Interview: Ian Nathan talks Alien Vault

Regular Daily Dead readers know that Alien is one of my favorite films (if not my favorite film). We've been covering Alien Universe and Prometheus-related news regularly, and I'm always up for checking out a new Alien product. Ian Nathan recently released Alien Vault, which is a must-have book for fans of the Alien series.

While the obsessive Alien fan may know much of the story behind the making of the film, this book provides extra details, never-before-seen photos, and some great inserts, including Nostromo blueprints and storyboard pages. I recently had the chance to catch up with Ian and talked to him about the making of Alien Vault, Prometheus, and how he'd like to see the Alien franchise continue for future sequels.

Thank you for taking the time to talk with me. I'm always happy to talk to a fellow obsessive fan of the Alien series. Can you introduce yourself to our readers?

Ian: By all means, my name as you might have gathered is Ian Nathan, I am executive editor of Empire (the world's greatest movie magazine, even though I say so myself) and as you rightly say, bit of an Alien obsessive. And now I get to introduce myself as the author of Alien Vault at dinner parties, which doesn't get strange looks at all…

With so much content available on the Alien Anthology DVD/Blu-ray collection, why did you feel the time was right for Alien Vault?

Ian: That's a fair question, and one that troubled me as I set out out to write the book — what new is their to say? Then it occurred to me that in the world of biographies big names get many different treatments: there are more than a few books on Ridley Scott out there. My thinking was to approach Alien as a biography, mixing in making of and analysis, but also a sense of what it is like to watch the movie, to experience it as a fan. Alien is such an experiential film, you need to grasp that. Also there was the space here to try and capture something of the atmosphere as well as the technical details of making the film: the tension, the humour, the sense of wonder and pain on set. That feeling they were creating something important. Of course, with the chance to raid the Fox archive for all these wonderful pictures, it just amplified the book into a simple, treasurable item.

For any of our readers that are interested in writing about their favorite film, can you tell us a bit about the process behind getting the approval from Fox to move forward with this book? Had you spoken to Ridley Scott before reaching out to Fox?

Ian: The process was quite a long one, the publishers sought out Fox's approval first and foremost. They own the photographic and promotional material, and were pretty much essential. Once they were happy, and with Prometheus in the offing, actively encouraged us, it was a case of tracking down people to interview. I had an advantage in that I have interviewed many key Alien personnel on more than a few occasions, and was sitting on a treasure trove of material already (including a lot of time with Ridley Scott). Having Empire behind me, certainly helped. In terms of writing about your favourite film, it really is a case of what kind of book you anticipate it being: if, like this one, you want to fill it full of rare and unseen photos then the film company is your first port of all. But there are other approaches: thematic, as well as biographical, that might not need so much access.

Was there a specific image or blueprint that you were trying to hunt down for the book, but were unable to?

Ian: Not really, the Fox archive is amazing fertile, there are so many pictures sitting there unused. From across the entire franchise. It really was a case of finding the best and rarest pictures. Of course, you dream of some shot where Scott is goofing around with the alien, but he's just not that type! And I dearly wished there had been pictures of the famous test screening in Dallas, all those poor audience members running for their lives — but those are very private occasions. On the whole we got what we were looking for.

Was there a particular photo or bit of information that surprised you while digging for content for the book?

Ian: The photos that revealed the cast, and especially Scott, actually enjoying themselves. The reputation is of such a tense and difficult shoot, both in terms of the director's creative process and studio pressure, so it was great to see people smiling and just hanging out. I also loved those wide-angle shots of the sets, particularly the bridge of the Nostromo deserted — you can pour over it for hours. In terms of info, I greatly enjoyed Scott's ideas that had to be jettisoned for budgetary reasons: having a Martian crew member, the love affair between Dallas and Ripley, and the other death scenes they had in mind involving airlocks and cattle prods. Plus his early visions for a sequel or prequel – you get a real sense of what Prometheus might be about.

As mentioned in the book, Ridley Scott has been interested in exploring the origins of the Space Jockey since the beginning so the idea of him working on an Alien prequel is nothing new. Are you excited to see Ridley Scott return to sci-fi and give us a movie that ties into the Alien universe?

Ian: As mentioned I think there are more than a few clues to Prometheus hidden in Alien Vault, just from Scott's own thoughts and desires. I couldn't be more excited about the film, I know that the scale will be epic: really universal questions of where we all come from. Quite a change from the claustrophobia of Alien.

Are you worried about Ridley Scott demystifying the Space Jockey race and how that will affect a new fan's appreciation of Alien?

Ian: Naturally, part of me is a little sad that I might loose that mystery of where Alien's derelict spacecraft might have come from, and what the Space Jockeys were like (I always thought of the creature as benign). It will potentially change the way we look at Alien, but that could be for the better. And Scott bringing his vision back to this universe is just to thrilling to ignore. So I am optimistic.

With Prometheus we're going backwards, but there are still plenty of future "Alien" stories that can be told. Obviously, fans love the action in Aliens and Dark Horse has a slew of comics featuring the colonial marines. Would you like to see the movie series move forward in that direction?

Ian: Certainly, the problem (and it is one Scott has talked about in returning for the prequel) is how devalued the alien creature itself has become with all the AVP movies and the later sequels. If you were going to go forward it is something that needs a startling story, part of me would love to have someone evolve Vincent Ward's original concept for Alien3, the wooden planet run by monks who aver violence, and think the devil is amongst them. Bringing a kind of primitivism to the franchise.

Do you think that Ripley is as much a part of the Alien universe as the xenomorph? Or do you feel that sequels can start with a new set of characters without issue?

Ian: Well, there is an argument that they shouldn't have been called Alien films but Ripley films – they add up to a life story of the tough-minded warrant officer from the Nostromo. She is, or better, was integral. And it is good that she is spiritually, if nothing else, referenced in Prometheus by having Noomi Rapace as a strong female lead. But I don't doubt the universe can work with new characters – just well written ones, please!

Thanks for taking the time to talk with me about your book. Is there anything else you'd like to tell our readers about Alien Vault?

Ian: It's been a pleasure, there's not much to add. I hope you enjoy the book, I could have filled an encyclopaedia with details given the time, but that might have narrowed its appeal down to a band of absolute Alien lunatics like me. Let me leave you with some points for debate: is Alien3 the true sequel to Alien? Is the working cut of Alien3 actually a decent movie? Can you put together an idea of what a three-hour version of Alien might be like from all those cut ideas? Which is better Alien or Aliens and why? Try those with your families over Christmas dinner, see how far you get!

For more information on Alien Vault, visit the official website for the book at: http://alien-vault.blogspot.com/