Alien (1979)

Carolina and Robin celebrate ONE WHOLE YEAR of The Ministry of Film with Ridley Scott's 'oh-god-the-terror-of-childbirth' haunted-house Halloween special Alien (1979). Politics include: the insane gender dynamics of a film about motherhood, domestic violence and female revenge in the context of a monster flick in space; how this film is sort of about 16th-century colonial ships; and how the Weyland Yutani Corporation is the perfect allegory for rapacious capitalism and labour uprisings.Plus a xenomorph with a penis head. You will want to read more because oh boy:That 2h BTS documentary about the making of Alien: 'The Beast Within'Eleanor Johnson's brilliant Substack essay about how we could interpret the film as being about the Alien, and humans as the deadly colonisers: 'Speaking the Monster'Go deep into the theory of capitalism as an unstoppable, amoral beast in 'On the reproduction of capitalism: Ideology and Ideological State Apparatuses' by Louis AlthusserIf you like what you hear, please rate and subscribe to the show wherever you're listening, it will help others find the pod.You will hopefully be able to see us as well as hear us, and we would love to know what you think, so please leave a comment wherever you're listening to this!Follow us on:Instagram @ministryoffilmpodBluesky @ministryoffilmpod.bskyb.social