Alien: Casting John Hurt as Kane

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a) Casting John Hurt
That day Ridley had to reconvene at lunchtime in the office thinking about who they could get and he knew that John Hurt was in London at the time. Two days earlier John Hurt had been contracted to do Zulu Dawn in South Africa, and he was about to get a taxi to the airport when he received a phonecall saying that they weren't going to let him into South Africa and when they had to try and find out the reason, it seemed that he had been confused with the actor John Herd who was a political activist who had gone down on the South African books as an undesirable because he didn't believe in Apartheid, and so he then came back to England. And so Ridley drove to John Hurt's home in Hampstead village to see him . They sat down with a drink, they talked until after midnight and Ridley gave a long and interesting pitch and John wouldn't have time to mull over it or decide this that or the other.

It came to a point where Ridley said to him "Do you want this?"

John replied, "Yeah, I trust you, when do I start"

Ridley said ''Tomorrow morning."

John's response was "You'd better send the car round to take me down to the studio."

Ridley's replied "A car will come for you"

John was in the studio the next morning at 7.30

As Brian Johnson, the special effects supervisor recalled, it two weeks before John Hurt actually come on board and in that time Brian got to work on lowering the ceiling of the Nostromo cockpit to bring the ceiling details into the shot and the result would make it more claustrophobic

Source Quotes
  1. John Hurt: What I understand was that I was intended to be in the film originally, but I was at that time not available and I was going to be doing a film in South Africa but I wasn't allowed to go to South Africa and then of course we had to try and find out what the reason was. It turned out in the end that I was probably confused with that very wonderful actor John Herd who is a political activist, and had gone down on the South African books as an undesirable because he didn't believe in Apartheid, well, none of us agree with Apartheid, (15:00) but fortunately some of us were not on the books at that particular time. Er, so I came back, I didn't do that , and then Jon Finch who was going to do , be playing Kane in Alien became sick and so therefore the inquiry came in again, I was available this time.  I remember coming around to talk to me, and we were talking until twelve o'clock at night, and er he was pitching for me and er, at seven o'clock that morning I was on the set. So erm it all happened very quickly.  (Alien Blu-ray commentary)
  2. John Hurt: I had been asked if l'd like to do Alien, but I had already committed to the South African film, so that was dropped. And the actor that was going to play Kane later, for one reason or another, dropped out. (Alien Quadrilogy Documentary)
  3. Ridley Scott: That night we had a quick regroup in the office, and that night l drove to Hampstead Village and met with John Hurt.Then they heard that I was then free, so Ridley Scott came to me and we talked till gone midnight, say on the Monday. Il prepared him, of course, for what it was, and he said ''So when do l start?'' I said ''Tomorrow morning.''(Alien Quadrilogy Documentary)
  4. John Hurt: And on the Tuesday morning I was on the set at 7.30.(Alien Quadrilogy Documentary)
  5. John Hurt:  So it was not a usual film for me - the script didn't arrive, I didn't mull it over, I didn't decide this, that and the other.l had a long pitch from Ridley - and a very interesting one, too. By the end of it l said ''You'd better send the car round to take me down to the studio.'' l think life and acting and everything is so full of those things. ''What if it hadn't happened?'' Nobody knows.(Alien Quadrilogy Documentary)
  6. John Hurt: I was contracted to do Zulu Dawn in South Africa. I was about to get into the taxi to the airport when I got a call saying they weren't going to let me into South Africa. It was mistaken identity. They'd confused me with an American called John Hurd, who was an anti-apartheid activist. Ridley come to see me two days later. He sat up until 12 o'clock at night pitching the film to me. I was at 7.30 the next morning. (Neon, DECEMBER 1997
  7. Ridley Scott: John lived in Hampstead, so we called and I drove up there. We sat down with a drink.  I said "Do you want to do this?" He said, "Yeah.... I trust you, when do I start?" "Tomorrow morning, a car will come for you?" (Empire November 2009 p109)

Alien : The Title

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a) 'Star Beast" was a name for the Alien script that Dan O'Bannon had for a short while when was running through titles and he didn't like any of them. However at three o'clock in the morning in Ron Shusett's appartment, Dan was typing away writing writing dialogue, and he wrote conversations where the characters are saying alien this and alien that, one of the characters 'What are we going to do about the alien?' and this word came out of the page at Dan and he said to himself "Alien. It's a noun and adjective. Yes, that's it! I have the title"

b) So he went into the other room which was the bedroom where Ron Shusett slept with his wife and Dan shook him awake , he was smoking a cigar, he said "I have our title Alien. No one's ever used it. It's a noun, it's an adverb, it's an adjective, it can be Alien, it's alien in its nature, it's an alien being, simple"

c) Ron would never forget this moment, an inspired moment,  he replied "Okay" and went back to sleep. But Dan knew he had found a really fabulous title.

Quote source
  1. Dan O'Bannon: I was writing dialogue, and one of the characters said, 'What are we going to do about the alien?' The word came out of the page at me, and I said, 'Alien. It's a noun and an adjective.' So I went in the other room and shook [writing partner Ron Shusett] awake and told him. He said, 'Okay' and went back to sleep. But I knew I had found a really hot title. (Cinescape vol 3, #9, & Book of Alien)
  2. Ron Shusett: He walked in one night, maybe a week or two earlier, (before Mark Haggard stopped them in the street) and he said, he was smoking a cigar, and he said, I swear I'll never forget, I have the title. He's sleeping on my couch, he's so broke, he's been sleeping on my couch, my wife and I, it's two rooms, in the other room my wife is supporting us both, we're eating beans and hotdogs. During this whole period we wrote the movie. And he says "I have our title, Alien. No one's ever used it. It's a noun, it's an adverb, it's an adjective, it can be, it can be Alien, it's alien in its nature, it's an alien being. Nobody's ever ... simple". And no one ever tried to change it through all the Hollywood mill and everything, everyone just accepted. So it was an inspired moment too. (Alien Evolution)
  3. Dan O'Bannon:''Star Beast'' is one of those titles that you think of and then you... You throw 'em away. l was running through titles and they all stank. l didn't like any of them. One morning at three o'clock, Ronny's apartment, l'm typing away and the characters are saying the alien this and the alien that, and suddenly that word ''alien'' just came up out of the typewriter at me.l said ''Alien''.
    lt's a noun and it's an adjective.
    l said ''Yes, that's it! l have the title!''
    lt's simple, it's one word, no one's ever used it and it never changed from that moment on. The title stuck and that was amazing to us, just that aspect of it.(Alien Quadrilogy documentary)

HR Giger's Biomechanoid with three heads (work 508) (1983)
references Radio Times 2nd-8th June 1979 cover?

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Radio Times
and
H R Giger's Art

Radio Times 2nd-8th June 1979 and Biomechanoid with three heads (work 508) (1983) 

Biomechanoid with three heads (work 508) (1983) 



Radio Times 2nd-8th June 1979 (Source : Radio Times Collectors on Facebook)

Alien In The Brain

 
 
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a) Eye of Horus and the thalamus
The shape of the Eye of Horus and the thalamus part of the brain have been compared in form as if to suggest that the shape of one has been derived from the shape of the other when seen in a cutaway form. The Ancient Egyptians were not known for having derived any great interest in the human brain but modern Western society has made the connection even if it is not an exact match, it's close enough so as to be a topic of discussion that catches the imagination just as the much discussed Pakal Votan tomblid might be perceived as a Mayan Rocketman, and so it remains curious to wonder if someone who created the symbol did have some knowledge of the human brain ( see Vestigial Remains Of Eye Of Horus )

Comparison between Eye of Horus and the thalamus region of the brain

Simplified diagram of a human brain

Giger's Necronom IV, 1976
a cutaway model of a human brain


b) Giger's Alien absorbed inspiration from the human brain
Giger's Necronom IV which I have noticed has taken inspiration from the form of an inverted eye of Horus also also perhaps borrows from the flesh form of the area surrounding the thalamus region. Meanwhile the Corpus Caliosum becomes in this case the stretched alien cranium.


sketch by Giger from his Alien Diary compared to brain diagram

In diagrams, we see the outer part of cerebellum curling around from the base of the diagram forwards and upwards until the the tip of the sickle like shape reaches just below the Pineal gland and we might take notice of the tale which I have likened to the form of a lions tale from the Embalming Ritual  lion couch. (see Necronom iv inspired by Egyptian Book of the Dead )

a cutaway of a human brain (source: http://faculty.sdmiramar.edu/)

cover of Giger's Alien published in 1979
The comparisons between brain parts here below is not to suggest that HR Giger stuck directly to the features of the brain but used it as a guide for the flow of forms that I'm suggesting went into designing the alien. Note also that at the lower point of the left side of the choroid plexus part (if that is the right name for it), there is a slight in dip by the tip as with the raised shoulder ridge of the alien design

Alien stage III third version of concept in comparison to the brain

c) See different examples of the midsagittal cutaways of the human brain

Alien: Space Ship Sequence from
Monty Python's Life of Brian

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a)  Terry Gilliam on the scrounge wandering around going "ooh" and "aah"
Simon Deering remembered that Terry Gilliam popped in wondering around in his Afghan coat and patchouli oil wandering around going "ooh" and "aah". 
 
Martin Bower also noticed him and knew that he needed a few bits for a space sequence he was doing next door for a film called Life of Brian




b) Roger Christian on the scrounge for Terry Gilliam
Bill Pearson recalled that one day a man came into the workshop and he introduced himself as Roger Christian who worked on the production as art director and was responsible for a lot of the set dressing, including the Nostromo corridors. 
 
Roger was on the scrounge.  
 
By that time the models department had thousands of pounds worth of plastic kit dressing left over, and Bill said to Roger, "If you need some of it, help yourself."
 
"We like to help each other in the industries." was another thing that Bill was happy to say

At the time Roger was working on Life Of Brian, so he went around and managed to fill quite a few boxes with suitable bits and pieces. 
 
This was primarily requited for dressing the spaceship in the scene which Brian is picked up by a spaceship, taken around the earth and then dumped back again. 
 




 Quote sources
  1. Simon Deering: Do you remember when Terry Gilliam came to see what we are up to chaps ? in his afghan coat and patchouli oil ?
    Dennis Lowe: Tell me more about Terry Gilliam, I must have been the only one doing the bloody work!!........ Simon Deering: Ahh he just popped in one afternoon and wandered about going 'ooh' and 'aah'(24th June 2009, forum at www.alienexperience.com)
  2. Bill Pearson: One day a guy came into the workshop and he introduced himself as Roger Christian. He worked on the production as art director and was responsible for a lot of the set dressing, including the Nostromo corridors. Roger was on the scrounge. By this time we had thousands of pounds worth of plastic kit dressing left over, I said to Roger, "If you need some of it, help yourself." Roger was working on Life Of Brian, so he went around and managed to fill quite a few boxes with suitable bits and pieces. This was primarily requited for dressing the spaceship in the scene which Brian is picked up by a spaceship, taken around the earth and then dumped back again. We like to help each other in the industries  (Sci-Fi & Fantasy Models #48, p29)
  3. Martin Bower:We kept seeing this strangely familiar face peering around the workshop door, Terry Gilliam was his name, and he needed a few bits for a space sequence he as doing next door for a film called Life Of Brian". (Sci-Fi  & Fantasy Models, Alien, The Definitive Inside Story part 1.  p 30 & 51))



Alien: The kits that Martin named

Alien: Nostromo's New Engine Room Miniature

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Alien: Nostromo

Nostromo Engine room as it is in the final movie
 
a) New Engine Room Required inspired by Aztec Temple illustration
The engine room went through changes right up until the end of the production and a new engine room was required, since the pillars from the old one had become back thrusters for the Nostromo. It was approaching Christmas of 1978 and as they were winding down in the model shop, other members of the crew had moved onto other projects. The last minute engine room towers were required in ten days and a fast solution had to be found to meet the deadline. Bill Pearson and Phil Rae found themselves saying to each other "how the hell are we gonna do this?"

Ridley produced an illustration based on a strange Aztec temple which had a teardrop motif appearing in its detailing.

Bill looked at it and thought "yes, tear drop like, let's see what we can do. "

 the engine room (photo posted by Philip Rae at www.eagletransporter.com/)

b) Cannibalising Airfix Space Shuttle Kits
For model dressing, they had previously used, amongst other things, the newly available space shuttle Airfix kit.  Since money wasn't a barrier at the time Bill Pearson had got clearance to buy two hundred and forty of these kits and so these were used with EMA tubing for the larger parts. Philip Rae thought that it was likely that no children had any Space Shuttle kits for Christmas, but the remaining modelling team went to town with it. So on the model towers, one can see multiple space shuttle fuel tanks and boosters. This was completed in ten days and was used in the final film.
(See also: 200 Airfix Space Shuttle Kits)


 psrt of engine room  (photo posted by Philip Rae at www.eagletransporter.com/)
  1. Martin Bower: " It also meant we needed to build a new engine room, hence the use of all those Airfix Shuttle parts! But the odd bits we didn't use did not get wasted either. We kept seeing this strangely familiar face peering round the workshop door. Terry Gilliam was his name and he needed a few bits for a space sequence he was doing next door for a film called Life of Brian. (Sci-fi and fantasy models, No.?,  Alien: The Models, the definitive story part 1, p30 and 51)
  2. Philip Rae: The towers were built just before xmas 1978, mainly using Airfix Space Shuttle kits and EMA tubing for the larger parts. As with the other stuff we went to town on it. (Philip Rae/Deraenged at www.eagletransporter.com/)
  3. Philip Rae: Put it this way....no kiddies got an Airfix space Shuttle that Xmas! (Philip Rae/Deraenged at www.eagletransporter.com/)
  4. Bill Pearson: Our engine room changed right up until the end of the production. Ridley produced an illustration of an Aztec temple which had a teardrop motif appearing in its detailing. As we were winding down in the modelshop, crew had moved onto other projects. The last minute engine room towers (four off) were required in ten days. A fast solution had to be found to meet the deadline. For dressing we had previously used, amongst other things, the newly available space shuttle Airfix kit. The equipment bay, tank and lifters provided the solution for this job after I got clearance to buy two hundred and forty of them! (from Sketch to Screen, p95-96)
  5. Bill Pearson: These towers, this was shot, this was the engine room of the Nostromo, and er, this was left til the end after everybody had left, and there were er, well there was myself and one other model maker. Anyway to make four of those towers within ten days and we thought "how the hell are we gonna do this?" and Ridley Scott had come up with a drawing and it was based on a very strange Aztec temple  . I thought "yes, tear drop like, let's see what we can do." As this point on Alien, money was no object whatsoever, no problem. So I used the Airfix space shuttle kit, the Enterprise space shuttle, and you got the boosters and the tank. I thought "right, we've got four of these towers to make", so I ordered, that's the booster there, that's the tanks there. I ordered two hundred and forty of them and that's what they were made from. We got it done in ten days, that's what counts. (Bill Pearson's June 2013 Two Hour Lecture At 'The City Of Glasgow College' DVD)
Nostromo engine room section (source martinbowersmodelworld.co.uk/)
 the engine room (photo posted by Philip Rae at www.eagletransporter.com/)