Tag: Dan O'Bannon

Series Review: Alien: Earth (FX/Hulu)

By: Shawn McKee

In the beginning, Ridley Scott’s Alien (1979) redefined the horror/sci-fi sub-genre. The script by Dan O’Bannon and Ronald Shusett borrowed elements from nearly every space alien film before it, while modernizing the genre with visceral, atmospheric horror.

The legendary Xenomorph design by Swiss artist H.R. Giger has become one of the most recognizable movie monsters of all time. Of course, Alien also introduced face-huggers and chest-bursters, creating an interesting dilemma for a deadly species reliant on host bodies to reproduce.

Alien gave us one of science fiction’s greatest characters, Lt. Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver), who only wishes to eradicate the Xenomorphs from existence. Ripley represents humanity in an inhumane world, where an omnipresent, faceless company (Weyland-Yutani Corp) wants the alien species at all costs.

In 1986, writer/director James Cameron delivered one of the greatest sequels ever made with Aliens. The film’s strong focus on action distinguished it from its predecessor, broadening the story’s scope with thrilling and memorable scenes throughout.

Though visually impressive, Alien 3 (1992) began the steady downward trend that continued with Alien Resurrection (1997), Alien: Covenant (2017), and the ridiculous Alien vs. Predator films.

I’m no fan of Prometheus (2012), and I moderately enjoyed the much praised but forgettable Alien: Romulus (2024). Ultimately, my interest in the series barely extends beyond Alien 3. So, color me skeptical when Disney and FX announced a TV series set two years before the events of Ripley’s first encounter, called Alien: Earth.

How does the show measure up? Seven episodes in, I can confidently declare its ranking as one of the best TV events in years.

The concept of Xenomorphs on planet Earth dates to the production of Alien 3. The idea was floated until they ultimately ended up with Ripley crash-landing on a prison planet. All the preceding films were unable to expand on this idea until now.

Alien: Earth is an eight-part series featuring a large cast and a complex, multilayered plot. Its grand scope and high production values result in the cinematic quality of HBO’s Game of Thrones or other big-budget shows. The special effects (from Wētā Workshop), set design, performances, and music are all top-notch. What the show accomplishes most effectively is capturing the primal horror of the original Alien while blending it with the thrilling action of the sequel.

This is thanks in part to series creator Noah Hawley, who clearly understands the style, motifs, and terror of the Alien universe while enriching the source material. Hawley also created the equally impressive FX series Fargo, based on the Coen brothers’ classic film. Alien: Earth has a lot to say, and its dizzying plotlines may overwhelm some viewers. But for those attuned to it, the experience is as gripping as anything in recent memory.

The story is set in 2120, where five companies control the world and lead commercial exhibitions throughout the Solar System. Mankind’s endless search for immortality has led to the creation of Cyborgs (cybernetically enhanced humans), Synthetics (AI beings), and relatively new Hybrids (Synthetics with human consciousness). Hybrids are the secret creation of the Prodigy Corporation, where they essentially implant the mind of a human (in this case, terminally ill children) into an artificial being.

Prodigy also happens to be a competitor of the Weyland-Yutani Corp, which sponsored a 65-year space expedition to obtain otherworldly specimens (most likely for biological warfare). As the USCSS Maginot nears the end of its mission, collecting several extraterrestrial specimens, disaster strikes, and the vessel crash-lands on Earth, directly into Prodigy territory. Prodigy lay claim to the ship and all its cargo, leading to further conflict with Weyland-Yutani.

We’re given glimpses into the disastrous Maginot mission, its slaughtered crew, and a fully-grown Xenomorph wreaking havoc. The show wastes no time in delivering the carnage, but it also slows the pace to introduce multiple characters with differing motivations.

Cast standouts include Wendy (Sydney Chandler), the first hybrid, and Kumi Morrow (Babou Ceesay), the cyborg chief security officer and sole survivor of the Maginot.

There’s also Kirsh (Timothy Olyphant), Prodigy’s synthetic chief scientist, Boy Cavalier (Samuel Blenkin), the childlike Prodigy CEO tech trillionaire, and indentured medic Hermit (Alex Lawther), who also happens to be Wendy’s human brother (before she became a hybrid). Overall, top-rate acting is palpable across the entire cast.

The first four episodes center around the aftermath of the Maginot crash, resulting in a loose Xenomorph amidst caverns of biological horrors throughout the ship. The hybrids are enlisted to contain the cargo as Murrow is singularly focused on delivering the same cargo to its rightful owners.

Episode five, titled “In Space, No One…” is a stand-alone flashback to the events that led to the ill-fated Maginot’s crash. In writing and directing the episode, Hawley said it was to be his own Alien movie, which it aptly feels like. With one episode now left, we can only imagine where things will go.

Naturally, Alien: Earth has received widespread critical attention, earning praise as well as criticism of its writing, characters, and heavy focus on AI.

At its best moments, it’s thrilling and intense. At its weakest, it’s a bit talky. There’s real magic at work here. After what Disney and 20th Century Fox did to the Predator franchise, turning the deadly killer into inept fodder for unlikely plot-armored characters, I’m pleasantly surprised and relieved Alien: Earth hasn’t suffered the same fate.

The show pays tribute to the original and its legacy of fans without spoon-feeding them. It stands out as a testament of science fiction horror, where we Alien fans feel right at home.

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Retrospective: 35 Years of ‘The Return of the Living Dead’ By Jesse Striewski

Many will likely always point to such staple George A. Romero films like Night of the Living Dead or even it’s follow up, Dawn of the Dead, as their idea of the definitive zombie flick. But for my money (and I mean no disrespect to Romero, whose films I also hold in high regards), the cream of the crop will always be 1985’s The Return of the Living Dead. Prior to my first time seeing it, the closest thing to a zombie film I can even recall seeing was Michael Jackson’s Thriller video, so to say it holds a special place in my heart would be an understatement.

Originally released on August 16, 1985, the film brilliantly paired veteran actors Clu Gulager, James Karen, and Don Calfa alongside a host of then-young hotshots, including Thom Matthews, Linnea Quigley, Miguel A Nunez, Jr., and Jewel Shepard (among others). And directed by Dan O’Bannon and based on an original story by John Russo (who also co-wrote Romero’s original 1968 opus), the film even rather slyly references it’s own source material, explaining early on the events of Night…to be based on actual facts.

The plot was simple enough; after a gas leaks out of an old military canister stored in a medical supply building, the dead begin to rise at a cemetery across the street from it, where a group of local punks happened to be gathered to party. All hell quickly breaks loose, with plenty of carnage and chaos along the way.

The film introduced several new concepts for the zombie film at the time; not only were they able to move fast as opposed to earlier films that see them just slowly shuffle along, they can also talk. And rather than just eating flesh, they seem particular to one delicacy; brains. This concept would be used in many other films since.

Linnea Quigley, who played the punk rock-stripping Trash in the film, recently lent her thoughts on Return… to Rewind It Magazine; “I think it holds up really well! I’m always surprised, I get new people at conventions and shows all the time that love that movie, like it’s a brand new movie! But it doesn’t age, which I think is really cool. We should’ve known then (late director) Dan O’Bannon was a man to be reckoned with!”

The film sparked it’s first sequel, the very admirable (and nearly equally as fun) Return of the Living Dead Part II in 1988. Like the original, it also boosted a soundtrack of metal and punk bands, and actors Thom Matthews and James Karen also returned in new (albeit very similar) roles as well. Three more less-successful, made for video sequels would eventually follow as well.

In his August 19, 1985 review of the original film, critic Roger Ebert stated, “It’s kind of a sensation machine, made out of the usual ingredients, and the real question is whether it’s done in style. It is.” And how right he was. The film was a modest success, grossing just over $14 million in the U.S. But more than thirty-five years later, it’s still regarded by many as one of the quintessential zombie films ever made; there’s a good chance it will likely stay that way for a long, long time.