141 // You Have My Sympathies: Ash, Artificial Intelligence on Film, and the Legacy of Sir Ian Holm (The Forbidden Planet Part 10)

As fandom continues to process the loss of Sir Ian Holm, Jaime and Patrick return to The Forbidden Planet for an installment dedicated to his immortal portrayal of Ash. The conversation takes some extraordinary turns along the way—inspired in no small part by your comments and insights in Building Better Worlds and live on the air.

Holm's portrayal of Ash was a watershed in how AI was represented on screen. This conversation—which we feel might be one of our best yet—is our tiny way of trying to do some justice to his legacy.

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122 // Finding Ellen Ripley: Part 1 (The Forbidden Planet Part 8)

In this heartfelt, free-ranging episode, Jaime and Patrick discuss one of the most important film characters in their lives: Ellen Ripley. Anchoring the conversation to Ripley's role in Alien, they branch into a larger conversation on gender, class, race, and representation in this classic film—and how Sigourney Weaver's performance broke every mold imaginable. 

Join us as we enter the final month of Alien's fortieth anniversary year recognizing the woman who's been with us since the very beginning: our Space Mom, Ellen Ripley.

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120 // Open the Door: Alien and the Cinema of the 1970s (The Forbidden Planet Part 7)

The 1970s was a decade of astounding creative leaps in Hollywood. In this special episode, Jaime and Patrick welcome first-time guest Mike Denis to talk about this unique period in the history of film—and how Alien, that dark masterpiece we love so dearly, might just be the decade's crowning achievement.

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

117 // The Music of Our Fear: Jerry Goldsmith and the Impossible Score (The Forbidden Planet Part 6)

Jerry Goldsmith's remarkable score for Alien is an achievement for the ages—but why? What makes it so beautifully suited to this film? Why was Goldsmith—who wasn't Scott's first choice—the only composer who could've pulled this masterpiece off?

In this extraordinarily deep dive, Jaime and Patrick look at Goldsmith's life, career, and musical style. And using Patrick's background as a professional composer—and Jaime's encyclopedic knowledge of film scores—they analyze the score on a deeply technical level, too.

This was one of the most enjoyable recording sessions to date. We hope you enjoy the ride as much as we did!

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

114 // I Don't Ever Blink: Ridley Scott and the Nature of Genius (The Forbidden Planet: Part 4)

As we continue our year-long celebration of the 40th anniversary of Alien, we've finally arrived at the man behind the camera: Sir Ridley Scott.

To say Scott was a bizarre choice to helm Alien would be putting it mildly. Virtually unknown outside of commercials and television—with just one feature film (an epic about Napoleonic War-era swordplay) to his name—Scott ended up being an almost impossibly good pick to direct this groundbreaking movie.

Jaime and Patrick explore Scott's roots—his youth in northern England, his years coming out of art school, his work for the BBC—and discuss how those life experiences helped shape him into the perfect director for one of the great films ever made. They also talk about the shoot itself, and how Scott's idiosyncrasies worked in his favor as he overcame the limitations of the studio system to craft a blockbuster that felt like an art film.

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

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

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