Geek-A-Long
2018 Geek-A-Long: Alien
Sep
Alien was nominated to join the other 2018 Geek-A-Long squares by birdsandink in the Fight For Your Fandom thread on Ravelry:
- Ellen Ripley is pretty much my idol. She’s a BAMF.
- Possibly one of the greatest sci-fi/horror movies made.
- Face huggers.
- The Alien queen grew her own dang crown out of her head.
- Apparently Disney bought 21st Century Fox, so now all xenomorphs are technically Disney princesses.
- Did I mention Ripley is a BAMF?
This week my brother-in-law, Kevin (also known as Megan-Anne’s Mr. Llama), wanted to write something about Alien. So, without further ado, Kevin’s thoughts on the Alien franchise.
I don’t remember how old I was when I first saw Alien, but I was probably too young. It freaked me out. I remember watching the whole movie and being terrified about what was going to happen to the cat. Sure people are killed in scary and unexpected ways, but all I could think about was how the cat was feeling. There was also the horrific, smooth, shiny design of the xenomorph by H.R. Geiger. It was a terrible mix of chitin and ooze.To put something that weird and, well, alien among a group of people who weren’t even space heroes — they were not great adventurers with magic powers fighting an evil empire. They were the crew of a cargo ship just there to earn their paychecks.They were surrounded by fantastic technology, but to them it is all mundane until a distress signal took them to a crashed ship on a moon. The real enemy of the movie is the Weyland-Yutani Corporation, which knowingly sent these workers into the path of danger in the name of profit and corporate control.
Alien was a huge hit and started the movie career of Sigourney Weaver as Warrant Officer Ripley. Ripley is strong, smart, maternal, and competent. She wasn’t the hero’s girlfriend. She was a good character in Alien and really came in to her own in Aliens. She paved the way for more strong female leads in sci-fi. And there is nothing more badass than Ripley holding a massive gun in one hand while carrying a child in the other.
Well, maybe Ripley in the powerloader fighting the alien queen.
Alien is a huge franchise with a slew of toys, video games, crossover movies, prequels, and comics books. My two favorite ones are Aliens vs. Predadators, which led to a pair of really fun movies, and WildCATS/Aliens, in which the writer Warren Ellis kills Stormwatch off panel so that he could later reset them and make them interesting. The comics have also brought them into contact with Vampirella, Judge Dredd, Witchblade, The Terminator, Green Lantern, and even the crew of the Enterprise. There is a comic called Superman and Batman vs. Aliens and Predators which I have never read but I am sure I would find, pretty cheaply.
The movies might not always live up to the expectation of the originals. The new prequels have not been the most well loved films, and the franchise seems to have no idea what to do next. There is no need for a reboot, as the originals hold up so well. The comics could be used as a guide and I have no doubt that we will eventually see a good Alien movie someday.
Whether you’re knitting, crocheting, or cross stitching this square, you can download Alien pattern here. Instructions and charts for both knit and crochet are listed in the pattern. When you’re finished making it, don’t forget to Instagram your squares at us @lattesandllamasyarn with the hashtag #geekalong!
If you’re having trouble with double-sided knitting, we have a how-to video here and a tutorial on crochet here. Want to hang out with other people making the blanket? You can find moral support in the Geek-A-Long group on Ravelry here.
~ Jac & Kevin
Ellen Ripley: “Get away from her you bitch!”
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Yeah… I spent the whole later part of the movie worried about the cat, too.
I love this! Will you do any more Alien patterns? I’d love to see a Weyland-Yutani logo.