalism, Cinematic Arts & Education, USC
    Bijan Aalam
    Bijan Aalam
    • Self - H.R. Giger's Friend, Gallerist & Agent for France
      • Alexandre O. Philippe
      • Alexandre O. Philippe
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Purchased by fan owned entertainment company, Legion M, at Sundance Film Festival in 2019. It's the first time a film has been chosen using the Legion M exclusive program, Film Scout.
    • Quotes

      Tim Boxell: The Midwest may seem tranquil and civilized and so forth, but the fact is, you never know who's next door. You never know who's going to roll into town, you know, when the wheels are going to come off. It's like we're all, you know, one cough, one kiss, one scratch away from global disaster.

    • Alternate versions
      There is a shorter 58 minute version that is sold internationally to TV broadcasters.
    • Connections
      Features The Thing from Another World (1951)

    User reviews68

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    8/10
    Fascinating, insightful.
    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.
    helpful•20
    10
    • tsode
    • Dec 27, 2019

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • October 4, 2019 (United States)
      • United States
      • France
    • Official sites
      • Official site
      • Official Site
      • English
      • Greek
    • Also known as
    • Filming locations
      • Volterra, Tuscany, Italy
    • Production companies
      • Exhibit A Pictures
      • Milkhaus
      • Screen Division
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • 1 hour 35 minutes
      • Color

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