113 // The Fantastic Dark: HR Giger and the Poetics of Fear (The Forbidden Planet: Part 3)

It's impossible to overstate just how revolutionary—and how brilliant—HR Giger's work on Alien was. But why? Why does his work continue to enthrall and haunt us? Why has it gone on to define the look of "horror in space" for the past four decades?

On this next installment into our Forbidden Planet series, hosts JM Prater and Patrick Greene welcome a special guest: Majid Shanaa, longtime listener and eloquent xeno-fan. Join the guys as they explore Giger's life, art, and his endlessly fascinating influence on us all.

iTunes: bit.ly/perfectorganismitunes // Google Play: bit.ly/perfectorganismgoogleplay

111 // Alien Day 2019 Roundtable

Join us in this love-fest of a roundtable as JM, Patrick, Clara, Dave, Sean, Shaun, and Conar look back on all the things that made the fourth annual Alien Day such a rousing success. From the North Bergen High School play to the Tongal short films, there was a ton to unpack.

After a year of huge uncertainty—about the future of 20th Century Fox and the future of the franchise—we've emerged revivified and looking toward the future.

So let's celebrate!

iTunes: bit.ly/perfectorganismitunes // Google Play: bit.ly/perfectorganismgoogleplay

110 // Alien: Harvest: An Interview with Director Ben Howdeshell

Host JM Prater was pleased and delighted to sit down with Alien 40th Anniversary short film director Ben Howdeshell to discuss his film Alien: Harvest, which releases today via IGN and YouTube. From his first story proposal, to how he lit his sets, Ben goes in-depth on the process that brought his brilliant short film to life.

iTunes: bit.ly/perfectorganismitunes // Google Play: bit.ly/perfectorganismgoogleplay

109 // Memory: An Interview with Diane O'Bannon (The Forbidden Planet: Part 2)

Patrick and Jaime were delighted to sit down with Diane O'Bannon—wife of Dan O'Bannon, the original writer and screenwriter on Alien. In this interview, Diane speaks about the origins of Alien, her meeting Dan, his dreams and hopes, and the legacy he's left behind.

Alien would not be possible without Dan O'Bannon. Let’s pay tribute to the man who discovered our Forbidden Planet forty years ago.

iTunes: bit.ly/perfectorganismitunes // Google Play: bit.ly/perfectorganismgoogleplay

108 // It Looks Like a Warning (The Forbidden Planet: Part 1)

Welcome to The Forbidden Planet—our long-awaited full series on Alien! On this kickoff episode, hosts Jaime and Patrick unpack Alien's importance in film history, in their lives, and in global popular culture. Why does it still haunt us? Why does it still inspire us? How does it fit in the continuum of science fiction—and how did it alter that continuum forever?

We're celebrating the fortieth anniversary of this landmark film with a year full of interviews, research pieces, roundtables, debates, video segments, and more.

Strap into those pressure suits. Let's get out there.

iTunes: bit.ly/perfectorganismitunes // Google Play: bit.ly/perfectorganismgoogleplay

107 // Every Meal a Banquet: The Triumph of Aliens (40 Miles of Bad Road: Part 9)

At last, we've reached a stopping point on our journey down 40 Miles of Bad Road. But don't worry! We'll be revisiting the series from time to time in the years to come.

As we sit here and reflect on the road we've traveled—the stories we've heard, the reflections we've shared, the people we've met along the way—we thought it would be a nice moment to open the conversation up a bit. 

On this enormous roundtable, Jaime and Patrick are joined by regulars Mykal McCulloch, Clara Fei-Fei (MUTHUR9000; yutani.blog), Dave Gogel (xenomorphing.com), and Conar Murdoch, as well as some new voices: Sean Sumner (part of our Building Better Worlds team) and Dusty Tweedhope (longtime listener and friend of the show).

This show covers the full gamut of what we hope to achieve with this roundtable format: hilarity, genuine introspection, fellowship, ribald banter, and so much more. We celebrate the past and look to the future, and we have a wonderful time along the way.

Thank you all for traveling this road with us. Our Forbidden Planet series is just around the corner!

iTunes: bit.ly/perfectorganismitunes // Google Play: bit.ly/perfectorganismgoogleplay

103 // Alien: Blackout - The Perfect Organism Review

Join hosts Jaime and Patrick on this extended look at Alien: Blackout, the brand-new Amanda Ripley-centric mobile game! Patrick's been playing it for nearly two weeks, and offers some extensive thoughts on the design, gameplay, replayability, and more.

For an even deeper review, check out our blog post!

iTunes: bit.ly/perfectorganismitunes // Google Play: bit.ly/perfectorganismgoogleplay

102 // Interview with Johnnie Christmas (William Gibson's Alien 3)

In this episode—a brief break from our ongoing 40 Miles of Bad Road series—hosts Jaime and Patrick sit down with Johnnie Christmas, the writer and artist behind the groundbreaking new Dark Horse series based on the second draft of William Gibson’s unproduced screenplay for Alien 3.

Stay tuned at the end for listener questions, and check out more from Johnnie at johnniechristmas.com!

iTunes: bit.ly/perfectorganismitunes // Google Play: bit.ly/perfectorganismgoogleplay

97 // Roundtable: The Myth and the Magic of Aliens (40 Miles of Bad Road: Part 4)

This sprawling roundtable brings the whole on-air gang together—JM, Patrick, Clara, Shaun, Mike, and Conar—for a wide-ranging discussion on what Aliens means to fandom, to ourselves, to science fiction as a filmic genre, to culture, and to the future. Along the way, they examine how the meaning of the film has shifted through the years. 

They also perform the worst Lance Henriksen impressions you will ever hear.

Enjoy this one.

iTunes: bit.ly/perfectorganismitunes // Google Play: bit.ly/perfectorganismgoogleplay

95 // Who's Snow White? The Miracle of Ellen Ripley (40 Miles of Bad Road: Part 3)

In part three of our 40 Miles of Bad Road series, Patrick and Jaime discuss the importance of Ripley as a character within the science fiction genre, and why a character like her may never be seen again. The hosts go on to discuss Ripley being a woman in a man’s world and how that extends into fandom, along with a plethora of other issues. This was a fun one!

iTunes: bit.ly/perfectorganismitunes // Google Play: bit.ly/perfectorganismgoogleplay

The Blomkamp Conundrum: The High Stakes of Bringing Ripley Back

94 // Nuke the Site From Orbit: Finding James Cameron (40 Miles of Bad Road: Part 2)

Our series on Aliens continues with an in-depth look at the life and career of James Cameron. Who was Cameron when he made this seminal film? Where did he come from? Why was he uniquely well suited to make that particular movie at that particular time?

Hosts Jaime and Patrick explore these questions and many more as we continue down 40 Miles of Bad Road.

iTunes: bit.ly/perfectorganismitunes // Google Play: bit.ly/perfectorganismgoogleplay

93 // Where Do You Go After Alien? (40 Miles of Bad Road: Part 1)

In this first of a series, Patrick and JM sit down to discuss where the Alien series could possibly go after the surprise success that was Ridley Scott's first entry into the franchise, Alien. Join us for an enjoyable reset of Perfect Organism: The Alien Saga Podcast as we embark on a ten-part (or more) series investigating Aliens, a film that's become the litmus test for every science fiction film since its release in 1986.

iTunes: bit.ly/perfectorganismitunes // Google Play: bit.ly/perfectorganismgoogleplay

92 // Fandom Spotlight: Aaron Percival of Alien vs. Predator Galaxy

JM sits down with Aaron Percival, site runner of Alien vs Predator Galaxy to discuss his roots within fandom, how he got started, and the current state of fandom. Aaron is a pillar in the community, responsible in part for the creation and promotion of Perfect Organism Podcast, and one of the most genuine, kind and selfless people active in fan communities today. Enjoy the conversation. 

iTunes: bit.ly/perfectorganismitunes // Google Play: bit.ly/perfectorganismgoogleplay

91 // Dark Silver: The Shoot (Reengaging Resurrection: Part 4)

The set is lit, the cameras are rolling, and we are ready to dive into part four of our ongoing miniseries on Alien Resurrection. In this episode, Hosts JM and Patrick are joined by Contributing Host Mike and Special Contributor Clara (MUTHUR9000). Join us as we dive into the complicated story behind the on-set production of this crazy film.

iTunes: bit.ly/perfectorganismitunes // Google Play: bit.ly/perfectorganismgoogleplay

90 // Fandom Spotlight: A Harbinger Down: An Interview with StudioADI's Christopher Moonlight

Welcome to Fandom Spotlight, a series that has us talking with several notable players in the Alien fan universe. It was JM's pleasure and honor to speak with Christopher 'Moonlight' Cooksey, a regular of StudioADI, filmmaker, writer, and fanboy. Christopher is promoting his new book Harbinger Down: A Pictorial Journey Through the Production of A Practical Effects Film. There's a giveaway of a signed Blu-ray of Harbinger Down, so listen all the way through!

iTunes: bit.ly/perfectorganismitunes // Google Play: bit.ly/perfectorganismgoogleplay

89 // Scripting the Resurrection (Reengaging Resurrection: Part 3)

In part three of our Reengaging Resurrection series, JM, Patrick, and special guest Conar Murdoch discuss the scripting stages of Alien Resurrection, while outlining three key scenes and how they went from script to screen.

iTunes: bit.ly/perfectorganismitunes // Google Play: bit.ly/perfectorganismgoogleplay

88 // Development (Reengaging Resurrection: Part 2)

Our ongoing miniseries investigation into Alien: Resurrection continues with this spirited discussion on the origins of the film. JM, Patrick, and Mike (our new recruit!) explore the complicated early stages of Resurrection's development, using firsthand accounts and script excerpts to uncover what was really going on behind the scenes.

iTunes: bit.ly/perfectorganismitunes // Google Play: bit.ly/perfectorganismgoogleplay

87 // A Deep Dive into Alien: The Cold Forge

Alex White's Alien: The Cold Forge sent shockwaves through fandom when it hit shelves last spring. In this roundtable conversation, Patrick, Clara, and David go deep into the terrifying halls of RB-232 to talk storytelling, xenomorphology, transhumanism, and much more. 

This episode contains spoilers; if you haven't read Alien: The Cold Forge yet, be sure to pick it up and finish it at least once before listening.

For more on White and his work, be sure to sign up for his newsletter at http://www.alexrwhite.com/. And be sure not to miss Clara's extensive blog posts on Plagiarus praepotens and Manumala noxhydria.

iTunes: bit.ly/perfectorganismitunes // Google Play: bit.ly/perfectorganismgoogleplay

86 // Toxicity and the State of Fandom

Patrick and JM sit down to discuss the toxic state of fandom in general, and what we can do to make it a better more welcoming environment. The video component of this episode is avaialble on our website, our Facebook page and our YouTube channel.