00:00.00 archpodnet Captain you're going to have to want to look at this looks like it's stress becomes some sort can't make it up properly. It's not 1 of the regular codes. 00:01.80 Captain Granarius What is it pilot. 00:10.75 Captain Granarius Oh you know the code we have to investigate how long until we get there. 00:19.53 archpodnet Couple of hours hey Science Officer you're reading on that signal. 00:25.40 Alex Whatever it is. It's not human I'm getting a transmission playing on main speakers. 00:30.64 Captain Granarius Um. 00:31.66 archpodnet The. 00:35.64 Alex Oh okay, so everyone else laughs about I One who could hold character. Whatever. 00:38.89 Captain Granarius It. 00:43.47 archpodnet Um, ah Alex you've just an excellent actress. Okay I'm sorry this is amazing. 00:47.43 Alex Yeah, can you tell the person who did a community theater theater for most of their life in New York 00:55.17 archpodnet I have 1 a done 60 years community theater so obviously I'm just I'm just starting out my career I have so much to learn Alex in that case we should start the show. Ah. 01:01.87 Alex Yeah, for me. Ah my throat. 01:05.27 Captain Granarius Who. 01:12.27 archpodnet Okay, let's start. 01:14.15 Alex So yeah I guess we should start by saying this is in fact, the archeo animals podcasts don't change your chattel after what you just heard. We're just really good actors and today we are trying to be a bit. 01:20.25 Captain Granarius What. 01:33.24 Alex In the holiday spirit albeit a little late but hey you know no time like now and we'll be looking at the zoo archeology of the Xenomorphs from the Alien film franchise and of course it's. 01:50.50 Captain Granarius See Juana Aanga 01:50.70 Alex Alex Fitzpatrick and with me as always. So yeah simona what is your familiarity with the the franchise. 02:01.16 Captain Granarius Um, will just say I guess just a couple hours here and there spent watching and re-watching the entire franchise or at least the first four films anyway and guess a couple video games under my belt. 02:18.20 Alex So you just ah so occasional light research now and then. 02:22.50 Captain Granarius Yeah, just ah, just a very casual watching and not at all just a random like Sunday morning I tell you what I'm going to do I'm going to rewatch all the alien films that's never happened i. 02:33.64 Alex And as for me I saw the film too young and they are is also a we'll get to it a bit. But if anyone's been to Disney World there was a theme park attraction that had the alien in it. So I was. Guard for life at a young age because of that I have a very complicated relationship. You have no idea but we'll get into that ah because what we're gonna do for this first part is kind of just do a a real brief introduction I think. 02:52.40 Captain Granarius Give them but very child friend. Yeah, very child friendly replied with exception. 03:09.82 Alex Most people even if they haven't seen the films know of alien it's one of those things right? That's kind of like in the pop culture lexicon I like at least they know like what the alien looks like so but I think it's probably good to turn up real quickly. Go through what we're gonna be talking about what's from because it's not just the films. Although it obviously does start with the 1979 film alien by Riy Scott in which the crew of the nastromo are picked off 1 by 1 by the. Titular alien and it still slaps. 03:47.17 Captain Granarius In space. No one can hear you scream. 03:54.10 Alex Yeah I guess I did though I mean I heard them screen because I could hear them on the film. 03:54.53 Captain Granarius Believe that was the tag light and that was the tagline for the film. 04:04.21 Captain Granarius Yes, because it's it was obviously a death this much celebrated documentary. Um, but after the success of a alien the series has continued with several several other sequels and prequels. 04:07.28 Alex Yes, isnt real. 04:19.30 Captain Granarius So including so it was followed by aliens and 95 04:23.89 Alex Which some people say is better I think that's debatable but I still think it rolls so you know. 04:29.57 archpodnet And it's debatable. Definitely I will fight people. 04:34.82 Alex Just saying just saying what people say I like it but I don't think it's better than the original just hot take. 04:38.68 Captain Granarius I would agree if they I quite like it I still prefer the original but I guess it depends on what kind of film. You enjoy the most because the first one has more of a survival horror vibe. The second one is more like army men guns blazing. 04:47.70 Alex Yeah. 04:56.89 Alex Yeah, they're different genre of films. Ah, but you know they're still fun. It's got Bill Paxton looking like a snack. So. 05:06.68 Captain Granarius Yeah, and um to that we have alien 3 in 9092 which I'm guessing from the notes if I like to. 05:11.16 Alex Ad bad movie now. It's it's bad movie. No sorry I don't like it. 05:16.70 archpodnet It Really it? No what? What do you like about it someone it's it's It's just really badly paced. It's got no direction. It's just the acting is a wee bit like wooden and like I got even. Tell you half the things that happen in it. Maybe I should watch it again. 05:35.18 Captain Granarius Well um, well I guess it's more of a nostalgia factor for me because I remember watching the first two films when I was little and we didn't have the V a chesses of the other ones. So remember I actually bought it at the petrol station on a school trip. 05:52.78 Alex What am you called. 05:53.70 Captain Granarius So my idea the souvenir to bring back from a store trip was a vhs of alien 3 06:00.66 Alex Ah, wow. 06:01.30 Captain Granarius So that you go and remember like bringing it home and when my dad was like oh I don't like that one. 06:07.77 Alex Your dad was right. 06:10.31 Captain Granarius What I watched Well I've watched the first two I Want to watch the other ones. 06:16.91 Alex Well I guess on the bright side. It's not the worst alien movie because following alien 3 you had alien resurrection in Ninety ninety seven I do think that's probably the worst one I don't think that's a hot take. 06:28.71 Captain Granarius Now that no that that'll have to be the prequels that don't exist. 06:34.58 Alex Oh true, those are I think those are bad in a different way cause I think okay well, we'll get to it because obviously it was a very long break at least in this kind of main canon. We'll get to some of the other movies. But then Prometheus came out in 2012 and it was a prequel to the original alien. I was so hyped for it and boy it I was so disappointed. So sorry y'all I did not like it. 07:00.53 Captain Granarius Now I watched out the cinema wasn't a big fan same with covenant in 2017 07:07.92 Alex I didn't see covenant. 07:08.19 archpodnet I I like I interject here and I say that like prometheus and covent are good as long as you don't think of them as alien films like I remember seeing Prometheus in in cinemas in english and I actually also saw it in german. And I actually understood more in the the german version of the film. They did the english one and I actually appreciated it only because I was like this is an alien film. So I think from maybe that perspective. It's okay so. 07:29.78 Captain Granarius So so. 07:36.65 Captain Granarius So so so basically it's like the mass effect andromeda of the Alien franchise. 07:43.16 archpodnet That yeah Bingo That's it yeahp. That's exactly it. But what's mass effect and dropiner like. 07:47.94 Captain Granarius Yeah, and I guess for me like is that um I guess for be is the lack of nostalgia factor because again like I enjoy watching Alien resurrection because I've watched it when I was quite young and of course being quite young I liked it. 08:04.00 Captain Granarius And ah that I I don't know nostalgia factor. Maybe. 08:14.23 Alex Well more importantly, it's not just those films because there's also crossover films which I think technically count is part of the franchise. Ah their alien versus predator in 2004 and then avp recreum in 2007 and to be honest, they also slap. 08:30.60 Captain Granarius I think I've watched some of one of the two avp films I Forget which one no I suppose not. 08:31.14 Alex Just say. 08:40.21 Alex It doesn't matter the same film basically but like here's the thing I don't like prometheus for a lot of reasons very disappointing. It. That said I Also sometimes want a film where you just take.. It's basically 2 action fingers and you're just throwing them my top of each other. And smashing them together and that's why the avp movies rule. 09:02.54 Captain Granarius I Guess it just I don't know why and like can like like I'm gonna get so much hate I'm not a big fan of predator and just predator stuff just just I just. 09:11.58 Alex The Dukeke Wof wof. 09:21.75 Captain Granarius Don't ah. 09:24.47 archpodnet Um, I never thought this would be on the Bingo card but like bad samuna takes. 09:28.45 Alex Lo Yeah, it's worrying I'm out to get new host boy. Yeah. 09:35.29 Captain Granarius Ah I'm not saying I've got good reason. It's completely irrational just like man. 09:40.69 Alex I mean I will I will give I'll be fair because I was probably a little more lukewarm on predator up until I started rewatching them as an adult and I was like oh wait this rules and you know the newest one pray. Great! Great film. Really enjoyed that at least watch that. Yeah, it's good. Um, but yeah I mean you know we're not really going to talk about the predator but hey if you want us to do a follow up app and we make simona. 10:03.31 Captain Granarius I've heard really good things about that one I've not gone around to watching it. Yep. 10:19.38 Alex Rewatch all the predator films as alongside that you know just saying let us know. 10:26.26 Captain Granarius Yeah I guess ah I'll have to do it for the podcast. Do it for the podcast. 10:28.45 Alex He always had to podcast anyway, that was just the films now. The franchise also includes various other media some which we probably kind of ignore because it's a lot I mean there's novels. There's comic books as I mentioned there was. For some reason a theme park ride at Disney World as part of a ride where you just go through all different movie scenes and for some reason they were like you know we should also include a scene where a xenomorph is trying to attack a bunch of children and that's what happened and that. Really did a number of my psyche as a child but hey you know it kind of is cool now. So whatever. It's not there anymore. RIP great movie ride anyway, there also were video games which I think. Me and Simona have at least played 1 of the same ones. 11:26.31 Captain Granarius Yeah, because there was one ah think it was earnt could been early noties I forget it was just I think it was literally called alien like the 1 thing I remember about is that the face hugggger. 11:33.37 Alex Colonial or marines. 11:40.42 Captain Granarius But terrible to just show anxiety inducing because you you just hear them and I guess you'll be all dark and you'd have your torch on and you will just hear them moving around and then if they attach to yourself onto your thatch themselves onto your face you a countdown would start. And you literally like what you'd have to use what was literally an abortion kit to like get rid of it. But then if the countdown sort of ran out and you didn't have one of those kits he was game Over. It was just so panic inducing. 12:03.10 Alex Oh. 12:10.44 Alex Ok. 12:16.62 Alex Sure That's a weird but I was more I don't know I mean because the only ones I could think of were there's colonial marines which is notoriously a terrible game. There's the Alien versus predator. 12:21.60 Captain Granarius Um, you not like that one. What was that called. 12:35.57 Alex Arcade game which we have a local arcade near me that has it and I've probably played that through beginning to end like a dozen times now because it it rules and there's a. 12:44.50 archpodnet There was also aliens versus predator 2005 I had it for get this I had windows emmy I had it was my first computer. 12:54.73 Alex Oh my God ah. 12:59.97 archpodnet And 1 of the games I have for it was aliens for spreader even though I shouldn't have had it because my mom was like no, you can't play video games. They above your age I'm like yeah well you don't know what this age is okay, you can't it was one of the it was a Cd box and had so many bits and pieces on it. You know it's like 1 of those. Classics recreated and it was just like it was. You couldn't even see read what age was meant for but like I remember playing that that was really good. Well. 13:27.33 Captain Granarius Okay I found the game is alien Resurrection came out in the year two thousand so it's just the game I forgot everything about the plot but it just ah, pretty much mirrored sort of the events of the film and it was just like a first person shooter. 13:31.49 Alex So wow. 13:44.66 Captain Granarius On the orega. So yeah and lay The particular bad thing was yeah the drone aliens but also the face huggers which ah yeah, you need to track down a device to remove the embryo um or you would you would just be game over. Not fun. 13:57.76 Alex Ooh. Well, it sounds like the only worst version of that is in the 2014 game Alien isolation which boy howdy I think made my anxiety disorder worse. 14:11.40 Captain Granarius Make it too. 14:14.90 Alex Yeah I literally when I played that game through the 1 time I played it beginning to end through I played it with my brother when I was visiting the states and we bought a tub of ice cream which we shared between us and we would basically hot potato. The controller after 1 person died to kind of you know, avoid the and the kind of anxiety and frustration. Yeah, you know rage quitting. That's the only way we can get through that game and it was still horrible. It's a great game. But. 14:48.26 Captain Granarius Now like I've really enjoyed it I've got through like the whole main campaign sort up by myself and a thing just hiding yourself in lockers um, was particularly fun. Um, and also I guess having to fight loads and loads of like not. 14:53.96 Alex Um. 15:03.58 Captain Granarius Drones them the androids that the ones and of course not being able to use guns or the Xenomorph come looking for you back can tell you my anxiety levels definitely got better once I got hold of a flamethrower. 15:04.63 Alex The androids per. 15:17.92 Alex Yeah I mean yeah, then it's pretty good, but those beginning bits when you're just like have a wrench and a gun that you can't use is just some of the worst. 15:30.99 Captain Granarius Yeah, and um, they got a couple of deals sees as well which are actually sort of um so like you play through the story of the first film I think I've done one of them. But you. 15:38.90 Alex M. 15:45.40 Captain Granarius Basically get to play a sort of 1 of the nostroma crew look like call her more like more than a fully fledged deal sees more like an extra level kind of thing but they were quite fun. 15:47.75 Alex Yeah, yeah. 15:56.39 Alex I Mean it's just great to you know, have a lot of the cast together to kind of recreate that and a lot of them came back to voice. It. So I think it's really cool. Um, but yeah I guess we've been talking a lot and using a lot of very intricate Terminology. So It might be useful to kind of go back and explain what we're actually talking about because we're not just talking about the franchise we are actually going to talk about the zoo archeology of things and I guess we should I Yeah I think. 16:22.76 Captain Granarius Oh are we I didn't attempt the best for that. It was just anecdotes of my childhood watching the Alien films. Oh. 16:30.75 Alex Yeah I think this is actually is the archeology podcast I think we need to go back to that a little bit but hey and the franchise is called aliens we might as well start with the the tintular alien which is actually not. Really cold. It's technically it's a xno morph and it was designed by the great hr geeger which is why it looks like that. So just the biggest nightmare ever. That's why it looks like that thanks gieger but you know we're obviously more interested in 2. 17:06.96 Captain Granarius I was just thinking that but that I could I up the her. 17:07.12 Alex Giger Geiger sorry I just need apologize. 17:09.21 archpodnet I I sorry I like I my my german sensiibility Circu Conveyant har geigger knock geeger sorry. 17:15.34 Alex Now too late ever said all but you'll just have to keep this in. 17:22.33 Captain Granarius Ah I was thinking that but then I've just I so like second guessing myself or maybe I'm saying it wrong? oh. 17:29.30 Alex Anyway, yeah, you have to resay all that. 17:31.20 Captain Granarius A. 17:33.52 archpodnet You No, it's funny, just continue. 17:38.78 Alex It's always getting called out anyway. Geiger H R Geiger is the one who designed that apologies to the the german slash swiss I forget why his nationality is and yeah. So we'll be talking specifically about the xenomorph and its iterations in this podcast you know and we'll be talking about more of the in-universe explorations of what a xenomorph is and kind of. Those fanciful scientific explanations as to why? the alia looks like that which we love to do on this podcast. 18:16.27 Captain Granarius Yeah, and I guess like ah for a very sort of brief description of ah of the xenomorph um, there are canadian species which require a host to gestate. But once born cost of death of the host and starts living outside of them making them more of a parasoid species. But like bees um and ants xenno wolves have a central queen um, as part of the social structure. But I guess what's more important for us as zoo archeologist is what the skeleton of a xeno wolf looks like because you see they kind of have to because in an alien as. Both an exoskeleton and an endoskeleton which are evil company. Um Wayland Utai Corporation as a dubbed a mesoskeleton in it cannon in the films that is. 19:03.20 Alex Yeah, it's because what's scarier than 1 skeleton 2 skeletons 2 2 and we'll get more into that. Yeah Megaskeleton basically anyway we will. 19:08.69 Captain Granarius The 2 apparently and make them super tough. 19:23.19 Alex Talk a bit more about that I think after the break and I'll try and figure out how to pronounce Guger properly.