Perfect Organism: The Alien Saga Podcast

As we close out (for now) our miniseries on Lovecraft's cosmic horror in the  Alien universe, we come to the most recent film in the saga: the ever-controversial, ever-interesting, ever-bizarre  Alien: Covenant. Is  Covenant Lovecraftian? Is it Gothic horror? Is it something in the middle? Jaime, Patrick, and resident Lovecraft expert Christian ponder these (and many more) questions on this wide-r...

In what was our final recording for the calendar year 2022, Jaime, Patrick, Christian and Perry come together to discuss the working title news of the Fede Alvarez-directed Alien film as well as go on to discuss the merits of the theatrical edition of Alien 3 versus the Assembly Cut. From chest-bursting, to creature effects, we leave no stone unturned as we share our ideas on why one version of Al...

The costumes of Alien have long been praised for adding to the verisimilitude of the film's "Truckers in Space" aesthetic. Fans have sought out replicas of these items right from the start with hats, patches, and pins filling the back pages of Starlog magazine. In this episode we sit down with Adam Ezekiel, a fan who has turned his love for the Nostromo crew uniforms (and his keen eye for detail)...

We are happy to release our coverage of the Disney+ series Andor as a bonus episode this holiday season. In this special roundtable, your hosts Jaime, Patrick, Christian, AndieGeekGirl, and special guest Micah Greene discuss what some of us agree is the best Star Wars product since the original trilogy. As always this was a lively and in-depth conversation that we hope you enjoy.  // Apple Podcast...

Some call it the Pilot. Some call an Engineer. Many of us call it the Space Jockey. Call it what you will, this mysterious figure inside the Derelict has haunted and intrigued fans for decades. But why? What is it about this silent, seemingly ancient figure that makes it so unforgettable? For years, a major part of the Jockey's lasting appeal was its unknowability. But now that we have the prequel...

A decade ago, Guillermo del Toro famously stopped his work on an adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft's  At the Mountains of Madness because he felt Ridley Scott's  Prometheus had beaten him to the punch. Scott himself was mum on the issue, but when  Prometheus premiered in theaters it was clearly connected to  ATMOM , whether Ridley (or Spaihts, or Lindelof) were public about it. So what exactly is  Prom...

"Lovecraftian" gets thrown around a lot these days, but what does it actually mean? When people say  Alien is a Lovecraftian film, what are they getting at? We're launching a miniseries to explore those questions (and a whole lot more), and on this first installment we're looking at H.P. Lovecraft himself and how his themes speak to the themes in  Alien . How does Giger's reverence for HPL show up...

David Fincher's involvement with Alien 3 does not have a storybook ending. Unlike his predecessors Ridley Scott, and James Cameron, Fincher's work on Alien 3 would be remembered as one of the most troubled productions in cinema history. In this episode, Christian, Patrick, and Jaime discuss the issues surrounding Fincher's involvement and the merits of his continuing disassociation from the film....

Feminism is a word that's long been linked to the Alien franchise, and it continues to be an incendiary term in our current social climate. In this episode, special guest Sarah Welch-Larson joins Patrick, Andie, and Jaime to break down what that actually term means and if it's faithful to the spirit of the original four Alien films. This was an informative and educational episode that might surpri...

Patrick and Jaime were delighted to sit down with writer/director Ian Nathan, and executive producer Robin Block as they discussed their new documentary Aliens Expanded. If Alien fandom has a bedrock, it would be none-other than James Cameron's Aliens. Aliens is the film everyone gathers around, the main course at a cinematic feast. Ian, and Robin discuss why they believe that's the case, and how...

Perfect Organism: The Alien Saga Podcast celebrates 200 episodes of what has been a rollercoaster of excitement and wonder. Join cohost and founder Jaime, Patrick, Christian, AndieGeekGirl, Perry, Maj, & Xander as they sit down to discuss the journey they've been on as a team, the road ahead, and the latest Alien tv show and film news. This was a wonderful episode to be a part of. This was a very...

Christian, Patrick, and Jaime were delighted to sit down with co-authors Philippa Ballantine and Clara Carija to discuss their new book, Alien: Inferno's Fall. As long time fans of the Alien saga and extended universe, Philippa and Clara discuss what the Alien universe means to them, and their propensity for creating rich and diverse worlds populated with multifaceted characters. This was a wonder...

Have you ever wondered what would've happened if Ripley's showdown with the creature onboard  The Narcissus  had ended differently? Chris Bissette is a game designer, writer, and musician who created an innovative RPG experience to explore that question—not only creating a theoretical fifth act to  Alien , but putting players in Ripley's shoes as well. The Wretched is an original IP, but functions...

In this special crossover episode, hosts Patrick and Jaime are joined by contributing host Peter from the Midwest to discuss artificial intelligence as featured in Alien and Blade Runner . This is a bit of a crossover episode as we explore why the kinds of A.I. exist in both of these worlds and what's really behind the need for such technology. This was a fascinating and complicated discussion. We...

Alien: Isolation is the sort of game that attracts a certain type of  Alien obsessive: packed with lore, overflowing with aesthetic detail, and completely unrelenting in its difficulty and terror, Isolation is an extraordinary achievement in game design that continues to enthrall  Alien fans eight years after its release. Andy Kelly is a video game journalist who has written extensively about  Ali...

Charles Dance's portrayal of Dr. Jonathan Clemens in  Alien 3 is a layered look at how substance abuse, grief, and loss function in the  Alien  universe. In this roundtable, Jaime, Patrick, Christian, and Andie are joined by first-time guest Forrest MacKnight for an in-depth examination of this fascinating character. // Apple Podcasts: bit.ly/perfectorganismitunes // For more on this and our other...

Two recent  Alien  novels— Alien: Into Charybdis  by Alex White and  Alien: Colony War by David Barnett—share a common audiobook narrator. What you might not know about this narrator, though, is she's just as much an  Alien nerd as you are! Shiromi Arserio's website describes her as an "Accent Chameleon," and listening to her work on these recent novels is a masterclass on how to balance character...

Perfect Organism was honored to be asked by Propstore to host a panel discussion with ALIENS actors Ricco Ross, Mark Rolston, and ALIENS Visual Effects Supervisor Pat McClung. This event was hosted on top of the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles and included industry players, fans and more. Please join us as we unveil this very special episode, hosted by Jaime Prater and Christian Matzke. ...

On June 8, 2012, Prometheus  ushered in a controversial—and wildly new—era in  Alien history. How has  Prometheus aged in the decade since it was released? What themes have stuck? How has it shown up across other works throughout the expanded  Alien universe, and how do those works bring  Prometheus in new directions? In this roundtable, Jaime, Patrick, Perry, and Maj discuss  Prometheus' past, pr...

Charles S. Dutton's performance as Leonard Dillon in  Alien 3 is one of those portrayals that seems almost star-crossed. With his thrilling speeches, deep humanity, and murky past, Dillon is a character who becomes more special the more time you spend with him—a character that makes us ask Big Questions, like what is redemption? Can you find it even after you've committed atrocities? Where do you...

Charles de Lauzirika is the Restoration Producer of the Alien 3 Assembly Cut, as well as the director of Wreckage and Rage , the definitive behind-the-scenes account of Alien 3 (which you may have seen, in various forms, on both the Quadrilogy and Anthology boxsets). He reached out to us after our previous Assembly Cut commentary went live on Alien Day and asked if we'd like to watch it again, onl...

Sarah Welch-Larson's  Becoming Alien  is subtitled  ... The Beginning and End of Evil in Science Fiction's Most Idiosyncratic Film Franchise , and that should tell you everything you need to know about why we were so thrilled to chat with her! Becoming Alien is a philosophical examination of all six canonical films—an exploration of deep themes like the nature of evil and the things that make us h...

Happy Alien Day! As is our tradition (and for as long as we can) Perfect Organism releases a commentary episode every 04.26. This year, in honor of the 30 year anniversary of Alien 3, Patrick, Maj, & Jaime sat down and recorded a commentary track for the assembly cut of Alien 3.  We hope you enjoy! // Apple Podcasts: bit.ly/perfectorganismitunes // For more on this and our other projects, please v...

Starring Liam Richards, Terry Cooper, & Perry Chicos as Elliot  From an original script by Jaime Prater * Directed by Jaime Prater   Original Score by Patrick Greene * Planet sound by Patrick Greene   Sound design by Jaime Prater * Additional sounds by Xander House Produced by Perfect Organism: The Alien Saga Podcast * Edited by Jaime Prater  With Chase Cupo as the voice of Stratos & Micah Greene...

As Perfect Organism Podcast dives into our celebration of the 30 year anniversary of Alien 3, we decided to start off our conversations about the nature of the film. How did you feel about the film going into it? Did you know that Hicks & Newt would meet their tragic fate before you saw it? Have you been able to get over their deaths? Is Alien 3 a film that's found its rightful place? The team at...