Last Survivors of the Nostromo Episode One: ALIEN, Labor, Robots, and, of course Cats

Marooned! on Mars with Matt and Hilary

Hop a ride on your nearest commercial towing vehicle and set a course for the stars!

We're back with a special series on the ALIEN movie franchise. Joined by our friend and one-and-only guest Bill (who joins us from a fishbowl), we will be discussing all 6 films in the series in order of their release: Alien (1979), Aliens (1986), Alien3 (1992), Alien: Resurrection (1997), Prometheus (2012), and Alien: Covenant (2017) (and Matt just wrote all those, in order, with the correct years, without having to look them up--so off to a good start!).

"Modern classic" is an over-used phrase, but Alien, directed by the not unattractive Ridley Scott, actually fits the description. Combining horror and science fiction in a new way, the film raises fascinating questions about both biological and social reproduction, as well as class, gender, and the status of labor. What does it mean to be a survivor, and why is that important for the Weyland-Yutani Corporation? How does the figure of the robot compare to the xenomorph, and what meaning can we make by putting them next to each other? Is Jonesy jealous that the alien gets to kill all those humans? And where are all the mice?

These questions and more will be answered DEFINITIVELY. We'll be back soon with Episode 2 on Aliens.

Thanks for listening, and above all: Don't Panic!

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Music by Spirit of Space