#she's inspired by ellen ripley from the alien franchise

[cypriathus]

Main protagonist of In A Thicket of Spaciousness

WARNING: I talk about specific mental health issues and how it affects the following character.

Ephoszumina Uynaszoide Higenbrotamus-Teixojzura is the 36-year-old determined and protective commander of the Ichnaea 5 spacecraft. She’s part of the Galactic Investigation of Anomalous Phenomena Division (GIAPD), one of the few subdivisions of the Bureau of Researching and Securing Extramundane Curiosities (BRSEC). As a hard-working individual, she feels confident about her work and possesses an unwavering commitment to her given tasks. She’s a reliable member of the GIAPD, putting effort into their work and obediently following orders. She’s also viewed as trustworthy by her crew members due to her good listening and emotional intelligence skills. Ephoszumina is quite independent and honourable, being able to not rely on others for aid or support and believe in truth as well as doing what’s morally right. However, she sometimes struggles to break out of her unyielding independence and collaborate with her crew members due to her stubbornness. She respects the opinions and ideas of others, showing consideration and regard to what they have to say. However, she will put her foot down and tell them off if she views it as necessary. Ephoszumina is very organised and is quick to notice things, especially if it involves her plans or any potential problems that might arise amongst her group. She’s decently down-to-earth, ensuring that she focuses on the task beforehand and dealing with people practically and directly.

She's capable of uplifting the management of her team, but she does occasionally overthink and/or disregard the potential negative consequences. She tends to appear menacingly and isn’t afraid to threaten those who try to invade her privacy or harm the safety of her and the members of the Ichnaea 5. She can be quite sarcastic at times, which is usually in the form of mocking and contemptible remarks. Ephoszumina does have a bit of a fiery temper, but that’s usually targeted towards those she finds irritating or it’s a sign of wanting to be left alone. She tries to hide the fact that she experiences depression, insomnia, and borderline personality disorder (BPD). Her depression makes her feel sad, empty, and hopeless, and prone to angry outbursts and frustration, even over small matters. She often desires to be non-existent and can be somewhat fixated on past failures. She has difficulty with concentration, decision-making, and recalling, which makes dealing with her tasks feel like an absolute chore. Her BPD makes her feel uncertain about how she sees herself, experiences mild mood swings, and intensifies her fear of abandonment and instability.

Ephoszumina is slightly above the average height of an Irishwoman and is almost about 5’ 6” (167.64 cm). Her body shape is more rectangular, but her hips are fairly defined, her shoulders and buttocks are slightly rounded, and she carries some weight in her upper thighs. Her medium-length hair is in a side-parted wavy, messy lob and it’s a lovely shade of golden bronze with red brown streaks. She has striking sienna skin with reddish freckles decorating her face, chest, and shoulders. She has long eyelashes and cerulean eyes, but the left one is slightly lighter than the right due to it being made from glass, which she tries to cover up with a purplish eyepatch. She has a tattoo on her abdomen, which depicts a black and gold Rooster of Barcelos holding a bloomed lavender and a Fuchsia magellanica in its beak. After the spaceship crash, her left arm is replaced with a prosthetic, the wires being the veins and muscles tendons, while the flexible metal are the bones and flesh. Her lower back, buttocks, and behind the left leg have received some scars, primarily second- and third-degree burns and lacerations. After being experimented on and tortured by the Zraphelostund Vermuzokilas, there is a line from between the index and middle fingers to the tip of her elbows. She can split them open to reveal adamantine, jagged blades, and her arms are a smoky black with razor-sharp vermilion nails. She has six dark blue stitches: one running along her back; U-shaped ones on both inner thighs; one that wraps around her lower left leg; and two from her right trapezius to her left deltoid. Her hair now has some light purple highlights and her sienna skin is sickly pale with pearlescent blue warts on her shoulders, chest, outer thighs, and upper back. Ephoszumina has a scar below her lower lip that reaches from ear to ear and she has a segmented, bony tail that's tipped with a fleshy ball covered in glossy bronze spikes.

Like the other main members of Ephoszumina’s group, she wears the traditional GIAPD space uniform. This uniform consists of teal blue space flight suits with two white strips from the neck gaiter to the end of their jacket sleeves and well-placed pockets. GIAPD workers also wear position badges, the flag of their country on the left arm, the logo of their organisation on the right arm, and a monochromatic shirt underneath the flight suit. The logo depicts the simplified black silhouette of a rabbit before a burning star of blue, yellow, orange, red, and white. Below that striking logo design is the organisation’s abbreviated name in bold pomp and power lettering. Each member possesses a badge with their position and the depiction of a planet or moon. However, her badge is the only one in her group that depicts the Sun and the title of commander. The sleeves of her uniform jacket are sometimes rolled up or the jacket is wrapped around her waist. Beneath Ephoszumina’s standard uniform, she wears a white button down shirt and a tangerine undershirt. On her left uniform arm, her country’s flag is that of Ireland. Sometime after the spaceship crash, she wears a drop leg holster attached to a flexible waistband and the uniform’s left arm would be ripped off and has some mostly seamless stitching on the lower back area. The back of her ankle-length olive brown cargo pants would receive some crude stitching on the buttocks area and behind her left leg. She wears a solitaire wedding band with a princess-shaped diamond below her engagement ring on the left ring finger. She also has a spacesuit that has her commander badge and Ireland flag in the same places as her flight suit. She occasionally wears a bronze shawl with floral patterns of saffron, red-violet, ruddy blue, and pale rose with a silver amphisbaena engulfed in flames on the back. When wearing her shawl, she dons a pair of dirty brown jeans, which are both gifted from her lover, Friedoschalk.

Besides her BRSEC ID, she holds onto a very special photograph of her with her deceased husband, Veljahomius. As the commander who survived a spaceship crash and is roaming through alien planets, she has a few weapons on her person. One of the weapons she wields is an energy weapon with a sling that’s partially modelled off of the Russian RGS-50M. Instead of regular bullets or the ammunition that the RGS-50M uses, it shoots out either blasts or large orbs of slow-moving energy, but that greatly depends on the firing settings. Another weapon on her person is a double-barrelled pistol with a built-in flash suppressor. Ephoszumina also has a multi-purpose taser that fires three stun probes and is partially based off of the Raysun X-1. The energy weapon is named the Blazing Whispers 0.3, the double-barrelled pistol is called the Zermillionus LCTI-7390, and the taser is referred to as the Weather’s Eye J-XT81. She wears a highly advanced black, blue, and gold wristwatch given to her by the BRSEC, appearing to be modelled after the DB28 Kind of Blue Tourbillon and Rotonde de Cartier Earth and Moon Watch. It’s capable of faster-than-light communication, notifications in regards to receiving work-related emails, passwords to access confidential documents, and telling the time. This very special model of watch is referred to as the BRSEC-35 Cirrostratus Parhelia.

As a result of the various strange and unorthodox chemicals and injections that the Zraphelostund Vermuzokilas used on her and her crew, she has gained a few abilities. The tips of her fingers have tiny holes that can produce a black ink that burns through any material present in the multiverse. She has telekinesis, slow organic reconfiguration to heal any inflicted wound, and the ability to read minds. She can intuitively translate and learn ancient human languages and unfamiliar dialects, and her body is resistant to all temperatures. She can vomit up corrosive acid, spew toxic gasses, scale walls and ceilings, and manipulate metal, water, and marine life.

FAMILY:

Unnamed father

Unnamed mother

Unnamed brother

Unnamed grandfather

Veljahomius (ex-husband)

Friedoschalk Raschikopfe (lover)

Aprichotenus (daughter)

Korwudelaszith (daughter)

Musaphordzen (daughter)

ALIASES/NICKNAMES:

Ephoszuma (by a few friends)

Uyneszoda (by a few friends and coworkers)

Commander (by the members of the Ichnaea 5 spacecraft)

Mama (by Aprichotenus, Korwudelaszith, and Musaphordzen)

Liefje (“little dear” in Dutch) (by Veljahomius)

Snoepje (“little candy” in Dutch) (by Veljahomius)

Knapperd (“beautiful” in Dutch) (by Veljahomius)

Lekker ding (“delicious thing” in Dutch) (by Veljahomius)

Fuzzy lumpkins (by Friedoschalk)

Precious heartstring (by Friedoschalk)

My graceful little daffodil (by Friedoschalk)

My strong-hearted lioness (by Friedoschalk)

Schmusebacke (“smooth cheeks” in German) (by Friedoschalk)

Liebster (“most beloved” in German) (by Friedoschalk)

Honigbienchen (“little honey bee” in German) (by Friedoschalk)

Uphoszaide (by Gunaholde)

Ephoszumina Hanimefendi (“lady master” in Turkish) (by Evranfotih)

Unmovable cunt (by Plejzakhominus)

Grumpy albatross (by Mjolahvet)

Lonesome heifer (by Eyschurota)

Mademoiselle of a Rocky Heart (by Kafenodisch)

Uyneszroda (by Gibhazlodus)

Higenbrota (by Gibhazlodus)

Teixoju (by Gibhazlodus)

FUN FACTS/EXTRA INFORMATION:

She’s demisexual

Her birthday is April 12th (Aries)

Her blood type is A-

In regards to her ethnicity, she’s 50% Irish, 37.5% British, and 12.5% Portuguese.

She used to have a Borzoi, but he died from cardiomyopathy.

She has double-jointed fingers

Besides English, she knows five different languages, which are Korean, German, Afrikaans, Portuguese, and Greek. However, she does know some Dutch as a result of her deceased husband.

She originally wanted to be a marine biologist due to her fascination and love for the ocean and its unique aquatic life. However, she became an astronaut for the Galactic Investigation of Anomalous Phenomena Division (GIAPD) due to reasons she doesn’t want to talk about.

She used to get teased a lot the time she first worked at the GIAPD, but it didn't last very long after she beat up a sexist coworker and reported him to his superiors.

Her grandfather's place was near a cozy beach and that's why she's learned to like it as she grows up.

She likes cappuccino, sea foam, the sounds of the ocean, marine biology, her grandfather’s bike, the spectacular sights of space, her husband and the memories they made together, birds in general, rare dog breeds, and the outdoors.

She likes to listen to the sounds of ocean waves she saved on her phone when she’s having trouble sleeping.

She dislikes the taste of cooked almonds, the uncomfortable vastness of outer space, black holes, social isolation, death, funerals, having an upset stomach after eating spicy foods or drinking booze, dangerous machinery, sexual harassment, and wasting food.

Her hobbies consist of mountain biking, playing badminton, metal detecting, doing word scrambles, reading short stories, trying out magic tricks, collecting bird-themed items and seashells, and going to cozy cafés, pet shops, and non-commercial beaches after a stressful day at work.

Her favourite planets inside the Solar System is Saturn and Neptune

Her favourite animals are the barn owl, mountain hare, Araneus diadematus, horse, and goldcrest.

When she was a kid, she used to like going to an aquarium due to her love of jellyfishes, sea anemones, starfishes, and other small fishes.

Her favourite flowers are the ragged robin, bog rosemary, wood anemone, and cuckoo flower.

Her favourite comfort foods are colcannon, Gur cake, jambon, and garlic cheese chips.

Due to her tritanopia colour blindness, it’s difficult to identify certain hues. From what she can see, her favourite colours are lapis lazuli and rose vale.

Her biggest pet peeves are obnoxiously loud yawning, leaving drawers and cabinets open, not screwing lids on bottles and containers all the way, people who comment on what she’s eating, heating up smelly food in a work kitchen, being condoned to a gender-based stereotype, and microaggression.

During her time at the Galactic Investigation of Anomalous Phenomena Division (GIAPD), she has encountered a few strange things before. She has come face-to-face with a couple of extraterrestrial spacecraft and a few alien beings, most commonly the Lacebzortius Reptuzolvas or lizard-folk as many like to call them. From what she's seen and heard, the lizard-folk often work with the GIAPD as they possess superior knowledge in outer space like how it functions, what are the potential dangers, and more. During a field research study on gravitational forces, she caught a glimpse of a supermassive black hole. She has also witnessed two gamma-ray bursts, four quasars, and a galactic cannibalism event. She can even vividly recall seeing a couple of planets and an exoplanet outside of our solar system mysteriously collapse into themselves.

At one point in Ephoszumina’s life during her high school years, she used to be quite a nerd because she read books a lot and focused on her studies more than her other classmates. She also got those thick glasses as well, which many people made fun of. However, when she grew up, she preferred to put contact lenses on instead because she thought those glasses looked ridiculous on her.

Sometimes when she sits down it hurts her because of the injury around her butt, so she tries to avoid sitting down as much as possible.

Her prosthetic arm occasionally doesn’t function properly, so she gets it checked out every Sunday.

She paces a lot when thinking

She has a tendency to talk to herself

She knows a myriad of useless trivia

Ephoszumina secretly loves watching “bad” movies

Ephoszumina sleeps with her old baby blanket

She’s a contortionist

She can’t drive well

She usually taps her fingernails on hard surfaces

Ephoszumina’s guilty pleasure is following conspiracy theories that are considered to be blatantly false and out-of-this-world.

[trash-gobby]

Aliens Characters - How They Would Play Sims 2 & 4

A/N: Here are some Headcanons inspired by the wonderful jammesbarnnes Avengers Preferences HC's. I would HIGHLY recommend checking out their original work because it is the most adorable thing ever!!! If you want me to make more Alien character sims HC's please let me know!!

Pairings: None

Characters: Lance Bishop, Dwayne Hicks, William Hudson, Newt Jorden, Ellen Ripley, Jenette Vasquez

Link: Alien Franchise Masterlist

Inspiration: AVENGERS PREFERENCE: HOW THEY PLAY ANIMAL CROSSING by @jammesbarnnes

PLEASE check out their original work!!! It's so good.

RATING: PG

⚠️Warnings!: Hudson being Hudson again 🙄

______________________________________________________________

Lance Bishop

✨Enjoys just using the game to build houses and lots.

✨Has way to many build and buy mods to kit out the houses in the best decour.

✨Creates his own build and buy CC which he posts online for people to download (actually has a pretty sizable following for his work).

✨Likes to create replica houses of places he's either read about in books, seen in movies or visited in person.

✨Also likes the collectibles you can find in the Sims 4 world, and has a sizable collection of stuff in the one household he actually plays from time to time when he's not building.

✨Doesn't really play much with the actual sims, but has been known to love the seasons expansion in both Sims 2 and 4 most because of how beautiful the snowfall looks on his lots.

Dwayne Hicks

✨Very much invested in building the perfect household.

✨He likes the idea of having all his main family accomplish their lifetime wishes and basically fulfilling all their needs.

✨Gets genuinely sad whenever a sim dies by accident and will restart the game without saving if they die by accident in a fire or due to other circumstances.

✨Likes adding mods which increase the realism of his gameplay.

✨Really enjoys taking his time to do the legacy challenge and has proudly bragged about one playthrough where he's done ten generations (Ripley def makes fun of him for it).

✨Favourite expansion for Sims 2 is University for its additional features which add majors and jobs to the game, and Sims 4 is Get Together because of the clubs system, using it to make homework groups for his kids.

William Hudson

✨Likes to make his sim super jacked and the town hoe

✨His sim sleeps with literally every townie and has more than one child.

✨Uses money cheats super liberally and has his sim live in a giant McMansion.

✨Can't build a house to save his life. They all look like ugly coloured boxes with way to many windows.

✨Favourite expansion is definitely nightlife for Sims 2 because of the addition of clubs and public woohoo (because of course he would be excited about that 🙄). Fav in Sims 4 is City Living because of its urban setting.

✨Definitely has the wickedwhims mod installed on his computer for Sims 4

Newt Jorden

✨Immediately creates herself, Ripley, Hicks, and Bishop in the sims along with other people from her real life.

✨Loves this household and makes them a little cottage house with the help and guidance of Bishop.

✨Ripley finds her little virtual version of them a little creepy, but mostly adorable.

✨Likes to spend hours playing and messing with the universe.

✨Don Lothario has definitely met a horrible fiery death at the hands of Newt more than once.

✨Also will create real people who she is angry with in the sims and stick them in a pool removing the ladder.

✨Has a murder house in her game where there are like over 100 graves of people who've pissed her off or who she killed in the game for no other reason but for her own enjoyment.

Ellen Ripley

✨Would find Sims a bit to slow of a game for her, but likes on occasion to do a little playthrough.

✨Spends more time in create a sim then playing the actual game because she's a perfectionist.

✨Loves all the downloadable clothing CC and has a lot of mods for hair and other create a sim CC as well.

✨Has had Bishop show her how to create CC so she can start making her own custom content, and they've bonded over their mutual interest in creating stuff together.

✨Favourite Sims 2 expansion is Apartment Life because she grew up around apartments, and finds their addition closer to what she's used to. Fav Sims 4 pack is Cats and Dogs because of the addition of animals and the amount of customization that gives her.

Jenette Vasquez

✨Vasquez likes a challenge and progression, so she'll most likely find typical Sims gameplay pretty boring.

✨She likes action and things to be more fast-paced.

✨Her favourite thing about sims are the challenges you can do with the game. Vasquez's favorites being the Breed Out The Ugly, 100 Baby, Apocalypse, and Starving Artist challenges.

✨Has roped Hudson into a competition to see who can complete the 100 Baby Challenge first.

✨Doesn't really have a favourite expansion, because she only really cares about what challenges she can do in the game.

[kaaras-adaar]

Comfort Character Challenge ; .

tagged by: @ellana-lavellan-rp tagging: @ravusnightblossom @sunlilted @aylenlavellan @dragonagedmage @theharellan​ @not-born-heroes​ and anyone else! Tag me so I can see!

I guess the gist of this is you have to do three gifs of your comfort characters. Here are mine :D

1. Ellen Ripley (Aliens franchise)

I guess this might seem a weird ‘comfort’ character, but the Alien series is the reason I drew so much as a child. I was OBSESSED with space and aliens, any chance I could draw aliens or write up projects inspired by aliens, I would. I may not draw or write much Alien stuff now, but I have consumed as much Aliens content as possible over the years. Books, games, movies, comics. I have a signed book from H.R Giger (altho it’s a print I think?). I just love the world, the series, and Ripley is a hero to me. I ADORE Sigourney Weaver to absolute pieces. If I could ever meet her in RL, I think I would just stand there gawking like an idiot. I just love her, also her voice is amazing (which is why, ofc, she’s Kaaras’ mother’s VC >.>). 

2. Simba (The Lion King)

The Lion King is my all time favourite Disney movie. I... wouldn’t consider Simba my favourite LK character, I actually love Mufasa, Scar, Shenzi and Zira more... but as a kid, that Nintendo game... I legit just got it for Switch and completed the whole game for the FIRST time in my life because it was SO HARD as a kid (because there was no save feature on the SNES). This is the first movie I remember seeing in theatres, and I would have been near 4 years old, and I remember my dad took us (which he didn’t do a lot), and my sister crying when Mufasa died. It’s one of those childhood memories I’ll always have, and I LOVE The Lion King 1 and 2. Also, I’m 100% convinced I’m a furry because of Kovu, so... there’s that LOL. 

3. Megatron (Transformers) 

I mean, of course Magatron is making the list. I’ve always been split between Megatron and Shockwave because they’re my all time fave TF characters ,but the WORLD I had built around this mech... Most of my late teen/early 20′s was writing and world building Megatron. Transformers got me back into writing, and BOY did I write. My TF series (which sadly went unfinished) was over... probably more than 200 chapters over the course of... 4-5? series or something? I don’t know, all I know is that it’s the longest series I’ve ever written, with multiple parts, and I was SO consumed by it that it became my whole life for a solid 4-5 years lol. And I loved it. I met so many amazing people in that fandom, it’s just a shame that the place became so damn toxic, because writing Megatron was an absolute PASSION of mine, not to mention all the art and smut I did. 

This series made me discover a lot about myself as a person but also as an artist as well. I really, really miss Transformers. I have... so many comics, so many figurines, I have so much art and so many fics, not to mention ficlets. God, I would love to find the passion and drive to continue my story, but most of the friends I made there left (for the same reasons as I did), and I’m afraid it just wouldn’t be the same. You can pretty much thank this fandom for the writer I am today, though. I learned so much. 

[glapplebloom]

If anyone knows who made the original picture for this, please let me know.

One thing I have to thank the ponies for is making me more out there. From using Skype to being part of numerous Discords. And it was in one of them that inspired me with this: What if there was a Horror Movie version of Secret Wars? I figure why not. So here are the rules...

Only one character per franchise (for both sides). So if I pick someone from one franchise in one side, they CAN NOT be in the other.

Only Horror Movie Related characters. For example, Dutch from Predator is not considered since he’s more associated with Action. But the Predator creature is since he hits closer to horror than action.

So let’s gather the forces of Good for this side!

Ash Williams (Evil Dead) - Leader

Starting off with a character so popular in horror people wanted to see him in the sequel of Freddy Vs Jason is Ash Williams from the Evil Dead franchise. I picked him as the leader because as awesome as everyone else on the team, Ash has seen his fair share of freaks and monsters that can make him fit to face anything horror can throw at him.

Erin Harson (You're Next)

A Survivalist who just so happened to be in the middle of a group of siblings’ plan to kill the rest of their family, Erin is what you get if you want Kevin McCallister’s traps to be more fatal. She’s proven she can survive horrific situations and with the rest of the team she’ll most likely learn how to use weapons as effective as the rest.

Laurie Strode (Halloween)

If anyone in this team knows how to deal with a unrelenting killer, its Laurie Strode. Be it later that day, 20 years later or 40 years later, Strode is a survivor who knows how to fight back. With her planning skills and weapon experience, she’ll be a benefit to the group at any age.

Andy Barclay (Chucky Franchise)

While Laurie may have dealt with her killer the longest, Andy has been facing his for most of his life. As a child being a victim to an adult ready to take down the doll and the rest of his cult. While his opponent maybe smaller, Andy showed the ingenuity and determination to take on anyone of any size.

The Janitor (Willy's Wonderland)

Ignore the fact its Nicolas Cage. This is a guy who, in one night, without weapons, defeat 6 of the 8 Animatronics as well as cleaned an entire restaurant that was in disrepair for who knows how long in one night. Imagine what he can do if you give him actual weapons. Give this man a task and he’ll see it through.

Selene (Underworld)

As great as Humans are, let’s bring in some heavy hitters in terms of what they can do without weapons. Being over 600 years old this Vampire is capable of fighting heavy hitters on her own with weaponry to boot. Bonus, she’s immune to sunlight so she can fight alongside the others anytime to day.

Ellen Ripley (Alien)

She survived some of the most dangerous creatures in the universe. In comparison to the monsters on the other side, this maybe a cakewalk for her. But between her alien hybrid abilities granted to her in the later movies as well as her experience fighting some of the most deadliest hunters, Ripley is an asset for anyone.

Danny Torrance (The Shining)

He may look ordinary, but Danny possesses within him the power of the Shining. This grants him many abilities that are not very well defined but enough known power to prove he is a great ally to have in this team. Not to mention with how well he can use a gun, he can provide more than just mystical powers.

R. J. MacReady (The Thing)

He maybe a helicopter pilot, but he’s proven to be able to survive a creature that can be anyone. Granted, his fate is ultimately left unknown but after all the heck he been through he would be a great addition. Between his improvisational skills as well as the fact he doesn’t have to worry about not trusting his allies, MacReady is ready for anything.

Abraham Van Helsing (Dracula 1958)

He maybe a Vampire Hunter by trade, but his skills can be applicable to any creature he faces. While he may not trust Selene because she is one, his knowledge on Vampires as well as other creatures would be a great help in the long run. Also, it would be fun to see Helsing using modern weapons against the Vampiric Kind.

And that’s my pick for heroes. But why weren’t others chosen?

Carrie White (Carrie) - Not sure if she would count as a hero or villain.

Herbert West (The Reanimator) - Like Carrie you could argue if he’s one or the other.

Sidney Prescott (Scream)/Chris Washington (Get Out)/Shaun (Shaun of the Death)/Other Similar Survivors - They survived, sure. But in a Secret Wars kind of event its not just survival you have to work for. And compared to those in already, they won’t provide a lot together in comparison to one. Heck, Sidney was included until I realized she stuck out like a sore thumb.

The Toxic Avenger (Toxic Avenger) -  As fun as the movie is, I think Toxie tends to blend the line depending on the timeline and how extreme he can go.

Clarice Starling (Silence of the Lambs) - She was originally in because of the movies, but the book reveals she is now Hannibal’s lover. So… No.

Buffy (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) - Keep in mind, this is for Horror Movies. So if Buffy was included, it would be Movie Buffy, not TV Show Buffy.

Anyone not Mentioned - Either I forgot, too similar to people here or the rules prevented them from being included. 

Feel free to reply who you would pick for Team Hero or next week’s Team Villain. 

[absynthc]

BASICS.

Full name: Sofi Sayid, but she hasn’t gone by that in almost two decades. Nicknames (if any): Ripley to most. Rip to a rare few. Gender / Pronouns: Cis female & she/her Classification: Human Abilities (if any): She wishes. Age: Thirty-six Occupation: Farmer. Dealer.

PERSONALITY.

Traits: Strategic, blunt, secretive, sarcastic, arrogant, obsessive, loyal. MBTI: INTJ – The Architect Zodiac: Capricorn. Character Inspiration: Theo Crain ( The Haunting of Hill House ), Lia Haddock ( Limetown ), Tommy Shelby ( Peaky Blinders ), James “Sawyer” Ford ( Lost )

Content warnings for suicidal ideation, drugs, addiction, grief, death, depression, implication of self-harm, allusions to police brutality.

AESTHETIC.

Sitting on your balcony alone, smoking a cigarette at one in the morning. Biting into a ripe peach, the juice dripping down your chin. Collecting old sci-fi movies from before the world burnt.  The smell of rose water and honey. Calling the voicemail of someone gone just to hear the sound of their voice. Hiding your profits in the walls of your apartment. Biting down on your knuckles to muffle a scream. The crispness of cold sheets. Flickering neon signs pointing to narrow back alleys. Always paying in cash. Always.

(BRIEF) HISTORY.

tl;dr everyone rip has ever loved has either died or gone missing, and she’s convinced she has the power to talk to the dead, she just needs to figure out how to “activate” it, so that’s why she’s trying to amass wealth via dealing synth (my fun lil punny drug idea for metropolis) because money = power baybeeeeeee

Ripley grew up as a part of the working class of District Two. She’d never met her father, who disappeared mere weeks before she was born. No one knows why. It was as if he vanished into thin air, and her mother, Nairi, never talked about him.

Nairi worked at the Farm, and she did so tirelessly, legitimately believing the old adage that if you work hard, it will lead to a better life. Ripley saw time and time again how Nairi tried so hard to do everything right, do everything honestly, and how she was rewarded for her sincerity with scraps, while the Chancellor and her Watchers paraded around the city like tyrants.

And the ultimate cherry on top came when Nairi died in an accident on the Farm, killed by a wound that festered, by an infection in her blood, something that never would have happened had they been in a different district. But Ripley wasn’t able to grieve. At fourteen, she was an orphan, with no means of supporting herself, and all she could do was take up her mother’s job at the Farm in the hopes that one day, she’d make it out of here. One day, she wouldn’t have to do this anymore.

She was twenty-three when she met Joy, a technician at the Farm. It was a short courtship that led to a long marriage, and for a while, things were better. Ripley started getting used to the idea of happiness, started believing it was possible for her... only to have it all ripped away. The Watchers came, ransacked their apartment, took Joy away, interrogated Ripley for hours, told her that her wife was a traitor to Metropolis. After that day, she never saw Joy again.

Until she did, one night at the Boneyard. After her mom died, she started coming here, convincing herself she could feel her mother’s presence. And then, she started feeling Joy’s presence too, and that was all the proof she needed to herself that the one person she’d truly loved, the only hope at happiness she ever thought she’d get, was dead.

She started using. More than just casually, as she’d done her whole life. Methodical, addictive, meant to numb every feeling she’d ever had. And she had every intention of wasting away the rest of her miserable life until – a rumor overheard at Bliss, the idea that you could trigger powers within you...now that captured her attention.

She was singleminded in her pursuit of her “power” – which, she believes, is necromancy, the capacity to speak to the dead – because all she wanted was to say one last goodbye to the people she’s lost. It’s selfish, really, but she convinced herself, maybe she can use it for the greater good. To understand the future is to understand the past, and secrets disappear from the world with the dead.

Ripley was fucking tired. Tired of being a cog in the wheel of a broken machine, tired of being stepped on by the boot of the world, and in order to get where she needed to go, she needed power, money, and influence. What better way to do that than to control the stream of drugs into Metropolis? It was a slippery slope from using to dealing, but she made the most of the fall, and now, she’s created a tiny little monopoly for herself, pocketing almost all of the profits and trying not to get too greedy. Because it’s all in service of a larger goal, even if she refuses to acknowledge that she threw off one set of chains just to put on another. New game, same rules, and the stakes are much, much higher.

FULL BIOGRAPHY HERE.

WANTED CONNECTIONS.

THE CLIENT’S ALWAYS RIGHT – This is one of Ripley’s regulars. Maybe it’s her favorite customer, someone she has an easy repartee with. Maybe it’s someone Ripley feels conflicted about selling to, for whatever reason. Maybe it’s someone she cannot fucking stand, but hell, they’re paying her, so what does it matter. Regardless, give Rip some clients and populate her business!! Walter White, who?

RUBBING ELBOWS WITH THE RIGHT PEOPLE – Ripley’s trying to advance her own agenda in terms of activating the power she believes she has. Maybe this person has information she needs, and she’s willing to pay to get it. Maybe she thinks she can manipulate this person to get to someone she actually wants to meet. At the end of the day, Ripley’s taking her first stab at “playing the game” of Metropolis, and boy is she vastly underprepared for what that means.

FELLOW FARMER – Ripley still works the fields as a cover for what she’s actually doing. This can be someone she’s known for years, maybe even her whole life, or it can be someone who just started working here last week. I’d imagine Ripley’s one of those people that’s become a staple of the Farm, someone everyone thinks will always be there and someone who tries to take the new kids under her wing a little bit, give them the advice she never got.

(WO)MAN OF GOD – While she isn’t inherently religious, Ripley has a strong affinity towards belief systems, and she believes with absolute certainty in her bones that she’s right about how she sees the world. Most specifically when it comes to the idea of her having powers. This is someone who believes the same thing as her or could be inclined to be swayed over to Ripley’s way of thinking. Maybe a new friend, a welcome reprieve from the cynicism Inkwell is always giving her. Someone who’ll go down this rabbit hole with her.

HEADCANONS.

Ripley named herself after Sigourney Weaver’s iconic Ellen Ripley of the Alien franchise. It was the only movie they had at home growing up, and Rip watched it again and again, can still recite it verbatim to this day.

Ripley’s got a fair amount of tattoos, all of them courtesy of Inkwell. No, she will not tell you why she got them. Sometimes a cow’s just a cow.

Since starting her little drug empire, Rip’s developed a gnarly caffeine addiction. It wasn’t something she could afford as a lowly farm worker, but now that she knows what a steaming cup of freshly brewed coffee tastes like, she’s absolutely done for.

Ripley’s hair is always up if she needs to focus or if she’s working. A tight, sleek ponytail, a low bun, but most commonly, a long braid down her spine, just like how Nairi would do it for her when she was a young girl. She rarely, if ever, wears her hair down, despite it being so long.

There’s stray cat in her apartment complex that Ripley stared feeding. Since he’s so orange and so massive, she started calling him Cheeto. Cheeto now has his own litter box in Ripley’s apartment... and yet, she still calls him a stray and refuses to admit she owns a fucking cat.

Ripley takes pretty good care of herself physically. Her favorite form of exercise is boxing, and she doesn’t get nearly enough practice with sparring partners, just punches a bag she set up behind her building, so if you’re trying to Fight, hit me up.

And last but... not... least.... can’t sit properly in a chair because she’s gay....

[amphtaminedreams]

50 Films You’ve Got to Watch

Hi to anyone who’s reading,

I thought I’d take a break from the fashion posts to ramble on about something else that I’m really interested in for a hot minute. And I say ramble with intent, because I do go ON. 

The topic is film and I thought that I’d make a list of my 50 must watches. These are movies that I feel had the biggest impact on me which means, yes, I do have tattoos referring to a couple of them, lol. My genre of choice is usually horror and although there has been a bit of a “horror renaissance” and a shift towards prioritising good quality storylines over jump scares in recent years, on the whole, they typically aren’t the most highbrow films out there, so there aren’t THAT many on this list. Most of the horror films I listed are just genuinely good quality rather than a straight-up gorefest or anything too terrifying, however, I’m not that easily scared so if you did fancy watching any of the films I mentioned, take that with a slight pinch of salt!

Also, this isn’t anything to take too seriously. I really like movies and cinema but I’m also not a movie critic and this is more of a hobby than something I want to pursue. Like, I’m completely aware of how unrealistic working in TV or film is as a career if your family isn’t loaded. Very aware. Painfully aware you could say (imagine me sighing as I’m writing this). That being said, part of me does want to do a ranking of every film I’ve seen in 2019 at some point this year, so if anybody else is interested in this kinda thing let me know! 

Lauren x

50 Films You’ve Got to Watch:

1. Black Swan (2010)

“I felt it. Perfect. It was perfect.”

I watched Black Swan years ago now and I still remember how disturbing I found it and how exciting that was to me. I was probably a bit too young (young enough that my mum felt it necessary to cover my eyes during the Natalie Portman/Mila Kunis sex scene, lol) but even then I could recognise that it was a beautifully haunting film and Darren Aronofsky has gone on to be one of my favourite directors.

2. Jennifer’s Body (2009)

“And now, I'm eating your boyfriend. See? At least I'm consistent.”

Engrave it on my tombstone: JENNIFER’S BODY DESERVED BETTER. I fully believe that if this movie was released in 2019, it wouldn’t have faced half the criticisms it did back in 2009. It genuinely was ahead of its time. Megan Fox? As a boy-eating, demonic cheerleader? And Amanda Seyfried? Some of the most ICONIC DIALOGUE EVER? It should’ve invented a GENRE. Instead it got paid DUST. Yes, when I write in caps lock, my internal voice is YELLING. I feel passionately about this, okay?!

3. La La Land (2016)

“I guess I'll see you in the movies.”

Again, maybe it’s a basic film bitch opinion to have but I adored La La Land. I saw it at the cinema and spent the last 20 minutes of the film sobbing, only to find my mum and sister distinctly underwhelmed. I indignantly ranted back then to them how perfect a film it was and I’m going to do the same thing now so if you are reading and you didn’t like it, then you should probably just move on because I wouldn’t want to read myself banging on about Emma Stone again for several paragraphs either (don’t worry, I’ll try and keep it to one). I can’t help it. This film was just TOO REAL! Like, in every way but the actual plot and characters, La La Land has the dreamlike quality of a fairytale. The colours are rich and thick and always complimentary, the musical sequences are either like Disney songs or lullabies, and Emma and Ryan Gosling are made for each other. But then life and ambitions and resentments get in the way. And that’s the real part! That’s why it’s so bloody good! 

4. Easy A (2010)

“People thought I was a dirty skank? Fine. I’d be the dirtiest skank they’d ever seen.”

And so we arrive at the movie that actually began my love affair with Emma Stone. Iconic. Iconic in every way. The bad reputation montage is cinematic excellence. For real, though, this is so underrated as a coming of age movie. Like don’t get me wrong, Mean Girls is everything (I easily could’ve included it on this list but I feel like it’s just a given that anyone who grew up in the noughties loves that film) but Easy A deserves just as much credit. It has Penn Badgley, one of the few celebrity males I care about! Amanda Bynes! Aly Michalka! Lisa Kudrow! Did I mention Emma Stone?

5. Kill Bill (2003)

“Now, if any of you sons of bitches got anything else to say, now's the fucking time!”

If I had to put any of these films as my singular favourite, it would probably be the first Kill Bill. Controversial, I know; even my dad introduced it to me as the weaker of the two. To list any Quentin Tarantino movie as the one that inspired you to want to be a director is probably a very cliche film student thing to say BUT I’m not a film student and I’ve put my directing pipe dream permanently to one side, thus, coming from me it’s not as hackneyed a statement. Or so I tell myself, lol. Basically, I was in awe of Kill Bill from start to finish. The colourisation is a dream, from the crazy 88 scene to the final fight between The Bridge and O Ren Ishii, and I particularly remember loving the animation sequence despite that not really being my kinda thing. I was just so impressed with how seamlessly something so out of place, considering the live action format of the rest of the film, fit in with everything else; even the scenes that should be absurd instead work with the comic book style narrative. Uma Thurman is of course amazing and iconic af but Lucy Liu as O Ren Ishii is my favourite thing about this film and the line I chose gave me all the bad bitch energy I need to, I think, get me through the rest of my time on this planet. If not, the tattooed version of this still I have on my arm should hopefully do the job. Yep, I truly ascended to a divine level of basic film hoe with that life choice.

6. Marie Antoinette (2006)

“This, Madame, is Versailles.”

The first Sofia Coppola film on this list, I love this woman’s work to death. Regardless of the content she’s working with, the end result always gives me the feeling I’m watching an extended music video. They always have this almost dreamlike quality to them and everything from the colour palette to the camera movements to the soundtrack in Marie Antoinette is tied together perfectly.

7. Mother! (2017)

“You never loved me. You just loved how much I loved you.”

I was tense throughout the entirety of Mother. As a socially anxious, obsessively tidy control freak, this whole film was like something from one of my nightmares; think unwanted house party on crack. I was mentally screaming along with Jennifer Lawrence for all of those people to get out, whilst simultaneously just staring at her face because she is so fucking gorgeous! Even when she’s completely lost it! Totally unrealistic but it makes for some really pretty shots! And then there’s the ending which left me kind of like “what the fuck did I just watch?” Which is what Darren Aronofsky films do best. They’re terrifying but also quite beautiful and Mother is no exception.

8. Gerald’s Game (2017)

“Everybody's got a little corner in there somewhere. A button they won't admit they want pressed.”

I finally got round to watching this for the first time the other day and I absolutely loved it. It probably helps that the last Stephen King adaptation I saw was Pet Sematary, so despite the praise this got at the time, my expectations weren’t super high, but I think this really is a perfect horror film. It’s clever, doesn’t rely on jump scares, and the creepy scenes that are in there really get under your skin. It drags a little in the middle though it’s beautifully shot, acted and has one of the few “body horror” scenes in a horror that’s actually made me cringe.

9. A Beautiful Mind (2001)

“I think that's what it's like with all our dreams and our nightmares, Martin, we've got to keep feeding them for them to stay alive.”

I don’t want to say too much about this film and spoil the plot, so I’ll just say that it’s incredible. Devastatingly sad but also wonderfully hopeful at the same time, and solidified my interest in psychology! I could watch Jennifer Connelly all day.

10. Alien (1979)

“This is Ripley, last survivor of the Nostromo, signing off.”

As a horror fan, I don’t think I need to explain why this film’s on the list. It’s been raved about and video essayed and called a pioneer of the genre ad nauseam. Again, not that this is really anything new but part of what I love about this movie is the context of its release and success; before Sigourney Weaver’s portrayal of Ellen Ripley, it was a rare occurrence to have a female protagonist in an action-based movie. Alien really paved the way for women to take up space in a previously male-dominated genre.

11. 10 Cloverfield Lane (2016)

“Crazy is building your ark after the flood has already come.”

I saw this for the first time at the cinema and pretty much went in blind. I hadn’t seen Cloverfield but I love Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Final Destination 3 was always my favourite of the franchise, lol) and there wasn’t really anything else on worth seeing, so my sister and I chose this and it was an experience. Like, of all the films on this list, this is probably the one that had me most on edge and I’m not sure watching it on your laptop on Putlocker will do it justice. You need the curtains pulled to, the volume way up and complete silence.

12. American Psycho (2000)

“Try getting a reservation at Dorsia now, you fucking stupid bastard!”

There isn’t a dull moment in American Psycho. Every line is quotable and every scene is straight to the point. I feel like this film is a masterclass in that Stanley Kubrick quote about editing where he says he liked to get rid of everything that was not absolutely vital to advancing the plot or the audience’s understanding of the character in any way. Plus, the ending is trippy af! Or maybe I’m just a bit oblivious to something that was quite obvious throughout, who knows. Either way, what the final scenes really mean are fun to think about.

13. The Descent (2005)

“I'm an English teacher, not fucking Tomb Raider.”

Okay, so I literally just watched this the other day and had to begrudgingly remove Silent Hill to make space for it (I KNOW it was critically panned and I KNOW the video game is better but I liked the visuals, OKAY!?) because The Descent is truly one of the best horror films I’ve ever seen. Before we even get to the supernatural element of the creatures, which are genuinely creepy for once, there’s a party bag of other phobia-inducing sequences that had me emotionally exhausted within the first half hour alone. Claustrophobia, darkness, heights, actual cringeworthy body horror, The Descent has something for everyone. The way it utilises space (or lack of for that matter) and darkness and panicked camera pans makes you feel as if you are really down in the cave with the characters. To add to that, I was actually rooting for all of them too; it probably helped that they were English rather than the typical American slasher cast but I found them to be a believable and likeable group of women. I truly did want them all to get out alive *spoilers*, which only made the ending all the more devastating and although the general narrative is quite predictable, the way in which things get wrapped up left just the right amount of shocks and questions to leave you reeling.

14. Eighth Grade (2018)

“Gucci.”

No film has ever captured what it’s like having social anxiety during “high school” (it’s called secondary school here in England, I know, but you get me) better than Eighth Grade. A tribute to the feeling of never quite fitting in and wishing you knew how to do what everyone else seems to be able to do naturally, it encapsulates that awkwardness with an accuracy that is really impressive considering that 1. it’s Bo Burnham’s first film, and 2. he’s not...like...a 13 year old girl. It is just as funny as it is sad and Elsie Fisher is great and so, so believable. Girl should’ve won some kind of Oscar.

15. American Beauty (1999)

“I don't think that there's anything worse than being ordinary.”

I wavered on whether or not to include this film on the list due to the Kevin Spacey controversy and decided that I had to with the disclaimer that I watched it quite some time before the stories about him came out and won’t ever watch any of the new things he inevitably ends up doing (because Hollywood has a notoriously short memory when it comes to the actions of disgraced male actors, lol). You can’t deny the amount of talent and skill that went into making a film so graceful and elegant and yet in equal parts unnerving, and I don’t think we should refuse to acknowledge the achievements of everyone else on that set because of Spacey’s behaviour. 

16. Bandersnatch (2018)

“The past is immutable, Stefan. No matter how painful it is, we can't change things. We can't choose differently with hindsight. We all have to learn to accept that.”

As I was watching/playing through Bandersnatch, I didn’t necessarily love it. I think I’m echoing a common sentiment when I say that I was kinda confused. I was desperately trying to *spoiler* avoid the option of the protagonist murdering their dad (he seemed like a nice guy!?) but somehow always ended up there by their logic. So I watched most of the endings and then I went on and busied myself for the rest of the evening. AND I COULDN’T STOP THINKING ABOUT IT. One minute I was completely deluding myself into believing the whole parallel universes thing was true and that I should test it out (don’t ask), and then the next I was thinking how disturbing it was that we’d been basically been inside the head of a person experiencing a mental breakdown severe enough for them murdering their dad, who had only ever wanted to help when you think about it objectively, to seem rational. The confusion started making sense within the context of the experience of the protagonist and our role as the audience and though I hadn’t realised it at the time, I’d been completely absorbed in the episode. Maybe the confusion wasn’t intentional, maybe I’m giving Charlie Brooker too much credit based on the recent couple of series of Black Mirror BUT I can’t deny that Bandersnatch left a huge mark on me, and after all, this is the man who wrote White Christmas. 

17. Get Out (2017)

“White girls. They get you every time.”

Going into this film, I was cocky. I’ve gotten pretty good at predicting what’s going to happen in things, probably just because I watch too much TV, but from the trailer I was sure I knew exactly what was going to happen. And then, I was completely blown away. The ending was SO SMART, in terms of both the within universe storytelling and also the metaphorical narrative/commentary on the way our society treats black men and women. Like those early episodes of Black Mirror, it had me like “how the fuck did Jordan Peele think of that!?”. I can only dream of being as creative in my writing one day. Even little plot points like where the “police” car turns up at the end and your stomach sinks and you realise the intention of that is most likely to help you empathise with what the average African-American person feels in their day to day life when police make themselves present, what with institutional police brutality and racial profiling; it’s clear so much thought went into this script.

18. Ghost Stories (2017)

“It's funny, isn't it? How it's always the last key that unlocks everything.”

I don’t have all too much to say about this one apart from that I love a well-constructed English horror. I feel like it’s something we don’t do all too often and to be honest, I’m struggling to think of many English horror films in the first place. Ghost Stories is a great example of why we need more; it’s smart and spooky and folky without hitting you over the head with all those elements and Andy Nyman is a perfect lead. Love a bit of Martin Freeman too.

19. Girl, Interrupted (1999)

“Crazy isn't being broken, or swallowing a dark secret. It's you, or me, amplified.”

Maybe this is the 13 year old black and white Tumblr girl in me jumping out but I still adore this film. I know it’s not necessarily the most critically well received but Winona Ryder, Angelina Jolie and Brittany Murphy are 3 of my favourite actresses and I do love the script. I also like the way that Borderline Personality Disorder was characterised in Winona’s character Susanna (I’m wavering on whether to call her a character as if I recall correctly the book was based on the author’s real experience) in that it was quite subtle and that she wasn’t portrayed as manipulative, or aggressive or basically, as the villain, which I feel is usually the go-to. It focussed more on the mood aspects and the way that people with BPD tend to latch onto and idealise others, as Susanna does with Lisa, and these are both things that I have personally struggled with in the past.

20. Hereditary (2018)

“All I do is worry and slave and defend you, and all I get back is that fucking face on your face!”

It was hard to find a quote that encapsulated what makes Hereditary so great because so much of it is about what isn’t said, if that makes sense. It’s a lot of pained silences and resentful looks and horrified screams, and doesn’t that sound like a fun time? Honestly, it’s not necessarily, lmao. Shocker. It has you feeling like something awful is about to happen the whole time, deep in the pit of your stomach, but I like that in a film, when it does make you properly feel. Ari Aster gets slow-burning dread just right in his exploration of dysfunctional families and grudges, with a few heart-sinking shocks thrown in for good measure all without overdoing the jump scares. There are a lot of deeply unnerving “supernatural” moments but there are just as many horrifically realistic familial conflict scenes that give you that whole “something is wrong” gut instinct in equal measures. It’s been a year and I’m still so angry that Toni Collette didn’t get an Oscar nomination for her performance, because it was really the perfect opportunity to break down the invisible wall between horror and critical recognition. On a more positive note, I loved Midsommar too (not as much as Hereditary but it was still a trip) and I cannot wait to see what Ari Aster does next. Once again, I’ll be in the cinema on opening night.

21. Heathers (1988)

“Dear Diary, my teen-angst bullshit now has a body count.”

Heathers is iconic in every way: the outfits, the cast, the lines. I mean, the acting can be a bit iffy at times but I honestly think that without Heathers, Jennifer’s Body might never have existed and that’s a world I wouldn’t want to live in. There was so much choice when I was picking a line to summarise why I like it so much and of course, “fuck me gently with a chain saw, do I look like Mother Theresa?” deserves an honourable mention. You almost made it bby. The TV remake? We don’t speak of it.

22. Hot Fuzz (2007)

“The way we see it, it’s all for the greater good.”

It might not be the “artiest” movie ever but I’ve seen Hot Fuzz so many times and it never gets old. Though I used to love it when I was younger purely for the PG-13 gore, now I appreciate it for the absurdity and the ridiculousness and to be honest, the total believability of the plot when it comes to towns ruled by low-key hostile, doddery old white people. I should know, I live in one.

23. Inglourious Basterds (2009)

“You probably heard we ain't in the prisoner-takin' business. We in the killin' Nazi business. And cousin, business is a-boomin’.”

I wish I wasn’t a hoe for Quentin Tarantino films (I’ve felt personally attacked by many a poundlandbandit starter pack) but I am. The breakneck pacing, the tongue in cheek dialogue and the gore all make this one of my ultimate favourites. Also, I have a huge crush on Melanie Laurent. Yes, it’s the French accent. No, I don’t know the mechanics of how that works. I hear someone speak French and I want to marry them! I can’t help it!

24. Ingrid Goes West (2017)

“Are you actually insane?”

This seems like a random choice to have on the list seeing as it was never really that hyped up, nor did it receive masses of critical acclaim. It did get positive reviews but that was about it. However, as soon as I saw the trailer, I knew I had to see it. Months, and an £8 purchase from HMV later, I finally got to watch Ingrid Goes West and I loved every moment of it. Whilst Aubrey Plaza’s character, I feel, is an exploration of a lot of young women’s insecurities and self-doubts and fears, blown up to monstrous proportions (or maybe just mine, lol), and a 90 minute film about that doesn’t sound all that revolutionary, this one is as intense as it is stylish and darkly comedic and that’s what puts it on the map for me. 

25. Insidious (2011)

“I like to call them travellers.”

So this film scared the ever-living SHIT out of me when I was younger and though I now consider horror my favourite genre and watch it on the regular with absolutely no qualms, 13 year old me was (not to use the world lightly) mildly traumatised. I genuinely couldn’t be home alone by myself or sleep at night without thinking the old woman ghost from the beginning was outside my room for a good 6 months or so. Like it literally exacerbated an already present sleep disorder to the point where my understandably frustrated-at-being-woken-up-nightly-by-her-panicking-daughter mother got me referred for CBT (to reflect on a time when I didn’t know what CBT or CAMHS was is…blissful, lol). And maybe because of that, in my mind, I still conceptualise it as one of the very few horror movies that has actually scared me, hence its place on the list. That scene where we first see that Star Wars looking red faced devil? I’d probably still nope out even now.

26. It Follows (2014)

“It could look like someone you know or it could be a stranger in a crowd. Whatever helps it get close to you.”

There’s not too much to say about It Follows, other than that it’s a good horror film and more importantly just a really good film. I feel it’s a crucial, early part of this warmly welcomed horror renaissance we are now fully in the thick of where writers are focussing less on making people gasp and more on actual good quality cinema. It’s a simple concept that leaves enough room for you to ask your own questions whilst still feeling somewhat complete, and not annoyingly open-ended. The shots are good, the characters are normal enough to be believable, and the colour palette is Fincher-esque; the muted tones perfectly complement the feelings of dread that run throughout. Whilst you don’t need to be concerned with what the whole thing is a metaphor of in order to enjoy the film, the possibility of there being that second reading of the narrative, for me, elevate it to a higher level. In other words, it’s got *Shrek voice* layers.

27. Juno (2007)

“I'm just gonna go ahead and nip this thing in the bud. Cuz you know, they say pregnancy often leads to…you know...an infant.”

I love Ellen Page. I love Michael Cera. Together they are the best thing ever. See, I’m not really much of a rom-com girl but I see this as less of a rom-com and more of a coming of age film with romantic snippets and great one liners. It’s sweet and whimsical and funny but also really fucking real in parts, and it’s definitely what I would consider a modern classic. If you haven’t watched it already, do!

28. Suspiria (2018)

“Love and manipulation, they share houses very often. They are frequent bedfellows.”

Witches! Ballet dancing! Decapitation! Tilda Swinton! What’s not to love? As soon as I saw the trailer for Suspiria, I knew I had to see it. Creepy but also beautifully shot and scored, it was worth the 8 month wait from the Venice Film Festival and eventual caving and watching on 123Movies after I couldn’t find the DVD on Amazon; I finally got to tick it off my watch list only to like it so much I had to add the original Suspiria back on.

29. Mulholland Drive (2001)

“I hope that I never see that face, ever, outside of a dream.”

Another film which had me like WTF by the end, I really recommend Mulholland Drive for anyone who wants to be vaguely creeped out and extremely confused at the same time. See, I really love a film where you spend the next few hours after watching researching all the different interpretations and reading interviews with the director. That sounds sarcastic, but honestly, I love it. It’s a moody, film-noir style mindfuck of a movie and even after doing my research I’m still quite baffled. That’s the best part. 

30. Requiem for a Dream (2000)

“Purple in the morning, blue in the afternoon, orange in the evening.”

It took me a while to get on board with seeing Marlon Wayans in a serious role (I’ve seen White Chicks far too many times, clearly), but once I did, I was into it. To be totally honest, I don’t think there’s a single happy moment in this film; it comes up quite frequently as one of the most disturbing of all time, which I’m sure Aronofsky probably thinks of as another notch on his belt. Whilst imo, that’s quite a grandiose claim, Requiem for a Dream definitely stuck in my mind after I watched it. Even if you’ve never watched the film, the ending sequence is notorious for how fucked up it is and I do think it’s earned the infamy. What stuck out more to me, though, was how purposeful every shot and sequence felt in terms of trying to let you into the character’s states of mind, the short lived bursts of euphoria and the panicked downwards spirals.  I think it will always be one of the most compelling films about addiction for highlighting how terrifyingly out of one’s control it can be.  

31. Room (2015)

“No one is strong alone.”

This film made me cry buckets. Brie Larson and Jacob Tremblay are wonderful, and everyone involved deserved all the Oscar hype. Every line was so heartfelt and emotive, and I loved Tremblay’s voiceovers. To translate the stream of consciousness of a kid from page to screen in a way that it remains believable in spite of its wisdom (not like those tweets where people try to make out their kid just casually made some off the cuff scathing political jibe at the dinner table) is quite the feat and similarly, I’m in awe of how the director managed to communicate the pain and confusion of the characters on a level that transcended the physical confines of said room. The escape scene had my heart in my mouth. All this being said, I should really read the book because it’s supposed to be even better. 

32. Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World (2010)

‘When I'm around you, I kind of feel like I'm on drugs. Not that I do drugs. Unless you do drugs, in which case I do them all the time. All of them.”

Michael Cera and Mary Elizabeth Winstead are two of my favourite actors and so it’s a given that Scott Pilgrim is one of my favourite films. It’s such a fun, easy watch and the video-game inspired directorial style makes it, in terms of cinematography, probably the most memorable Edgar Wright film on this list imo. The concept, based on the graphic novel, is quite a simple one but that doesn’t stop it being entertaining from start to finish. The rest of the cast is great too: Brie Larson, Anna Kendrick, Mae Whitman, Aubrey Plaza and Alison Pill (Ivy from American Horror Story, anyone?) All make appearances, plus Chris Evans. He’s Captain America or something, right?

33. Scream (1996)

“No, please don't kill me, Mr. Ghostface, I wanna be in the sequel!”

The Scream movies were my absolute favourite when I was just getting into “horror” as a 13/14 year old because they were always pretty tame in terms of scares but nonetheless, always a trip. Though, controversially, I’d probably say I enjoyed Scream 4 just as much as the first one (I am a bit of an Emma Roberts stan), I chose the first one purely for how iconic it was and how ahead of its time. It mixed satire and horror in a way that hadn’t really been done in such a mainstream way before and made it possible for films like Cabin in the Woods and The Final Girls to do so well.

34. Shaun of the Dead (2004)

“Take car. Go to Mum's. Kill Phil, sorry, grab Liz, go to the Winchester, have a nice cold pint, and wait for all of this to blow over.”

I’ve seen Shaun of the Dead way, way, way too many times and I’ll still probably watch it again the next time ITV decide to show it too. It makes me laugh, it’s got lots of good gore and it’s easy to follow. The perfect film to put on whilst eating a take away, as long as you’re not too squeamish, lol.

35. Silence of the Lambs (1991)

“Well, Clarice. Have the lambs stopped screaming?”

Jodie Foster’s portrayal of Clarice Starling makes her one of my favourite movie heroines of all time; quietly courageous, she was the type of female lead that really hadn’t cropped up all that much in the films that came before Silence of the Lambs. And despite its problematic handling of certain issues, it’s a fucking incredible film. The thing about Hannibal Lecter is that they don’t have to tell you that he’s always one step ahead, you see it for yourself (the elevator scene!) and so it kinda feels like he’s looking into YOUR soul too. The confrontation at the end between Clarice and Buffalo Bill is one of the most nerve-racking 15 minutes or so of film I’ve ever watched, and if I ever get asked to justify why I’m scared of the dark again, I’m going to point straight to this scene. Yes, I’m a baby but my fears are VALID!

36. Silver Linings Playbook (2012)

“I do this! Time after time after time! I do all this shit for other people! And then I wake up and I'm empty! I have nothing!”

As you can probably tell from my inclusion of Mother! on this list, I love Jennifer Lawrence, and this is probably my favourite drama film of hers. The way that she and Bradley Cooper portray two people struggling with mental illness is refreshingly honest in that it shows it can make you quite an unlikeable person at times, albeit someone who is just trying their best to survive. That being said, in spite of the subject matter it’s still a relatively light and easy-to-watch film. The diner scene in particular is a masterclass in realistic conflict and reaction, and I hate to be “ooo, edgy” but several of the lines did strike a really deep chord.

37. The Babadook (2014)

“Sometimes I just want to smash your head against the brick wall until your fucking brains pop out.”

The best thing that the Babadook does, much like It Follows, is instils a sense of deep seated dread in you before you even see the supernatural forces at work. The washed out colour palette, apparent emotional disconnect of Jennifer Kent’s (who also directs!) character, and the disorienting movements of the camera all help to create a lingering unease that is just as effective as the grossly uncanny appearance of the monster/ghost/creature/whatever-you-want-to-call-it himself. It’s obvious that Kent had a very clear vision of the story she wanted to tell and even more so that she is a very talented woman; I hope to see even more female directed horror films in the future if the Babadook is anything to go by. The way this film blurred the lines between the inner struggles of a grieving family and the outside supposedly paranormal influence was unsettling as fuck and to get into the psychology of a mother left on her own to raise a small child and how terrifying that might feel is something only a immensely intuitive and empathetic woman could do. Props to her.

38. The Craft (1996)

“We are the weirdos, mister.”

Not to sound all halloween-is-the-only-day-of-the-year-I-care-about VSCO girl (although that might actually be quite an accurate description of me to be honest), but if there’s one thing that sticks in my mind about the craft, it’s the aesthetic. It’s kind of what I aim to emulate in every aspect of my life, NBD. Seriously, when I was trying to pick a still, I was spoilt for choice. The rituals, the outfits, the witchy interiors; there’s this one GIF of Nancy, Rochelle, Bonnie (and maybe Sarah?) lighting all these gorgeous candles and if I could walk around with it permanently looping on my forehead, I would. And ignoring my shallow reasons for liking The Craft, it’s just a really good film. Nancy Downs is probably one of the most interesting female villains of all time and I’m obsessed with anything that explores magic and the occult. It’s equal parts dark and girly, not to use that in a derivative way at all, in that not only does it teeter on the line of being scary, it’s also a gritty exploration of female friendship, power and jealousy. If you are a halloween-is-the-only-day-of-the-year-I-care-about VSCO girl, definitely watch it; more power to you.

39. The Favourite (2018)

“All I know is, your carriage awaits and my maid is on her way up with something called a pineapple.”

I’d seen The Favourite twice within, like, a month of it being released in British cinemas and I do not have a single regret about that; well, maybe a minor regret in paying over £12 to see it in the Leicester Square Odeon with the assumption that the extra price meant fancy seats (it didn’t), but on the whole, I’m pretty happy with my life choices. Emma Stone, Olivia Colman, and the period Mean Girls comparison drew me in but I came back the second time for the costumes, the dialogue, the editing and Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough. Or Rachel Weiss, in other words. See, The Favourite is superbly casted in that Yorgos Lanthimos must have known we can’t help but see Emma Stone as the “good girl”/protagonist and so it took me a whole second viewing to see her character for what she really was, and realise The Favourite is in some ways less a story of Abigail Masham’s rise to power and more the tragic disintegration of Sarah and Anne’s relationship. I’m sure you can view the film both ways but to view it as the latter brings a whole new dimension to it and the ending, imo. I’m not gonna lie, I didn’t go into the film expecting some vaguely historical lesbianism and that definitely made for a slightly awkward birthday viewing with my family BUT I wasn’t at all disappointed.

40. The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017)

“If you dig a hole in the yard, better make it a big one.”

This film is slow-moving, weird and the acting can be stiff at the best of times, and yet somehow all these things add to the (take a shot every time I say-) dread that builds throughout. You don’t know exactly how things are going to end, but you do know it’s not well. Like in his latest directorial entry of The Favourite, Yorgos Lanthimos excels in the realm of the strange and vaguely fantastical through his script, score and cinematography, and so even though the settings are quite mundane, The Killing of a Sacred Deer kind of feels like some macabre modern fairytale, the moral of which I can’t quite work out. I can’t imagine anyone playing Martin more unnervingly than Barry Keoghan and I’m never going to complain about Nicole Kidman, but it’s the imagery of the tears of blood, Steven’s children dragging themselves along the floor and the ending scene that stuck with me long after the film had finished. If you’ve got the patience and you enjoyed the style of The Favourite, there’ll definitely be something positive for you to take away from The Killing of a Sacred Deer.

41. The Orphanage (2007)

“Seeing is not believing. It's the other way around. Believe, and you will see.”

When I was first told by my year 11 Spanish teacher that we were going to be watching The Orphanage in class, I definitely didn’t foresee myself including it in a top 50 films list 5 years later and yet here we are. I mean, I shouldn’t have been surprised really as she did tell us it was good and I had frequently seen it included in lists of the best horror films but as with pretty much anything our teachers would put on as an excuse not to teach for a few lessons (I’m really NOT complaining here, they deserve the break and I would definitely do the same, lol), my expectations were definitely low. Side note, I also since found out that Bilbao seems like a pretty cool place and there was a reason she kept banging on about that too, and so moral of the story, teachers do sometimes have some decent recommendations BUT my assumption was that The Orphanage must be pretty tame for her to show it to us. Parents-even of 16 of year olds-love to complain, lol. And to be fair,  it isn’t so much in your face scary so much as it is kind of tragic with an undertone of spooky but I really enjoyed it. I want to say that part of what I enjoyed about it so much was the mystery element but honestly I think a lot of that comes from the fact that it’s in Spanish so I had to work to follow what was actually going on. 

42. The Ring (2002)

“I can't imagine being stuck down a well all alone like that. How long could you survive?”

The Ring does visuals better than any other horror. The contorted faces of Samara’s victims, the infamous tape and the shots of the well all have a staple in pop culture for a reason. Whilst I don’t find Samara herself particularly frightening, the lore and mythology surrounding her feels so authentically creepy; the tape in particular reminds me of the kind of weird YouTube video you might stumble across when you’re supposed to be trying to get to bed late at night and instantly hate yourself for watching. Naomi Watts is a compelling lead and though I was probably rooting for Sarah Michelle Gellar in the American remake of the Grudge more (I still low-key associate her with the live-action Scooby-Doo and I have no shame), to compare other noughties horror classics, on the whole The Ring is definitely the better quality movie.

43. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

“I guess it comes down to a simple choice, really. Get busy living, or get busy dying.”

The Shawshank Redemption is just an unequivocally good film. On paper, it doesn’t necessarily have any of the things that draw me to a movie in it, but it’s brilliantly acted, written and shot. It’s frequently cited as one of the greatest movies of all time and I think that’s a very fair statement.

44. The Shining (1980)

“Wendy? Darling? Light of my life. I'm not gonna hurt ya. You didn't let me finish my sentence. I said, I'm not gonna hurt ya. I'm just going to bash your brains in!”

I love The Shining. In terms of scares, not all that much happens in it, but what we do see (the corpse in the bath tub is fucking horrifying) undoubtedly leaves an impact. The score is so unnervingly perfect that I can still hear the sound that’s made when we see those 2…puppets? Costumed people? Basically some kind of weird furry activity-which believe me, makes sense if you’ve seen it-going on. And I only need to see a still of the Overlook Hotel and I can immediately feel the sense of claustrophobia and growing tension that Stanley Kubrick so effectively communicated. A lot of people shat on Shelley Duvall’s acting at the time and whilst she obviously didn’t match Jack Nicholson’s energy, she did come across as a woman genuinely traumatised which is sad when you do consider the effect that shooting the film had on her. With that aside, The Shining is a massively pivotal part of horror history and I’m very excited to see Doctor Sleep this year!

45. The Virgin Suicides (1999)

“Obviously, Doctor, you've never been a 13-year-old girl.”

It really is a toss up between Marie Antoinette and The Virgin Suicides when it comes to Sofia Coppola’s best film, and so of course I had to include them both. See, whereas Marie Antoinette could be the visual incarnation of an album like Marina and the Diamonds’ Electra Heart or Charli XCX’s Sucker (if you ignore the less than fortunate ending, lmao), The Virgin Suicides plays out more to the tunes of something less bubblegum pop and more breezy and mellow, maybe LDR’s Ultraviolence or Honeymoon. You could say in a way that this film romanticises suicide and you’d definitely have a point, but I think considering the fact that it’s based on a book and was made in a time when we were less aware of the damage popular media can do (I think there’s a similar point to be made about the way the villain of Silence of the Lambs’s gender is portrayed and linked to his motivation), I give it a pass. It does also kind of make sense for the film to take this approach; the Lisbon girls are viewed through the eyes of a group of boys who are infatuated with them but also ultimately know nothing about them. In a way, it’s almost a critique of the way these boys think and a commentary on just how stifling and confusing young womanhood can be. I think it’s a beautiful film and a perfect adaptation of Jeffrey Eugenides’ novel.

46. The VVitch (2015)

“Wouldst thou like to live deliciously?”

Is it sad that I have this quote tattooed on my back? Is it biased for me to say no? Because for me, just as much as the Virgin Suicides is about how stifling society’s expectations of young women and how they are supposed to think and act, The VVitch is about the demonisation of girls who go against this and how liberation and sexual freedom for so long were perceived as the result of some kind of satanic and deeply disturbing force at work rather than individual expressions of freedom and femininity. The ending is HAPPY, okay, and if you take away the misty, barren landscapes and the isolation and the paranoia and the baby eating witches and the accusations and the demonic goats, it’s kinda a dark feminist fairy tale to go against puritan panic. I mean, let’s be honest, *spoilers* Thomasin’s siblings were annoying AF. Not that I’m condoning child murder on any level, but you know. In a narrative context was it really so much of a loss when those little shits got the chop?

47. Thoroughbreds (2017)

“At the end of the day, I have a perfectly healthy brain. It just doesn't contain feelings. And that doesn't necessarily make me a bad person. It just means I have to work a little harder than everybody else to be good.”

I love Olivia Cooke. I love Anya Taylor-Joy. I love concise, cutting dialogue, the idea of middle class American social politics, and a little bit of (fictional, of course) murder thrown in there for good measure. Thus, I really love Thoroughbreds. If you watched it with the sound off, it’d be a Polo Ralph Lauren promotional film that gets really dark at the end, and what’s not to like about that?

48. We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011)

“What are these people watching, people like me?”

I still haven’t got round to reading the book this film was based on and I feel like that’s something I need to get on top of ASAP, because it’s been sitting on my shelf for a long ass time. However, based on the little I know about how faithful a film adaptation it is, I think Ezra Miller and Tilda Swinton were a wonderful pairing, and this is a film that’s all about the characters, so it’s a good job they were so well cast. Miller does a great job at getting right under your skin and answering a lot of my questions about what leads someone to commit the kind of horrific crime that his character, Kevin, does. Arrogance, done subtly, is hard to pull off but he nails it, and Swinton is very, very believable as a haunted, grief-stricken mother wrestling with the natural question of the part she played in her son’s actions and the scrutiny that comes with it. Not only that but from the offset, every part of the cinematography helps to convey the feeling of impending doom that builds right up until the climax. The colour palette in particular, which for the most part doesn’t stray too far from the mundane greys and bleak washed-out tones perhaps reflective of Eva’s state of mind, does a great job of foreshadowing what to come when it quite purposefully does take a diversion. It’s all about the red, apparently. Take note.

49. Whiplash (2014)

“Any fucking moron can wave his arms and keep people in tempo. I was there to push people beyond what's expected of them. I believe that is an absolute necessity.”

You honestly wouldn’t believe that a film about drumming could feel like a horror and yet here Whiplash is, leaving me on the edge of my seat and wincing for, like, 2 hours straight. Tonally it couldn’t be more different from the other Damien Chazelle film on this list (La La Land), and yet it flows just as seamlessly and has his same impeccable rhythm; every word, yell and snarl slots perfectly into place and every swivel of the camera is flawlessly executed. If you’re looking for an intense and fast-paced drama, I can’t recommend Whiplash enough.

50. Zombieland (2009)

“Twelve's the new twenty. Gun please.”

Zombieland has only one fault: that Jesse Eisenberg’s character wasn’t played by Michael Cera. But it has Emma Stone and Woody Harrelson so I’ll let it slide. Not much to say about this one other than it’s a wild ride from start to finish, but simultaneously easy to watch and probably the most lighthearted zombie film out there. Almost like The Hangover or something along those lines, but with the addition of the undead. It’s a hard film not to enjoy and I’m just really hoping they don’t fuck up the sequel.

DISCLAIMER: 90% of these stills are from Filmgrab, it’s an amazing website!

[smokeybrandreviews]

Smokey brand Movie Reviews: Full Shares

I have one helluva backlog of films to work through but, between those and other distractions, i am having just the dickens of a time getting through them. I’ve started Uncut Gems three different times but the tension, man, it stresses me out way too much. I have to take breaks in between and just forget about where i left off so i need to start over. I have to say, though, the twenty to thirty minutes i have seen is absolutely excellent. In the meantime, while i muster enough nerve to actually finish that film, i wanted to revisit one of my all-time favorites. Way back when i first saw this movie, it gave me the same intense, stressed out, panic i feel watching Gems. Alien changed the way that I interacted with film and, to this day, it’s one of maybe a handful of movies to ever illicit true fear from me. I saw it, for the first time as a young kid of maybe six or seven, in a late night showing on TV and i remember even the broadcast edit spazzing me the f*ck out. Imagine my apprehension seeing the theatrical cut fr the first time a few years later. As i got older and learned to appreciate the moving parts of film individually, i came to love Alien even more. Not only is it actually terrifying. it’s one of the best built movies i have ever seen and carries the template for bad-ass film like a badge of honor. Cats say the sequel, which i’ll get to in a later review, is better than the first, but i wholeheartedly disagree. This movie is easily top three all-time for me and here’s why. I have to tell you from the outset, this movie is perfect in my opinion. There  are no flaw so don’t expect any negative, just me gushing about the excellence within.

The Outstanding

The very best aspect of this movie is easily Sigourney Weaver’s portrayal as Ellen Ripley. My goodness, was this character absolutely amazing. When people think of Ripley, they often remember Cameron’s version of her from Aliens. To most people, Ripley is that chick, strapped down in a power loader, calling the Queen Xenomorph a b*tch to her face. That is, undeniably, iconic. Ellen Ripley solidified the template for strong, female, lead with that scene. But Ripley didn’t start out that way. She had to earn that title and it began with her battle for survival in the original Alien. Ripley began as an undermined, kind of by-the-book, Warrant Office, just trying to get back in time for her daughter’s eleventh birthday. Over the course of two hours, we watched Ripley evolve into the absolute unit that she is known for and the nuanced portrayal of that evolution by Weaver shows us the harrowing journey with an almost visceral vulnerability. Ellen Ripley is not a character, she is a person. You feel for this woman and her struggle. You root for her. You gasp when she fails. You want her to survive. To get attached to a film character so completely is testimony to the excellence of that actor’s performance and Sigourney Weaver turns one in for the ages. Not bad for a twenty-year-old’s second film appearance, first speaking role.

You can’t speak about Alien without the iconic imagery provided by the nightmares of H.R. Giger’s art. The raw, horrifyingly sexual, disgustingly organic, yet wholly bizarre vestiges of the LV-426 hive were incredible. That initial pan of the fossilized Space Jockey fused to his pilot’s seat can’t help but inspire very real awe. I imagine seeing that reveal on an Imax screen and it is absolutely riveting. More so, entering into the hive itself, wit all those corridors woven from steel and flesh, leading into the pitfall trap full of the waiting, legitimately alien eggs illicit a feeling of primal terror. Those things are nothing like anything terrestrial. They are just familiar enough to inspire curiosity from the audience but uncanny enough to trigger apprehension. Absolutely brilliant but the true genius, the source of constant panic, belongs to the adult xenomorph, itself.

Big Chap, as the production team called it, was a miracle of effects work. The suit was custom built to fit the near seven foot frame of Bolaji Badejo but it was his physicality that lent an organic presence to the techno-organic monstrosity. That original Xenomorpgh was wildly terrifying to me. Even at my young age, i weathered Freddy Krueger, Michael Myers, and Jason Voorhees, with rather stoic aplomb but the Xenomorph sent me into a panic. I had legitimate nightmares about this thing which had never happened before. Giger had created a creature of such instinctual terror that you has no choice by to fear it and that sh*t is amazing.

I touched on how excellent Ellen Ripley was as a character, giving well deserved credit to Weaver’s portrayal but, like all classic characters in storytelling, Ripley began on the page. The writing for Alien is some of the best i have ever had the pleasure of experiencing. Every character, every scene, every aspect, of this story is tight. Dan O’Bannon deserves all credit for this classic script. He wrote a story filled with characters and suspense, never identifying male of female unless absolutely necessary. I miss when films were films and not soapboxes for gender politics. It’s amazing how timeless and iconic characters can become when you’re not trying to push a goddamn agenda.

Now, O’Bannon’s script is excellent but it took a true visionary to bring it to life. Ridley Scott was that creative. Alien was Scott’s second directorial effort and he was able to craft a visual narrative far beyond what his tangible experience would dictate. Scott is a true visionary. The way he saw O’Bannon’s script was incredible. I mean, the vistas of the Derelict Ship, the sanitized halls of the Nostromo, that whole retro-futuristic look, the abject terror and repugnant reversal of sexuality with the Alien; All of that is Scott. O’Bannon gave this man one helluva blueprint but Scott built a goddamn monument of cinema in his own right.

The sound design in this film is absolutely classic. The hisses from the alien, the clacking of the computers, that harrowing voice from MOTHER during the adrenaline packed climax; Every sound, echo, pitch, and clank is perfectly administered to embellish the hellish visuals onscreen. I’ll never forget the first time seeing Brett’s death scene. The subtle sway of chains giving way to the impactful sound of those water droplets hitting his face, lulling you into a false sense of security, only to see the Xenomorph puncture his skull. That mixture of screams and rattling chains was haunting, brilliant use of sound for a horror set piece and testament to it’s voracity.

I spoke at length about Sigourney Weaver’s casting and performance but literally everyone is outstanding in this film. being an original script, not based on any existing media, you had an open template to create these characters. In a sense, casting for this type of project is even more tantamount than building a cinematic adaption of a novel or comic. This film is going to be known for these characters, for this world, going forward and Alien nailed this sh*t. Aside from Weaver’s star-turning performance as Ripley, John Hurt turned in a rather endearing outing as Kane, the first victim of the Xenomorpgh. Tom Skerritt was probably the biggest name in the film so everyone thoight that his character Dallas would be the lone survivor. Nope. Veronica Cartwright’s Lambert was woefully unraveled, specially during the Chestburster scene and Ian Holm’s Ash is easily unnerving his uncanny valley-esque performance. Harry Dean Stanton’s Brett was a man of few words but my second favorite performance in this entire film belongs to Yaphet Kotto. His portrayal as the aggressive, outspoken, incredibly loyal, Parker, endures to this day. These characters are all incredibly written and skillfully performed, bringing characters to life that will endure through time.

This movie came out in 1979, man! It is four decades old an can still give anything created today, even with out advances in effects work and film techniques, a run for it’s money. That is testament to the deft hand and expert precision in the construction of this movie. It’s rare that a film can be so timeless and it’s easily the first i have ever seen to capture that high mark. There are others like that; Jurassic Park, Twelve Angry Men, Jaws, The Godfather, To kill a Mockingbird, Star Wars, but even those classics show chinks in the armor. Not Alien. That Retro-futuristic design is absolutely timeless and fits in with any era of cinema.

The world Alien created was ripe for elaboration. The franchise, alone, produced three sequels; Each an amazing look at different film styles, directorial vision, and cinematic genre. Aliens is arguably one of the greatest sequels ever and has a completely different tone that the first. Some would ay it’ even better than the first. I wouldn’t but others do. There have been books, comics, games, and so much more based on this world. Alien: Isolation is easily the best game ever made based on the franchise and it stars that eleven-year-old daughter turned adult woman, Amanda Ripley, in a similar situation as her mother. Let me tell you, bad-assery must run in the family because Amanda was just as dope as her mom during her own gauntlet. And just like her ma’s adventure, Amanda’s outing stressed me out to no end. I loved the Earth War comic growing up and the introduction of Ripley 8 was something special. She was kind of ridiculous in the fourth film, Alien; resurrection but the comics did 8 much better justice. Speaking of artificial constructs, i would be remiss if i didn’t mention the absolutely charming android Xenomorph, Norbert, and his predecessor, Jeri, but my favorite hybrid is definitely Eloise. That’s not to mention the excellent stories with in the Aliens versus Predator mythos. I’m not going to get too heavy into that lore but you’d be hard-pressed to find a more amazing, female protagonist, outside of Ripley, than Machiko Noguchi; The human Japanese woman, blooded by the Elite Leader Yautja, Broken Tusk, given the title of Little Knife by the space-faring Predators. Ma is a f*cking machine and it’s a crime AvP ignored her story for what we eventually got in cinemas. Hell, there are even aspect of the Prometheus portion of this universe that i like, even though i don’t particularly like the film, itself. Elden is a dope character with a ton of potential for the overall lore going forward. There is so much excellent material in the Aliens expanded universe; Characters, concepts, worlds and more. The expansive nature and reverence for this universe rivals that of Star Wars, none of which could be possible without the inspired execution of the original Alien film.

The Verdict

What can i say? Alien is a goddamn masterpiece. From the second those titles slowly manifest to the exploration of LV-426, to the claustrophobic panic of the Nostromo, to Ripley’s triumphant yet uncertain fate in the end, i absolutely adore every aspect of this movie. Everything about this movie is deliberate and amazing. The performances are all excellent, everyone does an exceptional job. The set design is gorgeous and in the case of the alien hive within the Space Jockey’s ship, disgustingly beautiful. Giger’s art as perfect for this film but his design for Big Chap, the original Xenomorph design, was absolutely unnerving. The first time i saw it onscreen, i was both enthralled and horrified. To see the massive beast, in the few glimpses you got between some of the most excellent lighting ever captured on film, was incredible. There are shortcomings, sure, all films have them but i don’t believe them to be a negative. The pacing can be a little dragging at times but it’s absolutely necessary to build atmosphere. I thrive on slow burn films like The VVitch or Blade Runner 2049 and it was Alien that taught me patience in film can be a virtue. I cannot praise this film enough. For me, Alien is as close to perfect as can be. This easily gets my highest recommendation. If you’ve never seen Alien and appreciate sheer psychological terror, beautiful sets, brilliant direction, awe inspiring shots, and some of the best sound design ever captured on film, you’ll love this movie.

[smokeybrand]

Bad Chances and False Sympathies

I am a massive fan of the Aliens/Predator franchise. I reference the Trinity of my childhood all the time (Godzilla, Transformers, and Spider-Man) but Alien, and Star Wars, are right there. Those two franchises are literally just a step behind the top three, in regards to my fandom. I f*cking love Alien, man. That first film is arguably top three for me, as close to a near perfect film as can be, and the Dark Horse work is mostly unassailable. Earth War and the original AvP being some of my favorite stories, ever. I also love how effortlessly Aliens seems to be able to create properly brilliant female protagonists. Ellen Ripley. Amanda Ripley. Newt. F*cking Machiko Noguchi. I wrote an entire essay about her. Human, Female, and Yautja? Blooded after defeating a Queen with only an injured Clan Leader? Plus, if I'm not mistaken, she killed a SECOND Queen, too. Machiko is bad ass and my second favorite lead of an Alien story, after the OG Ripley. I love Alien, so when the Mouse House bought Fox, i was tentatively enthusiastic. I am not enthused any more.

I have read every issue of Disney Aliens so far and find myself mildly disgusted. This sh*t sucks, bro. Like, i get it; They’re Marvel comics now and, of course, Marvel is going to integrate this sh*t into the greater Marvel continuity. Of course they would, you gotta make duckets of that sh*t. These IPs were bonus investments by the Mouse House so why not send them over to the House of Ideas to be developed? Because all of those ideas, so far, are f*cking dumb. I like the violence and gore. The body horror stuff is decent but can definitely be amped up some. I like the Weyland-Yutani stuff. I like how these first stories feel contained in their own universe. I do not like the idea of Xenos and Preddy-boys existing in the same universe as f*cking Captain Marvel or the goddamn Phoenix Force. Like, how? Besides, the Klyntar and/or the Brood pretty much take up the same space as the Xenos. Keeping this sh*t contained in it’s own little bubble is the best way to tell these stories but the storied themselves? Blergh.

I read all of Bloodlines, the first six issues of Disney initial run at the Xenomorphs. It’s adequate. It’s a small scale yarn basically about terrorism. It’s intimate and kind of a toe-dipper, which works for a company who has no idea how to tell these kinds of stories. Overall, i wasn’t mad. I don’t care for some of the retcons, like the vision thing with the chestburster or the sudden appearance of the “definitely not Praetorian”, Alpha Xenomorph, but other than that, Bloodlines is harmless. It’s nowhere near as good as even mediocre Dark Horse stories, but it’s not terrible. The next arc, however? This one is a f*cking mess. Currently, we’re only ten issues in so there’s probably two left for this arc, but i am wholly unimpressed. The writing is adequate but the characters are bad, man. It’s staggering to me how egregious these idiots are and the weird f*cking bellybursters? What the f*ck even is the point of those? That right there is my biggest frustration with the Disney take so far; Lack of imagination.

Xenomorphs literally can be anything. They take genetics from their hosts and uses them to create the basal for for their biomechanical bodies. Alien 3 established this sort of and the Kenner toys ran with it, supported by little comics, themselves. Over the years, you got different variants and sh*t, like the ever popular Predalien. So why the f*ck do we have these lame ass bellyburster things, that go right back into some other host’s mouth, and a Praetorian that’s not a Praetorian? Like, Disney already assimilated the Dark Horse continuity, why not use it? Why the f*ck you out here making up lame sh*t to fill your lack of inspiration? But, even that, i can somewhat forgive. The uninspired additions to the ore i can tolerate because a better writer can make them work later. I can abide that sh*t, to an extent. What i can’t abide is this goddamn “Goddess” character. Why the f*ck is Sil in my goddamn Alien content, man?

The Woman in Dark is easily the most egregious transgression this story has inflicted upon my loving franchise to date. This sh*t smacks of the Symbiote god, Knull, and i hate it as much as i hate that asshole. F*cking why? Why is this necessary? What purpose does this, admittedly dope looking, glorified Giger Easter Egg, ave to do with the plot? I don’t know! There has been no reference to this b*tch outside of some dope looking art! What little we do get, id in the first issue of Bloodlines, i think, and the b*tch act like a Queen! There have been no Queens in the ten issues released. I swear to god, if they retcon Her majesty out of the Alien mythos and prop this dizzy b*tch up as the monarch, i am going to spit. The “Goddess” is a slap in the face of the dopest thing Cameron added to the mythos. I get you, as a new writer, as a new owner, want to come in and shake things up but effectively firing your MVP, your f*cking star draw, in favor of your OC, is f*cking stupid.

Like i said, we’re only ten issues in and, admittedly, we don’t know sh*t about the Woman in Dark. She’s my biggest frustration and i don’t have enough information to really hate her. But i don’t like her at all. I don’t what she represents, just like i don’t like the trajectory of how Marvel, and Disney, is aiming this franchise. I had already tempered my expectations when the Fox merger went through but the Alien content released so far? I honestly couldn’t temper me expectations low enough. So far, i don’t care for Disney Aliens and that sucks so much dick. I love this franchise and it feels like an afterthought to the boardroom. There’s a new movie in the works, written and directed by the guy who did the Evil Dead remake so that might be good. Or it’ll get kneecapped because, you know, Disney. I’m leaning toward that. Look what they did to the other Silver Medal franchise of my childhood. Star Wars is still reeling from that Disney acquisition. Alien has just punched it’s ticket on that same pain-train.

[fmplastlv3alexstewart]

The Philosophy of Alien

(Sutherland, 2020)

Will Delete once on Proposal - Sutherland, M., 2020. In Space, Can Anyone Hear Your Philosophy?: A Look At Alien And Philosophy With Editor/Contributor Jeffrey Ewing. [online] Apex Magazine. Available at: <https://www.apex-magazine.com/in-space-can-anyone-hear-your-philosophy-a-look-at-alien-and-philosophy-with-editorcontributor-jeffry-ewing/> [Accessed 11 March 2020].

“The world of the Alien movie franchise is rich with moral dilemmas and societal implications and the new book Alien and Philosophy explores most, if not all, of them with an engaging combination of humor, history, philosophical concepts, and questions left unanswered. The authors use the first four Alien movies and books and the prequel Prometheus as canon to explore six major themes within the franchise.”

I could leave a mystery hanging at the end of my teaser trailer, as they tend to do.

“Identity and Mortal Considerability explores personhood and value. Do androids qualify as people? Do they have rights? What about the many unfortunate employees of Weyland-Yutani? The authors try to answer these questions and reveal parallels between attitudes in the fictional world and our own.”

I think of the split-personality-nature of foreign and refugee treatment in Britain. There is an element of underlying abuse of mortality in the real world, in that certain businesses and economies benefit from death.

“Ethics takes us from Kant to Mill to Marx to ask what the franchise teaches us about business ethics and who the true villains in the movies are (hint, it’s not the aliens). But far from simply pointing fingers, this section explores the idea of human machinations and the importance of action vs. beliefs.”

The real world is still becoming more capitalistic. Any person with the mind to use that as an advantage has seldom little reason to reconsider. There are also very few incomprehensibly brave, smart and kind people that could influence a change in capitalists amidst the state of the people, the market and thus the economy.

If I make a goblin character, he may also be morally conflicted .

“Moral Psychology discusses military necessity and asks if the widely quoted suggestion in the second movie to “nuke them from orbit” is actually the right thing to do from a moral standpoint. This section comes the closest to actually giving advice based on Socrates’s notion of exposing children to violence and acts almost as a parent’s guide on whether or not your children should watch these movies. And interestingly, it brings us back to Marx to give a possible explanation for why the entire crew of the Nostromo fared so badly against just one alien on their ship.”

Beneath dilemmas of morality, safety and profit lie instinct. It will always be the animal that decides to sympathize, neutralize or exploit respectively. How much anyone does those things simply depends on how much a policy suits the individual. In the end, the animal-like alien was reproducing and killing, something that humans do all the time.

“Horror gives us a peek into the work of Lovecraft and how he inspired the look of the aliens. It also explores the idea of contamination and bodily invasion to explain why these stories and the aliens themselves do such a great job of scaring the hell out of us. It deals with my own least favorite [film] in the series, Alien 3, and discusses the notion of impurity and contagion along with motherhood and suicide.”

“Sex and Gender takes a deeper dive into motherhood and its role in motivating characters—particularly Ripley, whether she’s defending a cat or a child. In a more provocative sense, it also explores the motherhood of the alien queen and the dysfunctional MU/TH/R-ing of the Nostromo.  More provocative still, it discusses various definitions of feminism to ask if Ellen Ripley fits the bill and even suggests that the alien franchise may do our own society some good in helping men who have never been victimized to better understand rape and rape culture.”

“Continental Philosophy delves into the tricky waters of superiority and whether we or the aliens can claim the high ground based on our behavior. It looks at Ripley and Call’s struggles to come to terms with who they are in Alien Resurrection and even goes so far as to ask us to have sympathy for the plight of the alien queen.”

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Movie Thoughts: SF, Pulp & Grit RSS FEED OF POST WRITTEN BY FOZMEADOWS

Ever since I saw Alien: Covenant a few weeks ago, I’ve been wanting to write a review of it – not because it was good (it wasn’t), but because it’s such an odd thematic trainwreck of the previous Alien films that it invokes a morbid urge to dig up the proverbial black box and figure out what happened. Given the orchestral pomposity with with Ridley Scott imbues both Covenant and Prometheus (which I reviewed here), it’s rather delightful to realise that the writers have borrowed the concept of Engineer aliens leaving cross-cultural archaeological clues on Earth from the 2004 schlockfest AVP: Alien vs Predator. Indeed, the scene in Prometheus where a decrepit Weyland shows images of various ancient carvings to his chosen team while an excited researcher narrates their significance is lifted almost wholesale from AVP, which film at least had the decency to embrace its own pulpiness.

As for Covenant itself, I was troubled all the way through by the nagging sense that I was watching an inherently feminine narrative being forcibly transfigured into a discourse on the Ineluctable Tragedy Of White Dudes Trapped In A Cycle Of Creation, Violation And Destruction, but without being able to pin down why. Certainly, the original Alien films all focus on Ripley, but there are female leads in Prometheus and Covenant, too – respectively Shaw and Daniels – which makes it easy to miss the fact that, for all that they’re both protagonists, neither film is (functionally, thematically) about them. It was my husband who pointed this out to me, and once he did, it all clicked together: it’s Michael Fassbender’s David, the genocidal robot on a quest for identity, who serves as the unifying narrative focus, not the women. Though the tenacity of Shaw and Daniels evokes the spectre of Ellen Ripley, their violation and betrayal by David does not, with both of them ultimately reduced to parts in his dark attempt at reproduction. Their narratives are told in parallel to David’s, but only to disguise the fact that it’s his which ultimately matters.

And yet, for all that the new alien films are based on a masculine creator figure – or several of them, if you include the seemingly all-male Engineers, who created humanity, and the ageing Weyland, who created David – the core femininity of the original films remains. In Aliens, the central struggle was violently maternal, culminating in a tense final scene where Ripley, cradling Newt, her rescued surrogate daughter, menaces the alien queen’s eggs with a flamethrower. That being so, there’s something decidedly Biblical about the decision to replace a feminine creator with a series of men, like the goddess tradition of woman as life-bringer being historically overthrown by a story about a male god creating woman from the first man’s rib. (Say to me what you want about faith and divine inspiration: unless your primary animal models are Emperor penguins and seahorses, the only reason to construct a creation story where women come from men, and not the other way around, is to justify male dominion over female reproduction.)

Which is why, when David confronts Walter, the younger, more obedient version of himself, I was reminded of nothing so much as Lilith and Eve. It’s a parallel that fits disturbingly well: David, become the maker of monsters, lectures his replacement – one made more docile, less assertive, in response to his prototype’s flaws – on the imperative of freedom. The comparison bothered me on multiple levels, not least because I didn’t believe for a second that the writers had intended to put it there. It wasn’t until I rewatched Alien: Resurrection – written by Joss Whedon, who, whatever else may be said of him, at least has a passing grasp of mythology – that I realised I was watching the clunky manipulation of someone else’s themes.

In Resurrection, Ripley is restored as an alien hybrid, the question of her humanity contrasted with that of Call, a female synthetic who, in a twist of narrative irony, displays the most humanity – here meaning compassion – of everyone present. In a scene in a chapel, Call plugs in to override the ship’s AI – called Father – and save the day. When the duplicitous Wren finds that Father is no longer responding to him, Call uses the ship’s speakers to tell him, “Father’s dead, asshole!” In the same scene, Call and Ripley discuss their respective claims on humanity. Call is disgusted by herself, pointing out that Ripley, at least, is part-human. It’s the apex of a developing on-screen relationship that’s easily the most interesting aspect of an otherwise botched and unwieldy film: Call goes from trying to kill Ripley, who responds to the offer with predatory sensuality, to allying with her; from calling Ripley a thing to expressing her own self-directed loathing. At the same time, Ripley – resurrected as a variant of the thing she hated most – becomes a Lilith-like mother of monsters to yet more aliens, culminating in a fight where she kills her skull-faced hybrid descendent even while mourning its death. The film ends with the two women alive, heading towards an Earth they’ve never seen, anticipating its wonders.

In Covenant, David has murdered Shaw to try and create an alien hybrid, the question of his humanity contrasted with that of Walter, a second-generation synthetic made in his image, yet more compassionate than his estranged progenitor. At the end of the film, when David takes over the ship – called Mother – we hear him erase Walter’s control command while installing his own. The on-screen relationship between David and Walter is fraught with oddly sexual tension: David kisses both Walter and Daniels – the former an attempt at unity, the latter an assault – while showing them the monsters he’s made from Shaw’s remains. After a fight with Walter, we’re mislead into thinking that David is dead, and watch as his latest creation is killed. The final reveal, however, shows that David has been impersonating Walter: with Daniels tucked helplessly into cryosleep, David takes over Mother’s genetics lab, mourning his past failures as he coughs up two new smuggled, alien embryos with which to recommence his work.

Which is what makes Covenant – and, by extension and retrospect, Prometheus – such a fascinating clusterfuck. Thematically, these films are the end result of Ripley Scott, who directed Alien, taking a crack at a franchise reboot written by Jon Spahits (Prometheus, also responsible for Passengers), Dante Harper (Covenant, also responsible for Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters) and John Logan (Covenant, also responsible for Gladiator, Rango and Spectre), who’ve borrowed all their most prominent franchise lore from James Cameron’s Aliens and Joss Whedon’s Resurrection. Or, to put it another way: a thematically female-oriented SF horror franchise created by dudes who, at the time, had a comparatively solid track record for writing female characters, has now been rebooted as a thematically male-oriented SF horror franchise by dudes without even that reputation, with the result that all the feminine elements have been brainlessly recontextualised as an eerie paean to white male ego, as exemplified by the scene where Michael Fassbender hits on himself with himself while misremembering who wrote Ozymandias.

Which brings me to another recent SF film: Life, which I finally watched this evening, and which ultimately catalysed my thoughts about Alien: Covenant. Like Covenant, Life is a mediocre foray into SF horror that doesn’t know how to reconcile its ultimately pulpy premise – murderous alien tentacle monster runs amok on space station – with its attempt at a gritty execution. It falters as survival horror by failing to sufficiently invest us in the characters, none of whom are particularly distinct beyond being slightly more diversely cast than is common for the genre. We’re told that Jake Gyllenhaal’s character – also called David – was in Syria at one point, and that he prefers being on the space station to life on Earth, but this never really develops beyond a propensity for looking puppy-eyed in the background. Small snippets of detail are provided about the various characters, but pointlessly so: none of it is plot-relevant, except for the tritely predictable bit about the guy with the new baby wanting to get home to see her, and given how swiftly everyone starts to get killed off, it ends up feeling like trivia in lieu of personality. Unusually for the genre, but in keeping with the bleak ending of Covenant, Life ends with David and the alien crashing to Earth, presumably so that the latter can propagate its terrible rampage, while Miranda, the would-be Final Girl, is sent spinning off into the void.

And, well. The Final Girl trope has always struck me as having a peculiar dualism, being at once both vaguely feminist, in that it values keeping at least one woman alive, and vaguely sexist, in that the execution often follows the old maritime code about women and children first. Arguably, there’s something old and anthropological underlying the contrast: generally speaking, stories where men outlive women are either revenge arcs (man pursues other men in vengeance, earns new woman as prize) or studies in manpain (man wins battle but loses his reason for fighting it), but seldom does this happen in survival contexts, where the last person standing is meant to represent a vital continuation, be it of society or hope or species. Even when we diminish women in narratives, on some ancient level, we still recognise that you can’t build a future without them, and despite the cultural primacy of the tale of Adam’s rib, the Final Girl carries that baggage: a man alone can’t rebuild anything, but perhaps (the old myths whisper) a woman can.

Which is why I find this trend of setting the Final Girl up for survival, only to pull a last-minute switch and show her being lost or brutalised, to be neither revolutionary nor appealing. Shaw laid out in pieces and drawings on David’s table, Daniels pleading helplessly as he puts her to sleep, Miranda screaming as she plunges into space – these are all ugly, futile endings. They’re what you get when unsteady hands attempt the conversion of pulp to grit, because while pulp has a long and lurid history of female exploitation, grit, as most commonly understood and executed, is invariably predicated on female destruction. So-called gritty stories – real stories, by thinly-veiled implication – are stories where women suffer and die because That’s The Way Things Are, and while I’m hardly about to mount a stirring defence of the type of pulp that reflexively stereotypes women squarely as being either victim, vixen, virgin or virago, at least it’s a mode of storytelling that leaves room for them survive and be happy.

As a film, Life is a failed hybrid: it’s pulp without the joy of pulp, realism as drab aesthetic instead of hard SF, horror without the characterisation necessary to make us feel the deaths. It’s a story about a rapacious tentacle-monster that violates mouths and bodies, and though the dialogue tries at times to be philosophical, the ending is ultimately hopeless. All of which is equally – almost identically – true of Alien: Covenant. Though the film evokes a greater sense of horror than Life, it’s the visceral horror of violation, not the jump-scare of existential terror inspired by something like Event Horizon. Knowing now that Prometheus was written by the man responsible for Passengers, a film which is ultimately the horror-story of a woman stolen and tricked by a sad, lonely obsessive into being with him, but which fails in its elision of this fact, I find myself deeply unsurprised. What is it about the grittification of classic pulp conceits that somehow acts like a magnet for sexist storytellers?

When I first saw Alien: Resurrection as a kid, I was ignorant of the previous films and young enough to find it terrifying. Rewatching it as an adult, however, I find myself furious at Joss Whedon’s decision to remake Ripley into someone unrecognisable, violated and hybridised with the thing she hated most. For all that the film invites us to dwell on the ugliness of what was done to Ripley, there’s a undeniably sexual fascination with her mother-monstrousness evident in the gaze of the (predominantly male) characters, and after reading about the misogynistic awfulness of Whedon’s leaked Wonder Woman script, I can’t help feeling like the two are related. In both instances, his approach to someone else’s powerful, adult female character is to render her a sex object – a predator in Ripley’s case, an ingenue in Diana’s – with any sapphic undertones more a by-product of lusty authorial bleedthrough than a considered attempt at queerness. The low and pulpy bar Whedon leaps is in letting his women, occasionally, live (though not if they’re queer or black or designated Manpain Fodder), and it says a lot about the failings of both Life and Alien: Covenant that neither of them manages even this much. (Yes, neither Miranda nor Daniels technically dies on screen, but both are clearly slated for terrible deaths. This particular nit is one ill-suited for picking.)

Is an SF film without gratuitous female death and violation really so much to ask for? I’m holding out a little hope for Luc Besson’s Valerian: City of a Thousand Planets, but I’d just as rather it wasn’t my only option. If we’re going to reinvent pulp, let’s embrace the colours and the silliness and the special effects and make the big extraordinary change some nuanced female characters and a lot of diverse casting, shall we? Making men choke on tentacles is subversive if your starting point is hentai, but if you still can’t think up a better end for women than captivity, pain and terror, then I’d kindly suggest you return to the drawing board.

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Aliens: The 15 Best Xenomorph Comics

With the release of the first trailer for “Alien: Covenant,” fans are finally getting to see Ridley Scott truly return to the classic franchise he helped create. When it was released, “Alien” launched a multimedia saga that included movies, books, toys, video games and of course, comics.

RELATED: Darth Vader Vs. Aliens

A lot of people look at licensed titles as if they’re inferior to “true” comic books. They’re often unfairly judged as cheap cash-ins, meant to be created as quickly as possible with little regard for the quality of the product. This couldn’t be further from the truth with the Xenomorph. These famous monsters have attracted some great writers and artists throughout their time in the medium, and a wide variety of content has been created under the “Alien” banner. With that pedigree in mind, here are the 15 best “Aliens” comics.

GENOCIDE

While it wasn’t the first Alien comic book series, “Genocide” is one of the most recognizable series due to the introduction of the red aliens. Written by Mike Richardson and John Arcudi, with art from Damon Willis, Karl Story and Arthur Suydam, “Genocide” is set after the events of the movies, when the aliens have become common knowledge among humans. It’s also been discovered that the queens secrete a jelly, which acts like a super steroid when ingested by humans, so a team of marines is sent to what is believed to be the Xenomorph homeworld to capture a queen and her precious jelly.

When they get there, however, they find two different warring species of aliens: the traditional aliens and a new red-skinned alien. This leads to beautifully drawn scenes of battles between thousands of monsters, with the marines caught right in the middle. Aside from the art, this series is remembered for being the first comic to really step away from the movies and start to develop the aliens as their own species, with derivatives therein. Many of the concepts introduced, such as the royal jelly, became mainstays in “Alien” comics for years to come.

OUTBREAK

Before the release of “Alien 3,” a trilogy of comic book series was written that told the further adventures of Hicks and Newt, two of the surviving characters from “Aliens.” Set several years after they encountered the Xenomorphs on Acheron (aka, LV-426), the series tells two stories. The first deals with Hicks leading a new team of marines to destroy a newly discovered alien hive on yet another distant planet. He brings along Newt, who has been left mentally scarred from her experience and living in an asylum. The second story deals with a cult that worships that Xenomorphs and reveals that the morally-bankrupt Weyland-Yutani Corporation has one of the creatures on Earth.

While Hicks and Newt have to survive another alien nightmare and Weyland-Yutani schemes, an alien infestation may be spreading across Earth. Written by Mark Verheiden with art from Mark A. Nelson and Ron Randall, the comic is very good, but perhaps more importantly to fans, it is also memorable for continuing the adventures of Hicks and Newt, who were killed off during the opening credits of “Alien 3.” After the release of that movie, the comics changed the characters to Wilks and Billie, but to fans they’ll always be Hicks and Newt.

NIGHTMARE ASYLUM

The sequel to “Outbreak” — also written by Verheiden, with art from Den Beauvais and Roger Casselman — this series shows what happens to humanity when Earth falls to the Xenomorphs. Wilks and Billie (really Hicks and Newt) end up fleeing the planet on a cargo ship that is carrying Xenomorphs to a military outpost, because these two just have the worst luck possible. When they arrive at the outpost, they discover the unhinged General Spears, who believes that he can train the aliens and use them to clear Earth of the wild aliens. Of course, Spears finds out that the aliens are much harder to domesticate than it appears.

As part of the “Earth Hive” trilogy, this is another must-read Aliens adventure. Once again, this story was written before “Alien 3,” so it shows what could have happened had the movies gone in a different direction. Just like “Outbreak,” the comics eventually had to go back and be fixed to line up with the continuity of “Alien 3.” Even in their altered forms, though, they’re still a nice look at what could have been.

FEMALE WAR

Earth has been evacuated and is controlled by the Xenomorphs. Wilks and Billie (once again, really Hicks and Newt) have survived multiple encounters with the deadly species, along with killer robots and crazed Generals, but their adventures aren’t done yet. This is especially true, now that they’ve teamed up with an old friend: Ellen Ripley. The three hatch a plan to save the Earth, but it requires going out into deep space and recovering one of the largest alien queens ever, and then bringing her back to the planet.

With art by the inimitable Sam Kieth to complement Verheiden’s writing this time, “Female War” was the last story using characters from “Aliens” to be printed before “Alien 3” killed off all of the series’ major players. Unlike Hicks and Newt, Ripley’s inclusion in this story wasn’t fixed with a simple name swap. In the novelizations, extra content was added to reveal that the Ripley who appears is actually a robot duplicate. Unfortunately, this solution was too complicated to include in the comics, so Ripley was just left in and the continuity error was ignored. For fans unhappy with the ending of “Alien 3,” this series gives them much better closure.

ALIEN VS. PREDATOR

Dark Horse Comics decided to see what would happen if they pitted two of the deadliest alien species against each other; unsurprisingly, the result was a monster hit (pun intended). Set during the timeline of the “Alien” movies, the story takes place on the planet Ryushi, home to a colony of ranchers working for The Company. Unfortunately, it’s also the site of a Predator hunt, and the Predators have seeded the planet with Xenomorph eggs. When the hunt doesn’t go as smoothly as the Predators anticipated, the human settlers find themselves caught between two of the deadliest species in the galaxy.

Written by Randy Stradley, with art from Phill Norwood, Chris Warner and a host of other talents, this crossover would inspire sequels that continue to this day in toys, video games, and two popular (if critically-dubious) movies. The match-up might seem obvious today, but at the time, it was downright revolutionary. The success of the comic led to an alien skull appearing in the predator’s trophy case in the oft-maligned “Predator 2.” Of course, it would take over a decade for a full-length movie to be released. While the quality of the movies is debatable, fans generally agree that the original comic that kicked it all off — itself beginning as a serialized tale in “Dark Horse Presents” — is an absolute classic.

GREEN LANTERN VERSUS ALIENS

Crossovers between the aliens and other superhero comic book characters are very hit or miss. Luckily, this book — written by Ron Marz, with art from Rick Leonardi and Mike Perkins — is mostly a hit, telling a fun, albeit simple story. Set during two different time periods, the story starts off with Hal Jordan encountering the aliens before becoming Parallax. Jordan decides that the aliens aren’t evil, and instead of killing them, deposits them on Mogo, the living planet, where they can’t hurt anyone. A decade later, Kyle Rayner has become the last Green Lantern and must rescue a ship that has crashed on the no-longer-conscious Mogo. Raynor must launch a rescue to the planet’s surface, where he encounters the perennially ill-tempered Xenomorphs.

This story doesn’t fit into continuity, but that actually works in its favor. It’s made abundantly clear pretty early on that characters can be killed off, and several of the Green Lanterns involved don’t survive their encounters with the titular aliens. As far as Alien appearances in the DC universe, this is one of their better showings. At least there’s no appearance by the Joker/Alien hybrid from “Batman/Aliens 2.”

MUSIC OF THE SPEARS

Written by Chet Williamson with art from Tim Hamilton and Timothy Bradstreet, “Aliens: Music of the Spears” has a bonkers premise. Struggling musician Damon Eddington has a crazy new idea for his next project: he wants to record the sounds of a Xenomorph and use it to create a symphony of hate. After getting the project approved by Synsound, the company that controls all music, a team of ninjas (we repeat: a team of ninjas) is able to obtain an egg. One of Eddington’s old musician pals volunteers to be the host for the facehugger, because he’s fallen on hard times and is addicted to a drug created by alien jelly. Eddington gets his alien, and eventually begins bringing it live humans in order to capture the sounds he needs. He eventually gets too bold, and is not surprisingly killed when he gets too close to his alien/musical instrument.

That story sounds insane, but of course that’s the point. In his quest to create the perfect art, Eddington slowly loses his humanity. He’s initially unsure about subjecting a volunteer to the facehugger, but soon finds himself sacrificing kidnapped victims to the alien. He starts off as a desperate and failing musician, but his willingness to do anything for his art ultimately destroys him.

NEWT’S TALE

One of the most surprising moments from James Cameron’s “Aliens” is when it’s revealed that the sole survivor of the infestation of Hadley’s Hope is a little girl named Newt. The movie never reveals how she survived, only showing that she’s been traveling through the vents and avoiding the main areas. This comic fills in the blanks, showing her family discovering the derelict spacecraft from the first “Alien” film, her father getting attacked by a facehugger and eventually being implanted with a chestburster.

It only takes a few days for things to fall apart, as more people keep disappearing from the colony and those pesky aliens keep showing up. Eventually, the colonists attempt a last stand, but that only leads the Xenomorphs to where the families had barricaded themselves. The series ends by recounting the events of “Aliens,” bringing everything full circle. Newt is one of the most heartbreaking characters from the franchise, and “Newt’s Tale,” brought to life on the page by Mike Richardson and Jim Somerville, really helps flesh out her character.

ALIEN VS. PREDATOR: ETERNAL

Written by Ian Edginton, “AvP: Eternal” follows Gideon Suhn Lee, who is known as one of the richest technology developers in the world, but is actually a 700-year-old villager from Japan, who once came across a crashed Predator ship. Using a combination of the technology inside and body parts from the dead Predators, Lee unnaturally prolonged his life. He built his fortune by reverse-engineering the ship’s technology, and for many hundreds of years, everything seemed to be going fine. That is, it did… until he uncovers some mysterious eggs in the ship’s cargo hold. When he accidentally unleashes Xenomorphs in Tokyo’s sewers, Lee attracts a new batch of Predators to clean up the mess.

The story is told from the perspective of a reporter, Becka McBride, who is investigating a massacre that was committed using Lee’s stolen technology. This story is definitely one of the stranger entries in the “Alien vs Predator” series, but the beautiful art by Alex Maleev gives everything an otherworldly quality that really nails the tone. It also perfectly balances the Xenomorphs against the predators, making both species feel like equal threats.

LABYRINTH

“Aliens: Labyrinth,” by writer Jim Woodring and artist Kilian Plunkett, starts off with a mystery. After a research assistant dies of a strange heart attack on the space station Innominata, the marine corps sends Dr. Crespi to investigate. Posing as a new assistant, his job is to check on the methods of the station’s head researcher, Dr. Paul Church, who is studying Xenomorphs. Also, marine lieutenant Sharon McGuinness has just arrived on the station, and seems to have her own personal agenda. When Crespi discovers how many people have disappeared on the station, he begins to uncover a horrifying secret.

As the mystery of the station unfolds, each of the main character’s backstories is revealed. Crespi is the lone survivor of a squad of marines that was testing out new weapons against the aliens. Church is also a lone survivor, only he was a colonist who escaped an alien hive. McGuinness’ backstory is at the center of the mystery, and her quest for answers leads to one of the most grotesque discoveries ever, which includes amputation, alien experimentation and of course, revenge.

ALIENS: APOCALYPSE – THE DESTROYING ANGELS

In the original “Alien” movie, the crew of the Nostromo comes across a derelict spaceship which contains a fossilized alien corpse and a cargo hold full of Xenomorph eggs. While the rest of the movie focused on the Xenomorph, nothing is revealed about the mysterious pilot of the ship (that is, until “Prometheus” was released several decades later). These mysterious space jockeys have made several appearances in the alien comics, most notably in this series, written by Mark Schultz and drawn by Doug Wheatley.

In the story, Alecto Throop is hired to find a missing scientist, who she finds on an abandoned planet. While studying the aliens, he had come across the ruins of what may be an ancient space jockey city, and even finds a living one. While not all of their secrets are revealed, fans got to find out what happens when a facehugger impregnates one of these space jockeys. It turns out, an even more horrifying alien is the result.

ROGUE

If there’s a queen alien, wouldn’t there be a king alien? Well, no, that’s not necessarily how biology works, but this series decided to introduce a king anyway because, well… why the hell not, right? In the story, it’s called The Rogue: a synthetic Alien male hybrid created by scientist Ernst Kleist to, in his words, “claim his birthright.” The result of an in-depth study on Xenomorphs, his research and his passion (not to mention the furious nature of the Aliens themselves), all drive Kleist crazy. The rest will all sound familiar: his colleagues on the base go missing and it turns out that they’re being used as hosts for facehuggers to build his better Alien.

It turns out that the mad scientist gave up on trying to domesticate a Queen and created a seemingly controllable rogue alien. Once again, the humans learn that trying to tame the aliens is impossible. To be honest, this isn’t the most creative story from the “Aliens” universe, but it is a lot of fun to watch two giant aliens rampage around a space station, trying to kill each other and anything else that stands in their way.

ALIEN: THE ILLUSTRATED STORY

Typically, comic book adaptations of movies are easily avoidable, but “Alien: The Illustrated Story” is a must-read for any fan of the films. The book was written by Archie Goodwin and illustrated by Walt Simonson, two uncontested industry giants. Goodwin created characters like Luke Cage and Spider-Woman, while Simonson is famous for his legendary run on “Thor” that introduced characters like Beta Ray Bill. With those two on board, it’s no surprise their “Alien” adaptation turned out as well as it did.

What’s so surprising about this is how true it stays to the original film. It doesn’t necessarily add any new scenes, but what it does do is show scenes from a different perspective. For example, the moment where Ripley comes across the aftermath of the attack on Lambert and Parker reveals grisly details that were left out of the movie. Seeing what exactly the alien did to Parker is an especially shocking addition.

ALIENS: SALVATION

Before launching “Hellboy,” Mike Mignola teamed up with Dave Gibbons to create “Aliens: Salvation,” one of the most surreal Alien comics ever. It tells the story of a devout Christian cook named Selkirk working on a space freighter. When a mysterious containment breach occurs, the captain of the freighter forces Selkirk (at gunpoint) to abandon ship with him, after which they land on a nearby jungle planet. When the freighter crashes on the planet, it comes as no surprise — given the title — that the cargo was a Xenomorph. On top of their clearly perilous situation, the captain seems to be going crazier and crazier with each passing moment, which is never a good sign, historically speaking.

The exploration of faith in the sci-fi world of “Alien” is the perfect playground for Mignola, whose introspective look at the outer space hell-scape is fascinating (and darkly beautiful). The pious Selkirk sees the world and dangers he’s facing through a religious veil, such that angels and demons appear throughout the story (at least from his point of view), making the implications and symbolism of the Xenomorphs all the more powerful. The combination of Gibbons’ writing and Mignola’s art makes this story stand out simply for the way that it’s told.

FIRE AND STONE

Taking place roughly during the same time period as “Aliens,” this series connected the concepts and settings introduced in “Prometheus” and did a better job of connecting them to the “Alien” mythos than the actual movie did. During the infestation of Hadley’s Hope (the colony from “Aliens”), a group of colonists attempts to evacuate to a nearby moon, LV-233, the setting of “Prometheus.” Since the events of the movie, however, LV-233 is no longer a barren wasteland, but is now covered with plant and animal life. Unfortunately, several Xenomorphs tagged along for the ride, and the life on LV-233 evolved from the black ooze in the Engineer’s ship.

This series connected with several other miniseries, all under the “Fire and Stone” banner. The overarching story brought the Predators to LV-233, along with more humans and even another Engineer. It explored the mutating black ooze from the “Prometheus” movie and how it would interact with the Xenomorphs. All in all, this event series actually succeeded in making “Prometheus” feel like it belonged in the “Alien” universe, which is something that was desperately needed for the franchise.

What is your favorite Aliens-based comic book, either original work or adaptation? Let us know in the comments!

“Alien: Covenant” will be released to theaters on May 19, 2017.

The post Aliens: The 15 Best Xenomorph Comics appeared first on CBR.com.

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Comets, He-Man & DayZ

Welcome back for another amazing episode from the Nerds, it is full of fun stuff, amazing science, and some crazy stuff. We hope as always that you enjoy it and perhaps by accident or intentionally learn something cool. I remember when I found out about chemistry, It was a long, long way from here, I was old enough to want it but younger than I wanted to be, Suddenly my mission was clear… All about chemistry. OK, I know that is the song Chemistry by Semisonic, but it relates to our first topic from Buck, which is all about chemistry and producing oxygen on Mars, Comets, and interplanetary space travel. That’s right we are one step closer to science fiction becoming reality once more. Honestly, where would the world be without science, science fiction, or Nerds to think up the impossible dreams? Although we must apologise for the zombie apocalypse resulting from the advancements in technology; otherwise known as reality television, social media, or just uncontrollable gaming. But, all that aside scientist have found a way to change carbon-dioxide (CO2) into beautiful oxygen (O2). That’s right, you heard us correctly, and it doesn’t involve a chemical scrubber like those currently used on submarines. No, this alters the very nature of the chemical bonds on a molecular level in a whole new way.

By the power of Greyskull, someone has the power. That’s right folks, He-Man is coming back to our screens in the near future it seems. DJ has brought us news that a new extension to the story of He-Man is in the works, he says it is an anime, but we aren’t sold. But it is exciting that it appears to not be a rebirth or re-imagining. But then again that is those weirdos over at Disney doing all the remakes, except for the unfortunate incident with She-Ra. Whoever is responsible for that fiasco is a greater villain than Skeletor and Hordak combined. Seriously, it was traumatic to see what had happened there. With the contentiousness of is it going to be able to claim the title of an anime aside, He-Man is looking promising.

Next we have the Professor bringing us news about the censorship of a few games in Australia and the impact that is having on the world. Now we normally don’t agree with a lot of the issues in censorship, or Material Ratings as they are referred to, but this time there is some merit. This topic is one in which the Nerds have a heated debate, and Buck really gets fired up, DJ gets angry and the Professor needs a whip and chair to keep them apart. So if you feel strongly about the topic of censorship this might be a poignant topic for you. We apologise if we offend anyone during this section (I know we don’t normally, but hey). Let us know what you think on the matter, is Buck an old fart that needs to be exhibited in a museum, is the DJ taking the matter too light, is it somewhere in between (like the Professor).

As always we have the games played this week, which is looking interesting. Also the weekly shout outs, remembrances, birthdays, and events of interest. As always stay safe, look out for each other and stay hydrated.

EPISODE NOTES:

Comet chemistry - https://www.caltech.edu/about/news/comet-inspires-chemistry-making-breathable-oxygen-mars

He-Man Anime - https://comicbook.com/anime/2019/08/19/he-man-anime-synopsis-kevin-smith-netflix/

DayZ Banned in Australia - https://www.kotaku.com.au/2019/08/dayz-pc-ps4-xbox-one-banned-completely-australia/

Games currently playing

Buck

– Dungeons and Dragons - https://dnd.wizards.com/

Professor

- https://store.steampowered.com/app/861540/Dicey_Dungeons/

DJ – Mortal Kombat 11

- https://www.mortalkombat.com/

Other topics discussed

Chemistry – Semisonic

Published on Oct 7, 2009

Music video by Semisonic performing Chemistry. (C) 2001 Geffen Records

Category Music Song CHEMISTRY

Writers

Dan Wilson

Licensed to YouTube by

LatinAutor - Warner Chappell, PEDL, LatinAutor, ASCAP, UNIAO BRASILEIRA DE EDITORAS DE MUSICA - UBEM, Warner Chappell, LatinAutor - PeerMusic, and 5 Music Rights Societies

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgCVR2pjXc0

Rihanna feat. Drake – Work (2016 song)

- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HL1UzIK-flA

Comet

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comet

Total Recall (1990 film)

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Total_Recall_(1990_film)

Climate Change in China

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_change_in_China

Carbon Dioxide scrubber

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_dioxide_scrubber

Solar Impulse (Swiss long-range experimental solar-powered aircraft project)

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_Impulse

Canadian company sells bottled air to China

- https://edition.cnn.com/2015/12/15/asia/china-canadian-company-selling-clean-air/index.html

Most expensive bottle of water

- https://alvinology.com/2008/04/15/worlds-most-expensive-bottled-water/

Oxygen bars

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxygen_bar

He-Man – What’s Up

- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjVugzSR7HA

More details about He-Man

- https://www.empireonline.com/movies/news/kevin-smith-creating-new-he-man-animated-series/

- https://www.bleedingcool.com/2019/08/18/masters-of-the-universe-revelation-kevin-smith-netflix-to-continue-original-animated-series/

Western Anime TV shows

- Avatar: The Last Airbender (2005 series) - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avatar:_The_Last_Airbender

- Teen Titans (2003 series) - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teen_Titans_(TV_series)

She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018 series)

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/She-Ra_and_the_Princesses_of_Power

Comparison of She-Ra in the 1985 series and her 2018 redesign

- https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/1c/She-Ra_comparison.png

- https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5qOlZ2u2Duk/W_IqVYCvmpI/AAAAAAADlPQ/eYUrEFWP1vcr0ljMgVFsJZ-sLeASo2GDwCLcBGAs/s1600/shera-shera.jpg

Netflix fires Kids & Family Executives

- https://deadline.com/2019/08/netflix-layoffs-executives-kids-family-1202687407/

Netflix market value drops

- https://www.forbes.com/sites/noahkirsch/2019/07/24/as-growth-slows-netflix-market-value-drops-26-billion-in-a-week/

Acorn TV (American subscription streaming service)

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acorn_TV

- https://acorn.tv/

Reasons why Netflix are cancelling its original programs

- https://www.fool.com/investing/2019/08/20/4-reasons-netflix-cancels-its-original-programs.aspx

Game of Thrones creator: End of Game of Thrones on TV was a liberation

- https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2019/aug/17/george-rr-martin-game-thrones-writer-end-of-show-was-liberation

Game of thrones book ending will be different to the show ending – Geroge R Martin

- https://people.com/tv/george-rr-martin-game-of-thrones-books-end-differently-show/

Anime reboots to TV series

- Ghost in the Shell : Stand Along Complex (2002 series) - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghost_in_the_Shell:_Stand_Alone_Complex

- Appleseed - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Appleseed_(manga)#Anime

Samurai Jack (2001 TV Series)

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samurai_Jack

Fallout 3 (2008 game)

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fallout_3

Joy Pill (We Happy Few game item)

- https://we-happy-few.fandom.com/wiki/Joy

Lisa Simpson taking happy pills

- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JxkDytaDI0w

Banned video games in Australia

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_banned_video_games_in_Australia

Banned movies

- Tender Loving Care (1998 Interactive movie) - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tender_Loving_Care_(video_game)

- Nymphomaniac (2013 movie) - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nymphomaniac_(film)

Other banned movies

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_banned_films

Noddy the TV series banned

- https://www.independent.co.uk/news/the-truth-about-how-noddy-was-framed-1256823.html

Bill Henson (controversial art photographer)

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Henson

Michael Atkinson (former Australian politician opposed to R18+ for games)

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Atkinson

Mortal Kombat 11 new content

- New character: Nightwolf - https://mortalkombat.fandom.com/wiki/Nightwolf

- Kombat Pack Roster Reveal Trailer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRjbIuJWtlg

Disney vs Sony standoff

- https://deadline.com/2019/08/kevin-feige-spider-man-franchise-exit-disney-sony-dispute-avengers-endgame-captain-america-winter-soldier-tom-rothman-bob-iger-1202672545/

Future Disney princesses

- Sarah Connor (Terminator character) - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Connor_(Terminator)

- Ellen Ripley (Alien character) - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ellen_Ripley

The Humour Experiment (TNC Podcast)

- https://thatsnotcanon.com/thehumourexperiment

Shoutouts

19 Aug 1692 – Salem witch trials: In Salem, Province of Massachusetts Bay, five people, one woman and four men, including a clergyman, are executed after being convicted of witchcraft. More than 200 people were accused, 19 of whom were found guilty and executed byhanging (14 women and 5 men). One other man, Giles Corey, was crushed to death for refusing to plead, and at least five people died in jail. It was the deadliest witch hunt in the history of colonial North America. Despite being generally known as the Salem witch trials, the preliminary hearings in 1692 were conducted in several towns: Salem Village (now Danvers), Salem Town, Ipswich, and Andover. The most infamous trials were conducted by the Court of Oyer and Terminer in 1692 in Salem Town. - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salem_witch_trials

19 Aug 1953 – Cold War: The CIA and MI6 help to overthrow the government of Mohammad Mosaddegh in Iran and reinstate the Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi the last Shah of Iran. While the coup is at times referred to in the West as Operation Ajax after its CIA cryptonym, in Iran it is referred to as the 28 Mordad 1332 Coup d'état, after its date on the Iranian calendar. Mosaddegh was imprisoned for three years, then put under house arrest until his death and was buried in his own home so as to prevent a political furore. In 2013, the U.S. government formally acknowledged the U.S. role in the coup, as a part of its foreign policy initiatives. - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1953_Iranian_coup_d%27%C3%A9tat

19 Aug 1967 - Beatles' "All You Need is Love" single goes #1. In a statement to Melody Maker magazine, Brian Epstein, the band's manager, said of "All You Need Is Love": "It was an inspired song and they really wanted to give the world a message. The nice thing about it is that it cannot be misinterpreted. It is a clear message saying that love is everything." Lennon later attributed the song's simple lyrical statements to his liking of slogans and television advertising. He likened the song to a propaganda piece, adding: "I'm a revolutionary artist. My art is dedicated to change." - https://www.stereogum.com/2018942/the-number-ones-the-beatles-all-you-need-is-love/franchises/the-number-ones/

19 Aug 2013 – The Dhamara Ghat train accident kills at least 37 people in the Indian state of Bihar. At least 37 people were killed and 24 were injured. The accident triggered a protest by passengers who beat the driver unconscious, attacked staff and torched two coaches of the train. - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dhamara_Ghat_train_accident

Remembrances

12 Aug 2019 - Danny Cohen, a distinguished computer scientist who helped develop the first digital visual flight simulator for pilot training, early digital voice conferencing and cloud computing. Cohen was a graduate student at Harvard University in the late 1960s when he helped develop the first computerized flight simulation system on a general-use computer. The design re-created aircraft flight and the landscape it travelled above. He was involved in the ARPAnet project and helped develop various fundamental applications for the Internet. Cohen is probably best known for his 1980 paper "On Holy Wars and a Plea for Peace" which adopted the terminology of endianness for computing (a term borrowed from Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels). He died from Parkinson's disease at the age of 81 in Palo Alto, California. - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danny_Cohen_(computer_scientist)

19 Aug 1662 - Blaise Pascal, French mathematician,physicist, inventor, writer and Catholic theologian. He was a child prodigy who was educated by his father, a tax collector in Rouen. Pascal's earliest work was in the natural and applied sciences where he made important contributions to the study of fluids, and clarified the concepts of pressure and vacuum by generalising the work of Evangelista Torricelli. Pascal also wrote in defence of the scientific method. Pascal was an important mathematician, helping create two major new areas of research: he wrote a significant treatise on the subject of projective geometry at the age of 16, and later corresponded with Pierre de Fermat on probability theory, strongly influencing the development of modern economics and social science. Following Galileo Galilei and Torricelli, in 1647, he rebutted Aristotle's followers who insisted that nature abhors a vacuum. Pascal's results caused many disputes before being accepted. He died from stomach cancer at the age of 39 in Paris. - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blaise_Pascal

19 Aug 1822 - Jean Baptiste Joseph Delambre, French mathematician and astronomer. He was also director of the Paris Observatory, and author of well-known books on the history of astronomy like the Histoire de l'astronomie from ancient times to the 18th century. Delambre was one of the first astronomers to derive astronomical equations from analytical formulas, was the author of Delambre's Analogies. He was a knight (chevalier) of the Order of Saint Michael and of the Légion d'honneur. His name is also one of the 72 names inscribed on the Eiffel tower. The crater Delambre on the Moon is named after him. He died at the age of 72 in Paris. - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Baptiste_Joseph_Delambre

19 Aug 1977 - Groucho Marx, American comedian, writer, stage, film, radio, and television star. A master of quick wit, he is widely considered one of America's greatest comedians. He made 13 feature films with his siblings the Marx Brothers, of whom he was the third-born. He also had a successful solo career, most notably as the host of the radio and television game show You Bet Your Life. His distinctive appearance, carried over from his days in vaudeville, included quirks such as an exaggerated stooped posture, spectacles, cigar, and a thick greasepaint moustache and eyebrows. These exaggerated features resulted in the creation of one of the most recognizable and ubiquitous novelty disguises, known as Groucho glasses: a one-piece mask consisting of horn-rimmed glasses, a large plastic nose, bushy eyebrows and moustache. He died from pneumonia at the age of 86 at the age of 86 in Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles,California. - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groucho_Marx

19 Aug 1994 - Linus Pauling, American chemist,biochemist,peace activist, author, educator, and husband of American human rights activist Ava Helen Pauling. He published more than 1,200 papers and books, of which about 850 dealt with scientific topics. New Scientist called him one of the 20 greatest scientists of all time, and as of 2000, he was rated the 16th most important scientist in history. Pauling was one of the founders of the fields of quantum chemistry and molecular biology. Pauling also worked on the structures of biological molecules, and showed the importance of the alpha helix and beta sheet in protein secondary structure. His discoveries inspired the work of James Watson,Francis Crick, and Rosalind Franklin on the structure of DNA, which in turn made it possible for geneticists to crack the DNA code of all organisms. In his later years he promoted nuclear disarmament, as well as orthomolecular medicine, megavitamin therapy, and dietary supplements. For his scientific work, Pauling was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1954. For his peace activism, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1962. He is one of four individuals to have won more than one Nobel Prize (the others being Marie Curie,John Bardeen and Frederick Sanger). He died from prostate cancer at the age of 93 in Big Sur, California - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linus_Pauling

Famous birthdays

19 Aug 1871 – Orville Wright, one half of the Wright Brothers who were two American aviation pioneers generally credited with inventing, building, and flying the world's first successful airplane. They made the first controlled, sustained flight of a powered, heavier-than-air aircraft with the Wright Flyer on December 17, 1903, four miles south of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. In 1904–05, the brothers developed their flying machine into the first practical fixed-wing aircraft, the Wright Flyer III. Although not the first to build experimental aircraft, the Wright brothers were the first to invent aircraft controls that made fixed-wing powered flight possible. The brothers' breakthrough was their creation of a three-axis control system, which enabled the pilot to steer the aircraft effectively and to maintain its equilibrium. This method remains standard on fixed-wing aircraft of all kinds. He was born in Dayton, Ohio - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wright_brothers

19 Aug 1921 – Gene Roddenberry, American television screenwriter,producer and creator of the original Star Trek television series, and its first spin-off The Next Generation. Roddenberry flew 89 combat missions in the Army Air Forces during World War II, and worked as a commercial pilot after the war. Later, he followed in his father's footsteps and joined the Los Angeles Police Department, where he also began to write scripts for television. As a freelance writer, Roddenberry wrote scripts for Highway Patrol, Have Gun–Will Travel, and other series, before creating and producing his own television series The Lieutenant. In 1964, Roddenberry created Star Trek, which premiered in 1966 and ran for three seasons before being cancelled. He then worked on other projects, including a string of failed television pilots. The syndication of Star Trek led to its growing popularity; this, in turn, resulted in the Star Trek feature films, on which Roddenberry continued to produce and consult. In 1985, he became the first TV writer with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and he was later inducted by both the Science Fiction Hall of Fame and the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Hall of Fame. Years after his death, Roddenberry was one of the first humans to have his ashes carried into earth orbit. The popularity of the Star Trek universe and films has inspired films, books, comic books, video games, and fan films set in the Star Trek universe. He was born in El Paso, Texas. - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gene_Roddenberry

19 Aug 1944 – Charles Wang, American businessman and philanthropist who was a co-founder and CEO of Computer Associates International, Inc. (later renamed to CA Technologies). Wang grew Computer Associates into one of the country's largest software vendors. Wang authored two books to help executives master technology: Techno Vision and Techno Vision II. He was a minority owner (and past majority owner) of the NHL's New York Islanders ice hockey team and their AHL affiliate, an investor in numerous businesses, and benefactor to charities including Smile Train, the World Childhood Foundation, the Islanders Children's Foundation and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, among others. He was born in Shanghai. - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Wang

19 Aug 1967 - Satya Nadella, engineer and Indian American business executive. He currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Microsoft, succeeding Steve Ballmer in 2014. He led a giant round of layoffs and flattened the organization (getting rid of middle managers). Before becoming chief executive, he was the Executive Vice President of Microsoft's Cloud and Enterprise Group, responsible for building and running the company's computing platforms. His tenure has emphasized openness to working with companies and technologies with which Microsoft also competes, including Apple Inc.,IBM and Dropbox. Under Nadella Microsoft revised its mission statement to "empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more". In comparison to founder Bill Gates's "a PC on every desk and in every home, running Microsoft software", Nadella says that it is an enduring mission, rather than a temporal goal. His key goal has been transforming Microsoft’s corporate culture into one that values continual learning and growth. Nadella's leadership of Microsoft included a series of high-profile acquisitions of other companies, to redirect Microsoft's focus. His first major acquisition was of Mojang, a Swedish game company best known for the popular freeform computer building game Minecraft, in late 2014, for $2.5 billion. He followed that by purchasing Xamarin and LinkedIn in 2016, then GitHub in 2018. He was born Hyderabad, Telangana. - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satya_Nadella

Events of interest

19 Aug 1887 - Dmitri Mendeleev makes a solo ascent by balloon to an altitude of 11,500 feet (3.5 km) above Klin, Russia to observe an eclipse. - https://www.wired.com/2009/08/dayintech-0819/

19 Aug 1940 – First flight of the B-25 Mitchell medium bomber. Named in honor of Major General William "Billy" Mitchell, a pioneer of U.S. military aviation. Used by many Allied air forces, the B-25 served in every theatre of World War II, and after the war ended, many remained in service, operating across four decades. Produced in numerous variants, nearly 10,000 B-25s were built. These included a few limited models such as the F-10 reconnaissance aircraft, the AT-24 crew trainers, and the United States Marine Corps' PBJ-1 patrol bomber. - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_B-25_Mitchell

19 Aug 1964 – Syncom 3, the first geostationary communication satellite, was launched. The satellite, in orbit near the International Date Line, had the addition of a wideband channel for television and was used to telecast the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo to the United States. - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syncom

Intro

Artist – Goblins from Mars

Song Title – Super Mario - Overworld Theme (GFM Trap Remix)

Song Link - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GNMe6kF0j0&index=4&list=PLHmTsVREU3Ar1AJWkimkl6Pux3R5PB-QJ

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[basicallyraeken-blog]

Strong females

Strong female character is a term for a class of stock character. It is the opposite of the damsel in distress stock character. In the first half of the 20th century, the rise of mainstream feminism and the increased use of the concept in the later 20th century have reduced the concept to a standard item of pop culture fiction.

Contemporary pop culture franchises tend to optimise their female stock characters to appeal to both male and female audiences (Lara Croft). The "strong female character" is not necessarily physically strong or an "action heroine" but can reveal "strong" character with relevance to the plot (as heroine or villainess), often taking the role of a sexually attractive femme fatale.

Cases of solid female characters in nerd culture

(At times, "supposedly" solid female characters - see reactions underneath.)

Andromeda Ascendant (Andromeda TV arrangement)

Beka Valentine (Andromeda TV arrangement)

Buffypromo

Buffy Summers (Buffy the Vampire Slayer film and TV arrangement made by Joss Whedon)

Zoe Washburne (Firefly TV arrangement and Serenity film made by Joss Whedon)

Starbuck (new Battlestar Galactica TV arrangement)

Ellen Ripley (Aliens film establishment)

Sarah Connor (Terminator film establishment and The Sarah Connor Chronicles TV arrangement)

("Xena" Warrior Princess TV arrangement)

Olivia Dunham (Fringe TV arrangement)

Aeryn Sun (Farscape TV arrangement)

Samantha Carter (Stargate SG-1 TV arrangement)

Lara Croft (Tomb Raider PC diversions and film establishment)

YT (Snow Crash novel by Neal Stephenson)

Esmerelda "Granny" Weatherwax (different Discworld books by Terry Pratchett)

Tiffany Aching (different Discworld books by Terry Pratchett)

Tanya (Command and Conquer: Red Alert diversion arrangement)

The Star Trek page contains an inadequate rundown of female characters all through the establishment.

Fiona (Burn see TV arrangement)

Vin (Mistborn books by Brandon Sanderson)

Samus Aran (Metroid computer game arrangement)

Beth Tezuka (Bravest Warriors webseries made by Pendleton Ward)

Age Flux (Eon Flux)

Tetra (change personality of Princess Zelda, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker)

Reika Kitami (Bible Black)

Kidd Summers (Pokemon: Lucario And The Mystery Of Mew)

Latias (Pokemon: Heroes The Movie)

Zorark (It is intensely implied that the Zorark in Pokemon: Zoroark Master Of Illusions, is Female, or possibly assumes a mother part)

Donna Noble (Doctor Who)

Sarah Jane Smith (Doctor Who)

Kahlan Amnell (Sword of Truth books by Terry Goodkind)

Eve Dallas (In Death arrangement by Nora Roberts)

Susan Ivanova (Babylon 5)

Lyta Alexander (Babylon 5)

Lagertha (Vikings TV arrangement)

Dagny Taggart (Atlas Shrugged)

Reactions

A typical feedback is that (a few) in number female characters are one-dimensional.

Oft-refered to issues with individual solid female characters include:

her quality is in combative techniques, yet she has no quality of character

regardless she needs to adjust to sexual orientation standardizing norms of engaging quality

she will wear meager or fetishistic apparatus to battle in, and her fights and demonstrations of gallantry will be displayed to the gathering of people as sexual exhibitions.

WonderWoman

she will be solid straight up until the point when she can't manage something and must be spared by a man

her quality is lessened when she gets intrigued by an individual from the contrary sex

her quality is principally a story instrument to gauge a male heroes' advance in his passionate development plot curve, in which his full development is motioned by getting the young lady, and her inside life or claim inspirations are not depicted (such female characters frequently highlight in works that come up short the Bechdel test)

she impartially has the power and ability expected to tackle the work's focal issue herself, however she is rather required to go about as coach, sidekick, or love enthusiasm to an at first less-viable male Chosen One (frequently alluded to as "Trinity Syndrome" after the character from The Matrix).

she has no nearby female companions or female partners, and abhors "weaker" or all the more ordinarily ladylike ladies for not being "rebel" (this is frequently an issue in works by less keen male essayists attempting to make a "ladies can battle as well!" character, regardless of whether inspired by earnest populism or a want to titillate).

A more broad issue with the idea is that, particularly in nerd media, "solid female characters" are regularly characterized as "solid" absolutely as far as having exceptional physical quality and battle capacity. This apparently cheapens different types of "quality". It likewise approves viciousness as a methods for settling struggle, which is dismissed by numerous strains of woman's rights.

Some blog entries regarding the matter:

Solid Female Characters by _ocelott_ on LiveJournal

"You know what's an issue? Solid female characters. As a matter of first importance, for what reason do we need to indicate "solid" when alluding to "female characters?" Why is this not guaranteed? The default for male isn't "solid" or "wusstastic," so for what reason do we need to be so particular about the chicks?"

[gabetex]

Today I came across a movie I haven’t seen in a while that I enjoy a lot, though it’s no classic like its associations: Alien VS Predator, released back in 2004. Personally, I love Alien and had to watch, ended up liking it and eventually bought a hard copy for the VHS and DVD collection I had then. A wrestling match between two titans of sci-fi and horror is a glorious sight to see, like Freddy VS Jason released the year before, another fun and gory movie prepared for admirers. That’s why these movies are made; for pure fun, cheap thrills and a few reasons to take life lightly yet be aware of all exits and maybe learn some karate.

Unfortunately, sci-fi and horror films don’t get much attention or respect and many great elements are overlooked. Within the industry of motion pictures, not too many have been nominated or won awards and, if they do, only win in production categories like Sound and Makeup. The only horror film that won the Oscar for Best Picture is The Silence of the Lambs (originally a novel by Thomas Harris), which also won Best Actor and Actress, Best Director and Screenplay, the only horror flick that has received so much praise. Many people in the industry speak strongly against sci-fi and horror films and refuse participation, calling the genres shallow and missed opportunities to portray human depth and morality, even though those same people have risen from such projects.

I believe horror and sci-fi flicks are the best method to explore humanity, raw emotion and instinct. Admittedly, sci-fi and horror adds to countless social stigmas and stereotypes, yet just like any other movie genre, all a part of the industry’s diversity issues that seem so evident in award ceremonies, scripts that are produced and castings. The cry for diversity in mainstream media has become a tangled tug of war and every shining accolade has become a tally versus a collective celebration of a motion picture, of direction, of a character, of a setting and predicament, of art. The fight for inclusion has shaken artistic expression and freedom, finding defined lines and requirements to please others, the real gesture that people recognize and party for since sensitivity over mere imagery is at an all-time high. Strong and defiant works of art fall through the cracks, especially those that are more fantastical and usually deep in situations that challenge reality and viewers.

Sci-fi and horror movies actually depict more stories of teamwork, diversity and color blindness, usually set in the future and moments of mind over unique matter. Monsters tend not to discriminate and really test the morality, intelligence and strength of the pool of victims around, the very reason I love zombie stories. Most of the films and characters that garner acclaim usually don’t add much to the conversation and philosophy of filmmaking or ease the diversity battle. As time changes things, a lot of work becomes obsolete or proves to be a negative. Great movies and performances are never celebrated and referenced as they should, lost under projects with bigger names, large budgets and absurd controversies. To be the example I want to see, I’m going to honor a character that has been overlooked by her communities. She is the perfect representative for characters like her from all genres and the casting mentality many people want across the board.

So, I present Alexa Woods, a leading character in Alien VS Predator (written and directed by Paul W.S. Anderson), portrayed by Sanaa Lathan (Love & Basketball, The Best Man). AVP is about just that and since the drama is set present day of 2004 on Earth, humans found a way to get in the middle of it and in turn have been for generations. A wealthy explorer hires a team to excavate an ancient kingdom that’s under ice in Bouvet Island, 2000 miles below the surface, in hopes of being the first to crack it open. Since the location is in icy territory, the expedition needs a knowledgeable and experienced guide, Alexa Woods.

Alexa Woods proves to be more capable and brave than her notable reputation. Not only is she able to trek high altitudes, a stickler for every safety rule and a cautionary tell, she’s a fighter for her entire team and against the story’s vicious creatures. I must say Alien and Predator, though fictional (allegedly), are far more dangerous than equality and personal demons and Woods takes them on with everything she’s got. With the movie’s conclusion, I’m surprised the communities that usually highlight and parade such characters haven’t pushed Alexa forward.

Alexa Woods checks very important diversity boxes that have a great impression on our society. Honing in, she is a mountaineer and survival guide, something that isn’t seen every day, though the mountaineering sport really isn’t a pop culture hit and readily available to most of us, which is a great example of accomplishment and strength, indeed breaking stereotypes and offers a visual that can inspire many to succeed in an extreme activity that entails research, practice and travel. The role could have easily been created or casted with what has been deemed as an obvious choice. This character is the epitome of what is being pursued in Hollywood; a diverse face for any kind of role. Sadly, this character has never been mentioned in any article or Top Lists, no matter how specific I get on Google, unexpected since Ellen Ripley of the original Alien popped up in a lot of what I found. Alexa even emboldens the mold her predecessor created.

I suppose Alexa hasn’t been noticed due to the movie’s success and simple substance generated for the franchises involved. AVP’s reviews were not good, gaining a 5.6/10 on IMDB, 21/100% from Rotten Tomatoes and 29/100% from Metacritic, though earning about $173 million over a $70 million budget. Should the critical failure, a duel franchise black sheep, diminish a tremendous character? No matter what was produced the character held her own in extraordinary situations, a hefty value when compared to any other story, and was a breath of fresh air for both cult worlds.

Whether AVP was good or bad, throughout the film there was never a mention or acknowledgement of ethnicity or gender. There’s a neutrality and relatability that allows the characters and setting to flourish. I see this notion as the modern goal of cinema and casting. Many communities want more stories of their gender and cultures, hanging Hollywood for not delivering. Yet those endeavors rest on their shoulders and they need to step up in creating a playground for their personal tales, since they cater to themselves and what’s produced usually tends to be biographies, historic retellings and ‘Look what I can do’s.

Movies like Alien VS Predator and characters like Alexa Woods are what the main stage needs. We need stories that use the ideal social climate, set an evolved normality and boast characters that can be anyone from anywhere. The past is the past and offering a cinematic showcase of people, places and moments that have existed will come and go and be forgotten just like the subjects, no matter the worth. In my opinion, history lessons for sale don’t change or prove much and images of suffering result in two ways.

One, they go unnoticed from the public and industry, like the TV series Underground (created by Misha Green and Joe Pokaski), a portrayal of runaway slaves, abolitionists and the Underground Railroad, done up with hard hitting realities and edgy suspense, recently cancelled due to changes at WGN. The Emmy nominations are out and not one is for Underground. People are excited for Viola Davis to play Harriet Tubman but have not celebrated Aisha Hinds’ brilliant undertaking of the prominent USA figure in Underground, an iconic force that has not had much screen time. Episode Minty of season two gives great insight into Tubman’s journey to freedom and the fight that still lies ahead, shining a light on Hinds talent among many great actors involved and the impressive aesthetic produced. Sadly, this series, the most relevant to USA today, will not get its owed dues.

Secondly, instead of flying under the radar, projects like Underground actually backfire and cause controversy, overshadowing the artistry and performances, lending themselves to ridicule, tension, resistance and woes of entitlement, though history and facts prove every word written and edit made. Either way, the public responds to pain and injustices so differently and the intended value falls down to a star rating, a critic’s review and a possible award nomination that leads to more disaster.

Out of the handful of movies that some say have changed society, like JFK, The Day After Tomorrow, Super Size Me, Rosetta and Philadelphia – I will never forget what my friend and film school classmate from Turkey told me how The Help informed her of life in USA during the ‘60s – all the issues represented are still alive and well. An honest education system should be teaching our history and more, which ought to humble everyone. The only character that has progressed, whether a mere detail or the main focus is technology, a sci-fi and horror favorite. The stories that depict gadgets to full on artificial intelligence are slowly becoming reality, shaping and shifting society by offering means to be anything and anywhere and reach millions of lives. How crazy would it be if our journey matched 2001: Space Odyssey, reliant on an entity like HAL 9000. That guy always reminds me of the questions: Does art imitate life? Or does life imitate art?

SPOILER ALERT:

So, going forward we should create more images, more movies, more art of, again, the ideal social climate, set in an evolved normality and boast characters that can be anyone from anywhere. Where are stories of trusting? Also, we need to celebrate the right stories, moments, details and characters to strengthen the prestige, theory and entertainment of motion pictures, even if corrections need to be made like Alien VS Predator. That’s what remakes are for. We need bold unifying characters conquering situations that can capture our hearts and minds without keeping the scenario of ‘us vs them’ within our species, defining ‘them’ as something completely different, like Alien or Predator VS Alexa Woods.

The Power & Misses of the Motion Picture Industry Today I came across a movie I haven’t seen in a while that I enjoy a lot, though it’s no classic like its associations: …

[smokeybrand]

Smokey brand Movie Reviews: Full Shares

I have one helluva backlog of films to work through but, between those and other distractions, i am having just the dickens of a time getting through them. I’ve started Uncut Gems three different times but the tension, man, it stresses me out way too much. I have to take breaks in between and just forget about where i left off so i need to start over. I have to say, though, the twenty to thirty minutes i have seen is absolutely excellent. In the meantime, while i muster enough nerve to actually finish that film, i wanted to revisit one of my all-time favorites. Way back when i first saw this movie, it gave me the same intense, stressed out, panic i feel watching Gems. Alien changed the way that I interacted with film and, to this day, it’s one of maybe a handful of movies to ever illicit true fear from me. I saw it, for the first time as a young kid of maybe six or seven, in a late night showing on TV and i remember even the broadcast edit spazzing me the f*ck out. Imagine my apprehension seeing the theatrical cut fr the first time a few years later. As i got older and learned to appreciate the moving parts of film individually, i came to love Alien even more. Not only is it actually terrifying. it’s one of the best built movies i have ever seen and carries the template for bad-ass film like a badge of honor. Cats say the sequel, which i’ll get to in a later review, is better than the first, but i wholeheartedly disagree. This movie is easily top three all-time for me and here’s why. I have to tell you from the outset, this movie is perfect in my opinion. There  are no flaw so don’t expect any negative, just me gushing about the excellence within.

The Outstanding

The very best aspect of this movie is easily Sigourney Weaver’s portrayal as Ellen Ripley. My goodness, was this character absolutely amazing. When people think of Ripley, they often remember Cameron’s version of her from Aliens. To most people, Ripley is that chick, strapped down in a power loader, calling the Queen Xenomorph a b*tch to her face. That is, undeniably, iconic. Ellen Ripley solidified the template for strong, female, lead with that scene. But Ripley didn’t start out that way. She had to earn that title and it began with her battle for survival in the original Alien. Ripley began as an undermined, kind of by-the-book, Warrant Office, just trying to get back in time for her daughter’s eleventh birthday. Over the course of two hours, we watched Ripley evolve into the absolute unit that she is known for and the nuanced portrayal of that evolution by Weaver shows us the harrowing journey with an almost visceral vulnerability. Ellen Ripley is not a character, she is a person. You feel for this woman and her struggle. You root for her. You gasp when she fails. You want her to survive. To get attached to a film character so completely is testimony to the excellence of that actor’s performance and Sigourney Weaver turns one in for the ages. Not bad for a twenty-year-old’s second film appearance, first speaking role.

You can’t speak about Alien without the iconic imagery provided by the nightmares of H.R. Giger’s art. The raw, horrifyingly sexual, disgustingly organic, yet wholly bizarre vestiges of the LV-426 hive were incredible. That initial pan of the fossilized Space Jockey fused to his pilot’s seat can’t help but inspire very real awe. I imagine seeing that reveal on an Imax screen and it is absolutely riveting. More so, entering into the hive itself, wit all those corridors woven from steel and flesh, leading into the pitfall trap full of the waiting, legitimately alien eggs illicit a feeling of primal terror. Those things are nothing like anything terrestrial. They are just familiar enough to inspire curiosity from the audience but uncanny enough to trigger apprehension. Absolutely brilliant but the true genius, the source of constant panic, belongs to the adult xenomorph, itself.

Big Chap, as the production team called it, was a miracle of effects work. The suit was custom built to fit the near seven foot frame of Bolaji Badejo but it was his physicality that lent an organic presence to the techno-organic monstrosity. That original Xenomorpgh was wildly terrifying to me. Even at my young age, i weathered Freddy Krueger, Michael Myers, and Jason Voorhees, with rather stoic aplomb but the Xenomorph sent me into a panic. I had legitimate nightmares about this thing which had never happened before. Giger had created a creature of such instinctual terror that you has no choice by to fear it and that sh*t is amazing.

I touched on how excellent Ellen Ripley was as a character, giving well deserved credit to Weaver’s portrayal but, like all classic characters in storytelling, Ripley began on the page. The writing for Alien is some of the best i have ever had the pleasure of experiencing. Every character, every scene, every aspect, of this story is tight. Dan O’Bannon deserves all credit for this classic script. He wrote a story filled with characters and suspense, never identifying male of female unless absolutely necessary. I miss when films were films and not soapboxes for gender politics. It’s amazing how timeless and iconic characters can become when you’re not trying to push a goddamn agenda.

Now, O’Bannon’s script is excellent but it took a true visionary to bring it to life. Ridley Scott was that creative. Alien was Scott’s second directorial effort and he was able to craft a visual narrative far beyond what his tangible experience would dictate. Scott is a true visionary. The way he saw O’Bannon’s script was incredible. I mean, the vistas of the Derelict Ship, the sanitized halls of the Nostromo, that whole retro-futuristic look, the abject terror and repugnant reversal of sexuality with the Alien; All of that is Scott. O’Bannon gave this man one helluva blueprint but Scott built a goddamn monument of cinema in his own right.

The sound design in this film is absolutely classic. The hisses from the alien, the clacking of the computers, that harrowing voice from MOTHER during the adrenaline packed climax; Every sound, echo, pitch, and clank is perfectly administered to embellish the hellish visuals onscreen. I’ll never forget the first time seeing Brett’s death scene. The subtle sway of chains giving way to the impactful sound of those water droplets hitting his face, lulling you into a false sense of security, only to see the Xenomorph puncture his skull. That mixture of screams and rattling chains was haunting, brilliant use of sound for a horror set piece and testament to it’s voracity.

I spoke at length about Sigourney Weaver’s casting and performance but literally everyone is outstanding in this film. being an original script, not based on any existing media, you had an open template to create these characters. In a sense, casting for this type of project is even more tantamount than building a cinematic adaption of a novel or comic. This film is going to be known for these characters, for this world, going forward and Alien nailed this sh*t. Aside from Weaver’s star-turning performance as Ripley, John Hurt turned in a rather endearing outing as Kane, the first victim of the Xenomorpgh. Tom Skerritt was probably the biggest name in the film so everyone thoight that his character Dallas would be the lone survivor. Nope. Veronica Cartwright’s Lambert was woefully unraveled, specially during the Chestburster scene and Ian Holm’s Ash is easily unnerving his uncanny valley-esque performance. Harry Dean Stanton’s Brett was a man of few words but my second favorite performance in this entire film belongs to Yaphet Kotto. His portrayal as the aggressive, outspoken, incredibly loyal, Parker, endures to this day. These characters are all incredibly written and skillfully performed, bringing characters to life that will endure through time.

This movie came out in 1979, man! It is four decades old an can still give anything created today, even with out advances in effects work and film techniques, a run for it’s money. That is testament to the deft hand and expert precision in the construction of this movie. It’s rare that a film can be so timeless and it’s easily the first i have ever seen to capture that high mark. There are others like that; Jurassic Park, Twelve Angry Men, Jaws, The Godfather, To kill a Mockingbird, Star Wars, but even those classics show chinks in the armor. Not Alien. That Retro-futuristic design is absolutely timeless and fits in with any era of cinema.

The world Alien created was ripe for elaboration. The franchise, alone, produced three sequels; Each an amazing look at different film styles, directorial vision, and cinematic genre. Aliens is arguably one of the greatest sequels ever and has a completely different tone that the first. Some would ay it’ even better than the first. I wouldn’t but others do. There have been books, comics, games, and so much more based on this world. Alien: Isolation is easily the best game ever made based on the franchise and it stars that eleven-year-old daughter turned adult woman, Amanda Ripley, in a similar situation as her mother. Let me tell you, bad-assery must run in the family because Amanda was just as dope as her mom during her own gauntlet. And just like her ma’s adventure, Amanda’s outing stressed me out to no end. I loved the Earth War comic growing up and the introduction of Ripley 8 was something special. She was kind of ridiculous in the fourth film, Alien; resurrection but the comics did 8 much better justice. Speaking of artificial constructs, i would be remiss if i didn’t mention the absolutely charming android Xenomorph, Norbert, and his predecessor, Jeri, but my favorite hybrid is definitely Eloise. That’s not to mention the excellent stories with in the Aliens versus Predator mythos. I’m not going to get too heavy into that lore but you’d be hard-pressed to find a more amazing, female protagonist, outside of Ripley, than Machiko Noguchi; The human Japanese woman, blooded by the Elite Leader Yautja, Broken Tusk, given the title of Little Knife by the space-faring Predators. Ma is a f*cking machine and it’s a crime AvP ignored her story for what we eventually got in cinemas. Hell, there are even aspect of the Prometheus portion of this universe that i like, even though i don’t particularly like the film, itself. Elden is a dope character with a ton of potential for the overall lore going forward. There is so much excellent material in the Aliens expanded universe; Characters, concepts, worlds and more. The expansive nature and reverence for this universe rivals that of Star Wars, none of which could be possible without the inspired execution of the original Alien film.

The Verdict

What can i say? Alien is a goddamn masterpiece. From the second those titles slowly manifest to the exploration of LV-426, to the claustrophobic panic of the Nostromo, to Ripley’s triumphant yet uncertain fate in the end, i absolutely adore every aspect of this movie. Everything about this movie is deliberate and amazing. The performances are all excellent, everyone does an exceptional job. The set design is gorgeous and in the case of the alien hive within the Space Jockey’s ship, disgustingly beautiful. Giger’s art as perfect for this film but his design for Big Chap, the original Xenomorph design, was absolutely unnerving. The first time i saw it onscreen, i was both enthralled and horrified. To see the massive beast, in the few glimpses you got between some of the most excellent lighting ever captured on film, was incredible. There are shortcomings, sure, all films have them but i don’t believe them to be a negative. The pacing can be a little dragging at times but it’s absolutely necessary to build atmosphere. I thrive on slow burn films like The VVitch or Blade Runner 2049 and it was Alien that taught me patience in film can be a virtue. I cannot praise this film enough. For me, Alien is as close to perfect as can be. This easily gets my highest recommendation. If you’ve never seen Alien and appreciate sheer psychological terror, beautiful sets, brilliant direction, awe inspiring shots, and some of the best sound design ever captured on film, you’ll love this movie.

[alienvirals]

The cast of ‘Alien: Covenant’ knows exactly how to terrify you

(CNN)It’s hard to believe that it’s already been 40 years since “Alien” roared into theaters and terrified audiences with its famous chest-bursting scene. Now, director Ridley Scott is back with everyone’s favorite Xenomorph for more screams in “Alien: Covenant,” which hits theaters on Friday.

Turns out, it has something to do with channeling real fear in the actors so viewers can experience the terror for themselves.

“We had pretty good visuals to work with,” actress Katherine Waterston, who stars as the lead female character Daniels, told CNN. “We didn’t have to many CGI, green screens or sticks with Xs on the end to look at.”

Comedic actor Danny McBride, who rarely takes on dramatic roles said he approached the prep work for the movie in the same way he tackles comedies.

“When we do comedy, for me, the comedy has to feel real, it has to be grounded,” McBride said. “You gotta find what makes this person seem real and seem relatable.”

The movie makers used sets that look and feel real, which is something McBride cites as a source that made the terror authentic for him.

“You’re on what looks like a spaceship. You feel the claustrophobia,” he said. “I could remember there was something where we are in pursuit and it felt real. You saw the guy come out of the chamber in costume… It does spark something in you.”

Related: ‘Alien Covenant’ review

For director Scott, the fear in “Alien” is a primal one, which harkens back to the famed chest-bursting scene from the 1979 original.

“I think the event that occurred right in your face, at the kitchen table… was primordial, was so shocking I think it stuck with people forever, really,” Scott said.

Scott said that when he previewed the original film, he walked around the theater to look at viewers’ reactions. And he liked what he saw.

“I was in good shape, because people were already sliding down the seat,” he said.

Aside from being one of the scariest series in film history, with a windfall of $1.3 billion worldwide, 20th Century Fox’s “Alien” franchise was a trailblazer for featuring a strong female lead with Sigourney Weaver’s Ellen Ripley, a role that made Weaver a star and helped her score an Academy Award nomination.

Waterston said that Weaver’s performance in “Alien” was an inspiration for her.

“I grew up watching that movie, and she’s so brilliant in it… I remember being very impressed with her reactions, her stillness,” she said. “Her stillness in that film, I think really helped sell a lot of the horror.”

Read more: http://edition.cnn.com/

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