Season 3, Episode 2 BlogNotes:  “Game Over Man, Game Over!”  Aliens, Aired 5/19/2023

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Commentary Segment

Daniel, Ben and Tanya kicked off this episode by discussing how they first became acquainted with Aliens (the film—not missing time or probing or anything—that’s a story for another time).  Interestingly, all of them said that they saw James Cameron’s Aliens before the penultimate Ridley Scott film Alien.  Daniel was surprised by how much darker and more intense it was than when he had seen it on previous occasions.  As a parent, Ben agreed that age had changed his perspective on the film and that as a teenager it didn’t hit him just how scary it was.

Tanya wasn’t bothered by the dark nature of the film.  She had always loved the adrenaline rush it gave and was heavily influenced by Sigourney Weaver as “a kick ass female hero”.  Having seen it hundreds of times, she would regularly put the movie on as background when she did things around the house.  We are currently taking donations for her therapy.

They pondered why the movie hit so differently as they got older.  Daniel conjectured that perhaps they were just desensitized to violence at that age.  Ben pointed to what he called the “magical age” of adolescence and the feeling of invincibility that goes with it.  He elaborated on that thought by noting that as young children we were scared of everything and then again as adults we came to the understanding that immortality is an illusion, which brings a return to understanding fear.  Daniel then gave shout out to the home video market, which allowed him to catch up on old films such as Alien and “get himself right with the world”.  With a statement like that, it’s no wonder that he would create this podcast!  It is curious that all three of them preferred Aliens to Alien since it was the first of the films they saw.  Does viewing order matter?  We’d love to hear your thoughts!

She particularly loved Ripley’s line “get away from her you bitch”, to which Daniel added a great production note:  Weaver only had one take for that line due to budget and time constraints and thought that she had screwed it up.  The gang was in unanimity that the line was delivered perfectly and was an epic moment for the audience.  Ben noted that the theatre “went bananas” when that line was delivered.   Want to dig in more to the theme of motherhood and the Aliens?  Check out this informative article that covers the entire franchise!

In addition to the motherhood theme, Ben also noticed that a common thread throughout the film was “listen to the woman,  you ignorant dickheads”, and that Ripley’s warnings were continually dismissed for the first half of the film.

Daniel added that Hicks was the only one that initially listened, that’s why he got to live.  Tanya wasn’t so sure that it was just because she was a woman and pointed to the comparison between “the powerful and the peons”, referencing the

visual of the Sulaco compared to the smallness of the crew as a representation of that fact.  Concerning the fragmented nature of the human relationships in the film, Daniel enlightened his cohosts about how the cast of the Colonial Marines was put through basic training together, which served to solidify their bond, whereas the civilian cast was not, which created a bigger gap between the two.  He is always ready with a cool production note to help them appreciate the craft of filmmaking!

Ellen Ripley was clearly the cornerstone of the film, so they spent a fair amount of time discussing her impact.  Daniel talked about how Weaver initially didn’t want to reprise her role as Ripley. She was upset that the producers were going to cut her daughter dying from the film and fought to keep it in.

Daniel felt that an important factor in her strength was making her relatable for the audience and that the film never gives the feeling that anyone is invulnerable.  He compared that stance with Ray from Star Wars and felt that they missed an opportunity to make her compelling and sympathetic.  Tanya observed that Ripley didn’t just go on the mission out of selflessness, but also as an act of self-care, as she accepted Burke’s offer after waking from one of her recurring nightmares.  She realized the only way to move past her experience was to face it again.  She called Weaver an amazing actress and doubted that anyone else could have pulled off the role in the same way that she did.  Ironically, the complex character was written to be a man in Alien but was ultimately cast as a woman.  She talked about an ongoing problem in Hollywood in that most female heroines are written as “I’m a girl” first, and every lens into their character is filtered through “woman-ness” rather than any true nuance of personality.  She felt that was ultimately why Ripley remained so impactful all these years later.

He praised Lance Henriksen’s performance as Bishop, noting that he “embodied otherworldly android” to perfection and that his voice pattern and facial expressions subtly told him that he wasn’t human.  Ben agreed that he was brilliant and there wasn’t single moment that he didn’t feel a little different.  He appreciated that the film didn’t ram it down his throat (not in the face hugger kind of way).  He also added that it was fun to see all of the actors wrinkle free. 

Tanya also loved Henricksen’s performance, calling it removed but in a way that you still felt emotionality for him.  She thought that he did a great job of sowing doubt in the minds of the viewers about his intentions with just slight facial expressions. Daniel agreed that he was doing something that made him empathize with Bishop and felt a “relief when he gained Ripley’s respect and trust”.

He pointed to his great delivery and said that he “oozes charisma”.  Tanya echoed that charisma was the perfect word for him and that he played boy next door and nasty villain equally well.

Of course, we had to talk about the great Bill Paxton as Hudson.  Daniel called him “the everyman” and said that he was extremely likable even when he played a jerk.  Daniel told his cohosts that Paxton got his start as an amateur film director.  Naturally he threw in a Babylon 5 tie in, as Bill Mumy (aka Lennier) was in a band called Barnes & Barnes and that Paxton shot and starred in a video for a little song you may remember called Fish Heads.  He commented that he was the kind of guy that if he ever met him, he knows he’d be cool.  “Game over” is what Ben has called this film and no one has not known what film he was referring to.  He remembered him best as Chet from Weird Science and that sleazy car salesman from True Lies.  Tanya said that he seemed like a great man and he makes her happy even when he was playing a jerk.  She called him “fun and funny and bigger than life”. 

Daniel added the Paxton was concerned that people wouldn’t like his character, but that Hudson had some of the best lines in the film.  He talked about how he had a believable breakdown over the course of the film going from “the one with the most bravado to the first to fold”.  He liked that his manic-ness brought home Hicks’ calmness and Ripley’s leadership ability and felt that his performance took the story up a notch from films where every character is capable.  Tanya appreciated that the comic relief that he provided always

came at the perfect moment to give the audience a chance to catch their breath and decompress.  Daniel concurred, saying that the comic relief was needed because the film was so dark and had “more tension than the hardest gummy bear”.

That sentiment prompted them to discuss the moments in the film that had the biggest tension.  Daniel loved the scene in the hallway with the automated guns, as it really gave a sense of just how many aliens they were up against.  The sound of the motion sensors always transported Ben right back to the film since it was so distinctive and that scene was full of tension.  Tanya added that it was made worse by the time crunch created by Vazquez burning through the door. 

The biggest high-tension moments for Tanya were the scene with Newt in the water, as well as the egg room. She appreciated the slow build as Ripley surveyed her surroundings and called that scene well done and beautifully shot. 

Tanya asserted that one of the things that made the franchise iconic was the aliens themselves.  She thought that they were so beautifully designed by HR Giger for the first film and without that visual the movie would not have had the same impact.

So of course, Ben and Daniel asked if they would have had the same impact if it were Alf or E.T. (we are guessing no).  Daniel noted that the aliens were creepy and very insectoid, pointing to the queen with the egg sac and added that they are

made extra terrifying because every part of them is a weapon.  Tanya agreed that they were very hive-y.  She also thought that they were very sexualized too, particularly the face hugger.  Did we mention we are taking donations for her therapy?

Segment:  Hey I Know That Dude

Fun Fact:  She was also the mommy vamp in Near Dark, which also coincidentally starred Bill Paxton and Lance Henricksen (see how we six degreed you there?).  Ben remembered her best from Aliens and was surprised that she had been in a ton of stuff he had seen but didn’t recognize it was her.  Tanya also remembered her from Aliens and didn’t realize until way later that she had been in anything else.  She pointed in particular to her performances in Terminator 2 and TItanic and noted that James Cameron really liked to cast her (because why wouldn’t he?).  Daniel praised her acting as a “testament to her ability to be a chameleon and blend into her roles”.

What’s she up to now?  She has opened up a bra shop for larger breast sizes called Jenette Bras, with stores in Los Angeles and Atlanta.  It has the infinitely clever tagline “the alphabet starts at D”.  Tanya opined that there is a need for good bras in the world!

Segment:  Let’s Get to Poppin’

Ben- 5 -Ben was concerned about rating this film a 5 (Does he give too many?  We don’t think so!) but ultimately, he enjoys every watch and it creeps him out every time.

Daniel- 5 -Daniel called the supporting cast “the gold standard” and added that Ripley was one of if not the strongest female character that’s ever been written for a film.  He called Aliens the template for a great film, pointing to its mood and tension and added that the film stands the test of time.

Tanya- 5 -Tanya felt that Daniel’s description of gold standard was the perfect phrase, saying that it is the gold standard of sci fi action horror.  Many films have tried and failed to be as good in the genre and she doesn’t know of it’s possible to beat.  She called it “perfect from beginning to end”.

Podcast Episode Details

Written, Recorded and Edited by Daniel Hendrix

Intro Script by Daniel Hendrix and Tanya Holstrom

Performed by Daniel Hendrix, Ben Wilson and Tanya Holstrom

Blog Notes and Entry by Tanya Holstrom

Voice Over Introduction by Glenn Thayer and Tyler Collier

Aliens Movie Stills: 20th Century Fox

Music:

Spaceship Journal and Alien Invasion by The Fealdo Project

Through Alien Worlds by Dream Protocol

Cinematic Dramatic by AleXZavesa

Fun Disco by Musictown

Offbeat 80’s Style Synth by Gavin Nellist

Dark Beat by Cube Sounds