Episode 38. Alienation, Part 1: Alien (1979) and Aliens (1986)

Catch Jonesie the cat and keep the work loader handy because Alex and Andrea are on an express elevator to LV-426 discussing feminism, mothering, special effects and the enduring influence of classic science fiction in the Alien franchise. Stay tuned for Part 2 in June! REQUIRED READING Alien. Dir Ridley Scott, 1979. Aliens. Dir James Cameron, 1986. EXTRA CREDIT Strange Shapes – a blog dedicated to everything Alien. Reel Terror: The Scary, Bloody, Gory, Hundred-Year History of Classic Horror Films by David Konow. H.R. Giger – Giger’s Necronomicon and the making of Alien – A documentary on HR Giger, the artist behind some of the arresting imagery in the movies. Alien Behind the Scenes – The extensive making-of doc taking a look at all that went into Alien. The Making of Aliens – The equally-extensive featurette about the second film, featuring interviews and behind-the-scenes footage. Get That Life: How I Co-Founded Bitch Media – A history of the evolution and influence of Bitch Magazine. COURSE NOTES  Intro song: Nail Ballet from Nightmare Picture Theatre, courtesy of James Zirco Fisher. LISTEN Right click or option-click here and choose “Save Target As…” to download the mp3.