Ridley Scott’s Alien turns 40 years old. While David’s out of town, Editors Bro & Calvin convene to discuss an absolute masterclass in horror filmmaking. The year was 1979 and there was a crowded field of top tier cinema rounding out a decade of reinvigorated auteur filmmaking, with Alien at the top of the heap, representing the pinnacle of a decade finely calibrated for horror and sci-fi. The taut, otherworldly perfection of the film combined with a forward-thinking documentary aesthetic, created a pitch-perfect thrill ride of a horror picture. Making its worldwide premiere at 1979’s Seattle International Film Festival, Alien stunned audiences and created a brilliant new groundwork where the creatures of horror’s past could be elevated through the established social climate. In Scott’s film, we explore the big themes of motherhood and gendering, and why this film cast a social light on the common horror film. In space, no one can hear you scream, but on this week’s The Twin Geekscast, you can hear our discourse on one of cinema’s great achievements, and so much more.
Timestamps:
0:00 – 7:32: Tusk
7:32 – 37:40: Box Office
37:40 – 1:05:46: Alien
Intro music provided by andrewnapiermusic.com