Memory: The Origins of Alien

There have been plenty of looks into the making of Ridley Scott’s Alien, most notably when the director’s cut Alien DVDs came out years ago, followed by the special feature saturated Blu-rays. This documentary from director Alexandre O. Philippe is one of the best, although it doesn’t feature new interviews with the likes of Sigourney Weaver or Ridley Scott, who has a couple of archived interview moments. Instead, it talks to folks like Roger Corman, who almost made Dan O’Bannon’s original Alien script on a shoestring budget, while getting the likes of Tom Skerritt to sit down for some original insights on the filming. Veronica Cartwright also joins the fray, once again recounting the great story of witnessing the chest-burster scene live. The movie goes beyond typical behind-the-scenes looks, tracing the origins of Alien back to some old timey comics depicting Navy sailors accidentally eating alien eggs. For fans of the movie and moviemaking, it’s fascinating.