Grays Almanac

Home/Episodes/Alien

‘Alien’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey

April 18, 2023 · Alien (1979) · Horror · Sci-Fi · 1:56:22

IMDb ↗Letterboxd ↗

Categories

Most Rewatchable Scene

Bill Simmons▶ 32:41Waking up scene, alien jumping on Kane's face, and the dinner scene (chest-burster)
Chris Ryan▶ 33:02The first meal together scene
Sean Fennessey▶ 36:05Getting the SOS, deciding to land on the planetoid, seeing the space jockey and arriving at the eggs

Big Kahuna Burger Award

Bill Simmons▶ 59:23Indicates something 'has to' be the pick but doesn't complete the thought

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Bill Simmons▶ 59:54Speculates Kane's last bite could be lo mein or mung beans, agrees it looks gross
Chris Ryan▶ 59:48What's Kane's last bite - is it coleslaw?

Den of Thieves Benihana Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:00:05The sleeping pod room
Chris Ryan▶ 1:00:18The refinery where Brett gets it with the chains and water dripping down
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:00:23The space jockey big set piece

Butch's Girlfriend Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:01:18They didn't have quite enough money to pull off some of the action stuff in the best possible way
Chris Ryan▶ 1:01:24Time crunch that prevented reshooting scenes like the ash scene where the latex didn't look great

Ron Burgundy Flute Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:08:50When they're getting off the spaceship to jump on the planet / when they first land on the planet
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:09:17Agrees with Bill's pick of when they first land on the planet, acknowledging it's slow

Is There a Better Title?

Bill Simmons▶ 1:09:30No - agrees and notes the original title 'Star Beast' would have sucked
Chris Ryan▶ 1:09:22No - Alien is one of the great titles along with Jaws

Best Quote

Bill Simmons▶ 1:09:37Suggests 'I got you son of a bitch' or Ash's quote about the perfect organism
Chris Ryan▶ 1:09:59Ash's full quote about the organism and Brett's 'right' response
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:09:51I admire its purity

Apex Mountain

Chris Ryan▶ 1:13:30Ridley Scott — Agrees with Ridley Scott's apex mountain, focusing on his detailed directorial approach and visual craftsmanship that makes movies rewatchable
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:12:01Ridley Scott — Ridley Scott - this movie made Ridley become 'Ridley' and established him as a patron saint of sophisticated mainstream filmmaking

Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:14:14Kill the fucking cat - movie cats are the worst and never help movies, specifically criticizing Jonesy in Alien

Casting What-Ifs

Bill Simmons▶ 1:18:23Meryl Streep — Discusses multiple casting alternatives: Meryl Streep almost got Ripley role instead of Sigourney Weaver, Harrison Ford turned down Captain Dallas, Cartwright thought she was cast as Ripley but got Lambert instead
Chris Ryan▶ 1:19:29Meryl Streep — Says it's hard to imagine without Sigourney Weaver but acknowledges Meryl Streep would have been close to his choice; fine with Harrison Ford turning down Dallas since he went on to other great roles
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:19:15Harrison Ford — Thinks Meryl Streep could have played Ripley but notes Sigourney Weaver is more physically imposing; believes Harrison Ford would have improved the movie over Tom Skerritt as Dallas

Dion Waiters Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:24:00Yaphet Kotto — Suggests Yafet but acknowledges he's essentially the second lead, making him ineligible
Chris Ryan▶ 1:23:56John Hurt — Initially suggests Hurt but then agrees Hurt doesn't qualify due to screen time

Half-Assed Internet Research

Bill Simmons▶ 1:29:08Dead face hugger made of oysters, sheep kidney, and shellfish; four cats played Jones; James Cameron criticized the underwear scene; Sigourney found through Mad Men connection; director's cut from 100 boxes of footage found in London vault
Chris Ryan▶ 1:28:36Shared trivia about spacesuits lacking oxygen causing actors to pass out, including Ridley Scott's kids; discussed the underwear scene as a misdemeanor in context of 1970s objectification
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:29:20Discussed Walter Hill filmography and defended the underwear scene as showing vulnerability; noted Sigourney's Apex Mountain as mid-80s with Ghostbusters then Aliens

Racehorse Name Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:36:16Space Jockey (his top pick from three options: Nostromo, Jonesy, and Space Jockey)

Sequel/Prequel/Limited Series/Remake

Bill Simmons▶ 1:39:34Suggests all formats are possible - sequel, prequel, prestige TV, all black cast version, compares it to an EGOT situation, specifically mentions 'Tyler Perry's Alien'
Chris Ryan▶ 1:39:43Discusses existing sequels and prequels (Covenant, Prometheus), mentions upcoming prestige TV show by Noah Hawley and Fede Alvarez movie, supports all black cast version
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:39:38Remake with the roster of the 2022 Brooklyn Nets, and references it as 'a distant sequel to the color purple but set on the ship'

Is This Movie Better With

Bill Simmons▶ 1:40:19Lists Wayne Jake, Katie Treo, Katherine Odd, Steve Buscemi, Samuel L Jackson, JT Welsh, Phil Baker as options; enthusiastically engages with Wayne Jake scenario involving the cat
Chris Ryan▶ 1:40:31Wayne Jake - creates detailed scenario of him reacting to Ash being revealed as android and interacting with other characters

Just One Oscar

Bill Simmons▶ 1:41:21Ridley Scott — Ridley Scott for Best Director

Best Double Feature

Bill Simmons▶ 1:48:54Aliens — Aliens - says it's got to be Aliens and there's no other answer
Chris Ryan▶ 1:49:01Aliens — Agrees with Aliens but also mentions Dark Star as an alternative because O'Bannon worked on it and it influenced Alien's aesthetic
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:49:09Prometheus — Prometheus - the movie he most wanted to watch after Alien because it answers a lot of questions

Coach Finstock Life Lesson

Bill Simmons▶ 1:51:27Leave the pet/cat

Who Won the Movie

Bill Simmons▶ 1:51:33Ridley Scott — Ridley Scott, though acknowledges there's a case for Sigourney Weaver as runner up
Chris Ryan▶ 1:51:40Ridley Scott — Ridley Scott - praises his directorial vision and execution, calling him a 'five tool guy'

Movies Referenced (60)

Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977)

12 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan▶ 5:06IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jaws (1975)

9 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 5:06IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Halloween (1978)

8 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 7:39IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Prometheus (2012)

8 mentions · Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey▶ 16:38IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Blade Runner (1982)

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey▶ 22:15IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Midnight Run (1988)

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 17:53IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Ghostbusters (1984)

5 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 16:13IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Escape from New York (1981)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 6:32IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Rocky (1976)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 7:26IMDb ↗Lb ↗

He Got Game (1998)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 12:55IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 56:55IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Predator (1987)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:17:52IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Directors Referenced (9)

Ridley Scott

23 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for The Martian, Blade Runner▶ 3:51IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Robert Altman

2 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons · Known for Gosford Park▶ 34:22IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Walter Hill

2 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons · Known for 48 Hrs., Aliens▶ 5:26IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Ivan Reitman

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for Up in the Air, Ghostbusters▶ 21:12IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jack Daniels

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:26:32IMDb ↗Lb ↗

John Carpenter

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Dark Star, Halloween▶ 1:47:47IMDb ↗Lb ↗

John Colorado

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Hancock▶ 42:51IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Martin Scorsese

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for Taxi Driver, Killers of the Flower Moon, Mean Streets▶ 1:48:17IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Steven Spielberg

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for Schindler's List, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Saving Private Ryan▶ 1:12:46IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Actors Referenced (31)

Sigourney Weaver

22 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan · Known for Avatar, Alien▶ 16:13IMDb ↗Lb ↗

John Hurt

9 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey · Known for Alien, The Elephant Man▶ 14:58IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Meryl Streep

8 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for Out of Africa▶ 17:12IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Tom Skerritt

7 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey · Known for Alien, Contact, Top Gun▶ 17:35IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Harrison Ford

6 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Raiders of the Lost Ark, Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope, The Fugitive▶ 23:30IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Paris Texas

5 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 5:19IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Elephant Man

4 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 26:07IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Veronica Cartwright

4 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for Alien, The Witches of Eastwick, The Birds▶ 18:34IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Harry Dean Stanton

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Alien, The Green Mile▶ 17:39IMDb ↗Lb ↗

The Game

3 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Street Kings, The A-Team, Coach Carter▶ 6:01IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Eddie Murphy

2 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Harlem Nights, The Nutty Professor▶ 38:50IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Gerry Kodo

2 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for Jurassic Park, Pacific Rim▶ 17:39IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Writers Referenced (8)

James Cameron

3 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for Avatar, Aliens, Terminator 2: Judgment Day▶ 21:18IMDb ↗Lb ↗

James Kahn

3 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:24:29IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Dan O'Bannon

2 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons · Known for Alien, Dark Star, Aliens▶ 4:52IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Roger Ebert

2 mentions · Sean Fennessey▶ 12:03IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Agatha Christie

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey▶ 30:41IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jesse Armstrong

1 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for In the Loop▶ 1:27:35IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Paul Schrader

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for First Reformed, The Card Counter▶ 27:17IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Ronald Shusett

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Alien, Aliens, Total Recall▶ 28:02IMDb ↗Lb ↗