After taking on the iconic shower scene fromAlfred Hitchcock’sPsychowith the documentary78/52: Hitchcock’s ShowerScene, writer/directorAlexandre O. Philippeis digging into another horror masterpiece –Ridley Scott’sAlien.And today, we’ve got an exclusive trailer debut for the upcoming doc.
WithMemory: The Origins of Alien,Phillipe looks to tell the origin story for one of cinema’s greatest films; both the story of how Scott, screenwriterDan O’Bannon, and designerH.R. Gigerteamed up to create the film, and also, the story of the ancient myths and artwork that inspired it. “I’m very interested in the moments in cinema that essentially become cultural moments. You can certainly argue that the shower scene was that and that the chestburster was equally significant,” Philippe explained.
“Initially, the impulse was to actually make a feature about the chestburster, very specifically, but then I very quickly realize that you can’t approach the chestburster scene the same way as the shower scene,” he continued. “They’re very different becausePsychoandAlienresonate with audiences for completely different reasons. I’d argue that the reasonAlienresonates with audiences around the world is because it taps into ideas and images that essentially connect with our ancient past. SoMemoryis, of course, an origin story but it’s also very much a mythological take on Ridley Scott’sAlien.”
Memorypremiered at Sundance and his since been making the festival rounds (next up, the film will stop by Fantastic Fest). The doc features interviews withVeronica Cartwright(Alien, The Birds),Roger Christian(Alien, Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope),Tom Skerritt(Alien, Top Gun), Ronald Shusett(Alien)andRoger Corman(The Silence of the Lambs, Little Shop of Horrors). Screen Media and Legion M will release the film in theaters and On Demand on October 4, but for now you can get a peek in our exclusive trailer premiere below.
Here’s the official synopsis:
Memory: The Origins of Alienunearths the largely untold origin story behind Ridley Scott’s cinematic masterpiece, and reveals a treasure trove of never-before-seen materials from the archives ofAliencreators Dan O’Bannon and H.R. Giger - including original story notes, rejected designs and storyboards, exclusive behind-the-scenes footage, and O’Bannon’s original 29 page script from 1971, titledMemory. The documentary also takes fans on an exploration of the mythical underpinnings ofAlienand dedicates focus on the film’s iconic “Chestburster” scene.
