Demons, Witches, & The Dark: A Halloween Special

Welcome to our first Halloween Special! Jaime and Dan discuss some of their favorite scary movies, including The Exorcist (1973), Hereditary (2018), and more! So light some candles, turn the lights down, and join us while we explore the darker side of film.

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148 // Rebuilding A Future: The Production Design of Prometheus (Open Her Eyes: The Journey To Prometheus Part Seven)

While Prometheus may be controversial for many different reasons, what is generally agreed upon is its production design and attention to every detail. In this episode, Jaime, and Patrick break down the production design choices for the film. Did Ridley Scott and production designer Arthur Max create a world too dissimilar to 1979's ALIEN, or what is the perfect in-between aesthetic? Join us as we explore this question and more on this latest episode. 

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147 // ALIEN: 40 Years 40 Artists | Interviewing Matt Hatton - Tristan Jones - and Dane Hallett

1. Tristan Jones. 2. Dane Hallett. 3. Matt Hatton.

Like so many things this year, Alien: 40 Years 40 Artists was delayed for months due to world events. Luckily—as anyone with a copy can attest—the wait was beyond worth it. Packed with stunning artwork and personal anecdotes, the book is a love letter to the franchise and a wellspring of inspiration.

It’s also a great opportunity to see some familiar names trying new things with their talents. Three of those names are especially beloved to Alien fans around the world: Dane Hallett, Matt Hatton, and Tristan Jones.

In this extended conversation—very much a love letter to the franchise in itself—these three super-artists/super-fans chat with Jaime and Patrick about what Alien means to them, what draws them back to it year after year, and so much more.

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

146 // Spaihts, Lindelof, and Two Very Different Scripts (Open Her Eyes: The Journey to Prometheus Part Six)

In this next installment of our ongoing exploration into the origins of Prometheus, Jaime and Patrick (with special guest Dan Ferlito, their cohost on Shoulder of Orion: The Blade Runner Podcast) dive deeply into two very important documents: Jon Spaihts' ALIEN: Engineers and Damon Lindelof's Paradise.

The quick, popularized version of events is that Jon Spaihts, hired by Scott and Fox to write a screenplay based on a compelling pitch, turned in something rough-hewn but interesting. Then Damon Lindelof, hot off the success of Lost, was brought in to give it a little Hollywood magic—and a less overt connection to Alien.

But there's a lot more to it than that. Join us on this deep dive into the early days of Prometheus.

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145 // A Galaxy of Fans: Evolutions and Revolutions in Alien Fandom (Open Her Eyes: The Journey to Prometheus Part Five)

Prometheus premiered at a curious time in Alien fandom. It'd been 15 years since the release of the previous canonical film in the main Alien continuity, and the internet was transitioning rapidly into something a lot more connected—and a lot more intense—than what it'd previously been.

It was an era of tightly guarded secrets, leaked photos, buzzing internet forums, and nascent social media groups. And one of the most active places for fans to engage was (and is) AvPGalaxy (avpgalaxy.net).

On this installment of our ongoing investigation into Prometheus, Jaime and Patrick spend some quality time with their friend Aaron Percival, AvPGalaxy's co-administrator and host of the AvPGalaxy podcast. They discuss where fandom was in the months leading up to Prometheus' premiere—and how various changes in studio marketing, social media, and public discourse came together to create a unique time to be an Alien fan.

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144 // Alien: The Original Screenplay - An Interview with Cristiano Seixas, Writer

A lifetime ago—January 2020, to be exact—Dark Horse issued one of the most exciting press releases in Alien expanded universe history: Dan O'Bannon's original screenplay was getting a comic adaptation.

The creative team tasked with this extraordinary challenge was more than up to it. Writer Cristiano Seixas has been an integral part of the Brazilian comics scene for decades. Active in writing, illustrating, animation, and more, he's also the Creative Director of Ghost Jack Entertainment (a game studio) and the founder of Casa dos Quadrinhos School of Visual Arts in Brazil.

Along with his friend/longtime collaborator, the artist Guilherme Balbi, Seixas brings O'Bannon's script to luminous new life in this five-issue Dark Horse run.

Join Jaime and Patrick as they chat with Cristiano about art, Alien, adaptation, and much more. For more on Cristiano and his work—including Calango, the groundbreaking comic book/mobile app about a girl and her desert lizard—visit cristianoseixas.com.

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143 // Nihilism (In Defense of Alien 3 Part eight)

Jaime, and Patrick break down a recent article from Escapist Magazine (https://bit.ly/2XtabBY) that addresses the nihilism present in David Fincher's Alien 3. Is nihilism the true spirit of the Alien saga? Was Fincher's vision more in line tonally with Alien than Aliens? Patrick & Jaime attempt to answer these questions and more in this return to the controversial, yet beautiful film, Alien 3.

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142 // A Goddamn Town Meeting: Debating Prometheus (Open Her Eyes: The Journey to Prometheus Part Four)

Join us as we continue our Prometheus series with this lively community roundtable! Jaime and Patrick are joined by listeners Chase Cupo and Gene McDonald for a trip through many facets of this fascinating film. We were joined by dozens of listeners connecting to the live stream, as well—thank you for participating, you lovely people.

* Please excuse the audio issues; we are still hammering out the kinks with live roundtables. But we're getting there!

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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. 

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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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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. 

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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.

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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. 

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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!

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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!

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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. 

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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.

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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!

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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. 

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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. 

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