UPRISING: Rebellions In Film

Why does the story of Luke Skywalker and the Rebellion resonate with us? Why do we flock to tales of resistance and uprising in films and books? What speaks to us about these particular fables? Join Jaime, Dan, Patrick, and special guest, Dr. Robin Bunce as we dive into this topic amidst a backdrop of an American and global uprising. 

// iTunes: bit.ly/shoulderoforionitunes // Google Play: bit.ly/shoulderoforiongoogleplay

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.

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

140 // A Changed Universe: Alien Enters the Marvel Empire

art by David Finch

There's been a flurry of news surrounding Marvel's acquisition of the Alien IP from Dark Horse Comics. Patrick, Jaime, and special guest Paul Hermann sit down to discuss what this first step could mean for the franchise. 

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

139 // The Return of Ripley - Or Not

In this episode, Jaime, and Patrick passionately discuss the news of a 50 page treatment for an Alien 5 and whether or not Ripley should return to the Alien franchise. Is the franchise viable without her? Will the next Alien film be made by committee? Patrick and Jaime tackle all of this and more in this lively and fiery entry.

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

138 // Defending Ridley Scott, Part One (Open Her Eyes: The Journey To Prometheus Part Three)

In this episode, Jaime and Patrick discuss Ridley Scott as a director in the context of Prometheus. Failure or triumph, Patrick, and Jaime walk through the minefield attempting to break down Scott in context of Prometheus. We hope you enjoy. 

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

137 // Paradise Lost: Alien After Covenant - A Roundtable Discussion

concept image by Carlos Huante

In this roundtable discussion, Patrick and Jaime and a panel of guests discuss the future of the Alien franchise and what it could mean for fandom. Join us!

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

136 // Small Beginnings: An Interview with Charles de Lauzirika (Open Her Eyes: The Journey to Prometheus Part Two)

Now that Alien Day 2020 is behind us, we’re excited to leap back into our Prometheus series with both feet. And what better way to pick up the story than an extended conversation with our friend Charles de Lauzirika, director of The Furious Gods: Making Prometheus?

Join hosts Jaime and Patrick as Charles takes us through the very earliest days of the Prometheus journey—and stay tuned to the end, as Charles answers questions submitted by members of Building Better Worlds!

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

135 // Alien Day 2020 - ICC Quarantine Edition: Live Episode Coverage

In this special episode, Jaime & Patrick are joined by a myriad of guests and listeners for a live Alien Day ICC Quarantine Episode via our Zoom account. 

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

ALIEN DAY 2020: 134 // Feel the Weight: A Perfect Organism Aliens Commentary Track

Next up on our Alien Day 2020: ICC Quarantine Edition schedule is a commentary track for one of the most beloved films not just in the franchise, but in Hollywood history: Aliens. Patrick and Jaime were lucky enough to have returning guest (and Aliens mega-fan) Andie GeekGirl join the party! 

This commentary track is for the 1991 Special Edition. We will walk you through how to make sure the playback lines up, so don't worry: just start the episode, load up that Blu-ray, and make sure you have lots of sentry guns outside the room.

We hope you are enjoying the Alien Day festivities. We're very lucky to share this wonderful fandom with listeners like you.

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

ALIEN DAY 2020: Alien vs. Predator (2004) Commentary Track (Shit Show Bonus Episode)

We've finally arrived at Alien Day 2020: ICC Quarantine Edition! What better way to kick things off than with a special episode of Shit Show, our down-and-dirty Patreon podcast? As a reminder, we are making Patreon content available for everyone during this extended period of social distancing and lockdown.

Anyone who has listened to Perfect Organism through the years has likely noticed a strange trend: we've been gradually liking the first AvP film more and more every time we talk about it. On this special presentation, Jaime and Patrick are joined by longtime contributor Mykal McCulloch, frequent guest (and bather of action figures) Mike Denis, and some genuine AvP royalty: our dear friend Aaron Percival, co-owner/administrator of AvP Galaxy.

This commentary track is for the theatrical edition, not the unrated. It's intended to be played alongside the movie, and we'll walk you through how that works after the episode starts. So load your discs, start your downloads, stay the hell away from any ancient underground pyramids, and get ready to have a great time.

We'll be bringing you Alien Day content all day long, so stay tuned to Perfect Organism's social media channels to ensure you don't miss anything. Stay safe, and stay frosty!

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

133 // The Only Real Thing Is Now : Dystopia - An Illusion of Importance (Part Two)

In this second part of our discussion on Dystopia, hosts Dan, Patrick, Jaime, and special guest Dr. Robin Bunce continue their exploration into the message of dystopia found in film and media. 

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

132 // THE ONLY REAL THING IS NOW: DYSTOPIA - AN ILLUSION OF IMPORTANCE (PART ONE)

In this special episode, your hosts Jaime, and Patrick  are joined by Dan Ferlito of Shoulder of Orion, and special guest Dr. Robin Bunce, a historian based at Homerton College, University of Cambridge. Why are we drawn to stories of dystopia? Are storytellers and filmmakers prophets? We pose these questions to you in part one of our two part discussion. Join us. 

iTunes: bit.ly/shoulderoforionitunes // Google Play: bit.ly/shoulderoforiongoogleplay

131 // Open Her Eyes: The Journey To Prometheus - Part One - A King Has His Reign

Image by Grey Matter Art

Jaime and Patrick turn on their video cameras and launch their first episode in their new series covering Ridley Scott's return to science fiction, Prometheus. We know that everyone is in the same boat right now. We live in so much uncertainty. We wanted to share what's in our minds and on our hearts. Be well. Stay safe. We are here.

iTunes: bit.ly/shoulderoforionitunes // Google Play: bit.ly/shoulderoforiongoogleplay

130 // Interview with Scott Sigler, Author of Aliens: Phalanx

When fans first heard about an upcoming Aliens novel set in a world of shields and spears last year, message boards and Facebook groups lit up. What would it read like? Was this a straight-up fantasy novel? Was it just a wacky experiment?

Luckily for us, we were in good hands all along. Scott Sigler's intricate story takes us places unexpected, different, and thrilling—and though it turns out to be (at least in some ways) a "fantasy" novel, it's Aliens through and through.

In this interview, Scott joins Jaime and Patrick for a wide-ranging discussion on inspiration, creativity, story, and much more. He also took time to answer listener questions submitted via Building Better Worlds, so stick around all the way to the end!

iTunes: bit.ly/shoulderoforionitunes // Google Play: bit.ly/shoulderoforiongoogleplay

129 // We’re Going In | Five Years of Perfect Organism: The Alien Saga Podcast

In this very special episode, founder and co-host Jaime Prater, along with partner and co-host Patrick Greene reunite with former contributors and friends to discuss and celebrate five years of Perfect Organism Podcast. From the first images released by Neil Blomkamp, up through the release of Prometheus and Alien: Covenant, the gang discusses their best memories of the show, listener feedback and the road ahead. 

// iTunes: bit.ly/shoulderoforionitunes // Google Play: bit.ly/shoulderoforiongoogleplay

128 // Taste the Rainbow: A Minisode About Those Psychedelic New Lanard Toys

It's not often we're taken completely by surprise these days. Usually, there's an inkling of something coming. News leaks. A company announces they've acquired rights to use the Alien license on Twitter. Alien's Instagram posts some teasers. You know the drill.

But a few months back, a whole ton of what-the-blessed-hell-is-going-on got dropped on fandom when a toy company many of us had never heard of started releasing some super colorful, super crazy designs reminiscent of the Kenner toys so many of us grew up with.

In this minisode, frequent contributor Dave Gogel (of Xenomorphing) leads Patrick "Gorilla Alien Is My Spirit Animal" Greene and returning guest Mike Denis on a journey to figure out where these things came from and what they're all about. We didn't end up with many answers, but we did end up laughing a hell of a lot. 

Stay tuned for Perfect Organism's fifth anniversary roundtable next week!

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

127 // Dark Elegy: The Astonishing Music of Alien 3 (In Defense of Alien 3 Part 7)

In this—perhaps the most ambitious episode we've ever attempted—Jaime and Patrick try to do justice to Elliot Goldenthal's towering achievement: his original score for Alien 3. Using original research and analysis, Goldenthal's own cue sheets, the full orchestral score, Patrick's background as a professional composer, and Jaime's encyclopedic knowledge of film soundtracks, the PO team wades deeply into this complicated, powerful musical statement.

This is also a long-awaited return to the first extended series we ever attempted: In Defense of Alien 3! We hope to continue to periodically revisit all of our extended series in the years to come.

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

72 // I Bring A Storm: Discussing The Making of 2020 - Gethsemane

In this episode, Jaime, Dan & Patrick sit down to discuss what went into the making of their full length audio drama, 2020: Gethsemane. From writing a 50 plus page draft in four days, to painstakingly crafting a score that would conjure the world of Blade Runner without retreading what we've heard; the hosts of Shoulder of Orion bring you behind the curtain on their crowning achievement. 

// iTunes: bit.ly/shoulderoforionitunes // Google Play: bit.ly/shoulderoforiongoogleplay

126 // Special Presentation: Shit Show, Episode 1 (AVP 2004)

We're excited to bring our Patreon supporters another all-new, ongoing series—and we'd like to share this first episode with everyone! We're calling this new program Shit Show: The Lighter Side of Perfect Organism. You know those moments in Perfect Organism episodes where Jaime and Patrick just make fun of each other for five minutes? Shit Show is all about those moments.

It's about taking ourselves (and our franchise) a little less seriously. Exploring corners of the franchise we might not otherwise touch on, and taking time to explore some hidden gems—or turds—in science fiction and genre filmmaking more broadly.

If you'd like so sign up for our Patreon, go to perfectorganism.com/support or search "Perfect Organism" at patreon.com. For just $2 per month, you'll have instant access to every episode of Shit Show and our other ongoing Patreon series, Frame Rate.

We'll be back with regular programming in two weeks! In the meantime, consider supporting the show by joining our crew at perfectorganism.com/support.

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

71 // REALITY AHEAD OF SCHEDULE - A TRIBUTE TO SYD MEAD

At the very end of 2019, we lost yet another Blade Runner great: visual futurist, designer, and artist Syd Mead. In this episode, Jaime, Patrick, and Dan pay tribute to the man who was integral to much of the concept design and visual feel of Blade Runner, Aliens, Tron, and Blade Runner 2049 among many other films. Our thoughts go out to the family and friends of Mr. Mead, and we offer this episode as a final thank you to a man who has taken us by the hand for most of our lives and turned our collective dreams of the future into a tangible reality that will live on forever.

// iTunes: bit.ly/shoulderoforionitunes // Google Play: bit.ly/shoulderoforiongoogleplay