Just in time for the 40th anniversary of Alien comes Memory: The Origins of Alien, a documentary purporting to be a deep dive into Ridley Scott’s 1979 sci-fi masterpiece. The film debuted at Sundance earlier this year, and finally makes its way to theaters this October. Watch the Memory The Origins of Alien trailer below.

Memory The Origins of Alien Trailer

Much has been said, written, and dissected about Ridley Scott’s Alien, a sci-fi horror classic that launched a franchise and influenced the genre for years following. But apart from the home video special features and interviews done with the filmmakers, has there been a true deep dive into the origins and the legacy of Alien? That’s what Memory: The Origins of Alien purports to be. Directed by Alexandre O. Philippe, who directed the extensive examination of Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho in 78/52, Memory: The Origins of Alien points its razor focus at the famous chestbursting scene, from its inception and roots in Greek mythology, to Scott and his team pulling off the effect in the film.

In his review of the film at Sundance, /Film’s Ethan Anderton writes, “Memory: The Origins of Alien works well enough as a glorified video essay on the making of Alien and the collective unconscious that has been tied to all kinds of art for centuries. But it never quite digs deep enough into any particular arena to be thoroughly satisfying. Sudden tangents make the film lack focus, no matter how hard Philippe tries to tie them back to Alien, and certain branches of discussion about the concepts of rape, fear and more never really come together to form a satisfying conversation. But even so, the documentary does bring enough absorbing new information to the table to make it worth watching if you get the opportunity.”

Here is the synopsis for Memory: The Origins of Alien:

Philippe (“78/52,” “The People vs. George Lucas,” “Doc of the Dead”) takes fans on an exploration of the mythical underpinnings of ALIEN, supported by exclusive behind-the-scenes footage, unearthing the largely untold origin story behind Ridley Scott’s cinematic masterpiece, and reveals a treasure trove of never-before-seen materials from the archives of ALIEN creators Dan O’Bannon and H.R. Giger – including original story notes, rejected designs and storyboards, and O’Bannon’s original 29 page script from 1971, titled “Memory.” The documentary dedicates focus on the film’s iconic “Chestburster” scene.

Memory: The Origins of Aliens bursts open in select theaters and On Demand on October 4, 2019.

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