Video: Alien‘s xenomorph is just plain cool. But why exactly do we love this grotesque monster so much? YouTube’s kaptainkristian explores that exact question, delving into the delightfully creepy mind of Swiss surrealist artist H.R. Giger and exploring the nuanced cinematic genius behind this otherworldly parasite.
Really, it’s a brief archived interview of the late Giger, quoted toward the end of this mini-doc, that explains so succinctly why audiences have been drawn to this acid-spewing alien for more than 35 years:
I always wanted my alien to be a very beautiful thing, something aesthetic. A monster isn’t just something disgusting — it can have a kind of beauty.
Mission accomplished.
[YouTube via BoingBoing]