Film Review – Memory: The Origins of Alien

There’s no shortage of media dedicated to the making of the 1979 masterpiece, “Alien.” Books, T.V. shows, website articles, podcasts, and DVD/Blu-ray documentaries have all ventured into the analysis realm, finding all possible corners covered when it comes to the creation of the picture and its lasting hold on audiences over the last 40 years. Saturation is real, but that doesn’t stop Alexandre O. Philippe (“The People vs. George Lucas”), who ventures back into the blood and guts of filmmaking with “Memory: The Origin of Alien,” on a mission to not simply chart the day-by-day progress of the shoot, but grasp the endeavor’s deeper meanings, symbols, and motives, going cerebral as a way to maintain distance from the glut of BTS information out there. His quest is noble, and “Memory” is informative with certain aspects of cinematic appreciation, but this isn’t a satisfying overview of the creative process, as Philippe doesn’t have the run time or level of known interviewees to truly sink his teeth into the layers of interpretation “Alien” has to offer. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com