Even if you didn’t know his name, you likely experienced the surreal, wonderful terror of his creations. Artist, filmmaker, painter, sculptor and more, H. R. Giger has passed away today at the age of 74, but he’s left an a wholly unique and influential stamp on one of the most iconic sci-fi films of all time.
The tagline for Ridley Scott‘s 1979 “Alien” goes “In space no one can hear you scream,” but that horror wouldn’t have been half as palpable without Giger’s creation, the Xenomorph. The creature at the heart of the franchise came from the brain of Giger, inspired by his work Necronom IV, who fused mechanics, biology, and his twisted vision into something truly distinct and memorable. He also put together many of the other elements of the film as well, including the facehugger, eggs and much more, creating an entire world that remains to this day haunted and oddly beautiful.
He would work on other projects (“Poltergeist II: The Other Side,” “Species,” as well as uncredited stint on the video for Aphex Twin‘s “Windowlicker”) but it’s “Alien” (and the franchise) that he’ll be remembered by film fans for.
So what better way to celebrate his contribution to “Alien,” film history and the sci-fi canon than with this 2 hour 20 minute behind-the-scenes documentary on the making of the movie. It covers everything you want to know including Giger’s contributions, how he came to the project, his approach and so much more. Watch below. [BBC News]