I know it’s a bit nerdy and perhaps even redundant or openly accommodating the idea of massive corporations dictating to me I should get excited about their products, but it’s Alien Day. And since many other holidays I grew up observing are just as made up as this one, it really doesn’t make a difference, does it?

Anyway, to mark this occasion we got together and talked about Alien 3, which in (not only) my opinion is one of the more seriously underrated entries in the sequence. Over the course of this long and emotional discussion we traded barbs as to which version of the film (theatrical or the Assembly Cut) is superior and I may have even been called untrustworthy by some of the more rambunctious hosts. But I do have a soft spot for the theatrical cut, partly because when I originally acquainted myself with this movie, there was no alternative cuts. I was already an adult when this film was recut and re-released and I will happily go to bat for it. I love them both for two different reasons and since I watched them (nearly) back-to-back on this occasion, I feel confident enough in my opinions to defend it. So tune in and listen to our conversation on this film that also included some nuggets of production history, an attempt at rationalizing David Fincher’s choice not to return and oversee the re-editing of the Assembly Cut and even our more in-depth analysis of the progression of his directorial career.

On top of that, we also squeezed in a discussion on David Twohy’s Pitch Black, of which – much to my chagrin – I was the only defender on the show. I completely appreciate this film being very much in my wheelhouse, but none of my argumentation seems to have worked. All my comparisons to Mad Max and the Alien series (clearly protruding from the production design and the atmosphere of the film) fell on deaf ears. But the conversation was nonetheless extremely enjoyable, so have a listen if you have a minute!