Best Composers Roundtable Podcasts (2025)

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E91 - Sean Michael Smith, composer 2:07:20

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5d ago2:07:20

2:07:20

This month on episode 91 of the QCMP I’m speaking with self-trained composer Sean Michael Smith. Sean has an interesting background as a metal musician, with a foot in the classical realm. His first symphony “The Wolf” is to be performed on October 24th by the Charlotte Civic Orchestra at the Dale F. Halton Theater. A symphony is quite an ambitious…

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UnEarthed | S1 E8 "The Real Monsters" ft. Noah Hawley, Sydney Chandler, Jonathan Ajayi, Lily Newmark, Erana James, and Babou Ceesay 2:31:29

12d ago2:31:29

2:31:29

WE MADE IT! This is our final episode of UnEarthed (at least for now ...). Today we're covering the final episode of Alien: Earth's first season: "The Real Monsters." This massive aftershow features nearly the entire Perfect Organism team, along with guests Micah Greene and Dave Gogel (of Xenomorphing). After the live aftershow, you will hear our i…

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UnEarthed | S1 E7 "Emergence" ft. Samuel Blenkin ("Boy Kavalier"), Alex Lawther ("Joe Hermit"), Lily Newmark ("Nibs"), Jonathan Ajayi ("Smee"), Adarsh Gourav ("Slightly"), and Dana Gonzalez (Director ... 2:08:03

19d ago2:08:03

2:08:03

Join us for the audio version of our live Alien: Earth aftershow! Today’s installment covers the seventh episode of season one, titled “Emergence.” Stay tuned at the end for our interviews with Samuel Blenkin ("Boy Kavalier"), Alex Lawther ("Joe Hermit"), Lily Newmark ("Nibs"), Jonathan Ajayi ("Smee"), Adarsh Gourav ("Slightly"), and Dana Gonzalez …

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UnEarthed | S1 E6 "The Fly" ft. Sandra Yi Sencindiver ("Yutani"), Kit Young ("Tootles"), and Director Ugla Hauksdóttir 1:52:30

26d ago1:52:30

1:52:30

Join us for the audio version of our live Alien: Earth aftershow! Today’s installment covers the sixth episode of season one, titled “The Fly.” Stay tuned at the end for our interviews with Sandra Yi Sencindiver ("Yutani"), Kit Young ("Tootles"), and Ugla Hauksdóttir (Director of Episodes 4 and 6)! // New Episodes of UnEarthed drop an hour and 15 m…

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BREAKING NEWS!! Fede Alvarez Will NOT Be Directing the Sequel to Alien: Romulus 10:01

1M ago10:01

10:01

In a news item that NONE of us saw coming, Fede Alvarez just announced he will step down from directing the sequel to Alien: Romulus. Instead, he and Ridley Scott will jointly produce the film. In this brief news update (recorded live on YouTube), Jaime and Patrick discuss this wild development. // Join the new Perfect Organism subreddit, while you…

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UnEarthed | S1 E5 "In Space, No One ..." ft. Babou Ceesay ("Morrow") and Richa Moorjani ("Zaveri") 1:08:54

1M ago1:08:54

1:08:54

Join us for the audio version of our live Alien: Earth aftershow! Today's installment covers the fifth episode of season one, titled "In Space, No One ..." Stay tuned at the end for our interviews with Babou Ceesay ("Morrow") and Richa Moorjani ("Zaveri")! // New Episodes of UnEarthed drop an hour and 15 minutes after new episodes of Alien: Earth r…

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E90 - Local Music Business Roundtable, w/ Pam Taylor, Ephraim Sommers and Nicholas Rhodes 2:28:24

1M ago2:28:24

2:28:24

This month on episode 90 the QCMP has its first rountable! We're talking the business of music as a local musician. Host Matthew Ablan is joined by Ephraim Scott Sommers, Pam Taylor and Nicholas Rhodes. It's an interesting discussion between four musicians who are navigating the Charlotte scene. Featuring the songs "Man Enough" by Ephraim Sommers, …

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289 // Through the Looking Glass | An Alien: Earth Roundtable 1:05:36

1M ago1:05:36

1:05:36

Andie, special guest Micah Greene, Patrick, and Jaime dig into episodes three and four of Alien: Earth. From our shared fascination with the Eye Midge to our uncertainty about where the story is headed, we explore the intricacies and brilliance of Noah Hawley’s series. // Join the new Perfect Organism subreddit, while you're at it! It's a great pla…

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UnEarthed: An Alien: Earth Aftershow | S1 E4 "Observation" ft. David Rysdahl ("Arthur") 1:00:31

1M ago1:00:31

1:00:31

Join us for the audio version of our live Alien: Earth aftershow! Today's installment covers the fourth episode of season one, titled "Observation." Stay tuned at the end for an excerpt of our interview with David Rysdahl, who plays Arthur Sylvia! You'll be hearing more from him later in the season, but we wanted to share a little preview of that c…

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Minisode: Interviewing Alien: Earth Music Supervisor Maggie Phillips and Composer Jeff Russo 14:50

2M ago14:50

14:50

We're releasing this as special bonus content for our recent episode of UnEarthed: a wonderful little interview with Maggie Phillips and Jeff Russo, Alien: Earth's Music Supervisor and Composer, respectively! Among other duties, Maggie is behind the "needle drops" in the show—a hallmark of Hawley's style, and a thrilling (if somewhat divisive) addi…

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UnEarthed: An Alien Earth Aftershow | S1 E3 "Metamorphosis" 56:01

2M ago56:01

56:01

In episode two of our Alien: Earth aftershow, Jaime, Patrick, Andie and Perry re-convene to talk about 'Metamorphosis' the third installment of Noah Hawley's new Alien series. In this hour-long episode we discuss how the show is improving, how we're feeling and the excitement of what's to come. Jaime also introduces a new segment called 'I Like Gri…

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288 // Fauna Disguised As Flora: An Alien: Earth Roundtable 1:35:56

2M ago1:35:56

1:35:56

Nearly the entire Perfect Organism Podcast team gathers to dive into Neverland and Mr. October, the gripping first chapters of Noah Hawley and FX’s Alien: Earth. From raw first impressions to probing what it truly means to become something else, we unravel a web of ideas and unsettling possibilities woven into this bold new vision of the Alien univ…

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UnEarthed: An Alien: Earth Aftershow | S1 E1+2 "Neverland and "Mr. October" 53:04

2M ago53:04

53:04

Jaime, Patrick, Perry and Andie host Perfect Organism Podcast's first aftershow. Covering the first two episodes of Noah Hawley's Alien: Earth, your hosts cover different aspects of each episode in dynamic new segments while giving their first impressions of this exciting new show. We hope you enjoy. To watch the show every Tuesday when it airs, pl…

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UnEarthed: An Alien: Earth Aftershow Announcement 1:11

2M ago1:11

1:11

We're launching our new official Perfect Organism Podcast aftershow for Alien: Earth! You can find our YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/@perfectorganism // Join the new Perfect Organism subreddit, while you're at it! It's a great place to interact with us and celebrate all the great stuff coming to Alien fandom lately: https://www.reddit.com/r/pe…

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287 // Perfect Organism Reviews Alien: Earth Ep. 1 ("Neverland") SPOILERS AHEAD 41:10

2M ago41:10

41:10

SPOILERS AHEAD Here is Jaime and Patrick's review of the first episode of Noah Hawley's Alien: Earth. Recorded immediately after the premiere screening in Hall H at San Diego Comic-Con, this conversation is a deep dive into the themes, characters, and events in this first episode. We're releasing this as the review embargo lifts in the hopes you'll…

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E89 - Philip Funderburk, cover artist 2:05:28

2M ago2:05:28

2:05:28

This month on episode 89 cover artist Philip Funderburk who can be found tickling the ivories as a soloist and dualing pianist. Philip digs into his background as a pianist, what brought him to Charlotte and a whole lot more! __________________________________________ Donate to the QCMP _________________________________________________ Philip Funde…

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286 // Alien: Earth Speculation | A Roundtable 1:06:08

2M ago1:06:08

1:06:08

In this exciting pseudo-roundtable episode, Perry, Andie, Xander, Adam, Holden and Ross discuss their excitement for Alien: Earth. From managing expectations to experiencing the unknown, all aspects are covered as we anxiously await the series premiere on August 12. This discussion centers around a few quotes from Noah Hawley that are featured in t…

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285 // Interviewing Alien: Earth Stars Sydney Chandler and Babou Ceesay 15:08

2M ago15:08

15:08

Two of the most intriguing characters in Alien: Earth (at least from what we've seen so far!) are, without a doubt, Wendy (played by Sydney Chandler) and Morrow (Babou Ceesay). Jaime and Patrick had the chance to chat with them inside FX's podcasting space at San Diego Comic-Con 2025, and we're more intrigued than ever to see where these characters…

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SDCC Minisode: Talking Alien: Rogue Incursion Evolved Edition with Survios 11:42

2M ago11:42

11:42

In the midst of all the chaos at SDCC, Jaime and Patrick managed to sit down with TQ Jefferson and Eugene Elkin from Survios to chat about Alien: Rogue Incursion's upcoming move to consoles! This was recorded on an iPhone in a loud ballroom, so the audio isn't great. But luckily there is video as well! Check our channels for that later today. // Jo…

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284 // Alien: Earth Hall H Reaction Minisode (no spoilers!) 15:25

2M ago15:25

15:25

Just moments after the SDCC Hall H Alien: Earth panel ended—a panel which included a screening of the full first episode!—Jaime and Patrick ran back to the podcast studio to record some quick thoughts. There are NO SPOILERS in here, so don't be worried about that. We then stayed in the studio for another 45 minutes and recorded our first-ever spoil…

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283 // Interviewing Alien: Earth Composer Jeff Russo 46:14

3M ago46:14

46:14

This is a big one, folks! Our first interview with someone involved directly in the production of Alien: Earth (first of more to come ...). We're so pleased to bring you this conversation with Jeff Russo, composer of the intriguing score of FX's Alien: Earth. Jeff, a frequent Noah Hawley collaborator, has had quite the career: originally a founding…

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282 // ALIEN: Lost Transmission | An Interview with the Filmmakers 1:00:30

3M ago1:00:30

1:00:30

In this episode, Perry and Jaime sit down with Alien: Lost Transmission writer-director Connor Botts and his co-writer and star, Benjamin Mayer. This might just be one of our most entertaining conversations yet. From Connor’s first sparks of inspiration to last-minute reshoots and shifting release dates, the duo dives into the passion, chaos, and c…

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281 // Building Fear With Legacy Effects Artist Adam Milicevic 1:01:33

3M ago1:01:33

1:01:33

In this episode, Patrick, Andie and Jaime talk with Legacy Effects artist Adam Milicevic about his work on Alien Romulus, the challenge of creature design, the ever-changing film industry and so much more. This episode was meant to drop on Alien Day 2025 but fell through the cracks. We are so excited to present it to you now. If you'd like to follo…

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E88 - Big Greg, rap artist 1:44:03

3M ago1:44:03

1:44:03

This month on episode 88 rap artist Big Greg also known as PLK “The Punch Line Kid”stops by to talk. Big Greg can best be described as "genre less" and has been cited as one of the most diverse artists in the south. Not to mention he’s received accolades from: Charlotte Music Awards, Carolina Music Video Awards (CMVA) and Indie Grind Music Awards (…

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280 // A Predator In An Alien Film 1:15:46

4M ago1:15:46

1:15:46

In this episode, Patrick and Jaime welcome AvP Galaxy’s Adam Zeller for a bold and timely conversation about a major development: the possible return of the Predator—this time, in a sequel to Alien: Romulus. What could this mean for the future of the Alien franchise? Is it a bold evolution, or a risky crossover just as Alien is rediscovering its cr…

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279 // Alien: Earth Trailer Live Reaction Roundtable! 1:12:31

4M ago1:12:31

1:12:31

It's here—a real trailer for FX's Alien: Earth! On this massive roundtable, the entire PO Team breaks down every frame of this amazing new look into the world of Noah Hawley's soon-to-be-released series. This was recorded live, on YouTube. Subscribe to us there so you don't miss any future live episodes (we have quite a few of them planned!): https…

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278 // What If Ripley Hadn't Survived the Nostromo ... But Someone Else Had? 1:08:23

4M ago1:08:23

1:08:23

Listener Peter Wright wrote to us back in January with a killer episode idea: what if Ripley never made it off the ship, but someone (or something) else had? In today's show—a loose continuation of our ongoing "What If" series—Perry, Andie, Ross, and Patrick tease through all the various ways that question could play out. What if Dallas had survive…

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E87 - Desmond McDonald, bassist 1:29:23

4M ago1:29:23

1:29:23

This month on episode 87 of the QCMP I'm speaking with bassist Desmond McDonald who recently finished a tour with blues/rock guitarist Eric Gales. Dez fills us in on his music background, what attracted him to the bass, plugging into the Charlotte music scene, the pressure of jumping into a tour and a whole lot more. _______________________________…

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277 // Interviewing Matt Savage, Alien: Romulus Concept Artist 49:13

5M ago49:13

49:13

On today's show we welcome back Matt Savage (IG: mattasav.concept) to talk about his amazing work as a concept artist on Alien: Romulus. Matt's work on numerous design elements of the film—most famous being the Corbelan IV (interior as well as exterior!)—lent a tremendous amount of realism and believability to Fede Alvarez's film. Join Jaime and Pa…

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Alien Earth News Update 11:09

5M ago11:09

11:09

The release date for Alien: Earth just dropped—along with new images. Patrick and Jaime dive into first impressions, what’s got us excited, and what’s raising eyebrows. Join us for a quick breakdown of everything we just learned. // Apple Podcasts: bit.ly/perfectorganismitunes // For more on this and our other projects, please visit www.perfectorga…

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E86 - Tara Taylor, vocalist 1:57:26

5M ago1:57:26

1:57:26

This month on episode 86 of the QCMP vocalist and good friend Tara Taylor stops by to discuss her musical history, plugging into the Charlotte music scene and the various groups she performs with. _________________________________________________ Donate to the QCMP _________________________________________________ Tara Taylor Instagram Facebook Buf…

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276 // What Weyland-Yutani Knew : A Roundtable Discussion 1:08:15

5M ago1:08:15

1:08:15

In this episode, the Perfect Organism crew dives deep into the mystery of what Weyland-Yutani knew and when. With Alien: Earth on the horizon, we're asking the big questions: Were other ships sent to retrieve the creature? How long has the Company been tracking it? What don’t we know? This is a riveting, high-stakes conversation packed with theorie…

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275 // Alien Day Roundtable Wrap Up 50:25

5M ago50:25

50:25

In what has become an annual Alien Day ritual, the team at Perfect Organism Podcast comes together to discuss the highlights of Alien Day 2025, what we saw, what we heard, and how we experienced it. The conversation then moves towards the Alien Earth clips and the excitement and mystery surrounding the series as we await a premiere date. This was a…

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274 // The Alien War Documentary: Interviewing the Filmmakers 50:57

5M ago50:57

50:57

In this episode, Jaime and Christian sit down with Doug McCarthy and Paul King to explore Beneath London: The Story of Alien War—their gripping short documentary chronicling one of fandom’s most legendary events. From construction to opening day, Doug and Paul pull back the curtain on a hidden chapter of Alien history, revealing how they stitched t…

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273 // Inside Alien 3 : The Legacy Cut 42:19

5M ago42:19

42:19

In this exclusive Alien Day episode, Patrick and Jaime sit down with Martin and Chad, two key architects behind the haunting 4K Legacy Cut of Alien 3. From Martin’s earliest experiments in Photoshop to the painstaking restoration of a cinematic myth, we dive deep into the hidden story of how one of the Alien saga’s most storied chapters was brought…

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272 // Alien and the Iconography of Terror (With Tristan Jones and Dane Hallett) 1:20:09

5M ago1:20:09

1:20:09

Episode art by Tristan Jones (IG: @tristans_bones) HAPPY ALIEN DAY 2025!! Looking back through the history of cinema, there are very few - if any - monsters as iconic as the Alien. But why is that? Why are we so afraid of it, intrigued by it, obsessed with it? Why does it speak to audiences in 2025 with just as much power as it did nearly five deca…

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Interviewing DeadDark, Our Alien Day 2025 T-Shirt Artist! 57:01

5M ago57:01

57:01

(Note: the episode art is an itsy-bitsy preview of the full design that will be revealed on April 26th) One of our favorite Alien Day traditions is our annual t-shirt unveiling. Over the past near-decade, we've gotten to work with tons of gifted artists from around Alien fandom – and this year is VERY MUCH no exception. DeadDark – whose actual name…

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E85 - Matt Stratford, cover artist 2:38:57

6M ago2:38:57

2:38:57

This month on episode 85 of the QCMP local cover artist Matt Stratford stops by to discuss his musical background, the local Charlotte scene, live sound and lots more! _________________________________________________ Donate to the QCMP _________________________________________________ Matt Stratford Instagram Facebook Chunky Daddy ________________…

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Anatomy of An Alien Film Part Two: The Characters 1:16:08

6M ago1:16:08

1:16:08

In this dynamic follow-up to our first installment, Perry, Andie, Patrick, and Jaime dive deep into the characters of the ALIEN films, when they soar, when they fall flat, and how the modern studio system shapes not just how movies are made, but how we experience them. This episode is spirited, unfiltered, and full of sharp insights and passionate …

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Alien Earth Special Look Footage Reaction Minisode 17:09

7M ago17:09

17:09

In this quick-hit episode, Jaime and Holden dive into the newest glimpse of Noah Hawley’s Alien: Earth—a just-released clip that runs over a minute, the longest footage we've seen yet. But is it just a tease? Will we get a full trailer? And most importantly… are we convinced? Join us as we unpack it all. Enjoy! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz comp…

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Interviewing Alien: Romulus Concept Artist Nick Stath - Part Two 1:01:25

7M ago1:01:25

1:01:25

When we last had concept artist Nick Stath on Perfect Organism (way back at episode 240, released on Alien Day 2024!), we were just months from the release of Alien: Romulus. Given how intimately involved Nick was with the artistic appearance of that movie, we had to be very careful to avoid spoiling anything. But now we've had Romulus out and in t…

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Alien Earth Teaser and Marketing Footage Reaction Roundtable 41:27

7M ago41:27

41:27

The wait is over! In this electrifying episode, the Perfect Organism team dives headfirst into the newly released teaser trailer for Alien: Earth and the latest marketing footage as the countdown to Noah Hawley’s bold new series begins. From the eerie, mysterious setting to a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it glimpse of what could be a brand-new Xenomorph, …

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E84 - Nathan Harris, touring/session guitarist 2:22:10

7M ago2:22:10

2:22:10

This month on episode 84 of the QCMP I’m speaking with Nathan Harris. Nathan is multi-talented and is a touring and session guitarist as well as a singer/songwriter. His recent release is the EP Moving On. _________________________________________________ Donate to the QCMP _________________________________________________ Nathan Harris Instagram F…

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Anatomy of an Alien Film Part One: The Plot 1:00:50

7M ago1:00:50

1:00:50

A lot of talk in fandom as of late has centered around where the Alien franchise should go next. Can we handle another film with an "airlock sequence," a countdown, a beacon, etc.? Or do audiences want something completely new and wholly inventive? In today's episode—the first of a two- (or maybe three- or maybe more?) part series, Jaime and Patric…

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Becoming ALIEN: Interviewing Alien Romulus Creature Performer Trevor Newlin 1:08:08

8M ago1:08:08

1:08:08

In this episode, Perry, Patrick, and Jaime sit down with Alien: Romulus creature performer Trevor Newlin for a deep dive into his incredible work. From undergoing a full-body scan to stepping into a legacy pioneered by Bolaji Badejo, Trevor shares the fascinating process of bringing the film’s terrifying creature to life. He takes us behind the sce…

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E83 - Joe May, Independent Artist 1:44:15

8M ago1:44:15

1:44:15

This month on episode 83 of the QCMP I’m pleased to be speaking with independent artist Joe May. You may remember Joe from episode 40 of the QCMP when he was on with several band members from his Pluto Gang. This month Joe is back talking about his dive into being a solo artist, his new single, upcoming album and studio Alta Mira. _________________…

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Alien Earth Teaser Reaction Roundtable 56:17

8M ago56:17

56:17

The team at Perfect Organism Podcast dives into the recently released 40-second teaser for Noah Hawley’s Alien: Earth. While many expected a full trailer with actual footage from the series, what we got was something entirely different. Jaime, Patrick, Perry, Andie, Adam, and Xander share their thoughts on whether this teaser hit the mark and lived…

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The Makeup Effects of Alien: Romulus 54:02

9M ago54:02

54:02

In this episode, Jaime, Patrick and Perry talk with Iván Pohárnok and Viktoria Stieber about their practical effect work on Alien Romulus. From working with Aileen Wu to creating the mechanism for Andy's upgrade, Ivan and Viktoria go in to wonderful detail about the rigors of working on a very practical film, the hours involved and what they're mos…

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Tomorrow, Together: Ten Years of Isolation Part Five 1:04:22

9M ago1:04:22

1:04:22

As we close out a banner year in Alien fandom, we return to our series dedicated to the game that changed everything: Alien: Isolation. When we last had Andy Kelly on the show, he was telling us about a book he was in the very early stages of writing. Now that that book (Perfect Organism: An Alien: Isolation Companion) is released (and is spectacul…

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E82 - Greazy Keyz 1:38:40

9M ago1:38:40

1:38:40

Happy New Year and I hope 2025 is off to a great start for you. This month on episode 82 of the QCMP Greazy Keyz is back and this time in the studio! The last time he was featured on the podcast was back in 2020 on episode 33 and we needed to do a virtual interview as the pandemic had just started. He’s had a lot going on in these few short years s…